In 1979 Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé bought a nineteenth-century house—Chateau Gabriel—near Deauville in Normandy— several miles east from where Marcel Proust himself used to vacation from 1907 to 1914.  The house was originally built by Ernest Saintin for a wealthy American in 1874 in a style reminiscent of grandeur of the Second Empire. The couple spent three years renovating it and subsequently hired the legendary Jacques Grange to re-create the aura of a country home where Proust's characters from Remembrance of Things Past passed their summers.  Everything in the house bears symbolism of Proust including the winter garden that was modeled after that of Princesse Mathilde Bonaparte which he used to frequent. Furthermore, all nine bedrooms have been appointed to reflect sensibilities of each character of the novel. Jacques Grange was rumored to have gone through several kilometers of draped silk taffeta in the process of decorating. The estate has several buildings, one of which resembles Russian dacha and is built entirely out of birchwood—an inspiration that came after Saint Laurent's trip to Russia in 1987. Chateau Gabriel was purchased during Yves Saint Laurent's self-inflicted confinement and disappearance from the public eye. He used the house as a retreat, spending ...

We absolutely cannot wait until the release of Coco Avant Chanel, the biopic on the legendary Mademoiselle Chanel starring the adorable Audrey Tautou and directed by Anne Fountaine. The movie is to be released in Paris on April 22nd with no scheduled release date in the U.S. yet.  An incredible story of love, adventure, fame and solitude coupled with incredible period fashions that should be a real treat. Click here to view the trailer

A curious article in today's T Magazine by Lynn Yaeger called "Brother, Can Your Spare a Dior?" with references to how to look fashionable and fabulous on a slim income during bad economic times from Vogue and Harper's Bazaar from 1930s. Our favorite quote: "To be thrifty is clever...the crime is to look it." from 1930 Vogue. To enjoy the full article, click here.

Madison Avenue Creative is proud to present the first series of photographs produced in a wonderful collaboration with architectural photographer, Evan Joseph, brilliant stylist and make-up artist, Jasin Bedell and the fabulous publisher of New York Living magazine, Brey Brownlie. The idea behind the shoot was to explore public places in several of Manhattan’s residential buildings (lobbies, in this instance) by adding a style component that is unique to each building and the lifestyle it offers. With clothing and accessories provided by Henri Bendel (henribendel.com), we styled our models for each of the three utterly different lobby spaces - the Platinum, Dwell95 and Sheffiled 57 - to add a unique style perspective and define the space. Pictured here are the photos taken  at Dwell95. On the model: Frank Tell lamp-shaped olive dress styled with gold chains and pearl necklaces mixing uptown classic with downtown hip. We were inspired by the whimsical and decadent Philip Stark-designed interior with its dramatic crystal chandelier, lavish floor lamps and rococo furniture upholstered in gold patent leather-- and so we styled Kate (MC2 agency) as a modern-day dauphine. The February issue of New York Living is available on the newsstands now. We made the cover! New ...

Madison Avenue Obsessions presents the 2009 Valentine's Day Gift Guide. Celebrate love, beauty and togetherness! Happy Valentine's Day! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOR HER Belle de jour patent wristlet in red makes a perfectly chic Valentine's Day gift. Available at ysl.com. $355. Exclusive Valentino Eau de Parfum. Ultimately feminine, the scent offers sensuous orange flower, contrasted with mimosa (symbolic of feminine strength) and violet leaves. Exclusively at bergdorfgoodman.com. Vosges Valentine’s Day Tower is a true delight for chocolate addicts and connoisseurs alike. Two hearts are truly better than one in this limited edition tower with Caramel Toffee Heart Box atop a 16 piece Exotic Truffle Heart Collection, stacked and complete with a hand-tied satin bow. $58 at http://www.vosgeschocolate.com. Chanel Porte Bonheur metal, enamel and plexi Valentine key ring. She will love you for this. Available at chanel.com Adorable Lilibon Bows Shorts bikini by Heidi Klein. She will be the best dressed beach girl in cute boy short bottoms with a gorgeous bow detail. $180 at heidiklein.com Triple-Platform Sandal by Christian Louboutin. They make us speechless. THE gift of all gifts...with seducing red soles, this is, hand down, the best-looking pair of shoes for spring. $1,095 at bergdorfgoodman.com. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FOR HIM Nikon D90 The new Nikon D90 combines 12.3-megapixel image quality and a cinematic ...

Menupages.com is a must-go-to site for us, jaded and culinarily inept Manhattan residents, who survive on nightly take-outs and crave diversity and dietary adventures. This comprehensive compilation of menus of every existing Manhattan eatery (and now, other major cities and areas like San Fransisco, LA, Boston, Philadelphia and South Florida) is a product of a Manhattan take-out junkie Greg Barton, who came up with an idea for the site out of frustration with the limited choice of printed menus of few restaurants in the neighborhood.

COMMISSION TO ARCHITECTS HERZOG & DE MEURON AND ARTIST ANISH KAPOOR Alexico Group LLC, a will construct a path-breaking new residential tower designed by internationally renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron of Basel, Switzerland.