Vegas - 2014 - Issue 4 - Summer by Niche Media Holdings, LLC

vegasmagazine.com NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC

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F ront Runners

Jackie Gaughan’s unearthly prop bet was a boon to publicity, but Gaming Control wasn’t laughing.

The Sky Is Falling IF YOU WERE BETTING MAN JACKIE GAUGHAN, YOU MIGHT AT LEAST LAY ODDS ON IT. BY MICHAEL GERARD

10 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU

t was July 6, 1979, and the world awaited the fiery fall of Skylab, the nine-story-tall, 77-ton American space station, whose remnants would soon crash to earth at up to 270 miles per hour. Most people anticipated the event with fascination, some with fear, but to El Cortez Hotel & Casino owner Jackie Gaughan, it was a wagering opportunity. Here he points to his “Skylab Special,” the odds placed on the station falling on any particular US state. (Skylab’s debris ultimately landed near the Australian town of Esperance—which jokingly issued NASA a $400 fine for littering. Nevada’s Gaming Control Board was less amused and started restricting such bets.) During Gaughan’s 64-year career, the gaming industry pioneer owned much of the Downtown casino market. Although he had ownership interests in eight different casinos, he is inextricably linked with El Cortez, which he bought in 1963. He transferred ownership of the property to his business partner, Kenny Epstein, in 2008, but Gaughan lived in a penthouse apartment there into his 90s, eating breakfast and lunch with El Cortez officials and playing poker in the casino nearly every day. Gaughan knew his employees and customers by their first names and mentored some of the industry’s biggest players when they were just starting out, including Steve Wynn. It’s no wonder, then, that when Gaughan passed away this past March, his funeral was one of the biggest the city had ever seen. A veritable who’s who of Las Vegas—from longtime customers and employees to politicians, business executives, and labor leaders—came out to pay their respects, filling the 900 seats in St. Viator Catholic Church for the two-hour service. Wynn delivered one of the eulogies, noting the presence of other prominent casino owners—Jack Binion, John Kell Houssels Jr., and Bill Boyd—and remarking, “All the homeboys are here.” V

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Summer 2014

52 Mother Monster’s Ball

Lady Gaga will be winging in to Vegas on her Artpop Ball tour.

10 Front Runners 22 From the Editor-in-Chief 24 From the Publisher 26 ...Without Whom This Issue Would Not Have Been Possible 29 Invited 36 The List

People 41 Club Scout Nightlife star Sean Christie puts Wynn and Encore on the silver screen.

44 Quick Change Artist

46 Cirque du NeNe Brazen “real housewife” NeNe Leakes sheds even more of her filter as Zumanity’s Mistress of Sensuality.

48 Writers’ Rooms Beverly Rogers and Carol Harter have collaborated to create a safe haven for writers, and an international attraction for those who love them.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES

As an entertainer, Jennifer Lier was accustomed to being in front of the camera, but her latest role takes place behind it—and all around it.

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Summer 2014

96 How the West Was Worn Our models take in the gorgeous views on the set of Vegas’s summer fashion shoot.

Culture 52 Mother Monster’s Ball Lady Gaga may push the limits of mainstream taste, but that’s nothing new in Vegas, where she and her adoring fans will fit right in.

54 Let the Good Times Roll Score a perfect summer with a spectacular lineup at The Linq’s Brooklyn Bowl.

Taste 57 Bikini Body Fast Track Mandarin Oriental’s Pool Café keeps guests summer-ready with a light new poolside menu.

60 Burger Time

Treasures 68 Shoe-In! Sandra Choi is reinventing Vegas’s shoe fetish favorite, Jimmy Choo, this summer.

70 Put Me in Coach Coach’s new home at Fashion Show offers the brand’s most elevated selection yet. Plus: Nars’s new Adult Swim collection is poolside gold.

72 Las Vegas, Bien Sûr!! The famed House of Givenchy beelines to Vegas to relaunch its presence in the US.

76 Outdoor Opulence In Las Vegas, the world’s top luxury watch brands are celebrating the beauty of nature with exquisitely designed enamel timepieces.

Nothing says summer like a great burger, and all along the Strip, the best chefs are putting unique spins on how to fill a bun.

62 Shaken, Not Stirred Boozy milk shakes cool down Las Vegas’s thirsty revelers. Plus: Henderson’s Mestizo Mezcal encourages us to think locally, drink globally.

64 Home at Last

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON MCDONALD

Daniel Boulud makes his triumphant—and highly anticipated—return to Las Vegas, and his friend Jay McInerney helps him toast the occasion.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

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Summer 2014 Features 82 Life to the Max

82 Life to the Max

For 50 years, Peter Max has been making Vegas—and the world—a lot more colorful.

Artist Peter Max has captured everyone from the Dalai Lama to the Beatles in his psychedelic cosmic style. Now, exclusively for Vegas, he interprets the Strip and beyond, while the hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, discover the colorful stories— and the man—behind the masterpieces.

86 Show and Tell In her towering headdressed glory, the Vegas showgirl has endured disaster, the vagaries of showbiz trends, and even an attempt to contemporize her—and she’s still as fabulous as ever. By John Katsilometes

96 How the West Was Worn This summer, dusty earth tones and fringe mix with eye-catching turquoise and raw stones for a modern Western adventure through the rocky Nevada desert. Photography by Jason McDonald Styling by Taryn Shumway

104 Leading Men For the 11th year in a row, Vegas magazine and Saks Fifth Avenue salute 12 local men who are tops in their field—and in giving back.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GALE

Photography by Francis & Francis

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Summer 2014 Haute Property 109 Green Giants The most luxurious of Las Vegas’s $3 million-plus homes are also models of energy efficiency.

112 Vegas, Makeover Edition

The Guide 115 Pho Pearl Find creative Vietnamese fare at the stylish District One.

116 Excite: Outdoor gaming

Parting Shot 120 Just Don’t Add Water As Vegas pool parties proliferate, so does designer poolwear that takes the “swim” out of swimsuit.

118 Beauty: Cosmetics

109 Green Giants

A luxury home’s sky-high price tag no longer means a sky-high utility bill.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RANDY SHANKULA

Malls get makeovers, a resort resorts to a revamp, roofs are rising, and an outlet adds (car-charging) outlets.

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ANDREA BENNETT Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor KAREN ROSE Art Director ALLISON FLEMING Photo Editor SETH OLENICK Entertainment and Bookings Editor JULIET IZON Associate Fashion Editor ALEXANDRIA GEISLER Copy Editor DAVID FAIRHURST Research Editor LESLIE ALEXANDER

JOSEF VANN Publisher and Vice President of Sales Account Executives VINCE DUROCHER, JESSICA ZIVKOVITCH Director of Event Marketing HALEE HARCZYNSKI Assistant Distribution Manager JENNIFER PALMER Sales Assistant RUE MCBRIDE

NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC Senior Vice President and Editorial Director MANDI NORWOOD Vice President of Creative and Fashion ANN SONG Creative Director NICOLE A. WOLFSON NADBOY Executive Fashion Director SAMANTHA YANKS

ART AND PHOTO

Senior Art Director FRYDA LIDOR Associate Art Directors ANASTASIA TSIOUTAS CASALIGGI, ADRIANA GARCIA, JUAN PARRA, JESSICA SARRO Senior Designer NATALI SUASNAVAS Designers GIL FONTIMAYOR, SARAH LITZ Photo Director LISA ROSENTHAL BADER Photo Editors KATHERINE HAUSENBAUER-KOSTER, JODIE LOVE, JENNIFER PAGAN, REBECCA SAHN Photo Producer KIMBERLY RIORDAN Senior Staff Photographer JEFFREY CRAWFORD Senior Digital Imaging Specialist JEFFREY SPITERY Digital Imaging Specialist JEREMY DEVERATURDA Digital Imaging Assistant HTET SAN

FASHION

Senior Fashion Editor LAUREN FINNEY Fashion Editor FAYE POWER Fashion Assistants CONNOR CHILDERS, LISA FERRANDINO

COPY AND RESEARCH

Copy and Research Manager WENDIE PECHARSKY Copy Editors NICOLE LANCTOT, DALENE ROVENSTINE, JULIA STEINER Research Editors JUDY DEYOUNG, MURAT OZTASKIN, AVA WILLIAMS

EDITORIAL OPERATIONS

Director of Editorial Operations DEBORAH L. MARTIN Director of Editorial Relations MATTHEW STEWART Editorial Assistant CHRISTINA CLEMENTE Online Executive Editor CAITLIN ROHAN Online Editors ANNA BEN YEHUDA, TRICIA CARR Senior Managing Editors DANINE ALATI, KEN RIVADENEIRA, JILL SIERACKI Managing Editors JENNIFER DEMERITT, JOHN VILANOVA Shelter and Design Editor SUE HOSTETLER Timepiece Editor ROBERTA NAAS

ADVERTISING SALES

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing NORMAN M. MILLER Account Directors SUSAN ABRAMS, MICHELE ADDISON, TIFFANY CAREY, CLAIRE CARLIN, KATHLEEN FLEMING, KAREN LEVINE, MEREDITH MERRILL, NORMA MONTALVO, ELIZABETH MOORE, GRACE NAPOLITANO, JEFFREY NICHOLSON, DEBORAH O’BRIEN, SHANNON PASTUSZAK, VALERIE ROBLES Account Executives SUSANA ARAGON, JUDSON BARDWELL, MICHELLE CHALA, THOMAS CHILLEMI, MORGAN CLIFFORD, JANELLE DRISCOLL, ALICIA DRY, DINA FRIEDMAN, SARAH HECKLER, VICTORIA HENRY, CATHERINE KUCHAR, FENDY MESY, MARISA RANDALL, MARY RUEGG, LAUREN SHAPIRO, JIM SMITH, CAROLINE SNECKENBERG, JACKIE VAN METER, GABRIELLA ZURROW National Sales Coordinator HOWARD COSTA Sales Support and Development EMMA BEHRINGER, ANA BLAGOJEVIC, EMILY BURDETT, CRISTINA CABIELLES, BRITTANY CORBETT, JAMIE HILDEBRANDT, DARA HIRSH, KELSEY MARRUJO, MICHELLE MASS, NICHOLE MAURER, STEPHEN OSTROWSKI, ELENA SENDOLO, ALEXANDRA WINTER

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations LANA BERNSTEIN Vice President of Integrated Marketing EMILY MCLINTOCK Director of Integrated Marketing ROBIN KEARSE Integrated Marketing Manager JIMMY KONTOMANOLIS Director of Creative Services SCOTT ROBSON Promotions Art Designers DANIELLE MORRIS, CARLY RUSSELL Event Marketing Directors AMY FISCHER, MELINDA JAGGER, LAURA MULLEN, JOANNA TUCKER, KIMMY WILSON Event Marketing Managers ANTHONY ANGELICO, CHRISTIAMILDA CORREA, MONIKA KOWALCZYK, CRISTINA PARRA Event Marketing Coordinator BROOKE BIDDLE Event Marketing Assistant SHANA KAUFMAN

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX Director of Positioning and Planning SALLY LYON Positioning and Planning Manager TARA MCCRILLIS Assistant Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Manager BLUE UYEDA Production Artists ALISHA DAVIS, MARISSA MAHERAS Distribution Manager MATT HEMMERLING Fulfillment Manager DORIS HOLLIFIELD Traffic Supervisor ESTEE WRIGHT Traffic Coordinators JEANNE GLEESON, MALLORIE SOMMERS Circulation Research Specialist CHAD HARWOOD

FINANCE

Controller DANIELLE BIXLER Finance Directors AUDREY CADY, LISA VASSEUR-MODICA Advertising Business Manager RICHARD YONG Director of Credit and Collections CHRISTOPHER BEST Senior Credit and Collections Analyst MYRNA ROSADO Senior Billing Coordinator CHARLES CAGLE Senior Accountant LILY WU Junior Accountants PONNIE FITZPATRICK, NEIL SHAH, NATASHA WARREN

ADMINISTRATION, DIGITAL, AND OPERATIONS

Director of Operations MICHAEL CAPACE Director of Human Resources STEPHANIE MITCHELL Executive Assistant ARLENE GONZALEZ Digital Media Developer MICHAEL KWAN Digital Producer ANTHONY PEARSON Facilities Coordinator JOUBERT GUILLAUME Chief Technology Officer JESSE TAYLOR Desktop Administrators ZACHARY CUMMO, EDGAR ROCHE

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

J.P. ANDERSON (Michigan Avenue), SPENCER BECK (Los Angeles Confidential), KATHY BLACKWELL (Austin Way), KRISTIN DETTERLINE (Philadelphia Style), ERIN LENTZ (Aspen Peak), LISA PIERPONT (Boston Common), CATHERINE SABINO (Gotham), JARED SHAPIRO (Ocean Drive), ELIZABETH THORP (Capitol File), SAMANTHA YANKS (Hamptons)

PUBLISHERS

JOHN M. COLABELLI (Philadelphia Style), LOUIS DELONE (Austin Way), ALEXANDRA HALPERIN (Aspen Peak), DEBRA HALPERT (Hamptons), SUZY JACOBS (Capitol File), GLEN KELLEY (Boston Common), COURTLAND LANTAFF (Ocean Drive), ALISON MILLER (Los Angeles Confidential), KATHERINE NICHOLLS (Gotham), DAN USLAN (Michigan Avenue)

President and Chief Operating Officer KATHERINE NICHOLLS Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer JOHN P. KUSHNIR Chairman and Director of Photography JEFF GALE Copyright 2014 by Niche Media Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Vegas magazine is published eight times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material, and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Vegas magazine’s right to edit. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs, and drawings. To order a subscription, please call 866-891-3144. For customer service, please inquire at vegas@pubservice.com. To distribute Vegas at your business, please e-mail magazinerequest@nichemedia.net. Vegas magazine is published by Niche Media Holdings, LLC (Founder, Jason Binn), a company of The Greenspun Corporation. VEGAS: 2360 Corporate Circle, 3rd Floor, Henderson, NV 89074 T: 702-990-2500 F: 702-990-2530 NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS: 100 Church Street, Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10007 T: 646-835-5200 F: 212-780-0003 THE GREENSPUN CORPORATION: 2275 Corporate Circle, Suite 300, Henderson, NV 89074 T: 702-259-4023 F: 702-383-1089

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I celebrated our gorgeous Spring cover with its star—the incredibly talented and lovely Véronic DiCaire—at Indigo Lounge at Bally’s.

ABOVE: If I can’t be Esther Williams, I can at least live vicariously through the talented synchronized swimmers, the Aqualillies, who opened Downtown Grand’s rooftop Picnic with Vegas. LEFT: At Picnic with Downtown Grand CEO Seth Schorr.

Nearly 50 years ago in his novel An American Dream, Norman Mailer gave us this image: “The night before I left Las Vegas I walked out in the desert to look at the moon. There was a jeweled city on the horizon, spires rising in the night, but the jewels were diadems of electric and the spires were the neon of signs ten stories high.” (If you have read the novel, keep in mind the imagery, not the controversial nature of Mailer’s protagonist—not the most likable guy in fiction.) That delicious and otherworldly description feels as current today as it did in 1965. For artist Peter Max, choosing from the city’s abundance of icons to convey his vision of Vegas on our cover must have been a bit like taking that proverbial draft from a fire hose. There are the saturated colors of Red Rock Canyon and the stars of Max’s cosmos twinkling above the old Stardust sign. Within this Summer Follow me on Twitter at issue’s pages, more icons come to @andreabennett1 and on life—among them the ageless, statuesque vegasmagazine.com. Vegas showgirl who, while she exists in smaller numbers than in Mailer’s day, remains as fabulous and titillating as ever. Although Vegas is constantly revamping, renovating, reopening, and reinventing, some of our symbols are sacred—even if they are topless and wearing a 35-pound rhinestone headdress. Summer is my favorite time in Las Vegas. For some, the heat is punishing. For me, the heat waves just add a shimmering layer to the preternatural beauty of both the natural and man-made creations here. Everyone has his or her own interpretation of Las Vegas; I prefer Mailer’s description. I recently returned from a long trip, and as my plane circled in from the east, there was a jeweled city on the horizon, its spires rising in the night. Welcome to summer in Vegas.

ANDREA BENNETT

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ‘LOS (DICAIRE, SWIMMERS, SCHORR); AL POWERS (SYLVESTER)

Wearing a gorgeous Roberto Cavalli dress from Saks Fifth Avenue, with Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker, Vegas native, and major kid role model Stevenson Sylvester. Two dreams come true!

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Canali store at Palazzo is one of my favorite places in Las Vegas, in no small part because visiting manager Michael Reid is always a pleasure.

AEG vice president John Nelson and I caught up when he attended our cover party for Spring’s star, Véronic DiCaire.

ABOVE: My wife, Ilana, and I celebrated at the spectacular Power of Love gala for Keep Memory Alive, along with Andrea Bennett and her husband, Reid Gardner. LEFT: I had a wonderful dinner with Alor clients and friends during the Couture jewelry show at Wynn: Ori Zemer, Tal Zemer, and Jack Zemer.

weeks happened at the Vegas Dozen event that we at Vegas magazine cohosted with Saks Fifth Avenue—as we have for the past 11 years—to honor philanthropic men and raise money for a charity that is close to our hearts locally and important nationally. I sat with my wife, Ilana, along with Editor-in-Chief Andrea Bennett and her husband, Reid, next to Camille and Larry Ruvo, founders of Keep Memory Alive, the nonprofit organization that supports the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Honoree after honoree took the stand—some sharing memories of Larry’s father, Lou, and others paying tribute to this humble but infinitely generous couple. Evenings like this reinforce my belief in the power and philanthropic wherewithal of this tightly knit community. This is just one of the aspects of our city that make it unique. Our connectedness in Vegas makes publishing this magazine fun, because almost on a weekly basis we Follow me on Twitter at rub elbows with the very people we @josefvann and on celebrate in the magazine. Whether I’m vegasmagazine.com. dining at DB Brasserie at the Venetian, lunching at MOzen in the gorgeous Mandarin Oriental, walking the Couture jewelry convention at Wynn, or honoring deserving philanthropists at a spectacular event at Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show, not only do I see clients, readers, and stakeholders, but I connect with them and know their stories. Enjoy this one-of-a-kind Summer issue with its unprecedented cover—a piece of art commissioned just for Vegas from acclaimed artist Peter Max. From within these pages, I invite you to get to know our town and its magnificent people.

JOSEF VANN

24 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES (KMA); ‘LOS (NELSON)

One of my most moving experiences in recent

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...WITHOUT WHOM THIS ISSUE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE SUMMER 2014

Jessica Moore Jessica Moore, who wrote our story on the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute’s City of Asylum program (page 48), is an Emmy and Associated Press Award– winning anchor who delivers the news every night on KSNV, Channel 3. What impressed you about City of Asylum? Carol and Beverly find joy in giving

back to make our community a place people are proud to call home. My livelihood is based on the idea that I can write and speak freely without fear of oppression—it humbles me to know these women are fighting to give persecuted writers the same rights that we take for granted. What causes are nearest to your own heart? Animal rescue. I’ve rescued two dogs from Heaven Can Wait, one of our local no-kill shelters.

Francis & Francis Francis Baytan (LEFT) and Francis George are the photographic team responsible for the last four Vegas Dozens. See their work on page 104. What do you enjoy about shooting Vegas Dozen? Getting to know the pillars of

Eating in the skybox at Daniel couldn’t have been a bad assignment. What was your favorite part of the night? There were

many highlights, including the single spear of white asparagus topped with golden osetra caviar and the 1995 Chateau Rayas, but mostly I enjoyed getting to sit down and relax with Daniel. I don’t often get to eat dinner with him. What is your go-to Daniel Boulud order?

The black sea bass in potato crust is a classic. My absolute favorite, though, is a special order at Restaurant Daniel, the pressed duck. Do you have a favorite place in Vegas?

Double Helix Wine & Whiskey Lounge is great for a glass or two. Daniel didn’t have a place when I last visited, so I had to settle for Joël Robuchon, which was pretty great.

26 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Rachel Felder Our back page’s wry look at bathing suits that can’t get wet was penned by Rachel Felder, whose work has appeared in outlets like The New York Times, WWD, Travel + Leisure, and Town & Country. The author of two books, she is currently writing a novel inspired by her misguided youth in the music industry. What are your favorite summer activities? Late weeknight restaurant

dinners with my daughter—aka “La Petite Gourmande”—without the ramifications of being out on a school night. And designer shoe shopping in an air-conditioned boutique. Don’t you have a cool Vegas connection? Yes! “Viva Las Vegas” was written by my beloved uncle Doc Pomus.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY E.J. CAMP (MCINERNEY); BEVERLY POPPE (MOORE)

Jay McInerney Jay McInerney, who wrote our story on his friend Daniel Boulud’s return to Vegas (page 64), is a fiction and nonfiction author and writes a wine column for Town & Country magazine. His most recent book is The Juice: Vinous Veritas.

the community on a first-name basis. We are always surprised how humble and open they can be when you place them in front of the camera. Did you make any special connections? FG: Dave Courvoisier stood out because of his French name; he mentioned that his family was from a part of Switzerland very close to my hometown in France. And Jeff Gale and I compared notes about histograms.

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VEGAS’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS EVENTS AND SMARTEST PARTIES

Hakkasan Turns One PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS OF POWERS IMAGERY, LLC

GWEN STEFANI, GAVIN ROSSDALE, AND OTHER LUMINARIES TOAST THE VEGAS HOT SPOT ON ITS BIRTHDAY.

S Gwen Stefani

howbiz power couple Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale attended the first anniversary celebration of the restaurant and nightclub Hakkasan Las Vegas, at MGM Grand, on April 26. Following the birth of their youngest son, Apollo Bowie Flynn, in February, the duo enjoyed a night out alongside talented artists like Tiësto and Questlove as they toasted Hakkasan’s big milestone. Stefani and Rossdale savored dinner with their guests in the restaurant, then were escorted to their VIP booth, located on the nightclub’s main stage, where they danced the night away.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

INVITED Malisa Barton and Marsha Miller

Mari Landers

Alan and Christy Molasky with Joanne Cardone

Camille and Larry Ruvo

Vegas Dozen at Saks

On April 8, Vegas magazine and Saks Fifth Avenue presented the 11th annual Vegas Dozen: The Men We Love and Why We Love Them, a salute to 12 men from various backgrounds and professions who exemplify personal and professional commitment to the community. The event, hosted by Mix 94.1’s Mercedes Martinez, honored each of the men with the prestigious Vegas Dozen Award, bestowed during a phenomenal ceremony on the runway at Fashion Show. Guests also enjoyed a live performance by Frankie Moreno, delectable hors d’oeuvres provided by former Vegas Dozen honoree and certified master chef Gustav Mauler, and cocktails courtesy of Southern Wine & Spirits. In addition, the 12 men received gifts from One Queensridge Place, The Capital Grille, AEG Live Las Vegas, Paiute Tribal Smoke Shop, Beau Joie Champagne, and other companies. Read more about this year’s Dozen starting on page 104. Frankie Moreno

Bri Eck and Randy Char

Mercedes Martinez

Darwin Bosen and Vandana Chima-Bhalla

Bernard Barbilla and Kaylan Franca

Darwin Bosen and Vandana Chima-Bhalla PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS

Steve Flynn and Michelle St. Angelo Criss Angel and Tom Green

30 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Sarah Ning and Shelley Gitomer

INVITED Rosie Abrams, Kristina Bello, Jackie Oribello, Maggie Bryant, and Katie Indriolo

Hakkasan First Anniversary

On April 24, Vegas magazine celebrated the first birthday of the restaurant and nightclub Hakkasan Las Vegas. The night began with an intimate reception in the first-level restaurant—featuring contemporary interpretations of traditional Chinese art and culture, signature tastes, and Absolut Elyx cocktails—followed by a party in the Ling Ling Lounge and the fourth- and fifth-floor nightclub, where DJ Steve Aoki was spinning. James Algate and Derek Silberstein

Kelly Egger and Tayler Gardner

Jamie Chin and Mary Brooks

Event Nametk

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Lady Hakkasan

Ryan Hammer and Neil Gupta

Véronic DiCaire

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS (HAKKASAN); ’LOS (VÉRONIC)

Yannick Augy, Omar Gutierrez, and Michael LaPorte

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Véronic DiCaire Cover Event

On April 25, Vegas magazine partnered with Caesars Entertainment and AEG Live Las Vegas to host our Spring issue cover party with cover star Véronic DiCaire, the star of Véronic: Voices at Bally’s Hotel and Casino. The singer captivated guests with her musical interpretations, followed Ryan Hammer and by an intimate meet-and-greet in the Indigo Lounge at Bally’s, featuring 2 Véronic DiCaire Neil Gupta Gingers Irish whiskey cocktails and Voss water.

Event Nametk

Jessica Broomhead, Sarah Short, and Shana Troy

Julie Nichols and Lindsey Simon

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

INVITED Aqualillies

Picnic Grand Opening

Vegas magazine kicked off pool season on April 17 at Downtown Grand’s new rooftop restaurant and bar, Picnic. Guests were treated to complimentary Grey Goose cocktails, quintessential American picnic food, music by DJ Roger Gangi, and a unique performance by the Aqualillies at this splashy urban retreat. Jeni Black and Fred Frient

Eddie and Lauren Romero

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ‘LOS

Seth Schorr and Jan Baird

Ricardo LaGuna and Eva Valdez

Daniel Coughlin, Shauna Dong, Puoy Premsrirut, and Kenny Kuykendall Nicole Neal, Chelsea Blake, and Danielle Desmond

Camille Fradella, Charity Faith, and Alexandra Lourdes

Dylan Taucer and Noelle Haddad

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ’LOS

Nick Manghum and Chris Reece

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Mike Henry, Devin Moore, and Joe Mahon

INVITED Randy Char and Matt Muldoon

Ryan Beyer and Ricci Lopez

AREAA Event Karen Wellman, Jeff Galindo, and Hadley Goddard

On May 15, the Asian Real Estate Association of America presented Elevation, an elegant, James Bond–inspired event held inside an airport hangar, where guests had the chance to inspect a private jet, a helicopter, and a bright-yellow Lamborghini. Randy Char, senior vice president of operations for One Queensridge Place and president of AREAA Las Vegas, moderated a panel of eight luxury lifestyle experts— including Josef Vann, Vegas magazine’s publisher, and Sebastien Silvestri, vice president of food and beverage for Venetian and Palazzo—discussing how to make a luxury brand “soar.” Guests enjoyed a wide array of hors d’oeuvres as well as Champagne and cocktails from Pernod Ricard brands, including Absolut Elyx.

Tina and Mark Castillo

Event Nametk

Kini and Eric Tan with Cindy Lam

Adam Rolfe, Jessica Duran, and Cliff Atkinson

Jerry Irwin, Tanya Popovich, and Tom Recine

Carrie Carter-Henderson and Melissa Costa

Mandarin Oriental Summer FANfare Luncheon

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ALAMO (MANDARIN ORIENTAL); ’LOS (AREAA)

On May 7, Vegas magazine and Mandarin Oriental hosted a chic poolside Editor and Publisher luncheon with 25 of Las Vegas’s top influencers and tastemakers, including this year’s Vegas Dozen honoree Jerry Misko and the founder and president of Best Agency, Carrie Carter-Henderson. Guests lunched on a three-course meal featuring shrimp and Hokkaido scallop ceviche, a Mandarin “superfood” salad, and peach Melba.

Denise Randazzo and Jennifer Atkinson

Bobby Misko and Jerry Misko

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INVITED

J.B. and Brenda Bernstein

Governor’s Black-Tie Gala

Shawn and Todd Radwanski

The annual Governor’s Black-Tie Invitational, a golfing and social event endorsed and supported by the governor of Nevada, has raised millions of dollars for nonprofit organizations serving children, teens, and women in need throughout the Las Vegas community. This year’s edition, held April 3 at Southern Highlands Golf Club, honored Jeff Gordon of the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation and Ed Guthrie of Opportunity Village.

Lisa Redinger and Jimmy Lee

Tom Whitmer and Avi Dan-Goor

Tom and Mary McDonald with Celine and Nick Mamula

Mike and Meredith Mixer

Robin Leach and Lady Tina Green

Maz Zouhairi, Farid Matraki, and Silvio Denz

Lalique Grand Opening

Vegas magazine celebrated the opening of the new Lalique boutique inside The Shops at Crystals on May 1 with hostesses Jillian and Wendy Plaster. More than 100 invited guests—including Silvio Denz, Lalique’s chairman, and Maz Zouhairi, the company’s North American president and CEO—enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres, provided by Mandarin Oriental, while perusing furniture from Lalique Maison and accessories created by Lady Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli in collaboration with Lalique. Jillian and Wendy Plaster

34 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

L.A. Williams and Richard Plaster

Sheryl and Rob Goldstein

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WAYNE POSNER (BLACK TIE); RAY ALAMO (LALIQUE)

K.C. and Sidrit Carlston

INVITED Emma Baruk with Andrea and Steve Wynn and Claude Baruk

Galina Mereacre, Caroline Sol, Laura Saucedo, and Melissa Santa Cruz

Claude Baruk Salon Grand Opening at Encore

Marcell Merriweather and Glorianne Pratt

Hairstylist Claude Baruk launched his first North American salon on March 20 at Encore. Baruk once served as the personal hairstylist to Steve and Andrea Wynn, who attended the grand opening. The location offers a variety of beauty treatments, including haircuts, coloring, extensions, makeup, and nailcare. Baruk is expected to open another salon, at Wynn Las Vegas, this fall. Michelle Bauer, Gina Chua, and Lauren Holmes

Serenity Rodriguez and Megan Erskine

Brian Gullbrants, Marcus Keene, and Zach Fine

Dr. Timothy West and Angela West with Sheldon Adelson and Dr. Miriam Adelson

Jordin Sparks and Emilio Estefan

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL POWERS (BARUK); ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES (KMA)

Keep Memory Alive’s Power of Love Gala

Keep Memory Alive’s annual Power of Love gala boasts top headlining performers, food prepared by celebrity chefs, and wine chosen by master sommeliers, all in the entertainment capital of the world. But the event is much more than a party. It’s a celebration of life, created to raise money for the programs and services of Las Vegas’s Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The 2014 gala, held April 26 at MGM Grand, featured spectacular live entertainment, remarkable wine and cocktails, and exquisite cuisine by acclaimed chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Masaharu Morimoto. Ricky Martin, Carole King, Queen Latifah, Andy Garcia, Rita Moreno, Jordin Sparks, Fantine, Jon Secada, and other guests joined in paying tribute to this year’s honorees, Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

Andy Garcia, Queen Latifah, and Ricky Martin

Emilio Estefan, Quincy Jones, Event Nametk and Gloria Estefan

Masaharu Morimoto and Larry Ruvo

Dr. Kate Zhong, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and Dr. Jeffrey Cumming VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

T he List Summer 2014

Sheria Spleen

Jordan Clark

Stephanie McGerty

Stephanie Scott

Arthur Doloresco

Michele Madole

Connie Yamada

Patrick Miller

Daniel Boulud

Heidi Kasama

Luiz Claudio Oliveira

Rosie Abrams

Rivka Noble

Bob Elkins

Michael LaPlaca

Leah Rosas

Donato Cabrera

Michael Boychuck

Leslie Peterson

Frank Marino

Andeen Rose

Marie Villa

Ian Staller

Ylon Schwartz

Craig Schoettler

Grant Garcia

Gina Bertagnolli Slater

Lady Gaga

Sam Cherry

Cassie Bostic

Justin Timberlake

Jon Gray

Alarik Skarstrom

Steven Tyler

David Morrison

Jillian Plaster

Anthony Cools

Eamon Springall

Tricia Hetherington

NeNe Leakes

Todd VonBastiaans

Taylor Shields

Peter Shapiro

Stephanie Derentz

Brian Bauchman

Jennifer Lier

Kayla-Jo Rosoff

Gina Nguyen

Michael Severino

Betsy VanDeusen

Subrina Osborne

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Superlatives PEOPLE, CULTURE, TASTE, TREASURES

POWER STRIP

Club Scout NIGHTLIFE STAR SEAN CHRISTIE PUTS WYNN AND ENCORE ON THE SILVER SCREEN. BY MICHAEL KAPLAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM DECKER

Sean Christie is the show runner at Encore Beach Club.

tanding within eyeshot of his perpetually happening nightclub Surrender, Sean Christie positions himself at the head of a craps table. Slimly built, wearing a tuxedo shirt with a casually undone bow tie, a gorgeous woman at his side, and equally hot dice in his right hand, he cuts a dapper figure. Christie comes off as the consummate high roller, with a bit of inside knowledge and a good chance at a decent-sized score. Then a heavyset fellow bumbles up to the felt, fishes for cash, fumbles his chips, and, well, we can all guess what happens next. The scenario could have come right from the world of Christie, who until recently was an avid dice player. But no. It’s an example of art imitating life in Las Vegas. Christie is playing a character; the clumsy gambler is Kevin James portraying Paul Blart (of Paul Blart: Mall Cop fame). The scene is one of many being shot at Wynn and Encore for the sequel to the misadventure, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, built around the oafish security guard’s attempts to recover valuable artworks stolen from Steve Wynn. continued on page 42

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POWER STRIP Producer Todd Garner, director Andy Fickman, actor Kevin James, and Sean Christie on the set of Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 at Wynn Las Vegas.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

VIEW FROM THE TOP Sean Christie’s inclinations and inspirations. *family weekend “I like to go bike riding with my daughter. Then maybe we go to Dom DeMarco’s for pizza and hit Sweets Raku for dessert.”

*western workout “Hiking at Red Rock. I’m an East Coast guy, so the idea of hiking was new to me until five years ago. It’s an incredible workout. Plus, if you think you’re having cell phone conversations from up there, well, you won’t be.”

*well-suited “I have a person who makes my suits. His name is Vu. He works out of a little shop near Whole Foods in Summerlin, but he comes to your house or office for fittings. In the club business, you need a lot of suits. Somebody dumps a glass of wine on your back and the suit is ruined.”

*charity of choice “Keep Memory Alive, which helps patients and their families deal with the challenges of various brain disorders. Through that organization and the Cleveland Clinic, Larry Ruvo shows what one man with good ideas and a lot of drive can accomplish.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT KENNEDY (FILM SET); AARON GARCIA (ANDREA’S)

continued from page 41 With the state of Nevada offering juicy tax incentives to lure Hollywood productions, this movie represents the property’s cinematic debut—and Christie, managing partner of the hot spots Surrender, Encore Beach Club, and Andrea’s, is the main reason. He has been charged with finding films that can shoot at Wynn properties, a mandate that came directly from Steve Wynn and Maurice Wooden, president of Wynn Las Vegas. “Mr. Wynn and Maurice came to me and told me that I’m in a unique position from dealing with the corporate culture of the hotel, the club crowd, and the Hollywood crowd,” says Christie, a lifelong nightclub man who cut his teeth in Boston’s after-hours scene. “During 14 years in Las Vegas and taking care of those people at my clubs, I’ve gotten to know them. I spent last summer meeting with studio heads and telling executives that we’re interested in being involved, even though we had not been interested in the past.” Indeed, Steve Wynn turned down the producers of The Hangover, a movie that did wonders for Caesars but might not have been up to Wynn standards. And while a Paul Blart offering might sound plenty déclassé for the ritziest casino resort in Las Vegas, certain aspects of the production made it particularly appealing. To begin with, says Christie, “The script was rewritten to be Wynn-specific. It shows off lots of our outlets and public spaces and signature amenities around the resort. The hotel is a costar in the movie. That appealed to Mr. Wynn.” It also surely didn’t hurt that Wynn himself gets a cameo. This is actually not Steve Wynn’s first time hosting a Hollywood production. Back when he owned the Golden Nugget, it was the location for Chevy Chase’s 1997 film Vegas Vacation. More recently, just prior to his sale of Bellagio to MGM Resorts, the movie Ocean’s Eleven was shot there. So he knows what he’s doing in this arena, and he knows what he wants. You might assume that Wynn and Christie would insist that filming take place during the graveyard shift, when it would inconvenience as few hotel guests as possible, but quite the opposite is true. “Coincidentally,” says Christie, “when I shot my scene for the movie, that was the grand opening of Encore Beach Club at night. We were right in Skylar Grey, Andrea front of the club, and people walking by wondered why I was being Wynn, and Sean Christie at the first filmed. Even though there was an interruption to the hotel and anniversary party for casino, we wanted to intentionally shoot where people could see it. Andrea’s at Encore Las Vegas. It’s okay to be a little cumbersome. Part of the attraction is for people to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 being shot at Wynn. It’s another takeaway for when they return to their hometowns.” With shooting now over, Christie has returned full-time to his real gig with three of the most popular destinations in town— where the performers this summer will include Macklemore, Avicii, and David Guetta—but another on-location production is already in the offing. And smart money says it won’t be the last time you see Wynn and Encore at the movies. “When you’re viewed as being opulent and the best,” Christie says, “people want to be involved with you.” V

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DESERT PATROL Jennifer Lier is the focus of activity at Polaroid Fotobar.

Quick Change Artist JENNIFER LIER WAS ACCUSTOMED TO BEING IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, BUT HER LATEST ROLE TAKES PLACE BEHIND IT—AND ALL AROUND IT. BY NICOLE RUPERSBURG

bove the new f lagship Polaroid Fotobar store, located in The people like Wayne Newton and Don Rickles; and headlined a one-woman Linq, is the Polaroid Museum, recounting the history of the iconic show in Vegas showrooms. She even became a renowned Marilyn Monroe brand and presenting special exhibits like “Capturing Celebrity,” impersonator. She channels all the show-business lessons she has learned featuring 50 of Andy Warhol’s Polaroid snapshots of his famous friends, into another recent role, as a motivational speaker, aiding women with currently on loan from the Andy Warhol Museum. The glossy white space confidence issues. “I love helping women realize themselves,” she says. But her most recent transformation is perhaps her most also holds corporate events and private functions for up to dramatic, leaving the entertainment world to join the 300 people—all of them orchestrated by Jennifer Lier. Polaroid Fotobar and Museum as director of Las Vegas The stunning, effervescent hostess and organizer caught events and business development. “I was scared to death,” the entertainment bug early. Lier recalls watching the Miss Decompression zone: Lier says. “It meant letting go of my previous life. But I felt America pageant and wondering what it would be like to “I love to relax in my like I did everything in entertainment that I could do.” wear a swimsuit in front of people—to feel that confident, secluded backyard with my husband, Dan.” She had been consulting with Polaroid on events for sevto be that happy. A decade later—after winning a battle eral months, and the aggressively growing company saw with her weight, losing 100 pounds at age 18—“everything I New obsession: her natural charisma as a very Vegas way to bring Polaroid really focused on and daydreamed about as a kid started “Stephano’s Greek and Mediterranean Grill on to the people. Lier’s new position spans marketing, event coming true,” she recalls. She won the titles of Miss Las Eastern. My Lebanese production, and building corporate partnerships. “When Vegas and Miss Nevada and the talent portion of the Miss background makes you represent the cool new kid on the block, everyone America competition. this type of food wants a piece of it,” she says. “It’s fun to be part of someIn fact, Lier’s career has been one of constant transformasomething I can never thing so iconic.” And that Marilyn wig? It’s not quite tion. In her time as a performer, she has sung in Las Vegas pass up. It’s the best!” retired, she says—just resting. polaroidfotobar.com V lounges; toured the world in Legends in Concert, opening for

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GALE

INSIGHT

HISTORY MADE HERE. BE LEGENDARY.

#saharatosls

OPE NS AUGUST 23

slsvegas.com

GUEST STAR

Cirque du NeNe BRAZEN “REAL HOUSEWIFE” NENE LEAKES SHEDS EVEN MORE OF HER FILTER AS ZUMANITY’S MISTRESS OF SENSUALITY. BY NICOLE RUPERSBURG

eNe Leakes has been a household name since her outrageous antics on The Real Housewives of Atlanta led to her solo spin-off, I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding; guest-star spots on The New Normal and Glee; and appearances on The Celebrity Apprentice and Dancing with the Stars. A fan favorite for the eye-rolling, hair-pulling, “Girl, bye”-ing attitude we expect from our top reality TV stars, Leakes knows how to do one thing better than anyone else: Keep people watching—and talking about— her. Now the indomitable Leakes takes her mizbehavior to the stage, playing the Mistress of Sensuality (usually portrayed by a fabulously frocked drag queen) in Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary, the first time in Cirque’s 30-year history that it has integrated a celebrity into a show. What qualifies you as a Mistress of Sensuality? When I think of Zumanity, I think sexy, bold, titillating. I’m no aerialist or contortionist—I’ll save that for the beyond-talented cast—but I can tell you that I’m not known for being a wallflower, and my spicy persona will make a splash! I know how to work it and seduce audiences with my vivacious personality, all while looking fierce in a killer pair of heels! Do you think you can outfabulous the drag queen you’re temporarily replacing? Honey, believe me, I am as fabulous as they come! I fell in love with Zumanity when I first saw the show —NENE LEAKES back in December, especially emcee Edie. She brings so much life to her role, and I hope to do the same. I thrive off the audience interaction, making people laugh, and I love people’s reactions to my boldness. I know no boundaries! Give me a fabulous bedazzled costume and mike, honey, and I will light up the stage! Long before you achieved reality TV stardom, you were an exotic dancer. Are we going to see a little bit of that former dancer shine through in this erotic show? I’ve never been shy about my past, because I believe that every life experience helps mold you into the person you are presently, and I absolutely think that being in tune with my sexuality and my comfort with being on a stage in front of a crowd will carry over to my Zumanity performance. I’m so lucky to have been a part of Glee and The New Normal, helping build my acting career, and now on Dancing with the Stars—I was beyond ready for this Cirque du Soleil gig when I got the call. As I say in my Real Housewives of Atlanta one-liner, “I have arrived and the spotlight is on me, honey!” NeNe Leakes appears in Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity at New York-New York through July 1. For tickets, call 866-606-7111 or visit cirquedusoleil.com. V

46 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

NeNe Leakes takes her role as Zumanity’s Mistress of Sensuality to heart.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOMO MUSCIONICO

“Give me a fabulous bedazzled costume and mike, honey, and I will light up the stage!”

SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY

Writers’ Rooms T

wo women sit inside a tidy cottage they’ve spruced up in Spanish Oaks, primed to give a tour. You might think these rather unassuming ladies were preparing to host the next meeting of the neighborhood book club, or perhaps dabbling in a bit of house f lipping. Instead they’re building a multimillion-dollar asylum for literary refugees. “People say we’re an unlikely pairing, but I think it makes perfect sense,” says Carol Harter, who has a PhD in literature and was the longestserving president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. When Harter held that post, Beverly Rogers, now vice chairman of Intermountain West Communications, was a graduate student studying literature at the university. In 2006, after 11 years as president of UNLV, Harter helped create what is now called the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute, an international literary center for creative writers and scholars. It partners with the university’s

department of English to bring readings, lectures, and panel discussions to the Las Vegas community free of charge. Back in 2001, the program City of Asylum was founded in Vegas to provide refuge for writers living under oppression or the threat of censorship, imprisonment, or assassination, allowing them to practice their craft in the United States. The first such initiative in the US, it was a model for similar programs in Pennsylvania and New York. Writers were hosted for up to two years, during which they received a $60,000 annual stipend, a home, and health insurance. Writers from China, Iran, and Cuba fled to Las Vegas in search of hope and freedom of expression. But a few years ago, funding for City of Asylum dried up and the program ended. So last year Rogers and her husband, Jim, donated $10 million to resurrect it under the auspices of the Black Mountain Institute. Among other things, the gift infuses up to $800,000 per year into the institute’s budget for the

next 15 years, pays for a new library and reading room, and allows the institute to create the Black Mountain Institute Prize for Fiction, a biennial $50,000 competition to be judged by a panel of well-known authors. But more important for writers seeking freedom of expression, the gift provides additional money to purchase homes to be used as safe houses for City of Asylum fellows. On top of it all, Rogers donated the $60,000 inheritance she received from her father to sponsor a fellow under continued on page 50

ABOVE: Carol Harter and Beverly Rogers. LEFT: Former City of Asylum fellow

Er Tai Gao with Toni Morrison at the Black Mountain Institute inaugural lecture in 2006.

48 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SQUARE SHOOTING (ROGERS AND HARTER); COURTESY OF BLACK MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE CITY OF ASYLUM/UNLV/GERI KODEY (MORRISON)

BEVERLY ROGERS AND CAROL HARTER HAVE COLLABORATED TO CREATE A SAFE HAVEN FOR WRITERS AND AN INTERNATIONAL ATTRACTION FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THEM. BY JESSICA MOORE

SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY Carol Harter was UNLV’s longest-serving president, but now she’s serving her community and the world’s writers.

Charity Regist er OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE.

continued from page 48 his name. The Kenneth F. Barlow City of Asylum Fellow will begin his tenure at the start of the fall semester. The writer, an Iranian national in danger of imprisonment or execution for his work, is a novelist and playwright currently enrolled in Harvard University’s Scholars at Risk program. For Rogers, the decision to use her inheritance was an easy one: “How wonderful is it to be able to save a life in your dad’s memory?” Paying the money forward, she says, is a way of giving that “hopefully creates a ripple effect throughout the world.” The two friends’ excitement is palpable as Harter describes City of Asylum as a “completely transformational entity for Las Vegas,” the literary equivalent of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. “We’re trying to bring new culture to the community at a higher level.” While fellows are brought to City of Asylum to pursue their own work, they are also heavily involved in the Black Mountain Institute, working with UNLV doctoral candidates and the local community. The City of Asylum houses that Rogers and Harter are refitting make that easy: They’re located close to campus and come fully furnished. While the writer is asked to use part of his or her stipend to pay the rent, Rogers’s housing gift pays for all utilities, including Internet access. And Rogers spent hours sprucing up the houses. “I even stocked the kitchen with coffee maker and creamer, so the writers can walk right in and feel at home,” she says. As Rogers and Harter gleefully continue their tour of the house, it’s obvious that the new and improved City of Asylum is more than just a program. “I’m thrilled at the idea of history books showing my name linked with Carol’s,” Rogers admits. “We’re changing lives, and we’re changing our city.” blackmountaininstitute.org V

50 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Event: New this year, the Charity Series of Poker is a nonprofit organization that arranges and promotes poker tournaments to raise awareness and money for charitable causes, with half the pot going to charity and half going toward payouts for the winners. This first event benefits the food bank Three Square, which supports more than 1,300 partners in Southern Nevada, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, afterschool programs, and senior citizens. Pros and celebrities playing the inaugural event will include Mike Matusow (PICTURED), Sasha Barrese, and Tom Marchese. Details: July 6, 5 PM , Planet Hollywood; charityseriesofpoker.org

DRESS FOR SUCCESS SOUTHERN NEVADA POWER WALK

Event: The third annual Dress for Success Southern Nevada Power Walk is an easy one-mile walk that supports the health and wellness, career development, and employment programs of the Las Vegas affiliate of Dress for Success, a worldwide organization that empowers disadvantaged women. Details: July 26, 7:30 AM , Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood; dressforsuccesssouthernnevada.org/ events/power-walk/

and most comprehensive charity devoted solely to domestic violence issues. Details: August 2, 7 PM, Chrome Showroom inside Santa Fe Station; actslv.org

JUST FOR THE KIDS GOLF TOURNAMENT Event: Red Rock Canyon provides the backdrop for the 10th annual Marriott Las Vegas Charities Golf Tournament at TPC Las Vegas, benefiting Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada and the Children’s Miracle Network (St. Rose Dominican Hospital pediatric unit). Details: August 4, 11 AM , TPC Las Vegas and JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa; marriottjustforthekids.com

NEVADA BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION GALA Event: Now in its 19th year, this event recognizes excellence in Nevada’s radio and television industry, with proceeds benefiting the Nevada Broadcasters Foundation and funding scholarships in the name of Linda and Tony Bonnici (PICTURED) for passionate students in the field of broadcasting. Details: August 9, 5:30 PM , Four Seasons Las Vegas; nevadabroadcasters.org

ADVERTISING COMMUNITY TALENT SHOW

HERSHE LAS VEGAS DRIVING THE DREAM

Event: Featuring performers from the Las Vegas advertising community and the local media, the Advertising Community Talent Show raises funds for Safe Nest, Nevada’s largest

Details: August 15–17, The Revere Golf Club; hershegroup.org

Event: The inaugural Driving the Dream Charity Event Weekend of HerShe Las Vegas, which helps girls in foster care transition to adult independence, includes poker and golf tournaments, a party, and Sunday brunch.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON MAYES/UNLV (HARTER); ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES (MATUSOW)

CHARITY SERIES OF POKER

Icarus lands in Las Vegas—Gaga-style— this summer.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Culture

HOTTEST TICKET

Mother Monster’s Ball LADY GAGA MAY PUSH THE LIMITS OF MAINSTREAM TASTE, BUT THAT’S NOTHING NEW IN VEGAS, WHERE SHE AND HER ADORING FANS WILL FIT RIGHT IN. BY NICOLE RUPERSBURG

ot three stops into her artRAVE: The Artpop Ball world tour, Lady Gaga was already making headlines. At her concert in Atlanta, she spotted a handwritten sign held by a young man that asked, “Can I sit with you?” So she invited him up onstage to join her on the piano bench, where they took selfies together before she launched into a keyboard rendition of “Born This Way.” Think what you want about Lady Gaga’s outrageous antics, but her relationship with her “little monsters” is as intimate as a chart-topping, award-winning, sold-out-stadium-playing artist’s can get. On artRAVE, her fourth world tour since she burst on the scene with her “Just Dance” party anthem and her Donatella Versace hair, Gaga tones down the shock-value stunts in favor of unabashed camp. The two-hour show features 14 backup dancers and 11 (or so) costume changes—one of which happens right in front of the audience, when she strips down to panties and pasties (this is still Gaga, after all). The elaborate, fanciful world onstage is a sci-fi Candy Land: Large white marshmallow dome caves with two zigzagging light-up Lucite runways extend directly over the crowd, and everything is lit in rainbow hues. “This is definitely one of the top five most-challenging touring acts for which we manage the overall setup,” says Jay Cline, director of operations for the MGM Grand Garden Arena. “The massive production could rival any Broadway show.” For her first number, Gaga rises from the floor sporting golden wings and with a blue orb sticking out of her midsection, an Icarus in drag with a platinum Versace bob. Fittingly, it’s during this segment that she performs “Donatella” and “Fashion!” “She travels with a complete laun-

dry facility for all of her outfits, as well as the dancers’,” Cline says. There’s a black vinyl outfit with a neon-green wig and an otherworldly white 1980s space-age dress with a matching long white wig. Gaga channels the “rave” part of artRAVE in a DayGlo ensemble with long dreadlocks and fuzzy neon boots—the raver’s official uniform. Another costume features a rhinestone Little Mermaid-esque clamshell bra paired with an exaggerated Barbarella wig, and her pièce de résistance is a pastel pink-and-blue vinyl tentacled sea-creature costume. Dancers appear to have been transported from a psychedelic storybook, and at one point there are pig masks. It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t need to. Because the most important thing about a Lady Gaga show is not what she’s wearing. It’s the way she connects with her fans, still just as genuine and sincere as ever. They pass notes to the stage at every show, and Gaga reads them aloud to the arena, then invites those fans backstage, all the while proclaiming messages of positivity, love, and equality. The Artpop Ball is equal parts Pop Art spectacle and affirmation. Of the 22 songs Gaga sings, more than half are from her latest album, forgoing fan favorites like “LoveGame” and “You and I” for the EDM-heavy tracks from Artpop. “I wanted to create a show that was a celebration of all of the wonderful things you’ve created over the past seven years,” she coos to her adoring public. “If I’m left with nothing, but you’re left with anything that I had a whole lot to do with, that’s enough for me.” All of that fawning could easily ring false, but even if she does it just for the applause, there’s no doubt she’s earned it. Lady Gaga plays the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 19. For tickets, visit mgmgrand.com. V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE

Dancers appear to have been transported from a psychedelic storybook.

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Let the Good Times Roll SCORE A PERFECT SUMMER WITH A SPECTACULAR LINEUP AT THE LINQ’S BROOKLYN BOWL. BY NICOLE RUPERSBURG

ight different Cirque du Soleil shows; dozens of headlining singers, comedians, and magicians; and the biggest names in electronic dance music ensure there’s no shortage of entertainment on the Strip. But until lately, the options have been limited for those who want an intimate, few-frills concert. Enter Brooklyn Bowl. At 80,000 square feet, the new Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, located in The Linq, isn’t intimate per se. It’s a sprawling entertainment complex with multiple bars and seating areas, craft beer and upscale comfort food, a 32-lane bowling alley, and a concert arena holding 2,000 people. But the venue is divided into separate sections so it never feels overwhelming. Plus, you can bowl while you listen, thanks to sophisticated acoustics that muffle the sound of pins dropping. The third outpost in the franchise—the origi-

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nal is in Brooklyn, naturally, with a second in London—Brooklyn Bowl is a game changer for the Strip. This place couples the oversize, ultrachic style of a Strip nightclub with the laid-back vibe of a locals’ joint. The summer concert lineup has something for everyone—rock, rap, reggae, country, and much more. Founder Peter Shapiro prides himself on booking musicians who wouldn’t otherwise play Las Vegas—like New Orleans’s elite Stooges Brass Band ( July 24–25), delivering a high-energy mix of traditional Big Easy brass, contemporary jazz, and hip-hop. Shapiro loves the sound of New Orleans jazz, but it’s a genre you won’t likely find at any of the city’s megaclubs or The Joint at Hard Rock. He wants to recreate the experience of wandering down Frenchmen Street in New Orleans and hearing live music pouring from every bar, all within the walls of Brooklyn Bowl.

Reggae fans will have the rare chance to witness the Wailers perform the best-selling reggae album in history—Legend, their greatest-hits collection with Bob Marley—in its entirety to celebrate its 30th anniversary ( July 18). You can groove to the Deadhead stylings of Chris Robinson Brotherhood ( July 10 –12), an American blues-rock outfit led by the Black Crowes frontman, who calls it “a farm-to-table psychedelic band,” or check out the bluegrass/ folk-pop/indie-rock/honky-tonk/ragtime punk group The Avett Brothers (August 29 –31). And for those going through Electric Daisy withdrawal, four of the hottest young electronic dance acts—Disclosure (August 6), Chromeo (August 7), Flume (August 7), and Cut Copy (August 8)—will appear at Brooklyn Bowl for a makeshift three-night EDM showcase. The Linq, 702-862-2695; vegas.brooklynbowl.com V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIK KABIK (SIGN, BOWLING); LLOYD BISHOP/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK (AVETT); TAYLOR HILL/GETTY IMAGES (CHROMEO)

The Avett Brothers (TOP RIGHT) and Chromeo (BOTTOM LEFT) will both play Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas this summer.

Painting Women

Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston February 14 – October 26, 2014

Tickets and information 702.693.7871 • bellagio.com/bgfa Lef image: Gretchen Woodman Rogers, Woman in a Fur Hat, Gif of Miss Anne Winslow, Photography ©2013 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Right image: Marie Louise Elisabeth Vigée-Le Brun, Portrait of a Young Woman, Robert Dawson Evans Collection, Photography ©2013 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

THIS ISSUE: SERVING UP SUMMER The “Super Food” Salad at Mandarin Oriental’s Pool Café packs a nutritious— and delicious—punch.

Bikini Body Fast Track PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR (SALAD); RAY ALAMO (UMBRELLAS)

MANDARIN ORIENTAL’S POOL CAFÉ KEEPS GUESTS SUMMER-READY WITH A LIGHT NEW POOLSIDE MENU. BY JESSICA HAWKINS

rom the affable and helpful doormen to the exceptionally personalized service that permeates the property, the folks at Mandarin Oriental pride themselves on welcoming their guests “home” to a Manhattan-style high-rise. And now they’re offering a breakfast and lunch just like those the most health-conscious might make in their own kitchens. Except these healthy but delicious options aren’t found in a dining room but out by the pool—because when you’re flaunting an itty-bitty two-piece, the last thing you want is to feel weighed down. Mandarin’s Pool Café is open seven days a week to both hotel guests and locals, and pool guests

can even have food delivered to their cabana or lounge chair. “For the past six months, I’ve been juicing,” explains David Werly, Mandarin Oriental’s executive chef, who planned the new menus. “I wanted guests to experience what I do, so everything is light and easy to digest.” The resulting dairy-free smoothies are now all the rage—and they include some of the finest Mandarin-worthy ingredients perhaps not stocked in your fridge. His cashew nuts are soaked overnight and added to a concoction of banana, lemon, Medjool dates (a “superfood”), and a splash of vanilla. Another selection is whipped up with moringa, which packs continued on page 58

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 57

TASTE

LEFT:

No need to chow down on your chaise; the Pool Café is just steps away. BELOW: Burrata, tomato, and prosciutto salad.

POOL HOPPING Healthy new options are popping up all over town for those who want to dine by the pool. At Caesars Palace (702-731-7110; caesarspalace.com), the recently revamped menu includes a tomato and mozzarella salad with kalamata olives, several wraps, and a niçoise salad with a sherry vinaigrette. While you can order healthy options such as bourbon barbecue chicken lettuce cups at all three pools at Cosmopolitan, its Boulevard Pool (702-698-6797; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com) offers marinated vegetables on puff pastry with ranch dressing—a dish the chef’s mom served to get him to eat his veggies. At Mandalay Bay (702-632-7777; mandalaybay.com), cool down with a yogurt-and-berry parfait or an organic fruit smoothie from its Dr. Smoothie collection.

“This is the pool menu.... We still do decadence elsewhere.”

58 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Health nuts at Vdara Pool & Lounge (702-590-2030; vdara.com) have a new “light bites” menu to peruse; choose from turkey panini with Dijon aioli, a light chicken Caesar salad, and fruit skewers with a side of refreshing lemon-mint Greek yogurt. Not a hair-of-the-dog type? Head to Bellagio (702-6937111; bellagiolv.com) and spring for its nonalcoholic Green Sapphire, made with sparkling cucumber water, fresh lime, and dill cucumbers, and pair it with a citrusy grilled shrimp and papaya salad.

Marinated vegetables on puff pastry at Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR (MANDARIN)

continued from page 57 a calcium and vitamin boost, plus peaches, almond milk, and mint. Werly buys most of his organic fruits from farmers markets in California, skins them, and freezes them to keep them in tip-top form. Organic maca and hemp powders are also available as energy boosters. “This is the pool menu, so it’s about feeling good in a bikini,” Werly says. “We still do decadence elsewhere.” Indeed, as culinary director for the entire property, he has plenty of avenues—such as Twist by Pierre Gagnaire and MOzen Bistro—for unleashing his French fine-dining sensibilities. His breakfast menu includes a yummy egg-white “soufflé.” The casual Pool Café provides guests with a nice shaded area—for lingering in the morning or sitting at a table for lunch in the afternoon—that’s close enough to the pool to not feel like you’re leaving it. So there’s no need to stay stuck to your lounge chair, —DAVID WERLY relying on easy-to-eat fried favorites like chicken fingers or mozzarella sticks or trying to balance a plate on your lap. Take a break at the café, where you can dig into summer specials like a refreshing melon salad with prosciutto di Parma and burrata or a shrimp and scallop ceviche with pomegranate and, for a kick, paprika. A citrusy superfood salad is made with an interesting mix of greens that hides a vitamin-packed punch in the middle of the salad bed. The vibe of the pool is miles from that of the Strip’s party pools, targeting those who want to rest and recuperate, not whoop it up. It’s so quiet and serene, it’s almost hushed. And guests have full access to the saunas and showers, mere steps away. “Our clientele love Vegas, but it’s important to them to relax,” says Patrick Davis, the Pool Café’s manager. “They know where to go out when they want that, and then they come back home to the hotel to relax by the pool, where it’s not hectic.” No one’s going to steal your chair if you excuse yourself to have a nice salad in the café, and there’s no pressure to order bottle service if you’ve rented a cabana. “There’s no stress!” Davis says. “You do not have to think about anything here.” Mandarin Oriental, 888-881-9367; mandarinoriental.com V

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Burger Time NOTHING SAYS SUMMER LIKE A GREAT BURGER, AND ALL ALONG THE STRIP, THE BEST CHEFS ARE PUTTING UNIQUE SPINS ON HOW TO FILL A BUN. BY ERIC GLADSTONE

In this city, even the humble hamburger gets a Vegas-style makeover. While our star chefs have long opted for deluxe ingredients like Kobe beef and artisanal buns, today they’re going even further. From fast food to fine dining, here are three of the best-bunned burgers that Las Vegas has to offer this summer. The Fast and Furious: The Vegas Burger at Bobby’s Burger Palace. What’s inside: Bobby Flay’s order-at-the-door burger joint offers several succulent varieties on its Crunchburger menu (the crunch comes from the layer of potato chips)—including the Cuban-inspired Miami, with ham and Swiss, and the Vegas, featuring Fresno red chilies, white American cheese, and BBQ chips—plus monthly specials. Eat it: At this stylish quick-serve spot’s serpentine social counter. Condiment of choice: Bobby’s burger sauce, a steakhouse sauce that’s an addictive mix of sweet and savory. Don’t miss: The Frozen Cactus Pear Margarita or the pistachio milk shake. Where: Mandarin Oriental, 702-598-0191; bobbysburgerpalace.com

The Hi-Lo Country: The Chicken-Fried Foie Gras Slider at Comme Ça. What’s inside: Stretching the definition of “burger,” this oversize slider marries French ingredients and down-home style, loading a crispy, melty foie “patty” with truffle gravy and onion jam, for ecstasy-inducing results. Eat it: At this modern brasserie’s smart bar lounge, or on the third-level patio, offering views of the Strip and, on Wednesday evenings, beef burger specials. Condiment of choice: Did we mention the truffle gravy? Don’t miss: The practically perfect pommes allumettes (that’s French for “French fries”). Where: Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7910; commecarestaurant.com V

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR

The Chianti Classic: The Carnevino Burger at Carnevino. What’s inside: Like everything at Mario Batali’s Italian steakhouse, the burger is exquisitely sourced. A wet-aged, house-ground Niman Ranch brisketand-chuck patty—grilled to order and topped with Gorgonzolamascarpone cheese sauce, house pancetta, and slivers of red onion on a grilled potato bun—makes for a rich, tender indulgence. Eat it: At the bar, available for lunch and late nights. Condiments of choice: Tart Chianti mustard and earthy truffle aioli, both unnecessary for the burger but fantastic with the generous side of chips. Don’t miss: Asparagus with duck eggs and bottarga make it a meal. Where: Palazzo, 702-789-4141; carnevino.com

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TASTE OF THE TOWN

HOMETOWN SPIRIT

The milk shake comes of age in Neapolitan Dot Dips.

Henderson’s Mestizo Mezcal encourages us to think locally, drink globally. BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON

Jessica Rosman stalking the perfect maguey leaves with a farmer in Mexico.

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Shaken, Not Stirred

BOOZY MILK SHAKES COOL DOWN LAS VEGAS’S THIRSTY REVELERS. BY ROBERT HAYNES-PETERSON

During a hot Las Vegas summer, an ultrachilled milk shake with real ice cream—and a little something extra—is just what the doctor ordered. No longer confined to gloppy mudslides at Red Robin, boozy milk shakes have become a bona fide trend over the past couple of years. Bartenders are having fun with them, to be sure, but they’re also taking their time and applying the same high standards they do to their craft cocktails. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than the festive adult ice cream shop that is the Neapolitan at Cosmopolitan (702-6987000; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com). A tiny, festive rooftop enclave alongside the boisterous and sexy Boulevard Pool, Neapolitan is dedicated to icy, alcohol-spiked goodness like Popsicles, liquid-nitrogen sorbets, and other molecularly manipulated treats. Its Spirited Shakes selections include the contemplative W.W.E.D.? (What Would Elvis Do?), a blend of peanut butter, banana, banana liqueur, bourbon, chocolate ice cream, and maple bacon sprinkles. Additional alcoholinfused toppings, like salted caramel with salted vodka, are also available.

Also inside Cosmopolitan, the familyfriendly Holsteins Shakes and Buns (702698-7000; cosmopolitanlasvegas.com) has a nice selection of grown-up shakes, including the surprisingly tasty Cereal Bowl, a mélange of ice cream, Stoli vanilla vodka, and, yes, Cap’n Crunch cereal. Meanwhile, at Mirage, BLT Burger (702-792-7888; mirage.com) offers a wide range of spiked milk shakes and adult floats. Pair an I-80 burger (featuring barbecue sauce, sharp cheddar, and peppercorn-crusted bacon) with the sweet and strong Double Barrel float ( Jack Daniel’s whiskey, root beer, and vanilla ice cream). For dessert, polish off a Night Rider, with Kahlua, chocolate ice cream, chocolate liqueur, and Oreo cookies. But adult desserts aren’t just for the casual scene. At lunchtime, hit up the swanky bar at the New American–themed Botero, inside Encore (702-770-3463; wynnlasvegas.com), and try one of its spiked shakes, with somewhat more refined flavors like bourbon salted caramel, café mocha, and toasted marshmallow. It’ll leave you with both a pleasant afternoon buzz and a satisfied sweet tooth. V

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF COSMOPOLITAN LAS VEGAS (DRINK)

When Henderson resident Jessica Rosman and her business partner at Skere Spirits, Arturo Palencia, decided they wanted to launch Mestizo Mezcal, being based in Nevada was a challenge: Authentic mezcal, an agave spirit, can be produced and bottled only in Mexico. “Artisanal mezcal represents the essence of Mexican culture in its history, traditions, and legends,” says Palencia, “and we wanted to bring that to the US.” Like the better-known tequila, mezcal is made by cooking the heart of the agave plant and fermenting its juice, resulting in a smoky, flavorful spirit. (In fact, tequila is a form of mezcal.) The term “mestizo” is used to describe the many Mexicans of mixed Indian and Spanish heritage. In and around the village of Santiago Matatlán, outside Oaxaca City, Rosman and Palencia scouted farmers and distilleries until they found the perfect partners. “People in Las Vegas are really supportive of local ventures, and we feel lucky to have the support of so many mixologists, craft cocktail bars, and premium local liquor stores,” says Palencia. “It’s incredible to see the industry growing every year.” Mestizo is available in three expressions— unaged joven; reposado, aged eight months; and añejo, aged 16 months—and you can taste them at spots like Velveteen Rabbit, the Downtown Cocktail Room, and Herbs & Rye. mestizomezcal.com

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BACK IN TOWN

FAR LEFT: Chef Daniel Boulud. ABOVE: The chef joins writer Jay McInerney in saluting Boulud’s return to Las Vegas. LEFT: Poisson fumés, with balik smoked salmon, smoked sable rillettes, potato dauphine, salmon roe, and preserved cucumber and dill.

Home at Last! A

fter an absence of more than five years from the Las Vegas dining scene, Daniel Boulud roars back with DB Brasserie, a 266-seat venue at Venetian that seems aimed at the culinary sweet spot between haute and hearty. “I always love bistro cooking, but I wanted to do something more festive, more large-scale,” says the irrepressible and impish Boulud when I catch up with him for a meal at his flagship in New York a few weeks before his return to Las Vegas. We are perched in the skybox, the rectangular glass capsule suspended above the bustling kitchen of the three-star Michelin restaurant that made him famous, sampling some of the dishes that will be featured at the new Vegas restaurant. When I first met Boulud, he had just opened his eponymous restaurant, although he’d already made a big name for himself with his stints at Le Regence and Le Cirque. I happened to live a block away and quickly became a regular, addicted to such dishes as Daniel’s Black Sea Bass en

64 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Paupiette with Syrah sauce. Up until that point, the restaurants I frequented were better known for their buzz than their food. Restaurant Daniel was my first serious exposure to haute cuisine, but happily the atmosphere was relatively informal, and I learned that if I arrived late I could eventually share a glass of wine with the chef, who turned out to be disarmingly friendly, at the bar. While he made his bones as a master of haute cuisine, and trained with some of France’s greatest three-star chefs, including Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc, and Michel Guérard, Boulud grew up on a farm near Lyon and maintains a deep reverence for the hearty, earthy cooking of that city, often referred to as the homeland of French cooking. For all of his training in Escoffier classics and the nouvelle cuisine, his cooking has never left the farm, or the traditions of French home cooking, behind. Since his continued on page 66

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR (BOULUD, FISH); SETH OLENICK (MCINERNEY)

DANIEL BOULUD MAKES HIS TRIUMPHANT—AND HIGHLY ANTICIPATED—RETURN TO LAS VEGAS, AND HIS FRIEND JAY MCINERNEY HELPS HIM TOAST THE OCCASION.

Over 70 DeliciOus Dining DestinatiOns incluDing Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio Bar + grill Maggiano’s little italy the caPital grille tao asian Bistro & nightcluB thoMas keller’s Bouchon cut By Wolfgang Puck PuBlic house griMaldi’s Pizzeria grand lux café eMeril lagasse’s taBle 10 sushisaMBa eMeril lagasse’s delMonico steakhouse

702.414.4500

702.369.8382

BACK IN TOWN RIGHT: Boulud and Executive Chef David Middleton. BELOW: Boulud’s chilled carrot soup with lime and caraway.

esigned by Jeffrey Beers International, DB Brasserie is situated just off the casino floor of Venetian. The bar area, with its floor of hexagonal tiles and its marble tables, seems like the place to nosh on some pâté de campagne or oysters and to throw back a cocktail or two, while the main dining room’s wide board floors, dark tufted leather banquettes, and white tablecloths seem an appropriate setting for a serious meal. The restaurant’s focal point is a large faux skylight reminiscent of those in classic Beaux Arts train stations. Not surprisingly, the menu, presided over by Executive Chef David Middleton, includes French bistro classics like French onion soup, crispy duck confit, and steak frites. But the three different burger selections give an American spin to the menu, although Boulud dubs one of them, served with Morbier cheese and pork belly, the Frenchie. Dedicated foodies will remember that Boulud started the gourmet burger craze in 2005 with the

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“Every chef in the nation and internationally is represented in Las Vegas.” —DANIEL BOULUD DB Burger, the braised short rib and foie gras– stuffed masterpiece served at his NYC outpost DB Bistro. So far, no sign of that burger in Vegas. The DB Brasserie menu takes some unexpected twists and turns, like Thai calamari and Tunisian lamb with merguez sausage, as well as the all-American seafood classics: Maine lobster and Dungeness crab. The innovative wine list, put together by Dinex Group wine director Daniel Johnnes, aka the dean of American sommeliers, is international in scope but has a decidedly American accent, with a generous selection of wines from California, divided into three categories: Pioneers, “the first to prove the quality of American terroir,” according to the menu; Classics, including such second-generation names as Kistler, Newton, and Ramey; and New Frontier, showcasing younger wineries inspired by old-world counterparts. Those who wish to wash down their coq au vin with a more traditional quaff will find plenty of French classics from Alsace, the Loire, and the Rhône. Boulud himself is partial to the wines of the southern Rhône, the region that has traditionally slaked the thirst of nearby Lyon. As we were finishing up our meal, Boulud’s very pregnant and radiant wife, Katherine, arrived and eased herself into the seat beside Daniel’s. “Next week, I hope,” she replied in answer to the obvious question. And indeed, a few minutes before midnight on May 4, just four days before the grand opening of his second Vegas restaurant, Katherine gave birth to their first son. I predict a bright future for both. DB Brasserie, Venetian, 702-430-1235; dbbrasserie.com, venetianlasvegas.com V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR (MIDDLETON); SETH OLENICK (SOUP)

continued from page 64 arrival in the States, he has also absorbed American influences and developed a special fondness for American ingredients, putting peekytoe crab, black sea bass, and other local foodstuffs on the culinary map. Indeed, his menu was among the first in the country to reference the sources of his ingredients, be it Saint Canut Farm suckling pig or Lancaster County guinea hen breast. I was amazed when he recounted, not long after we met, a recent trip to an island in Maine to visit the crab pickers responsible for his peekytoe crab. “We don’t have the appellation contrôlée system in America, but it’s important to showcase your ingredients and to show that your chicken is a special one from a particular place,” he tells me. The new Vegas spot, like the French brasseries that spawned it, strikes a balance between culinary ambition and Gallic comfort food. “I wanted to do a classic Parisian brasserie—halfway between a restaurant and a bistro,” Boulud says. With its white tablecloths and ambitious wine list, DB Brasserie takes its inspiration from the grand Parisian iterations of the tradition, the kinds of places where you expect to eat well without having to whisper reverentially about the food. His last Vegas venture, the much-loved, Michelin-starred DB Brasserie at Wynn, shuttered in 2010, and Boulud has had his plate full, so to speak, with openings in Toronto and Singapore and New York in the years since. “I definitely got quite busy in the time since we left Wynn, and I didn’t think I would go back. But this opportunity was exciting. Every chef in the nation and internationally is represented in Las Vegas, and I really enjoy the time that I spend there.” The new place, he says, is “a little more authentic, a little more urban, a little more Saint-Germain.”

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reasures TASTEMAKER

Shoe-In! SANDRA CHOI IS REINVENTING LAS VEGAS’S SHOE-FETISH FAVORITE, JIMMY CHOO, THIS SUMMER. BY ERIN MAGNER

o say Sandra Choi is obsessed with shoes is a wild understatement. She fizzes with excitement when pointing out the star-shaped punch holes in a men’s brogue. Her speech quickens when she talks about a crystal-covered oxblood heel. And it’s not enough for her to simply describe a pair of bugle-beaded T-bar sandals from her upcoming collection; she’s compelled to pull out a pen and paper and start sketching them. Not that this should be surprising. After all, as the niece and protégé of legendary bespoke footwear designer Jimmy Choo—and his namesake brand’s lead designer for nearly two decades—Choi’s got soles and stilettos coursing through her veins. But it’s safe to say her infatuation with footwear has intensified since early 2013, when she was named sole creative director of the London-based company. “I’m excited about everything,” says Choi. “[When] I took control over the whole thing after 17 years of watching it all happen, there’s part of me that felt like ‘Oh my God, finally! What do I do now?’ It was daunting, but I think I’m finding my feet.” Choi’s first order of business: Give Jimmy Choo’s stores an extreme makeover. In Vegas she’s starting with the Forum Shops location, whose redesign will be unveiled this September—with the Shops at Crystals and Grand Canal Shoppes revamps to follow. She likens the lush new store concept to a

“fantasy closet” that tempers high-wattage glitz (think gold chain mail and five different types of marble) with a cozy, relaxed feeling. It’s a space that inspires you to kick off your shoes—and then buy five new pairs. “Las Vegas is all about glamour and dressing up,” Choi says. “Our clients here tend to pick a lot of creative things…. They’re quite bold. They love something that’s different.” She’s also putting her stamp on the goods themselves. This season she is introducing Choo.08—a cool, tomboyish collection of biker booties, wedge sneakers, and smoking slippers for gals on the go. “Choo.08 is my aesthetic pushed to the forefront,” says Choi, who has two daughters under the age of 5. “I move around a lot, and I want to be able to wear Jimmy Choo all day long.” She is also amping up the men’s line—with inspiration from gentleman rockers such as Albert Hammond Jr. and Sr. (and surely her husband, artist/designer Tamburlaine Gorst)—and paying homage to her uncle with a made-to-order shoe program. “There is something about Jimmy Choo that’s really magical,” Choi says. “Going forward, I think it can be a bigger picture… and it might not just be in product. Watch this space.” The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-691-2097; The Shops at Crystals, 702366-0503; Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-733-1802; jimmychoo.com V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELISSA VALLADARES (CHOI, SHOES)

Sandra Choi (LEFT) has put her stamp on everything Jimmy Choo, from women’s stilettos to men’s brogues to a Vegas-exclusive handbag ($995, BELOW).

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STYLE SPOTLIGHT

Bright Hot Nars’s new Adult Swim collection is poolside gold. As striking as this season’s neon swimsuits and reflective mirrored sunnies, Nars’s latest high-octane cosmetics collection features eye shadow palettes, nail polish, and lip gloss in tropical tones of mandarin orange, pink sherbet, lemon-lime, and lavender. For lounging at one of Vegas’s sizzling pool parties, the shimmery Hot Sand illuminator feels particularly apropos, while the lip gloss in Salamanca is made for an ultraglam night out on the Strip. The full collection is now available at Nars’s brand-new boutique at The Forum Shops, the company’s first freestanding Las Vegas location. The chic 1,200square-foot store’s VIP section has two makeup stations, a plush seating area, and a bookcase filled with François Nars’s favorite things, including films, books, and photographs. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-7491525; narscosmetics.com —AG Add a splash of color to your poolside makeup with Nars’s Adult Swim collection.

Put Me in Coach COACH’S NEW HOME AT FASHION SHOW OFFERS ITS MOST EXTENSIVE SELECTION IN LAS VEGAS YET. BY ALEXANDRIA GEISLER COLOR-BLOCKED HANDBAGS, striped boat shoes, and strappy stilettos are just a few of the luxe leather goods lining the walls of Coach’s newly revamped boutique at Fashion Show mall. After major renovations, the expanded 2,200-square-foot space features rugged Warren Platner chairs, industrial lantern fixtures, and end-cut wood floors resembling those of Coach’s original factory in New York City. All of the luxury lifestyle brand’s collections will be available via new, dedicated shop-inshops, including a men’s store stocked with tailored outerwear and leather accessories, and a women’s shoe salon with metallic pumps, black-and-white slip-on sandals, and woven open-toe heels for spring. Fashion Show, 702-759-3451; coach.com V

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LAS VEGAS - FASHION SHOW MALL - 702.696.0008 RASUSHI.COM

CITY OF STYLE Givenchy snagged a prime location on the Esplanade at Wynn for its new Vegas boutique.

Las Vegas, Bien Sûr! FASHION’S FAMED HOUSE OF GIVENCHY BEELINES TO LAS VEGAS TO RELAUNCH ITS PRESENCE IN THE US. BY HEIDI MITCHELL

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT

ver since Riccardo Tisci took over the venerable house of Givenchy in 2005, fashion editors the world over have been atwitter as they try to get this enigma’s number. At 39, he’s still something of a wunderkind, a gothic-obsessed rebel who tosses aside age-old traditions. For Winter 2012, for example, he simply abandoned couture to focus on the brand’s ready-to-wear; a few months later, he won the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s International Award, despite defying the council’s unstated rules. He has designed pieces for Rihanna, the Paris Opera Ballet, even Madonna. He just announced a collaboration with Nike on some seriously covetable sneakers, and he calls Kim Kardashian a modern-day Marilyn Monroe. No matter what the designer does, he’s always killing it—and keeping everyone guessing. continued on page 74

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CITY OF STYLE

A look from Givenchy’s Spring 2014 runway. BELOW: The new shop at Wynn Las Vegas.

“Las Vegas is arguably the world’s entertainment destination.”

continued from page 72 But what Tisci didn’t have was an exclusive retail presence in the United States. Since 2007—two years after this Italian maverick took over the French house—Givenchy has been available only through department stores and international boutiques. Now, however, with a bold new CEO and a plan for global domination, Tisci will finally find women (and men) perusing racks of his romantic, sometimes melancholic designs in a shop all their own. Givenchy is reintroducing itself to America—not in New York, not in Miami, but in Las Vegas. “Las Vegas is arguably the world’s entertainment destination,” says Sebastian Suhl, Givenchy’s CEO since 2012, when he left his post as chief operating officer of Prada. “People come with a spontaneous energy and a strong desire to truly spoil themselves.” And with a huge number of guests from global fashion-buying hot spots like China and the Middle East, “Las Vegas was the logical choice for the launch of Givenchy retail in North America.”

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Taking its cues from the brand’s flagship Paris boutique on Rue du Faubourg St.-Honoré, the Vegas store occupies 3,100 square feet of prime real estate in the Esplanade at Wynn. Aside from the marble pillars imported from Tunisia and the management imported from France, one of the big differences in the American shop is the vast walls of windows, which fill the space—whose design is said to be inspired by the boxes used to deliver couture pieces to discreet clients— with natural light. Marble wall niches and a white lacquered console hold precious handbags and purses. Apropos of their status as icons, smaller (read: more expensive) pieces are displayed on brass podiums. The shoe salon merits an entire floor. Thankfully, the store stays open until 11 PM (midnight on weekends), because if a lucky lady scores at the tables, surely she’ll want to spend her winnings on some of this season’s favorites, like the Lucrezia bag or the stripe-printed Ayers leather sandals. “We expect sales of handbags and accessories to be robust,” says Suhl, “but half of the store’s sales should be generated by apparel for men and women.” The house of Givenchy is introducing a brand-new men’s tuxedo collection and a capsule line of eveningwear for women (in case you didn’t pack anything appropriate for a night out at Guy Savoy). “The product assortment for Wynn Las Vegas reflects the global offerings for any f lagship store,” says Suhl. “However, for Wynn Las Vegas we are spicing up the product mix, sprinkling in a little more glamour.” More glamour? As if that were even possible. Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3451; givenchy.com V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT (BOUTIQUE)

—SEBASTIAN SUHL

LIVE AMONGST ART WITH VEGAS MAGAZINE’S COMMISSIONED PETER MAX CUSTOM COVER ONE ORIGINAL PAINTING OF THE ARTWORK IS AVAILABLE ALL NET PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES. VISIT CHARITYBUZZ.COM/NICHEMEDIA AND PLACE YOUR BID. AUCTION OPEN JUNE 3 — AUGUST 6. The iconic artist Peter Max embraces the spirit of Las Vegas to create a colorful cover reflecting a landscape in his vibrant, cosmic style. Through a special partnership between Vegas magazine and Peter Max, one one-of-a-kind, original artwork of Vegas’ Summer cover will be auctioned on Charitybuzz to benefit The Humane Society of the United States. This unity celebrates Peter Max’s prolific contribution to the world of art spanning generations, and commemorates the 60th anniversary of The Humane Society of the United States. This special, one-of-a-kind, 20” x 24” hand-embellished work on paper was commissioned exclusively for Vegas magazine’s Summer cover. In addition, with a $250 donation to The Humane Society of the United States, you can enjoy a limited-edition 18”x 24” poster of the Summer Vegas cover, plate signed by Peter Max.

Only 25 limited-edition posters of the special, custom-created cover art are available on: www.humanesociety.org/petermaxart

All Art © Peter Max 2014

AN EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PREVIEW OF OUR OTHER CITIES’ COVER ARTWORK BY PETER MAX

TIME HONORED

Outdoor Opulence IN LAS VEGAS, THE WORLD’S TOP LUXURY WATCH BRANDS ARE CELEBRATING THE BEAUTY OF NATURE WITH EXQUISITELY DESIGNED ENAMEL TIMEPIECES. BY ROBERTA NAAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF CRAWFORD

he beauty and elegance of the natural world have inspired some of the most prestigious watch brands, which deftly convey these qualities on luxury enamel timepieces that delight the senses. Sometimes their highly skilled craftsmen hand-paint exquisite renderings of animals onto enamel dials to produce the incredible allure of these watches, while at other times they turn to techniques such as cloisonné and grand feu to create their motifs. In either case, it’s no easy feat to fashion these true works of art. To emulate nature on the wrist requires that artists work tirelessly for hundreds of hours with a fine-hair brush. An artistic dial can take anywhere from a week to a month or more to complete, depending on the complexity of the scene and the number of paintings and firings needed. Naturally, these timepieces are rare, unique, and command top dollar—but the sophisticated connoisseurs of Las Vegas who covet the artistry of fine watches know they’re worth every penny of it. For more watch features and expanded coverage, go to vegasmagazine.com/watches. V

From Van Cleef & Arpels, this Midnight Chance Cerf Extraordinary Dial timepiece (price on request) features onyx sculpting and champlevé, cabochonné, and paillonné enamel work for a superbly bold dial. Crafted in 18k rose gold, the watch houses the Swiss mechanical 800P automatic movement. The Shops at Crystals, 702-560-6556; vancleefarpels.com

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Style, taSte and Venice on a Grand Scale

160 SiGnature StoreS. 36 world claSS reStaurantS. 1 uniquely Venetian experience. diane Von FurS tory urch chriStian l jimmy choo michael korS

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TIME HONORED

Jaquet Droz honors the art of enamel and the beauty of nature in this Petite Heure Minute Horses watch ($30,500). In a traditional technique, the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artist has created a painting of two Arabian thoroughbreds on an ivory grand feu enamel dial. The watch houses a self-winding movement, and just 88 pieces will be produced. Tourbillon, The Shops at Crystals, 702-597-0284; jaquetdroz.com

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You’ve never seen a residential community like One Queensridge Place. Located just 10 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, you’ll fnd an exclusive community of “custom homes in the sky”, with foor plans ranging from 2,100 to over 15,000 square feet, including the elegant three-story Crown Penthouse, featuring 360 degree views of the valley and ultra-luxurious fnishes. One Queensridge Place is the perfect choice for discerning homebuyers seeking the ultimate carefree lifestyle.

9 1 0 1 A LTA D R I V E , L A S V E G A S , N V 8 9 1 4 5 Visit us at oneqrp.com or facebook.com/onequeensridgeplace Prices, plans, elevations and specifcations are subject to change without notice. Photographs and/or renderings are for illustrative purposes only. Information shown believed to be accurate but not warranted. Square footage shown is approximate. See Sales Counselor for details. © 2014 Queensridge Towers, LLC.

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Laser Facials and Dermapen micro-needling treatments are all the anti-aging rage this summer at Las Vegas Dermatology. Learn if these wrinkle defying & brown spot removing treatments are right for your aging skin by visiting us today!

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What do you get when you bring a lineup of the world’s funniest women entertainers in an unprecedented comedy series? Side-splitting pain only a Category 5 tornado of hilarity can induce! Te Venetian is proud to bring you Lipshtick at the Sands Showroom featuring today’s premier comediennes in a rare series not to be missed.

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to the

MAX PETER MAX

ne of the most prolific artists working today, Peter Max is widely known for his “cosmic style,” with creations that have been seen all over the world, from the hull of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway to a Continental Airlines Boeing 777 fuselage to the massive stages of the 1999 Woodstock music festival. His mixed-media works can be found in the collections of six past US presidents, while his art—recognizable for its energetic brushstrokes of primary colors and its psychedelic panoramas of stars, planets, profiles, and icons from Lady Liberty to Marilyn Monroe—has been used to represent five Super Bowls, the World Cup, the World Series, the US Open, the Grammys, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “I’m just very happy to be in the middle of all this,” says Max of his many noteworthy accomplishments. Born in Berlin and raised in Shanghai, Max moved around the globe with his family, from Tibet to Israel to Paris—each destination influencing his art. Eventually he settled in New York, where, at age 76, he continues to produce a dizzying array of works, such as the cover of this issue of Vegas, one of a collection of 10 covers created exclusively for Niche Media

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GALE (MAX, COVER); ERIC RYAN ANDERSON (BRUSH)

ARTIST HAS CAPTURED EVERYONE FROM THE DALAI LAMA TO THE BEATLES IN HIS PSYCHEDELIC COSMIC STYLE. NOW, EXCLUSIVELY FOR VEGAS, HE INTERPRETS THE STRIP AND BEYOND, WHILE THE HOSTS OF MSNBC’S MORNING JOE, JOE SCARBOROUGH AND MIKA BRZEZINSKI, DISCOVER THE COLORFUL STORIES—AND THE MAN—BEHIND THE MASTERPIECES.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Peter Max created artwork for the covers of 10 Niche Media publications, including Vegas. The original paintings will be auctioned on Charitybuzz to benefit The Humane Society of the United States.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 83

Peter Max, circa 1968, surrounded by some of his posters.

for Bon Jovi; and portraits of famous names like Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy, all done in Max’s distinctive style. “When you’re a singer and you have a really great voice, it’s not like you create a voice—it’s just there,” he says. “I draw on airplanes, I draw in limousines, I draw when I wake up in the morning and in taxicabs.” Beyond the studio, Max is a longtime vegetarian and practices yoga and meditation daily—a part of his routine for more than 40 years. He also gives freely of his time, money, and art to benefit animal charities such as The Humane Society of the United States and the Wild for Life Foundation, an equine rescue organization. By his side in all of it is his wife of 17 years, Mary Max. “When I met her, it fueled me,” he says, “and she still fuels me today, quite a few years later.” He spotted her one day while out for coffee and declared at first sight that he would marry her. Here, in celebration of Max’s 50 years of commercial success and his collection of city renderings exclusively for Niche Media, the artist opens up about his unparalleled career, his spirituality and philanthropy, and the famous friends who have influenced his work.

“MY COVER FOR VEGAS FEATURES THE AMAZING ORANGES, REDS, AND GOLDS OF THE DESERT.” —PETER MAX publications, which include Los Angeles Confidential, Gotham, Hamptons, Aspen Peak, Boston Common, Michigan Avenue, Capitol File, Philadelphia Style, and Ocean Drive. The original paintings will be auctioned on the website Charitybuzz starting this month to benefit The Humane Society of the United States. “Las Vegas is remarkable to me in that this city of entertainment, lights, and design that draws so many people to it was built up from the Mojave Desert,” says Max. “My cover art for Vegas magazine features the amazing oranges, reds, and golds of the desert, its vibrant sun, colorful clouds, and bright stars that go on and on—a fantasy landscape with Red Rock Canyon and Joshua trees. Amid all of the natural beauty are the manmade wonders of Las Vegas—the iconic glowing neon signs that welcomed visitors for decades to experience the legendary singers, dancers, magicians, and performers in town. The historic Stardust neon sign, now resting in the Neon Boneyard in the Neon Museum, mingles with the stars of the cosmos and reminds me of the fantasy, energy, and imagination of this city.” In Max’s studio—two full-floor lofts near New York’s Lincoln Center— are galleries’ worth of his work: a towering portrait of the Statue of Liberty he painted on the White House lawn for President Ronald Reagan in 1981; a multicolored Baldwin piano signed by his pal Ringo Starr; rows of Lucite sculptures taken from his “Angel” series; a painted guitar originally made

84 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Many artists will agree that it’s a struggle to gain recognition, but to keep it and have it last 50 years is staggering. What do you think is the key to your success? It’s just being present, letting creativity come through. I’m also really lucky because we live in an age of media. It used to be, when I was on the cover of Life magazine 45 years ago, there were only three magazines—Time, Life, and Fortune. My art got to be on two of those covers. Today there are thousands of magazines out there, and my work has been on 2,000 to 3,000 covers. Early in your career, you studied a lot of the masters, from Rembrandt to Sargent. So how did you develop your cosmic style? I always used to draw never even thinking that drawing is something you could do [as a career] once you became an adult. In China, I studied with the 6-year-old daughter of a street artist. Then in Israel, my mother hooked me up with a famous art professor from Austria. After we left Israel and moved to Paris, my mother signed me up for the classes for kids at the Louvre. And when we came to America, I found a private teacher, Frank Reilly [at the Art Students League of New York]; after high school I used to go into the city and I studied with him. Frank Reilly went to that school 30 years earlier, and the kid who used to sit beside him was Norman Rockwell. So Norman Rockwell and Frank Reilly studied together, and Rockwell became Rockwell; Reilly became Peter Max’s teacher. The Art Students League has some famous alumni, including Jackson Pollock and Cy Twombly. Ever have any celebrity encounters? I once met Marilyn Monroe. The steps to the street were very narrow, and some of the students used to sit on the steps. I sat there one day with a friend of mine and I see this girl walking by, and I did a double take. I said to my friend, “It’s Marilyn Monroe,” and as she’s walking by, she turns to me and says, “I like your pants”—I had a lot of paint on my pants—and then she kept on walking. She was so stunning; all her features were just perfect.

I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS Many people will recognize your paintings of the Statue of Liberty or the “Love” series, but what do you think your most defining piece is? Painting the Statue of Liberty was a big thing because it’s an emblem; it’s

BEHIND THE BRUSHSTROKES

PHOTOGRAPHY COPYRIGHT PETER MAX 2014 (THE TONIGHT SHOW ); ERIC RYAN ANDERSON (MAX)

the symbol for the United States of America, so it got so much notoriety. Then I’ve painted so many unbelievable people, like the Dalai Lama, John F. Kennedy—I mean, close to 800 portraits. You’ve also painted portraits of all of the Beatles. Over the years, your work has been linked many, many times to the band. Tell us more about that relationship. I met John way, way back, and I was best friends with Yoko Ono. One day I read in the paper that my little friend Yoko was going out with John. I knew John, I knew Yoko; I could have introduced them in a second. I called her up and she said, “Yeah, John tells me he knows you really well.” I used to go pick both of them up at the Dakota, where she lives, and we used to go to Central Park. We used to walk around and bullshit and talk and sing songs. Here in your studio, you have a colorful piano that’s signed “To Peter, Love Ringo”.... I did a Baldwin piano for Ringo Starr, and he loved it. Then Baldwin called me up and said, “We love it so much, we’re going to send you a piano.” Two days later, they deliver it, the guys assemble it, and I roll out my paints and start painting the piano beautiful colors. Just as I’m finishing, my girl comes from the front desk and says, “Your buddy Ringo is here.” Ringo had been uptown and wanted to say thanks; instead he said, “I like yours better!” and I said, “No, Ringo, yours is the first; it’s the nicest.” He asked if I had paints, and I said, “Do I have paints?” We roll out a cart of paints, and he writes, “To Peter, Love Ringo,” followed by a star. There’s a photo of you and Ringo right on top. Was it another Beatle, Paul McCartney, who turned you on to vegetarianism? Paul and I became vegetarian at the same time. I’ve been a vegetarian now for over 40 years, and I’m only 38. [Laughs] You worked with George Harrison on the Integral Yoga Institute, a yoga center and ashram in New York’s Greenwich Village based on the teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda, whom you brought to America in 1966. Was it George who introduced you to the Swami? No, George was involved with the Maharishi out of England. George and I talked about my Satchidananda and his Maharishi, and we introduced each other to the other guys. The institute teaches how to go into meditation, get your mind focused, do stretching, become a vegan—a lot of health, behavioral, and mental benefits that have changed my whole life. How did you first meet Swami Satchidananda? Conrad Rooks, who was the heir of Avon cosmetics—he was a billionaire kid—called me one day when I was still in my early 20s, and he wanted me to come to Paris to help him with the colors on a film he was going to make. Conrad picks me up from the airport, and we’re hanging out in the restaurant at the hotel that he’s staying in, and then in comes the

ABOVE: Max visited The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the late 1960s. LEFT: Max puts the finishing touches on his cover for Vegas.

Swami—long beard, beautiful long black hair, gorgeous eyes —and Conrad introduces me to him. After spending a day with the Swami, I knew I had to bring him to New York. All my hippie buddies were taking LSD, and I was thinking, This is the man we need to be with, not this other stuff. I brought him to America and I opened yoga centers for him.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME Over your career, you’ve accomplished so much. Is there something—a goal—you have yet to achieve? I’m always being creative; that’s full-time. And I’ve been listening to music very intensely my whole life, but especially in the last 36 months because I’ve been collecting music for seven feature films and animation. Characters and stories—I have so many. The only thing I hadn’t collected was music, so I called my friends—Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Bon Jovi— everyone I knew, and I got about 175,000, 200,000 songs on these little iPods. I selected about 3,000 or 4,000 that I adore. Have you ever thought about retiring? I’ve been retired since I was 20. [Laughs] Retiring is getting to do completely what you love, right? It’s not like sitting in a chair somewhere. This is a nice life—it’s creative, colors, music, and people. I love it. V

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

SHOW & TELL Jubilee reopens: The last show of its kind has been reimagined, but the showgirl will always be a Vegas icon. BY JOHN K ATSILOMETES PHOTOGR A PHY BY JEFF GA LE

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 87

T “PEOPLE WERE LINING UP ALONG THE STREET TO TAKE PICTURES OF US. I CAN TELL YOU, IT WAS NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE INTERESTED IN ME. IT WAS THE SHOWGIRLS .” —OSCAR GOODMAN

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hrough all the changes that Las Vegas entertainment has seen over the decades—from the rise of star headliners to the inf lux of lavish acrobatic spectacles—the showgirl has endured. Gracefully. Immortally. Nothing has toppled the tall, elegant figure from her pedestal. Her feathers unruffled, her headpiece sparkling, she has survived it all. Even the worst disaster in Strip history failed to fell what is today the last showgirl bastion in Vegas. On November 21, 1980, the highly anticipated production Jubilee was in its final run-throughs at the MGM Grand, which today is Bally’s. It was two weeks from its premiere performance in the hotel’s showroom, then known as the Ziegfeld Theatre. Jubilee was stepping in as Hallelujah Hollywood, the hotel’s resident showgirl production, sashayed away after six years. Las Vegas historians know that date all too well as the day a tragic fire tore through the MGM Grand, killing 85 people. The Ziegfeld Theatre was one of the few areas in the hotel equipped with overhead sprinklers, which were activated when the fire reached the venue. The 30-foot pit that is the theater’s basement was a pond holding three feet of water. Jubilee’s new costumes, never worn in a full-scale show, were soaked. The feathered, Swarovski crystal– encrusted pieces were doused and black with soot. It took officials three days to enter and take inventory of the costumes and sets. The production’s legendary company manager, Ffolliott “Fluff” LeCoque, assessed the damage in a pair of waders. The show was delayed for months, not opening until July of the following year. But it did open, impressively. It survived. Better than that, actually. According to Diane Palm, Jubilee’s current company manager and a showgirl in the original cast, “It was incredible. Opening night stretched all the way through the casino with people trying to get into the show.” Without a doubt, the Las Vegas showgirl has transfixed audiences around the world as one of the enduring icons of this city. “They are Las Vegas,” says former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman, who was flanked by a pair of showgirl models for all of his public

appearances while in office from 1999 to 2011— and still is, for that matter. “Showgirls are the original way we distinguished ourselves from other cities, with their beauty and grace and elegance. They were with me, day after day, wherever I went around town, because they were the brand of Las Vegas.” Goodman remembers attending the World Tourism Conference in London while he was mayor. Also there, at the behest of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, were the ever-present showgirls. “People were lining up along the street to take pictures of us,” Goodman says. “I can tell you, it was not because they were interested in me. It was the showgirls. That’s how powerful and recognizable that image is.” The showgirl as we understand her today began sashaying on Las Vegas stages in the late 1940s, in specialty shows in the Roundup Room at El Rancho Vegas. The Sands Copa Girls debuted in 1952, soon followed by Minsky’s Follies (the first show in Nevada to feature topless dancers) at the Dunes. But the extravagance began taking hold in the late ’50s. Lido de Paris opened with the Stardust in 1958, followed by Folies Bergère at the Tropicana—which was famously brought to Las Vegas by Lou Walters, father of Barbara Walters, who wound up visiting the show the week it closed in March 2009. Palm, who danced in Lido, Casino de Paris at the Dunes, and Hallelujah Hollywood before joining Jubilee, pinpoints Lido as the true birth of the showgirl in Las Vegas. “I think that is when the showgirl appears, in 1958,” she says. “It was imported directly from Paris. It was a line of showgirls—basically tall, beautiful women who were in feathers.” Jubilee now stands alone as the last classic showgirl production in Las Vegas. It hasn’t been an easy run, surviving the twists and turns of a Strip that has become increasingly fickle over the past decades. Jubilee became the last gal standing when Folies Bergère, the only other production to rival it in size and scope, closed at the Tropicana after 50 years and more than 29,000 performances.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

In Jubilee, the performers sport headdresses that can weigh more than 25 pounds.

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Opening night of the Casino de Paris show at the Dunes in 1963.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU (CASINO DE PARIS); BY UNDERWOOD ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES (MEDFORD)

he end of Folies was bittersweet. The closing was, predictably, steeped in nostalgia, as its original choreographer, Jerry Jackson, returned to say a final goodbye. But the show was in tatters, literally. Its costumes were frayed, the curtain in need of a good vacuuming. Cast members decried the lack of quality control in the show’s final few months. But no such fate has befallen Jubilee, which remains as extravagantly appointed and as precisely performed as ever. The cast is still robust, with 85 dancers (plus 175 production team members), and auditions held every six months to keep the show fresh and ward off complacency. Stringent physical requirements remain: Every dancer in Jubilee must be a minimum of 5 feet, 8 inches tall when measured in bare feet. If you don’t have extensive formal dance training, a job with Jubilee is not for you. During the audition process, dancers must quickly learn complex routines, replete with ballet turns. Those who can’t are shown the door. Performers with ballet, jazz, and contemporary-dance backgrounds are those who tend to survive the audition, and then it’s a month of training before they can join the show. That training regimen includes learning how to walk while wearing a 20-pound, rhinestone-encrusted headpiece. It’s as physically demanding a role as there is for dancers anywhere in the world. Aching joints are a constant challenge. For all the weight a dancer must carry across the stage, being a showgirl can be, in a very real way, a pain in the neck. “I can say that, because of all the showgirlism I’ve done, my neck is a mess,” says Tara Palsha, who moved to Vegas in 2003 and has danced in a half-dozen Strip productions since. “But I am so thankful for the experience, because whatever I do in any show, I can handle, because I got the exact training for that in Jubilee.” To a large degree, the payoff in enduring all of the challenges of being a showgirl is… you get to be a showgirl. “When people see the curtain go up and all these beautiful women draped in jewels, their eyes light up,” says Kat Schwing, a member of the Jubilee cast for the past three years, who spent two years dancing at Le Lido in Paris before moving to Las Vegas. “It’s like you’re in a dream. I’m so proud to walk out on that stage, because there is nothing else like it.”

CONFESSIONS OF AN ORIGINAL SHOWGIRL Vegas’s first seminude showgirl, Lisa Medford, tells all. When Lisa Medford left the stage as a Folies Bergère girl at the Tropicana in 1968, she turned around and sold her Las Vegas home for $60,000 to a young would-be casino executive named Steve Wynn. Today, at 77, Medford says she is “closer to death than a good time.” But she is still full of salt and stories, and she can drop the words “cocaine” (her long-ago addiction) and “Cary” (as in Grant, her long-ago love interest) in the same sentence. Medford holds the distinction of being the very first seminude showgirl in Las Vegas. That was in February 1957, when the dancer, working at a Los Angeles talent agency, was approached by two men looking for a shapely woman to stand still during a number in a show at the Riviera headlined by Harry Belafonte. It was a history-making moment, more than a year before Lido de Paris opened at Stardust and Folies opened at Tropicana. “I was standing under a waterfall, looking like a plant,” she recalls. Glitter and electrical tape covered the crucial areas. “I was not allowed to dance, and the security guys were watching me very closely to make sure I did not.” When she moved her arm down from her chest, revealing her breasts, “the crowd went wild,” she says. Medford spent more than a decade dancing for and delighting Vegas visitors. Her dalliance with Grant is well-chronicled in her self-published 2010 autobiography, I Can Hear the Applause: Adult Language… Some Nudity, cowritten with Jeanne Gulbranson (published by Emperor Penguin and available on Amazon.com). The story is that Grant asked her to carry his child, and in exchange he would set her up for life. Medford declined, suspecting that Grant was actually gay and that her parents would disown her. “You would not have believed the city at that time,” she says, mentioning that her father (a dress manufacturer in Los Angeles) was friendly with an assortment of nefarious figures, including Benjamin “Bugsy” Seigel, a poker buddy. “For a showgirl to know Cary Grant was not that out of the ordinary. This was an exciting, wondrous place.“ Her story was not all glitz and glitter, however. After stints selling cocaine and chauffeuring call girls, Medford married a television director and moved out of Vegas, then got divorced and moved back in 2002. Today she works as a limousine driver, carting tourists around the city she knows so well. “There is no mob anymore, no shows except Jubilee that are even close to being showgirl shows,” she says. “You never see the showgirls and stars in the showrooms like you used to. Nothing will ever be like it was in the 1950s and 1960s, when this city was the greatest place to be on this planet.” From a showgirl who started as a statue but refused to stay still, it is a hard point to argue.

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A showgirl in the new production of Jubilee.

VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

Folies Bergère at Tropicana.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

veteran stage performer on the Strip, Cheaza Figueroa joined the cast in April and was instantly aware that being a showgirl in Jubilee is not like being part of a typical Vegas show. “I have not done anything so classically Las Vegas,” says Figueroa, who was a member of the Peepshow cast during that show’s entire four-year run, eventually assuming the lead role of Peep Diva. Originally, Peepshow was intended to be a topless version of Jubilee featuring a series of production numbers. But that’s where the similarities ended. “For me, the difference in Peep and Jubilee is those costumes,” says Figueroa, one of the principal singers in the new version of Jubilee. “The costumes in Peep are lavish, but nothing like this. There are 25-pound headdresses with these huge stones, $9,000 dresses. Are you kidding me? No show has this anymore. None.” The production is unique in so many ways— not just because its Swarovski crystals are so rare that when one falls from a costume, dancers scramble to retrieve it because it might well be irreplaceable. Jubilee is one of the last full-scale productions in Las Vegas to be owned fully by the hotel where it’s staged. You could argue—as some have, and not just in jest—that Jubilee is so important to the city’s culture that it should be publicly subsidized and protected as a historic landmark. But its owners are Caesars Entertainment and Bally’s, and the evolution of Jubilee falls to members of the creative team who have been working on it for years. It has not been easy to remake Jubilee as a more contemporary show. Some longtime fans wanted it to remain as is, a classic production highlighting the lavish gowns designed by Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee. But some of the acts and choreography had become dated, stale, and unintentionally campy. Beyoncé’s choreographer, Frank Gatson Jr., was brought in to reimagine the show, using a character called Miss Jubilee and a narrator to carry the story line. More R&B-infused dance numbers have been added; side acts were cut completely. Such popular numbers as “Samson and Delilah” and “Titanic” remain, amid new

The George Moro Dancers, aka the Dice Girls, at El Rancho in 1949.

A dance number from the new Jubilee.

A dancer in the Minsky show at the Fremont.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERRY METELLUS (JUBILEE); HERB BELL/NBCU PHOTO BANK (KELLY); TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NEWS BUREAU (FOLIES BERGÈRE, DICE GIRLS, MINSKY)

Gene Kelly with the Folies Bergère girls on the 1970 TV special Gene Kelly’s Wonderful World of Girls.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Ready to take a bow in Jubilee.

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“THEY WILL NEVER PRODUCE ANOTHER SHOW LIKE IT.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

—FLUFF LECOQUE

acts featuring the music of Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Projection is used more prominently, and a 45-foot pole is summoned to introduce Miss Jubilee to the audience. The response to this updated version of the last showgirl production in Vegas has not been universally positive, to put it charitably, and Gatson left the show just weeks after it was relaunched. Members of the Jubilee creative team, including Palm, emphasize that they’re still working on the show and will never become complacent. And the elements that set Jubilee apart are still in place. “Jubilee will continue to evolve. We will keep it from being a museum piece,” Palm says. “We will not box it up and put it away. It is still an entertaining show. But if you try to chase the market, it won’t work. If you put on a good show, people will want to see it.” Jubilee is the last of its kind simply because it is very expensive to maintain and because the large number of high-caliber shows in Las Vegas has depleted the audience for a genuine showgirl production. “I don’t think you’ll see a show that uses showgirls the way Jubilee does ever again,” declares LeCoque, who turns 91 in August. “The attraction of Cirque du Soleil has taken over. It used to be so many shows here were filled with wonderful dancers and showgirls. Now almost all of the showgirls are in Jubilee. “Not everyone who is in a show is a showgirl,” she adds. “Over the decades, they’ve changed from tall and glamorous mannequins to classically trained dancers.” Will there be another Lido, Folies, or Jubilee developed in Las Vegas? The expert in the field says it’s not likely. “My sense is they will never produce another show like it,” says LeCoque. “You might have shows with four or six, but not the same show as we used to have, with dozens and dozens of showgirls.” Her sage advice: Enjoy what’s left. The showgirl is rare, but she is here. Come hell or high water, the showgirl will continue to grace the stage in Las Vegas. V

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ON HIM: Aviator’s jacket, Brunello Cucinelli ($5,745). The Shops at Crystals, 702-527-7766; brunellocucinelli.com. Hoodie, Tommy Hilfiger ($129). Macy’s, Fashion Show, 702-731-5111; macys.com. Straight-leg pants, John Varvatos ($428). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-939-0922; johnvarvatos.com. Carrera 1887 Chronograph watch, TAG Heuer ($5,500). The Shops at Crystals, 702-380-2820; tagheuer.com. Shoes, Levi’s ($148). Fashion Show, 702-731-1866; levi.com.

Navy suede fringe dress, Valentino ($7,790). The Shops at Crystals, 702-737-7603; valentino.com. Rose-gold squash blossom necklace, Jacquie Aiche ($40,000). Saks Fifth Avenue, Fashion Show, 702-733-8300; saks.com. Geode and diamond ring in white gold ($21,250), light geode and natural brown diamond ring in white gold ($12,225), and blue geode and irregular diamond double shank ring in white gold ($8,875), Kimberly McDonald. Tesorini, Via Bellagio, 702-693-7924; kimberly mcdonald.com. Beige laser-cut tall leather boots with metal heel, Nicholas Kirkwood ($2,350). Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3543; nicholaskirkwood.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

ON HER:

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HOW THE

WEST WAS WORN

This summer, dusty earth tones and fringe mix with eye-catching turquoise and raw stones for a modern Western adventure through the rocky Nevada desert.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON MCDONALD STYLING BY TARYN SHUMWAY

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ON HER:

Chamois suede shirt dress with crème silk undershirt, Maison Ullens ($3,140). maisonullens.com. Wood, labradorite, and pavé diamond necklace, Michelle Marocco ($1,415). Kemo Sabe, The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-8624800; kemosabe.com. Belt, Scunzani ($575). elubycn.com. LEFT HAND: Ring, Kemo Sabe (price on request). SEE ABOVE. RIGHT HAND: Turquoise stone ring, Kemo Sabe (price on request). SEE ABOVE. Brown hobo bag ($2,995) and tan leather ankle-wrap sandal ($879), Donna Karan. The Shops at Crystals, 702-207-2420; donnakaran.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

ON HIM: Sweater, John Varvatos ($498). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-939-0922; johnvarvatos.com. Olive green and khaki shorts, Valentino ($565). valentino.com. Luminor 1950 3 Days automatic Ceramica watch, Panerai ($12,800). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-727-3310; panerai.com. Edisto belt, Tommy Bahama ($68). Town Square Las Vegas, 702-9486828; tommybahama.com. Brown leather backpack with shoulder straps, Gucci ($5,150). Via Bellagio, 702-732-9300; gucci.com

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Suede cape, Kiton ($3,500). The Shops at Crystals, 702-891-0134; kiton.it. Bodysuit, Vionnet ($1,596). net-a-porter.com. RIGHT HAND: Arrowhead ring, Pamela Love ($625). Barneys New York, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-629-4200; barneys.com. LEFT HAND: Blue geode, irregular diamond, and white-gold ring, Kimberly McDonald ($8,875). Tesorini, Via Bellagio, 702-693-7924; kimberlymcdonald.com. Bag, Valentino Garavani ($1,595). The Shops at Crystals, 702-737-7603; valentino.com. Olivia boots, Lucchese ($895). Kemo Sabe, The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-862-4800; kemosabe.com

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

ON HIM: Brown leather jacket ($1,395) and tan cotton canvas shirt ($98), Polo Ralph Lauren. Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-650-5656; ralphlauren.com. Twill slim cargo shorts, Michael Kors ($125). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-869-0010; michaelkors.com. Shoes, Leviâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ($148). Fashion Show, 702-731-1866; levi.com. Lasso, Kemo Sabe ($325). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-862-4800; kemosabe.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

ON HER: Boho top, True Religion ($178). Miracle Mile Shops, 702-893-2340; truereligion.com. Barley tissue flirt skirt, Michael Kors ($7,995). SEE ABOVE. Minturn hat ($225) and inlaid turquoise hatband ($225), Kemo Sabe. SEE ABOVE. Large dark geode and diamond necklace on jade beads, Kimberly McDonald ($19,925). Tesorini, Via Bellagio, 702-6937924; kimberlymcdonald.com. Cuff, Bottega Veneta ($620). The Shops at Crystals, 702-220-4751; bottegaveneta.com. Catchetta flats, Christian Louboutin ($995). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-818-8444; christian louboutin.com

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Silk wrap dress, Donna Karan ($2,995). The Shops at Crystals, 702-207-2420; donnakaran.com. Vintage squash blossom necklace ($1,750) and cluster pin necklace ($2,695), Kemo Sabe. The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-862-4800; kemosabe.com. Geode and brown diamond necklace, Kimberly McDonald ($60,725). Tesorini, Via Bellagio, 702-693-7924; kimberly mcdonald.com. Belt, Scunzani ($845). elubycn.com. Ring, Pamela Love ($625). Barneys New York, Grand Canal Shoppes at Venetian and Palazzo, 702-629-4200; barneys.com Beaut茅 Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Mystic Eyes ($59) and Le Crayon Kh么l in Noir ($29). Bellagio, 702-765-5505; chanel.com. Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse ($35) and Smooth Style Serum ($49). Neiman Marcus, Fashion Show, 702-731-3636; oribe.com

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ON HIM: Henley, John Varvatos ($298). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-939-0922; johnvarvatos.com. Pants, Michael Kors (price on request). The Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-869-0010; michaelkors.com. Ebano intrecciato silver pendant, Bottega Veneta ($490). The Shops at Crystals, 702-220-4751; bottega veneta.com. Belt, Ermenegildo Zegna ($280). The Shops at Crystals, 702-369-5458; zegna.com

Nero plisse dress, Bottega Veneta ($4,550). SEE ABOVE. Belt, Donna Karan ($695). The Shops at Crystals, 702-207-2420; donnakaran. com. Zebra opal and diamond earrings ($42,425), geode and diamond ring ($21,250), and blue geode and diamond double-shank ring ($8,875), Kimberly McDonald. Tesorini, Via Bellagio, 702-693-7924; kimberlymcdonald.com. NoĂŠ bag, Louis Vuitton ($2,240). The Shops at Crystals, 702-262-6262; louisvuitton. com. Vishnu sandals, Ivy Kirzhner ($450). ivykirzhner.com ON HER :

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TK; ILLUSTRATION BY TK

Hair and makeup by Jillian Halouska using Oribe Hair Care and Chanel cosmetics Female model: Tereza Kacerova at Nous Models Male model: Chad Cole at Next Models Fashion editor: Alexandria Geisler

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LEADING 104

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CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Criss Angel, Rick Moonen, Mike Snedegar, David Straus, Jeff Gale, Jerry Misko, Stevenson Sylvester, Dave Courvoisier, Gregory T.H. Lee, Sam Nazarian, Ken Henderson, and Charles Bernick

MEN

FOR THE 11TH YEAR IN A ROW, VEGAS MAGAZINE AND SAKS FIFTH AVENUE SALUTE 12 LOCAL MEN WHO ARE TOPS IN THEIR FIELDS—AND IN GIVING BACK. PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANCIS & FRANCIS

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CRISS ANGEL ENTERTAINER CAUSE: Make-A-Wish

Foundation, Believe Anything Is Possible, a JDS Foundation What sparked your passion for the Make-A-Wish Foundation? The power of a wish can truly be profound, not only for the child but even more so for the granter. These kids inspire and move me. Magic demonstrates that anything is possible, even when a situation seems impossible. Make-A-Wish kids need that escape and power to believe.

CHARLES BERNICK ASSOCIATE MEDICAL DIRECTOR CAUSE: Cleveland Clinic Lou

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Stevenson Sylvester, Jerry Misko, Mike Snedegar

Ruvo Center for Brain Health How has the Center aided your work in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research? The resources that the Cleveland Clinic brings have had a significant impact on the scope of research and care that can be provided to individuals in Las Vegas afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. We have the capacity to become involved in more clinical trials of promising new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and have expanded the educational opportunities for caregivers.

DAVE COURVOISIER

his year, Vegas magazine’s 11th annual Vegas Dozen: The Men We Love and Why We Love Them charity event honored an impressive group of successful and philanthropically minded men from industries ranging from nightlife to neuroscience, plus a celebrity entertainer, a chef, and a sports star. The distinguished event, held in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue, raised more than $22,775 for Keep Memory Alive, the nonprofit organization that supports Las Vegas’s Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. This year’s honorees were Criss Angel, Rick Moonen, Sam Nazarian, Mike Snedegar, Dave Courvoisier, Stevenson Sylvester, Jerry Misko, Jeff Gale, Ken Henderson, Gregory T.H. Lee, David Straus, and Dr. Charles Bernick. Mix 94.1’s Mercedes Martinez and Saks Fifth Avenue’s local vice president and general manager presented each of the men with the prestigious Vegas Dozen Award. Las Vegas entertainer Frankie Moreno opened the celebration with a live performance on the runway at Fashion Show Mall, after which the honorees rose dramatically from beneath the stage. Far more dramatic: the personal and compelling stories behind the accomplishments and good works of this year’s Dozen.

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ANCHOR, KLAS CHANNEL 8 NEWS NOW CAUSE: Wednesday’s Child,

Big Brothers Big Sisters What has driven you to work with Wednesday’s Child for 30 years? I didn’t begin my broadcast journalism career to be a social reconstructionist. However, after being assigned the Wednesday’s Child beat, I came to understand that this was perhaps the most useful kind of journalism—the kind that told compelling stories and invited the viewer to become involved and help solve a problem.

JEFF GALE

JERRY MISKO

MIKE SNEDEGAR

CHAIRMAN, NICHE MEDIA CAUSE: Conservation

ARTIST; COFOUNDER, DUST GALLERY CAUSE: Nevada Cancer

GENERAL MANAGER, TAO GROUP CAUSE: Nevada Partnership

Institute, The Neon Museum Is Vegas a good place to be an artist? The visual diversity of the city is a constant inspiration, and the scene is new, so there aren’t a lot of “rules,” no machine to battle. It’s a Wild West scenario. How has our arts culture evolved? Downtown has seen a huge influx of growth and positive enhancement for the whole creative class. “Community” gets thrown around a lot as a buzzword, but I’ve definitely noticed a growth of camaraderie.

for Homeless Youth, Best Buddies of Southern Nevada What advice would you give to those starting out? 1. Consistency equals longevity. 2. If you burn a bridge, it will come back to burn you. 3. Relationships and contacts are everything, and they are earned. Hustle. 4. If you’re not going out of your way for anyone, no one is going out of their way for you. 5. You are a brand. What you do at work, outside of it, and online is a reflection of that.

RICK MOONEN

DAVID A. STRAUS

CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR CAUSE: Three Square

ATTORNEY, STRAUS LAW CAUSE: The Meadows School

What’s the future of Vegas cuisine? The future of Vegas cuisine will be based on more localized food sourcing. I grow a ton of fruits, herbs, and vegetables in my own backyard by composting the by-products of my home kitchen. More and more farms within 50 miles of the Strip are producing great-quality food products. I hope to support the future of urban farms in Las Vegas and will continue to celebrate the amazing level of talent that flourishes here in Clark County.

What has been most fulfilling in your career? People come to me concerned about asset seizure through frivolous lawsuits and creditor actions. In Nevada we needed an asset protection vehicle. I proposed a law that passed in 1999 allowing individuals to set up “on-shore” trusts similar to old offshore asset protection trusts but with a simpler structure. We are proud to boast that Nevada has one of the best statutes in the country.

International What drives your passion for nature? I grew up on a horse ranch in East Texas. The woods were my playground. My wife and I want to create almost no carbon footprint at home. We live on an organic farm where we rescue animals that need homes—everything from bison and burros to dogs, cats, and chickens. We’ve learned that healthy ecosystems sustain themselves, so we live as close to nature as we can.

KEN HENDERSON CEO, BEST AGENCY CAUSE: Juvenile Diabetes

Research Foundation What lessons have you learned in your career? I believe all businesses are relationship-driven. If you have a big ego, you will shoot yourself in the foot. I have had the opportunity to be involved in the conceptualization of some very cool projects and some of the largest events in our city, which is an adrenaline rush. But at the end of the day, I get to go home to my beautiful wife and family.

GREGORY T.H. LEE CEO, EUREKA CASINOS, URBAN GROUP CAUSE: Problem Gambling

Center What prompted you to address problem gambling? I became interested when [I was invited] to attend a working group session of problem gamblers, who shared the effect that pathological gambling had had on them and their families. After that, my family and I decided to found a program that focused on the families of problem gamblers. We intend for our business to be around for a long time, and to do that we need to take care of both customers and employees.

SAM NAZARIAN FOUNDER AND CEO, SBE CAUSE: Y&S Nazarian

Family Foundation What made you decide to open SLS Las Vegas on an isolated stretch of the Strip? The north end is rich with history, and we wanted to be part of the next chapter in Las Vegas. With all of the buzz surrounding the development of Downtown and other big projects, SLS Las Vegas is located in the center of the action. We’re passionate about creating meaningful interactions and lasting memories.

“I LOVE LAS VEGAS. EVERY CORNER OF THE US TRAVELS THROUGH OUR GREAT CITY EVERY YEAR, AND WE JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER.” —RICK MOONEN

STEVENSON SYLVESTER LINEBACKER, PITTSBURGH STEELERS CAUSE: Helping Hands

Why is it important for athletes to act as role models for kids? Kids think we’re superheroes. But when you tell them they can be just like you—the look on their faces, that feeling of determination is why I do the things I do. I want to make sure that every child knows that they can be whatever they want to be in this world. The more you see people, especially celebrities in my position, doing the right thing and making others’ lives better, the better off this world will be. V

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P e R S o n i F i e D

Happy Birthday Queen of Limousines. My Queen for Life. L ov e , J i m , Jaco b , b en t Le y, c H a D, Ja m e S a n D co LLeen

“Quite Simply the Best!”

Vegas’s Element Building Company has reduced the monthly energy cost of its enormous New American Home to a paltry $125.

Haute Property NEWS, STARS, AND TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE

Green Giants THE MOST LUXURIOUS OF LAS VEGAS’S $3 MILLION-PLUS HOMES ARE ALSO MODELS OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY. BY ANDY WANG

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RANDY SHANKULA

oday’s luxury Las Vegas home builders are erecting mansions that satisfy not only their owners’ taste for grandeur but also their conscience—not to mention their frugality. Using revolutionary materials and technologies, they’re developing eco-friendly, energyefficient houses that are built to last and to change the way people live. And this year, local construction could have a powerful impact on how homes are designed all over the world. Every year for 31 years, the National Association of Home Builders has selected a team to create the showcase home—branded the New American Home (tnah.com)—for its International Builders’ Show, and this year the spotlight falls on Vegas’s own Element Building Company (elementbuilding

company.com). And broker Ivan Sher of Shapiro & Sher (lasvegasfine homes.com) has a value proposition for the eventual buyer of Element’s project, located in Henderson’s coveted Sky Terrace enclave: Purchase the six-bedroom, nine-bathroom, fully furnished $3.85 million house at 2256 Sunrise Ridge Court and prepare to be shocked at how low your energy bills are. The estimated cost of powering this 6,713-square-foot colossus is just $1,500 a year, or about $125 a month. But don’t think that means skimping on amenities. “You’ve got a water feature and dead-on Strip views,” says Sher. “You walk in and you’re encapsulated with this amazing feeling.” continued on page 110

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HAUTE PROPERTY

“You walk in and you’re encapsulated with this amazing feeling.”

ABOVE: Decks in the New American Home are made of environmentally safe Thermory engineered wood that can withstand Vegas’s desert climate. BELOW: Retractable Phantom Screens provide shade and can be raised or lowered with the touch of a button.

continued from page 109 The magic comes from what you don’t see, starting with the solar-panel system on the roof. “When it generates more power than you’re using, it puts power back on the grid and you get credits back,” says Josh Anderson, Element’s founder. Other innovations include a spray foam insulation from Bayer MaterialScience in the walls and roof, which also works well as a water- and soundproofer. “It literally fills every void and is an incredible insulator,” Anderson says. And there’s a lifetime warranty on the roof if it’s recoated every 10 years. A Carrier HVAC system monitors the indoor and outdoor temperatures and determines the most efficient way to heat or cool the home. It also offers air filtration and UV sterilization, and its settings can be adjusted via smartphone. “Probably the most critical step in creating a high-performance home is building an envelope, basically an aboveground submarine,” Anderson explains. “You control introducing fresh air in the home, filtered through a home filtration system, so you don’t have the heat gains and losses you would have in a typical home.” Similarly, a Vantage home-automation system lets you remotely adjust the LED lighting throughout the residence. The structure’s list of next-level products is seemingly endless. Jed Tippets, who worked with Anderson on building the house and selecting materials, says they used a plasterlike substance from Phase Change Energy Solutions (phasechange.com) that employs thermal energy

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storage to maintain a constant, preprogrammed wall temperature. “It attacks temperature on a molecular level,” Tippets says. Broker Bob Barnhart of Luxurious Real Estate (luxurious-estates.com)—who is working with the builder Growth Construction on seven new ecofriendly Vegas homes, all of them designed to meet the US Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge guidelines for energy-efficient building—has noticed a move toward energy efficiency among buyers who understand the value of recycling and managing their water supply, heating, cooling, power consumption, and air quality.

“The consumer in this market starting at $3 million, they’re very aware of this newer technology,” he says. “If you don’t follow the paradigm shift in luxury home building, your home is going to be dated in 10 to 12 years.” But developers point out that energy-saving features can be incorporated into houses of any price. Pulte Homes (pulte.com) recently sold out the LEED-certified Villa Trieste community on Morro Vista Drive, with homes—all of which have solar panels, tankless water heaters, blownin cellulose insulation, and Energy Star appliances—selling for less than $350,000. At Pulte’s Coldwater Crossing, where the residences come with tankless water heaters and the option of solar power, three-bedrooms start at less than $250,000 for more than 2,000 square feet. Who says it isn’t easy being green? V

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SHAPIRO & SHER

—IVAN SHER

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Ve g a s

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t a s t e k c i t M r O u C o . y E Get PERIENC S X A E G S E A V VEG 844-ZIP or

REAL ESTATE NEWS

Vegas, Makeover Edition F

ADING MALL , BRIGHT FUTURE What was once the largest mall in Las Vegas has been showing signs of age, but a renovation should ensure that the Boulevard Mall doesn’t become a boulevard of broken dreams. The formerly booming mall, which was built in 1965 and hasn’t had a major renovation in more than two decades, is being transformed into a modern shopping, dining, and entertainment destination. Sansone Companies (sansonecompanies.com), which purchased the mall for $54.5 million last year, plans to spend around $25 million to redevelop it, adding new stores to a complex that already includes Sears, Macy’s, J.C. Penney, and Marshalls. The renovation is set for completion by 2015 and will include a redesigned façade and a farmers market with about 70 vendors and a playground. Sansone also plans to add new restaurants and family-friendly entertainment venues, along with valet parking and free Wi-Fi. “When we took ownership of the property,” says Roland Sansone, “we saw it as an opportunity to breathe new life into not only the mall, but Maryland Parkway as well.” SPEEDY DELIVERY As Downtown Summerlin takes shape next door, Station Casinos is spending $35 million to overhaul its Red Rock Resort (redrock resort.com), including a full renovation of 26 of its highest-end suites and the Spa at Red Rock. But perhaps the most exciting change for locals is the addition of Restaurant Row, which expands on the resort’s already-successful Yard House and Lucille’s Smokehouse BarB-Que with several new eateries, including Mercadito Red Rock, the inventive Mexican restaurant by Chicago’s Sandoval brothers, and a new concept from the Light Group that includes farmers market – inspired dishes and handcrafted beers. The resort, marking its eighth year in business, is also adding a new parking area for casino visitors who want easy access to the shops. Station promises that the entire project will be done by year’s end. IT’S A SUNSHINE DAY Morning is really something when you can wake up and take in the beauty of Sunrise Mountain. That’s what you get at the Amber

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RIGHT: The Boulevard Mall is ripe for renovation. BELOW: Red Rock is getting new suites—and new eats.

Ridge Apartments, located on more than 18 acres overlooking the mountain ridge that separates Las Vegas from Lake Mead (amberridgecondos.com). At its Sturgeon Lane location in the East Central area of Las Vegas, the rental development offers lush surroundings and views from the balcony or patio that comes with each unit. And what’s inside is getting a makeover now that FCA Group has closed on its acquisition of the 316-unit, 266,000-plussquare-foot complex for $16.2 million. The development already includes swimming pools, tennis courts, a gym, and a lounge. The updated amenity spaces include basketball courts, a soccer field, and a new barbecue and picnic area. HIGH-END SUSTAINABILITY Don’t forget to plug in before your shopping spree. Las Vegas Premium Outlets (premiumoutlets.com) is TOP: Drai’s is a taking environmentally conscious developrooftop trendsetter at The Cromwell. ment to another power level by unveiling LEFT: Amber Ridge electric vehicle charging stations, part of Clubhouse. Simon Property Group’s nationwide sustainability strategy (simon.com). Simon has partnered with CarCharging, a national provider of charging services to residential and commercial developers. ROOFTOP RENOS Party impresario Victor Drai is dazzling the throngs again with his new 65,000-square-foot Drai’s Beach Club and Nightclub—11 stories up, atop The Cromwell (thecromwell.com). It’s part of a citywide rooftop renaissance that also includes Picnic, a tented outdoor bar/restaurant with communal tables, gambling, and evening entertainment on the pool level of Downtown Grand (downtowngrand.com). Miami transplant Delano Las Vegas (delanolasvegas.com) will have a rooftop bar and lounge of its own, with fantastic views from its south Strip location, when it opens September 1. At Caesars, where Nobu Hotel features a rooftop villa for the ultimate globe-trotting ballers, the legendary two-story nightclub Pure, with its 14,000-square-foot terrace, has closed for renovations. Hakkasan Group will expand and rename it, with plans to reopen it in 2015. V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIK KABIK (DRAI’S); ROSA SAY (RED ROCK); COURTESY OF FCA GROUP (AMBER RIDGE)

REHAB NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD: MALLS GET MAKEOVERS, A RESORT RESORTS TO A REVAMP, ROOFS ARE ON THE RISE, AND AN OUTLET ADDS (CAR-CHARGING) OUTLETS. BY ANDY WANG

MIRANDA COSGROVE WANTS TO KEEP DOLPHINS SINGING DOLPHINS USE SOUND TO FIND FOOD, TO COMMUNICATE AND LIVE. But dolphins and their song could be blown away by seismic blasts a hundred thousand times louder than a jet engine. It could hurt and kill tens of thousands of dolphins. Join Miranda and help save the dolphins.

oceana.org/dolphinsong

Miranda Cosgrove swims with Atlantic spotted dolphins off Bimini, Bahamas. ÂŠ Tim Calver

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Guide

BEST OF VEGAS

Pho Pearl CREATIVE VIETNAMESE FARE PLUS SEAFOOD SPECIALS PLUS CAJUN FAVORITES IS THE INSPIRED EQUATION AT THE STYLISH DISTRICT ONE. BY AL MANCINI

hai Vu knows a little something about Vietnamese cuisine in Vegas. Born in Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam, he moved to the US with his family in 1993 at age 11. For the last 20 years he has helped his family run the popular restaurant Pho So 1, first by peeling potatoes and eventually as head chef. But in deciding to strike out on his own, he saw an opportunity to appeal to an underserved market. “A lot of Vietnamese restaurants are fast-paced restaurants—you eat and you go,” he says. “But sometimes you want to hang out and go at a different pace.” His response is District One Kitchen & Bar, an airy urbanchic space with corrugated metal ceilings and a quality sound system—a stylish departure from the usual grab-and-go Chinatown diners. The cuisine is primarily Vietnamese, with strong influences from a number of other cultures. You’ll find Vietnamese appetizers such as beef wraps and lemongrass beef skewers. An entire section of the menu is dedicated to the traditional Vietnamese comfort food pho, including one made with a

one-and-a-quarter-pound whole lobster (ain’t that America?). But you’ll also find Chinese pork belly buns and Japanese-inspired yellowtail sashimi “tacos” on gyoza wrapper shells. And there are “catch of the day” seafood specials prepared in all styles, depending on what species the chef can get live. Vu also nods to the old Cravin’ Cajun that once occupied the space, with crawfish, shrimp, crab legs, and clams in spicy seasoning, listed on the menu as “down n’ dirty” options. “I make it fun,” Vu says. “Keep it simple. I like to get creative, but not too much where you lose the touch of it.” District One complements its intriguing food menu with a thoughtful— and often surprising—drink menu. Specialty cocktails include a coconut vodka mojito served in a whole coconut shell and the Vietnamese Donkey (basically a Moscow Mule made with sugarcane). But the real surprise is the wine list, which ranges from affordable and somewhat oddball offerings from Gobelsburger’s Grüner Veltliner ($33 per bottle) to heavy hitters like Opus One ($340 a bottle). 3400 S. Jones Blvd. #8, 702-413-6868 V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR

THIS ISSUE THE VERY BEST OF beauty: cosmetics excite: outdoor gaming

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GUIDE excite

The new game Street Dice is the brainchild of Downtown Grand CEO Seth Schorr.

Play in the Shade LAS VEGAS’S HOTTEST POOLS AND DAYCLUBS OFFER OUTDOOR GAMING FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO DOUBLE UP ON THEIR SUN AND FUN.

Picnic, the new rooftop pool, bar, and restaurant at Downtown Grand, offers outdoor blackjack on Fridays, Saturdays, and occasional Sundays. (The fee for nonhotel guests is waived if they arrive with the intention to play.) Plus, in a nod to the nearby Mob Museum, the hotel-casino has just launched Street Dice, an exclusive callback to the back-alley games of yore, right out on Third Street. Downtown Grand, 702-719-5100; downtowngrand.com

Garden of the Gods If you’re enjoying a dip in the adults-only Fortuna pool at the aptly named Garden of the Gods Pool Oasis and get a sudden hankering to play some blackjack, there’s no need to decide between the two. Just swim up to the blackjack tables in the pool’s shaded section. It’s free for hotel guests; day players pay an admission charge. Caesars Palace, 702-731-7110; caesarspalace.com

Go Pool The iconic Flamingo has poolside blackjack and craps tables by the

waterfalls and tropical landscaping of its adults-only Go Pool on Fridays and Saturdays. With a cave and a waterslide, it’s the ultimate grown-up watery retreat. Flamingo, 702-733-3111; flamingolasvegas.com

Golden Nugget The Tanke, Golden Nugget’s spectacular $30 million, 200,000-gallon aquarium, is home to five species of sharks, plus stingrays and large game fish. It’s also the center piece of a three-story pool complex, with waterfalls and a waterslide running right through it—plus four poolside blackjack tables. A cover charge applies to nonhotel guests. Golden Nugget, 702-385-7111; goldennugget.com

Mandalay Bay Beach The gaming at Mandalay Bay Beach is not so much outdoors as it is outdoor-adjacent. Guests can play blackjack, roulette, and craps throughout the weekend at the indoor (and air-conditioned) Beachside Casino, a three-story glass-fronted casino with views of the massive pool complex and in

FUN, TO EXCESS XS Nightclub combines adult swim and outdoor gaming at Encore. It’s been said that clubs bring in more revenue to some Vegas casino-resorts than gaming does these days. So why not combine both cash streams in one opulent venue?

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proximity to the summertime Concerts on the Beach. Mandalay Bay Beach, 702-632-7777; mandalaybay.com

Marquee Dayclub At Cosmopolitan, you can have your dayclub and your blackjack, too. Marquee Dayclub, located on the resort’s roof deck, with one of the best views of any pool club in Vegas, features a shaded gaming area with six poolside blackjack tables. A cover charge is required for entrance into Marquee, which draws big-name DJs and the party crowd that loves them. Cosmopolitan, 702-333-9000; marqueelasvegas.com

Paradise Beach The outrageous, adults-only Paradise Beach at Hard Rock has three swim-up blackjack tables— not that the crowds at popular events like Rehab Sunday allow for much swimming. The covered palapa hut also has poolside blackjack and craps tables. The weekend entry fee is waived for guests who just want to gamble. Hard Rock, 702-693-5000; hardrockhotel.com

XS Nightclub surrounds an Encore pool and has four covered blackjack tables, one craps table, one three-card-poker table, and one Casino War table, all adjacent to the bar and pool. This is one of Vegas’s few nighttime pool clubs, and you can expect to see one of the white-hot celebrity DJs for whom the club is famous. Encore Las Vegas, 702-770-0097; xslasvegas.com, wynnlasvegas.com

Pool Backyard The three-acre Pool Backyard, at Red Rock in Summerlin, has six blackjack tables located around the pool. The main pool is open to hotel guests only. Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, 702-797-7777; redrock.sclv.com

Tropicana The pool at the recently renovated Tropicana features two swim-up blackjack tables amidst the tropical foliage. Access to the pool is free for hotel guests and discounted for locals, but if someone wants to visit the pool specifically for the swim-up tables, the entrance fee is waived. Tropicana Las Vegas, 702-739-2222; troplv.com

Villaggio Del Sole Just a bit south of the Strip, you’ll find the M Resort, a popular locals casino offering poolside blackjack with bikini-clad dealers every weekend at its 110,000-squarefoot Villaggio Del Sole pool complex. A cover charge applies to nonhotel guests. M Resort, 702-797-1000; themresort.com V

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT (XS); COURTESY OF VOX SOLID COMMUNICATIONS LV (STREET DICE)

Downtown Grand

a little spice makes everything nice

SPICY THAI GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD WILD GREENS, PEANUTS, BEAN SPROUTS, CILANTRO, MINT, THAI DRESSING

Bring on the heat! Though small, Thai chili peppers pack a ﬂavorful punch. It can transform any dish into a robust and exciting trip for your taste buds. We believe that the same zing should be added to your overall dining experience.

FIND A SAMMY’S IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

sammyspizza.com

GUIDE beauty

“High design meets high style” at Look Style Society’s Makeup Lounge.

Makeup Test CLIMBING SUMMER TEMPERATURES CAN BE A TRIAL FOR YOUR MAKEUP, BUT THESE TOP VEGAS SALONS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE.

Michael Boychuck, colorist to celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria, and Gwen Stefani, provides a variety of makeup application services at his Color Salon, inside Caesars Palace. With the Airbrush Lesson, the makeup artist teaches you professional airbrushing techniques while giving you a flawless face for the red carpet— and guests can purchase everything they need to recreate the look at home. The salon also offers Professional Make-Up Application and Eyes Only. Caesars Palace, 702-731-7791; michaelboychuck.com

L Makeup Institute Founded by accomplished makeup artist Lissette Waugh, L Makeup Institute trains makeup artists in the art and science of beauty, as well as special-effects makeup for individuals, fashion shoots, television, and film. Its retail store has a broad array of professional products, including exclusive lines from RCMA, Ben

Nye, and Kryolan. It also carries the high-performance Make Up For Ever brand, with a larger selection than can be found in many other local stores. L Makeup Institute offers full makeup applications as well as bridal packages by appointment. 5525 S. Decatur Blvd. #102, 702-685-9298; lmakeupinstitute.com

La’Bella Mafia If you’re going to do Vegas the right way, you have to go glam. La’Bella Mafia’s celebrity makeup artists travel to your location to make you look as if you just stepped off the catwalk. Using MAC, Smashbox, Make Up For Ever, and Nars cosmetics, La’Bella Mafia’s artists can apply a wide range of natural, special event, bridal, fashion, film, and theatrical makeup styles. 855-526-2342; labellamafialv.com

Look Style Society Recently opened in Town Square, Look Style Society’s Makeup Lounge offers an assortment of fashion-forward makeup services.

HOME HOW-TO Brandy Neugebauer-Quinto, Platinum Entourage’s lead makeup artist, shares her “bulletproof” waterproof makeup method using Make Up For Ever products. 1. Apply a base of UV Prime SPF50. 2. Spot-treat problem areas with Full Cover Concealer. 3. For all-over foundation, mix Face & Body with just a small dot of Uplight Face Luminizer. 4. Dab HD 118 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM

It carries lines by Jouer and Lipstick Queen, as well as Blinc, whose products are all waterproof, for those in need of a lasting look for the pool or dayclub. A single session includes skin preparation with Sothys serums and full face makeup. Look also provides bridal makeup, junior makeup, lash application, and airbrushing. Town Square, 702-712-4345; look-stylesociety.com

Montage Hair Salon Montage, located on the city’s west side, has a full suite of beauty services, including makeup and skincare by Merle Norman Cosmetics, plus makeup classes. The salon is also dedicated to the “try before you buy” philosophy, providing new guests with a complimentary skincare session and makeup application. 7795 W. Sahara Ave., 702-367-1967; montagehairstudio.com

Original Diva Australia’s Original Diva brand is known best for its high-quality hair extensions, but its new salon

Blush on the apples of your cheeks—a little goes a long way! 5. Use Aqua Eye Pencil in soft brown or light plum. 6. Define your lip with Aqua Lip Pencil, then lightly shade the rest of the lip and cover with gloss. 7. Use Aqua Brow for smudgefree brow definition. 8. Add a little drama with Aqua Smokey Lash in extra black. 9. Use Mist & Fix spray to set the makeup and create a barrier for extreme conditions. “It gives a nice, dewy, healthy glow,” she says. 6670 S. Tenaya Way, 702-410-5459; platinumentourage.com

at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood also has makeup artists on hand for weddings and other special events. Customers can prepare for the ultimate pool party by getting a waterproof makeup application, then add an extra bit of drama with strip or mink eyelash extensions—after all, hair enhancement is Original Diva’s forte. Miracle Mile Shops, 702-836-9112; originaldivaextensions.com

The Style Lounge The new Style Lounge at The Linq delivers affordable luxury from renowned celebrity stylist Andeen Rose, who has worked with Eva Longoria, Jewel, Audrina Patridge, and Nicole Scherzinger. The trendy lounge offers manicures and pedicures, makeup application, customized hairstyling, spray tanning, and waxing, as well as a full-service bar. Stop in for eye, lip, or full-face makeup with optional lashes and an airbrushed foundation. The Linq, 702-685-5858; thestyleloungelv.com V

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LOOK STYLE SOCIETY (LOUNGE)

Color Salon by Michael Boychuck

C P C N #1 007

Parting Shot

Just Don’t Add Water AS VEGAS POOL PARTIES PROLIFERATE, SO DOES DESIGNER POOLWEAR THAT TAKES THE “SWIM” OUT OF SWIMSUIT. BY RACHEL FELDER

ILLUSTRATION BY DANIEL O’LEARY

n the world of fashion, there are some paradoxes that women have come to reluctantly accept, like covetable designer shoes that are too painful to actually walk in. But one growing craze may just be the ultimate contradiction, even for the most forward-thinking trendsetters: swimwear that’s not meant for swimming. The bathing suits in question are made of fabrics that are, ironically, dry clean only-—or they’re detailed with metal or other flourishes that can rust or wilt when exposed to water. And let’s face it, a rusty bikini is not chic… and it’s probably toxic as well. Unlike, say, a Speedo one-piece, they’re a lot more evocative of the catwalk than of swim caps and chlorine. “They’re really just a way to go out to a party in as little clothing as possible,” says swimwear expert Jenny Altman. But this kind of skimpiness doesn’t come with a skimpy price. Sauvage Swimwear’s non-water-friendly bikini, with a top made solely of silver-plated metal, goes for $700 at Palazzo Pool Shoppe. The crocheted Missoni maillots at the upscale fashion website Net-A-Porter cost more than $500 and come with an advisory to refrain from swimming in them. Herve Leger—the brand known for its extra-curvy, bandagey cocktail dresses—offers meant-to-be-dry suits for similar prices. You’ll see them at the popular pool parties around town, like Marquee Dayclub at Cosmopolitan and XS Nightclub’s Night Swim, typically paired with other water-unsafe accessories: extra-high suede wedges, the perfect blow-out, a full face of makeup, and glittery jewelry. Sure, they’re not suited (excuse the pun) for doing the backstroke, but in these surroundings—with DJs, dancing, and plenty of cocktails—it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate fashion statement. Even though calling them “swimsuits” is, strictly speaking, a misnomer, it’s easy to see why some women love them. “They think about their outfits at the pool just like they would at night,” says Grant Speros, Marquee Dayclub’s general manager, of his swimsuited guests. “It’s exactly like the nightclub, except that the lights are up and everybody is running around half-naked.” The no-swim swimsuit trend is now popping up in other cities, but perhaps they work best in Las Vegas. “The pool becomes the excuse to basically be close to naked, which isn’t a bad thing,” says Altman. “If you’re in Vegas, that’s sort of the goal anyway, right?” V

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Chef Daniel Boulud returns to Te Strip . . .

by C h ef Daniel Boulud t h e V e nE t ia n | Restaurant Row | ( 7 0 2) 4 3 0 -1 2 3 5 | www.dbbrasserie.com