Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1203912
20 OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. F ourth-generation Austra- lian jewelry designer Margot McKinney doesn't do collections. Rather, she creates jewels when she finds the right gemstones that speak to her. Her works combine opals, South Sea pearls from palest dove to dolphin gray, jawbreaker-sized gemstones in purple, blue, magenta and yellow, and diamonds. We're wild about a necklace comprised of three ropes of rare Tahitian keshi pearls, each the size of a hummingbird egg, shimmering between silvery gray and steely slate, embellished with outsized diamond- pavéd pearls and a massive amethyst pendant haloed with tanzanite, peridot, and tourmaline. "We jokingly call it 'Margot Pavé' because pavé is usually really, really tiny," McKinney told W hen I was asked to write about Tom Ford's Beard Oil, a few things popped into my mind. First thought: Beard oil exists? Second thought: Why would a man actually want to use it. I can now attest that not only does beard oil exist, but it's a pleasure to use. Described as "a decadent Oriental leather with an intoxicating grip" that "captures rarefied air," this oil goes on smoothly, smells great, and leaves your beard with a nice shine. After a few days of regular use, it actually softens the beard and left my face softer as well. This finishing touch definitely has a place in every man's toolbox. Tom Ford Fabulous Beard Oil, $70, at the Tom Ford boutique, Neiman Marcus. Steven Hempel MAD ABOUT MARGOT ART NOTES T he Crow Calls: Women artists, diversity, and the immigrant experience are showcased in a landmark three-year series of solo exhibitions that signal the Crow Museum of Asian Art — now affiliated with The University of Texas at Dallas — as a player in contemporary Texas art. The inaugural show presents internationally exhibited Beili Liu, an Austin artist and UT professor (through August 16). Known for her immersive installation work — including a ghostly tree once suspended over Lady Bird Lake in Austin — the Chinese-American immigrant often adds performance to her site-specific work. This will be the case at the Crow during the exhibition, "One and Another." Employing material freighted with meaning, Liu's two room-sized environments utilize children's clothing encased in cement and hand-coiled discs of red thread. The entire exhibition creates a subtle but visceral response to the humanitarian crisis at the U.S. border and the separation of migrant children from their parents. On the Move: New Design District digs are in the works for Liliana Bloch Gallery. Stepping up to own her own building at 4741 Memphis Street will amplify the gallery's visibility, with its strong activist/ conceptual bent. More on Bloch's new 1,700-square-foot space, in our March issue. Catherine D. Anspon PaperCity at a recent visit t o H o u s t o n 's Neiman Marcus. "And everybody knows that I love really, really big gems." Of keshi pearls, she says, "Sometimes when the pearl farmer is opening the oyster to find a pearl he knows is there, there will be one of these naturally occurring pearls as well. They're really miracles of nature, and to have enough pearls to make into a suite of three strands is quite special."At Neiman Marcus, margotmckinney.com. Anne Lee Phillips HELLO, BADASS PHILIP ROGERS Beili Liu in studio. The artist solos this month at the Crow Museum of Asian Art. Margot McKinney necklace of Tahitian keshi pearls and amethyst pendant with tanzanite, peridot, and tourmaline WE'LL THANK YOU AT THE END, WITH A CHANCE TO WIN A $500 GIFT CARD FOR NEIMAN MARCUS. PAPERCITY SURVEY WE SHOULD GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER. SWIPE RIGHT FOR THE GO TO PLUNKETTRESEARCH.COM/PCSURVEY/