Lee Michaels

FALL/WINTER 2012

E V E RY B OX H AS A STO RY

ACCENT

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T H E M A G A Z I N E O F L I F E ’ S C E L E B R AT I O N S

RICH &WARM ADORNMENTS

PLUS: BREAKING GROUND IN JACKSON BIGGER AND BETTER NORTH STAR 5 C’S DIAMOND APP

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Dear Friends

e enthusiastically anticipate the final festivities of each year, when families and friends gather to tailgate at football games, celebrate holidays, remember good times, and create new stories. With those upcoming celebrations in mind, we annually travel to the world-renowned Hong Kong, Basel, New York and Las Vegas jewelry and timepiece shows to shop the most creative fine jewelry collections.

This year designers emphasized intense colored gems like quartz, patterned agates and the soft coolness of moonstone. Faceted black diamonds accent every imaginable jewelry shape as “sliced” and “slivered” diamonds bring new contours and dimensions to jewelry. In metals, silver’s affordability and design flexibility secure its current dominance. Although yellow gold is trending upward, we expect jewelry will incorporate more alternative metals such as steel, titanium and tungsten. These innovations always make selecting the most compelling designs an amazing challenge.

We were excited to see that advances in freshwater pearl culturing are producing white and colored pearls to rival South Seas.

Highly desirable golden pearls are mixed with sliced and rose cut diamonds, cabochon gemstones and precious metals for intriguing options for any occasion. Baroque pearls add a fun, chunky look so appealing to jewelry fashionistas and pearl collectors alike.

Since we want your every visit to be extraordinary, we shop the world to bring its most captivating collections to you. We create luxurious, inviting store environments that emphasize our commitment to design, quality and personal, attentive service. In fulfilling that commitment, we relocated and expanded our North Star Mall store in San Antonio and will open our new independent building located in the front of Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland, Mississippi in early 2013. To keep your experiences with Lee Michaels in every category at the highest level, we commissioned a Louisiana artist to design a new cover distinctive to us for our Accent magazine. While we are very serious about your business with us, our cover incorporates the whimsical, the ongoing freshness you expect of Lee Michaels.

Ensuring our growth remains focused on you, our customer-friends, we periodically realign our corporate structure. Recently Ryan Berg, Vice President with oversight of our San Antonio and Pandora stores, was promoted to Market President for that region. Scott Berg, Vice President with oversight of our South Louisiana and Pandora stores, was similarly promoted to Market President.

We hope you feel so comfortable in our stores and appreciated by every Lee Michaels’ associate that you depart even happier than when you arrived.

From the Lee Michaels family and ours to yours,

Lee Michael Berg, CEO

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oyster perpetual and datejust are trademarks.

Contents fall/winter 2012 B AT O N R O U G E 7560 CORPORATE BOULEVARD 225.926.4644 MALL OF LOUISIANA, 225.766.6000 NEW ORLEANS LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER 504.832.0000 SHREVEPORT 6605 YOUREE DRIVE, 318.222.2929 L A F AY E T T E ACADIANA MALL, 337.981.8071 JACKSON, MS. NORTHPARK MALL, 601.957.6100

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SAN ANTONIO, TX. NORTH STAR MALL, 210.541.9575 THE SHOPS AT LA CANTERA, 210.699.9494 PRESIDENT & CEO LEE MICHAEL BERG C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R KENNETH S. GIKAS VICE PRESIDENT GREG JOHNSON VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER MALL OF LOUISIANA JOHNNY TATE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER JANE HARRINGTON ADVERTISING MANAGER AMY GRAHAM BOARD OF DIRECTORS BRENDA BERG CHAD BERG RYAN BERG SCOTT BERG P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E B J I FA S H I O N G R O U P

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Welcome Letter

6

Out & About

8

Breaking Ground in Jackson

10 Bigger & Better North Star 12 SRAC & Christmas in the Sky 14 Rich & Warm Adornments 16 Lavish Design 18 Classic Meets Trendy 20 Accent Advisor

67 Food: First-Generation Fame

PUBLISHER STU NIFOUSSI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

74 Spirits: Get the Skinny

C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R HANS GSCHLIESSER

BRIDAL SECTION

MANAGING EDITOR JILLIAN LAROCHELLE

38 The Rings: New and Non-Traditional 43 Lustrous Diamonds 44 To Have & To Hold 47 The Five C’s App

22 Timepieces: David Yurman

PROJECT MANAGER LISA MONTEMORRA PRODUCTION MANAGER PEG EADIE PRESIDENT AND CEO BRITTON JONES CHAIRMAN AND COO MAC BRIGHTON Prices are subject to change without notice and may vary depend-

24 Trends: Roaring Twenties Redux

ing on size, quality and availability. Copyright 2012. Accent® is published by Business Journals, Inc, P.O. Box 5550, Norwalk, CT 06856,

28 From the Runways

203-853-6015 • Fax: 203-852-8175; Advertising Office: 1384 Broadway, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10018, 212-686-4412 • Fax: 212-686-

56 Interiors: Heavy Metals

6821; All Rights Reserved. The publishers accept no responsibilities for advertisers’ claims, unsolicited manuscripts, transparencies or other materials. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publishers. Volume 10, Issue 2.

Accent® is a trademark of Business Journals, Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. Printed In The U.S.A.

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IMAGES COURTESY JEAN PAUL GAULTIER AND LAGOS.

FEATURES

60 Perks: Fly in Style

©2012 CHANEL®, Inc. J 12®

Watch in white high-tech ceramic set with 54 diamonds (~1.4 carat).

Self-winding mechanical movement. 42-hour power reserve. Water-resistant to 50 meters.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Out & About

Michael Foster and Chef John Folse at the Baton Rouge Symphony Gala

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ee Michaels is known as a celebration destination, and this past spring, celebrate we did, at home and away! Locally, the annual Baton Rouge Symphony League Mad Hatter’s Luncheon saw Lee Michaels take 1st place for our “Blingin’ on the Riviera”- themed hats, and our own Lindsay Chustz was awarded “Online Voter’s Choice Award” for her dance routine in the Big Buddy Dancing With the Stars annual fundraising evening. Away from the Gulf Coast, Lee Michaels OMEGA Watch Ambassadors attended a training seminar in Las Vegas, while Lee and our buying team traveled overseas to Hong Kong and Basel, Switzerland to see new and unique jewelry and watch collections.

We were also proud to celebrate with organizations such as the New Orleans Ballet, American Red Cross, Baton Rouge Symphony, ForeKids foundation, Big Buddy, and the American Heart Association.

Desmond Richardson, Vanessa West, Chad Berg, Wendy Whelan and Dwight Rhoden

The Baton Rouge Symphony’s Mad Hatter’s Luncheon Front from left: Glenda Waguespack, Rena Ledet and accordian player Ben Herrington Back from left: Cheryl Dalrymple with Gypsy, Jan Wells, Diane Tate, Becky Harris, Lindsay Chustz and Shirley Porter

Julie Blackstone, Kelly Blackstone, Natalie Cole, Paula de la Bretonne, Alyce Blackstone and Kristin Britt

Lee Berg browsing and buying pearls in Hong Kong

Saintsations at the American Red Cross Oscar Night America event

Laverne Saulny and Kurt Weigle

Chad Berg at OMEGA training

Jane Bowler and Lisa Dahlke

Keegan Bradley, Chad Berg, Luke Donald and Jeff Cotten Jr.

Natalie Cole performing at the Baton Rouge Symphony

Susan Currie and Kathleen Robert

Ryan Berg and Jessica Berg with Brian and Lizette Feld Steve Rennhoff and Kelly Lopresto on a buying trip in Hong Kong

Rachel Lauterstein, Jodi Starr, Amanda Bezner, Lizette Feld and Jessica Berg

Jack and Becky Harris

Lindsay Chustz and Peter Wischusen at Baton Rouge’s Dancing for Big Buddy

UPDATE

Breaking Ground

in Jackson

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e are excited to announce that Lee Michaels’ third independently located store broke ground on July 9, 2012 at the entrance of Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland, MS. The support of the Jackson metro area over the last 17 years has made it possible for us to relocate and build a freestanding store like no other. The new 5,000 square foot space has been designed by local architecture firm Dean and Dean/Associates and promises to bring Ridgeland a luxurious Rolex corner, the first David Yurman shop-in-shop in an independent jewelry store, and an even greater selection from favorite designers including John Hardy and Mikimoto. New designers to love, such as Ippolita, will also be must-see destinations in the new store at the Renaissance.

“Renaissance at Colony Park is pleased to have Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry as a new tenant. The Lee Michaels brand and reputation is highly respected in the retail industry. Adding names such as Rolex and David Yurman will be complementary to all of our existing local and national retailers and restaurants,” says Andrew Mattiace, Developer and Manager of Renaissance at Colony Park.

The new store at Renaissance is expected to open its doors in February 2013. Be sure to mark your calendars as it will definitely be something to see! You can also check the progress of the store on our Facebook page at facebook.com/leemichaelsjewelry.

CELEBRATION

Bigger & Better North Star

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ur story began in October of 2000, when we first opened our doors at North Star Mall in San Antonio, TX. Lee Michaels has truly been welcomed into the San Antonio community over the last 12 years, which has made it possible for us to provide our San Antonio customers with an even greater extraordinary experience by relocating from the Macy’s wing to the Saks Fifth Avenue wing of North Star Mall and doubling the size of the store to nearly 4,000 square feet. The new store is even more luxurious and welcoming than our previous location in the premier shopping mall. We are very excited about this move and the opportunity to be able to bring our customers, new and old, an even greater selection from designers including David Yurman, John Hardy and Mikimoto, as well as an expanded selection of timepieces from TAG Heuer and Panerai. The new location will also feature a luxurious Rolex corner and new designer brands to love like Ippolita, Konstantino, and Ivanka Trump, and Baume & Mercier and Michele timepieces.

“We are able to provide San Antonians something no other jewelry store can: the newest and most innovative designs from the world’s finest craftspeople. That is because our family travels the world to directly import our gold, diamonds, pearls and colored gems,” said Ryan Berg, San Antonio Market President of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry and son of Lee Michaels founder Lee Michael Berg. “It’s our passion that we provide every opportunity for our customers to make memories and mark milestones.”

Our philosophy continues to be to provide each of our customers with extraordinary jewelry and service, and we are so pleased that our new North Star location allows our company another opportunity to introduce more people to that level of quality and service for which Lee Michaels is known. We look forward to seeing you at our new location in North Star!

COMMUNITY

SRAC &

Christmas in the Sky

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ee Michaels has been an avid supporter of the arts since the first store opened almost 35 years ago. The company believes in the cultural value the arts add to the lives of local residents in the communities in which we do business.

For the community of Shreveport, we are proud to once again support the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC) by sponsoring the 2012 Christmas in the Sky event.

Christmas in the Sky generates funds to support important community arts programs produced by SRAC for Northwest Louisiana. The SRAC mission is to “Imagine That!” by developing, promoting, educating and maximizing access to all of the arts for people in Northwest Louisiana. They are committed to ensuring that the arts are included in the portfolio of solutions to community problems and community growth. In 2008, with leadership from the Community Foundation of North Louisiana, the ARTS CONGRESS was developed to achieve these two purposes. SRAC and the ARTS community have a vehicle for communication and are committed to values that are manifested and evaluated in all arts policies. Through training designed to develop the Business Entrepreneurialism of Artists and Capacity Training for Arts Organizations, as well as the management of the Shreveport Bossier Fun Guide On-Line Calendar and Ticketing to promote arts events, SRAC is working to raise the capacity of the arts in Northwest Louisiana. Finally—and most importantly—SRAC is working to develop the SHREVEPORT COMMON Cultural Community, a nine-block niche area to the larger Allendale/Ledbetter Heights CHOICE neighborhood.

“Accessibility to the Arts—dance, music, theatre, literature, film, folklife, storytelling, and visual arts—is what makes living in a city or region memorable, rewarding and engaging! Plus, when the arts are introduced into the educational environment to supplement math, science, language arts and history, it makes learning fun and students actually comprehend the lesson!” said Waynette Ballengee, 2012 Christmas in the Sky co-chair.

The 2010 Christmas in the Sky gala raised $600,000 for Community Arts programs In Northwest Louisiana. More than 2,000 guests from across the nation purchase tickets to support the every-other-year gala, which usually sells out within two weeks. This year’s event is sure to be a hit, with its “Apocalypse WOW” theme. Be sure to look for our exciting auction item, a New York City experience with jewelry designer Ippolita, as well as a suite of her jewelry valued at $10,000!

For more information on the Shreveport Regional Arts Council and Christmas in the Sky visit shrevearts.org or call 318-673-6500.

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Roberto Coin “Ipanema Collection” 18kyg, semi-precious gemstone bracelet, $6,200

Ivanka Trump 18krg, rock crystal and diamond stationed 36”chain necklace, $4,990

18kyg, yellow beryl and diamond drop earrings, $16,500

18kwg, prehnite and diamond pendant, $3,950 18kwg rope chain, $125

18kyg, 36mm in and out pavĂŠ diamond hoop earrings, $24,000

LAVISH DESIGN

14kwg, white freshwater pearl and diamond tassel earrings, $2,950

14kwg, black onyx and diamond tassel necklace, $2,750

14kwg, white freshwater pearl and diamond tassel necklace, $2,250

18kwg, princess cut sapphire and diamond bracelet, $16,500

18kwg, diamond bracelet with floral design, $19,500

18kwg, oval cut sapphire and diamond bracelet, $12,500

CLASSIC MEETS

TRENDY

ACCENT(ADVISOR) OVER THE YEARS, MY HUSBAND HAS GIVEN ME MANY SMALL AND DELICATE PENDANTS THAT I SOMETIMES WEAR TO MAKE HIM HAPPY, BUT DON’T REALLY LOVE. ANY IDEAS? How about buying a beautiful gold link chain and creating a charm bracelet or necklace? Or combining a few of the smaller pendants into a more significant piece? Bring them into the store and we’ll be happy to work with you on designing something truly special that you’ll wear with pride and that you BOTH will love.

Yes! The intrinsic value of precious metal is always a good investment, particularly in a precarious economy.

In fact, a gold ring purchased 25 years ago is worth at least 10 times as much today. Gold is indestructible: it does not corrode or tarnish; all the gold that has ever been mined still exists. In addition, jewelry designers today are creating more spectacular works in gold than ever before. Next time you visit us, we’ll show you some truly irresistible investments—both financial and emotional!

I OFTEN HEAR TALK ABOUT “LAYERING” JEWELRY. BUT ISN’T ONE GREAT PIECE MORE IMPACTFUL THAN MANY LESSER PIECES? Depending on the outfit, one great piece is often the most dramatic way to wear jewelry, but mixing pieces (layering) is another good option, an expressive way to create looks that are more personal and uniquely you.

And these days, there are few rules. Yellow, white and rose gold can be combined in a single piece or worn at the same time in separate pieces. Modern and Deco-inspired styles can work hand in hand; colored gemstones can be mixed and matched according to your tastes, your personality, your mood of the moment. (Contrast colors are very “in” this season.) Spend some time experimenting with creative combinations and see what moves you. Often, an old piece worn differently can become a new favorite!

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DO I NEED TO BUY MY WATCH FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER? Absolutely yes! Unfortunately, today there are plenty of decent-seeming knockoffs available on the internet and even in stores. Unless your dealer is authorized, you can never be sure what you’re buying, so when the time comes for repairs or your watch requires a replacement part, you could be out of luck. Why jeopardize your investment in such an important item, which is often not just a timepiece, but a treasured heirloom?

ERICA MOLINARI

IS THIS A GOOD TIME TO INVEST IN GOLD?

TIMEPIECES

When and why did David Yurman enter the timepiece business?

We entered the business in 1994 with the introduction of the Cable collection, a bracelet that ticks. In 2000 we launched the Thoroughbred collection, our first traditional watches, addressing what we saw as a void in the market. No one was doing iconic timepieces rooted in the tradition of fine Swiss watchmaking, but with an American design sensibility.

Is that what makes Yurman watches so special?

Yes. David Yurman is America’s only fine timepiece designer and to us, that in itself is special. The Yurman brand has always been inspired by American art and design and our timepiece collections adhere to this aesthetic. Each watch is treated like a piece of art, reflecting David Yurman’s casual sense of luxury and high standards of precision.

At the heart of our timepieces is our commitment to quality, design and innovation. From the Classic Ancestrale to the Revolution collection, each watch combines the precision of Swiss movements and manufacturing with sophisticated American design.

Tell us about your passion for classic cars and motorsports, and the launch of Shelby Revolution?

Cars have always been a passion of mine. I enjoy the mechanical nature of cars. They’re a lot like timepieces in that way—thousands of machined parts coming together to create one cohesive mechanical movement. The Shelby Revolution watch collection came about because Shelby is an iconic American brand and I wanted to celebrate their achievements and the mark they’ve left on American design.

EVAN YURMAN ON WATCHES, CARS AND PERSONAL FAVORITES.

BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN

AMERICAN DESIGN

What are your best-selling watch styles at the moment?

The new Revolution collection has had an incredible response, both the automatic and the chronograph. We offer it in a number of variations, including a beautiful rose gold case. The Shelby, which is a limited edition within the Revolution collection, is extremely popular and is mostly reserved on pre-order.

What’s your personal favorite watch these days and why?

Recently, I’ve been wearing a steel chronograph Revolution with a bracelet.

It has a beautiful, clean aesthetic and I like the heft and feel of it. Plus it’s a sport watch, so I also appreciate its ruggedness.

“I enjoy the mechanical nature of cars.

They’re a lot like timepieces: thousands of machined parts coming together to create one cohesive mechanical movement.”

–Evan Yurman, Director of Design, Men’s and Timepieces, David Yurman

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EVAN AND DAVID YURMAN

And your personal favorite car?

There are so many beautiful cars out there that it’s difficult to pick one, but my favorite genre is certainly American muscle. There’s an elegant simplicity to American muscle cars, both vintage and modern, that I find appealing. It’s that simple design that makes it so easy for owners to customize and improve them, and essentially express their own personalities.

TRENDS

Nicole Kidman wears Deco-inspired earrings

ROARING TWENTIES REDUX THIS YEAR’S FUN-TO-WEAR FASHION MOVEMENT.

F

rom fashion to jewelry, Art Deco is currently the leading style inspiration. “And come this spring and summer, it will get stronger, then even bigger by fall/winter 2013,” says Ellen Sideri, CEO of ESP Trendlab in New York City, which tracks fashion trends and cultural patterns.

Interestingly, the real excitement isn’t about original vintage jewelry and fashion, but rather contemporary styles inspired by that roarin’ era of the 1920s and ’30s. It’s more “Deco redefined.” Each in its own signature style, luxury brands are creating modern collections based on design elements that defined the Deco movement: streamlined shapes, a strong color palette, graphic patterns, geometric stone cuts, linear symmetry, elongated silhouettes and ancient Egyptian and Aztec forms.

designer after another using the 1920s (and the 1910s) as their muse.” For his fall/winter haute couture collection, Jean Paul Gaultier has embraced the period in a big way, with highly graphic gold metal cage designs pieced into dresses and jackets, as well as softer glam flapper looks. And Alexander McQueen’s 2013 resort collection spectacularly marries Art Deco with inspirations from the linear work of the legendary Gustav Klimt.

Amanda Gizzi, director of communications for the Jewelry Information Center in New York, explains: “As our country has been coming out of difficult economic times, more and more customers are asking for jewelry that isn’t cookie-cutter. And these modern pieces, which are influenced by Deco but a bit edgier, are perfectly suited to what they want.”

FILM AND FASHION INFLUENCES

THE “NEW DECO” LOOK

Before we tell you what you should look for and how to wear it, let’s explore the big question of why Deco, why now? What brought on jewelry’s obsession with the brilliance of the Jazz Age? In spring 2013, The Great Gatsby remake hits theatres and, with A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio starring as Jay Gatsby, Art Deco designs will be very much in the spotlight.

Added to that, in both ready-to-wear and couture for 2012/2013, Art Deco references ruled the runways. Sideri notes, “We’re seeing lots of beads, feathers, and embroidery—but elegant and luxurious—with one

To do New Deco, there are a few jewelry items you want on your wish list: TASSEL EARRINGS AND PENDANTS Swinging tassel earrings and

Above from left: Stephen Webster Cascade tassel earrings with blue sapphires and white diamonds in 18K white gold from the Forget Me Knot collection; Stephen Webster Forget Me Knot Cascade pendant in 18K white gold; Ivanka Trump black onyx pendant from the Gilded Cage collection in 18K gold

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IMAGE.NET BY GETTY

BY LORRAINE DEPASQUE

pendants were the perfect complements to high-hemline dresses, and today you’ll find lots of colorful versions in whatever gemstone you like.

ROPES OF PEARLS If you already have a strand of opera-length pearls, think Clara Bow or Daisy Buchanan and drape them on! Then be sure to get another long rope of pearls to layer in; finish the look by knotting that second strand. The knotted pearl necklace is back!

DANGLY COLORED-GEM DROPS “Deco earrings are always very desirable at auction,” says Ann Lange, senior vice president and director of jewelry for the prestigious auction house Doyle New York. “The linear hanging kind, because they’re simple yet they have strong design.”

DIAMOND CASCADE EARRINGS In the ’20s and ’30s, women often donned earrings made of cascading diamonds to add femininity to their newly invogue short bobbed haircuts.

Back then, diamond chandeliers (as they’re now known) replaced ear clips, hair combs and hat pins.

BIG GEOMETRIC RINGS Rings were large and rectangular, and women often wore several on one hand.

For evening, oversized emeralds and rubies played a strong role, in white or yellow metal.

Contemporary Deco jewelry gives you lots of price options, with many brands even making Deco-style uber-rings with sterling silver and natural gemstones.

BANGLES AND BRACELETS When women started wearing sleeveless styles, bracelets became an important accessory.

Bangles were clustered on their wrists or higher on the upper arms. As for flexible gemstone bracelets, Lange says, “Deco diamond bracelets are also very desirable at our auctions; the workmanship was exceptional.”

DECO-THEME PIECES If you’re someone who likes to wear symbolic jewelry, there’s a lot of New Deco pieces inspired by the iconography of the ’20s and ’30s, skyscrapers like the Eiffel Tower and the Chrysler Building á la the era’s unique architectural movement. Or choose something unique with carvings or silhouettes of pyramids, obelisks, palm fronds and lotus flowers—motifs that often appeared in period pieces, influenced by the 1922 discovery of King Tut’s tomb.

NEW DECO CUTS & COLORS

especially emerald cuts. “In our Important Estate Jewelry auctions, the top three diamond cuts in original Art Deco are emerald, Asscher and cushion,” says Lange. “Emerald cuts are forever classics, and I’m seeing a lot of interest in contemporary jewelry with cushion cuts.” Step-cut shapes like trapezoids and half-moons are often seen as side stones in Deco designs, so this year and going forward, you’ll see them in the New Deco collections, too. Actress Sofia Vergara’s engagement ring, for example, features a cushion-cut center stone with a trapezoid diamond on either side.

COLORS Deco jewelry tends to rely on bold gemstone colors, in contrast to the austerity of the Edwardian period that From Jean Paul preceded the Roaring ’20s. The most Gaultier’s Paris notable shades are black, green, red Haute Couture and blue, plus white, which, if done in collection fall/winter 2012 enamel, for example, can impart a distinctive boldness.

Black: Onyx was perhaps the most widely used black gemstone during the 1920s and ’30s, so some New Deco pieces incorporate it, too. But they more often feature black diamonds, black sapphires and black opals.

Green: “Carved jade was [used] in a lot of vintage Deco,” notes Lange, so modern jewelry artisans are favoring this green variety as well. But emeralds and agates are two other green favorites. This year, in fact, emeralds are so hot in fashion that it may even be difficult for May-born women (whose birthstone is emerald) to get their hands on it!

Red: Rubies, ruby-red enamels and deep red corals top the list of must-have New Deco reds, but especially ruby, as Lange notes, “because there were a lot of Burma rubies in original Art Deco jewelry.”

Gizzi adds, “Since this movement started to grow, I’ve seen a lot more dark-red corals in jewelry—something I hadn’t seen in a long time.”

Blue: Look for primary-color blue gems, like lapis-lazuli and sapphire, but also cobalt blue alternative materials like enamel, resin and ceramic. A wealth of lapis jewelry was found in King Tut’s tomb, a key reason the blue gem became an important influence on jewelry of the period.

White: Rock crystal, white pearls and white diamonds top New Deco’s white stone list. “Certainly, rock crystal was used a lot in Art Deco—it was very prized then and it is now, too,” says Lange. “There were also lots of natural pearls back then.” Consider, too, some of the New Deco pieces that mix black Tahitian pearls with white metal, as the black-and-white color scheme was a key color combination then and now.

CUTS With the exception of tiny beads used for tassels, reminiscent of renowned Deco jewelers like Jean Fouquet, the geometric bent of Art Deco jewelry design is typically achieved by incorporating angular stones,

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Above: Gurhan Lotus collection necklace; Lagos ring

Signature Collection

Rock Tradition.

Bigger IS BETTER

IMAGES COURTESY OF ACCESSORIESDIRECTIONS.COM

FROM THE RUNWAYS

Color FALL FOR

Cuffs AND COLLARS

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S ER EI N D I A MON D SER EI N D I A MON D T W O- T ON E

freelancer collection

WEDDINGS

STORY PHOTOGRAPHERS

A SPECIAL BRIDAL SECTION FROM ACCENT MAGAZINE

THE RINGS

BY LAURIE SCHECHTER

NEW AND NON-TRADITIONAL UNIQUE OPTIONS ABOUND TO SUIT EVERY COUPLE’S TASTE.

ince engagement and wedding rings are choices you live with forever, it’s no wonder that current bridal ring trends reflect the individual style and personality of their wearers more than a strict tradition or a certain set of rules. In fact, non-traditional is the new trend! One has only to look to recent famous weddings and engagements for proof: think Angelina Jolie’s custom-designed engagement ring of graduated tablet-shaped diamonds, or the new Mrs. Mark Zuckerberg and Jessica Simpson, both showing off ruby engagement rings.

Many of today’s rings are rooted in history. The giving of rings along with taking vows of marriage dates back to ancient times. The wedding band, fashioned into a circle, symbolizes never-ending immortal love, and

the finger it is worn on was thought to have a special vein connected directly to the heart. Both customs are said to have originated in Ancient Egypt.

The forerunner to the modern-day engagement ring was the ancient Greeks’ betrothal rings. Early betrothal rings from the Middle Ages, called ‘‘posy’’ rings, were inscribed with poems and love notes. Engagement rings with diamonds were first given by royalty and nobles beginning in the 15th century, mixed with rubies in the 17th and 18th centuries, and had messages spelled out in colored stones in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Today’s betrothed have all this history to mine, with the benefit of modernity found in unusual designs and wide range of metals, stones and shapes available.

In actuality, the halo has never really gone away, but it has been trending more strongly for the past few years, which aligns with the reigning popularity of round diamond cuts. The difference now is the variety of designs available, and the cuts and arrangement of the stones. Double halos with two rows of surrounding stones, three-stone rings (a descendent of the early 20th-century princess ring) incorporating halo diamonds, and the stilltrending-strong eternity wedding bands with halo diamonds are all turns on the halo’s road to success. A. Jaffe reports, ‘‘Styles with cushion shaped halos surrounding the center diamond, as well as a cushion cut diamond standing alone in the center setting, are very popular engagement rings.

Matching halo earrings and pendants for the bride have also become increasingly popular.’’

2.RESPONSIBLY SOURCED

Choosing diamonds that are sourced in an ethical manner is increasingly important among socially conscious brides. Without question, all the stones we sell in our store are responsibly sourced. Forevermark is among those that guarantee diamonds are carefully selected to meet “high standards of business, social and environmental integrity" (less than 1% of the world's diamonds are eligible to become a Forevermark diamond).

Along with this heightened consciousness is the popularity of “recycling” diamonds: wearing vintage or heritage rings, family heirlooms which can be adapted and updated for a fresh look.

3.COLOR MY WORLD

Color seems to be the biggest driver at retail today. It’s the big story for women’s and men’s fashion on the runways and in the stores. Today’s bride, to set herself apart, might even opt for color instead of traditional white for her wedding dress. And color is, of course, also a big trend in engagement rings. Beautiful colored diamonds and other colored gemstones are surging in popularity in no small part due to the Duchess of Cambridge’s (previously Princess Diana’s) gorgeous sapphire engagement ring.

A C C E N T

38

B R I D A L

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: FOREVERMARK, FOREVERMARK, SCOTT KAY, A. JAFFE, BEAUDRY

1.RETURN OF THE HALO

BECAUSE A STAR DESERVES FOUR MORE. At the four-star Renaissance

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Baton Rouge, you’ll discover a wedding venue as extraordinary as the day you are celebrating.

Elegant surroundings. Spacious ballrooms for up to 600 guests. Skilled, creative planners to ensure your event is a dream come true by making everything perfectly yours. Every flower. Every morsel.

Every song. Every moment. After all, we’ve designed it for the most important wedding ever… yours.

TO CONFIRM YOUR DREAM WEDDING CALL (225) 215-7000 7000 Bluebonnet Boulevard Baton Rouge, LA 70810 renaissancehotels.com

TRENDS FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES

4.I’LL TAKE MINE

According to recent stats, there are currently around 50,000 samesex marriages in the United States. This number will continue to grow, and many brands are tailoring their designs to appeal to the emerging market. Of course, since same-sex marriages are grounded in the same traditions as conventional marriages, many of these design trends cross over to the mainstream.

WITH A TWIST

You can’t get much more non-traditional and unique than a twisted band engagement ring. It’s an individual statement with a modern spin that can quickly update the classic solitaire or take pavé in a new direction. In streamlined metal or an all-diamond band, it’s an attention grabber either way.

5.WIDEN

YOUR HORIZONS

Wide diamond bands and channel rings—where the band can be any width with diamonds filling the “channel” in the center—are trending as wedding bands and, in some cases, can even serve as both the engagement and wedding ring. With the high-powered real estate it occupies on the finger, it’s a glamorous and practical all-in-one statement.

6. MIXING IT UP

Using alternative metals and mixing metals are trends, and the unique options available have increased at an exponential rate. In both engagement rings and women’s wedding bands, there’s been a strong introduction of rose gold on its own or mixed with white gold, platinum or yellow gold. In men’s wedding bands, in addition to the classic yellow gold, white gold and platinum, there are many examples of alternate metals and materials: everything from palladium, tungsten carbide and cobalt to ceramic, titanium and seranite, all with two-tone as a leading direction.

A C C E N T

40

WEDDING BANDS AND COMMITMENT RINGS Like the alternative lifestyle they represent, same-sex couples are choosing alternatives for their wedding bands. In traditional yellow or white gold, there might be some kind of unique treatment, like hammered details, on the band. But rings in less common metals are where personal statements can really stand out, especially for men.

BioBlu27 Cobalt, the same material used in aerospace and medical applications, has a unique look and is available with diamonds or without.

And with new ring styles come new traditions. Some women are foregoing engagement rings altogether, while men can opt for man-gagement rings: wedding bands worn on the right hand before the marriage, then transferred to the left during the wedding ceremony (a mini-trend in opposite sex relationships, as well).

At the end of the day, says Dan Scott, CMO of Scott Kay, ‘‘Love is love. We need to remind ourselves that wedding bands are much more than jewelry; wedding bands embody precious, lifelong vows made between any two people in love." And no matter the sexual orientation, today’s couples are choosing rings that suit their personal style.

B R I D A L

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MEMOIRE, SCOTT KAY, RITANI, ROBERTO COIN, SCOTT KAY, ROBERTO COIN CENTO, MEMOIRE, RITANI, MEMOIRE

VINTAGE AND VINTAGE-LOOK ENGAGEMENT RINGS Some women in same-sex marriages are opting for customary engagement and wedding rings, but with more of a personal statement. Perhaps because of the sentimental value that they hold, vintage and vintage-look rings bring to mind the sentiments behind a marriage itself. (Christine Quinn, New York City’s City Council Speaker, married using her fiancée’s mother’s engagement ring.) Vintageinspired is also becoming a coveted look in new rings.

Pavé-set diamonds, intricate hand engraving, filigree work and halos are all details reflecting this movement.

A profound and eternal love deserves a diamond of breathtaking beauty.

K TLAR CUSHION

®

The world’s most brilliant cushion cut diamond™

The Kotlar Cushion diamond is an exceptionally fitting symbol of your greatest love, your most significant achievement or your deepest commitment.

Sold only by jewelers recognized for their integrity and expertise.

From left to right:

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WEDDINGS

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Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Peavy (Brandi Bergeron)

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Think Of Citrus As A Great Restaurant With A Fine Hotel Attached.

No offense to typical hotel restaurants, but Citrus is no typical hotel restaurant. Our daily menu is equal parts inspiring, tantalizing and deliciously innovative. We search San Antonio’s local markets and provisioners for the freshest and finest ingredients. All so that you may enjoy a meal worth talking about and worth coming back for. Who knows, you might even choose to stay the night so you can dine here again sooner.

15 0 E A S T H O U S TO N S T R E E T, SA N A N TO N I O, T X

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W W W. H OT E LVA L E N CI A - R I V E R WA L K .CO M

Citrus Restaurant of fers a fresh t wist on dining inside Hotel Valencia on San Antonio’s famed River Walk .

E xecutive Chef, Jef fer y Balfour

©2010 Hotel Valencia Corporation. Valencia® is a registered trademark of Newhall Land & Farming Company and is licensed to Hotel Valencia Corporation. The Valencia logo is a registered service mark of Eland Investment Corporation.

TECHNOLOGY

The Lee Michaels Five C’s App

A

t Lee Michaels we recognize that choosing that perfect diamond is an extremely important and hard decision. So we brainstormed on a way to make that experience fun, informational, interactive and as easy as possible. In turn, our Diamond App was born! We now have a resource that our associates can use to better serve our customers, as well as one customers can access on their own. We are excited to be one of the first in our industry to create an educational tool and bridal experience for our clients utilizing this advanced technology.

The Lee Michaels Five C’s App allows customers to receive in-depth and interactive information on how to properly purchase diamonds and how to identify a high-quality diamond from other low-quality diamonds. It is a great tool for first-time diamond buyers, and those wanting more information on the proper way to compare diamonds before making an investment.

In the app, customers can actively move scales to show the various diamond quality measures at every level. The Five C’s displayed on the app are defined as: ĴĴĴĴĴĴĴ ĴColor - The highest quality of diamonds are colorless and exhibit no hues of yellow ĴĴĴĴĴĴĴ ĴCut - When diamonds are cut either too shallow or too deep, they lose their brilliance and value ĴĴĴĴĴĴĴ ĴClarity - Measured by inclusions, which are minute embedded crystals or other minerals trapped in the diamond during formation; diamonds with a low number of inclusions are considered more valuable ĴĴĴĴĴĴĴ ĴCarat - The overall weight and size of the diamond ĴĴĴĴĴĴĴ ĴConfidence - Explained by Lee Michaels as the necessary confidence buyers must have in their jewelers and the quality of the final product The app is now available for both Apple iPhone and iPad users in the Apple app store under “Lee Michaels Diamond Buying Guide.” For those without an Apple device, it is located in its full functionality on our website at lmfj.com/diamondguide.php

The Norman Silverman Bridal Collection

The Stimulus

The Response

PEACE OF MIND STARTS WITH PROOF OF QUALITY. Carat Weight 1.53

Color Grade E

Clarity Grade VS1

Cut Grade

Excellent

Laser Inscription Registry Number GIA 16354621

Natural Diamond Not Synthetic

A GIA report is certainty from the source.

As creator of the 4Cs and the International Diamond Grading System™, GIA sets the standards for diamond assessment, worldwide. Unbiased. Scientific.

A report from GIA gives you a clear understanding of your diamond’s quality.

Look for GIA Diamond Grading Reports and the jewelers who offer them. www.4cs.gia.edu

THE UNIVERSAL STANDARD BY WHICH GEMS ARE JUDGED.

PRICELESS INSIGHT RYAN & SCOTT BERG know jewelry from the inside, out.

T

hree things a jeweler can’t do without.

Good staff. Quality merchandise.

The ability to present a piece of jewelry properly.

How did you get into the business?

Watching our father help customers turn special moments into memories. Both of us wanted to be part of that.

Why is a GIA report so important?

It provides an independent, unbiased rating on diamonds. It allows us to present the exact quality of a stone to our customer.

All-time favorite piece of jewelry?

Ryan’s is the Rolex that came from our grandfather.

Scott’s is the Patek Philippe, because it’s what he’ll pass on to his son.

Insider’s tip?

Don’t get hung up on price. Focus first on what you are really purchasing: the quality, unique features and benefits of a lifelong investment.

Most valuable lesson learned at work?

Lead by example. No task is too big or too small.

And really good leaders should also know how to follow.

What should a customer always look for?

Quality and honesty in the jeweler. You’re establishing a relationship you want to feel comfortable with for many years to come.

Best source for diamond know-how?

4cs.gia.edu. Not only to explain what to look for in a diamond, it’s information jewelers use themselves.

Christopher Designs

Crisscut PHOTOGRAPHY: BARTOSZ POTOCKI

INTERIORS

HEAVY METALS

F

urniture designer Sylvan Fiss had a wonderfully whimsical idea while watching a show about gemstones on the Discovery Channel.

Inspired by the other-worldly geometric forms, the Indonesia-based designer conceived his innovative Popova writing desk in the shape of a meteor-sized gem. So impressed was he with the result, Fiss also translated the radiant design (with an $8,600 price tag to match) into a coordinating metallic Popova coffee table. Both pieces are now part of the collection for Scala Luxury, the Los Angeles-based dealer of upscale home furnishings.

Lorin Marsh was thinking less about gemstones than where to store them when he came up with the company’s new Jewel Box ottoman, formed in the shape of...you guessed it...a jewel box, upholstered in metallic gold with polished nickel trim. Then there’s designer Gary Hutton’s shapely

bronze and stainless steel Facet and Grand Facet cocktail tables, small enough to hold a single cocktail and named for the thousands of multifaceted Swarovski crystals that cover the surface. “I found a woman who worked for handbag designer Judith Lieber, who sets those stones—7,000 in all—one at a time with a pair of tweezers,” says the San Francisco-based Hutton, who works exclusively in stainless steel and bronze. The tables range from $4,200 to $14,000.

Much like Dutch designer Marcel Wanders’ idea a few years back to turn a hulk of plastic into colorful Stone barstools cut like chunks of tourmaline,

56

Clockwise from top left: Scala Luxury Truffle Trunk table; Christopher Guy Feather mirror; Ktribe by Philippe Starck metal table lamp; Lorin Marsh Diamond credenza

NOLET’S GIN

COOL METALLIC FINISHES ADD WARMTH TO ANY HOME. BY WILLIAM KISSEL

topaz and diamonds, furniture makers are now turning heavy metals— sterling silver, gold, nickel, bronze and even wrought iron and stainless steel—into their own beautiful little jewels for the home. In particular, brooches on steroids seem to be a compelling source of inspiration to today’s metal workers. That would no doubt please the late designer Robert Hutchinson, who often equated mirrors with brooches and freely complimented those who translated them well. Today the “brooch effect” can be found on everything from mirrors and headboards to table lamps. ake for example the work of luxury furniture maker Christopher Guy, who had French designer Coco Chanel in mind when he presented his new Mademoiselle collection of furnishings and accessories, inspired by the Paris apartment of the influential couturier.

Among the offering straight from the designer’s jewelry box was a gold and black balled mirror resembling a strand of Chanel’s famous pearls, another gold metal feather-framed mirror, reminiscent of a brooch or hat pin, and an upholstered chair with a golden fan-shaped back. “The fan-back chair is Coco’s successor’s trademark accessory,” says the designer, referring to the fan-waving Karl Lagerfeld, who has reigned over the house of Chanel since 1983.

Heather Palmer was clearly channeling the work of another French designer, jewelry maker Jean Schlumberger, when the San Francisco-based glass artist conceived her $3,800 blue Sea Fan ceiling light fixture for Bespoke Global, the Southampton, New York atelier fostering the designs of artisan craftsmen from around the world.

Looking at the polished nickel and glittering coral-shaped glass sconce, it’s easy to imagine Palmer poring over the early 20th-century French jewelry designer’s colorful pins and brooches in an effort to capture their translucent forms and intricate detailing. Meanwhile, if you didn’t know otherwise, you might swear Scala Luxury’s nickelplated brass Jewel Specimen mirror with its starburst shape and colorful goatskin panels set to look like precious gems was a jeweled family heirloom passed down through the generations.

“I was always fascinated by the cuts of gemstones, the framing and mounting around jewels and the color coordination,” says designer Sylvan Fiss, who translated the mirror after a piece of jewelry he gifted to his wife. “I used the gemstone cut on several furniture

T

From top: John Lyle Turtle table; Gary Hutton A-5 cube tables; Christopher Guy Fan chair pieces that I made for Scala Luxury, but for the Jewel Specimen mirror I had to integrate some colors and didn’t want to deal with any jewels or stones.

Instead I used goatskin that I dyed in different colors, such as eggplant, charcoal gray, celadon green and lapis blue, and finished it in a high gloss polished finish, which really created a fascinating look.” Additional pieces in the collection include the Truffle Trunk gold leaf side table, which looks more like a sand-cast gold bracelet than a functional cocktail table, and the Hedge Stone table, made of meteor-sized brass.

“I’ve always said there are only two kinds of people in the world: those who love sparkly things and those who won’t admit it,” says San Francisco-based designer Gary Hutton, whose jewel-like designs include a stainless steel or bronze Ver mirror featuring spikes of Swarovski pearls fanning out like a sunburst. “It’s a take on Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s painting Girl with a Pearl Earring,” he says.

Look closely at that home you call your jewel box, adds Hutton. These days it might actually be furnished like one.

Of course, there was a time when most people equated metal designs with the stark cold interiors of the 1970s, or with the modern trappings of a museum. But the chill factor is only an illusion, most designers agree. Rather than mere shiny distractions, theses pieces actually reflect the warmth of the other furnishings that surround them. “With my new Inox New York collection I’ve moved into mirror-polished stainless steel that has an immaculate reflection,” explains New York designer John Lyle, who works exclusively in metal. Among his new designs are statuesque Klismos chairs, sinuous bar stools and shapely tables wax-cast like jewelry in bronze, nickel and even 24-karat gold. “The reason these pieces aren’t cold is because they reflect that Persian or Turkish rug and those coral-colored walls. They sort of act as a chameleon in the room,” says Lyle, whose Adelphi mirror for Inox New York is akin to a Baroque earring. But this Baroque mirror is hardly a sign of bad luck; rather, it’s a beautiful good luck charm. Rather than stand out, it accentuates a room just as a piece of jewelry might do to an outfit.

Something chemical also happens when metal designs accent a room. “Sparkle is really nothing more than the reflection of light, and human beings respond dramatically to light,” says designer Gary Hutton.

“The love of things that sparkle is just hotwired into our DNA.”

58

PERKS Radiolaria Grid

by Nuala O’Donovan

PARISIAN PAMPERING

Arrive refreshed in an Open Skies BizBed.

Dream up any excuse you can— birthday, anniversary, graduation—to fly to Paris in style on Open Skies, an all business class airline. Choose from a selection of unbelievably comfortable BizBeds or ample BizSeats. The flight attendants are friendly and the fares are reasonable for the service offered (check the website for seasonal deals). Flights from New York (Newark) arrive at Orly Ouest, a much smaller airport that’s easier to navigate than Charles de Gaulle, with the same direct transport links into the center of Paris. Visit flyopenskies.com. —JC

THESE AMENITIES WILL LEAVE YOU FEELING LIGHTER THAN AIR…

BY JACQUELIN CARNEGIE AND SHIRA LEVINE

FLY IN STYLE

Remember when the open skies were friendly and flying felt glamorous? Your vacation started at the airport, before security measures became a burden. Flight attendants were bright-eyed, gorgeous and envied for having the dream job. Inflight amenities were small treasures, and yes, bags flew free. We think it’s high time to bring the fun back to flying.

Finally, an edible in-flight meal.

60

NOLET’S GIN

FLYING CHEFS

Most airline food is just dreadful, but Turkish Airlines has remedied the problem with on-board chefs on all its long-haul, business class service. So whether you’re headed to Cape Town, Hong Kong or Istanbul, you can enjoy meals prepared by chefs with years of top restaurant and hotel experience.

The menu includes traditional Turkish dishes as well as international favorites like Chilean Sea Bass.

In addition to the food, the business class service is impeccable, with attentive flight attendants and plush sleep seats. With more than 200 international flight destinations, you can enjoy a decent meal and great service around (and above) the globe. Visit turkishairlines.com. —JC

190 YEARS AGO

A MAN BET ON HORSES AND CHANGED WATCHMAKING FOREVER .

In 1821, Nicolas Rieussec changed watchmaking forever with the invention of the first chronograph. Today, the Montblanc TimeWalker Chronograph Automatic is a tribute to 190 years of the chronographâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technical evolution. 43 mm stainless steel case, skelleted horns and sapphire crystal back, black calfskin strap with white stitching. Crafted in the Montblanc Manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF TRAVEL

Embracing the idea that a luxe lifestyle shouldn’t stop when you’re suspended 34,000 feet above ground, Singapore Air has introduced the Airbus A380, a behemoth double-decker flying cruise ship. Enjoy one of the 60 leather lie-flat business class seats, the most spacious in the world at 34 inches wide, in the upper deck of the plane. When you’re not asleep beneath Givenchy bedding, the entertainment is addictive courtesy of SilverKris, an extensive multimedia library of current and classic movies and TV shows from around the world. A true mark of luxury is choice. That means making delightful decisions such as: Dom Perignon or Krug? Should I sample eight wine varietals or two Singapore Sling recipes? You’ll also relish the options on the seasonal menu, served on fine Givenchy china and linens. Think capsicum confit and kalamata olive potatowa. (Passengers can pre-reserve their entrées using the Book-The-Cook feature, exclusively at singaporeair.com.) And for $18,000 a seat, choose a Pullman train car-inspired single- or double-occupancy cabin suite—the ultimate in in-flight privacy. —SL

WE HAVE LIFT-OFF

Only a cheeky billionaire like Sir Richard Branson can get away with using the term “Upper Class” to distinguish top-deck seating aboard his Virgin Atlantic flights. Considered businessclass-affordable, yet not-quite-first class, the 33-seat cabin offers fabulous quirks that make that other class the forgotten one. The nightclub-esque walk-up bar decked out in 1,000 Swarovski crystals and manned by a generous bartender comes off as exclusive and hip without seeming pretentiously stuffy.

(Booze and that thick velvety curtain help, too.) Mood lighting changes color throughout the flight, encouraging passengers to “relax, unwind, fall asleep and adjust time zones.” The loungelike seats flip forward into the longest flat beds in business class, complete with down duvets. The black cotton sleepwear is a charming and comfy offering not to be passed up before you disappear into the pod-like seats; they’re angled into a herringbone formation and enclosed with cubicle-like “suite” walls, so high that the person seated next to you has to peer over to communicate. The solution: Come mealtime, personal entertainment systems fold away so a couple can face one another to dine. Visit virginatlantic.com. —SL

62

E !"#"$ THE

COLLECTION

Antique Design.

Modern Perspective.

From left to right: c1870’s; American Victorian 14kg and tracery enamel bangle bracelet c1850’s; American Victorian 18kg, diamond and pearl bangle bracelet c1870’s; American Victorian 14kg and tracery enamel bangle bracelet

FINE JEWELRY & DISTINCTIVE GIFTS

(Items starting at $1,950)

Designs © MAKUR DESIGNS ®. All rights reserved. Made in the USA.

The Perfect Match: Rose Gold and Morganite

FOOD

FIRST-GENERATION FAME CHEF GEORGE MENDES IS A NATIONAL TREASURE. BY SHIRA LEVINE

I

JERRY ERRICO

f you watch Bravo’s cooking shows, Chef George Mendes might be a familiar face. He appeared on the third season of Top Chef Masters, which won him many foodie fans of the (mostly) female variety. But sex appeal isn’t the only dish Mendes serves up. For this first-generation American born to Portuguese parents, cooking has always been about the fresh, the local, the in-season, the simple: in other words, the most delicious foods nature has to offer. Growing up in Danbury, Connecticut, Mendes was always surrounded by good food. He’d help his mother and aunt in the kitchen and work in the garden out back with his father.

As a result, Mendes enjoys working with his hands. It was either a career in interior design and architecture, or working as a chef. His decision to cook came ultimately, he says, “because I constantly have to be in motion and doing something; I couldn’t be stuck in an office.”

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, he worked under culinary legends Alain Ducasse and David Bouley and refined his palate in France, Spain, San Francisco and D.C. at a number of Michelin-starred hotspots. In 2009, he finally went solo to open Aldea in New York City. The rustic yet classic restaurant featuring Spanish, French and Portuguese influences has already scored a Michelin star of its own, been deemed one of the country’s 10 best new restaurants by GQ’s Alan Richman, and helped Mendes become a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef New York Award.

Accent managed to catch Mendes in a rare free moment to chat about his impressive accomplishments.

What’s your ideal meal?

I love my beef. At Keens Steakhouse, I dig into a nice porterhouse, a Caesar

salad, some oysters and wine. A good steak on my day off helps me feel nourished and relaxed.

You’ve traveled a lot during your career. Besides New York’s, what other food scenes do you take inspiration from?

My family roots in Portugal are a huge influence. I go twice a year and love visiting the local cafés, beer bars and gastropubs. Everything is so simply prepared and fresh. Also, Paris, the south of France, Barcelona and San Sebastian are important to me. That’s where I spent my early years learning.

What Canada and Denmark are doing with the foraging movement is another great influence. It’s nothing extremely new though, just a return to the basics.

It’s funny that people today see eating locally as a trend.

Everything is in season somewhere in the world. It’s my responsibility as a chef to utilize what’s nearby, support farmers, focus on what is sustainable for the area and care about our oceans. It’s a responsibility I take seriously.

How do your Portuguese roots shape your sensibility as a chef?

My parents are immigrants and farmed their own food. They continued a lot of those values at our home in Connecticut. We had a garden that I’d help my dad prepare each season. It was a way of life for us. Our kitchen table was especially influenced in the spring and summer months because of that garden. It taught me the importance of knowing where my food came from.

The [Portuguese] culture, the homey rustic feel of eating at home during the holidays, and the feasts my family would prepare are my strongest memories. Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Thanksgiving were always big lavish feasts that my mom and aunt would spent days preparing for.

67

How do you describe the cuisine at Aldea?

I operate with my history in mind: the Portuguese were seafarers and explorers, discovering new lands. We brought spices and new flavors that influenced a lot of menus. Aldea is Portuguese-inspired with global influences. Early on, Portugal had colonies throughout the world, so you can see flavors from Brazil, Japan and India in my menu.

You can also see my French training in there. All of my exploring has helped define my style.

What is your presentation style?

Minimalist. I like to focus on the color of food. My favorite time of year is spring, where all these edible colors pop out naturally. I’m not one to manipulate. I love the bounty of what comes in during those months.

And maybe it’s my Mediterranean roots, but I love to enjoy my meals in the sun.

Top Chef really give food the opportunity to shine. I love to be in my restaurant, but it was a great platform for exposure.

Would you do TV again?

I would, if it were the right fit. I’d love an educational role where I teach the public about Portuguese cuisine, about growing your own food and eating as local as possible. I don’t want to be formed into a character.

Do you have a cookbook in the works?

It’s scheduled for spring 2014. It will be about Aldea, and be an introduction to Portuguese cuisine for the home cook. It will also include the story of my life and, of course, some great recipes.

FROM GEORGE MENDES’ KITCHEN

I know the term ‘fusion’ is kind of overused...

I hate the word fusion. Some chefs will mismatch cuisines just to be creative, but they don’t necessarily know what they’re doing in terms of pairing flavors. You should know your history and combine things because they work. You don’t just pair because you want to create some new, unheard-of style. These fusion chefs overlook history and ancestry. True cooking comes from your heart, your ancestry, what was in your home.

What are some exciting things on your menu right now?

We’re using a lot of ramps, wild leeks, wild onions and wildflowers. We’re working with a forager, Evan Strusinski, who is bringing in things from the wild—herbs and plants not readily available from our regular sources. We’re always looking for new ingredients. We’re using chickweed, different kinds of mints and wintergreens, fiddlehead ferns, ramps and all kinds of exciting stuff in the mushroom category.

If you’ve never eaten at Aldea, try the sea urchin toast; it’s refined and elevated. Or anything with shrimp, my duck rice... I’d say they all encompass rustic refinement.

That’s a lot to introduce to the average (potentially not-soadventurous) eater!

It’s about coming across what grows naturally in the woods that people don’t know they can eat. The forager has been providing us with things that I didn't know existed!

For winter we’ll work with more robust, heartier flavors. Warm foods with an elevated level of refinement. Look for the tripe stew with root vegetables and quail eggs. Plus, winter means blue truffle season.

Are there plans to open a second restaurant?

We have plans but there is no forecast. When the right place comes along, then it’s the right time. We need a place that allows our vision to flourish, so it could take another 18 months to come together.

You were on Top Chef Masters, so you’ve got an insider’s perspective on the reality show business. What are your thoughts about these cooking shows?

I’m really split on it. Food TV can have a great impact on business, but it really depends on the chef’s desires. Does he want to be on TV, or does he want to be in his restaurant? Top Chef Masters was difficult, but it was a fantastic experience. Some of the food shows are just about entertainment; they pretty much forget the food. But Tom Colicchio and

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Eggs Baked with Peas, Linguiça and Bacon extra-virgin olive oil, as needed 11/2 ounces slab bacon cut into 1/2-inch slices, then into 1/4-inch batons 1/ 2

white Spanish onion, finely diced

3

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1

fresh California bay leaf, notches torn every 1/2 inch

1

pinch crushed red chile flakes

3

tbsp. strained tomatoes

2

ounces linguiça, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/ 4

ounce chorizo, casing removed and thinly sliced

2

cups frozen petit peas kosher salt to taste

4

large eggs

1/ 2

cup parsley leaves, chopped

fresh lemon juice, to taste Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a 4-quart cocotte over medium heat. Add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom, then add the bacon. Cook, stirring

occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the bacon lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the bacon to a dish.

Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf and chile flakes to the cocotte and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon olive oil and cook, stirring and scraping down the sides of the pan, for 4 minutes. The tomatoes should be sizzling steadily. Stir in the linguiça, chorizo, reserved bacon and 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas and season to taste with salt.

Make 4 little nests for the eggs in the mixture, spacing them a few inches apart.

Carefully break an egg into each nest, making sure each egg is nestled in the stew and flush with the top.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 8 minutes.

Top with the parsley and season to taste with lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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presented by

The River City Jazz Coalition thanks: Verge and Cheri Ausberry, C.J. Blache and Sherri McConnell, Maria and Brian Despinasse II, Leo and Gwendolyn Hamilton, Tim and Stacia Hardy, Darrell Hunt, Dr. Antoine Keller and Allison Chauvin, Cornelius and Karen Lewis, Drs. Jamel and Nicolette Martin, Ronald and Belinda Mason, John and Virginia Noland Fund, Albert and Roberta Sam, Josef Sternberg Memorial Fund

AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT TWA200 Ø 45 MM $595.00

SWISS ARMY KNIVES CUTLERY TIMEPIECES TRAVEL GEAR FASHION FRAGRANCES I WWW.SWISSARMY.COM

SPIRITS

GET THE SKINNY LOW-CAL DRINKS THAT DON’T SKIMP ON TASTE. BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON mint, Perrier and lime juice, for example, comes in at only 74 calories.

In addition to the Skinnygirl brand, you’ll now find other pre-made and low-cal options on liquor store shelves. New Zealand-based VnC Cocktails’ pre-mixed drinks feature real fruit juices and about 14% vodka or tequila, keeping calories down to around 150 a serving. And Voli Vodka drops its potency a bit (to 70 proof), meaning the flavored brand requires less flavoring (sweeteners) to overcome the alcohol. Just remember— moderation is still the key. Drinking three or four of these tasty treats leads to trouble. And a tighter-fitting dress.

A Ty-Ku mojito with mint, Perrier and lime juice comes in at 74 calories.

74

SLENDERIZE YOUR COCKTAILS • Replace sodas and tonics with sparkling water. This can cut your calories in half. (Mitigate flavor loss with a lime or grapefruit-flavored Perrier.)

• Use fresh, seasonal fruits rather than high-calorie purees, juices or pre-bottled mixers.

• Replace rum or light whiskies with sake or soju, lower in calories while still adding flavor (unlike vodka).

• Don't discount liqueurs: Cointreau has a lower calorie count than many grain-distllied spirits, according to Williams.

• Avoid booze with additives. Many lower-quality liquors (and wines) add sugar, caramel and other goodies to their ‘‘pure’’ product.

• When drinking (or mixing with) Champagne, develop a taste for the drier varieties (Extra Sec, Brut and Ultra Brut) which have far less residual sugar.

• In the 1790s, before there were cocktails, there were Slings: a little booze and a lot of water (think Scotch Highball). The Japanese drink similar cocktails, like 2 ounces of Hibiki or Yamakazi whiskey, with a large dose of soda water and ice.

Refreshing and light.

• Or follow Partida Tequila’s lead with its signature margarita: using agave nectar and spring water in place of triple sec and reducing the tequila by a half ounce shaves off 200 calories but actually enhances flavor.

NOLET’S GIN

O

ur national waistline may be expanding, but our palate has evolved. Where ‘‘diet drinking’’ was once limited to rum and Diet Coke or a cheap Chardonnay, we now want to have our mixology cake and drink it, too.

Enter the ‘‘skinny’’ cocktail. First popularized by Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel and her line of Skinnygirl premixed cocktails (and now wines), the idea has spread, particularly to beach and resort destinations where a few extra calories go a long way. New York’s Haru Sushi recently launched a Skinny Happy Hour. The very posh St. Julien Hotel and Spa in Boulder is offering an elegant lineup of low-cal and no-cal (mock) cocktails, as is the Saltbox gastropub in San Diego. While most mixed drinks run in the 200 to 500 calorie range (or more!), drinks on the new menu have as few as 90 calories per glass (usually a 4ounce serving) and are still full of flavor. ‘‘We have plenty of higher proof and classic cocktails on the menu,’’ says Erin-Elizabeth Williams, the beverage manager for Saltbox. ‘‘But San Diego is also a driving city and a fitness-oriented city. The designated driver and dieter shouldn’t have to miss out on all the fun.’’

Patti Stanger, host of Bravo’s The Millionaire Matchmaker, agrees. She recently became a strategic partner at TyKu spirits (sake, soju and liqueurs), in part because of her desire to promote tasty, low-cal cocktail options. ‘‘A while back, I had lost a lot of weight, and wanted something that could get me over first-date jitters without a lot of calories. Sake was the drink.’’ A mojito made with Ty-Ku liqueur,

T H E O R I G I N ATO R O F C U LT U R E D P E A R L S . S I N C E 1 8 9 3 .

© D.YURMAN 2012

LEE MICHAELS FINE JEWELRY ACCENT THE MAGAZINE OF LIFE’S CELEBRATIONS

FALL/WINTER 2012