C Magazine profiles Auberge du Soleil as an ideal escape for a girls adventure and I couldn't agree more. The Bistro at Auberge is one of my favorite places to sit with a cheese plate and glass of vino - the setting is remarkable. My first trip to the resort was indeed a girls adventure, one of the first road trips I took to Napa Valley upon moving to San Francisco three years ago. Girls adventure aside, Auberge is a recommendation I make to anyone seeking a unique wine country experience. Read on, here.
In the spirit of...
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, round out your Friday with the ladies of La Perla. Bon Weekend!
Groovy Chevron Stripe
I love the play on this '70s suit J.Crew is doing. Cheryl Tiegs sure rocked it. Shop here.
2015 Lineup: San Francisco Decorator Showcase
The venue for the 2015 Decorator Showcase (rendering above) has been selected and I'm quite thrilled to mark my calendar for one of my most favorite annual events. As I've posted before, the annual public event is a fundraiser for San Francisco University High School, raising over $700,000 last year. 3630 Jackson Street is located in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco and will play host as over twenty-seven interior designers have been selected to transform the home. Mark your calendar from April 25th to May 25th! Read more, here.
A Must in Mill Valley
After a quick read on Mr. Porter, I'm intrigued to try Todd Shoberg's new restaurant in Mill Valley, Molina. Molina is known for its evolving take on a variety of ingredients - all of which are sourced from the Northern California mountains, sea and valleys (think wild chanterelles from the Mendocino mountains, black cod from the waters of Fort Bragg and Douglas fir from the nearby mountains). The San Francisco Chronicle named Molina one of the best new restaurants to open in the Bay Area his year. The immediate success is no doubt a product of a trifecta of measures: proprietor and chef Todd Shoberg, known for shaking things up in his kitchen, may it be in music or menu, a wine list curated by a Bar Tartine alumnus, (featuring rare orange wine, among other selections) and its local Mill Valley patrons that seem to flock at the notice of a business that supports the surrounding hills we all so adore. View Molina's menu here and set forth on your culinary adventure.
Chip Wilson & His New Muses
Once of the first cases I read for business school was a case on Chip Wilson and Lululemon. The case walked through the trials and tribulations Chip faced as founder, his notorious disagreements with C-suite execs and the BOD (which ultimately led to him resigning as chairman and stepping down from the company's board), a string of marketing faux pas and interrogations around the company's cult like culture. After taking a sabbatical in the land down under whilst selling half his Lululemon shares to PE firm Advent International, Chip helped advise his wife Shannon (at once point Lululemon's founding designer) and son J.J., to create a new company, Kit and Ace. The company is known for its technical cashmere product offerings targeting the modern consumer who values quality experiences, including wearing functional luxury. The NYTimes highlights this new venture, as Chip describes Kit and Ace's muses (see excerpt below). It will be interesting to keep a pulse on this one. Read more, here.
Modern Muses:
'At Kit and Ace, the clothes are also designed for two muses: Kit, a 29-year-old single woman who, Shannon [Chip's wife] told me, “is looking to buy her first apartment, but is still renting. She works in the creative area, like in graphic design or fashion, and loves to bike on weekends”; and Ace, a 32-year-old similarly groovy guy, who drinks strong coffee, “likes to go to breweries and hangs out with his friends. He does CrossFit once a week and spins three times a week, loves brunch on the weekends.” It all sounds a bit like a profile on OkCupid — or like a younger Lululemon.' - NY Times
AERIN: The Making of (Another) Empire
Yesterday, I posted on The Edit's issue this week and after mentioning that the piece on Aerin Lauder was a must-read, I received several notes from C&C readers, expressing your adoration for her (one an old male suitor of hers!) and the success she has rightfully earned with her own brand and vision. In this piece, she discusses her initial desire to start her own lifestyle and beauty brand, despite her role as Creative Director at her grandmother's beauty company, Estée Lauder (now a $11B company). She emphasizes the importance of breathing her own authenticity into the company's identity, while acknowledging the complexity of her life as mother, wife, philanthropist and business woman. AERIN has expanded in short time into a lifestyle company, with product offerings from a beautiful shade of rose balm lipstick, to high end home decor and objets. If you spend time on her website, you'll understand quickly that not only is Aerin Lauder's palate inherently elegant and simple, she is able to beautifully craft a narrative for each product such as this release of her new scent Rose De Grasse.
The '70s Are Having a Moment
This week's The Edit is spectacular. From sultry suede à la Gucci worn by Malgosia Bela in her editorial photographs (see here), to the spotlight on this saddle bag, the '70s are quietly having a moment. A must read in this issue? The piece on Aerin Lauder and the making of (another) Lauder empire. Read here.
OK, fine...
I didn't possess any overt interest in seeing the film, but might as well, right? I read half of the book, I personally didn't see what all the fuss was about. Then again, I love a good steamy romance on the big screen.
Noir
I love this black powder room by Miles Redd. It's bold, masculine, modern and moody, while the high ceilings and sconces add an understated elegance. I'm on a fern kick right now ever since my friend Betsy's wedding; I had never seen ferns presented so beautifully until I saw her bouquet and table arrangements. See more of Miles' portfolio, here.