Sophisticated Living Chicago Jan/Feb 2017

{Chicago’s Finest}

slmag.net

Jan/Feb 2017

german luxury since 1908

eggersmann Kitchens | Home Living 300 W Hubbard St, 4th Fl | Chicago, IL 60654 | 312.222.8700 www.eggersmannusa.com new york | dania beach | houston | chicago | los angeles | scottsdale | toronto | pittsburgh | costa mesa | sand city | maui

January 28th & 29th

FINE AUDIO SHOW

Chicago’s Symphony Center

You’re invited to audition the finest audio equipment in the world. Experience dramatic audio presentations from renowned audio manufacturers Wilson Audio, Dan D’Agostino Master Systems, Transparent Audio, and more.

Featured manufacturer’s products are available for purchase, or pre-order at the show. Custom finishes and performance options offered on select models.

Join us in the elegant private rooms of the world-famous Symphony Center between 10 - 7 on Saturday, and 11 - 5 on Sunday.

This event is free and open to the public.

Symphony Center 220 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604

Please RSVP at: info@paragonsns.com.

For more information: www.paragonsns.com/chicago-audio-show

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DESIGNED AND BUILT FOR A BEAUTIFUL LIFE For over 30 years BGD&C has been designing and building custom homes in Chicago’s Lincoln Park & Gold Coast. Each home reflects a family’s exact specifications coupled with meticulous craftsmanship, timeless aesthetics, and unparalleled service.

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{Chicago’s Finest}

Jan/Feb 2017

Jan/Feb 2017

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on the cover: “Fanta,” a photograph from Sandro’s 2016 project My Hair My Soul My Freedom. Read about the iconic Chicago photographer’s latest passion projects, including his new book The Malkovich Sessions.

SOPHISTICATED DEFINED The designers behind boho-luxe label Sea New York chat with SL about friendship, inspiration and living a full life

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BEING SANDRO Curiously cool Chicago photographer Sandro shows no signs of slowing down thanks to a host of new projects and a second book collab with actor John Malkovich

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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ENGINES Our recap of the LA Auto Show, including the debut of more than 50 luxury automobiles

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BOWLED OVER

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OLIVE NAPA VALLEY

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JUST MY TYPE

Covetable tomes covering soups, sports and more Discovering liquid gold in California’s wine country Cheeky furniture and accessories with something to say

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FIT TO BE TRIED Resolution-worthy gear for looking stylish while working up a sweat

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CURATING A LIFESTYLE The pull of American art pottery

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White shearling jacket, $4,295, by Urban Zen at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, 847.441.7784. For more fashion-forward looks from designers-to-watch in 2017, read “Sophisticated Source.”

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german luxury since 1908

Eggersmann USA | 300 W Hubbard St, 4th Fl | Chicago, IL 60654 | 312.222.8700

www.eggersmannusa.com

new york | dania beach | houston | chicago | los angeles | scottsdale | toronto | pittsburgh | costa mesa | sand cit y | maui

Jan/Feb 2017 56

THE MIX

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REMOTE CONTROL

A starter kit for finding health, happiness and balance in 2017 A landmark renovation of Cliff House Maine allows the storied property to once again command its rugged piece of the coastline in grand fashion

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SOPHISTICATED SOURCE Our go-to guide for fashion, interior design and art to help you put your most stylish foot forward in the new year

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SOULFUL SISTER With a brand-new studio in West Town, a TV show wrapped and a steadfast philanthropic mission, PROjECT. Interiors’ Aimee Wertepny is Chicago’s girl on fire

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DYNAMIC DUALITIES The West Loop’s Smyth & The Loyalist garners an immediate following with farm-fresh ingredients and out-of-the-box flavor pairings

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DECO DONE RIGHT A stunning full-floor apartment in the Palmolive Building proves there’s art deco, and then there’s art deco

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THE GREAT INDOORS From its U.S. headquarters on LaSalle, Blueair brings the future of air purification to the masses, championing health and wellness at home

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MENTORSHIP EXTREME Totally radical, dude! STOKED shreds into Chicago, setting at-risk kids up for success through its sports-driven programs

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CALENDAR Sophisticated Living’s hotlist of winter happenings for giving back and getting your culture on

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SOPHISTICATED SOCIETY Chicago’s top fundraisers, fashion fetes and more!

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The Farm Egg at Smyth & The Loyalist: egg yolk soaked in salted licorice with yogurt meringue, black raspberry jam and dried fennel pollen. Read “Dynamic Dualities,” for the full story on the West Loop’s latest restaurant gem.

Photo by Galdones Photography

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PUBLISHER Bridget McDermott EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elise Hofer Shaw DIRECTORS OF LUXURY BRANDS Colleen Dobell Kari Guhl LUXURY BRAND MANAGER Mandy Laneve ——————————————— ART DIRECTOR Jason Yann CONTRIBUTORS Writers Hilary Boyajian Victoria Chase Elizabeth Cole Ruth Crnkovich Sarah Golden Abigail Hamilton Scott Harper Anita Heriot Andre James Amelia Jeffers Jeff Jeffers Tina Kourasis Zlata Kozul Naumovski Matt Lee Sally Meyer Taylor Morgan Alexandra Sabbag Bridget Williams Photographers Carasco Photography Fig Media Galdones Photography Gilbert Francois Sean Henderson Sandro Anthony Tahlier Editorial Assistant Chloe Leuthaeuser ADVERTISING SALES OFFICE 773.263.9288 ——————————————— SOPHISTICATED LIVING MEDIA Eric Williams - CEO Bridget Williams - President Sophisticated Living® is published by Ashford Windsor Media, LLC and is independently owned and operated. Sophisticated Living® is a registered trademark of Williams Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sophisticated Living® is published six times a year. All images and editorial are the property of Ashford Windsor Media, LLC and cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.

Annual subscription fees are $25.00; please add $5 for subscriptions outside the US. Address all subscription inquiries to the website slmag.net. Telephone 773.263.9288.

SLMAG.NET

From the Publisher

Portrait by Carasco Photography

I can’t believe I am writing my Publisher’s Note for January 2017… Where has this year gone?! Talk about a whirlwind. It’s always this time of year that we find ourselves reflecting on our lives and the paths that we have chosen to walk down. Do we keep going in the same direction or do we take a detour and hope that we made a good decision? I have taken some risks this year with Sophisticated Living Chicago, but I am very confident that this road will lead to amazing opportunities and partnerships—some of which we have already had the privilege to experience.

We are ringing in the new year with two new, stellar Luxury Brand Directors: Colleen Dobell and Kari Guhl. Dobell brings with her many successful years in marketing working with high-profile clients such as McDonald’s and Coca-Cola. Guhl, a buyer of fine art for galleries, has managed hundreds of events for artists from coast to coast. I couldn’t be more thrilled to add these ladies to our cast of girl bosses. They have had impressive careers and I am lucky to have them as part of the SL family in Chicago.

It’s a sign of growth and, to be completely honest, it’s just exciting to watch these ladies in action, sharing ideas and feeding off one another’s energy.

Our mission is to highlight the beauty and brains of this bustling city. Take for example this issue’s home feature: a full-floor condo in the Palmolive Building overlooking Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan. It sets the bar high for luxury living with authentic art deco design (several of their decor pieces were in the movie The Aviator), but if you only knew the couple… It’s so refreshing to meet people who clearly have had great success but do not have a pretentious bone in their bodies and are generous to the core. I see smarts and full hearts, a Chicago family who worked hard and earned every one of life’s rewards.

My path for the year ahead is one of purpose and potential. Sophisticated Living magazine is an asset to this city. Our team is devoted to telling the tales behind all of the wonderful things happening around us, the success stories of innovators, artists and dreamers. We want you to feel hopeful when you read our philanthropy profiles that spotlight amazing local charities. We want your taste buds to fire with every restaurant feature. Let us whisk you away with the breathtaking photos from our world travels. And, no matter what, we promise to always keep you guessing.

A very warm thank you to Colleen and Kari for seeing the value in being a part of this team, to our tireless Editor-In-Chief Elise Hofer Shaw for putting her soul into each issue, to Luxury Brand Manager Mandy Laneve for her hustle, and to each contributing writer and photographer that has helped create this beautiful book. I am honored to work with you every single day. Last but not least, a heartfelt thank you to our devoted readers—it’s all for you. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. May 2017 lead you in the right direction.

Bridget McDermott Owner & Publisher mcdermott@slmag.net

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Atelier Gary Lee 222 Merchandise Mart • Suite 1419 • Chicago IL 60654 312 644 4400 • www.ateliergarylee.com

From the Editor-In-Chief

Portrait by Sean Henderson

If I were to give this issue a theme, I would call it the “Badass Issue.” It was Leonardo da Vinci (badass) who said, “Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.” I don’t think I would be going out on a limb in assuming that the motley cast of characters we’re profiling across these pages would concur with that statement.

Take for example Chicago interior designer and badass Aimee Wertepny, the subject of this issue’s profile piece “Soulful Sister.” A spirited designer who follows her heart instead of trends, she knows a thing or two about a powerful understatement. Her massive new studio on Chicago Avenue in West Town is just that—posh yet unpretentious, polished yet totally chill (think oversize dream catchers, 3-D metal sculptures by artist Eric Gushee and a literal trailer that she painted white and turned into a cocktail bar). Wertepny is our designer-to-watch in 2017, proving hard work and heart pay off every time.

Also getting ink in this issue is iconic badass Chicago photographer Sandro Miller. With a host of new projects, including an homage to his photographic idols with longtime collaborator John Malkovich and a series in progress called My Hair My Soul My Freedom—a project he describes as “a celebration of Africans, African Americans and the empowerment they have with their hair”—he’s breaking down social barriers and seeking out art wherever his curiosity leads him. (The photo gracing this issue’s cover, entitled “Fanta,” is one of Sandro’s favorites from My Hair My Soul My Freedom.)

Under-the-radar badasses John and Karen Shields, the husband-and-wife duo behind Smyth & The Loyalist in the West Loop, also answered our call for a fireside chat about their dual-concept restaurant that’s been receiving rave reviews. Under one wood-beam-raised roof, John and Karen are bringing hungry Chicagoans a fresh-from-the-farm tasting menu (upstairs) and a cozy bar (street level) for creative cocktails and a burger that I can’t stop dreaming about. Every single dish that leaves the kitchen at Smyth & The Loyalist takes a risk in one form or another, from flavor balance to texture, and that’s a philosophy we can all get behind.

As far as I’m concerned, Aimee, Sandro, John and Karen have thrown down the gauntlet, and I for one plan to pick it up. Let’s all take a few risks and bring our best to 2017, spreading peace, love and sophistication in the process. Who’s with me, Chicago?

Elise Hofer Shaw Editor-In-Chief elise@slmag.net

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Contributors “I had met Aimee Wertepny at Chicago’s Yo Soy Underground Supper parties but was reintroduced to her through this assignment,” says writer Hilary Boyajian, who penned this issue’s piece on the globe-trotting interior designer (“Soulful Sister”). “I remembered her love of travel, philanthropy and design––always donning a conversation-worthy necklace from her vast collection of jewelry picked up from different pockets of the globe––but mostly I remembered her incredible depth of spirit. It was beyond inspiring to meet with her again and witness the magic she’s spreading through her design work.”

First-time contributing writer Elizabeth Cole jumped at the opportunity to write our feature on hot West Loop eatery Smyth & the Loyalist and its founders John and Karen Shields (“Dynamic Dualities”). “I am always inspired by a chef ’s journey, and the bounty of successes within the food industry,” says Cole. “It was not only inspiring to write this article—and sample their farm-to-table fare—but also educational, given the incredibly talented, ingredientconscious subjects I had the pleasure of interviewing.” Cole is the owner and personal chef behind Chicago’s Elizabeth Cole Culinary.

“Shooting Aimee was a hoot,” says photographer and owner of Fig Media James Gustin, who got behind the lens not once but twice to shoot Chicago interior designer Aimee Wertepny, both at her home and at her expansive new studio in West Town (“Soulful Sister”). “She’s sassy and doesn’t follow what’s de rigueur. Her sense of beauty is unmistakable, not to mention kick-ass. I mean, she’s repurposed an old trailer into a hangout bar—what’s cooler than that?!”

“I discovered Sea New York at a boutique in Paris where I was looking for clothes for a oncein-a-lifetime vacation to Greece,” says contributing writer and owner of Oak Street’s VMR boutique Tina Kourasis, who interviewed the label’s partners for this issue’s “Sophisticated Defined” column. “I walked out with a very affordable, perfectly bohemian dress and thought, ‘Why haven’t I seen this before?’ The next day, I called Sean, the founder, and bought the line for VMR. Customers love it—all ages and all sizes. Sea fills the void for vacation clothes that work just as well for summer barbecues and dinners on a terrace in Chicago.”

For this month’s feature on legendary Chicago photographer Sandro Miller, writer Matt Lee had the opportunity to visit the shooter’s West Town studio and home—a gorgeously designed multistory ode to art in all its forms. “I’d heard about Sandro for so long, but for some reason never had the chance to meet him,” says Lee. “It was a fascinating conversation with not only one of the city’s most celebrated photographers, but a true Chicago icon.” Lee writes about Sandro’s most recent creative collaboration with John Malkovich and a few of his many other projects in this issue’s feature “Being Sandro.”

“The Palmolive Building is impressive on so many levels, from its set-back limestone design to the intricate wood carvings in the elevator to its famous residents and its corporate history,” says writer Zlata Kozul Naumovski, who interviewed a couple with a covetable full-floor apartment on the 28th floor for this issue (“Deco Done Right”). “But in writing about one of the condos—which has some of the best lake views the city offers and antiques from the movie The Aviator—what really intrigued me was learning that the lady of the house is just a down-to-earth girl from the South Side of Chicago like me.”

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Stay in Style RESERVATIONS: (877) 771-7031 122 W. MONROE STREET

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HOTEL: (312) 750-9012

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Sophisticated Defined

By Tina Kourasis / Photography by Gilbert Francois

Sean Monahan and Monica Paolini are the design duo behind cool-girl label Sea New York. Armed with a degree in business administration and finance, Monahan jumped headfirst into fashion to launch the line in 2007. Soon after, he joined forces with Paolini— his childhood friend from upstate New York who had been working as design director for Betsey Johnson—and the brand took off. With an aesthetic that is equal parts vintage and Victorian (Paolini’s influence) and downtown tomboy (Monahan’s), the brand is all about its clients, who the designers describe as “feminine, unpretentious, globetrotting,

hardworking, vibrant, free and modestly provocative.” Now in more than 100 stores worldwide, Sea has countless fans who appreciate its easy pieces that are swell for vacations but also easily incorporated into day-to-day life. So how did they come up with the name? “It was like four in the morning,” says Monahan. “Monica was being OCD about the run of show and I was writing my name in big letters on a cork board with pushpins—and I just stopped at the letter ‘A.’ I left to get a coffee and I came back and was like, ‘That’s perfect.’ I love the sea, also.

It seemed like the perfect name.” sl

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

SM: Monica has a better answer… She gets to check on her son Luca.

I check emails.

The place you go for utter peace?

SM: The Palace Hotel in Tokyo.

MP: To my parents’ home in upstate New York.

Name one thing that you can’t live without?

SM: Shigure, my local bar around the corner here in TriBeCa.

What’s your favorite country to visit?

SM: I love Japan and France.

MP: Italy. I love the food and culture, and it reminds me of my grandmother.

What is your favorite piece in your closet?

MP: A necklace from my grandmother.

SM: A double-breasted suit my friend Sasaki San recently gave me from his company Tomorrowland.

What is the most elegant gift to give or to receive?

SM/MP: A handwritten note.

Who or what inspires you?

MP: Our friendship and enthusiasm for exploring life together through our designs for Sea. Who is your muse?

SM: One hundred percent our customer. Our brand is customerdriven. We have never focused on press. Our relationship with our customer is what has guided us through these 10 years.

Most sophisticated person ever?

SM: Impossible question! However, randomly the other day I came across the story of explorer and travel writer Dame Freya Stark… interesting lady.

Who is your dream client?

SM/MP: Sofia Coppola.

What are you reading right now?

SM: Raising the Floor by Andy Stern.

MP: Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef by Massimo Bottura.

Coffee or tea?

SM: Coffee.

MP: Tea. What is your favorite cocktail?

SM: We both drink a fair bit of wine—not too many cocktails—but I just got back from Japan, where I spent one night drinking Moscow mules at a great cocktail bar called Ishino Hana Bar. 22 slmag.net

Guilty pleasure?

SM: Lots of soft ice cream, but I don’t feel guilty. Mon’s is certainly an occasional mountain of sugar in her tea.

Name your top three vacation must-haves.

SM/MP: Good wine. Good weather. Good company.

Most sophisticated structure or building?

SM: Gaudí’s La Pedrera in Barcelona is first to pop into my mind.

I love walking through that building.

Where is your favorite place to go when you come to Chicago?

MP: Sadly we have not been in many years, but we are coming in the spring!

No one should ever wear…

SM: Denim cutoffs that are unfortunately short.

Everyone should own…

SM/MP: An effective rain coat.

Most universally flattering color…

SM/MP: Navy.

Current must-have from your collection?

SM: In Resort, I love the cuffed pants made from a terrific Italian cotton from Viscotex.

Describe your line in three words.

MP: Curious, optimistic, evolving.

How do you define ‘sophistication’?

SM: An awareness and appreciation of life that cultivates a curious, adventurous and naturally mannered approach to living.

Sea New York is available at VMR, 312.649.6673, and Barneys New York, 312.587.1700.

Designers Monica Paolini and Sean Monahan

SEA NEW YORK Looks from Sea New York’s spring/summer 2017 collection

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BEING SANDRO

With a host of new projects, including an homage to the photographic masters with longtime collaborator John Malkovich, iconic Chicago photographer Sandro embarks on the most creative and ambitious stage of his career yet.

By Matt Lee Photography by Sandro / Sandro portrait by Joe Morris “I’m more inspired than ever,” says longtime Chicago photographer Sandro, reclining on the couch of his West Town studio. “I’m so full of energy and curiosity and wanting to do great work—I’m more in love with photography than I’ve ever been.”

The sentiment would be inspiring coming from any veteran artist, but, considering the accomplishments Sandro has enjoyed in his long career, it’s an even more compelling statement. Long one of Chicago’s most celebrated fine art and commercial shooters, Sandro [last name Miller, but he’s on a first-name basis professionally] has an array of work that is—to put it modestly—dizzying. In addition to a seemingly unending list of projects like award-winning films and pro bono campaigns, he has held dozens of exhibitions across the globe and published a wide variety of books on an array of subjects so diverse and eclectic that their only observable commonality is that they were born out of Sandro’s curiosity and passion. An incomplete list of his book subjects alone offers an inadequate but telling glimpse into the glamorous landscape of life as experienced by Sandro: bullfighters, bikers, Cuba, Chicago dancers, Morocco, the tribes of Papua New Guinea, Steppenwolf Theatre, Michael Jordan and former prison inmates.

“All these projects that I do are my curiosities,” he says, surrounded in his studio and living space, which he shares with his wife Claude-Aline Miller, by a mind-boggling array of books, artwork and other ephemera. “I’m curious about bullfighting so I go out and shoot a book on bullfighting. I was curious about Cuba so I made 15 trips to Cuba. It’s all fulfilling curiosities.”

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Chicago photographer Sandro Miller posed on a custom motorcycle from JMOTO Speedshop in Crown Point, Ind.

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Sandro’s mind seems to be growing curiouser and curiouser. While his projects are fluid—and in some cases, such as his passion for dance, neverending—several of his recent initiatives are among his most creative and ambitious yet. In My Hair My Soul My Freedom, which will likely become its own exhibit and book, Sandro is taking an in-depth look at the hair of African American women.

The idea, he says, was born out of not only his admiration for African American hairstyles today, but also the subject’s historical significance. “When I walk the streets of Chicago and I see black women with these amazing, beautiful hairdos, I’m just blown away,” he says. “I began to do some reading about black hair. Sadly, when the Europeans went over to Africa to gather slaves, they found that Africans had the most amazing hairdos—whether it was dreads or these beautiful sculptures they would wear on their heads. Their hair empowered them. The first thing the Europeans would do is cut their hair, to weaken them. Today, it’s so beautiful for me to see these men and women growing their hair and having these amazing, almost pieces of art on their heads. Right now I’m about 70 portraits into the project.” To keep the focus solely on hair, Sandro is photographing the subjects sans any visible clothing and equalizing skin tones across the portraits. “The hair is what you really see,” he says. “This project is a celebration of Africans, African Americans and the empowerment they have with their hair.”

While the topic of African American hair may be a relatively new one for Sandro, two of his other recent initiatives are iterations of a theme that has helped define his career for the last 20 years: An ongoing, utterly unpredictable series of collaborations with the actor John Malkovich, whom Sandro met while taking portraits at the Steppenwolf Theatre nearly 20 years ago. “We just naturally hit it off,” says Sandro. “When John saw the photograph I had done of him he really loved it, and that was it. Every time he’d come to Chicago we would connect.” Over the years, the pair has collaborated on everything from more traditional portraits of the actor to, recently, a series of photos and a short movie in which they recreated 15 of director David Lynch’s most iconic characters, from Agent Cooper in Twin Peaks to Henry Spencer in Eraserhead, to raise money for Lynch’s Transcendental Meditation Foundation.

On an even larger scale is another collaboration between the duo, Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters. In this series, Sandro pays tribute to some of the most iconic photographic portraits ever taken by recreating them with Malkovich channeling the subject. A true mind-bender, the series is a perplexingly engaging trompe l’oeil that relies as much on the actor’s uncanny ability to shape-shift as Sandro and his team’s obsessive dedication to recreating every detail. Recreations range from Diane Arbus’ “A Young Man in Curlers at Home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. 1966” to Irving Penn’s “Pablo Picasso, Cannes” to Victor Skrebneski’s “Orson Welles.” While Sandro considers Penn, in particular, and Chicago icon Skrebneski among the artists who have most influenced him, all photographers in the series had a deep impact on his work.

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Muhammad Ali, 2004. Andy Warhol / Green Marilyn (1962), 2014, from the series “Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich: Homage to Photographic Masters.” Paul “Papa Smurf ” Buneta, Jr., Triumph Bonnie Chopper, Collinsville, IL, 1995, from the series “American Bikers.” Melody, 2016, from Sandro’s ongoing project “My Hair My Soul My Freedom.”

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Sandro’s portrait of Chicago blues guitarist and singer Hubert Sumlin, 2009

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Dance For Life, Sandro’s tribute to the artists whose efforts support the important charitable work of Chicago’s Dance for Life

Sandro’s latest book, The Malkovich Sessions

“The homage to the masters came out of my having cancer,” says Sandro, who recovered from a terrifying bout of Stage 4 throat and neck cancer several years ago. “I laid in bed and I was very ill for about six months. I started thinking, ‘If I get well, I’d love to say thank you to all the people who inspired me.’ These images that we recreated are just embedded in my brain. They are the images that truly changed the way I look at portraiture.”

Like much of Sandro’s work, what resonated with him has also resonated with the public—exhibits of the project are currently booked at museums around the world for more than two years out, and Sandro expects the tour could extend as long as five years. Locally, some of the portraits can be seen at Sandro’s longtime gallery, Catherine Edelman Gallery, and the portraits were included in part of the broader retrospective book The Malkovich Sessions, published earlier this year. Tellingly, Malkovich, like Sandro, is a lover of fine art in all its forms and was familiar with each of the photos before recreating them.

While much has changed over the years since Sandro first picked up a camera, his passion for the art form is timeless. “When I started out there was probably less than one tenth of the photographers there are now,” he says. “The digital world has made it much more available to everybody. I do believe stars are still being born in this industry, but I think they have the same makeup as I did—they’re so dedicated, hungry, passionate and full of desire to make it.

They’re devoting their lives to it. That’s what it is, a lifetime devotion.

“Today, with social media people are sending out for likes. That’s really not how I work. I’d rather go to the museum, institution, or gallery that I’m exhibiting at and see 400 to 600 people show up for the opening. That’s my joy.” sl

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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ENGINES More than 50 vehicles make their debut as part of the 2016 LA Auto Show in November Written by Andre James

Jaguar XKSS

Founded in 1907, the Los Angeles Auto Show is the first major North American auto show of the season each year. An epicenter for advanced automotive design, Los Angeles was a stage for several concept car unveilings, global model debuts by top auto manufacturers, and first looks at innovations and advancements around artificial intelligence, automation, car sharing, security and more.

ACURA Developed by the Acura Design Studio in California, the Acura Precision Concept places an emphasis on highcontrast details and the intersection of modern, sheer surfaces and muscular, organic sculpting through its ultra-low and wide stance, long dash-to-axle ratio, deeply sculpted surfaces and the debut of a new Diamond Pentagon grille.

The powerful exterior is matched by its dramatic interior design, where ultra-thin "floating" rear seats evoke the look of modern lounge furniture and hand-crafted audio speaker grilles are made of exotic wood. The driver's space is highlighted by a race-inspired sports steering wheel with paddle shifters and

Integrated Dynamics System controls, a floating center meter, a driver's head-up display, a cantilevered center stack and an ultrawide curved center display screen.

ALFA ROMEO Named after the Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps and dubbed as “the SUV for S-Curves,” the all-new 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is the second of a new lineup of vehicles built off a world-class architecture that embodies the brand’s La meccanica delle emozioni (the mechanics of emotion) spirit. Stelvio and Stelvio Ti models feature an all-new, all-aluminum, 2.0-liter, direct-injection turbo engine delivering a class-leading, standard 280hp and 306 lb.-ft. of torque, allowing it to achieve a top speed of 144mph.

Italian craftsmanship is enhanced with state-of-the-art technologies, such as a four-mode Alfa DNA Pro selector with Race mode, torque vectoring differential, Quadrifoglio-tuned adaptive suspension, Quadrifoglio instrument cluster with 200mph speedometer and cylinder deactivation system, aluminum columnmounted paddle shifters with 100 millisecond shifts and a Q4 all-wheel-drive system. slmag.net

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Acura Precision Concept

2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Buick Avista Concept

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BMW M760i xDrive

BMW The first BMW 7 Series M performance automobile, the allnew 2017 BMW M760i xDrive, sees the addition of the first M Performance TwinPower Turbo 12-cylinder engine, boasting 601hp and an impressive 590 lb-ft of torque. The eight-speed Steptronic Sport Automatic transmission equipped with Launch Control paves the way for drivers to achieve a 0-60 mph run in just 3.6 seconds.

Specially tuned for the BMW M760i xDrive, M Performance specific suspension geometry, M Sport brakes and Integral Active Steering with a more direct front axle steering ratio, grant the agility and precision expected from a BMW M Performance-developed vehicle. Priced at $153,800 plus Destination and Handling.

BUICK Envisioned as a contemporary grand tourer, Buick’s Avista concept is a 2+2 coupe with a 400-horsepower twinturbocharged V-6 driving the rear wheels and a driver-focused cockpit with a center console that incorporates touch screen controls and extends to the rear seating area.

Similar to the 2017 LaCrosse, the concept features fuelsaving Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and Stop/Start technology to complement its power with efficiency.

The engine is backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission and Magnetic Ride Control to deliver more precise body motion control.

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The all-new Land Rover Discovery

CADILLAC Escala — Spanish for “scale” — is Cadillac’s concept for a larger, more elite and expressive companion to the 2016 Cadillac CT6. The large four-door sedan features an expansive liftback design emphasizing the car’s considerable scale and versatility. At 210.5 inches in overall length, Escala is roughly six inches longer than the CT6. It is powered by a new 4.2-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine that serves as a prototype of a new system in development for future Cadillac models.

The advanced engine utilizes Active Fuel Management technology, enabling fuel-saving four-cylinder operation.

An array of three curved OLED screens is a prominent feature in the front of the cabin. Presented as an alternative to the traditional “cluster” arrangement of gauges, the thin, curved displays are layered in front of the driver, with the backsides wrapped in hand-stitched leather embossed with the Cadillac script. The interior makes broad use of hand-tailored fabric on the door trim and seating areas.

JAGUAR Jaguar celebrated both the past and the future, debuting its I-PACE Concept, an all-electric performance SUV as well as the first genuine XKSS to be built in nearly 60 years.

The I-PACE boasts electric motors on the front and rear axles with a combined output of 400hp and 516-lb ft. of torque – delivering acceleration from 0-60 mph in around four seconds.

The 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack has an estimated range of 220 miles and can be fully charged in just over two hours using a

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public 50kW DC charging network. The company plans to have the I-PACE production model on the road in 2018.

Presented in collaboration with the Petersen Museum, the XKSS was built from 1954-1986 as a road-going conversion of the Le Mans-winning D-type. Just 16 examples were built; in 1957, nine that were earmarked for export to North America were lost in a fire at Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory in the British Midlands; meaning just 16 examples of XKSS were built. With a price tag in excess of $1 million, Jaguar’s Classic division will build the nine “lost” cars for a select group of established collectors and customers using the one-off example presented in LA, the result of 18 months of research, as a blueprint. A period correct continuation, the XKSS will be built using a combination of original drawings from Jaguar’s archive and modern technology.

LAND ROVER Making its North American debut in advance of the auto show at a Venice Beach popup, Land Rover utilized guest appearances by big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton, his wife and champion volleyball player Gabby Reece, and Olympic goldmedalist swimmer Conor Dwyer, among others to highlight the compatibility of their all-new Land Rover Discovery with an active lifestyle.

Discovery is billed as the brand’s most versatile SUV, with seating for up to seven adults with optional third row seating and offering premium design and interiors, all-terrain capability

Cadillac Escala Concept

Jaguar I-PACE Concept

Mercedes-Maybach S 650 Cabriolet

Mazda RT24-P Racecar

and unique cutting-edge technology. Notable features include Intelligent Seat Fold technology that allows owners to instantly configure seating remotely via their Smartphone app and an available waterproof Activity Key that simultaneously locks the vehicle and disables the standard key, which can be left safely inside.

LINCOLN Taking design inspiration from luxury yachts and sailboats, power gullwing doors and deployable concertina steps on the Lincoln Motor Company’s Navigator Concept certainly turned heads during its debut. “Lincoln Navigator concept reinforces our commitment to give every Lincoln client what we call quiet luxury – vehicles and experiences that are elegant and effortlessly powerful,” said Kumar Galhotra, president, The Lincoln Motor Company. “Quiet luxury is what sets Lincoln apart. We’re showing fans of large SUVs how we can exceed their expectations, without being the loudest statement on the road.”

Inside, a custom wardrobe management system at the rear offers spacious organization for the savvy traveler. Six Lincolnpatented Perfect Position Seats adjust 30 ways to best support various body types. The driver’s seat includes independent deployable thigh support for maximum comfort.

MAZDA Ushering in a new era in the prominent history of Mazda Motorsports’ flagship endeavors in North America, the RT24-P racecar will make its racing debut at the 2017 Rolex 24

at Daytona in late January. The approximately 600hp engine, developed and raced with Advanced Engine Research (AER), is a 2.0-liter, inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine.

The Mazda RT24-P name echoes the Mazda Road to 24, a driver development program that provides scholarships to help championship-winning drivers progress from grassroots into the upper categories of professional sports car racing. Mazda currently holds more than 55 percent of the market share in grassroots racing. The “24” also represents the two-liter, four-cylinder race engine. The “P” signifies Prototype.

MERCEDES The first cabriolet from the Mercedes-Maybach brand, limited to 300 examples worldwide and 75 units in the U.S., made its debut at the LA Auto Show. Based on the open-top S-Class, the cabriolet is powered by a 6.0L V12 biturbo engine with an output of 621hp.

In the U.S. market, three themes will be available: Zircon Red exterior paint with Porcelain / Black interior, Piano Lacquer Flowing Lines trim and a black soft top; Cote d’Azur Blue exterior paint with a Porcelain / Saddle Brown interior, Magnolia Nut Brown trim and a beige soft top; and, designo Diamond White exterior paint with Porcelain / Yacht Blue Interior, Magnolia Nut Brown Flowing Lines trim and a dark blue soft top. Each is equipped with an exclusive travel luggage set to coordinate with the interior variant selected by the customer.

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Lincoln Navigator Concept

Mitsubishi eX Concept

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Porsche Panamara Hybrid Executive

MITSUBISHI The MITSUBISHI eX Concept represents the brand’s vision for a unique 100 percent electric-powered compact SUV aimed at the fast-growing compact SUV market. It uses Mitsubishi's state-of-the art electric-powered technologies and allwheel control combined with automated driving, connected car interfacing and active safety technologies.

Merging the elegance and stylishness of a "shooting brake" (a term for a coupé with flowing styling fused with a hatchback car) with compact SUV lines, it evokes the image of a sporty crossover zipping nimbly around town. The front end is a new interpretation of the Dynamic Shield front design concept found in Mitsubishi's current product lineup.

The eX Concept can be connected to a V2H device that allows the energy stored in the drive battery to supply enough electricity battery to power domestic appliances in an average household for four days. A 1500W 100V AC socket also allows the battery to power home electric appliances when enjoying outdoor pursuits.

PORSCHE Increasing the model range of the Panamera to nine variants, Porsche presented its luxury sports sedan with a new 330hp V6 turbo engine (an increase of 20hp over the previous Panamera generation). The engine is available with rear-rear drive and all-wheel drive in the Panamera 4 or the new extended

wheelbase Executive version. Enhanced standard accoutrements in the Executive edition include a large panoramic roof, heated comfort seats with multi-way electrical adjustment in the front and rear, and adaptive air suspension with an electronically controlled damper system, roll-up sunblind behind the head restraints in the rear. With an impressive 550hp, rear-axle steering, soft-close doors, four-zone climate control, LED main headlights including Porsche Dynamic Light System and ambient interior lighting are among the stock options in the Panamera Turbo Executive. Available upgrades for the Executive models include a newly developed large rear center console and the latest generation of Porsche Rear Seat Entertainment that can transform the space into a digital workspace.

SUBARU With full three-row capability, Subaru’s VIZIV-7 SUV Concept shows the size direction of the all-new threerow midsize SUVs it plans to introduce to the North American market in early 2018. “The concept expresses our core brand values, safety, dependability, capability for outdoor activities and a forward looking attitude,” said Takeshi Tachimori, corporate executive vice president, Fuji Heavy Industries, LTD. “We know customers in this segment want a full-sized vehicle, and the next three-row from Subaru will be the biggest Subaru vehicle ever. sl slmag.net

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Bibliotaph... Bowled Over... From Soup to the Super Bowl

Compiled by Colin Dennis

With more than 100 user-friendly broth-based recipes for soups, stews and casseroles, risottos and sauces, this book explains why bone broth is so nutritious and how you can incorporate its benefits in your everyday diet. Available March 1. Vicki Edgson & Heather Thomas - Broth: Nature's cure-all for health and nutrition, with delicious recipes for broths, soups, stews and risottos - Hardcover, 176 pages, Jacqui Small LLP (quartoknows.com/Jacqui-Small).

Comfort food for the calorieconscious, each of the flavorful and satisfying soups featured in this book have less than 300 calories per portion. Kathryn Bruton - Skinny Soups: 80 FlavorPacked Recipes of 300 Calories or Less - Paperback, 160 pages, Kyle Books (kylebooks.com).

Available in June, award-winning author and chef Albert W.A. Schmid shares both new and forgotten versions of regional dishes from the time of Daniel Boone to today. And like any good Kentucky cookbook, he recommends classic bourbonbased drinks that pair well with burgoo and barbecue. Albert W.A. Schmid - Burgoo, Barbecue & Bourbon: A Kentucky Culinary Trinity - Hardcover, 184 pages, University Press of Kentucky (kentuckypress.com).

One-bowl meals are the focus of this vegetarian cookbook that also includes tips and techniques for perfecting broths, handmakde noodles, sauces and garnishes. Lukas Volger - Bowl: Vegetarian Recipes for Ramen, Pho, Bibimbap, Dumplings, and Other One-Dish Meals - Paperback, 256 pages, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (hmhco.com).

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bib 'li' o 'taph, [bib-lee-uhtaf, -tahf]: a person who caches or hoards books Sports author and oral historian Harvey Frommer recounts the story of the groundbreaking AFL–NFL World Championship Football game played on January 15, 1967: Packers vs. Chiefs. Harvey Former (Author), Frank Gifford (Foreward) - When It was Just a Game: Remembering the First Super Bowl - Hardcover, 312 pages, Taylor Trade Publishing (rowman.com/TaylorTrade).

The Super Bowl has become the most watched television program in America, and this hefty book beautifully celebrates the golden anniversary of the sport, with ample archival photography and original illustration.

Bethany Bradsher - Super Bowl 50: Celebrating Fifty Years of America's Greatest Game - Hardcover, 344 pages, JKR Ventures (superbowl50book.com).

Expanding on the scope of the PBS documentary produced by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns, this book details every harrowing phase of the "worst manmade ecological disaster in American history." Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns - The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History - Hardcover, 232 pages, Chronicle Books (chroniclebooks.com).

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OLIVE NAPA VALLEY Discovering another kind of liquid gold in California wine country Written by Caroline Hannan

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During a recent 36-hour sojourn in the Napa Valley, I was faced with a conundrum: how to make the most of precious little time without running myself ragged. Given the so-many-wineries-so-little-time scenario, I opted to focus on just one property – Round Pond – an estate whose high-quality, artisan-produced olive oils are garnering as much acclaim as their wines. A partnership with nearby Meadowood has resulted in the Harvest, Round (Pond) Two! package, making it easy to enjoy the best of both renowned properties.

Pulling onto a road less traveled in St. Helena, lined on either side by neat rows of grapevines, their fruit long harvested

so one is left to admire the kaleidoscopic colors of leaves holding fast to the gnarled vines, the late afternoon sunshine gives way to a mysterious mottled light filtered through a thick canopy of trees that envelopes the gatehouse at Meadowood, my home base for the next two nights. The transformative effect is heightened as security waves us through and we continue along a wide lane and through a fairytale-like forest past crystal clear swimming pools, tennis courts and undulating hills sprinkled with cottages carefully placed among the trees ‌ a posh and idyllic setting for a grownup version of summer camp.

Aerial view of Meadowood Resort.

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Estate Suite Bedroom at Meadowood.

Hill House Suite.

My one bedroom, 600-square-foot cottage in the Treeline Suites enclave sat atop the crest of a hill; from my private deck I was afforded sweeping views of the 250-acre property that includes a total of 85 cottages, suites and lodges, a ninehole golf course, croquet lawn, a health and fitness center, four miles of hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty, a newly constructed spa and a restaurant awarded three Michelin stars.

My room exuded that covetable aura of California cool, expressed via a neutral color palette, a comfortable slipcovered sofa and fireplace in the sitting room, a bedroom with a plush California king bed and a 32-inch flat screen television cleverly concealed on a lift in the writing desk, and a large, recently renovated bath with a deep soaking tub and separate shower.

Looking to unwind after a long travel day, in lieu of raiding the minibar, I called for a golf cart to pop me over to the Reception Lodge to partake in their daily complimentary reception and tasting of celebrated Napa Valley wines (one red and one white) for resort guests. Guests lucky to lodge on a Friday are treated to a Napa Valley sparkling varietal to welcome the weekend. Now in full relaxation mode, I made the short walk to the spa to begin my immersion in the world of Round Pond.

The 14,000-square-foot spa is unlike any I’ve experienced.

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Outdoor shower at the Hill House Suite at Meadowood.

Treehouse Retreat Room at the Meadowood Spa.

soothing about sitting in most spa’s relaxation room clad in nothing but a bathrobe and surrounded by strangers. With the Meadowood Spa’s all-suite concept, you are fully and privately immersed in the spa treatment from start-to-finish, and an in-depth consultation with your therapist prior to the start of any service all but guarantees your desired outcome.

In preparation for my visit to the Round Pond estate the following day, my 90-minute body treatment included having my skin tenderized with a scrub of sea salt and Round Pond olive oil followed by a full body massage. After the dually invigorating and relaxing experience, which included time in my spa suite’s aromatherapy steam shower and left my skin feeling supersmooth, I joked with my therapist that I now know what it feels like to be a Wagyu filet.

I hit the hiking trails that ring the Meadowood property early the following morning in preparation for what I knew would be an indulgent day. After a short drive to Rutherford, by 10:30am I found myself with wineglass in hand, tasting Round Pond’s 2015 Proprietary white wine with affable winemaker Muiris Griffin and warm-as-sunshine Ryan MacDonnell, who co-owns Round Pond Estate with her brother Miles.

Ryan and Miles’ father began purchasing land in the area in the late 1970s and gradually increased their holdings as adjacent

The dining terrace at Rond Pond Estate.

A 1941 Chevrolet Truck is used to shuttle guests around on select experiences at Round Pond.

properties became available. The estate’s first wine, “Tractor Shed Red,” was made in 1992 to share with family and friends. Twelve acres of olive orchards were planted in 1998; the olive mill opened in 2003 and remains one of only two in Napa Valley. The first grape harvest under the Round Pond label took place in 2002, resulting in their 2002 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, and in 2007, the winery and tasting room opened to offer a unique farm-to-table approach for visitors. At present, Round Pond Estate encompasses 460 acres, including 362 acres of vineyards and five acres of biodynamic gardens.

Both Ryan and Miles left Rutherford to pursue different career paths (he with Deloitte, she with Goldman Sachs and the Hewlett Foundation) before returning to their roots; they now live on the property with their spouses and young children and treat the land like the family heirloom it is. “Ryan and I are incredibly lucky to live and work with our family on family land,” says Miles.

“Basically we grew up camping out in these vineyards, exploring the river, and riding four-wheelers up and down the valley. As a family we enjoyed the farm-to-table lifestyle before it was fashionable.”

Round Pond offers an extensive lineup of interactive experiences equally geared to satiate the palettes of oenophiles and foodies alike.

For my food-focused experience, I was chauffeured around the property in the covered bed of a 1941 fire engine-red Chevrolet truck that has become an iconic symbol of the estate. Our first stop was a

Private garden retreat on the Round Pond Estate.

Hole #4 on the golf course at Meadowood Resort.

special tasting of Balsamic Traditional straight from the barrel. One drop of the sweet and savory elixir had me clamoring to get on the wait list for a bottle from the very limited production.

Crafted using the centuries-old Orleans methods from classic red wines produced on the estate, Round Pond Red Wine Vinegars ($9-$18) are aged for 10 months in French oak barrels.

Intensely fragrant and flavorful, a pair of vinaigrettes – Blood Orange Lavender and Red Wine Herb ($18/250ml bottle) – captures the essence of the summer in a bottle.

At the Olive Mill, we learned about the ins and outs of oil production and tasting, and sampled the liquid gold in traditional cobalt blue tasting cups straight from the press. Unlike wine where examining color is part of the tasting process, color is not an indicator of an olive oil’s flavor or quality. Warming the blue glass briefly in our cupped palm and covering the top with the other hand as we gently swirled the viscous liquid around, Miles demonstrated how to taste the oil. An audible slurp emulsifies the oil with air in the mouth, allowing it to coat the tongue and activate all of the sensory areas. Varying degrees of bitterness and pungency, the peppery sensation felt in the throat as the oil is swallowed, is a hallmark of high-quality olive oil. Trust me, once you’ve tasted “the good stuff,” it becomes quite easy to discern it from the imposters lurking in so many of our kitchen pantries. slmag.net

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Round Pond Estate winemaker Muiris Griffin.

Beets with bulgur wheat from the Meadowood Spa culinary menu.

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Round Pond olive oil and salt scrub used as a spa treatment at Meadowood Resort.

Round Pond Estate wine.

Photo by Olaf Beckmann.

A selection of Round Pond Estate olive oils. Photo by Bryan Gray.

Round Pond produces two varietals of olive oil ($9$36), Italian and Spanish, using a traditional stone mill and a contemporary Hammermill, a best-of-both-worlds scenario that allows for master blending and teases out the best flavor from the harvest of 2,200 olive trees. A selection of infused oils is also available, with Meyer Lemon, Garlic and Chili among my personal favorites ($9-$18). What to do with the fruit left over from infusing oil with Meyer Lemon and Blood Orange peels led to the development of citrus syrups ($18), which pair ideally with savory cheeses, poured over waffles and incorporated into cocktails. True olive oil aficionados will want to partake of the estate’s fresh olive oil days, where they have the opportunity to craft their personal “by-the-milliliter” blend.

Traipsing about the estate worked up an appetite, so our group convened back at the winery, gathering on the covered terrace, for a multi-course lunch. With the Mayacamas Mountains silhouetted in the distance and a cozy fire roaring, we sipped and savored the estate’s bounty in every course. Round Pond’s blog, THE FEED (feedbyroundpond.com), shares scores

of recipes created by the winery chef, Jamie Prouten, as well as other notable Napa Valley culinary influencers.

A palpable and infectious joie de vivre permeated every level of interaction during our visit to Round Pond, a feeling that’s easily understandable given the area’s natural beauty further enhanced by a passionate commitment to respect the land. “As a family we have always enjoyed the rustic elegance of wine and homegrown food around the table,” says Ryan. “It's a privilege, now, to be able to share the bounty of our estate with others.”

The Harvest, Round (Pond) Two! package includes a twonight stay in a Woodland Suite or Treeline Suite; daily breakfast; Round Pond Olive Mill Tour & Tasting; two Essential Journeys spa treatments utilizing Round Pond Olive Oil; and a tailored Eco Fitness Class with Meadowood Certified Health Coach Kerry Brackett. Priced at $2,300 for two adults and subject to availability through February 28. For more information, visit meadowood.com. To purchase wine and food products from Round Pond or explore their other available tours and experiences, visit roundpond.com. sl slmag.net

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Of Note... Just My Type (furniture and accessories with something to say) Compiled by Colin Dennis

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1) The "What's Your Number" table from Legend by RG is handcrafted from reclaimed steel, inset with an assemblage of reclaimed vintage plaster numbers and topped with glass.

Each piece is approximately 20� x 22�h (price upon request; rhgdesign.com). 2) Youth Has No Age neon sign by Neon MFG is mounted to a contour cut piece of high quality clear acrylic with two pre-drilled holes in the back for easy hanging. Each sign has a six-foot power cord with on/off switch, and is connected to a UL certified transformer ($189; neonmfg.com). 3) LIGHTHINK BOXES designed by Selab + Badini Createam for Seletti. Available in three sizes, these natural wood light boxes have interchangeable messages and a customizable blank ($125-$175; seletti.it). 4)Quote candles from The 125 Collection are individually poured in small batches in New York state and have an approximate burning time of up to 80 hours ($32; the125collection.com). 5) Classic typewriter font fridge-magnets to make your kitchen cool ($9.95; yellowoctopus.com). 6) The ABC Bookcase is a unique typeface-based modular shelving system designed by Eva Alessandrini and Roberto Saporiti. The shelving modules are available for every letter and number, which enables different words or messages to be spelled out ($295/each; do-shop.com). 7) Personalised Vintage Champagne Spoon sourced and hand-stamped in the UK by The Oak Room ($35; oakroomshop.co.uk). 8) White steel Hello outdoor sign (35"h x 8"w) by NZ designer Lisa Turley ($169; lisasarah.com).

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Claes Chair from Thayer Coggin. Available in 12 wood and lacquer finishes (price upon request; thayercoggin.com).

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Fit to be Tried

Pieces for looking stylish while working up a sweat

Compiled by Bridget Williams

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Nimble Activewear Grace sports bra in ash heather ($69) and Lauren 7/8 tights in white marble ($95; nimbleactivewear.com).

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1) The Upside Lanakai Neo tank ($119) and Upside yoga pant ($139; theupsidesport.com). 2) Mara Hoffman Herbarium Black racerback crop top with built-in shelf bra ($128) and mid-rise long legging ($136; marahoffman.com). 3) Varley Vance Nightstalker bra ($60) and legging ($110; varley.com).

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Trina Turk Lattice Wrap cropped bra ($76), jacket ($154) and mid-length legging ($94; trinaturk.com).

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1) Missguided sports leggings ($27; missguidedus.com). 2) Short but Shiny shorts from Day ($65; thisisaday.com). 3) Michi Dusk legging in heather grey and black python ($195; michiny.com). 4) Alexander McQueen embellished cotton sweatshirt ($1,245; stylebop.com). 5) Dream Harder tank from Day ($50; thisisaday.com). 6) Slash top from Michi ($95; michiny.com). 7) Missguided Active black zip up slogan sports jacket ($39; missguidedus.com). 8) Del Mar black sweat with multiple arm cut outs from Varley ($90; varley.com). 9) Adidas by Stella McCartney you mat ($69; stylebop.com).

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Curating a Lifestyle: American Art Pottery Written by Amelia and Jeff Jeffers

From left: Rookwood Vellum vase made by Ed Diers in 1919, $1586 at auction. A rare pâte-sur-pâte porcelain jar by Homer Laughlin, circa 1886, $18,000 (at auction, one of a pair).

Circa 1902 Avon Pottery vase with classic faience glaze, $1,440 at auction. Wonderful Art Nouveau faience "Spring" jardiniere and pedestal, $4,200 at auction.

Tackling the field of pottery collecting in a two-page article is akin to filling a pool with a teacup. As broad a category as any, pottery generally refers to any object shaped from clay and dried (or fired) to fix the form. Humans have been creating functional (and functionally beautiful) pottery objects for over 13,000 years, and while methods and materials have largely remained the same, design, style and form has changed dramatically across cultures and generations. A relatively undervalued segment of the collecting world today happens to be one that particularly appeals to us: American art pottery.

Rising from the practical use of rich and abundant clay deposits across the eastern and central states, art pottery was elevated in the late 19th century when an unlikely innovator (who also happened to be a wealthy Cincinnati socialite) decided it was time for America to step up and overtake Europe as the leader in the ceramic arts. Thanks to an expansive online market, collectors are able to enter this field at nearly every price point.

Below are a few examples of some of the more sought-after American art pottery companies.

ROOKWOOD Founded by Cincinnati socialite Maria Longworth, the Rookwood Pottery Company was a success by any measure when its team of artisans won the First Prize Gold Medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1889 - just nine years after the firm had started production. Shocking the

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international artistic community, who had never really paid much attention to American ceramics, Rookwood went on to dominate the art pottery scene for several decades, pouring money into high quality materials and hiring the best of the best artists of the period. A signature Rookwood matte-glazed vase with minimal decoration can be easily found for just $100-300, but buyers looking for more elaborate pieces by renowned artists such as Sara Sax, Albert Valentine, Jens Jensen or Carl Schmidt should be prepared to reach deep into their wallets, with works reaching well into the thousands.

NEWCOMB Born from the desire to supply women with the means of supporting themselves and their families, Newcomb Pottery grew from the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, the women's college now associated with Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. During its years of operation (1895-1940), the company produced more than 70,000 pieces, many of which were decorated by home-grown talents whose names make collectors’ hearts race all over the country: Sadie Irvine, Harriet Joor, Frances Lawrence Howe Cocke and Sara Levy. Apropos to the Arts and Crafts period during which it flourished, Newcomb pottery drew inspiration from the local flora and fauna. Its high point is generally considered to be from 1897-1917, when the artists from Newcomb won numerous awards at various exhibitions. The record-price at

A Stickley table with Grueby tiles inset, $6,000 at auction. Newcomb College vase by Henrietta Bailey in 1915, $1,661 at auction. Weller vase by Sicard, $1,800 at auction.

auction for Newcomb pottery was $169,200 for a high-glazed vase with incised clematis designs decorated in 1904 by Marie de Hoa LeBlanc. Generally though, options abound in the midhundreds to low thousands.

GRUEBY Inspired by the matte glazes popular on French pottery at the time, the classically refined simplicity of Japanese ceramics and the work of architect-designer William Graves, William Henry Grueby founded his eponymous company in Revere, Massachusetts in 1894. A pioneer in the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements of the late 19th and early 20th century, the Grueby company produced homegoods, as well as architectural terra cotta and tin-glazed faience tiles. A series of impressive results at international exhibitions from 1901-1904 shot Grueby’s wares to meteoric commercial success - and partnerships with some of the biggest brands of the era. Style-maker Siegfred Bing featured Grueby in his tony Maison de l'Art Nouveau in Paris; Tiffany Studios purchased Grueby bases for their stunning leaded glass lamp shades; and acclaimed furniture maker Gustav Stickley incorporated Grueby tiles into stands and tables. Grueby is probably best recognized today for tiles and lamp bases, with prices covering a wide range–from $100 to many thousands of dollars.

WELLER Samuel Weller started his modest pottery company in 1872 with one beehive kiln and a small cabin, but by 1905 the

company was one of the largest manufacturers of ceramics in the country. Weller Pottery mass-produced art pottery through 1920, and its commercial lines continued until the company closed in 1948. Although the majority of Weller Pottery is fairly inexpensive and easy to find, a few designs can be more obscure and cost substantially more. The Sicardo line of pottery was developed

by French ceramist Jacques Sicard and feature an iridescent glaze that was notoriously difficult to produce. Historians believe that only about 30% of the Sicard pieces ever made survived to market during the short five-year production period. Many believe that Sicard never revealed the secret of his glaze; and when he returned to France, his formula went with him. Collectors expect to pay several hundred dollars each for basic Sicard pieces.

HOMER LAUGHLIN Best known for their colorful dinnerware known as Fiesta, Homer Laughlin is hardly associated with the best art pottery. But, for a brief period, along with his brother, Laughlin threw his hat into the art pottery ring by producing a very small handful of covetable items, including a pâte-sur-pâte porcelain, a laborious process that allows the decoration to retain a translucence so sought after in porcelain. High-style porcelains from Laughlin’s ambitious efforts command high prices as both aesthetically appealing and historically important works. sl Amelia & Jeff Jeffers are co-owners of two fine art, antique and bespoke collectibles companies: Garth's of Delaware, Ohio and Selkirk of St. Louis, Missouri.

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THE MIX

Finding health and happiness in a balanced way of life Written by Jack Mitchell There is by no means a shortage of beautiful cookbooks on the market, and I am no stranger to the allure of their charms. At present, there are scores of them arranged proudly on my kitchen shelves as false testaments to fantastic meals I should be preparing at home rather than caught in an endless cycle of dining out or grabbing less-than-healthy takeout on my way home from the office.

Maybe I was feeling extra nostalgic because of the holidays or the arrival of the book was perfectly timed to align with my annual proclamations that this will be the year I spend more time in the kitchen, but an opening quote in Liora Bels’ new cookbook, The Mix: A Loving Blend of Plant-Based Recipes, reached out and pulled me in.

“I love the emotional aspect of food. It not only nurtures you but also brings people together. It makes you fall in love and the taste and scent of it creates memories. Food makes you feel.”

It always strikes me as odd that we need a beautifully photographed book to serve as a reminder to eat more natural food, but somewhere along the way, for myriad reasons related to taste, unfamiliarity or perceived inconvenience, many of us meandered away from plant-based cooking. A working mom, Bels’ attempts to remove barriers, both real and imagined, make plant-based cooking more accessible … and most important, tasty. Her philosophy as a specialist on healthy eating and wholesome living revolves around the positive effects nutrition and a plant-based diet can have on body and soul.

Food photography by Mirjam Knickriem so vibrant and appetizing you’ll be tempted to nibble the pages is peppered with images of Bels looking radiant and happy in mid-century modern-inspired spaces. If it’s true that you are what you eat, then the Berlin-born beauty is a walking billboard for the benefits of a plant-based diet. She was gracious enough to share “Borscht My Way,” one of her favorite recipes from the book as an introduction to the hip side of healthy.

While Thai takeout will be a hard habit to break, Bels’ laid-back approach to eating well has me looking forward to trying to keep at least one of my New Year’s resolutions. I can already envision a pot of Fragrant Sweet Potato Soup (page 116) putting up a delicious affront to winter’s chill. sl Liora Bels – The Mix: A Loving Blend of Plant-Based Recipes – Hardcover, 205 pages, teNeues (teneues.com).

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Photo copyright 2016 Mirjam Knickriem. All rights reserved.

Photo copyright 2016 Mirjam Knickriem. All rights reserved.

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REMOTE CONTROL A landmark renovation of Cliff House Maine allows the storied property to once again command a rugged piece of Maine’s coastline in grand fashion Written by Bridget Williams

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Upset that I’d roused before my 7am alarm, I rubbed my eyes, groggily shuffled to the glass door of my oceanfront balcony and peeled back the curtain just enough to survey the scene. After closing my dropped jaw, I sprang into action, groping the surroundings in my darkened room for any suitable articles of clothing that would make me (somewhat) presentable. Without even running a brush through my teeth or hair, I grabbed my camera and made a mad dash through the hotel’s corridors (the smell of freshly painted walls and new carpet still quite discernable), into the lobby and then outside to descend a wooden staircase that provides access to a jumble of massive boulders whose cleanly shorn edges look as though they were carefully cleaved at the hands of a giant.

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Photo by Bridget Williams.

Under the gradually brightening ambiance of a sherbet-colored sky, I scrambled to the edge of a towering rock whose lower half was worn smooth by the continual lapping of waves. Despite the hotel being completely sold out for the weekend, I existed in a state of blissful solitude, my legs dangling far above the water while I watched in wonder as the rhythmic pounding of the water seemed to keep time with the steady pace of the yolky orb ascending on the horizon. Magical doesn’t even begin to describe the experience… and it was only my first full day at Cliff House in Cape Neddick, Maine.

Nestled on 70 oceanfront acres on the southern coast of Maine, Cliff House is accessed via a windy two-lane road that traverses through picturesque and gentrified countryside. Sunday drivers are rewarded with a titillating peep show in-between stands of mature trees of both the sea and covetable weathered-shingled manses positioned at the end of leafy drives.

Cliff House has a long history of determined hospitality in the region dating back to the late 1800s when Elsie Jane, wife of Captain Theodore Weare, had the foresight and gumption to purchase land on Bald Head Cliff and develop a resort after learning of expansion plans for the Boston and Maine Railroad into nearby York. The embodiment of a working mother, Elise Jane opened Cliff House in 1872, operated the hotel and farm, invested in real estate, raised seven children and cared for her husband, who suffered from consumption. Rates for the 1872 premier season were $6.00 per week, per person, and included all three meals.

The property thrived as a retreat for the upper crust until World War II when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commandeered it and constructed a radar station at the site to keep a round-the-clock vigil for Nazi submarines in the coastal waters. Following the war, the resort was left in a great state of disrepair. Elsie Jane’s son Charles, left nearly penniless following the seizure of his family’s livelihood, turned the property over to his son Maurice, who with his wife made it their life’s work to return Cliff House to its former glory.

Common among the subsequent expansions and renovations up to the present day is a sensitivity to the changing needs and expectations of hotel guests and a willingness to evolve to meet them. While no longer under the control of the Weare family (Kathryn Weare sold the property to Rockbridge, an Ohiobased private equity firm and Maine hoteliers Marc Dugas and Peter Anastos in 2015), there is little doubt that Elsie Jane would be more than pleased with the reemergence of the resort as a beacon of luxury and hospitality.

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The lobby lounge.

Oceanfront king guest room.

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Farmer's Board at The Tiller Restaurant.

Photo by Bridget Williams

Breakfast from the Wellness Menu at The Tiller Restaurant.

Photo by Bridget Williams.

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Nautical detail in an oceanfront guest room.

Two types of Maine's famous lobster rolls are served at Nubb's Lobster Shack.

Photo by Bridget Williams.

Fresh off of a first phase, $40 million landmark renovation (the property reopened in August of last year), upon entering the lobby today, one is immediately drawn to a bank of windows in the two-story space that provides sweeping views of the aforementioned boulder field. It’s a bit of a shame that Mother Nature steals the show, as the snappy “new nautical” decor (executed without a hint of kitsch), which is as crisp and fresh as the oceanic air, is equally worth ogling. The interior design of 132 ocean view guestrooms (up to 226 when second phase renovations are complete) mirrors the public areas, adorned in shades of grey, white and navy with playful touches such as porthole-style mirrors on each doorway, shiplap paneling and oversized nautical maps printed on the surface of a table in each room.

The owners of the hotel have adopted an ardent “true to Maine” philosophy, utilizing as many local partners as possible in all facets of operation.

Flooring is comprised of 46,000 square feet of reclaimed pine sourced from old buildings throughout the northeast; Cuddledown comforters on the beds are made in Maine. Even the staff members are in on the theme, smartly attired in plaid J. Crew oxford shirts.

The hotel is divided into two wings that hug Bald Head Cliff like outstretched arms welcoming the waves. A more generous setback from the cliff’s edge on one side provides room for an infinity pool and a large lawn dotted with comfy Adirondack chairs and fire pits, where nightly s’mores and storytelling bring guests together. Glass barriers on terraces and balconies preserve the view and provide just enough contemporary edge.

As one of the few hotels in the area that are open year-round, now, even in the dead of winter, guests and locals can nosh on Maine’s famed lobster roll at Nubb’s Lobster Shack. A native of Bath, Maine, Executive Chef Rick Shell takes his lobster rolls seriously, serving them up alongside fried clams, a raw bar, juicy burgers with pickled garden tomatoes, handcrafted cocktails with garden-picked ingredients and a wide selection of local craft beers from regional brewers in a hip space complete with vintage arcade games, exposed duct work, exposed brick, weathered wood and garage-style doors facing the sea that can be opened weather permitting.

Chef Shell is also serious about supporting local producers, with the menu at The Tiller Restaurant listing “family farmer friends” whose products contributed to the meal. “Food is all about regional flair,” remarked Shell. “We have great fun with our food producers.” Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, The Tiller is suspended above the Atlantic to provide panoramic ocean views and spectacular sunrises if you aren’t up for scrambling across boulders first thing in the morning.

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Scenic lobstering cruises are one of many activites offered to provide guests with a "True to Maine" experience.

Photo by Bridget Williams.

Debuting this past December, the 9,000-square-foot spa and fitness center boasts nine treatment rooms as well as a couple’s room with its own kitchen.

Treatments incorporate four premium product lines: Elemental Herbology, Sciote, Red Flower and Zents. Creative skincare and body treatments that bring the bounty of the outside in include an organic botanical poultice ritual and wild blueberry and sugar scrubs. A wellness philosophy created under the direction of Spa Director Dawn Page carries over to specialty items on the menu at The Tiller Restaurant (which are just as tasty and satisfying as the “regular” menu offerings) as well as daily morning yoga sessions. An adjacent semi-private 18-hole golf course is also available to guests.

Recreation leader Alex Bousquet heads up a full program of activities geared at providing guests with a taste of Maine hallmarks. Scenic lobstering cruises, tennis, hiking, biking, sea kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, ice skating, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and helicopter tours of the lighthouses and coastlines are a small sampling of what’s available. Quaint towns dotting the area provide ample day-tripping fodder for shopping, dining and sightseeing. If there’s a performance at the Ogunquit Playhouse, you’ll want to be sure to get a ticket; 2017 will mark the 85th season for “America’s Foremost Summer Theatre,” which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Restaurants of note include the Roost Cafe in Ogunquit and the landmark Goldenrod Restaurant in York, which has been in operation since 1896 (you won’t be able to leave without picking up a piece of taffy, the colorful bands pulled, stretched and cut into pieces for all to see in the streetscape windows). sl Cliff House Maine is located an hour north of Boston and within driving distance of Portland, Maine, and New York City. For more information or reservations, visit CliffHouseMaine.com.

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Photo: Linda Bergonia g

Photo: KingenSmith g

Photo: Linda Bergonia Photo: KingenSmith

Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary There is always a reason to celebrate A palate of artisan ingredients, global traditions and colorful settings make the possibilities endless in the “corporate/social” celebration spectrum. Entertaining Company embraces our always original “no-boundaries” roots and will design a one-of-a-kind party for you and your guests that will be so….you. Our approach to event and menu design showcases and borrows “best of” influences from traditional to trend, simple to exotic – in food, drink, décor and setting.

Corporate • Social • Holiday • Galas • Weddings

Entertaining Company | Call us at 312.829.2800 | www.entertainingcompany.com

Deco details, golden Cool contrasts, subtle pops treasures andunexpected reimagined of color and denim carry us into winter interior design details for withineffortless nesting the newstyle. year.

by Elise Hofer Shaw

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Pickford scarf, $125, and Ross 2 top, $295, both at the M2057 Shop by Maria Pinto, 888.868.2057.

ROSÉ ALL DAY

Clockwise from top left: Jemma Morgan disc necklace in rose gold, $1,100, by Dana Rebecca at Elements, 312.642.6574. Embossed copper house numbers, $39 each, at Rejuvenation, 312.475.1237. Iridescent Cinder bomber, $455, by Needle & Thread at Felt, 773.772.5000. Eye shadow in Antique Rose color, $25, by Bobbi Brown at select Barneys New York stores and barneys.com. Herbivore Botanicals Deluxe Bath + Body Set, $70, at Nordstrom, 312.464.1515. Tiffany setting diamond ring in 18K rose gold, price upon request, at Tiffany & Co., 312.944.7500. Morganite and diamond drop earrings, $1,290, at Brilliant Earth, 800.691.0952. Esmond black boots, $1,240, by Ellery at VMR, 312.649.6673. Rose #808 photograph (20”x24”), $3,000, by Billy Kidd at Gild Assembly, 312.528.7825. Dahlia Divin fragrance (50ml), $75, by Givenchy Beauty at select Barneys New York stores and barneys.com.

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LET THERE BE LIGHT Harlow small chandelier, $9,950, by Gabriel Scott at Atelier Gary Lee, 312.644.4400.

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OUT OF AFRICA Clockwise from top left: Earrings, $275, by Lizzie Fortunato at space 519, 312.751.1519. African beaded necklaces, starting at $22, at Jayson Home,

800.472.1885. Schlumberger elephant clip in 18K yellow gold and platinum with diamonds, gemstones and Pallioné enamel from the Tiffany 2016 Masterpieces collection, $120,000, at Tiffany & Co., 312.944.7500. Etched aluminum coasters, $40 for a set of four, by Zestt at Nordstrom, 312.464.1515. Early 20th-century African vessel with lid by the Lobi people of Burkina Faso, $2,210, at Michael Del Piero Good Design, 773.772.3000. Mod zebra floor cushion, $550, at Jayson Home, 800.472.1885. Allende pillow in Mandarin color, $129, at Room & Board, 312.222.0970. OMO: Untitled 9 photograph from the series “OMO: Expressions Of A People,” $230-$3,250, by Drew Doggett at gallerique.com. Knit scarf, $2,495, and wrap jacket, $1,695, both by Urban Zen at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, 847.441.7784. Before They Pass Away book (teNeues), $30, at select Barneys New York stores and barneys.com. Elephant coin purse, $380, by Loewe at select Barneys New York stores and barneys.com.

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DARK SHADOWS Double crepe tunic top

with lace tulle sleeves and black beaded motif, $1,695, double crepe skirt with lace tulle front body with black beaded motifs, $1,395, and calfskin leather crocodile embossed envelope clutch, $695, all at Marlowe, 312.988.9398.

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IN THE ARMY Clockwise from top left: Convertible duffel bag, $625, by Campomaggi at select Barneys New York stores and barneys.com. Hubbard military coat, $1,795,

by Belstaff at VMR, 312.649.6673. Dog-tag pendant necklace, $299, by Lanvin at select Barneys New York stores and barneys.com. Fused meteorite ID rubber bracelet, $550, at David Yurman, 312.787.7779. Velocite oversize genuine shearling moto jacket, $2,800, by Acne Studios at Nordstrom, 312.464.1515. Holden studio sofa in Kellen Olive fabric, $2,099, at Room & Board, 312.222.0970. Army green knit top, $1,175, and pant, $1,660, both by Andrew Gn at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, 847.441.7784. Luke photographs, price upon request, by Claire Felicie at gallerique.com. Fabien Baron Collection rug in olive color, price upon request, by Elson Rug at Atelier Gary Lee, 312.644.4400. Bono leather ankle boots, $469,

by Robert Clergerie at select Barneys New York stores and barneys.com. Oud Wood Eau De Parfum (1.7oz), $225, by Tom Ford at Nordstrom, 312.464.1515.

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GOLDEN GIRL Clockwise from top left: 14K gold and diamond Crater bangle, $4,780, 14K gold and

diamond Moon Tear ring, $1,460, 14K gold and diamond Crater wrap cocktail ring, $2,260, and 14K gold and diamond Moon Tear necklace, $1,180, all by Wasson Fine by Erin Wasson at VMR, 312.649.6673.

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SHARP CONTRAST Clockwise from top left: Feather print blouse, $895, and skirt, $895, both by Prabal Gurung at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, 847.441.7784.

Moon dominoes, $45, by Fredericks & Mae at Jayson Home, 800.472.1885. Black and white wide thrown bell (extra large), $350, by MQuan Studio at Norcross and Scott, 773.564.9533.

Izmir throw blanket (50”x60”), $180, by Savannah Hayes at Gild Assembly, 312.528.7825. Noir Couture Volume Mascara, $33, by Givenchy Beauty at select Barneys New York stores and barneys.com. Black & White: And a Bit in Between book, $50, by Celerie Kemble at Jayson Home, 800.472.1885. GT Rocker in Cabana Husk color, $1,150, by Gus* at Norcross and Scott, 773.564.9533. Black and white elastic ball, $9, by Hay at The Line seasonal store at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago (open through Jan. 31), 917.460.7195. Assemblage I painting (4’x4’), $8,200,

by Adam Siegel at Adam Siegel Gallery, 773.615.0099. Capri ring in 18K white gold, black ceramic and diamonds, $2,400, at Pomellato, 312.649.9720. Leather platform boots, $1,375, by Maison Margiela at select Barneys New York stores and barneys.com.

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Chicago Helicopter Experience | 2420 S. Halsted Street | Chicago, IL 60608 | 312.967.TOUR

PROjECT. Interiors owner Aimee Wertepny in her new West Town studio space. (3-D metal sculpture by artist Eric Gushee)

SOULFUL SISTER

PROjECT. Interiors’ Aimee Wertepny has already proved she’s an interior designer worth her salt, but it’s her heart that she hopes will one day be her legacy.

By Hilary Boyajian Photography by Fig Media Aimee Wertepny begins each new year by scribbling goals on a mirror in her bedroom with a Sharpie. Right now, the list reads “yoga,” “headstand” and “PROjECTiON.” You see, Wertepny is a maker of plans—an altruistic, globe-trotting, trailblazing designer who makes everyone around her want to step up their lifestyle game. And not just because she’s the founder of award-winning Chicago interior design firm PROjECT. Interiors, or because she has a hip new studio in West Town and a docuseries about to air on Amazon, but because she’s authentically rich in love. Wertepny has found her balance by blending interior design with giving back, chronicling her philanthropic travels through collected treasures and the memories that lay behind them.

A hippie sophisticate who would rather be riding in a tuktuk than a black car, Wertepny is powered by soulful human connections––and has made seeking them out her life’s work.

“I believe a home should tell stories and reflect one’s journey,” says Wertepny while settling into her new 6,000-square-foot

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studio on Chicago Avenue. “If there are no stories, I want to help create some. It’s wonderful when a client tells you that they have an heirloom rug, a collection of Kuba cloth from Africa or an antique table from Cuba, but if not, we’ve been known to upholster chairs in a family’s old jeans and turn grandma’s fur coat into pillows.”

It’s this interior-as-biography mindset and a penchant for bending the rules that turns Wertepny on. A native of the Irving Park neighborhood, she knew by the age of 8 that design was her calling when she was caught rearranging her bedroom furniture and sponge-painting the walls. After majoring in commercial art at Lane Tech High School and interior design at Harrington College of Design, Wertepny spent seven years with Mary Cook Associates in Ravenswood before a client encouraged her to take a leap of faith and go out on her own. In 2005, she launched PROjECT.—Chicago’s go-to for design-forward, globally inspired environments with heart and soul—and never looked back.

Horns, raw Peruvian alpaca, coral, feathers and Oaxacan pottery adorn the desk nook at Wertepny’s home in Ukrainian Village.

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The lounge at PROjECT. Interiors. (Wall sculpture by artist Eric gushee, Lucite daybed designed by PROjECT., framed photo stand by Ralph Lauren.)

More than a decade later, Wertepny has grown PROjECT. from a one-woman show into what she calls a “tribe”—an all-female cast of seven creatives who share her organic-meets-glam aesthetic of clean lines layered with textural finds from around the world.

Another required credential for tribe members is a commitment to living a purposeful life. Since 2004, when Wertepny began on her philanthropic path by mentoring a fourth grader through Tutoring Chicago, she has built schools with BuildOn in San Juan Yaro, Nicaragua, hand-delivered school supplies to the Amani Children’s Home at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, and worked with Peace House Africa in Arusha, Tanzania, to help build a school for orphans. “Mentoring opened a revolving door where amazing people flow in, a spirit of generosity flows out, and life’s most important work gets done,” says Wertepny. “Something miraculous happens when you contribute. It creates purpose, presence and an 78 slmag.net

overwhelming sense of connection and gratification that sticks to your soul. It’s the good, gooey stuff.”

Part of the reason why Wertepny’s interiors are so sought after is because of how inspired she is by these human connections that she carries in her heart—and, quite literally, home from her travels in the form of Maasai necklaces, Oaxacan pottery and raw Peruvian alpaca throws, all of which find their way into her clients’ homes. Her own home, a modest, 650-square-foot studio apartment in the Ukrainian Village that she’s designed to function like a luxury hotel room, is a treasure trove of moments. “My relics are everything to me,” says Wertepny. “Every nook is a backdrop for an installation of mementos collected from across the globe. Beadwork created by women near Tarangire National Park in Tanzania, a series of framed black-and-white postcards from Austria, a feather I was

The previous owner of Wertepny’s new studio space gifted her this antique safe. “It’s my treasure chest!

It’s filled with remnants of the old skylight, broken glass blocks, scraps of wood, concrete and soil.”

Dream catchers dangle from the ceiling in the studio. “I picked these up on the side of the road in Tulum,” says Wertepny. “They were made by Mayan artisans and blessed by a shaman.”

gifted by a Mayan shaman, street art from Cape Town… each piece is embedded with its own narrative.”

Wertepny’s ability to see beauty most of us would overlook is one of her greatest gifts. “Next time you go to the Randolph Street Market, go see my guy Darma,” she says about her friend who’s a vendor at the monthly West Loop market for antiques, art and global goods. “He has these larger than usual Cameroonian feather juju hats from West Africa used for dancing ceremonies. I hit him up all summer long for clients. It’s one of my favorite ways to dress a wall. The hats are authentic, textural and whimsical.” Combine her sixth sense for seeking out statement pieces with her eagle eye for scanning luxury brands for cool fixtures and furniture, and it’s no surprise that PROjECT. was named Best in Design 2016 by CS magazine, made Luxe Home’s Gold List 2015 and was deemed Best Interior Design Firm 2014 by Chicago magazine.

And as PROjECT. enters its second decade, it does so from a new home base—a massive space in West Town that previously housed the MasterCraft millwork and furniture factory for nearly 90 years. The previous owner was quite literally born and raised in the space, and had been running his family business there since he was 18 years old before deciding to retire. When it came time to sell, the stars aligned and Wertepny proved the perfect fit to take it over. “It just felt right,” says Wertepny. “I could picture our tribe in there, design hustling. I wanted a place to hang our hats, grow the company and continue the legacy of creating there. I adore the concrete floors with all of its history––the unevenness, the years of sawdust stuck in the cracks. To a degree, I wanted to preserve the space the way it always was, clean-cut with a little grit. That’s how we do it.”

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Whether she’s building a school in Nicaragua, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru or working with Maasai women in East Africa, Wertepny’s travels inspire her life and her design.

(San Juan Yaro, Nicaragua, 2015)

Maasai teenagers in East Africa, 2016

Peru, 2014

Tanzania, 2007 Nicaragua, 2015

Building a school in San Juan Yaro with BuildOn, 2015

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Wertepny photographed beside the Trotwood trailer that she repurposed as a hangout space for the studio.

After just four months of rehabbing that concluded in November, including adding a 50-foot, energy-efficient Velux skylight shipped in from Denmark, Wertepny painted the entire space a crisp white and nicknamed it “BOWiE” in honor of its beautiful bow-truss ceiling (and as a nod to the late music legend David Bowie, whom she adores). Complete with a lofted materials library, live magnolia tree, a pair of wicker chair swings, dangling oversize dream catchers, a hammock and a vintage 1950s Trotwood Camper she found on eBay and repurposed for meetings and coffee breaks, it’s the ultimate creative workshop.

And because the building takes up two city lots, there’s ample space to warehouse home goods and store finds for clients. And, of course, Wertepny has big plans for the extra square footage (think networking events for Chicago’s design community, fundraising parties for the causes PROjECT. supports and the occasional dance-off or roller skating party—after all, there’s a disco ball over the conference room table).

As for 2017, PROjECT. is hitting the ground running. The tribe is in talks with L.A.-based Step Up—an organization that connects professional woman with girls from under-resourced

communities to help them become confident, career-driven young women—about creative ways to collaborate. And the Amazon docuseries Prana Warriors (a documentary that follows a group of people who were brought together to try to find their true purpose in life via travel, yoga, meditation, mindful living and service), in which Wertepny is a cast memeber, airs next month. We can also expect a PROjECT. lifestyle brand consisting of five signature essentials––shredded leather pillows, recycled rubber juju wall hangings, embellished Lucite accent tables, aromatic candles and deconstructed jewelry–– to launch later this year, with a major portion of proceeds going to charity. And expansion plans are definitely on the horizon. “PROjECT. needs to see the sun,” says Wertepny. “I dream of ‘PROjECTiON.’ as the concept for a satellite studio in Los Angeles. I see us working with the windows open and watching sunsets from clients’ homes in the hills. I think our vibe resonates more West Coast than Midwest, but we have deep roots here––this will always be home. It’s already scribbled on my mirror at home, so let’s see how the universe responds.” sl PROjECT. Interiors, 3146 W. Chicago Ave., 773.394.1174, projectinteriors.com

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With 800 attorneys practicing in major locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Jackson Lewis provides creative and strategic solutions to employers in every aspect of workplace law.

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James P. Daley 150 N. Michigan Avenue Suite 2500 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 803-2510

DYNAMIC DUALITIES

Two culinary talents come together under one roof at the West Loop’s Smyth & The Loyalist—and wow with farm-fresh ingredients and imaginative flavor pairings.

By Elizabeth Cole Photography by Galdones Photography At the bottom of a bowl sits a delicate smear of black raspberry jam dusted with a farro kogi crumble. Atop, tart yogurt is delicately folded into a fluffy Italian meringue, creating a sweet yet delightfully sour finish that highlights the star of this decadent dessert: an egg yolk. Not just any yolk, mind you, but one that has been locally sourced and soaked in salted black licorice syrup for 24 hours (a process that cures the outside while upholding a runny center). Finished with salt and dried fennel pollen, the yolk is an unexpected, savory component—but it works.

The duality of flavors and unpredictable balance that come together for this honeyed dish—found at the end of the menu and unpretentiously labeled The Farm Egg—perfectly summarizes our experience at Smyth & The Loyalist: A dinner that’s at once surprising and comforting from bite to bite, and completely absent of a hit-you-over-the-head theme like so many other new restaurants that are popping up across Chicago.

Founded by husband-and-wife chefs John and Karen Shields, Smyth (upstairs) and The Loyalist (downstairs) are two distinct restaurants housed under one roof with equal footprints. Smyth offers the pair’s creative and ingredient-conscious tasting menu, while The Loyalist serves as its more casual counterpart for bellying up to a bar with craft cocktails and arguably one of Chicago’s best burgers. Since opening in the West Loop in late August 2016 in a space that formerly housed the Center Chef cooking school, the restaurants have already received one Michelin star as well as a four-star review from the Chicago Tribune for Smyth and a two-star review for The Loyalist.

Some might say it’s the oddly perfect pairing of John and Karen that led to the oddly perfect pairing of Smyth & The Loyalist. John is a technical chef with a green thumb. Karen, on the other hand, is more of a free spirit when it comes to her cooking style. But put them together in a kitchen and it’s like a fine blended scotch and a plate of roasted pork belly with charred cabbage and onion—they were just meant to be together.

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Broiled sea trout with kasu and charred cucumber garnished with microgreens

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Karen and John Shields

Ask John about Smyth & The Loyalist’s genesis and he’s quick to chalk it up to a series of chance encounters and well-timed opportunities. While working as a cook at a Pacific Rim seafood restaurant called Grand Finale in St. Petersburg in his home state of Florida—for what he envisioned would be only a short period of time—John found himself at the kitchen’s helm in 2001 after the sudden departure of the restaurant’s head chef. “It was the school of hard-knocks,” recalls John, who at this point in his career had no formal training under his belt. “It was sort of fortuitous in a sense, how this one event kicked everything off.”

During his time leading the line at Grand Finale, John always had one eye on the rapidly growing food scene in Chicago—and, in particular, the legendary chef Charlie Trotter. In 2002, he submitted an application to work with Trotter, along with others sent to myriad respected chefs across the country. It wasn’t long before he received an acceptance letter. Marcus Samuelsson (the youngest chef ever to receive a three-star restaurant review from The New York Times) had invited John to apprentice at his upscale Nordic eatery Aquavit in New York. But before he could book his flight to the Big Apple, a letter arrived from Trotter offering John a position at his namesake restaurant in Lincoln Park—and that was it. John was on a course for Chicago to study under the great Charlie Trotter. He had hooked his white whale.

It was at Trotter’s that John met Karen, a promising pastry chef with a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University who was fresh off a stint at Al Forno. “I liked Karen right off the bat,” says John. “She came on pretty strong in terms of putting me in my place, and I admired her for that.”

After receiving a classical education from Trotter, John spent two years training under star chef Grant Achatz at Alinea, perfecting a more molecular approach to food. “Grant was pretty much instrumental in shaping me as a person,” says John. “It was less about what he told me or how he guided me, although all of that was invaluable, but more my own observations of his interactions with other chefs, with clients. Grant has an unrelenting drive. The answer was never ‘No, I can’t do that.’ He always found a way.” Around the same time, Karen left Trotter’s for Tru, where she worked side by side with James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Gale Gand.

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The modern dining room at Smyth in the West Loop

Salad of duck with seasonal herbs and greens and roasted squid stock

Smokey new potatoes with farm egg, roasted kraut and buttermilk mayonnaise

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Dried beet with scallop powder

Roasted beets with nasturtium leaves, shiso leaves, avocado and pumpkin seed butter

The dimly lit bar at The Loyalist

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Young melon and tender seeds with a bouillon of grilled radish

In 2008, John and Karen’s career paths led them northeast, where they spent four years running Town House, a seasonal ingredients-driven restaurant in Virginia, as a package deal—John as executive chef, Karen as pastry chef. The stint was successful (Town House received a rave review from The New York Times, and John earned a Food & Wine Best New Chef award), but when the opportunity to launch a pop-up concept at the Riverstead Inn in Chilhowie, Va., presented itself, they welcomed the change. “At Riverstead, John and I could create an experience that was reminiscent of a dinner party we would host at our home,” says Karen.

“Each night, 16 guests would gather for small bites on the deck followed by a tasting menu culled from the farmlands of Smyth County, Virginia.” Although they didn’t know it at the time, the idea for Smyth & The Loyalist was being hatched in the back of their minds: a dual-concept restaurant in Chicago where the pair could expand upon the depth and richness of their time in the farmlands.

Fast-forward a year—and a move back to the Midwest with their two adorable daughters Cicley and Lily—and that fledgling idea has become reality. At Smyth & The Loyalist (the name is a nod to Smyth County and the pair’s devotion to fresh ingredients), lofted ceilings with wood rafters and exposed brick walls serve as the backdrop for plush couches that invite diners to lounge. The space remains intimate thanks to details like custom lighting and serveware courtesy of Shields friend and ceramics artist Lilith Rockett, a smattering of reclaimed books, and an open kitchen. (It’s not uncommon for John or his inner circle to personally deliver plates directly to the tables.)

Unconventional ingredient pairings are the hallmark at Smyth, yet each dish still feels and tastes familiar. Take for example the poached foie gras presented with a Dungeness crab broth and garnished with dehydrated dashi and kelp chips— totally unexpected in its flavor composition yet divinely satisfying. It doesn’t take a molecular chef to see that a keen knowledge of the origination of ingredients and a close relationship with purveyors are keys to pulling this off. “We work closely with a 20-acre farm in Bourbonnais, Ill., that sources exclusively to Smyth & The Loyalist,” says John. “Our dishes are a direct reflection of our relationship with the farm. The farm provides the products, but also the inspiration, pushing us to work with what’s available.” Hence the aforementioned The Farm Egg, a dish that John and Karen created for Smyth last spring when the farm could produce only select berries, grains, dried beans and, you guessed it, eggs.

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Lemongrass sundae with blueberries and salted black licorice

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The Loyalist’s beverage program uses seasonal ingredients from the restaurant’s partner farm and boasts bitters and tinctures that are made in-house.

Another standout currently in rotation on the upstairs tasting menu is the brioche donut. Light and fluffy yet rich from being fried in beef fat, the pastry is accompanied by a bone marrow butter and beef jus, and paired with a prime rib that’s been aged for 72 days before being served with beurre blanc sauce and tart pickled onions. For the more causal carnivore, The Loyalist offers an aged ribeye served with an aromatic brown butter and black garlic sauce.

The Loyalist’s lighter fare favorites include the cubed red beets with grilled avocado and pumpkin seed butter, as well as the broiled sea trout with kasu and turnips. And don’t forget to press beverage director and general manager Kelly Coughlin for her suggested sips. For the ribeye, she recommends the Providence Manhattan, a traditional-style Manhattan—straight up, very cold, with two cherries—made with Cynar, an artichoke based liqueur that leaves a bittersweet finish on the palate.

But believe us when we say that Karen’s desserts are hardly an addendum.

In fact, Smyth often draws diners solely intent on tasting her sweets. Her milk chocolate ganache and huckleberry bar, delicately dusted with fermented shiitake mushrooms that have been dehydrated into a powder, is a current standout that showcases her knack for out-of-the-box flavor pairings. And her lemongrass sundae with blueberries and salted black licorice is heaven in a bowl. “I tend to be pretty adventurous when it comes to desserts and the ingredients I use,” says Karen matter-of-factly, as is further evidenced by her sweet ground cherry sorbet with olive oil and lavender.

Taking risks, it turns out, is a philosophy that both John and Karen have taken out of the kitchen and applied to their everyday lives, too. “Most of the opportunities I’ve had in life have come from me saying yes—and doing— rather than saying no,” says John. “If you don’t take a risk, you’re not as likely to get the benefits that could come from it.” sl Smyth & The Loyalist, 177 N. Ada St., Smyth: 773.913.3773, The Loyalist: 773.913.3774. smythandtheloyalist.com

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DECO DONE RIGHT Rich materials like exotic wood veneers and silk upholstery tie together a full-floor apartment in the Palmolive Building that harmonizes beautifully with the building’s art deco beginnings.

By Zlata Kozul Naumovski Photography by Anthony Tahlier

In the grand foyer, a hand-inlaid wood veneer from Maya Romanoff covers the walls.

It’s not that the homeowners have a thing for Martin Scorsese films. In fact, they simply scanned The Aviator—Scorsese’s Oscarwinning 2004 biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes—searching only for glimpses of their furniture.

You see, the homeowners and interior designer Paula Berg began their shopping at Anne Hauck Art Deco in Los Angeles— Hollywood’s go-to for authentic furniture from the 1920s to 1940s—to furnish her 5,000-square-foot, full-floor apartment in Chicago’s historic Palmolive Building. It was the obvious choice. “We based our design on the architectural details of the building,” says Berg, president of Park City, Utah-based Paula Berg Design Associates, who initially connected with the couple during the design of their second home in the Colony in Park City. “The owners felt that the inside should respect the outside. It’s fun to think that Scorsese himself personally handpicked some of these same pieces for the movie.”

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The landmark Palmolive Building, built in the late ’20s as headquarters for the Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Company and later home to Playboy Enterprises, exemplifies art deco at its best, from the limestone setbacks on the exterior to the elaborate wood carvings in the elevators that immediately acquaint visitors with the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail found throughout. Designed by the firm of Holabird & Root, whose namesakes were arguably Chicago’s most acclaimed architects, the famed 37-story office building was converted to residential units in 2004 (save for the first two floors, which are occupied by retailers including Louis Vuitton). Coincidentally, it features a rooftop navigational beacon that once guided aircraft to Chicago. Its most famous resident to date, actor Vince Vaughn, recently sold his units on the top three floors for a combined $12.1 million.

In the dining room, a custom table of Macassar ebony is paired with an antique rosewood sideboard from Germany.

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The owners’ Indian rosewood cocktail table and black lacquer and Macassar ebony wood bar both appeared in the movie The Aviator.

The couple had carte blanche in terms of layout and finishes, including the custom built-ins in the office.

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The owners’ stunning view from their apartment on the 28th floor of the Palmolive Building

Client and designer both agreed that they wanted a subtle nod to the decadent era as opposed to a heavy, period apartment.

“I didn’t want to go over the top with art deco. I love it, but I didn’t want everything to be the one theme,” says the owner.

The native Chicagoan, who hails from Oak Lawn on the South Side, and her husband, a retired executive, live most of the year in Chicago, the city they have called home their entire lives, and the rest of the time out West where they enjoy their mountain home. They were fortunate to be able to start with a clean slate: a raw, empty space on the 28th floor. Aside from the foyer, which houses the original three elevator doors, the couple had carte blanche in terms of layout and finishes and were able to hardwire the unit for touch-of-a-button audiovisual amenities.

“It’s an art deco building and we wanted to keep the interior art deco, too,” says the owner. “But comfortable art deco,” adds Berg.

Amid a soft palette of creams and greens are signature furniture staples in exotic veneers that appeared in The Aviator before being purchased for the apartment, such as a freestanding black lacquer and Macassar ebony wood bar and matching stools with curves reminiscent of an ocean liner. Guests can gather around the piece, positioned at the perfect angle, to enjoy unobstructed views of Lake Shore Drive and Oak Street Beach.

The west-facing living room—affectionately called the “piano room” because it boasts the couple’s Yamaha grand piano— features a daybed reupholstered in a Brunschwig & Fils silk velvet leaf print with a frame of buttery Amboyna burl wood. The opposing lakeside living room plays host to an Indian rosewood cocktail table with gold-leaf detailing that dances across the base.

Miriam Hauck, manager of Anne Hauck Art Deco, insists that exotic wood veneers and rare materials are the hallmarks of furniture from that era. “Art deco was the start of the modern age and stood for the elite and wealthy,” she says, adding that even the interiors of furniture were treated to expensive and time-consuming veneers. “Craftsmen meticulously overlaid their furniture creations with veneer displaying beautiful graining. So much splendor and time went into crafting each piece.” Other furniture from the antique dealer, though not featured in the movie, is equally impressive. A custom dining table of Macassar ebony striated with brown and black variegations pairs beautifully with an antique rosewood sideboard from Germany appointed with original nickel hardware. A silver tea service acquired by the owners on a trip to Malta complements the high-gloss lacquer of both.

“From floor to ceiling, material selection was really important during this project,” says Berg. “We used exotic woods and luxurious wall coverings and fabrics throughout.”

In the grand foyer, for example, hand-inlaid wood veneer in a parquet frame from Maya Romanoff quietly covers the walls.

Venetian plaster executed by an Italian artist blankets the ceilings while custom-made silk and wool rugs with art deco motifs by Tai Ping Carpets—including one that’s evocative of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ most famous dance sequence— run underfoot. In the master, the walnut headboard from Mulholland dons a rich velvet from Opuzen. And smaller spaces weren’t overlooked. Opulent mother-of-pearl tiles line the powder room walls while an antique nickel sink adds character to the butler’s pantry.

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An Amboyna burl wood daybed reupholstered in a silk velvet leaf print anchors the west-facing living room.

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The homeowners opted for an antique nickel sink in the butler’s pantry.

Opulent mother-ofpearl tiles line the powder room walls.

Custom burl wood cabinets add warmth to the guest bath.

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The couple’s impressive De Giulio kitchen boasts high-end appliances from Wolf, Sub-Zero and Miele.

The open and airy kitchen, however, mostly breaks from the throwback motif. Designed by Mick De Giulio, it too is outfitted with impressive materials as well as high-end appliances (think Wolf, Sub-Zero and Miele)—its only true art deco touch is a pair of period lights in nickel with oval-shaped frosted glass from French manufacturer Atelier Petitot. The homeowner and designer plucked the kitchen straight from De Giulio’s showroom in The Merchandise Mart. “I saw it and instantly fell in love with it,” says the owner. Timeless white cabinets with glass fronts and marble countertops echo the home’s clean lines. A sliding panel behind the stainless steel stove conceals spices and other ingredients that need to be handy. But with lake views that distract, the homeowner confesses she doesn’t get much cooking done.

The refrigerator, fronted with walnut panel doors adorned with sturdy hardware and flanked by sconces on either side, could easily be mistaken for an antique armoire.

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“People are constantly walking into our kitchen and asking where the refrigerator is,” she laughs. “It’s a great conversation piece.” Turning around, she points to the Roman shades that soften the space. “They look a little art deco to me,” she says with a smile, revealing that although she takes the design of her home seriously, there’s zero pretension about it. When asked about her impressive art collection, she smiles again and says, “We aren’t serious collectors. We pick up what we like from our travels. Each piece holds a memory and that’s what’s important to us.”

Our tour ends in the master bath, where his and hers vanities with custom burl wood cabinets and onyx countertops flank a stand-alone soaker tub with perhaps the best view in Chicago, overlooking The Drake hotel and the lake beyond. “We get to wake up every day to this amazing view,” says the homeowner.

“What’s better than that? We are very lucky indeed.” sl

THE GREAT INDOORS A breath of fresh air in the wellness sector, Blueair’s cutting-edge air purifiers are changing the way we define a healthy, happy home.

By Sarah Golden

From left: The award-winning Sense+ boasts both form and function. (Shown here in Midnight Blue). When connected to one of Blueair’s Wi-Fi enabled air purifiers, the Aware air quality monitor makes seamless adjustments to airflow depending on contaminant levels. Blueair’s updated Classic family of air purifiers use HEPASilent technology to eliminate 99.97% of all airborne pollutants.

’Tis the season for New Year resolutions. Working out more, spending more time with family and eating healthy will likely land on our lists. But out of all the daily tasks we tally into achieving a better us, a routine plan to ensure we’re breathing clean air inside our homes probably isn’t top of mind. “I need to check the airborne contaminant levels in my bedroom,” said no one to themselves ever—but you should.

On average people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The problem is that indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air due to pollutants like pollen, mold, dust, dust mites, pet dander, bacteria/viruses, volatile organic compounds (chemicals from paint, furnishings, cleaning agents, air fresheners, etc.) and particulate matter from candles and cooking. And it’s a rising concern among parents, especially those whose children have health issues. A recent report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of “high-efficiency particulate air” (HEPA) purifiers in controlling pediatric asthma, citing indoor environmental exposures, particularly allergens and pollutants, as major contributors. If you’re a parent, your ears are probably perking up about now.

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line of air purifiers—ranging in price from $300 for an entrylevel unit to $2,500 for its highest capacity air purifier—is not only best in its class (Blueair received the Plus X Award and Best Product 2016/2017 as well as the Good Design Award 2016), but it’s also stylish, quiet and energy-efficient. Better still, Blueair purifiers are in sync with today’s demand for a no-muss, no-fuss lifestyle, requiring merely a filter change about every six months.

Founded in 1996 by Swedish entrepreneur Bengt Rittri, Blueair was born from a desire to provide his children with a safe haven from the polluted city air of Stockholm. “I wanted to deliver customers the best air purifiers for removing airborne contaminants such as dust, allergens and odors from their indoor air,” says Rittri, whose products are now Energy Star-rated and certified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, an independent third-party company whose stamp of approval many of Blueair’s competitors, including IQAir and Austin Air, do not have. “The mounting evidence that all is not well with the air we breathe indoors is compelling. Buildings being built airtight to conserve energy, as well as a greater use of chemicals in household products and building materials, are exposing people to a host of airborne contaminants. Worse, air pollution is now also being linked to disorders such as respiratory diseases, heart problems, cancer and even Alzheimer’s.”

Small in size but big on results, Blueair’s Classic 205 takes pollutants like ultrafine particles (PM 2.5), pollen, dust, pet dander, mold, bacteria and viruses out of smaller rooms like a nursery.

But the world is catching on. Blueair’s purifiers are now being sold in more than 60 countries worldwide. And according to Rittri, in China, where sales are skyrocketing, Blueair is ranked No. 1 for having the best clean-air-delivery rate in stringent tests administered by the Chinese national ASQIQ consumer protection agency. So it comes as no surprise that consumer goods giant Unilever took notice and acquired Blueair in 2016 for an undisclosed amount. “We are excited about leveraging Unilever’s global muscle to grow our brand awareness and educate people about air quality,” says Blake Bobosky, executive vice president of sales and marketing of Blueair North America, who works out of Blueair’s North American office in the Loop. “Our immediate goals are to place our product selection in more brick-and-mortar stores that make sense for our brand, and to develop an opening price point air purifier under $199.”

So how exactly did Blueair corner the market? Its trademarked HEPASilent technology removes 99.97 percent of harmful airborne particles from the indoor air that we breathe. (Here’s how it works in layman’s terms: The purifier’s fan draws the unfiltered air into the unit where the harmful airborne particles are electrically charged, allowing the filter to trap the charged particles and dispense clean air. Bonus: This filtration method allows Blueair units to use filters that are less dense, making a more energy efficient air purifier that is whisper-quiet.) And Blueair has made a conscious effort to beautify

its units, including launching an updated line of its Classic category purifiers ($400-$900) with upgrades such as touch technology, Wi-Fi capability and a sleek white design with galvanized steel casing. And the design of its Sense model ($400 or $500 for the Sense+), a partnership with Swedish design firm CKR, has earned multiple design awards, including the German Design Award 2014, the Red Dot “Best of the Best” award and the Envisioneering Innovation and Design Award 2015.

Both the Classic and the Sense can be paired with the Aware ($200), Blueair’s personal air quality monitor that, when synched with the Blueair Friend app (available for iOS, Android, Apple Watch and iPad), will send the data to your personal device so you can customize your setting from anywhere. Can’t be bothered?

Set your unit to auto and your purifier will automatically adjust its speed to accommodate your air quality. For mass consumers wanting a plug-in-and-go unit, Blueair has a more approachable model called Blue ($300) that’s already been picked up by Kohl’s and Best Buy and that will be tested by Target in the spring.

Not surprisingly, partnerships with luxury hotels, corporate workspaces, fine art galleries, gyms and more are in the works.

“Ten years from now we hope that Blueair is the brand equivalent of top brands like Apple and Sony,” says Bobosky. “And that we can provide the best air purification from millions of people to billions of people.” sl slmag.net 103

deejay | photo | lm

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“He had begun to wait, not only for love, but for the world to yield its sweetness and romance.”

–V.S. Naipaul

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Sports like surfing teach STOKED’s students to believe in themselves and to have a respect for their environment, all while widening their horizons.

MENTORSHIP EXTREME STOKED shreds into town, bringing its radical, sports-driven mentorship programs to Chicago’s at-risk youth.

By Alexandra Sabbag Social inequality continues to be a growing concern among educators. A recent article by US News & World Report discusses zip codes as a predictor of success, despite the fact that the United States’ education system is traditionally thought of as the solution to the opportunity gap. In actuality, it often reflects the opposite. Chicago alone has seen only a 4 percent increase over the last 20 years of low-income students completing college (compared to the 21 percent increase among affluent students), according to the article. Here’s the unfortunate reality: low-income students have less access to opportunities that facilitate success.

But Chicagoans are aware of the issue. The city boasts more than 230 programs, community groups and school-based organizations that offer mentorship within the Chicagoland area, all of which are resources that exist to reduce those impacted by social inequality. Vast mentoring programs like SPARKS and Urban Initiatives offer low-income students more personalized attention— attention they too often are not receiving at home (almost one in five children and young adults in Illinois report that they do not have a caring adult providing guidance, academic support, tutoring, or college and career advice). Additionally, mentors in the Chicago area address issues such as bullying to combat our city’s rising levels of youth violence. No doubt there is a substantial need for such work, causing many Chicagoans to rally behind the mission of giving back by giving time—and, as a result, making a positive impact on our inner-city kids. According to mentoring.org, the numbers speak volumes for these organized programs. When successfully implemented, mentorship makes at-risk young adults 55 percent more likely to enroll in college, 78 percent more likely 106 slmag.net

to volunteer regularly and 130 percent more likely to hold a leadership position when compared to those who are not enrolled.

From Chicago’s mix of mentorship programs a newcomer is emerging and pulling a 180 on what traditional programs look like. Founded in 2005, New York City-based STOKED (stoked.org) was launched to facilitate inspirational growth to teens through “action sports” (think skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing as opposed to “team sports” like soccer or hockey).

Its mission? To create a community of fearless leaders through mentoring, opportunity and action. And it’s working. Since its inception, STOKED has transformed the lives of more than 4,000 young people in 18 different schools from Manhattan to Los Angeles. And soon Chicago will be getting in on the action as STOKED sets up shop this month in the Loop.

The brainchild of New Yorker and STOKED Founder and President Steve Larosiliere, this brand of mentorship was born from a healthy balance of soul searching and passion. “About six months into a new job I realized I wasn’t living the life I wanted, but living the life I got,” reflects Larosiliere, who was heading up an independent marketing firm in Brooklyn at the time and moonlighting as a mentor for Mentoring USA. “I took a trip to Whistler [British Columbia] to clear my head and attempt to find meaning in my life.

It was atop a mountain where it struck me: ‘How cool would it be to have my mentee up here with me experiencing all of this?’”

Throughout his professional life, mentorship was the one constant. “When I first discovered mentoring back in 2004 as an adult, I realized that it was one of the most simple but profoundly powerful dynamics of human interaction,” says Larosiliere.

“Growing up in New York City I received a scholarship to attend

The rituals that go along with sports like snowboarding—getting up early, putting on snow gear and riding a chairlift—teach kids to set goals and come up with a strategic plan for their lives.

St. Mary’s Prep high school in a wealthy suburb in New York. I was one of only three African American students in my school and, in hindsight, I was the STOKED demographic. But more importantly, I was there as a result of philanthropy. Someone, a wealthy donor, wanted to give a promising young man a chance.

That happened to be me.” Larosiliere went on to graduate from Stony Brook University in New York and, since launching STOKED, has been named Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Black MBA Association, honored as a Hometown Hero by amNewYork and been given a Community Impact Award by Cricket Wireless and Street League Skateboarding.

A global voice on the topics of youth empowerment, social entrepreneurship and closing the opportunity gap, Larosiliere has spoken at TEDx, Nike, the University of Connecticut, Creative Mornings, Do Lectures and the U.S. State Department, and his work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Huffington Post and The Wall Street Journal, all recognizing STOKED’s impact. His passion for changing the world one half-pipe at a time is infectious.

But it’s not all about hitting the slopes and landing ollies in the skatepark. STOKED gets its students involved in more than just the sport, including activities like building skateboards from scratch and learning life lessons such as the importance of a powerful handshake. There’s clearly a method to the actionpacked madness as STOKED has maintained a 100 percent graduation rate for the last five years. “The action drives the sense of self-worth and feeling of empowerment,” says Larosiliere.

“With every fall there is a hand up. We create community through the independence of each sport.”

Being surrounded by role models resonates with STOKED’s students, many of whom do not have a solid family structure at home.

In addition to its mentors, whom Larosiliere says are “the lifeblood of the organization,” STOKED exists through its partnerships with schools. Schools that adopt the program are required to commit to STOKED’s four-year long model of growth and development for its students. In year one, students learn how to build their sporting equipment. Year two, they learn entrepreneurship.

Year three focuses on career building workshops while the fourth and final year is all about internships that introduce kids to different careers in creative industries. In addition, STOKED kids speak to groups of no less than 40 people 18 times per year to work on their public speaking and interaction skills. In Chicago, Steinmetz Prep, Senn High School and Back of the Yards Prep have already signed on.

“What happens on the slopes is a mere part of the transformational experience STOKED has on the youth in our programs,” says Chicagoan and Havas Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Jason Peterson, who sits on STOKED’s board of directors.

“While mentorship programs do exist in Chicago, there are none like STOKED. Our kids are eager to get involved and experience new activities. They’re hungry, curious and simply lack the opportunity. STOKED fulfills that need.”

“Over the course of the four-year program, we give kids all of the tools, relationships and experiences they need to succeed,” adds Larosiliere. “All three activities—skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing—have high rates of failure, which build character and push kids out of their comfort zone. If you fall down, you get up. Our kids are resilient, we know that, but facilitating their growth through action sports makes them know it. They build confidence and feel empowered and prepared to take on life’s challenges.” sl slmag.net 107

SOPHISTICATED SOCIETY

Presented by

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Another Door Opens benefitting Chicago House, anotherdoorchicago.com Eisenopoly benefitting the Eisenberg Foundation, eisenbergfoundation.org First Bites Bash (the official kickoff event for Chicago Restaurant Week) benefitting the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, choosechicago.com Mercy Home For Boys & Girls Poker Night, mercyhome.org 34th Annual Black Creativity Gala at the Museum of Science + Industry Chicago, msichicago.org Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s 16th Annual d’Vine Affair, catholiccharities.net/dvine

Architectural Artifacts hosts “Another Door Opens” on January 18. More than 60 doors designed by Chicago’s brightest design stars will be auctioned to benefit Chicago House.

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The 20th anniversary of the Grand Chefs Gala benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, grandchefsgala.com 2nd Annual Operation Taste to support Operation North Pole, operationnorthpole.org Chicago Auto Show’s First Look For Charity at McCormick Place, chicagoautoshow.com L’Affichomania: The Passion for French Posters opens at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, driehausmuseum.org/laffichomania Valentine’s Day cabaret at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum, driehausmuseum.org/programs Children’s Home + Aid Chef’s Tasting, childrenshomeandaid.org Tickled Pink for Bright Pink, tickledpinkchicago.com

Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services

W E L L S FA R G O P R I VAT E B A N K Wealth Planning Investments Private Banking Trust Services Insurance

Maximizing the efficiency of charitable gifts Wells Fargo manages nearly $19 billion* in philanthropic assets—let our philanthropic specialists help you and your clients support the causes they care about: Individual philanthropists n Align giving with financial concerns, such as reducing transfer taxes or creating an income stream n Establishing and administering a private foundation n Implementing a donor advised fund Nonprofit institutions n Convert non-financial donations into cash n Planned giving program development n Investment management for endowments and planned gifts

To start a new kind of conversation, contact your local Wells Fargo Private Bank office: Chip Flannagan Senior Vice President Regional Managing Director 312-592-5645 chip.flannagan@wellsfargo.com wellsfargoprivatebank.com

Jan-Peter Breugelmans Vice President, Wealth Advisor NMLSR ID 444125 312-592-5621 jp.breugelmans@wellsfargo.com

*$. billion as of // Wells Fargo Private Bank provides products and services through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., the banking affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company, and its various affiliates and subsidiaries.

Brokerage services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. Trust services available through banking and trust affiliates in addition to non-affiliated companies of Wells Fargo & Company. Insurance products are available through insurance subsidiaries of Wells Fargo & Company and underwritten by non-affiliated Insurance Companies. Not available in all states. © 2016 Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Member FDIC. NMLSR ID 399801 ECG-3561201

Photos by Barry Brecheisen

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BARNEYS NEW YORK COCKTAIL PARTY FOR CRF

Luxury specialty retailer Barneys New York continued its ongoing partnership with the Children’s Research Fund by hosting the fifth annual cocktail party for CRF. Enzo and Colleen Incandela, Sage and Kyle Kamin, and Nancy and Phillip Resnick, along with Barneys’ Creative Ambassador at Large Simon Doonan, co-hosted the event. Shoe designer Tabitha Simmons, jeweler Brooke Garber Neidich of Sidney Garber and Nannette de Gaspe were also in attendance to help support CRF, which has raised more than $100 million to advance medical research. –Elise Hofer Shaw 6

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1) Ashley and Pam Netzky 2) Brooke Garber Neidich and Mark Lee 3) Lawrence Capista and Lecretia Johnson 4) Amalia Kertsikoff, Rico Kertsikoff, Janelle Gordon and Pam Stamataky 5) Simon Doonan and Nancy Resnick 6) Tabitha Simmons and Sage Kamin 7) Whitley Bouma Herbert and Natalia Burgett

Photos by Fig Media

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WASSON FINE JEWELRY x VMR

More than 100 guests stepped out for an exciting evening featuring Wasson Fine Jewelry at VMR on Oak Street.

Cohosted by Sophisticated Living magazine, partygoers met supermodel turned fine jewelry designer Erin Wasson and tried on pieces from her latest collection inspired by the solar system.

Specialty cocktails courtesy of Almighty Spirits fueled the fete while Wasson spoke about her creative process—and her days walking the runways for Chanel, Gucci, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and more. –EHS

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1) Betty Kourasis and VMR owner Tina Kourasis 2) Josh Goldfarb and Erin Wasson 3) Ben and Mindy Koenigsfeld 4) Denise and Greg Landis with Toni Canada and Dusty Stemer 5) Angela Brantley, Mark Gill and Rhea Fernandez 6) Bridget McDermott and Colleen Dobell 7) Trina Andrews, Kristin Saad, Megan Hodes and Maria Patrinos

Photos by Francis Son

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RUSH ANNUAL FASHION SHOW

The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center hosted its 90th Annual Fashion Show benefitting The Road Home Program: The Center for Veterans and Their Families at Rush. The longest continually running charity fashion show in the nation, the Fashion Show drew an audience of nearly 800 guests to Soldier Field for a runway presentation of fall looks from retailers and designers including Jil Sander, Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Lela Rose, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, space519, chalk and more. The night, co-chaired by Anne Tucker, Susan Merlin and Mindy Kelly, raised an estimated $800,000. –Sally Meyer

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1) Anne Tucker, Mindy Kelly and Susan Merlin 2) Olive Nordby and Sloane Reynolds in Oscar de la Renta 3) Caroline Healy, designer Adam Lippes and Megan Hoffman 4) Elsa Silva in CH Carolina Herrera 5) Chas Woodward in Jil Sander 6) Kim Vender Moffit in space519 7) Molly Pusch in Adam Lippes

February 11, 2017 - January 7, 2018

Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860–1939), JARNI SLAVNOSTI (Spring Festival of Music and Dance), 1911. Photographed by John Faier, 2015.

40 East Erie, Chicago IL DriehausMuseum.org

Presenting Sponsor:

Supporting Sponsor:

Photos by Robert Kusel

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HEART OF MERCY BALL

The Misericordia Women’s Board celebrated its 95th Women’s Board ball in the Grand Ballroom at the Hilton Chicago. Now called the Heart of Mercy Ball, the charitable evening drew more than 800 for dinner, live and silent auctions and dancing to the sounds of Velocity/Arlen Music Productions. The Heart of Mercy Award was given to Cheri and Jim Rafferty while Peg and Steve Lombardo took home the Sister Rosemary Connelly Medallion. More than $1 million was raised to support the mission of Misericordia: to share life with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through a full continuum of care. –Taylor Morgan

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1) Beth Donovan and Anne Marie McGee 2) Fr. Jack Clair, Sr. Rosemary Connelly, Mary Pat O’Brien, Lois Gates and Kevin Connelly 3) Lou and Mary Beth Manfredini 4) Eileen and Jim Sethna 5) Peg and Steve Lombardo 6) Kathleen Nolan and Brendan Shannon 7) Geana Connelly and Susan Axelrod 8) Cheri and Jim Rafferty

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Photos courtesy of LuxeHome

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LuxeHome CHILL

More than 2,500 food, wine and design enthusiasts flocked to the LuxeHome boutiques and showrooms in The Merchandise Mart to celebrate the 10th anniversary of CHILL, an International Wine & Culinary Event. The evening, which was held in cooperation with Wine Spectator magazine, offered culinary delights from more than 50 of Chicago’s top restaurants and tastings of more than 150 wines, spirits and beers from around the world. Guests also enjoyed the sounds of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras and Piano Trends Music & Band, as well as roaming performance artists. More than $225,000 was raised for The Lynn Sage Foundation, Saturday Place and the Respiratory Health Association. –SM

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1) Blair Loftspring, Patricia Logarakis and Erika Fletcher 2) Kate Flaherty, Kim Rode, Tracey Biesterfeldt and Jen Cal 3) Latavia Johnson and Chelsea Harvey 4) Laura Sage and Halee Sage 5) Rashid Davis (center) with the Saturday Place team 6) Alisha Serras, Tony Mantuano and Niki Serras 7) Bites by Spiaggia

Photos by Eric Decker Photography

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LOUIS XIII COGNAC PREVIEW OF 100 YEARS

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LOUIS XIII Cognac, one of the world’s most luxurious spirits, hosted an exclusive cocktail party at Celeste in Chicago to preview a trailer for the original film 100 Years: The Movie You Will Never See starring actor John Malkovich (the film, inspired by the hundred years it takes to make a bottle of Louis XIII, will not be released until 2115). The evening began with Champagne on the roof garden followed by a screening of behind-the-scenes footage of the film and a guided tasting by Yves de Launay, vice president of LOUIS XIII Cognac. –EHS

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1) Stephanie Bottigliero, Eric Turrin and Andrew Barber 2) Angela Brantley and Rhea Fernandez 3) Kori Coleman and Kamerin Chambers 4) Patrick and Meredith Wood-Prince with Vice President of Louis XIII Americas Yves de Launay 5) Rick and Toni Canada 6) Kara Mann and Susu Block 7) Louis XIII Brand Ambassador David Chhay and Leonard Goldberg

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Photos by Carasco Photography

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GENE & GEORGETTI’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY

Chicago’s original steakhouse Gene & Georgetti toasted its 75th anniversary at its Rosemont location with a party for more than 500 close friends, family and staff. The evening featured a special performance by the Becca Kaufman Orchestra with a personalized twist on Bob Hope’s “Thanks for the Memory.” Throughout the night, guests enjoyed delicious passed appetizers by Executive Chef Luis Quiroz and signature cocktails while sharing their personal stories and fond memories of G&G. Dancing in the ballroom in The Estate by Gene & Georgetti capped off the milestone evening. –TM

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1) Collin Pierson with Michelle, Marion and Tony Durpetti 2) Chris and Shera Vittorio 3) Samuele Shalloufi and Christine Andraus 4) Caitlyn Shiels, Julie Smith, Nick Novak and Carli Curtis 5) Diego Rocha, Becca Kaufman and Chris Schmidt 6) Stacy and Al Okyne 7) The 75th anniversary setting at Gene & Georgetti Rosemont 8) Gene and Ida Michelotti, the founding owners of Gene & Georgetti

CHICAGO MADE I N T E R N A T I O N A L LY A W A R D E D As one of America's leading artisan distilleries, KOVAL has won over 50 awards internationally since 2008.

ORGANIC

HEART CUT

BARRELS

F A M I LY O W N E D KOVAL is family owned and

Grains are sourced locally

Only the purest and best

All 30 gallon barrels are

from the Midwest Organic

tasting part of the distillate

made from premium northern

operated by a husband and

Farmers Cooperative.

is used for a cleaner, brighter

American oak and sealed with

wife team using a state of the

tasting whiskey.

organic beeswax.

art copper hybrid still.

Sign up for a tour and tasting

www.kovaldistillery.com/tours