Hot Ticket
Promoter Joe Meli had a plan: stage a series of intime concerts with big-time acts and fantastic food. By spring he had booked Prince at the Ross School in East Hampton, New York, then Dave Matthews, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Tom Petty. The food was catered by the likes of Geoffrey Zakarian. His brilliant idea made the $3,000-a-concert price seem (almost) justified.
Party Favor
At the opening of Tiffany & Co.’s revamped first floor in its New York flagship last September, the doormen wore blue scarves that got almost as much attention as the 90-carat aquamarine. Visitors begged the company to make them available. It listened: The cashmere shawls are now for sale. $450; 800-843-3269
It Bag
Muriel Brandolini is known for bold interiors inspired by her heritage—she’s part Vietnamese, part French, part Venezuelan—as well as for her printed djellabas that women buy by the dozen. Brandolini’s new beaded pouches, handcrafted in Vietnam, give them something new to add to their collection. $1,395; 212-826-8900; murielbrandolini.com
Local Color
Matthew Campbell Laurenza grew up in Kentucky, Texas, and New Mexico. He studied interior design and architecture in Georgia, then sculpture in Louisville. But this American-grown artist found his true calling in the far reaches of Thailand, where he apprenticed with a gem cutter and learned the craft of enameling from a local woman. Now he’s brought back home a line of brightly painted rings and bangles, like this turquoise-enamel and sapphire bubble cuff. 800-558-1855; mcldesign.net
