ELLE DECOR October 2018

THE THEME OF THIS ISSUE was originally intended to be “In Defense of Craft.” It’s an idea I’ve been knocking around in my head for some time. In the digital age, where we’re all connected 24/7, what need defending, in many cases, are individual métiers: weaving, throwing clay, painting (see the Dolce & Gabbana suit I’m wearing at right, which was hand-painted by New York artist Jody Morlock). At ELLE DECOR, we’re always defending craft, and that is our mission—one that is immutable. But at the same time, craft seems to be everywhere. As more and more companies lay claim to the handmade, suddenly every bottle of whiskey is sold as small-batch, every chair is supposedly bench-made, every goblet is handblown (Murano glass, of course), and so on. The question…

JAMES MERRELL Photographer, “Friends in Haute Places,” p. 122, and “Tre’s Company,” p. 138 HQ: “A houseboat outside London, where I live surrounded by water, swans, and oak trees.” Personal Acquisitions: “A 16th-century carving from India, a camel-teeth necklace from Morocco, a bird’s skull from France, dried leaves from Mexico, and antlers from Scotland.” GISELA WILLIAMS Writer, “Azores of Energy,” p. 144 HQ: Berlin GOOD LIBATIONS: “A strong flat white, green juice with lots of ginger, and a margarita. In that order.” LUÍS BERNARDO BRITO E ABREU Designer, “Azores of Energy,” p. 144 HQ: Azores, Portugal PRIZED POSSESSION: “An 18th-century figurehead from a wrecked ship that now stands proudly in my living room.” ALANA JONES-MANN Baker and photographer, “Don’t Be Crewel,” p. 86 HQ: Los Angeles PRIDE AND JOY: “I’m very proud of my vanilla cake recipe. When it’s layered with buttercream and fresh, seasonal…

ELLE DECOR A-LIST 2018 Editor in Chief Whitney Robinson hosted the ELLE DECOR 2018 A-List in a penthouse by Related Companies designed by Zaha Hadid and in partnership with Fifteen Hudson Yards. Notable attendees included Ken Fulk, Peter Marino, Nate Berkus, Sheila Bridges, Bunny Williams, Robert Stilin, Martyn Lawrence Bullard and many more. This year marked the first A-List for Robinson, and in celebration he ordered miniature 3D action figures of each designer, which served as their awards. ELLE DECOR thanks our A-List sponsors: Hudson Yards, Benjamin Moore, Kravet, Loloi and The Urban Electric Co.…

Decor Rapport Beauty and inspiration in three hits. 1. Crucial Whips Channel Michael Schumacher on your morning commute with the street-legal McLaren 570S. 2. Everyday Objets The sinuous lines of this glazed-stoneware sculpture by Japanese artist Koike Shoko (on exhibit at Joan B. Mirviss in New York City through October 19) would give Hector Guimard a run for his money. 3. Noticing Patterns The Caresses, by Fernand Khnopff, is featured in the new book Fierce: The History of Leopard Print (Harper Design) and has us wondering: Why, oh why, would a leopard ever want to change its spots? JANE’S TAKE INSURANCE POLICIES I’m what you’d call a secret slob. There’s always a hem being held up by a few safety pins, and my pedicures are usually self-amended with erratic swipes only over the toes that…

BY THE NUMBERS “DELACROIX” AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK (SEPT. 17–JAN. 6, 2019) 1832 The year Eugène Delacroix set off on his Moroccan adventure (notebook pictured above). 1 The number of comprehensive retrospectives dedicated to the work of Delacroix in the U.S. 537,782 Visitors during the exhibition’s run at the Louvre in Paris. It was the museum’s most-attended show ever. ED GOES TO THE MOVIES In The Children Act (limited release September 14), Emma Thompson plays a hard-nosed high-court judge in London whose life diverts from its course when she befriends a dying boy who, for religious reasons, is refusing lifesaving treatment. If that’s not enough Sturm und Drang, her university-professor husband, played by Stanley Tucci, is feeling unappreciated. Perhaps he would be better served staring at the gorgeous William Morris–esque wallpaper photobombing the unfolding drama? ON…

VASE, MIST, TABLE: STUART TYSON/STUDIO D…