November, 2014:

Gary McBournie and James Andrew at the Holiday House NYC

I do love a show house — it’s such fun to see what my fellow interior designers are up to, and of course it’s also gratifying to support a good charity. Holiday House NYC was founded by the delightful Iris Danker to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This year, Danker added a very personal touch to the show house with a gallery featuring nudes of breast cancer survivors (which includes Danker herself). It’s an exhibit entitled “Clothing Immaterial” and graphically captures these bravely defiant women in a series of truly powerful photographs.

The show house features quite a few stunning rooms, and of particular note is Gary McBournie’s offering — a tremendous tropical retreat-in-town theme — think: Babe Paley at Round Hill or Bunny Mellon at Mill Reef. Using his own line of Antilles Designs fabrics he creates the most ravishing tented room in the freshest, clearest color palette and populates it with marvelous mid-century modernist furniture and bamboo. Designers do need to push the envelope, setting the highest standards with each new showing, and it is clear that McBournie has done just that!

Do make a point to visit Holiday House at the Academy Mansion, 2 East 63rd Street here in New York City — we’ll be sharing more spectacular interiors from the the show in upcoming posts, so stay tuned.

Incidentally, McBournie’s room has us well primed for our planned Thanksgiving getaway to Palm Beach! Will send you pics 😉

I’m sporting a Tom Ford era Gucci navy cotton velvet jacket, Tom Ford pale blue cotton mini herringbone shirt, Borrelli forest green cashmere tie, Charvet forest green and white retro print silk pocket square, Uniqlo slim jean, Pierre Hardy cobalt suede boots, vintage Rolex, and my fragrance is Tom Ford Neroli Portofino.

James Andrew- Christopher Columbus

I’ve certainly not been shy about putting myself out into the world, and thankfully I’ve been blessed with this wonderful platform and a predominantly superb readership, with scores of friends from around the globe who are excited to share in what we do here on WIJW — our many travels, adventures, and sartorial thoughts! Of course, there will be detractors — it’s par for the course in any public domain. We deal with our share of criticism, and though I don’t think we’d be pushing the sartorial envelop if we didn’t receive some, let’s say, controversial attention, we do receive the occasional bit of truly unconstructive (read: unnecessarily malicious) feedback.

In answer, I particularly like the following snippet from Theodore Roosevelt — it really is the perfect antidote when feeling a bit embattled:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man [and we’ll add women, lest this sound way too 1910] stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man [woman] who is actually in the arena…who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he [she] fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his [her] place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

The point is, one often HAS to step up (and sometimes in public!) to achieve fulfillment in life — viewed through Roosevelt’s eyes, the courage to be a “doer” itself trumps any result and/or response one might receive, good or bad! So either way, one wins!

I’m standing next to a bust of Christopher Columbus for our post today — as an explorer of new worlds, he (like our friend Teddy R.) certainly had no shortage of courage, and like Roosevelt, he had an unflinching willingness to face adversity in the pursuit of his vision. He was, in short, a doer. I trust this will encourage and inspire you all as well to strive toward your own goals; to step up and be a star!

I’m sporting a Tom Ford era Gucci hounds tooth wool tweed top coat and yellow cashmere turtleneck sweater, Tom Ford brown cotton wide wale corduroy pants. brown leather tasseled loafers, “Dimitry” sunglasses, Sermoneta forest green leather gloves, vintage Rolex, Tom Ford London fragrance, and a healthy glow via Tom Ford Bronzing Gel.

James Andrew and artist, Alexis Zambrano

We had the great opportunity to attend the opening of Alexis Zambrano’s show, Interior Artscapes, and as expected it was a tremendous success with a great torrent of glitterati from both near and far pouring into the Burden James mansion for the event — a most perfectly grand salon-style affair for the refined artist and his equally refined canvases (most of which were sold practically before the doors opened!).

Alexis Zambrano’s show at the Burden James.

Detail from Alexis Zambrano’s “Zero Gravity in Warsaw”

For those who didn’t have a chance to snap up one of these beauties, thankfully there is a limited edition of prints available at the site, Insituworks and as a special pre-holiday offer, our WIJW readership will receive a special 10% discount by using the promo code WHATISJAMESWEARING at checkout! We encourage you to secure one quickly.

Jessica de la Espriella admiring, “Zero Gravitity in Warsaw.” at Alexis Zambrano’s show, “Interior Artscapes.”

I’m dressed (top) in a Tom Ford camel cashmere silk jacket with caramel suede accents, Gucci wool check pant in purples and browns, Turnbull and Asser purple and white cotton gingham check shirt, vintage orange and purple plaid silk pocket square, vintage Gucci python belt with silver double horse head buckle, Etro orange suede tasseled loafers vintage Rolex, and my fragrance is Tom Ford London.