James Andrew on board the Oceania ship 'Marina'

I’d been invited by the super chic Lee Jofa showroom to attend a luncheon on the new 65,000-ton, 1,258-passenger Oceania ship “Marina.” I thought the event would be the perfect surprise for my favorite artist, Scott McBee. As many of you know, McBee has made a name for himself in large scale ocean liners and private yacht portraiture.

Artist Scott Mcbee and his 'RMS Queen Elizabeth'

SS Normandie by Scott Houston McBee

Needless to say, when we pulled up to the “Marina” on Pier 90, he couldn’t have been happier. An elegant champagne reception and scrumptious caviar and Lobster Thermidor meal on board had us imagining the Halcyon Days of yore, and longing for that golden era when travel was just as much about the journey as it was about the destination!

Dressed in nautical inspired attire, I’m touring the decks on a most glorious day. I’m wearing a Tom Ford era Gucci navy velvet jacket, blue and white horizontal striped shirt, and navy suede loafers, Diesel jeans, red alligator belt with sterling buckle by Ralph Lauren, vintage red, white, and blue silk pocket square and my fragrance is Creed Erolfa.

Sunday Lunch at the home of James Andrew.

My apartment here in New York City was photographed for the super chic New York Social Diary this past week. What an honor to be featured amongst the glitterati of New York City! I can’t wait to share with you the details of our story when it goes live this month.

The NYSD photo shoot certainly provided me with some added incentive to bring my home to the pristine state it had for its appearance some time ago in Elle Decor (US) and then later for the cover of Elle Decor, Russia. There is nothing like having an impending world wide audience to get one motivated! Needless to say, it feels wonderful to have my place in order and looking good again. In fact, I was so moved that I decided to invite some of my very best friends here for a lovely impromptu luncheon.

I turned to my friend, the brilliant chef and author, Gail Monaghan, to produce a menu based on recipes from her books, featuring the Duchess of Windsor’s Shrimp and Corn Pie! Monaghan’s three course menu included a tomato and cumin soup topped with creme fraiche, cilantro and chives to start (see recipe in Monaghan’s book – “Perfect Picnics for all Seasons”), followed by the aforementioned Duchess of Windsor shrimp and corn pie (see recipe in her latest book, “The Entrees”), served with smothered greens. For desert we had The Zodiac Room’s toasted pecan ice cream balls with hot fudge (from Monaghan’s book, “Lost Desserts”).

As you might imagine the meal was simply beyond fabulous!

Table setting by James Andrew.

And what great fun it was to set my table for our casual Sunday lunch—you know how much I like to entertain! I’ve set the table with vintage citron yellow Portuguese cabbage ware, silver bamboo flatware, heavy linen hemstitch napkins, modern crystal glasses, Baccarat crystal salt cellars, Puiforcat silver wine coasters, Tiffany & Co rock cut candle sticks and vintage Christofle serving pieces.

Here in my dining room/library, I’m sporting a navy velvet jacket and dark green, white and black glazed cotton plaid shirt both by Gucci, purple alligator belt with sterling buckle by Ralph Lauren, jeans by Diesel, pocket square in a retro print of dark green and white silk by Charvet, suede “Belgian loafer” style shoes by Gucci and my fragrance is Creed Bois du Portugal.

James Andrew at Das Chinesische Haus.

Ever since I heard Nicky Haslam describe the magnificence of Potsdam, I’ve been very much wanting to explore the beauty of these royal grounds. Just thirty minutes from the center of Berlin, I could devote an entire day, which one really needs, to tour what many consider to be the Versailles of Germany – needless to say, I’m thrilled I did. Thank you Nicky!

After some extensive research, I established an itinerary for seeing the palaces I most wanted to see, focusing primarily on the smaller ones. The following are a few of the highlights of our tour.

We began with a tour of the elaborate Neues Palais, the largest Palace in Potsdam, then off to Schloss Charlottenhoff, which was built in 1826 as a summer residence for the Crown Prince. It was designed by Schinkel (the architect and interior designer of choice to royals of this time) in the style of a classical villa. We then made our way through the glorious Schloss Charlottenhoff gardens.

I’m standing (top) in front of the Chinese Pavilion, one of the structures I was most anxious to see. Located in the gardens of the Palace of Sanssouci, it’s a delicious Rococo fantasy fulfilling an 18th century European appetite for all things Chinese — obviously our architect has taken some liberties here, much to our delight!

The central entrance to Sanssouci from the garden facade.

Sanssouci – meaning “without a care” was designed as a place to enjoy life’s pleasures — music, friends, and food. More “maison de plaisance” than palace, it was created on a scale that one might consider livable by today’s standards — of course it is still quite a bit more opulent than one might be accustomed to!

Golden Suns, symbolizing enlightenment and humanitarianism, adorn the ornamental pavilions on either side of the palace.

Perhaps my favorite Palace in Potsdam was Die Neuen Kammern. Originally constructed as an Orangery — and I’ve had a long standing fantasy to live in an Orangery by the way — it was later transformed to accommodate guests and host lavish banquets.

Die Neuen Kammern.

We were somehow able to see almost all that we had wanted before rushing back to Berlin for our farewell dinner at the legendary Paris Bar restaurant, an iconic establishment, and a must while visiting Berlin.

We later treated ourselves to dessert and a provocative — and rather intimate — performance piece at Salon K — all very Berlin!

For our day of exploration, I’m wearing a Michael Bastian fair isle woolen sweater, Tom Ford white and navy cotton plaid shirt, Gucci chartreuse python belt with silver double horse head buckle, black leather tote and aviator style sunglasses, Diesel skinny jean, Lanvin high top sneakers in greens and black suede my fragrance is Creed Bois de Portugal.

James Andrew at the Reichstag.

Perhaps one of the best places to begin one’s exploration of Berlin is at the Reichstag with its spectacular Sir Norman Foster glass dome. The dome is truly an architectural masterpiece, and a climb up the spiral ramp rewards one with the most fantastic views of Berlin.

After this, an early lunch at the old Cafe Einstein where you’ll find some rather delicious Viennese cuisine will fortify you for your further explorations.

Neue Nationalgalerie garden.

The Neue Nationalgalerie is another must-see — architecture as art — designed by the iconic Mies Van Der Rohe to house a world class collection of 20th century art and sculpture. Do make a point to walk around the entire surrounding piazza, there are splendid sculptures and an absolutely gorgeous sunken garden located in the back of the museum.

View from the Hotel de Rome.

After a day of sightseeing we, the roof deck of our fantastic Hotel de Rome affords one with breathtaking views as the sun sets on Berlin. To cap things off, one cannot miss with a dinner at the legendary Borchardt Französische Straße 47, a German version of a French brasserie that is, and has been, the restaurant of choice for Berliners for decades.

I ‘m sporting (top) a tyrolean style jacket in charcoal tweed with black leather piping and coin buttons, forest green and black plaid cotton sateen shirt and a chartreuse python belt with silver double horse head buckle all by Gucci, black skinny jeans by Diesel, white and black silk scarf by Turnbull and Asser, Lanvin sunglasses and high top sneakers in black suede and forest green patent leather, black leather tote by Gucci and my fragrance is Creed Bois de Portugal.

James Andrew at the Hotel de Rome in Berlin

When planning an adventure to a foreign land, certainly one’s choice of hotel will shape a huge part of one’s total experience. As you can imagine, I do a great deal of research, and I always discuss options with my most well traveled and elegant friends before selecting just the right hotel. Among my many criterion – impeccable style, tastefulness, location, and personal service rank high – and of course I look for a place that will truly capture the essence of a place. I am happy to say that all of these many qualities were present in the magnificent Hotel de Rome. It’s surely the best hotel in Berlin!

Hotel de Rome

Hotel de Rome is on Bebelplatz, a large scale, historic square which will put you just a few minutes from some of Berlin’s most fantastic sites, including Museum Island, the Brandenburg Gate, as well as some of Berlin’s most outstanding restaurants and shops. The ultra lux Hotel de Rome is located in a grand former bank building, and ingeniously preserves many of its original elements, while, of course, incorporating all of the luxuries one would expect from a world class hotel.

The brilliant staff at the hotel’s concierge virtually guarantees a rich and most fulfilling stay in Berlin, and they’ll help you avoid long cues while getting the most value for your money — this has got to have been the finest concierge service I have ever experienced! We were also quite pleased by the substantial breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant Parioli which you’ll want to have before launching into an exciting day of exploration.

I’m pictured (top) standing in the spectacular entrance foyer of the Hotel de Rome, flanked by a gorgeous grouping of monumental red lacquered urns resting on steel bases – in fact, much of the decor here — including the polygon motif carpets seen throughout — is nicely reminiscent of our favorite David Hicks!

I’m wearing a black wool flannel peaked lapel jacket by Gucci, a cotton blue and green tartan shirt with contrast white collar and french cuffs by Turnbull and Asser, Seaman Schepps black pearl cuff links, forest green cashmere tie by Borrelli, white and green retro print silk pocket square by Charvet, Diesel black skinny jeans, Gucci silver chain link belt, Lanvin high top sneakers in black suede with green patent leather and my fragrance is Creed Bois de Portugal.

James Andrew at Clamp Art.

As a collector and adviser for my clients, I make a point of getting to see as many art exhibitions as I can.

I recently went to the show, “Bruce Sargeant and his Circle by Mark Beard” at Clamp Art – this show also coincides with the release of a scrumptious book by the same title — perfect for some at home intimate perusal.

Beard is a New York based artist whose work can be seen at Abercrombie & Fitch as well as museums worldwide, and is collected by the likes of Bruce Weber. Sargeant’s work, which Beard has been collecting for 20 years, is a celebration of the idealized — and how do we say “erotisized”‘ without sounding superficial? — male form. Some of Sargeant’s contemporaries are also included in this beautifully curated exhibition.

There IS a twist to this tale of Sargeant and Beard– interested? — perhaps I’ll leave the rest of the story for your visit to this fantastic show!

At the super chic Clamp Art gallery I am sporting a royal blue cotton sateen jacket by Gucci, Tom Ford midnight cotton dotted herringbone print shirt, Diesel “Thanaz” jeans, Charvet retro print pocket square, Gucci silver chain link belt and navy suede loafers, KVA sunglasses and my fragrance is Creed Royal Water.

James at Riverside Park

I often find myself in a real quandary over which parties, galas, openings, etc., to go to – and while, as you know, I do like a good party, sometimes hitting all of them can seem like a second job!

In fact, contrary to what you may have concluded from reading WIJW, it’s often the simplest of things that bring me the most pleasure and peace – say for instance a Saturday stroll through a gorgeous park. In fact, when I’m in the city, I consider my park time integral to my well being. Whether I’m already in a good mood, or I’m looking for a psychophysical bump, the quiet, natural, beauty of one of our parks can go a long way toward turning a less than stellar mood into one of appreciation and love.

I’m pictured here at Riverside Park on Manhattan’s Upper West Side enjoying a leisurely stroll in a casual ensemble – Navy cotton pique jacket by Gucci, navy and white silk micro dot pocket square by Battistoni, navy cotton t-shirt by Alternative, white jeans by Diesel, chartreuse python belt with silver double horse head buckle by Gucci, Tom Ford woven olive suede espadrilles, sunglasses by Lanvin white leather bag by Gucci, Cartier “Tank Divan” from Raj Tolaram and my fragrance is Creed Bois de Cedrat.

James Andrew with a Hildestahl bag. Photo by Lars Stephan.

Beyond the obvious functionality of a good bag, it’s an accessory that can really pop up a look – in fact, I really don’t think an outfit is complete without one!

I recently had the pleasure of connecting with the super chic Jens Hildestahl to speak a bit with him about the inception of his line. Briefly put, his bags were born from the general lack, he tells us, of acceptable aesthetic and functional qualities available in men’s bags – and so he decided to create his own line! And thus the Hildestahl brand was born.

Hildestahl’s mission has been to create the ultimate bag for the cosmopolitan man. His designs draw inspiration from 60′s and 70′s fashions and the lux boheme aesthetic that was quite popular amongst young aristocratic types of that time. Fittingly crafted by the finest artisan workrooms in Italy, the result is an exceptionally well made bag with unusual details rarely seen in men’s bags. And did we mention these bags are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the out? – a perfect metaphor for a perfect brand.

Of course these are rather unique – furthermore women seem to covet them as much as men – so do secure one straightaway.

I’m pictured with the “Valfrid” tote which received non-stop compliments as I dashed about town.

I’m wearing a silk and cotton jacket in a white and black window pane plaid from Gucci, Richard James shirt in black and white cotton stripes and contrast white collar, shell and multi-colored coral beads cufflinks by Seaman Schepps, Cartier “Tank Divan” from Raj Tolaram, sunglasses by Lanvin, and my fragrance is Creed Royal Water.

Not seen – purple skinny jeans by Diesel, Gucci black patent leather belt with silver trim and grommets, and black and saddle leather loafers by Tom Ford.

James Andrew, Montauk.

My surf-shack-chic Montauk project is progressing rather nicely – most of the important pieces of furniture have been delivered, wallpapering and painting is complete, and so it’s time to arrange our collection of art and mirrors to really make these walls speak. Its always an exciting moment during a project when a design starts to look like the homes I’ve envisioned.

When one wants to get that perfect arrangement it really pays to do things right the first time. To this end I always call my friends at ILevel – they specialize in art placement and installation – in fact they’ve elevated it to an art in itself, and they’re all artists themselves so one can really count on them to bring the sort of sensitivity required in what can potentially be a very delicate balancing act. I’m pictured here with a small indication of the fantastic things we were able to do with an unusual space and a varied assortment of work. I think our arrangement really captures the imagination and accentuates the wonderful height of the space.

I’ll be bringing you more on this project as we continue to progress! – getting lampshades etc….

I’m wearing a navy cotton jacket by Gucci, Michael Bastian red and white striped cotton seer sucker hoody, Diesel jeans and silver leather sneakers by Dior, my fragrance is Creed Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse.