New York and Paris are two of the most enchanting cities in the world, and I’m fortunate to call both of them home (depending on the time of year). Of course, each city has its own, unique energy, along with all the essentials that make living between the two a real joy. Here are a few of my favorite places.

While in Paris last month for the Prêt-à-Porter, I happened to see a friend of mine who’s the social media specialist at Ermenegildo Zegna. He told me the Zegna team had a lovely proposition in mind: would I care to attend the company’s upcoming ZegnArt unveiling (and related celebrations) in Rome? There was no need to ask twice–I hadn’t been to Rome in a while, and I love the Zegna brand. They took care of all details, and on March 20, I arrived at the fab Hotel Boscolo Exedra Roma and was whisked right up to my room.

A New Year always brings new opportunities, especially when it comes to personal style. However, since rules are usually meant to be broken, don’t take these resolutions as written in stone–just think of them as good advice!

1.) Stop following trends and simply wear what works for you. I happen to love Giambattista Valli’s coats for Moncler Gamme Rouge, which would doubtless look fab with jeans and make any sort of outfit instantly chic.

We love the Maison Gerard, a chic little gallery in Greenwich Village that specializes in very fine 20th-century French furniture (Jaques Adnet, LeLeu, Jean-Michel Frank, etc.), as well as work by contemporary artists, craftsmen and designers. The Maison’s current exhibit features a selection of alabaster, wood and steel “luminous sculptures” by Stephen Downes, a New York City native who attended the School of Visual Arts and studied under master stone carver René Lavaggi. Stephen’s pieces (like the Moon Sconce, shown above) are all recent creations, but they evoke another era and suggest an interesting combination of American and European sensibilities. They’re also rare works of art that function as lighting, which we find particularly chic.