T&C Design Dispatch: NYC's New One-Stop Shop, A TEFAF Recap, Inside Isaac Mizrahi's Closet, and More

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Every two weeks, T&C puts together an assortment of the best design news and happenings— everything from interior projects that pique our interest to auctions of note, and must-have products on the market.

New York's New Design Destination

Breakfast appointments are ambitious. All that socializing before 10 AM? Whew. Yet recently, there people were, sitting before Daniel Lalonde, CEO of Design Holding, listening to his presentation—comprised of images, mission statements, and piecharts—explaining the latest venture of the charming Canadian's company: The opening of Madison 135, where products by B&B Italia, Fendi Casa, FLOS, Louis Polsen, Maxalto, Arclinea, and Azucena make-up Manhattan's latest destination for Italian design.

Design Holding's new Manhattan location spans over 25,000 square feet across two floors, which means that it can feel like a bit of a treasure hunt to find pieces, but treasures are there. Louis Poulsen's iconic artichoke-shaped lamps are spread throughout the building. FLOS brought their biophillic set-up from last year's Salone to display an array of lighting. The brand has chandelier-like lamps set up nearby, and I imagine that these would look celestial in a room with otherwise dim lighting. That morning, Lalonde brought along a few designers and architects to help introduce their space: Piero Lissoni (an architect with B&B Italia), Philippe Malouin (a designer for FLOS), and Øivind Slaatto (a young designer represented by Design Holding). Their testimonies, along with the illustrious new space, made the early call time worth it.

At Paris Design Week earlier this year, I was amongst a group that vehemently explained how the iconic Camaleonda sofa by Mario Bellini had moved from status symbol to overdone; a victim of influencer culture. In some ways it's true but don't all popular items contain a degree of genius? There's a reason why American ballet companies continue to perform Balanchine works, and why The Devil Wears Prada is top of mind for fashion enthusiasts. In the design world, the Art Deco-era French designers Andre Arbus and Eugene Printz were en vogue and everywhere during their time. So, when one sees one of Bellini's famous designs sitting on the first floor of Design Holding's new space, one can't help but think: "So what that this is all over social? Not only was the couch innovative, it's just plain cool."

One Thing to Buy

Maastricht Appeal

Town & Country's Editor-in-Chief, Stellene Volandes, recently took in the wonders of TEFAF Maastricht, a world-class art fair that exhibits European Old Masters, design, and more. "What was most inspiring was a confirmation that standards matter and still exist. People still respond to excellence," she says. "In jewelry, you are taught that the back of a jewel should be as beautiful as the front... You go to TEFAF and realize that beauty should surround the entirety of an object. In some ways, they were more advanced than us in the 16th century."

Some standouts? Galerie Kugel based in Paris, and Allesandro Di Castro from Rome.

Missed it? Needn't fret. The fair comes to New York City's Park Avenue Armory from May 10-14, 2024.

Three Questions With... Isaac Mizrahi

Mark Morris and Isaac Mizrahi have been friends for 40 years and have collaborated on more than 10 dance projects; Morris does the choreography and Mizrahi designs the costumes and sets. Their most recent joint venture, The Look of Love, an evening of movement to the music of Burt Bacharach, premiered last fall and toured the country. It's finally made its way to New York and will be at the Brooklyn Academy of Music from March 20 through 23. He discusses the project here.

What was the thought process regarding the design of The Look of Love, which features a lot of pink and yellow?
At first, I wanted to do black-and-white geometric. Then Mark told me to go back and listen to the music, and that's when we switched it. Mark and I have been friends for ages and I think he only likes me because of my grasp on color.

Someone in the office told me you show how you organize your closet on TikTok. Is that true?

Oh, yes. Speaking of color, I have six or seven drawers of bandanas and each is organized by color; coral pink, magenta pink. The division of color is very personal, and I have to separate them all. It started when I was a kid and asked my mother to separate each dish instead of putting it all on one plate.

Aside from the bandanas, what other organization quirks do you have?

I believe in laundry and love clothes that can be laundered, not dry-cleaned. So, I have a section for clothes that I can do laundry with, and a section for clothes that can only be dry-cleaned.

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