The Best Things We Saw is a monthly roundup of places, spaces, and things that stopped GRAY staffers in their tracks. Herewith, our picks for the best of the best in April.
Created in Portland by glassblower Robbie Frankel, these Epiphany cups have a muted, marbled color scheme that evokes psychedelic stained glass. (Some even have a swath of sparkles, underscoring the sense of magic carried by each piece.) I spotted them on a table at the equally drool-worthy Portland rug emporium Kat + Mouche and was immediately taken by the stout vessels’ thick, imperfect forms. No two are exactly alike, and at $65 a pop, they make for a viable present for a fellow lover of flamingo-esque colors—or for myself.
Earlier this month at Design Week Portland, I attended the launch party and runway show featuring One Imaginary Girl’s Spring 2019 Collection and scarf launch at The Hoxton Hotel. The designer, Sarah Donofrio, was the 2018 GRAY Award winner in the fashion category, and her new collection captures the simplicity of throw-on-and-go dressing while taking things up a notch with sophisticated patterns. The neck scarves elevate a simple outfit—I’ve been wearing mine with jeans, a navy sweater, and red lipstick for a look that’s très chic—and I want every single dress and two-piece set that came down that runway. In other words, I think I’ve found my official summer wardrobe.
I cannot resist a beautiful pair of shoes. (Insert Carrie Bradshaw/Imelda Marcos jokes here.) So when I spied these stunners from Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, I was instantly smitten. The lavender calf-hair trim, the thick pale leather strap, the chunky heel—they’re like art pieces for your feet. Reader, I bought them. Warmer weather can’t come soon enough.
Chilean-born mixed-media artist Cecilia Vicuña explores discarded and displaced materials, people, and environments as a result of global climate change. The show features work from her career spanning back to the 1960s and an overlap of themes from environmental art to feminist art to poetry. This is Vicuña’s first US exhibition and will be on display at the Henry Art Gallery through September 15.