The Temporary Return of a Fashionista
Stepping up style (at least for a while) after fashion week
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I do, however, make them shortly after the close of Fashion Week.
Yes, there’s nothing like seven days of willowy models, runway shows that rival the theatrics of Broadway productions and fabulous designer outfits to serve as a wake-up (dress-up?) call to just how fashionably lazy I can become.
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City Week: September 17 – September 23
A Selective Listing of Recommended Cultural & Community Events
Compiled by Allen Houston
Friday, September 17
Russian Revolution—Poet Alex Galper introduces Battleship Potemkin, considered one of the world’s most influential films. The Sergei Eisenstein film commemorates the uprising aboard a battleship, one of the pivotal events of the Russian Revolution of 1905. Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., 212-620-5000; 9:30 p.m., Free with $7 bar minimum.
Saturday, September 18
New Pop Artist—Asia Society presents Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody’s Fool, an exhibition of the iconic Japanese pop artist and his relationship to rock and punk music. More than 100 works, including drawings, paintings, sculptures and installation, are on display. Asia Society, 725 Park Ave., 212-288-6400; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., $10.
Dance the Night Away—The New York Swing Dance Society will host its first dance of the fall at St. Jean the Baptiste Church. An hour-long dance lesson for beginners will take place at 7 p.m., followed by a night of dancing. St. Jean the Baptiste Church, 184. E. 76th St., 212-696-9737; 8 p.m.-12 a.m., $15.
Latin Caribbean Sound—Son De Madre, a group that mixes the Latin Caribbean tradition with a modern feel, kicks off the 35th season of the Carnegie Hall Neighbohood Concert series. The group brings their combination of salsa, boleros and funk music. El Museo Del Barrio, 120 5th Ave., 212-831-7272; 4 p.m., Free.
Monday, September 20
Dystopian Author—Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale, returns to the Poetry Corner to read from The Year of the Flood, her most recent novel of speculative fiction. 92nd Street Y, Lexington Avenue and 92nd Street, 212-415-5500; 8 p.m., $27.
Tree Inspiration—Arboreal presents a striking variety of paintings, photographs, drawings and sculptures that use trees as both a subject and for artistic material. Four artists portray the forest as an aesthetic inspiration, as well as a metaphor for larger environmental issues. The Arsenal Gallery in Central Park, 5th Avenue and 64th Street, www.nycgovparks.org; 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Free.
Tuesday, September 21
Famous Fashionistas—Relive New York’s history through the ever-evolving styles of its most famous fashionable females. Notorious and Notable collects wardrobes and accessories from upper crust royalty to its most famous burlesque dancer. Museum of the City of New York, 1220 5th Ave., 212-534-1672; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $10.
Wednesday, September 22
Animal Drawing—The American Museum of Natural History invites aspiring artists of all levels to participate in a museum art class in animal drawing. For eight consecutive Wednesdays, participants will sketch from world-class dioramas and displays such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at West 79th Street, www.amnh.org/programs; 7-9 p.m., $160 (materials not included).
Thursday, September 23
Visionary Light—Heat Waves in a Swamp: The Paintings of Charles Burfield compiles more than 100 watercolors, drawings and oils on canvas, capturing the nature-lover’s expressionistic view of light and the environment that surrounded him. Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Ave., 212-570-3600; 11 a.m.-6 pm, $18.
City Week: May 21–May 27
Friday, May 21
Artists in the Kitchen—Hell’s Kitchen Artist in Studio Tours (HK: ArtiST) offers self-guided tours featuring artists and performers in places like their homes, studios, galleries and theaters. Participating artists include those with well-established careers as well as those who are just emerging in the art world. Through May 23. Visit www.artistsinthekitchen.com for details. Hell’s Kitchen, between West 34th and 59th streets west of Eighth Avenue, Free.
Spring Ballet—Ballet Academy East’s student company presents its pre-professional division in renowned works of ballet, such as Sans Souci, Cinderella’s Ball and Un Petit Meneut. The performance is part of the “Family Time” series. The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 10th Ave., 212-237-8005; 7 p.m., $35 to $55.
Musical Readings—Top emerging composers selected by the American Composers Orchestra have their works read. These seven composers are the winners of the 19th annual Underwood New Music Readings. After the readings, one of the composers will receive a $15,000 commission to write a new work to be performed by the American Composers Orchestra. Miller Theatre at Columbia University, 116th Street and Broadway, 212-977-8495; 10 a.m., Free.
Young Talent—Hear six young string quartets who have received coaching from members of The Juilliard String Quartet. The best performances by the young quartets are featured at two concerts at the end of the week-long seminar. Juilliard’s Paul Hall, 155 W. 65th St., 212-769-7406; 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Free.
Comic Drama—Paul Osborn’s Morning’s at Seven is a 1939 comic drama depicting the amusingly dramatic lives of four sisters and the husbands of three of them. Their lives grow complicated when Homer, one of the sister’s sons, bring his girlfriend Myrtle home to meet his family. The West End Theatre, Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, 263 W. 86th St., 212-868-4444; 7:30 p.m., $10 to $18.
Saturday, May 22
Block Party—The 100th Street Block Association holds its annual Block Fair, featuring food, music and flea market treasures. All proceeds go toward the preservation of the street’s trees and flowers. West 100th Street between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive, 212-663-0812; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Free.
Benefit—The University Glee Club of New York City presents a concert to benefit the Holy Trinity Neighborhood Center and its weekly Neighborhood Supper. The club, an all-male singing group founded in 1894, performs a variety of selections, ranging from traditional college songs to Broadway musicals. The Church of the Holy Trinity, 316 E. 88th St., 212-289-4100; 7:30 p.m., $25.
Classical Gems—The Chamber Orchestra of New York presents its spring concert, “Italian Heartstrings.” The program features the U.S. premieres of Respighi’s Aria for Strings and Suite for Strings. The orchestra also performs Scarlatti’s Il Giardino di Rose, Di Vittorio’s Preludio and Fantasia from Sinfonia No. 1 and Puccini’s Crisantemi. The orchestra performs little-known gems of classical music. The Church of St. Jean Baptiste, 184 E. 76th St., 866-468-7619; 8 p.m., $20 to $30.
Sunday, May 23
New Dance, New Music—Join music director Faycal Karouj, composer Thierry Esciach and choreographer Benjamin Millepied as they discuss their new collaboration, Why am I not where you are. The program also features excerpts from the piece. The Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave., 212-423-3500; 7:30 p.m., $10 to $30.
Monday, May 24
Turkish Filmmakers—Enjoy one of three days of Turkish films, organized by The Turkish Foundation of Cinema and Audiovisual Culture. The first day of the event includes The Breath, a war drama about a group of soldiers guarding a military post near the Iraqi border of Turkey. Films scheduled for the other two days include Romantic Comedy, Jolly Life, A Place Called Esrefpasa and The Girl with the Red Scarf. Village East Cinemas, 189 Second Ave., 212-529-6799; 8:30 p.m., Free with reservation.
Brahms on Monday—A concert features Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder and Neue Liebeslieder, Op 52 and 65, for a four-part vocal ensemble and four-hands piano. The concert is part of a series of concerts on the fourth Monday of every month, featuring members of the Holy Trinity Bach Choir, with Andrew Alexrod and Charity Wicks on piano. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Central Park West and West 65th Street; 6:30 p.m., $10 to $15.
Tuesday, May 25
Dance Till You Drop—Celebrate 75 years of dance at the 92nd Street Y with dancing and DJ-ing by Andrea Miller/Gallim Dance, DJ Matty Matt, Nicholas Leichter Dance, Bill Young and Dixie Fun Lee. The event includes cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dance performances and the opportunity for guests to dance to catchy disco music, complete with a disco ball. Costumes are encouraged. The 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center, 1395 Lexington Ave., 212-415-5500; 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., $10 to $25.
Green Fashion—The Museum at FIT presents“Eco-Fashion: Going Green,” featuring the work of designers who use, produce and promote environmentally friendly products. The exhibition emphasizes how each stage of fashion production has environmental consequences. Runs through Nov. 13. The Museum at FIT, Seventh Avenue and West 27th Street, 212-217-4530; noon to 8 p.m., Free.
Wednesday, May 26
Word for Word Author—Gretchen Rubin shares tips from her yearlong experiment, The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. This event is part of the “Word for Word Author” reading series, featuring discussions with bestselling authors and signings of their books. The Bryant Park Reading Room, 42nd Street side of Bryant Park; 12:30 p.m., Free.
Thursday, May 27
Resurrect the Dead—Relive the era of the Grateful Dead at The New-York Historical Society, when fans and experts share stories about the band and its relationship with the city. Discussion moderator Gary Lambert is co-host of “Tales from the Golden Road,” a weekly talk show on the Grateful Dead Channel (Sirius 32 and XM 57), and editor of the Grateful Dead Almanac. Other panelists include Pete Fornatale, Carol Brightman and Lenny Kaye. The event is part of an exhibit about the band, on view until July 4. The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, 212-873-3400; 6:30 p.m., $20.
Young Artists—Students from the Manhattan School of Music, the Juilliard School, the Mannes College New School for Music and the Lucy Moses School for Music perform a program of lesser-known music. Selections include folk songs, classical pieces and Yiddish theater songs. The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, 15 W. 16th St., 213-246-6080; 5:30 p.m., $10.
World Premieres—“Face the Music,” the Kaufman Center’s teen music ensemble, performs Nico Muhly’s Honest Music and How About Now, while SIGNAL, a large New York ensemble, performs the world premiere of Muhly’s Stabat Mater and the U.S. premiere of Sir Harrison Birtwistle’s The Corridor. Muhly is slated to appear at the event. The Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, 129 W. 67th St., 212-501-3303; 7:30 p.m., $25 to $30.
East Side Talent—The Carter Burden Center for the Aging presents Sally Weiss’s solo show, Sculpture and Assemblage. The exhibit features sculptures, mixed media, carvings and drawings. “I became an artist to make myself happy, and my art allows me to express this joy,” says Weiss, an East Sider. “My art allows me to feel worthwhile, and I am thrilled to exhibit at this fascinating gallery for older artists who have so much to give.” Runs until June 26. Gallery 307, 307 Seventh Ave., 212-879-7400; 6 to 8 p.m., Free.
Dogs on the Catwalk
These dogs looked fierce coming down the runway.
Decked out in designs by students in the Fashion Institute of Technology’s pet product design and marketing professional development certificate program, the 14 model dogs married New Yorkers’ love of pets and fashion. “Last Bark For Bryant Park,” produced for the second year by undergraduates majoring in advertising and market communications, was held the evening of April 12 at the Fashion Institute of Technology, on West 27th Street. Read more
Fashion Week Forever
It’s often said that pets and owners look alike, and there’s nothing like a few choice accessories to make sure your animal companion reflects your personality and style.
Those who lean toward the preppy, conservative side ought to consider the crocodile polo from Canine Styles (830 Lexington Ave., 212-838-2064, www.caninestyles.com). This bright, short sleeve shirt or dress comes is embroidered with alligators, and comes in orange, turquoise and pink. It will nicely match your Ralph Lauren Polo—if you’re willing to pay the $35 price tag. Read more
NIKETOWN, NYC
“Rumors of your hot Niketown run all over Amsterdam,” says the young Dutchman rushing past the giant orange swoosh in the megastore’s futuristic lobby on 57th Street, just east of Tiffany’s.
Despite its fame in Amsterdam, my favorite retail playground is unknown to my neighbors over the age of 35; but, dear reader, you’re in luck.
Here’s my Niketown diary: I’m pulled in by throbbing jazz music and painted slogans: “There’s time to sit when you graduate,” “Run like the Empire State Building, run 1,860 steps, run like the city.” Read more
BODY PARTS ON PARADE
I miss the girls of summer flashing outlines of thongs under almost translucent skirts, now that autumn blows crisply through our world-class streetscapes. Oh, and how I miss high-stepping parades of speedy city feet-red or blue or silver painted toes scrunching to hold on to flip-flops.
Flesh. Flesh. And more (mostly female) flesh.
All summer long. Read more
