De Vera

The dazzling array of curious objects bewitches all who enter the carefully curated De Vera shops and Giovanna Battaglia appears to be among those spellbound by the splendor. Gio featured the photograph above on her blog with the caption, “Surrealism Eccentricity. Best outfit: The Invisible Dress :-) From One of My Favorite Stores in NY, De Vera.” Located at 1 Crosby Street and 26 East 81st Street in New York City, De Vera is the outlet for the obsessive collections of the curious Federico De Vera, owner, curator, and dealer. He explains his occupation: “We each have our own curiosities, our own knowledge, likes and dislikes. In my case, I make things. I show them. I present them. The way I do what I do is the way I communicate my life, my personality… It’s the rarity of an object for me, and the beauty of it… Each one of these objects in my store, they don’t belong to me permanently. They are just passing through.”

Opening the doors to De Vera’s cabinets of curiosities reveals a fanciful mélange of the old and the new; rare treasures ranging from the jewelry of De Vera’s own design to art, religious artifacts, historic antiques, and curious oddities. This awe-inspiring assortment is collected from all over the world: Venetian glass, Japanese lacquer, ivory carvings, 18th century religious figures, Victorian insect samplers, Renaissance and Georgian jewelry, Tuscan landscape stones, butterflies, and birds’ nests, to mention but a few of the precious objects. In his jewelry design, De Vera references the natural and the macabre, masterfully crafting his singular beauties using materials such as rose-cut diamonds, Roman intaglios, branches of Sardinian coral, Georgian brooches, and baroque pearls.

To learn more about this fascinating man and his collections, you might attempt to locate two rare books: De Vera Objects which collects Don Freeman’s photographs of De Vera’s home and stores accompanied by essays by Ronald S. Lauder, Michael Maharam, and Diane Dorrans Saeks; and De Vera Jewelry featuring single pieces and still lives composed by De Vera and photographed by Anita Calero with essays contributed by Lori Goldstein, Paul Smith, and Bruce Weber.

De Vera photographs courtesy of deveraobjects.com, giovannabattaglia.com, habituallychic.blogspot.com, and jessicalynnwilliams.com.

Essie Fishnet Stockings

Recently Garage Magazine interviewed Giovanna Battaglia and among their burning questions for her: "What colour are your toenails?" The classic shade of deep red nail polish she had chosen was Fishnet Stockings by Essie; this sexy, glamorous red is also a favorite of Dita Von Teese. If you are looking for the perfect sophisticated red for your next pedicure, follow in Gio's footsteps and try Essie Fishnet Stockings.

Giovanna Battaglia photographs courtesy of Billy Farrell Agency and Fashion Spot.

Nouveau Art iPhone Case

Giovanna Battaglia is the queen of accessorizing, even encasing her iPhone in an artful swirl of baroque glamour. Gio's shining gold iPhone case is the Nouveau Art model, a designer case manufactured by ION-factory. Practical as well as glamorous, the Nouveau Art case is constructed of polycarbonate to provide durability and coated in iridium to ensure that the phone's signal is uninterrupted. Leave it to Giovanna to find the perfect blend of art and technology to enhance her communications with a touch of elegance. Thanks to Fred at Easy Fashion Paris for the wonderful photograph of Gio holding her gilded iPhone.

Giovanna Battaglia photograph © 2012 Fred/Easy Fashion Paris. ION Nouveau Art iPhone Case images © 2012 ION-factory.

Berocca

When asked for her advice on surviving the hectic pace of the Fashion Week circuit, Giovanna Battaglia shared her secret: "I never forget to put Berocca in my bag." This magical little pill allegedly works to increase energy and to prevent or even cure hangovers! Berocca is a formulation of assorted vitamins B, vitamin C, calcium, zinc, and magnesium available in three flavors: original, orange, and tropical; the tablets are free of artificial stimulants, preservatives, caffeine, and sugar. For more specific information, read Wired Magazine's scientific breakdown of the supplement. Berocca is known for its clever advertising jingles, among them, "B-B-B-Berocca gives you back your B-B-B-Bounce," "Stay sharp," "You, but on a really good day," and "Release the inner geek." If you want to b-b-b-be a B-B-B-Battaglia, don't forget your B-B-B-Berocca!

Berocca promotional images courtesy of berocca.co.uk. Giovanna Battaglia photograph courtesy of Fashion Spot.

Givenchy Antigona

While we will be seeing a lot more of the clutch bag this season, when you’re a “new” New York City girl on-the-go, and your lifestyle is packed with traveling abroad, fashion shoots, luncheons with W, store openings, cocktail parties, and all things chic and stylish, a clutch bag can be limiting. With no time to stop home to change, what’s a girl like Giovanna Battaglia to do? Enter the Givenchy Antigona, a Gio favorite!

The pricey Antigona bag, while upgraded often, typically has a two-tone finish that can be best described as futuristic. This beautiful box-like carryall is one of the most underrated and elegant of the Givenchy totes. Whether you choose the medium or large version, the Antigona is roomy enough to fit a planner with travel documents for frequent trips to Milan, Paris, Venice, and Florence, a pair of heels or maybe booties or flats (if she dares!), Givenchy lipstick, moisturizer, Solange Azagury-Partridge jewelry, a change of clothes, and even a clutch bag!

The name Antigona actually comes from an Italian opera in three acts by the composer Tommaso Traetta, and is quite tumultuous as operas often are. It involves combat with ballet dance, cremation, forgiveness, and finally, a marriage ceremony! Hopefully life in New York City has an easier route to the altar.

The Givenchy Antigona, made in Italy, just like Gio! 

[Editor's note: Very special thanks to Lee Ferguson for the lovely illustration of Giovanna Battaglia with her Givenchy Antigona bag. To see more images of the bag, visit Giovanna's closet.]

Giovanna Battaglia illustration © 2011 Lee Ferguson. All Rights Reserved.