CULTURE · Dita Von Teese refashions the traditional Mexican cocktail: who wants some 'Margaditas' (chipotle included)?

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the summer soirée season with the Cointreau MargaDita – the latest collaboration from Dita Von Teese, International Queen of Burlesque, and Cointreau, the original French triple sec. As the global Cointreauversial ambassador since 2007, Dita Von Teese proudly introduces her latest namesake cocktail, the Cointreau MargaDita, a bold and seductive reinvention of the classic Margarita, the #1 selling cocktail in America. Dita Von Teese’s tasty new libation is a homage to Margarita Sames, the bon vivante Dallas socialite who created the original recipe in 1948 while vacationing at her Acapulco cliffside hacienda. According to Dita Von Teese, "The Cointreau MargaDita is a tantalizing haute-cocktail with a spicy twist."
“Margarita Sames was clearly a strong, confident, and stylish woman well known for her entertaining prowess - qualities that I both admire and, hopefully, embody,” says Dita Von Teese. “Her Margarita recipe has been enjoyed for over 60 years and it seemed only natural for me to create my own cocktail as a tribute to this glamorous and charismatic woman.”
Dita Von Teese toasts this alluring woman, who unfortunately passed away this past year, by using the classic margarita ingredients as a base for her Cointreau MargaDita cocktail: Cointreau, tequila and fresh lime juice. “I wanted to keep the integrity of the original margarita recipe, but add a personal touch of my own. The juxtaposition of floral notes with spicy elements makes for a seductive twist: aromatic Monin Rose Syrup for a hint of floral, feminine perfume, and a dash of chipotle powder for an unexpected spicy smack. I think Margarita Sames would approve,” says Dita Von Teese.

Cointreau MargaDita

• 1.5 oz Cointreau
• 1.5 oz Silver Tequila
• 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Monin Rose Syrup
• 1 pinch Chipotle Spice

Mix all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a chilled coup glass. Garnish with floating organic yellow rose petals. For an added kick, add a chipotle and salt rim.

Via @ http://www.ditasdomain.com/cointreau/#margadita

CULTURE · "La Fuerza de Frida" a Vogue México photo shoot in La Casa Azul featuring model Renata Sozzi

Click here to view all the pictures via Vogue Mexico. Also, have a look at the making of video, Renata does a really good job channeling the Frida vibe. 

CULTURE · Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Masterpieces of the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection in the Irish Museum of Modern Art

Via http://www.imma.ie/ (Irish Museum of Modern Art)

Masterpieces of the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, presents the iconic paintings of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the two central figures of Mexican Modernism. Few artists have captured the public's imagination with the force of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907 – 1954) and her husband, the Mexican painter and muralist Diego Rivera (1886 – 1957). The myths that surrounded them in their lifetime arose not only from their significant body of work, but also from their active participation in the life of their time, their friendships (and conflicts) with leading figures, their imposing physical appearance and spirited natures. 

The paintings exhibited include key images by Kahlo such as Self Portrait with Monkeys, and Self Portrait as a Tehuana or Diego in My Thoughts, and the major work by Rivera, Calla Lily Vendors (all 1943). The paintings are supplemented by other works including diaries, lithographs, drawings, pastels and collages – all offering a rich visual experience for the visitor. Also included are striking photographs of Kahlo and Rivera by Lucienne Bloch, Héctor García, Martin Munkacsi, Nickolas Muray and Bernard Silberstein. 

The exhibition is further extended by the inclusion of photographs by Frida Kahlo’s father Guillermo Kahlo, of churches and cloisters around Mexico City and Tepotzlan, alongside views from the Palace in Chapultepec Park. Also included is Japanese artist Yasumasa Morimura’s conceptual film Dialogue with Myself (Encounter), 2001, which pays homage to Frida Kahlo and is part of a series of works entitled An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo, in which Morimura talks the role of Kahlo to reveal her world. 

The Gelman Collection is a significant collection of more than 300 works of Modern and Contemporary Mexican Art which is housed in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and was established by Jacques and Natasha Gelman in 1943 to support Mexican artists. Not only does the Collection include works by Kahlo and Rivera, it holds major works by David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco, Leonora Carrington, Rufino Tamayo and Francisco Toledo, among others. 

The exhibition has already been shown at the Pera Museum, Istanbul, and it will travel to the Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, England, where it can be seen from 9 July to 11 October 2011. An exhibition guide accompanies the show 

The exhibition is curated by Seán Kissane, Head of Exhibitions 

The exhibition is sponsored by BNY Mellon and supported by The Irish Times, RTÉ and the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport 

Admission: €5.00 Concession: €3.00 Admission Free to all on Fridays.Admission Free for under-18s, those in full-time education, those on organised Museum programmes and IMMA Members.