All Advanced Style, All the Time

Advanced Style: the book. 
At your bookstore now!

Last Tuesday evening we attended the launch party for Ari Seth Cohen's book, Advanced Style.

Photo by Robin Lung

The party was sponsored by Nowness.com, a website dedicated to the arts, lifestyle and fashion. It was held in the Skyroom on the top floor of the New Museum. What a stunning setting, with an open-air balcony overlooking all of lower Manhattan. I choose an Alice + Olivia skirt and blouse with my Fabrice necklace as my costume du jour.

I first met Ari three years ago at the New Museum. Richard and I had just seen an exhibit and were leaving when we met Ari outside of the museum. He asked if he could take my picture for his blog, Advanced Style. I was wearing an Alpana Bawa striped coat and a blue fedora with a vintage handbag, so naturally I was thrilled that someone noticed. Isn't that the whole point of dressing up?

This is the coat that I was wearing the day I met Ari.

Photo by Richard Cramer

Over the past couple of years, Ari has photographed Richard and me for his blog -- and now some of those photographs appear in his new book, Advanced Style. It's a fascinating look at stylish older people, both the conservatively well-dressed and the more eccentric among us. At last, street style meets senior style in Ari's fabulous book.

 The cover of Advanced Style.

Ari signed our copy of Advanced Style.

A spread from our section of the book.

Ari signing copies of his book.
 His pink suit was perfect for the celebratory evening. 

Our friends, Paul Levitt and Robin Lung, were visiting from Hawaii and attended the party with us. Here are Paul, sporting a vintage shirt with a map of Japan, and Richard looking at Richard's work before the party. Paul is a great artist and also teaches in Hawaii.

Filmmaker, Robin Lung, in front of my Inspiration Wall. Robin is working on a documentary called Finding Kukan. It's about a Chinese woman from Hawaii and her 1941 Oscar-winning epic color film called Kukan. The film, about war-torn China, had been "lost" for over 50 years. You can read more about Robin's film here.

The inimitable, 90-plus year old Ilona Royce Smithkin, arriving in the Skyroom.

Debra Rapoport, visual artist. Love the yellows.

Daniel Schiffman, Nancy Ozelli and Lynn Dell Cohen.
Lynn is the proprietor of Off Broadway Boutique in New York.

Carola Vecchio. I love the sweet iridescent coat and black topper.

Richard Cramer in a splendid Kiton jacket, Coton Doux shirt and
 Brooks Brothers pants.

Ilona and I.
Photo by Robin Lung

Ilona meeting Richard.

Do you believe this guy?

They say that we're such a loving, inseparable couple.
Above photos of Richard and me by Robin Lung.

The pink peonies were incroyable.

Robin Lung, wearing one of my necklaces, and Lady Francesca Todd,
 a friend of Li-Ling-Ai, the subject of Robin's
 documentary film, Finding Kukan.

Mary Efron. During the course of the evening, I discovered that I had shopped in Mary's vintage shop in Soho many years ago, and had bought a beautiful 1930's silk dress there.

Jean, of the Daring Duo, The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas.

Legendary Apollo Theatre dancer, Jacquie Tajah Murdock.
 She always wears a lily in her hair, like Billie Holiday.

Valerie, the other half of the Daring Duo, The Idiosyncratic Fashionistas.

Many of the Advanced Style ladies are artists and make beautiful things.
Christina Viera made the pin that she is wearing.

Pristine and lovely, as always in vintage, Linda Zagaria.

Style-to-Go fashionista, Tziporah Salamon, who bikes around
New York City dressed to the nines, and Mary Efron.

Alice Carey and Geoffrey Knox.
Alice is wearing a real gardenia that complimented
 her white tuxedo jacket beautifully.

 Lina Plioplyte and Tziporah.

Rita Hammer

On the left, Bobbie Thomas, Today Show style editor, with Joyce Carpati (in pearls) and Joyce's granddaughter, Arianna Carpati. The Advanced Style Ladies have been featured on Bobbie's show, Style Buzz.

Gorgeous Brianna Hurley, who works at Lynn Dell's shop, Off Broadway Boutique.

Lynn Dell Cohen signs a book for a fan.

First there was the book and now there will be a movie.
Lina Plioplyte, filmmaker, and Ari Seth Cohen
 introduce their movie trailer, Advanced Style.

Artist and writer, Beatrix Ost, looks terribly chic against the acid-green New Museum elevator.

Après party ... and it's on to dbgb for a spot of supper.

To purchase the book, Advanced Style,
and
to see the Advanced Style documentary trailer,
 and become a backer of Ari's and Lina's film, please visit Ari's blog
here.

À Bientôt & Let's Keep Advancing....