Pulse: Style: New and Now: Cult Classic
Cult Classic
Bruce Levy was smitten. After visiting a Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Manhattan showroom—home to a chic line of case goods, upholstery and lighting — Levy knew what he had to do: bring his crush to our metropolis, one chock-full of arts and culture but slight on furniture emporiums. And so Levy, who previously worked at a private furniture manufacturer, schemed, and called, and lunched, and even, as part of his two-year campaign to convince the North Carolina-based company to come here, took courses at Wharton so he could write a knock-your-socks-off business plan. “Somebody has to furnish all the new homes going up in the city right now,” he says, describing his pitch. “We deserve great furnishings and a great place to buy them without having to go to New York or sit on the Expressway to get to Crate & Barrel.” Park the car. This month, Levy unveils the 8,400-square-foot showroom at 13th and Chestnut streets. Having pre-shopped the store’s comfy, stylish, and seemingly endless upholstery—and set our sights on a ’40s-style mirrored chest ($1,295) and an elaborate four-poster Marrakesh bed ($6,495) — we’re feeling the love, too
Trendspotting: Tricky Tulip
Wouldn’t you love to be at the party where all the fashion-industry insiders get together and vote on what the Inane Excess of the Season is going to be? Like last winter, when they decided Hundreds of Giant Sequins on Everything would be the Rule for Summer ’05, or the Pepto-hued Velour Vortex of ’02? This season’s Cowboy Boots is bolts and bolts, and bolts, of fabric — gabardine, silk, taffeta, velvet. The average skirt at Anthropologie right now is made with enough material to clothe a Sri Lankan village — but you know, at least they’re pretty. Then there’s the Tulip, a skirt that appears to have been stuffed with last year’s leftover shearling and then drawn together at the bottom. You heard correctly: It poofs, then tapers. It’s the sort of skirt in which a lady could smuggle a few kilos of cocaine, which is fitting, since that’s about the only way yours truly would be able to afford one of the dollops on the market right now.
At Your Service: Our concierge hooks you up
Q: Do I have a prayer at getting a couple of last-minute Eagles tickets? — David Faga, Broomall
A: Maybe, though you’re talking about the toughest-to-score ticket in town. We’re going to assume that 1) you missed the moment the team makes tickets available to the public through Ticketmaster (in early June); and 2) you’ve already e-mailed everyone you know and asked if they know anyone who might have a spare. Now it’s time to consider contacting a local ticket agency. I sometimes use John’s Ticket Service (215-463-7572), and John DelRossi never insults me with outlandishly high price quotes, but in general this route will cost you. Another lead: On Thursdays prior to each home game, the Eagles release back into the system their visiting club returns—a handful of tickets the other team can’t use. You can’t get these babies online, so instead try calling Ticketmaster directly (215-336-2000) the Thursday morning prior to game day. — Ken Alan, corporate concierge for BPG Properties
