February 2013

Modern Woman

By J. Everette Perry

St. John and Stuart Weitzman — creators of classic women’s fashion for more than 50 years — design on the edge of contemporary with the latest tight knits, knee-high leather boots, and dusky color pops.

Close Encounters

When Life magazine ran a photo in 1941 of rising star Rita Hayworth in a sheer negligée kneeling on a bed made up with satin sheets, it energized soldiers fighting World War II and transformed pajamas from utilitarian threads to symbols of sexuality.

Hot Property

This geometric jewel, built in 1959, flutters among other butterfly roofs in Palm Springs’ historic Racquet Club Road Estates.

Hot Plates

By J. Everette Perry

Michael Weems Collection in downtown Palm Springs combines two desert pastimes — fine dining and midcentury modern architecture — on fun ceramic plates.

Restoring the Past, Building a Future

By Lawrence Karol

The L.A. architecture firm Marmol Radziner is revitalizing iconic modern houses — and transforming a 1960s bank into a world-class architecture and design center

Bringing Presence to the Past

By Janice Kleinschmidt

Today’s architects take inspiration from early masters and run with it

Building on Last Century’s Innovation

By Michael Stern

In the mid-20th century, desert architects eagerly worked in a new, modern idiom — and Palm Springs provided fertile ground for their brilliant designs

Maximizing the Minimal

By Carolyn Patten

With steel construction, bright orange sails, and outdoor showers, this new house brings innovative design to a classic Palm Springs neighborhood

Selling Palm Springs

Multimillion-dollar deals, opulent lifestyles, and smooth-talking reality TV Realtor Steven Aaron made time to chat modernism and the secret art of selling real estate.

Old-Fashioned Elegance

As polished silver, tuxedoed bellmen, and pressed linen napery go the way of handwritten thank-you notes, Palm Springs historian Peter Moruzzi celebrates and inspires midcentury elegance in his latest book, Classic Dining: Discovering America’s Finest Mid-Century Restaurants.

3 Wild Nights of Modernism

As Palm Springs Modernism Week unfolds, thousands of enthusiasts sporting wide collars and a Rat Pack spirit will converge on the desert and celebrate at a long list of private events, including three with a purpose higher than a raised cocktail glass.

MoMA in Palm Springs? That’s Just Fabulous!

Now you can take home a little piece of New York’s Museum of Modern Art without ever leaving Palm Springs.

Modern (Family) Man

By Janice Kleinschmidt

Attendees at the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards on Feb. 9 should take particular note of host Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s bow tie. In November, the Modern Family star and his fiance, Justin Mikita, launched their collection of silk bow ties at TheTieBar.com, with all proceeds benefiting gay rights charities.

February 2013 Horoscope

By Sherryl Nova

This month’s Neptunian vibe — the result of a stellium in Pisces — offers inspiration, serenity, vision, acceptance, and the ability to let go.

Spring Into Color

By Lawrence Karol

Color in jewelry is a great way to make an outfit more exciting, all you need is one or two pieces to spruce up your whole wardrobe.

The Peek-a-Boo Painter

By Steven Biller

Curvaceous, idealized nude women rise from popular candy wrappers — Mounds, Junior Mints, Snickers — or from a velvety Crown Royal sack. The models pose, smile … you get the idea. Just don’t call the painter of these images a pin-up artist.

A Hip, Hot Block Party

By Mona de Crinis

Palm Springs’ Uptown Design District has supersized the city’s groovy vibe with a mile-long stretch of funky boutiques, urban-esque eateries, and home and fashion design emporiums.

The Return of Real Estate

By Vic Cooper and Mike McDonald

Housing statistics show the median price per square foot for all houses in the Coachella Valley increased $5 to $126 in November 2012. Gains maintained through the slow season indicate that prices will likely advance again early this year.

Discovering Design

Savor sleek modern design, thrill in a tropical paradise, delight in artistic whimsy, and escape into Italian Old World elegance. The elements of gracious desert living unfold Feb. 10, 2013 during the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert Home Tour.

Fashion on the Edge

Photography by Trevor Brady

In 2005, Los Angeles architecture firm Marmol Radziner revealed its prototype prefabricated, steel-frame Desert House on five acres in Desert Hot Springs. The perfect setting for our February Fashion Shoot.

Most Endangered Modernism

By Linda L. Meierhoffer

“Our architecture is becoming internationally renowned, and it has the potential to transform the city,” says Ron Marshall, president of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation. “[As] architectural tourism becomes bigger and bigger, it’s become the golden goose of Palm Springs economy.”