Author: Louis Dell'Olio

………………My Christmas tree is finished!….It took me three days to decorate……First, I do the top of the tree completely…on a ladder….so I do it slowly……….The second day I finish the rest of the tree, and on the third day I add the icicles, and NEW this year…the LED CANDLES….that slightly flicker…..Also new this year is the NUTCRACKER TREE SKIRT…..Nutcrackers have become a small theme in the Gathering room….there are even nutcracker ornaments on the tree and one at each place setting on the table…..Over the years Jac and I collected many many ornaments….then one year, when the tree was in the living room, it fell over and many ornaments broke!…..That was heart breaking for the both of us. Some of my dear Linea Ladies sent Jac and I a surprise package of ornaments to rebuild our collection. They all hang proudly on the tree….Wherever we went, no matter the time of year, we searched for special ornaments until we FILLED the tree….and then bought more!…..Every ornament has a story, and I can still remember most of them…..It truly is an international tree as ornaments coming from England, France, Germany Austria, Italy, China, Japan, Amsterdam, Vienna, Hungary…the even Russia……and I’m sure I’m leaving a few out! I found the fabulous wool tartan throw that had been stored away  on the third floor for years and years…While cleaning out the third floor rooms. I spotted this tartan throw, and a red and black wool Buffalo check throw that reverses to a camel cashmere throw I got from ETRO ages ago!…..I thought they would be perfect in the Gathering Room incase someone got chilly and wanted to wrap up. The tartan one almost matches my table cloth……..Sometimes it pays to go through draws you haven’t opened in years!

………………..The ornaments on the tree all tell a story…..and thank goodness many I can still remember!!!…..The clear glass star at the upper right with the fine line work that looks like frosting, came from Sweden. I bought it on my very first trip to Europe….It is very fragile and unfortunate some broke when my tree fell, but I still have three…..The raspberry tart is my favorite berry so I couldn’t resist getting this ornament….The BIG BEN and the red TELEPHONE BOOTH Jac and I found in of course LONDON!…..The St. Francis of Assisi, photo top left came from Italy……The sailing ship we bought in Mass. when we took a Christmas road trip along the water….stopping from town to town……..The pale green ornament in the bottom center…if you look closely you will notice the top is broken and the bottom right is missing a piece of the star…..This was one of the casualties of my fallen tree….We were able to salvage many even if they had broken parts…….They were still members of the family, and still get a place on the tree.

…………………The tree has a variety of all types of ornaments and different subjects….EGG shaped ornaments can be found all over the tree……..Most are very elaborate. There are a few from Russia, but most of them are from Eastern EUROPE….The very ornate ones with the stones, and the ones with LILY OF THE VALLEY, one of Jac’s favorite flowers, have all become my favorites too. I found the ELEPHANT, photo at center far left….and had to have him.

…………………Last night I had dinner with Robyn Cosio, one of my oldest and DEAREST friends……We have been friends since the mid 70’s….Robyn used to do the makeup on the models for my Anne Klein shows. She moved back to California, her home state, but Robyn to me is a New Yorker from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. She married a brilliant Hollywood makeup artist named Armando Cosio. They both came to NY to do my shows, and the models grew to trust them and love them! They did beautiful work!….The four of us….Robyn, Armando , Jac and I were besties……Tragically, Armando passed many years ago at a young age……Robyn has always stayed in the business doing makeup for private clients, but she moved on to become an “EYEBROW EXPERT”, for years now she has worked in different salons and has a long client list of women who’s eyebrows Robyn does her magic to…..As Robyn says…”the eyebrow is very important….it frames the face”…..She even wrote a book on the eyebrow through the ages….It’s simply called….”THE BROW”…….Robyn doesn’t only do her magic in LA….she also works out of a salon in NYC, which is located in the Sherry Netherland Hotel…..We always try to have dinner when she’s in town for one of her short visits…so last night we met at the Harry Cipriani Restaurant on 5th Ave between 59Th street and 60th street. It is also connected to the Sherry Netherland Hotel…….Years and years ago I used to frequent “Harry’s” quite often. They are most famous for their restaurant in Venice, Italy. I believe it opened in the 30’s and had a list of famous clients that any restaurant would lust for…..from Hemingway to Churchill, and every movie star that ever went to Venice!…..anyone who was anyone went to Harry’s Bar for a Bellini, where the drink was created!…..I have to say I was very impressed! I haven’t been there in years, but it looked like, with the size of the crowd, and clients of ALL ages….from the established to the younger edgier generation….the place hasn’t skipped a beat! I have never scene so many waiters, in their spotless white DB Jackets, in one restaurant….There had to be at least 20 of them plus the major duomo! Tall, dark and handsome….controlling the room!….I started with a beet, string bean and goat cheese salad, and Robyn had the puree leek and potato soup…Then I had the ravioli with spinach and ricotta with butter and sage, and Robyn had penne Bolognese….It was all delicious…..Afterwards Robyn had to use the ladies room, which was off the lobby of the hotel, so I sat in a chair and watched the parade of people!….I had totally forgotten that “DOUBLES” a private club was also in the Sherry Netherlands Hotel….The “private” door to the club is right next to the door of Harry Cipriani, so I sat watching people going in and out. I was really surprised at how many YOUNG couples were going down stairs to the club and leaving through the same door…..It’s a very expensive exclusive club to join!…..Years ago, Jac and myself, Andrea Pfister and his partner Jean Pierre Dupre, and friends of Andrea’s, who were members of the club, we all went there for NEW YEARS EVE…..that must have been 20 years ago!……Just sitting there in the lobby of the Sherry Netherlands Hotel brought back so many wonderful memories of that New Years Eve………..Then Robyn and I bundled up and headed down to see the tree on 50th street….at Rockefeller Center!!!

…………..On our way down to see the Tree at Rockefeller Center…..we stopped to see the windows at Bergdorf Goodman….Both Robyn and I agreed…we thought they were pretty fabulous. The evening clothes chosen, and the setting that were created were all beautiful with an edge!…………..Then to the tree!!