COUP Boston August 2013

AUGUST 2013

bringing the heat late-summer fashion

eco-luxe new england jaunts beauty bravura

CONTENTS & DEPARTMENTS

40

6

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

8

CURATED // orange crush

12

COUP DE GRÂCE // EYE OF THE BEHOLDER For makeup artist and aesthetic visionary David Nicholas, the best approach to beauty is sometimes the least conventional.

19

SOCIETY // THE FRONT ROW Who wore what, when, and why. And more importantly, how they made the party better for it.

32

WANDERLUST // THE STATE OF ECO-LUXURY Green living has traditionally been more crunchy than cushy. But these chic travel destinations in— where else?—Vermont are setting a new standard.

40

ARMOIRE // TURNING POINT How to make the transition from easy, late-summer dressing to the more structured mood of early fall?

With a mix of pieces that make the shift with grace.

52

COUP D'ÉTAT // MAKING THE CUT With a blend of artistry and intuition, hair stylist Christa Comeau is turning heads around town.

32

ON THE COVER photograph by JESSICA WEISER styling by JANINE MAGGIORE, ENNIS INC. Hair & Makeup by KACIE CORBELLE, ENNIS INC. featuring LINDSEY BYARD, MUSE NYC photographed on location REVERE HOTEL BOSTON COMMON

94 Central Street Wellesley, MA 02482 (781) 237-7010 grettaluxe.com

PROENZA SCHOULER STELLA McCARTNEY VERONICA BEARD PHILLIP LIM MICHAEL KORS DEREK LAM BALENCIAGA A.L.C. BARBARA BUI HELMUT LANG CHRIS BENZ EDUN CAMILLA JAMES

Proenza Schouler Pre-Fall 2013

Alexandra Hall Editor-in-Chief Joseph Gordon Cleveland Creative Director Austyn Ellese Mayfield Managing Editor Michael Blanding Editor-at-Large MICHAEL TrOTMAN Copy Editor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Katherine Bowers Amanda Hark Robin Hauck Jolyon Helterman Bernard Leed Erin Byers Murray Lisa Pierpont STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Marie Wu CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Joel Benjamin Sadie Dayton Conor Doherty Tristan Govignon Christopher Huang Eric Levin Russ Mezikofsky Bob Packert Cory Stierley Matt Thoman Jessica Weiser ART & DESIGN INTERN Alexa Robertiello EDITORIAL INTERNS Diana Burmistrovich Christina Giannopoulos Basia Gordon Valeria Navarro Kelsey Prisby Heidi Rose CHERYL KAUFMAN Senior Client Manager TO ADVERTISE, CONTACT salut@coupboston.com COUPBOSTON.COM 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1105 Boston, MA 02116

PORSCHE OF WESTWOOD 420 PROVIDENCE HIGHWAY, ROUTE 1

PRIMEPORSCHE.COM

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR / COUP BOSTON / AUGUST 2013

SEASONAL DISORDER It’s a heady time in New England, that last gasp of summer. These final weeks before Labor Day stir us into a swirl: On one hand, we’re now addicted to the feel of loosened ties and flowing (read: forgiving) dresses; we’ve embraced what it feels like not only to live more outside more often, but also to live more out loud. Bostonians as a whole only need a few months of warm-weather encouragement before we’ve become a more boisterous version of our regular selves. By the time August shows up and stretches out a hand, we’re ready to take it once around the dance floor.

Of course, part of what makes this slice of time so singular is that we know it’ll end once September sobers us back up. So I’m going to go on the record here and now and say this: We officially need to add an extra month between August and September. That’ll give us more time to relish the glory that is transition season. And more time to read this issue—filled with wardrobe ideas to take you from full-on summer straight into fall, plus eco-friendly resort getaways in places that are as stunning on a sweltering summer weekend as they are on a crisp fall one. It’s all enough to leave us ready to kick back into high gear. Well, almost. First there are a few last berries to pick, and at least a few more breezy beach sunsets to savor. Enjoy!

Alexandra Hall Editor-in-Chief alex@coupboston.com

6

>>> The editor, trying to decide which of Vermont’s eco-minded resorts to escape to first.

1

1 3 2

12 4 13 11

5

6 10

7 9

8 8

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / CURATED

CURATED

What the finicky editorial COUP crew is donning, devouring, hoarding, imbibing, inhaling, and generally lusting after right now.

by JOSEPH GOrDON CLEVELAND, ALEXANDrA hall and Austyn ellese mayfield 1. PARLOUR ATOMIC ACCENT CHAIR Every living room should have a chair that people fight over to sit in. CB2 hits the mark with a smart-yet-cozy riff on Danish design. $699 at cb2.com —AUSTYN ELLESE MAYFIELD,

MANAGING EDITOR

6. CRAYO ANGLES WATCH If you’re one of the few still using your watch (instead of a smartphone) to tell time, then grab a fun timepiece like this to make “happy hour” anytime you happen to glance down at your wrist. $120 at crayowatches.com —AEM

2. SANTIAGO GONZALEZ CROCODILE WALLET Made from Colombian crocodile, here’s a showstopping wallet that lends sartorial punch to any man’s well-rounded wardrobe. $585 at neimanmarcus.com —JOSEPH GORDON CLEVELAND, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

7. NANTUCKET OFF-SHORE DRAGON RUB The quickest way to up my late-summer grilling game: this combo is big on lemongrass, ginger, Chinese garlic, cinnamon, star anise, and cilantro. $4 at iherb.com —AH

3. MAKEUP FOREVER’S ROUGE ARTIST INTENSE LIPSTICK One swipe of high-pigment #40 (Satin Bright Orange) loads lips up with a jolt of color that’s equal parts bravada and bella figura. $20 at sephora.com —ALEXANDRA HALL, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

8. JOSIE MARAN COCONUT WATERCOLOR CHEEK GELÉE Taking my obsession with coconut water to the next level, this hybrid product gives cheeks the natural look of a cream blush with the long-lasting color of a stain.

Infused with pure coconut water and argan oil, it hydrates parched skin almost instantly. $22 at josiemarancosmetics.com —AEM

4. SUZANNE KALAN ORANGE CHALCEDONY RING One of the latest sparklers in the Starburst Collection is a dizzying jolt of light, thanks to a blast of champagne diamonds in 14-carat gold.

Price upon request and by special order at trustyourimpulse.com —AH 5. AVRIL LORETI PAINTCHIP RUNNER A simply lovely, paint-inspired table runner—and an idea so brilliant, I wish I’d thought of it first. $55 at avrilloreti.com —AEM

9. ICU LAMP Minimalist circular cutouts, traditional crafting (it’s glazed and bisque-fired twice), and an unapologetically bold hue make ceramicist Lawrence McCrae’s fixture a bright idea in any room. $500–$770 at lekkerhome.com —AH

10. CALICHE RUM The one spirit perfect for adding to the best summer standards—a chilly mojito (or six), for example. $20.99 (750-ml bottle) at bevmo.com —JGC 11. RABLABS COASTERS These Brazilian agate coasters—from Boston’s emporium of all things haute home design, Hudson—are every bit as beautiful as they are durable. $68 (set of four) at hudsonboston.com —JGC 12. HERMÈS MEXIQUE SCARF Wearable art meets wearable history in designer Caty Latham’s silk twill creation. Its intricate design pays tribute to pre-Colombian Mexico via Aztec symbols and artifacts. $410 at hermes.com —AH 13. VERIA ID IN CONTROL SERUM Late-summer skin is temperamental, to say the least. The new Ayurvedic wonder—packed with potent extracts of neem oil and soapnut bark—balances moisture, wipes out bacteria, and calms inflammation. $35 at Whole Foods Legacy Place —AEM HERMÈS EAU D’ORANGE VERT SHAMPOO Upgrade your grooming routine with a signature scent rendered in a shampoo that’s just short of indulgent. Not a bad way to start—or end—the day. $53.50 at amazon.com —JGC

9

TIMELESS TUESDAYS

WEEKLY RUNWAY SHOW & BOUTIQUE FEATURING CAPTIVATING LOOKS FROM TOP LOCAL & NATIONAL DESIGNERS

FA SH I ON TO BA N K ON STARTING 6.18.13 | 7:30 P.M. 250 FRANKLIN STREET, BOSTON, THE LANGHAM, BOSTON BONDBOSTON.COM | 617.956.8765 /BOND.BOSTON

@BONDBOSTON1

Seats so luxurious, you’ll sit through the credits.

A Luxury Cinema & Dining Experience THE STREET | 55 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill | ShowcaseSUPERLUX.com

CO M I N G T H I S J U N E

face of progress Cosmetics industry guru David Nicholas aims to expand traditional ideas of beauty.

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / COUP DE GRÂCE

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

For makeup artist and aesthetic visionary David Nicholas, the best approach to beauty is sometimes the least conventional.

by ALEXANDRA HALL photographed by MATT THOMAN

“I don’t like the whole philosophy behind most makeup,” admits David Nicholas. It’s not exactly a sentiment you’d expect to fly from the mouth of a man who’s dedicated 40 years to cosmetic artistry. But those decades of buffing, brushing, and blending have set the 55-year-old native Bostonian on an atypical mission. “This idea that if we’re pretty, we don’t ‘need it’ is just wrong,” he explains. “Makeup isn’t there to cover you up; it’s there as an enhancement. It’s empowering. It’s an accessory. And it’s also an art form.”

The living canvases he’s counted among the clientele of David Nicholas International— from local style icon Marilyn Riseman and Bruins players to Bill Clinton, Michael Dukakis, transgender folk, local models, and burn victims whom he volunteers his time helping—are proof of the depth and diversity that art form can take. “We all have to put our best foot forward,” he says. “And that boils down to one thing: We aren’t just attracted to beauty; we’re attracted to balance in the face. To symmetry.”

For Nicholas, that often starts with brows and spans outward, to correct imperfections across the face that create the perception of imbalance. It’s an approach he imparts to not

only clients, but also to the makeup artistry students he teaches at his studio headquarters in Rowley, Massachusetts. (Nicholas first fell in love with makeup while growing up in the projects of North Cambridge, where he would enlist neighbors, friends, and family to sit for his makeovers.) But it isn’t just brush strokes that he teaches students; it’s also a belief that beauty reaches across the usual boundaries of race, age, and gender.

A major part of that effort has come in the form of his spate of specialized cosmetics lines—including one for men: Called M.a.N. Cosmetics, it comes in masculine, titaniumesque packaging with black accents. “Men need different forms of makeup,” he explains.

“Everything is very matte and invisible, but all keeps shine down.”

The breadth of his clientele notwithstanding, there’s one conventional realm of the beauty industry that Nicholas simply refuses to embrace: age-defying makeup. “That whole concept is just rude to maturity,” he states matter-of-factly, adding that people look their absolute best when not pretending to be something they’re not. “There’s beauty at every age,” he says. “And we should celebrate it.”

13

ALL THE ARTS. ALL THE COCKTAILS. ONCE A MONTH.

—prêt-à-porter— gpwomenswear.com

be. beautiful.

KN MedSpa 4 Pleasant Street South, Unit 4 Natick, MA 01760 508.655.5399 knmedspa.com

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / SOCIETY

THE FRONT ROW Summer may not be the most obvious season for cultural affairs, but it would seem the social calendar has been dominated by artsminded events that are as focused on bolstering the city’s dynamic fine and performing arts scene as they are fabulous—from the venues to the food to the fashion. From the Museum of Fine Art’s Summer Party to Opus Affair’s Big Party, this summer’s event calendar was a catalog of Boston’s unparalleled commitment to cultivating a rich social sphere where the arts and philanthropy go hand in hand. photographed by MARIE WU

SOCIETY / COUP BOSTON / AUGUST 2013

the venue THE SUMMER PARTY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS June 8, 2013

This page, top to bottom: DEANNA PALMIN AND MARK KIEFER; JOSHUA JANSON, LAURA BALDINI, AND ERIC LEVIN. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: PETER TOWNSEND AND CHRISTINA TIEMANN; GUESTS ENJOYING ONE OF THE EVENT’S MANY DANCE FLOORS; JUAN GUILLERMO URIBE RUBIO, JOANNE BELL, AND WILLIAM GROTE.

20

SOCIETY / COUP BOSTON / AUGUST 2013

the venue

UNICEF’s CHILDREN’s Champion Award Dinner Museum of fine arts June 10, 2013

Photographs by Darren McCollester/ Getty Images for UNICEF This page, top to bottom: ONE OF THE EVENING’S PERFORMANCES; DAVID LAUREN AND LAUREN BUSH LAUREN. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: KAIA MILLER AND JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN; KEITH LEIGHTON AND CAROL PARKS; BRYAN RAFANELLI, LAUREN BUSH LAUREN, DAVID LAUREN, ALLI ACHTMEYER AND BILL ACHTMEYER; BELINDA TERMEER.

24

bliss spa W Boston, 100 Stuart Street 617 261 8747 www.blissworld.com

SOCIETY / COUP BOSTON / AUGUST 2013

the venue

OPUS AFFAIR’s BIG PARTY eastern standard July 28, 2013

This page, top to bottom: JESS GOLDFIN AND RYAN CONNELLY; A TRIO OF DECKED-OUT GUESTS ENJOYING THE FESTIVITIES. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: ALEXA KOZAK, LESLIE WINTER, GAVIN BISHOP, JENNA BATES AND AARON BATES; THE CHIFFEROBE TROPIGALS; MEGAN SULLIVAN, HEATHER GRAIN, GRACE DURNFORD, AND PATRICK SCULLY; BLANK LABEL’S CLAIRE SIMMONS and parker simon.

28

nirva.com

the state of eco-luxury Green living has traditionally been more crunchy than cushy. But these chic travel destinations in—where else?—Vermont are setting a new standard.

by ALEXANDRA HALL

32

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / WANDERLUST

33

Elegant details like hand-hewn headboards and locally sourced furnishings complement Hotel Vermont’s eco-focused ethos at every turn. This page (top to bottom): a sweeping vista from a suite’s whirlpool tub; natural finishes lend a rustic air to the suites’ modernminded design. Opposite page: Hotel Vermont’s inviting lobby.

In the spectrum of green lifestyles, we may well be hitting our cultural tipping point. To be sure, the shades are more varied and nuanced than ever. To name but a few, there are bright green (innovative, high-tech eco-practices such as geothermal systems), and deep green (philosophies that align a healthier earth with a better self ), and of course, mint green (the dollars made by industries peddling organic or sustainable products and services).

But only recently have we witnessed the entrance of glam green—and only very recently have we seen the growth of that in New England’s hospitality arena. And one state has stepped way out in front in that pursuit, with some pretty bona fide credentials.

Vermont, long a nexus of both eco-consciousness and tasteful rustic refinement (it arguably pioneered the farm-to-table movement in the Northeast with its Vermont Fresh Network, which connects local food sources directly to almost all of the restaurants around the state), is inarguably pushing the envelope of posh-but-earth-friendly resorts.

One that takes locavorism to a new level is newcomer Hotel Vermont, which gazes out over Burlington’s 20,000-year-old Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. It’s far more urbane and sleek in design aesthetic than you’d typically expect from a country destination, but make no mistake: from floor to ceiling, it doesn’t get much Vermontier than this.

Floors of the boutique property are poured concrete studded with stones and shells dug out of the lake, and the oak lining the walls and marble in the bathrooms is all locally sourced. That chair over there by the fire? Made nearby in Shelburne from locally forested wood by Beeken Parsons. That plush wool plaid blanket waiting to be curled up with? Woven by Johnson Woolen Mills in Johnson. Feel like pedaling around town? The on-site stash of bikes came from a local shop that refurbishes old cycles instead of selling new ones.

Juniper, the hotel’s bar-cum-restaurant, overlooks one of three “green roofs” (outdoor terraces that require cultivating) and shakes up “carbon-negative” cocktails concocted from 11 of Vermont’s microdistilleries—the likes of organic lemon vodka from Green Mountain and double-barrel-aged rye whiskey from WhistlePig. And dinner shares that indigenous flavor: plates like clothbound Cheddar fritters with quince mustard and roasted rabbit with sour cherries, garlic scapes, and hazelnut gastrique hail almost exclusively from area bakeries, farms, and gardens.

Meanwhile, in guest rooms, just about everything tangible came from someone or someplace just a stone’s throw away. There are mugs handcrafted at Robert Compton Pottery in Bristol; organic handmade soaps by Vermont Soap in Middlebury; soap dishes by artisans at Burlington’s AO Glass; and Lemon shampoos and conditioners (in scents like eucalyptus and rosewood bergamot) by Burlington-based Lunaroma.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / WANDERLUST

35 XX

Stowe Mountain Lodge redefines traditional rustic style with modern finishes and refined lines. This page (top to bottom): the grand lobby with its Adirondack-inspired furnishings and inviting palette of honey and rust; a suite of comfortable furnishings frames an arresting view. Opposite page: the resort’s towering facade makes easy work of making a picture-perfect entrance.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34

The obsession with all things local is showcased almost as abundantly—and with just as much élan—at Stowe Mountain Lodge, which sits on the outskirts of Stowe, past the town’s ridiculously cute peppering of covered bridges, woodlands, and soaring peaks. The six-story, 300-room behemoth’s facade of woven timber and stone provided by local quarries is a very now spin on natural beauty—a la birch bark columns, soaring ceilings, and contemporary folk art.

Guest rooms are multiroom suites blessed with spalike bathrooms, and center on oversized windows, gas fireplaces, and outdoor balconies that peer out to 2,000 acres of conservation land and mountain peaks.

Not for nothing has the resort been blessed with a rating of five Green Leafs by the Audubon International Green Lodging Eco-Rating Program for hotels; the property means serious business on the eco front. Its environmental charter, to wit: More than half of the power purchased by the resort is from renewable resources; rooms employ energy-efficient light bulbs and eco-friendly linens, bathrobes, cleaning solutions, and recyclable paper products. There’s a solid waste management system and compost program in practice throughout the place. And pedestrian paths, a trolley system, and a transfer lift help guests reduce carbon emissions when they’re exploring the grounds after an epic meal at Solstice restaurant, where the star of every meal is a dizzying selection of all-Vermont cheeses paired with stonefruit chutney and local honey.

It’s all enough to make other properties aspiring to eco-luxe status so envious, they’re … well, you know what color.

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / WANDERLUST

37

84 LEONARD STREET Belmont, MA 02478 (617) 484-4777 leonandco.com

turning point How to make the transition from easy, late-summer dressing to the more structured mood of early fall? With a mix of pieces that make the shift with grace. Photographed on location at the Revere Hotel Boston Common.

photographed by JESSICA WEISER styled by JANINE MAGGIORE, ENNIS INC.

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / ARMOIRE

SILK BLOUSE and TOGA STRIPED SHORTS. BOTH PRICE UPON REQUEST AT RICCARDI. 41

BALMAIN DRESS, $3,250, at Riccardi.

42

JUNEAUGUST & JULY 2013 / COUP BOSTON / ARMOIRE

this page BALMAIN DRESS, $3,250, at Riccardi. opposite page Rodarte top, price upon request, at riccardi. vince suede leggings, $995, at neiman marcus.

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / ARMOIRE

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / ARMOIRE

RED VALENTINO FUR JACKET, $1,595, and SAINT LAURENT SHOES, $1,095. BOTH at Neiman Marcus.

DSQUARED JUMPER, Price upon Request, at RiCCARDI. 47

Photographed by JESSICA WEISER Styled by JANINE MAGGIORE, ENNIS INC. Hair & Makeup by KACIE CORBELLE, ENNIS INC. Featuring LINDSEY BYARD, MUSE NYC Photographed on location at the REVERE HOTEL BOSTON COMMON >>> WHERE TO SHOP NEIMAN MARCUS COPLEY PLACE 5 Copley Place, Boston (617) 536-3660 RICCARDI 116 Newbury Stret, Boston (617) 266-3158

Dress, Stylist’s own.

Between fine and fashion jewelry, you'll find...

180 Linden Street, Wellesley, MA 02482 | 781.416.1800 | www.trustyourimpulse.com

tressed for success For hair stylist Christa Comeau, artistry and individuality are the best policies.

AUGUST 2013 / COUP BOSTON / COUP D'ÉTAT

MAKING THE CUT

With a blend of artistry and intuition, hair stylist Christa Comeau is turning heads around town.

by AUSTYN ELLESE MAYFIELD photographed by MATT THOMAN

Twenty years ago, if someone had told Christa Comeau that one day she’d be among the most sought-after hair stylists on Newbury Street, she probably would have laughed. “I didn’t even cut my dolls’ hair when I was little, maybe because [the industry] was always around me,” chuckles Comeau, whose family ties to hair go back four generations. (Her uncle Henri founded Blaine Hair Schools—the launchpad for thousands of certified cosmetologists in New England—and both her grandfather and great-grandmother were hair stylists.) “No one in my family pushed at all, though, so I thought I was going to go a different way.”

As the first person in her family to attend college, she took a pragmatic path at first: get a degree that would land a job. But a year into an accounting program, Comeau started feeling claustrophobic. “I just remember looking up from one of my final exams and glancing around the room,” she recalls. “We were all going to be the same. And I didn’t want to be at a desk with my head down not noticing the world. I couldn’t do that for the rest of my life.” So she switched over to design school, where she studied graphic design and photography before becoming director of art

and public relations for Blaine. Ultimately, she found her calling in the last place she’d thought to look: working directly with clients as a stylist.

And it’s that unusual mishmash of backgrounds—formal education as an artist, marketing, and her professional training in the beauty industry—that differentiates her approach to styling as both well executed and highly personalized. Inspired, even. “Your client—that’s your canvas,” she states, matterof-factly. “But instead of me projecting my vision, it’s about helping them discover theirs.”

Her perspective as an artist also makes her chair a “trend-free zone,” where she opts to create styles that work with her clients’ lifestyles, rather than merely cater to external dictates. “There’s a part of everyone that wants to fit in and be accepted,” Comeau concedes. “But the danger of being trenddriven is losing who you are to fit into what you think you should be. If you like an aspect of a particular look, you’ve got to translate it to your personality,” she adds, with the kind of deference to individuality you’d expect from someone who’s spent so much time carving out her own meandering path to success. “You have to make it your own.”

53

AUDI WESTWOOD

420 PROVIDENCE HIGHWAY, ROUTE 1

PRIMEAUDI.COM