Discovering Deco In Buenos Aires

Food and Wine, March 2005 Summary

Stephen Henderson travels to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to discover bargain Art Deco furniture following the 2001 financial crash. He turns to former banker Emmanuel Burgio of Blue Parallel, who crafts a customized antiques-hunting itinerary connecting the writer with an expert personal shopper to tour the historic showrooms of San Telmo.

Key Quotes

“Now undergoing a post-crash renaissance, but still full of excellent bargains, the Argentinean capital is attracting ambitious, creative people like Emmanuel Burgio, a young Frenchman who was once a banker at Credit Suisse First Boston in Manhattan. In 2002 Burgio launched Blue Parallel, which tailors itineraries to South America's most exotic locales for individual clients.”

“Though he specializes in luxury outdoor adventures to places like Machu Picchu and Patagonia, Burgio didn't skip a beat when I asked him to plan my Argentinean vacation around antiquing. Within hours, he e-mailed a comprehensive list of shops and arranged for Yvonne Videla, a personal shopper for guests at Buenos Aires's posh Alvear Palace Hotel, to be my guide.”