Coup Boston Holiday 2013

COUP BOSTON HOLIDAY 2013

The highly clickable, stress -free, sanity- saving

HOLIDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE

contents

& d e pa r t m e n t s

4 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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THE HIGHLY CLICKABLE STRESSFREE SANITY SAVING HOLIDAY SURVIVAL AND GIFT GUIDE

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

32 COUP D’ÉTAT / NEW ENGL AND NEW VINTAGE Cushing Donelan of Donelan Wines is reinventing vintages for New England.

12 ON THE COVER: PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL BENJAMIN ART DIRECTION BY ALEXANDRA HALL FEATURING OWEN WRAPPING PAPER DESIGNED BY JAY CALDERIN

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NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / EDITOR'S LETTER

FÊTE ACCOMPLI What you are about to witness will likely be a blur. A dizzying swirl of joy, gratitude, generosity, and mirth, punctuated with moments (if not hours, if not days) of hair-tearing stress, family drama, marathon efforts to make everyone feel happy, and however many cocktails are necessary to make it all seem pain-free.

It’s called The Holidays. Maybe you’ve heard of it.

So, knowing how things tend to get this time of year, we’ve decided to head it all off at the pass. Instead of waiting until mid-December to start shopping while you’re also trying to deck the halls with (seemingly) effortless merriment and still show up at the holiday party seeming relaxed, we’ve designed this handy-dandy early issue to have your back from the get-go.

What does all that mean? That you should dive straight into our Holiday Survival Guide, buy all of your gifts with a few clicks, and then order up a few of the services we’ve uncovered to make the upcoming weeks far, far easier.

As for us, we’ll still be slaving away over here at Coup Boston. The new year is going to bring some pretty epic changes—early 2014 will see the magazine and our site rebranded in ways we can’t yet divulge, but are all kinds of excited about. It’s one more thing for us to look forward to after the holiday madness has ended.

Until then, relish the revels. We’ll see you on the other side.

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ALEXANDRA HALL Editor-in-Chief alex@coupboston.com

BUY. SELL. SEARCH. CALL US WHEN YOU’RE READY TO MAKE YOUR MOVE.

WELLESLEY’S #1 SALES TEAM*

(781) 264-5225 (508) 254-9288 Exceeding expectations, one client at a time. *as of December 2012

donahuemaley.com | donahuemaley@gmail.com

ALEXANDRA HALL Editor-in-Chief JOSEPH GORDON CLEVELAND

ALEXANDRACreative HALL Director Editor-in-Chief

AUSTYN ELLESE MAYFIELD

LISA BAKER Managing Editor Publisher

MICHAEL BLANDING PETER KAZANTSEV Editor-at-Large Designer KELSEY MICHAEL BEANDO TROTMAN Managing Editor Copy Editor AUSTYN ELLESE MAYFIELD CONTRIBUTING Editor-at-Large WRITERS

Katherine Bowers

CHRISTINA GIANNOPOULOS Amanda Hark Editorial Assistant Robin Hauck

Jolyon Helterman

MICHAEL TROTMAN Bernard Leed Copy Editor

Erin Byers Murray

LisaWRITERS Pierpont CONTRIBUTING Michael Blanding CONTRIBUTING Katherine Bowers PHOTOGRAPHERS Amanda Hark Robin Hauck Joel Benjamin Daniel Bleckley Jolyon Helterman Bernard Leed Conor Doherty Tristan Govignon Erin Byers Murray Sabin Gratz

MARIE WU Christopher Huang Staff PhotographerEric Levin

Russ Mezikofsky

CONTRIBUTING Bob Packert PHOTOGRAPHERS Cory Stierley Joel Benjamin Dan Watkins Sadie Dayton Jessica Weiser Conor Doherty TristanART Govignon & DESIGN INTERNS Christopher Huang Olivia Cartland Eric Levin Caitlin Coyne Russ MezikofskySydney Kirsten Sheryl RichardsAlexa Robertiello Cory Stierley Matt Thomas EDITORIAL INTERNS Jessica Weiser Shanique Fowlkes

Basia Gordon

EDITORIAL INTERNS Kelsey Prisby Basia Gordon Valeria Navarro CHERYL KAUFMAN Kelsey Prisby Senior Client Manager Heidi Rose

TO ADVERTISE, CONTACT

EMILY RHODES salut@coupboston.com Marketing Assistant TO ADVERTISE, CONTACT lisa@coupboston.com

COUPBOSTON.COM 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1105 Boston, MA 02116

PORSCHE OF WESTWOOD 420 PROVIDENCE HIGHWAY, ROUTE 1

PRIMEPORSCHE.COM

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

Yigal Azrouël Stella McCartney Michael Kors Balenciaga Proenza Schouler A.L.C. Barbara Bui Helmut Lang Chloé Veronica Beard Chris Benz Edun Camilla James

Yigal Azrouël Resort 2013 printed moto jacket with leather sleeves.

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NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / GIFT GUIDE

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THE HIGHLY

CLICKABLE,

SANITY-SAVING,

HOLIDAY

SURVIVAL

& GIFT GUIDE I

t happens every year: The holidays sneak up so quickly on you, you barely have time to enjoy them. And then, by the time you’re knee-deep in gift shopping and party hosting and tree buying and menorah lighting and cleaning up tinsel and mailing cards, you already need a holiday from your holiday.

Not this year. Our advice: Start now.

As in, right now. Before you’re tired of the whole shebang. And make it as easy and

simple for yourself as possible, so that when the moment arrives to hang with family and friends, you can actually enjoy it.

On the following page, you’ll find our favorite clever gifts to quickly and easily buy online immediately—certain to charm loved ones, every last one—in the “Give Unto Others” section. Following that? A selection of extra-helpful services around town guaranteed to have your back during the holicraze.

by THE COUP BOSTON STAFF

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1 . CUT FROM A SLAB OF SLATE from an upstate New York quarry, this sleek-butwelcoming charcuterie board also includes soapstone chalk to I.D. the cheeses and meats that its recipient will undoubtedly load it up with. $20 at fab.com.

2 . ENOUGH FRUITCAKE ALREADY. No, seriously. Enough. Even as a retroholdover, it’s still just gross. Instead, send over some locovore love in a basket crammed with New England farmhouse cheeses, flatbreads, chutney, and fresh fruits. $95 at winstonflowers.com.

3 . ONCE YOUR SHOPPING’S DONE, WRAP it all up elegantly and tastefully with Atlantabased interior designer Suzanne Kasler's functional gift-wrapping kit, stocked with everything you could possibly need to make the lamest gift ever look like a work of art. $99 at ballarddesigns.com.

4 . TAKE ONE OF THE PLANET’S MOST delicate creations (yup, that’d be French macarons) and infuse it with funky/festive flavors you had us at "pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and jelly donut" and you’ve got the precious gems doled out by Dana’s Bakery. They’re gluten-free, too, for all your allergen-phobic pals out there. $30 for a box of 12 at danasbakery.com.

5 . TIME TO CHANGE THE LIFE OF YOUR favorite Keurig proponent. Nespresso’s home Essenza espresso machine, which comes equipped with a perfect-pressure extraction system, spurts out a Milan-level intensity of flavor (and just as much caffeine) in your pal’s own kitchen, and just as effortlessly. Starting from $99 at nespresso.com.

6 . CLASSIC ART, MEET CHOCOLATE: Beacon Hill Chocolates has taken inspiration from rare holiday lithographs, old postcards, photographs, and illustrations to create packages of handmade keepsakes—that just happen to be edible. And scrumptious.

From $14 at beaconhillchocolates.com.

NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / GIFT GUIDE

GIVE UNTO OTHERS

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NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / GIFT GUIDE

7 7 . WE’RE SUCKERS FOR OLD-SCHOOL monogramming (Hell, we’d probably monogram our toothbrushes.... Is that possible?), and Neiman Marcus’s mini-site does the job on a roster of such preposterously cute pieces as baby sweaters, Tom’s slippers, silk pjs, and even eco luxury soaps. Soap’s the next best thing to a toothbrush, right? Various prices at neimanmarcus.com.

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8 . WE FIRST STUMBLED ON THESE delicately fragranced, handmade candles while walking around Montmartre in Paris.

Once home in Boston, it quickly became obvious that they were no average souvenir. Order one for your aunt, and three for you. $39 at durance.com.

9 . IF BRINGING A BOTTLE OF WINE TO the party seems a tad uninspired (read: yawwwwn), then skip the cliché by pairing it with this hand-blown decanter from designers Antonio Citterio and Toan Nguyen. $75 at fab.com.

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10 . TABLE & TULIP NATURAL GEM TERRARIUM Crushed pyrite, rosette succulents and air cactus in hand-blown glass terrarium (made in Poland) as shown $150 at tableandtulip.com.

NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / GIFT GUIDE

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NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / GIFT GUIDE

GIVE UNTO YOURSELF 13

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NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / GIFT GUIDE

13 . THAT DINNER PARTY you’re throwing two nights from now was (at least in your imagination) going to spotlight elegant but unpretentious simplicity. On the menu side, there’s no better answer to that than freshly caught, local lobster. So order now for overnight delivery from Biddeford, Maine. And cross off going to the fishmonger from tomorrow’s to-do list. At lobstergram.com.

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14 . FOUR SEASONS GIFT CARD to use to purchase anything at a Four Seasons (rooms, dining, you name it)—including 2014 cooking classes. Purchase online at fourseasons.com/ giftcard.

15 . THE HORROR: YOU’RE SUDDENLY running low on liquid fuel for the office (or house) holiday cocktail party. Worry not, and just dial up Drizly. They deliver most any genre of alcohol to your door within 30 to 60 minutes. (We recommend Bully Boy’s Boston Rum, made with Blackstrap Molasses—an unexpected hit of full body, courtesy of fruity notes and hints of vanilla, caramel, and nougat.) Sip responsibly. Or not. Download the app at drizly.com.

16. LET’S FACE IT: WHEN YOU’RE trying to throw an epic holiday bash, cleaning should be the last thing on your brain.

This appropriately named Holiday Cleaning service specializes in apartments and single-family homes, and offers specialoccasion cleans. (We suggest arranging for a morning-after visit as well, so you can sleep in.) At holidaycleans.com.

17 . YOU’VE RUN OUT OF WARDROBE options for the holiday fête. You’ve run out of crackers worthy of the cheeseboard.

You’ve run out of ideas for the stocking stuffers. God help you. Actually, let Thumbtack help you. They run out all over the city, and supply all of the above. In a pinch.

Track them down at thumbtack.com.

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18 . THE GIFTS NEED ORGANIZING, the dog and/or kids need feeding, and you’ve still got 200 more holiday cards to address.

Fortunately, you’ve already signed up for Heirloom Kitchen, the new healthy mealsto-your-door service (including kids’ and vegetarian meals) that gives you one fewer thing to stress about. And something delicious to eat until you get it all done. Sign up at heirloomkitchen.com.

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19 19 . REPEAT THIS, TO YOURSELF: When it’s all over, I will. Get myself. A properly amazing facial. To be reckoned with. And no, it won’t take me away from the time the world thinks I’m supposed to be using to get reorganized to get back on my feet. Because it takes almost no time at all if you’re swinging by the lunchtime magicians who run the ‘Quick Bliss In and Out Spa Services’ at the W Hotel.

From $45 at blissworld.com.

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VERONICA SAGHERIAN OF IMPULSE

BY ADAMAS FINE JEWELRY.

NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

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Everyday

Icons

FIRST, THEY CORNERED THE FINE JEWELRY MARKET. NEXT, THEY TURNED IT ON ITS HEAD. NOW, THE FOLKS AT ADAMAS FINE JEWELRY AND IMPULSE ARE LAUNCHING A BRAND-NEW RETAIL CONCEPT SURE TO CHANGE THE MARKET ONCE AGAIN.

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he idea’s time had come. And Veronica Sagherian and Anto Aboyan knew it. “We realized that people were starting to buy jewelry very differently,” says the woman who did (and still does) oversee the sparkling counters of Adamas Fine Jewelry in Newton, alongside her brother and partner, Anto Aboyan. The team was still selling lots of investment pieces, but when the economy changed, they noticed customers seemed to take just as much satisfaction in more whimsical, lower-priced accessories. And thus, the idea for a spinoff store was born. And true to the spirit of selling and buying that inspired it, they called it “Impulse.”

It’s in that luminous retail space in Wellesley where Sagherian sits now, sun streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, contemplating the evolution of the business. “We wanted something that entices women to come in all the time—again and again, and just buy for themselves because they felt like it,” she says. To that end, after opening the shop, she filled it with hard-to-find jewelry lines she’s picked up all over this country (and others). Behind her are chunky resin statement necklaces by Dominique Denaive, to her right is a smattering of personalized baubles by Heather B. Moore (one of the store’s bestsellers), and shelves of glittering hoops by the celebrity darling jewelry designer, Lana.

“We love surprising people with rare finds,” says Sagherian, who does all the researching and buying herself. “Classic with an edge sells really well. Our customers want beauty, but with an attitude.” As if taking her own cue, she strides over to the center glass cabinet, which holds treasures from designer Susanne Kalan, among others. A California-based designer, Kalan has devised a clever way in her “Vit-

rine” collection to create a mirror effect—via a thin slice of stone overlaid onto a collection of smaller diamonds. Sagherian holds up a gleaming white topaz necklace. “It’s innovative designs like this that you just don’t see every day.”

And yet, unusual as her selection might be, "everyday" is a very big draw within these walls. Which is precisely what led Sagherian and Aboyan to their Next Big Idea—launched this month as a part of the Impulse space. “I wanted to add something that would encourage women to come in regularly, have fun, and keep wanting to add to their collection.

Her answer? A first-of-its-kind “bracelet bar,” which will function essentially as a boutique within a boutique. Imagine stacks of literally over a thousand bracelets, all of them in bold colors and varying semiprecious stones, and all of them from Sisco & Berluti, the two sisters/designers in Westwood. “I’d heard of them before,” says Sagherian. “And when I saw them all laid out in huge colors, I fell in love and I started with 40 to 50 at first. Women absolutely love them [To wit: Michelle Obama’s a fan], and now we’ll have the largest collection of bracelets to choose from. This will be the kind of thing women come in and buy ten at a time.”

As for the selling proposition, Sagherian sees the concept as directly in line with Impulse’s mission—and her own. “I love the idea of the two creative local sisters working together, and making something for women like themselves, and generously donating a portion of sales to charity,” she says. It also represents the kind of forward-thinking push she wants the store to be known and loved for. “It’s not like we’re changing our vision for the place at all, but you have to keep surprising people,” she smiles. “That’s half the fun of doing it. It’s always evolving.”

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CREATIONS FROM SISCO & BERLUTI, FEATURED IN THE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND BRACELET BAR IN IMPULSE BY ADAMAS FINE JEWELRY.

NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / SOCIETY

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the front row event:

Storybook Ball

VENUE: MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS TO BENEFIT: MASS. GENERAL HOSPITAL

DESCENDING: OSCAR BENAVIDES & ELSIE TAVERAS ELINOR LUNDER & JOSEPH VACANTI EMILY BAGLEY & EMILY GOLIN ACROSS: DENNIS TETREALUT & KITTY TETREALUT BELOW: KATIE HORNE & JEN KELLEY, VOLUNTEERS FROM MGH

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marc hall objekt 531 albany street • boston, ma 02118 www.marchallobjekt.com • www.marchalldesign.com 617.391.6236

flora

events

gardens

environments

accessories, furniture, lighting fixtures and vessels for styling your indoor and outdoor spaces are displayed in an ever-changing botanical environment

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

14 karat gold, semi precious stones and diamonds...

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

event:

Halloween

VENUE: 63 WINSOR WAY, WESTON TO BENEFIT: BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS HOSPITAL

NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / SOCIETY

OPPOSITE: LAURA BALDINI & TAVI DE LA ROSA TOP: MARILYN REISMAN & CHRISTINA PIERCE ABOVE: RICARDO RODRIGUEZ & MICHAEL KELLEY RIGHT: STEVE SIMON

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CUSHING DONELAN

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NOVEMBER 2013 / COUP BOSTON / COUP D’ETAT

New Vintage New England

by AUSTYN ELLESE MAYFIELD

A

nybody who believes “there’s no busi- pursuits has been to create the exceptional. “The ness like show business” should have jobs I’ve had have all been about listening to peoa chat with Cushing Donelan. After ple, understanding their wants and needs, then almost a decade carving a career out being able to satisfy or even exceed those expectafor himself in Hollywood, he discovered enter- tions,” he explains. “Whether it’s a transaction, an tainment’s doppelganger in the last place he experience, or an encounter—it should be totally expected to find it: winemaking. In both, he says, original and shocking, outside the everyday norm.”

“There’s a specific culture of how people relate He’s careful to make sure the word “shock” to each other, and we’re all creating products that doesn’t get confused with the word “gimmick.” we’re passionate about, and trying to take them Though other wines have chosen to go the to the masses.” route of quirky art or bombastic labels to en As the newly minted director of marketing tice customers, Donelan insists that the biggest for Donelan Wines (the family-owned-and-op- surprise is quality. “I can honestly say that these erated winery his faare the best wines we’ve ther unveiled in 2009), ever produced,” he the Amherst College says. “We’re consistent alum is combining the enough now that people I can honestly say that West Coast savvy he’s are going out of their gleaned with the New way to tell their buddies, these are the best wines England sensibility he’s ‘Hey, you’ve got to try had since childhood— these wines….'” we'veever produced. in hopes of boosting It’s that no-nonsense excitement around the approach (he and his young brand. And while brother, Tripp, often arblending bicoastal philosophies might prove rive at meetings with L.L. Bean totes rather than awkward for some, for Donelan it’s almost slick attachés) that Donelan hopes will keep the second nature. brand relevant and approachable as they break From long summer shifts bartending at into new markets. “Being the youngest family The Pearl on Nantucket as a teen to working as member in the operation, I bring more of a newactor Matthew McConaughey’s executive as- school skill set and agility in terms of employing sistant to producing his own TV scripts and films, new strategies, but there’s still a great old-school the common goal in all of Donelan’s professional fabric to our brand.”

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