Profile: Brax

the FASHION forum

By Brian Scott Lipton

MAGNIFICENT OBSESSIONS

Window dresser extraordinaire Simon Doonan prizes his “Prince head.” Fashion designer John Bartlett treasures his late father’s 1975 Cincinnati Reds World Series ring, while actor Tony Goldwyn proudly displays one of his family’s favorite heirlooms—a large Buddha statue—in the bay window of his living room. How do we know these things? Thank jewelry designer Monica Rich Kosann, who has interviewed more than 65 world-famous personalities about their favorite things in her impressive coffee-table tome, A Possession Obsession (Glitterati Incorporated). Kosann’s gorgeous photography accompanies each revealing interview, with words and pictures adding up to some of the most beautiful stories ever told.

PACK IT UP!

With airlines charging more each day for checked baggage and even for carry-ons, savvy business travelers are constantly searching for smart solutions that allow them to fit more apparel in one bag—and have it arrive at their destination looking just as fresh as it did in their closet. Europeanbased luggage maker Vocier’s C38 bag (part of its smartly curated collection) is one very clever answer to this nagging problem: the patented “Zero-Crease” system allows you to pack two suits in a special protected sleeve that gently curves around the interior of the bag, protecting your suits from wrinkles. In addition, there’s plenty of room in the interior pocket for shoes, shirts, socks, underwear and belts—even a wash bag to take everything back home!

CHARGE IT!

Cashmere and cotton are eternally chic, but two things currently at the height of fashion are sustainability and electric cars. So it’s no wonder that one of the world’s most fashionable hotel chains, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, has installed charging stations for electric cars at select properties across the globe, from San Francisco to Barcelona. Two stations at each hotel allow drivers the ability to charge their cars for up to 150 miles in a mere two and a half hours. So the next time you’re on vacation, you have no excuse not to hit the streets—and you can feel good about doing it!

CURTAIN CALL

Theater aficionados know that London and New York are the transcontinental capitals of this beloved art form, so it makes perfect sense that the exhibition Curtain Up: Celebrating the Last 40 Years of Theatre in New York and London has relocated from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum to New York’s Public Library for the Performing Arts. Through June, this special installation highlights how the theater districts of both cities have flourished and developed since 1976, and features designs, models, photographs, archival production materials and multimedia elements from such award-winning shows as Mary Poppins, Chicago, Wicked and many more. Fashionistas will be particularly delighted by the costumes on display, including masks from Phantom of the Opera, masks and African garb from The Lion King, and titular footwear from Kinky Boots. So make a run for the fascinating show while there’s still time. (Just don’t break a leg.)