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Category: Fashion

U.S. News & World Report used to have a feature I enjoyed, "News You Can Use".  Instead of "finds", I  now adapted that term to be "News You're Sure to Use"  in my blog, which are products and services I've found and like. This month you'll find a more expanded list than usual, with home services; tips on fashion, grooming, travel; jewelry repair; even a new business idea;  and some darn good empanadas (you know me, had to get the food in). Hope you find these useful. And love to hear your "finds" as well!
Rings aren’t usually my thing – compared with earrings as you know. But I’m a convert thanks to Sergio Andres Mendoza, the creator of Pharaoun. They make a statement without being too much, and are reasonably priced especially considering the workmanship. Same with the cufflinks, earrings, lapel pins and charms.
A gem of an exhibit for lovers of fashion and photography is  “High Fashion & Street Style” now at the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach .It features works of the all time greats of worldwide fashion photography juxtaposed with the contrasting street style photography. As they wrote in the program, “High Fashion photography embodies the life to which we aspire, street photography the life we actually lead”.Close to one hundred artists from Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts to Richard Avedon and Stevel Meisel and over 250 works dating from the 1930’s are represented. Here’s a photo gallery of some of my favorites (a tough choice).
Even if you aren't usually a particular fan of Colombian fashion, you might very well change your mind after seeing the fashions at St. Dom, what I call the "Temple" of designers for men and women in Bogota, Colombia. I had been following St.Dom on instagram along with other fashion in Colombia. Then, on a recent business trip to Bogota, I made a detour to their three story shop, a companion to a sister shop in Cartagena, and was blown away by the quality, design, and style of their 140 brands of clothing for men and women, accessories,  items of home decor and even chocolate sculptures. If you want to do a total remake of your wardrobe it's almost worth a trip there in itself.
On top of Art Basel and Design Miami, Miami Art Week 2022 featured over 280 galleries from 38 countries, from satellite fairs, brand activations, A-list fundraisers, and store and hotel openings, to blockchain launches and parties galore. It was so gratifying to see events happening all over Miami-Dade, from Homestead and Opa Locka to Coral Gables, Overtown, plus the expected venues. And putting on my promotional/marketing hat, Miami Art Week will surely be a boon to positive and far reaching word of mouth of Miami as a tourism destination. Since my focus was on art and design, the photo gallery of Miami Art Week 2022 is all about art with one notable exception: a visit to a popup of a favorite Italian designer whom I met at one of the first Miami Swim Week events. So here's the gallery of favorite contemporary works from the fairs.
Alert for holiday gifting! Once described as the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires was a global fashion capital during the early 20th century. Now after a success with luxury vineyard real estate, fine wines and luxury boutique hotels, the Gaucho Group Holdings team turned to fine leather clothing and accessories for men and women, and items for the home in its brand,  Gaucho - Buenos Aires. The brand recently opened a shop in the Miami Design District that’s well worth a visit and has some unique items for holiday gifting.
Three friends with totally different tastes gave a thumbs up to the unconventional fashion of Infinita and CLARA8A  – one whose taste runs to Euro tropical elegance, another eclectic and creative,  and a third a lover of the little black dress. I’m sure you’ll agree that’s pretty unusual. Though it may not be your style, just like some of the fashions by luxury global brands one’s sees in VOGUE these days, you have to admire and enjoy the creativity, color, and whimsy of this Colombian designed fashion for men and women. The two brands are sold at Clara8 in Upper Buena Vista (see my update on all the shops there at the end). Then, at the other end of the Colombian fashion style spectrum is at what I recently saw at what I'm calling the "Temple" of fashion, St. Dom in Bogota,Colombia.  Watch for my upcoming blogpost.
Casual elegance is a term one hasn’t heard in recent years. Happily in my book, dressing up is coming  back, replacing the athleisure day to evening wear according to a recent article in the New York Times  . Ala von Auersperg is an artist and designer who does it so well, with her tropical inspired fashions whose prints originate from her one of a kind paintings and drawings. They attract a serious following, and I can certainly see why. And note, she has designed an Habanero shirt for men with her Queen Palm Print.
Thanks to Latin American designers from Colombia and Brazil to Venezuela, Peru and Argentina, Miami has a unique and wonderful fashion scene in the US. That’s in everything from clothing and jewelry to handbags, mostly for women, but also for men. And now there’s a welcome new entry on the scene, Azulu from Colombia, that has fashion and accessories for women and men. It’s resort wear that works for day, the beach, and a night out, in fabrics perfect for South Florida. Azulu Miami recently opened two shops, one in Brickell City Centre and the other in Aventura, riding on their success in twenty countries worldwide.
This summer will be my third consecutive trip to Istanbul, now one of my favorite travel destinations (see my earlier review on the city). It was there I discovered the quality and design of everything from leather goods and towels to jewelry, fashion, and home goods with the added benefit of “affordable luxury”. Turkish designer and fashion stylist  Ceyda Avunduk brings it all together in her wonderful Palm Beach boutique, J’Day off of Worth Avenue . And one of the best features, her fashions and accessories go from day to night, so they’re ideal for travel.