Book of the Week: The Mansion of Happiness
The subtitle to Jill Lepore’s new book The Mansion of Happiness: A History of Life and Death says it all. As heavy as that sounds from this Harvard scholar, it’s an entertaining summer read. Lepore talks about how Americans’ view of baby-hood, those volatile teenaged years, middle and old age — have shifted through the years. To wit: E.B. White’s Stuart Little pops up as a case-in-point to show how attitudes have changed about childhood. Back in the Forties, that talking mouse was almost banned in libraries. Bad for kids, the critics said, because reality and fantasy were too tightly intertwined.
As for the main title itself, The Mansion of Happiness. It stems from a similarly named 19th-century English board game, where players race through the different stages of life. Today, you know it as Milton Bradley’s Game of Life.
Video: Fall 2012
For Fall 2012, we set the scene — a classic New York hotel, the Plaza Athénée, a soundtrack of Donora’s I Think I Like You and a cast of characters that includes Dree Hemingway, Tao Okamoto, Bette Franke. The clothing and accessories are polished but sexy; the mood is confident…and there is something in the air. Rounding out the crew: filmmaker Max Nova, stylist Brian Molloy and designer Waris Ahluwalia, who makes a cameo appearance.
Fall 2012: Inspiration
“For Fall 2012, we were inspired by the idea of a prim girl who’s under the spell of the wrong kind of guy. She’s an innocent, unaware of her own sex appeal. The setting? The hotel where they meet. The looks are polished and proper, but with subversive undertones: fitted silhouettes; dresses with nipped waists, and a lot of leather. We watched movies like Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love, and played off the mood and cinematography — saturated colors, especially rich berry and crimson, and classic prints and patterns like wallpaper florals, tweed and chevron. It’s a modern kind of ladylike dressing.” — Tory
Insider’s Guide: Rena Sindi’s Beirut
Rena Sindi, the London-based author and co-founder of interiors company Dalani Home, is known for throwing legendary theme parties (Arabian Nights, Moulin Rouge, Southampton Luau). Some are even chronicled in her book Be My Guest: Theme Party Savoir-Faire. When it came to her own recent nuptials to Lebanese financier Makram Abboud, she married in London but opted for a five-day party in Beirut (where Tory is opening a store this fall). Clearly, there’s magic in the city. We got the scoop from Rena on the best places to stay, eat, shop and dance.
Beirut is… The Paris of the Middle East. It’s rich with culture; the food is amazing, and you can go from the mountains to the sea in just an hour. The nightlife is notorious, the people are gorgeous and glamorous, so it’s the ideal place to host a party!
What’s Your Sign? Leo
Find out what this month, the sun sign of Leo (July 22 – August 22), has in store for you. Astrology expert Susie Cox tells all….
Leo
Happy birthday to the regal sign of Leo! Mercury is in retrograde for you until August 8th, so it’s time to rethink your responsibilities and possibly delegate some to others.
Tory’s Playlist: Summer Getaway
Escape the everyday with some old friends and some new. Music to ground you and transport you, from Bob Marley and Eric Clapton to Billy Bragg & Wilco….
Summer Getaway: Ece Sükan
Ece Sükan, the Editor-at-Large for Vogue Turkey tells us all about her getaway to sunny, seaside Bozburun.
What I’m packing… Swimsuits, flat sandals, lots of sunscreen, my camera, books, ethnic bijoux, authentic tops and caftans, my “captain” hat and a selection of my vintage sunglasses.
During the day I will… Swim, sunbath, sail and wakeboard.
At night I will… Have dinner at Bozburun Yacht Club (great home food, local meze and fish) or go to Symi Island and have a Sirtaki night at Mano’s Fish Restaurant.
Spotlight On: Laura Cunningham
You know that old adage, behind every great man there’s a great woman? When it comes to superstar chef Thomas Keller, that woman is Laura Cunningham, Director of Operations at his famed restaurant enterprise. The Napa native oversees everything from décor to guest lists at his eateries on both coasts, including French Laundry, Bouchon Bakery and Per Se. Along the way Cunningham nabbed an Outstanding Service Award from the James Beard Foundation in 2011. Here, her tips for entertaining at home — whether that’s Napa or New York.
The secret to a great dinner party in Napa is…
Holding it outdoors under the stars and BYOB. Bring your own wine in Napa — it’s great sharing and trying different vineyards and varietals.
Insider’s Guide: Olga Iserlis’ Singapore
Olga Iserlis knows Singapore, inside and out. Not only has the Russian-born American lived there for nearly two decades, but, as head of event planning company Twise, she’s organized major events for clients such as Audemars Piguet and Valentino. Which means she’s as well-versed in local luxury shopping as she is in hunting down the best roti prata pancake. Here, the expat tells us all.
Singapore is… An efficient melting pot.
Best shopping? Orchard Road and the Marina Bay Sands resort [known for its roof-top pool] for major international brands. Arab Street and Haji Lane have stores selling the most fabulous fabrics as well as quirky boutiques stocking new designers.
Spotlight On: Marie Louise Sciò
Designer Marie Louise Sciò’s childhood reads a lot like Eloise-meets-La Dolce Vita. Her parents owned Tuscany’s storied Il Pellicano hotel, which played host to everyone from the Casiraghis to the Fendis and Missonis (and it’s one of Tory’s favorites). Now a Rome-based architect and interior designer, Sciò has put her own stamp on the place: She revamped the rooms and published a book on the hotel. Here, she gives us an insider view.
My fondest childhood memory of Il Pellicano is…The gala dinners my parents organized around the candle-lit swimming pool overlooking the sea. Everyone was so chic, men wore seersucker suits and women wore long beautiful gowns and turbans. I was too young to attend so my brother Roberto we use to hide in the bushes and spy on these magical evenings!
First Tory Daily App Exclusive: Limited-Edition Runway Earrings
For our first Tory Daily Exclusive, we picked the most coveted earrings from our Fall 2012 runway. We handcrafted 25 pairs in NYC to offer them to our app users first — simply download the app for exclusive access.
Other perks of Tory Daily? Curated content, easy shopping on the go — and free standard shipping anywhere in the U.S. on every single purchase. Download the App.
Spotlight On: David Benjamin Sherry
It’s easy to get lost in one of David Benjamin Sherry’s images. The photographer zooms in on landscapes and either ramps up the color in his dark room or dusts the image with fine white sand. The special effects are mesmerizing.
Sand viii (Seafoam, California), 2012, courtesy of Salon 94
Playlist: Mia Moretti
We asked DJ Mia Moretti to give us her best beats for starting a summer party. She whipped up this playlist with a little help from DJs Equal, Lucas Walters, J-Patt and Samuel.
Tastemakers On: First Concert
First concert memories stay with you. Tory’s was The Grateful Dead in high school. Here, everyone from Randall Poster, Liya Kebede and Lisa Phillips to Waris Ahluwalia, Virginie Mouzat, Mellon and Geoffrey Zakarian get nostalgic about their first taste of live music, and it runs the gamut: The Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, The Kinks, Spice Girls, Phil Collins, New Edition. And there were two shout-outs for Captain & Tennille….
Spotlight On: Tennis
Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley are married and Tennis partners. We mean the band. The duo’s second album Young & Old has them touring this summer. After that, they’ll be sailing. Here, Alaina gets into how she fell for Patrick and what song changed their lives.
We fell in love over… Animal Collective’s Strawberry Jam. Patrick had somehow obtained a leaked copy (which was a feat all those years ago).
Our songs are inspired by… Lived experiences; some shared, others intensely private.
Spotlight On: Bebel Gilberto
Think Bebel Gilberto and you automatically hear the cool jazz beats of the bossa nova. The singer has built her career on the bossa — something she learned from her parents, the great João Gilberto and singer Miucha. We caught up with Bebel, who’s playing NYC’s SummerStage as part of the Brasil Summerfest (July 21-28) to talk about her parents, music and Brazilian beaches….
Best advice your parents gave you… Sing and play, all the time. By age seven I was already recording commercials and performing on the Mickey Mouse Club in Brasil.
Spotlight On: Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino
Bethany Cosentino, the lead singer of Best Coast, talks about channeling Fleetwood Mac and gives us myriad reasons why she believes L.A. is the best coast.
On your playlist now… Beach House, Fleetwood Mac and Flying Lotus
Favorite other L.A. band… Abe Vigoda
Your stage style is… Stevie Nicks at a 90s sleepover.
Word of Mouth: The Stones Turn 50
The Rolling Stones turn 50 today. In 1962, Mick and Keith were just 18, and Mick was still a student at the London School of Economics. Then known as the Rollin’ Stones, they played at London’s Marquee, a basement club, to a crowd of around 100. Today, well, they are the kings of rock. The Stones are planning something big to mark the occasion (their site has been coyly alluding to it), while The Rolling Stones: 50 book and photo exhibit at the Somerset House debut Friday. Rock on, Stones.
Spotlight On: Rock ‘n Roll Cuisine
Ever wonder what goes in Meat Loaf’s meatloaf? Or how Rod Stewart handles his hangovers? Then you’ll love the book Rock ‘n Roll Cuisine, a compilation of recipes from the likes of Debbie Harry, Stevie Nicks and Mick Jagger. The recipes and dishes are served up with wit and whimsy. Exhibit A: Cher’s Boyfriend-Approved Macaroni Salad. Exhibit B: Yoko Ono’s Dream Soup (with its ingredients of sunshine, hope and laughter). Our favorite? Stewart’s hangover sandwich for those “who have not the nerve nor the know-how to venture forth therein after a very hectic Saturday night.”
Tastemakers On: All-Time Favorite Albums
We asked: What album changed your life and what album never gets old? Everyone from Serge Becker and Misshapes’ Geordan Nicol to T’s Sally Singer and Sally Taylor (daughter of James) answered. We also spoke to Karmin’s Amy Heidemann, Delta Rae’s Brittany Holljes, Sleeper Agent’s Alex Kandel, Rye Rye and Rita Ora — five artists who are a part of Rolling Stone’s Women Who Rock (readers choose which one will end up on the cover of the September issue).
Everyone’s first memories run deeply: Listening to Bob Marley on a Walkman, memorizing Joni Mitchell lyrics, roller skating to Michael Jackson, loving some fun. or getting that funny feeling in your stomach that only a perfectly crafted pop song can give you.
Summer Getaway: Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson deserves a little R&R. He’s had a busy year — he scored Carbon Life with Miike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt for London’s Royal Ballet; he wrote Anywhere in the World, a song for the upcoming Olympics; he produced multiple albums, like Rufus Wainwright’s. So Mark is packing little more than a toothbrush and heading to Mnemba Island, a pristine slice of white sand off the Tanzanian coast.
Where I’m going… Mnemba Island.
What I’m packing… Two pairs of swimming shorts, two shirts, toothbrush, a razor and a few books.
During the day I will… Swim, read and love.
Book of the Week: Fire and Rain
Was 1970 the lost year in music history? Yes, says journalist David Browne in his book Fire and Rain, now in paperback. By spotlighting those 365 days in the lives of the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, he shows how 1970 — and not Woodstock’s 1969 — was key in ushering in the new sound (and culture) of the Seventies. We asked Browne about this pivotal year.
Why 1970? It saw the collapse of so many landmarks of the Sixties and, at the same time, the year ushered in much of what we came to associate with the Seventies. Those 12 months truly were a period when one era ended and another, very different one began. We really never were the same after.
Cat’s Meow: Jimmy Fallon
We had to bring Jimmy Fallon back for our first-ever music issue. After all, the late night host is a genius at spot-on musical impressions, from Springsteen to Jagger. Here, Fallon talks about his first concert, whom he’d switch places with and his one guilty pleasure.
What song changed your life? Crying by Roy Orbison. I didn’t realize you could be that operatic in a pop song.
First concert… Weird Al Yankovic at the Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston, New York. It was the Dare To Be Stupid tour. My parents took me.
Tory On: Music
Our debut music issue is here! And we’re kicking things off with a one-on-one chat with Tory, who’s long had a love affair with all things music. Here, she reveals everything from her first concert to her current playlists to what to wear to summer’s music fests….
Album that changed your life… Neil Young’s Harvest. I remember sitting in my bedroom listening to it over and over.
First concert… The Grateful Dead, in 9th grade. Still one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.
Your go-to music fest look… Something with a bohemian vibe — a little crochet, a light T-shirt, strappy sandals, bright accessories and a great tote. And of course sunglasses.