By:  Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore Haute Living magazine kicked off Art Basel with an event Vogue called one of the most anticipated of the week. The dinner party hosted by Daphne Guinness, Dom Pérignon and Roger Dubuis in celebration of Guinness’ collaboration with Swiss watchmaker Roger Dubuis called The Velvet Collection, which was Haute Living’s Basel Issue Cover story. Sixty guests gathered in the courtyard of the posh Villa Azur restaurant on December 5, at a table covered with violet roses to matched Guinness’ Haute Living cover shot taken by Nick Knight. Even Martha Stewart could resist snapping a few photos of the table. The elegant party was crawling with celebrities, VIPs and A listers as guests included Martha Stewart, Karolina Kurkova, Russell Simmons, Ray Allen, Lea Black, Marysol Patton, Stephen Dorff, IWC President Gianfranco D’Attis,street artist, Alec Monopoly, DJ Irie and, of course,Ms. Guinness herself. Dom Pérignon showed off a bottle with a glowing label by fellow creative soul, David Lynch. Earlier in the day, Diane von Furstenberg’s launched her limited edition Evian bottle at a lunch at Soho Beach House alongside guests Russell Simmons, Chelsea Handler and Andre Balazs.

Shoe addicts rejoice! Saks Fifth Avenue Dadeland has revamped and expanded its shoe department to mirror the famous shoe salon in New York. You know the one with its own zip code. The one you visit EVERY time you’re in the Big Apple. The one where we met Lindsay Price, Molly Sims, Lorraine Bracco, Nina Garcia, Stuart Weitzman, Betsey Johnson, Nigel Barker, Gloria Reuben, Bobby Flay, Stephanie March, Perrey Reeves, Pamela Roland and Wendy Williams at the unveiling of the Wizard of Oz Ruby Slipper collection during the New York Fashion Week kick-off last season. Yes, that one. Now there’s a mini one right in our own back yard. We hear Imelda Marcos is shopping for a place in the greater Kendall area.

Dadeland’s 10022-SHOE will have shoe mavens flocking to its stunning new shoe haven, complete with three chandeliers, floating glass bubbles and over 1,000 shoes. New brands include Brian Atwood, Camilla Skovgaard and Elizabeth and James, which will join current favorites, CHANEL, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Prada and Giuseppe Zanotti, who will host a shoe signing on Saturday, October 10. Shoes are displayed like works of art (as they should be) on various posh surfaces, such as white glass, antique mirror, limestone, white Carrera marble and grey stained wood, and on modern tables from Eero Saarinen and Warren Platner. You can try on the masterpieces on stylish vintage furniture pieces and custom-designed curved banquettes.

So if Miu Mius, Valentinos, Givenchys and of course, those red-soled wonders make you simply swoon, put Dadeland’s 10022-SHOE salon on your itinerary. Oh, and be sure to give our best to Imelda. Read the rest of this entry »