"This makes for a suspicious amount of wilderness nostalgia, given the
unlikelihood that a broad swath of the New York City population grew up
in the Elmer Fudd lifestyle," writes the NYTimes, commenting on antler chandeliers in NYC stores, mounted deer head trophies hanging on the wall of restaurants and "rough" style that (?) is a back to nature movement? This is yet another example of NYC myopia. "In popular culture, they are likely to mean something else entirely, but what?" asks the article on spring trends and fashions. Scratch head. NY is slow to "get it" I think. They only started wearing cowboy boots fairly recently here. These things are indiginous frontier styles, echoing true authentic American western styles. Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum, built his western-themed retreat, Wooloroc, outside of Barltesville, Oklahoma, where he would have buffalo hunts and chiefs to entertain Eastern financiers with buffalo heads mounted on the wall - and this, back in the early part of the last century. Wooloroc was built in "the lodge style" which is still popular today.
Methinks these authentic trends can't be swept away and regarded as just blips in the fashion scene.
About 20 or so years ago this trend in Western design began to gather force and steam in the red states. Rough, nature style design referencing the outdoors and the western past took a big step forward in the 1980s when the NYC interior designer, Naomi Leff, decorated a business retreat, Saddle Creek Lodge, for American Express in Beaver Creek in the Vail Valley in Colorado. Americana hand-made quilts were on the beds, floors were wide-planked and antler chandeliers decorated the foyer.
In a city where "nature" is one large park and itty bitty city dogs are the only critters around (ok. rats, too), and people become riveted watching a pair of red-tailed hawks trying to have a normal life nesting on concrete...
I get it. Right. I'm not from here. I've lived in a lot of places from the south to the west. Even though I wasn't born in Texas, (I was born in the state that wants to be known as The Big Friendly, Oklahoma, a state with more shorelines than the Atlanta and Pacific coast lines combined), I've spent the most years of my adult life in that great state where my Daddy was born. Thanks to Texas friends for sending me this.
What I Love About Texas:
Yee haw ! I love it ! Great slide show...great song ! Great memories ! Great state...the state of my birth, my TCU, my grandparents "rest" there, my son was born there, my daughter lives there! All my personal history is there...until two years ago. Texas in my heart. So much to love about it. When I talk, people ask me where I'm from....Texas ! New Mexico is gorgeous, I love the mountains, but I'm proud to say..."I'm from Texas".
Posted by: carron hardin | April 28, 2007 at 11:19 AM
The last time I remember wearing cowboy boots was in the mid 70s, when I moved out to the plains and really needed leather boots. I don't think I want to do that again.
Posted by: Miss Cellania | April 29, 2007 at 07:52 PM