Mark Palmen is one of the great champions of fashion’s irreverent and unconventional types. For 10 years he worked as PR Director for the queen of them all, Vivienne Westwood, before moving on to support the next generation of style provocateurs -- like Daryl K, VPL, Gary Graham, Southpaw*Pawe.wa, and Imitation of Christ. It was Palmen who produced IOC’s earliest and most buzzed-about fashion shows/theatrical performances, such as the funeral-parlor presentation, the Sotheby’s auction, and who could forget the reverse fashion show, in which editors were herded along the runway to RuPaul’s “Supermodel,” while the actual models sat front-row discussing how much weight everyone had gained? It was, as Palmen often refers to things: “Genius.”

So, to hear the Seattle native discuss Phoenix, Arizona – where his family has had a vacation home for the past 20 years – you’d think the guy had been hired by the mayor to work his magic. After all, this city isn't known for its exciting culture. It is, however, known for its blistering heat. In the summer, temperatures average well over 100°F, making it the hottest city outside the Middle East. Yet Palmen believes it’s on the brink of greatness.

“Because it’s such an inexpensive city and so beautiful – you have the hills, the sunsets – there’s a whole art scene emerging, and people are just starting to discover it,” says Palmen, who spends three months a year there, working on his “true love,” his art. “It’s a series of silk-screened and beaded fairytales,” he explains of it. “It’s all about growing up and realizing your dreams are just that, and you have to go play the lotto.”

As for Phoenix, here are his favorite things about it:

The Kusama Room at The Phoenix Art Museum
“Yayoi Kusama is this 80-year-old Japanese artist, who was big in the New York art scene back in the‘60s. She lives in a crazy-person home in Japan, and every morning she gets in her car and drives 30 feet to her studio, and in the evening, gets back in her car and drives 30 feet back home. She does these mirrored “infinity rooms,” and The Phoenix Art Museum commissioned her to do one for them: “It just opened, and it’s really a unique experience. It has tons of mirrors and fairy lights that cover the ceiling and change from red to blue to green.”

“The costume department at the museum is also really interesting. For years it went unpromoted, until Dennita Sewell -- who worked at The Met for ages -- recently became the director. They have like 5,000 - 10,000 pieces, from 18th C. France to modern years.”

Durants
“It’s this really old restaurant. The waiters have worked there for years – they’re as old as the restaurant and they walk around in wrinkled tuxedos. It has a really great bar. It’s a proper old-school steakhouse – you walk in through the kitchen.”

First Fridays
“It’s the big social event. It happens the first Friday of every month and it’s been going on since the ‘80s. All the art galleries downtown – like 30-40 different places – stay open late. Bands play on the front yards. Artists clean up their apartments and turn them into galleries. It’s really funny, and everyone turns out for it. It’s become one of the biggest art walks in the country.”

Passage
“It’s a new boutique, specializing in unique products and labels. They carry Gary Graham and Kai Kuhne. They have a ton of limited-edition artist T-shirts. They also have these finger puppets that I’m really into.”

Casino Arizona
“It’s really a trip. There are all sorts of weird people – it’s great for people-watching. If I’m not by the pool, I’m at the casino. I play the slots and blackjack.”

TT Roadhouse
“It’s a biker bar – total dive. But it’s really fun.”

Valley Ho
“It’s the new funky boutique hotel. It’s like The Standard with its whole ‘60s-modern gist. The James is also a hip hotel. Their bar, J Bar, is pretty much the hotspot – everyone goes to see and be seen.”

Go There:

Phoenix Art Museum, phxart.org

Durants, 2611 North Central Avenue, Phoenix; (602) 264-5967

First Fridays, artlinkphoenix.com

Passage, passage4400.com

Casino Arizona, casinoaz.com

TT Roadhouse, 2915 N 68th St, Scottsdale; (480) 990-9033

Valley Ho, hotelvalleyho.com

The James, jameshotels.com