GRAZIA Gazette: Art Basel 2021

GRAZIA

ART BASEL

VOLUME SEVEN

GAZETTE

BLING IT

JAMIE XIE’S EMPIRE RISES

A SWISS VISION OF BEAUT Y

L A PR A I R I E’ S V I S I O N O F B E AU T Y I S S E E N T H RO U G H T H E PR I S M O F S W I T Z E R L A N D. I N S PI R E D BY T H E T I M E LES S N ES S O F N AT U R E .

M A S T E R E D BY 9 0 Y E A RS O F S W I S S C E LLU L A R S C I E N C E .

E LE VAT E D BY A LEG ACY O F C U LT U R E .

E X PE R I E N C E T H I S S I N G U L A R V I S I O N W I T H L A PR A I R I E AT T H E 2 021 E D I T I O N O F A R T B A S E L I N M I A M I B E AC H .

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VOLUME SEVEN

THE SCENE & The Seen As the world slowly starts to reopen, the fall gala and event season finds its new “normal”—and Grazia has an inside look.

Clockwise from left: Zendaya and Tom Ford; Christopher John Rogers; Dove Cameron and Wes Gordon; Emily Ratajkowski; Cara Delevingne and Anya Taylor-Joy.

2021 CFDA FASHION AWARDS: COCKTAILS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2021 The Grill + The Pool in NYC played host to the CFDA Fashion Awards cocktail party and dinner on Wednesday, November 10. Guests included Zendaya, Anya-Taylor Joy, Dapper Dan, Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss, and Emily Ratajkowski, Designers Christopher John Rogers, Emily Bode Aujla, and Telfar Clemens took home top honors.

10TH ANNUAL LACMA ART+FILM GALA HONORING AMY SHERALD, KEHINDE WILEY, AND STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTED BY GUCCI

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2021 The Los Angeles County Museum of Art was the place to be for the Art+Film Gala, presented by Gucci on Saturday, November 6, where Lil Nas X, Hailey Bieber, Jared Leto, and Billie Eilish partied with Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele.

GRAZIA USA

Clockwise from left: Billie Eilish; Alessandro Michele and Jared Leto; Kirsten Dunst and Awkwafina; Camila Morrone and Hailey Bieber; Kehinde Wiley and Lil Nas X.

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VOLUME SEVEN

DAVID THIELEBEULE

EDITOR IN CHIEF, CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER

BRIAN CAMPION

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CASEY BRENNAN

EXECUTIVE EDITOR AT L ARGE

DANICA LO

STRATEGIC EDITORIAL ADVISOR

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES Our coterie of Miamians who embody success, culture, change, and the art of living well

EDITOR AT L ARGE Kevin Sessums ST YLE EDITOR Ty Gaskins SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Shelton Boyd-Griffith MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER Josh Sokol EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Kathleen Burns COPY EDITORS Diane Hodges CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Catherine De Orio Michael Kaplan Maggie Kim JUNIOR DESIGNER Alexandra Sexton

DIGITAL INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jessica Bailey FASHION DIRECTOR Charlotte Stokes FASHION WRITER Grace O’Neill FEATURES WRITER Rebekah Clark BEAUT Y EDITOR Emily Algar CONTRIBUTING BEAUT Y EDITOR Kate Lancaster

JESSICA GOLDMAN

MISTER E

As CEO and curator of Goldman Global Arts, Srebnick oversees a portfolio of restaurants, office buildings, and a boutique hotel and helps foster the arts in Miami, most notably with the company’s Wynwood Walls project and the Houston Bowery Wall in NYC.

After a brief stint working in real estate, the Miami-based contemporary artist gained fame—and a following of celebrity clients— thanks to his rainbow-colored hundred-dollar bills.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Isabelle Truman E-COMMERCE EDITOR Karli Poliziani

HEADQUARTERS 100 BROADWAY, 11TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10005 • PHONE (917) 231-8680 • EMAIL CONTACT@GRAZIAUSA.COM Printing: Earth Enterprize. 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. © 2021 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.

MARC SPIEGLER

The British-born global director of Art Basel started his career as an art journalist and now oversees the fairs in Basel, Hong Kong, and Miami.

Advertising inquiries: sales@graziausa.com. Press inquiries: press@graziausa.com. General inquiries: contact@graziausa.com. For syndication, email contact@graziausa.com.

VIRGIL ABLOH

The Off-White founder and Louis Vuitton artistic director is back at Basel— he was tapped to transform a G-wagon into a race car in 2020— and this time, he’s designing a show car with MercedesMaybach.

MELISSA CRONIN

PRESIDENT, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

BRENDAN MONAGHAN

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL CHIEF BRANDS OFFICER CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Andrew Lee VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL MANAGER Tanya Amini EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brian Campion CHIEF INNOVATIONS OFFICER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Paul Dousset EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL EVENTS & MARKETING Sara Shenasky EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FASHION & LUXURY Maria Eliason EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Emily Sigman SALES DIRECTOR, BEAUT Y Koko Dreschler

CHAD FABRIKANT

Co-founder of the Miamibased global communications agency Carma Connected, Fabrikant—alongside partner Lyndsey Cooper and a talented team—oversees an impressive portfolio of clients, including 1 Hotel South Beach, SOBEWFF, Frost Science, and hospitality guru Dave Grutman.

DIRECTOR OF SALES, WEST COAST, USA Nancy Cooper DIRECTOR OF SALES, FRANCE & SWIZERL AND Guglielmo Bava CREATIVE DIRECTOR, EDITORIAL & INTEGRATED MARKETING Ilaria Svitic SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Gabriella Zurrow EXECUTIVE EDITOR AT L ARGE Casey Brennan CHIEF WRITER, DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Dominic Utton CHIEF OF STAFF Melissa Melendez Reale

DYLAN HOWARD

CHAIRMAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & PUBLISHER

IN THE Issue

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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 © 2021 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

17 THE NEW & THE NOW

23 MOST WANTED

27 LOOKING FORWARD

35 COVER STORY

46 WHAT’S IN MY BEACH BAG?

ON THE COVER Jaime Xie, photographed by Dennis Leupold and styled by Oretta Corbelli. Brunello Cucinelli dress, shop.brunellocucinelli.com; Bulgari earrings and bracelet, bulgari.com.

Neck, Chin & Jawline Sculpting Wands

Available at SBLA.com

THE NEW & THE NOW

VOLUME SEVEN

ART BASEL

100 Year’s Of Chanel N° 5

The Parisian maison commissions the famed artist for a multisensory installation experience.

BY TY GASKINS

I

n the world of fragrances, procuring your first bottle of Chanel perfume is nothing short of a rite of passage.

The Parisian fashion designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel behind the eponymous maison’s first fragrance, Chanel N° 5, has proven to be just as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. The scent has upheld a high-end olfactory standard and has become synonymous with luxury and gracing renowned vanities across art, fashion, music, and cinema—most notably Marilyn Monroe.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic fragrance, and with a scent so renowned, only naturally did the Parisian maison go big for its centennial celebration. Just after taking over New York’s Rockefeller Center to bring an immersive experience “in the stars,” Chanel is heading down to Art Basel along with the fashion, art, and design crowd to continue the fête.

Chanel commissioned London-based stage artist Es Devlin to create an installation in celebration of its signature fragrance.

If you’re not familiar with Devlin’s work, to add context, the artist is known for her large-scale theatrical installation work, including the set for the super-hot theatrical play “The Lehman Trilogy,” and working with artists including Kanye, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna. The notable artist’s latest project with Chanel will soon arrive at the Miami Design District’s Jungle Plaza just in time for the Art Basel masses to arrive.

Devlin and Chanel will transform the plaza into a multisensory labyrinth entitled “Five Echoes,” starting with a lush forest with more than 20 plant species (a nod to Coco Chanel’s upbringing in Abbey of Aubazine surrounded by woods). A luminescent sculpture that interprets the legendary Chanel N° 5 fragrance through sound and sight emerges at the center of the forest, featuring a soundscape developed in collaboration with Chanel’s in-house perfumer Olivier Polge.

The partnership will mark the second time the two have worked together after Chanel commissioned a signature scent in 2016 for the artist’s “Mirror Maze” installation in London.

Artist Ev Devlin

“The word ‘labyrinth’ originally referred to human movement: it was a dance before it became architecture,” the artist reflects. “If our behavior can define our architecture, then perhaps our art and architecture can alter our behavior.

If works of art can help us to see ourselves as part of the biosphere and symbiotically fuse with it, if we can start to see plants and animals as an equal protagonist as ourselves in life, I believe we have a better chance at making the fundamental behavioral shirts that are necessary not only to avoid climate chaos, but also to live in a more just, equitable, and joyful way.”Located at 3801 NE 1st Avenue, the “Five Echoes” installation will be open to the public from November 30 to December 21, 2021; online ticketing is highly encouraged.

With sustainability and positive environmental impact deep in the brand’s DNA, components of the labyrinth will be repurposed and recycled following its closure, while all of the plants used in the installation will be replanted in local public parks. Now that’s chic. chanel.com

GRAZIA USA

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VOLUME SEVEN

Designer ESTEBAN CORTÁZAR

Body LOGIC

Because it’s always swimsuit season in Miami.

The designer draws from the art culture scene of ’90s Miami for his collection.

BY TY GASKINS

Dior at the Brooklyn Museum, Mugler at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, fashion’s biggest night out a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Fashion, for as long as I can remember, has had a long-standing relationship with art. In designer Esteban Cortázar’s case, he often looks to his childhood—specifically growing up in Miami in the ’90s as the city was going through a renaissance of art and culture—and his well-established contemporary artist father, Valentino Cortázar. While designers like the late Gianni Versace made a home in Miami drawing on its locals and ambiance for inspiration, a parallel world of artists and photographers also migrated to the buzzing beach city for the same reason. Years later, Miami still holds home to a thriving art and fashion crossover, including the Art Basel fair. Ahead, we talk to the Bogotá-born, Miami-raised creative on his career and incorporating his artist background into his exquisite designs.

Grazia: One of the parts of your career I find most interesting was how young you were when you started out. You were just 17 when you showed your first show during NYFW, I was 18 when I started my first editorial job, so I totally relate to being young and wanting to be taken seriously. What was it like starting so early?

Esteban Cortázar: It was quite liberating and not that scary because I felt spontaneous and free to express myself with not so much pressure since I was so young. I didn’t really have anything to lose and way more to gain and learn. I knew some people didn’t take me seriously, but at the same time, some did, and I focused on that and on authentically doing my thing and have kept doing that ever since, but now there is a bit more pressure, ha-ha.

G: Miami’s Latin cultural scene became the inspiration for so many creatives such as Bruce Weber, Peter Lindberg, and Herb Ritz—how has the city influenced you in your work?

EC: So much! especially during the ’90s, which were really the golden days of South Beach. I think the light is magical there, and there is certain energy like no other. I think this is why all these incredible photographers loved to shoot there and why so many musicians have recorded there, or artists have created there. South Beach was a little tropical Art Deco village full of artists, eccentric retirees, models, designers, artists, etc. It was a melting pot for relaxed creativity.

G: You’re such an impactful force within the fashion community.

One thing I admire is that you’re constantly pushing for more diverse inclusion within the industry. It’s so needed. How has that journey been in terms of pushing for that within the industry?

EC: It’s a state of mind for me, it comes naturally. I’ve had a very multicultural life in my family and upbringing, and diversity inspires me and always has. It’s not something I’ve had to think about so much; it’s part of my DNA. G: Your father, Valentino Cortázar, is an outstanding contemporary painter and has inspired some of your work, including your recent Desigual collaboration. What has been the most valuable advice he’s given you as a creative?

EC: To always contemplate nature, horizons, landscapes and let the imagination roll. To never compromise my freedom as a creative and to do things calmly and one step at a time.

G: As we see, art and fashion have a very thin line between them, if one at all. Each designer approaches their design process differently. How do you start off idealizing a collection?

EC: It’s different every time, it can be a conversation, an image, or a song, but I usually inject personal experiences or memories into all my collections, making them feel authentic.

GRAZIA USA

HEAVEN MUST HAVE SCENT YOU Celine’s first journey into fragrances was in 2019, with the launch of a perfume collection. Now creative director Hedi Slimane continues to evolve the Parisian Maison by introducing a line of candles, proving that the brand “nose” what clients really want. Much like the perfumes, Celine’s new eight-candle collection nods to Slimane’s personal experiences while at the same time staying true to the grand traditions of French perfumery, a legacy that the brand defines as “couturier parfumeur.” Each candle undergoes a meticulous process by the maison’s in-house wax maker—trained in both perfumery and wax-making— to create distinctive scents like Nightclubbing, which smells of nicotine and “the nape of a neck fragrant with vanilla,” and Palimpsest, a blend of gallica rose, pear, ivy, and moss, and Grands Lys that conjures the sentiment of familiar places. celine.com – TY GASKINS

It’s no secret that Miamians take really good care of themselves and have no shame flaunting a little skin. And to get into tip-top shape, the fitness set heads to Anatomy. More than your average gym, Anatomy is a fullservice health and wellness destination complete with state-of-the-art equipment and private training group fitness classes (including outdoor options). With four Miami locations, including an outpost at the 1 Hotel South Beach and a fifth one opening soon in Doral, Anatomy also offers post-workout services including infrared sauna, cold plunge pools, a eucalyptus steam room, IV vitamin recovery, and chiropractic services from USA Sports Therapy; endermologie, blowouts, and facials are also available for a complete post-workout beauty experience. To keep hair and scalp clean after a serious sweat session, we also can’t get enough of the new line from skincare expert Dr. Barbara Sturm. Much like Dr. Strum’s cult favorite beauty brand, the Molecular Hair + Scalp Collection is made with science-based ingredients; the eight new products include Anti-Hair Fall Shampoo and Conditioner, Balancing Shampoo and Scalp Serum, and a Repair Hair Mask.

Another option for those looking to get into shape is 54D, a “human transformation program” with a new location in the Design District. This results-based, nine-week training program—including high-intensity group fitness combined with custom nutrition and recovery treatments— was founded by former pro soccer player Rodrigo Garduño, who gained a following by offering virtual fitness classes with over 150,000 streamers; celeb fans include Miamians Alex Rodriguez and Adriana Lima. For those looking for more intense and targeted recovery to accompany workouts, Vitruvia is the go-to especially for Miami-based athletes and musicians. Thanks to a revolutionary, in-depth tissue analysis, Vitruvia can customize treatment that helps clients regain full movement and regain quality of life. anatomyfitness.com – CASEY BRENNAN

Best Face FORWARD Treat yourself to a treatment — or new products — from these Magic City spas.

While it’s hard to complain about nearly 365 days of sunshine, the rays can take a serious toll on skin. When in need of a boost, there’s nothing like a luxurious facial and no one better in Miami than Melissa Fox. Located in Coral Gables, the celebrity aesthetician and her team at Flawless by Melissa Fox use both top-of-the-line products from Biologique Recherche along with the latest skincare technology to treat clients’ skin issues, including acne, fine lines, and wrinkles or to give a tune-up before a big event. “I believe in a progressive, never aggressive approach to skincare. We hyper customize all treatments and regimens to fit our guests’ needs and lifestyle.” The retail boutique at Flawless by Melissa Fox features a wide variety of Biologique Recherche products along with top sellers from MBR, iS Clinical, and Valmont. At Sana Skin Studio in Wynwood, weary skin is treated with clean beauty products like Indie Lee and Naturopathica; a 30-minute Express Facial is perfect for those on the go, while the SuperDetox— which includes a professional grade peel, ultrasonic skin cleanse, and blue light LED—is the ultimate in self-care. “Sana is a skin studio redefining the skincare experience through goaldriven facials, real guidance, and clean skincare,” says founder Valentina Hernandez. “Our facials are meant to fit into your life, are customized to your skin needs, and are rooted in education.” flawlessbymelissafox.com; sanaskinstudio.com – CASEY BRENNAN

THE NEW & THE NOW

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STATE OF THE ARTS

These are the books on our wish-list right now

BLACK COLLAGIST BOOK Written by Baltimore based curator Teri Henderson and published by Kanye Publishing, this book is a comprehensive gathering of some of the world’s greatest Black collage practiced artist. From established artist like Kara Walker, Deborah Roberts and Raphael Barontini, to talent including Alexandria Valentine, Shefon Taylor and Brittany M. Reid, it’s a beautiful collection of images, essays, and historical text, that invites the conversation on representation within the medium.

WOMAN MADE: GREAT WOMEN DESIGNERS: Kering and Phaidon have teamed up to present ‘Woman Made: Great Women Designers’, a comprehensive book that spotlights female product designers and their contributions to furniture, textile, product, and lighting design, from the early twentieth century to present day. This book aims to flip the script on patriarchal parameters within the design industry, and celebrate the contributions, achievements and accolades of some of the greatest designers of the past 100 years. From icons of yesterday like Ray Eames and Eileen Gray to today’s titans of design Faye Toogood, and Ilse Crawford.

Louis Vuitton TAKES ON ART BASEL From the chic and romantic world of Parisian culture to the bright, vibrant, and exciting lights of Miami, Louis Vuitton is bringing its classic style and aesthetic to the coast of Florida this year.

O

pening during the art week activations of Art Basel, the inaugural opening will be of the Miami Women’s Store. Transforming the Miami Design district into an event that encapsulates on-lookers into the world of the Objets Nomades, a celebration of home décor and sculpture created by world-renowned designers such as the Campana Brothers and Zanellato/Bortotto, the two-story façade of the building will explode into a celebration of color and vibrancy, right on par with the energy that Miami holds so dear to its legacy.

Jubilance and wonder ensue, with an exhibition designed

by Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola which celebrates the world of Objets Nomades and all of its intricacies, wonder, and bewilderment.

2021’s “Objets Nomades is a collection of travel-inspired furniture and sculptural pieces, inspired by internationally renowned designers.

Featuring pieces such as the “Aguacate” by the Campana Brothers, you can bring a little piece of the world at-large to your home with this new collection.

Alongside new pieces from the 2021 collection to explore, such as the “Cosmic Table” by Raw Edge or the “Lanterns”

by Zanellato/Bortotto, guests will be invited to view some of Urquiola’s signature pieces, such as her “Hanging Chair.”

As a kickoff for further celebrations to come, this inaugural event seeks to inspire and translate Urquiola’s vision to all

who come to see it. This collection is a vessel through which the unmatched artistic perspectives of the Objets Nomades collaborators come to life, celebrating the fashion house’s expertise on domestic extravagance.

After the dust has settled on the eventfulness of Art Basel, Louis Vuitton celebrates the long-awaited opening of its Miami Men’s Store. With architecture and design that reflects the vibrant spirit of Miami as well as the history of craftsmanship and innovation by the fashion house, this marks a meeting of two worlds, inspired by innovation and legacy.

The building’s intricate, geometric façade will take the stage. It will feature aspects of the Objets Nomades collection, specifically the “Diamond Screen,” by Marcel Wanders Studio.

As a homage to the bright city, on inaugural night, the front of the building will illuminate an array of colored lights, dazzling and inspiring.

The legacy of Louis Vuitton is something classic, almost nostalgic. But it is also new and fresh, and as the world changes and aesthetics shift into the contemporary era, Louis Vuitton takes a bright, fresh, and reimagined angle on the sensibilities of modern luxury.

Both with the Objets Nomades exhibition and a spectacle to behold at the Men’s Store, Louis Vuitton reminds us why it stays relevant and a sight to behold in an ever-changing world of visual wonder. www.louisvuitton.com – JOSH SOKOL

YVES SAINT LAURENT MUSEUM MARRAKECH STUDIO KO: Stylized in the form of a diary, this book documents the precisely 1,423 days it took to design and conceive the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech, an architectural wonder and fashion lovers’ destination. Courtesy of Studio KO, the tome will be a treat to design lovers, as it delves into the creative process of conceptualizing a space. Featuring sketches and renderings, notes and behind the scenes photos, this book invites the reader inside the design studio and process.

NADINE IJEWERE: OUR OWN SELVES: The first book dedicated to the work of London- born fashion photographer Nadine Ijewere. this book is a visual record of her remarkable career as one of the most sought-after fashion photographers today.

Nadine, known for her stylish portraits, use of vibrant colors, and highlighting beauty in all its shades, crafts fantastical stories through her imagery.

This monograph, with over 160 photographs, is a stunning addition to any coffee table, as every page turn gives way to striking image after image.

BLACK IVY: A REVOLT IN STYLE: Black Ivy: A Revolt in Style chronicles the history of Black male dress. It follows a period in American history when Black men across the country adopted the clothing of a privileged elite and reinvented prep fashion—in their own distinct way. From musician Miles Davis and his signature style, to novelist James Baldwin, this book examines fashion through a socio-historical context, examining the act of redefining fashion and challenging the status quo.

The book features iconic images from esteemed photographers, publications, and pop culture.

GRAZIA USA

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VOLUME SEVEN

Magic City MAGIC A London import comes to town, plus a cocktail refresh and much more. These days, there are so many new things to experience on the Miami culinary scene.

BY CASEY BRENNAN

YACHT SHOW SETS SAIL FOR 2022

SEXY FISH BRICKELL

Famed restaurateur Richard Caring (of Annabel’s renown) brings London’s Sexy Fish concept across the pond to Brickell. Featuring artwork by Damien Hirst and Frank Gehry lamps, the Miami outpost will feature a menu by Chef Bjoern Weissgerber, including duck salad, smoked tuna belly and black cod. www.sexyfishmiami.com

THE DREXEL

After much success with Mandolin and Mr. Mandolin, the founders are expanding to historic Española Way with a new coastal Mediterranean eatery at the Esme Hotel; think simple dishes like pizza, seafood, and veggies along with rare boutique wines and curated cocktails. www.drexelmiami.com

It goes without saying that everyone missed the Miami Yacht Show last year.

But this year, the show is back on! The producers of the iconic display are preparing to launch an unparalleled 2022 event over the span of five days.

Over Presidents’ Day Weekend, from February 16 to February 22, there will be displays at four distinct locations in the vibrant city of Miami: Herald Plaza, Sea Isle Marina, Island Gardens Marina, and the Miami Beach Convention Center. miamiboatshow.com – JOSH SOKOL

BANYAN ROOM AT THE SURF CLUB

At Chef Thomas Keller’s superlative restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, the new Banyan Room—with tropical greenery, a white latticed ceiling, and striped canvas chairs—offers diners an alternative experience to the traditional Club Room. Don’t fret: the bread and butter service remains. www.surfclubrestaurant.com

REFLECTIONS COCKTAIL COLLECTION AT THE CHAMPAGNE BAR

The super-chic bar at the Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club has a new cocktail menu that pays homage to the property’s rich history.

The eight cocktails were expertly crafted under the direction of Head Bartender Valentino Longo and include the Carnival in Venice, Fiesta in Rio, and the Sorcerer’s Ball. www.fourseasons.com/surfside/ dining/lounges/the-champagne-bar/

GRAZIA USA

Loewe’s MIAMI REOPENING

The Spanish luxury brand revamps its first American flagship store with art.

Loewe’s creative director Johnathan Anderson isn’t one for conventionalism when it comes to his collections, so naturally the luxury Spanish brand’s retail spaces follow suit. Walking into a Loewe flagship is like walking into a contemporary art gallery—and just as galleries change, Anderson feels a store should do the same. When looking for the fashion house’s first United States location, Anderson found a home in Miami’s Design District in 2016. Five years and four flagship openings across the country later, Anderson revamped the original location with an all-new concept perfectly timed to debut as the art crowd descends on the city for Art Basel. Step inside the space, and you’re met with the iconic conceptual work of artist Sol LeWitt. Commissioned by Paula Cooper Gallery, local Miami painters and artists painted the bold and colorful mural towering over the main floor under the LeWitt Foundation. The furniture complements the work of art in the same vibrant color palette while contrasting the walls and floors made of concrete—all making the ideal backdrop for Anderson’s line of stunning clothes. loewe.com – JOSH SOKOL

The “Hack” IS BACK

The Hacker Project, a two-part collaborative design series between Gucci and Balenciaga, debuted during the Spring ’22 shows for both houses. Now the Hacker Project has unveiled the much-anticipated encore. The Hacker Project allows artistic directors Alessandro Michele of Gucci and Balenciaga’s Demna Gvasalia to hack design codes and signifiers from the opposing house to create a capsule of cross-branded products. In Part One, we saw Michele explore Gucci pieces through a Balenciaga lens; for Part Two, Gvasalia interprets Gucci signatures through Balenciaga pieces.

The insanely popular Hacker Project designs are now available at several pop-ups, including one in Miami’s Design District. Run, don’t walk. balenciaga.com - SHELTON BOYD-GRIFFITH

THE NEW & THE NOW

21

Tayo Kuku: THE NEW VANGUARD

Faena ART BAZAAR

The trained engineer turned photographer is re-imaging the art of image making, through an architectural lens.

There is a new class of Black photographers, a new vanguard, changing the scope of photography and demanding the inclusion of Black image making/makers into the cannon. And photographer Tayo Kuku is among that cohort, dedicating his lens to highlighting Black people and culture. The Nigerian native, DMV-based (that’s D.C, Maryland, Virginia, BTW) image maker beautifully crafts photo essays and images that capture the beauty and nuances of Blackness. As a self-taught visual storyteller, Kuku is carving out his own unique path, one inspired by his architectural background. His images are incredibly striking, with careful attention to color theory, symmetry, and lighting—all going back to his concentration of engineering.

We caught up with the civil engineer turned photographer ahead of his big move to the West Coast and dished all about his inspirations, artistic practice, and the incredibly beautiful way in which he lights and captures Black figures.

As a nonprofit organization at the forefront of showcasing innovative, immersive, and creative practices, Faena Art debuts the opening of the spacious and artfully designed Project Room during Miami Art Week 2021.

The first of its kind for Faena Art, this space will be a permanent physical location that exists to platform experimentation and development of new, exciting, and innovative artistic ideas. With plenty of room for contemporary ideas, the Project Room encourages ambitious artists to explore diverse approaches to achieve new levels in their practice.

The Project Room will be host

to an invigorating artist residency program, as well as a series of artists’ talks, and foster a sense of community among creatives that transcends the predetermined boundaries of art, science, philosophy, and social practice.

During its opening week, the Project Room is set to celebrate the Barcelona-based artist Andrés Reisinger in collaboration with Aorist.

Reisinger’s work exists at the creative intersections of art, design, and direction. Combining the imagined and the tangible, Reisinger’s art is the perfect fit for the Project Room’s debut show. faena.com – JOSH SOKOL

GRAZIA: How did you home in on your photographic aesthetic?

Tayo: When I was starting out, there weren’t many visual references I could use of Black models or models of color that I could really reference and draw inspiration for my work. And that’s where the original push came for me to create the work that I like to see. Honestly, that took years of practice, with first finding myself within photography, what I wanted my imagery to look like, and how I wanted to approach storytelling. After finding that is when I started to carve out my own unique stylistic aesthetic.

What’s inspiring your eyes these days?

These days, I’m trying to train my eye more by getting more into film and getting more into the history of Black film. I’m really interested in drawing more feeling and more inspiration from motion. Whether it’s via films directed by Spike [Lee], Jordan Peele, Ava DuVernay or the documentary work of the great Gordon Parks. I think all those culminate into the pool of inspiration I draw from, but also—more importantly—just the people around me. You know, stories I’ve heard, stories I’ve lived through, all of that informs my work, especially my fine artwork. When it comes to my editorial work, the focus is really just capturing our beautiful deep Black textures and skin tones and highlighting us in the best way possible.

What are your earliest memories of photography?

I don’t think it was ever one specific image, but rather just all the beautiful imagery via Tumblr at my disposal.

Your background is in engineering—has it in any way informed your practice?

You know, subconsciously, it really has. Architecture was one of my earliest interests, hence my exploration into civil engineering. So, through architecture and civil architectural engineering, I think I started to really see things as it pertained to symmetry, which has transformed into my work. I’ve found that symmetry really informs and guides the way I shoot. That’s how I try to frame my subjects, how I try to pick my locations, find guidelines and account for negative space.

What do you want to do next within your artistic practice?

I don’t like to limit God, but I just want to continue growing. I think that’s what’s key for me—growing in whatever and in every way I can!

– SHELTON BOYD-GRIFFITH

The Art of GIVENCHY If you feel like there’s been a lot more fashion and art crossover as of late, you’re right. Coming out of the pandemic, fashion designers are looking for new and creative ways to be innovative, but also to feature new mediums and ideas in their collections. Mixing fashion with art isn’t anything new for Givenchy’s creative director Matthew M. Williams: From his self-founded brand, 1017 ALYX 9SM, you’d notice that the intersectionality between art and fashion has always been important to the American designer.

Just this summer, Williams explored both in his Resort 2022 collection with graphic artist Chito. For the collaboration, the Mexico-based artist—known for his airbrush art, which perfectly transcends with the Givenchy DNA—reimagines signature pieces with his artistic flair. T-shirts, jackets, and accessories feature fresh spins on Givenchy emblems alongside idiosyncratic Chito characters such as his cartoon dog, a symbol of protection and loyalty, rendered in the artist’s ever-evolving aerographic style.

“Coming from creating unique pieces with airbrushed embellishments on rare objects and garments, and now being able to bring them to the world, is something special in itself,” said Chito. “Only Givenchy would be able to make that happen.”

To celebrate the special collaboration, Williams’ Spring 2022 collection with Chito

will be available at the Miami boutique with an unforgettable display.

An artsy new collection won’t be the only thing to see when walking into the extraordinary Design District boutique: Williams also has partnered with the acclaimed multimedia artist Ewan Macfarlane, who created a series of mannequins for select boutiques, clad in clothes and accessories from the FallWinter 2021 collection. But these aren’t your typical mannequins; the figures are brought to life showcased in humanlike positions crouching, climbing, reaching, and leaning throughout the retail space.

“I’ve long admired Ewan’s work, and these sculptures really speak to me because my process as a designer is always about finding the humanity in luxury,” says Williams. “I’m always looking at the reality of the person who will bring the clothing to life: It should feel powerful and effortless, equal and joyful. What someone wears should always portray who they are inside. I feel like the beauty of Ewan’s work helped me convey that in a powerful and poetic way.” Through these partnerships, Williams not only brings together creative minds across disciplines in a fresh creative way, but also maintains relevancy for the 69-year-old heritage brand among younger generations by injecting a fresh and forward-thinking approach. www.givenchy.com – TY GASKINS

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O U T E RW E A R F O R E V E RY W H E R E

Alo is a feeling. Through innovative activewear, cutting-edge wellness and powerful fitness content, we educate, uplift and change minds, lives and hearts.

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ART BASEL MIAMI

MORE AT GRAZIAMAGAZINE.COM

Beach WEAR

For the first time since 2019, the art and fashion crowds are making their way back down for Art Basel and all its festivities – and these are the looks that will have you back in the Miami groove in no time.

BY TY GASKINS

Mlouye, $485, mlouye.com.

Chloé, $1,650, chloe.com.

Coperni, $860, nordstorm. nordstrom.com

CHANEL

STELLA MC CARTNEY

ZIMMERMAN

MAX MARA

TORY BURCH

DIOR

Bottega Veneta, $1,850, bottegaveneta.com.

Balenciaga, $3,050, balenciaga.com.

MEDEA, $595, modesens.com.

Piece OF WORK Why just look at art when you can wear it too?

GRAZIA USA

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VOLUME SEVEN

The Art of FRAGRANCE

A sophisticated scent is the perfect conversation opener.

BYREDO Mumbai Noise, $270, byredo.com.

Khaite top, $1,080, farfetch.com; Magda Butrym pants, $945, magdabutrym.com; Proenza Schouler bag, $895, proenzaschouler.com; Miu Miu pumps, $910, miumiu.com; Jil Sander necklace, $690, jilsander.com.

Sandro top, $280, us.sandro-paris.com; Nanushka pants, $545, nanushka.com; Poppy America bag, $880, poppyamerica.com; Marie Laffont loafers, $540$430, marielaffont.com; Missoma earrings, $90, missoma.com.

Tom Ford Lost Cherry, $368, tomford.com.

Louis Vuitton Les Extraits Collection Cosmic Cloud, $530, louisvuitton.com.

Nanushka top, $495, nanushka.com; Peter Do skirt, $1,600, net-a-porter.com; Jacquemus bag, $500, jacquemus.com; Gianvito Rossi sandals, $795, net-a-porter.com; AGMES earrings, $545, agmesnyc.com.

Rivières de Cartier Luxuriance, $113, cartier.com.

Gucci cardigan, $1,980, farfetch.com; Simone Rocha skirt, $780$1,195, farfetch.com; LOEWE bag, $2,250, loewe.com; Havva sandals, $350, havvamustafa.com; Sophie Buhai earrings, $350, sophiebuhai.com.

ST. ROSE Vigilante, $165, bergdorfgoodman.com.

Maison d’Etto Macanudo, $250, maisondetto.com.

Lemaire top, $500, matchesfashion.com; GIA STUDIOS pants, $705, shopshowroom.com; Azulu sandals, $320, azulu.com; JW PEI bag, $89, jwpei.com; Adinas Jewels ring, $98, adinasjewels.com.

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Christopher Esber dress, $1,039, net-a-porter.com; Petit Kouraj bag, $275, petitkouraj.com; Velvet Canyon sunglasses, $239, velvetcanyon.com; Manolo Blahnik sandals, $695, manoloblahnik.com; Giovanna earrings, $120, thisisgiovanna.com.

CHANEL Vanity Case, price upon request, available at select CHANEL Boutiques Chloé basket bag, $850, chloe.com.

Nationwide.

A VANITY CASE IS THE NEW ‘IT’ BAG

W

e can’t talk resort trends withoutmentioning the latest accessories trend everyone is buying into right now—the vanity case bag. When going through the Resort 2022 runways, it was the new beechwood Chanel vanity case revealed by the French fashion house that stood out to us. The maison’s vanity trunk is a part of a long line

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

MAX MARA

of collectible objects designed with the savoir faire that Chanel fans can’t get enough of. The chic structure is what draws us to the dainty top-handle bag, but it’s the detail and functionality of the flap coin purse inside that is really part of the appeal. Have you seen a bag more luxurious? The vanity case is equally practical and playful, allowing you to look chic while also ensuring you

MARYAM NASSIR ZADEH

have all the essentials as you hop from gallery to gallery and socials in between. The small vanity case, along with the rest of Virginie Viard’s dreamy Cruise 2020/21 collection, will finally be available for grabs, including in the Parisian maison newest boutique opening in Miami’s buzzy Design District, adding to the luxury retail landscape. – TY GASKINS

JIL SANDER

VALENTINO

GRAZIA USA

Straight teeth shipped straight to you

27 VOLUME SEVEN

LOOKING FORWARD

FLYING Dyvna.official dress, price upon request, dyvna.com; Jennifer Fisher earrings, price upon request, jenniferfisherjewelry.com; Bracelet, her own.

High

‘YELLOWJACKETS’ STAR SOPHIE THATCHER IS ALL THE BUZZ.

BY JOSH SOKOL PHOTOGRAPHER RETO STERCHI HAIR DALLIN JAMES MAKEUP NICOLE WITTMAN

GRAZIA USA

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VOLUME SEVEN

Max Mara jacket and pants, price upon request, maxmara.com; Giambattista Valli bustier, price upon request, giambattistavalli.com; Jimmy Choo heels, price upon request, us.jimmychoo.com; Jennifer Fisher earrings, $250, jenniferfisherjewelry.com.

E

ver since Lord of the Flies was first published in 1954, the narrative trope of children lost in the wilderness and turning to conflict has been a tale told many times over. But with a fresh and exciting take on the genre, Yellowjackets, which premiered on November 14 of this year, promised to spin the cliché on its head. Part of what made that happen was due to the talent, edge, and a Rolodex of references that 21-year-old Sophie Thatcher brought with her to set while playing the punk-rock spirited Natalie.

“I know everyone says, ‘it felt like working with family,’

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Thatcher said, laughing. “But this truly felt like working with family.”

Thatcher is no stranger to the spotlight. With a background in musical theatre, she has always been a multihyphenate talent.

“I grew up singing, it was my big thing growing up. I’m classically trained, started with musical theatre but then kind of gave up on it,” Thatcher said. “Music is my number one without a doubt.”

When Thatcher had downtime, or what she calls “off weeks” while filming Yellowjackets for about five months

an hour outside of Vancouver in the Canadian wilderness, she would try and keep busy by returning to other artistic practices.

“I would try and spend a lot of time working on music, making art, and trying to stay productive. It was hard,” Thatcher said. “I paint a little bit too, I do collages, I draw a lot. My twin is the big artist, and we went our own separate routes, which was actually really important for both of us.”

She reminisced on about how she initially gave up painting for years, but eventually went on to start her practice again.

“I brought [painting] back up, and I started making

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ART BASEL MIAMI

‘I’M TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE MINDSET OF [YELLOWJACKETS] AND MOVE ON WITH STUFF AND STAY PRODUCTIVE. I NEEDED TO START WORKING ON MUSIC AGAIN, I HAVE A COUPLE SYNTHS, I JUST RELEASED STUFF ON BANDCAMP, MY TWIN MAKES MUSIC TOO. I HAVE A LOT OF MUSICIAN FRIENDS; I WRITE WITH THEM.’ art again. I said, ‘It doesn’t have to be [my twin’s] thing, I should do it too,’” she said with a laugh, as one does when joking around with a sibling. “It’s nice to have that outside of acting too, so I don’t put too much pressure on it, that would be a lot.”

Now that the show has finished filming, she’s putting even more emphasis on this part of her creative life. This was Thatcher’s way of keeping herself on the track of productivity, even after the advent of filming a physically intensive show.

“I’m trying to get out of the mindset of [Yellowjackets] and move on with stuff and stay productive. I needed to start working on music again, I have a couple synths, I just released stuff on Bandcamp, my twin makes music too. I have a lot of musician friends; I write with them.”

But when talking about this, there comes an important discussion that follows: What is the importance of art for career’s sake versus the importance of art for art’s sake? Where do we draw the line in a world that so often judges the importance of creative outlets on the basis of an income-based career?

Thatcher considered for a second what she thinks about her artistic practice outside of acting, and her main takeaway? Make something you don’t get paid for.

“There’s so much more freedom and not as much pressure, I can actually do it for myself without showing anyone. A lot of the time I make something and just keep it to myself,” Thatcher said. “It’s purely selfish, but it’s really nice, there’s a very different feeling to it, and I think everyone needs that.”

The feelings that come from this are almost cathartic. Making art to show the public most always has a pressure to be “good” in some subjective sense of the word, but Thatcher denies this mindset when it comes to her personal practice.

“Express what you feel, even if it’s not good and you’re not happy with it, you don’t have to share it,” she said. “That’s something that I’m trying to teach myself too.”

This led us down the path of everyone’s favorite topic: social media. Whether you love it for its positives, hate it for its faults, or sit somewhere in between, social media has become a sort of inescapable force that has an impact on almost every facet of modern-day life.

Thatcher feels the weight of social media, as we all do. There’s a sort of pressure to be visible and accessible constantly, as if we’re carrying around everyone else’s life in our pockets at all times, which, let’s be honest, we basically are.

“With Instagram and social media, I’ve naturally felt inclined to always want to share what I’m doing or what I’m making, and that’s OK in some areas,” Thatcher said.

“But I’m trying to teach myself that it’s sometimes OK not to share or rush anything.”

“On social media there’s this mindset where everyone should be grinding or showing off that you’re busy or even that you’re interesting all the time,” she continued. “After

having a break from Yellowjackets, my approach when it comes to art is that I want it to be a little more low-key and purely for myself.”

Getting rid of that mindset that you have to share everything in your life on a mass scale can seem quite radical, especially for a public figure. In a world where everyone and everything is accessible with the click of a button, denying that access is an act of defiance against the culture of the “rise and grind” mentality.

Thatcher feels that by choosing not to share everything, the work that she makes away from the public eye is more personal and honest. But that doesn’t come without the hard work of unlearning what’s been engrained into us, especially for people Thatcher’s age, or my age, who have been seemingly raised alongside technology and by

extension, social media.

“It’s kind of like selling your soul to some extent,” Thatcher jokingly said. “I feel it lessens the quality of my art when the thought of ‘how will people perceive this’ is in the back of my head.”

Being a person of a younger generation, she comments on the fact that she thinks people her age are all very calculated and overly self-aware.

“I want to go back in time and reteach myself, and just put things out there because I like it.” she said. “I don’t want to have to care about my image and I hope a lot of us can work on that. It works for some people to be super calculated but I don’t like that; I think it’s refreshing to see people who aren’t.”

After a few tangential minutes later, we got on the topic of what references Thatcher pulled from in order to channel the punk-rock persona of her character Natalie from Yellowjackets. After naming various punk bands from the ’70s and ’80s, we landed on the revival of artist Patti Smith’s recount of her romantic and artistic journey with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in her book Just Kids.

Thatcher feels that there’s this sort of romanticization that comes from this time in history as we move away from it, especially younger generations who weren’t alive to see it firsthand. “[About the punk subculture] There was nothing glamorous about it at all, it was very dark,” she said. “I see these kids who are very wealthy, dressing very poor in order to achieve a certain look or aesthetic, and that’s not what it was like at all.”

Much like all good conversations, this came full circle back to what we pondered about earlier with authenticity and honesty when presenting yourself to the public. Thatcher earlier said in this time that “people can see right through inauthenticity,” and that reigns true.

When someone does not come from a certain culture or subculture, yet tries to emulate it without the proper care and research, it can often come across as a caricature that gleams with dishonesty.

But after my time talking with Thatcher, it’s clear that she’s done her research and she took the time to present or not present a self that is fluid and human, away from the unrealistic standards we have on artists to be chained to a certain static image or presentation of a persona. It’s possible to find quiet time and peace in the age of visibility and accessibility.

To quote Patti Smith, in an excerpt that seems quite topical to our conversation, “Punk rock is the freedom to create, freedom to be successful, freedom to not be successful, freedom to be who you are. It’s freedom.”

GRAZIA USA

VOLUME SEVEN

FROM MARFA TO MIAMI

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Prada partners with YoungArts to discover talent and conjure joy.

T

he first thing one likely envisions when thinking about Prada and art is the iconic “Prada boutique” sculpture set in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert about 35 miles from Marfa, Texas. Erected in 2005, it is “a faux store built following Prada’s boutiques aesthetic codes and provocatively conceived,” according to the Prada Group’s website under the rubric Third Party Projects. Its creators, Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, refer to it as “a pop architectural land art project.” Beyoncé famously posed for a couple of “candid” photos while jumping joyously into the air at the site—a Texas native being a Texas tourist—as if the friend (or husband) who snapped it were a faux Steven Meisel or a faux Philippe Halsman. The art had conjured some real joy for her, and her joy conjured it for us. A jolt of joy is great branding for a singer or a work of art or a fashion house. But the brand did not commission the artwork. Miuccia Prada, the keenest of connoisseurs, appreciated Elmgreen and Dragset’s malleable conceptual construct as well as the specificity of the construction itself and decided not only to give her permission for the artists to use the brand’s name, but also to donate a selection of pieces from Prada’s Fall/Winter 2005 collection to be displayed inside that subtly referenced thepalette of the desert that framed it all. So much of the art world is transactional, consisting of the highest bidders and the lowest impulses.

But Miuccia Prada’s instinctive impulse when contacted about this Marfa project was to be kind and then, with that

GRAZIA USA

BY KEVIN SESSUMS keenness of hers, to understand that kindness when artfully employed can enable joy. That never goes out of fashion.

Which brings us to the YoungArts Project and Prada’s continued instinctive kindness and enabling of joy in each of the next generation of artists through its and its founder’s support of this remarkable organization. YoungArts is headquartered in Miami but since its inception in 1981, the organization’s reach has been national. The YoungArts Project scope is interdisciplinary, much like a fashion house’s itself with not only its reliance on the artistic vision of its leader, but also those artisans it enables who specialize in buttons, embroidery, beads feathers, gloves, shoes, pleats, fabrics, and the very drape of it all once it comes together in that just-so moment. A juried selection process at YoungArts awards fellowships to 15- to 18-year-old high school students in the visual, literary, and performing arts. The fellowships include—along with financial support—mentoring programs and studios in which to paint or rehearse and, most important, the opportunity to meet the other artists in these other disciplines; sharing their individual experience to create not only a chance to make work together but also a sense of community. Past YoungArts fellows have included actors Timothée Chalamet and Hunter Schafer, poet and activist Amanda Gorman, conductor Jacomo Bairos, artists Ambrose Murray and Mark Fleuridor, and interdisciplinary artist and designer Cornelius Turroch. The Metropolitan Opera even opened its season this fall with an adaptation of Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the memoir of the New York

Times columnist Charles M. Blow, by past YoungArts fellows composer Terence Blanchard and co-director/ choreographer Camille A. Brown.

Prada first got involved with YoungArts in 2018, the inaugural year of its Prada Mode in Miami, where even more interdisciplinary endeavors were to occur—music, conversation, food, and fashion—that could be experienced as a site-specific experience as if the construct of “Marfa” were morphing into a more Miami-centric experience, one guided by Prada itself instead of just being used as a beacon for others down in Texas, where it was used not as a branding iron, but a bit of branding irony. An event co-organized

by YoungArts took place that year in the reconfigured Freehand Miami, an eclectic hotel transformed by Prada into a club and events space replete with design and art and a nightly lineup of DJs. Call it a pop-up architectural land project. One memorable night, Prada Mode cohosted with YoungArts a performance by Elena Ayodele, a 2013 YoungArts Winner in Jazz and Voice and a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

Prada has continued to express support for YoungArts and was one of the co-sponsors of the YoungArts 40th birthday party on November 20 held on its Miami campus to celebrate the 20,000 artists the YoungArts foundation has supported over the last four decades. Queen Esther, a theatre fellow from 1983, served as the emcee and performed with her orchestra. And on December 1, YoungArts board members along with its donors and artists plan to gather

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at Prada in the Miami Design District for cocktails and conversation to exchange stories about that birthday party.

Another connection that Prada has with YoungArts is the appreciation that each has for ballet and the art of choreography. Back in 2015, ballet dancer David Hallberg performed as part of artist Francesco Vezzoli’s Fortuna Desperata Fortuna Desperata in a costume created by Prada’s design director, Fabio Zambernardi. That same year, Miuccia Prada collaborated with the Tanztheater Wuppertal to design costumes for its dancers. This year, during Art Basel Miami, YoungArts is presenting an exhibit of collages it commissioned from choreographers during the COVID-19 lockdown. Conceived and curated

by Kristy Edmunds, a YoungArts board member who has recently been named the director of Mass MoCA, and titled The Choreographers’ Scores: 2020, it is a collaboration with 26 U.S.-based choreographers who created handmade scores that will also be offered as fine art prints. YoungArts partnered with UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, Pomegranate Arts, and Lapis Press to present and publish this exhibition, which will be at the YoungArts Gallery from December 1 to 17.

Balletomane Sarah Arison is the chair of the YoungArts board of directors as well as the president of the Governing Trustees of American Ballet Theatre. Those are just two of her myriad endeavors supporting the arts, including her own Arison Arts Foundation. She is kind of modern-day Miami Medici—without the Catholicism and the need for

ART BASEL MIAMI

internecine machinations. tears in her eyes. She said, ‘I have to thank you so much She’s too nuanced for for what you’ve done for my son. He used to come home that, too imbued with from school and want to sit on the floor and draw. I would class unencumbered by yell at him and tell him to go do his real work—his math, snobbery. Her sense of his science.’ She told me that seeing him there and seeing noblesse oblige doesn’t seem him honored for his talent and being encouraged to pursue obligatory at all but comes this in his education and career and being mentored by instead from her own keen luminaries in his field and being offered scholarships sense of kindness that can for what he was doing made her realize that his art was enable joy in others. Let’s real work, too. I was a little bit dumbstruck by that for a finally circle back to that: while. I went home thinking about it and thinking about kindness as an instigator the impact of YoungArts not only on the artists that go of art. And let’s as well through the program, but also the impact it can have circle back to that just-so on society as a whole and the perception of the value of moment in a fashion house artists within society. So, the next morning I knocked on when everything comes my grandmother’s door and I said, ‘Grandma, I would together. I was wondering like to help.’ I actually went back to school and changed what the “just-so story” my major from biology to a double major in business and was for YoungArts. So, French with a minor in art history. And I joined the board who better to turn to of YoungArts.” than Arison herself, whose It is that combination of Arison’s business acumen with grandfather, Micky Arison, her love of arts and appreciation of artists that that she so founded Carnival Cruise gracefully brings to each board of each art institution to Lines but as a teenager which she belongs, but especially YoungArts, which is such dreamed of being a concert an integral part of her heritage. A multitasker, she has also pianist. He took some of produced films, including the documentary The Price of his billion-dollar wealth Everything, directed by Nathanial Kahn, which is about the and founded YoungArts for transactional aspect of the art world. Its title is based on other teenagers who have such dreams to be artists. “I have the Oscar Wilde quote in which he says that a cynic “knows an aspiring artistic soul,” his granddaughter Sarah tells me the price of everything and the value of nothing.” It seems over Zoom. “But no artistic talent whatsoever. I to have been Arison’s mission to keep cynicism at was more of a science nerd. I was on the bay in her work at YoungArts. What does math team in school. I was in premed she herself value? “Collaboration,” she my first two years in college. But says without hesitation. “And not for a while I didn’t understand the only with our cultural partners incredible impact it had on me who give us such huge support, because every interaction I had but also our donors and board with my grandparents when members and our corporate I was growing up revolved ones. It’s easy for corporate around the arts. We’d go to partners to be there when the symphony together. We there are events that they can would go to the ballet together. put their names on. But for We would travel together, but them to stick with us—like in traveling we would always go Prada—is so important. They to museums. Whatever was going worked with us on our 40thon culturally wherever we were, that birthday party. Since 2018, when Sarah Arison, Chair of is where we were. It was unconsciously we did our first event with Prada, we the Board of the National a really huge part of my life growing up, have stayed in touch with them and YoungArts Foundation being surrounded by artists and the arts. are constantly figuring out how we can But I was on a very traditional academic path. When I was continue to work together. So not being a kind of one-off 19, I went to our annual YoungArts gala in Miami with my support is really important and being instead a sustained grandmother—not that I was particularly interested. Like source of support because you really get to know each other I said, I was in the middle of studying organic chemistry and integrate your programs a lot more. I look on them at that point. I was pretty serious about it. One of the more as a partner,” she says, yes, without cynicism and even mothers of a visual arts winner that year had heard I was that sense of joy that she and Prada and YoungArts inspire connected to the founding family. She came up to me with in others.

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VOLUME SEVEN

HOUSE PARTY WITH THE RETURN OF ART BASEL TO MIAMI, GLOBAL BRAND SOHO HOUSE REGAINS ITS STATUS AS DE FACTO CLUBHOUSE FOR THE COOL KIDS.

BY CASEY BRENNAN

P

rivate memberships clubs have been around since the 1700s, originating in London and generally following the stereotype of being menonly and, quite honestly, a bit (OK, a lot) stuffy.

The members’ club concept later made its way to the U.S., and many were affiliated with the country’s top universities: the Yale Club, the Harvard Club, the Penn Club, and so on.

But that all changed in 1995, when the very first Soho House opened in a historic Georgian townhouse at 40 Greek Street in London’s Soho neighborhood. It all happened after Soho House founder Nick Jones was offered the space above his restaurant Café Boheme and once open, the club served simple British food and had a variety of lounge-y areas for guests to hang out in, along with a cozy event space. The concept was simple—to bring together the diverse members of mostly artists and actors to “connect, grow, have fun, and make an impact”—and was an immediate success.

“Soho House started 26 years ago when we opened 40 Greek Street in Soho, London,” Nick Jones tells Grazia USA. “There were members’ clubs in London but they were gentleman only; suits and totally male-orientated. It wasn’t where I wanted to hang out. We wanted to create a home away from home for the local artists and actors who were in Soho at the time and luckily, people were interested.”

Now under the umbrella of Membership Collective Group, of which Jones serves as CEO, Soho House has grown from a single location in London to a global network with 30 Soho Houses, nine Soho Works co-working spaces, The Ned in London, Scorpios Beach Club in Mykonos, a lifestyle retail brand, Soho Home, a handful of Cecconi’s restaurants, and Cowshed Spa, as well as the LINE and Saguaro hotels in North America. At this point, there is a Soho House footprint in most major cities across the globe—or, if there isn’t yet, there likely will be soon.

“I never expected Soho House to be where it is today, but our members are still the same: nice, kind people with creative souls,” Jones continues. “We aim to create a space where everyone can flourish; a struggling scriptwriter can be sitting next to a successful playwright in our Houses. Our members inspire everything we do, they drive our growth at Soho House

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and we’re constantly working on ways to make things better for them.”

Since the founding of Soho House, there has been a proliferation of private clubs geared to different specific interests: the Core Club for the power suit set, the nowdefunct Wing, which was a women-only concept, and The Well, perfect for those searching for premiere wellness services.

Across the pond in London, Annabel’s continues to draw an A-list crowd, and Zero Bond and Casa Cipriani, both located downtown NYC, have recently become two of the city’s hottest spots—and most exclusive invitations.

But despite the fierce competition, along with setbacks due to COVID-19 lockdowns, Soho House has not only survived but thrived. In 2021, the brand opened locations in Austin, Rome, Paris, Tel Aviv, and Canouan, a small Caribbean island in St. Vincent and Grenadines, accessible by plane or boat; a fourth LA-based location, Little House West Hollywood, is set to debut at the beginning of 2022, followed by a Nashville location.

“I’ve just been to Rome where we opened our newest House, in a 10-story building in San Lorenzo,” Jones shares. “It’s not tourist Rome, it’s where Romans live and socialize, and it’s given us space, and an incredible rooftop—views of the Vatican from one side and mountains from the other. Soho House Rome has everything under one roof; you can go to the gym, swim in the pool, watch a film, eat, drink, see friends, or take a meeting.”

Not ready to leave after a special stay? You don’t have to. “We also have apartments so members can stay with us for longer,” explains Jones. “Rome is something members have been asking for, so it’s exciting to see it come to life.”

Next up will be the early 2022 opening of Little House West Hollywood. Hidden away from the busy streets and located close to the nearby West Hollywood club, the latest Los Angeles property will feature a rooftop with views of the Hollywood Hills and glimpses of downtown as well as a lightfilled courtyard bar, a House Studio space along with a Club Lounge, and a new restaurant. The first LA House available for overnight stays, Little House West Hollywood will offer 34 bedrooms decorated in dusty tones overlooking the courtyard, landscaped with flora native to Southern California.

“We’re excited about West Hollywood,” says Jones. “It has

always been a special place for Soho House. We hosted popups in awards season for years before we opened our House at 9200 Sunset Boulevard in 2010, and our members have always asked for a place to stay with us while they’re here.”

But before those splashy openings, there is something else for Soho House members and guests to look forward to: Art Basel Miami Beach. This year, the art fair will return to the Sunshine State after taking a break due to COVID lockdowns, and it’s already shaping up to be a massive, star-studded affair—with Soho Beach House at the center of the action.

Soho Beach House Miami is located in a restored Art Deco building on Collins Avenue. Tucked away behind lush foliage, the House—a personal favorite—truly has that home-awayfrom-home vibe and is a meeting place for the city’s creatives, especially during the Art Basel events. On the ground floor is an outpost of Cecconi’s restaurant along with a bustling lobby lounge; out back, there’s a chic pool area complete with extrawide—and comfy!—striped cushioned loungers and delicious poolside fare. For those who prefer the sand, a private beach is just steps away. The House also features a Cowshed spa, fitness center, and 49 guest rooms for those who want to stay.

As the crowds descend on Miami, Soho Beach House will serve as an unofficial clubhouse for the artists, curators, collectors, aspiring collectors, and those just looking to have a little fun. For their members and guests, Soho Beach House will have a robust lineup of events including an interactive NFT exhibit, talks on sustainable artistry, futuristic beach light installations, and DJ sets from Carl Craig, Roger Sanchez, and DZA. The infamous Beach Tent also returns for the tenth year, and famed funk musician George Clinton will be on hand to celebrate the “Funkbasel” exhibition.

“Art is a really important part of Soho House, our artist members, the art in our spaces—it makes our Houses come alive,” explains Jones. “This year we’re bringing back the Tent and I’m really looking forward to a diverse mix of installations, pop-ups, and performances, such as the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) Miami’s talk with Hugh Hayden and performances from George Clinton, Ian Isiah, and more during the week. Basel has always been a very special moment for us in Miami. We’ve had some great times there, and I’m excited to be back.”

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ART BASEL MIAMI

‘AT THIS POINT, THERE IS A SOHO HOUSE FOOTPRINT IN MOST MAJOR CITIES ACROSS THE GLOBE—OR, IF THERE ISN’T YET, THERE LIKELY WILL BE SOON.’

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JAIME XIE GOES ALL IN

How the heiress, socialite, and Bling Empire star stays grounded while her high fashion life takes off.

Dolce & Gabbana blazer and shorts, dolcegabbana.com; Alevi Milano pumps, alevimilano.com; Bulgari bag, bulgari.com.

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Miu Miu shirt, jeans, and bag, miumiu.com.

A Socialite’s Fashion Masterclass

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Never shop for an event. Instead, buy things you love so you’ll have a stash of dresses ready when an event comes around. “You don’t want to panic and buy something last-minute that you don’t even like,” says Xie. “I never want to be the girl who has nothing to wear. Too stressful.”

Plan extra time to get ready. “Something will always happen. You need to redo the eyeliner, change the lipstick. Especially if you want to be on time, give yourself that leeway.”

Shoes are so important. “You look at people’s outfits and it’sso good, but then the shoe ruins it. Either it’s too much or not enough.

There should only be one or two focal points.”

Build your glam and shoes around the outfit.

“Find the piece you want to wear and build your makeup, hair, and shoes around that. You can’t throw individual things all together. They may have looked good on their own, but all together is too much. It has to be balanced.”

Pack all your clothes on hangers. “When you get to the hotel, everything is already hanging and you can put it directly in the closet.”

Use a clothes organizing app. “I can log my new clothes and create outfits when I’m on a plane or in the car. It helps put your closet together, and planning looks can prevent overpacking.”

Fashion is not about practicality or comfort.

“If you’re trying to be comfortable then you can’t wear heels because they aren’t comfy. Either go all in for fashion or be chill in your Uggs.”

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he first thing Jaime Xie says to me over Zoom from one of her three gigantic closets in her family’s Silicon Valley home is, “Please excuse my eyebrows. I just got them refilled by my microblader and they look like they’re Sharpie’d on!” While they are pronounced, they are perfectly shaped, and will look amazing in photos later.

Two days earlier on Instagram, where she has over half a million followers, Xie posted herself in a colorful, topiary-esque two-piece

by Japanese designer Tomo Koizumi, for the LACMA Art+Film Gala. But today Xie is wearing a Lululemon zip-up over an old equestrian tee from her competitive riding days.

“When I’m home, this is how I like to dress,” says Xie. “I’m either full glam or no makeup. There’s no in between.”

Like most Gen Z-ers, Xie is adept at toggling between her outré online persona and the makeup-free young woman in athleisure before me. Of course, Xie is slightly different from her cohort.

The daughter of tech billionaire Ken Xie (he invented VPNs and firewalls), 24-year-old Jaime Xie was attending couture shows in high school while also competing in the national equestrian circuit throughout her high school years. She took online classes from Stanford instead of attending a brick-and-mortar school and eventually ranked number one in the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Small Junior Hunter 16-17 Division. She also started gaining a following on Instagram and YouTube from her

unboxing videos of her epic designer purchases.

Then came Bling Empire. The Netflix reality show was billed as a real-life Crazy Rich Asians and featured the first all-Asian cast for an American reality-TV series. It was an instant hit. Xie is the youngest cast member who famously asked a shaman to help her decide between a nude or mist-colored Bottega Veneta Pouch. She wound up getting the mist, then a gold, then a light blue…

Xie and I are both reality-TV newbies. Neither of us have seen a single episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians or any of the Real Housewives multiverse, but the concept of Bling Empire appealed to us both as Asian-American women who’ve rarely seen ourselves represented in Hollywood, despite the generational gap that separates us. (I inhaled the eight-episode series in two days.)

“Growing up in the United States, you see a few Asians here and there on shows or in movies. But it’s never a full Asian cast,” says Xie. “I think it’s long overdue and shows like Squid Game prove that an all-Asian cast can be just as appealing and powerful as an all-white cast. I hope this is just the beginning of a larger picture of Asian representation and that it isn’t just a trend.”

I press her on whether she knew she was making reality TV history and Xie admits, “When the producer, Jeff Jenkins, told us we were the first all-Asian reality TV cast, I thought it was so cool to be a part of something like this. I’m really excited for people to see Season 2.” What she most appreciated was that the cast represented a spectrum of Asians—Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Singaporean. “People think all Asians are the

same and I credit the show with educating them that not all Asians are the same or look the same.”

With the second season wrapped and set to air sometime in early 2022, Xie was able to return to her main love—fashion.

This autumn marked the first in-person Fashion Month since the pandemic and Xie was there for it in New York, Milan, and Paris.

As her fame and style evolve, Xie took a more considered approach to attending the shows this season.

“I always love Fashion Month and I missed it. It was nice to see everyone again and it was fun,” she says. “But I went to much fewer shows, only two to three per week, because I wanted to focus on establishing relationships with my favorite brands.”

Judging by the backstage photo and video of Xie with Donatella Versace… relationship established.

Xie is fluent in her fashion lexicon, having a keen knowledge of and admiration for designers and their history. Her fascination with vintage has deepened since she struck up a partnership with Law Roach, image architect and stylist to Zendaya, Ariana, and Céline Dion. For Fashion Month, Xie served vintage looks from Versace, Balenciaga, Gaultier, and Galliano that Roach sourced.

“Law is a fashion historian,” explains Xie. “I love learning from and spending time with him. He’s been so helpful in showing me another side of vintage. He’s taken it to another level while still respecting my personal taste and style.”

As for the pieces she loved (and ordered) from the S/S 2022 collections, Xie rattles them off enthusiastically.

BY MAGGIE KIM PHOTOGRAPHER DENNIS LEUPOLD STYLIST ORETTA CORBELLI MAKEUP SHANICE JONES HAIR RACHEL LITA

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Givenchy blazer, shorts, boots, and necklace, givenchy.com.

Dior top, skirt, and earrings, dior.com.

Chanel top, skirt, necklace, stockings, socks, and boots, chanel.com.

Chloé dress, chloe. com; Alevi Milano pumps, alevimilano.com; Alexander McQueen earring and ring, alexandermcqueen.com.

“There’s this really cool, long denim print slip dress from Blumarine. Givenchy with Matthew Willams was amazing like always. I’ve been obsessed with Rick Owens. And Mugler with Casey Cadwallader,” Xie takes a breath. “Cad is really cool. I can see myself wearing almost all of his pieces from the recent collection. I also loved the micro-mini low-rise skirts and super crop tops from Miu Miu. I think people will really be wearing those. Well, people who don’t mind showing their stomachs.”

With her waify build on a 5-foot-8 frame, Xie has no problem showing off her midriff, ’90s style. “Those low-rise waists are so Britney,” she agrees.

A socialite-heiress who wears vintage Cavalli while ordering preY2K throwbacks from the Miu Miu runway must have some style pointers and Xie is happy to share them (see box, below).

But Xie’s fashion acumen and her ease in front of the paparazzi don’t convey her very human realness and sincerity. It’s easy to be dismissive of the young and extremely privileged, partly because many of them have a jaded world-weariness that showcases an offputting entitlement. How hard is it, really, to be gifted designer clothes and pose on yet another red carpet for no other reason than you’re rich, famous, or beautiful?

Xie, however, has the sweet earnestness of any young woman finding her place in a world that’s quite different from what she grew up in. Her close-knit family—mom, dad, and two younger brothers—have “literally no interest in fashion,” but they’ve always been supportive of her ambitions.

“My family comes from a business background, so they’re lowkey. They don’t like to be in the spotlight,” says Xie. “To be honest, the show isn’t their vibe and even fashion isn’t the traditional route.

But they are firm believers in pursuing what you love. They’ve come to accept and support that it’s always been fashion for me.”

Etro dress, etro.com; Givenchy bra, givenchy.com; Briefs, stylists own.

While Xie talks to me from one of the aforementioned enormous closets —“They’re the size of rooms and have all my gowns and shoes. There’s a lot happening!”—she tells me her mom deserves the credit for her grounded nature.

“My mom raised us. We had no nannies.” Xie pauses as we both grasp the unspoken. The rearing of billionaire children is almost always outsourced to others, to varying degrees and outcomes. “The

way you’re raised plays a big role in your own balance. I love fun and glamour, but I also like to relax and chill in athletic wear like the rest of my family.”

Right now, Xie is home for the holidays, sort of. “I’ve got a shoot in LA on Wednesday and then I leave for London until right before Christmas. I haven’t been home for six months, so I thought I’d squeeze in some time with my family and pretend it’s Thanksgiving.”

On her downtime, the vegan teetotaler loves cooking and baking for her family and friends. She’s recently discovered the cooking shows on Netflix, now that she finally has the family password. “I don’t watch TV, so I didn’t even know if we had a Netflix account. I asked them for the password two days before Bling Empire came out.

Honestly, I didn’t know Netflix had such great shows! Bake Squad is amazing.”

When I ask what the future looks like, Xie mentions wanting to create a European base in London. She also plans “to give acting a try” while getting more involved in the fashion industry.

“You know what’s crazy?” Xie says suddenly. “I’m here doing my usual, going to Sephora in my Lululemon because I’m that person who does whatever. I’ve got my mask on, so I’m just these eyebrows and a mask, and people still recognize me. I say, ‘Please excuse me. I’m the same person as the one you see on IG. This is just me running errands.’”

Next week, Jaime Xie will be donning something extraordinary for the British Fashion Awards. Still the same person, just more like the one on Instagram.

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VOLUME SEVEN

DIOR by DESIGN Dior Maison invites some of the world’s greatest designers and artisans to reinterpret the Medallion Chair, a staple of Monsieur Dior.

BY SHELTON BOYD-GRIFFITH

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ver the years the storied house of Dior has obtained a multitude of signifiers: Dior Grey, the Dior oblique pattern, a sophisticated, fierce femininity, and, of course, the cinched waist A-line silhouette better known as the “New Look.” One house code in particular that is deeply engrained within the maison’s DNA is the influence of the Dior Medallion Chair. The iconic Louis XVI-style chair inspired Monsieur Dior so much that he adopted it as an unofficial symbol of the brand. From seating editors and esteemed ladies at his salon fashion shows to one day inspiring the ovoid shapes that appear on the padded cannage leather of the Lady Dior Bag, the Medallion Chair, with its simple yet elegant design, continues to have a lasting role within the house.

To this day, the chair continues to serve as a source of inspiration, or as French designer and prior Dior Homme collaborator Pierre Charpin refers to it, “a loyal companion of the House of Dior.” The House of Dior has been focused on extending the legacy of the maison while keeping art, design, and curation at the center. From the recent New York premier of the stunning Dior fashion retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum to the Dior Medallion Chair exhibition as part of the Salone del Mobile in Milan, Dior continues to find ways to celebrate its design lineage. And now, the focus is the Dior Medallion Chair exhibition: As part of this year’s Art Basel in Miami Beach, guests will be able to view a selection of the artisanal chairs, designed by some of the biggest and brightest names in interior, furniture, and product design.

In his memoirs about 30 Avenue Montaigne, where the Medallion Chairs are a prominent feature,, Christian Dior wrote: “Sober, simple, and above all so classic and Parisian, this style could in no way confuse or distract the eye from the collection.” In honor of that, Dior Maison has invited a cohort of designers, artisans, and product designers from all over the world—from Italy and Japan to Lebanon and France—to reimagine the Dior Medallion Chair through their own creative practices. Artists Sam Baron, Nacho Carbonell, Pierre Charpin, Dimorestudio, Martino Gamper, Constance Guisset, India Mahdavi, Nendo, Joy de Rohan Chabot, Linde Freya Tangelder, Atang Tshikare, Seungjin Yang, Ma Yansong, Jinyeong Yeon, Tokujin Yoshioka, and Pierre Yovanovitch were all tasked with merging fashion, art and design—paying homage to Monsieur Dior.This activation falls right in line with Dior’s exploration of fashion x art. From the Cruise 2020 collection, where the house enlisted the artistic lens of collagist and multidisciplinary artist Mickalene Thomas to reimagine the renowned Bar Jacket, to most recently collaborating with painter Peter Doig for Fall/Winter men’s—Chaises Médaillon, follows a long stream of the house cross-collaborating with artists (from Kaws, Daniel Arsham, and Amoako Boafo). As each fashion-based artist collaboration sees the artist’s take on a garment or accessory, integral to the ethos of Dior, this Dior Medallion Chair invitation captures that same concept. Each of the amazing artists, furniture designers, art directors, and product designers interpret the neoclassic favorite of Mr.

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Dior, from their own distinct viewpoints.“The Medallion Chair is iconic because it is rooted in French heritage,” says French designer Sam Baron. “That 18th-century piece reveals an attention to detail and comfort in its construction, but also a sense of refinement in its design and proportions, qualities that appealed to Monsieur Dior and prompted him to use it regularly.” Baron, heralded as one of the greatest product designers of our time (even a cosign from design titan Philippe Starck), often explores his design practice through an artistic lens. His designs carry a respect for tradition yet through an organic modernity. His thoughtful reexamination of the Medallion Chair mirrors that of his own eponymous design practice. “I researched gardens and how this chair was used in Monsieur Dior’s day, as well as the Dior style, in the world of fashion, in boutiques or private interiors” he says. The results are two dynamic ideations: an exterior suite of chairs made of lacquered metal that allude to the traditional form of the Medallion

Chair yet take on a playful, communal essence, and the other suite—an homage to the structure of the Medallion Chair, made using woven straw and wood, focusing on the bones of the chair. “The basic concept was to turn it from a “solitary” and isolated chair into a piece that celebrates gathering and conviviality. The outdoor version is available as a swing, a rocking chair for two, and a bench for friends, while the indoor version makes it possible for two or four people to sit together.”The beauty of this activation lies in the varied approaches to design each artist takes—that’s the true beauty of design in general; how two or more individuals can use the same source of inspiration yet arrive at two distinct outcomes. Much like Baron, Korean multidisciplinary artist Jinyeong Yeon respected the form and design language of the Medallion Chair yet approached the materiality differently. Using aluminum pipe for one chair and aluminum plates for the other concept, Yeon created one chair that is more expressionismm in nature and another a minimal yet modernist take on the structure of the original Medallion Chair. “Chairs are the most closely

related objects to humans, and they contain many values and meanings,” says Yeon. “They are objects with artistic narratives involving different forms, usage, times, and places.” The narrative he’s telling with the duo of chairs is an an introduction into his artistic universe.The aluminum pipe Medallion Chair dupe has this Surrealist nature, with its spiral back and multicolored luster, and the aluminum plate chair envisions the Medallion Chair had it been made today. Speaking on the later chair, Yeon says, “Sand casting is a traditional technique and requires artisanal skills, sharing similarities with Dior savoir-faire. The repeat pattern of the checker plate has the feel of Dior’s signature Dior Oblique motif.” He went on to say, “In the process of making the work, I wanted to show the fashion aspect through bright colors and patterns, which are craft intensive.”

Architecturally trained designer Ma Yansong centers his design practice around nature. “I draw a lot of influences from nature, abstracting nature into something on an urban scale,” says the Beijing-based designer. The French 18thcentury design of the Louis XVI chair is timeless, inspiring designers and the furniture and product design industries for centuries. “The Medallion Chair represents something timeless; it is something that has become quite recognizable through generations, across the globe—it is a design icon.”

Through his rendition, Yansong set out to capture the essence of time itself through 3D rendering. “My design aims to capture the moment when the classic Medallion Chair passes through time, transitioning from the historic past into the future,” says Yansong. The chair, produced in 3D-printed polyurethane and hand-finished with paint, mimics a snapshot, a sequence of time travel with its linear shards. It’s truly a sculptural work of art yet the presence of the Medallion Chair is certainly felt. “A lot of my work is based on envisioning the future, so I set out to explore what this historic design would look like in the future.”

“The search for simplicity is one of the constants in my work, an attempt to show and to highlight an object’s essence,” says Pierre Charpin, a fixture of the global design industry since the early ’90s. For his interpretation of the Medallion Chair, Charpin focused on the simplistic scripture and design of the chair, paring it back to basics. “In reinterpreting the medallion chair, I wanted to demonstrate explicitly what the chair is made of in an archetypal way: four legs, a seat, and an elliptical back.” The chair, made of steel, is covered with black lacquered resin, with a mirror in place of where the cushion would typically be. Through this design process, all the designers were tasked with evaluating what the House of Dior symbolized to them, as this train of thought helped give way to the end result.

“Transparency, light, and reflection are the key words that bubble up in my mind when I think about the House of Dior,” says Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka. Fascinated by intangible elements—including light, emotions, and energies—Yoshioka draws on nature for inspiration. His Medallion Chair iteration evokes the transparency of light, through the use of light, with its glass/prism. Like many of his other fellow designers, Yoshioka appreciates the original aesthetic and execution of the Medallion Chair. The form

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of his chair mirrors that of the inspiration. “History was one of the materials used in his [Dior] creations. While his collections symbolized the future, the decor and Medallion Chairs represented history; he accentuated the contrast between the two. I feel that both history and the future were the core of Dior’s designs.”

This project was somewhat full-circle for designer Nendo.

After a life-changing visit to the Salone del Mobile in Milan, he started his own design firm and now he’s participating in an exhibition that graced that same hall. The Canadianborn and -raised designer studied architecture in Japan and tends to take inspiration from daily life. “My pieces are not so much about attracting attention, but more for absorbing daily life,” he says. His design breaks from the traditional form and structure of the Medallion Chair, taking on a more

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curvilinear form. Using tempered glass, Nendo and his team created a circular surround with a cutout—alluding back to the signature oval of the Medallion Chair. It’s almost as if Nendo’s chair acts as a mold or casing for the traditional Medallion, almost as if the Medallion Chair can fit inside his creation.

French interior design extraordinaire Pierre Yovanovitch, known for his incredibly chic modernist design, explored two Dior concepts via his design interpretation: the Medallion Chair and Dior Oblique pattern. The result is a duo of chairs that feel nostalgic yet completely modern. “I reconsidered this piece as a duo, as if the Medallion Chair had been split in half,” he says, talking us through his process. “Like a real-life couple, these two objects resemble each other intrinsically, but their personalities differ. I used thick, rugged, textured steel to

remove the chair from its historical context. I wanted to make the work a little rebellious and contemporary. For the fabric, I thought it would be fun to take the Dior Oblique canvas from the 1970s and reinvent it with new colors and embroidery, in collaboration with the prestigious house of Vermont.”

Through this exhibition and collaborative activation, Dior is leading the charge on connectivity amongst creatives practices. Art, fashion, and design are all cross-connected in some way, and through these beautiful chairs, inspired by one of the most iconic pieces of neoclassicist design, all inspired by the premier couturier, Monsieur Dior, it’s clear to see that art is truly in the details. “Both fashion and art are creative processes that rely on shape and aesthetics to bring comfort and inspiration to people in their everyday lives,” says Yovanovitch—and we couldn’t agree more.

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VOLUME SEVEN

GET IT CRACKIN’

As stone crab season—and another Art Basel—kicks off, we take an inside look at the family-owned Miami Beach institution that has been serving up stone crabs with a side of celebrity for over a century.

BY CATHERINE DE ORIO

wasn’t even a glimmer the restaurateur’s eyes (or anyone else’s). Less than a decade later, however, a serendipitous conversation with a visiting marine biologist would pique Joe’s curiosity regarding the local cr ustaceans culinary viability and change history. Stone crab was soon added to the menu, the orders rolled in (and continue to—serving up to 1,000 pounds a night), and the name was changed to Joe’s Stone Crab. It has since grown into one of the highestgrossing, generational family-run restaurants in the country and remains a staple of the Miami Beach social scene.

“I don’t think he [Joe] had any idea what he started,” says Stephen Sawitz, co-owner & COO of Joe’s and greatgrandson of Joe Weiss. Sawitz grew up in the kitchen. An official potato peeler by age 8, he now oversees the entire operation. It’s immediately clear in conversation with him that he’s not just some family figurehead, but he knows everything that’s going on and is willing to do whatever it takes to uphold the legacy—including personally delivering stone crabs to the White House or providing a stone crab eating tutorial to the uninitiated. “Our customers come with an expectation,” Sawitz explains. “We have a huge responsibility to live up to the promise.” This type of dedication runs in the family. In the late ‘l’60s, a journalist published an article mistakenly raving about Joe’s Key lime pie, an item not then on their menu. Rather than disappointing patrons expecting sublime lime pie, Sawitz’s mother, Jo Ann, credited with creating many of the menu’s most beloved dishes, rose to the occasion, creating an awardwinning Key lime pie as famous as their clientele. in

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he hum of voices rises and falls like a summer cicada chorus, punctuated with clinking glassware and boisterous laughter.

The soaring ceilings barely contain the cacophony of chatter and clatter erupting from the dining room. Meanwhile, the nearby maître d’ gracefully balances throngs of hopeful diners attempting to flirt or finagle their way to a table while behind the scenes Ms. Streisand’s (yes, that Ms. Streisand) order is being prepared to perfection to arrive in sync with the end of her evening’s performance. The energy is palpable, and one can feel the import of this institution, the lore of its past meeting its relevancy in the present. To dine here is to become a part of history. Welcome to Joe’s Stone Crab.

Established in 1913, it’s not only the oldest restaurant in Miami, but also older than the city itself, which wasn’t incorporated until 1915. Despite its grand dame status, the restaurant’s origins are humble, a typical industrious immigrantmade-good story. Seeking relief from his asthmatic condition, Joseph “Joe” Weiss and his wife Jennie, moved to South Florida and opened a seafood house simply known as Joe’s Restaurant. Known for their killer fish sandwich, stone crab

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The dining room plays hostess to Miami Beach’s who’s who, as well as the world’s—a recitation of famous diners would be encyclopedic (it’s easier to list who hasn’t dined at Joe’s). Everyone from duchesses to dignitaries, actors to athletes, presidents to pop stars have been guests.

The celebrity clientele kicked into high gear under the stewardship of Joe’s son, Jesse Weiss, who was known for his larger-than-life personality and bon vivant ways. Brian Johnson, brought on by Weiss, recalls his second day on what was supposed to be a seasonal job, saying Weiss’ friend Jackie Gleason, martini in hand, pulled him aside, and noticing he was new, provided some encouraging words. That was 41 years ago. He now plays a prominent operational role as the general manager, overseeing a staff of nearly 400 and is the first point of contact for celebrities and their people—including the Secret Service for sitting presidents.

Despite a lifetime of rubbing elbows with the rich, famous, and infamous, Sawitz still has starstruck moments, listing civil rights activist Coretta Scott King and first female Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’ Connor as memorable meetings. A respect for strong women was inevitable having grown up around them—it was his greatgrandmother Jennie, after all, who laid the laws of her dining room down to Al Capone and he responded in kind to her demand for respect—he always behaved (at least at Joe’s) and sent her flowers every Mother’s Day. But it was during Art Basel festivities when Yoko Ono arrived at Joe’s that quite literally brought Sawitz to his knees. “I just stopped and got on one knee and thanked her for coming,” he recounts. While on another occasion, the entire room was raised to their feet. Sawitz recalls Mohammad Ali coming in and the entire place standing up as clapping erupted across the entire restaurant. “That was when time stopped,” he says with reminiscent awe.

“I treat celebrities like regular people,” Johnson says matter-of-factly. “I try to keep them out of the limelight… but not completely,” he adds slyly. Sawitz explains there aren’t private spaces, so there’s a good chance they are going to sit amongst everyone—a proven tactic as even Robert De

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Niro remained undetected until he stood to leave. “That’s the best part, you hide them in plain sight,” says Johnson.

Even the celebrities feel the magic. To avoid crowds, Johnson escorted Owen Wilson to his party via the kitchen as a charming Wilson exclaimed on repeat, “Oh my gosh this is great! This is so Goodfellas!”

Putting the celebrity clientele, brigade of tuxedoed waiters, and luxurious menu items aside, at its heart Joe’s is a family restaurant with a clear guiding philosophy that everyone, celebrity or not, should feel welcome.

And attention to this task is evident everywhere—

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including the menu that offers their famed fried chicken for under 10 bucks—less than a latte and scone at Starbucks— so all can afford a meal at Joe’s. That’s the beauty of Joe’s, here everybody feels like a somebody, which is no easy feat when turning nearly 1,500 covers on a weekend evening.

One might compare it to a family gathering—loud, fun, chaotic—a place where memories are built without even realizing it. “Joe’s is a great place to build memories,” Sawitz agrees. “And it’s the history—history is memories and so it’s kind of like people are making their own personal history in a place where history is often times being made.”

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ART BASEL MIAMI

It’s FAIR GAME The art fair that put Miami on the cultural map beats COVID-19.

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asel is back, and Miami’s aesthetically inclined cannot be happier. Dealers, collectors, artists, and tourists will be flocking this month to the megafair by the beach. After its 2020 derailment due to COVID-19, Art Basel Miami Beach is all better and the city stands stoked for the 2021 edition of the event that helped solidify Miami’s place on the global cultural map. Dealers representing top-notch galleries such as Blum & Poe from LA, Marianne Boesky from Manhattan, and Massimo De Carlo with outposts in Europe and Asia will be among the 254 artsellers who flock here, set up shop, and show work at the convention center.

Parties stretching from North Miami to Coconut Grove promise to be more fabulous than ever: In true Miami style, expect everything from luxe yachts to hotel ballrooms to cool underground boîtes and private homes.

Big things are anticipated by Jessica Goldman Srebnick, daughter of the late Tony Goldman and OG royalty on Miami’s art scene. Tony was a real estate developer and art-loving visionary who created the Wynwood Walls and brought international street art to Miami. Srebnick carries on the tradition, maintaining the Walls—which, timed for this year’s Basel, will debut fresh work by 13 artists who include Bordalo II, Mantra, and Greg Mike; augmented by a party for 400 on site, it makes for a moment of creation that has been likened to “the Olympics of street art”—and partnering on a street-focused collective called Goldman Global Arts as well as its associated GGA Gallery.

Like everyone, Srebnick missed having Basel in Miami last year. “From the very beginning, it has put a spotlight on Miami and elevated its position as an arts and culture destination,” says the tastemaker. But in hindsight she does see an upside to it all: “I looked at 2020 as the year of reflection. I’m feeling like 2021 is the year of decision. We’re lucky to be the city where Art Basel stands as the first big global event to happen post COVID.” In terms of the art itself, she adds, “With everyone in lockdown, artists have

BY MICHAEL KAPLAN ILLUSTRATION BY PETER OUMANSKI

spent more time than ever in their studios, producing work.

I am curious to see the impact of COVID on the art world.”

Art Basel launched at a time when the idea of a COVID virus was the stuff of science fiction. The inaugural fair took place in 1970, in Basel, Switzerland, the brainchild of local gallerists Ernst Beyeler, Trudy Beyeler, and Balz Hilt. Art displayed by 90 galleries from 10 countries drew 16,000 visitors. The endeavor grew from there and went

‘FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, IT HAS PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON MIAMI AND ELEVATED ITS POSITION AS AN ARTS AND CULTURE DESTINATION’ international in 2002 with the initiation of Art Basel Miami Beach and a Hong Kong iteration in 2008. As for Miami’s place on the art-fair circuit, Srebnick says, “We host what feels like a reunion of the art world in a glorious place where the sun shines in December.”

Nightclub kingpin David Grutman, an avid collector who favors modern works by Alec Monopoly and JR and the identical twin street-artists painting under the name OSGEMEOS, looks forward to stretching his legs at the

upcoming Basel and taking in what is for sale. “I love just walking through the convention center and seeing new artists,” says Grutman, whose greatest Basel memory goes back to 2014. “That was the year when the Brooklyn Museum made Kehinde Wiley [who famously painted a portrait of then-president Barak Obama] big news. He launched a series at my house. He brought six or eight pieces and showcased them there. Swizz Beatz and a bunch of musicians came by. It was a great night.”

What is Grutman looking forward to in 2021? “I love how this year, for the first time ever at Art Basel Miami Beach, there is the NFT element. People will be showing them and that will bring a whole different crowd.”

Peter Tunney, an artist and dealer with his Peter Tunney Experience (the place in which to buy Tunney’s giant Polaroid prints, whimsical paintings, and pieces that feature large-sized words on found objects) and co-founding status with Goldman Global, expects this year’s Basel blowup to compensate for last year’s lull. “If I had to bet a little bit, I would wager that Art Basel 2021 is going to rock Miami,” he says, adding that the loss of Basel last year created an opportunity for collectors to reset. “There is a huge pent-up demand. You have Bitcoin at $63,000, Tesla valued at a trillion, and I just saw a Banksy sell for $25 million. There is so much money in the game and, now, so many people with money who are not seriously in the game—yet. You come down for Basel and it’s like wonderland. There will be an influx of new people who are looking to buy art.”

In terms of how Basel has changed the view of Miami among art-world cognoscenti, Tunney stood witness to the before –and after. “I did a big Peter Beard show here in 2000. People asked why I would do Miami; they said it was all coke and strippers,” he recalls, adding that Basel helped turn that perception on its head. “Basel, if anything, was the validator. And what a great city to have put Art Basel in.

You walk through the W during Basel and it’s as if you’re at the Oscars.”

GRAZIA USA

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VOLUME SEVEN

What’s In My Bag? KIMBERLY DREW

As a titan of the arts and culture space, Kimberly Drew is no stranger to Basel. A social media maven (Drew goes by @museummammy on IG, and the posts are not to be missed) and co-author of Black Futures, the 31-year-old grad of Smith College gives us the rundown of everything they keep in their bag (a beautiful raffia and leather tote from AAKS)—Art Basel edition. Drew, an avid supporter of emerging and QTBIPOC brands, fills their bag with Miami essential goodies, including a navy velvet bodysuit from Chromat and a pink and yellow rhinestone water bottle from Collina Strada.

“We don’t talk about it enough, but staying hydrated is such a key part of any Art Basel experience,” Drew tells Grazia USA. “There are so many things to do and see, but it’s essential that you also take care of your body.” The theme of self-care is important to Drew, from a plant-based cleanser from Starface to a portable charger. “The quickest way to make a new friend in Miami is keeping a fully charged external battery on deck.”

We don’t know about you, but we’re ready for Art Basel now.

GRAZIA USA

1 AAKS tote, $275, nordstrom.com.

2 Chromat bodysuit, $228, chromat.co.

3 Collina Strada water bottle, $100, collinastrada.com.

4 Starface space wash, $$11, starface.world.

5 Anker portable charger, $32, amazon.com.

6 BYREDO eyeliner, $40, byredo.com.

7 Bonnie Clyde sunglasses, $138, bonnieclyde.la.

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