Style Update!

Hello all you beautiful and lovely people. Monday now, the day after our STYLE service. WOW. What an amazing, colorful, beautiful event. I'm going to post some pics here and give some highlights of the service.

This is Laurel Devaney and Lyssa Mandel, two of the Secret City Singers.



So, the reason I chose the theme of STYLE this month was complex. It is the dead of winter here in New York, and it's been a long, cold, gray one. And, as we all know, times are tough, and the world is freaking out about the economic situation. So, there was that. It was also fashion week last week, and New York does turn out for that. and in the streets around Bryant Park one sees a lot of stylish and international folks. On top of that, it was the Academy Awards last night, and well, you know those movie people like to dress up and talk about themselves, and that seems stylish, too.

BUT, I think the real, overriding reason to have STYLE as our theme was this: I felt the services needed a little bit more oomph. That joy that comes from wearing a smart outfit. Or the elan that emerges when we feel confident. The exuberance of feeling one's own personal style. And, it worked.

We had an amazing time, and the vibe in the room was joyful, and the service was the most expansive yet.

This is a shot of the food offering. It was an Opera Cake, made by Jack Lawhon, a wonderful baker and a dear, generous man. The cake was presented on two old silver platters. That's Lisa Rothe on the right, with her new, cute haircut.



The almonds were gold-dusted. MMMMM. I LOVE this picture.



We started with Jeremy playing some great, classic Brazilian music. Lots of Bossa Nova--Desafinado, One Note Samba, Girl from Ipanema. Songs with such great style; they evoke ease and sunshine and saudade, that great Brazilian word for a quality that we all know and feel cannot name in English. It was a sweet breeze that got the room set up right.

Nikki Hughes read the Cultural Calendar for us. Here she is on the runway, from the fashion show portion of the service.



The featured art on the walls this month was sent/brought in by different people. I asked some of my most stylish pals to send me something or someone whose style inspires them. We had seven people participate. We put their images and their own 'curation' notes on the wall and read them aloud. Here's Jamie Brickhouse with his style inspiration: Miss Joan Crawford.



And people dressed!



And new people came, too. All sorts of lovely new people. People like my cousin Maddy.



I'll write more tomorrow. Gotta get the follow-up emails out. Hey, we're on facebook now, too, as a group. If you're not a member, join now! The Secret City is taking off, and we don't want to leave without you!

Love and kisses.

And Coco Chanel.