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New & Notable: October 2019

by habituallychic

10 . 20 . 19

I was in Connecticut and didn’t get to post one of my semi-regular Bon Weekend posts on Friday. There are a few new shows coming up this week of which I wanted to make you aware so I decided a New & Notable post was in order.

As you can see from my Instagram post of Central Park above, we are still waiting for peak foliage change in New York. We should see some better color around the beginning of November for those of you who will be visiting the city.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) will reopen on Monday, 21 October after a two year renovation. The museum took over space that was previously the American Folk Art Museum next door and connected it to the existing museum to increase gallery space. I was able to tour the new spaces during a press preview earlier this month. The New York Times declared the new MoMA “slightly soulless” and I have to agree. I think you should check it out for yourself but I was surprised that the new spaces didn’t feel that fresh or new. I did like the outdoor terrace overlooking the sculpture garden behind the Brancusi exhibition on the 5th floor. The room of Monet’s waterlilies is also worth checking out.

Last week, I stopped by The Frick Collection to see Manet: Three Paintings from the Norton Simon Museum. It’s a small but exquisite exhibition of three canvases by Édouard Manet that “encapsulate three ‘views’ of the artist’s life and work”. While you are there, make sure you check out the Russel Page garden that is looking quite beautiful this October.

I just happened to Google Pauline de Rothschild this week and stumbled up a video clip of her from Million Dollar American Princesses. Even more serendipitous was that the second season was beginning on two days later on the Smithsonian Channel. The first season highlights the nouveau riche American girls whose families were snubbed by society in New York and then traveled abroad to marry the British aristocracy who were land rich and cash poor. Season two subjects include Grace Kelly, Sara Murphy, Peggy Guggenheim, and Nancy Lancaster, and Pauline de Rothschild, among others. You can watch the episodes online or on the Smithsonian television channel.

The highly anticipated series Catherine the Great debuts on HBO on Monday, 22 October at 10:00pm starring Oscar award winning actress Helen Mirren. It follows “the life of Catherine the Great toward the end of her reign during her affair with Grigory Potemkin. Amid scandal, intrigue and immense conflict, they develop a unique and devoted relationship, overcoming their adversaries.” I was very excited for this series until I saw that actor Jason Clarke plays a pivotal character. His acting in The Aftemath and The Great Gatsby was a bit wooden but I’m still going to watch.

Have you ordered Catch and Kill yet? I gave into the media blitz and just started Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Ronan Farrow’s “expose of serial abusers and a cabal of powerful interests hell-bent on covering up the truth, at any cost”. He makes a very tough subject easily readable and apparently his audio recording of the book includes accents and impressions which some people loved and some didn’t. You want to pick up something lighter and more inspiring, try Hoda Kotb’s new book I Really Needed This Today: Words to Live By.

Have you ever read the Modern Love column in The New York Times? Well, now they’ve turned some of those stories into a series Modern Love on Amazon. I was going to watch it on the train to Connecticut but there were no outlets on the train and I was worried about running down my battery. I look forward to watching the episodes starring Tina Fey, Any Garcia, John Slattery, Catherine Keener, and more, soon.

I read in T magazine that photographer François Halard has just published a new book Francois Halard: A Visual Diary. “This book is a continuation of his last volume of gorgeous photography of grand interiors, artists’ studios, and architectural pilgrimage sites. Each story’s subject matter is not just a personal passion of the photographer, but also an indispensable chapter in design history: Philip Johnson and Charles James’s de Menil House, Giorgio Morandi’s studio, Rick Owens’s radical Paris apartment, Eileen Gray’s recently restored modernist home on the French coast, Dries Van Noten’s verdant garden and home, the home and studio of Louise Bourgeois in New York, and many more.” It’s a bit expensive even with the Amazon discount but it looks and sounds like it’s worth it.

Shoe designer Sarah Flint has recently opened a chic pop up shop at 372 West Broadway where you can try on all her styles. I just started wearing her shoes and I wish I had started sooner. They are incredibly comfortable and come with protective rubber soles. Most New Yorkers add rubber soles to protect our shoes and they can cost $30-50. Orders placed at the store will take 1-2 days to ship from her warehouse.

I love Lord Jones products for minor aches and pains. I’ve used their creams during trips after walking eight miles around a city. I’ve also used them before putting on heels for a night out. Now Lord Jones has partnered with shoe designer Tamara Mellon to create High CBD Formula Stiletto Cream which is specially formulated for foot application before and after wearing shoes. Some celebrities have used it before award shows and said it saved their feet.

I also loved Victoria Beckham’s old limited edition beauty line with Estee Lauder but she has recently launched her own line of products, Victoria Beckham Beauty, that are clean, sustainable, and cruelty-free. I first bought the Signature Smoky Eye Brick with lovely brown shades when the initial eye products were released. It’s made with a unique pressing technology allows all four shades to live in one sleek brass compact for maximum product in minimal packaging. My only complaint is that I wish it came with an applicator. I also just receive the Bitten Lip Tint from the latest release. It’s the perfect natural lip shade for someone who doesn’t want to wear lipstick or lipgloss. It’s like a grown up version of Benetint Cheek & Lip Stain. Now I just wish they would put me on their press list so I can try the Skincare products when they are released.

And don’t forget that you have one week left to take advantage of the special offer from Heidi Wynne.  She’s generously offered HC readers 25% off with code CHIC25 until Sunday, October 27, 2019. All my cashmere scarves are from her collection and they are great for traveling.

Have a great week!

XOXO,

HC