Holiday Getaway: Aerin Lauder’s Aspen
For Aerin Lauder, founder and Creative Director of AERIN, the holiday plan includes fireside backgammon rallies with her boys and being the first on the mountain in Aspen.
For Aerin Lauder, founder and Creative Director of AERIN, the holiday plan includes fireside backgammon rallies with her boys and being the first on the mountain in Aspen.
Christian Leone and Leah Park have a thing for start-ups. They met at Gilt and, after a few years, hatched a plan to change the way people shop second hand. With the recent launch of Vaunte, the two go into the homes and closets of the people you’d be buying vintage from. And the best part? They photograph the sellers themselves wearing something up for grabs. It’s a delightful mix of closet voyeurism and shopping. And, as Leah says, it makes for a great conversation.
Leadership and activism are ingrained in Amanda Hearst and Georgina Bloomberg’s DNA. Their annual Friends of Finn gala, which took place last night, raises awareness about inhumane conditions in puppy mills and funds to combat them. Hearst — and owner of said Finn — is Marie Claire’s Market Editor (and great granddaughter of publishing legend William Randolph Hearst). Bloomberg is a professional equestrian (and daughter of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg). The co-chairs live on opposite coasts but always join forces for a paws, a hoof, a wing. Here, they took us through the day leading up to the event.
What a difference a felted topper makes. It’s a wardrobe game-changer — no matter your look, whether casual or polished, a fedora ups the ante on your insouciance factor. Can it go beguiling and sexy? Mais oui. Consider Maria Schneider in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris (above).
Which reminds us, it’s Tango’s 40th anniversary. For all that’s been written about its X-rated provocation, the movie endures for its push and pull of emotions and now-iconic snapshots of the Seventies, from the powerful score to its mesmerizing cinematography of Paris. And the fashion. Schneider’s Jeanne seduces in nonchalant fur coats, belted minis, knitted scarves and that one unforgettable fedora.
Last Tango in Paris photo by Bettman/Corbis
Back in 2007, a mass email went out to friends to see if anyone was interested in a job managing a family-run cattle ranch in Nairobi. For most, it was worth a daydream before returning to the grind of everyday life. But Penny Killebrew bought a one-way ticket to Africa and changed her life. Today she and her husband live in Northern Kenya with their son Finn and manage the luxury resort Kinondo Kwetu. Here, she tells us about holidays filled with tribal dancing, seashell decorations, shooting stars, Swahili music and skinny-dipping. Just be warned, if your New Year’s resolution involves making a big change, being more adventurous and taking risks, Killebrew’s description of a Kenyan Christmas is sure to inspire and tempt.
Imagine if hunting for hermit crabs and sunning on a sandy white beach were a part of your job description. It’s not work in the traditional sense, but Lisa Lozano finds there is no better source of inspiration when designing LiloTati, her children’s swimwear collection, than an annual family vacation to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Here, the mother of two tells us what to do and where to go on the island, including the best undiscovered beach.
Holiday cocktail parties are as much about the cocktails as they are the conversation. And if you need a primer on differentiating Magritte from Man Ray or Stieglitz from Steichen, here’s a book to add to the pile by your bedside: the 2012 edition of Phaidon’s The Art Book. It’s an upgrade to the original that came out nearly two decades ago. The premise is the same — an easy-to-grasp A-to-Z introduction to all the artists you need to know. This time, the lineup includes newer media like performance art and video installations (over 100 additions). The beautifully illustrated tome makes a great gift, too, for art lovers and smarty-pants wannabes alike.
Roseate Spoonbill, 1835-8, by John James Audubon
Can a book be considered a work of art? You bet, if you’re talking to Patrice Farameh. A longtime book producer and consultant, both here and in Europe, the Iran native launched her own publishing house Farameh Media last year with a focus on visually arresting coffee-table tomes. Here, we got her take on all things literary — including the all-important question of what to gift the bookworm in your life.
Donna Karan and Stephan Weiss are one of fashion’s most enduring love stories. They met by chance when she was just 19, went their separate ways and found their way back to each other a decade later. They were married for 18 years before Weiss passed away from lung cancer in 2001. Weiss was Karan’s business partner, yes, but in many ways her muse. He was an artist in his own right, and now, Karan has put his sculptures and drawings on display at Urban Zen. If you’re in town for the holidays, stop by to see Connecting the Dots.
Sally Singer and kids
Nino Mier
Frankie RayderEveryone knows all about the Chateau Marmont, even if you’ve never stepped foot inside this storied hotel on Sunset Boulevard. It’s where James Dean auditioned with Natalie Wood for Rebel Without a Cause. And where Jim Morrison once leapt off a fourth-floor balcony. And where Lindsay Lohan was, well, infamously Lindsay Lohan.
But you’ve never seen Jork Weismann’s side of it. In his recent book Asleep at the Chateau, the photographer showcases the hotel’s quieter moments with arresting shot after shot of celebrities asleep at the Chateau — including Patti Smith, Bret Easton Ellis, Johnny Hallyday and Frankie Rayder, in various states of slumber and, sometimes, undress.
It’s the morning after a night of eating, drinking and being merry — and it was a doozy. Now what? SoulCycle co-founders Julie Rice (left) and Elizabeth Cutler weigh in on staying fit during the holidays.
“For Pre-Fall 2013, we were inspired by an officer’s jacket my mother wore and handed down to me. We play military jackets and coats against chiffon dresses, knit suits and clean separates, with embroidery and beading meant to look like prints. Boxy bags reflect the tailored mood, while flats feature a strict pointy-toe and booties, a contrasting gold heel.” — Tory
When it comes to buying something meaningful for the die-hard music lover, you have to think outside the download-gift card box. Instead of guessing, we asked the expert — music supervisor Randall Poster — what he plans to give friends this holiday.
Still haven’t wrapped up your holiday shopping? We’ve got three words: Just hue it. Shop the latest chapter in our Gift Guide, featuring a kaleidoscopic array of the fun and flirty, bright and cheerful. From goodies for the tech-obsessed to getaway must-haves, these colorful treats are instant pick-me-ups and sure to delight everyone. (Including you.)
See the Gift Guide now.
The Look: Pants with personality that go day or evening.
Style Tip: Let a great trouser be your statement piece. Pair prints in the same color family — one big pattern, one small. Then try complementary colors. To stay with a monotone look, try working in different fabrics for a textural mix. Treat stripes like they’re a neutral. Swap out a party dress for rich brocade pants (so nonchalant cool). The point is: have fun. These party pants are instant mood-lifters.
Click any look above to shop the head-to-toe outfit – or shop all pants.
When winter’s chill settles on the Northern hemisphere, New York-based writer and digital strategist Horacio Silva heads down to Punta del Esta in Uruguay — basically, a sun-soaked paradise with spectacular views, haute cuisine, resident rock stars and (for the uninhibited) clothing-optional beaches. On the sheepish side? Horacio clues us in on the local libation of choice, as well, to help you lose said inhibitions.
Our Resort 2013 collection takes its cue from recent sun-kissed getaways to the Mediterranean and beyond. And to capture that spirit, we enlisted Norman Jean Roy to turn his lens on models Dree Hemingway, Liu Wen and Geidre Dukauskaite, as styled by Brian Molloy.
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We learn in school to respect our elders, and we have lost two peerless music icons the last few days. While Ravi Shankar, here, and Dave Brubeck lived different musical lives, they are bound by an unwavering commitment to the power and spirit of music. Both worked into their nineties and leave us with unique and timeless legacies to entertain and instruct us. We salute their youthful wisdom and will be spinning their records throughout the holidays and forever…
Photo by John Reader/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Night Panther likes the sound of the word (or nonword) “snudge.” We like the sound of the song they titled Snudge — featured in our Resort 2013 video. We asked bandmates Farzad Houshiarnejad, Michael Cammarata, Chris Radwanski and Marissa Lesnick about the etymology of the band and “snudge.”
Photo by Kelly Kurteson
Eleni Gianopulos isn’t just a baker. And she’s not a mere cookie designer, either. If you ask us, the New York-based Eleni is a cookie artiste, whipping up wildly creative custom sweets — Hunger Games and Lady Gaga shoe treats, anyone? Here, this New York institution gives us her expert tips on holiday cookies — how to ice them, shape them to perfection and transform them into festive décor. She even shares her secret to keeping the kids occupied and entertained.
If you’ve ever stressed out over the holidays — crowds! calories! crazy lines! — then keep reading. Erin Jacques (left) and Amanda Freeman of New York’s high-energy, music-driven SLT Yoga studio gave us a crash course on how to keep calm and carry on, jump-start your metabolism and motivate yourself this season.
We sat riveted during the recent PBS American Masters series on David Geffen. The Brooklyn roots, his musical Midas touch, the Hollywood stumbles and ultimate triumph, the political power plays, the obsession with Jack Warner’s famed mansion. Geffen’s story defines the American Dream. He played Svengali to generations of talent — Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana and so on. He is famously elusive, and yet Susan Lacy, the director, executive producer and creator of the series, not only got Geffen on record, but most of his friends, too. Like Steven Spielberg, Young and Cher, to name a few. We asked Lacy what the experience was like. Fascinating stuff.
Dive in! Sun-faded colors and prints and effortless styles epitomize that getaway mindset. As do models Dree Hemingway’s, Liu Wen’s and Geidre Dukauskaite’s playful attitude in this behind-scenes lookbook film by Theo Stanley, styled by Brian Molloy. Just add Night Panther’s Snudge.
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Tory talks about the latest resort collection. Her inspiration? Sun-kissed getaways to the Mediterranean and beyond. See where she’s going next and what she’ll be packing from resort.
Shop the entire resort collection.