Today’s freshmen are tomorrow’s leaders. Our summer interns just headed back to school — we learned as much from them as we hope we inspired and taught them about design, business and what working at a fashion brand is really like. To kick off our second annual Internship issue, Tory and Morgan Stukes, from Boston University, talk about what they learned this summer. All week long, we will be featuring mentors and interns from various fields.
Between all of his restaurants and companies, restauranteur and entrepreneur John McDonald needs a small army of interns. The lucky collegians get an inside view of MercBar, B&B Winepub, City magazine, Tasting Table and EBOOST. John and University of Colorado student Nick Wachs took us through a summer at EBOOST.
If only we could bottle summer living year-round. In lieu of moving someplace where it’s 70 °F and sunny every day, we asked famed interiors expert Michael S. Smith how to capture a little summer élan at home. The L.A.-based Smith is known for mixing American modernism and European tradition and has redone homes for Steven Spielberg, Lynn de Rothschild, Michelle Pfeiffer and, of course, the White House for the Obamas.
The key to making a home feel summery…
I’m a big believer in classic slipcovers — a set of white slipcovers feels relaxed and cool. I also really like putting down sisal or apple matting from Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel It’s not a big investment and makes the room feel fresher. And I love to change the fragrance — Frédéric Malle’s Gardenia and Christian Tortu’s Tomato Leaf candles are simple and good.
Photo courtesy of Michael S. Smith
With barely any time to spare, Yuki Srikarnchana (wearing our Tory Burch dress, here) zips around Bangkok in preparation for a big family dinner celebrating Mother’s Day in Thailand. Yuki, the CEO of Pendulum Group, a restauranteur and mother of three daughters, somehow found time to fit spin class in, too.
To all our friends and family in Thailand — Happy Mother’s Day!
“When I wear something really ladylike, I balance it with natural skin and loose hair,” says Dree Hemingway, who stars in our Fall Lookbook.
From New York to Paris, the fall runways heralded the return of the lady. She’s pulled-together, refined and isn’t afraid of a little luxury. Our collection was inspired by movies such as In the Mood for Love and An Education, where the women are polished and slightly covered up but also sexy. For us, it’s all about that mix.
Eugene Souleiman, the hairstylist for our show, drew his own parallel between the hair (chicly tousled chignons) and the looks themselves, which sums up the aesthetic: “Pretty and chic, yet quirky. It’s when a good hair day goes bad.” Likewise, these pristine looks are worn with a wink. Or at least with leather.
From clothing, shoes and bags to the little finishing touches, we created a mini collection of our favorite ladylike pieces: Shop Now.
How do you translate the physical experience of flipping through the pages of a glossy magazine into an equally appealing, visually exciting digital format? That’s the challenge Scott Dadich, Condé Nast’s VP, Editorial Platforms and Design, faces on a daily basis. Here, he shares the two-word mantra that guides his vision and talks about his latest project, The New Yorker iPhone app. Getting our weekly dose of wit and news on the go? We love it — and we’ll never have to miss another caption contest again.
My favorite apps are…
I can’t live without my New Yorker iPad app. Twitter is my must-read every morning. Martha Stewart Craft Studio is one of the best creativity apps out there — I can’t believe how much fun I’m having with it. I love FFFFound for design inspiration and Planetary for music, but without a doubt, Instagram is my all-time favorite app.
Even though temps are still topping 80 degrees in NYC, it’s hard not to be tempted by fall’s textured tweeds in rich jewel tones. So why wait? We did a bit of remixing with our just-debuted Victory Suit and came up with three stylish ways to wear tweed from late-summer all through fall.
To get a quick fix now, try the jacket over white jeans with a neutral t-shirt or lightweight knit. (Even in August, we always keep a second layer handy — if your office is anything like ours, those air-conditioned summer days can get chilly.) Later into autumn, the go-to uniform is bare legs and pencil skirts, topped off with some boyish basics, like a classic sweater and two-tone flats. After the first frost, go all-out ladylike with a floral secretary blouse, spectator heels and bright tights. Et voilà — tweed has never looked so chic: Shop the Looks.
Morocco has been luring seekers for generations. And while Paul Bowles and the Beats made their way to this beautiful and exotic country, we’ve always been intrigued by The Rolling Stones’ famous visit in the summer of 1989.
For three days, they recorded with a group from Jajouka, Morocco, that William Burroughs once called the “four-thousand-year-old rock band” — the Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar. The recording sessions resulted in the song Continental Drift, from their 1989 album Steel Wheels. Hear it here.
Candy, cupcakes and Olympic bronze medalist Lia Neal — all in a day’s work for Darcy Miller, Editorial Director of Martha Stewart Weddings, author, illustrator, party expert and whiz at festive décor and scrapbooking. She also is the latest curator on OpenSky, her first shop inspired by her daughter Daisy. Here, a snapshot of Darcy’s sweet life.
Surprise! To rehearse for this weekend’s Outside Lands fest, Beck just announced a last-minute show tonight at Bimbo’s in San Francisco. It’s anyone’s guess if he’ll play songs from his next “album” Song Reader, out in December. Completely blurring that performance-art line, the folk-funk-rocker’s latest is a book of sheet music for 20 new songs with original art by Marcel Dzama and Leanne Shapton — one of our favorites. Recordings by fans and other musicians (and maybe Beck himself?) will be featured on McSweeney’s.
From colorful finds in the souks (right) and intricate tile work to the iconic Majorelle Garden and centuries-old mosques — check out our Marrakech Express Pinterest page for a photo diary of Tory’s trip to Morocco. Away we go….
Human rights specialist Maryam Montague has traveled to over 70 countries, zigzagging from Senegal and Sri Lanka to New York and Namibia. It wasn’t until she landed in Marrakech, however, that this stylish nomad and mother-of-two got the urge to settle. She fell in love with the food, the people, the culture — and went on to build a beautiful home there with her architect husband, launch a Marrakech-centric blog and online textile store, publish a Moroccan design book and open a boutique hotel. She even presses her own olive oil. Here, discover Maryam’s favorite shopping destinations in Marrakech.
Yves Saint Laurent’s love affair with all things Morocco was legendary. Not only did the designer mine the country for inspiration throughout his career, but he ultimately bought the famous Majorelle Gardens in Marrakech — and carved out another, more peaceful life there, away from the bustle of Paris, with partner Pierre Bergé, Talitha Getty, Loulou de La Falaise and friends.
For an intimate, no-holds-barred look back, see Yves Saint Laurent: Une Passion Marocaine. It gives a front-row vantage point to life chez Saint Laurent. Handwritten by Bergé, the book has all the makings of a cozy diary and scrapbook. Even if you can’t read the text (it’s all in French), the photos tell the story: the designer ambling through a souk, Andy Warhol visiting, lazy afternoons outdoors with Betty Catroux — no posturing here, just unfiltered fun. It’s what makes this book, which also includes sketches and illustrations, such a gem.
Tory left Marrakech with more than great memories and inspirations. Here are three recipes for dishes that, served together, create a traditional Moroccan salad platter. They’re courtesy of Le Marocain, the restaurant at the legendary La Mamounia hotel. Add a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, and you have the makings of a great late summer-early fall weekend lunch with friends.
The mecca of beau monde locales has always been Morocco. It drew Sixties style icons Talitha Getty and Marisa Berenson, who went on to epitomize its bohemian glamour. Diana Vreeland loved it (her son Frederick became its U.S. ambassador); Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz was born there, and the ever-chic Ginevra Elkann exchanged vows at her grandmother Marella Agnelli’s Marrakech estate. And, of course, there’s Yves Saint Laurent, who is virtually synonymous with the country. To this day, Morocco’s impact on style endures.
But its gravitational pull goes beyond fashion. Did you know that… Alfred Hitchcock is said to have been inspired to write The Birds after seeing La Mamounia’s bird-filled balconies. He was there shooting The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Berenson photo by Henry Clark for Vogue, from A Life in Pictures
“Morocco, the gateway to Africa, means different things to different people. The history, architecture, textiles, spices and, most importantly, the people and artisans there have inspired many. I visited Morocco a few years ago, but when an opportunity to return recently came up, I jumped. This was where my parents Buddy and Reva honeymooned, and where they returned often.
The Financial Times invited me to its Luxury Summit in Marrakech, and while there, the Tory Burch Foundation team and I took the opportunity to meet with local women entrepreneurs and small business owners. Friends, family and the design team came, too — we kept to a morning-to-night schedule of visiting souks and artisans. A friend once said to always look up when you’re in Marrakech — from the minarets to the doorways, you will see something remarkable. It’s true.” — Tory
Here, Tory is in Yves Saint Laurent’s famous Majorelle Garden. For more pictures from Tory’s trip to Morocco, see our Pinterest page.
As the free-spirited, sandal-and-tote-bag season comes to an end, one can always seek solace in fall’s accessories, where a quick hit can transform any outfit. T-shirt and jeans? Add bold jewelry and a bright bag. Tweeds and plaids? They’re practically begging to be toughened up by a pair of booties.
This year, it’s about polished and pulled-together sophistication. Boxy frame bags and structured silhouettes were major runway motifs, from New York to Paris, while the popular pointy-toe shoe offered a confident and flattering look that elongates the leg. There’s also a mini trend of all things country — as in English countryside, from equestrian boots and belts with fox-shaped hardware to pops of forest green everywhere.
Not so rustic? The tech accessories that also made their way into the spotlight. Fall is as much about dressing you as it is your phones, iPads and laptops. So, yes, even your accessories have accessories. Shop the Guide Now
New York’s Guggenheim Museum is hosting a mid-career retrospective of Rineke Dijkstra‘s photography, fascinating in its take on the conventional portrait. The Dutch artist somehow manages to draw out the raw emotion — and subtlety — of her subjects, which range from teens at the park to Portuguese bullfighters fresh from the ring. Her own self-portrait, taken poolside, reveals her own fatigue after swimming a rough 30 laps. Rineke’s exhibit, which runs till Oct. 8, is pure emotion, unfiltered.
Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal, May 8, 1994; courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York and Paris;
© Rineke Dijkstra
We can only imagine what Raina Kumra’s calendar looks like. Which is why she says she can’t live without her iPhone alarm. The former documentary filmmaker and tech and social media maven runs her own branding company, Agency for Holistic Branding. And she is a contractor for the Broadcasting Board of Governors. And she helped bring solar power to Malawi via her launch of Light Up Malawi, which was recently acquired by BuildOn. Phew!
Here, Kumra shares her thoughts on the future of social media, great advice and how she maintains a sense of balance in an ultra busy life that, quite frankly, leaves us in awe.
Best advice you ever received… My dad once told me he didn’t figure out what he was doing until he was 45 and that as long as I did something in the between time, I didn’t have to figure it out right then and there either.
It’s the perfect British brew — Eve Thomas, wearing Alexander McQueen, standing in front of the London Bridge. We asked THE OUTNET.COM’s Senior Fashion Editor how she wears peplum, one of the season’s biggest trends. She styled Tory’s Madeline Peplum sweater with a pair of skinny McQueen pants — the trick is balancing the flare of a peplum top with something skinny, she says. And because we’ve all got our eyes on London this week with the Olympics, we asked her about her favorite local haunts and why Brits have such a distinct sense of style (hint: humor).
The key to wearing a peplum silhouette is…
To keep the rest of your look clean, and wear it with slim-fit pants or a pencil skirt.
Photographed by Vanessa Jackman
The Olympic beat continues this week! Here, we talked to one of our favorite Brits, Marigay McKee, who is Harrods Chief Merchant. Get her take on British design and find out how she went from teaching in Spain to heading up one of London’s most storied department stores.
My story is… After studying history and modern languages in London, I moved to Spain, where I became a teacher. I quickly returned to my inherent love of fashion and beauty and went to work for Clinique in Madrid, where I developed a passion for retail. Then I came back to the UK, got married and eventually joined the Harrods family. I am now the Chief Merchant of the store. I have two wonderful children who always keep my feet firmly on the ground — even after my 30th 16-hour day during fashion weeks!
Josh Olins knows fashion. The photographer has shot for a roster of impressively cool clients — Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, V, i-D, Love and numerous international Vogues. He also knows his home base London inside and out. Here, he gave us his favorite places to go.
London is…
Constantly raining and grey, but for some reason, that seems to lead to creativity.
Best nightlife scene…
Dalston and Hackney, but you just need to know the right places. Friends of mine just opened a bar in Dalston with a basement club called Birthdays.
If I only had one night in London…
I’d do dinner at the Peruvian Ceviche and drinks at Tom Dixon’s Paramount Bar, all in the West End. If I wanted to stay in East London: an early dinner outside at Towpath on the Regent’s Canal followed by a few Old Fashioneds at Nightjar.
As we launch our Fall Essentials — all the things we love for the new season — we wanted to find out what was on other peoples’ essentials list. Blair Eadie, also known by her nom-de-blog Atlantic-Pacific, offered up her seasonal musts, from her fashion staples (our Bernadine peacoat makes her list) to her favorite snack.
My essential fall look…
I personally love layering a great collared top under a full-skirted dress, then topping that off with a belted jacket. I love incorporating classic pieces, like the Bernadine peacoat, but like to keep the look interesting with bold colors and prints. Here, the peacoat ties back nicely to wardrobe staples, such as skinnies, flats and a button-up, but the mixed polka-dot prints add a fun twist!
Favorite print…
Deep, more muted florals. I think most people would associate florals with spring and summer, which is what makes them so unexpected and refreshing for fall. I’d wear a floral dress with a utility jacket for a feminine yet casual look.
Alyse Archer-Coité is the Editor-in-Chief of the new quarterly art publication MAKER Magazine, which takes an in-depth look at the inspiration and creative process of contemporary artists, like painter José Parlá and actress/photographer Nora Zehetner, and asks them to use the pages of the magazine as they would a blank canvas to with what they want. Here, more from Archer-Coité about MAKER.