The September issue of Vanity Fair is out and to my delight,
the 2014 International Best Dressed List is announced. Under the
category of Professionals, Natalie Massenet is listed. She is the Founder
and executive chairman of Net-a-Porter, the decadently stunning high end
fashion website that I am addicted to. Not only can you find the most
sought after clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories to purchase, but for
me, it is the format and insightful information that I covet.
Ms. Massenet has been the talk of the fashion world since
she launched the website in 2000. She started in a small apartment in
London with a handful of employees but her goal was to look big and aim big!
Now she has offices all over the world, employing over 3,000 people
and is considered one of the most influential women in business today.
I wanted to write about Natalie for a few reasons.
First of all, she is smart and is an example of that old adage
that, “Anything is Possible”. Secondly, the art of fashion and interior
design have a beautiful parallel and I admire both categories immensely.
Last but not least, Net-a-Porter is such an inspiring website to
visit. The editorial piece is really well done so you can read about
travel, hotels, food and what to wear going to all of the a fore mentioned! Along those lines, there is another venue that Natalie
launched and that is Porter Magazine (print version). If you haven’t read it you should
and if you haven’t subscribed then do it! Especially with fall
creeping up on us, it is a valuable resource to refer to in order to see what
is on trend for the upcoming season and beyond.
Ms. Massenet is quite a business women and she took
something she loved and turned it into a thriving fashion power house.
Style and living with beautiful things around us makes feel better
and enhances our lives by encouraging us to think creatively.
It seems as though I have decided that I must own a piece of
furniture by Herve Van der Straeten. I have found that in having a
passion for design and for interesting collections by some of the most creative
minds available today, you eventually will have to add a piece from this wildly
gifted designer. I was impressed to see that Mr. Van der Straeten started
out as a jewelry designer and worked for YSL and Christian Lacroix. I am
sure in those early years where scale, proportion, beauty and being supremely modern
were of the utmost of importance, the end result must have impacted his
furniture and lighting design that he is so famous for today. You must
remember that he was ultimately designing jewelry for women, very finicky
customers indeed!
He was born in 1965 and initially he studied engineering at
Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After his years of jewelry designing, he opened his
own workshop in Paris. Known today for his dedication to quality and the
artful blend of materials, he keeps a careful eye on the production by staying
intimately involved in the design fabrication. I love that he feels he
can put his beautiful signature on his furniture and lighting only if he can see and
touch his work personally. He doesn't take his designs out to other manufacturing
houses…he wants to see his team work and he give his hand to it in his own
workshop.
I found a Q&A that I thought was lovely on Huffington Post. I hope
you enjoy his philosophy on life and his glimpse into his past.
When I was in Big Sky Montana several years ago with a
group of women, I was invited by one of the guests (who happens to be a
respected art patron) to tour Deborah Butterfield’s studio and horse facility
in Bozeman, Montana. At the time, Deborah really didn't make a practice of
inviting people to her riding arena and studio, however, because of my hostess, we
received a full tour. The time with Deborah and her husband John Buck was
very memorable but I wish I knew then, what I know now, so I could have soaked
in even more! It is Deborah’s art form to honor the beauty of the
equine form by way of found objects. Her work starts with twigs,
branches, metal and stone, sometimes together, sometimes not. After
the life size transformation unfolds revealing various graceful positions that
only a horse can achieve and by Deborah’s sensuous eye, it then takes on
another life. Ms. Butterfield has each twig and branch disassembled, to
be then sent to a foundry to have it morphed to bronze. It is outstanding
work and so impressive yet natural to see.
If you have a chance to see any installation of hers, which
appear across the country, I encourage you to make the time to see Deborah’s
work first hand. My husband and I visited the Greg Kucera Gallery in
Seattle Washington and we both had a hard time leaving. It is a
moving experience to see this work in its many forms and shapes. I am
thankful I was able to meet her and see how she works and experience from her
perspective, what horses mean to her and how they have impacted her life.
I think you will agree, her talent is beyond description!
Debra Butterfield video "Dialog with an Artist" produced by A Bar K Productions for the Denver Art Museum
