“Fashioning the 70’s” ends April 18, at the Museum at FIT, NYC

Photo Courtesy of The Museum of FIT

Whilst 1040 Fifth Avenue might not have been anything like as large as the living quarters she had been afforded in the White House, visitors to it noted the same design touches, it’s old world feel, and it’s lack of pretension and it’s cosiness. During Sotheby’s famous sale of it’s contents in 1996, the world was granted a glimpse inside its doors. And, as Carolina Herrera once said of it in an interview in Vanity Fair, “”It was an apartment of someone who comes from an old family. Not a showplace full of marble like the homes of all these new people. It was her taste.”

That taste preferred the personal over the grand. A fan of print and colour, Jackie liked to head to a firm called Design Works for her prints in the early 1970′s. Red and gold drapes coloured the dining room, whilst chintzes covered the sofas, and bold, graphic prints were found on tablecloths.  A fan of chinoiserie, she decorated with laquer cabinets, blue and white chinoiserie lamps and even had a screen festooned in cherry blossom. There was an easel she liked to draw at in the living room, books scattered throughout the apartment, pictures of horses and dogs on the walls and the same kitchen existed virtually unchanged for the thirty odd years she lived there. 1040 5th Avenue was a home – not a style statement. Much like with her approach to fashion, it was the result of an uncompromising approach to her very own and very personal aesthetic – and no one else’s.  Click through our gallery above for pictures of it here.

Pictures:

Painting by Aaron Shikler of Jackie Kennedy with John and Caroline in the Living room at 1040 Fifth Avenue

The entrance to 1040 Fifth Avenue

Jackie, John and Caroline outside 1040 Fifth Avenue

Ron Gallela’s shot of Jackie outside her apartment

Interiors pictures from the Sotheby’s sale of the apartment contents, 1996

My favorite spot is Sant Ambroeus on the Upper East Side. I always head to the bar for a capuccino and one of their tiny little melt in your mouth Panini’s that are the size of a very small scone and absolutely delicious. It’s the perfect spot to hit when you need a quick snack. Saint Ambroes, 1000 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021 Tel. 212-570-2211

The Restaurant: Sushi of Gari

Whenever I’m in town, my husband and I go to Suchi of Gari. We only ever sit at the bar, where we order ‘omakase.’ Literally meaning ‘I’ll leave it to you’ in Japanese, it gives you the chef’s selection. We eat anything they suggest, and it’s always so, so delicate. The combination of flavors is extraordinary. I always feel like I’ve taken a trip away when I head here. Sushi of Gari, 402 East 78th Street New York

The Museums

I hit the Cooper Hewitt design Museum first on 5th Avenue. The last show I saw there was Sonia Dealuney, one of my favorite designers. She was just such a renaissance woman and her prints and vision are still relevant today. Even though the venue itself is closed at the moment for renovation, the Cooper Hewitt design Museum still has plenty of events going on around the city. More info regarding events and programs

Then I might make my way in the same area round the corner to the Guggenheim, where I’ll be headed to check out the James Turrell show soon before whizzing down the the Whitney on 75th and Madison. Often I’ll also swing by the Met, where I just love the classics. The Temple of Dendur never fails, and neither does the Egypt wing. I remember going to the Tutankhamun exhibition there when I was a little girl in 1976 and it’s just as inspiring now as it ever was back then. That’s the perfect afternoon, really.

The Shops

Kirna Zabete is a fabulous boutique in Soho that I love for fashion finds (http://www.kirnazabete.com), and the NEUE galerie is a museum of German and Austrian art and design, focused on the early 20th century period with a fantastic design shop where I just bought two beautiful sconces on my last visit designed by Michele Oka Doner as well as some great textiles by Madeleine Weinrib (http://www.neuegalerie.org.) And then, if I’m really up for a splurge, I’ll head to the 1stDibs showroom on Lexington.

The Bar

The Union Square Cafe was where my husband and I used to go when we were first married. We’d sit at the bar and have dinner – it’s just the same today. Union Square Cafe, 21 E 16th St  New York, NY 10003

The Secret Spot

For a bit of peace and quiet you can’t beat wandering around the Cloisters Museum and Gardens. With all it’s original tapestries, the monastery is just something you would never, ever imagine to find in New York. www.metmuseum.org/visit/visit-the-cloisters .

The Cloisters is having it’s first First Contemporary Work this Fall, a Sound Installation by Janet Cardiff