Sheridan Road, November 2022

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the EDIT

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the EDIT

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2026

N MOHAWK ST

7 Beds | 6.4 Baths • $9,500,000

2026NMohawkSt.info

Double lot, 11,000 sq ft home on coveted East Lincoln Park block. Amazing interior width with custom windows, tall doors, high ceilings, and elevator. Fantastic design for entertaining with gracious living and dining rooms. Easy access to outdoor space from large kitchen/great room. 2nd level with 4 bedrooms, 3 ensuite baths, playroom, powder room and laundry. Top floor primary suite with 2 walk-in closets, white bath, exercise room + bedroom and den. LL with guest suite, theater, game room, and play space. Attached 4 car heated garage with fab mud room. Close to Oz, Parker, Latin and Lincoln!

This one-of-a-kind 3/4 floor home at 30 W Oak offers luxurious living with truly unbelievable views and outdoor space. Completely redesigned by interior designer Kara Mann and builder Rick Juneau, with absolutely no detail spared. 10’ high ceilings, heated concrete flooring, and panoramic city views compliment wideopen living areas, creating the perfect space to live and entertain. Custom white kitchen offers top-of-the-line appliances plus a built-in breakfast table leads to the spacious terrace. 2 generously-sized bedrooms, plus a fab office and wine room. Premier parking for three cars!

2028 N FREMONT ST

5 Beds | 4.2 Baths • $5,350,000

2028NFremontSt.info

Double lot home in a premier Lincoln Park locale! Huge top floor 850 sq ft addition to the home makes this totally unique. Incredible outdoor space with oversized side yard, hardscaped patio, and garage roof deck all with southern exposure! Main level offers multiple spaces to host and entertain with a freshly updated eatin kitchen. Amazing natural light from the south-facing windows overlooking the spectacular side yard. 3 bedrooms on second floor, including oversized primary suite with attached office! Rec room, guest bed, and sunny top floor addition make the ultimate penthouse level!

Ultra-luxe Gold Coast building with city and lake views and outdoor space! 3,900 sq ft of custom designed finishes throughout. Christopher Peacock kitchen with white marble island and fantastic natural light. Informal dining in the eat-in kitchen. Oversized west-facing terrace with views of the lake! Huge primary bedroom with marble bath and great closet space. Second bedroom with updated ensuite bath. Library + den and an additional terrace offer multiple spaces to relax. Laundry room plus 2 garage parking spots included! Best Gold Coast location close to the lake, Oak Street and Latin School!

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FEATURES

NATURE’S CHILD

Artist Lisa Solberg dives deep to understand the world and what it means to be in it.

LADY LIEUTENANT

Brigitte Nettesheim reflects on how her time in the Army shaped who she is today.

PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

Sheridan Road shares an exclusive interview with Jessie Randall and Brian Murphy, founders of lifestyle brand Loeffler Randall—makers of the show-stopping Penny Pleated Bow Heel.

RISING AND SHINING AND CARING

Gayatri Mathur’s pivot from physical therapy to running the Soondra Foundation has helped rescue countless families from medical catastrophes and intergenerational poverty in her childhood home, India.

HONOR BOUND

Lake County Honor Flight helps U.S. veterans complete a journey decades in the making.

ON THE COVER

Lisa Solberg featured in Nature’s Child, wearing Jeune Otte pink suit/Venus, 2021, acrylic, oil and dye on canvas 100 x 80 inches is in partial view behind her. Photography by David Lamer

ON THIS PAGE

Loeffler Randall look book image. The company’s founders are featured in the Penny For Your Thoughts feature

J.W. CONATSER

DUSTIN O’REGAN

JENNIFER STURGEON

MORGAN HOGERTY, MEGAN WEISBERG

THERESA DEMARIA

ALLISON DUNCAN

THOMAS CONNORS, ALLISON DUNCAN, RYAN HUDGINS, BILL MCLEAN, MONICA KASS ROGERS, ROCHELLE RUBINOFF, ANN MARIE SCHEIDLER, LAURA LAYFER

TREITMAN

JORDAN WILLIAMS LINDA LEWIS

AMIN QUTTEINEH CHRIS GEIMER

REDDING WORTH

JAMES GUSTIN, DAVID LAMER, MONICA KASS ROGERS, LISA SCIASCIA, ROBIN SUBAR, KATRINA WITTKAMP

CHEYANNE LENCIONI GRETCHEN BARNARD

RAHEELA ANWAR, EILEEN BENNIN, RENEE CROWN, JEFFREY EISERMAN, MAUREEN GRINNELL, DANA HUGHES, JOYCE BRUCE JIARAS, JILL KATZ, LEXIE KNOX, YOANNA KULAS, ARTHUR MILLER, MEREDITH MITCHELL, SANDRA CASPARRIELLO, RONI MOORE NEUMANN, IBBY PINSKY,

JWC Media accepts freelance contributions; however, there is no guarantee that un solicited manuscripts, photographs, or graphics will be returned. All rights to the contents of this magazine are owned in full by JWC Media. Sheridan Road may not be reproduced in whole or in part, including but not limited to advertisements and articles, without written permission from the publisher. Sheridan Road assumes no responsibility for statements made or opinions expressed by contributing writers, editors, or advertisers. Howev er, comments or corrections or differing opinions are welcomed. The publisher reserves the right to edit and place all editorials and ads. © 2022 JWC Media

THIS MONTH I WILL BE

Happy November and welcome to the beginning of the holiday season. This issue is full of fun gift-giving ideas, a celebration of the arts, and a nod to Veterans Day. Our first feature highlights the incredible talent of Lisa Solberg who is recognized for her multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional art featuring paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations.

READING

Trust by Hernan Diaz

Moving from free-form brush strokes to military formations, our second feature shines a light on Kenilworth’s Brigitte Nettesheim, a West Point grad, executive, and an active supporter of veteran affairs. She shares how her time in the U.S. Army shaped who she is today. Swapping military uniforms for ready-to-wear, we catch up with Jessie Randall and Brian Murphy of Loeffler Randall. The founders share the backstory of this coveted shoe, apparel, and accessories brand.

Our fourth feature celebrates the philanthrop ic work of Mumbai native and Highland Park resident Gayatri Mathur. As CEO of the Soondra Foundation, Gayatri seeks to “secure a healthier India” by providing healthcare access through di rect grants to India’s working poor when they have a medical emergency. Cheers to a healthy cause.

Nature’s Child feature Lisa Solberg with her work Totem Fountain 04, Acrylic and indigo dye on canvas, 100 x 78 inches. Photography by David Lamer

Back on the shore, we showcase artist Norman Teague’s art and furniture designs and provide a teaser for his upcoming show at The Art Center Highland Park. I am really excited to share Norman’s work with you – many of his pieces are in the permanent collection of museums nationwide.

Our Food & Travel section is a bit larger this month with Wine, a special feature on wines derived from the grenache grape, and Sweet, a feature introducing the women behind Highland Park’s Sugarcoated. First Class books a ticket to Dubrovnik, an Adriatic gem and a place that should be on everyone’s shortlist. The Pearl of the Adriatic awaits.

We close the issue with sage words from fashion icon Fern Mallis. Enjoy and happy holidays!

The perfect event for this Oscar de la Renta bead and fringe halterneck gown—I am obsessed

HOPING FOR THANKING

All of you for your wonderful support

We round out the features with a salute to veterans and the great work of Lake County Honor Flight. My daughter has always had tremendous respect for veterans. Even as a young child, she routinely approached men and women in uniform to say “thank you for your service.” Her interest stayed constant and Redding, the youngest Honor Flight guardian to date, has accompanied three veterans to Washington, D.C. with Lake County Honor Flight. Guardianship requires hours of pre-trip preparation and an incredible amount of focus and dedication on the ground. Even with the heat and long hours, she always comes home saying, “every teenager should have this experience.” Paula Carballido is the fearless leader on all Lake County Honor Flights and is changing lives while honoring heroes.

DUSTIN O’REGAN

Editor-in-Chief dustin@jwcmedia.com

Follow Sheridan Road on Instagram: @sheridanrdmag

Sinmi Stool designed by Art & Artist feature Norman Teague

JULIE COHN

FINDS, OPINIONS, OBSESSIONS

A gift idea from The Do List’s gift guide. Art X Fashion by Nancy HallDuncan, rizzoliusa.com

AGENDA

SAVE the DATE

Sheridan Road provides the North Shore’s comprehensive social calendar.

EDITED BY DUSTIN O’REGAN

NOVEMBER 11

THE PAWS CHICAGO FUR BALL

WHERE: The Drake Hotel

The 21st Annual PAWS Chicago Fur Ball is Chicago’s premier pet-friendly, black-tie event! Set at the legendary Drake Hotel, this unique gala invites guests to dress their pets in four-legged formal wear and walk the red carpet for an exciting celebration to benefit PAWS Chicago. Guests will delight in the silent and live auctions with one-of-a-kind items, raffle, dancing, and dinner buffets. Lucky dogs in attendance will also be treated

to an evening of indulgences, including a divine dinner served in crystal goblets at the special dog buffet and pawdicures, massages, and delightful pet-friendly spritzes in the Dog Spa. pawschicago.org

NOVEMBER 12

A JOYFUL NIGHT

WHERE: Michigan Shores Club in Wilmette

Each year A Joyful Noise Preschool, located in Kenilworth, hosts an annual benefit to raise funds for staff support, facility upgrades, and professional development. The lively evening will include a cocktail recep-

tion, seated dinner, dancing, and silent and live auctions. ajoyfulnoisepreschool.com

NOVEMBER 13TH BURU POP-UP SHOP

WHERE: Serena & Lily, Winnetka

The BURU Bus is popping up at Serena & Lily in Winnetka. Shop the latest collections and Bus exclusives, while enjoying styling and accessorizing tips, too! BURU’s mission is to help every mama look and feel her best. Every garment is designed to withstand the demands of motherhood, without sacrificing style. shopburu.com

NOVEMBER 17

WINTER WISHES

WHERE: The Casino Club

The Founders’ Board of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago will kick off the holiday season with the annual Winter Wishes Holiday Cocktail Celebration. This year’s event, co-chaired by Jennifer Cunningham and Karen McEniry, will benefit the Patrick M. Magoon Insti tute for Healthy Communities and Lurie Children’s first clinic and community space in Chicago’s Austin neigh borhood. luriechildrens.org/ winterwishes

Designer/artist and educator Norman Teague. Teague’s work will be on exhibit at The Art Center Highland Park beginning November 18. Photography courtesy of Norman Teague

NOVEMBER 18

OPENING RECEPTION

WHERE: The Art Center

Highland Park

The Art Center Highland Park hosts an opening reception for its “Object-Oriented” exhi bition featuring the work of three highly innovative artists/ designers, Norman Teague, Michael Thompson, and Zachary Weber. All three artists work in various mediums to create art in 3-D. The exhibition runs through December 30. theartcenterhp.org

NOVEMBER 18

HYDE PARK ART CENTER

GALA

WHERE: Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago Hyde Park Art Center, the renowned nonprofit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, hosts its 83rd annual gala. The lively event will be packed with hands-on activities, performances, open studios, art auctions, and a DJ. Funds raised will deepen the impact of Art Center’s programs for Chicago art and artists. hydeparkart.org

AGENDA

NOVEMBER 19

BRUSHES WITH CANCER

WHERE: WNDR Museum, Chicago

Brushes with Cancer (TM) is a program by Twist Out Cancer that matches those who have been affected by cancer with artists for the purpose of sharing, connecting, creating, and healing. Enjoy food, drinks, live music, special celebrity guests, dancing, art, a silent auction, interactive fun, a private tour of the WNDR Museum, and more. twistoutcancer.org/brushes/ midwest2022

NOVEMBER 19

PLAY NEVER GETS OLD

WHERE: Palmer House Hilton Chicago Children’s Museum cel ebrates its 40th Anniversary with fun, food, live and silent auctions, dancing, games, and much more. Funds raised will bring playful learning to all Chicago’s children. Co-chaired by Allison Steigleder and Thaddeus Wong. chicagochil drensmuseum.org

DECEMBER 3

JOY AND WONDER

WHERE: Market Square,

From noon to 3:00 p.m. enjoy a holiday celebration that is “Pure Imagination!” Guests will enter through a balloon arch flanked by living Toy Soldiers and other animatronic forest animals and trees. One of Santa’s Helpers will greet guests and guide them through a series of interactive Wonder Stations including sleigh rides, a fantasy moonwalk bounce house, ice sculpting, live camel and nativity animals for petting and pics. Gourmet catering includes hot chocolate with marshmallows, bags of chocolate drizzled caramel corn, and toffee. shopmarketsquare.com

DECEMBER 3 AND 10

HOLIDAY HIGHLIGHTS PERFORMANCE

WHERE: Tempel Lipizzans

Bundle up and join Tempel Lipizzans for festive holiday spirit in their sprawling indoor arena. Enjoy four segments all set to classical music including The Solo, The Airs Above the Ground, The Long Rein, and The Quadrille. Whether you’re looking for something festive

to do with the family or unique gift ideas, an afternoon with Tempel Lipizzans is the perfect option. tempelfarms.com

DECEMBER 3 – 27

THE NUTCRACKER

WHERE: Lyric Opera House

The Joffrey Ballet’s annual holiday tradition celebrates the magic of the season and the rich cultural heritage of Chicago. Magic is on the horizon for young Marie and the Nutcracker Prince, thanks to a visit from the mysterious Great Impresario. At the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, Marie sets out on an unforgettable journey through Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, a marvel of sights, sounds, and entertainment. joffrey.org

DECEMEBER 10

JDRF ONE DREAM GALA

WHERE: McCormick Place and Arie Crown Theater

The gala will feature fantastic silent and live auctions, inspirational stories from the Type 1 diabetes community, and exciting live entertainment. jdrf.org

Cory Stephens, Chrissy Stephens, Libby Holdren, Scott Dias, Steve Griesemer, Eleni Griesemer. The Founders’ Board of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago’s Winter Wishes celebration, November 17. Photography by Robin Subar

Lake Forest

THE

FLOATING CITY

Venice has a thousand reflections of silk, marble, mirror, and light. In VENICE: A PRIVATE INVITATION, Venice resident Servane Giol guides us through a maze of canals, secluded campos, and narrow alleyways to meet some of Venice’s most creative residents, opening the door to private historic palazzi, as well as more recently restored houses and apartments owned by a new generation of artists and designers drawn to Venice’s radiant beauty, energy, and lifestyle. Whether it is in interior design, glass-blowing, shoemaking, or the restoration of historic monuments, her circle of talented friends has brought a renewed vibrancy and elegance to the city, giving visibility to some of Venice’s most elegant traditional crafts and passionately safeguarding them for future generations. Organized around the rich materials and textures of the city’s densely woven fabric of history and celebrating the artisan’s skill at every turn, this visually stunning love letter to the secret beauties of Venice, captured by photographer Mattia Aquila, is both a revelation and unique reminder to all those who wish to recall the golden, iridescent brilliance of their first sight of the mythical city that floats between sky and sea. ©Venice: A Private Invitation by Servane Giol, Flammarion, 2022. Images ©Mattia Aquila, rizzoliusa.com.

PRINCESS MARIE-CHANTAL of Greece and prestigious American design company Schum acher have collaborated to produce a full suite of stylish wallpapers and fabrics that embody enchanting motifs perfect for any child’s room or nursery. Each of Marie-Chantal’s beautifully crafted designs has elements of whimsy and nostalgia that celebrate the innocence of childhood with sophistication and European flair. The textiles include high-performance, stain-resistant fabrics that are as practical as they are charming. The collection is comprised of seven prints. Princess Marie-Chantal is a hardworking businesswoman who actively and gracefully balances a career in design with the demands of family. Born in London, she spent her early years in Hong Kong and was educated in Switzerland and France, experiences that contributed to her sophisticated eye and extraordinary creativity. An artistic sensibility and passion for design led her to study at the New York Academy of Arts and New York University, where she expanded and honed her considerable skills. Sweet dreams. For more information and to purchase, visit fschumacher.com.

CULTURE & STYLE CHEERS

Designer Dram personalized, blended whiskey is traditionally only available to those who can afford to invest in creating an entire barrel, which can take a minimum of two years and cost upwards of $5,000 if aged well. Now, thanks to DESIGNER DRAM—the world’s first luxury online distillery—you can create a one-of-a-kind bottle of whiskey for your gift recipients’ unique palate at a small fraction of the cost and in just three simple online steps. Designer Dram allows you to craft and design every element of your custom bottle of whiskey—from the barrel selection to the alcohol strength to the personalized custom bottle label. Only exceptional, aged (5 to 10 year) American barrels are used for the custom blending experience. Designer Dram also offers an at-home Experience Kit, allowing for a more elevated experience. The final creation is execut ed by master distillers and a design team—nothing is automated. Your custom whiskey arrives beautifully packaged in a stunning 750 ml glass decanter made in Italy. A personalized note card is also included. Allow two to four weeks after the order is placed for the shipment to arrive. For more information, visit designerdram.com.

EDITED BY DUSTIN O’REGAN

THE LIST

INSPIRO TEQUILA inspirotequila.com

LELAND FRANCIS LUXE FACE OIL lelandfrancis.com

ABEL’S CYAN NORI NATURAL FRAGRANCE us.abelodor.com

TOFFEE TRADITIONS TOFFEE toffeetraditions. com, Photography by Cecily George

PERLA ROSE GRANDIOSA MASCARA perlarosebeauty.com

SET OF 8 VINTAGE CRANBERRY ETCHED GOBLETS, ARCH IN WINNETKA, archglow.com TEA FORTE WARMING JOY HOLIDAY COLLECTION, CITYWOODS IN HIGHLAND PARK citywoods.com

NOUR HAMMOUR COAT, BUNNY & BABE IN WINNETKA bunnyandbabe.com

SHORE CITY

Born and raised in Mexico, Glencoe’s Lilia Barba is bringing fun to the North Shore. The mother of three has opened everyone’s favorite party store, Balloons & Paper. Located in Highland Park, the bountiful boutique is brimming with unique items created by female artisans. For anything from small helium bouquets to large-scale balloon installations for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, or New Year’s – Balloons & Paper is your party go-to. Barba takes a break from selling celebratory goods to share her city and shore faves with Sheridan Road

EDITED BY MORGAN HOGERTY PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST

What’s on the horizon? Growth. We are in the works to open our new location but are also working on our “menu”—new ideas and things to offer our clients Mantra? If whatever you are doing is turning out to be very hard, you are doing it wrong. Try different ways. I live by this Best grooming tip? Every day I sleep with my silk bonnet and put Gisou Oil on the ends of my hair Guilty pleasure? Glazed donuts Favorite foods? Thai food Music you love? My favorite music group is Muse Best advice ever given to you? Your words have power. How you talk to yourself matters Best advice you’ve given? What is the worst that can happen? That is my question to anyone who is doubting themselves When you wake up, you? I have the bad habit of grabbing my phone first thing. I give myself around ten minutes and then the morning craziness begins Before bed, you? Our routine is to have tea and watch a show. Right now we are loving

Surface and House of the Dragon What’s on your bookshelf? I am obsessed with entrepreneur podcasts—Dear FoundHer from Lindsay Pinchuk but a book that I love is Nemesis: The True Story of Aristotle Onassis, Jackie O, and the Love Triangle That Brought Down the Kennedys by Peter Evans You can’t live without? Coffee Love to escape to? Paddle. It’s the only thing I can do that actually makes me relax Advice you would give to your younger self? You don’t have to work in a company to be successful, and you don’t have to be an expert to be an entrepreneur

ON THE SHORE IN THE CITY

Your style is? Romantic. I love dresses, and not-so-comfortable shoes Can’t leave the house without? Sunblock Transportation?

Car Driving music? The Killers and Muse Place to eat? Clucker’s and Fujiyama are our go-to spots with the family Best thing about the Shore? The space, the calm, no traffic, and the freedom of letting our kids walk to town Worst thing about the Shore? By 9:30 p.m. the lights are out The perfect day is? On Sunday, wake up to pick up pastries from That Little French Guy in Highland Park. Watching my kids’ soccer games, coming back home to grill steak for dinner, and playing a game of UNO

Your style is? Modern. I want to look elegant but comfortable at the same time Transportation? Train Place to eat? Not a fancy place, we love Thai Thank You in Lincoln Park and Bittersweet Pastry Shop in Belmont Best thing about the City? Restaurants. Love finishing dinner and walking until we find the perfect place to have a drink Worst thing about the City? Parking, parking, parking The perfect day is? Taking the train with the kids, having lunch, going to the art museum, getting takeout from our favorite Thai place, and heading home

Art Institute of Chicago

Lilia Barba wearing alice + olivia dress, Neiman Marcus Northbrook

That Little French Guy

P e t it e P l um e

MIND THE GAP

Mariella Satow bridges a divide in accessibility with SignUp.

WORDS BY LAURA LAYFER TREITMAN / PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEXANDRA SALAND

Eighteen-year-old Mariella Satow’s childhood interest in sign language has led to a remarkable innovation, SignUp, which makes television and movies accessible and meaningful for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing.

SignUp Google Chrome Extension offers a visual option of interpreters appearing in a small box as an accompani ment to media and can be used in place of or in addition to the traditional standard of closed captioning text. The concept has been welcomed by Disney and Netflix and is offered in American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL). So far, Satow has hired 200 interpreters and 12 engineers to work with SignUp.

“When I was in 11th grade and launched SignUp at the end of last summer, it went viral overnight with 20,000 visits to my website,” exclaims Satow. She earned the seed money for the

website by dog walking in her neighborhood. “I put up tons of ‘dog walker’ flyers but only received one call back and it was from Bobbi Brown.” The famed make-up artist (featured in Sheridan Road last year) hired Satow to walk dogs, and later as a model for the beauty line Jones Road. Raised in New York City, with some of her upbringing spent in Chicago and then boarding school in England, Satow is well-traveled, wise, and worth watching. Below she shares what it’s like to be a young entrepreneur and an “influencer” in the best sort of way.

What first sparked your interest in Sign Language? It goes way back—to fifth grade. I was in a supermarket with my mother and she sent me to look for marshmallows. I asked a man who was stacking shelves but he did not respond. He then noticed me and pointed to a pin that said “I AM DEAF.” I remember his

Mariella Satow

apologetic look and also feeling confused that the responsibility was on him to hear and speak, rather than on me to use sign language. I went home and started watching YouTube ASL videos.

Like many people, I had time to pursue a new interest in 2020, and I started taking ASL classes, formally, online. I absolutely loved it and I appreciate what a positive language ASL is. Sign language requires much more engagement with the person with whom you are communicating. You must look them in the face and watch, not only their hands but their body language too, to really understand them. I gradually became more proficient.

How did the concept for SignUp develop?

As I started practicing ASL, I found it difficult to find free and entertaining educational resources. To help with my Spanish studies I watch telenovelas but found nothing similar for sign language. My original idea was to create SignUp as an educational tool but the project took its own direction and me along with it. After learning that fewer than half of Deaf children in the United States reach the expected standard of reading by middle school, I realized that SignUp could provide media accessibility for the Deaf community that had not been offered before. SignUp provides an alternative to closed captions on movies and TV shows

for children who may not be able to read or read fast enough. As the project developed, it also became clear that some adults, whose first language was ASL, preferred watching sign language captions to closed captions. I did a lot of research—polls on social media, cold-calling, contacting teachers of the Deaf and Deaf influencers—and spent a lot of time gathering feedback about my idea. The response was overwhelmingly positive—I am pleased to say!

Are there varying inflections in Sign that are regional just as there are with vocal dialects? Do you plan to introduce SignUp in other languages?

Like spoken English, each region has different accents, different signs for the same word, and even different speeds of signing. There are more than 300 sign languages worldwide so SignUp has an enormous opportunity for scale. Something I find particularly discriminatory is that when a new movie appears it is immediately translated into so many languages, but not sign language. It affects me that Deaf children are not experiencing things that hearing children have access to. This is significant because, according to the World Health Organization, 432 million adults and 34 million children—over 5 percent of the world’s population have significant hearing loss.

We launched SignUp UK two weeks ago with BSL. Partnering with a charity called Deafness Support Network, which supports people with sensory loss in the U.K., they helped find and screen BSL interpreters for us. We have had an amazing reception from the Deaf community there and are also planning launches in India and Pakistan with IPSL and Australia with Auslan.

You are currently taking a gap year before starting at Stan ford next fall, what are your goals for the business during that period?

I just started my seed round and am trying to raise $1 million to fund the company’s growth. This will allow me to continue to expand to different platforms, languages, and devices and employ more people from the Deaf community. In response to requests from teachers, we launched interpretations of movies like A Wrin kle in Time and Inside Out for this school year.

Did you know that you wanted to be a CEO and Founder of a company?

No, I didn’t but I really like being the spokesperson for SignUp, presenting my ideas, and collaborating with other companies and charities. I have experienced some ageism but if people can get over my age then I find it very stimulating to hear about their skills and experience and determine if we might be a good match to work together. I didn’t expect so many people to reach out to me offering help—people have been overwhelmingly generous and kind.

To learn more about SignUp, visit signupcaptions.com.

Satow with SignUp version of The Little Mermaid

STRATEGIC DIVORCE BUSINESS OWNERS

Strategic Divorce attorney Michone J. Riewer reviews the issues that may arise in divorce proceedings when one party owns a business.

WORDS BY MICHONE J. RIEWER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA / HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST

To finalize a divorce, it is necessary to value and divide all assets and debts. It is also necessary to calculate each party’s income to determine child support and spousal support. When one of the parties owns a business, it is often challenging to value the business and calculate the income derived from the business.

There are multiple methods of valuing a marital business. Experts will use three accepted methods to calculate the value and then tell the court which method is most appropriate for the marital business in question. The three accepted ways of valuing a business include: the income method; the asset method; and the market value method. An expert is required because most judges will not allow the parties to testify to the value of the business because they are not qualified as experts and may be biased. Typically, each party will hire a business valuation expert. At trial, the court will determine which expert is more credible to determine the business’ value.

At the same time the business valuators are calculating the value of the business, the calculation of each party’s income is also taking place. If only one party works in the business, their income will be calculated using their K-1 and W-2 forms.

It is important to note that, when calculating the income of the party working in the business, family courts will add personal expenses paid by the business to the payee’s income. While the IRS allows certain personal expenses (car, cell phone, home office, entertainment) to be deducted as business expenses before calculating income for income tax purposes, most family law courts will include those deducted personal expenses in the income of the party working at the business.

Let’s discuss a case where the wife owns a business, the business is paying her $100,000 in W-2 income as an employee, $90,000 in K-1 income from distributions as a business owner, and paying $60,000 of car, phone, and housing expenses. The wife’s total income would be $250,000 for calculating support. In addition, the expert has determined that the business is worth $1 million and the husband makes $100,000 a year.

Now the tricky part with a business, is that if we determine it is a marital business and all of the marital assets are being divided equally, the court will not, under normal circumstances, give both parties half of the business. In a divorce, the goal is to separate the parties and reduce future interaction. It would be impractical for them to run a business together. Therefore, the court will give the business to the party who ran the business and will give the other party an asset of equal value.

So, using our prior example, we will say the wife gets the business and the husband gets the house. Both assets are worth $1 million. Now, their assets have been equalized. The question then becomes how is the income from the assets, the house, and

the business calculated? The wife might be required to include the income from the business, the distributions, and expenses paid by the business in her income for purposes of calculating support. It is unlikely that the husband will be required to include the housing benefit he receives from the house, (i.e. a $1 million mortgage would cost $11,000 per month or $132,000 per year) in his income for the calculation of maintenance.

Remember, both husband and wife make $100,000 of W-2 income. That alone would mean there would be no maintenance paid by either spouse to the other. The additional $150,000 per year that the wife makes based on her investment of $1 million in a business should not be considered in the calculation of maintenance. Yet, most courts do consider the extra $150,000 per year and in practice often give the husband maintenance from the wife based on those extra earnings. The wife’s attorney needs to be ready to point out the benefit that the husband receives from the house worth $1 million and how much he is saving by not paying a mortgage. The husband also has the opportunity to sell the house and invest his $1 million in an income-producing investment or business.

When a divorce involves a business, it is extremely important for both parties to secure an attorney who is familiar with how businesses are handled in a divorce case, understands the case law and statutes that govern business income, and how to value a marital business.

Michone J. Riewer is an attorney with Strategic Divorce in Lake Bluff, 847-234-4445, strategicdivorce.com.

Michone J. Riewer

RAZNY

OUT OF AFRICA

The Razny Family, owners of Razny Jewelers since 1951, took the trip of a lifetime to visit their diamond supplier in Africa.

EDITED BY ANN MARIE SCHEIDLER / PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RAZNY JEWELERS

Razny Jewelers, with four locations throughout the Chicagoland area, is the leading family-owned and operated source for loose diamonds, bespoke jewelry, and Swiss timepieces. In business since 1951, the third generation of this family business is entirely devoted to the future of luxury.

Stan, Ingrid, and Michael Razny were recently invited to the South African nation of Namibia by their direct diamond supplier to experience the country’s beauty. “Razny is one of the very few jewelers to have access to the direct supply of diamonds,” notes Ingrid, “securing our customers the best value by eliminating the middleman.”

Even more important than learning about where their diamonds are sourced, the Raznys gained a greater appreciation for the good that comes from the sale of natural diamonds. “There is

Stan, Ingrid, and Michael Razny

Stan Razny at the cutting and polishing facility

no question that the people of Namibia and South Africa benefit from the diamond industry as it is a key component of the economy,” says Ingrid. “This industry has taken great effort to harvest these natural wonders from the land and sea in the most environmentally friendly way. Seeing the process and meeting Africa’s people has given us the ability to tell the story of natural diamonds. We are honored to be the ambassadors for the natural diamond industry.”

The main source of natural-colored diamonds, as well as a majority of the fancy yellow diamonds, Namibia also produces gems of pink and blue. “Many of these stones are retrieved from the sea using a vacuum mining process that leaves little disruption to the ocean floor,” says Ingrid. “We were so lucky to experience this first-hand.”

The Raznys also visited the cutting and polishing facility of their diamond supplier while visiting the country, which gained its

independence from South Africa in 1990. Opened in 2008, this facility has grown to include 60 employees, many of whom began as trainees and have since moved into management roles.

In addition to getting a firsthand understanding of the sourcing and processing of diamonds, the Raznys visited a kidney dialysis clinic equipped with machines donated by their direct diamond supplier in collaboration with Razny Jewelers and met children from the Eros Primary School, which has also received substantial support from their supplier.

Before coming home, the Raznys traveled to South Africa where they visited the Nelson Mandela Foundation. There they saw the cell where the Nobel Prize winner was imprisoned for more than 27 years before becoming the nation’s president in 1994. They also went to Soweto, the Johannesburg township whose residents played a key role in the anti-apartheid movement. Kliptown, the oldest township in Soweto and historically important as the place where the 1955 Freedom Charter was adopted, is home to 44,000 people but lacks the most basic needs such as schools, health clinics, electricity, and proper sanitation. The Raznys are committed to supporting such empowering initiatives as the Kliptown Youth Program, an after-school center and mentoring program serving students from first grade through high school. “The Kliptown Youth Program was really amazing,” says Ingrid. “The children looked happy and healthy and we are even more determined to increase our support.” Clearly, what began as a business trip turned out to be much, much more.

To learn more about Razny Jewelers, visit razny.com. To learn more about the Kliptown Youth Program, visit kliptownyouthprogram.org.

Visiting the Kliptown Youth Program

Michael Razny at the Kliptown Youth Program

Dr. John Q. Cook

“I know I have achieved my goal, when a patient says to me, ‘now my face matches my mood.’”

Coast North Shore

Real Patient Ratings

John Q. Cook, M.D. Plastic Surgeon

Yale, M.D. Northwestern Rush University Medical Center Plastic Surgery Staff U.S. News Top Doctor Castle Connelly America’s Top Plastic Surgeons

FASHION & BEAUTY

LIVING AND DRESSING WELL

Gucci Flora Eau de Parfum, Sephora Old Orchard, 847-568-0323

EDITED BY ALLISON DUNCAN

EDITED BY ALLISON DUNCAN

SKOKIE • OAK BROOK • NAPERVILLE • GENEVA • CHICAGO • ARLINGTON HEIGHTS • BLOOMINGDALE CRYSTAL LAKE • VERNON HILLS • LIBERTYVILLE • ORLAND PARK • SCHAUMBURG • DEERFIELD

by Theresa DeMaria

Art & Artist’s Norman Teague. Photography by James Gustin, styling

MEET THE DESIGNER

MAKER

,

Norman Teague

Designer Norman Teague shares his artistic vision.

WORDS BY ALLISON DUNCAN / PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES GUSTIN ARTWORK PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF NORMAN TEAGUE / STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA

Not everything needs a function, artist, designer, and educator Norman Teague often tells his students at the University of Illinois Chicago. It just needs to be beautiful; that could then be its function. Yet, Teague’s art and custom furniture are often a combination of the two.

“My motivation comes from reflections that I have on growing up in Chicago,” says Teague. “Right now, I’m trying to think about design objects through the lens of being African American and what that looks like in a modern context.”

Teague focuses on projects and pedagogy that address the sys tematic complexity of urbanism and the culture of communities. Past projects have ranged from public sculpture and retail spaces to consumer products and performances. In all, Teague primarily works with locally sourced building materials and local fabrica tors to create objects and spaces that explore simplicity, honesty, and cleverness.

Take, for example, the Self Portrait he created while studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s an oversize ash wood and bending plywood bookcase—modeled after high-profile rims—that plays with form and composition to shape a narrative.

“I really had to think about what I wanted to say,” explains Teague of the piece. “I was pissed and hurt, and this was my way of sharing that history. There are other little Black boys out there who need to know that other people hurt, love, and desire the same way they do. It was a passion project.”

Teague first began to think of himself as an artist when his uncle Alfred taught him how to draw a face as a young child. He calls that moment his inspiration for later studying drafting and architecture in school and for eventually pursuing continued education at Harold Washington College then Columbia College Chicago, where time in the school’s woodshop led him to consider a career as a designer.

“Most of my career until that point I had worked under an architect or interior designer,” says Teague. “I was what one might call a ‘CAD worker.’ It excited me to have the freedom to go from initial idea to mechanics to final build. This experience was probably the most valuable time I had at Columbia and, before I graduated, I rented space and opened my first studio.”

He worked on a variety of local projects with small businesses to start, flexing his creative muscles, and making a name for himself in Chicago and beyond.

Fast forward to today, and Teague’s work is exhibited in the permanent collection at The Art Institute of Chicago—and in the collections of 16 other museums and art organizations across the country including MOMA and Carnegie Museum of Art. He partnered with museum exhibition design firm Ralph Applebaum Associates to concept the early stages of storytelling and furnishings for The Obama Presidential Center. He’s working on building a design center for artists of color on Chicago’s South Side. Teague is also in the process of creating a piece for New

Bronzeville Winery’s Gazelle chairs designed by Teague and Max Davis

Gazelle chair #2, 2022 at Joe Freshgoods Shop. Photography by Aisha Ali

York-based gallery R & Company and is designing two chairs for iconic furniture brand Knoll. And soon, he will debut an exclusive exhibition at The Art Center Highland Park.

“What I like about Norman’s work is how his pieces are contemporary art as well as furniture and industrial design,” says Yumi Ross, president of The Art Center Highland Park’s Board of Directors. “He pushes against preconceived boundaries and invents new intersections between disciplines. He is an utterly unique voice, a visionary.”

Teague and Ross first met through renowned visual artist Amanda Williams, who worked with Teague on The Obama Pres idential Center’s exhibitions design team. Ross later served on an Art Institute of Chicago’s board when it voted to acquire Teague’s Sinmi stool for the permanent collection.

“I’m doing a few limited-edition and one-of-a-kind pieces for the show,” says Teague. “It’ll be a mix of all new furniture and objects. I need it to simmer. That’s how I like to work. It’s like a good stew; it needs to sit for a bit. You want a good intro, a beefy middle, and a sexy conclusion.”

Ross adds, “I recently visited Norman’s studio and got a sneak peek at some of the work he and his team are creating for The Art Center. What I saw was thrilling. He challenges viewers to look at art and design in new ways.”

He challenges his students to do the same. Teague is currently an assistant professor at the University of Illinois Chicago on the tenure track and says it’s supremely important to him to “be in a teacher capacity” as often as he can.

“My work is on display for that reason, too,” explains Teague. “Other people get to see this dude from the South Side who had all sorts of growing pains but stuck to his guns and now gets to do what he loves for a living. It’s a very precious place to be. I like to be in front of people in a happy light. We get enough Black men in front of the camera in an unhappy one.”

There is a bit of pressure in that, too, he says. But even though his work comes from a “hurt place” sometimes, the pieces are a reminder of moments throughout his life and his feelings during those times.

“Chicago’s South Side is an epicenter for great artists of color,” says Ross. “In addition to his amazing talent, I deeply appreciate Norman’s commitment to opening doors for fellow Black artists and designers, particularly on the South Side, and his mentoring of students considering careers in art and design.”

Adds Teague, “If it touches anyone, then I’ve done my job as a maker. Hopefully 20 years from now, when a young Black man or woman is reading a design history book, they get to see someone who looks like them and see good work coming from that person. I hope I’m setting some sort of a bar.”

Teague’s exhibition at The Art Center Highland Park opens November 18 and runs through December 30. R & Company will also exhibit Teague’s latest piece at DesignMiami/.

Self Portrait, 2016 and Hutch, 2016 (left). Photography by Jonothan Allen

Africana Rocker, 2021 and leather by Yohance Lacour YJL. For sale at R & Company.

Joe Freshgoods shop interior

Sinmi Stool, 2015

STYLE STAR

Entering the start-up fashion world as one of Trunk Club’s first two dozen employees, Winnetka’s ANNA WISNIEWSKI has always loved fashion. Married with three young boys she now runs a blog, operates Insta gram/social media channels, and dabbles in influencer consulting under See Anna Jane LLC. As a side hustle in 2019, she co-founded One/Third, a women’s jacket company, with a former Trunk Club colleague. This fashionista stepped away from her social media pres ence, clothing company, and fashion consulting business to share how she stays on trend in a sartorial world.

ON HER NIGHTSTAND

“I’m in a book club where not everyone knows each other and it provides for a diverse book selection. I highly recommend that anyone who loves to read should join a local book club—even if you just listen to the audiobook (which I often do). I recently finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid; I know I’m a little late to the game but it’s definitely an instant classic. I love the escapism of fiction, especially books with historical context. I’d also recommend the American Royals series by Katharine McGee and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.”

ON HER MOBILE

“Because I work in social media, I probably spend a little too much time on my phone. Like it or not, I do need to spend time scrolling Instagram and TikTok in the name of research. I especially love following cooking accounts for recipe inspiration. I also love following really personal style accounts like @BrooklynBlonde1 and @ladydianamay because they give me inspiration for my own content and for new One/ Third jackets. Other apps I love are Peloton (yes, even post-pandemic I am still very loyal), The New York Times Crossword (I do the mini-crossword and Spelling Bee most mornings), as well as the Out of Office (OOO) app, a new social travel recommendations app that I consulted for this past year.”

IN HER EARBUDS

“I listen to The New York Times podcast The Daily most mornings. I’m also very interested in true crime podcasts, especially the storytelling aspect; Wondery does a good job here. I still go to the city quite a bit for meetings so a great podcast or Audi ble book is my savior during that commute. When it comes to music, I am stuck in my youth and will listen to anything from oldies classic rock to early 2000s; my favorite bands range from Radiohead to The Beatles to Vampire Weekend to late ‘90s boy bands—I like a lot of music and subject my whole family to it while I’m cooking.”

EDITED BY MORGAN HOGERTY/PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA SCIASCIA/STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA

Anna Wisniewski wearing a Shoshanna dress, One/Third jacket, and Isabel Marant boots

VISIONARY

Christie’s New York auctions the vast collection of Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen.

WORDS BY LAURA LAYFER TREITMAN IMAGES COURTESY OF CHRISTIE’S

This month, Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection, presents over 150 pieces of fine art valued at more than $1 billion dollars, now up for auction at Christie’s New York. The quantity and quality are impressive as was Allen’s quest to amass the works. A co-founder of Microsoft with his childhood friend Bill Gates, Allen passed away in 2018 at the age of 65. His collection spans 500 years, surveying an array of movements and mediums, with exceptional works that range from Jan Brueghel the Younger to Jasper Johns. There are bridges and canals depicted by Claude Monet and Édouard Manet, respectively, a bronze, paint, and stainless steel sculpture by Louise Bourgeois, a triptych by Francis Bacon, and a Georgia O’Keeffe canvas of bold flowers. The Georges Seurat, Les Poseuses, dated 1888, has an important provenance that includes the 1913 Armory Show, where it was once displayed. “To stand in front of these singular works, in what can only be described as a temporary museum setting while on view in our galleries, will be transformative,” says Cathy Busch, Deputy Chairman, Christie’s Chicago. In its breadth and depth, the display offers an experience not to be missed.

Allen’s father was a librarian, his mother a school teacher, and both encouraged creativity and art appreciation at home. In previous press, Allen shared his childhood memories of draw ing and painting as well as poring over the family’s copy of a book on Picasso ceramics. In the 1980s, a visit to the Tate in London widened both his exposure and perspective. He

began to think about what it might be like to actually live with such fine art masterpieces and have the ability to see them each and every day. As an active buyer, he was known to be diligent about his research, restricting his selections to those that pleased or intrigued him aesthetically rather than the most popular of the moment.

“It’s hard to imagine that this is the result of one man’s passionate pursuit of excellence,” says Marc Porter, Chairman, Christie’s Americas. “Allen was drawn to artists who shared his genius for seeing our world in new ways and explaining it to us by new means.” His philanthropy in the fields of technology, science, and music, will benefit from the proceeds of the sale. And, for a brief period, we may also profit from experiencing his personal appreciation for artistic innovation. “Given that Chicago is a day trip to New York, we hope local collectors and art enthusiasts alike will travel to Christie’s at Rockefeller Center for this once-in-alifetime opportunity before this historic collection is dispersed forever,” notes Busch.

For more information, visit christies.com.

Jan Brueghel the Younger, The Five Senses, Taste

Édouard Manet, Le Grand Canal à Venise

Georges Seurat, Les Poseuses, Ensemble (Petite version)

Francis Bacon, Three Studies for Self-Portrait

Sheridan Rd TF, Wilmette* 2040 Central Ave, Wilmette

Sugar Maple Dr, Crystal Lake* 630 Winnetka Mews #201, Winnetka 1103 Willow Rd, Winnetka* 1330 Chestnut Ave, Wilmette 4747 Wellington Dr, Long Grove* 1206 Elmwood Ave, WIlmette 2236 Birchwood Ave, Wilmette 822 Liberty Bell Ln, Libertyville* 640 Long Rd, Glenview 1104 Ashland Ave, Wilmette* 700 Park Dr, Kenilworth 1500 Sheridan Rd 2F, Wilmette* 539 Park Dr, Kenilworth* 2615 Central Park Ave, Evanston* 1325 Elmwood Ave, Evanston* 1500 Asbury Ave, Evanston*

Pawnee Rd, Wilmette*

Kenilworth Ave, Wilmette*

Greenwood Ave, Wilmette

Chestnut Ave, Wilmette*

Greenleaf Ave, WIlmette*

Illinois Rd, Wilmette*

EXPERIENCES

UNESCO Old City of Dubrovnik

CAULIFLOWER POTATO LEEK SOUP

WORDS, RECIPE, AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 leeks, washed carefully to remove all dirt and grit, white, light green, and yellow portions sliced to make 4 cups

• 2 heads of cauliflower, washed well, broken into tiny florets to make 4 cups

• 2 cups milk

• 4 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)

• 1/2 cup butter

• 4 medium red potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced into 1/8-inch slices

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

P lace milk in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and heat over medi um-low heat and scald milk by cooking until small bubbles appear around the edges of the milk and the temperature registers 180 to 185 degrees. Pour through a mesh strainer to remove any milk sol ids or skin. Return scalded milk to soup pot and add chicken stock. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat. Reduce heat slightly and add potato slices. Simmer for 12 minutes until potatoes are tender. Turn off heat but keep soup warm. In a sauté pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add sliced leeks and cauliflower and cook, stirring for five minutes. Add 1 cup of water and continue cooking until tender. Puree half of cooked leek and cauliflower mixture and stir into soup pot. Add remaining cooked leeks and cauliflower florets. Stir to incorporate. Add thyme and simmer to combine flavors. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

A comforting, simple soup makes for the perfect fall Sunday supper.

SUGARCOATED

Meet the women behind a modern bakery experience in Highland Park.

WORDS BY RYAN HUDGINS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES GUSTIN STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA / HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST

doors of Sugarcoated but had never collaborated. Rikower, who went to Le Cordon Bleu, is a former pastry chef in fine dining restaurants and worked at some of Chicago’s top venues, like One Sixtyblue and Michael Jordan’s Steak House. Most recently, the Riverwoods native owned Sugar Hill by Hillary, focusing primarily on made-to-order cakes and cookies. Schachter, a former teacher and educational consultant, is self-taught. She owned Cookie Face, specializing in decorated cookies, and operated “Cooks and Books,” a culinary-themed enrichment class designed for preschool children.

Both Rikower and Schachter previously referred business to each other; if one received an order for something they would not be able to do, they forwarded it to the other. But it wasn’t until Schachter rented space in a commercial kitchen in 2021 to mass produce her cookie decorating kits that she began contemplating collaborative options. She knew other female bakers were working in a similar setting, and that’s when she started thinking about joining forces with Rikower, who she thought had compatible products.

Now, with over 25 years of combined industry experience, they have merged their expertise and similar aesthetics.

The bakery hosts decorating workshops, children’s enrichment classes, and birthday parties, as well as private events for adults. This will be Sugarcoated’s first holiday season and the two women are looking forward to creating seasonal flavors—from pumpkin and sweet potato to white chocolate and peppermint—and selling do-it-yourself sugar cookie decorating sets with standard kits including 12 cookies, wooden tools, instructions, a variety of different sprinkles, and colored icings.

If there is one word to describe how co-owners Hillary Rikower and Allison Schachter feel since opening their modern bakery experience in Highland Park, it is grateful. For the first few days, Sugarcoated sold out within two hours.

“Never in a million years did we think we would end up in a space like this in a community that would embrace us so much,” Schachter says.

The women-owned co-op has been open since January 2022. The bakery strives for a clean and simple aesthetic, from the logo to the storefront to the premium quality ingredients they utilize in their products.

“We want it to be homestyle but still upscale,” Rikower says.

Sugarcoated has the same 10 to 15 handmade menu items, rotating in a few additional ones every day. The two women, who can be found in the bakery daily, are constantly creating new products and flavors—from rainbow cookies to key lime tarts to zucchini chai cake—and striving to make the best baked goods for their patrons.

The two women had crossed paths before they opened the

“The weather is starting to get cold and every parent wants their kid off Wi-Fi or electronics,” Schachter notes. “So, we do cookie houses and I’ve designed some for different holidays like Bubbe’s Bungalow for Hanukkah or the Claus Cabin for Christmas.”

Rikower and Schachter are often asked if they worry about local competition. Schachter replies, “there’s enough business for everyone to get a little bite of the action.”

The two women get particularly excited when they see their regular customers. One loyal customer comes every week for a brownie, from the center of the pan, for his 90-year-old father.

“I see him pull up and I’m like ‘get the brownie ready!’” Rikower laughs.

Other customers enter the bakery with a particular item in mind but may leave with a different tempting treat suggested by the women.

“A lot of people like the fact that they never know what they’re going to get,” Schachter says.

Sugarcoated is located at 479 Center Avenue in Highland Park, 847748-8990, sugarcoatedhp.com.

Sugarcoated co-owners Allison Schachter, Hillary Rikower

GRENACHE THE GREAT

WORDS BY THOMAS CONNORS

“L

et me show you the top of my world.”

It is a fine, late summer day and vintner Frédérique Vaquer, a woman with a smile so radiant one can’t help but beam in return, leads me to a vine-covered hilltop in Roussillon, the Spain-hugging region in Southern France that was once part of Catalonia (and remains in its essence, Catalan). Once there, with the peak of Canigou in the Pyrénées-Orientales rising in one direction and the Mediterranean Sea grounding the far horizon in the other, one can’t help feeling a soupçon of envy. Of course, making wine doesn’t allow much time for taking in the view. Vaquer must be ever mindful of what is happening in the field and attentively exacting in the winery. And like many of her peers here and across the border in Catalonia and Aragon, grenache—or garnacha in Spanish—is a grape around which much of her work revolves.

For most consumers, grenache is not as recognizable as cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, chardonnay, or sauvignon blanc. But then,

merlot was generally unknown to the average American wine drinker until the late 1990s, when this stalwart of Bordeaux was produced in either 100 percent bottlings or blends in which its leading role was clear on the label.

Grenache, one of the three primary grapes used in blending Côtes du Rhône wines (along with syrah and mourvèdre) and the primary varietal in such marquee players as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Priorat, shines in myriad wines in myriad ways. It can serve as an engaging aperitif, stand as a stellar accompaniment to a proper repast of lamb or duck, and in its richly varied sweeter incarnations, round out an evening as a partner to the cheese course or dessert.

A tough vine, able to endure searing heat, drought, and wicked winds, it survives in schist, clay, granite, and limestone and is long-lived, with plants as old as a century still bearing fruit. The berry—which ripens late and not in abundance—can be purple, pale red, or green, and the wines produced can be red, white, or rosé. What’s more, the grape stars in a variety of vins doux naturels, fortified sweet wines that range in color from a hue just a

The snow-capped peak of Canigou is visible in the wine region

step beyond apple juice to deep honey to an almost coppery cast. Aromas and flavor notes are all over, from fresh red fruit to jam, coffee, caramel, and nuts.

While hand-harvesting is still the rule, especially where the vines are cultivated as bushes rather than trellised, a shortage of workers and an increasingly erratic picking season (thanks to climate change) make keeping a crew at the ready difficult, so growers are turning increasingly to mechanized harvesting. On the flip side, Roussillon leads the French wine industry when it comes to avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with hundreds of growers and over 6,000 acres devoted to organic viticulture. An early adaptor is Maison Cazes. Founded in 1895, the estate—situated at the foot of the Corbières foothills in the Agly Valley— converted to an organic and biodynamic program in 1997.

The grape that rules this neck of the woods is sweet, fruity (think cherry and strawberry), and not too tannic. Medium-bod ied with approachable acidity, it can express a peppery personal ity and when grown near scrubland, offer hints of rosemary and other herbs. Depending on the plot and the winemaker, the wine can be tasty but unassertive or, if not out-and-out robust, dis tinctively full and well-rounded, such as the Narassa 2020 from Domaine Lafage, made from the fruit of 60-year-old grenache vines blended with syrah. Another full-bodied choice would be Grenache Rhapsody 2019, from vigneron Séverine Bourrier at Chateau de l’Ou, which packs a powerful blackberry nose and a satisfyingly silky mouthfeel.

Although long assumed to have originated in Sardinia, research now suggests that grenache first appeared in the Spanish region of Aragon. It is well-represented in the region today, with any number of producers doing their best to honor the true expression of the grape. Comprising three wineries and 700 growers, Bodegas Aragonesas is located in the Ebro River Valley, not far from the Monastery of Veruela, where Cistercian monks cultivated grenache in the 12th century. The Aragonesas portfolio features a number of grenache-driven bottles. Those made from

100 percent of the varietal include the bright, fruit-forward Argus Organic and Garnacha Centenaria, a sturdily structured, extremely food-friendly wine crafted from hand-harvested grapes hanging on vines as much as 100 years old that grow on extremely arid, slate slopes.

Located about 29 miles from Aragon’s capital, Zaragoza, the Carinena district is one of the oldest officially recognized wine-making regions in Spain. Here, Grandes Vinos—a cooperative comprising hundreds of growers—produces a variety of wines from a variety of grapes, including the local carinena, tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and muscatel. When it comes to grenache, standouts include the 2019 Anayón, with its cranberry nose and pleasing balance of barely-there sweetness and soft tannins, and the 2017 Monasterio made from 40-year-old vines and shot through with subtle herbaceous and spicy notes.

Although red wines rule this time of year, when warm weather rolls around again, producers in France and Spain both offer welcome relief from the sauvignon blanc/pinot gris rut. SaintRoch Old Vines Rosé—a combo of grenache and syrah—presents an enticingly delicate strawberry nose and is surprisingly structured for such a simple wine. Made of 100 percent grenache, the deeply-hued Coto de Hayas Rosado 2021 from Bodegas Aragonesas is another easy-going quaff with real flair, crisp, and slightly candy-like, but in a good way. For a straight-up white with good mineralogy and a touch of oak, Chateau de L’Ou’s Secret de Schistes strikes an elegant note. But it’s a long way before we break out the grill and open the pool. Until then, a little of Frédérique Vaquer’s all-grenache Exigence will do just fine.

For more information visit, domaine-vaquer.com, cazes-rivesaltes.com, domaine-lafage.com, chateau-de-lou.com/fr/, bodegasaragonesas.com, and grandesvinos.com/en/.

CYPRUS TREES & CERULEAN SEAS

A Balkan paradise fit for a king, Croatia is a country brimming with history, culture, culinary adventure, five-star accommodations, and natural wonder.

WORDS BY DUSTIN O’REGAN

Aerial view of Old Town

Arecent trip to the Dalmatian Coast proved the veracity of all the tales I have heard of Croatia’s beauty. This haven at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe has everything – history, culture, glorious terrain, delicious local wines, a range of sea colors from pistachio to cobalt to azure, and more than 1,000 islands.

Nicknamed the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” Dubrovnik gets its name from the Slavic word “dub,” meaning “oak.” This derivation makes complete sense as oak and cypress trees spring forth from the rocky terrain in every direction. The juxtaposition of this deep arboreal green and the Adriatic’s color wheel of blues is breathtaking.

WHERE TO STAY

We decided to stay at two hotels, one just east of Old Town and one a bit west. The first, the five-star Hotel Excelsior, is a small luxury hotel with an illustrious history of royal (think the late Queen Elizabeth) and celebrity guests. Entering the lobby, a great expanse of blue sky and sea welcomes you through floor-to-ceiling windows. The original 1913 royal villa and a sleek contemporary wing are home to 158 rooms and suites. The mingling of past and present is echoed in the interior styling—understated color themes with pops of bright citrus.

Our immense suite in the contemporary wing had an open floor plan with modern furnishings and remarkable vistas. The views of the UNESCO Old City of Dubrovnik brought back memories of our pandemic Game of Thrones binge. In the series that captured America’s heart for eight seasons, the ancient town below us transformed into “King’s Landing.”

A true wonder of the hotel is how the indoors embrace the breathtaking outdoors. Enjoying a glass of wine on our terrace on our first night, we gazed at the lush island of Lokrum—a destination we would find full of hiking trails, beaches, medieval ruins, and inhabitants including unusually large rabbits and a plethora of peacocks. Between the island and our terrace floated a few brightly lit yachts with chic guests toasting the evening’s glamour. The expansive view of Old Town as the sun descended on the horizon and city lights began to twinkle was mesmerizing. A band’s rendition of “Let it Be” wafting up from the hotel’s waterside restaurant, Prora, completed the moment.

On our first morning, we enjoyed breakfast on the sun-soaked Salin terrace followed by a dip in the sea and a bit of sunbathing. Then it was off to the spa—for an “Energy Clinic Classical Mas sage”—the ideal treatment for erasing any remnants of jet lag.

If you get the chance, book an evening at Hotel Excelsior’s Villa Agave—a historic three-bedroom villa perched above the sea. Its private patio served as a spectacular venue for a dinner where beautifully plated courses celebrated the Adriatic’s bounty

View from Hotel Excelsior’s patio

Villa Agave

FIRST CLASS

and were paired with the finest Croatian wines. The food matched the magnificence of the setting as this ancient stone structure rests on a precipice above the dazzling Adriatic and just as dessert arrived, a tangerine sun set over Old Town. No wonder this spot is a favorite of Francis Ford Coppola and his fashionable friends.

On our fourth night, we headed around the bay to our second destination—Hotel Bellevue, an icon of boutique luxury and design. In 2019, the hotel underwent a complete refurbishment emerging with a modern freshness. Carved into a high cliff on Miramare Bay, the five-star seaside retreat boasts spectacular panoramas of the Dalmatian coast. Our tastefully appointed spacious suite contained two balconies, a living room, dining area, bathroom, and bedroom. I adored the vintage lifestyle photographs lining the walls.

Croatia offers numerous exquisite eateries, but an absolute must is the Hotel Bellevue’s sleek and intimate Vapor restaurant—recognized by the Michelin guide. The cuisine is beyond measure, and the view is unbeatable. The executive chef uses locally sourced herbs and spices combined with global ideas to create a playful new style of regional cooking.

The hotel’s beach surrounds a gorgeous cove topped by rocky outcroppings. I watched in astonishment as guests leaped into the sea from these ledges. Apparently, cliff jumping is a highly rated activity for young and old alike. I, however, was perfectly happy to remain comfortably reclined in my lounge chair observing the jumpers’ range of emotions from terror to glee.

WHAT TO DO

Old Town

I highly recommend a private sightseeing tour to learn how the works of artists, writers, and scientists are woven into the texture of this medieval city. Nestled between the Adriatic and the mountains and boasting an impressive harbor, Dubrovnik was an important Mediterranean sea power rivaling Venice in the 11th century. Be sure to stroll along the wide Stradun—Old Town’s main thorough fare with gleaming white marble stones. Weave through narrow cobblestone streets in search of great shops and restaurants. Visit

the Baroque Assumption Cathedral with the Venetian artist Titan’s painting at the main altar. Pop into the Franciscan Monastery built in the 13th century and don’t miss its stunning cloister—offering an oasis of leafy tranquility in the heart of the city. If sightseeing leaves you parched, fill your water bottle with fresh spring water at the grand 15th-century Onofrio’s Fountain.

Hoping to hear more contemporary history about the Game of Thrones’ filming? Several tours will take you to the Baroque Jesuit Staircase where Cersei began her walk of shame in season 5, Minceta Tower—the House of the Undying where Daenerys recovers her dragons, and Pile Bay aka King’s Landing’s Black water Bay.

Walk the fortress walls encircling the city where you’ll find towers, bastions, castles, and fortresses while enjoying the sight of the city’s red roofs and glorious views of the cathedral and churches. The walls rise higher than 80 feet and have protected the city from foreign attacks for more than 1,000 years.

For a true bird’s eye view of Dubrovnik, we left Old Town via its steep narrow passageways to find the Dubrovnik Cable Car located just outside the walls. The car whisked us up to Mount Srdj in a four-minute glide to the ultimate photo op of Old Town, the coast, and the surrounding area.

Baroque Jesuit Staircase

Wine Tours

One excursion you can’t miss is a sampling of Croatia’s exceptional wines. A scenic drive along the coast brought us to two vineyards in Konavle Valley, one of Croatia’s prime wine-growing regions. Milos Winery and Winery Vukas both specialize in producing high-quality wines from the Plavac Mali grape. The coast’s perfect weather conditions and the very fertile valley are ideal conditions for cultivating the best grapes. We enjoyed wonderful tours, insight from the winemakers, and a vast array of wines to taste from hearty reds to delicate whites, and everything in between. I am perplexed why Croatian wines are not more commonly distributed in the U.S., but I suspect it is only a matter of time.

Yachting

Croatia has more than 1,000 islands so a day spent exploring on a yacht is required. We traveled around the Elaphiti islands coming upon hidden bays, secluded coves, sandy beaches, and a vast array of blues and greens—the sea wears a coat of many colors that would make Dolly Parton proud. We docked at Lopud, a darling island, for lunch at Restaurant Dubrovnik where the “menu” was brought “alive” (literally) to our table. A server arrived with an enormous tray of lobster, crab, and fish recently plucked from the sea for the epitome of sea-to-table dining. We devoured every morsel of this enormous feast. Post-meal we spent the afternoon hopping in and out of the water and sunbathing on deck.

Ston & Oyster Farm

Take another beautiful drive along the twisty coast’s ribbon highways to Ston, famous for its medieval walls—the largest in Europe. The walls, dating back 4,000 years, protected the precious salt pans that contributed to Dubrovnik’s wealth. It is the oldest salt mine in Europe, and among working mines, one of the oldest in the world. We took a quick boat ride out to Bota Sare’s oyster

beds in the coves of Mali Ston Bay. Our fisherman guide harvested oysters (a technique that has not changed in hundreds of years) directly from the sea, taught us how to shuck them, and then served the delicacy with a squeeze of lemon and homemade bread accompanied by a refreshing local Posip white wine. Divine.

Cavtat

Located very close to Dubrovnik is the quaint town of Cavtat with a picturesque waterfront promenade. Stroll the streets of this historic small town and be sure to stop at the newly renovated Hotel Supetar Cavtat for a meal. Housed in an original 1920s three-story private villa, it is the definition of charming. We dined on the seaside terrace sampling pescatarian cuisine enhanced with fresh local ingredients including oranges from the hotel’s garden. Yearning for a destination that is sure to delight? Travel to this Dalmatian paradise brimming with history, culture, culinary adventure, five-star accommodations, and natural wonder.

For more information about the hotels, visit adriaticluxuryhotels.com

View from fortress walls of red roofs and cathedral

Wine bar at Hotel Supetar Cavtat

Croatia’s oysters

Inspired Interiors for Extraordinary Living

THE BRITT CARTER INTERIOR FURNISHINGS SHOWROOM IN LAKE FOREST

Two North Shore entrepreneurs leverage smart technology to bring high-end design to a larger audience.

WORDS BY ANN MARIE SCHEIDLER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP

Winnetka’s Leigh Dyer has worked successfully in the interior design space for more than a decade, helping clients solve large-scale décor conundrums. But there was one problem she just couldn’t wrap her arms around.

“I was getting requests all of the time for what I call one-off projects,” Dyer says. “Things like window treatments for a living room, or pillows for a sectional sofa, or wallpaper for a powder room. I was constantly turning people down because I was so busy with larger projects. But no matter how many people I turned away, the requests kept coming.”

A turning point occurred in 2020 when Dyer received an ask

from a former client to have two pillows made and Dyer struggled with where to send her for help.

“I realized that there was this white space—this opportunity—that was open for a designer to take on smaller projects like the pillow request,” Dyer explains. “But the only way this could really work was by using technology and by streamlining the process.”

So, Dyer tapped her friend and fellow Winnetkan Kim Mancini, someone she knew as a consumer of design who was also steeped in technical know-how and had a strong understanding of how revenue models work.

“Leigh first reached out to me in 2020 and asked questions about what it would take to build an interior design platform,” Mancini says. “I gave her the names of a few developers to speak with about carrying the project forward. Then in 2021, she reached out again and said ‘Listen, I have this idea and I don’t want to do this alone. I know design and you know technology.’ I thought Leigh’s idea was brilliant from both the tech side and from the consumer side and we decided to see what we could do if we put our heads together.”

And that’s exactly what they did. Dyer and Mancini created a platform called Interior Agency. “The idea is that our clients have

Pierre Frey animal print fabrics on pillows and window treatments

Project mood board

Interior Agency founders Leigh Dyer and Kim Mancini

‘agency’ or input over their design projects,” says Dyer. Here’s how Interior Agency works.

• New clients are asked to complete a personal profile, answering 11 questions that allow Dyer to assess how a client lives in a space, what their style is, and what they may be looking to spend. There is no cost to take this first step.

• Once the profile is complete, Interior Agency responds within 48 hours by providing a description of your lifestyle and what they think you will like.

• From here, a client can initiate a project from the number of services Interior Agency offers from making pillows, designing window treatments, reupholstering existing furniture, choosing wallpaper, or selecting paint colors.

• After the project is started, Interior Agency has three to five days to turn around a mood board. From here, the client can select up to five samples to have delivered to their home. “This is where the magic happens and where the client sees that they really control the timetable,” Mancini says. “We differentiate ourselves by responding quickly but allowing clients the time they need to make decisions they feel good about.”

While Dyer and Mancini never step into the homes of their clients, they do rely on their talented tradesmen to confirm measurements and perform installations.

“We’re not going to place your order for wallpaper or window treatments without knowing exactly how much you need. We never have the expectation that you’ll know how to have them installed,” Dyer says, having worked with and thoroughly vetted all the trades people she hires. “Even though technology plays a big role in this platform, we still hold your hand throughout the process.”

Dyer and Mancini recently had a client come to them with a living room project.

“She had great basic pieces but felt like her room was a white box,” Dyer explains. “This particular project was a blast to work on as the client needed our entire portfolio of products. The client’s Style Profile is: ‘Bold, funky, and pragmatic.’ We embraced the ‘bold’ descriptor by using gorgeous Pierre Frey animal-print fabrics on her window treatments and pillows. And then we incorporated ‘funky and pragmatic’ in the reupholstering of the client’s X benches. We selected a Jane Churchill hot pink velvet that makes a statement but is also durable. The client has four children so, although the room is chic, it is not overly delicate,” explains Dyer.

Mancini and Dyer understand that this new way of working may be difficult to understand at first.

“This is decorating,” Dyer says. “Having gone to school, been trained as an interior designer, and then having worked in this industry, I believe in this craft. Our new approach isn’t meant to cheapen the design experience—it’s really meant to give access to good design to more people.”

Interior Agency did a soft launch in the fall of 2022 and now has more than 22 clients, many of whom are repeat clients with multiple projects on the books.

“This is how we will grow,” Dyer says. “Satisfying our current clients so much that they come back to us with new projects and tell their friends how easy it was to work together. It will always be quality over quantity for us, but it’s very exciting to think about where this could go.”

To learn more, visit interioragency.com.

Pierre Frey animalprint fabric on window treatments and Phillip Jeffries wallpaper

X benches with Jane Churchill hot pink velvet

EDITED BY ALLISON DUNCAN

DESIGN TRENDS

WILMETTE’S KASHIAN BROS SHARES TIPS FOR DESIGNING A BATHROOM TO AGE IN PLACE WITH STYLE

With adequate space and good design, your bathroom will last a lifetime.

Properly installed grab bars add essential support near the toilet and in the shower.

Allow ample space to turn around in a wheel chair or move with a walker.

High-end vinyl flooring is less slippery and smoother to walk on than traditional bathroom tile.

A floating vanity provides foot room for those using a walker or wheelchair.

Pedestal sinks are most comfortable for someone in a wheelchair.

An adjustable shower head with easy-toreach knobs makes it easier to shower independently.

Touch-less faucets ease the burden for arthritic hands or wrists.

Comfort height toilets are easier to use for those with mobility issues.

Call Kashian Bros if you want a beautiful new kitchen or bath without the stress and anxiety of a typical home project. We take care of the entire project from start to finish, including design and all installation, even plumbing, lighting, wallpaper, and paint. One call is all it takes to remodel or renovate your kitchen or bath.

Kashian Brothers is located in downtown Lake Forest and Wilmette. For more information, call 847-251-1200 or visit KashianBros.com.

ACADEMIC APPROACH

ASSESSING YOUR STUDENT’S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND POTENTIAL

WORDS BY MATTHEW PIETRAFETTA, PH.D. / PHOTOGRAPHY ROBIN SUBAR

In August, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released its 2022 report card on 9-year-old students that showed the largest drop in reading since 1990 and the first ever drop in math since NAEP testing began in the 1970s. While the 2022 report cards for 13-year-old students and 17-year-old students are forthcoming, they will likely show similar deficits in academic progress.

A New York Times article about the NAEP report titled “The Pandemic Erased Two Decades of Progress in Math and Reading,” reignited debates about pandemic learning loss—discussions which were further fueled by a report from ACT released last week. The ACT report revealed that the high school Class of 2022 had the lowest composite ACT scores in 30 years, with forty-two percent of test takers failing to meet any benchmarks for the subjects of English, math, science, and reading.

As an education company that has seen multiple massive overhauls in the education and test preparation industries since we started in 2001, Academic Approach takes a tempered, big-picture, research-driven approach when considering industry trends or viral articles. Are the NAEP and ACT reports reason to panic? No.

However, these reports do reinforce something we’ve seen in both our data on individual student progress and school-wide testing data: achievement is down. Students in the past two years are simply entering at lower scores and growing more slowly.

What does this suggest?

Interrupted learning means that—in many cases—less academic material has been covered and less personalization of instruction has taken place. Therefore, the need for supplementing education has intensified. Unlearned or partially learned skills in one year won’t disappear the following year. The list simply grows, and it needs to be addressed.

The NAEP report highlights this reality. Students across the board have lost ground. When looking at students in the 90th percentile, the data show a 2-point drop in Reading and a 3-point drop in Math; students in the 10th percentile register a 10-point drop in Reading and a 12-point drop in Math. The overall concern is that once a student falls behind at any level, it becomes harder and harder to catch up.

FUTURE ACADEMIC POTENTIAL

What does this mean for your student? It’s always been import ant—but perhaps more so than ever—to properly assess how well students have mastered essential college readiness skills. Parents can help by talking with teachers, gathering feedback from quizzes and tests, and observing students’ academic behaviors and mindsets.

Try to get granular in your understanding of the specific skills your student needs to master.

If you’re not sure where to start, contact us. We’ll help you assess your student by taking the following steps:

• Administer a practice test (high school entrance exam, ACT, PSAT, or SAT) that covers essential reading, grammar, and math skills

• Provide you with a complimentary consultation to analyze your student’s results

• Perform a quantitative analysis (score-driven, skills-driven) as well as a qualitative analysis (identifying your student’s learning style and personalized needs)

• Help you determine the type and timing of any supplement needed to address your student’s learning needs and help your student maximize their learning potential

Understanding your student’s current academic performance is the crucial first step in helping your student make up for any learning loss and reach their full academic potential. We expect more data on learning loss to continue to illuminate the challenges students are facing and may continue to face in the coming years. Academic Approach is ready to meet these challenges and is here to help.

For more information, visit academicapproach.com/sheridanroad or call 847-750-4919.

Matthew Pietrafetta, Ph.D.

NATURE’S CHILD

Artist Lisa Solberg dives deep to understand the world and what it means to be in it.

WORDS BY THOMAS CONNORS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID LAMER

LEFT: Untitled (Totem Fountain 03), 2022, Acrylic and dye on canvas, 100 x 78 inches

RIGHT: Lotus, 2022, Acrylic, dye, and china marker on canvas, 96 x 77 inches

Artist Lisa Solberg with her artwork.

/

isa Solberg doesn’t do pretty. When she paints a canvas or creates an assemblage, the results can be complex. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I always see my work as a sort of natural explosion,” says the artist. “Sometimes the work has the energy of the explosion and sometimes it has the energy of the quiet once the dust has settled.”

Solberg intends her work to create positive energy rather than discomfort. “I like to imagine my works acting as sacred spaces—carving out a moment in time for introspection or exaltation for the viewer.” That ambition is rooted in the way in which she understands her own life and the way in which she operates in the world. Outgoing and active, Solberg has still always had an appreciation for alone time, which in her case came when she sat down to make art. “It was mainly what I did to be alone. Times of introspection. It has always been a solitary practice and meditation in that sense. I have always loved my own space and spending time by myself.”

One of five, Solberg spent a lot of time in the woods with her siblings and friends. Growing up in the natural world—a rock underfoot or a star in the sky—propels her creativity. “Comets, cos mic events, the power of nature visible in storms, rivers, waterfalls,

Lisa Solberg amongst her works of art at her Manhattan studio

and strong winds that can almost knock you over—these types of things move me the most and inspire my work.” In high school, Solberg took class es at the Art Institute of Chica go and ultimately majored in art at the University of Colorado. After getting her degree, she traveled the world skiing before settling down in Los Angeles, where she lived for more than a decade before relocating to New York this year.

Her canvases sometimes seem collage-like, with discrete forms in active play or flowing with an all-over dynamism. Her sculptures, such as Swoosh—in which a basketball breaks through the cane seating of a Marcel Breuer Cesna Chair—can possess a sort of surrealist edge. Working in various media (Solberg also writes) keeps her busy and balancing time and her creative impulse takes some doing. “I cast a large net over the materials and media that I utilize to keep things as fresh as possible. Over the past couple years, there has definitely been a focus on having a more concise and curated approach, and this has been very fruitful for me. I am on a journey that I want people to grasp and feel connected to, so it’s important to be consistent. Regardless of what the material is, I have a pretty militant schedule for myself day to day.” That means no random bouncing around from one activity to the next, no picking up the phone every time it pings. “I have at least four hours of painting in my studio every day, one hour of writing, and one hour of reading,” shares Solberg. “The rest of my time is filled with my rescue dog, yoga, exploring the city, and spending time with friends.”

Among Solberg’s latest work are three concrete sculptures that have been installed at The Aurora Highlands, a new master-planned community in Denver. “I have been working with this concept of totems, shrines, and creating a sacred space for self-reflection and finally, liberation,” she explains. “This journey started years ago for me when I began creating ‘mind maps’ as a way of understanding myself and how I relate to the outside world. I started to see symbols within these mind maps that began to describe the nature of existence to me. These symbols are now what drive the aesthetic and context of my work, both paintings and sculptures.”

Human beings are always being buffeted between surrender and control, between knowing and not knowing, between traveling and arrival. Not everyone has the time to reason it all out, but Solberg’s artistic process attempts to. She isn’t offering any sure answers. But cast your eyes her way and you just might begin to make sense of it all.

For more information, visit lisasolberg.com, follow her on Instagram @lisasolbergworldwide.

Venus, 2021, Acrylic, oil, and dye on canvas, 100 x 80 inches

Small Come Bless the Blesser in wood

Lisa Solberg, at her art studio in Manhattan

Fountain Song, 2022, Acrylic, dye, china marker and lead on canvas, 96 x 77 inches

WELCOME HOME TO UNMATCHED ELEGANCE

This exquisite French Manor home on two private acres on Lake Road has been meticulously restored with the most phenomenal attention to detail.

Designed in 1929 by Harrie Lindeberg, the high ceilings, custom moldings, unparalleled finishes and lighting are reminiscent of a bygone era and are highlighted by incredible architectural details with understated elegance throughout. The exterior has been carefully restored and the home offers breathtaking views of the professionally landscaped property. Experience this home, it is a journey not to be missed.

LADY LIEUTENANT

Brigitte Nettesheim reflects on how her time in the Army shaped who she is today.

WORDS BY ALLISON DUNCAN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA / HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST

Brigitte Nettesheim wearing Cinq a Sept dress from Neiman Marcus Northbrook

Brigitte Nettesheim was just the third student from her high school—in Warsaw, a small West Central Illinois town—to be accepted to West Point, the United States Military Academy. Her guidance counselor, a mentor to Nettesheim throughout her four years of high school, had a son at West Point and was familiar with the application process and overall experience. She encouraged her to apply.

“I felt the burden of not wanting my family to have to pay for college and knew I needed a scholarship,” recalls Nettesheim. “It was maybe happenstance, maybe fate, that my guidance counselor steered me toward West Point.”

She attended a summer academic enrichment program at West Point before senior year and was “sold,” she says. “The academic rigor and physical discipline were intimidating for a 17-year-old, but I was attracted to the teamwork approach, camaraderie, and rich history of building leaders who served our country. No civilian undergraduate institution could provide that same experience.”

Having grown up on a farm, Nettesheim says the values of hard work and teamwork were instilled in her from a young age. The Warsaw community helped shape her mindset, too; she recalls someone saying to her, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” For Nettesheim, that translated to serving others.

She spent five years on active duty in the United States Army, primarily in the Aviation and Finance branches, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. Even though she never deployed—she describes her stint as one during the Clinton peacetime era between the two gulf wars—Nettesheim resigned as a Captain after becoming a mom. “I couldn’t imagine being the mom I wanted to be and be deployable at any given moment,” explains Nettesheim. “It was a family decision.”

Still, she felt called to serve post-Army and joined the private healthcare sector, a space in which she felt a difference could be made. And, of course, healthcare is an industry with no shortage of government influence, which helped combine her experience with her passion. She spent two years at Caremark, CVS’ prescription benefit management subsidiary, in pharmacy services in business development before pursuing an MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. There, she focused in healthcare industry management.

“I remember a class where we talked about game theory,” says Nettesheim. “I sort of scratched my head that anyone would struggle with this. It was already ingrained in how I thought about situations because of my military training. What would I do if I were the enemy? What variables would influence my action? I found bringing that into the business world to be a relatively easy transition. The hardest part is understanding who my enemies and friends are now. It’s a bit of a frenemy game in healthcare.”

That said, Nettesheim struggled to acclimate, too. She called women who had graduated West Point ahead of her and asked what she should wear to work, having been used to donning a uni form every day. It also took time to understand what Nettesheim calls “business speak,” and the ebb and flow of how employees interact with each other, which is different than in the military.

“I had an amazing boss and mentor who had hired junior military officers before,” Nettesheim remembers. “I still credit him for teaching me Excel and turning me into a modeling nerd. And I always remind myself in stressful situations that there are no live bullets flying at us. That helps me stay calm and thoughtful.”

Nettesheim has repaid the favor, actively striving to recruit, mentor, sponsor, and retain veterans in her current role as Pres-

ident, North Central Region & Joint Ventures at Aetna, a CVS Health Company. Building an organization with a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, thought processes, ethnicities, and genders has been a highlight of her career, she says.

“When you’re in the military, you learn to build teams that trust each other,” explains Nettesheim. “You’re responsible for each other’s lives. I bring that to work every single day. Military strategy and planning have a lot of parallels in my work life today, especially in healthcare. It takes all types to win wars.”

She’s been with Aetna for more than 15 years, working across multiple aspects of the business but mostly focused on improving the affordability of healthcare and on improving health equity. She’s stayed in the CVS Health family because she says, they believe the same thing she does: the current healthcare system is too inaccessible, costly, and complex. The goal? To develop healthcare solutions that enable individuals and families to receive higher quality care without overpaying.

Nettesheim is currently working to design benefit solutions with larger employers. She is most proud of the contribution she makes to a nationwide project through the CVS Health Foundation—which supports communities CVS serves through in-kind donations, employee giving, and fundraising—to provide for underserved communities. Thanks to this initiative, CVS Health Foundation has announced an investment of tens of millions of dollars to build supportive housing units for underserved populations in Cleveland, Denver, and Anchorage just to name a few. Nettesheim and the team have their sights set on Chicago next.

“I want to push the boundaries of healthcare status quo,” says Nettesheim. “The only way to advance health equity is by addressing the social determinants of health at a hyper-local level. This is why I do what I do—so we can invest in initiatives like this.”

That’s probably why she’s also on the executive committee of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), a non profit organization that is committed to creating safe, healthy, and drug-free communities globally. The CEO of CADCA is a retired general who was a professor of military science while Nettesheim studied at West Point. He inspired her to become involved.

And that same military network transcends Nettesheim’s professional life. She has a close-knit group of friends on the North Shore who graduated from West Point around the same time she did. All four West Point graduates who live in Kenilworth have a child who attended the same grade at Joseph Sears School together. Nettesheim is mom to Tori (24), Elisa (22), and Alex (15).

“The North Shore is an amazing place to raise children,” she says. “And my military experience definitely influenced how I parent. I just hope to raise young adults with strong values.”

Like mother, like children.

“Military strategy and planning have a lot of parallels in my work life today, especially in healthcare. It takes all types to win wars.”

PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

Sheridan Road shares an exclusive interview with Jessie Randall and Brian Murphy, founders of lifestyle brand Loeffler Randall—makers of the show-stopping Penny Pleated Bow Heel.

WORDS BY ANN MARIE SCHEIDLER / PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY BY CODY GUILFOYLE PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENELLIE TROCHE

Jessie Randall and Brian Murphy

Aglance inside the closets of wellheeled women everywhere is sure to reveal a pair of Loeffler Randall’s Penny Pleated Bow Heels.

Loeffler Randall—the lifestyle brand behind this iconic shoe—has taken the world by storm, outfitting fashion lovers everywhere with their beautiful shoes, accessories, and ready-to-wear collections.

Jessie Randall and Brian Murphy launched Loeffler Randall in 2004 from their garden apartment in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Nearly 20 years and three children later, they are still doing what they love—making distinctive products in small batches with great attention to detail. They design pieces that are meant to be loved and worn for seasons to come.

From their beautiful studio in Soho, New York, the Loeffler Randall team designs a line they want to wear themselves. They understand the needs of their customers—women leading busy lives who want to invest in high-quality products that can take them from school drop-off to a business meeting to an evening event and everything in between.

Loeffler Randall believes that design should be distinctive and original. In each pair of their beloved signature heels, there are 400 pleats. In fact, 28 steps go into making one pair—from the fabric being sent to the pleater to the hand-tied bow. Beautiful, handcrafted products take time to make, and this is one of the reasons Loeffler Randall limits production with the hope products will sell out.

Loeffler Randall’s pieces are among the favorites in North Shore boutiques like Winnetka’s Bunny & Babe and Lake Forest’s Lillie Alexander. The brand’s local popularity is due in part to the keen consumer insights of Murphy, company CEO and Loyola Academy alum.

Randall and Murphy sat down with Sheridan Road to share more about Loeffler Randall and what it’s like to run a fashion business with your spouse.

How did the two of you meet?

Randall: We met in the late ‘90s at my first job in advertising. Even though we met in New York City, we found out his family is from my hometown in Massachusetts.

What background prepared you for running a fashion brand?

Randall: I got a strong education in fashion working for corporations like Gap Inc., and Brian and I learned a lot about marketing from our advertising jobs. The agency where we met, Fallon, had a wonderful, family-type atmosphere and we learned so much there about building a company.

Where did the idea for Loeffler Randall come from? Did the two of you create it together?

Randall: We did come up with the concept together. I designed our first collection and Brian cut up our wedding program and placed it in the footbed of a prototype for one of our shoes with the name of the company—Loeffler Randall, my middle and last names.

Camden boot in black suede

Harriet velvet handbag in spruce

Lynn crocodile boot in dark brown

Isla boot in black velvet

Saige shoe in espresso

Melany heel in spruce velvet

Selina heel in rust satin

Margi heel in spruce velvet

Selina heel in black/crystal velvet

Claudia heel in gold

Melany heel in black

Shay heel in dune

Natalia platform in Fuchsia

Danny boot in black

Leonie flat in black/crystal

How has the brand evolved since it began?

Randall: The aesthetic of our brand has been consistent since day one. What has evolved is the size of the business, our expansion into other categories, and the opening of our first store.

What is the division of labor between the two of you?

Randall: I oversee design, and Brian runs the business. We both work on marketing and that’s where we butt heads—ha! But seri ously, this division of responsibilities has been critical to our success. We trust each other to own the two different parts of the business.

What’s it like working with your spouse? Any advice for those considering it?

Randall: I always say that I don’t really recommend it, but it has worked for us. We try very hard not to talk about work on the weekends. But it has been nice to work on a shared goal all these years and to be so connected.

Anything you wish you knew when you started the company that you know now? Anything you would do differently?

Randall: So many things I would do differently—too many to list. But we can’t go back. We just have to evolve and adapt and learn from mistakes. And many of the things we didn’t know actually helped us. We didn’t realize all the things that could go wrong and that was a good thing.

For holiday wear, what are your favorite pieces?

Randall: I love our expansion into ready-to-wear—our quilted pieces and fun dresses—as well as our “wow” heels.

Brian, are there any North Shore influences carried into the Loeffler Randall brand? Anything you miss about living in Chicago?

Murphy: Living in Chicago gave me a sense of humor, a Midwestern candor and ethos—we don’t take ourselves too seriously. I really miss Chicago sports. Desperately at times.

For more information, visit loefflerrandall.com.

“The Baylor Network is the very best in their field. They are supremely knowledgeable and incredibly professional.”

“They have the fabulous ability to make you feel as if you are their singular priority.”

“We knew we were in excellent hands and trusted them completely.”

Gayatri Mathur, wearing Oscar de la Renta dress, Neiman Marcus Northbrook

RISING AND SHINING AND CARING

WORDS BY BILL MCLEAN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA / HAIR & MAKEUP BY CATHLEEN HEALY

After working for more than 30 years in the field of physical therapy—as a clinician, a researcher, and a professor—longtime Highland Park resident Gayatri Mathur felt it was time for a career change. She needed to do something, that would turn each of her rise-and-shine moments into an exercise in vitality.

“I wanted to be doing something that would make me jump out of bed every morning,” Mathur says.

Originally from Mumbai, Mathur found an ideal second career in 2018; since then, she has been soaring and seizing every waking moment of every day.

Mathur launched the nonprofit the Soondra Foundation and assumed the position of CEO four years ago. Based in Chicagoland, the Soondra Foundation fulfills its tagline of “Securing a Healthier India” by providing healthcare access through direct cash grants to India’s working poor when they have a medical emergency.

The numbers are staggering and, to Mathur, motivating: 300350 million workers in India earn between $3-$5 dollars per day, and some 65 million people in the second-most populous country experience poverty because of medical catastrophes.

“The Indian government takes care of people who make $2 or less per day, and those earning $10 or more each day are able to afford necessary medical treatment,” says Mathur. “But there are too many in the ‘unsweet’ spot who can’t afford medical care because the system in India requires patients to pay upfront.”

Crucial informal sector employees—from domestic helpers to rickshaw drivers to day laborers—in India’s economy are left to fend for themselves when they are in dire straits.

“Those in this demographic have to use their money for food, ba sic housing, and schooling for their children,” Mathur says. “There’s

nothing left over after those necessities. What’s a family in that income bracket to do when a child or a spouse gets sick or injured?”

That’s when the Soondra Foundation enters the picture and serves as a safety net that, in many cases, saves the lives of grantees via immediate medical care. This plays a crucial role in preventing another financial catastrophe that could perpetuate intergenerational poverty.

“Our efforts are focused not only on a grantee’s medical emergency but on their future as well,” Mathur says.

In one instance, a mother in India learned her daughter had a liver abscess but turned down the surgery because they couldn’t afford it. After the Soondra Foundation stepped in and eliminated the cost issue from the equation, the young girl successfully underwent surgery.

That girl wants to be a surgeon someday, a smiling Mathur reports.

“I’ll give you another example, one in which a $250 donation, or the approximate cost of a fancy bottle of wine, had a tremendous impact on a patient with blood cancer,” she says. “We were able to get the patient admitted to a hospital for lifesaving chemo and antibiotics. That simple step—admission to a hospital—triggered a social worker’s assistance and help from our foundation’s partnerships on the ground.”

“The Soondra Foundation,” Mathur adds, “gives vulnerable fami

Gayatri Mathur’s pivot from physical therapy to running the Soondra Foundation has helped rescue countless families from medical catastrophes and intergenerational poverty in her native India.

“We’re helping 100-odd families annually in India now. We’re looking to help thousands—that’s our goal.”

lies who are trapped in a medical emergency a chance for a new lease on life. A small amount can make a huge difference.”

Mathur named the foundation in honor of her family’s beloved nanny, who became a second mother to a young Gayatri. Soondra, who died 25 years ago, warmed the household in Mumbai with her ever-sunny presence for more than 30 years.

“So loving, so dedicated, so funny,” Mathur says of “Saint” Soondra. “Very affectionate, with a ready smile, always joking, always laughing. She is the demographic our foundation wants to help; my Soondra faced poverty and destitution, but she took charge of her life.”

Mathur earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Mumbai and her master’s in physical therapy at the University of Iowa, where she met Sharat, a native of Jaipur, India who was working on a Ph.D. in marketing.

Their first date was at a McDonald’s. Each ordered a burger and fries. “India,” Mathur says, “didn’t have any McDonald’s restaurants at the time.”

A courtship ensued. They got married 34 years ago and raised two children, son Pranay and daughter Ishani, in Highland Park.

Mathur spent five years in Australia, working as a professor at

the University of Sydney. Other stops in her physical therapy career included stints at Northwestern University and at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago.

Her leisure moments are occupied by reading or doing bonsai or birdwatching or walking along local trails with her yellow Lab Kaya or listening to classical Indian music or admiring the Chicago Botanic Garden. These moments are few because Mathur is laser-focused on the Soondra Foundation.

“We’re hoping to expand the foundation’s base,” Mathur says. “During the first year of the pandemic, not long after our first full year, we felt it was important for our targeted families in India to receive food rations, because in many cases, such as patients with tuberculosis, medicine doesn’t work without food.

“We’re helping 100-odd families annually in India now. We’re looking to help thousands—that’s our goal.”

It’s nighttime at the Mathur abode. Guess who can’t wait to wake up tomorrow?

For more information, visit soondra.org. The Soondra Foundation can be found on Instagram (@soondracares) and on Facebook (The Soondra Foundation).

Streets of India.

Photography by powerofforever

Photography by cookelma

GRATEFUL

I chose Annie because of her professionalism and track record for helping her clients both through the negotiation process but also for her reputation for going above and beyond what is needed throughout the entire process. Bringing flower, lightbulbs, anything to help out with the open houses and staging. We had the most wonderful experience with The Flanagan Group.

Maddie was so knowledgable and understanding throughout our whole home buying process. She really knew exactly what we wanted. Annie is an absolute pro and together they make such a great team! The whole experience was totally seamless. Highly recommend!

HONOR BOUND

Lake County Honor Flight helps U.S. veterans complete a journey decades in the making.

WORDS BY BILL MCLEAN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANELLE ROMINSKI

World War II Memorial

Vietnam War

Sr. could have visited the three-quar ter replica Vietnam Veterans Memo rial on a number of occasions when it arrived in the Chicago area on “The Wall That Heals” Tour.

The North Chicago native and Gurnee resident chose to skip the opportunities.

“I was treated terribly when I returned from Vietnam,” says the 72-year-old Givens, who served as a U.S. Army Specialist (E-4) from 1967-1969.

No wonder he had some reservations about applying to go on a tribute flight when he first heard about the program from Lake County Honor Flight co-founder Paula Carballido more than three years ago.

Lake County Honor Flight celebrates America’s veterans with a multi-day trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices. One of 129 Honor Flight hubs in the nation, Lake County flies its heroes from Milwaukee Mitchell Airport to the nation’s capital three times a year (April, August, and October) at no cost to the veterans. Lake County Honor Flight pays the approximate $1,300 cost for each veteran with dollars raised via fundraising.

“The animosity I faced in my country, after serving it and thinking I wouldn’t survive in Vietnam, stayed with me for decades,” Givens says. “The names they called me … awful, just awful.

“I was 18 years old and angry.”

But he relented earlier this year, opting to sign up for Lake County Honor Flight’s August 19-21 trip. Listen to him speak about it and you’ll discover, in no time, that it ranks as the best decision of his life by a couple of country miles.

“I got off that plane in D.C., and as I neared the baggage area, I saw so many people greeting us,” Givens recalls. “There had to be 300, maybe 400. Mind-blowing, heartfelt. I looked around at the faces of my fellow veterans and saw stunned looks.

“We hadn’t seen that kind of support upon our return from the war, so you can imagine how appreciative all of us were that folks we’d never met showed their genuine appreciation for the time we spent as soldiers.”

The journey got better from there, as well as more emotional. Givens scanned the vast number of names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and stopped at three of them. Three brothers-in-arms.

His eyes welled up thrice.

“Memories flooded back at that wall, each time I recognized a name,” Givens says. “Truly humbling. What also moved me that day was the way I was treated: It was like I was the only one in town, and everyone went out of their way for me.”

Including his Honor Flight guardian, Lake Forest resident Steve Worth. Each guardian completes seven-and-a-half hours of mandatory training. A guardian has to be prepared for anything

Veteran Lonnie Givens Sr. with Lake County Honor Flight Executive Director Paula Carballido

A veteran etching a friend’s name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Aerial view of the Lincoln Memorial with Washington Monument in the distance

veteran Lonnie Givens

from the moment they sit next to their veteran on the Washington, D.C.-bound flight to the moment they accompany their veteran for the rousing, goosebump-inducing “Wel come Home Ceremony” in North Chicago.

“Each veteran had a different experience in wartime,” says Carballido, who has been Lake County Honor Flight’s executive director since February. “And many are still suffering from post-traumatic stress or survivor’s guilt, among other conditions. Some don’t feel worthy of taking an Honor Flight. Others are harboring anger.”

“We tell our guardians, ‘Your veteran might break down at the airport or at a memorial,’” the 2001 Highland Park High School graduate continues. “They are prepared to handle the situation, should it arise. But what’s truly amazing for many of our Honor Flight veterans is how transformative the experience is for them. Their loved ones often tell us afterward, ‘What did you do to our dad?’ or, ‘What did you do to our grandpa? We don’t recognize him. He’s happier than ever and he’s never been prouder to be a veteran.’”

Worth’s daughter, Lake Forest Academy (LFA) senior Redding Worth, at age 18 is already a three-time Honor Flight guardian. Her first two veterans were men. Her third, in August, was Carol Jung, a U.S. Navy Vietnam War veteran. Together they visited the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in D.C.

“That was special for me because Carol was the only woman on the flight,” says Redding, who started a Veterans Club at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, and one at LFA, and was just 13 years old when she completed her first Honor Flight as a guardian in 2017.

“My generation, unfortunately, is oblivious to what too many of our veterans have endured,” adds Redding, who might have the oldest soul ever for an 18-year-old. “They’re dealing with home lessness and mental health issues and all kinds of other challenges.”

Redding’s affinity for veterans began at a young age. “For some reason, when I was little, I’d see someone in uniform and immedi-

ately say, ‘Thank you for your service,’” Redding says.

Redding eventually met Carballido and an instant mentee-mentor relationship formed. But neither Carballido nor the Honor Flight training session prepared Ms. Worth for what she had to absorb at the tail end of an Honor Flight. She was behind a veteran’s wheelchair at a “Welcome Home Ceremony” when her eyes welled into small pools and her throat became the sudden home of a temporary lump.

“I almost lost it,” Redding says. “I had to pull down my sunglasses and gnaw on my lip. It was that impactful.”

Carballido, 39, had accompanied six Black veterans, including her “play grandfather,” U.S. Navy World War II veteran Frank Wortham Sr., on a flight to Washington, D.C. in 2012—a year before the launch of Lake County Honor Flight.

The septet visited the World War II and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials.

Carballido has been a part of 19 of the 20 Lake County Honor Flights. She missed one, the Lake County hub’s very first one, to deliver a eulogy—at Wortham’s funeral.

Wortham died in 2013 at the age of 87.

“He had such a love for sharing stories of his life, especially ones about his war experiences,” Carballido says. “What a special, wonderful man. I spoke with him as they wheeled him to surgery, from which he never recovered. His last words to me were, ‘Don’t let them ever forget about us.’”

What Givens will remember forever is the 600 or so people who welcomed him back from Washington D.C., at Mitchell Airport on August 21. He saw nothing but joyful smiles and heard rounds of applause that are still splitting his ears.

“What I found out after my Honor Flight was that I needed it, even though I didn’t know I needed it,” Givens says. “I told Paula, soon after our return, ‘I finished my journey, finally. It took me 50 years.’ I know why I was angry for all those decades, but now I’m no longer angry; I let go of it at the memorial. I feel great.”

“To veterans who aren’t sure about getting on an Honor Flight, I’d say to them, ‘Take the ride for your sake and your loved ones’ sake. Finish the journey like I did.’”

For more information and to make a donation to create a priceless mem ory for a veteran, visit lakecountyhonorflight.com or call 847-282-0374.

Lake County Honor Flight Guardian Redding Worth with veteran Carol Jung

Wreath ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery

Veteran Dennis Tomasiewicz

GOLD COAST FASHION SHOW

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PURPLE PHOTO + SEAN SU PHOTO

Fall, fashion, and philanthropy converged at the 66th Annual Gold Coast Fashion Show, an annual benefit for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago hosted by the Children’s Service Board. The multi-day event featured a fashion presentation and luncheon at the Peninsula Chicago on September 12 and a fashion presentation and cocktail party at The Geraghty on September 15, raising more than $1.1 million in support of mental health services for kids and teens. The Children’s Service Board, an affiliate of Lurie Children’s, has made a two-year, $2 million commitment to The Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health through fundraising efforts. Both events featured an exclusive fashion show produced by Neiman Marcus-Michigan Avenue, the event’s long-time partner and sole retail sponsor. goldcoastfashionshow.com

Eric Neveux, Drew and Kasey Macha, Cassidy Neveux

Casey Ray, Danielle Hoeg, Sharon Bosco, Emily Flaherty

Kari and Seth Darmstadter

Grant Stirling, Ph.D., Maureen DeRose, Dr. Tom Shanley

Ed and Karyn Kruschka

Sharon Bosco, Amelia (Patient Champion), Emily Flaherty

Dr. John Parkhurst, Mallory Hilliard, Dr. Aron Janssen, Kevin Braden

GALLERY WALK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN NELSON AND LOGAN BOWES

who in the Chicagoland design and art communities gathered for the 7th Annual River North Design District Fall Gallery Walk to view vignettes designed by Chicago’s top designers as they showcased living settings highlighting artwork created by some of the brightest stars in the art world today. More than 1,500 partygoers from all over the city took to the streets of River North visiting the 22 participating design showrooms and art galleries to feast on art, design, food, and drinks. The event raised more than $13,605 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. rivernorthdesigndistrict.com

Awho’s

Zach Weber

Sculpture by Stephen Burks at Altalia

Grace Federighi, Daniel Kinkade

Courtney Casey

Denise Nava, Staci Munic, Andrea Muo

Alissa Johnson, Emily Roberts, Jennifer Glomb

Jessica Margot, Joanna Cutri

Eric Gushee sculpture at Armazem

Special thanks to Live Music Sponsors Sandy and Roger Deromedi, Sage Foundation, and The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music. Joffrey Company Artist Yumi Kanazawa. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.

LIVING & GIVING

EVENING OF TRIBUTE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK CAMPBELL

TheNavy SEAL Foundation hosted its 11th Annual Midwest Evening of Tribute at Navy Pier with more than 1,200 guests participating in person and virtually. The event, co-chaired by Greg and Anna Brown, raised more than $6.3 million to support the SEALs, the Naval Special Warfare Community, and their families. The annual event recognizes the courage, commitment, service, and sacrifice of our nation’s most elite warriors who ensure our nation’s safety. Former U.S. Afghan Interpreters were presented with the 2022 Fire in the Gut Award and Shirley and Pat Ryan received the 2022 Patriot Award. Former CIA director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was the evening’s special guest. navysealfoundation.org

Elsie and Steven Powell

Cook County Guard

Pat Ryan Jr., Isabelle Ryan, Shirley and Pat Ryan Sr.

Patriot Award Winners Shirley and Pat Ryan Sr., Greg Brown

Chris Irwin, 2022 Fire in the Gut Award Winners

Bill Strong, Brent Gledhill, Amb. Sean Pybus, Bob Loquercio

Bob and Cindy Mayo, Erika Marchese, Cheryl Marchese

Heidi Huizenga, Matt Davidson

Event co-chair Greg Brown

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR

The Lake Forest Shop’s owner Ellen Stirling hosted a gathering for The Lake Forest Shop’s 100 years of fashion. Guests enjoyed light bites and champagne while perusing fashions from designers Philippe Goetschel from ALGO of Switzerland, Bonnie Beard of Lourdes Chavez, and Cyril Verdavainne. Angela Alvarez shared her “Stirling” handbag designed especially for the anniversary, Jen Bobay showcased her JarBar “centennial” makeup set, and Clara Williams dazzled guests with her unique jewelry designs. thelakeforestshop.com

Kate Rother, Jennifer Durburg

Molly Eugenio, Cyril Verdavainne

Laura Luce, Miranda Maxfield

Ellen Stirling

Ester Viti, Francesca Connell, Wendy Franzen

Sandy Deromedi, Cindy Broten, Dustin O’Regan

Nancy Dacy

Leslie Basedow, Jim and Ellen Stirling, Aleca Stirling, Ginevra Ranney/Mindy Garfinkle Photography

ILLUMINATE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR

This fall, The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center hosted its annual Fall Benefit, themed “Illuminate,” at Theater on the Lake in Chicago. Nearly 400 guests gathered to raise funds for the Rush University Medical Center’s education, research, and community service programs, as well as The Woman’s Board Fund for Excellence in Cellular Therapy. Co-chairs Erin Ritchie and Sonja Smith captured this year’s theme “Illuminate” in every aspect of the event from the yards and yards of up-lit drapery at the venue’s dramatic entrance hall to the glowing orbs placed on cocktail tables to the grateful recognition of Rush’s many supporters and leaders, dubbed “illuminaries.” Even the event invitations encouraged guests to “Dress to Dazzle,” and indeed they did, donning bright colors and bold patterns suitable for an evening under and amongst the stars. thewomansboard.org

Margaret Nelson, Elizabeth Moore, Caroline Moore

Van and Bethany Crocker

Grith Funk, Sunny Esler

Alicia Waters, Tria Thomas

Anne and David Loucks

Cindy Nicolaides, Nancy Doyle

Mindy Turitz, Carolyn Withey, Sarah Ann Harris

Kurt and Cindy Mancillas

Ruthie Beam

Brett Nelson, John Moore

Heather Martin, Jill Erwin, Nina Esshaki, Suzanne Nelson

COOKS’ TOUR

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR

The 2022 Cooks’ Tour, benefitting The Woman’s Board Fund for Excellence in Cellular Therapy at Rush University, was a tour de force, with a record-setting sell out. Led by Co-Chairs Sarah Lyons, Kathryn Mangel, and Adrienne Weisenberger, along with Presidents Jan Evans and Heather Pigott, more than 600 guests toured four spectacular homes in Winnetka and Glencoe, with many enjoying a fabulous luncheon at a private club. New this year: The Cooks’ Tour Table Cook Book was debuted, featuring favorite recipes provided by members of The Auxiliary of The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center. nscookstour.org

Amy O’Donnell, Lindy Kelly, Roni Moore Neumann, Rachel Kozina

Sarah Graham, Sara Sullivan

Adrienne Weisenberger, Kathryn Mangel

Sarah Magner, Donna Bodkin

Heather Pigott, Michelle Boardman, Nora Larkin, Jan Evans

“COVID changed everyone,” Radnay says. “Everyone has gotten so used to hitting the ‘easy button.’ People got lazy, everything can be delivered to your doorstep. And sadly, what I see the most is people just not caring about their jobs the way they used to. They figured out how to press the easy button and do the minimum versus the maximum. It drives me crazy.”

“I now find myself constantly overseeing incompetence. For example, I tell the gutter cleaner to make sure all gutters are cleaned before listing a house, to only then see that they forgot to do the detached three-car garage. Being able to get them to come back fast is almost impossible. Then it takes another two days to get back onto their schedule. ‘No,’ I say, ‘come back today as that is what you were hired to do.’ So, the lesson now is for me to check their work before they leave.”

This persistence is one quality that sets Radnay apart from every other real estate broker. She views her role as more encompassing than just a broker and considers herself a consultant.

“I always expect something to go wrong,” she laughs. “And that’s why I offer so much more than the typical broker. I am a guru of real estate way beyond just the transaction.”

Practically speaking, just what does that mean? When Radnay gets ready to put a house on the market she prepares a comprehensive plan of everything that needs to be done to prep a home for sale. “My job is not just the real estate selling piece. It’s everything in between. And I know there’s definitely no one else who matches my level of detail. I really take pride in making sure it’s done right.”

REDEFINING

EDITED BY ROCHELLE NEWMAN RUBINOFF PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR

From the moment you start to speak to Jena Radnay, you instantly think of the word “spunk.” This number one real estate broker on the North Shore is energetic, light-hearted, opinionated, honest, and, with a work ethic like a black stal lion, is always striving to bring the best to her clients.

And on top of that, she is truly grateful. “There isn’t a day that I don’t look at my Jena Radnay sticker on my steering wheel and say ‘Wow, I am doing what I love with people who trust me. How did I get this lucky?’”

She continues, “I think it comes down to the fact that times have changed and now more than ever, it’s all about service and problem-solving for clients before they’re even thinking about it. I’ve got everything handled down to an Excel spreadsheet of every single cost that was put into a house.”

But what really is distinctive about working with Radnay is that she has the inside skinny. “I have an incredible wealth of information. Because I get to meet with so many people, I know what’s coming on the market before it’s listed. I also make a match for my seller too, so they don’t need to do the dog and pony show to sell. Sometimes sellers would rather sell privately and fast than expose themselves to everyone coming through their house and hearing that the kitchen is awful.”

“There’s an added value when you work with me because I’m aggressive, and I know how to get in front of a house before anyone else can even see it. People trust me, they know I have integrity, I don’t play games and I know how to keep private information confidential. What you see is what you get.”

“So I guess it comes down to this,” Radnay says. “If you want everything done right with no worries about your real estate, I am your ‘easy button.’ That is exactly how I want people who work with me to see what I bring to the table!”

Jena Radnay is with @properties in Winnetka. For more information, call 312-925-9899 or visit jenasellshomes.com.

Publisher’s Profile

WORDS BY STEVEN BLOCH, M.D. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS

Plastic Surgery Update: ACNE CURE

Acne vulgaris is a nearly universal skin disease with approximately 50 million North American teens and young adults seeking treatment each year. Acne can lead to depression and scarring at a time in one’s life that is critical for social development.

AviClear is the first and only FDA-cleared device for the treatment of mild, moderate, and severe acne. This brand-new treatment works by shrinking sebaceous glands treating current acne and preventing future acne breakouts.

Engineered with a revolutionary 1726 nm wavelength that is safe for all skin types, it selectively targets and down-regulates the sebaceous glands, eliminating acne at the source without the need for prescription medications. Results are consistent and durable with patients maintaining clear skin for two years after the third treatment.

Skin Deep Medical Spa, as a leading provider of advanced skincare technology, is excited to be selected as one of the first institutions in this area to introduce this game-changing technology.

To recap, AviClear:

For additional information, visit bodybybloch.com or Dr. Bloch can be reached at his Highland Park office at 847-432-0840.

FERN MALLIS: FASHION MAVEN AND HISTORIAN

WORDS BY LAURA LAYFER TREITMAN / ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT RISKO

Fern Mallis is credited with the creation of New York Fashion Week (NYFW), the semi-annual pilgrimage where fashion designers debut their latest runway collections. The concept of consolidating shows into one location over a singular period where press, patrons, and the public could converge proved revolutionary in the industry. It was Mallis who first forged that path as Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), and later with IMG after the company purchased NYFW. When she left that post over a decade ago, the task of orchestrating another successful career may have seemed unnecessary and unlikely but Mallis has pursued it with gusto. “I’m most proud of my current reinvention and the next chapter,” says Mallis, now an author of two books, Fashion Lives: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis, and its recently released sequel, Fashion Icons 2, published by Rizzoli and sponsored by Nordstrom. These feature a compilation of unscripted conversations with tastemakers and talents at her popular in-person and ongoing-running series at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. They are intimate, insightful, and inspiring. “There is no better moment than when one of my Fashion Icons starts a story with ‘I’ve never told this to anyone before.’”

In high school in Brooklyn, New York, Mallis was voted “best dressed” for what she describes as her eclectic look. Both of her parents were strong style influences. She frequently accompanied her father to work in the Garment District where he sold scarves. “I loved going to work with him and watching him in action,” recalls Mallis, “the way he had a joke at the ready, he hosted lavish lunches with buyers, and just witnessing the business of sales was exhilarating.” Her mother was also creative and chic. “She was crafty in more of a Martha Stewart sort of way, and I remember her in beautiful evening dresses and a big white fox stole for dancing at the Copacabana.” In college at the University of Buffalo, Mallis pursued liberal arts, and in her senior year won a contest for a Guest Editor spot at Mademoiselle magazine. A job with the publication followed, then a role as Fashion Director at Gimbels East,

the first department store on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, before she went on to open Fern Mallis Public Relations.

“To my friends and colleagues, I was like Google before it existed! So, I decided to make a business out of it,” laughs Mallis. She shared an office with the architects behind Studio 54, a trendy location for her firm’s focus on representing and launching fashion and design showrooms. “I used to travel to Chicago for NeoCon and spend lots of time at The Merchandise Mart for the trade events.” It was good training for when she was hired by CFDA, the association of American fashion and accessories designers. The opportunity to develop NYFW not only earned Mallis accolades, but it gave her the behind-thescenes exposure to the perspectives that now fill the pages of her books.

Artists, photographers, models, make-up mavens, and more reveal much of what was previously concealed. While Fashion Icons 2 has an international roster, from Italy’s couturier Valentino and the Missoni family to the United Kingdom’s former Spice Girl turned entrepreneur, Victoria Beckham, and Dame Zandra Rhodes, Fashion Lives focused on the major figures in the American fashion scene. From Iris Apfel, age 101, sharing a century of tales of the textile empire she built with her late husband, Carl, to Project Runway’s host and alum Christian Siriano, the youngest guest to date, each exchange between Mallis and her subjects is rare and rewarding, and definitely not one-size-fits-all.

“With the evolution of digital and social media, fashion is 24/7, it’s everywhere,” notes Mallis, as she prepares for her next duo in the set, Fashion Icons books 3 and 4. What makes a Fashion Icon? “My definition has remained the same since the series’ inception—it’s not about tenure. Fashion Icons highlights the individuals in the industry that have made their impact not only through their unique design aesthetics but a thought-provoking brand purpose,” says Mallis. As the Library of Congress has a copy of each of her books in its holdings, clearly Mallis has made an imprint on fashion history.

Learn more about Fern Mallis by following her on Instagram @FernMallis.

PINE ISLAND FORT MYERS BEACH

SANIBEL

Flo r i da St r o n g