Side Notes #2
On The Ground
This newsletter is part of the Side Notes series, an ongoing collection of thoughts, updates and going-ons.
I landed back from Scotland last week only to join my neighbors for dinner as they practiced Scottish reeling ahead of a gala. The choreographed dance is not terribly dissimilar from line dancing, but very different from the Irish step dancing I pursued for many years. Yes, I was a child of Riverdance. It’s not every day I walk away from dinner with a dance routine, and YouTube videos of HM The Queen reeling. I was sent to practice at Pont Street, and look forward to more choreography.
In Scotland, I was up at Glen Dye, Charlie and Caroline Gladstone’s extraordinary property. They hosted dozens of people including young restaurateurs from Aran Bakery and Café Cùil who baked each morning. There are several cottages to rent on the property, resembling a national park, and endless adventures—hiking, fishing, axe throwing, etc. Charlie is publishing his third book, Real Wild Heaven, and if you spend any time in his world, you’ll be thrilled to get inside of his mind.
I wrote last Fall about the Cecil Beaton exhibition he hosted at Hawarden, their other property. Cecil was his great uncle and I was struck by what a prolific, creative family they are. Entrepreneurs, cooks, food, art and music experts with excellent style, Charlie and Caroline are gentle leaders who inspire everyone around them.
Side Notes
-This Noah suit is an easy, affordable suit to wear right now. Noah is known for their casual clothes for skaters and surfers, but secretly makes good RTW tailoring and overcoats. I worked with founder Brendon Babenzien at J.Crew, where he served as men’s creative director and evolved suiting with wider fits. At Noah, his take is more personal, and they recently opened a tailoring-focused shop as well.
-Maira Kalman’s Shaker Outpost at the Shaker Museum in Chatham, NY looks great. If you’re Upstate between now and July 5th, swing by. I’m a huge fan of Maira’s work and perspective—and her late husband Tibor’s. Her son Alex founded Mmuseumm, the smallest museum in Manhattan, housed in a TriBeCa elevator shaft where I once spent hours inspecting foreign toothpastes, and had a Swiss army knife engraved in gold by Van Neistat. There’s a lot to learn from functional, beautiful Shaker design, and from Maira Kalman’s artistic lens on life. Or any Kalman!
-L’Etiquette remains my favorite men’s magazine, and this latest issue is no exception. I’ve collected issues since they launched (in French) and consider it a style bible for women as much as men. Now I can actually read it in English. Part of the appeal has always been the styling—aspirational but natural. The guys don’t look sad and slick, they look happy and relaxed. The mix of vintage with one or two nice pieces, like a Charvet scarf, a pair of worn-in loafers, is the way people actually dress. It’s refreshing to see editorial styling that’s not just advertisers. The voice is inviting and helpful, like a slightly stoned, French cousin to Mr Porter. I’ve always related to the men’s issues more than Femme.
