Kevin Sharkley's workspace

Yes, I keep my closet color coordinated. Kevin Sharkley, however, just took things to a whole new level...

[Image via Martha Stewart Home Design]

Preview of the 2011 Guide to Paris by Louis Vuitton

_Since 1998 Vuitton has been giving us their views on fashion, design, the arts and gastronomy. Each guide highlights the latest trends and offers unique advice. Design and packaging of these chic guides was inspired by the Louis Vuitton vintage luggage label found on their holiday trunks. The European Edition Box Set will be released on October 15th and will feature seven new cities including Oxford and Porto Cervo.

[Image 1 via The Selby, Image 2 + article and video via Luxuo]

"Decoded" Book by Jay-Z: November 16 2010 Release date

The artwork for the cover was released yesterday [TOP, November 2010] and features an image of Andy Warhol’s “Rorschach” [BOTTOM, 1984]. The book will “decode” 36 of Jay-Z's singles from his catalog.

On his book: "I told my editor that I wanted it to do three important things. The first was to make the case that hip-hop lyrics, not just my lyrics, but those of every great MC, are poetry if you look at them closely enough. The second was I wanted the book to tell a little bit of the story of my generation, to show the context for the choices we made at a violent and chaotic crossroads in recent history. And the third piece was that I wanted the book to show how hip-hop created a way to take a very specific and powerful experience and turn it into a story that everyone in the world could feel and relate to.”

At $21, it is much more reasonably priced than most hardcover collectible books. It can be pre-ordered on Amazon, here.

Tommy Hilfiger's "Ultimate Collection" book by Assouline

_Created for Tommy Hilfiger's 25th anniversary, this monumental edition reveals the work and the man, whose own philosophy is at the root of all his designs. The book is finally available, here.

_Subject noteworthy: I love Tommy Hilfiger's Fall/Winter 2010 collection (here) and his Spring 2011 collection that was presented at his show in New York yesterday (here). So Sartorialist preppy chic.

_Also check out Tommy and Dee Hilfiger's apartment at the Plaza in New York (where the Assouline bookstore happens to be). Featured in Harper's Bazaar, here. Breathtaking...

[Image: 1946 Vogue cover, Tommy Hilfiger logo]

coat check.

_Wanessa by Nadine Ottawa in "Girl from Ipanema" for Contributor Magazine [MIDDLE]

The Burning Candy box-set gives owners producer credit on upcoming "Dots" film

Today, the 9 street artists behind Burning Candy released a limited edition box-set in an effort to raise funding for their upcoming graffiti documentary "Dots", currently in production. Each box-set owner will receive a 0.05% share of the movie and producer credit. For more on the artists and "Dots", click here. Info via Curated.

_"Don't Look At Me" paining by Burning Candy artist Dscreet [TOP]

_Christina Ricci, Naomi Campbell, Eva Mendes and Rachel Weisz for VS Magazine Fall/Winter 2010 [BOTTOM]

MARC JACOBS by Robert Duffy for Interview Magazine and BOOKMARC Store Opening

DUFFY: What is currently turning you on, whether it be musically, visually, or sexually?

JACOBS: [...] I've been looking at a lot of interior magazines. I find gorgeous rooms to be extremely arousing at the moment.

DUFFY: It was nice talking to you. I hope we don't sound as much like valley girls in print as we do in person.

JACOBS: You know me. I'm so valley.

[read the full interview]

_Love Marc. If you've seen the Marc Jacobs/Louis Vuitton documentary, you'll probably agree he's today's Andy Warhol. Neurotic but brilliant. When I read the interview (conducted by friend and President of Marc Jacobs, Robert Duffy) I imagined him speaking in Warhol's voice. Two years ago Marc Jacobs actually did a spread for Interview Magazine as Andy Warhol (see it here). The magazine itself was founded by the artist in 1969. I think everyone has respect for drug addict/alcoholics who are able to get sober... Marc Jacobs was able to do it while running his own international fashion line and holding the Creative Director title at Louis Vuitton. [TOP]

_In the interview, you will read about Bookmarc, Marc Jacobs' first bookstore which opened Friday night in New York. Costumers can find everything from inexpensive branded Marc Jacobs school accessories to pricey collectible coffee table books like Kate Moss by Mario Testino for $700. I hope Bookmarc's next stop is Los Angeles! For pictures of Bookmarc and more info, click here.

_Photo of Marc Jacobs by Terry Richardson 2008 to celebrate the launch of The Stephen Sprouse Book by Rizzoli. [MIDDLE]

_Marc Jacobs is also on the cover of this Fall's V Magazine alongside Lagy Gaga. View the cover by Mario Testino here.

Robert Doisneau's "Palm Springs 1960" by Rizzoli

Grass and Pleasure

Grow in the Desert

_French photographer Robert Doisneau's black and white images of Paris are iconic (see them here). In 1960, Fortune magazine hired him to shoot 23 colored photographs for an article called "Grass and Pleasure Grow In the Desert". "Palm Springs 1960" is made up of all the unseen photographs that didn't make it into the Fortune magazine article. Available here later this month. [TOP]

_Photo by Robert Doisneau, Palm Springs,1960 [BOTTOM]

TASCHEN's new book TRESPASS

in a world with no rules one man broke them all...

_Taschen's a new publication "Trespass" is an upcoming book of theirs documenting the world of street art by street art website Wooster Collective's Marc and Schiller and writer Carlo McCormick. For a digital preview of the book, click here. For the Wooster archives, click here. Book covert art [TOP RIGHT]

_Street art by famous british street artist Banksy [BOTTOM]

_Banksy's film "Exit through the Gift Shop" [TOP LEFT]

I love Banksy. I've included many pieces of his artwork on my blog before. The arrival of this book is great timing after the success of the recent Banksy film "Exit Through The Gift Shop" documenting the world of underground art. For more on the film, click here.

Marcel Proust, The Vanity Fair Proust Questionnaire and the upcoming Proust.com

KNOW THE ONES YOU LOVE

I'm currently reading "Lettres" by french author Marcel Proust which is how I thought of this post. If you don't know Marcel Proust, his writing is complex but he is brilliant. I started reading his books when I was studying for the Baccalaureate exam in high school. When he was 13 years old, he was asked to fill out a questionnaire and another when he was 20. Today, that very questionnaire is at the back of every Vanity Fair magazine, filled out by different actors and public figures. Read it here.

With this blog, I have the ability to post anything. It allows me to be opinionated and discover what I like/dislike in the process. I mention this because I think The Proust Questionnaire is worth personally taking. When was the last time you asked yourself what your favorite qualities in both a man/woman were and simply what it is you most dislike? I completely agree with the author of the article in the link above, modern culture has made it easier for us to answer what our "Favorite TV show" is than our favorite color or vacation - answers that make us unique in who we are.

When I was looking for the questionnaire to link it, I discovered that Proust.com will soon be launched as an intimate online space called "Know The Ones You Love" for people to share their stories on the ones they love. I love the title. It should start with yourself.

And on that note,

LOVE+LOVE+LOVE:

_Gisele Bundchen by Mario Testino for May 2009 Vanity Fair [MIDDLE]

Kate Moss by Mario Testino: The Book

READY...

...SET

GO:

_Kate Moss by Mario Testino [TOP, MIDDLE] in the TASCHEN book Kate Moss by Mario Testino [BOTTOM]

The Kate Moss book by Mario Testino comes out tomorrow with only 1500 books being produced. Sign up here today for a better chance at owning a copy. I'd been telling myself I had to do a blog post about luxury book publishers ever since Assouline hosted their afternoon for bloggers in New York last week (their shop is in the Plaza Hotel). Perfect timing. Gisele Bundchen has been my favorite model since I was very young, but this Model/Photographer collaboration is exquisite. I've noticed my blog has turned into a Testino shrine these days.. view his work here.

"What Cartier is to watches Assouline is to books."

_Photo from the Goyard/Assouline 2008 limited edition trunk collaboration. $20,000. See it here. [LEFT]

_Photo by Richard Powers of Donna Karan's library in her New York apartment. I love the dark wall contrast. [RIGHT]

Coffee Table books. Also perfect timing because I finally filled out my blogger profile, along with the Book section where I've listed a few personal favorites. Many of them are Coffee Table Books. Top Publishers are Assouline, Taschen, Rizzoli and Abrams. They are luxury. Discover them.

Subject noteworthy: One of my favorite interior designers, Mary McDonald, is coming out with a book "Interiors: The Allure of Style" this fall. It can be pre-ordered here. My aunt Jessica shot some of the photography for it!