Forum/The Substance of Style/Spring 2014
SPRING FASHION
TROPICAL HIDEAWAY MUST-HAVES FOR THE SEASON SCENE AROUND THE WORLD
Su Misura Made to Measure is the Art of Personal Elegance
WELCOME TO THE SPRING 2014 OAK HALL FORUM MAGAZINE
ere at Oak Hall and at our “vineyard vines by Oak Hall” stores in Memphis, Nashville and Birmingham, we have been preparing for the transition from winter to spring and summer for over a year. We strive to turn your shopping this season into an enjoyable experience worthy of multiple visits to our stores to see what’s new. Speaking of new, we invite you to visit the new, exclusive in Memphis, Trish McEvoy cosmetic department in the ladies store at Oak Hall for all of your makeup, fragrance and skincare needs. Within this issue, you will find not only our Must-Haves feature, which highlights the selections our buying team has made with you in mind, but also articles on fashion, lifestyles and people we thought you would find interesting. We say that with a heavy emphasis on people. As Oak Hall enters its 155th year in 2014, we are reminded that our stores would not be possible without you, our customers. Likewise, your loyalty and friendship over the years is a result of your relationships with all of us here at our stores. Our goal has been and always will be to exceed your expectations every time you walk through our doors. We cannot possibly tell you how much your support means to us. We thank you and look forward to seeing you many times this season at one, two, three or all four of our stores. With best wishes always, Will, Bill and Bob Levy And your friends at Oak Hall and vineyard vines
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OAK HALL 6150 Poplar Avenue Memphis TN 38119 901-761-3580 oakhall.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Karen Alberg Grossman DESIGN DIRECTOR
Hans Gschliesser MANAGING EDITOR
Jillian LaRochelle PROJECT MANAGER
Lisa Montemorra DESIGNERS
Cynthia Lucero, Jean-Nicole Venditti CONCEPT DIRECTORS
Andrew Mitchell, Russ Mitchell MERCHANDISING DIRECTOR
Bob Mitchell DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION
Peg Eadie
FEATURES
DIRECTOR OF PREPRESS
2 6 12 52 76
BUSINESS JOURNALS FASHION GROUP
Welcome Letter Oak Hall Fall Memories Spring Trunk Shows & Events Beauty: Trish McEvoy Music: On the Upswing
FASHION 13 Spring 2014 Must-Haves 54 Best Practices: Exceptionally Eton 58 Color Check
John Frascone
PUBLISHER
Stuart Nifoussi PRESIDENT AND CEO
Britton Jones CHAIRMAN AND COO
Mac Brighton CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Christine Sullivan
APPAREL FORUM Andrisen Morton DENVER, CO Garys NEWPORT BEACH, CA Hubert White MINNEAPOLIS, MN Kilgore Trout CLEVELAND, OH Larrimor’s PITTSBURGH, PA Malouf’s LUBBOCK/SOUTHLAKE, TX Mario’s PORTLAND, OR/SEATTLE, WA
DEPARTMENTS 50 66 70 72 80 84
Ask Forum World Scene Spirits: Made-to-Treasure Food: May the Fowl Be With You Speed: Days of Future Fast End Page: Speaking of Style
Mitchells/Marshs HUNTINGTON, NY Mitchells/Richards WESTPORT/GREENWICH, CT Oak Hall MEMPHIS, TN Rodes LOUISVILLE, KY Rubensteins NEW ORLEANS, LA Stanley Korshak DALLAS, TX Wilkes Bashford SAN FRAN/PALO ALTO, CA FASHION FORUM MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED IN 11 REGIONAL EDITIONS FOR MEMBER STORES OF THE APPAREL FORUM © 2014. PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS JOURNALS, INC, P.O. BOX 5550, NORWALK, CT 06856, 203-853-6015 • FAX: 203-852-8175; ADVERTISING OFFICE: 1384 BROADWAY, NY, NY 10018-6108, 212-686-4412 • FAX: 212-686-6821; ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THE PUBLISHERS ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ADVERTISERS CLAIMS, UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS OR OTHER MATERIALS. NO PART OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHERS. VOLUME 17, ISSUE 1. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
HUGO BOSS FASHIONS INC.
ZEGNA RE-MODEL
A MATCH MADE IN SOUTHERN HEAVEN
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Oak Hall places its first order of men’s VV product.
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01
vineyard vines enters the handbag market. It’s a beach bag! It’s a book bag! It’s the original Classic Tote!
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Few people out there can say their first day of work involved selling ties out of the back of a Jeep.
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Before we traded in our loafers for f lip f lops, and our suits for Shep shirts, vineyard vines was just an idea. We started selling ties out of boats, Jeeps, beaches – you name it. We’ve come a long way since then, and have loved spreading our New England roots down south. With the new year, we’ve brought a fresh feel to our Memphis store and some new products we can’t stop talking about. We’re so glad the Levys took a chance on a couple of dreamers all those years ago, and we can’t wait to see what’s next on the horizon.
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Oak Hall begins ordering VV women’s product.
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vineyard vines profiles: Stories of people living the dream become a catalog staple.
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The first vineyard vines store opens on Shep & Ian’s favorite island of them all, Martha’s Vineyard.
vineyard vines Nashville opens!
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vineyard vines turns 10 years old! And Our College Collection and NFL Collection make their debut.
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vineyard vines Memphis opens!
Memphis celebrates it 6th Anniversary
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vineyard vines Birmingham opens!
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vineyard vines is named the Official Style of the Kentucky Derby! Talk about thoroughbred style.
FOR MEN
MARCH 5TH & 6TH — ZEGNA TRUNK SHOW, WITH ZEGNA’S JACK GAFFNEY MARCH 17TH THROUGH 21ST — SPRING CUSTOM CLOTHING WEEK FEATURING BRIONI, HART SCHAFFNER MARX, HICKEY FREEMAN, ISAIA, JACK VICTOR, PETER MILLAR, SAMUELSOHN APRIL 12TH — “SPRING FLING” SPRING TRUNK SHOW & COOKOUT FEATURING BILLY REID, CRITTENDEN, ETON, GITMAN, JBRAND, MOORE & GILES, TORINO, VINCE, V. K. NAGRANI APRIL 16TH THROUGH 17TH — ZEGNA TRUNK SHOW, WITH ZEGNA’S OMAR MARTINEZ MAY 4TH — OAK HALL RUN FOR ST. JUDE JUNE 14TH — FATHER’S DAY COOKOUT
&
AUGUST 1ST & 2ND — TAX FREE WEEKEND ANY APPAREL ITEM UNDER $100 IS TAX FREE, COOKOUT ON SATURDAY
SPRING TRUNK SHOWS FOR LADIES
FEBRUARY 12TH & 13TH — JORDAN ALEXANDER TRUNK SHOW
FEBRUARY 27TH THROUGH MARCH 1ST — TRISH MCEVOY “ARTIST ON LOCATION” EVENT MARCH 6TH THROUGH 8TH -— TIBI TRUNK SHOW MARCH 20TH THROUGH 22ND — KAROLINA ZMARLAK TRUNK SHOW APRIL 12TH —“SPRING FLING” SPRING TRUNK SHOW & COOKOUT FEATURING JBRAND, JOIE, REBECCA MINKOFF, VINCE APRIL 24TH THROUGH 26TH — DEBRA JILL TRUNK SHOW MAY 1ST & 2ND — ST. JOHN TRUNK SHOW MAY 1ST THROUGH 3RD — TRISH MCEVOY “ARTIST ON LOCATION” EVENT MAY 4TH — OAK HALL RUN FOR ST. JUDE MAY 9TH & 10TH — JORDAN ALEXANDER TRUNK SHOW AUGUST 1ST & 2ND — TAX FREE WEEKEND ANY APPAREL ITEM UNDER $100 IS TAX FREE, COOKOUT ON SATURDAY
VINEYARD VINES
MARCH 8TH — NASHVILLE 3RD ANNIVERSARY PARTY MARCH 15TH — BIRMINGHAM 1½ ANNIVERSARY PARTY MARCH 29TH — MEMPHIS 6TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY
events
Canali suit and dress shirt Gitman knit tie Magnanni loafers
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN BLOEMER
Nellie Partow dress Debra Jill earrings
Oak Hall MUST-HAVES FOR SPRING 2014
Isaia sportcoat, dress shirt and knit tie Torino belt Tibi dress Jordan Alexander earrings
Karolina Zmarlak blouse and skirt Rebecca Lankford earrings
Billy Reid suit and sport shirt Torino belt Allen Edmonds and Cole Haan shoes
Haute Hippie dress Debra Jill earrings
Jack Victor sportcoat Gitman dress shirt
Karolina Zmarlak jacket Rag & Bone dress Alexis Bittar earrings
Rag & Bone dress Jordan Alexander earrings
Hart Schaffner Marx blazer Robert Talbott sport shirt Hiltl trousers Torino belt Sperry Topsiders
True Grit linen shirt Citizens of Humanity colored denim Torino belt
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Dylan blouse and long-sleeve tee JBrand shorts Gillian Julius bracelet
Eidos trenchcoat and shirt JBrand denim Salvatore Ferragamo loafers
Eidos sportcoat and sport shirt JBrand denim Torino belt
Billy Reid blazer Vince tee Citizens of Humanity denim
Vince tank, suede top and shorts Rebecca Lankford necklaces Jordan Alexander bracelet
Scott James linen shirt JBrand denim
Rag & Bone tank Rebecca Lankford necklaces
Agave tee JBrand cargos
True Grit knit polos
Bonobos sport shirt and shorts Persol sunglasses
Southern Tide polos
Rebecca Taylor dress Jordan Alexander bracelet
Peter Millar sportcoat and sport shirt
Eton dress shirt and tie
Peter Millar sportcoat, sport shirt and trousers Persol sunglasses
Bills Khakis seersucker shorts
1859 sport shirts
Jack Victor sportcoat Peter Millar sport shirt
Billy Reid chambray sport shirt JBrand twills Torino belt
Moore & Giles briefcases
Jack Victor sportcoat Robert Talbott sport shirt Butterfly Bowties pocket circle
Bills Khakis sport shirt and trousers Torino belt
Scott James sportcoat Eton sport shirt Filson briefcase
Citizens of Humanity colored denim
Bonobos blazer and sport shirt
Southern Tide swim trunks
SPRING 2014 FASHION TIPS FOR HIM
Q:
Q:
I always thought I own just one belt that that jeans are jeans, reverses from black to brown. but I’m told there’s a What more do I need? difference between dress Just as there are dress jeans and casual denim and casual denim. jeans, there are also dress belts and What’s the difference? casual belts. If the leather is smooth,
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shiny, burnished or exotic (alligator, snakeskin), it’s best worn with dress trousers or a suit. FYI, we love brown belts and brown shoes (leather or suede) worn with gray and navy tailored clothing! When you’re wearing casual pants (jeans, khakis, twills), the ideal belt might be a softer leather or suede. Fabric belts are also great in spring and summer (perfect for shorts!). Don’t be afraid of color or interesting buckles, both good ways to express some fashion flair.
Q:
I’m seeing some strangely short pants on young guys these days, sometimes hitting above the ankle. Is this a trend? Shorter-length pants are definitely the way to go in 2014, but showing ankle is on the extreme side. We recommend a very soft break in the leg, with the hem of the pant just grazing the top of the shoe. If this seems too trendy for you, go a bit longer, but please: no hems dragging on the floor! If your pant leg covers the entire heel of your shoe, it’s too long!
JENS INGVARSSON
If you own trim-fitting jeans in a medium to dark wash with no tears or abrasions, feel free to wear them out to dinner, with a sportcoat and tie if you desire, or with any kind of shirt or sweater. If you don’t own this type of denim, come into the store and try some on! Clean, dark jeans are perhaps the single most important item in today’s casual wardrobes, because they work well with virtually everything you can think of. What’s more, many of today’s new denim fabrics contain a small percentage of stretch to ensure comfort, wrinkle resistance and a perfect fit! If your jeans are baggy in a light to medium wash (with or without tears or abrasions), save them for casual wear and don’t pair them with a slim modern sportcoat. Better yet, buy some jeans that fit.
beauty
LOOK
Fabulous! TRISH MCEVOY BEAUTY AND SKINCARE NOW AVAILABLE AT OAK HALL.
of coral color on the lips. The face should have a totally nonmade-up look, yet be sculpted to accentuate the features. Bronzers, highlighters and blush with translucent pigments are mistake-proof and easy to layer while giving a naturally litfrom-within look. What is the most frequent mistake women make when applying makeup? Not blending well enough (which showcases the makeup rather than the beauty), and not spending enough time on eyeliner. Taking a few extra seconds to get a perfect, truly impactful eyeliner application makes all the difference in the world. What are the newest advances in skincare? What can we expect in the future? The newest and future advances in skincare are about effectiveness and ease. The goal is to correct existing damage while resisting future damage, to address the concerns of the day while safeguarding skin’s long-term health and beauty. Any grooming tips for men? To avoid a dull, dry, tired look, men should exfoliate daily and keep skin hydrated with a serum. Like women, men can also get very lined, dark and puffy under the eyes, but as most do not wear tinted under-eye correctors, eye care becomes even more important. My Beauty Booster Eye Serum and Beauty Booster Advanced Repair Retinol Eye Cream work wonders. For a groomed appearance, men with full or unruly brows need to trim their brow hairs, and be mindful of any nose or ear hair (which can sneak up on you with age). What do you do in your spare time, when you’re not thinking about the beauty business? I take advantage of the remarkable city I call home, from the simplest but most extravagant joy of walking in Central Park, to going to the theatre or performances at the Carlyle Café, to dinners with friends at restaurants I’ve cherished for years or fabulous new spots, and quiet times at home watching NYC unfold beneath my windows. I must admit, however, that whatever I’m doing I’m always thinking about the beauty business. Beauty is my passion, and everything I do has potential for inspiration.
BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN
YES, THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN LOOKING BEAUTIFUL.
But somehow, when you look your best, your attitude and energy improve as well. For renowned makeup artist Trish McEvoy, it’s not all that complicated. “I’ve put a lot of time and thought into making makeup easy,” she explains. “Easy is key because if something is difficult, I won’t do it and I suspect you won’t either…” As a makeup artist and skincare specialist, McEvoy founded Trish McEvoy Beauty at age 25. Her first product was a set of makeup brushes in mistake-proof shapes; she then developed original makeup and skincare products for clients of the makeup studio and medi-spa she founded in 1978 with her husband, Dr. Ronald Sherman. Fortunately, these products are now available at Oak Hall! Just as important as her makeup and skincare products is the educational component that teaches women practical techniques to make the system as effortless as it is effective. Here, we speak to McEvoy about these techniques, and more. What are the key trends in makeup for spring ’14? A very defined eye, full brow, natural face and nude or touch
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best practices
Exceptionally
ETON CRAFTING THE WORLD’S FINEST SHIRTS. By Karen Alberg Grossman
MEMBERS OF THE OAK HALL TEAM
arrogance: you should never think you’re too great. For many years, Hans and I were making all the decisions and it was hard for us to let people contribute. But we soon realized that we might be the problem, so we gradually established a teambuilding culture that encourages creative thinking. An intense passion now permeates the company; our people love coming to work…” Eton is a vertical business, managing every stage of the shirt-making process from cotton production to creative to sales. They use only extra-long staple cotton (Pima from California and Giza from Egypt),
recently had the wonderful opportunity to visit Eton headquarters in Ganghester, Sweden and its design studio in Stockholm with a select group of upscale menswear merchants from the U.S. and Canada. Knowing Eton is one of the hottest brands in the luxury market, Will and Courtney were eager to experience firsthand the culture, commitment and quality-obsessed artisans at this amazing company. As with all great companies, success starts at the top. Eton CEO Hans Davidson (third generation, the company was founded by his grandparents in 1948) and senior advisor Jan Borghardt were incredibly candid about their journey. As Borghardt explains it, “The Swedish mindset discourages
Why invest in a luxury shirt? It will look better, wear longer and get more compliments than any shirt you own!” Courtney Gruenewald, Oak Hall 54
available at
renowned for its luster, durability and softness. (Only 0.7 percent of the world’s cotton is ELS.) They then partner with top mills that spin the cotton and weave the fabric. “We work with mills in Italy, Switzerland and France,” explains Eton creative director Sebastian Dollinger, a talented young artist whose inspiration wall for spring 2015 includes a Hindu magazine cover from the 1950s, a Led Zeppelin album cover, and various images of airplanes, flamingos, vintage pinball machines and Mexican skulls worked into a cool paisley. “We work with our weaving mills very early in the process and buy up their capacity far in advance, which is why the designs are exclusive.” Also unique to Eton shirts: a notable crispness, thanks to a special process that allows wrinkle resistance in the most ecologically safe way possible. “Cynics say it’s impossible to attain our level of wrinkle-free without chemicals,” Davidson explains. “But with our finisher in Switzerland, we invented a (40-step) method that actually rearranges the fibers of the cotton rather than coating the fabric with chemicals. It’s been said there are more chemicals in a cup of British tea than in an Eton shirt…”
Ca g F o Your Erin ton Shrirt s HOME WASHIN
G: • Unbutt on the sh irt and fo instructio llow care ns on lab el. • Do not overfill w ashing m set on lo achine; w spin. • Once w ashed, h ang shir t on hanger an d stretch collar, cu front pla ff and ckets soft ly. Do not the shirt. wring • Option al: Light iron for an finishing extra touch. PROFES SIONAL LAUND • Ask yo RY: ur clean
er to use light pre and no st ss arch. Pre ssing is recomm not ended fo r co ll ar , cuff and front pla ckets.
FAST FACTS ON ETON: • The collection is sold in only the finest stores in 42 countries. • An Eton shirt is ecologically correct, from growing the cotton (using crop rotation) to dyeing the yarns to packaging and shipping. • Eton uses more cotton per square millimeter than most luxury brands. • They are famous for color clarity (there are 250 different shades of red alone!) and exclusive designs (they use no fabrics available on the open market). • Eton offers a variety of different fits and stocks numerous styles in each. The fit is exceptional because all measurements are carefully graded across sizes. • Eton collars and cuffs are unique: the founders invented an exclusive method of sewing them inside out. • Buttons are made of pulverized mother of pearl that Eton re-casts for added strength, and they’re strategically
Above left: Will works on a tie design. Above: Sebastian Dollinger poses with his spring inspiration board. Left: Will and Courtney sightsee in Sweden.
placed to allow for open collar-wearing. • Each shirt requires at least 100 minutes of cutting and sewing. • Much of the machinery used in the production process was conceived by Eton, and much hand craftsmanship is involved. • Eton ties are also exceptional, made at the finest factories in England and Italy. • The male model who is currently the face of Eton has a notable scar on his cheek. “Patrick represents
With the exception of Eton shops, Oak Hall is our largest single store account in the world.” Erik Wilkinson, Eton global sales director
adventure and risktaking,” explains global brand director Robert Inghamn. “He’s the James Bond-type of guy that women love: always stylish and cool, even when
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facing extreme danger…”
spring 2014
Casual Luxury for Men
COLOR CHECK
SPRING 2014 BRINGS A FRESH TAKE ON PRINT AND COLOR. DISCOVER THE LUSH HUES OF THE TROPICS, SET ON STUNNING VERANDAS UNDER A CANOPY OF PALMS AT THE MOORINGS RESORT & SPA IN ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA.
PHOTOGRAPHY: SERGIO KURHAJEC HAIR/MAKEUP: CLAIRE BAYLEY STYLING: WENDY MCNETT / WIILLIAM BUCKLEY
BRING ON THE
BLUES
BE PLAYFUL WITH PLAIDS, SETTING EXOTIC BRIGHTS AGAINST BOLD NEUTRALS.
IT’S A SHORTS
STORY
world scene
BY DONALD CHARLES RICHARDSON
Experience life’s little luxuries. TOUJOURS PROVENCE
BRUNO PRECHEMINSKY
Quietly sequestered among the vineyards, olive groves and lavender fields in the South of France is the sleek, modern, nearly 750-acre Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort. Here, golfers are welcomed with two championship 18-hole courses and the Leadbetter Golf Academy, featuring the world’s top instructors. Spend the morning improving your swing, then pass a lazy afternoon at the infinity pool (with a breathtaking view of the Southern Alps), or get pampered in the elaborate and opulent spa. Since you’re in France, you should do a lot of eating and drinking. Terre Blanche makes it easy with four restaurants that serve fresh local dishes and superb wines (the rosés are especially excellent). Finally, retire to one of the elaborately homey villas scattered among the pine trees, where you’ll find seclusion and every contemporary comfort. It’s like having your own private Provence.
A COUNTRY PORT
foothills of the Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee, has been a favorite American destination for generations. Along with the comfortable cottages, award-winning food, and vast number of activities offered at Blackberry Farm, food, beverage and wine director Andy Chabot has assembled a commanding collection of 8,500 wines. The rare vintages include 25 madeiras and 20 ports. Chabot introduces guests to these notable after-dinner wines with flights: side-by-side tastings of three, such as the 1834, 1863 and 1875 madeiras, or ruby, tawny and white ports. For the true port connoisseur Chabot suggests VV from Niepoort (released only twice in the history of the company, just 999 bottles of this tawny port were produced), which he describes as “an elegant way to ease out of the evening.” 66
IMAGE BY BEALL + THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY
BLACKBERRY FARM, a stylishly pastoral resort at the
world scene
PICTURING THE WILD WEST
For more than a century, cowboys and cowgirls have gathered at the Cheyenne Frontier Days to compete at the rodeo, dance the two-step and recreate the Old West. There’s also an art show. This July more than 60 of the country’s contemporary artists celebrate America’s frontier past—its culture, its magnificent scenery and the western way of life—in paintings, sculptures, wood and alabaster carvings, and Navajo weavings. The Cheyenne Frontier Days Western Art Show begins with a preview, followed by a reception at the Wyoming Governor’s Mansion. A western dinner and cocktails are served throughout the evening while the sale takes place, and guests dance the night away to the sounds of a live band.
M
EASY RIDER
ission Motorcycles has recently introduced the Mission RS, an innovative and high-performing electric motorcycle. Merging stunning looks with state-of-the-art technology, the Mission RS has a 120 kW (160 hp) electric motor integrated with Mission’s InfiniteDrive, which offers control and performance levels never before seen in any electric vehicle. The result: a pure motorcycle experience. Marchesini competition-legal and race-spec forged magnesium wheels are included in the optional GP Package, making the Mission RS ready to compete on the world stage. Production of the Mission RS is limited to 40 editions; naturally, each bike purchased is hand-delivered within North America.
ON THE WATERFRONT
This summer, experience the great outdoors at Miami’s Viceroy Hotel. For evenings there’s Fifty, a new rooftop indoor/outdoor lounge perched atop the 50th floor. Recline on chaise lounges or hang out at the bar and private pool and stare at the stars (or the city lights). During the day, head for the 15th floor and make a splash in the 300-foot infinity pool (Florida’s longest), an 80-person hot tub (the world’s largest) and a wading pool, which together add up to a water complex the size of a football field.
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spirits
Made-to-Treasure RESORTS AND RESTAURANTS OFFER GUESTS ONE-OF-A-KIND DRINKING EXPERIENCES. BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON
Jimmy Russell. Often the restaurant will craft a signature or private selection cocktail. Chef Marc Murphy's bar/restaurant Kingside, in Manhattan's luxe new Viceroy Hotel, features a custom Michter's Whiskey (aged in a custom deep-char barrel) in its own barrel-aged Manhattan. At Emeril Lagasse's Las Vegas venues, he drops a custom Buffalo Trace Eagle Rare single-barrel reserve into three seasonal cocktails: The NOLA Mule, the Bourbon Milk Punch and the Autumn Pomme. Bam! Such exclusivity isn't reserved for whiskeys: Herradura tequila offers a Buy the Barrel program to restaurants around the country, including several Richard Sandoval properties in New York; at contemporary Japanese eatery Shibuya in Las Vegas, you'll find exclusive sakes dubbed Neo-Tokyo and Hachiko; and at Four Seasons Milan, you can order a custom Italian (sweet) vermouth. "It's wonderful to see people come back and select new barrels for seasonality or specific food pairings," says Morris. "Restaurants and resorts are finding they're selling out so fast that they're saying, 'we've already got to do this again.'"
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IMAGE BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON
IT'S NO LONGER ENOUGH to order a standard blended whisky, or even an 18-year expression of your go-to Scotch before dinner. The latest trend: custom barrel selections and blends exclusive to specific restaurants, bars and resorts. Such custom and one-off bottlings have been around for years through high-end liquor stores and private tasting societies. But as the cocktail and fine drinking scenes evolve, more bars and restaurants are clamoring for a customized spirit. Woodford Reserve Bourbon offers two programs for restaurateurs and beverage managers: A single-barrel selection, and an unusual two-barrel blend, which sees the venue working directly with master distiller Chris Morris to create an exclusive whiskey, the selections winnowed down from over 100 possible barrels. "As far as I know, we have the only program like this," says Morris. Destinations like The Cloister at Sea Island (Georgia), The Edison in Los Angeles and the St. Regis in Atlanta have taken advantage. "It's so fun to watch the dynamics of each account: Some want a sweeter blend, some spicier. It's always unique; you can't replicate a two-barrel batch." Michael MacDonnell, beverage director at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, concurs: "Uniqueness is one of the top selling points. Nowhere else in the world has it, and when it's gone, it's gone forever." The resort offers an exclusive Knob Creek sin-
THE LATEST TREND: CUSTOM BARREL SELECTIONS AND BLENDS EXCLUSIVE gle-barrel reserve Bourbon and TO SPECIFIC is now offering the first-ever RESTAURANTS, BARS AND Russell's Reserve select single RESORTS. barrel from Wild Turkey Distiller
food MAY THE
FOWL
FRIED CHICKEN GETS DRESSED UP.
BE WITH YOU
By Donald Charles Richardson
SO WHAT IF VERSIONS OF FRIED CHICKEN
Although fried chicken has always been popular, these days it’s become so fashionable that even elitist gourmets are crying fowl. And cooks all over the country are keeping abreast of this current passion for poultry. Raised on a farm, Mildred Cotton Council spent years learning and creating her recipes. In 1976, she finally opened Mama Dip’s Kitchen (Mama Dip was her childhood nickname) in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she continues to turn out some of the best fried chicken in the country. “I’m a country cook. I can tell how a chicken is raised by the taste,” she asserts. When asked if she has a special recipe, Mama Dip explains that she has “never called it a recipe” before sharing her prep routine: she soaks the chicken in a big tub filled with salt water, then rinses it off, dips it in flour and adds black pepper.
have been eaten since ancient times in Europe and Asia, chicken fried in palm oil has been a longstanding staple in West African cuisine, and the Scots were early proponents of frying chicken in fat? (Some even credit them with introducing the technique to the United States.) Despite its worldly history, fried chicken has become an inimitably American dish. After all, how many other countries celebrate National Fried Chicken Day? (July 6th, FYI.) It’s almost impossible not to love fried chicken. It’s crispy, satisfying, delicious, and like all great comfort foods, it can even evoke nostalgia: memories of Sunday family dinners, summer picnics or late-night refrigerator raids. (Few things in life are quite so satisfying as discovering an overlooked chicken leg.)
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THOR SWIFT
Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc
White L .12.12 polo by Irving Penn – @IrvingPenn /Lacoste
lion potato salad, pimento mac ‘n cheese, creamed kale and roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and presented alongside 12 different dipping sauces, including buffalo hot, satan spicy, homemade ranch buttermilk, barbeque and honey mustard. It stands to reason all the attention on this essentially simple American dish was eventually bound to ruffle the feathers of famous chefs. Renown for the gastronomic experiences he creates at his legendary French Laundry and Per Se restaurants, Thomas Keller salutes home cooking with Ad Hoc in Yountville, California. Here, chef de cuisine Katie HaganWelchel treats chickens like poultry royalty. Using only local birds no larger than 2.5 pounds (to promote even cooking), the chicken is cut into 10 pieces and spends 12 hours in an
“Best not to freeze for fried chicken,” she cautions. “People get chicken on sale and put it in a freezer, [but you] need a fresh chicken to begin with. Every day we get a delivery.” Mama Dip always serves her fried chicken with biscuits. Another tip she’s generous enough to reveal: “I started making biscuits with plain self-rising flour with a little extra baking powder mixed in there. It’s really good.” Other restaurants, vying for the cock of the walk title, have come up with their own inventive methods of making fried chicken. In Portland, Oregon, David Kreifels, one of the three Chicken and waffles at Birch & Barley
partners who’ve created Simpatica and Laurelhurst Market (named in 2010 as one of the best new restaurants by Bon Appétit) says they only serve fried chicken from the butcher shop on Tuesdays at Laurelhurst Market, and at brunch on Sundays at Simpatica. The chicken is soaked in buttermilk overnight, dusted with a blend of curry powder, flour, salt, pepper and paprika, then fried in oil. The spice coating allows the chicken to develop a nice crisp at a lower oil temperature. It’s allowed to “rest” after frying and Kreifels says, “As it cools the crust gets crispier… and the crust stays on because of the lower heat.” Their chicken is served with waffles in fruit syrup. In Washington D.C., Birch & Barley’s fried chicken and waffle dish is so popular that husband and wife team Kyle (chef) and Tiffany (pastry chef) Bailey have opened another restaurant, GBD (Golden, Brown & Delicious), that highlights fried chicken along with their gourmet doughnuts. You can actually order a fried chicken sandwich with a doughnut as the bread. (Truly, you can!) GBD uses 100 percent hormone-free chickens plunged into a buttermilk brine then fried fresh to order. It’s served with sides like crème fraiche biscuits, scal-
IT’S ALMOST herb-lemon brine (to help the meat stay juicy). It’s IMPOSSIBLE air dried to room temperature then dredged in flour mixed with garlic, onion powder, paprika, cayenne NOT TO LOVE FRIED pepper, salt and black pepper. Next it’s dipped in CHICKEN. buttermilk, then returned to the flour mixture and finally fried in peanut oil. Chef Hagan-Whelchel uses two different fryers—one for white meat, another for dark— pointing out that dark meat takes longer and she prefers to cook it at a lower temperature (320 degrees) than the white (340 degrees). Fried chicken at Ad Hoc is on the menu every other Monday and served with corn bread and seasonal vegetables. It’s also available in a box lunch at Addendum in the garden behind Ad Hoc, from Thursday through Saturday. When you get right down to it, whether simple or sophisticated, fried chicken at its best is soul-satisfying food you eat with your fingers while having a really wonderful time. “Fried chicken somehow emotionally resonates with everybody,” says Hagan-Whelchel. “It’s a thread through all of us… it just makes you feel good.”
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DAVID REAMER
Laurelhurst Market Steakhouse & Butcher Shop
music
On the UPSWING
All across America, the popularity of jazz is hitting a high note. By Donald Charles Richardson
Around 11:30 at night, several stories up in a high-rise building adjacent to Central Park, a crowd gathers for one of the most exciting experiences available to people who live in or visit New York City. Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (named for jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie) is part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center program. According to general manager Roland Chassagne, “Dizzy’s has been open for close to 10 years and reached a level of being one of the top jazz clubs in the world. We provide the trifecta as we say: great music, great food and great views.” Regular evening performances feature famous jazz artists, and Late Night Sessions present new and innovative performers,
attracting aficionados who knowledgeably toss around the names of both famous and little-known musicians, couples on romantic dates, and some who simply like the music. Michael Mwenso, curator and programming associate at Dizzy’s, hosts Late Night Sessions on Thursdays and Saturdays. “We showcase young bands, young musicians… we give them a chance.” At the other end of the country, in San Francisco, is SFJAZZ. Randall Kline, its founder and executive/artistic director, has booked the finest jazz musicians in the world for nearly 30 years and built this organization into a year-round institution that gives more than 200 concerts annually and treats jazz as a major art form. The recently opened freestanding concert hall,
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BRAD FEINKNOPF
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Jazz at Lincoln Center
T H E U LT I M AT E T R O U S E R
And Kline points out that “it’s live. It’s not going to be the same every evening.” “Being in the zone, feeling the spirit, feeling connected,” is how Redman describes the experience. “We don’t often speak about it because we don’t want to lose the mystery of it. It happens when our training and study and hard work and time and discipline and practice all take a backseat… in the moment of inspiration, something magical happens.” Olaine recalls an unforgettable moment when Grammy Award-winning Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba played for the first time with drummer Tony Williams (a longtime drummer for Miles Davis). They had just met and started to play Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage. “They played [the first section] with such delicate Brazilian vocalist Leny Andrade care and tender finesse…” Olaine remembers. “They extended that out for such a period of time, the hairs on your arm were just standing straight up. When they moved to the next section, the crescendo was so gradual you could have heard a pin drop.” “Moments when all the musicians are in sync are rare… musiAYANO HISA
ELIZABETH ATTENBOROUGH
the first of its type in the U.S., is located in the heart of San Francisco’s cultural and creative district. “A standalone [facility] affords jazz a profile it hasn’t had before,” explains Kline. “You have live music right at street level. People walking by are a part of it.” In these two major institutions as well as at small clubs and large theaters, festivals and concerts all over the world, the renewed popularity of jazz is hitting a high note. Jason Olaine, director of programJoshua Redman ming for Jazz at Lincoln Center, says, “More people are consuming jazz today than ever before. Jazz is on the upswing. Some people get it… Others just appreciate it from the standpoint of pure musicianship.” One of the best musicians in the business is Joshua Redman, whose primary instrument is the tenor saxophone. (Walking Shadows, his latest album, has received superb reviews.) “I want people to come to jazz with open minds and open hearts,” says Redman. “It’s very intense and complex music. It’s not the easiest music to penetrate immediately. But jazz musicians are looking to express themselves and play music with spirit and soul. Come [to a jazz club] without expectations. Truly listen and it can be a very intense and rewarding experience.” Along with this juxtaposition of discovery, appreciation and enjoyment, it’s the spontaneity of jazz that can generate a uniquely exciting experience for the audience. “They’re creating right in front of [the audience],” says Seth Abramson, artistic director of the popular Jazz Standard in New York City. “At their best it’s as if they don’t even know the audience is there.” Laurent Saulnier is vice president of production and programmation at Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, the biggest jazz festival in the world. He reveals that during the festival, jam sessions take place every night from 11 to 3. “Famous musicians will jump in and just play. And you never know what will happen during those sessions.” Mwenso echoes the sentiment: “You never know how the night might go [at Dizzy’s Late Night Sessions], but sometimes there’s pure magic.” These moments, when the jazz group is, as Abramson terms it, “swinging,” are remarkable.
“YOU HAVE LIVE MUSIC RIGHT AT STREET LEVEL. PEOPLE WALKING BY ARE A PART OF IT.” — Randall Kline, founder of SFJAZZ cian’s nirvana,” says Saulnier. The most difficult is getting the entire audience to have that moment at the same time. He remembers a couple of years ago when Leonard Cohen performed at the festival. When he started the song Suzanne, “there wasn’t a single breath in the room. We cannot program that special moment,” Saulnier adds, “but individuals will have their own moments at different times.” “Just listen,” says Redman. “It’s not science. There are complexities in jazz that rival the most complex science, but it’s about listening. It’s yours when you listen.”
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Exclusive fabric by Loro Piana, “Extreme”
speed
DAYS OF
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THE NEXT GENERATION OF HIGH-TECH TRANSPORTATION IS ALMOST HERE. BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON
HERE WE ARE IN 2014; where are the flying cars and jet packs? Not everyone’s given up on the dream: From highspeed rail and solar-powered cars to wacky personal transport and luxury airships, innovators and idealists continue moving the world forward, one hovercraft at a time. Some of our biggest dreamers continue to look towards the sky. Last year, Terrafugia, a Massachusetts-based aerospace company, announced it was officially in the flying car business. The Transition is a compact, street-legal vehicle which can fly in and out of airports using retractable wings, looks and drives like a car on the road, and costs around $280,000. Now the company hopes to produce the TF-X, a four-seat hybrid electric vehicle capable of making vertical take-offs and landings. Despite the reality of private jets and luxury airliners, some innovators still envision demand for a classic airship. The Aether Cruise Experience is a design project created by University of
Huddersfield student Mac Byers. His concept is inspired by classic zeppelins and incorporates vertical lift technology from AerosCraft (a company producing high-tech dirigibles for cargo transport and hoping to be online commerically by 2016). Byers envisions his helium-supported floating cruise ship as an open design, allowing passengers to explore spacious catwalks, viewing areas, bars and large private sleeping quarters. The frontiers of private commercial space flight, meanwhile, continue to be dominated by two pioneers: SpaceX and Virgin Galactic. Despite promises of speedy delivery of civilian passengers into low-earth orbit and higher (SpaceX is convinced they’ll be able to do private fly-bys of the Moon and land their proposed Dragon spacecraft on Mars in this century), the industry seems rife with delays. Virgin Galactic’s space program hasn’t yet taken off (pun intended), and SpaceX appears (from the outside) to
IMAGES COURTESY OF HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER, SPACEX
SpaceX's Dragon, a proposed Mars lander
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The race exemplifies some of the challenges of bringing a solar-charged, off-the-grid car to market. “We calculated that if we applied the parameters of our competition to a Nissan Leaf [a small electric car priced—and taxed—at the luxury level in Australia], it would do the event in 28 days rather than four days,” says Chris Selwood of World Solar Challenge. “It highlights the cap between cutting-edge efficiency and commercial limitations.” What if you’re burning to buy a piece of the future today? Hammacher Schlemmer has been providing such opportunities for years, with electric bikes and hovercrafts filling the pages of their catalog (and their newly remodeled Manhattan flagship store) alongside high-tech razors and poolside fireplaces. Most recently, the company introduced two tantalizing personal submarines: one that looks like a Killer Whale ($90,000) and a two-person submersible for studying the ocean floor ($2 million, training and certification required). “We’re always looking for unusual modes of transport,” says Stephen Farrell, director of merchandising. “In the flying world, there is a loosening of ultralight aircraft regulations, making it easier for people to fly personal aircraft.” Perhaps he has the skinny on when we’re getting those jetpacks we’ve been so long promised. “We’re getting pretty close,” says Farrell. “It’s basically in the hands of military contractors. When they’re legal, safe and available, Hammacher Schlemmer will sell them!”
be focused on commercial space over passengers (though it is currently competing for a contract to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station). Sierra Nevada, another contender, conducted a test flight in October of its Dream Catcher space plane in which landing gear malfunctioned, causing minor damage. eanwhile on the ground, progress seems to be racing along. Japan, long known for its high-speed, magneticlevitation bullet trains, is now marketing the technology to other countries. Northeast Maglev, a Washington D.C. company, is hoping to build a superconducting maglev train to the Northeast Corridor, potentially chopping the three-hour trip between D.C. and New York to one. And Elon Musk, cofounder of SpaceX and the brains behind the electric Tesla S sports car, floated a concept last year for a pressurized tube rail called Hyperloop, which theoretically would make the trip from LA to San Francisco in 35 minutes. Musk seems to vasillate between claiming to be too busy to make this more than a pipe dream, and promising a working prototype by 2015 through the new spinoff company Hyperloop Transportations Technologies. Either way, the idea has caused buzz on the internet and piqued the interests of investors. Electric cars are becoming a daily reality, but unplugging them completely from existing fossil fuel sources remains a hurdle. The World Solar Challenge is a semi-annual 1,865-mile, four-day race across the Australian desert which attempts to draw new ideas out of universities and think tanks around the world. Sunswift, a team out of New South Wales, introduced Eve, a four-passenger, two-door car which averaged speeds of 50 MPH through the race, and topped out at 80. “The greatest challenges were the design trade-offs between aerodynamic efficiency, solar array output and driver/passenger comfort,” says Alexander To, director of Sunswift’s business team. Though the car finished the race 90 minutes ahead of its competition, passenger weight handicaps and judging on practicality left Eve third in its category.
M
INNOVATORS AND IDEALISTS KEEP MOVING THE WORLD OF TRANSPORTATION FORWARD.
Hammacher Schlemmer’s Killer Whale Submersible
Dirigible prototype from AerosCraft
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“One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.” — Oscar Wilde 84
OAK HALL FORUM SPRING 2014