The Agenda: Oscar de la Renta, Amy Meier Design, and Flavor! Napa Valley
Author:Lindsey ShookExhibit
“Oscar de la Renta: The Retrospective”
Oscar de la Renta always meant one thing: sheer beauty. Any woman wearing one of his ensembles was instantly transformed into a princess. The designer himself was also a beautiful and beloved person, and this retrospective pays tribute to his life, his work, and his relationships with some of the most influential and celebrated names of our time—from cosmetics mogul Elizabeth Arden to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. With more than 130 pieces on view, you’ll be instantly transported into the world of one of fashion’s most iconic designers.
When: Sat. 3/12–Mon. 5/30
Where: de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco
Exhibit
Inspired by Joan Didion’s concise and stylized novel set in Los Angeles, Play It As It Lays, “Driving Sunset” ponders abstraction, the visual powers of high-fashion advertising, and today’s digital media landscape. The first solo show with the gallery for L.A.-based artist Mara de Luca, “Driving Sunset” is a series of mixed-media paintings dealing in aesthetic and conceptual contradictions, much like its city backdrop—a contrast of natural and urban landscapes forced to coexist in the world.
When: Sat. 3/12–Sat. 4/16
Where: Edward Cella Art & Architecture, 2754 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles
Amy Meier Design, photo by Brady Architectural Photography
Shopping
If you haven’t been already, it’s time you plan a visit to San Diego-based interior designer Amy Meier’s new storefront in Rancho Santa Fe. Studio in the back, boutique in the front, Meier’s shop features a curated collection of antiques, art, and custom-designed pieces—from 1920s marble busts to Biedermeier couches. Folks are coming from as far away as Tennessee—living proof that it’s a destination unto itself.
When: By appointment or happenstance
Where: 16921 B Via De Santa Fe, Rancho Santa Fe
Exhibit
Representing a shift in San Francisco artist Danielle Nelson Mourning’s psyche from 2005 to the present, this solo studio show plays out as a collection of 16 works spanning large-format photography, film, mixed media, and site-specific sculpture. Nelson Mourning’s most ambitious show to date, the art is arranged in three separate rooms meant to explore the layered nature and relationship within mind, body, and spirit. In one striking scenario, the artist explores her body as related to traditional roles of gender, class, and religion. Through the lens of her Irish lineage, an image evoking the crucifixion recalls the historical roles of women alongside today’s paradigm shift in gender disparities. It’s a timely, must-see show that will really get you thinking.
When: Through Tues. 3/15
Where: San Francisco Design Center Showplace, 2 Henry Adams St., Suite 323, San Francisco
Food + Wine
The fifth annual Flavor! Napa Valley takes over Wine Country this month with five days of local and celebrity chef demos, intimate winemaker workshops, and grand tastings. Taking place this year during Cabernet Season, you’ll have lots of big reds to sample, along with event highlights like a First Taste (March 16) of the Culinary Institute of America’s new downtown campus at Copia in Napa and an appellation exploration at Hall Wines (March 18). This year’s boozy brunch party caps off the festivities with Meet Your Maker: The Butcher, The Baker, and The Sparkling Wine Maker (March 20).
When: Wed. 3/16–Sun. 3/20
Where: Various venues, Napa Valley
