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This Year’s Met Gala Has Been Postponed – Asking where will the fashion industry stand when the corona virus pandemic ends?

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The fashionable party put on by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art each year has officially been postponed. The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced Monday that the annual Met gala, scheduled to take place on May 4, has been postponed indefinitely even after the Met Gala committee stood firm to proceed as planned despite concerns of the coronavirus pandemic.

This year marks a milestone for the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the New York institution will celebrate its 150th anniversary but fashion’s biggest night out is yet another victim of the coronavirus, as cultural institutions around the world continue to take the necessary drastic measures to try to slow the progress of this global pandemic.

The Met Gala 2020 theme is “About Time: Fashion and Duration,” and is inspired by Virginia Woolf and the theories of the French philosopher Henri Bergson. The show is chaired by head designer at Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière; Emma Stone; Meryl Streep, who starred in The Hours, a story inspired by Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway; Lin-Manuel Miranda; and, as always, Vogue’s Anna Wintour. The show will explore the concept of “la dureé” – time that flows; the combination of past, present and future to provoke fashion charged issues and where the industry presently stands after years on the decline.

The industry has never fully recovered from the recession, prompting cost cuts in production and quality due to the consumer driven industry and the trend – “wear and toss.” The fashion industry and luxury compartment effected by this is seriously reconsidering its role in society. The corona virus prompted this action as a response to the crisis which will impact how we shop, small retailers and the industry worldwide. Sustainibilty seems to be the focus to relaunch the industry and ultimately save it.

Will the growing awareness of fashion’s impact on the environment and the importance of sustainability be more attentive to collective and environmental well-being?

 “About Time: Fashion and Duration”
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“Fashion is indelibly connected to time. It not only reflects and represents the spirit of the times, but it also changes and develops with the times.” – Andrew Bolton. (Andrew Bolton is a British museum curator and current Head Curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. )

NYC in Winter

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The Christmas music has stopped playing. Decorations have been taken down. NYC has become pretty darn gloomy.

We have a great hotspot to not only enjoy NYC in winter but to actually be able to tolerate Times Square. Head over to 42nd street for a rooftop with the best view of Times Square at The Knickerbockers rooftop – St. Cloud.

Sit inside by the faux fireplace or head outside to sit in their sky pods.

Free Sample Alert – Miyoko’s Vegan products

austin, food, nyc

Miyoko’s Grilled Cheese Nation tour is coming to your neighborhood! Below, find a list of the closest city to you. We highly suggest not to miss your chance to try Miyoko’s new Cultured Vegan Cheddar. You will not be disappointed. In fact, you will be confused whether or not you’re eating vegan cheese.

We also suggest trying their vegan butter which we feel tastes better than the real stuff.

The Best Bar to Visit during Christmas – ROLF’S NYC

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Visiting NYC during the Holiday season? Be sure to stop by Rolf’s, a German restaurant and bar decorated to make you feel like you’re inside the Rockefeller Christmas tree. This little restaurant gives new meaning to “Deck the Halls.”

If you want to enjoy a German feast for dinner make sure to have a reservation as this is the busy season for ROLF’s and it can get very crowded. If you’ve been eating your way through NYC and just want to check out the decorations, find a seat at the bar and enjoy an amazing holiday themed cocktail.

Tea Time

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Afternoon Tea in England: The most quintessential of English customs, Afternoon Tea in England is a light meal composed of three courses – tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and sweet pastries. Can also be referred to as High Tea.

Tea in America: The luxe three-tier affair, involving savories, scones, sweets, and of course tea. This can be a serious business in New York City, with a huge range of additions including salads, sandwiches and pastries.

High Tea in Scotland: In Scotland, high tea takes on further differentiation. A Scottish high tea is not unlike an afternoon tea but will include some hot food, such as a cheese on toast or other savory goodies.

Pictured Left to Right: England, America, Scotland.

TIFFANY’S THE BLUE BOX CAFE – NYC

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Afternoon tea at the most lux spot in NYC, where you can sit and snack on croissants while paying homage to Audrey Hepburn’s iconic character in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The Blue Box Cafe at their New York flagship store on Fifth Avenue opened in 2017 but the hype continues as it is near impossible to get a reservation. Read our blog post for tips on how to get an almost impossible reservation at this cute cafe.

BURGERS: East Coast vs. West Coast vs. Third Coast

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Whataburger – What every Texan loves but East coasters haven’t a clue.

Let’s back track a little… For the longest time east coasters only had McDonald’s and Burger King as their options for a burger. Pretty pathetic. This is how the obsession with In-N-Out started. We didn’t have any burger joints so on trips to the west coast, everyone always made a stop at In-N-Out bragging how amazing it is. Popularity by lack of supply.

Fortunately, in the past few years we have been blessed with more options such as Bareburger and Shake Shack. Now that we know what a good burger tastes like, it kind of ruins the infatuation with In-N-Out . It just so happens they are moving to NYC. We say it’s a little too late for them to finally be making the move to the east coast. It’s like an old relationship and we’ve moved on to bigger and greater burgers.

It’s always been east coast vs west coast but let’s throw something else into the great burger debate – Whataburger. A long time favorite to every Texan but ask any east coaster, specifically in the north, and most likely they will say they have never heard of it. It’s like a Texas secret and doing a good job keeping it to themselves. This is why we want to start the movement to raise awareness about Whataburger for those deprived of a great burger chain.

This has been a burger service announcement for the tri-state area. You’re welcome.

SGROPPINO – What is it?!

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Sgroppino is an alcoholic mixed drink originating in Venice, Italy based on lemon sorbet and vodka, topped up with Italian sparkling Prosecco. Sgroppino can be served as a palate-cleansing aperitif or as a dessert drink after your meal.

The Sgroppino was served in aristocratic Venetian homes back in the 16th century. The Sgropin, as it’s called in the Venetian dialect, means to ‘untie’ such as to untie a little knot in ones stomach following a rather filling meal. It is also to cleanse the palate between the first and second courses.

Even though the drink originates in Italy, as you travel throughout the country you may have some difficulty finding the drink and even local restaurants knowing what it is. This is because further away from La Serenissima it is not a Sgroppino anymore, it is simply Sorbetto.

That tradition continues today, with a few minor tweaks to the centuries-old recipe. As the classic Sgroppino is made with lemon sorbetto, vodka and Prosecco sparkling wine, variations include strawberry, grapefruit or lavender, and sometimes the addition of limoncello.

Sweet and citrusy,  this creamy lemon Prosecco cocktail is hands down the best dessert drink ever! Simple ingredients and no special skills required to make.

Fashion Designer – BRUNELLO CUCINELLI

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“You can’t always agree on matters of taste, but the quality level is just non-negotiable.” – Brunello Cucinelli

Brunello Cucinelli’s name has been popping up everywhere. If you love the finer things in life than you’ve probably heard his name before. For most, the name might have been dismissed due to the high costs of his luxury ready-to-wear fashion line. For reference, four Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM bags are much more affordable than the average price of a Cucinelli suit. 

A little background… He was born near Solomeo in 1953, and grew up in a house with no plumbing or electricity. He had no money when he started his business. In an interview recently he said, “We were farmers, so I did not have even a dollar in my pocket.”

He has an interesting background as he was raised in poverty and grew up to design for the rich and become wealthy himself. But what is the most impactful about his story is the mission of his company and the treatment of his employees – “To produce fashion in the most ethical way possible, without being harmful or disrespectful towards people or the environment.”

The Cucinelli fashion house is more than a company appreciating their employees. He has compassion for his workers which comes from when he was a little boy and how he saw his father was treated everyday at work. Cucinelli calls all of this a “humanistic enterprise in the world of industry.” 

His philosophy on overtime – it’s forbidden. Working after 5:30 pm is not allowed as he believes that working too many hours will “steal your soul.” He advocates a balance of “mind, soul and work.” And so, at precisely 1 pm every day, the entire workforce heads to the company dining hall for a mandatory 90 minute lunch.

He donates 20% of his profits through the Brunello Cucinelli Foundation. He has been described as a “philosopher-designer” and “part businessman, part philosopher and part monk.”  His belief and mindset is to act as guardians of creation.

No matter how laid-back and serene the label’s style appears, there’s always a luxurious edge to it. Cucinelli said, “For me, it’s always synonymous with excellence: supreme quality, perfect execution, and exquisite artisanal craftsmanship.

Not only are there more billionaires now than at any time in history, but they are richer than ever before. Almost from the start of his career, Cucinelli decided they would be his clientele. Maybe this is the secret to how he made the Forbes list. The rich understand the rich. Cucinelli’s brand has worked out very well and he has said, “The results have actually been more positive than I thought”.

“I was told that everybody was going to be tough on me. We’ve had a very positive ride so far.”