Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/946716
letter editor STEVEN VISNEAU, SISTERBROTHER MGMT. 24 T wo weeks ago, I spent a Saturday doing exactly what I do once every winter: Meandering through Ruibal's at the Dallas Farmers Market, picking out bulbs to bury in the planters on my tiny terrace, with grand hopes that come spring they will yield tulips and daffodils (fingers crossed). Tending my patio gar- den is only one of the countless things I obsess over. Other fixations include watering my orchids at precisely the same time on Sunday evenings; taking copious amounts of detailed notes while reading magazines, jotting down words and turns of phrases I love, plus the names of unfamiliar people, places, and things for easy Google research later; avoiding notebooks with lined paper and using only Pilot G-2 extra-fine black pens; reading novels with said pen in hand to underline poignant sentences; making sure the piles of magazines that have accumulated in my apartment (more than 15 years' worth) are always stacked in chronological order, newest at the top, followed by obscure one-off periodicals I don't subscribe to; and religiously keeping track of my favorite Instagram posts for later reference by way of the "Collections" feature, of which I have categories for everything (fêtes, dishes, interiors, exteriors, fashions, arts, editorials, words, weddings, even intimates). The list goes on. And, yes, I know it's neurotic. But I don't think any of us get into the magazine business without some natural tendency towards obsessive behavior — and a deep sense of camaraderie for those who are just like us. As it took shape, our March issue seemed to highlight the core idea that drives our obsessions: that the things we love so fervently often begin to own us — and we let them do so with open arms. Take Russell Brightwell, a recent transplant from Houston, whom we refer to as a Connoisseur for Hire. Brightwell has amassed a remarkable collection of design objects, books, works of art, and furniture. All is arranged impeccably in his Fair Park loft, and surprisingly, all is also up for sale (loft boutique, by appointment only). We look at the latest from fashion houses Gucci and Maison Margiela, which each symbolize obsession at the highest level: Gucci, for its meticulous, highly detailed prints that cover everything from mules to suits to gowns and even its new Gucci Garden, a hybrid museum-restaurant-boutique that opened in Florence in January; Maison Margiela for its quintessentially French commitment to haute couture technique and artful absurdity, which has this time come to fruition in the form of the season's newest It-bag, dubbed the Glam Slam. FYI: Come March 15, fashion devotees must run to Forty Five Ten on Main for the opening of a Glam Slam pop-up shop carrying that very bag, plus limited-edition travel goods such as luggage tags and sleep masks. In a nod to culinary obsessiveness, we drop in on Uchiba, formerly Top Knot, on the second floor of the renowned sushi restau- rant, Uchi. James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole is hell-bent on making Uchi's upstairs a bar concept to be reckoned with — and he doesn't disappoint, with avant-garde cocktails and a flawless menu that makes us all thrilled he decided to switch up the concept from a place that was a bit kitschy to something more food-forward and seductive. So, while I suppose our therapists may advise us to ease up on our OCD tendencies, I say celebrate them. Tend the garden. Shop incessantly. Seek impossible-to-find ingredients. Collect until you have no more shelf space. And never, for one second, leave one itch un-scratched. Christina Geyer Dallas Editor in Chief christina@papercitymag.com