1. Preheat oven to 350•F.
2. Strain pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and sift ingredients into bowl, whisk.
3. Whisk oil, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, and vinegar in a separate bowl. Pour into dry mixture. Whisk. Stir the pumpkin purée into batter.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

The first dinner party was hosted last Sunday night at Michael Kagan’s loft in SoHo.  Guests dined on a variety of Mexican dishes made my me; the menu ranging from guacamole and bean salad to ceviche and aguachile.  The drink list included Perrier, Heineken, and Rosangel Centenario, which was served in cucumber cups or mixed with ginger beer.  The intimate gathering consisted of New York City artists such as Collette Robbins, Micah Ganske, Jason Berriswell, Jane Hamill, and Franceso Longenecker, as well as restaurant and bar owner Heather Tierney and technology entrepreneur from Mexico City Daniela Escalante.

Paola Hernandez presented her Fall 11 collection, titled “A Look Within,” at the W New York last Sunday during New York Fashion Week.

Set up in two suites, 13 models, both male and female, wore Paola’s fall looks that ranged from layered corset dresses to long wool layered coats.

The collection was based on the idea of balance. It was shown through the simple colors, black and grey. This was paired with a silver lining, suggesting light and revealing the power for creation within.

The presentation consisted of a mix between models and actual artists from the New York Academy of Art. The authenticity of the artists highlighted the concept behind the collection.

Guests, while sipping on Perrier and Whiskey Sours provided by Auchentoshan, were able to actually observe the artists creating, whether it was painting, sculpting, drawing, or writing.

The hair was styled by Jenny B. and the CUTLER team and the make-up by Lyne Desnoyers and the MAC Pro Team.

Artists: Gary Murphy, Nic Rad, Loretta Hirsch, Alison Simmons, Monica Olsen, Elina Anatole, Charlotte Sometimes.

Models: Veronika from Ford, Hil from Elite; Gabriel, Sam and Jason from NY Models.

Photos by: Marc Hall and Jay Marroquin.

The show:

The lookbook: