Monica’s book Living With What You Love explores ways in which people celebrate their most treasured possessions, from the ordinary to the extraordinary on a daily basis. Whether you’ve got an entire collection or a single heirloom—and whether it’s worth $5 or $50,000—this column is dedicating to giving you ideas for living with whatever it is you love, by peeking into the homes of fascinating subjects.
To a certain sector of stylish woman, Decades–the Los Angeles store opened in 1997—is synonymous with vintage couture. Decades is where Hollywood starlets flock for glamorous gowns from the designer labels of yesteryear, and where, recently, founder Cameron Silver and his business partner Angelique Soave launched a debut line of sophisticated, vintage Hollywood-inspired denim.
It goes without saying that Silver is a collector of many, many things—his livelihood, scouring the globe and especially the flea markets of Paris for treasures. While amassing his myriad collections, Silver discovered a side passion for Hermes—not scarves or handbags but Hermes lifestyle objects, from leather bookends to old-fashioned clocks, checker sets and cigarette holders. These retro “table arts” occupy a prominent place in Silver’s landmark 1930s L.A. house, providing conversation starters in what he describes as a “fairly minimal setting.” Many of the Hermes items live in a state of permanent open display on the dining room table. Dining amidst Hermes? Indeed! “I’ve actually sacrificed meals for Hermes!” says Silver.
No wonder that Silver’s home and Hermes collection are legendary among his Angeleno peers. “Just yesterday someone came into the store and inquired if I would sell one of the items from my house,” he says. The answer, of course, was, no.
For more on Living With What You Love and to order Monica’s book, go here.
Published on January 3, 2011
While there are many sites today dedicated to the pursuit of jewelry, fashion and style, here at MRK Style we approach these subjects through a collector’s lens. Through exploring how people relate to Jewelry, Art, Family, Fashion, Food, Film and Travel—essentially life’s various, everyday obsessions—we reflect on how we all live with the things we love. 
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