“The Hamptons” is synonymous with luxury. Simply mentioning the name conjures images of poolside soirées, grandiose waterfront estates and endless days on the beach socializing with the upper echelon. But before this famed peninsula became the summer haunt of the glitterati, its forty miles of rolling sand dunes provided the perfect landscape for English settlers. Once New York high society caught wind of the charming hamlets and salty air, its members—from the Fords to the Vanderbilts—soon turned The Hamptons into a summer oasis. Next came the creatives seeking solitude, a place to write and sketch, away from the urban cacophony. John Steinbeck in Sag Harbor. Jackson Pollock in the Springs. And Andy Warhol in Montauk. Now, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Calvin Klein, Madonna, Alec Baldwin and Martha Stewart all enjoy Hamptons homes. They may come from different realms, but what’s one thing all Hamptonites, honorary or official, can agree on? The locale boasts a unique allure—one that morphs to meet the desires of its next seasonal guest or lifelong dweller.
As fashion editor and friend André Leon Talley writes in the introduction, “Valentino Garavani designs his luncheons and dinners, in all of his homes, the way he has created crescendos and allegros vivace throughout his forty-plus-year career as one of the greatest haute couture designers and high-fashion leaders in the world.”
Beauty and entertaining have long been passions of Valentino. “I am in love with beauty,” he admits in the book’s opening. “I have always loved beautiful objects.” Though beyond the tangible objets d’art housed in each of his residences, Valentino’s excellence as a host is defined by the warmth and joy he creates for his guests.
During his time as a student at London’s Central Saint Martins, Gibraltar-born British fashion designer John Galliano worked as a dresser at the National Theatre, learning the art of costume and the power of illusion. As a regular in London nightclubs, Galliano met a coterie of artists and colorful personalities, forging strong ties with kindred spirits who would play a decisive role in his career – among which Stephen Jones, who would become Dior’s milliner.
Double place mat 50x150 hand made with the ancient technique of block print, which makes each piece unique.
Cushion in cotton, printed with the ancient technique of blocks print. Pillow cover washing instructions: The discontinuity of the design must be regarded as inherent and inseparable from the printing process artisan.
Pillow cover in cotton without filling, printed with the ancient technique of blocks print.The discontinuity of the design must be regarded as inherent and inseparable from the printing process artisan.
Pillow bolster cover without filling in cotton cover.
Cushion in cotton, printed with the ancient technique of blocks print. The discontinuity of the design must be regarded as inherent and inseparable from the printing process artisan.
Cushion in cotton, printed with the ancient technique of blocks print.The discontinuity of the design must be regarded as inherent and inseparable from the printing process artisan.
Pillow cover in cotton without filling 45x45 cm, printed with the ancient technique of blocks print.
Pillow bolster cover 47x77 cm without filling in cotton printed.
Place mat made in treated wood fibers from replanted beech wood. The decorated glossy surface is lucid and colorful; the back surface is made of natural cork. Can be used as place mat, centrepiece and underplate. 83% wood fibers - 12% cork - 5%pvc
Placemat made in treated wood fibers from replanted beech wood. The decorated glossy surface is lucid and colorful; the back surface is made of natural cork diameter 34 cm.
Placemat made in treated wood fibers from replanted beech wood. The decorated glossy surface is lucid and colorful; the back surface is made of natural cork. Can be used as placemat, centrepiece and underplate.
Muslin cloth 180x350 cm hand made with the ancient technique of wooden blocks dipped in color, which makes each piece unique.
Can be used as a tablecloth.
Cotton cloth 220x350 cm, printed with the ancient technique of blocks print. Can be used as tablecloth and sofa cover. Washing instructions: wash separately at 30°C in washing machine, do not soak.
Cotton cloth 220x350 cm, printed with the ancient technique of blocks print. Can be used as tablecloth and sofa cover. Washing instructions: wash separately at 30°C in washing machine, do not soak.
Muslin cloth 180x350 cm, printed with the ancient technique of blocks print. Can be used as tablecloth. Wash separately at 30° in washing machine, do not soak.
Cotton cloth 220x350 cm, printed with the ancient technique of blocks print. Can be used as tablecloth and sofa cover. Washing instructions: wash separately at 30°C in washing machine, do not soak.
Refill with six green designer scented candles, Fox Thicket Folly fragrance. They are to be matched with the Luchino's Souvenir Fox Thicket Folly designer candelabra. Each candle is 19 cm / 7,4 in long, weighs 65 grams / 2,29 oz and has a burning time of about 6 hours.
Designer plate in pure porcelain ( 10,62 in ), it can be used as a platter, a centrepiece and as a decorative object.
Alleys, arches, galleries, cul-de-sacs, narrow openings, flights of steps… a labyrinth of delights but forbidden pleasures where the soft pink and blue shadows are hallucinatory: this is the medina. And one has become lost in this maze. Its brightness has vanished. But we shall see it again later, at La Gazelle d’Or, while sipping mint tea with blue-tinted hands.
Designer squared vide poche ( 5,31 in ) in pure porcelain.
It is dawn. A ray of sunlight filters into the wooden bungalow, and lengthens on the floor. In the vast canyon outside, the dry leaves are scrunched underfoot. And in the distance, through the trees, you can just hear the crashing of the waves at the water’s edge – the deep blue of the Pacific.
Pure porcelain box ( 3,14 in ) with lid.
When the Maharaja left for Monaco in 1948, the crumbling palace was closed. Its marble rooms were nonetheless cleaned and polished every day, and its legendary rose gardens watered and cared for. A guard is still posted on the ramparts, watching over the winding entrance avenue, at the same time hoping to see a cloud of dust, raised by a procession on horseback.