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64 THE BEST OF THE RESORT COLLECTIONS
The most wearable trends to take you through winter in style
70 ROOM WITH A VIEW
Iconic shoe designer Manolo Blahnik and his niece, brand CEO Kristina Blahnik, debut a virtual room in the brand’s digital archives called The Craft
72 THE NEW SCENT SOCIETY
The hottest fragrances are balanced, innovative and seductive
74 BEAUTY NEWS
The latest and greatest from supplements to hair and skincare
76 COUNTRY STRONG
A couple’s Hamptons home, designed by Joshua Smith, doesn’t shy away from color
80 BOND OF BROTHERS
Co-stars and friends Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley come together to launch new bourbon brand Brother’s Bond
82 TECH TALK
From projectors to electric cars, we tested the latest inventions so you don’t have to
84 KRYSTAL CLEAR
Krystal Joy Brown shines as Gussie Carnegie in the revival of Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway
86 ELLA A CAPELLA
How legendary crooner Ella Fitzgerald made a name for herself in the male-dominated world of jazz
90 SPECTACULAR SPAS
When it comes to wellness, these European destinations offer unique and alternative approaches
96 A SEAT AT THE WORLD’S TABLE
Travel company Prior brings tastemakers to Escondido Oaxaca as part of its ongoing partnership with Capital One
98 DREAMBOATS
The Galápagos Islands are magical no matter how you see them. But when it comes to your chosen cruising vessel, size really does matter
ON THE COVER
Coat, price upon request, MAX MARA , maxmara.com . Vest, $308, BEVZA , bevza.com . Shirt, $450, 3.1 PHILLIP LIM, 31philliplim.com . Nudo ring in 18k white gold with milky quartz and diamonds, $3,200, POMELLATO, pomellato.com
104 DOVE, ACTUALLY
With her breakout role in Descendants long behind her, Dove Cameron tries to conquer the music business
114 POWER PLAYERS
Photographer David Roemer captures standout looks from the resort collections
132 VIEW FROM THE TOP
A Marin County, California, home, perched atop a hill, showcases the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains
140 J’ADORE CHARLIZE
DuJour goes on set with Academy Award–winning actress and longtime Dior brand ambassador Charlize Theron to talk about all things beauty
144 INTO THE WILD
One-of-a-kind high jewelry pieces that shine alongside natural textures and habitats
156 NIGHTS OUT
Sumptuous leather, slinky silk, sequins and fringe add interest to winter’s best evening wear
EDITOR
Natasha Wolff
CEO/PUBLISHER
Jason Binn
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Alexander Wolf
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Edward Espitia
Christina Ohly Evans
Alyssa Giacobbe
Marshall Heyman
Lauren Jade Hill
Jeremy Kinser
Jennie Nunn
CONTRIBUTING
COPY EDITOR
Regan Hofmann
CONTRIBUTING
IMAGING SPECIALIST
Travis O’Brien
ASSISTANT
Veronica Jones
The new Dawn has arrived – a Rolls-Royce like no other. A striking true four-seater, it captures the exhilaration of open-top driving with an interior crafted in anticipation of unforgettable moments between friends. Anything is possible. Contact us to start your journey.
1 KAT IRLIN PHOTOGRAPHER
(“Dove, Actually,” page 104)
Kat Irlin is a New York-based photographer whose work has appeared in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire and L’Officiel. She has worked with such brands as Miu Miu, Loewe, Byredo and Saint Laurent.
2 JACOB ROZENBERG HAIR STYLIST
(“Dove, Actually,” page 104)
Jacob Rozenberg is a New York-based hairstylist. His roster of celebrity clientele includes Irina Shayk, Karlie Kloss, Candice Swanepoel and Dove Cameron (who he styled for this issue). His work can be found in the pages of Vogue as well as in campaigns for Adidas and Oscar de la Renta.
3 MARSHALL HEYMAN WRITER
(“Dove, Actually,” page 104)
Marshall Heyman is a New York–based television writer. He also writes an audiobook column for Vulture and contributes to The Wall Street Journal, Town & Country, Robb Report and many other publications. For this issue, he profiled singer and actress Dove Cameron.
4 KAT TYPALDOS FASHION STYLIST
(“Dove, Actually,” page 104)
Kat Typaldos is a bicoastal stylist and consultant who loves dogs, youth culture and grandmas! She loves collaborating with musicians and actors and recently styled Caroline Polachek and Maggie Rogers on album campaigns and tours, as well as Megan Stalter and Lizzy Caplan for press and red carpet events. For this issue, she styled Dove Cameron.
5 DAVID ROEMER PHOTOGRAPHER
(“Power Players,” page 114)
With strong attention to color and a graphic sensibility, New York–based photographer David Roemer’s images blend the fine line of natural texture and subtle perfection. For this issue’s fashion editorial, Roemer photographed some of the best up-and-coming models in the season’s best looks.
6 MONIKA LIS PHOTOGRAPHER
(“Nights Out” page 156)
Monika Lis is a New York City–based beauty and fashion photographer. She’s driven by unique beauty and strong, confident women and shows them through the lens of her camera. For this issue, Lis photographed winter’s best fashion looks at NoMad restaurant Lupetto.
7 JOHANNA AQUINO FASHION STYLIST
(“Nights Out” page 156)
Johanna Aquino is a Dominican American fashion stylist based in New York City. She draws inspiration from her passion for travel, fashion history and culture. For this issue, she styled model Brenda Mutoni in the chicest eveningwear.
We’re very excited to share our winter print issue starring actress and musician Dove Cameron. You may know her from Descendants and her various singles. Now, on the heels of the release of the first part of her debut album, Alchemical , she looks ahead to Volume 2.
We spoke with actress Charlize Theron about being the face of Dior fragrance J’adore Parfum d’Eau and her long-standing partnership with the maison. We also profile Broadway actress Krystal Joy Brown, currently starring in Merrily We Roll Along, and singer Ella Fitzgerald, the feature of a new biography.
Christina Ohly Evans spa-ed around Europe, Alyssa Giacobbe and Lauren Jade Hill trekked to the Galápagos and Anna Mitchell went to Oaxaca for our travel section.
We are so fortunate to have worked with talented pros like Douglas Friedman, Kat Irlin, David Roemer, Jeffrey Westbrook and Monika Lis on photo shoots that yielded stunning original visuals for our issue.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we did producing it.
Natasha Wolff
Editor
Instagram: @natashawolff
LAKE , lakepajamas.com
It’s private air travel, reimagined.
It’s a belief rooted in service, peace and comfort. It’s buttoned up. It’s relaxed.
It’s quiet. It’s confident. It’s peace of mind. Knowing that you’re top of mind.
It’s your flight time. Becoming your free time.
It’s simplicity. It’s luxury.
It’s Sentient.
This winter, DuJour showcases the actress and musician Dove Cameron, who has released part one of her first solo album. Photographed in New York City, Kat Irlin shot stunning and sexy images of Cameron in Brooklyn donning the best of the season’s resort looks from MaxMara to Valentino and Saint Laurent.
This book is the ultimate source for the latest and greatest in style, beauty, culture, design, travel and more. Get a first look at the latest high jewelry pieces from jewelers like Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co. and more. Explore our picks for the best new fragrances, go inside a Marin County home redesign and check out Jeff Soffer’s new Fontainebleau in Las Vegas (almost 20 years in the making). In November, we celebrated the digital cover of Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, who recently launched their new bourbon brand Brother’s Bond, with my friend Soloviev Group CEO Michael Hershman at midtown hotspot Cucina 8 ½.
Whether you’re wintering in Palm Beach or Aspen, DuJour’s awardwinning team will be there to serve as your lifestyle guide for all things fabulous. Enjoy the winter print issue with our compliments.
Jason Binn Founder and CEO Twitter/Instagram:
@jasonbinn
Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley celebrated their DuJour cover with a party at midtown hotspot CUCINA 8 ½
Hollywood came out to honor artists at the annual LACMA Art+Film Gala in L.A., sponsored by Gucci
Ralph Lauren brought out the stars of stage and screen for the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City
John Demsey celebrated branding expert Peter Arnell’s book, Peter Arnell: Portfolio 1980-2020, with a party at his New York City townhouse
Priscilla director Sofia Coppola was honored by Chanel at bicoastal events for her first monograph, Sofia Coppola Archive: 1999-2023
Brunello Cucinelli hosted a star-studded dinner at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood to welcome its founder to the West Coast
Sequins, metallics and high-gloss fabrics aren’t just for holiday party dressing–wear them throughout the season in style
1 Mules, $995, ROGER VIVIER , rogervivier.com 2 Top, similar styles available, LA DOUBLEJ, ladoublej.com 3 Bag, $2,650, PRADA , prada.com 4 Ring in 18k rose gold with diamonds, $8,800, TABAYER , greenwichjewelers.com 5 Mary Janes, $525, PROENZA SCHOULER , proenzaschouler.com 6 Dress, $3,490, PROENZA SCHOULER , proenzaschouler.com 7 Dress, $18,900, FERRAGAMO, ferragamo.com 8 Sweater, $1,790, MAX MARA , maxmara.com 9 Bag, $5,400, FENDI, fendi.com 10 Dress, $3,990, SAINT LAURENT, saintlaurent.com 11 Dress, $4,995, MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION, michaelkors.com 12 Coat, price upon request, CHANEL , chanel.com 13 Bag, $1,850, FERRAGAMO, ferragamo.com 14 Dress, $35,000, VALENTINO, valentino.com 15 Sandals, $1,390, FERRAGAMO, ferragamo.com 16 Jacket, $7,000, pants, $4,200, CHANEL , chanel.com 17 Dress, $7,350, CHLOÉ , chloe.com 18 Coat, price upon request, ALAÏA , maison-alaia.com 19 Bag, $1,750, STELLA McCARTNEY, stellamccartney.com 20 Sandals, $950, JIMMY CHOO, jimmychoo.com 21 Dress, price upon request, PRADA , prada.com 22 Sandals, $1,050, STELLA McCARTNEY, stellamccartney.com
WOLFF
From delicate petals to blownout plumes, florals continue to be seen everywhere
1 Pumps, $1,595, JIMMY CHOO, jimmychoo.com
2 Bra, price upon request, skirt, $1,890, MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION, michaelkors.com 3 Top, $1,990, skirt, $1,790, CAROLINA HERRERA , carolinaherrera.com
4 Sandals, $1,225, DOLCE & GABBANA , dolcegabbana.com
5 Dress, $5,990, CAROLINA HERRERA , carolinaherrera.com
6 Top, $650, skirt, $2,990, ETRO, etro.com
7 Top, $870, LA DOUBLEJ, ladoublej.com
8 Dress, $7,500, BURBERRY, burberry.com
9 Dress, price upon request, MAX MARA , maxmara.com
10 Pants, $3,400, SAINT LAURENT, saintlaurent.com
11 Dress, $4,950, SAINT LAURENT, saintlaurent.com
12 Top, $2,350, skirt, $2,090, BURBERRY, burberry.com
13 Bag, $1,295, DOLCE & GABBANA , dolcegabbana.com
1 Jacket, $6,990, skirt, $6,100, ALAÏA , maison-alaia.com
2 Coat, price upon request, BRANDON MAXWELL , brandonmaxwellonline.com
3 Top, similar styles available, pants, $6,195, bag, $1,995, TOD’S, tods.com
4 Boots, $1,990, SAINT LAURENT, saintlaurent.com
5 Dress, $5,900, FENDI, fendi.com
6 Top, $ 1,990, PROENZA SCHOULER , proenzaschouler.com
7 Coat, $7,490, MAX MARA , maxmara.com
8 Dress, $9,100, CHANEL , chanel.com
9 Jacket, $10,500, SAINT LAURENT, saintlaurent.com
From neon to pastel, every sunny shade is on offer
1 Bag, $2,300, FERRAGAMO, ferragamo.com 2 Sweater, dress, price upon request, BRANDON MAXWELL , brandonmaxwellonline.com 3 Card case, $390, LOEWE , loewe.com 4 Top, $498, TORY BURCH , toryburch.com 5 Bag, $2,245, DOLCE & GABBANA , dolcegabbana.com 6 Pumps, $1,295, MANOLO BLAHNIK , manoloblahnik.com 7 Dress, $1,995, DOLCE & GABBANA , dolcegabbana.com
8 Earrings in 18k gold and enamel with diamonds, $2,126, MELISSA KAYE , net-a-porter .com 9 Top, $1,950, FENDI, fendi.com 10 Dress, $4,290, CAROLINA HERRERA , carolinaherrera.com 11 Bag, $3,890, GUCCI, gucci.com 12 Blazer, $3,395, skirt, $1,125, DOLCE & GABBANA , dolcegabbana.com 13 Jacket, $3,900, pants, $2,400, VALENTINO, valentino.com
1 Jacket, $5,990, shirt, $1,590, CHLOÉ , chloe.com
2 Jacket, $1,350, STELLA McCARTNEY, stellamccartney.com
3 Top, $1,090, STELLA McCARTNEY, stellamccartney.com
4 Pumps, $1,195, DOLCE & GABBANA , dolcegabbana.com
5 Top, $2,900, jeans, $3,900, VALENTINO, valentino.com
6 Jeans, price upon request, BRANDON MAXWELL , brandonmaxwellonline.com
7 Mules, $845, MANOLO BLAHNIK , manoloblahnik.com
8 Jeans, $990, SAINT LAURENT, saintlaurent.com
9 Jeans, $850, STELLA McCARTNEY, stellamccartney.com
THE MAKING OF
Iconic shoe designer Manolo Blahnik and his niece, brand CEO Kristina Blahnik, debut a virtual room in the brand’s digital archives called The Craft
BY NATASHA WOLFF
With a career spanning nearly 50 years, the Spanish-born designer Manolo Blahnik is one of the world’s most influential footwear designers. “Shoes help transform a woman,” he says. His designs and sketches have appeared in museum exhibitions and numerous books (the latest being 2017’s The Art of Shoes). He collaborated with director Sofia Coppola on the costumes for her 2006 film Marie Antoinette, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. He’s an honorary CBE and has won awards like the Footwear News Lifetime Achievement Award and the British Fashion Council Outstanding Achievement Award. Following the launch of the Manolo Blahnik brand’s digital archives in 2021, Blahnik and his niece, brand CEO Kristina Blahnik, are debuting a virtual room celebrating the artisans and artistry of their shoes.
“The Manolo Blahnik Archives: The Craft” highlights the breadth of the house’s archives and innovative designs that keep the company at the forefront of the fashion conversation. “I want this to be a space where others can learn and feel inspired to create,” says Manolo Blahnik. “It’s very important to me, personally, that even those who can’t buy my shoes are able to feel a connection to Manolo Blahnik and who we are.” The Craft, designed by Kristina Blahnik, explores the process of making a shoe from sketch to completion. “I am delighted to showcase The Craft room in our virtual archives, a place to celebrate over 50 decades of my uncle’s illustrious career,” says Kristina Blahnik. “We hope to educate on our wonderful and skilled craft of shoemaking and show you firsthand how our dedicated artisans bring Manolo’s iconic collections to life. Craftsmanship really is and always will be at the heart of everything we do.” Meanwhile, Manolo Blahnik isn’t only looking at his iconic collections of the past; he’s always looking to the future. “My ethos is to keep going, keep going and keep going,” says the 81-year-old designer. “The vision has always been to create timeless and elegant shoes to make people walk beautifully and to make them feel good. That is the secret to our success!” thearchives.manoloblahnik.com
My ethos is to keep going, keep going and keep going! The vision has always been to create timeless and elegant shoes to make people walk beautifully and to make them feel good.
—MANOLO BLAHNIK
Australian-born, Paris-based hair stylist
David Mallett has opened a new private hairdressing room embodying the essence of discretion and refinement. The man behind the manes of Léa Seydoux, Natalie Portman and Kate Winslet already has three salons (two in Paris and one in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood) and wanted to create a more intimate space for his clients. “I always wanted to make my hair salon a living space that resembles me and reflects my love and passion for the arts,” says Mallett. This sanctuary offers an intimate and exclusive hairstyling experience overlooking the Basilique Notre-Dame des Victoires in the second arrondissement. David Mallett Privé offers a range of tailored services like haircuts, color, blowouts, updos and nails. The jewel box space features parquet flooring, intricate moldings, handpicked furnishings and personal memorabilia and objects including a Peter Beard photograph and a Shimada-style geisha wig discovered in an antique shop in Kyoto. david-mallett.com
A new professional hair color line comes to market
R+Color, R+Co’s first professional hair color line, is a game changer in the hair color industry. The products use innovative, patented technologies to heal, repair, strengthen and protect the hair while coloring for healthier services that are better for colorists and clients alike. The 100 percent vegan, cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny–certified products are free of gluten, ammonia, PPD, resorcinol, formaldehyde, parabens, silicones and fragrance to remove the key drivers of sensitivity from hair color. “R+Color is really the future of hair color, where performance, technology, wellness and sustainability meet,” says Richy Kandasamy, the brand’s vice president of development. “We are not just coloring the hair, we are simultaneously healing and protecting the scalp while repairing and preventing damage.” The line is available across the United States at fine salons like Jenna Perry Hair (New York City), Ascentia Beauty Spa (Los Angeles), Assembly Hair (Miami), Voss Salon (Dallas), Salon Nine (San Francisco) and Boss Hair Group (Chicago). randco.com
Colorists Reyad Fritas and his wife and business partner, Jax Williard Fritas, with popular hair salons in New York City and Aspen, have launched Suite Reyad ’s first haircare collection. The duo have created five products: The Shampoo and The Conditioner, each available for fine and normal hair and thick and coarse hair, and The Cure, a pack of six weekly booster serums for dry or damaged hair. “After two years of testing, especially on clients with a lot of hair damage, we finally have something that allows us to say: ‘This will help,’” says Fritas, whose clientele includes Imaan Hammam and Nina Garcia. Made in New York and sourced in France, the all-natural, vegan line, which is free of sulfates, phosphates and parabens, is color- and heat-safe and full of healthy growth-stimulating ingredients such as organic date seed oil. “It was important for us to make a professional-quality product with a great scent,” says Fritas, who worked with a French perfumer who’s worked with Byredo and Le Labo. “We didn’t make any sacrifices,” says Williard Fritas. suitereyad.com
Two brands launch vitamins to address everything from skin health to the microbiome
Biologique Recherche has created its first dietary supplements based on lactic ferments, more commonly known as probiotics. Toleskin [DS] promotes better digestive balance and greater diversity in the gut microbiota on a daily basis to reduce inflammation. Helios3 prepares the skin for sun exposure, protects it from the harmful effects of the sun and soothes it after exposure. By combating the formation of free radicals, it prevents the appearance of pigmentation marks and slows down skin aging. A comprehensive formula enriched with natural carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene), essential fatty acids (omegas 3 and 6) and antioxidant vitamins and minerals (vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium, zinc and copper) helps protect cells and support the epidermis. biologique-recherche.com
To achieve deep, systemic benefits and maintain radiant, youthful skin, you need to support your skin’s natural regenerative processes and drive changes from the inside. Enter Mosaic from Elysium, a whole-body supplement that fights skin aging from the innermost layers. Developed alongside Dr. Richard Granstein, chair of the department of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine for nearly 30 years, the capsule is the first and only product with their clinically proven Phytonutrient Carotenoid Complex and hyaluronic acid. This combination increases moisture content, reduces fine lines and wrinkles and improves elasticity. elysiumhealth.com
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Helios3 supplements, $89, Toleskin [DS] supplements, $132, BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE , biologique-recherche.com . Mosaic supplements, $90, ELYSIUM HEALTH, elysiumhealth.com
A couple’s Hamptons home, designed by Joshua Smith, doesn’t shy away from color
BY NATASHA WOLFF
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
READ M c KENDREE/JBSA
ABOVE:
In the living room, Smith chose a bold pink by Benjamin Moore to make the bookshelves pop. The rug is by Stark Carpet.
OPPOSITE PAGE:
In the primary bedroom, muted tones create a serene retreat. The window treatments and throw pillows are outfitted in a fabric by Mark Alexander. The red Chinese table that serves as a nightstand connects the bedroom to the rest of the house.
Interior designer Joshua Smith had already worked with a stylish New York City couple on their apartment before he embarked on the recent renovation of their Bridgehampton home. The classic Cape Cod–style home, located near town center, was built in the 1990s with coastal cedar shingles and a turret, but it needed an interior revamp. “Since we had worked together before, there was great synergy between us and we had tons of fun,” says Smith, who has worked on projects in New York City, the Hamptons and Palm Springs. “They gave me complete trust and faith and encouraged me to take risks.”
Smith added millwork to give the walls more architectural interest, refinished the white oak floors in a walnut stain with a touch of gray and built a pool house from scratch. “Although located in the Hamptons, we opted for a country coastal aesthetic instead of the typical beachy aesthetic,” explains Smith. “It gives the year-round home a more personalized luxury countryside feel.”
I was inspired by fuschia peonies, which became the inspiration for the entire first-floor color palette.
—JOSHUA SMITH
Smith decorated the interiors with antique and new furniture, like George Smith sofas and chairs; geometric Stark and Madeline Weinrib rugs; floral and plaid fabrics by Kravet, Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils; Phillip Jeffries wallpaper; textured Jasper by Michael Smith and Schumacher wallcoverings; Visual Comfort sconces; and custom raffia headboards. Art by Ellsworth Kelly and Gigi Mills lines the walls. Aside from sourcing unique and textured furnishings, Smith played around with the color palette of the home. He didn’t shy away from bright colors, instead balancing them out with neutrals and blues. “My favorite design element in the home is the powder room with the Phillip Jeffries magenta grasscloth wallpaper,” Smith explains. “What you’ll notice is that I was inspired by fuschia pink peonies—we used Benjamin Moore paint on the bookshelves in the living room—a statement-making theme that runs throughout the entire first floor.” ■
Co-stars and friends Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley come together to launch bourbon brand Brother’s Bond
BY MARSHALL HEYMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUY AROCH
Hollywood is not necessarily a town known for everlasting friendships.
Still, somehow, the actors Ian Somerhalder, 44, and Paul Wesley, 41, made it through eight seasons of bloodsucking on The Vampire Diaries and they still want to hang out every day. What’s more, they now work even longer hours every week together.
“We hooked up when we got fitted for our fangs,” says Somerhalder of a pre-production meeting in March 2009 for the CW series, which ended in 2017. “These were perfectly fitted acrylic fangs that didn’t come off easily.”
“You had to be careful in a scene,” says Wesley. “You were supposed to just pretend that you were biting people.”
“If you connected, it was gnarly,” adds Somerhalder.
Somerhalder knew the show was going to be a hit thanks to the Twilight craze sweeping the globe. The series lasted so long that the fangs eventually became visual effects, rather than physical props.
But in the beginning, at the fitting, Wesley wasn’t so sure.
“I knew Ian was the pretty guy from Lost, and I thought, It’ll be fun to work with this guy for a few months,” says Wesley. “Ian was convinced that it would be a huge success. He said, ‘Au contraire, mon frère,’ which means ‘On the contrary, my brother.’”
It turned out Somerhalder was right about the long-term appeal of the show. He was also correct, Wesley explains, to use the term “brother” to describe their relationship. They played vampire brothers on the show: Wesley was Stefan, mostly the nice one; Somerhalder played Damon, who started off as a psychopath before finding a more amiable way of vampiring.
Over time, their offscreen friendship blossomed into a brotherhood of its own, and, eventually, into the realization of a dream for both of them: a successful whiskey company. Based on their shared love of the beverage, they launched Brother’s Bond bourbon, in 2021. The brand currently has three expressions, which are available in 46 U.S. states.
“Not to sound like a D-bag, but I’m working harder now than when we were the stars of a show,” says Somerhalder. “We built a business and we’re running a fucking company.”
We blended this in Ian’s kitchen. There’s nothing that’s not authentic.
—PAUL WESLEY
“In a way, it’s even more difficult. It’s not plug-and-play,” says Wesley. They had to be on set nearly every day of their series “and it felt like it was a lot of pressure, but it was also someone else’s pressure,” says Wesley, meaning directors, writers, producers, grips and everyone else on the set and in post-production also had responsibilities. “Now, the buck stops with us. Every single thing is in our control. And we’re trying to expand and grow.”
“Failure and success start with us,” says Somerhalder. “On a TV show, there are so many layers and levels above you. For Paul and me, if we fail at this, it’s on us.”
Anyone who’s read a magazine or stopped by a wine store lately knows that alcohol brands are a very popular business move for actors, sports figures and boldface names alike. The gold standard is Casamigos tequila, founded by George Clooney and two pals in 2013. Just four years later, Diageo purchased the brand for a reported $1 billion.
Sometimes the hard work really pays off. But it’s crowded on that liquor shelf.
To name just a few: Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation gin, Bruno Mars’ SelvaRey rum, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Teremana tequila. Channing Tatum has Born and Bred vodka. Kate Hudson, Dan Aykroyd, Robert De Niro, Pitbull, Blake Shelton—they all have vodkas, too.
Did Somerhalder and Wesley call any of their celebrity pals for advice?
“I called The Rock, but he didn’t call me back,” jokes Somerhalder.
“I called Aaron Paul,” says Wesley. Paul founded Dos Hombres mezcal with his Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston, “and it’s doing quite well,” Wesley adds. “We all kind of bounce ideas off each other. We’re not competing; we’re all in it together. I literally was just texting them about paper and quality.”
When it came to words of wisdom, Paul told the guys that they should be involved from the ground up, even on a—excuse the pun—granular level.
“The ones that failed,” says Wesley, were the brands for which the celebrity “felt more like a spokesperson or an ambassador.”
“We built the whole thing: the name, the bottle. We love to be part of the conversation,” he adds. “We blended this in Ian’s kitchen. There’s nothing that’s not authentic. People can sense that.”
To that end, Somerhalder makes sure a percentage of the sales of Brother’s Bond is donated to regenerative agriculture. He recently produced Common Ground , a documentary on the subject.
But when it came to growing the company from the seed of an idea to full-fledged business, “I didn’t know what to expect,” he says, “but I expected it to be easier than this. Still, we built it for a reason, and I’m obsessed with it.” They have some new expressions planned. “We’ve been some busy bees. We’re constantly in the development phase.”
But back to their friendship, the brotherhood. How do they spend so much time together? Don’t they get on each other’s nerves?
“We’re yin and yang,” says Somerhalder.
“Ian’s more optimistic and I can be more pessimistic,” says Wesley. “I can get a little ornery.”
“It’s actually a really good blend,” says Somerhalder. ■
It’s hard to stay up to date in the forever-changing tech space. From projectors to electric cars, we tested the latest inventions so you don’t have to
BY THE EDITORS OF DUJOUR
APPLE MACBOOK PRO WITH M3
Apple’s MacBook Pro With M3 features the industry’s first 3-nanometer chips in a personal computer with GPU architecture that delivers dramatic performance improvements. “Apple silicon has completely redefined the Mac experience. Every aspect of its architecture is designed for performance and power efficiency,” says Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies. “With 3-nanometer technology, a next-generation GPU architecture, a higher-performance CPU, faster Neural Engine and support for even more unified memory, M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max are the most advanced chips ever built for a personal computer.”
MacBook Pro with M3, from $1,599, APPLE , apple.com
LEICA CINE 1
The Leica Cine 1 is the all-in-one entertainment system that delivers authentic home cinema experiences right in your living room. The smart Cinema TV captivates with outstanding 4K image resolution, immersive Dolby Atmos surround sound and unmistakable Leica quality. With triple RGB-laser technology and Leica Image Optimization, the ultra-short throw lens projects a large screen size of 100 or 120 inches from a short distance, providing stunning color depth and laser-sharp contrast with crystal-clear sound.
DYSON PURIFIER BIG+QUIET FORMALDEHYDE
Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde is the brand’s largest ever filtration system, projecting air over 32 feet, creating the circulation power to purify large spaces. The purifier captures 99.97 percent of pollutants and gasses and destroys formaldehyde. It’s acoustically engineered to operate quietly, even at its highest power setting. Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde, from $1,000, DYSON, dyson.com
Devialet’s Gemini II True Wireless Earbuds pack a suite of enhanced tech to take you even deeper into pure sound. With new Adaptive Noise Cancellation technology, they reduce audio artifacts and white noise, offering a more pleasant listening experience with zero compromise on performance and improved battery life. Four sizes of ear tips ensure correct nestling into the ear, providing a fit so good you might even forget they’re there. The easy-access charging case is easy to slip into your pocket.
Gemini II True Wireless earbuds, $449, DEVIALET, devialet.com
The Sonos Move 2 portable speaker comes with a completely overhauled acoustic architecture, including dual tweeters that deliver spacious stereo sound and crisp vocals, allowing you to feel the emotional charge of a live performance. Concurrent Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities allow for increased flexibility while enjoying increased battery life of up to 24 hours, thanks to a removable and replaceable battery. You can even use it to charge your phone and electronics on the go using the USB-C port. With automatic Trueplay tuning, Move 2 continually optimizes sound for its surroundings, so you’ll always get the best listening experience no matter where you are. Move 2 portable speaker, $449, SONOS, sonos.com
Tech-forward Japanese appliances manufacturer Balmuda has introduced its small-but-mighty The Brew coffeemaker to the American market. Discerning tastemakers are quickly taking to the device, which eliminates guesswork out of crafting the perfect caffeinated cup with its “clear brewing” technology. This is achieved by having the brewer stop pouring water onto the coffee beans and a secondary spout of finishing water regulates the condensed grounds as well as temperature to precise intervals. The process can take even everyday store-bought beans and elevate them to an artisanal sensory experience.
The Brew coffeemaker, $699, BALMUDA , us.balmuda.com
The Google Pixel Watch 2 is engineered to deliver personalized health, fitness, safety and productivity so you can get the most out of your day. An all-new multi-path heart rate sensor and Google AI deliver the most advanced heart rate tracking, which powers advanced health and fitness experiences like sleep tracking, high and low heart rate notifications and Daily Readiness Score. With the addition of a body-response sensor and skin temperature sensor, the Pixel Watch 2 now has Fitbit’s most advanced stress management features. The Pixel Watch 2 also brings Google apps and services to your wrist with Google Assistant, Gmail, Calendar, and more, all in a lighter, 100 percent recycled aluminum case.
Pixel Watch 2, from $350, GOOGLE , google.com
latest
unit, the
and Mop, features an Auto-Retract Mopping System to prevent wet messes and includes a new Clean Base Auto-Fill Dock that automatically empties debris and replenishes the robot with liquid. By doing the vacuuming and mopping concurrently, the wet vacuum seamlessly transitions between floor types, moving from carpeted to non-carpeted surfaces in one go. It also gets smarter over time, learning how best to navigate your floors, remembering specific rooms and certain furniture to clean where it’s most needed.
Combo J9+ Auto-Fill Robot Vacuum and Mop, $1,400, IROBOT, irobot.com
Krystal Joy Brown shines as Gussie Carnegie in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway
BY NATASHA WOLFF
PORTRAIT
BY CHRISTINE DIPASQUALE
Actress Krystal Joy Brown is best known for her portrayal of Eliza Hamilton in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and Diana Ross in Motown: The Musical on Broadway. Currently, she can be seen reprising her role as Gussie Carnegie in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along at the Hudson Theatre. Brown first stepped into the role in 2022 for a New York Theatre Workshop revival, which earned her a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Brown also stars as Renée Timmons on the Starz series Power Book III: Raising Kanan. We spoke with Brown to learn more about this life-changing role.
Something that comes up a lot in the show is the question of how did you get to be here? So, how did you get to be here on Broadway in Merrily?
Oh, man, it has really been a journey. I have always loved Sondheim, but I really didn’t know the history or full story of this show until I auditioned in May 2022. I saw the audition material, and I just knew that Gussie Carnegie and I had a lot in common, which is scary, because Gussie is extremely complicated. But when the sides for the audition said, “I’ve been in five Broadway shows…I’m inches away from the top…success isn’t happening fast enough,” something really resonated with me and this character. My audition was an hour long, and I was with Jonathan Groff doing the scenes and just laughing and crying and having the best time. When I walked out, the casting director said, “Unless I’m crazy, you booked this.” Two days later, I booked it! Now, Merrily will be my sixth Broadway show, which I can’t even believe. So many things have happened to get to this moment, some amazing and some heartbreaking, but this is my first Sondheim show and it feels like a true manifestation a year and a half in the making. But when I really think of it, it’s a lifetime in the making. I think Gussie, this cast and this role are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s taken a lot to get here, but there’s nothing I would change to be where I am now.
The show is about success, failure, the roads we didn’t take and the roads we did. What feelings does it bring up in you every time you perform it?
It is so deeply personal. It is about an artist trying to make it in New York City and the friendships that we have, the friendships we lose, true determination, the price of success—it does make you reevaluate every choice you’ve ever made. It can be very cathartic to experience this every day and find new ways to dig in deeper, but it can also be very emotionally exhausting, because this show is so intimate in a lot of ways. It questions our perceptions of success and love. To me, Gussie is a woman who had to fight very hard
for everything she has. She’s had to make a lot of non-emotional decisions to gain success. She’s had to sacrifice a lot of who she was to create who she is now: a person who is palatable for the general public and who is profitable for all of the people around her. That is a very heavy crown to wear, especially in a world where, as this is set in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, we are in the Civil Rights era and Black people are very rarely seen for the depth and humanity that we have.
What’s your relationship with Sondheim’s canon? Do you have a favorite Sondheim song?
I’ve always loved his work, the complexity and the depth of his compositions. I grew up watching the PBS specials of shows like Into The Woods , Company and, of course, West Side Story. His music is infectious, intoxicating and thought-provoking and always makes you see that musical theater can be extremely complex. I have to say “Being Alive” from Company is my favorite Sondheim song. It was actually my audition song for college. I just think that the music and the words of that song are so beautiful, moving and poignant. My second favorite would be “Not a Day Goes By” [from Merrily We Roll Along] because of the drama!
What is different between performing the show Off-Broadway and on Broadway?
I think we tried to keep the show pretty similar and as intimate as possible, even though we’ve multiplied the space by five. OffBroadway, our theater was 199 seats and our backstage space was incredibly tight. Katie Rose Clarke, Lindsay Mendez and I all shared a dressing room. Reg Rogers, Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe all shared a dressing room. And then the entire women’s ensemble was in one dressing room and the men’s ensemble was in another and they were separated by barely a curtain, so we were really all in it together. I think that’s where the deep bonds were created. When you’re just that close to one another in that amount of time, you can’t help but become very close personally. I think that the connections with this cast are really special. I really do hope that I have made some lifelong friends here. I definitely think that doing the show Off-Broadway first created that foundation.
Has the cast become more familial because you’ve been together so long?
This cast is very connected. There is a level of depth that is created in these relationships. I believe that we are very protective of each other in a lot of ways, and I have felt so supported by this company in ways that I could never express. In this time, people have gotten engaged, had babies, some castmates have become roommates, we have dealt with family and personal loss and other challenges. I hope that my castmates feel just as supported by me in the ways that they have supported me through all kinds of endeavors that have happened in the last year. The show and the story are so unique for a musical; we’ve had to be extremely vulnerable and express so much of ourselves to each other. ■
BOOKS
How legendary crooner Ella Fitzgerald made a name for herself in the male dominated world of jazz
BY THE EDITORS OF DUJOUR
As is well-known throughout the history of popular music, the music business has power over the kinds of records that popular singers make—sometimes more power, sometimes less. Managers have their say as well, in the recording studio and outside of it.
Ella Fitzgerald was no stranger to tussles with her various handlers from her very beginning, working with the drummer Chick Webb in 1935, to her celebrated partnership with Norman Granz starting in the 1950s. That fact is all the more reason to celebrate one of the crucial moments in her 60-plusyear career when she found major success following nobody’s muse but her own. In the below excerpt from Judith Tick’s forthcoming Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song, Tick describes how Fitzgerald took possession of “Mack the Knife” in 1960. She possessed one of the 20th century’s most astonishing voices, mesmerizing listeners around the world, many of whom did not necessarily understand a word of English. Even today, she sets the benchmark for jazz and pop singers; in 2008, a cover of a French song written as a tribute to Fitzgerald in 1987 titled “Ella elle l’a” (“Ella, she’s got it”) reached the Top 10 charts in Belgium, German, Sweden and the Netherlands.
In this first major biography since Fitzgerald’s death, music historian Tick depicts Fitzgerald’s career in fresh and original detail. Using long-lost setlists, concert reviews in national and regional newspapers and especially the Black press, and newly released footage and recordings of live performances, Tick explores how Fitzgerald’s transcendence as an onstage improvisor rose in parallel to her historic studio oeuvre of over 2,000 songs.
From the singer’s first performance at the Apollo Theater’s famous Amateur Night in 1934, Tick evokes mid-century nightlife in Harlem’s music scene, where Fitzgerald found her first professional successes with Webb’s band in the 1930s. Her pioneering advances in scatting helped shape the bebop movement in the 1940s and invited her singing sisters into a new world. She joined Dizzy Gillespie on tour and then performed with her husband Ray Brown in the world-touring Jazz at the Philharmonic, one of the first moments of high-culture acceptance for the disreputable art form. In the 1950s, Fitzgerald found a new path through her partnership with Granz, a visionary white manager; together they forged her legendary exploration of show tunes from Broadway and Hollywood musicals by such great songwriters as Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin. In the 1970s and ’80s, defying age and chronic diabetes, Fitzgerald sang Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Carole King and Ray Charles. “I will not be left behind,” she often said.
And yet there is a paradox at the heart of her fame. She has been both beloved and underrated at the same time, as a few critics noted in her lifetime. In the book, rarely seen profiles in the Black press reveal Fitzgerald’s tense relationship to both “Jim Crow”— shorthand for 20th-century anti-Black racism—as well as “Jane Crow,” or discrimination against women. She battled demeaning prejudice against vocal jazz and especially female singers in the male-dominated world of jazz. Her reception in the white or mainstream press came from critics who believed she lacked emotional intelligence. In 1951, a New York Times critic called her a “cheerful child.” By 1960, she was even portrayed as a puppet of Granz, the
“Svengali” of her career, singing what he told her to sing, compliant and complacent.
Tick’s biography offers a bridge to span extremes by documenting the various ways Fitzgerald protected her art and expressed her originality. Here is how she took possession of “Mack the Knife” in 1960, a revisionist portrait of an ambitious risk-taker with a stunningly diverse repertoire whose exceptional musical spontaneity— often radically different onstage than in the studio—made her a transformational artist.
Ella Fitzgerald said little in public about Norman Granz’s decision to leave the United States. She trusted him, and he remained a responsible manager. Moreover, he invested her money, and by 1961, organized her business dealings into a separate operation, Salle Productions (Ella’s spelled backward). In his small office on North Canon Drive, two devoted executive assistants, Mary Jane Outwater and Margaret Nutt, ran the business side of her career. Ultimately Mary Jane helped the forty-three-year- old mother in absentia run her home. According to Oscar Peterson, Norman recognized how Ella needed supportive female companionship, so “the office” took over Granz’s watch.
The real shocker was Granz’s decision, at the peak of his influence in the record business, to sell Verve. He once cited exhaustion as the reason for divesting a label less than five years old. Granz was cagey, and in September 1960 he denied his intentions to sell the label. Frank Sinatra was reportedly interested in buying the label, but Granz balked, especially at Sinatra’s stipulation that Granz run the European side of the operations. There was too little trust between them to untie the inevitable knots in business negotiations. In December 1960 Metro- Goldwyn- Mayer Records bought Verve for around $2.8 million. Stories about their mutual animosity surfaced later. In advance of Fitzgerald’s 1959 appearance on Sinatra’s TV show, according to a musician on site, Granz had offered suggestions for repertoire, which led to Sinatra throwing him off the set. On other occasions, Granz reportedly expressed disdain for Sinatra as a singer. There would be no “Ella and Frank” studio LPs, as there had been with “Ella and Louis,” then or ever.
“Granz to Keep Watch over Ella,” said Billboard, referring to the Verve sale. The contract provided that Fitzgerald would remain protected within MGM operations for six years, while Granz retained supervisory rights on her recording projects. The two of them operated in their own space. In 1961, when Creed Taylor assumed the artistic direction for Verve, he was not interested in working with Granz in any case, considering him a technically careless producer in the studio. “Norman and Ella operated completely independent of any MGM pressure,” he later said. “No one at the company would dare get between Norman and Ella.” Taylor soon brought remarkable new energy into Verve, especially through bossa nova with Stan Getz, a former collaborator with Ella, but that would happen adjacent to if not totally outside her studio sessions.
In the short run, Granz’s physical removal from the American scene gave Fitzgerald increasing autonomy on the road in shaping her repertoire and balancing her sets. In February 1960 she flew to Minneapolis for a date at Freddie’s Jazz Club. When a young reporter met her at the airport, she was warding off a cold and warded off the reporter as well:
Reporter: Commence interview. The family stuff, question one.
Miss Fitzgerald’s answer: I’m very seldom home. I collect recipes, watch TV. Ray plays the piano. I love music. I have a few friends—the people who like to sit and play cards and listen to music and watch TV. These are a few close friends and my cousins. I have a cold. I went to bed at 3 a.m., caught the plane at 5 a.m. I
haven’t slept. I’m tired. I’ve got to see a doctor tomorrow. Please, I don’t want any more interview.
Reporter: It was a 20-minute ride back to town. I shut up. Miss Fitzgerald shut her eyes. And the “greatest” made it through three shows at Freddie’s last night.
Staying for two sets on February 2, Will Jones, the respected columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, couldn’t believe what he was hearing:
“Somebody requested a song I don’t know,” said Ella Fitzgerald to her loving audience. The song asked for was “Mack the Knife,” but that didn’t stop her. Miss Fitzgerald sang the song anyway, improvising her own lyrics. “It’s not for a lady to sing this song / And that’s why Ella sang the lyrics all wrong.” And on she went, chorus after chorus, loosely, uninhibitedly creating phrases, and swinging all the way. There were references to Bobby Darin. There was a bit of Louis Armstrong’s growl.
The story of “Ella and Mack” stands as a sequel to “A-Tisket A-Tasket”—another unlikely angel delivering that magic “hit.” The murder- ballad had a bizarre and extensive history. “Captain MacHeath” was a villain in John Gay’s subversive 1728 ballad opera
The Beggar’s Opera , an English missile lobbed at the Italian opera popular among the British elite at the time. In 1928 Bertolt Brecht, the librettist, and Kurt Weill, the composer, adapted Gay’s work and renamed it Die Dreigroschenoper or The Threepenny Opera
She battled demeaning prejudice against vocal jazz and especially female singers in the male-dominated world of jazz.
The
and nicknamed the captain “Mackie Messer,” German for “Mack the Knife”—the star of one of the most popular songs in Weimar Germany. And so “Mack the Knife” stayed in the translation in the American composer Marc Blitzstein’s off-Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera in 1955. The following year Louis Armstrong gentrified “Mack” for a hit single; three years later a young, white rock ’n’ roll newcomer, Bobby Darin, swaggered his arrangement into a number- one single on Billboard’s pop chart, winning a Grammy for “Record of the Year.”
“I would like to present ‘Mack the Knife,’ especially at my first concert in Berlin because it is a German song,” she told Fritz Rau, the German concert promoter for JATP’s tour in February and March. With Granz in South America, Rau wavered.
“Normally I would say in such an important concert, especially the Berlin one, that you shouldn’t start this experiment. But after we went over the lyrics, we were both sure, yes, it’s okay.” She practiced reeling off the roll call of oddball names in Mack’s harem of prostitutes and victims— Sukey Tawdry, Jenny Diver, Polly Peachum, Lucy Brown.
On February 13, Fitzgerald arrived at West Berlin’s Deutschlandhalle arena, filled with around twelve thousand East and West Germans, about a year and a half before construction of the Berlin Wall. Her bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks, a relative newcomer, recalled:
We had played Brussels earlier, flown to Berlin and been up for 22 hours. We were all so tired we couldn’t hold our heads up, when Ella turns around and says, “Let’s do ‘Mack the Knife.’ ” My heart sank. We were in front of too many people to try something crazy, and I knew Ella didn’t know the tune. .but before I could say any more she had turned around and was announcing it. I looked at Paul and he just grinned.
At the end of the second chorus, she gave Paul Smith, the pianist, a hand signal to shift the key from G major up a half step. By the fourth chorus, she had forgotten the words. Middlebrooks remembered thinking, “Well, she’s about as lost as she can get, Louis Armstrong will show up any minute, because when Ella got lost in a swing number, she usually fell back on her Louis imitation.”
Louis showed up, and so did Bobby Darin and so did the Ella whose forgetting earned “neverending thunderous applause,” in the words of Fritz Rau. The more “mess” she made, the greater the charm of the contrast between her honesty and her artistry, and the more she remade it a “woman’s song.” Afterward she worried that Norman “was going to scream because I was putting in a song when I didn’t know the lyrics.” But Norman recognized a phenomenon when he heard one. After listening to Rau’s tape in March, he released a 45 rpm single paired with another song from the evening, the German-themed song, “Lorelei,” on the B side. “Mack”
debuted on Billboard’s rhythm and blues chart on May 23, peaking at number six, and crossed over to the top forty, reaching number twenty- seven. In July the single topped the Berlin Hit Parade. Even Blitzstein praised Ella’s “darling goofy” rendition, “with all my careful lyrics handsomely messed up.”
Fitzgerald was on fire that night. “How High the Moon” synthesized around twenty- five allusions to other songs, from “A-Tisket A-Tasket” to “Poinciana,” “Deep Purple,” “Ornithology,” and Irving Berlin’s “Heat Wave.” As with “Stompin’ at the Savoy” from 1957, Granz released “How High the Moon” as two sides of a 45 rpm single. Then he released the Berlin concert as Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife , which stayed on Billboard’s pop album charts for fifty- one weeks and became one of her best- selling albums. In 1961 she received a Grammy for “Best Vocal Performance, Single Track Female” and “Best Vocal Performance, Album Female.” All this from taking a request and singing what she called “a gag.” ■
EXCERPTED FROM BECOMING ELLA FITZGERALD: THE JAZZ SINGER WHO TRANSFORMED AMERICAN SONG BY JUDITH TICK. COPYRIGHT © 2024 BY JUDITH TICK. USED WITH PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER, W. W. NORTON & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Some of the best new European offerings feature new and alternative approaches to overall well-being
BY CHRISTINA OHLY EVANS & NATASHA WOLFF
DIOR SPA AT HÔTEL PLAZA ATHÉNÉE
Since 2008, Dior has had a spa at Paris’ Hôtel Plaza Athénée on Avenue Montaigne. Now, the 4,300-square-foot space has been reimagined into a new well-being sanctuary with holistic, high-tech treatments on offer. The new spaces, which include a sauna, steam room and six treatment rooms, feature a pale color palette with wood, stone and other natural materials and enveloping curtains. The Dior Light Suite treatment room is decorated with a unique ceiling capable of perfectly reproducing the sun’s light that is the setting for three new therapeutic treatments. The ceiling is set with LED bulbs that diffuse natural light in three levels of intensity (energizing, relaxing or restorative), enabling guests to resynchronise the circadian and chronobiological rhythms that influence their well-being. On the facial front, there is the Waves 21 machine, Dior Sapphire Crystal Microabrasion (which combines microdermabrasion with light stimulation to give the face and skin spectacular radiance) and Dior Grand Soin powered by Hydrafacial for a deep clean. The spa also showcases the brand’s La Collection Privée Christian Dior perfumes, along with Solutions Professionnelles, the exclusive Dior spa product range. dior.com
SHAPE CLUB AT LILY OF THE VALLEY
For those interested in overall well-being and fitness the French way, Lily of the Valley offers long-lasting solutions in one of the most sublime Riviera settings. Designed by noted architect Philippe Starck, the hotel was inspired by the hanging gardens of Babylon and Provençal churches with touches of California cool, creating a serene oasis high above the lush hills near Saint-Tropez.
In addition to 52 rooms and sumptuous suites, an oft-Instagrammed 80-foot pool, the recently launched Villa W for groups, a private beach club, and four healthy and delicious restaurants, it is the 21,000-square-foot Shape Club spa and fitness center with stunning views of the Mediterranean that has become a year-round health destination. Under the guidance of Dr. Jacques Fricker— formerly of the French National Institute of Health & Medical Research—guests can partake in programs from four to 14 days that are focused on optimal weight loss and relaxation. Wellness advisors and nutritionists incorporate exercise, water sports, yoga, detoxing massage therapy and personalized menus to leave guests feeling rebalanced and refreshed.
A study in glass, steel and chrome paired with exposed concrete, honed marble and neutral wood finishes, Lily of the Valley is a design lover’s paradise—one that is the epitome of laid-back luxury. lilyofthevalley.com
The former Old War Office building in Whitehall—once the headquarters of Winston Churchill and T.E. Lawrence—has been transformed into the stunning 120-room Raffles London at the OWO. In addition to rooms and suites by Thierry Despont, nine restaurants (three of which are helmed by Michelin-starred maestro Mauro Colagreco) and a grand entertaining space, the reimagined property now features a 27,000-square-foot Guerlain Spa, one of the largest and most luxurious in the capital. Spread across four floors, the spa takes a holistic approach to health and beauty: Personal training and nutritional consultation are by innovative fitness brand Pillar Wellbeing, while treatments such as the Royal Glow Tech Facial are enjoyed in the spa’s nine serene suites. Other relaxing offerings include the Coastal Escape—an immersive combination of massage, scent and music that’s designed to invigorate—and the Spirit of London, which helps with jet lag and other urban stresses.
A state-of-the-art fitness facility led by Pillar Wellbeing co-founder Harry Jameson takes a three-pillar approach to health by incorporating movement, nourishment and recovery elements into highly personalized plans. A movement studio, sleek 65-foot swimming pool with double-height ceilings surrounded by vitality pools, a thermal spa suite and a sauna and steam rooms round out this unique central London oasis. raffles.com
FROM TOP:
The pool at SHA Wellness Clinic; the hotel’s Occident room
Set above the Costa Blanca coastline, SHA Wellness Clinic is a unique 93-suite retreat that offers a comprehensive approach to health. From longevity and therapeutic nutrition and weight loss to hormone consultation (particularly related to menopause) and sleep medicine consultation, SHA has established itself as a leader in preventative holistic care. Programs are offered in plans ranging from four to 21 days, though a stay can be tailored to a patient’s specific needs. At SHA, health is defined not only as the absence of illness, but as the best state of physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Next up for the brand is SHA Mexico, slated to open in January 2024 in Costa Mujeres, just 30 minutes from Cancun. Surrounded by pristine nature, the retreat will offer a state-of-the art hydrotherapy circuit, hammam, sauna, beaches and even a cenote (a naturally occurring water cave). shawellness.com
ASAYA SPA AT ROSEWOOD MUNICH
Set across two grand buildings—the former headquarters of the Bank of Bavaria and the Palais Neuhaus-Preysing— the recently opened Rosewood Munich pays homage to its historical past with luxurious contemporary spaces courtesy of London-based designer Tara Bernerd. One of the property’s true highlights is the nearly 14,000-square-foot Asaya Spa, where the signature Rosewood Intuitive massage stimulates the body’s lymphatic system to decrease water retention and an Aufguss Journey incorporates local herbs and spruce into a warming full-body mask.
In a further nod to overall relaxation and rejuvenation, the spa has partnered with OTO, a wellness brand focused on unique CBD massages that incorporate natural materials such as bamboo and crystals with sound therapy for optimum psychological and physical benefits. Dr. Barbara Sturm’s signature Sturmglow facials (available for the first time in Munich) include exfoliation and massage techniques that leave skin feeling moisturized and refreshed. Two light-filled floors featuring a tranquil pool are a welcome addition to—and escape from—the bustle of the nearby Marienplatz and Maximilianstraße. rosewoodhotels.com
ZEN SPA AT EUPHORIA RETREAT
A combination of the latest science, Chinese medicine and Greek philosophies of wellness coalesce at the aptly named Euphoria, a sublime holistic wellness retreat set high above the village of Mystras on the Peloponnese peninsula. Founded by Marina Efraimoglou—a cancer survivor who became interested in alternative medicines and ancient practices—Euphoria features 45 soothing rooms and suites and a state-of-the-art, four-story spa inspired by Turkish baths and hammams.
A spiral staircase leading to a spectacular skylight serves as the epicenter of the Zen Spa, where guests are immersed in everything from acupuncture and Watsu to five elements meditation, yoga and lymphatic drainage massage. Visits are tailored to each guest’s needs; weight loss, strengthening immunity and emotional harmony are all addressed during stays that can extend from days to multiple weeks. Delicious, nutritious food plays an important role in overall wellness, so customized meal plans are created using a patented “3GL Plus” approach that measures a guest’s nutritional and metabolic markers to create tailored menus.
Euphoria offers a gentle, refreshing approach to both body and mind through breathwork, movement, mindfulness and nutrition—and in a bucolic setting surrounded by citrus trees and azure skies. Revitalization awaits. euphoriaretreat.com
SCHLOSS ELMAU
A four-story Bavarian castle set high on a hill is the ideal setting for a complete retreat from noise, pollution, stress, alcohol and whatever else ails you. Surrounded by forests and pristine peaks, Schloss Elmau was built in 1916 as a “space for personal freedom and communal life” and has stayed true to these aims with the further addition of six spas (some with stunning snow-capped mountain views), 10 restaurants, a concert hall that has played host to world-class musicians and three comprehensive libraries. This is the thinking person’s spa: The property has hosted G7 summits and the negotiations of the Paris Climate Accord in 2015—lightweight it is not.
The treatments on offer are wide-ranging, too, covering five different spas, a hammam, expansive yoga retreat and fitness center. From healing techniques used in traditional Chinese medicine to taijiquan (moving meditation meets martial arts), qigong (breathwork and movement) and cross-country skiing in silent meadows, there is something for every age and taste. Cold plunge pools, Finnish saunas, infrared saunas and salt-infused steam rooms are designed to reduce inflammation and flush toxins from the body, while the Healing Stones and Alpine Fitness massages are designed to increase blood flow and leave muscles feeling rejuvenated. Of special note here are the hammam treatments, including a 1001 Nights two-hour ritual with full-body scrub, almond oil massage and luxurious hair wash. The Yoga Pavillion is a stunner, as are outdoor platforms with alpine views. And for anyone inclined to simply relax, luxuriating in crystal-clear streams and mountain lakes or reading by a roaring fire are other Schloss Elmau options— ones that make a stay here a truly soothing break. schloss-elmau.de
SPA METROPOLE BY GIVENCHY AT HOTEL METROPOLE MONTE-CARLO
A Belle-Époque gem built in 1886, Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo has been masterfully updated by interior architect Jacques Grange and features one of the most expansive, luxurious spas on the French Riviera. Architect Didier Gomez is the talent behind Spa Metropole by Givenchy—one of just three Givenchy spas in the world—a soothing, clean-lined environment that’s reflective of the maison. Ten treatment rooms, a sauna, hammam, caldarium, ice fountain and sensory showers are all on offer, as are beauty treatments such as the two-hour Le Soin Noir Renaissance Absolue for face and body that incorporates anti-aging black algae sap to reinvigorate tired skin. Body treatments such as the Celestial Body Interlude scrub are followed by warm showers and an enveloping wrap and massage with Hydra Sparkling moisturizer. A high-tech fitness center with Kinesis stations, invigorating yoga and Pilates sessions and an enveloping relaxation room are just a few of the special touches. Makeup and fragrance—two Givenchy specialties—can be part of any day, along with manicures and pedicures by Bastien Gonzalez.
One of the most spectacular features here is the Karl Lagerfeld–designed seawater pool, a sleek oasis that’s surrounded by 18 glass panels depicting the journey of Odysseus. For an old-world, chic escape—one with a Michelin-starred restaurant, no less—this Leading Hotels of the World property is the place to be in the Principality. metropole.com
Travel company Prior brings tastemakers to Escondido Oaxaca as part of its ongoing partnership with Capital One
BY ANNA MITCHELL
BY
For most of the year, stepping into the courtyard of Escondido Oaxaca, a heritage colonial building-turneddesign-forward hotel in downtown Oaxaca, feels quiet and serene. But when the travel company Prior took over the property for the Day of the Dead last fall, the hotel transformed into a fiesta befitting Mexico’s most vivid cultural event. Thousands of marigolds glowed in the candlelight in the monastic property’s elegant archways and brutalist concrete alcoves, candy skulls and baskets of pan de muerte were offered throughout and the mezcal flowed with visitors and locals in the celebration of the dance between life and death.
“We wanted to make sure every detail did justice to the dense tapestry of Zapotec and Mixtec traditions, while also reflecting the modern face of one of Mexico’s most storied celebrations of food, craft and culture,” says Prior founder David Prior, who hosted the recent group journey to Oaxaca in conjunction with Capital One as part of a custom travel partnership between the two companies. An international coterie of travelers—a mix of chefs, artists, food writers, friends and clients—headed to the highlands of southern Mexico to experience the annual tradition, featuring marching bands disguised as skeletons and dancers clad in skull face paint and traditional Indigenous dress.
Prior’s focus is on experiencing local tastes, so culinary experiences were on the menu with street-food deep dives late into the night and a daytime meetup with trailblazing chef Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca, who shared his family’s Día de los Muertos recipes from a simple shed in his farm. (Foliage from the avocado tree, it turns out, electrifies mole negro.) “I felt as close as I could be to the local culture,” says Mimi Thorisson, the French cookbook writer behind best-selling titles like A Kitchen in France and Old World Italian . “Having a penchant for culinary life, it was the best possible introduction to regional food and cooking.”
At Casa Viviana in the town of Teotitlán del Valle, the group didn’t just learn about the timeless artisan tradition of candle making, they got busy with beeswax themselves. “I made this! Sorta!,” joked Laura Brown, the former editor-in-chief of InStyle and all-around cultural convener, as she held up a candy-pink candle resembling a delicate tiered flower. She was sitting beside Viviana Alávez, the elderly queen of the region’s ceremonial candles. “Thank you for humoring me, Viviana, and for your exquisite work,” said Brown.
Following Prior’s sold-out trips last year to Savannah, Napa and Sonoma, the Oaxacan journey was part of the company’s growing partnership with Capital One, which continues to innovate on the experiences and access offered for its Venture X cardholders. A new slate of 2024 trips to Seville, Paris and a repeat of Oaxaca represents a leveling up of Prior x Capital One’s programming, offering tastes of some of the world’s most vivid cultural festivals in an entirely off-the-menu way.
Next year, chef José Andrés will lead a group trip through Andalusia, when the flamenco finery of the region’s Feria takes over Seville. In advance of the Paris Olympics, Dominique Crenn, the first woman in the U.S. to earn three Michelin stars, will kick off celebrations at Golden Poppy, her acclaimed restaurant at La Fantaisie hotel in Paris, against a backdrop of stately Bastille Day firework displays.
“Experiencing the drama of Spain’s Feria de Jerez or Paris at its most glittering on Bastille Day or the exquisite beauty of Día de los Muertos are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities on their own,” says Prior. “But combining those festivities with chefs like Andrés, Crenn and Ruiz means that Capital One has allowed us to let our imagination run wild. Whether it’s a private dinner in the Picasso Museum or a private party in a candy-striped tent in the Feria, these are experiences that we were born to create.”
“It’s fun to think that we can offer that fever dream of beauty, culture and food to travelers,” Prior added. “It’s about having a seat at the world’s table.” ■
A CLOSER LOOK
The Galápagos Islands are magical no matter how you see them. But when it comes to your chosen cruising vessel, size really does matter
BY LAUREN JADE HILL
As our tender comes to a gradual stop off the volcanic coastline of Española Island, we see one, then two sea lions swimming in the clear blue water beside us. Moments after plunging into the cool water, we’re swimming alongside them. Two sea lions become three, four and more until we’re surrounded by these playful marine mammals wanting to engage with us, spinning, doing somersaults and gliding belly-up through the water as they weave between us.
A pelican looks on from its perch on the edge of the rocky shoreline, and in the water, a giant turtle silently glides past while one of its brothers sleeps beneath the ledge of a rock below. At Bahía Gardner, we’re met with several colonies of sea lions lounging on the white sand.
I’m sailing on the first superyacht in the archipelago, Aqua Mare, which takes up to 16 passengers on week-long itineraries through the east or west islands (or a combination of the two on longer journeys), with daily excursions led by expert naturalist guides and a high level of hospitality.
Expect the attentive service that’s only possible with a one-toone crew-to-guest ratio, the elevated gastronomy of Peruvian star chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino and upscale amenities including a rooftop Jacuzzi. François Zuretti designed the boat’s sumptuous Italian veneer–lined interiors, which encompass seven suites, including the 861-square-foot Owner’s Suite, along with an elegant dining room, roof deck and plush lounge. The wildlife of the islands provides the inspiration for the interior artwork.
“I remember when I was little, how all the cruises were on small, simple, wooden boats,” says my guide Isabela. “Now to me, going between the islands on this beautiful boat is just unbelievable.”
As I’ve joined an itinerary through the archipelago’s east islands, I begin my journey at Baltra Island before we sail north to Genovesa, famed for its abundant birdlife and the volcanic caldera of Bahía Darwin. After cruising southwest to Santiago Island, we spend a day at Bahía Sullivan, home to the island’s lava fields, and the small islet Sombrero Chino located off its coast.
From here, the journey continues on to Bartolomé Island, featuring what’s perhaps the archipelago’s best-known viewpoint, before arriving on the main island of Santa Cruz, where giant tortoises roam the lush landscape of the highlands. The expedition yacht sails from here for Española Island, where a colony of the Galápagos’ largest bird, the waved albatross, famously nests, and to Santa Fé Island, one of the oldest in the Galápagos, which is home to the endemic land iguana.
One day, we hike across the flats of Bahía Sullivan in the morning to see how the lava from the island’s 1897 eruption hardened into distinct formations before spending an afternoon snorkeling off another section of this coastline as Galápagos penguins dive between us and a Galápagos shark slides out from its hiding place in the rocks above a constellation of red-dotted Panamic sea stars on the seabed. That evening, passengers and crew dance on the roof deck beneath the stars, with the islands we’re exploring tomorrow lying beyond the water glinting in the moonlight around us.
The landscape and wildlife, which varies dramatically on each island, is discovered each day through land- and water-based excursions, with a maximum of eight people per group hiking, snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. In each place—and during lectures on the ship—Aqua Mare’s naturalist guides tell guests the story behind what makes the Galápagos so unique, explaining the importance of its climate (defined by its position between four ocean currents) and the way its species have been recognised for their adaptation to the environment as first identified by Charles Darwin on his 1835 visit to the archipelago.
This is the only environment where species like the Galápagos penguin, marine iguana and Galápagos giant tortoise can be found, and this endemic wildlife is joined by a wealth of other distinct creatures like the blue-footed booby. The combined experience of this wildlife, environment and staying on Aqua Mare provide a once-in-a-lifetime journey through a truly remarkable
BY ALYSSA GIACOBBE
Before I visited for the first time last fall, the Galápagos had occupied a place in my mind as a destination for the older set—seniors, retirees, my 70-something parents. For one thing, it’s not an inexpensive journey, often requiring at least two flights and several other modes of transportation, and it is, for many, a bucket-list experience. It’s often billed as a fairly low-impact way to explore nature, with walking safaris that mostly consist of slow strolls through flat terrain, the only obstacles in your way the occasional pile of lazy yellow-and-gray land iguanas. Combine that with a luxury vessel designed to take you from island to island and feed you (very) well in between and it’s easy, if you’re a more active traveler, to worry that—exciting blue-footed booby sightings notwithstanding—you might start to feel a little, well, restless.
Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when on our first day aboard Metropolitan Touring’s Yacht La Pinta, a mid-size, 48-passenger vessel, our captain launched right into the many activities that would be available to us between—and even during—our wildlife hikes, which remained the focus. Easy access to expeditions was, of course, on offer: dinghies to take us to the Galápagos sea lions sunbathing on the beach, glass-bottomed boats to scout giant leatherback sea turtles swimming beneath us. But those who wanted a more active adventure would be invited to voyage instead by kayak or paddleboard or open-water swim with the sea lions on the way to the sandy shore (if you’re in a competitive mood, these ultra-playful animals love to comply).
Every land excursion, meanwhile, would have a “power mode”
That’s the wondrous thing about the Galápagos: The wildlife there is so abundant, so unbothered and visitor-friendly, that there’s not much in the way of a search. And yet, isn’t there something satisfying about working for your wonders, at least a little bit?
Approaching its outings with an eye toward making the islands more inviting to those who like some action with their animals is one way that Metropolitan Touring has been able to attract a generally younger traveler to its Galápagos expeditions (available in combinable five- and seven-day trips). For guests of boats like Yacht La Pinta, the bigger vessel size (a relative term; you’ll never exceed more than 100 passengers on any Galápagos cruise) offers a few advantages over smaller boats. First, you increase the odds that you’ll find yourself among at least a few other like-minded travelers. Second, bigger vessels are generally more capable of traveling to some of the 53,000-square-mile archipelago’s harder-to-reach islands—such as Española, home of the rare giant waved albatross—no matter the weather, allowing you to see more in the time you have. Larger vessels also reduce movement and offer stable rides that smaller boats can’t always promise, while the bigger boats’ tourist power also often affords them “island exclusivity,” meaning your vessel will be the only one on a certain island at any given time.
In our five days aboard the Yacht La Pinta, we saw 11 of the “Big 15,” the iconic species of the islands that include the flightless cormorant, red and blue-footed boobies, the Galápagos fur seal and the aforementioned albatross. It was there, on Española Island, that we also had the option of hiking to Punta Suarez to see its famous saltwater blowhole carved into black lava rock, dubbed “el soplador” (“the blower”) by locals.
For the even more adventurous, and those with a little more time to spare, Metropolitan Touring offers a rainforest add-on to its Galápagos expeditions with two nights spent at Mashpi Lodge, an eco-friendly, high-design hotel nestled in the forested Andean highlands. Built by former Quito mayor Roque Sevilla and technically within the Ecuadorian capital’s city limits, it was designed to be an easy yet otherworldly escape, with guided rainforest treks to rivers and waterfalls, sky bikes that ride high above the cloud forest and a mile-long cable car system from which you can see hummingbirds, electric blue butterflies and, as you’ve by now come to expect from Ecuador, nature at its most spectacular. ■
Dove Cameron comes into her own; Charlize Theron on beauty; the best of the resort collections; the most over-the-top diamond pieces; and a Kentfield, California, home that’s turning heads
Coat, $3,590, bra top, $590, skirt, $1,690, MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION, michaelkors.com
Quatre Double White Edition tie necklace in 18k white gold with ceramic and diamonds, $6,700, Jack de Boucheron long necklace in 18k white gold, $11,900, Quatre Double White Edition ring in 18k white gold with ceramic, $4,490, BOUCHERON, boucheron.com . Choker in 18k white gold with emeralds and diamonds, price upon request, CHOPARD, chopard.com
There’s the old version of Dove Cameron. That Dove burst onto the scene a decade ago in the Disney Channel hit Liv and Maddie. She played both Liv, a teen actress who returns home from Hollywood to Wisconsin after her TV series ends, and Maddie, the tomboyish twin sister she left behind.
That Dove also starred, in 2015, as Mal, the daughter of Maleficent (Kristin Chenoweth) in the hit television movie musical Descendants . It’s one of those canonical Disney films that has influenced an entire generation of kids through two sequels, Halloween costumes and trillions of soundtracks and replays. It also turned Cameron into a household name with, yes, 48 million Instagram followers.
That was Dove Cameron 1.0. Or, as she describes it, “Back when I was still blonde, dating boys, wearing pink and smiling more.”
The new Dove Cameron—call her Dove Cameron 2.0, or maybe the real Dove Cameron—performs in operatic musical theater in London, lives on the Lower East Side, is openly queer, readily discusses her struggles with mental health and might just be the next great American pop star.
“The entire Disney thing,” as Cameron calls it, “is an old-fashioned studio network. You join when you’re a child. You keep that hair for four years. You have to freeze yourself in time. You share a brand with your characters on television. Nobody tells you that, but that’s what you do. I thought people knew that it was a brand more about the Disney Channel than it was about me.”
Blazer, $3,590, blouse, $1,850, pants, $1,990, belt, $525, SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO, ysl.com . Shoes, $428, TORY BURCH, toryburch.com . Eternity 28 watch in white gold with diamonds, $34,000, Tiffany HardWear earrings in sterling silver with pearl, $1,050, TIFFANY & CO., tiffany.com
I THOUGHT, MAYBE THIS SECRET DARK FANTASY OF BEING A MUSICIAN IS SOMETHING I CAN DO.
That Cameron was known for her music, with hits like “If Only,” but “none of those songs were written by me.”
Defining her “me” is of particular importance to the 27-year-old multihyphenate. “I experienced such backlash after Disney that I didn’t know who I was. What if I don’t want to rock the boat? I’d never been able to be myself in the public eye. Could I come out as queer and still feel safe in the world? Was I going to feel so picked apart again? It’s one of those things you can’t take back.”
But Cameron knew what choice she had to make, and she chose herself. “You can be the person everyone wants you to be and feel safer and be trapped by that,” she says, “or you can step into yourself as an energy and risk that it doesn’t work. But at least you get to sleep at night knowing you’re not cosplaying as someone else.”
In conversation, Cameron seems like a wise soul. Hollywood parties, she says, make her uncomfortable, “but there’s no secret door that leads you to nirvana and the dimension where everyone is like-minded.” Maybe it’s years of therapy. Maybe it’s learning from her mother, a poet. Maybe it’s the books about grief she likes to read. Maybe it’s the idea that she’s finally getting to be herself. Maybe it’s the years’ worth of sci-fi movies and television shows she watches on a regular basis.
“When I couldn’t find myself in the community around me, I could always find myself in music and movies,” says Cameron, who grew up near Seattle and started acting in community theater at the age of 8 before moving to Los Angeles a few years later.
Music and film have “always made me feel like I wasn’t from a different planet,” Cameron says. “I was always afraid that I could
love having mini romances for an hour every once in a while.”
Even though she went to high school in Los Angeles, most of her friends, at least the ones “that are on that same equilibrium wave” as she is, live in New York. Of course, when she started writing her new album, Cameron discovered that most of the music industry is based in Hollywood, which she’d just left.
“The music industry is the Wild, Wild West. What a crazy feat it is to get an album finished. It’s been such a shocking, overwhelming process,” Cameron says. “I was really naive going into it.”
That’s in part because Cameron says she did the music thing “backward.” The very first song she wrote for herself—at least the first as Dove Cameron 2.0—was “Boyfriend.” It’s sung to a female crush. Cameron alluringly sings why she’d make a better lover: “ I could be a better boyfriend than him/ I could do the shit that he never did/ Up all night, I won’t quit/ Thinking I’m gonna steal you from him/ I could be such a gentleman/ Plus all my clothes would fit.”
In truth, Cameron says of the song, “I thought it was trash. I was going to delete it off my phone.”
But her team suggested she put it on her TikTok, and it exploded. “It just took me by my hair and pulled me around the world,” she says. “My entire 2022 was chasing this runaway car that was this song.”
Cameron says that the experience was inspiring. “To see people embrace this song, to have them feel it expressed in their bodies was really emotional for me,” she says. “I thought, maybe this secret dark fantasy of being a musician is something I can do. Plus, it would be weird if I walked away after a song this big.”
never find my people growing up. I was always on the periphery. But a sci-fi movie makes me remember how the brain works. It makes me feel the walls aren’t caving in. In fact, I have one of the Avengers movies playing right now.”
Cameron cites movies that “feel strange,” or “disturbing films that are pleasant and romantic,” as her favorites, films like Ex Machina , David Lynch’s Elephant Man, Pan’s Labyrinth and Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Those exotic worlds resonate with her. “I think there’s something really inherently human in dystopia,” she says. “I think movies about robots reveal things about humanity. There’s this dichotomy of striving for perfection but knowing that perfection marks the end of humanity.”
“I’m not pro-AI or pro-robot,” Cameron qualifies, somewhat humorously. “I’m actually a huge, huge fan of human beings. I’m very social, actually. I’m a huge cuddler.”
That’s why she moved from the West Coast to New York two years ago. “I’m a walking city girl,” Cameron says. “I like to be in the middle of everything. I have so much noise and chaos going on in my brain and my nervous system; New York City matches my energy. I can process myself here more. I don’t hate Los Angeles; I just don’t feel like my best self there. I feel like the scary person in the corner that everyone’s wondering, ‘What’s going on with her?’”
In New York, Cameron says, she rarely feels lonely. “I talk to people and make friends and I sit outside of shops and strike up conversations with strangers,” she explains. “It makes me think [about] how wonderful it is to be alive. How many humans there are still to meet. I’m such a person that feeds off connecting with humans. I
After that monster hit, she had to work backward and try to develop her sound. “‘Boyfriend,’” she explains, “was a one-time experience. I had to do a lot of deep diving to find what sounds make me feel connected to myself. Everything I do comes from my personal life and my experience first.”
Even though Cameron says she “floats toward things that are melancholic,” baring her soul in writing sessions “freaked me out. I’ve always been prone to depression and contended with my trauma, but I’d mask up and wall up and go to work. Now I was telling stories about things that were very private and painful.”
The result comes in two parts; Alchemical Volume 1 was recently released. There’s a Billie Eilish quality to the music. Some of the songs are “high production bangers,” she says, “but I think it’s genreless. It’s getting back to what I would make if I could make whatever I wanted. It’s about deciding that the only person’s opinion that matters was mine.”
Though Cameron loves to support her friends and has been listening to “Olivia [Rodrigo’s] album, Taylor [Swift’s] album, Sabrina [Carpenter], Renée Rapp, Conan [Gray’s] new stuff,” she wants to keep her sound as pure as possible.
“I love what’s successful on radio, but I don’t want to start thinking about metrics or trends or what people are loving. I don’t want to get insecure about my own process. I’ve done the whole this is what people want from me [thing],” Cameron says, referring, no doubt, to the first Dove Cameron skin she shed and has left, it seems, long behind her. “I want to focus on what I want to say. What lights me up. But I’m still trying to find my voice.” ■
FROM COCKTAIL PARTY DRESSING TO SPORTY SEPARATES, STANDOUT LOOKS FROM THE RESORT COLLECTIONS
stellamccartney.com
HAIR: Michael Thomas Lollo
MAKEUP: William Murphy
PRODUCER:
Lauren Beck @ Noted Collective
MODELS: Alexis @ The Industry
Aliza @ The Society
Angelina @ The Lions
Anisha @ The Society
Annie @ One Management
Ayobami @ Muse
Bonnie @ Identity
Daria @ Muse
Dohyun @ IMG
Eleanor @ IMG
Eniko @ New York Models
Estella @ Wilhelmina
EZ @ The Lions
Fatou @ New York Models
Georgina @ IMG
Kate @ Muse
Katie @ STATE
Kristen @ IMG
Marquita @ IMG
Melody @ Elite
Mijo @ Supreme
Rachel @ Heroes
Rhenny @ The Lions
Riahn @ The Lions
Teddy @ Supreme
Willa @ One Management
Yacine @ Fusion
Zoe @ Heroes
A Marin County, California, home, perched atop a hill, showcases the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains
By NATASHA WOLFF
Photography by DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN
OUR CLIENTS WANTED THEIR HOME TO FEEL LIKE AN INCREDIBLY CHIC HOTEL THAT YOU WOULD NEVER WANT TO LEAVE.
of the Golden Gate Bridge, a family’s home embodies the eclectic charm of a California hybrid ranch style, having seen several transformations by different owners over the years. “Our goal was to completely revamp and harmonize the space while ensuring we capture the full, immersive beauty of Mount Tamalpais,” says interior designer Daryl Serrett. The home’s open-concept living areas flow effortlessly into the expansive outdoor space, which includes a large patio and pool area. “We incorporated natural materials such as wood and stone, which complement the lush greenery surrounding the home and bring a sense of warmth and earthiness to the design,” says Serrett. “The family’s intention to fully utilize every corner of their home and incorporate it into their daily lives made it even more imperative that we make sure everything about this home is not only beautiful, but incredibly functional as well,” says Serrett’s collaborator Kiara Thompson of Section KRT (architect Lauren Goldman and Cook Construction worked on the project as well). This wasn’t the first project Serrett had worked on with the homeowners, so there was a familiarity there already. “We’re fortunate to be given their unwavering trust in design,” says Serrett. “She has a keen appreciation for vibrant colors and a touch of glam, while he has a passion for rich textures, so that’s usually our starting point.”
Highlighting the panoramic mountain views was paramount. “By incorporating expansive, glass-infused spaces, we carefully curated a design that beautifully captures mountain views from nearly every room,” says Serrett. The resulting contemporary home strikes the perfect balance between style and comfort and provides the ultimate indoor-outdoor living experience. “We drew inspiration from the iconic mid-century modern architecture of the 1950s and ’60s and aimed to embody the essence of timeless, organic California design that is rich in texture, punctuated with vibrant bursts of color to create a fun, lively atmosphere centered around the ideals of entertainment and family,” says Lauren Goldman of LORO Architecture & Interior Design. “Every aspect of the home was thoughtfully designed with both form and function in mind, from the sleek kitchen to the spacious bedrooms with ample natural light.”
A rich, jewel-toned color palette is utilized throughout the home, through paint on the walls, upholstered fabrics and lush floor coverings. Off-white plaster warms the walls and gold-leaf archways complement the natural walnut and stained white oak wood elements. Art carefully curated from Dolby Chadwick Gallery enhances the walls of the house, and the furniture is curated from a blend of distinct sources including 1stDibs, Studio Twenty Seven, Apparatus Studio, Lawson-Fenning and The Future Perfect. “The craftsmanship involved in bringing to life the incredibly unique vision of this home is unparalleled, and we took great pleasure in delivering the fine details at the highest level of construction,” says Gregory Cook of Cook Construction. ■
LIT FROM WITHIN
“I’ve added the new Prestige la Crème Haute Réparation into my skincare routine, and I love how it makes my skin feel.” Achieve the look with Prestige La Crème, $420, DIOR , dior.com
By NATASHA WOLFF
CHARLIZE THERON, the 48-year-old actress, producer, activist and mother of two, has been part of the Dior Beauty family as the face of its J’ADORE fragrance for the last 15 years. The Oscar winner, soon to be seen in The Old Guard 2, is synonymous with the brand’s ethos and aesthetic. DuJour goes on set with the Academy Award–winning actress, producer and longtime Dior brand ambassador to talk about all things beauty.
“It builds lashes without clumping, and it holds the curl,” Theron says of Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara in 090 Black, $32, DIOR , dior.com
“When I feel like going out, my go-to product is the Rouge Dior Forever lipstick. I love a bold red lip!” Rouge Dior Forever lipstick in 999 Forever Dior, $42, DIOR , dior.com
A J’ADORE
IS REPRESENTATIVE TO ALL WOMEN WHO JUGGLE SO MANY THINGS IN THEIR LIVES AND HANDLE IT WITH SUCH GRACE, EASE, CONFIDENCE AND ‘UNAPOLOGETIC-NESS.’
Photography by JEFFREY WESTBROOK Styled by ALEXANDER WOLF
Bracelet in 18k rose gold with rubies and diamonds, price upon request, vancleefarpels.com
Earrings in 18k white gold and titanium with pink sapphires, diamonds and rubies, price upon request, chopard.com
SUMPTUOUS LEATHER, SLINKY SILK, SEQUINS AND FRINGE ADD INTEREST TO WINTER’S FINEST
EVENING WEAR
ASPEN
DALLAS
HOUSTON CHICAGO
LAS VEGAS
MIAMI
NEW YORK CITY
ORANGE COUNTY
PALM BEACH LOS ANGELES
SAN FRANCISCO
Casadonna, a collaboration between Groot Hospitality and Tao Group Hospitality, has opened in Edgewater alongside Biscayne Bay. The destination, which totals 20,000 square feet across indoor, outdoor and bar seating, offers dishes inspired by the Italian Riviera. “Casadonna is unlike anything we’ve ever done before,” says David Grutman, founder of Groot Hospitality. “In partnering with Tao, I cannot wait to see our synergies take hold and for our guests to experience the unique magic we’ve created. From the fresh Italian menu to its unbeatable waterfront views, we see Casadonna bringing something new to Miami dining—and we know it will be unforgettable.” Located in a waterfront landmark building that houses the Miami Woman’s Club, the space was brought to life by Ken Fulk. “We delved deep into the history of Miami architecture and this building, and we landed on a shared vision that added the grandeur of nearby Vizcaya and the exotic allure of the Long Bar at Raffles in Singapore,” says Fulk. Lush flora and a retractable roof give the space the feeling of a grand secret garden, replete with arched windows, open sky exposure and a second-story arcade. Venues include The Garden Dining Room, which is designed to feel like a classic, plaster-finished conservatory, and the Loggia Dining Room, which boasts parquet wood floors, a coffered ceiling, detailed millwork, custom blown-glass chandeliers and breathtaking views of the Bay through the building’s original windows. casadonnamiami.com
The new Hero’s terrain on Aspen Mountain will add 153 acres of skiing and riding, increasing skiable acreage by more than 20 percent. The area will be accessed via a high-speed quad and will cover 1,220 vertical feet with 15 new trails as well as gladed areas ranging from intermediate to advanced terrain. Not only does this addition diversify Aspen Mountain’s terrain mix to offer a great pitch for skiing, it also acts as a functional hedge against future climate-challenged ski seasons: With its northfacing, high elevation terrain (all above 10,000 feet), Hero’s is ideal for holding snow in seasons when natural snowfall is less plentiful. aspensnowmass.com
Mollie Aspen is a new, 68-room boutique hotel on Paepcke Park. Designed by Post Company, the property is a seamless blend of understated luxury and residential comfort, accentuated by natural woods, earthen ceramics and hand-dyed textiles. The lobby fosters an inviting atmosphere for visitors and locals alike and consists of a bar and restaurant and an all-day café. Set atop the top floor are a rooftop pool and terrace that transforms into an intimate lounge by night with unobstructed views of Aspen Mountain. mollieaspen.com
Aspen Hospitality, the hospitality division of Aspen Skiing Company, has officially transitioned the Hotel Born, located adjacent to Denver’s Union Station, to Limelight Denver. The hotel
is the first urban location for the Limelight brand and joins its existing portfolio in Aspen, Snowmass, and Ketchum, Idaho. Located in the heart of LoDo and a direct light-rail ride away from Denver International Airport, the 200-room hotel is the perfect location. “This is an exciting day for Aspen Hospitality as we, in partnership with Continuum Partners, officially introduce the first urban location to the Limelight portfolio,” says Alinio Azevedo, CEO of Aspen Hospitality. “Denver has long been a city that attracts those seeking the adventure lifestyle in a thriving city environment, making it an ideal location. Continuum has done a tremendous job creating a high-quality hotel that perfectly aligns with Limelight’s vision for its first urban property.” limelighthotels.com
Gucci ’s new 5,600-square-foot boutique features a wide collection of men’s and women’s shoes, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, jewelry, watches, eyewear, beauty and fragrances–and the Gucci Après Ski collection. Guests are warmly welcomed by the building’s historic stone façade and handmade green Maiolica tile displays in the windows. The design of the interiors is equally refined and references details from the house’s collections with clean lines and an understated color palette. gucci.com
and pad thai. “The Infinite Hospitality team is excited to partner with New Waterloo in bringing Sway’s unique concept to Aspen,” says Sean Robison, COO of Infinite Hospitality. “Our dedication as locals to developing high-quality hospitality offerings for the Aspen community is a perfect match with New Waterloo’s commitment to creating positive impact through vibrant, local-centric hospitality concepts.” Designed by architect Michael Hsu, the interiors blend traditional rich wood tonality and playful use of color. “Sway, like Aspen, is rich with contradictions,” says Hsu. “It is in embracing these contrasts that Sway provides a uniquely enigmatic experience.” swaythai.com
Sant Ambroeus has opened a coffee bar in town offering a variety of classic desserts, sandwiches, pastries and coffee. With a modern alpine design by Giampiero Tagliaferri Studio, the space features Le Bambole sofas by Mario Bellini, 1950s Carlo Ratti chairs and 1970s wall sconces. The coffee bar has concrete elements on the counter and bench, a flagstone floor and warm materials such as walnut wood, marble, faux Mongolian lamb and corduroy. “As a Milanese myself, and a Sant Ambroeus regular, I felt an immediate connection to this project,” says Tagliaferri. “I hope the space will become a staple for Aspen locals and visitors; a refuge where one can go in the morning for an espresso and croissant or stop by for a quick lunch or a delicious hot chocolate after a day on the slopes.” santambroeus.com
Monya is the newly launched sister jewelry brand of the Hampden Corporation, a 4th generation family-owned and operated business with over a century of history and expertise. Based in Chicago, Monya offers personalized jewelry direct to consumers, specializing in custom made-toorder pieces that are ethically sourced using only certified recycled metals and conflict-free stones. The brand’s delicate creations are available in sterling silver, 10k and 14k solid gold with or without diamonds and can be worn alone or layered and stacked. Its connection to Chicago is deeply rooted, as the company was founded in the Windy City back in 1922 by Hyman Wein and continues its operations there. With no change in ownership or gaps in production for more than 100 years, Hampden has become one of the most respected personalized jewelry manufacturers in the United States. monyajewelry.com
Necklaces, from $140, MONYA; monyajewelry.com
EAT HERE NOW , GO
Sushi Bar offers a 17-course omakase menu inside a jewel box space inside River North hotspot Lady May. The Austin import features a distinctly nontraditional approach to omakase, serving such signature dishes as aged bluefin akami with dehydrated miso and everything bagel spice and kanpachi with pineapple, passionfruit and shaved coconut. The mid-century aesthetic features terrazzo floors, brass fixtures and a marble green backdrop behind the bar. The restaurant seats 10 and can serve 30 guests each night. sushibarhospitality.com
Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection, has opened in Fort Worth. Designed by architectural and interiors firm BOKA Powell, the hotel’s 88 studios, 12 lofts and six suites are luxurious and modern. “Fort Worth is a culturally rich gem with some of the best parks, gardens, museums, restaurants and entertainment in Texas, and we are excited to help open up this city to global travelers while providing a new and exciting home base for our beloved community,” says the hotel’s general manager, Gaylord Lamy. Bricks and Horses is the hotel’s signature restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, while cocktails and all-day bites can be enjoyed at The Bar at Bowie House. The hotel’s tree-lined pool terrace is home to Whinny’s, with a refreshing menu of bright bites, salads, ice cream sandwiches and frozen drinks. Ash is the hotel’s serene spa, featuring private access to the pool deck, five treatment rooms, a sauna and steam room, fitness center, nail studio, boutique and relaxation lounge. aubergeresorts.com
The Cream, from $92, AUGUSTINUS BADER , augustinusbader.com
Beloved skin and haircare brand Augustinus Bader has opened a boutique and skin clinic at West Village. The 1,000-square-foot store offers clients skin analysis and facial and body treatments in two treatment rooms. Powered by TFC8, a proprietary cocktail of vitamins and amino acids, the brand’s skin and haircare products are adored by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham, Dakota Johnson and Margot Robbie. augustinusbader.com Gucci has opened at NorthPark Center. The 5,000-square-foot boutique features a wide collection of men’s and women’s shoes, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, jewelry, watches, eyewear, beauty and fragrances. The boutique’s Italian marble façade introduces guests to the space, which features herringbone wood flooring, rich fabrics, geometric tables, pink and green wall finishes, green velvet upholstery and vintage rugs to make the space shine. gucci.com
Pearl, a new sushi restaurant led by chef Shine Tamaoki, offers traditional nigiri, sashimi and maki as well as appetizers like spicy tuna on crispy rice and entrees that include A5 Wagyu filet and tempura options. “Being Japanese and living here in the States, I can see the difference in palate. I realized I can bridge the gap while still preserving traditional fundamentals in sushi,” says Tamaoki. “I am excited to incorporate flavors from my hometown, Yamanashi, which is known for the best plums and grapes produced in Japan.” pearlrestaurants.com
Culpepper Cattle Co. is a modern steakhouse in Rockwall with a Tex-Mex flair serving dishes like fried green tomatoes, fajitas, tacos and chops. Amber chandeliers hang above the 11,000-square-foot dining room, whose white stucco walls are festooned with Mexican blankets. culpeppercattleco.com
Sugar & Sage Bakery has opened in the University Park neighborhood, offering a delicious range of sweet and savory items including cookies, cupcakes, brownies and doughnuts. The concept is a passion project for Alison Weinstein and her 16-year-old daughter Ashley, who has loved baking in her family kitchen from a young age. “I couldn’t be more excited,” says pastry chef Jill Bates. “Our exceptional team shares a passion for creating fresh, chef-inspired pastries. Combine this with our world-class coffee featuring Noble Coyote and Dallas is in for a treat.” sugarandsagebakery.com
Mister O1 , the Miami-born pizza concept from Italian master pizza chef Renato Viola, has opened its third Texas location in Dallas. “With people who appreciate delicious food, we think our concept will be a great fit for the city,” says Viola. “We love the lifestyle and strong community feel here and are looking forward to being a part of it.” The menu offers a selection of artisanal pizzas featuring a delicate thin-crust style with a light dough that rests for a minimum of 72 hours before being baked. Traditional pizza combinations are served alongside signature pies like lemon chicken with onions and tomatoes and spicy salami with honey and blue cheese. mistero1.com
Dallas-based cowboy boot brand Miron Crosby lists celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Kate Hudson and Gwyneth Paltrow as fans thanks to its modern take on the classic Western style. Owned and founded by sisters Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means, Miron Crosby incorporates bold colors, eye-catching metallics and unique embellishments into each boot. The brand’s new 1,576-square-foot storefront in the Lamar-River Oaks Shopping Center showcases bestselling styles like the Margretta, inlaid and appliquéd with shooting stars and crescent moons, as well as the Maggie, a vintage-inspired short boot offered in an array of hues. “We’re absolutely thrilled to open a boutique in Houston,” says Duplantis. “We have always been thoughtful about the neighborhoods and sites we select.” mironcrosby.com
French skincare brand Orveda has launched at Saks in Houston. The product range, which features actives that are natural original ingredients or obtained via green biotechnologies, has been selling so well at the department store that it’s being rolled out in other U.S. locations. The highly concentrated vegan products showcase extracts like biofermented black tea, phytoplankton, prebiotics, enzymes, organic hyaluronic acids and yeast. orveda.com
Chef Manabu Horiuchi and partner Yun Cheng (Kata Robata) have opened Katami in Montrose. The 180-seat Japanese restaurant is sushi-forward, with an extensive focus on Wagyu and sake. In addition to Japanese ingredients and techniques, local produce is thoughtfully incorporated. Diners can opt for a nine-, 12- or 15-piece sashimi-focused omakase experience for a curated selection of the best fish selected by the chefs each day. Signature rolls include the Southern Smoke, with fatty tuna belly, caviar, shiso, wasabi and sea urchin, and the Harlow District, with sautéed onion, mushroom, takuan, kanpyo, red bell pepper, avocado and tomato powder. katamihouston.com
Clark’s, in Montrose, is the third and largest location of the popular neighborhood oyster bar and seafood restaurant, following Austin and Aspen. Designed by Lambert McGuire Design, the restaurant features an open raw bar with counter seating, ample bar seating, leather booths, a large outdoor patio and a private dining room. The menu showcases a daily selection of oysters, crudo, lobster rolls, daily fish specials, chowder, cioppino and other signature dishes. An in-house bakery produces all the restaurant’s breads, rolls and buns. The aesthetic is nautical with a yellow-and-white striped awning, custom millwork and a centerpiece aquarium. clarksoysterbar.com
Bellagio has invested $110 million into a renovation of the 819 rooms and 104 suites in its Spa Tower by design firm The Gettys Group, in partnership with MGM Resorts International Design Group. The king and two queen rooms encompass strong, bold elements alongside luxurious marble floors, custom furnishings, illuminated bathroom mirrors inlaid with mother-of-pearl and a separate soaking tub and shower. The Spa Tower’s plush and varied suites have been designed by Champalimaud Design
and showcase neutral wall coverings, creamcolored curved headboards, soft uplighting, custom TV armoires and curvilinear sofas, benches and chairs, as well as modern touches like motion-sensor lights. “We wanted to create a residential aesthetic with the timeless sense of luxury that is uniquely Bellagio,” says Champalimaud Design partner Winston Kong. “We found inspiration in the colors of Lake Como’s surrounding flora and the classical style of the building’s architecture.” bellagio.mgmresorts.com
Summer House has opened at the Durango Casino & Resort, marking Lettuce Entertain
You’s first off-Strip restaurant and the first time the Summer House expands west from Chicago. The menu will range from Cali-style tacos and fresh vegetable plates and salads to housemade pastas and pizzas crafted with California-milled flour. Designed by the Rockwell Group, the restaurant evokes a beach house vibe with white-washed walls, earth tones, greenery throughout and a retractable wall of windows. summerhouserestaurants.com
Jeweler Kwiat has launched its new diamond transparency program at its Wynn boutique. Customers are able to select a rough diamond sourced directly from reputable mines in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa, then watch the process of cutting, polishing and setting the stone into their perfect piece. Not only does this guarantee the stone is ethically mined, natural and conflict-free, it will also be cut to the exact specifications set by Kwiat to show off each shape’s most desired characteristics. Each customer will be guaranteed to be the first person to ever wear this diamond, a rare feat for a big diamond brand. kwiat.com
The Fontainebleau chairman and CEO Jeffrey Soffer is taking on Las Vegas
After leading the $1 billion expansion and renovation of the landmark Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the brand’s chairman and CEO, Jeffrey Soffer, is bringing a vertically integrated luxury hotel, gaming, entertainment and meeting destination to the Strip. The 67-story resort boasts 3,644 hotel rooms and suites, 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, 150,000 square feet of gaming and a collection of restaurants, shops, pools, nightlife and spa and wellness offerings. We spoke with Soffer on the occasion of the hotel’s opening to learn more.
What sets this property apart?
Fontainebleau Las Vegas is the latest chapter in the Fontainebleau legacy that blurs the line between the glamour of the past and the luxury of the future. We’re bringing an impressive array of amenities, spa, dining, nightlife, entertainment and gaming to the resort, with one key differentiator being our attention to detail and how that translates through every interaction at the resort. Entertainment will continue to lie at the heart of our offerings with partners like Live Nation, who books talents for our BleauLive theater, and David Grutman’s Groot Hospitality, who’s bringing LIV nightclub and LIV Beach to the property.
What’s special about this location?
As the newest resort to debut on the northern end of the Strip, Fontainebleau Las Vegas sits directly next to the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall expansion, allowing meetings and convention guests seamless access from our dedicated South Lobby to the convention hall. Another differentiator is how accessible the resort is. Historically, Las Vegas properties were built horizontally. Our hotel and amenities are all integrated around the unique and elegant podium-like shape of the resort, creating a seamless experience for guests in which they can easily access their desired destination.
What hospitality partners are you collaborating with?
We pride ourselves on being trendsetters in the luxury hospitality space and look
forward to introducing 36 food and beverage concepts to the competitive Las Vegas market. Spanning more than 188,000 square feet throughout multiple locations at the resort, our world-class restaurant and bar collection features carefully curated collaborations with globally renowned chefs and restaurant partners like chefs Gabriela Cámara, Josh Capon and Evan Funke and restaurateurs David ‘Papi’ Einhorn, David Rodolitz and Alan Yau.
What’s your favorite design element of the property?
Certain design elements throughout Fontainebleau Las Vegas are a nod to the vision of Morris Lapidus, the iconic architect who designed Fontainebleau Miami Beach. An array of design partners, led by Fontainebleau Development’s EVP of design, John Rawlins, worked together to ensure each space pays tribute to the original Fontainebleau through architecture, color palette and its signature art deco motifs.
What do you love about Las Vegas?
Las Vegas is one of the most exciting and rapidly growing cities in the world. The city is in the midst of a cultural and tourism renaissance, boasting the highest tourism occupancy since 2020. As one of the strongest lodging markets in the country, it strategically made sense for us to bring the Fontainebleau brand to the Strip and usher in a new era of luxury hospitality in the destination. Miami and Las Vegas are both cultural hubs, and we are excited for the potential that Las Vegas holds as a city that continually reinvents itself as a world-class destination.
Los Angeles pop-up Budonoki has found a permanent home in Silver Lake. From industry veterans Eric Bedroussian, Josh Hartley and chef Dan Rabilwongse, Budonoki is a Japanese izakaya with a menu of flavorful and inventive snacks, shared plates and sushi. The 40-seat dining room features blue, orange, and earth tones with Japanese design accents such as lanterns, curtains and neon signage. Blue leather banquettes accented by dark wooden tables line the organic hemp wallpaper-covered walls. The perimeter of the space is lined with floor-to-ceiling wooden panels that create a beautiful walnut lattice around the restaurant. budonoki.la
Sushi Note Omakase is a new omakase experience in Beverly Hills created by the hospitality veteran duo behind the original Sushi Note in Sherman Oaks, Andy Paxson and Dave Gibbs. The 14-seat restaurant offers a thoughtfully curated sushi program that takes guests on a 20-course journey imagined by chef Kiminobu Saito. Each evening, the menu will showcase the finest seasonal fish and ingredients available from Japan to create superior, carefully prepared nigiri and sashimi dishes. The concept’s design draws inspiration from Japan’s native plants and organic materials, with a bar top handcrafted from Japanese hinoki tree wood. sushinoteomakase.com
New York–based women’s ready-to-wear and accessories designer Nili Lotan has opened a store in West Hollywood. The 1,300-square-foot space will showcase ready-to-wear and accessories by the Israeli designer. “The new store will be another facet of my sensibility, where art meets fashion in an elevated yet nonchalant environment,” says Lotan, who started her own label in 2003 with a six-piece capsule collection: three pairs of pants, two jackets and a skirt. “We started the first few seasons with pants and then evolved later into leather, outerwear and other categories including jeans.” Over the last 18 years, the brand has garnered loyal fans like Jennifer Aniston, Rihanna, Karlie Kloss, Julianne Moore, Dakota Johnson and Hailey Bieber. “From Day 1, I set out to design a wardrobe of luxurious, chic and timeless pieces that are informed by my lifestyle,” says Lotan. nililotan.com
Balenciaga has opened a new Beverly Hills store with a focus on women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories, eyewear and jewelry. A logo-marked façade is paneled with concrete that is chipped at its edges, while the interior is mostly monochromatic and industrial (think cement bricks, untreated concrete floors, bare metal racks, subway tiling and banisters). balenciaga.com
Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet has opened an AP House in West Hollywood, designed by Brigette Romanek. The brand’s concept represents its experiential approach to retail, with more than 6,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor penthouse space. A key feature is the watchmaking studio, a unique offering in the Americas, where visitors can delve into the brand’s watchmaking. audemarspiguet.com
A new architectural design concept for Celine will debut in the Design District this winter. The two-floor boutique will feature Hedi Slimane’s global design concept with unique artworks by Eli Ping, Davina Semo and Elaine Cameron-Weir alongside men’s, women’s and home products. The aesthetic of the space juxtaposes the finest natural materials (like Roman lava stone, creamveined black granite and gray travertine) crafting a balanced and expansive sculptural interior. These materials are complemented by reclaimed oak, concrete, polished stainless steel, brass and gold mirror. Peruse the brand’s newest ready-towear, bags, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses and accessory collections. celine.com
Dior has opened a new men’s store in the Design District. The bilevel boutique offers ready-to-wear, leather goods, small leather goods, shoes and other accessories, as well as pieces from the Gem Dior fine jewelry collection. The brand commissioned artist Thomas Trum to create a spray-painted design for the store’s facade. dior.com
Cecchi ’s is a new American restaurant in the West Village from industry veteran and author Michael Cecchi-Azzolina. With a nod to classic New York City establishments such as Elaine’s, Mortimer’s and the Stork Club, Cecchi’s skillfully blends tradition with a contemporary allure. Expect a selection of succulent steaks, chops and seafood, as well as fun riffs on classic cocktails. The café area and main dining room showcase murals by artist Jean-Pierre Villafañe, while pieces by artist Cacho Falcon add a touch of whimsy. The restaurant, designed by Studio Becky Carter, emanates a vibrant, sexy ambiance that is enhanced by lighting by Hervé Descottes of L’Observatoire International. cecchis.nyc
Chef Andrew Carmellini (The Dutch, Locanda Verde and Lafayette, to name a few) has opened a new Italian and French restaurant, Café Carmellini, in NoMad inside the new Fifth Avenue Hotel. Dish highlights include lobster cannelloni, osetra and red snapper meunière, rabbit cacciatore and duck tortellini. Scallops Cardoz is an homage to the late chef Floyd Cardoz, with whom Carmellini worked in the 1990s. “Café Carmellini is New York at heart and Italian and French in spirit,” says Carmellini. “My career began in fine dining at era-defining restaurants like Lespinasse, Le Cirque and Café Boulud in New York City. After focusing successfully on more casual dining for 15 years, I felt a calling to return to fine dining. Café Carmellini is the most personal restaurant of my career and the sum total of everything I am passionate about.” cafecarmellini.com
restaurant
, from chef John DeLucie (The Waverly Inn, The Lion, Lumaca) and restaurateur Andrea Ienna (Capizzi), has opened in the West Village. The warm and inviting atmosphere, designed by Legeard Studio, features a wood-centric design. Menu highlights include robiola and white truffle pizza, short rib pappardelle, spicy lobster spaghetti, veal milanese and decadent desserts. “I am always thrilled to reconnect with cooking the food of my heritage,” says DeLucie. “The menu is an opportunity for me to cook my absolute favorite foods.” ambranyc.com
Chef Angie Mar’s fine dining restaurant, Les Trois Chevaux, has been transformed into Le B (a nod to The Beatrice Inn), a stylish restaurant with continental cuisine. “I love the West Village, and have cooked here for almost 15 years, so it made sense to me to open a restaurant that reaches into my culinary roots here and fits the neighborhood,” says Mar. “Le B is
a more downtown restaurant. The lighting is lower, the jackets are off. It’s come-asyou-are.” Designed by BWArchitects’ Brenda Bello and Joel Medina, the West Village space features chic design elements including midnight blue velvet banquettes, Phillip Jeffries Sateen Inkwell wallpaper and a 1980s-era crystal chandelier from the Grand Prospect Hall. Surrounded by flower arrangements from renowned florist Raúl Àvila, guests can enjoy dishes like onions Nancy (a play on an onion dip), dungeness crab wellington and steak Angelene. The famous Beatrice Inn burger is available at the bar. lebnyc.com
Bangkok Supper Club is the latest restaurant from the group behind Fish Cheeks, serving inventive, contemporary Thai cuisine in a sophisticated setting evocative of Bangkok after hours. A charcoal grill is at the heart of the menu, where Bangkok-born chef Max Wittawat plays with tradition to create vibrant, shareable plates rooted in the electrifying flavors of the the city’s late-night culinary
scene—think fried sticky rice-stuffed chicken wings, whole grilled branzino and grilled pork jowl atop garlic fried rice. bangkoksupperclubnyc.com
Seafood restaurant Point Seven in the MetLife Building is the latest offering from chef Franklin Becker. Pastry chef Sam Mason (OddFellows Ice Cream) creates the desserts, while Max Green (formerly of Death & Co.) oversees the seasonal, ingredient-forward cocktail program. Studio Valerius designed the bright, airy and sustainably conscious space, which features two dining levels and a spacious bar area. pointsevennyc.com
Lupetto, a stylish wood-fired Italian steakhouse from restaurateur Mark Barak (La Pecora Bianca) and chef and partner Michael Berardino, has opened in NoMad serving house-made pastas and Neapolitan-style pizza from the wood-fired hearth. The interiors, designed by Parts and Labor Design, feature an exquisite
palette of forest green, warm wood tones, sleek marble and brass accents alongside custom furniture and lighting. Its sexy downstairs bar, Sotto, has a focus on craft amari. lupettonyc.com
Rome’s legendary Salumeria Roscioli has opened its first outpost outside of Italy thanks to SoHo restaurateur Ariel Arce (Niche Niche), the Roscioli family and partner Alessandro Pepe. Roscioli ’s upstairs delicatessen and wine bar is the new attraction where one can order from a wide selection of cheeses, meats and smoked fish, as well as fan favorites like meatballs with tomato sauce and aged ricotta and pasta classics like carbonara, cacio e pepe and amatriciana. rosciolinyc.com
Sailor is the new Fort Greene bistro from chef April Bloomfield and restaurateur Gabriel Stulman. The light-filled and well-appointed space, designed by Alfredo Paredes (Polo Bar) and inspired by classic New York taverns, is just the setting in which to enjoy the perfect roast chicken, mussel toast, smoked arctic char pâté and profiteroles. sailor.nyc
The Wooly, from partners David Tobias and Eric Adolfsen, has opened in Nolita as an evolution of the destination hangout originally located in the Woolworth building in downtown Manhattan. With bar and cocktail expert Iain Griffiths (co-founder of White Lyan and Dandelyan in London) and consulting chef Ken Addington (Casino, Five Leaves) on board, the menu offers clever riffs on drinks that define New York City alongside raw bar favorites and classics like a wedge salad, burger and steak tartare. Adolfsen, who oversaw the design, is a founding partner of interior design and branding studio Reunion Goods & Services (Don Angie, The Happiest Hour, Hotel Tivoli). thewooly.com
Madison Avenue showcasing the brand’s full range of products, including candles, diffusers and home accessories. The interior boasts custom fabric wall panels designed by French designer Thierry Larcher. us.baobabcollection.com
Fragrance house D.S. & Durga, founded by husband-and-wife duo David and Kavi Moltz, recently opened a boutique on Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side. The new outpost features the brand’s signature aesthetic, including poured concrete, an earthy palette and metallic accents, and showcases the brand’s entire product range. dsanddurga.com
West Village’s newest luxury residential offering, Maison Hudson, has opened, ushering in a new era of ultra-luxe hospitality in Manhattan. From the team behind The Collection, this unique offering showcases one-, two- and three-bedroom units designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen with views of the Hudson River and fully equipped kitchens with state-of-the-art appliances. With a luxe gym, Intuisse spa, sauna, steam room and a 24-hour concierge team, you don’t need to venture far afield to find luxurious offerings. Each room is appointed with bespoke Italian furniture, walk-in closets and toiletries by French brand Officine Universelle Buly 1803. On the ground floor sits Restaurant Marius, set to open in January, featuring Provençal cuisine helmed by Michelinstarred chef Sébastien Sanjou. “Maison Hudson offers a rare opportunity for guests to experience highly personalized service and extraordinary lifestyle experiences in a design-forward, luxurious setting,” says Jacques Oudinot, The Collection’s COO. “From arrival, residents will be greeted by elegant décor, unparalleled hospitality and world-class amenities, attracting those who desire an active yet private community with exclusively curated experiences at their fingertips.” the-c.com
Valentino has opened a new, three-level flagship on Madison Avenue featuring steel columns, rough concrete finishes and onyx display cases. Leading upstairs is a monumental staircase featuring a mélange of red, black and white marble, and furnishings include contemporary chandeliers by Roll & Hill, chairs by Charles Zana, a 1970s de Sede Snake sofa and 1970s Mario Bellini Camaleonda sofas, with ceramic objects by Massimiliano Pipolo. valentino.com
Canadian brand Oak + Fort has opened a 3,500-square-foot store in SoHo featuring its womenswear, menswear, home, accessories and jewelry collections. oakandfort.com
European home fragrance brand Baobab Collection has opened on
Attersee, founded by former editor Isabel Wilkinson Schor, launched in summer 2021 with everyday wardrobe staples that stand for ease and simplicity crafted with sumptuous fabrics like Loro Piana cashmere, crepe satin and vintage velvet. Now, Attersee has opened its first physical location, The Attersee Studio, on the Upper East Side. Schor worked closely with a New York–based architect on the 1,600-square-foot space, which features walnut millwork, custom brass finishes, and Italian and Belgian fabrics throughout. The studio, open by appointment only, is also designed to function as an exhibition space, where Schor plans to incorporate artist collaborations. shopattersee.com
The new Breitling boutique in the Meatpacking District features an industrial loft-like vibe that pairs vintage décor with streamlined contemporary design for a modern-retro feel. The 3,740-square-foot store features a coffee bar, lounge-style basement and a photo installation that incorporates the brand’s worlds of air, land and sea, inviting visitors to explore the Swiss watchmaker’s timepieces. “Always putting the customer experience first, we are excited to take the values Breitling has become known for to the next level with our Meatpacking boutique,” says the brand’s U.S. president, Thierry Prissert. “This landmark downtown location is a luxury space where customers can immerse themselves in the Breitling brand through an approachable, casual and inclusive environment.” breitling.com
Graff has opened a new jewelry salon at South Coast Plaza to showcase the brand’s extraordinary pieces. Throughout the space, natural textures, including stone, wood and polished marble, are complemented by bespoke wall coverings and a handcrafted chandelier. “The opening of Graff South Coast Plaza marks a notable milestone as we expand our offering across the United States,” says Marc Hruschka, Graff USA’s president and CEO. “We look forward to welcoming our clients in Costa Mesa to our remarkable new salon–and providing them with an opportunity to experience our fabulous world.” graff.com
Byredo has opened a flagship store at South Coast Plaza, the brand’s sixth in California. Opening up from an expansive glass front, the bright space is framed by a black façade and sculpture displays that showcase the diverse offerings within the brand’s universe. Reflecting brand founder Ben Gorham’s affinity for traditional woodwork, cherry wood panels segment the space with their calming presence, a nod to his beloved forests from a childhood spent in Canada and Sweden. In a signature play on contrasts, industrial accents such as aluminum-framed cabinets are juxtaposed against natural elements such as artisanal terrazzo and raw stone to offer intriguing propositions. The new store will carry the full range of Byredo perfume, home fragrances, makeup and body care products. “It is important for Byredo to be present where our customers live out their lives, and South Coast Plaza has a magnetic reach, drawing in a wide audience who journey to this destination,” says Gorham. “It’s another milestone for us in the retail landscape in California.” byredo.com
Pendry Newport Beach, featuring 295 guest rooms (including 114 suites), many with ocean, harbor and bay views, opened this fall steps from Fashion Island and features interiors by Studio Munge, architecture by WATG and landscape architecture by Burton Studio. Recently, in partnership with Clique Hospitality, the property opened SET Steak & Sushi, featuring modern American classics and a collection of prime cuts prepared over a grill. “We intend to deliver a dining experience that’s unlike anything in Orange County today,” says Andy Masi, founder of Clique Hospitality. “SET is a true culinary experience, from the finest ingredients to the most gorgeous cocktails and tableside preparations.” Fresh, sustainably caught seafood, sushi and sashimi and Asian classics like Peking duck are also on offer. pendry.com
Flagler Club, the ultra-luxury, privateaccess boutique hotel nestled within The Breakers Palm Beach, has undergone a full-scale renovation by Tihany Design after making its debut in 2015. The new, modern aesthetic is showcased across 21 guest rooms and suites, as well as its lounge and terrace. Offering ocean or island views, Flagler Club’s thoughtfully appointed guest rooms and suites feature embroidered wallcoverings, decorative paneled screens and a vibrant coral and azure color palette evoking the essence of Palm Beach. Flagler Club services include complimentary transportation to and from Palm Beach International Airport, chauffeured private car service via the Tesla house car within the area, food and drinks throughout the day at the lounge and terrace and priority reservation
Tutto Mare, a Mediterranean concept from the Hamptons-based Tutto il Giorno restaurant group, will open on the intracoastal at the Royal Poinciana Plaza this winter. “From the day we bought the Royal, we committed to finding the best of the best to fill it,” says WS Development president Samantha David. “When I first looked out over the water, I knew we needed the world’s best Mediterranean restaurant to open its doors and spill onto
the deck with the sun setting behind it. What the team at Tutto is creating with Tutto Mare brings something special and new to the island, and we believe it will become an iconic destination for many generations to come.” Gianpaolo de Felice and Gabby Karan de Felice, along with their partners Gally and David Mayer, are eager to bring the restaurant to Palm Beach’s shores. “Our goal with Tutto Mare is to create something chic, comfortable and intimate, balancing architecture with décor and ambiance,” says Karan de Felice. “Tutto Mare will be a place for the community to gather in a fresh environment while celebrating Palm Beach’s rich history.” tuttoilgiorno.com
at the property’s 10 restaurants. “Inspired by our guests’ ever-evolving expectations, we have enhanced Flagler Club, our service-intensive boutique hotel, with alluring spaces and best-in-class amenities,” says The Breakers president Tricia Taylor. “Our team ensures personalized getaways that deliver an indulgent yet authentic sense of home, attending to each visitor’s preferences and needs with genuine care.” thebreakers.com
Tiffany & Co. recently debuted its renovated Palo Alto store. The 6,300-square-foot boutique features a façade envisioned by architect Shigeru Ban. The materials used, including native Californian American oak, express the brand’s connection to the locale, while vertical glass slats can be infinitely adjusted to various colorways to accommodate different seasons, themes or campaigns.
Inside, a Schlumberger Blue Flame artwork pays homage to the brand’s heritage and Tiffany Blue hue (which also appears in delicate touches throughout the store). The brand’s signature motifs and pieces are on display for customers of all kinds. tiffany.com
Taking cues from northern Italy’s Liguria region, newly opened Corzetti at Union Square’s Hotel G is lined with accents evocative of the Italian Riviera, such as coastal photography, lemon-patterned wallpaper, modern light fixtures and leather banquettes framed by wooden walls with a porthole-like design. Helmed by chef Tali Missirlian (A16, The Tailor’s Son, Noosh), the coastal-inspired menu features dishes like fritto misto, pizzas and a whole branzino. corzettisf.com
Sweater, $295, LA LIGNE , lalignenyc.com
Founded in 2016 by Molly Howard, Meredith Melling and Valerie Macaulay, stripesfocused brand La Ligne recently opened its fifth brick-and-mortar location at Marin Country Mart, marking the brand’s inaugural boutique on the West Coast. The boutique showcases best-selling pieces such as the Marin sweater and Madeleine and Vivian dresses, which are beloved by celebrities like Selma Blair, Christina Ricci and Amy Schumer. To celebrate the occasion, the label has produced exclusive items for women and children in the Country Mart’s color palette of cream and yellow. lalignenyc.com
Following a multiphase property enhancement project involving the 50 rooms and common areas at Auberge du Soleil, notable interior designer Suzanne Tucker of Tucker & Marks in San Francisco has refreshed both the Michelin-starred The Restaurant and the property’s casual eatery, The Bar. Conceived in 1981 by French restaurateur Claude Rouas and originally designed by interior designer Michael Taylor, the revamped, all-in-one space was reconfigured with a repositioned bar to embrace the valley views and white oak flooring with a sunburst pattern designed as a wink to the resort logo. “I particularly love that the redesigned spaces are just as welcoming as ever,” says Tucker. “Giving it a more contemporary design and open feel was an obvious path to the engaging staff inviting one to linger in the bar, dine on the terrace with the spectacular views or choose a cozy table by the fire.” aubergedusoleil.com
For the fresh design at The Grill at Silverado Resort at the Silverado Resort and Spa, Rosie Feinberg, principal of SFA Design (of the Arizona Biltmore and L’Ermitage Beverly Hills) took the lead on the overhaul of the space with a palette of grays and greens inspired by nature, glass-and-iron light fixtures and vintage black-and-white photos of Napa vineyards. Featuring views of the lush greens of the property’s two golf courses, the eatery offers California-inspired menu items using heirloom tomatoes, pea shoots and edible flowers grown onsite in the new 3,000-square-foot chef’s garden. “We wanted the restaurant to be playful, with shareable menu items available all day,” says chef Patrick Prager. “I enjoy our sticky baby back ribs. This dish is unique because we use a lot of different ingredients, including tamarind paste, fish sauce and hoisin sauce. The flavor is sweet and sour with a little spice.” silveradoresort.com
Located within the North Block Hotel in Yountville, The Restaurant at North Block debuts a new look and concept with wood-clad walls, an ombré wall mural by San Francisco–based artist Caroline Lizarraga and an expansive outdoor courtyard patio with modern woven dining chairs. The menu, featuring a valley-to-coast concept, includes daily brunch with fluffy lemon ricotta pancakes and dinner selections like yellowfin tuna tartare with local stone fruit from Tenbrink Farms and wild mushroom flatbread with roasted cashews, yellow onion and Point Reyes toma cheese. “We want our guests to experience an atmosphere that radiates an effortless ‘feel good’ vibe without pretension,” says chef Juan Cabrera. “Our culinary offerings are a tribute to the diverse flavors sourced from the northern California region, featuring a medley of coastal, farmed and foraged selections. Each dish is a testament to the artistry of our culinary team.” northblockyountville.com
Back Home Hospitality, the group co-owned by Matt Brewer and David Nayfeld behind the Italian restaurants Che Fico and Che Fico Alimentari, is opening two concepts at Springline, a new 6.4-acre mixed-use development in Menlo Park. First is Che Fico Parco Menlo featuring Italian fare filtered through a California lens. The menu will include antipasti, housemade pastas, pizza and entrees. The restaurant will also have a beautiful outdoor space that will be weatherized for all-year use. Il Mercato Di Che Fico, opening a few months later, is an Italianfocused market that will feature local produce, prepared foods, a fish and meat butcher counter, salumi, wine, a walk-up gelato window, catering and more. cheficoparcomenlo.com
From New York to Milan and Paris, the stars graced the front rows for their favorite designers
From film premieres to charity galas, notable names on the party circuit this fall
Guests turned out to support the Kering Foundation’s efforts to end violence against women and promote gender equality
The Academy Women’s Luncheon, presented by Chanel, brought out actors, filmmakers and writers to the Academy Museum in L.A.
Actors came out to celebrate the premiere of Dead Man Walking at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC
Dior mounted events in New York City and Paris to celebrate 24 years of its iconic J’adore fragrance
An iconic couture relic sees the spotlight again
BY EDWARD ESPITIA
Richard Avedon’s “Dovima with Elephants, evening dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, Paris” is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable fashion photographs of all time. The image is the perfect example of fashion photography, a true marriage of advertising and art. The photographer, model and dress all came together in a rare, perfect moment of the flash that burned the image into art history.
In 1955, Avedon was sent to Paris by Harper’s Bazaar to photograph the autumn couture collections. Avedon went outside the typical studio setting, a relatively new idea at the time, with Dovima. Dorothy Virginia Margaret Juba, known professionally as Dovima, was a Queens-born model who was famously called “The Dollar-a-Minute Girl” for her then-outrageous rate of $60 an hour. Avedon and his small team went to the famed Cirque d’Hiver, where they stumbled upon the group of shackled pachyderms under a vast skylight. Avedon instinctively knew which dress would be the perfect addition to this tableau: a black velvet sheath tied
with a long obi-style bow, the first design from Christian Dior’s eager new assistant, Yves Saint Laurent. The juxtaposition of Dovima’s sinuous pose against the craggy-skinned, majestic elephants perfectly mirrored the juxtaposition of the white bow against the stark black dress. The photograph appears as a still from a choreographed dance between the beauty and beasts.
Dior created a very limited number of the famed dress, and the San Francisco arbiter Eleanor Christenson de Guigné was one of the lucky few to own one. De Guigné was on the international best dressed list several times, and her famed couture collection included other exceptional examples by Dior and Saint Laurent, among others. Much of de Guigné’s couture collection was acquired by the De Young Museum in San Francisco.
The dress will be part of the “Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style” exhibition at the De Young Museum, opening January 20. It is the first major presentation of the museum’s exceptional costume collection in over 35 years. famsf.org
CH ARLIZE T H ERON NAVITIMER FOR THE JOURNEY
