On Thursday September 10, 2015 SERENE Social opened the doors of the SERENExNYFW Wellness Lounge at the Ivy Brown Gallery for the fashion, retail, beauty and wellness world who spend a whole week (sometimes a month abroad) going to shows, press previews and fashion parties back to back without any rest and with a black coffee in hand. SERENE’s intention: a lounge to offer fashion-weekers a respite from their workload, including charging stations by Lululemon, juices from Suja, snacks from Enlightened, acupuncture by Roberta Mittman, non-toxic manicures by Sunday, men’s haircuts from Reuben Clark, and Reiki from Valerie Oula, Gwen Gaydos, and our very own Millana Snow.

It’s an amazing feeling to witness something you dreamed up, and curated, benefiting others. It’s just as amazing when everything works together to bring your intentions to fruition. From aromatic candles from Redflower, to art that compliments your décor so well people ask if it was created for the event.

The art was so fitting for the event, in fact, that we inquired about the artist and his pieces. We learned that they were painted by contemporary Los Angeles artist Todd Williamson. It’s no surprise though, that a woman so aesthetically inclined as Ms. Brown would select these pieces to adorn her walls. The idea of taking them down for the event never even occurred to us because they contained an inexplicable quality that makes some things better explained through showing rather than telling. That is to say Williamson’s art is universal. It works and fits and the reasons would sound different out of every person who tried to explain why. It’s beautiful because of its versatility. Also, as a writer the name of each painting caused me to draw closer  emotionally. Left on My Own reminds me of the road I’ve traveled and subsequently stirs up that faint nostalgic longing for days past that sometimes occurs as we grow up and away from where we began. Nothing At All convinces me that I’m not the only person who spends countless hours letting my mind wander into eternity.

We sought to create a SERENE space and Williamson’s art completed that vision effortlessly. The way in which  the paintings subtly made themselves a part of the décor is what made Left on My Own, Nothing At All, and  Skyline a necessity. It was a beautiful, sweet addition that we weren’t able to fully appreciate until we were looking through pictures and saw them sitting there, quietly, in the background, tying everything together.

About Fiona

Fiona is the New York Lead for SERENE, a writer, social butterfly, and naturally inquisitive about most things. If you meet her, mention God, Harry Potter, or Amy Winehouse and you’ll be lifelong friends.