Island Weiss Gallery and image guru Montgomery Frazier have joined creative forces with Alain Ducasse at the Essex House for a fourth season.

Printemps; Variations, Multiples showcases Nicole Miller's Byzantine inspired scarves from the Fall 2005 ready-to-wear collection and the visionary brushed stainless steel sculptures of Strong-Cuevas. Nicole Miller’s display of exotic silk fabrics evokes an oasis isolated in a parched desert in ancient Byzantium. Strong-Cuevas’ sculptures suggest the austere and meditative beauty of the grand temples of ancient civilizations while crafted in a formal modernist aesthetic. The fusion of style, texture and color re-emphasizes our theme of variations and multiples with a nod to civilizations past, present and future.

Guests dined on amuse bouche, duck foie gras terrine, halibut, artichoke cooked-and-raw black truffles/tomato/lemon-condiment, dry aged prime beef, potatoes “boulangère”/ lily vegetables Taggiasco olive jus, bitter/sweet coffee mousse milk chocolate layers, caramel emulsion and friandises & gourmandises; a special menu, prepared and meticulously presented by Executive Chef, Tony Esnault, which mirrored the night’s theme in the magical main dining room of Alain Ducasse at the Essex House.

Island Weiss Gallery and image guru Montgomery Frazier have joined creative forces with Alain Ducasse at the Essex House for a third season.

This new installation of art work and fashion, entitled “Hiver en Blanc”, celebrates chef Tony Esnault’s winter menu with yet another grand installation filling the south windows of Mr. Ducasse’s 58th street restaurant. The glistening winter wonderland theme features fashion by Anait Bian and a three-dimensional tapestry by Susan Klebanoff. The central window features Portrait of a Traveler, Klebanoff’s impressive large-scale multi-layered tapestry, woven with a palette of wintry whites and splashes of dazzling color. Klebanoff’s geometrical and abstract designs convey a jazzy and joyous mood, the perfect backdrop for the restaurant’s holiday parties and New Year’s festivities. Flanking the tapestry in the side displays are Bian’s fashions, sophisticated designs in angelic white fabrics and furs.


Please visit Alain Ducasse at the Essex House before March 18th to savor this extravagant fusion of artistic and culinary arts.

View photos from the opening reception.

Island Weiss Gallery and image guru Mr. Montgomery Frazier have joined creative forces with Alain Ducasse at the Essex House for a second season. This fall a new installation of art work and fashion will be on display in the Alain Ducasse’s Essex House dining room, celebrating New York’s favorite season.

“Le Beau Monde d’Automne” presents tapestries by artist Billy Ward, fashion by Anait Bian and art deco bronze sculpture, in a grand installation in the south windows of Mr. Ducasse’s 58th street restaurant. Designs from Ms. Bian’s fall collection will be on display, exemplifying the sophistication and vintage sensibility that is typical of her fashion. In keeping with the early 20th century inspiration, fashion will be exhibited opposite art deco sculptures of the female form. The Crop Rider by Bruno Zack is a well-known art deco sculpture depicting a woman in playful attire. The Calypso Dancer, c. 1920’s, epitomized the style of the time, clad in classically inspired dress and reduced to a geometric stylization. Mr. Ward’s tapestries provide a dramatic landscape backdrop for the figures and fashion, presenting awe-inspiring views of Mt. Fuji inspired by turn-of-the-century Japanese arts.

This fusion on fashion and art celebrates the rich flavors of chef Tony Esnault’s new fall menu. Please visit Alain Ducasse at the Essex House before December 20 to savor the experience.

View photos from the opening reception.

Alain Ducasse at the Essex House, Montgomery Frazier and Island Weiss recently hosted a champagne reception to celebrate the unveiling of the newly designed art installation in the Essex House dining room, entitled Célèbre l’Été. Image Guru Montgomery Frazier , in collaboration with Island Weiss Gallery, conceptualized this dynamic installation, featuring Island Weiss Gallery artists Strong-Cuevas and Chunhong Chang. The reception brought together a sheek and intimate assemblage of the gallery’s and artist’s friends, and Strong-Cuevas was on hand to discuss the concepts behind her sculpture. Guests were treated to chef Tony Esnault’s exquisite hors d’oeuvres and petit fours, paired with sommelier Andre Compleyre’s superb selection of champagne and wines.

Strong-Cuevas’s strong visionary sculptures and Chunhong Chang's floral and still life paintings invigorate the south vitrines of Mr. Ducasse’s 58th Street restaurant, offering diners a gallery of fine artworks that will enrich their overall sensory experience of dining at Alain Ducasse. The forms, fruits and floras of the installation are bright, bold and sumptuous, complementing the cuisine of the summer menu.

To experience this fusion of savory delights, visit Alain Ducasse at the Essex House before September 20, when the installation will close with summer’s end.