GRAZIA Quarterly Summer 2022 by GRAZIA USA

SUMMER 2022

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SUMMER 2022

LET TER FROM THE EDITOR

19 21

26 27 192 Carolina Herrera dress, carolinaherrera.com; J.R. Malpere headpiece, jrmalpere.com.

MEET THE TEAM LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT GUEST LIST GAME CHANGERS A PRESTO

GET ON THE A-LIST

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ONE TO WATCH

A new limited series about the history of fashion in film is coming — and we can’t wait

HERE COMES THE BRIDE

Unconventional celebrity wedding dresses are having a moment

FENDACE HAS ARRIVED

Don’t miss the highly anticipated collaboration between Fendi and Versace

GOING FOR GOLD

SELF-CARE PICKS

Calm the mind and body with these relaxing must-haves

ICYMI, Olympian Eileen Gu made her runway debut at Louis Vuitton

.com

GRAZIAMAGAZINE

The global authority on fashion, beauty, and culture.

Dodo earrings, necklace, rings, dodo.it; Stella McCartney dress, stellamccartney.com. Victoria Beckham cardigan, VB Body skirt, victoriabeckham.com; Bra, available to rent from Found and Vision.

MOST WANTED

LOOKING FORWARD

TIME FLIES

With a 200-year legacy of expertise, Vacheron Constantin watches have never felt more of the moment.

SPRITZ GIRL SUMMER

108

COUNTRY HOME

By Aaron Rasmussen

120

NIGHT MOVES

THE HOUSE EDGE

The Aperol Spritz has earned the top spot as the drink of the summer season.

Off-duty gets an extra dose of drama. Once you make it past the velvet rope, the rules need not apply.

REVEL

TRUE COLORS

By Kevin Sessums

142

150

Victoria Beckham is back with a new collection that’s all about the body.

When it comes to style, you miss all the shots you don’t take.

The hour is late. Time to kick up your heels. Embrace a new exuberance this season, from eyelids to fingertips.

A CUT ABOVE

A survey of Tiffany’s rich history opens this Summer at the Saatchi Gallery. ‘ I WA N T T O FEEL SEXY AGAIN’

By Jess Cartner-Morley

This season, it’s time to take up space. FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

DO HUE

160

F L O AT I N G AWAY

PERFECT STRANGER

174

A HOME VISIT

182

CIAO MIL ANO

188

I C O N S O N LY

Summer beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What happens on vacation stays on vacation.

It’s up, up, and out of this world.

Inside Chris Benz’s Bellport retreat. Experience the Italian fashion capital through a luxe new lens. Fashion industry vet Fern Mallis is back with a second volume of her beloved Fashion Icons series.

VB Body top, victoriabeckham.com; Richard Quinn skirt, richardquinn.com. Victoria Beckham cardigan, victoriabeckham.com; VB Body skirt, victoriabeckham.com; Manolo Blahnik shoes, manoloblahnik.com.

On The Cover It was only fitting that our feature on global superstar Victoria Beckham was an international affair.

onths in the making, the GRAZIA cover shoot featuring Victoria Beckham finally took place on a typically cloudy London afternoon in early May. The pop star turned fashion icon brought her trademark wit, sky-high heels, and plenty of Victoria Beckham Beauty, of course, as she proudly shared her new VB Body pieces with the team. The resulting images were splashed across 14 different GRAZIA covers worldwide in a first for the brand.

Victoria Beckham, Photographed by Boo George. Styled by Luke Day. Styling Assistance by Poppy Norton and Remy Farrell. Makeup by Valeria Ferreira at The Wall Group using Victoria Beckham Beauty. Hair by James Rowe at Bryant Artists. Manicured by Sharon Baker. Atusko Kudo Latex Bunny Ears, atsukokudo.com; Victoria Beckham Cardigan, us.victoriabeckham.com; What Katie Did Briefs, Lace Shorts, whatkatedid.com; Saint Laurent Shoes, ysl.com.

CBD AROMATHERAPY INHALER CBD AROMATHERAPY INHALER GETMYLUU.COM GETMYLUU.COM

SUMMER 2022

Tod’s hoodie, skirt, tods.com.

THE WANDERLUST ISSUE

t seems fitting that I should be writing my first editor’s letter to you, dear reader, at a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet — on my way to Milan and Paris to meet with partners of this very magazine. Both cities hold a special place in my heart, because up until about five minutes ago, I was a life-long fashion editor and stylist attending runway shows in these iconic capitals four times a year for the better part of two decades. I know them both almost as well as my hometown of NYC, but every single time I go — without fail — I discover hidden gems that while new to me, have been inspiring travelers like just like me for centuries. Sadly, the last time I set foot in either was March of 2020, while dutifully completing the final leg of fashion month as the world around me quickly shut down. At that time, we collectively put travel on pause for the foreseeable future and nested close to home. What I discovered by being grounded is that when your wings are clipped, your mind has no choice but to soar toward its next adventure. Little did I know, my imaginings would bring me here. This, our “Wanderlust” issue, reflects a little bit of what

NOT ALL THOSE WHO WANDER ARE LOST… IT’S JUST WANDERLUST.

has inspired me in recent months — and what I’ve still yet to explore. Hotels I’ve lusted after (pg.182). Drinks I longed to quaff (pg. 61) exhibits I needed to see (pg. 66) and parties I just simply had to attend (pg. 120) as soon as the pandemic was behind us. And while it might not all be behind us (some new indignity or outrage seems to surface daily, pandemic-related or no), the moment for living is NOW. Give in to your wanderlust; it’s time that we stop taking life and its glories for granted. Whether it’s a classic holiday (pg. 96), just kicking around for a weekend in the country like Chris Benz (pg. 174), or even simply thumbing through these pages, it’s the need that the “eye has to travel,” (thank you Mrs. Vreeland) which cannot be ignored — for it never goes away. With that, it is my hope that some of the following pages serve to inspire you. And while we are on the topic of inspiration, who better to turn to than our cover star, (pg. 77) Victoria Beckham (née Posh Spice) who has shown us for so many years how staying inspired (and inspiring others) has been the key to her successful and fascinating life. At the end of the day, who doesn’t want to spice up their lives?

JOSEPH ERRICO

EDITOR & CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER

GRAZIA USA

SUMMER 2022

JOSEPH ERRICO

EDITOR & CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER

BRIAN CAMPION

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CASEY BRENNAN & AARON RASMUSSEN EXECUTIVE EDITORS AT L ARGE

HEAD OF ENTERTAINMENT Jaclyn Roth SENIOR ST YLE EDITOR Colleen Kratofil FASHION MARKET EDITOR Shelby Comroe ST YLE EDITOR Ty Gaskins SUSTAINABLE FASHION EDITOR Anna McFillin ST YLE WRITER Hannah Militano CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Yale Breslin Kevin Sessums JUNIOR DESIGNER Alexandra Sexton

DIGITAL INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jessica Bailey DIRECTOR, E-COMMERCE Karli Poliziani FASHION DIRECTOR Charlotte Stokes FASHION WRITER Grace O’Neill FEATURES WRITER Rebekah Clark BEAUT Y EDITOR Emily Algar CONTRIBUTING BEAUT Y EDITOR Kate Lancaster DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Jeff Mazzeo DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION & MULTI-MEDIA Sean Kravit COORDINATING PRODUCER Joe Drake CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rebecca Friedman Haley Gunn Carly Tennes Katherine Tinsley

HEADQUARTERS 100 BROADWAY, 11TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10005 • PHONE (917) 231-8680 • EMAIL CONTACT@GRAZIAUSA.COM

Printing: Freeport Press. GRAZIA USA, 100 Broadway, 11th Floor, NY, NY 10005 (graziamagazine.com; UPC 0-74820-40390-7) is published quarterly by Pantheon Media Group LLC, a company registered in the U.S. Audit pending by BPA Worldwide. © 2022 Mondadori Media S.p.a. All rights reserved. Published by Pantheon Media Group, LLC, with the permission of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.a. and Mondadori Media S.p.a. Reproduction in any manner in any language in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited. Advertising inquiries: sales@graziausa.com. Press inquiries: press@graziausa.com. General inquiries: contact@graziausa.com. For syndication, email contact@graziausa.com.

GRAZIA USA

SUMMER 2022

MELISSA CRONIN

PRESIDENT, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

ANDREW LEE

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brian Campion EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FASHION & LUXURY Maria Eliason EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MARKETING, BRAND STRATEGY, & COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS Emily Sigman SALES DIRECTOR, BEAUT Y Koko Drechsler DIRECTOR OF SALES, WEST COAST, USA Nancy Cooper DIRECTOR OF SALES, FRANCE, GERMANY, SPAIN, SWITZERL AND, UK Guglielmo Bava CREATIVE DIRECTOR, EDITORIAL & INTEGRATED MARKETING Ilaria Svitic SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Gabriella Zurrow EXECUTIVE EDITOR AT L ARGE Casey Brennan VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Camilla Jones CHIEF WRITER, DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Dominic Utton

DYLAN HOWARD

CHAIRMAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & PUBLISHER

HEADQUARTERS 100 BROADWAY, 11TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10005 • PHONE (917) 231-8680 • EMAIL CONTACT@GRAZIAUSA.COM

SUBSCRIPTIONS • PHONE (917) 231-8680 • EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS@GRAZIAUSA.COM WWW.GRAZIAMAGAZINE.COM/US/SUBSCRIBE

GRAZIA is a trademark registered and owned by Mondadori Media S.p.a. MONDADORI MEDIA S.p.a. Chief Executive Officer Carlo Mandelli; Vice President & Artistic Director Carla Vanni; Managing Director International Business Daniela Sola; Head of International Platforms Marne Schwartz; International Marketing Manager Fashion & Design Francesca Brambilla; International Advertising Manager Daniella Angheben; Photos & Rights Manager Melania Landini. For further details, please write to graziainternational@mondadori.com © 2022 Mondadori Media S.p.a. All rights reserved. Published by Pantheon Media Group LLC with the permission of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.a. and Mondadori Media S.p.a. Reproduction in any manner in any language in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

GRAZIA USA

SUMMER 2022

WAS THERE EVER A TIME THAT BEGGED FOR MORE DEPARTURES FROM THE EVERYDAY?

s a child, I looked forward to our school’s annual magazine drive almost as much as I looked forward to Christmas. It was always a happy suspense to wonder how many titles my mom would let me purchase — and if this would finally be the year that I could subscribe to Sassy or Jane. (It took a while; mom subscribed to Cosmopolitan in Spanish to keep my greedy young eyes from reading things I wasn’t ready for ... and in some cases, that none of us were really ready for.) My magazines were a portal to another world far beyond small-town Massachusetts, and while the lessons they imparted didn’t always age well, they sparked a dreamy wanderlust that led me to where I am today: happily bringing you this very issue. No matter how rich the metaverse may become, to me there is nothing more transporting than print. Letting your fingers and eyes wander through the assembled riches both sates the mind’s wanderlust and sends it soaring in new directions. That’s why I am so proud that we’ve committed as a brand to bringing you this gorgeous quarterly issue, while also launching new versions of our GRAZIA Gazette nearly every month in markets around the country. We closed this issue right alongside the summer’s first GRAZIA Gazette: Hamptons, and have a full slate of publications that will take us — and you — right through the end of this year. Was there ever a time that begged for more departures from the everyday? Wanderlust is certainly a privilege — as is the opportunity to act on it — but it’s one that leaves me refreshed, inspired, and ready to take up the fight to make my real, quotidian world a better place to be. I hope your experience of this issue is an enriching one. Let it take you from the streets of New York City, to the English countryside, to the heart of Milan, and to places far beyond. Perhaps, then, the promise of future editions to come will spark a measure of anticipation and wanderlust in your own heart. And to my mom, enjoy the free subscription!

MELISSA CRONIN PRESIDENT, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

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Steve Gold Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker Licensed as Steven W Gold o 212.508.7193 steve@corcoran.com

Beckoning the bygone era of the Gilded Age in New York This exceptional 28-foot-wide, elevator townhome sits perfectly positioned with a centerline view over Stuyvesant Square Park. Beautifully renovated in 2019, this stately home with gracious proportions features a three-bay facade, round-arched doors and windows, a lovely foliate patterned cast-iron balcony that runs the width of the edifice, and a paneled cornice. Totaling nearly 8,500sf with additional FAR, the five-story was originally built in the 1850s and currently has 6 bedrooms and 5 baths, and 2 powder rooms. It is the only Anglo-Italianate house in the district that was not originally part of a row of narrow, uniform houses. A rare offering that must be seen to truly appreciate. Real estate agents affiliated with The Corcoran Group are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of The Corcoran Group. The Corcoran Group is a licensed real estate broker located at 590 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10022. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Corcoran makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity.

SUMMER 2022

GUEST LIST Come join the party!

Summer is here, and for us there was no better way to celebrate than this raucous, rollicking shoot by Ellen von Unwerth at NYC’s iconic Paul’s Baby Grand. Achingly cool models, breathtaking fashion, and an explosively festive vibe were the perfect ingredients to be captured by von Unwerth’s lens. We often say that the best photo shoots feel like a party, but this one really, really did. With the world (finally? possibly?) open and ready to let loose, we’re all feeling the spirit of community, creativity, and joy in our lives again. Won’t you join us in the celebration?

JIM DYLAN

A filmmaker and fashion photographer, Dylan shot for Tod’s, Chloé, and Breach magazine before shooting our sexy Spritz feature. 26

ELLEN VON UNWERTH

An icon if there ever was one, von Unwerth has always taken a bold feminist approach to photographing her subjects, who have included Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Kourtney Kardashian, at her wedding.

SIMBARASHE CHA

After getting his start as house photographer for Carolina Herrera, Cha has become known for specializing in “authentic moments of everyday people with a heightened sense of style,” like our Vacheron Constantin feature.

YALE BRESLIN

NYC-based Breslin has contributed incisive features for The Hollywood Reporter, GQ, Elle, and now, GRAZIA USA, as he interviews designer Chris Benz at home in Bellport. GRAZIA USA

SUMMER 2022

GAME CHANGERS

GRAZIA USA IS A GLOBAL CULTURAL AUTHORITY. WE INSPIRE, EDUCATE, AND CELEBRATE INDIVIDUALITY, BEAUTY, AND STYLE. HERE WE PRESENT, AS WE DO EVERY THREE MONTHS. THOSE CHANGE AGENTS WHO ARE BLAZING PATHS TO A NEW AND BETTER FUTURE. ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER OUMANSKI

Lauryn Evarts Bosstick

The creator of the Skinny Confidential blog, podcast, and lifestyle brand is a master of making things happen.

he Skinny Confidential brand was developed when I was in college, bartending, teaching Pure Barre and pilates and BROKE AS A JOKE. I joined a sorority, but when they told me the fees? My God. At the time, there was NO way I could pay $800 dollars a semester for community. From that, I saw this white space for creating kind of an online sorority, a community if you will. I wanted to create a community where women from all over the world could share their tips and tricks for fitness, diet, beauty, wellness, sex, life hacks, you get it. Now, 13 years later, The Skinny Confidential community has grown into two best-selling books, a hit podcast with 130 million+ downloads, and a product line. Not only have I learned so much over the years from getting to talk to experts on the podcast & featuring people in my 2nd book, GET THE F**K OUT OF THE SUN, but the community has also taught me the best hacks. Our goal now is to serve the community with valuable content, amazing guests, and a product line that saves them

GRAZIA USA

time…all wrapped in pink. (See: The Hot Mess Ice Roller and Hot Save Razor!) My intuition and connection with the audience play a huge part, but at the same time I’m incredibly strategic with setting goals and creating the systems to reach those goals. The TSC team and I are in touch every single day, planning launches, goals, blogs, and podcasts. But sometimes I set aside time to just THINK. I come up with ideas when I’m thinking or when habitstacking. (For me, that’s meditation with my toe stretchers on while doing red light therapy with a crystal mask on.) I’ve really tapped into creation mode lately by setting boundaries. That means working on my next book, creating product ideas and design, retaining content for podcasts and blog ideas, brainstorming anything, interviews, everything. The creative process is where I thrive. So, I’ve been trying to say YES to more creation and NO to unnecessary Zooms, meetings, emails, to-do lists, and asks in general. Really, it goes back to the book, The Slight Edge: It’s to always be tapping into

what made you popular in the first place, but in an evolved way. For The Skinny Confidential, that’s the blog. It’s always been the mothership and what captured the community. As the brand evolves, we’re still creating content but we’re also doing it with a podcast and product line as well as the blog. I always want to be doing what people first fell in love with, but fluffed up for current times. I hope that my kids will do whatever the f**k they want and what makes them happy when it comes to a career. If they want to become an entrepreneur, great. I have a big toolbox for them for this particular career. But if they want to be a bartender or a doctor or a teacher or a hairstylist, then I want to hold space for whatever that looks like. There are so many people out there wanting to be entrepreneurs. They have incredible, unique ideas. They’re smart, charismatic, but they don’t execute. If you don’t execute, you can ’t produce. Execute. The time is now. — As told to Melissa Cronin.

SUMMER 2022

Dany Garcia

The multi-talented CEO of The Garcia Companies chooses “elegance in execution” over “the grind.”

y love of business started at a very young age, when I was in high school. I worked for an entrepreneur selling suits in his store, and I was so in love with this idea of building businesses and employing individuals and creating wealth, and the impact of that. After college my plan wasn’t to go into finance, but a really a wonderful opportunity came up with Merrill Lynch. My mindset was, “I can learn so much here, and everything I’m going to learn, I’ll be able to apply to the future.” Then when I moved into film with a small independent production house, I approached it not just from a creative point of view, but as a business: “How does this film fit into a returnon-investment model? How are we adding to that and how are we creating it?” Then [my ex-husband] Dwayne [“The Rock”] Johnson asked me to become more forward-facing in his film and entertainment career, so I brought that business action into Seven Bucks Production, which we co-founded. All the companies that are in my Garcia Companies portfolio — including Teremana tequila and the fashion lifestyle brand GSTQ —

are very consumer-facing. My passion is in what I like to call “advancing the human experience,” serving the audience and adding value. The idea for GSTQ came about because as a professional body builder, I would go from meeting to meeting and my clothes always felt so restricted. I wanted to create designs that move with you. I believe women are the professional athletes in life, and their outfits should be killer. GSTQ is not athleisure, but we wanted our clothing to go 15 hours. There’s a lot of inspiration from sportswear: How can clothes I design be made with the same principles of workout clothing, where it’s meant to help you perform and make you feel great? You’re not running home and tearing it off your body. I wanted my clothing to feel like, “We got you. Go crush.” Between The Garcia Companies, Seven Bucks Production, the XFL and GSTQ, some companies need a little bit more [attention] than others. But I have invested deeply to make sure that my teams are empowered and that I’m communicating with them clearly, so they understand where we’re going. That’s a discipline that you have to get down before you can really have all these companies run. The kind of culture

I instill at work is also key. I don’t perpetuate the culture of grind within my company. I had a really strong turning point in my own sense of work-life balance in 2016. My husband took me on vacation to Hawaii where I slept for a week straight. I had been grinding and I was wiped. So when I came out of that I said, “Never again. There should be no grind. There will only be elegance in execution.” To do that, I had to change the way I was showing up, and the way I was executing. I spent a lot of time developing a process and empowering people so that my career wasn’t something I needed to escape from, and that was quite an investment in time and self-examination. I’ve been able to do that very, very well over these last few years, and because of that, we’ve had incredible expansion and growth. Any secrets to success I’ve found have to do with falling in love with the idea of getting better every day. You also have to be comfortable in having an idea that no one else has had before, and that you may be the only one believing in it. Between finding ways to improve myself and my work and really doubling down on the things that I love and I believe in, those two factors have had a huge impact in my quality of life and my success. — As told to Colleen Kratofil.

GRAZIA USA

SUMMER 2022

Marianna Hewitt

The co-founder of beauty brand Summer Fridays proves that “influencer” isn’t a dirty word.

started on the internet 10 years ago. At that time, being an influencer was not a career path you could follow. I uploaded my first YouTube video in 2012 and started sharing the things that I love with an audience. I didn’t know at the time it could become a full-time career like it is today, and I didn’t know that my love of beauty products, a decade ago, would then turn into creating my own products and our own brand. By 2016, Lauren [Gores Ireland], my business partner and I started working on the idea for a skincare line. In 2018, we launched Summer Fridays, and now we’re in over 1,000 stores globally. I would have never guessed that this is where we’d be two years after the pandemic. We can plan to the best of our abilities, but we don’t know what’s going to happen with the world. I’m trying my best to be present in whatever I’m doing and enjoy the moment while still planning ahead. It’s an internal struggle all the time of being happy with what I’m currently doing, while still working towards my personal and professional goals. Right now, we know the products we are working towards while still listening to our

GRAZIA USA

community and the products that they want. Ultimately, we want to create products that people want to use forever, so we try not to be too trend-focused. That’s why we can plan so far in advance. We’re so excited to see where the industry will take us because we haven’t even been out for five years yet. I hope to make our products available to everyone around the world. I hope in time, Summer Fridays can take over your entire beauty routine. For my influencer career, I don’t think being an influencer is going anywhere. If anything, more and more creators are coming out. There are more platforms all the time. Think about how new TikTok is and all the creators who have emerged from that platform in the last few years. Being an influencer has given me a unique set of skills that I can take across many businesses, not just my own. I’ve started investing in a few companies, which is exciting to me. OLIPOP is a recent investment of mine that I made because I was a fan of the brand. With others, I’m helping with product development, strategy, social, influencer marketing and brand marketing. It’s so great to see that I have these things that I’m passionate about in my career, that I can do across

different brands. So even if we don’t go into that category, somebody else is doing it and I can help them and not have to start a whole company from scratch. For me, my self-care routine is so important. Pre-pandemic, I had a crazy schedule. I was travelling all the time. Being at home, I didn’t have those excuses anymore. I couldn’t tell myself I didn’t have time to take care of my sleep or my workout. Over the last few years, I’ve created a morning routine for myself that makes me feel my best throughout the day. I’ve been really taking care of my sleep schedule. I’m obsessed with my Oura Ring, tracking my sleep stats every single night. For me, quality rest really sets me up to have the best day, and so I choose to go to sleep a little earlier so I can be well-rested for the next day. I also do a gratitude journal, and I meditate. I try my hardest to unplug on the weekends. I’ve found if I rest and return from each weekend on Monday, I’m much better at all areas of my job and I can fully be present for everybody that needs me, instead of feeling like I’m working 24/7. Having that time for myself just makes me feel my best. — As told to Hannah Militano.

SUMMER 2022

Noora Raj Brown

The Executive Vice President, Brand at goop has unlocked the key to perfect balance: over-prepare then go with the flow.

t goop, my job is thinking about how to elevate and to communicate the brand’s mission to the world. And one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on surrounded the infamous “Smells Like My Vagina” candle. (I’m sure you’ve heard of it.) Originally, the idea behind that candle was a little punk rock — naming it after a female body part — and everyone’s reacting to in an incendiary way. That candle blew up in many ways from a media perspective, so earlier this year, we partnered with the ACLU to create a candle called “Hands Off My Vagina,” and all proceeds benefited ACLU. It launched right before the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and it was a way of really bringing it back to the core of why we created this subversive candle. We think about the issues that our community cares about and we figure out how to shed light on them in a way that’s fun and interesting — and sometimes a little provocative. Before joining goop in 2016, I worked in media leading communications for fashion magazines at Time Inc., and I loved it, but I also

saw the writing on the wall in terms of how the model was changing. I had friends who were early employees at goop, and I was really energized by what they were doing. The then-CEO called me out of the blue and within weeks I got the job. It was a huge change, but it was exciting to be there for the early years, and to watch the brand become something really important. One thing I wasn’t expecting when I came to goop was having the ability to be involved in so many different things. When you’re at a big media brand or a big company, you can be a bit siloed. When you’re at a start-up, people give you things that you have no business doing. For some, that’s really scary, and for others it’s really energizing, and I think for me it was both. Early in my career I was really focused on magazines, and now, my long-term goals just include continuing to do work that inspires me. I know that sounds vague, but I think it’s very easy to get caught up in the hustle of, I need to be here at a certain stage, or I need this title, and I certainly am guilty of that. But at the end of the day, it’s really about, Are you passionate about what you’re doing? I always say to my team that as much as the numbers are important, none

of us got into this world to look at spreadsheets all the time. We got into this world because we wanted to be inspired by the work that we’re doing. If I can keep doing that for as long as possible, I’ll be thrilled. Ever since remote work has made everything bleed into one another, I feel like it’s very easy to always think that you have more to do (and you probably do) but it’s just as important to disconnect. I’m adamant about turning off technology and diving into a good book. Goop has this unique mandatory vacation every August, and we’re not allowed to be on our phone. If you email Gwyneth [Paltrow] she will either not respond or she’ll email you back and say, “Stop being on email. You need to be on vacation.” It’s a time to recalibrate and relax, with the idea that when you come back you will be inspired and can look at things in a new light, which I think is so crucial. When it comes down to actually unwinding, I’m still an ultimate planner. But it’s funny, an old boss of mine once said to me, “Over-prepare and then go with the flow.” And that’s my philosophy on a lot of things, both in work and life. — As told to Colleen Kratofil.

GRAZIA USA

SUMMER 2022

Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton

The Chillhouse founder and CEO is building an empire of self-care.

y entrepreneurship journey started about ten years ago now. So, it’s been a while. It was a fork in the road moment for me. I had recently been let go from my first full-time job due to cutbacks and things like that. And at that moment, I was trying to decide if I wanted to look for another corporate job or if I wanted to do my own thing. Mind you, I never really had corporate experience. I’d say my first corporate job was not corporate-y at all. It was a small team of maybe four of us, and I was the founder’s second hand. I just never had that experience, and I was really nervous about going into it, about whether or not I would enjoy it or not. So, I was like, “I can’t do this. I don’t think I can work for anyone anymore. I’m done.” Not to say that entrepreneurship is a smooth journey. But, at that time, I was like, “This is just not for me.” So, I ended up asking my husband if he would help me start a very interesting, uniquely positioned influencer agency. At the time, influencers were barely a thing; it was the very early days of Instagram. I also started my own blog for a few

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years, and it was pretty well-known in New York, which eventually turned into brand partnerships and influencing, but very, very early on. Then my husband opened up his first business, The Garrett in West Village. And so, I became a partner in that. But after a while started to miss in-person connections and having physical space to hang out with friends and meet new people. And that’s kind of how Chillhouse came to be. It was just a combination of things that really led me to that place. I like to see where the road takes me, a little bit rather than mapping every single step out. But you can only do that for so long until you kind of have to stick to a plan, you know? Decisions may be purely instinctual, from your gut, not necessarily any sort of proof or formula to it. Just instinct, really. And, that’s how I mostly run my business versus having an exact plan. This year, we’re being very, very careful and strategic about our goals. In the next five years, we definitely want to expand into more products and get into more markets. We see ourselves being a global brand one day. I’m manifesting some sort of hotel partnership

to be able to be accessible in more cities one day. For me, I see Chillhouse becoming a lifestyle brand with – of course – wellness, mental health, self-care at the surface, as the main driver and main pillar of the brand, but having other brand extensions that make us a well-rounded brand that you could experience in your home. Or just a different iteration of Chillhouse. It’s funny because my business is centered around giving people escape from their daily lives, but for me, I honestly just put my phone away and spend time with my baby or take the weekends to just fully step away from it all and live in the moment with my family and be grateful for what we have accomplished so far. Life can be hectic, so I like to identify pockets of time where I’m like, “I need to remove myself. I just need a minute. I needed a spa. I need to do yoga.” I’ve become really good at that, while of course being able to always be there for my team. But I also put boundaries up if I’m feeling overwhelmed. I think I’ve really identified what that is for me, which took me a while to do. Also, having a bit of a routine has really helped me compartmentalize a little bit more. — As told to Ty Gaskins.

SUMMER 2022

Harris Reed

The British-American designer brings a new fluidity to fashion.

went into this business knowing I didn’t want to do it like anyone else. I wanted to do what felt right — not just to me, but to my community, and to what was going on in the world around me. A lot of that came down to avoiding the traditional design route. It’s a beautiful thing when you have a business that’s truly reflective of who you are. I don’t go into anything that doesn’t reflect who I am, who my business is, and who my customer is. I go with what feels right. It hasn’t been a jump; it’s been a deep plunge. We have a roadmap of where the brand’s going. The goal is to continue to grow a queer, outspoken, fluid brand that specializes in demi-couture, being sustainable with limited drops, made-to-measure, and really rewriting the fashion system. I came out when I was nine and started exploring fashion to reclaim my identity. Everyone was labeling me as gay before I even knew what that was. I used fashion as my toolbox to shine and give light to the next chapter of my life. Then, it fell into making my own clothes. When I moved to London, I made an outfit for a night out with friends, and that

outfit is now in permanent ownership of the V&A Museum. It’s currently on display in the Fashioning Masculinities exhibition. That was the first look I made for myself. When I was identifying as they/them, I felt unrepresented by the fashion industry, so I began making looks to go out to events and parties when I didn’t have anything to wear. Then, I started working with people like Harry Styles, Adele, and Selena Gomez — people who believed in my vision and what I stood for — an incredible army of stylists and editors, like Katie Grand and Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou; powerful individuals who exude this love and desire to help and nurture talent. London has been where I’ve been able to grow on my own terms, and grow a business I’m proud of, while writing the rules in a different way. It’s been incredible to see the industry take notice. When I was at Saint Martins, my teachers would say, “You’re a costume designer. Who’s going to buy this?” Now I can say, “This is the next chapter.” With the metaverse and everything happening in the world right now, my customer is emerging. I see that through my sales and my business. It’s been an incredible, organic, and fluid journey.

I talk about being fluid, but I have a savvy business mind. I don’t think I would be 25, running a company with employees during a global pandemic, doing big hats and fabulous boots if I didn’t have a business brain. We’re continuing to do my version of a “fashion show,” which is more about being a performative, immersive experience to make people dream, bringing back the early days of Westwood and McQueen, making fashion a dreamscape again. We’re continuing to work with another caliber of celebrity, getting that message out of what I do and who I am. We have some clever, unexpected collaborations, big projects, and takeovers in the works, as well as exciting things ahead in jewelry and fashion I have a loving partner, and we try to go to the countryside, or to the park anytime we can. I take my platforms off, dig my toes into the soil and just breathe to get out of the grind. I’ve been listening to a lot of audio books. I’m into anything about calming, letting go, and going with the natural flow of life. It was a natural progression when this world of VIP clientele jumped on board with what I stand for: wanting to feel fluid, and beautiful, continuing the journey of the brand. — As told to Hannah Militano. GRAZIA USA

SUMMER 2022

Scott Sartiano

This architect of modern-day hospitality in NYC is once again pushing the culture forward with Zero Bond, a growing brand of private membership clubs that reimagine the perfect night out.

pening a hospitality concept has always felt personal. These spaces are a reflection of your own tastes and frequencies, and you’re inviting the outside world in to experience and enjoy them. When piloting a new idea for a venue, I’ve always asked myself: “Is this a place where my closest friends would want to spend time? My wife? Week after week? Month after month?” The answer to that question determines as much for me as all the data we look at and all the market research we undertake. Whenever I’ve been able to deliver a clear “yes” for an answer, I’ve always gone all-in, and it’s always served as a successful barometer for how the space is going to resonate with a broader audience. This was true of the original nightlife concepts I opened up in NYC, like 1OAK, the buzzy supper clubs like Darby, and restaurants like Butter. Yes, they filled a gap in the market; they introduced an interesting

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innovation; but, at the end of the day they were just places where me and my friends wanted to hang out. Before opening Zero Bond in 2020, I had been hunting for a concept that inspired this kind of all-in, personal reaction in me. It had been years since I’d felt passionate about nightlife — either as a patron or as an operator — but I still wanted to enjoy an evening out. I still wanted the opportunity to socialize and bring people together beyond the confines of just a dinner table. It was over the course of several trips to London that I was able to experience their culture’s answer to this dilemma: the private social club. These are vibrant, members-only spaces where like-minded people gather, eat, drink, mix and mingle. They were exactly where I wanted to spend my time. I knew I wanted to bring this concept home, and to help give it a distinctly American edge. Zero Bond encapsulates a perfect evening out: a beautiful meal, nice wine, a lively

atmosphere, and the comfort of knowing you’re surrounded by interesting, driven, passionate, like-minded people whose lives and careers run adjacent to yours. It is the answer to many people’s need for a lowkey but elevated evening out, specifically catering to those who want more of an after-dinner experience, but also don’t want to go to a nightclub anymore. I’m confident that it will play across multiple markets. It found its perfect first home North of Houston (NoHo) in Manhattan, but I plan to expand the brand into other markets in the near future. This, along with a number of restaurant and hotel projects in the pipeline – like Darling, the rooftop lounge that we recently opened at the Park Lane Hotel – will keep me busy over the next five years. I’ll continue to do my research and due diligence around every opportunity, while always relying on this inner barometer, which has yet to fail me. — As told to Casey Brennan.

SUMMER 2022

Bee Shapiro

The beauty columnist, author, and founder of sustainable body care and fragrance line Ellis Brooklyn is planning for the future while focusing on the present.

y path as an entrepreneur has definitely been a journey! My first real job was as a hedge fund attorney in New York City. I only lasted a little less than a year. I knew right away it wasn’t for me, but I was too scared to take the leap. But then I thought, life is too short, and work is too integrated in our lives to do something that is truly not you. I took a leap of faith and pursued writing. I’ve been writing for The New York Times for the last 13 years or so as a beauty columnist for the “Skin Deep” franchise, covering new products, emerging trends, and investigating interesting beauty routines. It’s as you would imagine: an absolute dream job made all the sweeter because I fell in love with the beauty industry along the way. When I became pregnant with my daughter Ellis and was living in Brooklyn (hence Ellis Brooklyn!), I just thought a gorgeous fragrance with smartly and safely

sourced ingredients didn’t exist. When I started to clean up my beauty routine, I found there were no sophisticated, clean options for fragrance. That’s when I took that leap again! At that time, I also thought that there needed to be a different viewpoint in scent. We’ve had decades of one kind of creative in scent - a French Caucasian male. I believed then and I also do now that there can be a different approach, a more diverse starting point for creating truly modern fragrances. It’s been tremendously exciting and rewarding, but it’s been a roller coaster as well. I’m a planner and I do tend to map out where I am going. The truth is though, and what I’m leaning into more, is that you can only do the best with what you have in the present, with today. You can and should plan, but the future is the future. You have to let go of the outcome. We all only have control over the present. As for a five-year map for Ellis Brooklyn, I, of course, want to grow the business. I love the idea of exploring all of these formats

of scent, from oils to hair perfumes, to even our daily at-home kinds of scents. We are expanding through a few key partners internationally. I’m keen on building these areas up and seeing Ellis Brooklyn expressed in different countries. Further down the line, I would love to see if I can make an impact in a meaningful way in skincare or color. The thing about entrepreneurship is, you have to take that leap, otherwise it won’t work if you don’t fully commit. That said, the planning up to that leap is important. It’s almost like planning for any kind of launch. You start with the idea and then you poke at the idea, and you ask yourself, is it compelling or interesting enough? Will your audience get it? Then, you start following through on the bits that are going to make it real, while continually asking yourself those same questions along the way. In jumping from idea to execution, there’s always a lot of planning involved, but to take the leap- you just have to do it. — As told to Hannah Militano.

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SUMMER 2022

Brad Zeifman

For the co-founder & Chief Revenue Officer at SHADOW Marketing and Communications, having an entrepreneurial spirit led to the greatest opportunities.

have had an entrepreneurial spirit since I can remember. Being an entrepreneur is not only about starting a business; but also, about seeing opportunity everywhere you go. You have to be creative, proactive and motivated even when you are not in the mood. I never feared rejection and learned early on that I had the ability to draw people into my world. I brought that mindset into my own career journey. From the get-go, I had an undeniable drive to succeed and desire to grow in my career and would do everything I could to soak in learnings from those more senior to me. This listening and shadowing of the right minds quickly allowed me to move up the ranks in the agency world. In 2007, there was an opportunity to create SHADOW, an agency that would have marketers who were going to be dynamic, honest, hungry, and creative. We were always going to strive for more and be better than great. “Persistence breaks resistance” is my motto, and in living those words, I was able to start the business with Lisette Sand-Freedman (who would later become the mother of my children), Michelle Sokoloff, and Liza Suloti (who had each worked with us at our

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previous agencies). When we were getting started, we didn’t check for water or temperature and had no plan. This worked for SHADOW. We had the experience, the partners in each other and clients who believed in us. I believe you don’t have success without being surrounded by people who lift you up and believe in you before you even believe in yourself. That is how a spark of an idea led to the leap of SHADOW. We have evolved so much over the last five years from our roots as a PR agency to a full-service, integrated communications and marketing agency with expanded capabilities across creative strategy, social media, influencer marketing, and experiential. But what has remained true for 15 years and what I personally love to do is to keep supporting the career development and growth of the “Shadows.” It is our hope to continue to build the next generation of leaders and changemakers in marketing. Our new partners Brian Vaughan, Jamie D’Attoma, and Erica Larsen, who have all been with SHADOW for more than a decade, are proof of the idea that if you invest in the right people and you give them the space to be the best versions of themselves, people can dramatically change your

business and lives – if you let them. Our growth helps guide our vision for the future. Together we will continue to serve as true partners to our clients and extensions of their brands, listening to their needs and responding in real time. As the social space evolves, we will create more award-winning TikTok campaigns, build experiences in the Metaverse, and continue to tell our clients’ stories in new and established mediums. Since the beginning of my career, my decisions have been guided by intuition. While some people confuse relying solely on your gut with impulsivity, my gut is guided by experience and allows me to move things forward freely. As our business further evolves, we still make decisions based on gut, but also take data and feedback into account. I love the grind. I sometimes love it too much. I love being busy. It motivates and drives me. Spending time with Lisette and our children Dylan and Coco is my ultimate escape. A game of tennis or dinner with friends, watching baseball and basketball games, or simply playing video games helps provide the distraction I need. But let me be clear, the grind is what I live for. — As told to Casey Brennan.

CELINE by Hedi Slimane jacket, sunglasses, celine.com; Vacheron Constantin Patrimony watch, (877) 701-1755.

TIME FLIES

With a 200-year legacy of expertise, Vacheron Constantin watches have never felt more of-the-moment. PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SIMBARASHE CHA STYLED BY: JULIA GALL HAIR BY: WALTON NUNEZ MAKEUP BY: ANTHONY MERANTE MANICURE BY: ERI HANDA

SUMMER 2022 Brunello Cucinelli top, (212) 334-1010; Hermès bag, hermes.com; Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 watch, (877) 701-1755.

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Hermès top, scarf, hermes.com; Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph watch, (877) 701-1755.

CELINE by Hedi Slimane jacket, knit tank, jeans, belt, celine.com; Vacheron Constantin Patrimony watch, (877) 701-1755.

SUMMER 2022

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Skeleton watch, (877) 701-1755.

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Max Mara top, us.maxmara.com; Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Skeleton watch, (877) 701-1755.

St. John knit, stjohnknits.com; Vacheron Constantin Patrimony watch, (877) 701-1755.

REVEL

The hour is late. Time to kick up your heels.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: LUCIO CONVERTINI STYLED BY: GAIA GIOVETTI

CHANEL heart bag, printed lambskin sandals, (800) 550-0005.

From Left: Jeffrey Campbell heeled sandal, jeffreycampbell.com; GUESS sandals, guess.com.

From Left: Roger Vivier mules; rogervivier.com; Jimmy Choo mules, jimmychoo.com; Pinko mules, pinko.com.

SUMMER 2022 Emporio Armani shoes, armani.com.

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Baldinini shoes, baldinini-shop.com; Rene Caovilla shoes, renecaovilla.com.

Dior shoes, dior.com.

From Left: Giuseppe Zanotti mules, giuseppezanotti.com; Salvatore Ferragamo mules, ferragamo.com.

MaxMara shoes, us.maxmara.com.

Fendi bag, boots, fendi.com.

SUMMER 2022

Embrace a new exuberance this season, from eyelids to fingertips.

TRUE C LORS PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SIMONE FALCETTA STYLED BY SELIN BURSALIOGLU

CASTING BY: SIMONE BART ROCCHIETTI AT SIMO BART CASTING MODEL: SANNE DE ROO AT SELECT MODELS HAIR BY: MAURIZIO KULPHERK AT ETOILE MANAGEMENT

MAKEUP BY: ALESSANDRA CASONI AT FREELANCERS USING ARMANI LUMINOUS FOUNDATION

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Rue des Mille necklaces, earrings, rings, ruedesmilles.com; Moschino bolero, bustier, mochino.com.

LeBebé earrings, necklaces, rings, lebebejewelry.com; CHANEL cotton vest, crochet top, (800) 550-0005.

Davite and Delucchi earrings, necklace, rings, davitedelucchi.it; Alexandre Vauthier biker jacket, skirt, alexandrevauthier.com; Lillo Sidinio by Molly Bracken top, mollybracken.com.

Maman et Sophie earrings, necklaces, rings; mamanetsophie.it; Courrèges dress, courreges.com.

Giovanni Raspirini earrings, necklace, rings, giovanniraspini.com; Carolina Herrera jacket, carolinaherrera.com; Intimissimi bralette, intimissimi.com.

LOOKING FORWARD

Spritz Girl Summer

The Aperol Spritz has earned the top spot as the drink of the summer season.

BY AARON RASMUSSEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JIM DYLAN LOCATION: BELLINI RESTAURANT AT HARRY’S TABLE BY CIPRIANI

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SUMMER 2022

merica’s taste in cocktails seems to evolve or devolve every few years, and the preferred tipple of the time often best sums up the zeitgeist of a particular era. If you liked piña coladas (and perhaps getting caught in the rain), you may have fond — or foggy — memories of the rollicking 1980s. Meanwhile, Uptown, those Sex and the City fans among us couldn’t quite sate their cravings for a very Carrie-esque cosmopolitan in the scenestealing noughties. But around 2006, the Italian aperitif Aperol was just beginning to flirt with the American market, bringing with it a mission to elevate and dominate its own decades. Since then, the effervescent Aperol Spritz drink has slowly gone from being hailed here by the cocktail cognoscenti to lifting the spirits of the masses across the country every year as one of the mainstay beverages that’s the embodiment of the bright summer season. Now, at last, the influencers are calling it all over social media: 2022 is Spritz Girl Summer. Like the bloody Mary, classic martini, Harvey Wallbanger, and other famous decade-defining drinks, the Aperol Spritz will likely always be known as reflective of this era: representing a time when there was a refocus on the importance of making memories with special friends and family,

especially in a post-pandemic world. “Looking at this style of cocktail, it’s all about when people are out, they’re on patios, they’re at cafes, they’re enjoying their life in that moment,” Daniel Warrilow, the Italian portfolio ambassador for Campari in America, explains to GRAZIA USA. “I think that’s something that really resonates with people, and I think, in the last few years, especially, people have found a lot of comfort in that style of beverage.” Aperol, a slightly bitter citrus-focused aperitif with botanical and herbaceous notes, makes up the base of the drink. The vibrant-orange liquid is topped with prosecco and sparkling water and, finally, crowned with an orange slice. While personal preferences vary, the best way to make an Aperol Spritz is exactly like they do in Italy: Grab an ice-filled wine glass and use the countdown combination: 3-2-1; or, three parts Aperol, two parts prosecco, and one part sparkling water. Mixing the drink in that exact order also eliminates the need to stir, since the liquids will perfectly fuse together on their own. In 1919, the Barbieri brothers, Luigi and Silvio, created the recipe for Aperol. Silvio, inspired by his travels to France, came up with the name by borrowing from the French word for aperitif, apéro. The siblings then launched the new beverage at the Padua International Fair in Northern Italy.

‘LOOKING AT THIS STYLE OF COCKTAIL, IT’S ALL ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE OUT, THEY’RE ON PATIOS, THEY’RE AT CAFES, THEY’RE ENJOYING THEIR LIFE IN THAT MOMENT.’

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‘ONE THING THAT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE IN ITALY, HOWEVER: THE APEROL SPRITZ HITS ITS STRIDE WHEN ENJOYED THE VENETIAN WAY, OR WITH CICCHETTI, WHICH ARE USUALLY SALTY, SAVORY SNACKS THAT ACCOMPANY AND COMPLEMENT THE DRINK.’ It’s not an accident orange was chosen as the base citrus for the aperitif. “If you’re in Sicily, you’re going to find a lot of lemon citrus, and that’s why you’ll find a lot of limoncellos and things of that nature in Southern Italy,” Warrilow explains. “If you make your way a little further north, you’ll find different types of orange citrus, and a lot of that has to do with what was brought over through the Silk Road and the spice trade into Venice because of the waterways.” The aperitif was a runaway success in Italy from the start, and it became particularly popular around the Veneto region. Because the pre-dinner drink was light and had low alcohol by volume, it could be enjoyed with friends and family and provided the perfect sip to segue from day to night. But Aperol’s biggest splash as the key component of the Aperol Spritz would have to wait until it debuted years after World War II. Long before the Barbieri brothers created Aperol, in the 1800s, Northern Italy and portions of the Veneto region fell under the control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Men stationed in the region at the time weren’t accustomed to the local wine and considered it too strong. The solution? Diluting the wine with spritzes (German for splashes) of water, which was later swapped for

soda water in the late-1910s, followed by bitter wine and spirit-based aperitifs in the 1920s and early ‘30s. The Venetian mainstay, prosecco, was then combined with Aperol sometime in the 1950s. While the invention of a popular cocktail can often be traced back to a particular place or person — for example, Harry’s Bar founder Giuseppe Cipriani invented the Bellini, a mixture of peach purée and prosecco, in Venice in 1948 — the Aperol Spritz has no such known origin story. One thing that is common knowledge in Italy, however: The Aperol Spritz hits its stride when enjoyed the Venetian way, or with cicchetti, which are usually salty, savory snacks that accompany and complement the drink. As for what could be the next big spirit on the scene, Warrilow points out Aperol is a perfect introduction into the Italian way of eating, drinking, and living la dolce vita, and the aperitif can be considered a gateway drink for Campari, which has been around since the 1860s and in America from about 1910. “I think Americans are really, really finding Campari as a graduation of sorts,” he explained of the beverage that is bracingly bitter, unmistakably red, and can also be used to make a spritz. “Campari tends to be that thing that [gets] people to really dive into Italian culture.” Saluti to that!

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Cheers to summer! Get our perfect Spritz recipe here.

Got a case of the mean reds? Watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s now.

Audrey Hepburn helped make Tiffany & Co. an enduring American cultural icon.

SUMMER 2022

Audrey Hepburn™ trademark and likeness property of Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Luca Dotti.

A CUT ABOVE

Kate Moss lensed by Nikolai von Bismarck in Fendi Spring/ Summer 2021 Couture in Paris.

A survey of Tiffany’s rich history opens this Summer at the Saatchi Gallery.

BY KEVIN SESSUMS PHOTOS COURTESY OF TIFFANY & CO.

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An archival pamphlet advertising the Tiffany® Setting shows how Tiffany has always stood for love.

n 1801, Jane Austen’s brother, Charles (who had reached the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Royal Navy) was awarded 40£ for his role in helping to capture a French ship. Charles was not only a loving brother to Jane and their sister, Cassandra, but also a rather generous sort, as Jane’s letter to Cassandra in May of that year attests. “But of what avail is it to take prizes if he lays out the produce in presents to his Sisters,” wrote Jane regarding his loving brother’s largesse. “He has been buying Gold chains & Topaze Crosses for us;—he must be well scolded,” she continued, revealing perhaps her inspiration for a plot point in Mansfield Park: when the character Fanny Price receives a topaz cross from her own naval officer brother. “He will receive my yesterday’s letter to day, and I shall write again by this post to thank & reproach him.—We shall be unbearably fine.” With such faux sternness and the dismissive delight that is not quite a dismissal, Austen, grateful yet reproachful, indeed sounds like one of her own characters speaking her mind by

not saying what she really means but saying it in such a way that it can be better understood. She mines irony in her novels, as she does in this letter, to find the rightness in its either ore as if she were mining for jewels themselves and, finding a diamond embedded in the kimberlite, retrieves with a cautious expertise its sparkling essence. Austen has the keenness of a jeweler’s eye embedded in her novelist’s one. Kimberlite even sounds like a surname denoting a lower social rank in an Austen novel, but one elevated once a daughter dons an appropriate diamond necklace. Jewelry in Georgian England could denote class on lots of levels – that reflective appropriateness as well as a parvenu vulgarity – since it was styled for the time of day each jeweled piece was to be worn. But it is the term “unbearably fine” that I recalled from my reading of Austen’s epistolatory relationship with her sister when I more recently read about the upcoming Tiffany exhibit, Visions and Virtuosity, scheduled for the Saatchi Gallery in London

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This platinum brooch with diamonds from 1961 shows why Tiffany & Co. is the world authority in diamonds.

SUMMER 2022 Cara Delevingne in Fendi Spring/ Summer 2021 Couture.

A series of sparkling brooches represents the company’s rich legacy.

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The exhibit includes Hepburn’s own copy of the Breakfast at Tiffany’s script, including her personal notes.

from June 10 to August 17. The artistry and commerce emblematic of Tiffany’s jewels and their design are, conversely, bearably fine – an even more difficult state to attain, one that retains splendor while jettisoning the bejeweled ostentation of the parvenu. It is a subtle balance, but one that has become reflective of the Tiffany touch, which is, appropriately enough, a cut above. And yet, since its founding in 1837 in New York, the expertly-led company and its skilled artisans and artists have even further refined its finery so that it has become much more than bearable. A Tiffany ring or necklace or brooch or bracelet is wearable, and wondrously so. Victoria Wirth Reynolds, the first female

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Chief Gemologist of Tiffany & Co. who has been with the company for 35 years, reiterated that point when I asked her about keeping that balance between ostentation and good taste. “Jewelry is just that: wearable art,” she told me. “It absolutely changes from person to person and amplifies each person’s style. One necklace will look completely different from one person to another, and I think there is something very special about that. Jewelry is another way for women and men to express their individuality in whichever way they desire, either with a bit of gravitas or in a more relaxed way.” This was put into practice recently on

‘Tiffany’s Chief Gemologist Reynolds understands not only jewels but also that almost unbearably fine feeling that Golightly felt when being at Tiffany’s – a feeling that made life itself more bearable for her’.

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the red carpet at the Met’s Costume Institute Gala in May when Alicia Keys wore a pair of iridium-platinum earrings with diamonds and emeralds from the Tiffany archives along with a gold bracelet that contained archival platinum, diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. Her husband Swizz Beatz wore Tiffany’s Schlumberger Sea Star brooch and a pair of Schlumberger acorn cufflinks. Others wearing Tiffany jewels included Hailey Bieber, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Imaan Hammam, and Camille Cottin. It was the wearability of the jeweled Tiffany art that found another way to be displayed inside a museum’s gallery that night. Visions and Virtuosity at the Saatchi Gallery will highlight more than 400 other treasures from the Tiffany archives – including even its famed window displays – as it divides the company’s history into a visual narrative told in seven chapters. Each will delve into design themes that are central to Tiffany’s cultural identity, its heritage, and the creative influences that have surfaced over the many decades that it has been at the forefront of an industry that limns luxury and furnishes its luster. The first chapter to explore at the Saatchi Gallery upon entering the exhibit will be about the legacy of its founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany. Subsequent chapters will highlight the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany, Gene Moore, Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso, John Loring, and the annual Blue Book high jewelry collection. One chapter will be devoted to Tiffany’s heritage in the world of devotion itself, centering on Tiffany’s creation of its engagement ring in 1886, which will then lead to another chapter devoted only to diamonds, including the company’s recently acquired Empire Diamond of more than 80 carats. The final chapter will give the lucky gallerygoers a rare chance to view the legendary 128.54 carat Tiffany Diamond. Accompanying the exhibit will be a lavish 160-page catalog published by Assouline New York, with text by Vivienne Becker and a foreword written by the late André Leon Talley. You will

be able to purchase the catalog at the Saatchi Gallery as well as at the London Tiffany & Co. store on Old Bond Street. There will, of course, be a whole chapter about the importance of Truman Capote’s 1958 novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the subsequent 1961 film directed by Blake Edwards and starring Audrey Hepburn. Indeed, Hepburn could have been the company’s first brand ambassador; she became so identified with the character of Holly Golightly, who breakfasted there but (wrongly) thought it would be tacky of her to wear diamonds before she was forty. Tiffany’s Chief Gemologist Reynolds understands not only jewels but also that almost unbearably fine feeling that Golightly felt when being at Tiffany’s – a feeling that made life itself more bearable for her. It is at the heart of Reynolds’s understanding of jewels themselves. “My own love affair with Tiffany started many years ago when I was nine years old and came to Tiffany with my father to help him purchase a brooch for my mom,” Reynolds recalled when I mentioned how the store made Golightly feel. “I still remember walking in the doors and being mesmerized by the main floor, especially the array of diamonds and colored gemstones. That feeling has really stayed with me. I reflect on that moment often and am grateful to be able to spend my days working so closely with these exceptional jewelry pieces and to wear them myself with pride and appreciation for what goes into creating them.” Pride and Appreciation sounds like the title of a book that Jane Austen could have written as a sequel to Pride and Prejudice. We know of three pieces of jewelry that Austen owned: a turquoise beaded bracelet, a topaz cross, and a turquoise and gold ring. They are now all housed in the Jane Austen’s House Museum in Hampshire, England, after a bit of a cultural kerfuffle caused by Austen aficionado, singer Kelly Clarkson, when she purchased the ring in 2012 and planned to ship it to America to add to her private collection of Austen artifacts. A campaign called “Bring the

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The exhibit features an entire section dedicated to diamond creations like these ones.

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SUMMER 2022 Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s script is a highlight of the exhibit.

Ring Home” was launched to raise the funds to keep the ring in England by matching the price paid by Clarkson – around $250,000. The campaign succeeded when the singer graciously acquiesced to the museum buying it back from her once the government imposed a temporary export ban on it, categorizing it as a “national treasure.” The incident highlighted the importance that a single piece of jewelry can play in not only a person’s identity, but also a country’s. Indeed, Tiffany & Co. is treasured internationally, as the Saatchi Gallery show attests, for both its rich heritage and its continued cultural currency. It’s a narrative arc that soars from the creation of its own color (Tiffany Blue, which was selected in 1845 by founder Charles Lewis Tiffany for the cover of Blue Book), to the red carpet at the Met Gala in 2022, where the company’s archival jewels were proved to be timelessly stylish. Tiffany’s has, in fact, such a distinct identity of design and desire aligning themselves with love itself that Capote, a stylist of the highest literary order who cited Austen as one of his greatest influences, designed his own narrative around it to convey a sense of calm and beauty where a deeper sense of home proves to be the truest luxury. In a 1968 profile of him in New York magazine, Capote told writer Robert Jennings that he was “about to start The Proust Plunge, which I do about every five years. You take a big breath and you go under for about six weeks with him. I used to do that with Jane Austen, but I’ve memorized all of Jane now so I don’t go back to her anymore.” But he always went back to Tiffany’s.

Tiffany & Co. won the grand prize for silverware at the 1878 Paris Exhibition Universelle, represented by this souvenir.

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SUMMER 2022 A 1969 ad from Promenade magazine featured “twenty-five rings that deserve a hand.”

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LIFE IN PLAY

www.womensgolfjournal.com

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‘I WANT TO FEEL SEXY AGAIN!’

Dress, Victoria Beckham, victoriabeckham.com.

GUCCI coat, gucci.com; VB Body poloneck, leggings, victoriabeckham.com; Christian Louboutin heels, christianlouboutin.com.

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VICTORIA BECKHAM IS BACK WITH AN AFFORDABLE NEW COLLECTION THAT’S ALL ABOUT THE BODY. BY: JESS CARTNER-MORLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY: BOO GEORGE STYLED BY: LUKE DAY MAKEUP BY: VALERIA FERREIRA AT THE WALL

GROUP USING VICTORIA BECKHAM BEAUTY HAIR BY: JAMES ROWE AT BRYANT ARTISTS MANICURE BY: SHARON BAKER

t is a sunny spring day in her London office, and Victoria Beckham is holding her immaculately manicured hands in front of her, gesturing as if she were stroking and squeezing a football. Or perhaps a giant peach. “Every woman wants a nice, round, curvy bottom, right?” she says. “For that, you need a really tight knit that nips you in at the waist and holds you in all the right places. You need fully fashioned details, considered and perfectly placed to create a really flattering silhouette. That’s how you make what I call the ultimate sucky-sucky dress.” The more official name for the “sucky-sucky dress” that is inspiring Beckham to caress an imaginary derriere for my benefit is VB Body, a just-launched line of jersey dresses and separates that are taking the designer back to her bodycon roots. After a decade of pussybow blouses and wide-legged tailored trousers,

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of midi-length dresses and oversized tailoring knits, Beckham is once again embracing the sultry date-night looks with which she first won over a skeptical fashion industry when she camped out in a hotel room during New York Fashion Week with a rack full of va-va voom dresses, back in 2008. Fast-forward to Miami in the spring of 2021. Escaping Britain’s never-ending lockdowns, the Beckhams were hanging out en famille in the city where David Beckham co-owns the Inter Miami football team. For Beckham, it was a revelation. “There are a lot of really curvy women in Miami, and they really own it, you know?” recalls Beckham. “They walk along Miami Beach with not a lot of clothes on, and they look fantastic. They show their bodies off with such confidence. I found both their attitude and their style really liberating. And as a mother, I loved the fact that Harper was

around women who were really celebrating their curves and enjoying how they look.” Certainly, a departure from the prevailing aesthetic of the 90s and Y2K era. “It’s an old-fashioned attitude, wanting to be really thin,” says Beckham today. “I think women today want to look healthy, and curvy. They want to have some boobs and a bum.” On her ring finger, a diamond the size of a gummy bear catches the light as she squeezes her imaginary peach for emphasis. “The curvier you are, the better my VB Body dresses look.” Dressed all in black, with thigh-high Balenciaga stiletto stocking boots under a long split skirt and silk blouse from her own collection, she appears as slender as ever. When I point this out, she shrugs. “It’s not about being a certain size. It’s about knowing who you are and being happy with who you are. I have found my own balance between

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Cowboys of Habit T-shirt, cowboysofhabit.co.uk; Victoria Beckham skirt, victoriabeckham.com.

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Posh lipstick in Pop, Victoria Beckham Beauty, victoriabeckhambeauty.com.

Victoria Beckham cardigan, VB Body skirt, victoriabeckham.com; Bra, available to rent from Found and Vision.

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wanting to have fun and being disciplined about eating healthily and working out. When you’re younger you fight against that balance, but through being older I’ve reached a place where I know what that balance looks like. I just know what works for me.” But she also wants “as good a bottom as I can get” – to which end, she’s been doing a “lot” of squats every morning. After years of doing Tracy Anderson’s method “and tons of cardio” she has switched up her fitness regime to focus on lifting heavy weights five or six days a week, with David and their personal trainer. “I’ve always been a bit scared of weights, but it turns out I love them. I’ve even got those special gloves to wear! It’s good to switch things up and keep your body guessing. I’ve got so much more muscle tone now,” she says.” What’s David Beckham like as a workout buddy? “Hilarious,” she says. “I mean, obviously he’s amazing in the gym, but in our sessions he’s always the one who procrastinates.” VB Body will be a “permanent capsule” collection to sit alongside the fashion-led seasonal Victoria Beckham ready-to-wear collections. Sizes range from a US 0 to 14; a

color palette has been chosen to work across a range of skin tones, and price points start at $120. On repeat in Beckham’s own wardrobe right now is a one-shoulder dress in sunset orange, and black leggings. “But I want this to be inclusive of body shape, of skin color, and of budget,” Beckham says. “This isn’t just about me.” Except that the secret sauce of the Victoria Beckham brand, as the designer knows very well, is that it is actually “always” about her. From Spice Girl to fashion mogul, from being a Wembley Stadium WAG — the nickname given to wives and partner of British soccer stars — to today’s place in fashion’s front row, from half of 90s London’s hottest couple to the matriarch of a 21st century transatlantic dynasty, Beckham has always given her public seriously compelling storylines. Which brings us to how she pivoted from floaty dresses to tight ones, before plot-twisting back. “For quite a few years, the more time I spent working in fashion,” she says, “the more clothes I wore and I ended up buried under all these ‘fashion’ layers,” she says laughing. “So last year when I was in Miami and starting to go out again post-Covid, I wanted a change. I

wanted to feel sexy again.” Taking inspiration from her collection of vintage Azzedine Alaia dresses, she set her factories the challenge of revisiting the form-fitting silhouette with which she first made her name, but this time in knit. “I love how Azzedine’s dresses made me feel. His designs really stand the test of time, because the shapes are simple, but the technical execution is perfect.” (That perfect cropped black cardigan that made repeat appearances on the recent family holiday on the Beckham’s yacht, Seven? Vintage Azzedine.) “That’s what I want VB Body to be: dresses that you wear time and time again, because the silhouette is timeless and makes you feel great.” And yes, as it happens, David is a big fan of the new look. “Much as I do dress for myself, I also love the fact that he [David] loves me in these dresses. Men love to see a bit of shape.” But for Victoria’s most high-profile appearance of 2022, there was not a suckysucky dress to be seen. For her eldest son Brooklyn’s Palm Beach wedding last month, she and her newly appointed design director Lara Barrio created a floor-length slip dress

“Every woman wants a nice, round, curvy bottom, right?” she says.

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What Katie Did bra, whatkatiedid.com; VB Body skirt, victoriabeckham.com; Christian Louboutin shoes, christianlouboutin.com.

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Victoria Beckham dress, victoriabeckham.com; Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello bangle, ysl.com.

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“It’s an old-fashioned attitude, wanting to be really thin,” says Beckham today. “I think women today want to look healthy, and curvy. in liquid-effect silk, trimmed with hand-cut French lace. “It took me quite a while to figure out what I wanted to wear,” she says of her mother-of-the-groom outfit. “The day wasn’t about me, it was about Brooklyn and Nicola. So I wanted to look appropriate, and really to be comfortable and to feel like myself.” Harper, whose “angelic, sweet and simple” bridesmaid dress was Nicola’s vision, loved her role supporting her beloved big brother “and the whole day, and being able to hang out in Florida with her cousins. They had a wonderful time.” “It’s a big deal, your child getting married,” says Beckham. “I was very emotional. David’s speech was beautiful.” Marc Anthony, the multi-Grammy Award-winning singer, close friend of the Beckham family and Cruz’s godfather, sang four songs, while Fat Tony got the after-party going. “Marc Anthony and Fat Tony did an amazing job too – they always do. It seems like yesterday that David was holding Brooklyn in his little purple cowboy hat and purple outfit at our wedding, and now our baby is married.” This summer will be Victoria and David’s 23rd wedding anniversary. “And they said it

wouldn’t last! From the minute we got married and here we are about to celebrate 23 years,” she laughs. The secret, she says, is “that we have so much respect for each other. David is an incredible dad, and husband, and he’s very supportive of my work. We are really good partners.” Still, she won’t be jumping in to offer advice to the newlyweds. “Claudia and Nelson [Peltz] have also been married a long time, so Brooklyn and Nicola have both seen that growing up. All of us are there to support them.” Back in London, Victoria has been back to the office every day, working alongside Barrio. Beckham says, “She has impeccable taste. We are very aligned in our aesthetic, and she brings a great energy and experience. The team love having her here.” The label, which is yet to turn a profit, had found a growth trajectory in 2019 just before the pandemic set it back again. “I dress women to go out, to travel, to go out to work, so Covid made us rethink our strategy,” says Victoria. “The business isn’t in a position to do anything huge this year, but I am hoping there will be a presentation or a small show in September.” In a blow to London Fashion Week, she isn’t committing

to keeping her show in the city where she has been on schedule since 2018. “We are looking at different options at the moment,” is all she will say. London, New York, Paris….Miami? “It won’t be Miami. But we are still working on the city.” Victoria’s phone rings, and Romeo’s voice comes down the line from Miami. (“Hi mum! It’s me!”) After a quick chat she blows him a kiss and promises to call back when we’re done. “I miss him so much,” she sighs. “David and I have gone from having four kids at home with us, to having one and a half. Brooklyn and Nicola are going to be living between LA and Palm Beach, Romeo’s living in Miami, and Cruz is in-between home and boarding school.” Only Harper, who turns 11 this summer and will start secondary school in September, is still home full time. “We all love being in Miami. And my beauty team, which is a super important part of my business, is based in New York so I go there a lot too,” Beckham explains. “But London is where I come to the office every day and where Harper goes to school. This year is a new chapter for my brand, and for our family but London is still home.”

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Atsuko Kudo latex bunny ears, atsukokudo.com; Victoria Beckham cardigan, victoriabeckham.com; What Katie Did bra, briefs, whatkatiedid.com; Lace Shorts, available to rent from Found and Vision.

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DO HUE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: WU GUIQI MAKEUP BY: VJIANG NA HAIR BY: KIM

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SUMMER BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.

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Givenchy floral dress, givenchy.com; Dior pearl earrings, dior.com.

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H&M dress, hm.com; GUCCI logo necklace, gucci.com.

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T R E C E G F N R A E P TR S

What happens on vacation stays on vacation.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: MAZEN STYLED BY: SEHER KHAN

Vilebrequin swimsuit, vilebrequin.com.

Calzedonia bikini top, calzedonia.com.

Yamamay bikini top, bottom, yamamay.com.

Tezenis bikini bottom, tezenis.com.

Marina Rinaldi swimsuit, us.marinarinaldi.com.

Fisico shirt, fisico.it

Gallo bikini top, skirt, leg warmers, gallo1927.com.

GUESS bikini top, guess.com; Kristina Fidelskaya headscarf, kristinafidelskaya.com.

Pierre Mantoux swimsuit, pierremantoux.com.

COUNTRY HOME

Off-duty gets an extra dose of drama.

Valentino cape, shirt, necklace, valentino.com; Pence 1979 jeans, pence1979.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: FEDERICO DE ANGELIS STYLED BY: SELİN BURSALİOGLU

MAKEUP BY: GIULIA LUCIANI AT SIMONE BELLI AGENCY HAIR BY: ALESSANDRO ROCCHI AT SIMONE BELLI AGENCY

Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello jacket, shirt, jeans, earrings, bracelets, sandals, ysl.com.

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Diesel jacket, jeans, shop.diesel.com.

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Balenciaga sweater, jeans, jewelry, boots, balenciaga.com.

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Alexander McQueen dress, bustier, alexandermcqueen.com.

GUESS vest, jeans, guess.com; Tod’s turtleneck, shoes, tods.com.

Camomilla Italia jacket, camomillaitalia.com; CELINE by Hedi Slimane hat, celine.com.

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GUCCI jacket, bra, necklace, hat, gucci.com; Kocca jeans, kocca.it.

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Prada jacket, prada.com; Levi’s skirt, levi.com.

NIGHT

From Left: Erdem cape, erdem.com; Willy Chavarria pants, willychavarria.com; Laruicci necklace, laruicci.com; a-morir sunglasses, a-morir.com. Michael Kors Collection dress, michaelkors.com; a-morir sunglasses, a-morir.com; Laruicci earrings, laruicci.com. Julien Macdonald dress, julienmacdonald.com; Victoria Grant hat, victoriagrant.com; Shoes, model’s own. GUCCI shirt, latex top, bra, gucci.com. Batsheva shirt, batsheva.com; Michael Kors Collection briefs, michaelkors.com; a-morir earrings, a-morir.com. CELINE by Hedi Slimane top, pants, celine.com; J.R. Malpere bow, jrmalpere.com.

MOVES

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ONCE YOU MAKE IT PAST THE VELVET ROPE, THE RULES NEED NOT APPLY.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ELLEN VON UNWERTH STYLED BY: KAREN LEVITT MAKEUP BY: AYAMI NISHIMURA HAIR BY: ASHLEY JAVIER

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From Left: Oscar de la Renta dress, oscardelarenta.com; a-morir earrings, a-morir.com; J.R. Malpere headpiece, jrmalpere.com; Balmain bag, balmain.com. Carolina Herrera dress, carolinaherrera.com; J.R. Malpere headpiece, jrmalpere.com; CHANEL bag, (800) 550-0005; Iindaco shoes, iindaco.com. Carolina Herrera dress, carolinaherrera.com; Natasha Morgan glasses, natashamorgannyc.com; Casadei shoes, casadei.com; Balmain bag,

Mugler dress, $1,990, glove, price upon request, mugler. fr; Opposite: Kimhekim blazer and pants, price upon request, kimhekim.com; Ann Demeulemeester shoes, $981, anndemeulemeester.com.

Dior top, shorts, (800) 929 Dior; Natasha Morgan headband, natashamorgannyc.com; Carmen Sol bracelets, carmensol.com; Repossi rings, saks.com.

Michael Kors Collection dress, michaelkors.com; a-morir sunglasses, a-morir.com; Laruicci earrings, laruicci.com; Maison Ernest shoe, maisonernest.com.

All clothing and accessories by Versace

From Left: Willy Chavarria shorts, willychavarria.com; Christian Louboutin sneakers, christianlouboutin.com. All other clothing and accessories by Versace

Prada dress, prada.com; Laruicci earrings, laruicci.com; J.R. Malpere headpiece, jrmalpere.com.

From Left: Dundas dress, dundasworld.com; Social Work collar, socialworkny.com. Stella McCartney necklace dress, trousers, stellamccartney.com; J.R. Malpere headpiece, jrmalpere.com. Christopher John Rogers caftan, net-a-porter.com. Valentino Kaftan, Available at Valentino Boutiques, Christopher John Rogers hat, net-a-porter.com; VADA sunglasses, vadajewelry.com. Willy Chavarria shorts, willychavarria.com; Laruicci necklace, laruicci.com; Balmain bag, balmain.com. CHANEL jacket, skirt, necklaces, bag, (800) 550-0005; VADA sunglasses, vadajewelry.com. Alexander McQueen dress, alexandermcqueen.com.

Erdem cape, erdem.com; Willy Chavarria pants, willychavarria.com; Laruicci necklace, laruicci.com; a-morir sunglasses, a-morir.com.

CELINE by Hedi Slimane top, pants, celine.com; J.R. Malpere bow, jrmalpere.com.

Dolce & Gabbana jacket, bodysuit, bikini, shoes, sweatshirt, pants, bag, dolcegabbana.com; Natasha Morgan headbands, natashamorgannyc.com; a-morir sunglasses, earrings, a-morir.com; Acchitto earrings, acchitto.it.

Mugler dress, $1,990, glove, price upon request, mugler.fr.

Brandon Maxwell romper, for similar styles brandonmaxwellonline.com; Stylist’s own sunglasses.

From Left: Louis Vuitton shirt, shorts, necklace, 866.VUITTON; Natasha Morgan face shield, natashamorgannyc.com; Carmen Sol bracelets, carmensol.com; Jimmy Choo slides, jimmychoo.com. Louis Vuitton t-shirt, bag, 866.VUITTON; Marshall Columbia leggings, ssense.com; Alexis Bittar earrings, alexisbittar.com; Carmen Sol sandals, carmensol.com. Louis Vuitton jacket, pants, bag, 866.VUITTON; Natasha Morgan glasses, natashamorgannyc.com; Jimmy Choo slides, jimmy choo.com.

From Left: LOEWE top, loewe.com; Nickho Rey earrings, nickhorey.com; Victoria Grant hat, victoriagrant.com. Prada shirt, prada.com; a-morir glasses, a-morir.com.

From Left: Brunello Cucinelli sweater, shorts, (212) 334-1010; Mara Hoffman bikini top, marahoffman.com; KARA bolero, shop.karastore.com; Alexis Bittar earring, alexisbittar.com; Victoria Grant hat, victoriagrant.com; Larroudé shoes, larroude.com. Brunello Cucinelli pants, ( 212 )334-1010; Laruicci necklace, laruicci.com; KARA bolero, shop.karastore.com; Christian Louboutin sneakers, christianlouboutin.com.

Loro Piana coat, scarf, hat, us.loropiana.com; Alexis Bittar collar necklaces, alexisbittar.com; Laruicci necklace, laruicci.com; Carmen Sol bracelets, carmensol.com.

THE HOUSE EDGE WFH wear gets an upgrade.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SIMONE FALCETTA STYLED BY: TAMARA GIANOGLIO MAKEUP BY: ELENA PIVETTA AT GREENAPPLE HAIR BY: GIOVANNI ERROI AT GREENAPPLE

Louis Vuitton jacket, shorts, boots, (866) VUITTON.

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Salvatore Ferragamo jacket, T-shirt, trousers, earrings, bag, ferragamo.com.

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Givenchy vest, bra, givenchy.com; GUESS trousers, guess.com; Salvatore Ferragamo necklace, ferragamo.com; CELINE by Hedi Slimane sneakers, celine.com.

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Dior dress, earrings, ring, boots, dior.com.

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CHANEL top, skirt, earrings, bracelets, belt, (800) 550-0005

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Stella McCartney jacket, bodysuit, trousers, stellamccartney.com; Hogan sneakers, hogan.com.

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CHANEL top, skirt, earrings, bracelets, belt, (800) 550-0005

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From Left: Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello shirt, jeans, bag ysl.com. Yes Zee jacket, jeans, yeszee.it.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SVEN BÄNZIGER STYLED BY: TAMARA GIANOGLIO MAKEUP BY: ELENA PIVETTA AT GREENAPPLE HAIR BY: GIOVANNI ERROIB AT GREENAPPLE

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME When it comes to style, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Herno jacket, herno.com; Fendi dress, bag, fendi.com; Hogan sneakers, hogan.com.

From Left: Emporio Armani shirt, jeans, armani.com; Bvllbag bag, bvllbag.com; Emporio Armani top, skirt, armani.com; Hogan sandal, hogan.com.

Louis Vuitton cape, sunglasses, boots, louisvuitton.com; Oltre jeans, oltre.com.

CHANEL dress, necklace, bracelet, sunglasses, chanel.com; Roger Vivier sneakers, rogervivier.com.

Alexander McQueen bustier, skirt, alexandermcqueen.com; OVS Piombo sweater, ovsfashion.com; UGG ® shoes, ugg.com.

From Left: Balmain sweaters, skirt, boots, balmain.com; Freddy WR.UP shorts, freddystore.com; CELINE by Hedi Slimane sneakers, celine.com.

MSGM shirt, sandals, row.shop-msgm.com; PennyBlack pants, world. pennyblack.com; Bvllbag bag, bvllbag.com.

F L OAT I N G

AWA Y It’s up, up, and out of this world.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ALBERTO PELAYO STYLED BY: ANNA CASTAN MAKEUP BY: RICCARDO MORANDIN HAIR BY: ANA RODRIGUEZ

Missoni dress, missoni.com.

Salvatore Ferragamo dress, foulard, ferragamo.com.

Tod’s dress, sandals, tods.com.

Simone Rocha dress, shop.simonerocha.com

Moschino dress, shoes, moschino.com.

Planning your D ON’ T FORGE T TO PACK A LIT TLE ROMANCE AND MYSTERY

THE PARIS APARTMENT by Lucy Foley

THE LOST APOTHECARY by Sarah Penner

“As you patiently await season two of Only Murders in the Building, cozy up with Lucy Foley’s latest whodunnit.” —Parade

“A bold, edgy, accomplished debut!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author

THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry

THE DIAMOND EYE by Kate Quinn

Now an Apple TV+ series. “A novel of almost insolent ambition...part ghost story and part natural history lesson, part romance and part feminist parable.”—New York Times

An instant New York Times bestseller! The author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable WWII tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history’s deadliest female sniper…based on a true story.

“A poisonously good read.” —NPR

next getaway? next getaway? PLUS A HINT OF DANGER… PLUS A HINT OF DANGER…

THE MESSY LIVES OF BOOK PEOPLE by Phaedra Patrick THE MESSY LIVES OF BOOK PEOPLE “Witty, relevantby and delightful,Patrick with the perfect touch Phaedra of mystery, this story is a salve to the soul.” “Witty, relevant and delightful, with the perfect touch —Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of mystery, this story is a salve to the soul.” —Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author

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Inside Chris Benz’s Bellport Retreat

SUMMER 2022

The fashion designer turned home renovator opens the doors to his Bellport getaway. BY YALE BRESLIN PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CHRIS BENZ

inherited the name, but there’s a nice ring to it,” Chris Benz says on the moniker associated with his Bellport, New York home. “’The Oaks’ is the name of the house. I don’t know if it’s the original name or when it got coined but there are a ton of beautiful oak trees on the property, so I like it.” In the last few years, there’s been a seasonal transition of sorts in Benz’s life: one from the world of designing clothes to his newfound passion (and profession) of creating dynamic and unique spaces. After growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Benz studied at Parsons School of Design. Then, while working under the direction of Marc Jacobs, took home the CFDA Emerging Designer Award. All eyes were on Benz. From his namesake collection, which debuted in 2007, he caught the eye of the global fashion houses due to his unfussy approach to getting a woman dressed. He’s since expanded his repertoire to expand his design vision to toys, beauty, television and – most importantly – interiors. Benz, who catapulted to fashion it-boy stardom in New York City, was recognized for this colorful and eclectic approach to American style. He interpreted fashion through his refreshed lens: designs infused with a carefree spirit that catered to the modern woman. It was pure sophistication infused with ease, and embedded within the DNA of his clothing was his ability to not take himself (or his clothes) too seriously. After all, he did dye his hair vibrant pink. To Benz, the move to interiors was a natural one. “To me, it’s all the same. It’s all about texture and proportion and I approach a space in the same way I do clothing,” Benz remarks. “It’s additive and so much editing is involved. The thing I like about rooms versus clothes is that there’s a lot more physical and emotional weight to it. Committing to a couch is a big deal and there’s a formula to how

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many couches you need. And then, like any good outfit, I accessorize. To me, a room is an outfit, just with a different approach.” With his partner Peter Toumbekis, Benz purchased the Victorian shingle-style property (and the three acres of greenery) in 2017 as they continued the weekend commute to and from their Brooklyn townhouse, enjoying three-day weekends in their maximalist retreat out East. Eventually, in 2020, their weekend and summer abode turned into their permanent home. Here, Benz takes us inside his home and tells us about what makes the community so sacred, the benefits of a large dining (and working) table, and why the best pool parties always start at 10 PM. Dive in. What do you love most about Bellport? For starters, it’s an hour away from Manhattan. And that’s why I think people are dubious about talking about it because it’s such an amazing getaway and you can be in the city in 60 minutes. The proximity is remarkable. The town is quite small; you blink and you’ve driven through it. It’s such a picturesque and nice place to be and it’s incredibly charming. In fact, it’s really a fetishized version of country living and there are so many creative types and artists who live here that it seems everyone is on the same page to keep it as authentic as possible. That, in my opinion, is what’s so special about this small town. And what about the community? There isn’t a huge social scene. It’s all about farm stands and there are about two restaurants. It’s more about hopping around to people’s houses and in the summertime, it’s all about BBQ’s and pool parties. There’s this incredible Slim Aarons tongue-in-cheek quality to life here. We all seem to lean into the country aesthetic. Let’s talk a little bit about your home. It’s a maximalist’s dream!

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I moved in at the end of 2017. I bought this great home in Bed Stuy and renovated it and when I wanted to escape during the summer or on the weekends, I would come to Bellport. My boyfriend and I were looking everywhere for a home outside of NYC and I’m not afraid of a project or a big renovation. I grew up near the ocean so being near water was super important to me. Initially, we looked at a 1700’s English Country house that was around the corner from where I’m living now. It was a house that was way outside of our budget but I thought, Why not? Lt’s go take a look. The second we drove in, we knew it had to be ours and we’d have to figure out a way to make it work. It’s a big piece of property that is quite rare for the neighborhood and initially we only used it as a weekend out. We’d drive out and we’d dedicate a day to a certain task - painting the living room, working on the cabinets and so on. I realized I was so much happier when I was in Bellport and the drive to the city was so easy. We decided to sell our place in Bed Stuy and make Bellport our permanent home. We sold and closed within 30 days and here we are.

Each and every item in the house exists because it’s inspirational to me and has some beloved quality to it. Many of which I can see from this room.

What is it about the space that you find unique? It’s quite unique that it’s an almost untouched Victorian farmhouse. It doesn’t have any big extensions added to the back or any crazy structural changes over the years. It’s very pure. The only thing that’s been added are some postmodern windows towards the back of the house that were done before my time but that’s something I can deal with. I love that it’s been preserved and in its original incarnation.

The gardens are remarkable. What’s the upkeep like? The nice thing is that everything is so old that I don’t have to do a lot. It’s a lot of selfsustaining and naturalizing. It’s more about maintenance. We have so many deer that every summer it’s like full on ‘deer assault.’ Our garden is like their salad bar; they just go for it. Every Spring and Summer I want to go wild with the nursery, but the deer will just have their way with it immediately. Little known fact: Deer love a tulip!

Do you have a favorite part of the house? I like the dining room, which has also turned into my office during the daytime. I love working at a big table where I can spread all my stuff out. And now that I’m working on other people’s houses, I have so many strange swatches and tiles that I can spread out. The room is also so comfortable and it lets me be as creative in the space as I can.

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Everyone who has been to The Oaks leaves feeling something ineffable. It’s impossible not to. Do you want them to leave feeling a certain way? I want them to feel inspired and that they just walked into what I’ve always dreamed would be my fantasy of a country house. There are so many different versions of how country living can be interpreted, but I want people to respond to the fabrics and the textures. What’s the best compliment someone could give you about your space? It’s very comfortable. There is often a fuss about old houses and I don’t want anyone to feel like things are too precious. I want anyone to just plop down and feel totally comfortable.

What are the key ingredients to a Chris Benz pool party? Hmmm. A free-flowing serve-yourself bar. Loads of towels. I love having big baskets of towels. And, no hard outs. I always feel like the best pool parties start at 10 pm and that’s when everyone gets in the pool.

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CIAO MILANO!

SUMMER 2022

EXPERIENCE THE ITALIAN FASHION CAPITAL THROUGH A LUXE NEW LENS. BY COLLEEN KRATOFIL PHOTOS COURTESY OF COURTESY OF

LA COMPAGNIE AND GALLERIA VIK MILANO

here’s hardly any Instagramvs.-reality paradigm more striking than that of international travel. On the grid, you are glowing, carefree, exuding main character energy. Every hour is golden hour. Far too often, though, the reality is a little more grim. At GRAZIA USA, we strive to make every moment effortlessly chic – even on a red-eye, and especially when visiting our hometown of Milan. So, the news that a longtime staple for frequent fliers to the continent, La Compagnie, has launched an all-businessclass flight to the Italian fashion capital had us running to book a flight – and a hotel room (at the gorgeous, 5-star Galleria Vik Milano, of course). La Compagnie first launched in 2014, servicing New York to Paris with seasonal flights from New York to Nice. In April, it expanded its route from New York (Newark International Airport) to Milan (Milan Malpensa Airport) offering five weekly flights (Thursday through Monday) departing at 9:40 p.m. on the new A321neo aircraft with 76 full flat-bed seats. Paris and Milan are an obvious pairing to anyone who’s shuttled themselves through the fashion week calendar. However, the company’s decision to expand to an Italian destination was actually the result of pandemic-inspired creative thinking. The airline’s planes were grounded for 15 months during the pandemic until June 2021, when the European Union reopened its borders to Americans. “We thought that it was a bit risky to operate two flights per day from Paris to New York, which was our business model prior to GRAZIA USA

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COVID-19, because we knew that the volume of traffic between Paris and Europe wouldn’t be fully back to normal and we would need to wait until 2023 or 2024 before getting back to the figures we had in 2019,” Anne Crespo, Head of Marketing & Communications at La Compagnie, told GRAZIA USA. “We started to see where our business class product would have strong interest,” said Crespo, adding that New York to Milan is the third-most-popular route when it comes to business class traffic, behind Paris and London. (The European company can’t fly from the any non-EU country to the US, and after Brexit that includes the UK.) “Basically, the figures were telling us, Milan has a lot of business class traffic.” Crespo said two more factors lead to the Milan route expansion: lack of competition from Italian airlines and the city’s fashion influence. “During COVID, Air Italy collapsed, and Alitalia switched to ITA,” Crespo explained. “In terms of competitors, there were only the American airlines and Emirates and there was room for another operator in the business class travel market.” As with the other La Compagnie routes, Milan is an enduring destination for the jet set. “Since day one, flyers of La Compagnie have been people in the fashion, luxury, and arts spaces and Milan has all of those types of people,” Crespo continued. For that reason, La Compagnie offers all of the amenities that such travellers expect: access to airport lounges, two free checked bags, 76 lie-flat beds, and quick 10-minute boarding and deplaning processes. “It’s not a private jet, but you feel like you’re in a private environment,” Crespo explained. On board, passengers are greeted with a glass of champagne before takeoff before logging on to the free (and fast) Wi-Fi to work en route. Meanwhile, they are treated to high-end skincare products and menus curated by Michelin-starred chefs. All La Compagnie flights offer these amenities, but for the Milan route, the airline partnered with Italian brands, including skincare products from sustainable Parma-based beauty brand, Comfort Zone, menus by chefs Isabella Potì and Floriano Pellegrino of the restaurant Bros in Lecce, and the Vicenza-based Lorenzo Cogo of El Coq and Dama restaurants in Venice. Beverage offerings feature varietals from Italian organic wineries. “We tried to avoid being ‘the French guys going to Italy,’ so we switched our partnerships and collaborated

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‘PARIS AND MILAN ARE AN OBVIOUS PAIRING TO ANYONE WHO’S SHUTTLED THEMSELVES THROUGH THE FASHION WEEK CALENDAR’ with Italian brands. We also created a coffee menu, because we felt it’s very important for the Italian culture, which is crazy about coffee,” said Crespo. The one thing that will remain the same, however, is the French flight crew and pilots – all of whom were kept on staff throughout the entire pandemic. “We never fired anyone during COVID,” Crespo revealed. “Our CEO was very clear on the fact that we would keep the whole staff and they’d be able to fly to Paris and Milan. The good news is that we have a lot of pilots and three or four cabin crew members who speak Italian.” What’s next? The company “definitely” has its sights set on expanding to more routes down the line, but right now it’s focused on bringing “the soul of La Compagnie” to a new market. “We are small and we deliver intimacy to passengers,” Crespo said. “They feel like they belong to our airline. Like they are in the club.” Equally as intimate and thoughtful is the artistic enclave that is Milan’s Galleria Vik Milano – a perfect destination for a La Compagnie traveler to Milan. The hotel is located inside the bustling historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a breathtaking glass-domed shopping center designed in 1861 and completed in 1877. The gallery connects the Piazza del Duomo (home to Milan’s soaring cathedral) to Piazza della Scala (home to the historic Teatro della Scala). (The Galleria itself is home to one historic landmark dear to fashionphiles: the first-ever Prada store, opened in 1913.) It’s a truly incomparable location for a boutique hotel. Indeed, when the owners of Vik Retreats, husband and

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wife duo Alex and Carrie Vik, learned that the TownHouse Galleria hotel property was for sale, they were immediately “intrigued.” They had been wanting to open a hotel in a city and Milan just “made sense.” Though the TownHouse was labeled as a 5-star, “it was not a particularly inspiring hotel,” Carrie says. “There was no art, there was no interesting furniture. All the walls were painted the same color throughout the entire five floors, but the architecture was extraordinary.” A true diamond in the rough, the property would soon join the Vik portfolio alongside five properties in South America – all created to highlight remarkable art and design from around the world. Of course, a substantial renovation came first. “Our projects are ‘projects for love.’ We do them because we love art and design and architecture, and we like to be creative,” Carrie told GRAZIA USA. “We built all our other projects from the ground up, but this was going to be something that we were going to be inheriting,” Carrie shared. “And to inherit a hotel in a historic monument was really appealing.” The bones of the structure were intact, but Carrie and Alex set out on a major renovation to make the space more functional with the help of architect Marcelo Daglio, who assisted with the expansion and reworked the layout from 58 rooms to 89. Today, rooms on the second level feature double-height ceilings and loft-like spaces with living quarters below beds accessible by a staircase. Rooms on the third floor feature balconies that overlook the Galleria, while the fifth floor is situated above the Galleria structure and features cozy outdoor garden terraces. Carrie found the variety of rooms “really inspiring” and put the signature Vik Resort spin on the space by making each space totally unique through one-of-a-kind art and décor. Two Italian art curators helped bring in artists from Uruguay, Italy, and other countries around the world to create site-specific installations in the rooms, hallways, and gathering spaces. Even some of the bathrooms feature sitespecific art installations or exceptional marble design. “They all really committed themselves to the project,” said Carrie of the Vik collaborators. “Many of the artists came and stayed for long periods of time while they created their spaces, so you feel that passion and the creative energy that was put into it by all of these artists. It’s not just us putting paintings and hanging them on the wall. It’s about involving the artists and collaborating with them.” One of the most striking artworks in the hotel is in the lobby, with a bronze cast of Auguste Rodin’s famed sculpture, The Thinker, in monumental scale to greet guests. It’s surrounded by a dry fresco covering the walls

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‘WE BUILT ALL OUR OTHER PROJECTS FROM THE GROUND UP, BUT THIS WAS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE INHERITING’

For more of our molto bene recs, read our Milan City Guide.

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and ceiling that features eight mythological figures holding up the world by Italian artist, Alex Folla. “I think it’s a great way to arrive in Milan because you are completely absorbed into this world of Italian Renaissance art with a modern twist,” said Carrie. “It’s really inspired.” The hotel opened in November 2019 and hit its stride with full occupancy by Fashion Week of February 2020, but was forced to shut down at the start of the pandemic. After a brief reopening in 2020, it closed again during the second wave and has remained open – at last – since March 2021. “We felt we needed to be open because we were the new hotel and nobody knew about us,” Carrie explained. “We needed to get our name out there because we just never really had the opportunity to do that before the pandemic.” The hotel features two restaurants: Pellico Otto is open daily for breakfast, lunch, aperitifs and dinner. It doubles as an art gallery with many of the works by artists represented at Galleria Vik Milano throughout the space. The rooftop houses a pizzeria, I Dodici Gatti. Equally delectable is the art that covers every inch of the property – from hallway murals to the view at breakfast overlooking the Galleria. Still, Carrie is the first to acknowledge that Galleria Vik Milano “is not a hotel for everybody.” “We are not a cookie-cutter hotel, and some people want a cookie-cutter hotel. They want to know that when they go into the room, it’s going to have the desk in the corner, and a TV, and the same amenities everywhere you go. We’re not like that,” she said. “Every room has different furniture. Most of the rooms don’t have TVs. That’s not our brand.” While guests may request a TV, the focus here is on helping guests immerse themselves in a world of design, architecture, style, and history. What could be more effortlessly chic, more Milano than that?

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ICONS ONLY Fashion industry vet Fern Mallis is back with a second volume of her beloved Fashion Icons series. BY HANNAH MILITANO PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RIZZOLI

t takes an icon to know one. Ever a dynamic creative visionary, esteemed fashion professional Fern Mallis has built an unexpected second act for herself as one of the industry’s foremost storytellers, parsing out tales from countless industry luminaries in fireside chats at New York’s 92nd Street Y. Now, five years after her debut Rizzoli tome Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis, the industry vet is gifting fashion fans with a second installment: Fashion Icons: Fashion Lives with Fern Mallis. As usual, the book features a brigade of interviews with fashion’s most beloved personalities: Valentino Garavani, Christian Siriano, Bethann Hardison, Leonard Lauder, Tim Gunn, Stan Herman, Victoria Beckham, Zandra Rhodes, Bob Mackie, Angela and Rosita Missoni, Iris Apfel, Arthur Elgort, and Billy Porter. There is a foreword from yet another A-lister (model Ashley Graham), and poignant portraits by artist Ruben Baghdasaryan. This time, though, there’s a twist. “The good news is that in Fashion Icons Volume Two, the first interview in the book is with me. We turn the tables,” Mallis told GRAZIA USA. Interviewed by television personality Bevy Smith, Mallis finally takes her place in the hot seat, ultimately confronting the soul-searching questions at the root of all the interviews in the Fashion Icons series: “Who is this person? How did they get to where they are? How did they become who they are?” In Mallis’s case, the story is a fascinating one. Credited with having transformed New York Fashion Week into the global tour de force it is today, the Brooklyn native has had her finger on the pulse of burgeoning fashion talent since the early days of her career. As a child, Mallis was beguiled by the hustle and bustle of New York’s Garment District. “That’s really where my love of it started,” she explained. Mallis’s father and uncles all worked in the Garment District, and “as a young kid growing up in Brooklyn, it was a thrill for me to take the bus, and the subway, and go to work with him any chance I got. I was enamored with the industry and all the hubbub on the streets, all the activity.” The seed for a sparkling career in fashion was planted early on and sprouted not long after: Mallis snagged a coveted spot as a guest editor of

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Mademoiselle magazine while still a senior at the University of Buffalo after winning a contest for their “Back to School” issue. The lucky break would lead to a full-time position at the magazine, followed by Mallis’s reign as executive director of the country’s governing fashion association, the Council of Fashion Designers of America. There, the celebrated fashion consultant conceived of the event “Seventh on Sixth” in 1993. Later known as “the tents,” the initiative organized an authoritative nucleus for American fashion designers to showcase their creations and established NYFW as one of the big four fashion capitals. After the event was acquired by IMG in 2001, so too was Mallis. Joining the international media juggernaut as senior vice president of IMG Fashion, she also became its ambassador, jet-setting around the world and adding new fashion weeks to the schedule around the globe: from Los Angeles and Miami to Melbourne and Berlin. In the meantime, Mallis was instrumental in mobilizing the fashion community around causes close to her heart, from the AIDS crisis to breast cancer awareness. Then came her second act. “It started after I left IMG, after 10 years of being Senior Vice President of IMG Fashion and the 10 years before that as the Director of the CFDA,” Mallis explained. The year-long sabbatical that ensued became what Mallis called “the coffee phase of my life.” With her phone ringing off the hook, Mallis was fielding calls from industry insiders asking for her in-demand advice or guidance. “‘Can we meet for a cup of coffee? I have an idea.’ ‘Can we meet for a cup of coffee? I have a new project coming up.’ ‘Can we meet for a cup of coffee? Somebody told me you’d be perfect to consult on this.’ And I started to laugh,” she explained. “Nobody ever called me up for lunch or

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dinner, they just wanted coffee.” Eventually, one of the ideas sparked an inspiration. Connected to the head of programming at the 92nd Street Y, Mallis was pitched the idea of conducting interviews there with fashion designers – and she was intrigued. “I loved the 92nd street Y,” she said. “I grew up in New York and I would go there for many of their extraordinary talks and see all these amazing people up there.” The series was a go. Mallis tapped long-time friend and prolific designer Norma Kamali for her debut Fashion Icons talk. “I felt safe trying this out with her,” said Mallis. After that came Calvin Klein. “He had been out of the business for 10 years at that time,” Mallis said. “The first thing I asked [Calvin] was, ‘Why are you doing this with me? You’re not hawking a new perfume, you don’t have a new collection, you’re not selling a book,’ and he said, ‘I’m doing it because you asked me.’ That was a good answer.” Once others saw Klein on stage with Mallis, more doors opened. Interviews with Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg, Andre Leon Talley, and Bill Cunningham would follow. Throughout, Mallis’s impressive array of influential fashion connections, paired with her palpable charisma and authentic warmth, earned the series the success it deserves. “It was my goal to share with the world who these people are. They’re not just a name on a label. Who are they really?” Mallis explained. “I learned to become an interviewer. I listened, and I loved doing it. It was always about doing the research, and really finding out all sorts of special details and asking friends of these people for some fun stories. The interviews were always unscripted, intimate, authentic, very loving, warm, friendly. They’re remarkable stories. You walk out of the auditorium, and you feel like you know these people. It’s a very rewarding experience for everybody.” Authenticity and vulnerability live at the heart of the Fashion Icons interviews. Able to bob and weave through heavy emotions with a heartfelt levity, Mallis shares her “magic potion.” “I think the secret to getting them to open up, and be that forthcoming is that there’s a relationship already. I know these people. We’ve been in the trenches together; we’ve shared a lot of experiences,” she said. For this book, those experiences required a passport. “We went overseas,” Mallis said. From Italians Valentino Garavani and Angela and Rosita Missoni, to Brits Victoria Beckham, and Zandra Rhodes, it’s a truly international cast. No matter the subject, though, Mallis exudes an almost omniscient presence. Throughout our conversation, the Fashion Icons host shared matter-of-fact tidbits, which, while already true, seem to hold more weight, power, or value because she was the one saying them. “Mr. Valentino. If you can get an interview with him, you take it.” “Christian Siriano. Hot as a pistol.” “Tim Gunn. You know, everybody loves Tim.” “Who wouldn’t want to hear Victoria Beckham speak?” Perhaps Mallis’s gift is that she says what we’re all thinking – and asks the questions that we’re dying to pose. Of course, there is that insider access. Mallis described how she

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met Arthur Elgort in her “Mademoiselle days,” and reunited with the photographer for the new tome. Stan Herman – President of the CFDA for 15 years and Mallis’s “BFF” – has been included in the latest volume as well. Then, there are the VVIPs. According to Mallis, model and activist Bethann Hardison is the only one of the Fashion Icons to have ever been a guest at her home in South Hampton. Zandra Rhodes was even the subject of Mallis’s childhood fashion fantasies: Specifically, her dream wedding dress. “I wanted one of those white, pearly things, with all the little peaks, and layers of chiffon, like what she did for Princess Diana in shades of pink,” Mallis said. As a grown-up fashion icon, Mallis would spend the week with Rhodes as guests of the Queen Mary on its first Fashion Week crossing; the “extraordinary” experience made them closer than ever. “Now, every time she comes to New York, we get together for lunch or dinner,” Mallis explained. “So, I was thrilled to be able to get her on the stage. She’s a character. She’s really the original. Punk, funk, pink, the whole thing.” Another “special” interview subject was Billy Porter. Mallis recalled the landmark moment when the multihyphenate talent stepped onto the Academy Awards red carpet in 2019 in his Christian Siriano black-tie tuxedo gown. “Talk about a moment that changed everything,” said Mallis. “That opened the gates for people, for men to wear dresses, and just do whatever felt right for them.” Of course, in fashion image is everything; and illustrator, Ruben Baghdasaryan took inspiration from his iconic subjects – Porter most of all. Even before coming on board with the project, Baghdasaryan had always admired Porter’s activism and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, “and he was also very supportive of my art,” said the artist. “When I was just starting in the fashion industry, he pushed my work forward by reposting my illustrations on his Instagram page,” Baghdasaryan told GRAZIA USA. “I got a huge following after that.” After meeting the Tony Award winner, Baghdasaryan then sent him a customized portrait of Porter and his partner Adam Smith, which now sits in the star’s home. As for his other subjects – Bethann Hardison, Marc Jacobs, and Chrisitian Siriano – Baghdasaryan said his art is informed by meeting in person, and “who I’m most connected with, spiritually.” While Mallis’s extensive lineup of high-fashion friends has certainly opened doors for some sublime interviews, her wealth of connections doesn’t mean she hasn’t had to chase a few down. After actively pursuing both Bob Mackie and Leonard Lauder for years, Mallis finally landed both for this second edition. She said, “If you just ask enough, sometimes a no becomes a yes.” While Mackie may have taken a bit of extra coaxing, the result proved to be worth it. Best known for his theatrical, sheer, beaded, and fringe creations adorned by the likes of Cher, Diana Ross, and Tina Turner, Mackie is “one of those fashion heroes that I don’t think ever got the respect that he deserved in his career,” Mallis said, “but now, he’s just revered.” As for Lauder, the highly anticipated interview was such a success, the mogul wrote Mallis afterwards, saying, “If I wasn’t so busy, I’d say, ‘Let’s

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take this on the road.’” “That would be a dream,” said Mallis, “to go on the road, interviewing Leonard Lauder. He’s an extraordinary man; such a champion of women in business. He always says, ‘Never make an important decision without a woman at the table.’” While not ordinarily in the spotlight, Lauder found Fashion Icons to bethe perfect platform for telling his story. “It’s a name that’s so legendary with a multi-billion-dollar business. He started that business with his mother [Estée] in Queens in her kitchen, making face creams,” Mallis said. From there, they would go on to sell their cosmetics at Saks Fifth Ave. “The story is remarkable.” With the COVID-19 pandemic kicking off the inception of book two, Mallis found that these stories were more relevant than ever. “Everyone was trying to figure out: What do they do now? What’s next? People were losing jobs. How do you reinvent yourself? How do you start over again? How do you make sense of it all?” In most of the interviews Mallis conducts, the guests reveal that the trajectory of their careers very rarely went without hiccups or setbacks. “Almost all the interviews I’ve had in this series are about people, how they started their businesses, how they failed in their business, how they

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went bankrupt, and how they started again. Those are the stories: the triumphs, the highs and the lows of their lives and their businesses,” said Mallis. “I think that’s what we were all feeling during COVID. So, the stories felt even more important to share – to let people know, we’ve all been there.” Today, the pandemic is receding but the end to Mallis’s story is certainly not in sight. On the contrary, she revealed that she has enough material right now to complete a third and even a fourth book. Having just conducted new interviews with beauty mogul Bobbi Brown, and model/ activist Christy Turlington Burns, she’ll next take on designer Tory Burch. Fashion Icons is available exclusively at Nordstrom. Mallis said, “They’re a terrific partner. I love the new store in New York. It’s very much part of their DNA to support designers and support the industry. This is just a perfect marriage.” It might also be coming soon to a screen near you: Mallis has been collaborating with Peaceable Assembly producer Jonathan Gray for the last year and a half to make the transition from the Y to film. With countless interviews in store, more books, and a potential new series, there’s no stopping Fern Mallis and her Fashion Icons.

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