Only a few weeks away, preparations are in high gear for the 29th annual San Francisco Fall Antiques Show benefitting Enterprise for High School Students. The inspiration this year is “Chinoiserie: Rococo to Eco”, curated by Maria Santangalo of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and historian Holland Lynch, showcasing furnishings, porcelain and lacquer pieces, and fine arts presenting Western interpretations of Chinese artistic influences. The dramatic centerpiece will be a two-story, gilded pagoda conceived by renowned San Francisco architect Andrew Skurman.
On Wednesday October 27th the show opens with the always popular gala hosted by award-winning fashion designer Derek Lam. The San Francisco native who in addition to designing his own sleek line also serves as the Fashion Director for Tod’s is no stranger to antiques. Lam’s family still owns Relin, a store on Grant Street in San Francisco that carries Chinese antiques, and the masculine interior of the designer’s SoHo loft boasts a relaxed combination of modern elements, mid-century and antique pieces from Antony Todd and Wyeth Home. “I’d say we are bridging the gap between formal and informal. It’s always about luxury while at the same time feeling casual and relaxed”, Lam told Harper’s Bazaar.
Show Chair this year is Michele Goss, who is being joined by committee chairs Rosemary Baker, Peter Getty, Jenna and Bryan Hunt, Letitia and Michael Kim, Laura King Pfaff, Alison Gelb Pincus, Cathy and Mike Podell, Mary and Bill Poland, John Traina, and Suzanne Tucker. McCall is doing the catering again. Can’t wait for the caviar! Even John Saladino told me last year that it was one of his favorite things he looked forward to during opening night. It surely will be a great gala!
The oldest and most prestigious international antique fair on the West Coast returns with over 60 prominent dealers from throughout the United States and Europe. Among them are Kevin Conru from Brussels, Galerie Chanel, Les Enluminures and Galerie Steinitz from Paris, Il Segno del Tempo from Milan, Michael Goedhus, Robert Bowman Gallery and Robert Young Antiques from London, Danish Silver from Copenhagen, Kentshire and Hostler Burrows from New York, Finnegan Gallery from Chicago, and Midori Gallery Far Eastern Art from Miami. Local exhibitors include Daniel Stein Antiques, Epoca, Foster-Gwin, Hackett|Mill, Peter Pap Oriental Rugs, Therien & Co. from San Francisco, and The Ames Gallery and Thomas Livingston Antiques from Berkeley and Imari Gallery from Sausalito.
A series of interesting lectures is also scheduled around the Chinoiserie theme.
From the Courts of Europe to the China Cabinets of California: 400 Years of Chinoiserie and Japonisme in European Ceramics Christina Prescott Walker of Sotheby’s New York will talk about the profound effect Chinese and Japanese decorative arts had on European styles, starting as early as the 17th century.
China Quake: China and World Fashion Today John S. Major, former professor at Dartmorth College, scholar and author, will discuss how Chinese textiles and styles have inspired Western fashion designers throughout the 20th century and how contemporary Chinese-American designers such as Derek Lam, Anna Sui, Vera Wang, and Jason Wu have enlivened the fashion scene.
Chinoiserie at Court: The Influence of China in the Arts of 18th-Centry Europe Her Royal Highness Princess Michael ofKent, author, lecturer and Interior designer, will speak of the obsession European courts have had with China since the mid 17th century. She will highlight key personalities such as Catherine the Great and Marie Antoinette.
Mandarin only is the Man of Taste: Chinoiserie in Britain, 1650-1820 David Beevers, Keeper of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton will bring to life the dazzling interiors of the Royal Pavilion and will trace the enthusiasm for this hybrid aesthetic as expressed in English furnishings and interiors.
Billy Baldwin, America’s King Cotton Decorator Adam Lewis, interior designer and author, will share the discoveries in his book Billy Baldwin: The Great American Decorator. He will recount the designer’s privileged upbringing and his iconic interiors he created for a star-studded clientele, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Babe Paley.
Bring the Past to the Present and Beyond Bunny Williams, interior, furniture and accessories designer and author will introduce her latest book Scrapbook for Living about how to blend antiques with contemporary design. (For a more intimate view of Bunny’s design philosophy please read my interview “Tea With Claudia: Bunny Williams” on Reside)
For dates and times please visit the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show.
2010 Preview Party Benefit Gala: Wednesday, October 27th, 2010, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
2010 Show: October 28th to October 31st, 2010, Thursday through Saturday from 10:30am to 7:00pm, and Sunday noon to 5:00pm
Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center
For tickets please visit the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show.
What an exciting show, what interesting lectures. Please join us and help raise money for Enterprise for High School Students.
Cheers,
