Style Profile: Jane Kestner

Photos: Josh Navarro

Photos: Josh Navarro

I wanted to photograph Jane simply because her vibrant personality mirrors her quality style.

Josh Navarro: How would you describe your style?

Jane Kestner: I think it’s important to stay simple, classic and comfortable. What you wear says a lot about who you are and how you perceive yourself. I enjoy a good arm party with any outfit (always accessorize, it dresses up any outfit) and of course, most of the time, you’ll never see me without sunglasses, heels, and an iced coffee. I want to look back at pictures of myself some day and know that the pieces I’ve worn are timeless. Trust me, that hasn’t always been the case.

JN: What are your favorite shops in the city?

JK: J.Crew, J.Crew, and J.Crew…did I mention J.Crew? It’s easy. They carry the classics while also staying on top of what’s in style for the seasons. They have really changed their image over the last few years; plus, they have great sales. Unfortunately, most of my vintage gems are from Arizona.

JN: Please describe your outfit in this photo.

JK: I am wearing J.Crew pants, “The Shirt” by Rochelle Behrens, with J.Crew and David Yurman accessories.

 

Style Profile: Sully Engelhart

Style Profile: Sully Engelhart

Photos: Ben Droz

 

The September Phillips After 5 involved a color block contest which featured outfits that were influenced by Ellsworth Kelly paintings. Sully Engelhart was our top choice because of her splashy sweater. She visited the museum from Miami and I had the chance to interview about her outfit.

Josh Navarro: How would you describe your style?

Sully Engelhart: My daily basis style is always something very, very, comfortable. I bought the sweater I’m using in the picture at Target! I love the high-low style!

JN: What are your favorite shops in Miami?

SE: I love J.Crew, BCBG, Zara and for a high-end investment, The Webster Miami.

JN: Please describe your outfit in this photo.

SE: In this photo I’m wearing a Lacoste polo, the sweater is from Target (believe it or not), my pants are Calvin Klein, and my purse and shoes are from Prada.

The Mysterious Face of Fifty Portraits

Jules Pascin, Maria Lani, not dated. Charcoal on paper, 26 1/4 x 20 3/4 in. Gift of Jean Goriany, 1943. The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C.

Cruising through our collection on the Google Art Project, I came across this charcoal portrait of a woman who called herself Maria Lani by Jules Pascin. I was drawn in by her confrontational pose, the arched brows, her offered jaw and aligned bobbed hair. Consulting the library’s copy of the always entertaining Kiki’s Paris: Artists and Lovers 1900-1930, I found the kind of good story I was hoping for.

Lani was a mysterious woman of Polish descent (she also went by the name Maria Ilyin) who arrived in 1920s Montparnasse with her husband, a Russian man named Maximilien Abramovitch. Though without a cent, the pair had a story of wanting to produce a film, starring Lani, and featuring a collection of portraits that would menacingly come to life. Using her intellect and beauty, Lani was able to persuade a shocking number of artists into painting, drawing, and sculpting her likeness, including Jules Pascin. The apotheosis of her apparent scheme were gallery shows of over fifty of the works. A Berlin show at Alfred Flechtheim’s gallery included works by Braque, Chagall, De Chirico, Cocteau, Derain, Dufy, Léger, and Matisse, just to name a few! (The book notes that Picasso was one of the only artists to turn her down.)

After a 1930 show in Paris at Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, apparently Lani disappeared with all of the works and needless to say, the film was never made. There is still not a great deal known about Lani; a Google search reveals quite a few images, but not much biographical information, not even an obituary. (Though the book referenced an article in Paris Match in 1954 when she died.) You can find a YouTube video of John Galliano’s Spring/Summer Ready-to-Wear 2011 collection in which he cites Lani as his inspiration. At 1:11 in the video, you can hear him tell her story. Something about this woman made her a popular muse.