I am between desks flying home for Christmas. Feeling like this so high in the sky – on this bridge between the past and future – I cannot help but be grateful for the family and friends I share this magical day with. Christmas is about community, people coming together and helping each other. A special celebration of giving and sharing. A moment when we think and dream all the joy filled wishes for their health, prosperity and safety. Christmas is really a time of wonder. Merry Christmas to you all.

And the best present for Betty on Christmas day – relaxing.

A few years ago Sarah Moon made this picture of twins wearing identical white furs. Both dear friends I think of this holiday. The winter and cold is here.

The coziness and warmth you feel between them is also here. A moment of reflection on how we mirror ourselves in others at this time of year seeing those things

we share together in this dark season.

Many people know there is a forever love and friendship story between Naomi

and her “papa” Azzedine. A special relationship by election between them that

has been family for the other for almost thirty years.

 Our family is as big as we choose to make it at this time of year.

In 1958 Warhol made this wonderfully childish Christmas tree pattern. As a paint it yourself coloring pattern, he shares with us his own special tree all colored in his Christmas surprise. Each ornament different as he wanted. Telling us to go and color in our own tree now. Here is the pattern. Such an amazing artist. It makes me think he believed in Christmas!

The Goudemalion:  this is the first retrospective of Jean-Paul Goude’s work ever shown in Paris and is now at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs until Spring 2012. Featuring drawings, films and photographs, not to mention the gigantic waltzing ladies that amazed Paris at the Bicentenary, the installations show the most celebrated moments of his life and work, including many photos of Grace Jones, his muse and friend for over his long career.  The name Goude- Malion is after Pygmalion,

the mythic sculptor who fell in love with his own statues.

We are listening at Christmas to the amazing voice of Jessye Norman singing Ave Maria and it reminds me of a special moment in 1989.  Three artists helping each other.  This behind the scenes photo was taken as Jessye Norman was getting ready to sing the Marseillaise at the French Bicentenary.  Here she is being final fitted by Azzedine Alaia who designed her dress and helped by Jean-Paul Goude who designed the entire celebration.

I have spent almost the whole week at 10 Corso Como sharing in all the Christmas excitement wrapping all the boxes, tying all the bows, packing all the presents.
The store and bookshop, garden and restaurant humming with activity.

An invitation to spoil ourselves and our loved ones…

As a Christmas tradition I visit the churches where my father would take me to show the link between our rich history and art. This is the church of Santa Maria at

San Satiro, who was San Ambrogio’s brother. Commissioned by the Duke of Milano, it was designed by Bramante who went on to design St. Peter’s in Rome in the renaissance style. But what was interesting to me was the Sacellum, the interior of the church which is much older. Before being consecrated to Santa Maria it had been consecrated to the ancient gods of the Romans for sacrificial purposes.

The most beautiful and unexpected present I have received this year is this BERKEL prosciutto slicer! The company stopped in making them in 1960 and they are quite rare. It was truly a surprise as I rarely eat at home and do not know how to cook but as an object of beauty and utility it is its own work of art. It uses no electricity but is cranked by hand so it is nice and quiet and delicate slices result. So from today I have placed it in the middle of the 10 Corso Como Café to enjoy a slice of

San Daniele prosciutto on a thin carasau bread  from Sardinia (carta da musica) and see this legendary beauty in action.

Santa Claus starts arriving here 13 days before Christmas Eve. This week I received my favorite Christmas card. Each year Manolo Blahnik sends a card that is a gift of love and long friendship that I have saved since the first one. It makes me think of Warhol and that he might have loved Santa Claus too. Here is Warhol’s shoe saying Merry Christmas.

Since September when it opened I wanted to see the exhibition of Fra Angelico and

“the painters of light”. These Masters of the Florentine Quattrocento are

at the Musée Jacquemart-André on Blvd Haussmann. The museum and its collections are an amazing small jewel of the 19th century in Paris. Fra Angelico was called also Beato, the blessed one. He painted angels and Madonnas of rare beauty and serenity. Lovely to see at this season.

 One quick trip to Paris to see two very different exhibitions I knew would be closing down soon. The German artist Georg Baselitz, known for his neo expressionist style paintings, is exhibiting sculptural works I had not seen before,

at the Musee D’Art Moderne De la Ville de Paris. Baselitz is not only an artist but also a major collector and these monumental sculptures show the influence and inspiration of the tribal and popular art he collects. Working with an axe and chain saw, these 40 primal painted wooden sculptures are not to be missed.

Sarah Moon gave me this great photo of an elephant as a gift  for our 20th anniversary. It is symbol of wisdom and luck. I have him on my desk today while I make future for 10 CC. It seems I am now at my desk working both night and day – even on my most peaceful Sunday. And, since Christmas is always followed by a new year, I am beginning to plan for our next year’s exhibitions, including the 50th anniversary of Courrèges. With more openings, and more travels, it should be a wonderful year. And here at 10CC I have decided to make a new little project in our café this year. It will be called CU@10CC. More to come on that later…

This week I went to Kris’ studio to see his new work. And among the paintings and sculptures, he showed me the first prototype of a fountain he is making for the new Seoul garden opening next March. It is important to us and for 10 Corso Como to have green life and water around.

Tickets were all sold out at Blue Note for the concert of Sarah Jane Morris. Her music has many personal spiritual references and has always been for me an emotional experience to listen to her and see her perform. At the piano the great Danilo Rea. Here is a photo of her last night with her flamed red hair and black dress.

Good memories of a concert at 10 Corso Como

in September to celebrate our twenty years’ anniversary.

Our Christmas Reindeers made the long trip from the North Pole to Italy this year! They will be prancing and dashing all over 10 Corso Como on our Christmas cards and candles and boxes and ribbons and bows. In Mantua where I was born,

Santa Claus comes on Christmas day to bring gifts to the homes of good children, with magical elves and the nine flying reindeers.

Our reindeer in 18 different antlers versions is one only Kris could draw…

Since 1824 Pasticceria Marchesi has been producing the best panettone in town.

The traditional dome shaped cake associated with our city is made with natural yeast and has been attracting generations of Milanesi. It is a Christmas tradition to reserve the panettone weeks in advance and go to pick it up stopping at the nearby

Santa Maria delle Grazie, the church that is the site of Leonardo da Vinci’s fresco,

“The Last Supper”.

This Winter Sunday I made a stop at Sant’Eustorgio, my favorite church in Milano.

This is one of the churches my father would take my sister and me to visit when we were growing up and explain the architecture and the art there.

Sant’Eustorgio dates to the third/fourth century and it was the site of the tomb of the Three Magi whose remains were said to have been removed

from Costantinopoli in 344 and brought here.

The bell tower is still today surmounted by a star to guide the Wise Men.

Next year I am starting with an exhibition in the Galleria Sozzani that I have always wanted to do. I am presenting the work of Mrs. Newton who worked under the name of Alice Springs. One of my first shows at Galleria Sozzani was of Helmut Newton’s work. Since then I have presented three more exhibitions, always with the presence of

Helmut and June, his wife. Over the years I came to know and appreciate her work and to love her as a friend. Here she is performing Salomè in 1951.