The Form & Function Issue

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THE BEST IN THE SOUTH. Tootsies - Swank - Crate & Barrel - Seven Lamps - Kendra Scott - DEKA Roots Juices - American Apparel - fab’rik - Dantanna’s - Bevello - lululemon athletica Suitsupply - The Impeccable Pig - Paper Source - Bhojanic - Ona

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noun, plural of ei·dos [ahy-dee]. The distinctive and formal expression of the cognitive or intellectual character of a culture or social group. It is the essence of each thing and its primary substance.

Tova Gelfond EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Craig Rosenberg CFO

Avi Gelfond ART DIRECTOR

Jaime Lin Weinstein SENIOR EDITOR

Tian Justman FASHION DIRECTOR

Meghan Jackson EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Cassie Kaye FASHION ASSISTANT

Mark Haddad ASSOCIATE DESIGNER

Victoria Knight Borges, Jodi Cash, Kendall Mitchell Gemmill, Austin Holt, Cynthia Houchin, Brooke Hutchins, Denise K. James, Lauren Ladov, Juley Le, Sheyda Mehrara, Jimmy Sherfey, JR Sullivan, Han Vance and Gina Yu CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lindsay Appel, Colby Blount, Brett Falcon, Katie Fiedler, Julia Gartland, Amanda Greene, Jamie Hopper, Jimmy Johnston, Alex Martinez, Faisal Mohammed, Brooke Morgan, Nate Robinson, Michael Santini CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Hannah Johnson, Jabe Mabrey and Christa Leveto Williams CONTRIBUTING STYLISTS

Hannah Lenore Gray EDITORIAL INTERN

Curtis Carter FASHION INTERN

© Enlightenmint Media Group, LLC 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher Enlightenmint Media Group. The views expressed in Eidé Magazine are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. The registered office of Enlightenmint Media Group is at 1200 Foster Street NW, Suite 20, Atlanta, Ga 30318. All information contained in the magazine is for information only and is as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Enlightenmint Media cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Enlightenmint Media a license to publish your submission in whole, or in part, in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Enlightenmint Media nor its employees, agents, or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.

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CONTRIBUTORS’ WORDS “That made for an inspiring story to write.”

“Amanda is tall and has a beautiful body, so I let her be my inspiration!”

JODI CASH Jodi Cash is a freelance writer, producer and editor based in Athens, Ga. She’s spent the last year working on The Seed & Plate, a publication about food, farming and community in the Southeast. Her love of writing grew out of a passion for meeting new people and listening to their stories. She never ceases to be amazed by the humility of the people she encounters through her work. This was particularly true of her experience writing for Eidé. “The only thing more beautiful and thoughtful than the design of Dana Spinola’s home was her attitude toward success, motherhood and philanthropy,” Cash shares. “That made for an inspiring story to write.” (theseedandplate.com)

KENDALL MITCHELL GEMMILL As a born-and-raised Nashvillian, Kendall Mitchell Gemmill considers it an honor to cover what’s new and notable in her beloved hometown. She works as an associate editor for a society and lifestyle magazine in Nashville and contributes to several other publications in her spare time. “What I love most about what I do, is telling people’s stories — even if it’s someone I already know!” Which was the case for this issue’s home feature with Chet Weise and Poni Silver. “I’ve known Poni and Chet for years. It was a treat to get a sneak peek into their life at home. I feel like I was given a whole new perspective on them as individuals, as well as the beautiful couple they are.”

“I’ve known Poni and Chet for years.

It was a treat to get a sneak peek into their life at home.”

JABE MABREY Stylist Jabe Mabrey has been surrounded by fashion his entire life. One grandmother taught him to sew and made elaborate costumes for him and his cousins to play in, while the other grandmother had a boutique. He remembers going to her store as a child and helping the ladies pick out their outfits. So becoming a stylist seemed natural. “I loved playing dress up with the beautiful actress Amanda Crew,” Mabrey says of his work for this issue. “Amanda is tall and has a beautiful body, so I let her be my inspiration! From all the seam work to the cut-outs to the elegant chiffon pattern dresses, the clothes just worked on her!” (jabemabrey.com)

“They’re always open to new ideas and aren’t afraid to push the envelope.”

JR SULLIVAN Franklin, Tenn., native and current resident of Charleston, S.C., JR Sullivan writes and edits for a host of outdoor and general-interest publications. His work has appeared in Fourteen Hills, Home & Hill, Nashville Scene, Short Story America and Sporting Classics, among others; he has also written promotional copy for Garden & Gun. With each story, he seeks to explore subjects that embody larger ideas than what’s plainly visible. “I’m just as interested in my experience with Landmark Booksellers as with its history,” he says of his piece in this issue. “Reconciling those narratives felt like the best way to understand the store’s significance in my life and in a larger context.” (jr-sullivan.com)

ON THE COVER

AMANDA CREW

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Photography by ALEX MARTINEZ Styling by JABE MABREY (More on pg. 70)

DISPLAY UNTIL MAY 1, 2015

FAISAL MOHAMMED Faisal Mohammed’s lens does more than just merely record memories. With a sincerity and a penchant for realism, he captures the essence of any subject in his vantage point. Honing in on the most minute of details, Mohammed gives reverence to the small things that we tend to overlook in an over-saturated society — whether that happens to be a detail on an item of clothing, or a glimmer deep in a subject’s eyes. Hailing from Ghana and using Atlanta as his backdrop, he has tapped into a well of inspiration and through his photography, reminds us that life truly is an individual’s canvas.

“Working with Eidé was really fun,” Mohammad says of his shoot “Line Items” in this issue. “They’re always open to new ideas and aren’t afraid to push the envelope.” (revivethecool.tumblr.com)

INTER IOR S & DECOR , BIG DES IGN M OV ES , STATEM ENT HOM ES , THE NEW WOR KWEAR

W W W . Z E N Z I I . C OM Your New Jewelr y Obsession!

LETTER FROM THE

SOUTHERN FORMS “It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, Of all things physical and metaphysical, Of all things human, and all things super-human, Of all true manifestations of the head, Of the heart, of the soul, That the life is recognizable in its expression, That form ever follows function. This is the law.”

- LOUIS SULLIVAN, MODERNIST ARCHITECT Before we produced this issue, before we even assigned stories or fantasized about the fashion spreads, this quote was printed out and placed on my desk as a sort-of mission statement for what would be the “Form & Function” issue.

This is the law, after all.

It was this set of principles that opened our conversation about design, patterns, forms, construction and architecture. I was riddled with one succinct question: What makes design Southern? And more specifically, what classifies a Southern home?

As a child, I believed it was rustic tartans with mallard decoys or Country French china with rooster iconography. My mother (a New York native), would no doubt attribute it to wraparound porches and regal columns wide enough to fit a gaggle of girls donning hoop skirts. Both of these — and neither of these — are true.

I’ve seen more modern, boxy architecture sprouting in traditional neighborhoods as of late, infinity pools with retractable decks are embraced at large, furniture constructed from bare-bone elements become accent chairs and even restaurants are calling shipping containers home. I told cover girl Amanda Crew during our interview, “Southern is an ethos, an aesthetic, not a zip code.” But what makes up those body of principles might just be, as Sullivan puts it,

“all true manifestations of the head.”

Investigation further offered a dotted pathway like constellations connecting shapes of our regional design together. I discovered that Southern design is essentially collected and unapologetic. It loves for the sake of loving and joins together the anthropology of the past with the simplicity of the future. In even the most contemporary outfits, there’s a grounded nature where innovative and charming is favored over pristine and stark.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about design, is that it’s truly alive. It’s a living, breathing body of aesthetic choices that grows up, works hard and takes time off. What we favor today, we may regret tomorrow (as hundreds of avocado-green carpet owners might attest to). But it’s ever symbolic of the journey; a truly Southern virtue. Design — be it illustrative, graphic, textile, interior or otherwise — is at its core, creation. It lives with us, because it is us — “life is recognizable in its expression.”

“It’s superhuman,” because we are super-human. And most importantly, as a matter of law, “it’s of the Soul.”

Tova Gelfond

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WHILE PREPPING THIS ISSUE WE...

Illustration by Atlanta artist, Julia Berman “Sandpipers,” 18” by 36” acrylic on canvas juliaberman.com

Braved 20-degree Atlanta weather for a photo shoot Celebrated a grandmother’s 90th birthday Drank a lot of Corso Coffee Got nominated for a Grady Centennial award Read Colleen Oakley’s debut novel “Before I Go” Had an inter-office holiday mug exchange Celebrated our 3-year anniversary with a party at MOCA GA Discovered Trader Joe’s chocolate babka: finished one...then two...now three babkas.

Moved into our newly built-out office!

Built and stained custom desks for the office Finally binge watched ALL of “Breaking Bad” (in just two weeks) Went over the internet data limit because of so much “Breaking Bad” Ran (well, walked/jogged) on the Atlanta BeltLine Made the best cheese dip for Super Bowl Sunday (ours was the best; don’t argue.)

Spent a lot of time on the phone with Comcast Contemplated a serious void of emojis (no fingers-crossed or tacos!)

Saw Paul Reiser perform at a comedy club (Google: “Mad About You”) Were a word of the day on Words With Friends Ate at Krog Street Market … a lot … (yes to Laffas at Yalla) Movers broke a big-screen TV… Bought a new big-screen TV Listened to a lot of Glass Animals Visited the Chrisley’s new house Spent the holidays in New Orleans Waited two hours to eat at Jaques Imo’s … worth it FOLLOW THE JOURNEY ONLINE @EIDEMAGAZINE and EIDEMAGAZINE.COM

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TABLE OF CONTENTS: A CHARMING CREW (70) Photographer, blogger and star of HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” Amanda Crew might just be a Southern girl at heart.

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GRILLED FLANK STEAK (20) With Italian salsa verde.

FRUITING FROM AN OLD SEED (24) The resurgence of the slow farm in Florida.

DINNER PARTY DNA (30) An elegant inferno.

OUT OF OFFICE (38) Workwear to take you from the desk to dinner.

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LOCAL LOVE (50) West Elm is tapping into local markets.

CHARMED IN CHARLESTON (52) A colorful, bohemian paradise.

HISTORIC ELEMENTS (58) An 1800s Nashville house becomes a home.

SOMETHING TO DRINK, SOMEWHERE TO PUT IT (62) A new carriage house features old Southern comfort.

BALANCING ACT (66) Fab’rik CEO Dana Spinola’s Atlanta estate.

INTERIOR THAT COUNTS (80) Southern craftsmanship pushes the envelope.

THINKING INSIDE THE BOX (86) Shipping container restaurants in culinary spaces.

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FIRM DESIGN (90) Interior designers weigh in on style choices for 2015.

BEHIND THE BLUEPRINT (94) Rubbing elbows with HGTV designer Chip Wade.

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DESIGNING FOR A PERMA(NENT) CULTURE (98) Permaculture shapes sustainability into landscapes.

IF CITY WALLS COULD TALK (102) Atlanta-based artist HENSE elevates street art.

FINE LINES (104) Casual men’s suiting takes shape with stripes.

SÃO PAULO’S SOUTHERN CHARM (114) Brazil’s melting pot reflects a culture close to home.

A YOUNG NASHVILLE (118) A snapshot of a new generation.

LANDMARK BOOKSELLERS (122) A sanctuary of Southern lit.

AT FIRST LIGHT (126) Discovery and conflict at the birth of photography.

DRIFTING AWAY (130) Embrace the season’s dreamiest silhouettes.

FA: THE STRAW HAT (142) What makes a hat worth all that money?

FOUR-EYED PRIDE (144) People of all ages are embracing eyewear.

EIDÉ CITIES (149) Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Charleston, Nashville & New Orleans.

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PORTABLE ART (162) Earl Pardon’s jewelry at the High Museum of Art.

FOOD & ENTERTAINING Recipe and Photography by JULIA GARTLAND

GRILLED FLANKSTEAK with Italian Salsa Verde

GLUTEN-FREE

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SERVES 4

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INGREDIENTS STEAK 1 ¼ pounds flank steak 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 cups baby arugula, loosely packed

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SALSA VERDE 3 anchovies, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon capers, drained 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped 2-3 tablespoons Dijon whole-grain mustard (like Maille) 1 cup parsley, packed ½ cup mint, loosely packed ½ cup basil leaves, packed 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar Zest of 1 lemon 1 lime, juiced Olive oil, to desired consistency Sea salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS In a food processor, pulse all salsa ingredients together until gritty, but well-combined. Then, drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency is reached.

Set aside.

Heat a large, greased, cast-iron grill pan over high heat. Rinse and pat dry flank steak, then coat with olive oil and season generously with flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper. Grill each side for approximately 4 minutes or until medium-rare (press the middle of the steak to feel for doneness).

Let rest on a plate for 5 minutes, then slice and serve on a bed of arugula drizzled with salsa verde.

Garnish with lime wedges and flaky sea salt.

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FOOD & ENTERTAINING

Fruiting FROM AN OLD SEED Story by JIMMY SHERFEY | Photography by NATE ROBINSON

The Resurgence of the Slow Farm in Florida.

I

n an age conducted online, more are feeling that connection to something tangible wither away, are left pining for a lifestyle reminiscent of a couple generations back — one where we sit down to a meal sans mobile, enjoy food grown in our backyards and share stories a little more polished and less crude than the ones scrolling down a virtual feed. In the heart of Florida, the oft-maligned state regarded by many as little more than a spring break destination if not a major hub for America’s crazy altogether, some young souls spearhead this unlikely but growing down-toearth movement.

Three farms in Alachua County surrounding Gainesville and the University of Florida have found their livelihoods in the land. All breaking ground within the past five years, they’ve ditched monoculture for a more diverse crop base, working to gain a piece of the market currently monopolized by specialized producers operating on massive scales.

Noah Shitama’s Swallowtail Farm is one of them. After studying religion at Emory University in Atlanta, like many fresh out of college, he was in search of his identity and a feeling of relevance. He speaks in a soft, measured tone pulled forward by a deep, Southern twang. “I was itching to do something practical,” Shitama recalls. “So I kind of reduced it to food and shelter, and resolved to pursue some capability and confidence.” This pursuit started with several years in construction. After building, he worked under a farm owner, learning the keys to developing a robust Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Drawn in by the neverending process of farm management, he started his own farm in collaboration with his wife, Emily Eckhardt. The first day of tilling the soil of his new land, he noticed a somewhat rare sight — a flock of Swallow-tailed Kite birds surveying the farm, likely on break from a long migratory haul. “They’ll travel a dozen together for the longest distance and then break out on their own or in pairs,” Shitama explains. “I felt like that was it: I’ll take an easy sign as a sign.”

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One of Swallowtail Farm’s four-legged residents.

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he concept of Community Supported Agriculture — paying for a farm’s produce typically before it is harvested — has proven huge for producers looking to shift the paradigm back to local. Swallowtail’s efforts to diversify their catalogue could gain a lot of ground in the hearts and minds of consumers that view small farmers as little more than their go-to source for kale.

About an hour southeast of Swallowtail, Frog Song Organics rotates 10 acres of vegetables on 21 acres of farmland, adjacent to U.S. Highway 301. The entrance features a billboard depicting a small army of cartoon frogs working to bring in the harvest. Owner John Bitter talks in smiling tones, often tempering the raw facts of farm life with a chuckle. He worked with Amy Van Scoik on her first vegetable farm around the time they were finishing up school at UF (they are now a husbandand-wife duo). Since then, they’ve traveled together expanding their knowledge of sustainable agriculture. Spending time in Mexico, they found inspiration for their farming ethos as well as their operation’s name. “We love frogs,” Bitter says.

“All throughout Mexico they’re known as an amulet for protection of health. Frogs are like the canary in the coal mine for chemical contamination.”

Since inputs harmful to the soil and wildlife are verboten on his farm and all farmers are at the mercy of weather, abundant produce is not a guarantee.

The plants need a close eye, as does the business side. The farm relies substantially on Community Supported Agriculture to grow, ensuring the loss from waste is minimal. Even in winter, when cold weather decreases the selection of produce available, Frog Song still has a robust CSA bushel featuring Tokyo turnips, arugula, mustard greens, Napa cabbage, sweet potatoes, sunchokes, broccoli and mizuna (seven to nine items each week).

A smaller operation closer to Gainesville proper, Siembra Farm, has just begun the organic certification process that Frog Song achieved in 2012. Starting with a walk-behind tractor and a dozen CSA members, husband-and-wife farm owners Cody and Veronica (who plan to adopt “Siembra” as their surname) employ a small staff and sell weekly vege-

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Future CSA produce waiting to be planted at Swallotail Farm.

Planted rows at Swallowtail Farm.

Frog Song Organics promoting their CSA program at the St. Augustine Old City Farmers Market.

Pee-wee, the wild boar adopted by Cody and Veronica of Siembra Farms.

table packages along a sliding scale from $25-35. “It’s just up to the consumer what they pay,” Cody says, speaking in the gentle bends of a beachy South Florida accent. “A lot of people are happy to pay $35, especially after they’ve gotten the basket and they’re like, ‘Hell yeah.’

There’s no pressure though, we have a lot of single moms and students, so with them it’s like, ‘Pay $25.’”

Behind gorgeous rows of sprouting vegetable plants, before a barn outfitted with solar-panel roofing, an adopted wild boar dubbed “Pee-wee” runs alongside Cody as he loads up the truck for the night’s market. On the fringe of the surrounding forest, a young lady practices aerial silk acrobatics, dangling 20 feet above the ground from the branch of a sturdy live oak. Now in its fourth season, Siembra has used their CSA program to increase production every year according to demand. “Our market table sales and restaurant sales have grown steadily, but the CSA is still our bread-and-butter, what’s made it possible to help us grow and learn as a farm,” Cody says.

Walking a different path than most monoculture producers, the paychecks for small, independent farmers are not guaranteed, requiring a measured approach when scaling up operations. In the southeastern United States, Alachua County is one of the northernmost places fruits and vegetables grow on a commercial scale year-round. To avoid damages caused by inclement weather, a sustainable producer will have to give a variety of crops tender loving care, all while being as resourceful as possible.

Climate problems — of both the predictable and erratic varieties — add another layer of challenges to farming. “We got down to 20 degrees in early November and that’s like a couple thousand dollars gone overnight,” Cody says, adding that frost cloth placement and removal at Siembra can mean 10 hours of labor for the farm’s small staff. Still, they run a frugal operation, well-versed in cost-cutting measures.

Siembra takes advantage of both the ample Florida sun and Gainesville’s utility incentive program, sending energy collected from their barn roof solar panels back into the grid. Because of solar feed-in tariffs, they are reimbursed more than the cost of conventional energy.

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Free-range chickens grazing on soon-to-be planted ground at Swallowtail Farm.

O

ther elements in abundance can be harmful — not the least of which is the Florida rain. Small farms around Gainesville have to avoid becoming a swamp with clever irrigation practices. At Frog Song, Bitter digs out pathways to channel excess rainwater away from vulnerable planting beds.

“When it just rained 3 inches and you don’t have any water stuck in these furrows you’re like, ‘Aw hell yeah,’” he says laughing. “The plants are happy; I’m happy. When I was a kid I used to play in the dirt and mud and get the water to run down the driveway. It really is the same thing on a larger level. I’ve just got cooler toys now.”

Just as the rain is a double-edged sword, the same abundant sunshine, mentioned as a valuable source of energy for plants and now the power grid, can be a curse if not dealt with properly. With the potential to quite literally bake the land, Bitter covers topsoil with hay mulch beds to keep the ground moist and full of nutrients. He does this with strawberries as well, a crop requiring special attention. In addition to keeping the plants well-nourished, Bitter must plan against potential pests waiting in the soil, eager to take advantage of a vulnerable organic farm.

In December, he grows onions amidst the strawberry plants, because the sun will release oils in the leaves of sprouted onions causing stress for any potential pests and borers looking to feast on young berries. This type of symbiotic play cuts down on the need for toxic, synthetic spray applications.

At Swallowtail, Eckhardt cleverly introduced the practice of rotational grazing, setting up temporary fencing to pin free-range chickens up over the sections of the farm earmarked for growing. Recently they planted the beginnings of a peach orchard, where a flock of chickens

cultivated the ground for several months.

Bees are kept around to pollinate the flowers of fruiting plants. Pigs are sent to harvested sweet potato fields to eat leftovers and replenish the soil.

“Same thing with the cows,” Shitama says. “We want their milk, but we also want them shitting over everything because it’s wonderful for life.”

Shitima wants their whole-diet CSA to demonstrate what a piece of land can do when it’s not subject to growing a single crop en masse. “It represents the fruits of a more whole, sustaining system, where there are cows, pigs, chickens and bees, and those things are being used as productive creatures — just like us but in a different way.” With all the moving pieces, it keeps the farm on its toes, but that doesn’t mean Swallowtail is a stressful environment. “Even during the day

Despite the hard work, farmers still know how to have a good time. Frog Song often invites the community to their property for potluck meals. Swallowtail’s monthly farm dinners bring acclaimed chefs to their grounds for a picturesque slow dinner, even offering a private bedand-breakfast on their 30-acre property.

Siembra Farm, too, wants to cultivate an element of leisure on-site, clueing visitors in on the fruits of a slower lifestyle. “It would be nice to do a farm-to-fork or maybe a dance party out here — like a farm-to-funk,” Cody says. (Siembra Farm is, in part, named after the 1978 salsa album by Willie Colón & Rubén Blades.)

If a dance party on a farm sounds too surreal, maybe just start by paying a visit to your local farmers market. Meet the people who grow your food and ask them what’s in season. They are not just

“When I was a kid I used to play in the dirt and mud and get the water to run down the driveway. It really is the same thing on a larger level. I’ve just got cooler toys now.”

when we’re busting it, there is camaraderie and enjoyment,” Shitama says. “I feel like a lot of the relaxing is in the doing.”

At Frog Song, the cowbell, vigorously rung by Van Scoik at lunch, signals an equally brisk working environment that is no less pleasant. The work is outdoors, and the packing facility is under the cover of a clear span roof which provides ample shade for produce and producers alike.

“It’s got a deck upstairs for drinking,” Bitter says. “It’s the best use we’ve found for that deck. We store stuff there, of course, but it’s a really good spot to enjoy a beer.”

friendly neighbors; they are pioneers re-blazing the trails back to our agricultural roots. To see their sincerity is to know that quality food is more than just a trend.

“The demand for this stuff is not going away,” Bitter says, gesturing towards several newly planted rows of greens at Frog Song. “We’ve grown so much when the rest of the economy has said, ‘We can’t do anything.’ More people every day are waking up to what is good food.

That’s why we do this: to bring good food to people.”

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Dinn PARTY FOOD & ENTERTAINING

THEME:

Elegant Inferno

LOCATION:

A Private Residence

HOSTED BY:

Jeffrey Wall and Lindsay Appel

Decorations are at a minimum, allowing the various dishes to dominate. Central to the setting is the fire pit, responsible for cooking the meal. In the middle of the table stands a mason jar bursting with bright flowers, whose dazzling golden hues mix with that of the fading sunlight, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere.

DÉCOR:

PLACE SETTING: A simple and unobtrusive wooden table serves as a quiet backdrop for presentation. Earthenware bowls play into the outdoor theme while simultaneously enhancing the elegant ingredients they hold. The fare, presented on simple, unassuming plates, steals the spotlight.

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ner D N A

Story by HANNAH LENORE GRAY Recipes by JEFFREY WALL Photography by LINDSAY APPEL

J

effrey Wall, executive chef of Kimball House, likes to keep things fresh — so much so that he grew an onsite garden at his Decatur, Ga., restaurant to ensure the ultimate freshness of his ingredients.

Wall’s affinity for quality ingredients is a constant wherever he cooks, including his own backyard. An advocate for locally grown fare, Wall points out the benefits of minimally processed produce: “Vegetables, herbs and fruits that have been picked and then consumed without being refrigerated or sitting for any period of time have a liveliness and taste that will satisfy the mouth and body.” This evening’s menu features the characteristically fresh elements that have come to be expected of Wall’s creations.

Providing a “home-style caviar service” as an accoutrement to the already-savory centerpiece roast, Wall creates a high-class meal in an almost contradictory space: the comfort of a backyard. Wanting to create a meal

that, as Wall puts it, “would bring home the Sunday effect,” the location of the dinner party is an essential contributing component in perfecting the atmosphere. With the fire pit serving double-duty as both the cooking station and social center, it is the single most integral element of tonight’s dinner. “Cooking over fire is primal.

It is certainly the oldest way to cook and there is a reason why chefs and restaurants mention if something is cooked with wood,” Wall asserts. “A great place to congregate and drink beers, it makes the meeting area warm in the cold and lights it when the day is winding down. Start a fire and cook some food and I guarantee friends will find their way to your feast.”

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Home-Style “Caviar” Service

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS

WITH FINGERLING POTATOES, SHALLOT, AND CRÈME FRAÎCHE Preparation time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15-20 minutes Serves: as many as you like

Per person: 1-2 ounces trout, salmon, Arctic char or Hackleback roe (Allow your budget to determine the quantity and quality of your purchase) ½ shallot, minced 1 ounce crème fraîche ¼ pound fingerling potatoes Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the potatoes in half, lengthwise.

Dress with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until tender and a little crispy on the edges.

Meanwhile, place the roe, shallot and crème fraîche each in their own bowls, and serve on a bed of ice to keep very cold. Serve with potatoes immediately out of the oven.

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Crepes Yield: 10 crepes Ingredients: 1 ¾ cups cake flour 2 cups milk, room temperature 4 large eggs 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup chives, sliced finely Blend all ingredients except chives in a blender until smooth. Fold in chives and allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.

Heat a 10-inch, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush with butter and ladle in 3 - 3 ½ ounces of batter, moving the pan to coat the bottom evenly with batter. Cook until set but without coloration. Flip the crepe with a rubber spatula and cook an additional 10 seconds. Flip onto parchment. Repeat, without stacking, until all batter is used.

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Chive Crepes WITH POACHED EGGS AND SWEET PEA RICOTTA

DIRECTIONS

INGREDIENTS

Preparation time: 1 hour Cook time: 1 hour Serves 6-8 Ingredients: ½ pound sugar snap peas 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup ricotta 8 slices bacon 8 chive crepes 8 poached eggs 3 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing, cubed and chilled 2 cups baby greens 1 lemon 1 shallot, minced ¼ cups chicken broth Preheat the oven to 350 F. Blanch the peas in salty boiling water for 2 minutes and then place in a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain.

Blend ½ of them on high with a tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ cup of cold water. Combine with the ricotta and set aside.

Brown the bacon over medium-low heat, remove and drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan and keep over medium-low heat. Cut the bacon strips into ½-inch segments.

Meanwhile, assemble the crepes. Lightly coat a baking tray with butter. Put a schmear of pea ricotta in the center of each crepe and top with a poached egg. Fold the edges of the crepe inward to cover the egg using a total of 5 folds, then place on the tray folded side down. Warm in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

In the bacon fat pan, cook the blanched sugar snap peas for 2 minutes. Add the minced shallot and a generous pinch of salt and cook for another minute. Deglaze with a light squeeze of lemon juice and add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then add cold butter cubes and swirl the pan until butter is emulsified into the sauce, then season again with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Remove from heat.

Arrange warmed crepes on a platter and spoon sugar snap peas and pan sauce over and around the crepes. Sprinkle bacon pieces on top. Arrange baby greens daintily around the platter and serve immediately, while still hot.

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Wood-Fired Eye of Round Roast WITH HERBS & GARLIC Preparation time: 20 minutes Cook and resting time: 3 hours Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

6 pounds beef eye of round roast 4 tablespoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon black peppercorn 1 teaspoon pink peppercorn ½ teaspoon green peppercorn ½ teaspoon fennel seed 1 teaspoon coriander seed 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, minced 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced 4 cloves of garlic 4 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat an oven to 225 F. Remove the eye of round from refrigerator while rub is prepared.

Grind the spices in a mortar and pestle until fine, then mix with kosher salt and herbs in a small dish. Mash garlic to a paste in the mortar and mix with olive oil in a separate dish. Rub salt mixture evenly over the meat and follow with the garlic and oil. Allow the meat to sit for an hour at room temperature.

Wrap roast in foil several times and place on a baking tray with a rack. Cook in the low oven until the internal temperature reaches 110 F. Remove roast from the oven and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Build a fire in a pit or charcoal grill with hardwood, such as hickory or oak, and burn until the logs turn to embers.

Place a grill rack over the coals. Sear the roast on all sides over direct heat until well-browned and lightly charred in places. Rotate as necessary every minute or so on each side to keep edges from drying out.

Rest on a rack for 15 minutes before carving. Slice thinly and serve as quickly as possible. Make sure accoutrements are ready before carving to prevent cooling. The roast can be warmed in a hot oven if necessary after resting the final time.

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Bottled Americano Ingredients: 750 milliliters Campari 750 milliliters sweet vermouth 3,000 milliliters filtered water 2 ounces orange bitters Chill, carbonate and bottle.

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Photography by COLBY BLOUNT Styling by TIAN JUSTMAN | Assistant Stylist: HANNAH JOHNSON | Makeup by ERICA BOGART | Hair by BETHANY MARSTON for b. You Salon | Models: OANA for Factor Women and JOSHUA TAYLOR for Directions USA Shot on location at Buckhead Atlanta: Bella Bag Corporate OfямБces, Corso Coffee, Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman.

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Floral Shirt, $95, Light Blue Jacket, $398, and White Jeans, $88, all BONOBOS, all at Bonobos.

Sleeveless Top, $285, Cardigan, $335, and Leather Skirt, $995, all THEORY, all at Theory. Earrings, $118, BILLIE HILLIARD, at billiehilliard.com. Lucite Bangle, $195, ALEXIS BITTAR, and Scarf, $1,645, BRUNELLO CUCINELLI, both at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Monogram Bag, $1,449, GOYARD, at bellabag.com.

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Sleeveless Top, $195, Pant, $275, and Belt, $75, all THEORY, all at Theory. Scarf, $389, HÈRMES, and Python Luggage Tote Bag, $6,650, CÉLINE, both at bellabag.com.

Floral Shirt, $95, Jacket, $398, and White Jeans, $88, all BONOBOS, all at Bonobos.

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Jumpsuit, $2,460, BRUNELLO CUCINELLI, at Saks Fifth Avenue. Tri Color Chameleon Bag, $1,199, FENDI, at bellabag.com.

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Sleeveless Shirt, $695, Pant, $1,485, Jacket, $2,880, and Necklace, $2,085, all BRUNELLO CUCINELLI, all at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Leather Tassel Bag, $1,349, CHANEL, at bellabag.com.

Chambray Shirt, $195, THEORY, at Theory. Suit, $530, BONOBOS, at Bonobos.

Check Shirt, $185, Suit Pants, $225, and Suit Jacket, $545, all THEORY, all at Theory. Leather Briefcase, $899, GUCCI, at bellabag.com.

Stripe Tank, $180, Matching Pant, $345, and Blazer, $435, all THEORY, all at Theory.

Necklace, $295, ALEXIS BITTAR, at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Leather Quilted Bag, $3,799, CHANEL, at bellabag.com.

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Print Shirt, $430, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, Black Jean, $138, and Plaid Jacket, $998, all SAKS FIFTH AVENUE, and Tie, $145, ETON, all at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Dress, $4,674, ETRO, at Etro. Beetle Earrings, $295, ALEXIS BITTAR, at Saks Fifth Avenue. Jeweled Bag, $849, JUDITH LEIBER, at bellabag.com.

ART & DESIGN

L OC AL L o v e Through community-based partnerships, contemporary furniture and housewares retailer West Elm is tapping into local markets and helping small businesses grow — while broadening their own.

Story by JAIME LIN WEINSTEIN

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Eidé Magazine: Tell me how the idea for West Elm LOCAL came about.

Vanessa Holden: Brooklyn has been accurately branded as a breeding ground of artists, designers and makers, but what’s exciting is that movement is actually happening in cities all across the country …

West Elm LOCAL grew out of a desire to build a creative network in all the communities where we do business and use our platform as a brand to elevate makers and designers, help tell their stories and grow their businesses.

C

an a chain home furnishings retailer cultivate an artistic authenticity akin to an independent shop?

Absolutely, according to Vanessa Holden, senior vice president and creative director of West Elm. The former editor-in-chief of Martha Stewart Living has been working to diversify the Brooklyn-based brand’s merchandise offerings since she joined the Williams-Sonoma subsidiary in 2011. Now, she’s pioneering the “West Elm LOCAL” initiative, through which stores are carrying items made by designers from their own state. Take a stroll through your nearby West Elm, and among the chenille tweed sectionals and mid-century table lamps you might find leather tote bags handmade in Texas, ceramic planters created in California or organic soaps from Tennessee.

EM: Why is it important for you to showcase local makers in your stores?

VH: Top line, our goal is for our West Elm stores to make a positive impact on the communities where we do business. We do this through creating jobs and serving our customers, but we can also do this through becoming a connector and a creative hub in the community. We want your West Elm to feel like your West Elm. We design the interiors to be reflective of the location, and the assortment is catered to the customer. West Elm LOCAL is a big part of that.

EM: You also created a competition for a small business grant based on public voting — tell me about the contest and how it works.

VH: As West Elm LOCAL grew, we looked for additional ways to support the artists and makers we work with. We launched the West Elm LOCAL Small Business Grant as another way to help artists scale and grow their business, and as a way for our customers to get involved and hear the stories of the makers. The prize was $25,000 and ongoing business support from West Elm. We had an open submission process, we narrowed it down to some of our favorites from across the country, and we

let our customers vote on the winner. They chose Little Seed Farm, a family-run goat farm based outside of Nashville that makes organic soaps and skincare. These guys have an amazing business model, a real commitment to sustainable farming, and their products are amazing. We’re so proud of them.

We’ll be relaunching the Small Business Grant early next year in a much bigger way!

EM: What makes the West Elm LOCAL initiative different from other artist/designer collectives?

VH: We’re building long-term relationships with our artists and makers and helping many of them take their businesses to the next level through marketing and partnership. One of our favorite growth stories is out of Atlanta.

Brian Preston from Lamon Luther started his relationship with our Atlantic Station store — he did a little pop-up, which was incredibly successful, then we brought him into our LOCAL assortment and his pieces sold really well. And just last year we added his coffee tables to our “Best of LOCAL” assortment online, selling nationally. This was a game changer for Brian’s business. It allowed him to hire more employees, to invest in his business. We’re committed to Brian long-term, helping him grow and scale in a way that’s right for him and his employees.

EM: What’s next for West Elm and West Elm LOCAL? VH: So much excitement! We’re obviously opening a bunch of new stores this year and by the end of the year we will have West Elm LOCAL in every one of our stores. And, we’re putting together a super exciting second round of our Small Business Grant, which I can’t tell you too much about now but I promise you it’s going to be amazing!

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ART & DESIGN

in Story by MEGHAN JACKSON Photography by KATIE FIELDER

Inside interior designer Cortney Bishop’s colorful, bohemian paradise.

“I

have a deep-rooted love affair with the house itself,” Cortney Bishop says of her historic Charleston, S.C., home. It’s a passionate way to speak about a house, but for Bishop, an interior designer, it was serendipity upon seeing it for the very first time 15 years ago.

It started with an attraction to the city while visiting her family’s beach house in Kiawah Island (a barrier island near Charleston). She promptly moved there after college and though a job eventually drew her away, she long dreamed of moving back. Then, when she returned to town for a friend’s engagement party held at the house, she knew it was quite literally where she wanted to be. “I was on the porch at the party and I was like, ‘I am gonna live here one day,’” she remembers.

The party ended, but Bishop’s infatuation with the house didn’t, and three years later, when the owners finally put it on the market, it became hers. She and her husband uprooted from their Tennessee home and moved back to Charleston. “The house just completely took me.

And that’s never happened to me before. I’d never felt that kind of immediate draw,” she explains. “I even have a picture of a woman on the front porch with this huge cotton, white ball gown,” Bishop says of her fantasy of the 1886 home. “It’s black and white, of course. And she’s sweeping the porch, and it’s just so romantic.”

Growing up with an interior designer mother, Bishop remembers the style her childhood home had as one

motif, very authentic to the architecture. She also recalls using extreme caution not to touch anything or make a mess in their home. For her own family’s interior, she’s created the opposite. “I mix everything together and it’s less decorated and more collected. There’s more value to the things that you can look around your house and say, ‘I know where I got that.’ It’s very special to me.” Bishop has combined her bohemian mindset with her contemporary art collection to create a relaxed, colorful place for her children to grow up in, all naturally assimilating into the Southern atmosphere, located just two blocks from the beach. “We have a young family. Kids come in and play — I’ve never been concerned with things wearing out or getting spilled on,” she says. The house in its entirety was designed to host company, handle messes and ultimately be lived in. “The downstairs doors are always open. People come in the back door, they just drop their kids’ stuff off in the mudroom and they jump in the pool. It was really — for four or five years — all we did was have pool parties. And so that’s the vibe of the interior design.”

Bishop’s vision of a Charleston lifestyle from that first party has been captured in her own way. She’s created much more for her family than an aesthetically pleasing interior in the 12 years they’ve lived in their home; she’s created a feeling. With a fondness in her voice, she confirms, “And to this day, we still love it.”

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“I found those (side tables) many years ago, when kind of Organic Modernism was coming onto the scene. They are literally solid tree trunks that sat in water for hundreds of years and they’ve petrified into stone. They look like marble … But that one is so gorgeous and I’ve had several of them outside as well because they can last outdoors. They’re called petrified wood stumps. I have about three in the house.

They weigh literally probably 300 pounds.”

“My husband plays guitar, my son is taking electric guitar lessons now and my daughter is taking ukulele lessons. I love music and I actually worked in the music industry for a couple of years, but I don’t play. I’m terribly challenged.

But I’ve got a good ear, so I know a good song! I just think music makes the world a better place and makes me happier everyday.”

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“[The library] is not necessarily color-coded ... I just like things to be in chunks. It’s almost like flowers, I just kind of think it makes a bigger impact if you put things together visually that are curated well.�

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“I found that interesting record player at High Point, Market in North Carolina two years ago, and it was a prototype from a company in New York. But they were just showing it in one of the furniture showrooms, and I called [the owner] everyday and said, ‘Can I please buy that prototype because I know I can’t afford the real one?’ And it ended up working perfectly .

It was just kind of their middle of the line, cause they go up to a gazillion-dollar models. So he let me buy it for my husbands 40th birthday.”

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“That’s the downstairs. It’s kind of a completely different vibe. It’s kind of craft and wooden driven. There’s a lot of warm woods and primary colors downstairs … So that table and chairs is kind of like the kids’ art room. They have their Wii down there and they have that sitting area to play and watch TV.”

“The abstract piece is by a local Charleston artist, Brian Coleman.

I just found him through The George Gallery, and I’ve been kind of obsessed with him the last three years ... I really think he’s gonna explode. In the meantime, he’s priced so well. All the names of his art are so meaningful. That one is ‘Nothing Is Forever.’”

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ART & DESIGN

HISTORIC ELEMENTS Story by KENDALL MITCHELL GEMMILL | Photography by BROOKE MORGAN

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Poet and publisher Chet Weise and designer Poni Silver combine tastes to turn an 1800s Nashville house into a home.

T

he line appears proudly underlined in a newspaper article, framed and hanging in the kitchen of a Princess Anne-style cottage in Nashville, Tenn.: “... the house exemplifies the basic historic fabric often overlooked.”

Architect Hugh Cathart Thompson, who was most notable for designing Ryman Auditorium — home of the Grand Ole Opry — built the house in the late 1800s.

The article is accompanied by a photo of a couple standing in front of a house, beaming at the camera. It was published in 1988, during the days when moving to East Nashville was “the new thing,” as described in the story. The couple had purchased the home and performed a complete renovation while maintaining its integrity, earning them a Metro Historic Commission Architectural Award.

It’s like déjà vu standing in front of the same Lockeland Springs neighborhood home, with the next generation of homeowners staring back having their photo taken. Chet Weise, of publishing house ThirdMan Books, purchased the house in 2004. The framed, newspaper clipping came with it. That, and carvings in the basement foundation reading “1899” and a separate one carved underneath it — “1999” — presumably by the couple in the newspaper photo. Weise’s girlfriend, clothing designer Poni Silver, recently moved in and the pair braced themselves for what many couples experience at this important relationship juncture: the meshing of the two styles. “I already knew that Poni has style much more refined than mine, so I basically told her to do with it what she willed,” Weise says. Silver, however, did have quite the canvas to work with — several, in fact. “It was a gallery space,” she claims. “We weren’t even using the rooms, just walking around looking at all the art on the walls.”

Their worlds, in actuality, have more similarity than they thought. Weise collects quirky art and Silver just happened to come with an arsenal of salvaged, vintage furniture and decorative accents perfectly compatible with his eccentric collection. The living room houses two Keith Harmon paintings — one being displayed on the hood of a ’72 Corvette Stingray placed above the mantle. “Keith’s main thing was to paint musicians as they performed. The Stingray isn’t really representative of his work; I just love it,” Weise says. Silver accents the bold, colorful paintings with more modern, geometric furniture. There’s a pentagonal coffee table offsetting the sectional with the long, arc-shaped lamp extending over it. The dining room transitions to works by Tim Kerr and other accents reflective of the couple’s personal interests. Kerr’s painting of a Japanese samurai hangs beside other artifacts, signifying Weise’s love for martial arts. Beside that, Silver keeps a bar cart stocked with a collection of Dorothy Thorpe drinkware she’s been hunting to complete. “I just found the ice bucket in a thrift store in Florida!” she exclaims. On the other side of the mantle a guitar is displayed in pieces. “It was signed by James Brown and I smashed it in Athens, Ga., in a hot-blooded moment,” Weise says. “I felt really guilty and ridiculous about it so I had a friend turn it into an art piece.”

The pair float through their home, laughing and beaming at each other, much like the newspaper couple. They jokingly refer to their shared love of panthers and Mamajuana (an herbal, red wine and rum concoction that claims medicinal properties, as well as being a powerful aphrodisiac). It’s almost humorous how seamless their personal styles have merged. Weise’s two cats are even starting to warm to her precocious, rescue pup, Gigi.

A POWER PAIR Poni Silver operates her clothing label, Black by Maria Silver, out of a shared creative space called Fond Object in East Nashville.

She is currently working on her F/W 15 collection, which will show at Nashville Fashion week and her S/S 15 collection is currently in production. In April, Weise and the team at ThirdMan Books will release single author works. The first is a book of poems by Janaka Stucky, and the second is a book of poems

by Frank Stanford, which will be a special edition in collaboration with Copper Canyon Press.

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“When I first moved to town I worked at Savant Vintage. The owner, Beverly, gave me these silver-rimmed roly poly glasses from the ’50s and ’60s by Dorothy Thorpe. I instantly became obsessed and started collecting them.” -Silver

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“Poni moving in, means it’s not my own little world anymore. Not just figuratively, but literally. I never thought about it until neighbors would tell me, but that before she came along, I had, like, one couch to sit on and nothing else in there. If someone was already on the couch, everyone else got the floor. Poni has made it much more of a welcoming household.” -Weise

“Almost all of the art in here is artists from this neighborhood or friends.”

-Weise

“A local artist named Rachel Briggs designs the ‘Poetry Sucks’ (a hybrid reading/live music event founded by Weise) posters for me. I imagine we’ll have another one in April …” -Weise SPRING 2015

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ART & DESIGN

SOMETHING

TO DRINK, SOMEWHERE

TO PUT IT Story by SHEYDA MEHRARA Photography by AMANDA GREENE Prop Styling by CHRISTA LEVETO WILLIAMS for CREWSINC.NET

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Creative Jess Graves infuses her new carriage house with old Southern comfort.

M

aggie, wanna come on in?”

Jess Graves invites her roommate to the living room — a golden retriever with a sweet disposition and an affinity for lounging — as we prepare to chat about her quaint carriage house nestled away within the historic Buckhead district, mere seconds from Atlanta’s bustling city center on Peachtree Street. Graves, a full-time writer and editor, has opened up her personal life to strangers since she was 20 years old on her lifestyle blog, “The Love List.” But she appreciates privacy. In her new dwelling, she’s created an intimate sanctuary filled with sentimental memorabilia and friends’ art.

As I try to ignore the temptation to tuck my legs into the plush couch, Graves comments, “I don’t want my home to be a museum where people are afraid to touch anything, to settle in” — as if she’s reading my mind.

“My friend Max Sinsteden is a talented decorator, and he taught me that the first thing you should think of when designing a room is where someone is going to set his or her drink.

I want there to be pillows that you can smush and furniture the dog can get on,” Graves adds. She naturally reinforces her claim by offering me a drink from a selection including sparkling water, freshly-brewed sweet tea and Atlanta-distilled whiskey.

“My last house was more traditional in its layout and finishes, but because this is an ‘upside-down’ carriage house, I wanted it to be more eclectic. Everything is collected. I’d never want it to look like I bought everything at the same time,” Graves says. Her space is an all-encompassing reflection of her multifaceted personality. She’s Southern and worldly; bohemian and contemporary; practical and personal. “When I moved here, I had to edit down and put a lot in storage. But I never wanted to lose that sense of knowing you’re in a Southern home.”

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“My work space and bed got priority when I was delegating what got the most real estate. I always thought I didn’t want my desk in my bedroom because it’s mixing a work mentality with a rest mentality, but I actually found it’s better this way. I’m the person who wakes up in the middle of the night with inspiration, and I have to write it down right then or I’ll lose it.”

“My pin board is constantly switching out.

There are some mementos up there, but it actually does serve a purpose for work — I keep notes and business cards up there for stories I’m working on. I love this hat, too — my family calls it my Indiana Jones hat.

The hat pin (from South Carolina-based Brackish) makes it special.”

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“My friend Chris LeCraw offered to make me this desk when I left my old job to pursue writing fulltime, so it feels significant. The top is this old pallet we got at Scott Antique Market outside Atlanta.

He refinished it for me.”

“I cook a lot. Although this kitchen is much smaller than my last one, I just need a deep sink and gas stove. Everything else I can deal with. Right now I’m loving this olive oil I picked up in downtown Blue Ridge.”

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ART & DESIGN

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BALANCING ACT Story by JODI CASH Photography by BRETT FALCON

Fashion and family collide inside Fab’rik CEO Dana Spinola’s sophisticated Atlanta estate.

S

itting in the office she shares with her husband, Dana Spinola explains how her family has influenced the sense of fashion that defines her life. “I believe that you can have fashion and function,” she says, resting against a Chanel pillow on a plush postmodern linen armchair. Without any sacrifice to sophistication, Spinola, founder and owner of Fab’rik — a stylish clothing boutique empire with over 30 locations across the country — has created a home for her family that is at once as stylish and sleek as it is comfortable and warm. The subtle nods to Marie Antoinette-era French décor and contrasting minimalism with clean lines are enriched by evidence of the personalities that inhabit the house: In the office, for example, the walls are adorned by iconic photographs — on one side of the room, the photos feature designer spreads, and on the other, the Dallas Cowboys.

But the walls reflect more than simply the love for fashion that drives her. They also offer testimony to the values that ground her. Juxtaposed with the luxury and glory depicted in the office, photos Spinola has taken on mission trips to Haiti and Africa — excursions that inspired her and her husband to adopt their daughter, Asher

— are framed on walls between the master bedroom and the kitchen. As they pass between rooms, the Spinolas are reminded that it’s family that makes a house a home.

And as a mother with a distinctive aesthetic, Spinola has achieved a seemingly impossible feat; she has curated a home that is as much her dream as that of her husband and children. “My favorite color is white, the whole house is white, but I have three boys — 3, 6 and 8. They’re rowdy and messy, and I have white leather sofas. I believe that your house can still be your own and that [your children] need to have places … But I also want to teach them to respect their home, and so I didn’t want it to be everything safety and rounded corners. I believe in fashion and I believe in making our house all of our living space.”

She straddles her roles as wife, mother, CEO and designer with the same grace and elegance that characterizes her Buckhead estate; her chic space mirrors her personal style. “I wear black and white everyday. Sometimes I’ll wear a color, but I feel like my personality changes — I get sick of things very quickly,” she says. “So I like to stick to basics and neutrals [in the home], and then every once in a while, you’ll see a pop of color in a pillow that I know I can switch out when I move on to my next whim.”

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THE OFFICE “You will find my husband and me in [the office] from 8 p.m. to midnight, two to three nights a week. We get the kids down and kind of have that family time and then we jump back in here. We start at 6 a.m. in the morning, we do our devotions here, and then he goes out to his day — he travels a lot and I’m usually with the kids. I get them off to school and then I play with Asher for a few hours, and then noon to 5 p.m., I jump off to work a couple days. There’s really no schedule, but I’m working maybe 60-70 hours a week currently, because I absolutely love it. I’m in the place where I love being mom, I love being home, but I love my job so much too, so I’m not in a position where I’m trying to transition out of one or the other. I’m trying to make them cohabitate.”

THE MANTEL “My husband’s pretty good about letting me have my dresses and my art and Alexander McQueen, but he’s never even really looked to see what they are, so that’s the good part. Fashion is in every part of the house.”

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ASHER’S ROOM “This is Asher’s room, and we just wanted it to be clean and free and airy.

Aren’t [the chairs] so cute? They were kind of my must-have; I bought them before I bought anything else for the room, the little ghost chairs, because we have them in my office, and someone was like, ‘They have baby ones,’ and I said, ‘Okay! Done.’”

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Photography by ALEX MARTINEZ Styling by JABE MABREY | Makeup by KATEY DENNO for The Wall Group | Hair by ASHLEY STREICHER for Forward Artists | Manicurist: WHITNEY GIBSON for Nailing Hollywood | Photo Assistant: HESH HIPP Shot on location at The Moment Hotel in Los Angeles.

A

Photographer, blogger and star of HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” Amanda Crew might just be a Southern girl at heart.

Story by TOVA GELFOND

CHARMING

CREW

Dress, $1,925, LANVIN, at Neiman Marcus.

T

omorrow is the final day of filming on “Silicon Valley” Season 2 — the last of a fourmonth stretch — and Amanda Crew already seems a bit nostalgic. We’re talking about HBO’s critically acclaimed show that premiered last year to wild enthusiasm (rottentomatoes.com gave them a rating of 94% and it won a SXSW Audience Award) — a show in which she is the only lead female character in the first season. The result: She’s the fantasy of the tech-centered male community. Much like the Princess Leia to Han Solo, she’s the Monica to protagonist Richard Hendricks, and viewers can’t wait to see how their relationship will unfold.

But today, she’s simply Amanda, an actress living on set with a cast of boys. And she’s going to miss it. “The guys are just … you know, on set it’s so much fun … they’re all like huge comedians, and I’m not from that world, and they have been nothing but supportive and welcoming to me,” she laughs, imparting stories about castmates T.J. Miller and Thomas Middleditch, among others, who now seem more like brothers than colleagues.

Airing April 12, the 10-episode second season has already generated a thirst for its trademark comedic take on the cynical, roller coaster world of the tech startup industry through the eyes of company-in-the-making Pied Piper, and its five founders. With brazenly honest investment scenarios, the refreshing dialogue, in so many ways, produces what “The Big Bang Theory” wishes it could — a genuine, jocular story about nerds that’s appealing to real geeks. Multimillionaire geeks, in fact, who are not afraid to throw their support behind a narrative that disseminates a candid study of the ever-expanding (sometimes ballooning) field of digital development in a way that no one — save documentaries — has tackled. “I feel like it’s pulling back the curtain on a world that we don’t really know that much about,” Crew shares. “Obviously everyone is affected by it because we all use technology and we all use phones with apps and computers with all these interesting things on it or products that are connected to it. But it’s kind of an industry that hasn’t really been exposed.” Which is precisely what makes the anecdotes and her character (the ambitious head of operations for eccentric billionaire Peter Gregory) so compelling.

All industry jargon aside, while Amanda is positioned front-and-center in this highly developed, media-rich world through the show, the real Amanda is an engineering neophyte. “Other than using an iPhone and having apps on it … that’s been the extent of my tech knowledge, which I think is like everyone,” she says. “So it’s

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been really interesting to get exposed to that world and see how things are developed and how certain things take off, certain things don’t.” This being one of several dozen well-executed interests by Crew.

Moments prior to our conversation, I found myself scrolling through Google results for Amanda Crew: actress, photographer, blogger, hobbyist chef and tech-nerd fantasy woman. “Geez, is there anything she can’t do?”

I wonder as I explore pages of her photography website with image after image of varying layouts and subject matter. Her baked goods alone are a feat to behold, I notice while scouting a scone recipe on her blog.

“Much like the Princess Leia to Han Solo, she’s the Monica to protagonist Richard Hendricks.”

Crew seems to have a knack for creative exploits, a keen eye for composition and a sweet tooth. The combination has resulted in a stunning, approachable woman, posing in couture on the roof of The Moment Hotel in Los Angeles, who somehow feels as down-to-earth and wholesome as she looks. She’s rendered nearly giddy over the couture dresses in bold pops of spring shades that hug and flatter her every angle. But even in a $4,500 Givenchy gown, with perfectly tousled hair and glowing skin, she’s warm and bubbly — never cold, like the modern-edge backdrops and architecture she’s posing in front of.

Perhaps it’s her childhood in British Columbia (she grew up in Langley, an hour outside of Vancouver, Canada) or her shy nature throughout adolescence that can be held accountable for her jovial, welcoming attitude.

She originally pursued dance, and acting came as a natural progression in high school, leading to a professional acting class downtown in 12th grade where she was spotted by casting directors and agents. “And after that there was never a point where I was questioning, ‘Is this the direction I wanna go?’ It just seemed like a no-brainer,” she says, lifted with joy at the recounting. “But …

I auditioned for a year without booking anything, not even a commercial or girl in the hallway, so that first year was really hard because I believed that I could do it, but was constantly getting the door shut in my face,” she says, identifying with the tribulations associated with her craft. “And then finally, you get that first part and then it just kind of kept going from there.”

Dress, $1,550, STELLA McCARTNEY, at Saks Fifth Avenue. Gold bangles, $68-85 each, J. CREW, at J. Crew.

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Tweed Dress with Scarf Detail, $6,600, CHRISTIAN DIOR, at Neiman Marcus.

Leather T-Strap Sandals, $1,560, AZZEDINE ALAIA, at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Bakelite Bangles, $138 each, LULU FROST, at J. Crew.

Black Leather and Rhinestone Cuff, $600, ANNE ZIBELLE, at People’s.

Floral Dress, $3,850, GIAMBATTISTA VALLI, at Jeffrey. Georgian Paste Necklace, $150, J. CREW, at J. Crew.

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ince then, she has appeared in over 30 television shows and films including She’s the Man, Charlie St. Cloud, Crazy Kind of Love and “Suits” before landing “Silicon Valley,” the role she has taken into an authentic realm as proof by a launch party for Season 1 held in the aforementioned region: “There were quite a few women who came up to me and they’re like ‘Oh my God, my job is exactly what you do, like nailed it.’”

But like her beginnings into the craft of acting, her passion is rooted in other creative exploits. More of a Renaissance woman, really, Crew has a feverish energy for life, shared through her foray into the fields of photography, baking and writing; skills that may have begun as divergent crafts but have been polished into progressive art forms. “This industry is so highs and lows and it’s a roller coaster that you just are not driving the train; it is just going and you kind of have to stay on for the ride … I just felt creatively like I didn’t have control over my career … so I started playing around with different things and made it a goal to figure out what else do I love to do, and what else can I pick up and put down in between jobs, and that’s where the photography came from.”

Her site, amandacrewphotography.com, is filled with this exploration of people, places and things. She has a compositional eye that’s parts fine art and function with a quick fleeting framework of a Life photojournalist. It’s breathtaking and ever-maturing. There’s one photo that catches my eye: “Post No Bills.” The gritty, raw nature of the image — made apparent by the stamped signage on the walls shot on 35mm film in New York with the deep green of a city wall ombre — says everything. There’s a woman in the right-hand corner, talking on a cell phone.

A touch of crisp white glows from her shirt. To my delight, a print copy is for sale.

There are hundreds of women who covet Crew’s point of view, substantiated by her blog, “Granny Girls,” that she started with her best friend, actress Amber June Borycki. The name references their passion for “granny” things like crafting, décor, DIY, baking, cooking, etc., born out of what they call “granny dates” — a night in doing crafts, wearing aprons and baking pies. “It’s kind of on pause right now cause [Amber] just had a little baby girl and so she’s obviously busy with that. And I’m busy with the show and everything,” she says, with a sweet, proud tone. “But what was so great about that was this love for food styling and food photography that I didn’t even know I liked. So it’s just kind of neat when you can explore different areas and you never know what you’re gonna find that sticks for you.”

And through this, she has become a Southern girl at heart. After falling in love with Nashville, Tenn., while on the set of a film (“You know, everyone was so polite!”) and spending time in Austin, Texas, and New Orleans, she wants to explore more into the southlands where the charming nature of life mimics the hand-dipped napkins, fresh jams in Mason jars, floral arrangements and endless supply of baked goods that prosper in her home. “Sometimes I dream about moving to some countryside place, having my little farmhouse and just baking and having people over and going in the forest,” she says, sighing. “I grew up … right in between farmland and the city … I need a little bit of stimulation of the city, but not too much, and I also need the quietness of the countryside … I just love that lifestyle. The slower pace and homemade things: family and friends and community.”

“Sometimes I dream about moving to some countryside place, having my little farmhouse and just baking and having people over and going in the forest,” She says that this weekend she decided, for no reason whatsoever, to bake a red velvet layer cake and top it with an overabundance of wild flowers, just because. “I’ve been seeing photos of it and was like, that looks so pretty, I wanna make that …” she explains. “That’s what I did, for like 6 hours. For no reason. I had nowhere to bring this cake afterwards, and I was like well … it looks pretty.” Red velvet and flowers just because? Her soul must be rooted in the South and topped with cream cheese frosting. I explain that Southern is an ethos, an aesthetic, not a zip code.

I’m guessing that red velvet will turn up on her photography site sometime soon, so I’ll have to keep a lookout. I just can’t stop thinking about “Post No Bills” and that rich, green hue. More than an image for framing, I want so much to capture and bottle Crew’s spirit: the lively wunderkind that embraces chaos while loving simplicity. If I can own just one moment, I too, perhaps, can feel the same.

Add to cart.

Click.

Mine.

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Asymmetrical Capelet Gown, $4,550, GIVENCHY, at Saks Fifth Avenue. Gold Bangles, $228 each, ALEXIS BITTAR, at Nordstrom.

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ART & DESIGN

INTERIOR

THAT COUNTS Story by MEGHAN JACKSON

Southern craftsmenship continually pushes the envelope in design and décor.

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ike a cookie-cutter hotel chain, a house without décor is simply just that, a house. The interior, even of two identical rooms, can be so differently altered by the addition of that memorable piece. A gold mine of interior treasures — from intricate accessories to furniture of the highest grandeur — can be found in the South, and we’ve put together some of the most notable makers and their storytelling pieces that can turn a house into a home.

Southern Lights Electric Nashville, Tenn. $10 - $1,610 southernlightselectric.com

It was more than just flipping the switch that compelled Adam Gatchel to pursue Southern Lights Electric. The musician-turned-lighting-designer creates custom commercial lighting, as well as a series of pendants and lamps perfect for anything from kitchens to bedside tables. Set to open a brick-and-mortar store this year, his unique products, like the Bell Jar Table Lamp ($135), will capture the spotlight in any room.

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Honeycomb Studio Atlanta, Ga. $16.50 - $145 honeycomb-studio.com

Brighten up the room with flowers in a statement vase or do so literally with an intricate handmade lamp. Either way, Honeycomb Studio has you covered. Owner Courtney Hamill composes each porcelain piece herself from an Atlanta studio. Her small-batch designs, like The Vessel Series ($37-$65), are available in boutiques and museums in more than 20 states in addition to multiple international retailers. Hamill’s work plays on natural colors with gold accents, crisp details and deliberate shapes.

Sugarboo Designs Atlanta, Ga. $1 - $5,000 sugarboodesigns.com

Literary lovers and treasure hunters alike enthusiastically follow Sugarboo Designs. Owner Rebecca Puig juxtaposes contrasting themes, like old and new or serious and silly, to create interesting conversation pieces. It’s easy to get lost for hours browsing the rustic décor, handcrafted ceramics, unique paper goods and wall hangings in either their retail location in Atlanta or their showroom at AmericasMart.

One of our favorites is the Book Collection ($400-$600), featuring quotes from memorable books and icons like E.E. Cummings, Maya Angelou and Roald Dahl.

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Kaminer Haislip Charleston, S.C. $60 - $4,300 kaminerhaislip.com

A family hardware and appliance business sparked Kaminer Haislip’s interest in design as a teenager. Now, she works full time as a designer and silversmith out of her downtown Charleston, S.C. studio creating pieces like this Teapot II, Corresponding to an Echo as it Travels ($4,300). In addition to intricately crafted jewelry and commissioned work, she focuses on making exquisite functional objects to inspire and enhance the actual processes of everyday life.

Moran Woodworked Furniture Charleston, S.C. $300 and up moranwoodworked.com

Michael James Moran and Celia Gibson craft furniture with a commitment to honor the natural beauty of the materials. Their company, Moran Woodworked Furniture, features functional yet elegant wooden pieces that recognize the intertwining of natural and man-made worlds.

They use primarily domestic hardwoods in their collections to create furniture like this set of Peruvian Walnut Ottomans ($800 each/$1,400 pair) available online.

Megan Adams

Dallas, Texas $43.95 - $595 meganadamsdesigns.com Artist Megan Adams Brooks designs patterns that add a contemporary touch to any interior. Her products, including throw pillows ($150-$265), feature a primarily neutral palate with an understated pop of color or unique abstract twist on an otherwise classic design. Brooks’ work has appeared in Neiman Marcus, and is available in a range of home goods from wallpaper to dinnerware, and can even be purchased as fabric by the yard for DIY projects. Plus, a percentage of all profits Brooks receives are used to sponsor orphaned children in Zambia through Family Legacy Missions International’s Father’s Heart program.

Skylar Morgan Furniture + Design Atlanta, Ga. $850 - $9,750 smf-d.com

Skylar Morgan Furniture + Design is responsible for the interiors of some of Atlanta’s most popular restaurants.

Known for pushing the envelope of perception to create contemporary pieces, Morgan specializes in custom works of furniture for his clients. He also has items available for purchase through his website, classified into two collections: “SMFD,” the sturdy, livable, architecturally advanced line, and “doc.” which features more playful furniture, like the doc. 75 chair ($1,275), that blurs the lines of form and function.

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Makers Doing Good Sometimes it’s not just about what happens to a piece after it’s made, but what goes into making it. The right piece may lift a room, but these crafted creations are also lifting a cause.

Reclaimed Atlanta

Atlanta, Ga. Wall art and lighting $50 - $300; Furniture $300 and up reclaimedatlanta.com You will never get two identical pieces from Reclaimed Atlanta.

Owner Kristen Consuegra personally makes every item out of recycled materials and donates a portion of the profits to organizations benefitting those who have suffered from exploitation.

Her commission-based work features unique furnishings such as bar carts, repurposed lamps and the Factory Crate Coffee Table ($400) featured here.

The Conversation Piece Hiram, Ga. $45 - $1,200 theconversationpiece.com

Based out of Hiram, Ga., Meg Easterbrook and Stephen Sapp formed The Conversation Piece after recognizing a mutual desire to provide job opportunities for men who have overcome addictions. The Conversation Piece serves as a follow-up opportunity for graduates of addiction programs who have received woodwork training during their stay, and the program offers them the chance to continue the healing process in a healthy, productive environment. The proceeds from furniture sales, like that of this entry piece (price varies based on size, stain and type of wood, $550-$975), are then used to sponsor children through the organization Compassion International as well.

Lamon Luther Douglasville, Ga. $35 - $3,000 lamonluther.com

Sometimes people need a hand. And a hand up, not a handout, is what Lamon Luther promises. Owner and carpenter Brian Preston started his company “as a tribute to a dying generation of craftsmen,” and discovered an opportunity to create more sustainable lives for the homeless men living near his Douglasville, Ga., home. And they are the people he employs and trains to craft his collections of home goods and furniture. His reclaimed pieces, like the Etta Xbase Table ($1,425), are available online and a select few can be found at West Elm as part of their “LOCAL” initiative.

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ENJOY THE MOMENT. a modern boutique hotel in hollywood, california. themomenthotel.com

INSIDE

Shipping Container Restaurants Challenge the Rules of Culinary Spaces

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he next big trend in the restaurant industry isn’t catering to locavores or serving smaller “sharing” portions. The new face of eating comes wrapped in a 320-squarefoot steel box — the same one that’s used to carry big-screen TVs and Nikes from one side of the world to the other.

Using former shipping containers for businesses isn’t anything new, but

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now, more restaurateurs are turning to these steel confines when finding spaces to house their eateries. Blame it on the 30-percent rise in recycling practices in as many years, or the fact that land to build on is getting harder to come by; regardless of what you attribute it to, the climate is right for the surge in popularity of these shipping container restaurants across the United States.

T HE B OX

Story by CASSIE KAYE

THINKIN

ART & DESIGN

The Container Bar in Austin, Texas.

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here are approximately 17 million steel, intermodal shipping containers in the world at any given time, and 16,000 enter the United States every day — that’s nearly six million a year. Most of them are emptied and then reused; but when they become too expensive to ship as empties or surpass their useful life expectancy, they often remain in ports and rail yards, unused and abandoned.

“The sustainability aspect was a huge reason for using it,” explains Matt Bolus, chef of The 404 Kitchen in Nashville, Tenn., whose main dining room is housed in a former shipping container. “There are thousands of these things, and they have a 7- to

9-year life expectancy before they’re deemed unusable and stacked up somewhere.” Bolus also notes that people in Nashville know where they’re located, simply because the big, orange shipping container is hard to miss. As is the color theory shades of The Container Bar in Austin, Texas.

Delia Champion, owner of Delia’s Chicken Sausage Stand in Atlanta, acknowledges a similar reaction at their Westside haunt. “Everyone knows the chicken place with the shipping container on the roof,” she jokes. Champion added a repurposed container on top of her second location to create more seating for customers. After its success, she sees the crates as an obvious choice for expanding her business. “It’s industri-

al and memorable,” Champion says. “I love the idea of repurposing something, and building an entire restaurant in the container is a great way to utilize temporary spaces because you can just pick it up and move it when you need to.”

Even outside of the South, portability is admittedly what draws many restaurant owners to build in these vessels. Robyn Sue Fisher, founder of Smitten Ice Cream in San Francisco, created her first brickand-mortar location out of a 40-foot-long shipping container. “We split it into two equal halves, and use the rear as our prep kitchen and the front as our service area,” she explains. “We loved the idea that when our lease runs up, we can just pick up our shop with a crane and move it.”

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“We loved the idea that when our lease runs up, we can just pick up our shop with a crane and move it.”

The Container Restaurant in Durango, Colo.

Delia’s Chicken Sausage Stand in Atlanta.

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Inside The Container Bar.

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ade of corrugated weathering steel with a standard plywood floor, these structures are about as bare bones as they come. In order to be used for other purposes, they have to be fitted with insulation, plumbing and wiring, and for restaurants, there’s a whole slew of requirements in order to meet health codes and safety standards.

The material itself carries a bit of a blessing and a curse. “They’re durable and meant to be outside,” says Champion of the benefits to working with a giant steel box. “They can take a beating, whereas wood or sheetrock won’t stand up in the elements. It’s low maintenance, which is great.” But Fisher notes the downside of the containers: “We’re a little exposed to the elements. It can be a bit of an oven inside when it’s hot outside, and an icebox when it’s not.”

Predictably, size is another limitation to creating an entire restaurant, or even part of one, out of a shipping container.

These containers are typically 8-feet wide, 8 ½-feet tall and either 20- or 40-feet long. “It’s definitely tricky,” admits Kristen Muraro, marketing manager at Ska Brewing Company in Durango, Colo., which is home to The Container Restaurant. “We had to figure out how to fit everything you’d find in a kitchen, plus we had to make sure we had the proper sprinklers and everything was up to code.

It gets a bit tight sometimes with all the equipment and people working in there.”

Although the narrow fit presents a challenge, the containers themselves are incredibly versatile. They can be cut, welded and stacked almost any way imaginable. Which is why when space

becomes an issue, many restaurants, like The Container Restaurant and Delia’s, choose to build up instead of out. And while the outside appearance can’t be modified much, the inside can be completely transformed to reflect any desired atmosphere. Muraro calls The Container Restaurant an educational piece. “People think it’s unique and creative, and I get calls all the time from people who have been inspired to do similar projects.”

As with all changes, this one started slow with pop-up shops and temporary structures, but has since gained momentum with container parks and has now found its way into the restaurant industry. This building trend may come and go, but it’s safe to say that using something old to create something new is one tendency that, like an old shipping container, can stand the test of time.

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ART & DESIGN

irm Design

Southern interior designers weigh in on the style choices we can expect to see this year.

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ith thoughtful placement and individual tailoring, plus an eye for creative functionality, interior designers do more than decorate homes and commercial spaces. But the overall aesthetics continue to change and evolve, which makes their particular advice and taste so valuable. Changing times, be it cultural or political, are a sign of a shift in design, and the fluctuations as of late cue us into a shift in motifs. “We are witnessing radical changes in technology as well as the willingness of society to make statements on divisive issues such

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as the environment, police power, global terrorism, race, sex and individual rights,” says Christopher Good, principal and vice president at KSA Interiors in Virginia. “With these kinds of movements around us, I think styles are going to pick up on the idea that traditional elements can be juxtaposed with contrasting ideas — 2015 will not be a year for subtlety. Times like these, while chaotic, tend to create the most memorable stylistic movements.” What else can we expect on the horizons this year? Designers from some of the South’s most distinguished interior design firms give us their aesthetic appraisal.

Customized Everything “For the future of interior design in 2015, we expect to see a trend toward customization and personalization in all areas of the home. From a custom desk of reclaimed wood that hides a high-tech interior for computers, iPads and other gadgets, to a table for four that opens up to seat six or more when family and friends are visiting, custom built pieces allow for a space that is both functional and attractive.”

Alexis Lee Wilks Margaret Donaldson Interiors; Charleston, S.C. margaretdonaldsoninteriors.com

Bold Choices “I think 2015 is going to be a year of big, bold stylistic choices — specifically those that create jarringly vibrant contrasts or play up culturally charged elements. I think it is likely we will continue to see the use of oversized patterns, but perhaps with bolder or more unexpected color combinations. We will also likely see more eclectic mixes bringing together futuristic and rustic elements.”

Christopher Good KSA Interiors; Glen Allen, Va. ksainteriors.com

Work by the design team at KSA Interiors; Photography by Eric Taylor Photography

Work by Margaret Donaldson Interiors.

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Comfort with Color “I think 2015 is going to be a more colorful year. The conservative mood we’ve been seeing for the past few years is loosening its hold a little. The beige and neutrals are beginning to give way to pastel colors and even accents of jewel tones like amethyst or emerald. For the really bold, paint the walls and trim in a jewel tone.”

Roger Higgins R. Higgins Interiors; Nashville, Tenn. rhigginsinteriors.com

Work by R. Higgins Interiors.

Photography by Reid Rolls

Forward-Thinking “I find that my clients are now open to abstract art more often than they used to be. I think there has been a shift in the mindset about art which has been great and very forward thinking. Clients who like a more traditional or transitional type of interior are not feeling like they have to have a landscape or still life anymore.”

Laura Casey Laura Casey Interiors; Charlotte, N.C. lauracaseyinteriors.com Work by Laura Casey Interiors.

Photography by Chris Edwards

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“ 20 15 w i l l n o t b e a y e a r f o r s ub t l e t y.

Ti m e s l i k e t h e s e , while chaotic, tend t o c re a t e t h e mo s t me m o ra b l e s t y l i s t i c mo v e me n t s.”

Scale, Texture & Pattern “In 2015 we are gravitating toward large, floral-patterned wallpaper, neon colors, black on black everything, Mexican cement tile, natural woods, large scale light fixtures and chandeliers, light box and copper … We actively seek out opportunities to work with the existing structure and its distinctive qualities. We try to highlight the beauty in imperfections.”

Gavin Bernard Grafite; Atlanta, Ga. grafiteink.com Work by Grafite. Photography by Elliot Liss SPRING 2015

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ART & DESIGN

Rubbing Elbows with HGTV Designer Chip Wade

BEHIND THE BLUEPRINT

d Story by BROOKE HUTCHINS Photography by JAMIE HOPPER

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ebuting in 2012, the Emmy

Award-winning series “Elbow Room” has kept Chip Wade busier than ever. As host of the HGTV show (and owner of Chip Wade Creative, an interior and landscape design company for both commercial and residential clients), countless episodes are filmed in his convenient basement workshop at his home in Cumming, Ga. Every tool known to man lines the walls in meticulous order, encouraging the need (and know-how) to create the

one-of-a-kind pieces that ultimately landed him his own series. Just outside of his workshop is what he excitedly declares the “Think Big Wall,” a custom 3-D art installation cut from luan (a thin plywood) on a laser cutter — one of his many fun “toys” in the workshop. Wade designed the unique conversation piece by hand, cutting out each graphic and carefully attaching it to the wall, including symbols of today’s biggest ideas and names, many of which are Georgia-themed.

Clockwise from left: Wade seated in front of his “Thing Big Wall”; Wade’s own spacious living room in Cumming, Ga.; Inside Wade’s workshop where his show is filmed.

Wade has always been a big thinker, evidenced by the hidden motifs in the wall. An Atlanta native with avid do-it-yourself parents, he grew up in his dad’s workshop. “I was his little sidekick,” he recalls. After studying mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Wade quickly got involved with electrical engineering work. His work designing antennae for fighter aircrafts — a job that allowed him to enjoy an enduring love of all things “nerdy,” as he says — can still be detected in his technology-driven home designs today. An interest in home contracting then led Wade to take a job as a struc-

tural engineer for a custom builder before he received an email in 2007 he would never forget: an invitation to get involved with the Atlanta-based HGTV show, “Designed to Sell.” As the program’s resident carpenter and general contractor, it wasn’t long before Wade began to steal the show. “I really enjoyed going above what was required, and I think that caught the attention of the network executives — that I could make a lot from a little and think differently from other designers,” he remembers. And so “Elbow Room” was born — the only show of its kind that uses a team of talented carpenters and craftsmen to

solve the problem of space restrictions for homeowners through redesign and custom multipurpose pieces. From a built-in coffee table that retracts into the floor with a push of a button and glass bookshelves that double as guest room doors, to tables that roll straight through walls and even a backyard trampoline lounge with a cushioned bumper and a collection of throw pillows, there’s been no shortage of smart design over the span of the show’s three successful seasons.

Ask Wade about the driving force behind the show, however, and he’s quick to admit that it goes well beyond design. “It’s really more about function, practicality, materials; the way things move and how they last,” he stresses. He thinks and creates as an engineer first and foremost, using 3-D modeling to expand beyond the single purpose for surfaces like tables and seating (his favorite and most successful pieces to design). This complex approach comes from understanding every angle of materials and the way things are built — a perspective that “goes beyond the hardware store, and into the leading edge of technology, where I like to keep my focus,” he asserts.

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“The beauty is that with each new project, we push ourselves a little more, and no matter how much the team pushes back, we’re always proud of that extra effort in the end,”

Pool platforms that track on a custom mechanism and fully span over the water. They can be joined to the stationary deck to cover the below-ground fire pit or moved freely over the water of the pool to act as bridges or extra seating near the hot tub.

Custom 3-D backsplash wall made from Interlam panels with a square relief pattern manipulated into the iconic skull figure.

Photos courtesy of theinnovationhouse.us.

A custom burbon tap for a basement lounge.

Custom cast concrete counter slab with integrated cook top and sink. The 3,000-pound slab was hand pressed in a custom form and set atop waterjetted, steel legs leaving the underside completely open air.

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f course, an Emmy-winning television show also needs a little drama. And that’s where the “Elbow Room” team comes in — a group of talented builders, carpenters and designers that have grown into a family with a resounding “nothing’s impossible” attitude. That’s not to say that stress and conflict don’t arise from disagreements between what is plausible and Wade’s often grandiose ideas, but, “The beauty is that with each new project, we push ourselves a little more, and no matter how much the team pushes back, we’re always proud of that extra effort in the end,” he says with a reassuring grin.

With such an analytical and driven personality, it almost comes as a shock to see another side of Wade: “I’m pretty much just a big kid,” the father of three children, all under the age of 7, unapologetically admits. An entire room dedicated to his favorite game — ping-pong — with a larger-than-life superhero graphic popping out of the wall, and another used to house his golf simulator, complete with a wall-sized projector and putting green, surely confirms this. Not to mention his love for music, as rows of vintage guitars line the living room walls. He picks one out and carefully takes it down (a family heirloom passed down from his great-uncle) to play a quick song on the couch. The melodies then move to the grand piano, as his 4-year-old daughter excitedly draws close to her dad to watch and listen as his fingers quickly move over the keys and music begins to fill the home.

Beneath Wade’s astoundingly inventive mind is a husband and father with a simple passion: “I just like to create things. To be able to actually put my hands on something and to say that I made it — that’s what motivates me to jump up on a Tuesday morning and hit the ground running.”

Volunteers laying cob foundation for the rocket stove at Wheat Street Garden.

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ART & DESIGN

Designing for a

Perma(nent) Culture Story by LAUREN LADOV Photography by SUMAYYA ALLEN

How permaculture shapes sustainability into our landscapes and lives.

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ithin minutes I was stripped of shoes and socks and ankle-deep in mud. I arrived at Wheat Street Garden, an urban growing space in the Sweet Auburn Historic District of Atlanta, to learn about permaculture. To my surprise, it meant that I, along with 20 other volunteers, would help create a high energy-efficient stove out of cob, a mud-based natural building material: a day of mixing mud by foot, shaping cob-balls by hand, and building the oven itself. It was a short foray into this branch of ecological design that simultaneously cultivates the soil and the soul to create sustainable, permanent and interconnected cultures.

Though cultivating the soul and the soil sounds heavy on the new-age lingo, it’s actually more practical than preachy. “An ethic of feeding to be fed,” sums up Brandy Hall, where core values revolve around caring for communities and the earth, and sharing resources. In 2004, Hall founded Shades of Green, an ecological landscape design firm that offers classes around the Atlanta area, and has trained over 100 students who apply their certificates throughout the non-profit sector, landscape design firms, city government, the building industry and many others. She was raised by parents who owned a seed company and built log cabins. Pursuing careers in both stone masonry and education, Hall’s introduction to permaculture allowed her to see how all these practices aligned under the same

ethic. “Food is one arm, building is another arm, educating is another — and they all work together to mimic natural systems.”

One of the most challenging aspects of design for Hall is that permaculture adopted a “stigma of ugliness” during its inception in the ’70s. Initially a very fringe movement, Hall jokes that most people consider permaculture design as stapling two pallets together. But she argues, “Anything that is organized according to permaculture, to naturally evolve with humans, is very beautiful.”

Essentially, it’s a design that responds instead of manipulates. “Rather than trying to impose our view onto a landscape, permaculture flips that around and starts with observation and analysis,” Hall explains.

Take water management, one of Hall’s favorite permaculture topics. The typical attitude regarding rainwater around the household sphere is to divert the water away from the building structure.

The house gutters will deposit water towards the sewer systems or create a pool in the yard. Southern environments like Atlanta oscillate between periods of drought and inundation. Permaculture finds a balance by maximizing the potential energy of rainwater. Designs like rain barrels, passive irrigation and hugelkultur (mounded garden beds shaped with rotting logs) capture and amplify this free, but fickle resource from the sky. One inch of rain on one acre amounts to over 27,000 gallons of water.

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ooking at the compost pile at Wheat Street Garden, Sumayya Allen, the designer in charge, suggests a window planting of evergreens, like pineapple guava, to act as a screen for both sight and smell, “So it’s not affecting the people working the land.” The evergreens would also provide shade to keep the compost from getting too hot in the summer months.

Allen formerly worked at Wheat Street Garden, mostly as an accountant. Returning today for the first time since getting her permaculture design certification with Shades of Green, she now sees it through a design lens. “When growing systems quickly expand, especially in urban areas, there might be people who know how to farm the land, but they often haphazardly start planting things and later have to correct for it.” This is not just an issue in growing spaces. The entire realm of sustainability and sustainable design is a constant battle of retrofitting and reproducing. Imagine if we designed landscapes, homes and products with sustainability at the forefront — both for the people and the environment.

“The entire realm of sustainability and sustainable design is a constant battle of retrofitting and reproducing.”

Currently designing for another urban garden space just south of Turner Field, Atlanta’s soon-to-be-defunct baseball stadium, Allen aims to enhance food security in the community where the neighborhood does not have easy access to fresh produce. “I really enjoyed the process because it involved meeting the community for feedback on what they want, which guided the entire design process,” she remarks. “If we can’t eat it, we don’t want it,” the community told her.

PDC courses are expanding throughout the Southeast and the nation at large. As we face more and more ecological challenges due to climate change, resource exhaustion and economic imbalances, permaculture offers a skillset and, more importantly, a mindset to adjust, respond and thrive.

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A permaculture design by Sumayya Allen.

The “cob stomp” at Wheat Street Garden.

Become Part of a Permaculture: 1. Take Yourself from Consumer to Producer: Grow your own food, even if it is just a pot of basil on the windowsill.

Heal yourself with herbal remedies and nutrient-dense foods.

2. Be Wary of Water: Sick of paying high water bills? Observe the water use in the household and respond productively. Install rain catchment systems, like barrels, so you can use the (free!) rain to water your garden or wash your car. And if you don’t want to give up those long, hot showers, then use that time to capture water for other uses. Put a bucket in the shower to use to flush the toilet.

3. Natives Know Best: Grow native plants in your yards and gardens instead of ornamentals. Native plants attract pollinators and wildlife, and they need less water and less maintenance because they are adapted for the local climate.

4. Waste Not: Waste is only waste if you deem it so. Take advantage of the abundance around you. Consider composting and choosing reusable products.

5. Integrate Instead of Segregate: Diversity is nature’s choice, and it increases resilience to stresses and challenges. Different elements, be it in the garden, kitchen or beyond, will build relationships with one another to support and help the whole system thrive.

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ART & DESIGN

If

CITY WALLS COULD TALK Story by HAN VANCE | Photography by MICHAEL SANTINI

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Atlanta-based artist HENSE elevates street art from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

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oung people are now wanting to live in the city,” says Alex Brewer, best known as the artist HENSE, “and public art is a big part of that urban revitalization.”

HENSE has come a long way from first illegally painting a rooftop in 1993 as a graffiti artist. He grew up in suburban Atlanta and briefly attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond before realizing a studio and the streets were where he would better hone his craft. Years of work eventually manifested into an international reputation, while he created public works in exotic locations such as Lima, Taipei and Tokyo. His large-scale art is widely recognized throughout his hometown and also appears in smaller Southern cities such as Dothan, Ala., and Columbus, Ga. Big North American markets include Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City and New York.

Check, check, check and check.

Riding around Atlanta, you can see the evidence of an evolutionary maturation in the work. From simply the bold block “HENSE” on older decaying buildings, to his full-scale, vivid shape-and-form walls exploding vibrantly across the city in prominent and obscure locations. Brewer painted the entire exterior of a building in this signature style on Broad Street in downtown Atlanta, adjacent to The Mammal Gallery.

In 2013, the High Museum of Art purchased a work on paper by HENSE, and that same year he created a fetching, site-specific centerpiece for a show there entitled Drawing Inside the Perimeter.

Brewer also recently exhibited 32 small works on paper at the Wiregrass Museum of Art in Alabama, which “were done very quickly and are almost studies for larger-scale works or murals,” he explains.

But you can still see the same original spirit of HENSE in his artistic choices, like while walking the Atlanta BeltLine, where he recently reworked a piece he was commissioned to do back in 2010 for the 22-mile loop. If you had been there over the course of its progression, you would have seen the process unfold as a new mural came to life in layers of applied color forms.

In this post-graffiti era, we are seeing real talent emerge off the streets. And to look around the modern city is to suddenly realize good art is everywhere.

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Cream Shirt, $170, GITMAN VINTAGE, Green Chino Pant, $265, BAND OF OUTSIDERS, and Sunglasses, $60, KOMONO, all at Henry & June.

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Photography by FAISAL MOHAMMED

Styling by TIAN JUSTMAN | Hair

and Makeup by KATIE BALLARD |

Models: JULIAN GREEN for Chosen Model

Management and KRISTEAN PAERELS for

Presence Models | Photography Assistants: MARIO

FERNANDO and WILDER SMITH SPRING 2015

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Suit, Price Upon Request, MORGAN CODA SELECT, at morgancoda.com. Stripe Shirt, $162, FILES FROM A JOURNAL, at Henry & June. Blue Tie, $125, EMPORIO ARMANI, at armani. com. Red and White Pocket Square, $65, COMMONWEALTH PROPER, at Commonwealth Proper.

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3-Piece Suit, Price Upon Request, MORGAN CODA SELECT, and Gingham Shirt, $135, MORGAN CODA, both at morgancoda.com. Tie, $50, PETER MILLAR, at petermillar.com.

Stripe Suit, Price Upon Request, MORGAN CODA SELECT, at morgancoda.com. White Patterned Shirt, $210, HENRIK VIBSKOV, at Henry & June. Pink and White Pocket Square, $65, COMMONWEALTH PROPER, at Commonwealth Proper.

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Stripe Tank, $48, ALTERNATIVE APPAREL, at alternativeapparel.com. Jacket, $395, COMMONWEALTH PROPER, at Commonwealth Proper.

Suit, Price Upon Request, MORGAN CODA SELECT, at morgancoda.com. Perfect Pocket Tee, $46, ALTERNATIVE APPAREL, at alternativeapparel.com.

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TRAVEL

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São Paulo’s

Southern Charm

Story and photography by VICTORIA KNIGHT BORGES

How Brazil’s cosmopolitan melting pot reflects a culture close to home.

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ar sirens, exhaust fumes and chirping birds blend together with the hot humidity. It is a sound I know well, a smell I encounter all too often. For a minute, it feels like I am driving down a busy road in Atlanta. Yet here I sit, nearly 5,000 miles away, on a graffiti-covered street that smells of weed and jalapeños.

São Paulo is a city I must have known in a past life.

You can find a transvestite and a church on the same street corner and the traffic rules are just as real as the drivers who obey them — neither really exist. Yet there is familiar Southern charm in the way the cashier says “obrigada” (thank you) after I purchase more food than I can eat; in the slow-moving pace of the crowd in the city market; and the delayed after-dinner conversation that lingers as the sun is setting.

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rom a high point in Brazil, on the rooftop of what was once Banespa, the only bank in the city, the buildings look identical. São Paulo is a lego city, rows and rows of infrastructure from the same model. From this view, you wouldn’t know that it’s the world’s 13th most populous city and the richest one in South America. In fact, it’s a multicultural mesh of ethnicity, housing more Japanese, Arab and Italian immigrants than most regions.

Here on the ground, the crowded city’s population, including the businessmen, students, prostitutes and pastors all along the same graffiti-covered street, was built on diversity. From the food, celebrations and traditions, Brazilians value distinction and cherish uniqueness, qualities that remind me of my Southern roots.

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“Here, no one works on Sunday, unless you consider flipping steaks and chicken over a hot brick grill laborious.”

There is a common assumption about the South that I have learned to appreciate: Things taste better when grilled on a barbecue. This kind of thinking seems rampant in São Paulo, where churrasco, Brazilian BBQs, are commonplace. The churrasco is a meticulously simple kind of ritual that will almost always involve a cerveja (beer) when practiced and will commonly take place on Sundays. The ingredients are simple: a Brazilian cut of beef, salt rock and a wood fired grill.

Here, no one works on Sunday, unless you consider flipping steaks and chicken over a hot brick grill laborious.

There is no restaurant church rush, nor roast beef cooking in the crock pot, but

you can — and you will — be drinking on Sunday; most likely the famous Caipirinha, a mojito-like cocktail crafted with sugar, lime and cachaça, the moonshine of Brazil. Friends, cousins, grandparents and neighbors gather in one place, bringing different kinds of food — sun-dried tomatoes drenched in olive oil, boiled artichokes marinated with tomatoes and garlic, deep fried shrimp so soft there is no need to peel them — none of which necessarily go together. This doesn’t matter, because at a churrasco, there is no actual meal. The dishes are ready to eat at different times; why let a freshly grilled steak get cold to wait for the rice to finish cooking?

With a full belly, I close my eyes, sip a cold Caipirinha and plan my next visit to my new home.

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Nashville A YOUNG

A snapshot of a new generation pulses through the historically beloved city.

Story by TOVA GELFOND and TIAN JUSTMAN

Photography courtesy of NASHVILLE CONVENTION & VISITORS CORPORATION

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t may be historically best known for its music, but the Southern city of Nashville, Tenn. has been experiencing a sort of rejuvenescence since the days of Johnny Cash, and it’s not

just owed to the ABC television series that shares its name. From creative expansions to thriving districts, this iconic town is now a destination for the contemporary roadtripper.

CREATIVE EXPANSION Brimming with artistic talent, Nashville’s creative community has found a new hub. Fort Houston, a collaborative working space with a mission of “Facilitators of Human Potential,” is a studio that fits the needs of the modern-day visionary in the 10,000-square-foot facility that was once Brick Factory Nashville and The Zombie Shop. With printmaking and darkroom resources, woodworking provisions, digital equipment and workroom space that can be individually rented or shared at large, membership gives you access to the inventive population and courses to further your study.

500 Houston Street; forthouston.com YOUNG CULINARY TALENT Chef Brandon Frohne already has a substantial following. At just 28, he’s the fifth-generation chef who’s behind the buzzworthy dishes at Mason’s at the Loews Vanderbilt, named after — you guessed it — mason jars. His exploration into Southern culinary classics leans on European flavors while still being connected to the techniques of his familial traditions such as the Tomato Bisque with Pickled Fennel and Duck Fat Croutons or Espresso Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Tarragon Creamed Corn and Strawberry Ramp Relish.

His fanfare has continued to gain speed after showings on Food Network’s “Chopped” and the Travel Channel’s “Chow Masters,” which have added to his critical acclaim.

2100 West End Ave.; masons-nashville.com Another impressive young talent on everyone’s lips is Chef Dave Cuomo. His pizzeria, Bella Nashville, that he runs with wife Emma Berkey, is housed in the Nashville Farmers’ Market and is known for wild interpretations of this doughy comfort food.

Think sweet potato and sausage pizza topped with fried sage or pizza with kale, sausage, carrots and caramelized onions.

900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.; bellanashville.com

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UPGRADING ICONS The refreshed look of the Ryman Auditorium, formerly known as the Grand Ole Opry House, proves even the oldest relics of historic Nashville are getting a lift. Built in 1892, the “Mother Church of Country Music” has hosted icons such as Teddy Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Houdini, Mae West, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash on its stage. With new lineups and tours continuing today, the landmark stage was replaced and upgraded to feature a darker, Brazilian teak wood and finish in 2012.

116 Fifth Ave. North; ryman.com THRIVING DISTRICTS The up-and-coming neighborhood of 12South has become the new home and hangout of young families and discerning patrons. With coffee shops, restaurants and uncommon boutiques, it’s a hub of originality for free-spirited Nashvillians.

12south.org One of the very first coffee shop concepts in Nashville, Frothy Monkey has been praised for evolving the 12South neighborhood into the coveted blocks it spans today. The conscious coffee crafters also serve wine, beer, cocktails and a full menu of edibles — a local must-have as shown by the opening of their fourth location on 5th Avenue.

2509 12th Ave. S.; frothymonkey.com Designer Lauren Leonard’s flagship LEONA store is home to a lush collection of her modern “slip-on styles” that have become quick favorites of Taylor Swift and Giuliana Rancic.

2309 12th Ave. South; leonany.com The heartfelt tale of owners Carrie and Matt Eddmenson, who opened their own denim line and boutique, Imogene + Willie, in an old gas station, has become one of great national exaltation — including a feature in Esquire that touted them as the “Best Men’s Jeans.” A pair will set you back around $300, but it’s worth every rivet.

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SOCIETY

Landmark Booksellers SANCTUARY OF SOUTHERN LIT

Story and photography by

W

JR SULLIVAN

hen I was 16 I stumbled into Landmark Booksellers in Franklin, Tenn., hunting a Kurt Vonnegut paperback about aliens and time travel. An hour later, I emerged instead with an armful of William Gay novels, unsure of exactly what I’d purchased. Nothing against Vonnegut, proprietor Joel Tomlin had assured me, but he said that I — as a good, young Southerner — shouldn’t waste my time with space-aged romps until I first appreciated my native land and its writings.

Tomlin had sized me up, my naivety palpable.

Though reared in the region, I knew nothing about Southern literature — much less Gay, Middle Tennessee’s most heralded (and hermetic) author of the past 20 years. Later, I’d learn the writer himself favored Landmark as a hangout, appearing at the store, by Tomlin’s count, more than at any other literary establishment. When picking through the stacks of Dixie’s finest, both the beloved and the seldom brought up, it becomes apparent why: Landmark stands not only as a sanctuary for paper and ink, but also as a crossroads where the South’s established and emerging voices converge, weighing equally on one another.

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Joel Tomlin and his wife, Carol, inside their beloved shop, Landmark Booksellers.

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omlin, quick to grin, a heavy mustache over his jowl, bears responsibility for Landmark’s timelessness. He helms the store with fervor for the South’s narrative traditions, lining the walls with classic tomes, yet he champions upcoming authors as much as the canonized. He pushed Gay, Ron Rash and George Singleton to customers when few outside the lit-rag sect would have recognized the authors — years

before each inspired devout followings.

Though Gay passed in 2012, Tomlin still praises his work, as well as new releases by the likes of Tom Franklin, Mark Richard and Jamie Quatro.

Tomlin does this in hopes that customers will pick up books that illuminate truths of Southern life, now or 100 years ago — books that, when read in conversation with one another, form a comprehensive view of the region as it

once was and still exists. Though he has favorites, more than anything he wants customers to leave with works that matter, ones they’ll struggle putting down. For instance, I once overheard him convince a woman to purchase Gay’s Southern Gothic opus “Twilight” instead of the fang-toothed romance that shares the title, promising that she would glean more about love and loss from the Southerner’s version.

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ligned with Tomlin’s ethos, Landmark occupies one of the most significant buildings in the history of the region. Built around the turn of the 19th century, the Greek Revival storefront originally operated as the market for a nearby cotton and grist mill — Davy Crockett and Andrew Jackson, who each penned some of the area’s first literature, among its patrons.

At the onset of the Civil War, Union troops seized the store, but let it stand in exchange for five wagonloads of flour and whiskey, rather than burn it. When Confederate forces later tried to reclaim Middle Tennessee, the store served as a hospital during the Battle of Franklin, one of the state’s bloodiest conflicts.

During Reconstruction and years following, an array of businesses, from a bank to a hardware supplier, occupied the building, which remained a fixture of Franklin two blocks from the city’s downtown square.

A native of Middle Tennessee, Tomlin first visited the store in the mid1970s when Dotson’s, a meat and three now across the street, still claimed the space. Fortunately, by the time I was a teenager in the early aughts, Tomlin and his wife, Carol, had transformed the building into a haven for the literati and legacy-minded Southerners.

First edition James Agee, Larry Brown and Carson McCullers novels crowd the shelves. Copies signed by Cormac McCarthy and Truman Capote lie in the display case next to the register. Where soldiers and statesmen once congregated, a new generation gathers for book releases, writers’ nights and readings.

In the midst of the store’s 60,000-title collection, one can easily imagine how the South’s history and narratives shaped

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the present, but also appreciate how the region has changed and fluxed, ripening it for further exploration.

Despite the store’s literary allure, Tomlin recognizes that not everyone who strolls through the front door wants to burrow into “Absalom, Absalom!” or “Look Homeward, Angel,” so he will happily direct folks to material that better suits their persuasions. In my early 20s, I had an interview for an editorial job at a hunting and fishing magazine. By that time, Tomlin had

“At the onset of the Civil War, Union troops seized the store.” directed my reading habits for nearly a decade. As a friend (and a good salesman), to prepare me, he dug up classic sporting collections from the storeroom and guaranteed he’d buy back the books I disliked, knowing, of course, I could never part with Gene Hill’s “A Hunter’s Fireside Book” or Robert Ruark’s “The Old Man and the Boy.” In an age when online retailers use algorithms to make safe, easy-sell reading suggestions, Tomlin promotes books — new or old, favorites or those nearly forgotten — that teem with life, rich with what Faulkner called, “the old verities and truths of the heart.” Because of this, Landmark is a rarity: a place that savors the past while recognizing the importance of the present. That day when I was 16, Tomlin ensured that I, a shaggy-haired high school kid, didn’t leave with novels he could effortlessly coax me to purchase, but ones that illuminated Southern heritage and would push me to discover new voices yet to arise from it.

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C A R P E T

ATLANTA . NASHVILLE . DALTON

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2

first light DiscoverY & Conflict at the

birth of photography

Story by AUSTIN HOLT

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ith each new advancement in creative technology, a long-dormant vestige of the past reemerges, for however brief a time, in startling technicolor. Call it the reinvention of a lost art; call it creative license; call it imagination.

Recently, Atlanta-based visual artist Peter Bahouth has been working in stereoscope, a field of photography that has been around almost as long as the still image itself. A penny-worthy diversion popularized on the boardwalks of America’s cosmo-coastal cities, the process involves the capturing of a scene by two cameras, aligned alongside one another, and clicked at a precise moment. The finished product creates a pair of photos that emulate the point-of-view of a pair of human eyes; when sampled, the viewer receives a three-dimensional image projected from two. View-Master, in its genesis.

This relative novelty of presentation is, in small part, what photography has become. Since the start, the medium has existed to depict the world, or a portion of it, as diffused through the sensibilities of an analytical, unfeeling box with a button and a lens and a person on the receiving end who has an idea of how to manipulate it. Photoshop aside, the photograph is an unbiased interpretation of the world around us, a quality that is as true for the most carefully choreographed image as it is for the most casual of snapshots. It can freeze a moment forever, affording the opportunity to regard the past, for better or for worse, in visual hindsight. It’s, almost literally, worth a thousand words.

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FIG. 4 - {Boulevard du Temple. Paris, France} Look into the lower-left corner, and

you’ll see the first image ever taken of a human being. As this image still required several minutes to expose, the motion on the street is rendered invisible in the final print. Only a gentleman having his shoes polished stood still long enough to be captured by Daguerre’s camera.

With a camera in every pocket, we take that for granted. But, during some indefinable point in the not-too-distant past, photography altered the way we perceive the world, and how we interpret our own experiences. At some point, photography switched sides, transitioning from a form of documentary, to an integral mode of self-expression.

At some point, photography changed us.

But first, it had to be invented.

The generation that emerged from the ravages of the revolution were rebuilding. It was slow going at first: It would be more than five decades before the Eiffel Tower rose over the cosmo-bucol-

ic dreamscape that Paris would become, and nearly as much time before the streets began to resemble those conjured by today’s casual romantic.

Louis Daguerre was an architect’s apprentice, but had found greater comfort in the more aesthetic applications of his trade in designing and building elaborate theatrical backdrops during a cultural renaissance geared to France’s shifting aristocracy. He was also, insomuch as one could be in the 1820s, a filmmaker. His early claim to fame was as co-inventor of the diorama.

Daguerre was a clever guy, and his mind didn’t rest. He had begun to fiddle with light-sensitive powders and had actually succeeded in creating a sort-of

Step VI - Exposure

Step IV - Sensitization

Step V - Plate Insertion

Step III - Polish with HNO3 Step II - Clipping and Bending

Step VII - Development with Hg Step VIII - Fixing with Na2S2O3 Step IX - Gilding with AuCl

Step I - Application of Ag and Cu

image that would last a couple of hours before fading, using a rough camera obscura. But with limited skills in chemistry, this modest contribution didn’t show too much potential for profit or cultural advancement — it was a nifty party trick, at most. Still, the seed had been planted, and in 1827 when the first sprouts began to emerge from the soil.

When Daguerre met Nicéphore Niépce, the two innovators hit it off immediately. Niépce was an inventor himself and had long been a fan of Daguerre’s dioramas. Through their conversations, it was revealed that he, too, was looking for some way to capture an image of the real world on a two-dimensional surface, and had actually committed a great deal of time in the effort. Daguerre presented him with a contract, and the two embarked upon research together. The relationship persevered until 1833 when Niépce, now in his late 60s, passed away, leaving Daguerre alone to finish the work.

The next six years were grueling. Daguerre had settled on crafting an instant form of photography — something that could provide an image within a few minutes of being taken. Early experiments were impractical, requiring exposure times in the minutes or hours, too long for a suitable landscape to be captured, and far too long for a clear portrait to be imprinted on the film. But the practice was manipulated, and methods were perfected. By 1838, Daguerre was ready: The

Step X - Sealing and Casing

obsessive tweaking of his old partner’s methods got the undivided attention of the French Academy of Sciences, members of which he had surreptitiously invited to his studio. He had something he wanted to show them.

The objects he presented were stunning: a series of rectangular, flat pieces of metal on which images from the real world had been recreated using only light, chemicals and a small box with a convex lens. The possibilities implied by the discovery of such a process, even in such an early stage, were nothing short of miraculous, and the Academy knew this. They purchased the rights to Daguerre’s work and announced the achievement to the world, providing the details of the process as a free gift to humanity, which is something governments used to do from time to time. The technology sparked a revolution, and through the 1840s and ’50s, the Daguerreotype, and subsequent methods, would take the world by storm.

Photography was born. But it wasn’t the first time.

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n the other side of the English Channel, there was a sleepy village. Lacock was a sheepherding town not too long after William the Conqueror did his thing, and not a lot has changed since then. On a summer’s day in 1835, William Henry Fox Talbot paced around his estate in Lacock, a col-

lection of small boxes in tow. He would set one on a fence post or stone wall and aim a small opening, capped in ground glass, at some immobile fixture of his home. Then, he would carefully remove a light-tight covering from the aperture and leave his experiment to its own devices for a while.

Talbot was what we would now call a gentleman scientist: a man of fine breeding, excellent manners and a well-utilized education, with enough money in the bank to fund his pursuits. He would ritualistically carry small notebooks in which he would jot little notes that pertained to his interests: mathematics, chemistry, astrology, botany, philosophy, art history.

That day, in the fields surrounding his home, he was practicing all of these disciplines in a playful sort of obsession he had cultivated for himself.

Years earlier, while on his honeymoon in Lake Como, Italy, Talbot had fiddled with a camera lucida — in this case, a simple wooden box that projected what it saw onto a pane of glass at the back, projecting an inverted image. A budding artist could place a thin piece of paper over the glass and trace what he or she saw. Alongside him, his wife, a rather talented painter of landscapes, was recreating the sweeping mountains and charming hamlets in excruciating detail. But as multi-talented as he was, art was one area in which Talbot struggled. His tracings were fun exercises, but he was always disappointed with the SPRING 2015

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{FIG. 3 - {Portrait of Louis Daguerre} Jean-Baptiste Sabatier-Blot, 1844

result his own skills could produce (especially when he compared them to his wife’s superior work). “How charming it would be,” he once mused in his journals, “if it were possible to cause these natural images to imprint themselves durable and remain fixed upon the paper. Why should it not be possible?” Perhaps, he thought, there was a way for nature to draw the picture for him.

He had laid the last of his little boxes on a small side table in one of the main hallways of the house. He aimed the little box at a latticed window that overlooked a few trees, and removed the cover from the glass. Inside the box, photons of light were beginning a slow process of chemically altering the silver nitrate solution Talbot had spread onto a small strip of transparent celluloid.

The eureka moment came more than an hour later, after Talbot had collected his cameras. He immersed the strips of film in a special solution, developing the images, stopping further development and fixing the images in place permanently. For the most part, his timing had been off: Bright sun had severely overexposed most of the small slivers. But one had hit the nail on the head. What he saw charmed him immensely — a reverse image of the window in his hallway, carved into the remaining chemical. He didn’t know what to call it, because up until this moment, the world had never seen anything like it. But it was the world’s first photographic negative.

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Talbot had already been honing his skills with contact prints, so it wasn’t too much of a leap to perform the same procedure with the postage-stamp-sized sliver of film. Not too long after the negative was born, its twin, the photographic print, came into the world. It was gritty and pockmarked, the darks were too dim, the brights were too bright and the contrast was just awful — but it was, nonetheless.

Sometimes, life happens. Talbot was a busy man, and in the following years, found himself with less and less time to tinker. He had political aspirations (he would later go on to become a member of Parliament) and, before too long, found himself with four young children to tend to. This discovery of his was certainly fascinating, but aside from some periodic tweaking, a few papers outlining his findings and a handful of submissions to various academic bodies, it was relegated to the back burner, pending further research.

Then, almost four years later on a cold winter’s day in 1839, Talbot got the news of what had happened in Paris. His mind shot to an envelope in his makeshift laboratory deep within his country manor, of experiments conducted years before, of a discovery all his own. A discovery that was now setting the world on fire.

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oday, we can use modern language to simplify what each man had achieved.

Daguerre’s process, which would become famously known as the Daguerreotype, was the grandfather of the Polaroid. It was instant, and it was stunning.

It was absolutely one-of-a-kind, both in its ingenuity and in a literal sense: It could not be reproduced. Talbot’s spoils were an early approximation of a procedure photographers the world over would adhere to for more than a century: the negative of an image that could be reproduced, time and time again.

It’s fun to imagine the personalities of these two men, living in such a precarious time, tipping on the verge of something new: in one corner, a lavishly creative

{FIG. 4 - {Portrait of William Henry Fox Talbot} John Moffat, 1864 French set-designer-turned-entrepreneur with his sights set on advancing the very idea of aesthetic, and in the other a stiffupper-lipped English nobleman with a lot on his mind, arguably too brilliant to sit still for very long and reflect. Each, at the same time, and with no knowledge of the other or his work, had been pioneering the same idea from two completely different angles.

We can resort to modern mythology to draw conclusions about the conflict that resounded in the early days of 1839.

The history of technological innovation is littered with dual discovery and ensuing rivalry: Gates and Jobs, at the inception of the personal computer; Edison and Tesla, and the War of the Currents; Pemberton and Bradham, over cola. In each of these cases, the battle had been close-fought and, in each, the alliances had been drawn by the masses based on practicality, ease of use and not a small amount of clever marketing.

In the weeks following France’s announcement, Talbot went into a scramble. After pouring over old notes and previous submissions of his methods, he established a rough outline of his process, convinced that his discovery had crossed into France somehow. Talbot had no way of knowing Daguerre’s process was entirely different from his own and that, in fact, Niépce had been experimenting with a procedure very similar to Talbot’s more than 20 years earlier

(the results were unsuccessful, however, and were quickly abandoned). Within a fortnight, he submitted the aggregate of his work to the French Academy, attempting to claim priority, but as his methods were too dissimilar, he failed in his appeal. Complete instructions for Daguerre’s process were published in August, and the credit went to France.

The box had been opened, and there was no resealing it. Talbot had missed his chance at claiming discovery of the medium, but that didn’t stop him from rediscovering his long-dormant pastime, an activity that occupied him for the next two decades. He made some headway, too: By the late 1840s, after collaborating with a number of other chemists of similar interest, the quality of his work improved, achieving him a certain degree of notoriety in the budding field of heliography, photography and light-drawing.

But commercially, Daguerre won the day.

An emerging middle class, spurred on by the Great Recession, wanted portraits of themselves and their families. The Daguerreotype filled that need.

In exchange for his invention, Daguerre procured a modest pension from the French government for as long as he should live. Talbot, on the other hand, whose skills were not so limited as to exclude the conduction of business, strove to patent his process. The “Talbotype,” as it was known, had a following. By

The history of technological innovation is littered with dual discovery and ensuing rivalry: Gates and Jobs, at the inception of the personal computer; Edison and Tesla, and the War of the Currents; Pemberton and Bradham, over cola.

FIG. 6 - {View from the Window at Le Gras, 1827} Commonly regarded as the first photograph, this early work of Nicophoré Niépce was far from perfect: the image required several hours to expose properly, and even then, provided a surreal, imperfect image. Commercial applications would require years of fine-tuning. the mid-1840s, photographers in cities as far-flung as Chicago were using the process to great effect, but those who sought to profit from Talbot’s methods had a hefty licensing fee with which to contend. For all but the established, it was simply too expensive. Daguerre’s process, on the other hand, was opensource. The schematics were available to all who wanted them. An amateur with access to the proper chemicals, sufficient freedom of information and enough time could reproduce Daguerre’s recipe without paying a dime. Combined with the lag caused by clearing the patenting boards, the Daguerre fire spread across the developed world, while Talbot’s smoldered quietly among the elite of these new “photographers.”

Somewhat ironically, the conflict ignited by the feud between the two men managed to sustain Talbot’s methods, at least in his native Britain. Days before France’s publishing of the details of Daguerre’s method, a patent was filed on behalf of Daguerre in Great Britain — the British were denied the “free gift” on little more than a matter of principle. It was a slap in the face in the short term, but necessity is the mother of invention and, in subsequent years, alternate

methods began to flourish on the island nation, giving Talbot, and those who would follow, an odd sort of leeway to experiment without the monopoly afforded by free technology.

And so it went, ceaselessly and through countless iterations, long after each man had passed. Today, photography has exceeded the utilitarian nature implied by its inception. Each new generation since Daguerre and Talbot has managed to throw their own unique spin onto the art form, and in less than 200 years, the aggregate of this achievement has resulted in an affordable, limitlessly appealing mode of self-expression. For commercial and popular use, particularly in the age of digital photography, only the faintest shreds of Daguerre and Talbot’s chemical aspirations remain.

But the intent, in one sterling way, is the same. For their differences, for their rivalry and for what their discovery would mean for the far-flung future, one key similarity would remain to unite the two throughout history: They were both driven by dreams of capturing the world around them, of harnessing the light and, in line with the hopes of everyone with an Instagram account, of taking a pretty picture.

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DR I F T I DRIFTING AWAY

Photography by JIMMY JOHNSTON | Styling by TIAN JUSTMAN

Hair and Makeup by DEVYN MILLER for Denae Daniel Salon | Model:

HANNAH JOHNSON for Factor Women

Drift

Dress Coat in Silk Dauphine, $775, ABBEY GLASS, at abbey-glass.com.

Cotton Shift Dress, $60, CURTIS CARTER, at etsy.com.

Stay

Leopard Jacquard Midi Dress, $325, ABBEY GLASS, at abbey-glass.com.

Float

Silk Scarf, $325, HANNAH CROSS LTD, at hannahcrossltd.com.

Silk Culottes, $360, MEGAN HUNTZ, at meganhuntz.com

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Ride

Lambskin Bralette, $215, and Cotton Trouser Shorts,, $225, both ABBEY GLASS, both at abbey-glass.com.

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Sail

Silk Ballet Gown, $890, ABBEY GLASS, at abbey-glass.com.

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Shift

Cotton Maxi Dress, $385, MEGAN HUNTZ, at meganhuntz.com.

Scarf, $325, HANNAH CROSS LTD, at hannahcrossltd.com.

Stray

Cotton Pant Suit, $175, TIM SCOTT, at ttscott.com.

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Coast

Silk Midi Dress, $345, MEGAN HUNTZ, at meganhuntz.com.

Fashion Anatomy:

Straw the

A

Story by CASSIE KAYE Illustrations by MARK HADDAD

hat is, arguably, the most noticeable fashion item a person can wear. Dating as far back as the third century B.C., and initially created to protect from the elements, hats soon grew to serve as a symbol of status and authority for men and a way for women to preserve their modesty. Although their purpose has changed throughout the years, there’s no denying a beautiful hat is one of the easiest ways to stand out in a crowd — or, in the case of straw headwear, in a crowded beach or outdoor cafe.

Straw hats, in particular, are steeped in history. The term ‘milliner’ (someone who creates and sells hats), is thought to have originated from Milan, Italy, where the finest straws were braided into brims as early as the 1700s. The South has its own rich history with straw hats. Straw bonnets have been popular with women since 1810; nearly every man in the early 1900s donned a boater hat and seersucker suit in warmer months; and, today, no garden party or beach vacation is complete without beautiful straw headpieces.

As with any item in the realm of fashion, not all straw pieces are created equal. Gigi Burris, a sixth generation Floridian and 2014 CFDA Fashion Fund finalist, is a master milliner and knows exactly what differentiates high-end headwear such as one of hers (which can cost upwards of $350) from the mass-produced piece one can buy at a corner retail store for $15.

Hat

What makes a hand-woven hat worth all that money?

Straw Type & Weaving Pattern It all starts with the finest base materials — in this case, the highest quality straw. There are various types of straw used in millinery, including visca (a man-made straw typically found in mass-produced and low-priced summer hats), raffia (available in various grades and widely used in casual summer headwear), parasisal (a high-quality straw often used in more expensive hats and fascinators) plus others. The straw for these toppers is sourced from around the world, with some regions known for producing a higher grade than others.

“A lot of straw for these hats will come from China or Ecuador,” explains Burris. “But the best straw, globally, comes from Switzerland.” Historically speaking, Switzerland is known for producing some of the finest straw, used by milliners across the globe. In the 1900s, the Swiss town of Wohlen was at the center of the straw-making industry, specializing in both the hats themselves and the decorations and trimmings that make a plain headpiece unique.

Once the first-rate straws are sourced, they are often woven into a braid before the final product can be sewn together. There are various braiding techniques, such as a one-by-one or two-bytwo pattern, but regardless of straw type and source, most are braided together by hand for use in upscale hats.

Spotting the Authenticity Construction Aside from the materials used and weaving, it’s the construction method that sets an exceptional piece apart. Some of the most exquisite hats in the world are made entirely by hand, whether the plaited straw is stitched together or the entire hat is crafted by hand-weaving the straw into a particular pattern before shaping.

A high-quality Panama hat, for example, can take up to 60 hours to sew from start to finish. Choice straw hats, such as Burris’, are sewn in a round and then hand-blocked on a wooden hat block.

In this way the details, such as the tag, sweatband, wire and edge welting, are all added.

Local production is another aspect that makes a lavish piece so special.“So many people are outsourcing, so being made locally affects the price point,” Burris notes (her own pieces are made in New York City’s garment district and the alligator skins used in her designs are from specimens found in her parents’ Florida orange groves). “They’re made in-part on a specialized machine, and not many people know the techniques required to make these hats. The labor and manpower of these incredibly skilled artisans will affect the price as well.”

When it comes to spotting a refined hat, Burris notes a few things to look for. “The design will set the piece apart from a cheaper product, but more than anything you can feel the difference in the straw,” she explains. Higher quality hats will have a tighter and more consistent weaving pattern than those at a lower price point. And if you’re considering purchasing your own straw staple this spring, keep in mind larger hats with a wider brim will also carry a larger price tag due to the additional material and time required to craft them.

For those who plan to put their straw headwear to use this season, Burris has one request. “If you’re traveling, please wear your hat on the plane,” she says. “It’s a festive way to start your vacation, but it will also ensure the piece arrives intact. The hats are so fragile, and oftentimes we put them in our luggage and they get totally smashed.” After investing in a beautiful, handmade straw hat, losing it to a rough baggage carrier is one tragedy that can easily be avoided.

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FOUR-EYED

PRIDE Story by JAIME LIN WEINSTEIN

Once merely a symbol of poor sight, glasses have evolved into a bona fide fashion statement, and people of all ages are embracing eyewear, whether blessed with 20/20 vision or not.

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here is, perhaps, nothing more telling of the present popularity of eyewear than the fact that you can currently purchase a range of plastic lenses intended to “make you look cute, not see better” (as the product descriptions on Urban Outfitters’ website claim). Indeed we’re in an era where a certain subculture of Millennials has been known to sport glasses with nonprescription lenses as an accessory to their flannel shirts and skinny jeans, but the numbers speak to a larger trend. A recent report from market research group Euromonitor International claims volume sales for spectacles exceeded 380 million units for the first time in 15 years in 2014.

With roots in classical antiquity, eyewear has long been a marker of old age, but somewhere between the four-eyed monikers from days of yore and Steve Jobs, glasses have developed a positive connotation across multiple generations. And despite recent tech-

nological advancements in contact lenses and laser surgery, people are electing to wear glasses. “Laser surgery is safer than it’s ever been before and is having fantastic outcomes, but still some can’t overcome the risk or anxiety that’s associated with it … And for other people, [eyewear] provides a real opportunity to express themselves,” suggests Dr. Whitney Hauser, assistant professor at Southern College of Optometry and founder of Signal Ophthalmic Consulting in Memphis, Tenn. Couple that with the technological developments of glasses themselves — “The coatings and the addons that you can add to lenses make the picture clearer than ever and they last longer. And people that have had to have thick glasses before, the new lens materials can make them more eligible for trendy things that used to be unavailable to them.” — and the practical reasoning behind their increasing approval starts to become, well, clearer, in the other sense of the word.

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June: They reported having donated their one-millionth pair of glasses. As a benefit corporation, Warby Parker donates one pair of eyeglasses for every pair sold. And with that, we can estimate they’ve done at least $100 million in sales over their four years in business. Tabrizipour, too, saw the uptrend in the marketplace, and designed her own line of glasses, called Gazal Eyewear. Just released in July of 2014, “Sales took off, four times the amount we expected it to do,” her husband, Saeed, shares.

The media will report there’s a glasses-wearing celebrity to encourage eyewear for just about anyone’s star tastes, too, from

I HAVE MORE PATIENTS COMING IN WANTING LENSES WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION THAN WITH ONE,” Jennifer Aniston to John Mayer. You’ll rarely catch J. Crew creative director Jenna Lyons without her signature black frames. And a number of actors of varying ages are often seen proudly sporting their lenses on and off the red carpet — Kristen Stewart (24), Zooey Deschanel (35) and Brad Pitt (51) included. “I turned on the TV the other day and Snoop Dogg is on with his new pair of glasses!” Saeed remarks. Who knows if they’re prescription or not.

“Honestly, finding a pair of glasses that are trendy, and not only make you see better, but feel better about yourself, gives a huge sense of confidence for a lot of people,” Hauser adds, no matter what age. “Most people wear glasses to see better, but certainly there are people that do it to look different, and in their minds to look better … and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.” Neither do we.

Photos courtesy of Warby Parker.

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ut practicality alone doesn’t drive sales. Like high-heeled rain boots or designer cell phone cases, eyewear has transcended the line from necessity to accessory.

“Glasses have turned into a fashion statement and I have more patients coming in wanting lenses without a prescription than with one,” says Gazal Tabrizipour, owner of Atlanta Vision Optical. “It’s the unique colors and materials we can use now that we weren’t able to use before … We have buffalo horn and acetate plastic … It lifts your cheeks and brings out your features … it adds a nice little flair,” she says.

Then, of course, you can’t deny the influence of the big designer brands (Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Burberry), which all invest highly in their eyewear collections each year — and in their corresponding advertising campaigns. Tom Ford, for example, notably casted the burgeoning, young models Gigi Hadid and Patrick Schwarzenegger in ads for his fall collection last year. And with current ages of 19 and 21, respectively, it appears Ford may be enforcing the younger audience appeal. Fashion is, after all, an industry that’s been relying on the purchasing power of youth for a long time. And in a society obsessed with staying young, maybe this is where the motive for glasses’ mounting approval lies.

Regardless, businesses out there are capitalizing on the trend, including both established brands, like Tiffany & Co. (the 178-year-old jewelry company launched its first eyewear collection in 2007), and new, like Warby Parker. Founded in 2010 and known for its free “Home Try-On Program” and reasonable prices (a pair of eyeglasses, including prescription lenses, starts at $95), the once online-only retailer now has 12 brick-and-mortar locales throughout the country — including its first Southeast store in Atlanta last year. And they’re earning a pretty penny. The stores sell an average of $3,000 a square foot annually and helped the company reach a business milestone in

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SPRING FLING

Restoration Hardware recently opened a new contemporary, retail store to showcase both interior and exterior home furnishings. RH Atlanta, The Gallery at the Estate in Buckhead features six floors and nearly 70,000 square feet of installations, complete with two acres of gardens and terraces, a 50-foot reflecting pool, decomposed granite courtyards and an outdoor fireplace. Soon to be a landmark, RH Atlanta is also home to a rooftop park and conservatory, where shoppers can enjoy stunning views of the Atlanta skyline.

3030 Peachtree Road NW; rh.com

FORD FRY FRENZY

April 10th will mark the start of the 79th annual Dogwood Festival in Atlanta’s iconic Piedmont Park. Named for the anticipation of blooming Dogwood trees in the spring, the festival invites people of all ages for three days to take part in art, performances, food and special events like the Backyard Barbecue & Brews showcase and the Disc Dogs frisbee competition.

1342 Worchester Drive NE; dogwood.org

MOVIE MAGIC

Atlanta restaurateur Ford Fry, known for chic places like JCT Kitchen & Bar, The Optimist and King + Duke, has further expanded his fine-dining empire. In addition to the coastal European Buckhead eatery, St. Cecilia, which opened in January of 2014, the chef and entrepreneur has added two new restaurants, placing a Fry establishment in nearly every Atlanta neighborhood, and then some. The El Felix, a “Mex-Tex” venture with chef Kevin Maxey, opened in the highly anticipated Avalon shopping center in Alpharetta in November, while Superica, a similarly themed restaurant also operated by the duo, just opened its doors at Krog Street Market in February.

The El Felix: 1130 Avalon Blvd., Suite 1030, Alpharetta; Superica: 99 Krog St.; fordfry.com

The Atlanta Film Festival, Georgia’s largest, is returning March 20. This will be the 39th year that filmmakers and audiences from around the world gather in the heart of Atlanta for the Academy Award-qualifying fest. The 10-day-long series of events consists of seminars, evening parties and screenings of hundreds of fiction and documentary films.

Specific event locations detailed online; atlantafilmfestival.com

clockwise from top: courtesy rh atlanta (2); courtesy atlanta dogwood festival (3); courtesy very fine south; courtesy buckhead atlanta; barry cantrell; courtesy ponce city market; raftermen photography; lauren holley; doobious.org; andrew thomas lee (3)

FORM AND FUNCTION

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SOUTHERN MADE

Atlanta native Laura Shope has been hand-crafting leather and waxed canvas bags for her line, Very Fine South, since 2011. Her purses, accessories and planters are made start to finish in her Atlanta studio, from dyeing and waxing fabric to hammering rivets and pouring cement, and she strives to use sustainable and organic materials whenever possible.

Her use of pure beeswax to coat canvas pieces has inspired her to support programs that help preserve local pollinators, and 10 percent of proceeds from her hand-poured planters are donated to the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Urban Honey Bee Project. veryfinesouth.com

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ARRESTING DEVELOPMENTS

Open since September 2014, the upscale Buckhead Atlanta district continues to add luxury stores and restaurants for Atlanta residents. Sitting on eight acres across six city blocks, shoppers can explore unique restaurants and brick-and-mortar retail locations not otherwise found in Georgia, such as Christian Louboutin, Theory, Warby Parker, Brunello Cucinelli, Bella Bag and Bonobos.

3035 Peachtree Road NE; buckhead-atl.com

Right off the BeltLine in the Inman Park neighborhood sits Krog Street Market, a 30,000-square-foot renovated, industrial-style warehouse. Patrons can grab a drink from the bar while browsing through food and retail stalls or stop and eat in one of the full-service restaurants. The market, which opened in November, continues to add tenants to become one of Atlanta’s most unique experiences.

99 Krog St.; krogstreetmarket.com

Housed in Atlanta’s historic Sears, Roebuck & Co. building, Ponce City Market is the city’s largest adaptive reuse project and Atlanta’s newest place to live, work, dine and shop. The mixed-use development will be home to multiple first-to-market retail brands, including The Frye Company, Oakleaf & Acorn and The Jean Machine, as well as familiar names such as Madewell, Anthropologie and West Elm. In addition to being a leading retail center in the city, the heart of the development will house the Central Food Hall, a gathering place and dining destination filled with the best regional foods and restaurant concepts Atlanta has to offer.

675 Ponce de Leon Ave.; poncecitymarket.com

Connecting the east and west sections of downtown Atlanta, the Atlanta Streetcar provides an extension to the city’s existing public transportation system and easy access to major attractions. The streetcar makes 12 stops along its journey, including ones near Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola and the College Football Hall of Fame, as well as access to four MARTA locations and multiple bus stops for effortless connection to additional transportation options. Newly opened on December 30, the modern streetcar will be free to passengers for the first three months, after which it will cost $1 per person, per ride.

While Atlanta can meet nearly all of your shopping and dining needs, sometimes a quick trip outside the city is necessary. Just a short drive up state route 400 sits Avalon, another mixed-use development spanning 86 acres in Alpharetta, Ga. The area’s retailers, including BCBG, Lou & Grey, Calypso St. Barth, Free People, Boston Proper and more, offer clothing and accessories for all lifestyles. Avalon is also home to Exhale Mind Body Spa, Drybar, Van Michael Salon and Piedmont Nails, offering a relaxing break from toting around shopping bags. Finish your trip with dinner at one of the 14 restaurants (including Atlanta’s famous Antico Pizza) and a movie at the 12-screen, all premium VIP cinema, complete with full-service kitchen and bar.

theatlantastreetcar.com

2200 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta; experienceavalon.com

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ENTERTAINING AUSTIN This March kicks off the 28th annual South by Southwest, Austin’s legendary music, film and interactive festival that has grown to include offshoots like SXSWedu and SXSWEco. One of this year’s five keynote speakers is Dr. Astro Teller, current overseer at Google[x], where he spearheads projects like Google’s self-driving cars and Project Loon. $1,295 Interactive: March 13–17 $695 Film: March 13–21 $895 Music: March 17–22 $1,495 Gold Badge (Film + Interactive) $1,745 Platinum Badge (Music + Film + Interactive) sxsw.com

Owner Liz Lambert’s love of music spawned South

by San José (SXSJ) in 1998, now an annual tradition concurrent with the SXSW music festival. From March 18-22, Hotel San José’s shared parking lot with sister company Jo’s Coffee on bustling South Congress Avenue will transform into its venue, offering free, live music starting at noon daily; past performers include the likes of Alabama Shakes, Dum Dum Girls, Temples, St. Vincent and many more. You can also shop local vendors like Junkateria, Headdress and Adina Mills while soaking in the tunes.

1316 S. Congress Ave.; sanjosehotel.com

DESSERT FOR BREAKFAST A former food-trailer-turned-elegant-restaurant, Odd Duck is focused on farm-to-table cuisine prepared via wood fired grill and oven, including an extensive in-house bread program led by pastry chef Susana Querejazu. Treat yourself to the Sunday brunch pastry tray, including Italian sfogliatella “lobster tail” pastries filled with grapefruit mousse. Other delights include fresh chocolate croissants, apple-filled Danishes, delicious honey-buttermilk biscuits and kolaches. Pastries change frequently depending on seasonal fare from local farmers, just like the rest of the Odd Duck menu.

1201 South Lamar Blvd.; oddduckaustin.com

clockwise from top: courtesy live box photo; courtesy aquatonic float spa; courtesy tastemade; jeff amador; richard casteel

by CYNTHIA HOUCHIN

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FLOAT ON

Seeking profound relaxation? Melt your stress away in 11.8 inches of dense salt solution at AQUATonic Float Spa. Their floatation therapy uses 1,102 pounds of Epsom salts mixed in 220 gallons of water and heated to skin temperature in futuristic-looking, egg-like pods, each housed in a private room. While floating, a person’s brain patterns shift from beta waves to lower frequency theta waves. That night, you’ll sleep like a baby.

30-minute float: $40; 1 hour float: $79; memberships available.

4301 West William Cannon Dr., Bldg. B #145; aquatonicfloatspa.com

AN APPLE A DAY

Craft cider is making a comeback in Austin. Rather than the painfully sweet kind common in the U.S., this complex, crisp beverage contains layers of flavors depending on yeast choice, aging and strain of apple. Ed Gibson, who also operates a cider bar in Bristol, England, founded Austin Eastciders in 2013 and launched its urban cidery in October 2014. Along with their dry Eastciders Original cider, Texas Honey cider is now available in 16-ounce cans and on tap across town. A combination of dessert and bittersweet apples is blended with locally sourced honey to create a subtle sweetness that’s deliciously smooth.

979 Springdale Rd.; austineastciders.com

GREAT TASTE Tastemade, the multichannel YouTube food network and new Roku channel with headquarters in Santa Monica and Austin, has a free mobile app under the same moniker, showcasing the best places to eat in 24 cities around the world. Offering a crowdsourced, inside scoop through a global network of traveling food lovers, each bite-sized video is just over a minute long. With the app, users can easily create snappy episodes showcasing their favorite dishes with customizable themes, music and filters to fit the restaurant, or simply follow local “tastemaker” content for recommendations on nearby hotspots. tastemade.com

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SUPREME SCREENS It’s hard not to notice the textured, technicolor screenprinted posters that wrap the exposed bricks of Birmingham businesses and venues, or spot a jersey T-Shirt stamped with “Heart of Dixie.” As Alabama’s only full-service print house, Yellowhammer Creative continues a pinnacle of local progress, redefining creative collaboration and design.

3917 2nd Ave. South; yellowhammer.org

ONE-STOP SHOP Saturday mornings in Birmingham are never complete without a stop at Pepper Place Market. Kicking off this year on April 11, around 100 vendors fill the lots surrounding land that once housed the Dr. Pepper Syrup Plant and Bottling Company. Keep an eye (and an empty stomach) out for scones from Baking Bandits, cold brew from Icebox Coffee and fresh goat cheese from Stone Hollow Farmstead.

2nd Ave. South; pepperplacemarket.com

clockwise from top: courtesy yellowhammer creative; courtesy birmingham art crawl (2); courtesy john lytle wilson; hannah beasley (2); courtesy icebox coffee

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“To Kill A Mockingbird Tribute” by Kunkle On the first Thursday of every month, year-round, galleries, restaurants and businesses across the heart of downtown Birmingham display a pool of artists, makers and performers for the Birmingham Art Crawl. Look out for contemporary folk art by Clay “Kunkle” Stembridge and folk pop paintings by Paul Cordes Wilm.

Various venues listed online; birminghamartcrawl.com

ART ABOUT TOWN

“Let the Eagle Soar, Like It’s Never Soared Before”

Inspired by religious iconography, Saturday morning cartoons, science and science fiction, John Lytle Wilson adopts memories of his 1980s childhood to produce pieces that have made a home in numerous Birmingham watering holes. Using animals and robots as stand-ins for human subjects, his art feels symbolic of the city’s knack for merging the classic and the new. johnlytlewilson.com

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by DENISE K. JAMES

DINNER & A SHOW

TEQUILA SUNSET

Black Sheep Bar and Grill has earned the reputation as Mount Pleasant, S.C.’s best spot for nightlife and entertainment. Inside, a full-sized stage hosts regular DJs, live bands and comedians, and 13 TVs plus a 120-inch projector for sporting events. The menu consists of Southern twists on classic bar food: sandwiches, sweet potato fries, fried green tomatoes and burgers, and reasonably priced drinks with a late-night menu available until 1 a.m.

Open since late 2014, The Americano offers an eclectic Latin menu plus a variety of handcrafted cocktails for lunch, brunch and dinner. The appetizers are enough to share — try the traditional empanadas served with sweet sauce, or the calamari — and the à la carte tacos are a patron favorite, so order a few with a Mexican Mule.

713 Coleman Blvd.; blacksheepcharleston.com

819 Coleman Blvd.; theamericanomp.com

CREATIVE CHAOS Stay tuned for TEDxCharleston (held April 15) With the theme Embrace Chaos, this year’s event will deal with ways to turn our hectic lives into creative genius. Check online for live updates on who’s presenting at Charleston Music Hall.

37 John St.; tedxcharleston.org

clockwise from top: courtesy black sheep bar and grill; emily madison; courtesy art mecca of charleston; courtesy charleston race week; kacie tomita; jonathan balliet; rachel gauba (2)

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Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week (April 16-19) has grown to become the largest keelboat regatta in the Western Hemisphere. A “shoreside” pass gains access to all the fun, including cocktails, dinners, live music and more.

Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina: 20 Patriots Point Rd, Mount Pleasant; charlestonraceweek.com

The Art Mecca of Charleston showcases the work of both established and emerging artists in a part-rotating gallery, part-workspace environment. The local artists work in a variety of mediums, from metalworking and printmaking to photography and sculpture. Plus, the gallery hosts artist receptions, live painting and monthly Art Walks from spring through fall.

427 King St.; artmeccaofcharleston.com

COUPLES THERAPY

To sip on a cocktail while you shop, head to Mosa Boutique — named after both the Mimosa tree and the champagne cocktail — and grab a craft beer or glass of bubbly from the in-store lounge. Mosa features both mens’ and ladies’ couture and accessories from brands such as Camilla, Bardot, Vix, Lauren Merkin and Yumi Kim. If you don’t feel like shopping, there’s also a dartboard and flatscreen television inside.

420 King St.; mosaboutique.com

Back again for its ninth year, Charleston Fashion Week promises four days and five nights of design talent March 17-21 with over 35 runway shows, interactive entertainment, exclusive after-parties and more. We have our eyes on Andie Enomoto and Taylor Kaclik, among the 20 Top Emerging Designers Semi-Finalists.

Marion Square, 329 Meeting St.; charlestonfashionweek.com.

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Pillows, 18" square, $275; 12” x 16”, $235; Floor covering (can also be used as a large-scale wall hanging) approx. 84" wide x 103" long, $6500

Wilder x Electra Eggleston, a new collaboration launching in April, will use the drawings of the great William Eggleston, translated onto fabrics by his daughter, Andra. “We are debuting the premiere with a big opening party where the space will have installations of furniture upholstered in the new textiles, the new line of pillows from the designers, and the original Eggleston artwork,” Ivy says. “This collaboration is exactly what Wilder is about, merging the worlds of art and design both in function and concept.”

LITTLE SHOP OF WONDERS Josh and Ivy Elrod relocated to Nashville from New York with the desire to plant some roots for their family of four, but also to grow a budding business with their contemporary design shop, Wilder. It began as a passion project for the former performance artists (Ivy performed with the Rockettes and Josh toured with the Blue Man Group for over a decade), collecting rare and interesting home goods throughout their travels, which inevitably spun the idea to open a space to house all their finds. Wilder brings eclectic works of art to Nashville homes that come with remarkable stories curated by the Elrods, such as AVOAVO’s hand painted geometric prints on leather pouches, linen-backed leather pillows and cowhide floor coverings (shown here).

1212 4th Ave. North; wilderlife.com

clockwise from top: mackenzie maroney (2); courtesy metro nashville arts commission; andrea behrends; steven taylor; parker young

by KENDALL MITCHELL GEMMILL

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DRESS TO IMPRESS Nashville cheered for local designer Amanda Valentine during Season 11 of Project Runway and again during Season 13, where she was brought back as a fan favorite. Now, one of her most coveted creations, the Mod Block Maxi Dress better known as the “Street Style Challenge,” can be yours. This VALENTINE VALENTINE frock evokes everything we love about her bold, graphic prints and bohemian ease of style.

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ART FOR THE MASSES The Metro Nashville Arts Commission has launched an app to alert you via mobile device anytime you are in the vicinity of public art. Funded in part by the Frist Foundation Technology Grant, ExploreNashvilleArt is your go-to guide for all Metro Arts public art locations plus 120 additional artworks and cultural places. Notifications are sent straight to your phone with geo-alerts, and guided tours are available complete with artist videos and interviews for the full-viewing experience.

Various locations; ExploreNashvilleArt.com

amandavalentine.com Color-blocked rayon double faced jersey knit maxi dress with side drape detail, $348.

REIGNING SUPREME Nashville’s ramen queen, Sarah Gavigan, has been busy creating an enhanced pop-up dining experience with her brickand-mortar hotspot POP. The full-service restaurant, patio and 1,000-square-foot gallery serves the creative East Nashville community as a place to “pop-up” and dine in style. Gavigan’s Otaku South, an authentic ramen and Japanese menu, is served five days a week with “Actual Brunch” on Sundays.

The “[Insert City Here] Meets Nashville” dinner series invites renowned chefs to create a unique menu for a one-night-only experience. What’s in store for this spring? Pop-up dinners are announced via e-blasts you can sign up to receive through their website. Our mouths are watering as we cling to the edge of our inboxes.

604 Gallatin Ave.; popnashville.com

THE VOICE

Nashville’s own Mikky Ekko took the road less traveled coming off the success of his 2012 collaborative hit “Stay” with Rihanna. Rather than ride the momentum and risk releasing new music prematurely, he waited two more years to deliver his debut LP. In January, Ekko, also known as Steve Sudduth, released Time, a 12-track culmination of over 250 songs, written and produced alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. There was a personal highlight in the title track. “It was the last track to make the album, which I wrote in London with Fraser [T. Smith],” he says. “We went through four different versions and I told the label I needed one more shot at it.

So I brought it home to Nashville.” It was in his hometown that the final version was recorded alongside a talented roster of friends. “For me it was the most important song I’ve ever written and what I needed in knowing the album was done,” he continues.

“And it means so much more to me that I got to record it with family in Nashville.” If momentum continues as predicted for the soulful, falsetto powerhouse, time spent at home will be scarce for 2015. In March, Ekko will head out on the road with music duo, BROODS, followed by a separate stint with Kimbra in April.

Tour dates available online; mikkyekko.com

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SOUTHERN CHIC Located in the heart of Magazine Street, the Billy Reid store welcomes their Spring/Summer 2015 collection with an ode to indigo, a tone that shows up in numerous custom textiles created by their in-house design team.

Images property of Billy Reid

3927 Magazine St.; billyreid.com

HAPPY HOUR A relatively new restaurant in the Central Business District, CellarDoor has been making waves with the young professional crowd as a traditional craft cocktail bar and restaurant.

“Though not trying to reinvent the wheel, I’m offering my variations on familiar international flavors I grew up with and incorporating those with the culture here in New Orleans,” executive chef Jaimelyn Arcega says of his international contemporary cuisine rooted in the Philippines.

916 Lafayette St.; cellardoornola.com

clockwise from top: courtesy billy reid (2); courtesy upperlyne & co; courtesy st. roch market; courtesy q&c hotel/bar; courtesy upperlyne & co (2)

by JULEY LE

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SOUNDS OF THE BIG EASY

STAY & PLAY

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (aka Jazz Fest) returns to the Fair Grounds Race Course with its 10-day cultural feast featuring thousands of musicians, cooks and craftspeople. Held the last weekend of April (April 2426) and the first weekend of May (April 30-May 3), the headliners this year include Elton John, The Who, John Legend, No Doubt, Ed Sheeran and T.I. New Orleans Fairgrounds: 1751 Gentilly Blvd.; nojazzfest.com

YLC Wednesday at the Square, a free, 12-week concert series benefiting the Young Leadership Council, resumes in Lafayette Square every Wednesday, March 11-27 from 5-8 p.m. Local artisans and food vendors will set up camp in the Artist Village near the Camp Street entrance.

Lafayette Square: St. Charles Ave.; wednesdayatthesquare.com

There’s a new classic in New Orleans. At the heart of the city is the completely reimagined Q&C Hotel/Bar. Tucked between the French Quarter and the Warehouse/Arts District, it’s the perfect launching pad for all kinds of escapades. A haven for gastro-nerds, music fans and culture junkies alike, Q&C is devoted to spreading the gospel of New Orleans’ greatest undiscovered experiences — all while maintaining a commitment to the timeless spirit of Southern hospitality.

394 Camp St.; qandc.com

GONE TO MARKET

The historic St. Roch Market relaunches this spring as a food hall with 15 individual vendors representing coastal and local foods in a beautifully renovated, all-white interior. The market will offer fine food options including both prepared and fresh cuisine as well as home delivery programs.

2381 St. Claude Ave.; strochmarket.com

LAST WORDS

Story by BROOKE HUTCHINS

Portable Art Earl Pardon’s collection of jewelry debuts at the High Museum of Art.

H

ave you ever considered jewelry to be “portable art”? Earl Pardon, a Tennessee-born modern American artist and designer, is known for just that: pushing the boundaries of jewelry with original artistry fit for a museum. And Atlanta’s High Museum of Art is currently home to 88 rare pieces of Pardon’s signature jewelry in the exhibition, Earl Pardon’s “Portable Art”: Jewelry and Design. With works dating from the 1950s to the early 1990s, the exhibit focuses on America’s studio jewelry movement after

World War II — a time when jewelry was held high as “wearable design.” Sarah Schleuning, the exhibition’s curator, stresses that Pardon’s highly experimental techniques and abstract style “reflected a more stripped-down, cleaner aesthetic that seemed fresh and new during the postwar era.” Although Pardon used many natural materials such as abalone shell, precious metals, gemstones, ivory and ebony in his designs, he is best known for painting with enamels. Out of this unique enameling process arose a complex array of colors and textures that still set his work apart today.

Earl Pardon’s “Portable Art”: Jewelry and Design Through June 7 High Museum of Art 1280 Peachtree St. NE Earl Pardon (American, 1926-1991), Bracelet, 1951, sterling silver, copper, brass, ebony and ivory, Pardon Family Collection. Photo by Michael McKelvey.

Atlanta, GA 30309

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