THE COOPER HEWITT MUSEUM

James Andrew – the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

I’d been rather excited to visit the Cooper Hewitt Museum since hearing of their new renovations, and so Scott McBee and I ventured uptown for a visit. I have always adored this museum which is housed in the most magnificent 64 room, turn of the century Georgian-country style Andrew Carnegie mansion (Babb, Cook, and Williard, architects). It really is such a wonderful treat to explore these exquisite examples of monumental architecture (and this one is pretty innovative, being the first private house in the US to incorporate a steel frame). Just now, their glorious garden is blanketed in snow, but I can’t wait until spring to revisit!

Damian Ortega’s Controller of the Universe

The Cooper Hewitt is a Smithsonian design museum, and you can always expect a really comprehensive treatment, whatever aspect of design they are featuring. On view now is their opening exhibition which tackles tools in every form imaginable, and its pièce de résistance has got to be this fantastic piece (pictured above) by artist Damian Ortega entitled “Controller of the Universe” — a frozen explosion of tools…genius! Needless to say, if you are into design, the Cooper Hewitt is a must!

Captured at the front of the Cooper Hewitt, I’m sporting a vintage camel toggle coat with tartan wool lining, Tom Ford charcoal tweed jacket, teal cotton corduroy pants, teal and navy silk pocket square, teal and charcoal wool/cashmere glen check tie, brown leather belt with rose gold buckle and brown leather tasseled loafers, Turnbull and Asser red and white striped shirt with contrast white color and cuffs, Seaman Schepps aquamarine and diamond cuff links, vintage Rolex, Gucci aviator sunglasses, Sermonetta red leather gloves, Tom Ford London fragrance and Tom Ford For Men Bronzing Gel for that sun kissed glow.