ABMB | ‘It Ain’t Fair’

(Norman Lendzion)

One of the coolest (and most aptly-named) events surrounding Art Basel Miami Beach this week is “It Ain’t Fair,” a multi-media art, music and film extravaganza located in Aaron Bondaroff and Al Moran’s expansive O.H.W.O.W. alternative art space in the Wynwood section of town. With some of the art world’s hippest galleries on board, including Deitch Projects and Peres Projects, and hyper-connected curators like Tim Barber, Kathy Grayson, Nicola Vassell and the artist Terence Koh, it’s no wonder the exhibit-slash-temporary nightclub has been drawing some of the best crowds of the week.

Sandra’s Sources | Dress Rehearsal

 

Inside the Webster Temporary, a mural by the French artist Christophe Brunnquell.

T Magazine’s Senior Editor Sandra Ballentine opens up her little black book of tips on where to go, what to buy and whom to know.

Name: The Webster Temporary
File Under: Women’s Boutiques, Miami
Address: 919A Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Web site: The Webster Miami

What To Get: The Webster, a 20,000-square-foot style emporium in Miami Beach, won’t be opening its Deco doors until January, but fashion-loving Basel attendees can get a tantalizing preview of the store’s insider-y inventory at the Webster Temporary, a pop-up shop down the street.

Sandra’s Sources | Nina Ricci

T Magazine’s senior editor Sandra Ballentine opens up her little black book of tips on where to go, what to buy and whom to know.

Name: Nina Ricci
File Under: Women’s Boutiques, Paris
Address: 39, Avenue Montaigne
Web site: Nina Ricci

What to Get: Even (maybe especially) in shaky times, a girl needs a bit of fantasy, and the new Nina Ricci boutique in Paris is filled with plenty of distractingly dreamy frippery. The restrainedly chic space serves as an ideal backdrop for the creative director Olivier Theyskens’s romantic rocker-chick clothing as well as the house’s classic scents.

What I Lust For: Any and all of Theyskens’s edgy but refined cocktail dresses. And it may be the end of the season, but I’m still gaga for two of his stunning gold gowns (looks 46 and 48 from Fall/Winter 2008). Couture detailing makes them seem sensibly priced … almost.

Sandra’s Sources | Gianvito Rossi

T Magazine’s Senior Editor Sandra Ballentine opens up her little black book of tips on where to go, what to buy and whom to know.

Name: Gianvito Rossi
File Under: Shoe Stores, Milan
Address: Via Santo Spirito, 7, 20121 Milano 10013
Telephone Number: 011-39-2-76-28-09-88
Web Site: gianvitorossi.com

What to Get: Gianvito Rossi’s new flagship, nestled into an 18th-century palazzo, isn’t your average shoe store.

Sandra’s Sources | Tito Pedrini

Artigli green tourmaline and 18-karat gold necklace at Tito Pedrini in Manhattan.

T Magazine’s Senior Editor Sandra Ballentine opens up her little black book of tips on where to go, what to buy and whom to know.

Name: Tito Pedrini
File Under: Bespoke Jewelers, Manhattan
Telephone Number: (212) 888-3355
Web site: titopedrini.com

What To Get: A consultation with Tito Pedrini is delightful on many counts: his jewelry is mouthwatering, he’s personable and handsome, and his enthusiasm for what he does is highly contagious. In addition to designing (slightly) more gently priced ready-to-wear collections, he also works closely with celebrity and collector clients on incredible one-of-a-kind pieces.

Sandra’s Sources | The Collective

The Collective is a super-luxurious line of custom and made-to-measure clothing by Karolina Zmarlak.

T Magazine’s senior editor Sandra Ballentine opens up her little black book of tips on where to go, what to buy and whom to know.

Name: The Collective
File Under: Temporary selling exhibitions of women’s made-to-measure and custom clothing, New York
Address: (By appointment) One Seventh Avenue South, New York, NY 10011
Telephone Number: (917) 690-4632

What To Get: Karolina Zmarlak’s striking made-to-measure silk, double-face satin, wool and cashmere suits, evening jackets, cocktail dresses and gowns are luxurious and super-modern. Clients can choose pieces from the collection displayed in the exhibition or work with the designer on custom, one-of-a-kind commissions. Made-to-measure pieces usually require two appointments and cost from $1,200 to $8,000, while custom work requires three or four meetings and can set you back $3,000 to $15,000.

Sandra’s Sources | Wayne Schwartz

Wayne Schwartz, in Amagansett, N.Y., has a cherry-picked selection of works by midcentury designers such as Line Vautrin and Jacques Adnet.

T Magazine’s Senior Editor Sandra Ballentine opens up her little black book of tips on where to go, what to buy and whom to know.

Name: Wayne Schwartz
File Under: Mid-Century Modern Antiques Stores, Long Island
Address: 303 Main Street, Amagansett, N.Y. 11930
Telephone Number: (631) 267-2400

What to Get: If you’re a fan of midcentury French design by the likes of Line Vautrin and Jacques Adnet, then Wayne Schwartz is your man. A former banker turned decorative-arts obsessive, his eye is sharp and his taste chic. His tiny Amagansett shop is uncluttered and focused, and I liked an alarming number of things. Besides furniture and accessories by Adnet and Vautrin, there are also stylish lamps (circa 1970) by Willy Daro and Marie-Claude de Fouquieres.

Sandra’s Sources | ION Salon

Soho’s ION hair salon.

T Magazine’s Senior Editor Sandra Ballentine opens up her little black book of tips on where to go, what to buy and whom to know.

Name: ION
File Under: Hair Salons, New York
Address: 41 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10013
Telephone Number: (212) 343-9060
Web site: ionstudionyc.com

What To Get: There are plenty of good hair salons in Manhattan, but not many of them can boast the following equation: three Italian founders (Leonardo Manetti, Marco Santini and Pasquale Ferrante) who are cute, straight and well-respected in the world of editorial styling (did I mention they’re straight?) plus a very low carbon footprint (the whole salon was designed using green or recycled materials and is powered by wind) plus extremely reasonable prices for cuts and color.

Sandra’s Sources | Alexis Bittar

Alexis Bittar’s West Village boutique.

T Magazine’s Senior Editor Sandra Ballentine opens up her little black book of tips on where to go, what to buy and whom to know.

Name: Alexis Bittar
File Under: Jewelry Boutiques, New York
Address: Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10014
Telephone Number: (212) 727-1093
Web site: www.alexisbittar.com

What To Get: Alexis Bittar’s chic new West Village jewelry shop is an haute offshoot of the splashy Soho space he opened in 1994. Here you’ll find a carefully culled selection of the candy-colored Lucite, resin and metal custom and one-of-a-kind pieces that have made Bittar a darling of stylists and celebrities. Also available: one-off designs from his editorial archives.

Sandra’s Sources | Maria Grachvogel

Maria Grachvogel’s London boutique. (Clive Booth)

T Magazine’s Senior Editor Sandra Ballentine opens up her little black book of tips on where to go, what to buy and whom to know.

Name: Maria Grachvogel
File Under: Women’s Boutiques, London
Address: 162 Sloane Street, London SW1X 9BS
Telephone Number: (011) 44 20 7245 9331
Web site: mariagrachvogel.com

What To Get: I have a very guilty (some would say insane) pleasure, and it involves dropping parcels of pounds every time I visit Maria Grachvogel’s store on London’s Sloane Street. Grachvogel designs deliciously sexy cocktail dresses, evening gowns, blouses, sweaters and trousers that are cut beautifully and have a super-flattering fit. I like the fact that I probably won’t ever encounter someone else wearing the same frock at a party, since the line isn’t yet available Stateside.