Seeing Red

The gloriously decadent room pictured above is the lobby of the historic Wilton Theatre, now home to the Wilton Theatre Auction Gallery in South Florida. Few colors give a room the immediate feeling of royalty and classic style the way that Venetian red does, in this case accented by the rich golden hues of the gilt frames, oriental rug, and lounge seat. Tonight I was in attendance at their art and antiques auction, a weekly event that draws quite a crowd, all eager to find a little piece of perfection to adorn their homes & yachts with. I love nothing more than a good auction, and auctioneer Doug Brackett did not disappoint.

Stopping for a few moments in the lobby before taking a seat in the elegant old theater, I’m pictured with auction paddle in hand & sporting a striped cotton jacket by Comme des Garçons, a solid white cotton dress shirt and navy blue cotton trousers by Burberry, Gucci reversible belt with square g buckle, and leather lace-up oxfords by Barrats 1890 from Los Pequeños Suizos in Madrid, Spain.

These oxfords are among my most favorite pairs of shoes – impeccably crafted and a joy to wear and walk in. The Barrats line was founded on the beautiful island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean by Miquel Llompart. Several decades later, his children Magda & Toni – fourth generation shoe makers, now run the company which has expanded to become one of the most respected brands of footwear internationally. The rich dark rosewood tones in the shoes correspond perfectly with the burgundy stripes in the jacket.