Painter, artist, and author Kelly Fischer has been a woman between worlds since she was 22 years old. More specifically, the day that the 22-year-old college student from Memphis met a young Swiss man on the second day of her study abroad. They got married, and she decided to stay. Since then, Fischer has spent her time split between Bern, Memphis, and New York City. Today, she works to define the differences between her worlds, and the similarities that link them, through her painting. Her current exhibition, Blending Worlds, is a combination of pieces that seek to articulate the feel and energy of her favorite parts of Downtown Manhattan and her home in Switzerland.
Blending Worlds is a combination between her Street Art series, inspired by NYC, and other pieces inspired by her time in Switzerland. Each piece of abstract art tries to capture the culture, energy, and interactions of the people wherever she goes. Especially the interactions; her goal, she says, is to make the lines and the colors so cohesive that everyone feels included. “It’s about connection. The lines, the circles, everything has to connect with each other.”
Street Art East Village NYC; 2018; 160 x 180cm; mixed media
Before her professional career as an artist, Fischer was an educator and administrator at a Montessori school in Switzerland. She started her professional career in the arts by creating children’s books–she has written 12 to date–blending two more worlds. Eight years later, she quit her education job and became a professional painter and children’s book author. She has blended those worlds as well, with an interactive exhibition of her best selling book, “The Most Beautiful Color of All.”
Chinatown
Much of Fischer’s current exhibition came from her Street Art series, which draws on the souls of different downtown neighborhoods. Each one, she says, inspires her a different way, affecting her style. Avenue B, in the East Village, was colorful and lively, with a lot of movement. “The East Village felt like there were no rules,” she said, which inspired her to push her artistic limits and try new things. Tribeca’s energy, she said, felt more like Switzerland. “People don’t think out of the box as much.”
Chelsea NYC; 2018;180 x 180cm Mixed Media
For Fischer, Downtown Manhattan is a home away from home. Seven years ago, shortly after she became a full-time artist, she stayed on Perry St in the West Village. She still gushes about it today. “It felt like home, and I knew that I wanted to spend more time there.” And she has, but she hasn’t limited herself to Perry St. She splits time between the West Village, East Village, Bowery, SoHo, and Tribeca. Cipriani’s is her favorite restaurant, and she loves the Bowery Hotel, especially the lobby. “It is the style of me.”
Cipriani’s, Fischer’s favorite restaurant in the city.
The exhibition’s host, the Swiss Consulate, is especially meaningful to Fischer, and her art. For the first time, she gets to express her two worlds, and she gets to do so in a building that does the same. After this show ends, catch Kelly Fischer in Madrid or Toledo for her next shows, or back in Downtown Manhattan for a short documentary exploring the influences behind her street art series through six exhibitions in four countries. The film was accepted at NYC International Film Festival and East Hampton TV Art and Film Festival.
As Spring approaches, so does the anticipation for watch and jewelry brands worldwide. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous Baselworld. The leading watch and jewelry show where key players in the industry showcase their new products. This year, the show will run from March 23-30.
The city of Basel, located west of Switzerland, is once again hosting this annual event. Brands such a Blancpain, Hamilton and Raymond Weil have prepared months in advance for this trade show; planning their booth and getting their pieces ready for the event.
Consumers attend year after year, making this a not-to-miss event. The luxury market for watches and jewelry has proven itself over the years, selling products now considered timeless pieces. However, one could wonder if in today’s world, overcome by technology and innovation, traditional, luxury pieces are still as popular as they used to be. Thankfully for Baselworld and its exhibitors, Lucrezia Buccellati, co-creative designer of Buccellati, confirms, “High-end inspirational watches are still performing well.”
Although these brands thrive on staying traditional, it is also important to stay current and grow the brand whenever possible. Every new collection showcases different and innovative designs to please customers and stay on top of the competition.
As the industry constantly evolves, Downtown were hoping to get an idea of what this year’s exhibitors have in store.
The following brands shared their latest designs with us.
Andersen Geneve showcases The Tempus Terrae, “a very sober and classy watch case in gold with aesthetic simplicity.”
Available for personalization, this updated version of one of the brand’s classic models is complete with a Red Gold case, 17 jewels, and a hand-stitched band. While speaking about this piece, the brand reiterated its high-end craftsmanship and confirmed that, “No compromise is made on quality.”
Blancpain revealed the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, a vintage-inspired, 38 mm addition to the 2013 version of the model.
Having launched its Bathyscaphe diving watches in the late 1950s, Blancpain has since expanded the family. Water-resistant and powered by Caliber 1150, this new model has been improved with higher stability, precision, shock resistance, and a luminescent dot on the bezel, making it a perfect watch for any diver.
As 2017 began, Czapek & Cie introduced three new models to the market, including the Quai des Bergues N. 33s. Supposedly inspired by the original Francois Czapek pocket watch, this new model has been “adapted for finer wrists and to the taste of collectors seeking models that have journeyed through time and retained their elegance and can surprise the wearer by their harmoniousness.”
With a 5N Rose Gold case, this 38.5 diameter watch includes a Curved Sapphire Crystal, and an alligator strap with a 5N Red Gold buckle.
Eberhard & Co. showed us the Scafograf GMT, “an automatic steel model that maintains the same lines as its predecessor, the Scafograf 300, but has different technical features.”
Available in black or blue with a water-resistant feature, this new model is innovative and complete with its rotating, bidirectional bezel featuring luminescent applied indices.
Hamilton presented the Intra-Matic 68. CEO Sylvain Dolla spoke to us about this watch and explained why this particular model happens to be his favorite at the moment. “The Intra-Matic 68 has all the Hamilton ingredients: Heritage – inspired by the 1968 Chronograph B – and Strong Character – its design is sure to delight Hamilton aficionados and collectors alike,” he explained.
Raymond Weil stepped outside the norm with the Freelancer, a tribute to the infamous Les Paul Gibson guitar. This unconventional watch, inscribed with the Gibson logo, demonstrates the brand’s creativity and shows the importance of innovation within the company. When talking about his love for music and his inspiration for this special timepiece, Elie Ternheim, CEO of Raymond Weil declared, “Today, Gibson leads us into the best that rock has to offer and makes our watches hum to this legendary beat,”
Per a new article from Luxury Daily, Swiss apparel and accessories label Bally has taken a throwback approach to its latest campaign. Featuring model Irina Shayk, the new video from Bally was shot by fashion photographer Gregory Harris, providing a bold take on Bally’s spring/summer 2017 line. Bally paired the well-known supermodel with male models Kit Butler and David Trulik for its London-filmed video.
Bally took a similar approach with another recent campaign, updating a vintage boot style for today’s globetrotting consumer in a collaborative effort with artist André Saraiva. This Bally x André capsule collection was inspired by a pair of secondhand Bally boots rediscovered in the depths of the artist’s closet as he packed for a trip. The boot design — originally from 1973 — had such character that Mr. Saraiva wanted to create a replica for his girlfriend. From that idea came a collection of travel-themed accessories, exclusive artwork and a Snapchat scavenger hunt to promote the collaboration.
Alexandra Whitcombe is the creator and visionary behind Vendome Beaute. A New York City native, modeling and ballet were her among her early passions as she attended the prestigious High School Of Art & Design. Years in the floral industry taught Alexandra the essence of nature and its inextricable connection to beauty. Vendome Beaute is the product of Alexandra’s background, her worldliness, and her scientific awareness. She personally sources materials from the highest-quality local vendors in Switzerland, France and Italy to create a cosmetics line that is technologically-engineered to make women look and feel beautiful.
Downtown caught up with Alexandra for some Q&A to learn about what it is like to run a successful yet growing beauty company. Prior to running Vendome, Alexandra was known as “The Rose Queen” as the owner of the Chelsea-based Trellis Fine Florals. Alexandra is on Twitter as @AlixAstir, while Vendome can be followed on Twitter via @VendomeDeParis. Vendome products can be purchased via its website: www.vendomebeautefrance.com.
Alexandra Whitcombe: I am a true New Yorker, and loyal to my hometown. Not to mention that everything I need is right here! Although my heart belongs to New York City, I’ve been afflicted with a bit of wanderlust most of my life, and strayed a few times. I love to travel and have lived abroad. But like Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz, one day you wake up and you realize you have everything you ever wanted right under your nose the whole time, and you go through a renewed and deep appreciation of your hometown. I absolutely adore New York City and don’t see myself living anywhere else. I am addicted to the excitement and vibrant cultural and art world. New York is my home.
Vendome Beaute is a New York-based company. Given how expensive it can be to do business in New York, did you ever think of basing the company elsewhere?
AW: No, it has never entered my mind to do business elsewhere. We do have a base and office in Rennes, France. We are definitely a Franco-American Company! However, I always knew the central nervous system of the company would be in New York. Although New York City is expensive, I believe New York affords us a level of prestige and respect not found elsewhere. There are also unique resources and opportunities that are available by having a New York City headquarters.
Some of your products are sourced in Europe. What happens in the New York office of Vendome?
AW: Our New York office is the creative force behind the brand. The atmosphere in the office is fun; we are constantly laughing and having a good time as we work. My personal philosophy is if it’s not fun, don’t do it. I’ll stop doing this if it ever stops being fun. For now, all of our products are from Europe, and have a deep French influence. Today, 98% of our collection is curated and made in France. The New York office serves as the idea machine, where we generate the creative concepts that become the products.
AW: Prior to launching Vendome, I owned a floral business, which was the catalyst for Vendome. I wanted to create a beauty brand that used color and botanicals to offer women something new in cosmetics. The use of botanicals in skincare was common, but makeup didn’t incorporate florals. I realized that the beautiful aromas and essential oils from the flowers could be infused into makeup as well. I worked with a lab to help develop my recipes, and soon Vendome Beaute was born. The name “Vendome” came from the place where my French husband proposed to me on New Year’s Eve, so the company is influenced by the happiness and emotions of that magical night.
Is there a Vendome product that you are most proud of?
AW: Right now I am in love with my three well palettes. We created eight unique palettes of highly-pigmented, lush, long-lasting colors in charming, collectable boxes. Each of the eight palette boxes are designed with an image reflecting a different moment in a Vendome Girl’s life. The packaging evokes a modern take on the classic French scenes we have come to adore. I dare you not to fall in love with them!
What is coming up for Vendome? New product lines? Collaborations?
AW: It’s a very exciting time for us. Our line of 28 lip colors will be here for Spring 2017, as well as a gel-based foundations infused with fragrant and hydrating rose water. Additionally, our plumping concealer pen will be launched Summer of 2017. I am constantly sourcing new ingredients and designing products, and hope to have even more new products in the near future.
What do you think makes Vendome so different from other beauty-oriented companies?
AW: In my opinion, we are very different in our look and approach. Vendome Beaute is full of charm, whimsy, and humor. We are a lifestyle, a way of being in the world.
Has your experiences from owning Trellis Fine Florals help with Vendome? Or are flowers and beauty products entirely different fields?
AW: No, they cross over. Make up and beauty relies on biology, flowers, herbs and fauna as ingredients. From the time of the ancient Egyptians grinding down lapis lazuli to modern times, women have been continually searching for ways to make themselves feel better and look better. I decided to create Vendome Beaute because I had a vision of a brand that incorporated the science of flowers into color.
I know that you attended the High School of Art and Design. Did you always know that you would be working within fashion and beauty? There was no Plan B?
AW: No, not at all. I was a writer and I always thought I’d be the author of the next great American Classic. Right now I am working on a beauty book for Vendome Beaute. It’s a beautiful workbook for all of the #MissVedomes out there that can’t get enough of our brand and really take the lifestyle to heart and really want to understand our philosophy. The book will feature gorgeous art, snippets of advice, wisdom, anecdotes, and history and how our products are best used.
Is there something you haven’t yet accomplished but still hope to at some point?
AW: Within the next two years we looking to launch our skincare line and first Eau de Toilette.
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
AW: Sailing and skiing are two of my passions. I have been sailing since the age of eight. If I am not sailing/racing; I am skiing. If I’m not doing either of those, I really love to keep tabs on the art and antique scene in Manhattan. I’m addicted to collecting Georgian, Regency and Biedermeier Antiques. I never know when and where inspiration will strike for Vendome Beaute, I once created packaging based off of an embroidered silk work from the 1700s. Our lip balm was created when I had chapped lips while skiing in Chamonix.
Are there any upcoming events that you have tickets to? Concerts? Places in New York you plan on going during the holiday season?
AW: I just saw the Danish singer MØ at Terminal 5. She was amazing. Her music is sublime. She’s a true artist. She is unique, refreshing and different. I really respect and appreciate that with artists.
Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?
AW: Eating out is one of my favorite past times. I will never turn away good food! And, NYC has plenty of that. I love Greek food and so Kellari Tavern on 44th Street has amazing Greek food. And they treat you like long-lost family when you go in, which I am; my mother’s name is Papadopoulos. And I also love Philippe on 60th.
Finally, Alexandra, any last words for the kids?
AW: A lot of people throw around the word “entrepreneur like” it is a job title, but starting your own company is very different for starting a new job. I didn’t set out to become an “entrepreneur.” I had an idea and it turned into this amazing journey where Vendome Beaute became a beauty brand. There was more work involved than I ever imagined, and there were times when I thought I’d never reach my goals. What got me through it, and kept me going, was the incredible people who helped me along the way. Many simply business associates who went out of their way to give extra guidance and support. These people were New Yorkers. We often get a bad rap, but honestly, there isn’t a more supportive place to start a business.
Established in New York City in 1987, L.A. Burdick Chocolate was largely-inspired by travel to France and Switzerland by founder Larry Burdick. He and wife Paula — a graduate of the Fashion Institute Of Technology — co-founded the company, as known for both its pure chocolate and its hand-made delicacies. Beyond its online and mail-order offerings, L.A. Burdick now has stores in New York, Boston, nearby Cambridge, and Walpole, New Hampshire; its New York operations are now run out of SoHo on 156 Prince Street.
Beyond the quality of its ingredients, one of Burdick’s trademarks is its seasonal and limited-edition items. Not only does L.A. Burdick have specialty chocolates available for Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day, but such is also made special for St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the birthday of Robert Burns each year. More about this was uncovered via Q&A with Michael Klug, Burdick’s Head Chocolatier, and Cathy Watson, the brand’s Chief Operating Officer.
How does your new store in SoHo compare to other L.A. Burdick locations?
Cathy Watson: The new location is set up with the same structure as our other locations. It is a bit more compact as it is the smallest square foot store, but it gives us the opportunity to focus on the chocolates. After all, that is who we are.
Michael Klug: All of our store locations have the same flair of old-world Europe, with warm wooden tones on our displays and a welcoming feeling that I would best describe as “ cozy comfort.” However, our Boston location is our largest store with a very generous display of chocolate products and extensive seating capacity. Our Cambridge location is a favorite institution among college students around Harvard Square. The seating and display is more limited.
The SoHo location is our smallest store location, but reflects the same style as all our other stores. Walpole, where we are headquartered, is similar in size than our Cambridge store, with a little larger display option for products. We also have in Walpole our largest loose bonbon display. The café in Walpole shares its store with a local restaurant/bistro that is similar in furnishing style, but does not belong to our company.
To you, what makes L.A. Burdick different from other chocolatiers?
CW: Integrity. Love. Passion. All the ingredients necessary to stay true to who we are and the commitment to continue to give the customers the freshest, highest-quality product consistently for 30 years.
MK: This is a very wide question, and all other chocolatiers are so different from each other in the first place. We stand out by having an extremely strict commitment to freshness; we give our fresh bonbon assortments a shelf life of two weeks. We don’t use any preservatives, artificial ingredients, food colorings or molds. All of our chocolates are very detailed, garnished, are truly handmade and we use only highest-quality ingredients. Our signature chocolate mouse is present in each bonbon assortment and gives our exquisite elegant look a unique charming touch, that separates us easy from all other chocolatiers.
In addition, we focus on the chocolate flavors in our creations and have them being paired with their individual seasonings but not dominated. You will always be able to taste the finesse of the chocolate that is used in our Fig, Raspberry and Ginger bonbons, for example. At last, our hot drinking chocolate stands out as one of the most decadent, rich, complex hot beverages that can be found.
Where are your chocolates sourced from? Or is that a secret?
MK: We source our chocolate from Central and South America, the Caribbean Islands and Madagascar. We only source chocolate that meets our highest criteria, where we want to taste the quality of the cocoa upfront and not the sugar profile that is added to the cocoa. This is a wide problem with mediocre chocolate, that even in a high cocoa percentage chocolate the sugar flavor can be upfront the cocoa flavor. It is due, in these cases .to the large particle size of the sugar crystals.
Do you have a favorite product from L.A. Burdick?
CW: That is difficult, I don’t believe I do. I have many favorites, and depending on how I am feeling will depend on what I may choose.
MK: I personally love the single-source chocolate bars and our chocolate assortment boxes the most. The variety of different creations in the boxes offer me a quick satisfaction for every type of chocolate mood I am currently in.
Are there any holiday-specific products being offered by L.A. Burdick?
CW: Yes, we make handmade chocolate snowmen. They come in a wood box of nine, tied with ice blue French-wired ribbon and handstamped with a silver wax seal.
MK: We have for every holiday a large selection of chocolates. Right now we offer chocolate snowmen, German Christmas Stollen, tuxedo penguins for New Year’s, Hanukkah decorated wood boxes for chocolate assortments and chocolate mice assortments. January, we celebrate Robert Burns’ birthday with a wonderful single scotch whisky assortment. We have a special Asian-inspired chocolate assortment for Lunar New Year. Valentine’s-themed chocolate boxes, which included handcut chocolate heart bonbons. Easter chocolates in a very large variety…Mother’s Day features our chocolate bees and a 10-flavored fruity, floral spring bonbon assortment. Hand-dipped chocolate Elephants from April to August to support the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Halloween-based chocolates with chocolate ghosts, bats and chocolate assortments presented in a coffin box. Thanksgiving, we do handmade chocolate turkeys.
How do the current offerings of L.A. Burdick compare to what the store sold decades ago?
CW: The offerings are still to this day made the same way, and we have many of the same offerings, chocolate mice included. Michael has created other bonbons over the years to add to the collection, as well as creating specialty assortments for holidays…Other whimsicals have been added throughout the years. Snowmen, bunnies, ghosts…
MK: We always create new chocolate bonbons and products, but our style of how they are made and what characteristics dominate them is unchanged. We always look for very thin-shelled handmade chocolate products but our variety is more than doubled of what we did 20 years ago. Some products are still the same, like our classic mice and some of our bonbon like the Baton Framboise, Brazilia and Richelieu. But the variety offers so many options that were still not available back then like, turkeys, snowmen, special seasonal assortments, pate de fruit plain and chocolate covered and many many more.
New store aside, what is coming up for L.A. Burdick?
CW: We will continue to grow the company by putting in new stores in strategic locations, also continue to grow our mail-order business. In this business, when you talk about what is coming up, it’s really about continuing to source and making sure you are always getting the best ingredients. From the use of local farms for our cream and butter, to knowing where the beans come from that create the couverture used for our bonbons. There are so many companies that begin taking shortcuts to show a better profit, and we have to continually be certain that the products and ingredients that we purchase are always the best and will not allow ourselves to purchase anything but. This would mean, changing vendors if the vendor cuts corners.
MK: We will be expanding our retail program to Chicago this coming year, celebrating our 30th anniversary with the presentation of some special bonbons and drinks. Probably adding some more single-source options if we find cocoa sources that meet our standards.
Have you always been passionate about chocolate? Where did you work before L.A. Burdick?
CW: I have always had a sweet tooth — it is my downfall — and I have always loved business. So for me, this was a match made in heaven. I was in the restaurant business for many years before coming to Burdick’s. In fact, I bought a restaurant when I turned 21 instead of going to school. I taught myself how to be successful with a lot of hard work early on.
MK: I was passionate about food since my teens and so fascinated with it that in my early 20s gave up law school in Germany and did a formal education in the German cooking apprentice program. I was fortunate to learn 3 years in two-star Michelin restaurant in Cologne. From there I worked as a cook and pastry assistant under Eckart Witzigmann in Munich — if you Google him that will easy tell how special that experience was for me — and then was the pastry chef for Dieter Mueller’s restaurant in Bergisch Gladbach, which also achieved 3-star Michelin.
I moved to New York in 1993 and was pastry chef of Lespinasse under Gray Kunz and pastry Chef of Chanterelle under David Waltuck in 1997. After working for two years at The Mark Hotel in New York, I became Head Chocolatier at L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates in 2002. So my passion for food and chocolate goes hand in hand, but my base from savory food in my early years in the gastronomic world I consider my strongest asset as a Chocolatier. I always see our product as a delicacy and food product, and not as candy .
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
CW: Hmm…This can sometimes be a problem because I am tied so closely with my position. But I love to travel, go antiquing, and just sit and look out at the ocean. Something low-key and calming.
MK: I always like to travel and taste the food of the world. Sadly that doesn’t happen too often, but cooking at home, enjoying fantastic wines especially reds from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Piedmont and whites from Germany, Loire, Alsace and Austria. I also enjoy fly fishing and classical music. But most of my time is occupied with my family life — my wife Ann-Michele and son Valentin.
Any upcoming concerts or events for you?
CW: Personally? Unfortunately this time of year comes with no plans except a huge family gathering at my house Christmas Eve. I have had it for the past 15 years ever since my dad passed. I don’t have any concerts or events scheduled, I begin thinking of those things in the spring.
Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?
CW: I personally don’t. When I am there, it is all business and I step out to grab a bite. But I love it when I go with Michael, because he is such a foodie that he always has a great place to go.
MK: I have to say since living in Walpole, New Hampshire since 2002, my exposure to the New York restaurant scene is limited. But I do love my dear friend Anita Lo’s Annisa very much. Also for casual great Germanic/Austrian fare, Erwin Schroettner’s Café Katja, the only place were you get great white asparagus when in season.
Finally, any last words for the kids?
CW: Children that are introduced to our chocolate at a young age learn about “real” chocolate. I know a few that have grown to become chocolate snobs and will not eat any other chocolate. It gives them a taste of a high quality product. They love the mice, penguins and snowmen!
MK: Good chocolate is not about cocoa percentage, only about great cocoa.
