It was a busy week around here that included a black tie gala dinner and cocktails with James Bond , doing homework for my daughter who is in design school in San Francisco and listening to a design legend while sipping Mimosa's served by boy toys in skin tight tee shirts emblazoned with the designer's name, Gary Hutton. Now, I now that most of you are saying to yourselves, Jackie doesn't even get dressed until 10am and she won't leave the house unless it's on fire! Yes this is true but I made a rare exception this week and actually participated in these events.
First was the Nevada Cancer Institute, Bond for the Cure 2008, to which we scored some hard to come by invites courtesy of my husbands job. Thanks R&R.
I have been to more than a few of these shindigs over the years and I'd thought I seen it all but this event was really extraordinary. We were greeted at the entrance by real life Bond villains and to my husband's delight, some nearly naked Bond girls painted gold with strategically positioned rhinestones, serving champagne. Next, it was into the lounge area which boasted comfy, living room style conversation areas with overstuffed sofas and chairs. The entire ballroom was transformed with custom light fixtures that were incredible - wish I had more pics.Then it was off to the gourmet dinner and live auction where the highlight of the evening was a soon to be released, limited edition, Aston Martin convertible that was auctioned off for the bargain price of $360,000.00! (apparently the recession hasn't hit this crowd yet) This was followed by a pair of front row tickets for the Madonna concert the next evening that only brought in a cool $12,000.
But wait, the evening wasn't over yet! We filed into an adjacent theater to watch the US premier of the new James Bond flick. Complimentary cocktails, gourmet popcorn and candy were at your disposal. It really was a first class event.
Bond was hot - the movie was not!
The next few days of the week were spent collecting fabric samples for my daughters materials class. They had more than a few that I had never heard of which surprised me! I thought I new everything. Most of them were fashion fabrics and not home decor related so I felt better about my supposed expert status on fabrics and soft furnishings. My god, I'm glad I'm not in school anymore, homework really sucks.
Gary Hutton Yesterday I spent the day at the Las Vegas World Market Design Center's, All That Glitters event. A day long series of seminars, new product showings, and a call for submission from the editors of Western Interiors and Design Magazine who also sponsored the fantastic seminar given by "The Dean of Western Design" Gary Hutton.
I couldn't take any photos at the seminar but we walked in to find two "boy toys" at either side of the stage posing like something out of Ambercrombie & Fitch complete with the skin tight clothes and pouty, "zoolander" smiles (remember blue steel?). Mr. Hutton introduced himself and directed an entourage of servers to distribute Mimosas through the crowd. Now this is my kind of educational event - it's 10:30 in the morning and I'm being served champagne while watching pretty boys strike a pose! If this is what all of the seminars in the new educational series are going to be like at the Design Center I will be there for every event. Seriously - it was so refreshing, humorous and unexpected, it was one of the best seminars I have ever attended.
Gary Hutton's work is classic and timeless. Hearing him describe the minute details that go into his work to create monumental effects is really enlightening.
His mantra seems to be, do something you love but take the time to love it while you're doing it. You can see the passion he has for his work, it is evident in the work itself but also in the man. He is lighthearted, jovial and full of energy.
For a designer of his caliber who specializes in working with uber high-end clients who have a passion for collecting art, you might expect him to be a bit stuffy or elitist. His demeanor is exactly the opposite. He is approachable, down to earth and very entertaining. It was a pleasure to meet him. His furniture collection is extensive and is available through his website here.
I also had the opportunity to show my books to the gregarious editor in chief of Western Interiors and Design , Michael Wollaeger. Read his blog here, it's a who's who of west coast design superstars.
As for the rest of my week - who knows what I'll be up to!
Enjoy your weekend.........................
