|STYLING|

Event styling is about creating an environment that best illuminates the designer's point of view seamlessly.

For the Pieter Stockmans' event, a master ceramist designer, It was imperative to give each piece its own territory within the space. The styling needed to reflect the collection as a whole and the piece's universal trait of simplicity. The walls and shelving were a crisp white and then contrasted with black elements speckled in-between. The saturated aqua color in his larger pieces; dubbed Stockmans Blue, popped amongst these surroundings. This combination gave an interminable illusion and the result was a fresh, uncluttered, airy exhibition for the clients.

For Paola Lenti, the styling was completely different from Stockmans. The goal was to create a romantic, yet natural, outdoor ambiance as a backdrop for her pieces.

Working along side Ms. Lenti was an amazing experience. She is a Italian visionary to me and in the world of outdoor living and textiles. Her focused energy during the installation was captivating and inspiring. While I do not speak Italian and she prefers to speak in Italian or french we still accomplished the styling through a connected understanding of the end result. Working off each other's gusto. The scene came together to resemble an Italian villa's terrace transported to Miami. The beautiful tropical plants cocooning the furniture to create a warm and intriguing evening. Both artists share a deep devotion to their roots and materials.

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Davide Groppi is an unconventional Italian lighting designer, who often works with Paola Lenti. HIs creations are never conceived as just lights or lamps. They come about through the need to give life to something that is necessary or significant.

When he came to Miami for the first time I took my inspirations from how his lights are used in peoples homes, or restaurants. The saturated red color of the Campari bottles that laid by his portrait were simple and at same time familiar.

As guests of the event came into the space they were engaged by his Tetate table lamps, which stood seamlessly on a white platform. Out of the styling options I had laid out, DG went with the vibrant tropical fruit. The fruit was carefully scattered underneath the down glow of the lamps to look deliberately random. I had meticulously selected these fruits from Epicure Market in South Beach. Each fruit type, lemons and oranges, I sorted through to find ones with the perfect shape and color. I also chose a unique option a Japanese Pear. This uncommon fruit had the shape one would expect but the look and smooth texture of a plum. As it aged the color turned into a deep auburn.

Next came the Neuro suspension lamp that zig-zagged up the wall next to the main window. For this display, there were 3 elements that came together. 1) I ordered a clear glass petri dish. 2) While at Epicure Market I found a sculptural large piece of ginger root. 3) A bag of round charcoal. The charcoal was crushed in to bits and shavings then filled the petri dish. The ginger root and the dish were placed underneath the main light source. These two unique textures off set the softness of the fruit a platform just a foot away, and contradicted the geometric box they sat upon.

In a large framed white display box held a table hight platform and over which hung the Fosbury lamp. The light from this lamp was downward but not a spot light. Perfect light for over a writing desk. I chose a delicate clear port glass to hold large fluffy white marshmellows filled to the top. Beside the, now candy dish, laid an open plain white notebook and black pencil. One could imagine an artist popping marshmallows and sketching his muse.

The last main styling choice was for Davide Groppi's FLIM wall light. The Film reimagins old film negatives and creates a linear wall fixture that is playful and minimal. The interior architect asked me to come up with an idea for this element. I found images of vintage Miami postcards, from around the 1950s and printed them on a thick vellum. Then inserted each into the FLIM cartridges. Once plugged-in it illuminated the postcard vignettes and the light would rotate on and off. It drove people to come closer to the piece and provoked conversation.