Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Unconventional Sample Sale


I spent this Sunday catching up with a good friend in a rather unconventional way, by all accounts. Elisa was in town throwing a sample sale, in the Chelsea Hotel of all places.

Besides serving a deliciously potent tequila-spiked Sangria, it was great just to catch up with her since she now lives out west in New Mexico. I got a chance as well to get to know her family of friends, a coterie of smart, caring women with whom I immediately connected. One person I finally met and spoke with at length was Cindy, who walked in Elisa's last show here in New York. Cindy played a woman who, out of embarrassment, lifts her skirt to cover her face and in the process reveals her "fruit".

Elisa's good friend Gerald hosted the event. Gerald is a painter and artist in his own right, but has been collaborating with Elisa for years on her shows in hair and makeup. His work is visually stunning, and his studio had so much depth of feeling in the way that he's worked the interior, I could sense the history coursing through the room. Not just personal history, because we're talking about a place that has housed the likes of anis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, William Burroughs, Patti Smith, Dylan Thomas, and oh yes, who could forget both Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen?

2 comments:

Tbone said...

I love Elisa, as you well know. There is no one quite like her. Such a good, gentle spirit. How nice for you to get caught up with your lifefriend~

Victorya Hong said...

And potential co-conspirator in crime, or design. We're now threatening each other on collaborating!