James Andrew - East 60th Street.

I love creating something that clients never dreamed possible (or possibly never knew they wanted)! – The challenge is to produce a cohesive statement that reflects the tastes of the the clients – creating an environment that not only soothes and comforts but elates and inspires the spirit.

An indispensable part of being a successful designer is having exceptional resources – one such resource lies at East 60th Street here in New York City – there you will find a brilliant collection of some of the finest antiques and decorations – some of my favorites like David Duncan, Ann Morris Antiques, John Salibello Antiques and many more – Most of these suppliers are only available to the trade – so hire a decorator and create something extraordinary together! Almost every spectacular project has been the result of creative collaboration! You can play Louis XIV and I’ll be your Louis Le Vau – and I know where we’ll find an André Le Nôtre to help us with the garden – lets make your Versailles visions a reality!

I’m here on East 60th Street shopping for several clients wearing a Ralph Lauren silver ski parka, teal cashmere turtleneck sweater by Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen herringbone wool tweed cargo style pant, Lanvin teal suede sneakers, Gucci black leather tote and glasses, Sermoneta purple leather gloves.

James Andrew - Grit meets Glam

There is nothing that I enjoy more than a little Saturday or Sunday afternoon expedition, meeting friends for a gorgeous lunch and then hitting the stores and boutiques for a few fabtastic treats to bring home. I found myself in Manhattan’s historic Meatpacking District this weekend doing just that. Having been considered a generally questionable part of town for the past several decades, this area has undergone a substantial transformation, and is now considered quite chic. Home to Highline park, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, 10,000 Things Jewelry, and Hudson Furniture to name just a few of my favorite destinations, the Meatpacking District is sure to delight!

I stopped to have my photo taken in front of one of the few remaining examples of graffiti that was once quite typical of this area – I’m wearing a red leather biker jacket and wool mini hounds tooth pant both by Gucci, a cerulean blue cashmere turtleneck sweater by Dolce & Gabbana, Lanvin teal suede sneakers, black leather tote by Gucci and glasses by Dior my fragrance is Royal Water by Creed.

James Andrew - NYC - photo by Lars Stephan.

I was recently approached by Dolce & Gabbana’s blog, Swide, to be featured on their wonderful site – I’m thrilled, as you might imagine, and I’ll let you know when to look for it!

The people at D&G as well as many of you do seem curious about our process here at WIJW so I thought to introduce/re-introduce some of the players and give a quick glimpse behind the scenes.

WIJW in process - Turner photgraphs Stephan photographing me!

While much of the original idea for a piece can be quite spontaneous, the bulk of what happens here comes from some fairly methodical planning on my part, which is done a good two to three weeks in advance. There are quite a few elements that need to be sorted out – from scouting a location; to formulating an original idea; finding the most intriguing aspect of the story; to wardrobe planning and securing photographers; etc. etc. – All these logistical aspects can certainly have one’s head spinning, so I do rely quite a bit on a good support team comprised primarily of accomplished artists.

Alexander Scott

I teleconference with my “silent” creative partner and online image manager Alexander Scott in Boston virtually every night (sometimes quite late!) and he edits my written thoughts and raw images, fashioning them into what you see (and hopefully enjoy) the next morning. I’ve always loved his art and design work, as well as his way with words – so bringing him on board was a no-brainer. He also continually applies his discerning eye and technical know-how to create the site’s look with the WIJW aesthetic in mind.

For photography and illustration here in NYC I rely heavily on the efforts of three artists whose efforts are integral to WIJW – Scott McBee, Lars Stephan, and
Nicholas Turner.

I thought it might be fun to share some of the behind the scenes goings-ons at WIJW so I got Nicholas Turner to shoot Lars Stephan shooting me! The concept is a celebration of New York City, so on a rather gray and dreary day we headed over to Brooklyn to take advantage of some of the grand views. I’m sporting a black cotton wide wale corduroy jacket by Gucci, Turnbull and Asser purple cotton shirt with contrast white collar and cuffs, Seaman Schepps black pearl cuff links, Tom Ford cashmere/silk large scale check tie in black, white and purple, Alexander McQueen herringbone wool tweed cargo style pant, silver leather sneakers by Dior and umbrella by Swaine Adeney Brigg.

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