Sophisticated Living Chicago March/April 2018

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Mar/Apr 2018

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{Chicago’s Finest}

Mar/Apr 2018

Mar/Apr 2018

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on the cover: Untitled mixed media on paper from the Lil Mama series (23” x 30”) by Chicago artist Hebru Brantley, hebrubrantley.com.

SOPHISTICATED DEFINED Brandon Maxwell blazes a colorful trail with bold looks for spring

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SOPHISTICATED FIND Gucci’s new Chinese New Year collection preps us for the dog days of summer

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BUILT TO LAST Chicago’s Stock Mfg. Co. turns out menswear staples and heritage pieces for guys who work hard and play harder

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From cleansing oils and body butters to custom face masks, every skincare product at Scratch Goods is made with food-grade ingredients that are safe enough to eat. Shown here: Charcoal mask powder, $18, at Scratch Goods, 1046 W. Fulton Market, 773.857.3551, scratchgoods.com.

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SKIN DEEP Scratch Goods in the Fulton Market District gets us glowing with natural soaps, body butters, skin oils and more

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BATH TIME Relax and unwind at Chicago’s newest spa experience, Aire Ancient Baths

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SOARING

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THE GREATER OUTDOORS

Catching up with star artist and Chicagoan Hebru Brantley Alaska’s untamed wilderness steals the show on the 11-day Denali Explorer land and sea tour with Princess Cruises

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BIBLIOTAPH

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DREAM IN MOTION

How does your garden grow? Nine tony tomes for green thumbs Racecar engineer Giampaolo Dallara realizes his dream with the Dallara Stradale, a road car that leads with luxury and performance

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OF NOTE Statement-making sofas from Armani Casa, Badgley Mischka Home, Moooi and more

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STRIKE UP THE SAND The Don CeSar hotel on Florida’s Gulf Coast delivers with coral sunsets and Jazz Age cool

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Apothecary Chandelier by Hubbardton Forge

Lightology.com | 215 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60654

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RUNWAY TAKEAWAYS Sophisticated Living’s favorite moments from London and Paris fashion weeks

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CURATING A LIFESTYLE Salvator Mundi, an original work by Leonardo da Vinci, surfaces—and garners $453 million on the Christie’s auction block

Mar/Apr 2018 60

MESSAGE ON A BOTTLE Château Margaux unveils a special bottle design to commemorate an exceptional vintage—and its iconic vigneron

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ROLLING IN THE DEEP Designer dive watches that are equally suited to blue jeans as they are the deep blue sea

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SOPHISTICATED SOURCE Eight pages of fashion and interior design finds for living a beautiful life

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THE WRIGHT STUFF North Shore entrepreneur Courtney Wright invites us into her chicly appointed Colonial home

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COZY CONFINES, ECLECTIC CUISINE From piri piri pork to pasta with pine nuts and smoked tomato butter, Giant restaurant is a Logan Square gem

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BOLD PLATED Boutique Bites proprietress Elaina Vazquez looks back on 10 years in business—and shows no signs of slowing down

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AND THE BEAT GOES ON Intonation, the Chicago org that’s dedicated to making music education accessible to children, sets its students up for success

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CALENDAR SL’s not-to-miss list of events for giving back and good times

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SOPHISTICATED SOCIETY Chicago’s hottest parties, from philanthropy to fashion

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Printed wide-leg pant with pintuck, $1,550, by Adam Lippes at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, 847.441.7784.

(The full look is available at adamlippes.com.) For more spring fashion, turn to Sophisticated Source.

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PUBLISHER Alison Victoria CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bridget Daley EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elise Hofer Shaw DIRECTORS OF LUXURY BRANDS Mandy Laneve Brooke Baumann ——————————————— ART DIRECTOR Jason Yann CONTRIBUTORS Writers Marissa Conrad Ruth Crnkovich Colin Dennis Scott Harper Anita Heriot Joel Hoglund Korey Huyler Andre James Amelia Jeffers Tina Kourasis Matt Lee Caylee Matthews Sally Meyer Taylor Morgan Alexandra Sabbag Lisa Shames Bridget Williams Photographers Richard Brantner Sebastian Faena James Gustin for Fig Media Logan Hall Maria Ponce Anthony Tahlier Photo Editing Steve Luxem ADVERTISING SALES OFFICE 937.672.6448 ——————————————— SOPHISTICATED LIVING MEDIA Eric Williams - CEO Bridget Williams - President Sophisticated Living® is published by AVMM Media Group, LLC and is independently owned and operated. Sophisticated Living® is a registered trademark of Williams Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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From the Publisher

Portrait by Maria Ponce

To say it has been a monumental year for women would be an understatement. The ground swelled, the silence stopped and the levee broke… seemingly all at once. The Time’s Up movement grows more powerful with each story told and with every march for solidarity—and the change in front of us is real. I have never felt more privileged and empowered to be a woman than I am at this moment. The time is ours. My heart swells with pride when I think about all of the brave souls who came forward and helped to create this tipping point.

While conceiving the cover and stories for the spring issue, this social sentiment was top of mind. We knew we wanted to profile some Chicago women we respect and admire—women who inspire other young women to shoot for the stars, who know that with success comes responsibility.

One such woman is Chicagoan Elaina Vazquez, the owner of catering and events company Boutique Bites (“Bold Plated”). Over the last 10 years, Vazquez has grown her business with talent, taste and honest-to-goodness grit. And it’s pretty damn cool that she puts her resources back into local organizations like Embarc, a program that provides experience-based learning opportunities to low-income high school students to prepare them for college and career success.

Vazquez graciously opened up her chic events space in the West Loop, Brique, for our very first Sophisticated Soirée: Until Midnight in Paris. Partygoers put on 1920s-Paris-inspired attire; sampled croque madames and crème brûlée from Boutique Bites; sipped craft beers from Solemn Oath Brewery, fine wines from Diamond Importers and signature cocktails mixed with Almighty Spirits; and danced the night away to The Gold Coast All Stars and DJs from Fig Media. (Special thanks to HMR Designs, Tablescapes, Sugar Fixé Pâtisserie, ShutterBooth, Sound Investment and Pulp/Ink, too!) As an extension of the Sophisticated Living Chicago brand, and as an added value for our advertisers, we’ll be hosting six Sophisticated Soirées each year—one for each issue. Stay tuned for details on our upcoming spring fashion-show fête!

We’re also linking up with charitable organizations that are close to our hearts to make sure we’re doing our part to give back to Chicago communities in need.

As for this issue’s cover, Hebru Brantley’s “Lil Mama” became an instant muse. It’s a piece from the Chicago artist’s Fly Girl series depicting a confident, headstrong adolescent poised to take on the world. Every time I look at her silhouette I’m reminded of the responsibility that every woman and every man has in raising up our future leaders. To the fathers, sons, husbands, brothers, boyfriends and best friends who love, respect and support us women, thank you. Please know there’s a courageous girl or daring woman pursuing her dreams because you cherished her. To my fellow female professionals, mothers, sisters, homemakers and rule-breakers in Chicago and beyond, I salute you. And, last but not least, to every lil’ mama out there, I say, “Fly, girl. Fly.”

Alison Victoria Owner & Publisher alison@slmag.net

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From the Editor-In-Chief

Portrait by Yuya Ohashi Hair and makeup by Drop By Gorgeous

My 6-year-old daughter came home from school the other day and said, “Mama, I have too much hair on my arms. A boy at school told me so.” So I showed her my arms and said, “Aren’t Mama’s arms beautiful? I think they are. And Daddy loves each and every hair on my arms.”

Then she said, “And Mama, my cheeks are so big, I wish I had cheeks like Sophia.” I turned her toward the mirror, put my hands on her face and gently pulled her still somewhat baby-fat-filled cheeks tight toward her ears and said, “Do you really want to look like this?” Of course, she looked super silly with her features exaggeratedly pulled back, and we both burst out laughing.

Vanity, like most things, is best in moderation. And there’s a big difference between healthy self-love and unhealthy self-image—something I hope that I’m teaching my young daughter. I love that my kid doesn’t see race; she just sees friends who have different skin colors. Or sexuality; she just sees people who are kind—some of whom are boys with long, pretty hair and others are strong-bodied girls, like her, who prefer sports over Barbie dolls.

Through the eyes of babes, the world truly is a beautiful place.

Filling out our spring issue during Women’s History Month are many dynamic, inspiring and lovely (inside and out) Chicago women whose stories we are proud to share, starting with Maureen McClure and Elizabeth Leipold, the owners of Scratch Goods in the Fulton Market District (“Skin Deep”). With a combined passion for organic skincare, the pair have created a handmade-in-Chicago line of 100 percent food-grade and preservative-free body butters and oils sans parabens, sulfates, phthalate, synthetic fragrances and dyes that are toxic for our bodies. I’m a devout user of their eye butter (a collaboration with Dark Matter Coffee) for perking up tired eyes and their tea tree cleansing oil for gentle makeup removal.

Also in this issue is a profile on Boutique Bites owner Elaina Vazquez (“Bold Plated”).

Celebrating her Chicago catering and events company’s 10th anniversary this year, Vazquez is a true hospitality pioneer in terms of bringing the restaurant experience to catered events, not to mention investing in the West Loop long before Google and Soho House Chicago made it a sure thing. A Culinary Institute of America grad, she sharpened her knives at some of the best restaurants in the country, including Joel Robuchon, Tru and Avenues at The Peninsula Chicago before going solo—and it shows in every bite she plates for clients big (think Gucci, Lanvin and Nike, just to name a few) and small.

I believe the children—like my charismatic 6-year-old—are our future (#whitney4ever), and having artist and Chicagoan Hebru Brantley’s “Lil Mama” on our cover is the perfect reminder that every lil’ mama and lil’ man out there deserves the chance to shine, feeling confident in his or her own skin. Who knows, they might just grow up to be out city’s next stars.

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

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“From the moment I stepped into Scratch Goods—and took off my shoes for a pair of slippers—I felt a sense of relaxation,” says Sophisticated Living Chicago Creative Director Bridget Daley, who wrote this issue’s piece on the Fulton Market District hot spot for natural skincare and custom face masks (“Skin Deep”). “A heady mix of mint, lavender and rosemary filled the air as I shopped for soaps and body butters. I’ve already booked a private party with a group of friends to learn how to take better care of our most important organ, and get my skin ready for spring.”

“Elaina Vazquez was delightful in front of the camera,” says photographer and Fig Media owner James Gustin about shooting the Boutique Bites/Brique proprietress for this issue’s profile on the hospitality star who’s celebrating 10 years in business (“Bold Plated”). “She looked effortlessly cute in her Zimmermann jumpsuit, perched on a ladder at Brique. But it’s her strength, creativity and intent that I’m most proud of capturing with her portrait.”

“There are many excellent spas in Chicago, but none so transportive as Aire Ancient Baths,” says Joel Hoglund, who visited the new West Town spa inspired by ancient Roman bath houses for this issue’s wellness story (“Bath Time”). “This is only the second Aire location in the United States, and the Spanish brand’s dedication to opening in historic buildings fits so well in a city with Chicago’s rich architectural heritage. Having this beautiful, relaxing spa environment set inside a 19th-century paint factory adds so much to the experience.”

“My clients always say, ‘Not another black dress!’” says Tina Kourasis, who interviewed New York designer (and LBD lover) Brandon Maxwell for this issue’s Sophisticated Defined column.

“I force them into one of Brandon’s dresses and, between the fabric, the tailoring, the exquisite details and the sex appeal, suddenly their tone changes and everyone makes an exception. For spring, Brandon brings us bold color—the most fabulous red—on jumpsuits and jackets. Our clients are standing in line.” Kourasis is the owner of luxury boutique VMR on Oak Street.

Art world star and Chicagoan Hebru Brantley is the visionary behind this issue’s striking cover image, an untitled piece from the artist’s Lil Mama series. Frequent contributor Matt Lee spoke to Brantley for the accompanying story (“Soaring”). “Like many Chicagoans, I was aware of Brantley and his work,” says Lee. “I could definitely identify his style and point out a Flyboy mural. But until I began researching the story, I didn’t realize just how celebrated an artist he’s become on a global level. His work is being recognized at the highest levels, and the sky is the limit.”

“What inspires me most about Intonation is its approach to getting kids hooked on music,” says Alexandra Sabbag, who wrote this issue’s philanthropy spotlight on the Chicago organization dedicated to helping kids amplify their potential by providing instruments, instruction and mentorship (“And the Beat Goes On”). “For students who have had little to no access to music education to be able to walk away from their very first lesson playing a favorite tune is a powerful thing. It’s no surprise this organization is thriving and that its kids keep coming back.”

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Sophisticated Defined

By Tina Kourasis / Portrait by Ben Ritter

It’s impossible to put Brandon Maxwell in a box. He’s a selftaught fashion designer with an A-list following that includes Jennifer Lawrence, Nicole Kidman and Oprah Winfrey. He’s Lady Gaga’s fashion director (and best friend). He’s a director with a commercial for Apple Music under his belt. And he has collaborated with big-name photography talents like Inez &

Vinoodh and Steven Klein, not to mention turned out cuttingedge ad campaigns for Barneys New York and Uniqlo. The common thread? Brandon’s absolute reverence for women and his desire to make them look and feel beautiful. Here, the New Yorker by way of small-town Texas talks style and, of course, sophisticated living. sl

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

BM: Sadly, check my phone. But I’m working on breaking that habit!

What is your proudest career moment?

BM: Dressing Michelle Obama.

Most sophisticated city?

What is one thing you can’t live without?

BM: Love.

What is your favorite piece in your closet?

BM: Any black James Perse T-shirt.

What is the most elegant gift to give or receive?

BM: Anything personalized. Either the actual gift or the accompanying letter.

BM: New York.

The place you go for utter peace?

BM: Austin, Texas.

Name your top three vacation must-haves.

BM: Books, a camera and my fiancé.

Most sophisticated structure or building?

Who or what inspires you?

BM: My biggest inspirations come from solitary moments in nature.

BM: Guggenheim Museum.

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

Who is your muse?

BM: Each and every one of our customers.

Who is the most sophisticated person of all time?

BM: Jacqueline Kennedy.

Who is your dream client?

BM: Jacqueline Kennedy.

BM: RL Restaurant.

No one should ever wear...

BM: A frown.

Everyone should own...

BM: A dog.

What are you reading right now?

BM: Bunny Mellon: The Life and Style of an American Legend.

Most universally flattering color...

Cocktail of choice?

BM: I only drink red wine.

Current must-have from your collection.

Coffee or tea?

BM: Coffee.

Describe your brand in three words.

Guilty Pleasure?

BM: Fried foods.

How do you define ‘sophistication’?

Favorite country to visit?

BM: Japan.

Brandon Maxwell is available at VMR, 312.649.6673, as well as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom stores.

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BM: Black.

BM: The high-waisted, bell-bottom jeans.

BM: Classic, timeless, tailored.

BM: Kindness is the most sophisticated thing.

BRANDON MAXWELL

Looks from Brandon Maxwell’s spring/summer 2018 collection

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photo production: Schawk Studios Account Director: Tearle Calinog Photographer: BETHANY PUTERBAUGH Styling: Aimee Ventura / Maggie Jarecki Art Director: Tomoko Nagle Model: Colleen Kloster -- Factor Chosen

DOG DAYS

By Elise Hofer Shaw

It’s the Year of the Dog, people. And that means 365 days of celebrating the planet’s most dependable and trustworthy humans. (It’s said that people born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They’re honest, friendly, faithful, loyal, smart, straightforward, venerable and have a strong sense of responsibility.) The Chinese New Year also ushers in a new collection from Gucci that’s as allegiant to the spirit of the year as it is avantgarde. Inspired by a gift that artist Helen Downie (aka Unskilled Worker) gave to Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele—a pillow featuring an illustration of his two Boston terriers, Bosco and Orso—the personality-packed dog motifs adorn a wide range of pieces for the new collection, including clothing (women’s and men’s ready-to-wear), shoes, handbags, luggage, small leather goods and accessories. For spring, we’re smitten with this distressed denim jacket with the pups’ mugs embroidered on the back ($3,380). So bring it on, dog days of summer. We’re ready for ya. sl The Chinese New Year collection is available at Gucci in the 900 North Michigan Shops, 312.664.5504 and at gucci.com.

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Stock Mfg. Co. co-founders (from left) Mike Morarity, Tim Tierney and Jim Snediker

This denim work shirt is made with 10.5 oz true black raw denim milled in Canada and features heavy-duty details and a versatile, four-pocket design.

A risky business plan for a fledgling fashion company? Maybe. But the guys behind Chicago menswear label Stock Mfg. Co. have more than proven that quality trumps trends—and that setting up shop far from the city’s most popular retail rows can be a pretty cool thing.

In 2013, friends Jim Snediker, Mike Morarity and Tim Tierney took that calculated risk and launched Stock, a Chicagomade menswear label meant to outfit the city’s ever-growing creative community—a community that’s saturated with young professionals who prefer to wear denim and button-downs during the daily grind. “A lot of our customers are Chicagoans with creative interests—tech startups, ad agencies,” says Tierney, who, before Stock, broke onto the sartorial scene with a label called Vagrant Nobility, his and Morarity’s first foray into retail. “Our clothes are durable enough for riding a motorcycle or working in the garage, but stylish enough for cocktails after work. More and more professionals don’t have to—or want to—wear suits to work.”

For Stock, Tierney and Morarity brought on Snediker, whom they’d met during their Garfield Park factory days for Vagrant Nobility, and solidified their sartorial agenda: to turn out modern takes on American menswear staples and classic heritage pieces, all made right here in Chicago—and to bring every stage of production under one roof. The result? A brand that’s been able to cut out the middleman and invest those savings back into details like hard-tofind fabrics and road-tested hardware in the form of etched horn buttons and zippers that are custom-made in Switzerland.

After gaining momentum with online sales and via pop up markets like Dose Market, the trio invested in a loft space on West Fulton Street and opened their first brick-and-mortar store in the spring of 2015. Housing not only their store but also a full bar, office

BUILT TO LAST With modern takes on American staples and a shop that’s strategically off the beaten path, Stock Mfg. Co. brings functionally cool menswear to Chicago.

By Elise Hofer Shaw / Portrait by Quinn Wharton and inventory storage, the 2,000-square-foot space isn’t massive because, well, that’s just not their business model. “Everything we do is limited-edition,” says Morarity. “No one wants to see the same shirt on every other guy walking down the street.” And, as promised, no corners are cut when it comes to style and function. At press time, the guys were clearing out blanket-weight 7 oz. flannel shirts and military-inspired outerwear in favor of new spring merchandise like stonewashed denim work shirts with reinforced elbows, customprinted camp shirts and super-soft tailored twill chinos.

The guys’ attention to craftsmanship has caught on: In 2015, Stock collaborated on a capsule collection with Miller High Life that was inspired by the American beer’s print advertisements from the turn of the century through the 1970s (think shooting jackets, custom baseball caps and a denim trucker jacket with High Life’s iconic “Girl in the Moon” logo embroidered on the back). And Stock has become the outfitter of choice for many of the country’s top hotels and restaurants. What started as a small collection of server jackets for Next and Alinea restaurants back in 2013 has blossomed into a major portion of the clothier’s business. Soho House Chicago, Ace Hotel, Momotaro, Publican Anker, Cherry Circle Room and Roister are just a few examples of Stock’s hundreds of hospitality clients.

So it comes as no surprise that the bar at Stock’s West Side shop is, er, stocked with a serious liquor collection and brews like Half Acre, Goose Island and, of course, Miller High Life on tap for thirsty shoppers and in-store events with like-minded brands.

“We’re a destination shop,” says Snediker. “Guys come in, grab a beer, chat, buy a shirt and hang out. We wanted to create a shopping environment that’s approachable, just like our clothes.” sl Stock Mfg. Co., 2136 W. Fulton St., 312.371.1555, stockmfgco.com

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All of Scratch Goods’ foodgrade skincare products are formulated, made and packaged in-house in small batches.

SKIN DEEP

By Bridget Daley / Product photos by Richard Brantner The name says it all at Scratch Goods—the Fulton Market District’s destination for natural soaps, body butters, skin oils and custom face masks. “About 70 percent of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your system—and stays there,” says co-owner Maureen McClure, a seasoned food chemist turned holistic skincare guru who makes it all, quite literally, from scratch. “What you put on your body is just as important as what you put inside it. We need to be as aware of what’s in our medicine chest as we are of what’s in our fridge.”

Which is why each and every product sold at Scratch Goods, from coffee-infused eye butter and lemon-charcoal body scrub to tea tree cleanser, cedar-pine beard oil and lavendermint deodorant, is 100 percent food-grade and preservative-free.

“Synthetic preservatives are used to prevent water-based products like lotions from becoming a breeding ground for bacteria,” shares McClure. “They have a longer shelf life but are laden with nasty stuff like parabens, sulfates, phthalate, synthetic fragrances and dyes that are toxic for your body. We specialize in oils, butters and mix-ready dry powders that don’t need all that junk.”

“You can literally eat everything we make,” adds Elizabeth Leipold, McClure’s business partner, best friend and Scratch Goods’ co-founder. Together, over the course of 10 years,

the duo has gone from making small batches of homemade soap in Leipold’s kitchen in Humboldt Park to opening their second brick-and-mortar shop for all things necessary to get you glowing (they shuttered Scratch Goods’ original location in Roscoe Village in 2016 when the lease was up). This time they’ve added a six-seat Mask Bar for customizing a blend that’s best for your unique derm, not to mention ample space to mix, craft and package on-site as well as host wellness classes and workshops.

The pair’s passion for the science of healthy skincare is contagious—and educational. For example, for women, rolling on aluminum-filled deodorant just inches from your breasts is no bueno. Scratch Goods’ underarm butters in lavender mint or tea tree are free of aluminum, alcohol and artificial fragrances—and really do work! And remember, “Your skin constantly changes with the seasons, so it makes sense that our skincare does the same,” says Leipold, pointing out that because their all-natural ingredients are seasonal, what’s in stock rotates with the seasons, too. As Chicago heats up, try Scratch Goods’ 15 percent zinc face oil to block out harmful rays while nourishing the skin you’re in. sl Scratch Goods, 1046 W. Fulton Market, 773.857.3551. To schedule an appointment at the Mask Bar or book out the space for a private event, visit scratchgoods.com.

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I M AG I N E T H E P O S S I B I L I T I E S .

exquisite cuisine ² impeccable service ² extraordinary creativity ² since 1967 424 north wood street | chicago, illinois 60622 | 312.829.3663 | georgejewell.com

The salt bath flotarium at Aire Ancient Baths Chicago

BATH TIME

Unplug and unwind like the ancients at Chicago’s newest spa experience, Aire Ancient Baths.

By Joel Hoglund The “No phones, no watches” rule at Aire Ancient Baths truly is a blessing. After all, the ancient Greeks and Romans who created modern spa culture weren’t concerned about their Instagram feed or rushing to the next meeting, and Chicago’s newest luxury spa draws its inspiration from those early cultures’ obsession with relaxing the body and revitalizing the mind through bathing.

Opened in November 2017, Aire Chicago is the sixth location for the Spanish brand, which launched in Seville in 2004 in a 16th-century palace built atop original Roman baths. It’s only the second in the U.S. (the other is in New York), and at 20,000 square feet, it’s also the largest. Like all distinctive Aire locations, it’s set in a historic building—the late-19th-century DeVoe & Raynolds paint factory in River West—where weary city-dwellers don’t have to travel far for a break.

After donning my swimsuit in the locker room, I head down to a posh subterranean space full of glowing, crystalline pools, scented with orange blossom and lit by thousands of candles that cast dim rippling light on the original brick, wooden beams and rugged steel columns of the building. With no windows, the space will look and feel the same during the day as my nighttime visit. No austere, white-walled spa is ever going to cut it for me again.

An attendant describes the Ancient Thermal Bath circuit, which each guest—and there’s only about 20 at a time, to keep things feeling tranquil and private—gets 90 minutes to experience. I start off at the exfoliation station to scrub my skin smooth with coarse sea salt before hitting the waters. The

warm saltwater pool has the same density as the Dead Sea, so go ahead and float magically on its surface. Another is surrounded by a heated marble ledge perfect for lounging sans aqua with a detoxifying juice. One roils with muscle-relaxing jets. A trip from the hot pool, heated to 102 degrees, to the 50-degree “ice pool” is exhilarating, and sprawling out on a marble slab inside either of the two glass-enclosed aromatherapy steam rooms is sublime.

My favorite part, though, is swimming under the outer wall of the building into the old factory courtyard. It’s a feature Aire spokesperson Silvia Barnett says is unique to the Chicago location.

In the icy winter air the hot pool is fully shrouded in steam, and a massaging waterfall beckons at its outer edge. Très sexy.

The bathing ritual alone is enough to leave a person splendidly blissed out, but Aire offers a host of luxe treatments for further indulgence, including a full-body exfoliation scrub with ground olive pits, a Himalayan salt body wrap and a decadent 90-minute four-handed oil massage. And for those looking to go full Roman, Barnett recommends the fit-for-an-emperor Red Wine Experience.

It begins with a head massage while soaking in an antique 17th-century Venetian well filled with a blend of antioxidantrich Tempranillo grapes specially developed by renowned Spanish winery Matarromera, followed by an hour-long massage with grapeseed oil. The best part? It’s made for two. Consider your datenight quandary solved. sl Experiences range from $70 to $900 for the Red Wine Experience for two.

Aire Ancient Baths, 800 W. Superior St., beaire.com

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SOARING

Artist Hebru Brantley’s Chicago-born vision has resonated far beyond his home turf—and this could be just the beginning.

By Matt Lee It’s the goggles. Or maybe it’s the vintage WWII-era pilot’s cap, coupled with the handkerchief. Or, maybe, it’s the sheer momentum of the character, flying forward. Whatever it is, once you see Chicago artist Hebru Brantley’s Flyboy character, you remember him.

These days, likely more Chicagoans than not recognize Flyboy. Inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen, Flyboy has adorned murals from Bucktown to Uptown to the South Loop and, in 2016, was the inspiration for a Chance the Rapper video viewed by almost 20 million people. While he’s no doubt Brantley’s signature character, though, he’s far from the only one—and the scope of the artist’s work is sprawling, in more ways than one.

Like other creative pioneers, Brantley has made not just a remarkable career, but a remarkable life, out of doing what he loves. That’s far from a platitude. An artist since he was a child on the South Side, Brantley has produced a body of work influenced by phenomena ranging from comic books and cartoons to JeanMichel Basquiat and anime. This amalgamation of influences

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isn’t a quirky-sounding bio sound bite, but rather the uniquely disparate components of Brantley’s vision—simply put, what he had, by hook or by crook, to get out into the world.

Brantley’s story is a Chicago story, though, and first of his influences among equals is the Chicago-based AfriCOBRA street art movement of the 1960s and ’70s. “It was all around me,” says Brantley, who splits his time between Chicago and L.A., but calls Chicago home. “That was my daily journey to the crib. You pass by those walls, those murals… In my limited exposure growing up, that’s what I was exposed to and what I understood to be art, or street art.”

He didn’t take an art class in high school, but while studying film at Clark Atlanta University, he found the art classes he snuck into at the Art Institute of Atlanta more compelling than his chosen field of study. After graduation, in 2002, while painting on the side and working at a record company, he sold his first painting to a DJ friend. It was then, he says, he considered becoming a professional artist. His vision, ultimately, coalesced into what can be described as character-driven narrative art.

Exhibition photo from the solo exhibition “Lord of the Flys” at Avenue des Arts gallery, Hong Kong Photo by Cyril Delettre

Island 2 mixed media on canvas from the “Lord of the Flys” series (20” x 20”), 2017 Photo by Bianca Griffin

Hebru Brantley in studio, Chicago Portrait by Frank Ishman

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Futr Futur mixed media on canvas from the “Lord of the Flys” series (36” x 36”), 2017 Photo by Bianca Griffin

Brantley’s work is wide-ranging, however, spanning a wide variety of media and subjects. Recent pieces alone have addressed such diverse topics as the relationship between Basquiat and Andy Warhol and, in an ongoing series of reimagined comic book characters, Captain America and Batman and Robin.

His take on these subjects has resonated, and his career has soared like Flyboy. Among many other high-profile venues, Brantley has exhibited at Miami Art Basel, Scope NYC and Frieze London. Celebrities like Jay-Z and Beyoncé, George Lucas, LeBron James and Nicki Minaj count themselves as collectors of his work, and he’s collaborated with everyone from Jordan Brand and Hublot to Nike and Nickelodeon. In 2016, Flyboy took what in some ways was his greatest flight yet, as Brantley teamed up with another

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Chicago mega-creative, Chance the Rapper, on the Flyboy-inspired video for “Angels,” viewed almost 20 million times on YouTube.

“I know a few people,” Brantley says when asked about his relationships with Chicago musicians, from Chance to Lupe Fiasco. And the city, he says, is a more friendly place for creatives of all stripes than it once was. “My feeling on Chicago is a fondness,” he says. “Especially when I leave and come back.

A lot of that has to do with age. When you’re younger, you might not appreciate certain things like you would when you get older. Chicago is a great place. I love that it’s able to cultivate young talent in the arts now. I don’t feel that it always did.”

Whether here or elsewhere, Brantley can usually be found working. “It’s pretty boring, man,” he says, discussing his typical

Crown of the Metropolis Pt. 6 (Tale of a Future Mogul) mixed media on canvas from Brantley’s “Forced Field” solo exhibition at Elmhurst Art Museum, 2017 Photo by Anthony Trevino

day. “I’m in the studio around 8 in the morning, working until around 6PM. I come home to spend some time with my family and then, normally, I’m back in the studio about 9PM and work for a couple more hours after that. Live, die, repeat. Live, die, repeat.” When he does have free time, he can be found at a few favorite spots around his neighborhood, including Dusek’s, Punch House or Soho House Chicago.

Despite his herculean work ethic, Brantley has little in common with the stereotype of a reclusive artist content to toil away in obscurity. On the contrary, he sees himself in the mold of Walt Disney—with Flyboy as his Mickey Mouse. To be sure, the world is his oyster: Beginning in October, Brantley will be showing his latest works at Avenue des Arts in L.A. And while he couldn’t go on record

about other upcoming collaborations and exhibitions, suffice it to say that Flyboy could soon be known on a far larger scale.

“Everything’s part of a plan,” he says of his illustrious career, weighing strategy versus spontaneity. “You have ideas and go forth and execute, then other things come in. Great things happen that you didn’t necessarily plan for, and other opportunities come about. But it’s all been a plan.”

The magical moments are mostly born of sweat. “It all depends on the context,” he says, looking back at the highlights— so far—of a career filled with too many of them to count. “It’s hard to quantify. It’s a lot more about the little moments than the bigger ones people might assume. There are a lot more of the smaller moments that lead to the bigger moments.” sl

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THE GREATER OUTDOORS Princess Cruises makes it easy to experience more of Alaska by land, sea, and air.

Written by Patti Bailey / Photography by Tony Bailey The allure of Alaska is undeniable. It is a fascination rooted in tales—some tall, others true—relayed first by Russian explorers, and continuing with Spanish, British and American expeditioners, traders, whalers and prospectors who spoke about Eskimos and other indigenous people swaddled in furs, mushing dog teams, and hunting and scavenging in order to survive in harsh conditions that at times seemed hardly fit for man or beast.

Accounts of this vast and rugged remoteness, combined later with illustrations and then photographic images of unimaginable and unblemished natural beauty, continue to fuel the fire of the imagination and make the destination a perennial bucket list trip.

A little more than 700,000 people live in the largest US state (almost half of those in Anchorage), making Alaska’s vast expanses of achingly beautiful, untamed wilderness

seem unattainable, unless you are one of its native peoples, an adventurous outdoorsy type, or among the hearty souls populating its smattering of cities. As I don’t fit into any of the aforementioned categories but still longed to experience all that Alaska has to offer, I booked an 11-day Denali Explorer land and sea tour with Princess Cruises.

In 1969 the Princess Italia brought 525 passengers to Alaska; in 2019, Royal Princess, the company’s largest ship ever deployed to the region, will deliver awe-inspiring moments to 3,500 guests.

Thanks to a half-century of experience in providing cruise and cruisetour vacations, Princess has built a unique infrastructure in Alaska, encompassing five riverside lodges, rail service and stateof-the-art ships, which allow travelers to get to the heart of the great outdoors without sacrificing any creature comforts. slmag.net

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Princess’ award-winning on-board program, North to Alaska, includes unique Alaskan-inspired onboard enrichment, entertainment and food and beverage offerings, as well as exclusive Discovery Channel and Animal Planet recommended shore excursions that are part of the cruise line's Discovery at Sea partnership. Very popular is “Cook My Catch,” a unique culinary program allowing guests to return from select Princess fishing excursions and have the chef prepare their very own catch of the day.

Our trip commenced in Anchorage, where we stayed our first night before heading by motor coach to the McKinley Princess Lodge, stopping along the way in the town of Talkeetna (population 772) for our first excursion, a Talkeetna River Float.

While we were bundled in multiple layers, our guide seemed to take the 42-degree day as a heatwave, as he sported flip flops and shorts.

Midway through the ride we were serenaded by a local man playing the banjo at the river’s edge, just one of many colorful characters we encountered throughout our vacation.

Situated on 146 acres inside Denali State Park, the 460-room Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge is the only cruisetour hotel within sight of Mt. McKinley, North America’s highest peak. Denali is so big that it creates its own weather, meaning that its peak is shrouded by clouds onethird of the time. To alert guests when weather conditions are 34 slmag.net

ideal for viewing, the lodge sounds a “Mountain is Out” call.

The property’s newly opened, one-of-a-kind 500-square-foot treehouse, constructed by Pete Nelson of Animal Planet’s show “Treehouse Masters” is the ideal spot to take in the view.

Our visit fortuitously coincided with an ideal time to view the Northern Lights, and we quickly discovered that like the weather, the aurora can be unpredictable. Rather than stay awake all night staring up at the sky and waiting for the light show, we listened for the lodge’s Northern Lights alert before bundling up and heading outside to be transfixed by the otherworldly bands of green light.

We continued our journey by motor coach for the two-hour drive to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. Along the way, we travelled through an amazing landscape of snow-capped mountain peaks, fast-flowing streams and trees with yellow foliage so vibrant they appeared to be alight. The 656-room lodge is located in Denali Village, just one mile from the entrance to the six-million-acre Denali National Park. When weather conditions cancelled our planned glacier landing flight, we substituted an exhilarating ATV tour of a dry glacier, which quickly abated any disappointment I’d been feeling over the aborted flight. Back at the lodge during a pre-dinner cocktail reception, a friendly riot nearly broke out when everyone scrambledto hold the evening’s honored guests: a pack of sled dog puppies.

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Release of rehabilitated bald eagle at the opening of the wilderness treehouse

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Chef's Table experience aboard the Star Princess

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Skagway, Alaska

Princess Cruises’ Direct-To-The-Wilderness rail service comfortably transported us for the duration of the eight-hour trip from the Denali lodge to the cruise ship, which was docked in the coastal town of Whittier. Featuring some of the largest domed windows ever built for a rail car, we didn’t miss a second of the scenery along the 300-mile journey. A Princess Cruises representative took care of the check-in process for the ship along the way, which made the transition from shore to ship seamless.

Our cabin aboard the Star Princess was outfitted with a bespoke mattress, developed in consultation with board-certified sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus, as part of the company’s premier sleep program, an initiative that optimizes staterooms for a sleepfriendly sensory experience. Eighty percent of all outside cabins on the ship boast a private balcony; the opportunity to watch a glacier calving from ours is a sight I won’t soon forget.

From small bites in the Vine Room wine bar to a black-tie dinner at Sabitini’s Italian restaurant, the cuisine on board was outstanding, supported by the fact that the quality of the Princess dining experience

has been recognized by the prestigious Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, which has inducted all of the company's ships into the exclusive gastronomic society. Across the board, traditional European dishes are blended with contemporary cuisine with a focus on seasonal foods, flavorful sauces, herbs and lighter fare to please a wide variety of tastes.

When we weren’t ogling glaciers as tall as a 24-story building in Glacier Bay, riding a train to White Pass Summit at the US/ Canadian border, exploring historic waterfront towns, and watching in amazement as bears nabbed salmon from the river during a high-speed boat cruise, we were taking advantage of onboard amenities. We enjoyed a dreamy massage in the Lotus Spa, blended our own Silverado wines with a sommelier, recapped each day’s adventures with new friends over cocktails in Crooner’s Martini Bar and relaxed in the library.

Even with all of the ship’s outstanding amenities, Mother Nature remains the real star of the show; Princess Cruises is simply her publicity manager, making sure that everyone gets to experience her best performances. For more information visit princess.com. sl slmag.net

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Bibliotaph... Spring Gleaning

Compiled by Victoria Chase

Nationally recognized landscape designer Susan Morrison draws on her years of experience to show you how to take advantage of a small yard.

Her tips are supplemented by photos of small gardens of varying designs found throughout the country. Susan Morrison - The Less Is More Garden: Big Ideas for Designing Your Small Yard - Hardcover, 256 pages, Timber Press (timberpress.com) A collection of images by photographer Claire Takacs of more than sixty of the world's most beautiful gardens, from iconic public spaces to contemplative private places. Claire Takacs Dreamscapes: Inspiration and Beauty in Gardens Near and Far - Hardcover, 304 pages, Hardie Grant Books (chroniclebooks.com) This photo series is photographer Kenji Toma’s homage to botanical illustrations found in flower encyclopedias of the 19th century.

Before the advent of color photography, images were illustrated with the purpose of replicating the botanic subject as close to reality as possible. Toma is interested in doing the exact opposite with the photographic medium. The result is a highly contemporary and fascinating revival of the concept of the botanical encyclopedia.

Kenji Toma - The Most Beautiful Flowers - Hardcover, 196 pages, Kehrer Verlag (kehrerverlag.com)

Avid gardener and author Gisela Keil partnered with commercial photographer JĂźrgen Becker to capture 365 photos of some of the world's most exquisite gardens. Each image is accompanied by planting tips and techniques and botanical facts. Gisela Keil - A Year in the Garden: 365 Inspirational Gardens and Garden Tips - Hardcover, 744 pages, Prestel Publishing (randomhouse.com)

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bib 'li' o 'taph, [bib-lee-uhtaf, -tahf ]: a person who caches or hoards books Using intriguing stories and stunning full-color illustrations, Loves Me, Loves Me Not, introduces readers to flowers that have been conveying message for centuries. Author Peter Loewer writes: "The language of flowers is a delightful idea. In the world of cell phones and mass communications, sending a simple bouquet that tells a tale of love and affection seems to be a great idea whose time has come again." Peter Loewer - Loves Me, Loves Me Not: The Hidden Language of Flowers - Hardcover, 112 pages, Skyhorse Publishing (skyhorsepublishing.com)

For most of her career, artist Rebecca Louise Law has created massive installations that recreate the fields of flowers that delighted her as a child. This book is the most comprehensive collection to date of Law's work, including the evolution of her craft and why she uses preserved flowers as a sculptural material. Rebecca Louise Law Life in Death - Hardcover, The University of Chicago Press (press.uchicago,edu) Antonio Bond, owner of Transplants Floral, an independent floral boutique in Austin, Texas, scours the American Southwest in search of trinkets, bones and other items of intrigue to work into his almost otherworldly floral designs. This book boasts 200 photographs of his most compelling creations, which are accompanied by commentary on the elements comprising each piece and the design process. Antonio Bond - Transplants: Eclectic Floral Design - Hardcover, 224 pages, Blue Star Press (bluestarpress.com) Between 1914 and 1950, Ellen Shipman (1869–1950) designed more than 600 gardens in the United States, from Long Island's Gold Coast to the state of Washington. Her secluded, lush formal gardens attracted a clientele that included Fords, Edisons, Astors, and du Ponts. This book outlines her major works, richly illustrated with plans and photographs.

Judith B. Tankard - Ellen Shipman and the American Garden Hardcover, 320 pages, University of Georgia Press (ugapress.org) In this children's book, originally published in French, vibrant watercolors by Vincent Gravé are accompanied by lively text penned by landscape designer Gilles Clément intended to teach young readers not only what’s involved in planning a garden, but how plants, insects, and humans interact all year long to make the garden thrive. Gilles Clément - A Big Garden - Hardcover, 32 pages, Prestel Publishing (randomhouse.com)

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DREAM IN MOTION

The Dallara Stradale represents the culmination of racecar engineer Giampaolo Dallara’s exemplary career in motorsports.

Written by Andre James

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Now counted among the world’s most venerable racecar engineers, Giampaolo Dallara began his automotive career at Ferrari soon after graduating from college in 1959. Before the age of 40, Dallara held positions at Maserati, Lamborghini (where he was one of the engineers of the original Miura), and De Tomaso (to design a Formula 1 car), before founding his eponymous engineering business in 1972 in his hometown of Parma, Italy. On any given weekend, some 300 Dallara cars race on circuits around the world and in different formulas. The company also provides consulting service for top-tier car brands, including Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bugatti, Ferrari, KTM, Lamborghini, Maserati and Porsche.

Despite all of his accomplishments, one thing eluded Dallara: designing a road car that bore his name. That changed on November 16, 2017, his 81st birthday, with the unveiling of the Dallara Stradale, designed in partnership with Lowie Vermeersch, CEO and Creative Director of Granstudio, a Turin-based boutique design consultancy.

“This project sums up everything we learned from racing and from collaborations with our clients, and I am convinced that those who will use this car will be able to try the pleasure of

driving for the sake of driving,” said Dallara. “They will get in the car to take a nice ride and to experience the pleasure of driving.”

Twenty years in the making, and drawing on Dallara’s motorsports experience, the largely carbon fiber Dallara Stradale was developed using the company’s industry-leading wind tunnel and computer simulators. Weighing in at a mere 1885-pounds in its lightest configuration—a barchetta speedster sans windshield—the car is powered by a mid-mounted Ford EcoBoost 2.4-liter engine that boasts 400-hp. The 0-60mph sprint takes 3.25-seconds; top speed is 174mph.

With a design dictated by maximizing aerodynamic efficiency, the exterior has several available configurations. There are no doors in the conventional sense, as driver and passenger enter by stepping over the body of the car. With the addition of a carbon-fiber and polycarbonate windshield, the car becomes a roadster; adding a T-frame makes it a targa; attaching a pair of top-hinged gullwing doors transforms the car into a coupe. Trackminded drivers can opt for a rear wing, which provides access to exceptional levels of downforce.

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Giampaolo Dallara

“Designing the Dallara Stradale was really like transforming the dream of Giampaolo Dallara to make his own road car into a sculpture,” said Vermeersch, who was named to Automobile Magazine’s 2010 list of the “World’s 25 Most Influential Car Designers”. “It was a dream that was rooted in the timeless beauty of his Miura and fueled by a long career full of passion for the race. So, we avoided to impose a preconceived and fixed idea of the styling, but we allowed its shape to stylistically evolve during the process in a continuous interaction with Dallara's engineers, guided by a clear sense of harmony and proportions. Only in this way we could find a shape that is an absolute synthesis between performance and aesthetics.”

The engine, which drives the rear wheels via a six-speed gearbox (either traditional manual or automated manual using a paddleshift system), is mounted transversely, meaning that the engine's crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the long axis of the vehicle.

Supercar engineer Loris Bicocchi, who has worked for Bugatti, Pagani and Koenigsegg, was tapped to lead the chassis-development program. “For some time now, Mr. Dallara has been telling me, ‘Loris, when we find the time to make our road car, I would like you to test it for us.’ I penciled this in since then,” said Bicocchi.

The combination of weight, vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics, along with customized Pirelli tires, allow drivers to reach lateral

accelerations beyond 2G under normal conditions of use. Excellent control is enabled by Bosch ESP stability control systems. Bicocchi added that the car is “Fast but safe; stability, traction and braking controls seldom intervene. It is amazing because it lets you drive and does not give you anxiety; it has a great performance both on the mountain roads and on track. It has a brilliant engine, and its light weight allows for an authentic supercar performance.”

The interior, stripped down to the basics and awash in carbon fiber, is laid out to maximize physical contact between the driver and the vehicle. Dashboard instrumentation is driver-centric and supplied via a motorsports-style display screen. When mounting the windscreen, a special control panel cover is provided with integrated additional commands for the windscreen wipers.

Though street legal, extended trips may prove impractical as storage is limited to a pair of bins accessed by removing the backseat supports that are large enough to accommodate a race helmet, as well as a small compartment behind the engine.

The base price for the Dallara Stradale is approximately $182,500; add an additional $37,000 for the windshield, roof, and doors. All of the vehicles produced for the debut were spoken for at the time of the unveiling this past November, and the company says it will limit production over the next five years to 600 cars (dallara.it). sl

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Of Note... Sofa So Good

Compiled by Colin Dennis

Clockwise from top left: Monterey sofa from Badgley Mischka Home (badgleymischka.com), Culpepper upholstered outdoor sofa from Century Furniture (centuryfurniture.com), Drake sofa from Kindel Furniture (kindelfurniture.com), Greta sofa in Mango Pewter from Studio A Home (studioa-home.com), Belt sofa by Moroso (chaplins.co.uk).

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Clockwise from top left: Trevisan sofa from Oficina Inglesa (oficinainglesa.com), Albert sofa by Albert Sack for Hickory Chair (hickorychair.com), Vamp sofa from Koket (bykoket. com), BRIXX by Lorenza Bozzoli is DEDON's first fully upholstered outdoor collection (dedon.us), Boutique Botero sofa by Marcel Wanders for Moooi (moooi.com), Hector sofa from Armani Casa (armanicasa.com), Fingerprint Ribbon sofa from bunakara (bunakara.com).

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STRIKE UP THE SAND Opened during the Jazz Age, The Don CeSar hotel reigns as the crown jewel of Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Written by Caylee Matthews

Any person, place or thing approaching the century mark has undoubtedly experienced its fair share of trials and triumphs.

Such is the case for Florida’s “Pink Palace,” The Don CeSar hotel, which commands a covetable stretch of powdery sand on St. Pete Beach.

Opened during the height of the Roaring 20s, developer Thomas Rowe spent $1.25-million (300% over his original budget) on the 220-room property. Designed by Indianapolis architect Henry Dupont, the striking exterior represents a combination of Mediterranean and Moorish styles borrowed from developments in Palm Beach, Coral Gables and Boca Raton. The façade’s pink pigmentation defines the structure from any other for miles around, and creates a dramatic feeling of arrival as the hotel comes into view at the crest of the causeway bridge; it also happens to be the perfect complement to frequent cotton candy-colored sunsets.

The Don CeSar quickly became a playground for high society, attracting the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Al Capone. It weathered the Great Depression largely in part due to a three-year deal made with Yankees owner Jacob Rupert to house the team there during spring training.

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Following the unexpected death of Rowe, who didn’t have a will, the property was left to his estranged wife. Not as passionate about the hotel as her late husband, she allowed it to gradually fall into a state of disrepair. The hotel was sold to the Army during World War II for $450,000 and converted into a military hospital, then an Air Force convalescent center, and finally a Veterans Administration Regional Office (which vacated the property in 1967).

After sitting empty for two years, the dilapidated and graffiticovered hotel was scheduled to be torn town, but outcry from local residents stopped the wrecking ball. A succession of new owners and a string of ongoing improvements and additions have allowed the property, a founding member of the National Trust Historic Hotels of America to rise, like the proverbial phoenix, and reclaim its status as the crown jewel of Florida’s Gulf Coast. It has been awarded Four Diamonds from AAA every year since 1980.

Today, the independently owned resort hotel boasts 277 guest rooms (36 of which are suites), six restaurants and lounges, two heated pools, ample event space, a spa and fitness center, Camp CeSar Kids Camp, the Shoppes of The Don and access to beach rentals and water sports. There’s certainly enough going on that it would be easy to spend a long weekend entirely on property.

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Bayside King Suite

Maritana Grill The Sea Porch

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The Rowe Bar

With treatments inspired by the oceans of the world, the 11,000-square-foot Spa Oceana features 16 treatment rooms and a rooftop relaxing terrace that overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. During my signature Hamsa Healing Ritual, I felt like an ear of corn as warm melted shea butter was poured over me prior to a balancing massage, which was preceded by a sound healing ceremony with Tibetan singing bowls.

Relaxing continues poolside, where scheduled treats—from chilled towels to smoothie shots—are delivered throughout the day.

Complimentary half-day kids camp is ideal for parents looking to squeeze in a little “me” time. A wide, white sand beach that stretches for miles in either direction is just steps away (complimentary nonmotorized watersports are available from 8-10am each day).

The pinnacle of on-property dining is the award-winning Maritana Grille. Request a seat by the saltwater aquarium and you may find yourself dining eye to eye with a five-foot eel. The menu is comprised of locally sourced coastal cuisine and complemented by an extensive wine list. The Big Reveal, Maritana’s signature dessert, is a spectacle not to be missed.

Casual, alfresco dining is offered at Sea Porch and The Beachcomber Bar & Grill. Beginning with Cuban Bread French toast at breakfast through Low Country Shrimp &

Grits at dinner, the Sea Porch serves up comfort food catering to all appetites. The Kronut Burger at The Beachcomber is a worthwhile indulgence. Both The Rowe Bar and Lobby Bar offer signature seasonal craft cocktails and local beers. The latter offers live music nightly in addition to Prime Time Bar Bites and Early Bird and Late-Night Craving menus. A favorite among young and old is Uncle Andy’s Ice Cream Parlor, which serves locally made small-batch Working Cow ice cream.

Should you wish to venture outside the comfortable confines of the resort, there are a number of touristy towns nearby that seem to have changed little since I first visited the area some 30 years ago (an observation that elicited satisfied smiles from locals). While exploring a quiet residential neighborhood near The Don CeSar, we discovered Grace Restaurant in Pass-a-Grille Beach, a charming place that has a list of signature cocktails all named after local dogs, and an ambitious, upscale menu. A host of greater Tampa Bay area attractions are within a 30-minute drive, including The Dali Museum, premier shopping and dining at Sundial in downtown St. Pete, Tampa Bay Rays baseball at Tropicana Field and access to championship golf courses.

Room rates at The Don CeSar start at $279/night. For more information visit doncesar.com. sl

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Runway Takeaways from London and Paris

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3.Paradis AW 18 Entitled “EACH ONE TEACH ONE," the fabrics, finishes, shapes and details in the collection are heavily influenced by the 1968 youth counterculture and revolutionary ideas of the past and present. Collection photography by Fabien Montique parallels a series of corner photography taken by Irving Penn in 1968.

Astrid Andersen Ready-to-Wear and Bespoke AW 2018 Buffalo-era London was the inspiration for both the RTW and bespoke collections, a mash-up between the decadent and the rave. Fabrics in the RTW collection include colorful silk jacquard, custom printed silks, tweeds, tartans, glitter organza and puffer fabrications. Saga Furs provided inspiration and technical support for the bespoke collection.

Christopher Raeburn AW 18 Entitled “Immerse,” the collection draws inspiration from the beauty and fragility of the oceans, with a focus on responsible design and sourcing. Royal Air Force helicopter winchman coveralls, parachutes, and Russian and Danish naval blankets are among the pieces reworked into contemporary fashion items. Raeburn partnered with both cold water surf brand Finisterre to create functional outerwear, knitwear and tees, along with explorer footwear brand Palladium to devise a range of innovative footwear that embraces Raeburn’s sustainable design manifesto.

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Runway Takeaways from London and Paris

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Ziad Nakad Couture SS 18 Demeter, goddess of the harvest, served as the inspiration for the collection. Nakad is a master of precise silk embroidery and sublimated tulles. Intricate representations of wheat stalks are sprinkled throughout the collection in tribute to the goddess and as a symbol of accomplishment and peace.

Maria Aristidou Couture SS 18 A specialist in couture knitwear, Aristidou conjured a colorful fantasy world for her spring/summer daywear and eveningwear collection. Flower patterns in silk viscose and metallic yarns in elaborate embroideries decorate her luxurious knit fabric creations.

Rani Zakhem Couture SS 18 This was Rani Zakhem’s first couture fashion show in Paris. The concept of fire in various forms weaves throughout the sumptuous collection, which Zakhem says is dedicated to a “volcanic woman”. Geometric forms and draped silhouettes call to mind the disco era and designs by Halston. Other looks pay homage to the likes of Jean-Louis Scherrer, Yves Saint Laurent and Madame Grès.

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Runway Takeaways from London and Paris

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Kent & Curwen Under creative director Daniel Kern, the brand staged a presentation of their largest collection to date in January at their new London store in Covent Garden. Campaign images by British photographer and filmmaker Perry Ogden feature young London sportsmen and creatives. Founded in 1926, David Beckham became a majority owner of the brand in 2015.

What We Wear AW 18 For their third season, What We Wear tapped into the mindset of the modern-day, minimalistic man that comfortably sits under the radar, camouflaged with khaki, grey, navy, and black against hints of neon orange and reflective strips that are carefully positioned for when the wearer needs to be seen. Footwear to accompany the collection was created in collaboration with Amsterdam-based brand Filling Pieces.

Wood Wood AW 18 Entitled “Before and After,” the collection fuses the contemporary streetwear of Wood Wood with elements of Americana. Classic American wardrobe staples are updated in look and feel, while the transition from childhood to adulthood works as the thematic framework for the collection. Main materials include corduroy, raw denim, army twill, heavy wool, delicate silk and mélange knit, alongside more technical garments incorporating Primaloft insulation.

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Curating a Lifestyle: Once in a Lifetime In the world of art and antiques, jaded professionals are prone to mock words like “unique” and “important,” all the while using them when necessary to influence potential buyers to take note of a particular object. The truth is, to borrow a bit from Mark Twain, there are no new discoveries, only recycled works that we try to package up into the coveted “fresh-to-market” treasure the collecting audience so desperately wants to find. But, every once in a blue moon, a work of art or material culture is found that is so astounding an oversight, the entire world joins the art industry in breathless wonder.

Such was the case when the venerable Christie’s auction company announced the fall sale of a portrait, known as Salvator Mundi (Latin for ‘Savior of the World’) by one of the most famous (and possibly the most talented) individuals to have ever lived, Leonardo da Vinci. Known as the ultimate Renaissance man, Leonardo was an accomplished painter, certainly - but also a brilliant scientist, mathematician, astronomer, cartographer and writer. He invented and envisioned concepts and contraptions that would not be developed for hundreds of years after his death. Of his roughly 15 or so works that still exist, two are recognized worldwide and parodied often: the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.

Based on style and the time period in which he lived and worked, Leonardo’s paintings would be described, considered and sold as “Old Masters,” the term that refers to works by European artists prior to 1800. In the auction world, as with most other industries, marketers rely on the old adage “fish where the fish are biting,” grouping similar styles of art, antiques and collectibles into auctions that appeal to a certain genre of collectors–presuming that when you appeal to a category loved by this defined group, you have a better chance of achieving the highest price for each item. However, Christie’s announced that Salvator Mundi would be included in its fall Post-War and Contemporary Art auction in New York, and set among works by modern masters like Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, and Alexander Calder.

A studied, romantic depiction of Christ holding a translucent, rock crystal orb in one hand while giving a benediction with the other, Leonardo’s painting stood in stark contrast to the whimsical colors and abstract forms of nearly every other work in the highpowered evening sale. As a few in the art world pondered why such a significant, in fact unique, painting would be sold out of context, most recognized that Christie’s wasn’t really selling an oil on wood panel by the world’s most famous painter. They were selling a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity, and they chose an audience known for staggering wealth and egos to match.

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Written by Amelia Jeffers

You see, of the fewer than 20 known paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi is the only work to have been owned by a private collector and available for purchase. And, Contemporary Art buyers are known to love owning something that no one else can touch–literally and figuratively. As the sale date approached, Christie’s took the painting on the tour of a lifetime, exhibiting it in salerooms across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and culminating in a weeks-long preview at the company’s headquarters in New York City’s Rockefeller Center. So popular was the exhibit that patrons waited for hours to have just a few moments standing in front of the masterpiece. Christie’s even made a video to document viewers’ reactions, mounting a camera at the base of the painting and editing emotional moments of awe and wonder against a backdrop of powerful music. As my teenage son might say, the opportunity was “well-played” by Christie’s.

As the art world rumbled and grumbled about the authenticity and condition of the painting, the people who mattered (potential bidders) frothed at the mouth, and estimates and guesstimates as to a final selling price were debated like Super Bowl odds in Vegas. Who would pay millions for a painting that no one can even guarantee was painted by Leonardo? Though the painting had been documented as a commissioned work during his lifetime, multiple copies had been created over the years by students and followers of Leonardo.

Records tracing the original work leave gaps of decades through the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries; and, remarkably, when this example came to auction in the 1950s, it was sold for about $50 as a very damaged version by one of Leonardo’s lesser pupils. In 2005, the painting came to auction again, this time at a small auction company in New Orleans. A handful of dealers who specialize in Old Masters put together a partnership and bought the painting for less than $10,000, gambling that underneath an absurd amount of overpainting lay a treasure like no other. Investing in a quality restoration and respected authentication, the team managed to have the painting displayed at the National Gallery of Art as an original Leonardo, and successfully parlayed their investment into a $10M sale to a Swiss dealer in 2013. Each time the painting changed hands, the sales price grew exponentially, until Christie’s hammer fell on an historic night in November for $400,000,000 plus fees to the buyer, which brought the final price to a record-setting, earth-shattering $453M. For more information about the Salvator Mundi, or to view the moving video “The World is Watching” by Christie’s, visit https://tinyurl.com/LeoAtChristies. sl Amelia Jeffers is an nationally-known auctioneer and appraiser who has worked in the fine art, antiques and bespoke collectibles market for over 20 years.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Salvator Mundi, painted circa 1500 Image copyright and courtesy of Christie’s

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Château Margaux 2015 case and bottle Photo by G. de Bauchene

MESSAGE ON A BOTTLE For the first time in its history, Château Margaux has created a special bottle design to commemorate an exceptional vintage and its iconic vigneron Written by Chloe Geller For more than five centuries, the innovations, talents and shared passion among the succession of families at the helm of Château Margaux have melded to create wines of great distinction. From the end of the 16th century, Château Margaux has been part of the rising elite of the “Premiers Crus” as it was, in fact, well before being sanctioned by the official classification of 1855. Among the most notable bastions of the brand was André Mentzelopoulos, who became its owner in 1977. Today his daughter Corrine and her own daughter Alexandra carry on his legacy, supported by General Manager Philippe Bascaules.

Since its founding, the vineyards that comprise 650-acre estate have occupied the same plots at the heart of the Margaux appellation. Over generations, continued experimentation, observation and adaptation to the terroir have enriched the 60 slmag.net

savoir-faire to the point that it has become an integral part of the terroir itself. Awareness of heritage and an openness to modernity (including the construction of new cellars designed by Lord Norman Foster in 2015) allows Château Margaux to create wines that are both softer and more concentrated; they are easier to drink young but have not, however, lost any of their extraordinary aging potential.

Technological innovations have also extended to the bottling process, with Château Margaux implementing a number of measures designed to guard against counterfeiting and to enable better means of tracking. A laser marking system extends the tracking of wines beyond the bottling stage, while a bubble-code security system fixed to the cap of all bottles from 2011 onward permits ease of authentication.

New cellar at night Photo by Mathieu Anglada

Corinne Mentzelopoulos and her daughter Alexandra Petit-Mentzelopoulos

North facade of the Château Margaux Photo by Francois Pointe

Vats in the new cellar Photo by Mathieu Anglada

Wines produced at Château Margaux include Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux, produced from 100-percent Sauvignon grapes; Margaux du Château Margaux, a limitedproduction wine only available in a select few restaurants in France, the UK, Japan and the US; Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux, which is ready to drink a little earlier, while still having an excellent ageing potential; and Château Margaux Grand Vin, which has been recognized since the 16th century as one of the greatest wines in the world.

For the first time in its history, and for this year only, Château Margaux has created a special bottle for its Grand Vin 2015. This wine marks a momentous occasion for the winery, as it was the last to be produced under the supervision of Paul Pontallier, who joined the estate in 1983, and assumed its

general management from 1989 until his untimely passing in March 2016.

In place of the usual labels found on standard bottles, magnums, imperials and balthazars, all presentations of Château Margaux Grand Vin 2015 are decorated with a custom screenprinted design affixed to the glass. The bottle design pays tribute to Pontallier while reflecting the winery’s storied cellars and grounds, which are superimposed in grey and gold.

The 2015 vintage was the last supervised by Pontallier and Corinne Mentzelopoulos believes the bottle design for this very great vintage is a fitting tribute to a legendary winemaker, who is widely credited with significantly modernizing and improving winemaking at the estate. Available now, the Grand Vin 2015 Vintage retails for $1,200. For more information visit chateau-margaux.com. sl

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A professional diving instrument, the BR 03-92 from Bell & Ross is water-resistant to 300 meters and driven by a Swiss selfwinding mechanical movement within its square steel case ($3,700; bellross.com).

ROLLING IN THE DEEP Watches to dive for Compiled by Colin Dennis For a present-day watch to be officially certified as a "dive watch," it must meet strict guidelines from the International Organization for Standardization.

Among the required criteria is water resistance to a minimum of 100 meters; a watch face that is legible in total darkness (in addition to a glowing second hand to indicate that the watch is working, even in blackout conditions); and, magnetic, shock, and chemical resistance. We’ve selected a few of our favorites, all of which are equally suited to blue jeans as the deep blue sea.

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Clockwise from top left: Ferdinand A. Porsche designed the original Aquatimer Ocean 2000 for IWC Schaffhausen in 1982. Limited to 350 pieces, the Aquatimer Automatic 2000 Edition “35 Years Ocean 2000” (Ref. IW329101) is the thinnest deep-sea diver’s watch in IWC’s collection.

Despite the minimal case height, it functions reliably on dives of up to 2,000 meters ($6,999; iwc. com). In 2018, Audemars Piguet is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Royal Oak Offshore. Shown is the Royal Oak Offshore Diver in Day Into Night Purple, one of four new colors available for 2018. Waterresistant to 300m, the purple dial has a “Méga Tapisserie” pattern, white gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating. Purple rubber strap with stainless steel pin buckle ($19,900; audemarspiguet.com).

In 1892, Edouard Heuer filed the first patent for a watertight case in the history of watchmaking. Since that time, the Aquaracer (a collection created in 2003) has continued to evolve, becoming a sports watch beloved by men and women in equal measure. This Aquaracer Lady comes in steel with a blue mother-of-pearl dial and diamond bezel. It is water-resistant to 300 meters ($3,350; tagheuer.com). First launched in 1953, the Zodiac Sea Wolf was one of the first serious diver watches manufactured and marketed to the general population. This heritage style was relaunched in 2014 with the Super Sea Wolf. This model features a stainless-steel case and uni-directional mineral crystal topring, glossy blue dial and C3 SuperLuminova hands and indexes ($1,195; zodiacwatches.com). Bremont was founded in 2002 by Nick and Giles English with a mission of crafting pilot's watches of exceptional quality. The S500 Supermarine is the brand's first dive watch, water-resistant to 500 meters ($5,095; bremont.com). For 2018, Jaeger-LeCoultre released a full range of watches inspired by the Memovox Polaris E859, the 1968 diver’s alarm that is now 50 years old. The Polaris Date resembles the vintage alarm, but is a time-only watch with a date display at three o’clock like the original Polaris. The 42mm solid casebook features an engraving of a diver ($7,750; jaeger-lecoultre.com).

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Clockwise from top left: The Calibre de Cartier Diver watch is water-resistant to 300 meters. Set within a 42mm steel case, the partly snailed blue dial has Super-LumiNova indicators. The blue rubber strap closes with a steel buckle ($7,900; cartier.com).

Oris launched the Oris Clipperton Limited Edition in December, 2017. A percentage of funds raised by sales of the 2,000 pieces produced will go towards the protection of the world's oceans.Boasting the same roster of high-performance functions the Oris Aquis is renowned for, the 43.5mm stainless steel case is water-resistant to 300 meters and the case back is embossed with an outline of Clipperton Island and its coordinates ($2,227; oris.ch). Baume & Mercier Clifton Club 10339 is a 42mm automatic watch with a black dial and rubber strap ($2,250; baume-et-mercier.com). Hamilton's iconic submersible Khaki Navy Frogman watch was created for the US naval “frogmen” teams and featured in the 1951 movie The Frogmen, marking the brand’s very first on-screen appearance. Relaunched in 2016, the 42mm stainless steel model shown is water-resistant to 1,000m and ISO 6424 certified, the true seal of divers' watches ($1,095; hamiltonwatch.com). The Breitling Superocean II 42 with Volcano Black dial and black rubber strap is water-resistant to 500m. The rubbermolded fluted unidirectional rotating bezel displays easily discernable large numerals, a countdown of the last 15 dive-time minutes and a triangle with a luminescent marker at 12 o’clock. ($3,400; breitling.com). A reissue of a diving watch from 1960, the lines of the original the Longines Legend Diver watch are repeated, including the domed crystal, reminiscent of the technical limitations of the time. Water-resistant to 300m, the 42-mm stainless steel box houses an L633 automatic mechanical movement and sports an engraving of a diver on its case back ($1,795; longines.com).

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SOPHISTICATED SOURCE From romantic to utterly avant-garde, spring dressing and design’s only rule is that there are no rules.

by Elise Hofer Shaw

ON THE BAUBLE

HW Logo bracelets featuring diamonds set in 18K white, yellow and rose gold, prices upon request, at Harry Winston, 312.705.1820.

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SECRET GARDEN

Estrella tile in Silver Blend featuring handcrafted glass mosaic, $50 per square foot, at Artistic Tile in LuxeHome at theMART, 312.670.0612.

Dutchmaster bathroom sink in Blush Floral on Carillon Round Wading Pool vessel, $1,132, at Kohler Signature Store by Studio41, 312.755.2510.

Floral-embroidered twill mules, $870, by Alberta Ferretti at Barneys New York, 312.587.1700.

Brushed texture flower long drop C earrings, $290,

by Oscar de la Renta at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, 847.441.7784.

Demilune Flowers Vitello shoulder bag, $2,995, by Valentino Garavani at Neiman Marcus Michigan Avenue, 312.642.5900.

Coach 1941 Western slip dress, $1,250, embellished tulle T-shirt, $295, glossy glovetan mailbox bag, $395, and tea rose chain bracelet, $125. Similar styles available at Coach, 312.587.3167.

Kiki sheer triangle bralette, $38,

by Topshop at Nordstrom stores.

Hand-woven and knotted vintage Kashan rug (12’4” x 9’8”), $8,995, at Jayson Home, 773.248.8180.

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FACE VALUE

From top: Printed crossbody bag, $2,330, and comic print bowler bag, $2,250, both by Prada at Neiman Marcus Michigan Avenue, 312.642.5900.

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Aura Field tile in Sapphire (6” x 6”), price upon request, at Ann Sacks in LuxeHome at theMART, 312.923.0919.

OVER THE RAINBOW Nuvo silk/wool rug, $132 per square foot, at Organic Looms, 312.832.0900.

Rainbow metal cat-eye sunglasses, $545, by Fendi at Neiman Marcus Michigan Avenue, 312.642.5900.

Rally color-blocked leather and suede sandals, $795, by Pierre Hardy at Barneys New York, 312.587.1700.

Set of two “Christian Dior J’adior” woven bracelets, $250, at Dior, 312.651.4415.

GG Supreme Bosco tote from the Chinese New Year collection, $1,350, at Gucci in the 900 North Michigan Shops, 312.664.5504.

Casablanca Lily candle, $125, by Frédéric Malle at Barneys New York, 312.587.1700.

Bomber, $1,550, and culotte, $1,690, both

by Adam Lippes at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, 847.441.7784. (The full look is available at adamlippes.com.)

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FLOOR PLAY

Asmara Ikat hand-knotted rug in black from the Luke Irwin for Williams Sonoma Home collection, $1,995 (6’ x 9’), $2,995 (8’ x 10’) or $3,995 (9’ x 12’), at Williams Sonoma Home, 312.255.0643.

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BLACK OUT Matte-Gancini leather belt in black, $475, by Salvatore Ferragamo at Neiman Marcus Michigan Avenue, 312.642.5900.

Antique black settee reupholstered in Gatsby Ebony linen with ebonized wood frame, $7,995, at Jayson Home, 773.248.8180.

Silestone Eternal Series slab in Eternal Marquina, $49 to $110 per square foot (depending on color, thickness and finish; available in both polished and suede finishes), at Cosentino Centers, silestoneusa.com.

J’adior slingback with résille ribbon, $950, at Dior, 312.651.4415.

Endurance 88 sunglasses, $750,

by DITA at Barneys New York, 312.587.1700.

Paola gown, $995, by Rachel Zoe at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, 847.441.7784.

Semi pendant light in black, $319 (11.8”) or $499 (18.5”), by Gubi at Lightology, 312.944.1000.

Top handle bag with 3-D fringe, price upon request, by Balmain at VMR, 312.649.6673.

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GOLD RUSH

Vector Black tile featuring antique gold applied to black limestone for an art deco motif, $65 per square foot (12� x 12� tile size), at Artistic Tile in LuxeHome at theMART, 312.670.0612.

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HEAVY METALS

Multicolor sequined dress, $30,000, at Dior, 312.651.4415.

Bradburry sunglasses, $445, by Tom Ford at Barneys New York, 312.587.1700.

Toni sandals, $695, by Tabitha Simmons at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, 847.441.7784.

Plexus ring (five linked rings in 18K yellow gold, rose gold and black rhodium-plated silver with rose gold connectors and micro-pavé gray, cognac, champagne and white diamonds), $9,000,

by Spinelli Kilcollin at spinellikilcollin.com.

Spinelli Kilcollin is also available at Barneys New York, 312.587.1700.

Pure Hot+Cool Link air purifier in Scandium, $600, by Dyson at dyson.com.

Peruvian Pyrite heart, $52, at Jayson Home, 773.248.8180.

Orly hand-wrought tile featuring hand-textured limestone and hammered white bronze metal, $80 per square foot (18” x 18” tile size), at Artistic Tile in LuxeHome at theMART, 312.670.0612.

Mood coffee set of six espresso spoons gilded with 18K rose gold, $650, at Christofle, 312.619.3700.

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THE WRIGHT STUFF

Entrepreneur and North Shore dweller Courtney Wright welcomes us into her classically chic Colonial—and doesn’t mince words about business and what makes a house a home.

By Korey Huyler / Photography by Anthony Tahlier Family. Career. Incredible style.

Yes, there are some women who seem to have it all in spades. Case in point: Courtney Wright. Not only does she run an uber-successful business, Gemini Builds It, a designer display solutions biz that boasts clients like Beyoncé and the Chicago Cubs, but she’s also raising a family in a classic-meets-eclectic North Shore home that she and her husband tastefully appointed with art, antiques and curios they’ve collected around the globe. Yes, she has it all—and she has worked hard to get it.

Wright, who grew up on the East Coast in Providence, Rhode Island, moved to Chicago in the late ’80s to attend Lake Forest College—and never looked back. “The North Shore is equal parts quaint, charming and cosmopolitan,” says Wright, who, with her husband Larry and their two children, has called Chicago’s northern suburbs home for the last seven years. “The people here are focused, healthy, intentional, giving, family-driven and career-oriented, and have a ‘like-style’ that we gravitate toward.”

A born go-getter and a type-A personality, Wright had her first job as a sales rep at Schwarz Paper Company in Morton Grove. Then, in 2006, she founded CDW Merchants (now called CTC Visual), a resource for large chain and specialty retailers to develop custom visual props, decorative cases and packaging to boost their brand identity. At CDW, Wright worked with fashion heavies like Kate Spade, Sperry’s and Club Monaco, to name a few—and expanded her Rolodex.

Looking for a new challenge, she sold her company in 2012 to Bunzl, a multinational, publicly traded company based in London. Then, after running businesses for them for a few years, she left and bought Gemini (geminibuildsit.com), which had been a supplier to CDW Merchants. In two short years, Wright has made Gemini one of the Midwest’s most successful manufacturers known to big businesses for its custom framing, giclée printing, and fabrication of museumquality acrylic and custom display cases. They lead with speed and creativity, which Wright calls her “secret sauce.”

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Courtney and Larry Wright in their North Shore home

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“For our master bedroom, I had a custom silk and lambswool throw made to pick up the pink in the painting by Richard Merkin,” says Wright. (The artwork is double framed in a silver leaf and shiny platinum collection by Gemini Builds It.)

Vintage mercury glass mirrors, cashmere couches courtesy of Megan Winters and oversize murals printed and framed by Gemini Builds It make for a Frenchy-chic mix in the family room.

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Details like vintage sconces, an etching by Salvador Dalí and the home’s original chandelier (restored by Al Bar Wilmette Platers) add elegance in the dining room.

The library is home to the Wrights’ favorite family photos (all encased in Gemini Builds It custom frames).

Gemini too counts some pretty major celebs as clients. Beyoncé called on the company to display a favorite hat she had worn on tour. They developed a creative UV acrylic and antique barn-wood showcase for Bobby Dorr’s storied horseshoe at The Park at Wrigley’s Lucky Dorr. And their work can be seen in museums like the Art Institute of Chicago, Getty Museum, Harley Davidson Museum and St. Louis Museum.

Gemini, which works out of a 50,000-square-foot space in Elgin, employs 50 master craftsmen who help bring its display visions to life. “We have an immensely skilled workforce and are proud to be an American company,” says Wright. “Everyone here is a custom framer or custom acrylic cabinet-maker. They make vitrines and cases that are in almost every museum in the United States.

We specialize in specialty woods like poplar and maple, and all kinds of specialty laminates and acrylics that are UV- and scratch-resistant. And we have some killer finishing machines for printing on all kinds of roll stock like canvas, watercolor paper and fabrics, and for precision etchings on wood, acrylic, Sintra and more.”

Clearly business and design are Wright’s passions, and her Colonial home in New Trier Township that she and Larry bought in 2012—and spent three years renovating from top to bottom—is the perfect example of the level of style and attention to detail that her clients count on for preserving their most precious memories.

“My husband and I love design,” says Wright matter-of-factly. She worked with Northbrook architect McMurray Inc., as well as both Chicago interior designer Megan Winters and Julie Clifton Interiors out of Rhode Island for the details and appointments. “We have put our hearts into our homes for as long as we have been married. We get it from our parents, who took pride in creating carefully appointed homes for their families and for entertaining friends—none of it disposable and all of it with history and sentiment. The minute I met my in-laws—my sisters-in-law are professional interior designers—I knew that I’d found my family. Before them, I hadn’t met people who decorated their homes with the care that my family always did.”

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A round table covered in fabric from Scalamandre is the focal point of the west entry.

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A chandelier from Design Within Reach brings a bit of industrial modernism to the kitchen.

Velvet wingback chairs that once belonged to Wright’s grandparents grace the dining room.

The west entry also boasts the Wrights’ collection of artwork by Rhode Island artist Nancy Dyer.

The yellow guest room gets its personality from monogrammed pillows, linens by Ralph Lauren and a vintage lamp that was ebonized by Al Bar Wilmette Platers.

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The Wrights found and fell in love with the Colonial home in 2012—and spent three years renovating it from top to bottom.

The Wrights’ current home, which was originally built in 1924, sits on an acre lot dappled with mature pine trees. Inside, the first impression says it all: The elegant and open foyer features a pair of custom-upholstered bureaus by Julie Clifton Interiors, Wright’s collection of antique gold-and-silver mercury glasses, a circular staircase that’s bathed in natural light and a Baccarat-crystal French chandelier circa the 1950s. “When we first walked into the house,” she explains, “I had a flashback. It was the home I had always envisioned in my mind. It was old and it felt like New England where I grew up. We decided on the spot to buy it and restore it.”

The couple and their two sons (one is in high school, the other in college) entertain often, and it’s clear that the balance they’ve struck between comfort and elegance was intentional. “We have a lot of original brass, and sterling and mercury silvers—mixed metals,” says Wright of the home’s finishes. “You don’t see this style of decor that much anymore. It’s authentically French chic, incorporating antiques that are hundreds of years old, which, in my opinion, is a big part of its charm.” That, and the pair’s enviable art collection. One of Wright’s favorite pieces is a painting by Richard Merkin, an East Coast artist whose work Larry has been collecting for years.

“I am a very visual person,” says Wright, waxing on what, for her, makes a house a home. “I like details and making things pretty. It inspires me to do better.

I like my surroundings to be a reflection of our family’s style and memories, and a nod to our ancestors. After all, that’s what’s most important to us—family.” sl

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Sound Investment offers a vast spectrum of state-of-the-art audio, lighting and video solutions, staging and scenic design.

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MIAMI

Chef Ben Lustbader (right) with cooks Angela Kladis and Tom Scodari

COZY CONFINES, ECLECTIC CUISINE

Logan Square’s Giant is anything but. What this pint-size restaurant lacks in square footage it more than makes up for in flavor-forward food and a personality all its own.

By Lisa Shames / Photography by Anthony Tahlier Perhaps the best way to describe Giant is by what it’s not. This 44-seat restaurant on the western edge of Logan Square isn’t serving up the latest food fusion trend. There’s no wood-burning grill either. It’s definitely not a hip all-day café, and you can forget about brunch. And good luck finding a burger or a grain bowl here.

What you will find at Giant is seasonally focused food that sounds intriguing on the menu and looks promising when the blue-and-white plates arrive at your butcher-block table or, if you’re lucky, at the six-seat wood-topped counter overlooking the small open kitchen. But, truthfully, it’s only after that first bite of, say, the sweet-and-sour eggplant with cashews and pancetta or saffron tagliatelle with king crab, that you truly understand why your reservation was so hard to get and the reason those accolades have been pouring in since Giant opened in June 2016 (including a coveted Best New Restaurant nod from Bon Appétit). It’s food that begs—no, demands—you put down your phone and eat.

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“We just want to make food that’s delicious,” says chef Jason Vincent of the un-concept concept of Giant. In the process, Vincent and his partners, Ben Lustbader (chef ) and Josh Perlman (GM/beverage director), have created a wonderfully quirky restaurant that has charmed the pants off those fortunate to snag a seat.

Of the 19 dishes on the menu, which get larger the further down you go, the Super Uni Shooter best sums up what Giant is all about. The golden-brown deep-fried orb has a crispy pankodusted shell protecting the creamy uni, butter and condensed milk mixture inside. It’s only one bite, but it manages to be sweet, salty, slightly bitter, pleasingly rich and, yes, delicious. A dab of habanero jelly adds some heat, while the bed of cucumber salad it’s served on refreshes. (Originally, they thought they would sell five a night; instead orders come closer to 80.) It’s small but mighty, which, come to think of it, describes Giant too.

Giant’s pecan-smoked baby back ribs with BBQ sauce and baked beans demands a side of onion rings with chili salt and parmesan.

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Scallops with soba noodles and pickled daikon

That dish, like many of the others, has roots dating back to Vincent and Lustbader’s days working together at Pilsen’s beloved Nightwood. There the two chefs would collaborate on dishes and talk about the restaurant they one day would open together. “We wanted to do something very personal,” says Vincent, “and do the stuff we love to cook.” While there, Vincent received Food & Wine’s Best New Chef award.

In early 2014, Vincent walked away from Nightwood to spend more time with his family, including his two young daughters. He spent two years doing just that—and laying the groundwork for Giant. The importance of having a life outside the restaurant hasn’t been forgotten though. Giant is closed Sunday and Monday and the cooks have a four-day-a-week work schedule. That taking-careof-others attitude extends beyond the restaurant’s four walls: Giant recently launched Merch for Puerto Rico, a relief effort for World Central Kitchen, a charity founded by chef José Andrés. Listed for sale on the menu, the hoodies and onesies have raised $5,000 so far.

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Also on that menu are many more dishes you need to try, including onion rings (trust us). Emerging from the deep fryer, they’re topped with a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, which sounds weird but totally works. “A dish usually starts with one of us being excited about something,” says Lustbader. Originally the rings were paired with the Jonah crab salad, but then the waffle fries happened and those shatteringly crisp rings got their own billing, rightfully so. “We don’t get hung up on a specific dish,” adds Lustbader of the way dishes evolve and change at Giant. “We try to be ego-free and let the best menu come out.”

Happy Scallops, an Asian-leaning dish of perfectly seared scallops, crunchy soba noodles, crispy baby shrimp, nori and pickled daikon, is a great example of that process. Its genesis began with one of the sous chefs and from there the rest of the kitchen staff had a hand in making it the balanced and thoughtful dish it is.

“It’s definitely a group effort at this point,” says Vincent.

Albacore tuna with chickpeas and dates

At Giant, there’s no shortage of spices to experiment with when creating new dishes.

Saffron tagliatelle with king crab and chili butter

Boutique Bites Salad Market station—composed of beautiful, seasonal produce— is popular for parties.

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Macadamia nut lemon cake with poppy seeds and warm creamÂ

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Open shelves double as display storage and room dividers at Giant.

The Doctors Orders cocktail made with Evan Williams Bourbon and demerara

It’s also a group effort when it comes to the waitstaff. “I’ve always used two words to describe our service: attentive and nonintrusive,” says Perlman, who previously worked at Avec. “Someone is always available.” While the closeness of the space, which features an angled slat wood wall and yellow and gray quilted banquettes on either side of the narrow dining room, helps in that all-hands-ondeck approach, it’s more than simply a result of the interior design.

The staff at Giant is having a blast, including the bartender, who gets the honor of curating the night’s vinyl, which might range from The Smiths to Bruce Springsteen.

And diners are in on the fun too, especially if they order one of the house-made pastas (even better if they order them all). There’s Double Ravioli, one ricotta-filled and the other carrot, described as “big wide pillows” by my server. The aforementioned tagliatelle comes with chunks of sweet crab and rich-in-a-good-way chili butter sauce. But if you have room for only one, don’t miss the Sortallini,

Chef Ben Lustbader at the chef ’s counter

Giant’s riff on tortellini (get it?) that features rectangle-shaped cheesefilled pasta with guanciale, pine nuts and an earthy smoked tomato butter sauce that’s balanced with lemon. If you’re smart, you’ve saved some of your wine from Perlman’s super food-friendly list of small and interesting limited-intervention producers to go with it.

Desserts, like the dishes that came before it, are comforting and full of deep flavors that tap into memories you didn’t know you still had. The pieces of halva (a tahini-based candy of sorts) on top of the gooey babka, paired with banana ice cream, coffeecaramel sauce and figs, brought me back to my grandmother’s dining room table.

“There are things we are definitely learning as we go, but I wouldn’t file anything under regret,” says Vincent when asked if they would have done anything differently at Giant. “This goes beyond what I had hoped.” And he’s not the only one. sl Giant, 3209 W. Armitage Ave., 773.252.0997, giantrestaurant.com

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Compass Real Estate is a licensed real estate broker with a principal office in New York, NY and abides by all applicable Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only, is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, and changes without notice. All measurements and square footage are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the ralm of real estate brokerage.

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BOLD PLATED

After 10 years of bringing restaurant-style experiences to catered events, and opening a chic party space in the West Loop, Boutique Bites only gets better with age.

By Marissa Conrad / Portrait and food photography by James Gustin for Fig Media It’s an uncharacteristically quiet afternoon for Elaina Vazquez, the owner of Chicago catering company Boutique Bites. Saturday’s party, a 1920s Paris theme, is over. Takedown is done. She finally has a few minutes to reflect on something that seems crazy: It’s 2018, which means she’s been running Boutique Bites for 10 years.

“Some days I feel like I took a long nap and when I woke up, I had this fully functioning company,” Vazquez says. “Other days I remember every crazy thing that I’ve done to get here. But the good thing about starting a business at age 26 is that I didn’t realize how scared I should have been. I was just like, I have this great idea, I think I can do it, let’s see what happens.”

Her idea: a catering company that operated like a restaurant, ditching hot boxes for real ovens and hiring chefs who would make everything—even the time-consuming stuff, like risotto—on-site. Vazquez, then a chef at Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, was tired of going to weddings that served lukewarm potatoes and reheated steak. Catering doesn’t have to be this way, 96 slmag.net

she thought. She also wanted to move back to Chicago, where she had worked at both Tru and Avenues, the Michelin twostar restaurant in The Peninsula Hotel. So, before she could talk herself out of it, she quit her job and launched a fledgling business with one employee—herself.

Ten years later, Vazquez has catered parties for Gucci, Burberry, Tod’s and Kate Spade. She has hundreds of private clients.

In 2014 she opened Brique, a 4,000-square-foot event space on Ada Street, just a few blocks from the West Loop condo she shares with her rescue dog, a Cavalier named Charlie. She now has eight employees, and rarely has a weekend free.

Brique is stunning, with lofted ceilings and a show kitchen featuring white marble and floor-to-ceiling white shelves, typically filled with cookbooks, though you can display anything—say, photos from a couple’s engagement shoot—by request. “I didn’t want a space that felt like a big, empty box,” Vazquez says. “I wanted it to feel like someone’s home. Cozy.”

Brie beignets (fried mini beignets filled with brie mousse and topped with tomato jam)

Boutique Bites Salad Market station composed of beautiful, seasonal produce is popular for parties.

Boutique Bites and Brique owner Elaina Vazquez Fashion: Painted heart cascade jumpsuit, $895, by Zimmermann at VMR / Hair: BloHaute / Makeup: Julia Simone Makeup / Flowers: Simply Flowers Design

The venue can host seated dinners for 150, or accommodate 200 for a standing cocktail party. Vazquez hosts birthday parties, bridal showers, corporate events and even full weddings. She also still does plenty of off-site events. Recently, a longtime client hired her to host a dinner at their farm in Michigan. “That was a cool experience because we were using a lot of the produce they grow there, and eggs from their chickens,” she says. “We have clients who hire us for parties three or four times a year, so we always need new ideas.”

She loves to travel, and gets her inspiration from visiting as many restaurants as she can on the road, taking obsessive notes on her phone. Her team is crucial in brainstorming new menus, she says. “I don’t like to think of trends in terms of what’s popular everywhere, like doughnuts,” she says. “I like to think, ‘What haven’t we done before and how can we do it in such a way that people are like, Oh, this is so cool.’”

At a party last year, she covered a 6-foot-long table in butcher’s paper and laid out all of the fixings for salad, meticulously arranged

so it looked more like artwork than produce. “Picture a pile of heirloom tomatoes here, avocado slices over there, shaved carrots there and lettuce everywhere, with little bowls nestled in holding cheese and dressing,” she says, trying to recreate the scene.

Signature items include a series of extra-small bites: a lobster taco in a miniature wonton shell, tuna tartare on a tiny cake of crispy rice, and a burger that’s the size of a quarter. But over the years, Boutique Bites has moved from serving just bites to offering a range—everything from teeny-tiny short ribs in custom-made casserole dishes to full-size entrees for traditional plated dinners.

And in order to focus more on business development, Vazquez recently brought on an executive chef—Seychelle Lapuz, who did her culinary training in Florence, Italy.

But no matter how much Boutique Bites grows, Vazquez wants to keep every event personal. “We’re not ever going to do four weddings in one day,” she says. “That’s not us.” sl Boutique Bites and Brique, 224 N. Ada St., 773.313.3211, boutiquebites.com

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AND THE BEAT GOES ON Intonation brings music education to Chicago’s South Side by making instruments, instruction and mentorship available to youth.

By Alexandra Sabbag / Photography by Logan Hall Therapeutic for the soul, music is a source of inspiration, motivation and comfort. All it takes is the push of a button or a swipe on our phones to cue up an anthem to lift us up, carry us through a tough time or simply add to the soundtrack of our lives. But while access to music is easier than ever, access to music education is out of reach for far too much of America’s youth.

Each year, according to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 2 million public school students in the United States are denied a music education due to a lack of funding to keep the program a part of their curriculum. Fortunately for kids enrolled in Chicago Public Schools—who are no strangers to big budget cuts—there’s Intonation (intonationmusic.org), the Bronzevillebased organization dedicated to helping kids amplify their potential by providing instruments, instruction and mentorship.

Founded in 2006 by Michael Simons—with a carful of his own instruments, a volunteer slot at a local community center, and a hunch that learning to play and perform the music they love would be a rewarding experience for kids—Intonation knows that there’s no denying the power of a music education. According to the National Association of Music Merchants, music education improves literacy and math skills among children, and makes them more likely to excel in all areas of their education while encouraging creative thinking and boosting confidence. And for kids 9 and under, music education is instrumental in improving language development, which is crucial during one’s formative years in terms of establishing a foundation for higher learning.

Community stressors are a factor, too. “Many Chicago kids are experiencing various forms of physical and emotional trauma due to challenges within their environment,” says Simons, who serves

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An Intonation student experiencing the joys of drumming at Madison Elementary School in Greater Grand Crossing

as Intonation’s executive director. “We create a safe space for kids where their voices are heard, their opinions matter and it’s OK to try something and fail as long as you throw that guitar strap back over your shoulder and give it another try tomorrow.”

With a focus on Chicago’s mid-South Side, Intonation offers year-round classes to third graders through high schoolers in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, UChicago Charter School, The Chicago Park District (Kennicott, Taylor and Fuller Parks so far) and other organizations like Embarc and AfterSchool Matters. Students are provided with instruments and the opportunity to learn from a diverse group of instructors and professional musicians. And at the end of day one, no matter what instrument they’re holding, each Intonation student gets the gratification of being able to play their first beat or riff.

“Many pop songs are a basic sequence of chords,” says Simons, who grew up playing the bass guitar and the drums. “When broken down, the melodies are simple and very teachable. Kids pick up the tunes by ear and, within a matter of minutes, can play. It’s an incredibly empowering moment that can spark a lifelong love for music.”

But playing a beat is just the beginning. Intonation students learn about commitment, patience, teamwork and compromise by showing up each week and making decisions about the life of their band together, such as which song they want to learn and perform. From there, the song is dissected so the kids can understand the context and learn the component parts on the instruments. Past choices have included chart-topping hits like “Hotline Bling” by Drake and “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars (edited for PG ears, natch).

The band Mini-Moon rocking out at Intonation’s Stars of Tomorrow Youth Arts Fest

Intonation All-Star Caira performing with her band TIOTE Photo by Taylor Glascock

Red, an Intonation instructor, working one-on-one with a student on guitar

The Golden Jaguars bring it in for a band cheer with their instructors before going onstage at Kennicott Park

Today, the Intonation program is available in seven South Side Chicago schools (Burke Elementary, Hendricks Elementary and Pershing Magnet School, to name a few) and grants music education to 600 youth per year. The organization is powered by five full-time staff members, 10 executive board members and 20 instructors. This year, an expected 17,000 instruction and performance hours will be logged by Intonation students. Proof of the program’s impact is in the numbers, but it also vibrates off the success stories of its students who have gone on to enroll in highly selective creative arts high schools, like The Chicago High School for the Arts, and land acceptance letters from prestigious arts colleges.

Take for example Intonation grad Caira McGhee. Now 18 years old and studying music at Dillard University in New Orleans, McGhee joined the program when she was in middle school at CICS Bucktown. At Intonation, she formed two bands, The Scorps and TIOTE, and became a founding member of the Intonation All-Stars (an advanced, year-round show-band program for students who have the skills and passion to take their musicianship to the next level). Last year, McGhee and her bandmates recorded an album, made a music video and performed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Other Intonation students have performed at Lollapalooza, Lincoln Hall and Navy Pier. “We place an incredibly high value on performance,” says Simons. “All of their hard work comes together in that moment and the kids experience the connection between the effort they’ve put in and the wave of energy they get back from the crowd.”

But it takes a village, or in this case a community, to keep the beat going for these young students. In the summer of 2016, Pearl

Jam gave $1 from every ticket sold during the band’s sold-out shows at Wrigley Field—a grand total of $40,000—to Intonation. The members of Wilco have collectively raised more than $150,000 for the organization (in addition to donating their personal time to work hands-on with Intonation’s student bands over the years). And Chicagoan and arts champion Chance the Rapper’s Social Works supports the organization by funding a three-year partnership with Burke Elementary via his New Chance Arts and Literature Fund.

And fundraising is already in full swing for this year: Intonation’s Amplify 2018 Gala will be held at the newly renovated Theater on the Lake at Fullerton Beach on Thursday, April 26.

Guests can expect cocktails, dinner, student performances, one-ofa-kind silent and live auction items, and a few yet-to-be-announced surprises. As for a second set, “Intonation has plans underway to expand its reach and deepen its impact through collaborative partnerships with colleague organizations and music industry stalwarts,” says founding board member and current treasurer Brian Black. “This year, for example, Intonation is joining forces with Live Nation on a pilot program working with students at Dyett High School for the Arts to explore the plethora of career paths in music and related industries.” Bringing Intonation to more Chicago Public Schools and infiltrating its curriculum into more neighborhoods is up there on the priority list as well.

“We believe every kid is a rock star,” says Simons. “Playing music together is a way to unite people, It’s intuitive and can create a shared experience and transcend barriers where words sometimes fail. We’re thrilled when our students become top-notch musicians, but our real goal is to be a conduit for them to become top-notch individuals and citizens.” sl

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Semi-Annual Sale at Lightology, lightology.com Hide N Seek Gala benefitting the Chicago Children’s Museum, chicagochildrensmuseum.org Hollywood on State: Where You’re the Star hosted by the Gene Siskel Film Center, siskelfilmcenter.org Gage Hospitality Group’s Somm Slam V: Chicago vs. USA, beacontavern.com/sommslam Tory Burch personal appearance and trunk show at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, neapolitanonline.com Joseph Altuzarra personal appearance and trunk show at Neapolitan Collection, Winnetka, neapolitanonline.com FamilyFarmed’s 14th Annual Good Food EXPO at UIC Forum, goodfoodexpo.org Randolph Street Market, randolphstreetmarket.com

HOWARDENA PINDELL: WHAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN Through May 20, 2018, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago The MCA presents the first major survey of work by groundbreaking, multidisciplinary artist Howardena Pindell. The exhibition spans the New York-based artist’s 50-year career, featuring early figurative paintings, pure abstraction and conceptual works, and personal and political art. Trained as a painter, Pindell has challenged the staid traditions of the art world and asserted her place in its history as both a woman and an artist of African descent. mcachicago.org Clockwise from left: Howardena Pindell, Autobiography: India (Lakshmi), 1984.

Howardena Pindell, Video Drawings: Swimming, 1975. Howardena Pindell, Untitled #20 (Dutch Wives Circled and Squared) (detail), 1978.

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Kenilworth Garden Club’s Annual Benefit Luncheon: Forever Green, kenilworthgardenclub.org Randolph Street Market, randolphstreetmarket.com Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s 27th Annual Blossoms of Hope Brunch benefitting Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide (LOSS) and hosted by designer Monica Pedersen, star of NBC’s American Dream Builders, catholiccharities.net/lossbrunch

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SOPHISTICATED SOIRÉE: UNTIL MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Owner/Publisher Alison Victoria and Sophisticated Living Chicago magazine welcomed more than 150 guests to its inaugural Sophisticated Soirée: Until Midnight in Paris, held at Brique private events space in the West Loop. Partygoers donned 1920s Paris-inspired attire (think drop-waist dresses à la Coco Chanel and tailored tuxes); indulged in mini croquemadames, crème brûlée pots and more courtesy of Boutique Bites; sipped craft beers from Solemn Oath Brewery, fine wines from Diamond Importers and signature libations mixed with Almighty Spirits; and enjoyed performances by The Gold Coast All Stars, DJs from Fig Media and burlesque dancers from The Lavender Cabaret. (Additional thanks to HMR Designs, Tablescapes, Sugar Fixé Pâtisserie, Shutter Booth, Sound Investment and Pulp/Ink.) –Elise Hofer Shaw

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1) Elaina Vasquez and Samantha Saifer Berngard 2) SL magazine Owner and Publisher Alison Victoria and Michael Marks 3) Nick LaRocco and Colleen Dobell 4) Janene Chan Powers, Dawn McKenna and Sonat Birnecker Hart 5) Michael Zhou and SL magazine Creative Director Bridget Daley 6) Christina and Steve Stavropoulos 7) Bryon Boone, Bob Mertzlufft, Nick Watts, Chad Martin and Jason Capeheart

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1) Alison Victoria, Becky Karacostas and Diana Gramenos 2) Antonio Coke and Ji Suk Yi 3) Abby Matalon and Lauren McGrady 4) Anne Marie Morgan and Lauren Fedak 5) Sophisticated Sours mixed with Almighty Spirits 6) Revelers enjoying a burlesque performance by The Lavender Cabaret 7) Susan Brunstrum, Kerry Adler and SL magazine Editor-In-Chief Elise Hofer Shaw

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Photos courtesy of Moncler

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MONCLER CHICAGO COCKTAIL

To celebrate the Moncler’s fall/winter 2017 campaign, and the limited-edition jacket created in collaboration with Chinese contemporary performance artist and photographer Liu Bolin (aka the Invisible Man), the brand welcomed more than 150 guests for a private in-store cocktail party hosted by Chicago tastemakers Tereasa Surratt and Heiji and Brian Black. Notable guests such as Emma Arnold, Rhonda Brown, Sahar Dada, Christopher Kent, Josh Kercher and Elise Swopes tried on Moncler’s latest urban outerwear, performance garments and accessories, including the Moncler x Liu Bolin jacket. Bolin sports the jacket in Moncler’s current advertising campaign shot by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz. –EHS

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1) Moncler Chicago manequins in Liu Bollin collaboration pieces 2) Manuel Whitfield, Danas Daoud and Jake Lancar 3) Noah Zagor, Felton Kizer and Evan Marshall 4) Josh Kercher 5) Christopher Kent 6) Marc Moran and Jennifer Long 7) Paul Octavious and Tom Gavin 8) Tonia Kim, Heiji Choy Black and Christine Ghee

Photos by Jeff Brown

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MARCHESA RESTAURANT OPENING FÊTES More than 750 guests turned out for continental cuisine, Champagne and caviar across three nights of opening festivities at Marchesa, the River North Design District’s hottest new dining destination. The restaurant’s namesake, Marchesa Luisa Casati—a Jazz Age socialite and artist’s muse who was known for hosting legendary parties—served as proprietors Kathryn Sullivan Alverà and Jason Clark’s inspiration for the elegant restaurant, Champagne bar and lounge. Partygoers sampled Executive Chef Mark Sabbe’s elevated interpretations of classic dishes from France, Italy and Spain, sipped sublime wines, and enjoyed music by DJ Madrid, Cliona McKenna, Francisco Montiel and the Greg Strauss Trio. –Taylor Morgan

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1) Shannon Stevens and Feather McGee 2) Gale Gottlieb, Toni Canada, Dede Lubeznick and Rochelle Trotter 3) DJ Madrid 4) Owners Kathryn Sullivan Alvera and Jason Clark 5) Carrie Meghie, Ceta Walters and Ivona Kutermankiewicz 6) Donna Grant, Rick Eddington, Donna Rotunno, Zach Zisook and Susie Riskind Thompson 7) Jaime Pablecas, Pasquale Gianni, Jim Weiss and Iman Bambooyani

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Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton

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LOUIS VUITTON REOPENING CELEBRATION

More than 400 Chicagoans came out to celebrate the reopening of Louis Vuitton’s Michigan Avenue store. Hosted

by Lanessa Elrod (CEO of Louis Vuitton Americas), Thomas Haupt (regional VP at Louis Vuitton) and Michael Carl (fashion director at Vanity Fair), the event welcomed local influencers including Toni and Rick Canada, Jessica and Marc Muinzer, John McGovern, Rochelle Trotter, Corinne Offutt, Summer Thornton and Heiji Black, among others. Designed

by Peter Marino, the reimagined store in the historic Palmolive Building now boasts an illuminated exterior that’s a play on the house’s signature checkerboard Damier. And in celebration of the opening, Louis Vuitton unveiled two exclusive handbags that will be sold only at the Mag Mile boutique. –EHS

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1) Thida Lertsburapa 2) LaRoyce Hawkins 3) Genny Hristova and Ryan Eagle 4) Mary Nelly Rondon and Jennifer Koopmans 5) Ahmed Braimah, Rennick Thompson and Gus Monson 6) Andall Johnson-Neval and Shai Chung 7) DJ Leslie Kirch 8) Cristina Grati

Photos by Jeff Schear and Tim Hiatt

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2018 GRAMMY NOMINEE RECEPTION AND MEMBERSHIP CELEBRATION

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More than 160 musicians and guests gathered at The Recording Academy Chicago Chapter’s 2018 Grammy Nominee Reception and Membership Celebration at Atelier Manarchy. The celebration honored the Midwest music community and nominees for the 60th Grammy Awards. Midwest artists nominated for a Grammy include three-time nominee Anita Wilson, who earned a nod for Best Gospel Album; three-time nominee Justin Roberts, up for Best Children’s Album; and eight-time nominee Ken Shipley of The Numero Group, whose nominations include Best Boxed or Special Limited-Edition Package and Best Historical Album. –TM

1) Peter Martin, Robert Dilla, Sean Connors and David Skidmore 2) Chapter presidents Ken Shipley, Anita Wilson, Justin Roberts, Sara Jansen and Mark Hubbard 3) Kevin Erickson and Liz Pesnel 4) J. Ivy and Amanda Raquel 5) Camryn Jackson 6) Sonya Blakey 7) Dan Huebechman, Dave Roberts and Ian Ash

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Photos by Fig Media

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BREAKTHROUGH BALL The University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation Women’s Board, together with Ogilvy & Mather, Ralph Lauren and Verdura, hosted the 51st Annual Breakthrough Ball at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. More than 500 guests joined forces for the evening in support of cancer research, participating in a paddle raise and bidding on silent and live auction packages, including an 18K gold bracelet from Verdura and a shopping spree paired with a one-of-a-kind dining experience from Ralph Lauren. Guests were treated to a performance by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat, a candlelit dinner and dancing. The evening raised $1.5 million for the continued support of cancer research at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center. –Sally Meyer

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1) Shanette Caywood and Bertha Davis 2) Jennifer Litowitz 3) Julie and Dr. Sam Volchenboum 4) Eileen Murphy modeling a Verdura bracelet for the live auction 5) Mary Ellen Connellan, Elizabeth Ryan (co-chair), Karen McEniry (co-chair) and Kristi Nuelle (board president) 6) Robert and Marta Bonner with Sandy and Gary Fencik 7) Shawna Owen, Chris Murphy and Jacquie Amacher 8) Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Colbie Caillat performing at the Breakthrough Ball

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