Lina Maple at SARCA: Armory Week Attire

Next week is the most important art week of the year in New York City. Next Wednesday, MoMA is celebrating the opening night of The Armory Show with its annual Armory Party which is featuring Chicago based artist Theaster Gates. If you can't make it to New York next week, Chicagoans will have a chance to hear Theaster speak tomorrow night at 6pm at the Art Institute of Chicago about the role of originals as he reviews his past work and current projects. But if you can make it to NYC, here are some perfect looks to mix in with the art crowd at the hippest party of Armory Arts Week...we are thinking minimalist and edgy!

Whitney Biennial Soundtrack

Tomorrow marks the inauguration of the 2012 Whitney Biennial which always proves to be a great place to discover new emerging artists. Here is some music to get you in the right mood and ready for it!

Lina Maple at SARCA

Lina Maple at SARCA: Ring in Spring in Neon

The Society of Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago is featuring Contemporary artist R.H. Quaytman next month. His abstract neon works reflect Cut 25's latest neon trend at SARCA.

Lina Maple at SARCA: Vintage Vogue

Many people know that DVF's newly released Spring 2012 Ad Campaign pays homage to Surrealist painter Salvador Dali, but what many people don't know is that Salvador Dali has been influencing fashion way before our time. The profound influence of art on fashion is by no means a Contemporary phenomenon. In Vogue's early years, it commissioned Salvador Dali to create four limited edition covers. So it looks like before fashion had the modeling industry, it had art!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lina Maple at SARCA

Lina Maple at SARCA: SARCA Style at Home

SARCA owner Alexis Cozzini is in the process of designing her very posh Lakeview apartment, so today we are going to take a look at where inspiration for SARCA style at home comes from, and there is no better model for this than world famous interior designer Muriel Brandolini. A devotee of eclecticism, Brandolini embraces many styles - 19th-century decorative arts, early 20th-century Viennese modernism and postwar Italian design. Move over Blair Waldorf, the Casa Cozzini is coming!

Superbowl YUMday!

Even though I haven't watched a single football game this season, I decided to join my neighbors in watching the Superbowl. For me, the Superbowl is all about the commercials, the half-time show and of course, Tom Brady.

Quick recap- Budweiser: Prohibition is Over drew my attention, Etrade: Speed Dating made me laugh, Clint Eastwood: Detroit and the Domestic Auto Industry was uplifting and Madonna was pretty impressive. Oh, and the Giants won.

Here are some of the healthy Superbowl apps that I won't be feeling guilty about tomorrow!

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Tomatoes

Whole Wheat Penne

Goat Cheese

Olive Oil

Diced Tomatoes

Salt & Pepper

Balsamic Roasted Chicken Salad

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Chicken

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Sicilian Seasonings

Fashion Stocked for some Culture Shock

In two weeks I will be in China, so of course I have to start plotting out my wardrobe. After perusing a few China style blogs, most notably Shanghai Style file and Stylites, I did my best to find trendy yet culturally appropriate looks. Knowing that there is going to be a lot of walking and hiking involved and that I want to pack only a carry on (losing my luggage would be a nightmare!), I decided against bringing any heels. China can be a bit kitschy, grunge and hipster, which allows me to get use of some pieces that I rarely wear here at home.

Day 1 - Shanghai

Day 2 - Shanghai

Day 3 - Moganshan

Day 4 - Hangzhou

Day 5 - The Great Wall (not easy to pull together cute but practical hiking clothes..)

Day 6 - Beijing

Day 7 - Beijing

Day 8 - Shanghai

Lina Maple at SARCA

Lina Maple at SARCA: A Seaside Story

One of SARCA's newest arrivals, a seashell strapped dress from ALEXIS, couldn't help but remind me of one of my favorite London based interior designers, Rose Uniacke, who uses seashells as a source of inspiration for her line of sconces. Like ALEXIS, Uniacke's design aesthetic is both organic meets clean and sophisticated meets glam. To make the perfect seaside story, pair these with some DIY inspired seashell centerpieces. Now who is ready for a vacation?!