Wynn Las Vegas - 2016 - Issue 3 - Winter

WINTER 2016/2017

FASHION EXCLUSIVE THE MOST LUXURIOUS STYLES, AND WHERE TO WEAR THEM

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WINTER 2016/2017

60 Holiday Excursion on her: Gold Lurex dress with black lace

by Dolce & Gabbana ($5,995). Dolce & Gabbana, Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6240. on him: Black velvet jacket and waistcoat ($4,495), patterned silk shirt ($1,245), black wool trousers ($695), and black velvet slippers ($695), all by Dolce & Gabbana. see above

FEATURES 28 WYNN FOR THE HOLIDAYS Twinkling lights, bustling miniature villages, forests of holiday trees, and…dragons!

At Wynn, the joyous season takes on special meaning.

By Andrea Bennett

34 SECRETS OF THE WATCH VALLEY A picturesque region in Switzerland’s Jura Mountains is the nucleus for much of the world’s top luxury watchmaking.

By Mark Ellwood

40 A MOVEABLE FEAST Wynn chefs pull out all the stops for their fabulous feasts and holiday happenings.

48 GLAMOUR ON THE SLOPES

54 TIME HONORED The house of Cartier draws on its heritage to create a thoroughly modern new boutique.

By Rachel Felder

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONNIE HOLLAND

Moncler’s haute jackets earned their stripes for coldweather endurance from the athletes and adventurers who put them to the test.

By Becca Hensley

Reine de Naples Day / Night

in every woman is a queen

WINTER 2016/2017

STYLE 60 HOLIDAY EXCURSION Some of Wynn’s hot spots provide a luxurious backdrop for a jetsetting couple’s vacation.

Photography by Bonnie Holland Styling by Leilani Lacson

72 GRACE NOTES

72 Grace Notes 18k gold and platinum diamond ring by Tiffany & Co. ($29,000). Tiffany & Co., Wynn Macau, 853-2872-3660. 18k white- and yellow-gold bracelet by Van Cleef & Arpels (price on request). Van Cleef & Arpels, Wynn Macau, 853-2878-6006

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF CRAWFORD. STYLING BY CASEY TRUDEAU. PROP STYLING BY MARIANA VERA FOR HALLEY RESOURCES

Wynn takes inspiration from Le Rêve-The Dream and showcases the dreamiest jewels of the season.

Photography by Jeff Crawford Styling by Casey Trudeau

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FERRAGAMO.COM Wynn Las Vegas, The Forum Shops at Caesars, The Grand Canal Shoppes

WINTER 2016/2017

DEPARTMENTS 84 NEWS Fashion, dining, nightlife, and entertainment news from Wynn Las Vegas.

86 THE DISH: SEASON'S FLEETING

40 A Moveable Feast Order a tasting menu of Hawaiian fish at Lakeside, and you could easily create your own Feast of the Seven Fishes. This opaka is one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.

Rare seafood procured to serve in its peak season means perpetual—and delicious—change for Costa di Mare diners.

By Andrea Bennett

90 ARTISAN: LET THEM DESIGN CAKE!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN

Wynn custom baker Flora Aghababyan satisfies sophisticated sweet tooths with multilayered masterpieces available through Wynn’s Custom Cakes.

By Beth Schwartz

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CALIBER RM 037

WINTER 2016/2017

90 Let Them Design Cake!

Flora Aghababyan’s Spring Glamour cake can bloom anytime for those who custom-order it.

94 Pocket Aces The difference between stuffing and folding can make all the difference in your ensemble.

34 Secrets of the Watch Valley

94 THE GOOD LIFE: POCKET ACES This squarely simple accessory adds a final note of sartorial splendor.

96 WYNN MOMENT

ON THE COVER A view from the patio of Country Club Grill of the waterfall, 18th hole of Wynn Golf Course.

Photographed by Barbara Kraft 22

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN (CAKE); JEFF CRAWFORD (SUIT); PETER ADAMS/GETTY IMAGES (CASTLE)

Scattered around the mountains of this vineyard and château in the Swiss canton of Vaud are the world’s best watchmakers.

New York - Porto Montenegro www.misahara.com

Editor-in-Chief ANDREA BENNETT Publisher ALISON MILLER Copublisher VALERIE ROBLES Wynn Editorial Advisory Board Maurice Wooden, Ian Michael Coughlan, Michael Weaver Wynn Resorts Liaisons Aga Abram, Aleksandra Baranova, Barry Cheong, Eric Kreller, Reddy Leong, Katharine Liu, Deanna PettitIrestone, Phil Romeo, Linda Switzer, Hedy Woodrow Executive Vice President & Chief Editorial and Creative Officer Mandi Norwood Vice President of Creative and Fashion Ann Y. Song Creative Director Nicole A. Wolfson Nadboy Senior Managing Editor Karen Rose Art Director Allison Fleming Photo Director Lisa Rosenthal Bader Photo Editor Marie Barbier Senior Fashion Editor Faye Power Associate Fashion Editor Casey Trudeau Associate Market Editor Connor Childers Assistant Fashion Editor Lisa Ferrandino Copy Editors David Fairhurst, Julia Steiner Senior Digital Imaging Specialist Jeffrey Spitery Digital Imaging Specialist Jeremy Deveraturda Advertising Sales Susan Abrams, Michele Addison, Kim Armenta, Debra Halpert, Lynn Scotti Kassar, Matt Stewart, Dan Uslan Director of Production Paul Huntsberry Publishing Operations Manager Tara McCrillis Production Artist Marissa Maheras Traffic Supervisor Estee Wright Traffic Coordinators Jeanne Gleeson, Mallorie Sommers Wynn magazine is published by GreenGale Publishing, LLC. The entire content is copyright of GreenGale Publishing, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the express written permission of the publisher. Wynn magazine does not assume liability for products or services advertised herein. Wynn magazine is a registered trademark.

GREENGALE PUBLISHING, LLC | GREENGALE CUSTOM PUBLISHING

711 3rd Avenue, Suite 501, New York, NY 10017 Phone: 646-835-5200 Fax: 212-780-0003

Managing Partner Jane Gale Chairman and Director of Photography Jeff Gale SVP/Group Publisher Alison Miller Chief Operating Officer Maria Blondeaux Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer John P. Kushnir Chief Executive Officer Katherine Nicholls

Platinum with round brilliant and princesscut diamond necklace

by Tiffany & Co. Tiffany & Co., Wynn Macau, 853-2872-3660

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RACHEL FELDER

BECCA HENSLEY

BARBARA KRAFT

The music-themed props in our stunning, Le Rêve— The Dream-inspired jewelry feature in this issue (page 72) were styled by Mariana Vera.

In her eight years in the business, Vera’s clients have included Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, David Yurman, Bloomingdale’s, and Aquatalia. “I enjoy very much finding relationships and rhythms between objects and the space between and around them,” says Vera. “It was a pleasure to work with such exquisite pieces of jewelry in this shoot, as they are an expression of great creativity and subtlety. And I enjoyed this shoot in particular, as I love music and the majesty of musical instruments, which for me are jewels for the spirit. It was great to work with both expressions of beauty together. But my favorite jewels? My husband and 10year-old son!”

Our Cartier story (“Time Honored,” page 54) was penned by Rachel Felder, whose writing about fashion, beauty, and style has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, the Financial Times, Travel + Leisure, and Departures. She is the author of Insider Brooklyn: A Curated Guide to New York City’s Most Stylish Borough; the book’s followup, Insider London: A Curated Guide to the Most Stylish Shops, Restaurants, and Cultural Experiences, will be published in March. “One of my most prized possessions is a monogrammed vintage gold Cartier charm that was a gift from my mother, who shares the same initials as my daughter,” says Felder.

“I wear it as a necklace, on a chunky link chain, paired with a bunch of other charms; it’s sort of my take on a classic charm bracelet, with a bit more attitude. As much as I love it, I’m looking forward to passing it along to my daughter when she gets a bit older.”

Widely published lifestyle writer Becca Hensley, who wrote our feature on the storied history of outerwear purveyor Moncler (page 48), has a favorite boutique in nearly every city in the world.

Sometimes she’ll share her secrets over a glass of Champagne. With work published in magazines from Hong Kong to Dubai and newspapers from Toronto to Chicago, she keeps busy in search of the latest trends, most luxurious hotel stays, and most unforgettable forays on earth. “Jean Cocteau said style is a simple way of saying complicated things,” says Hensley.

“And there’s nothing I love more than going beneath fashion’s layers to unearth the backstory.

Learning about Moncler’s six decades of history brought their already beloved jackets to life for me. Like most marvelous fashion items, they have a soul that goes beyond their shell.”

For more than 10 years, Barbara Kraft has been Wynn’s go-to photographer to capture the beauty of both new and newly redesigned spaces. Her recent images can be seen throughout this issue, including in “A Moveable Feast,” (page 40), and “Wynn For the Holidays” (page 28). “Every day at Wynn is festive,” says Kraft. “Wynn Design & Development’s Roger Thomas’s designs and the feel of Wynn is always a wonderland, the holidays just more so. Wynn’s spectacular floral designs

by Evelyn Herrera and Camille Lopez contribute to the excitement, as if another layer of fairy dust enhances the already beautiful. It was wonderful to work with them along with the creative eye of Aga Abram [Director of Brand Marketing & Entertainment Marketing] in an all-night shoot at The Buffet at Wynn.” When not creating images for Wynn in Las Vegas and Macau, Barbara lives on the North Shore of Oahu and shoots the giant waves and rainbow landscapes.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID LEWIS TAYLOR (HENSLEY)

MARIANA VERA

BOSSA NOVA

WHEN STYLE BECOMES A STATEMENT.

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WYNN for the HOLIDAYS

The fantasy village of Blefuscu, inspired

by Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels and circled by an animated train, is just one of five whimsical villages around Wynn Las Vegas.

Twinkling lights, bustling miniature villages, forests of holiday trees, and...dragons!

WHIMSICAL MINIATURE VILLAGES, THEIR ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES HINTING AT BRUSSELS, Rome, Paris, London, and Venice, lie in drifts of snow around Wynn Las Vegas. With their merry (and chilly!) silver, gold, and white color scheme, they’re like tiny cities that magically blew in overnight, landing with a flurry inside the vibrant floral atrium. Christmas trees—58 in all—shimmer with a quarter million ornaments and nearly as many lights. You could say that this winter wonderland did, in fact, appear overnight,

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laughs Wynn’s Director of Horticulture, Gary Cramer, although it took multiple nights to fully arrive. “We start at midnight and try and get everything done by 7 am,” he says. A team of 25 people worked a full week to assemble the five fantasy villages alone, which feature a working Ferris wheel and carousel (replicas of floral sculptures at Wynn Palace in Cotai), a moving train, and windmills, and are surrounded by 1,600 square feet of artificial snow. Little horse-drawn carriages seem to clip-clop through the streets, and in one town, a lively ice

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN

by Andrea Bennett

O V E R S EAS Bearing the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, this timepiece is the ideal companion for an extraordinary voyage that reveals a unique perspective on the world. It is the only watch of its kind.

CRAFTING ETERNITY SINCE 1755

OV E RSE AS WO R L D T I M E

Geneva official watchmaking certification

The entrance to The Buffet at Wynn is always a major focal point during the holidays. Past these holiday trees is another botanical wonderland, in the restaurant’s skylit atrium.

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accomplish, it is a decorating effort as personal to Steve Wynn as ornamenting his own home—because, in fact, it is. “The Wynns live here and entertain their personal friends and family here,” Thomas says. “Mrs. Wynn in particular chose the white, gold, and silver palette for the decorations,” whose purpose is the same as that of Wynn’s year-round décor: to create a sense of joy and wonder.

Even the plants are special: Among the 5,000 white and golden poinsettias in the Wynn atrium, you’ll find the snow-white leaves of the brand-new Princettia Max, the first true white poinsettia hybrid.

“There’s always a plan here,” says Maurice Wooden, President of Wynn and Encore, who has worked with Steve Wynn for nearly three decades. “We start early and work through the year on setting up an experience for our guests that is bright and energetic.” It’s a Wynn tradition that actually precedes

“The Wynns live here and entertain their personal friends and family here.”

—roger thomas

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT

sculpture competition is in progress.

If these villages make you feel positively Brobdingnagian, that too is no accident. “Each village is named after a town in Gulliver’s Travels, a favorite of Steve Wynn,” explains Roger Thomas, Executive Vice President of Design for Wynn Design & Development, who designed the villages, along with Creative Director Alex Woogmaster, using some of their favorite European cities as inspiration. A gilded scroll outside the town of Mildendo (the metropolis of the Lilliput empire) announces it as “A prosperous town of golden wish givers and friendly, giddy goblins.” The whirligigs of Waggywach are “powered by the warm breath of golden dragons in the valley below.” And though “Project Deck the Halls” starts mobilizing more than a full year in advance and takes a small army of designers, installers, project managers, and horticulture specialists to

“We start early and work through the year on setting up an experience for our guests that is bright and energetic.”—maurice wooden

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with Mr. and Mrs. Claus bringing a gift for every single child—an effort supported by hundreds of employees behind the scenes, wrapping as many as 6,000 individual gifts and loading cookies and candies that will bring the city’s kids some Wynn-style holiday cheer. “It’s more than a tradition,” Wooden says, “it’s our responsibility. And it’s a great time for us to reflect on the past 11 months.”

At the same time that Thomas was overseeing the monumental task of readying Wynn Palace for its spectacular opening in Cotai, he was journeying north of Hong Kong on the weekends to check in with Clive Miners, of Rich Creations International Hong Kong, who was painstakingly building the villages and all their tiny movable parts of metal, fiberglass, plastic, and resin; covering them in gold and silver leaf; and illuminating each with its own internal LED lighting. (You can also see Miners’s work in Wazuzu, in the form

of the 28-foot-long dragon covered in 90,000 Swarovski crystals that presides over the restaurant.) The villages arrived from Hong Kong in November in 52 crates—a festive puzzle that was twinkling by Thanksgiving.

But the season is far from over. Three ninefoot-tall rooster sculptures are being gilded as the year ends, ready to take their place under four 45-foot hanging dragons in Wynn and Encore, among 7,000 bright orange, red, and yellow begonias, mums, and calandiva, to usher in the Chinese New Year. And though it would be difficult to get any member of the Wynn community to commit to a favorite season, the pure delight of a holiday wonderland of Swiftian villages, roosters, and dragons is lost on no one, Wooden says. “We look forward to the next year even before the decorations come down. We’d never give up our opportunity to show people how we celebrate the holiday season.”

The Year of the Rooster begins on January 28, 2017, but, says Thomas, the spectacular dragons come out every year for Chinese New Year.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN

Wynn Las Vegas, though it has been refined here. “In the Mirage days, we’d change out the plants for the holidays,” he says. “And from the Bellagio Conservatory, we learned that people really want to come in to experience the holiday. People have come to know that at Wynn, we celebrate from the inside,” which means minimal decorations on the street (if you consider 1 million white lights on the pine trees outside to be “minimal”) and a fantasyland within. The holidays get only more fabulous as the season goes on: Wynn’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration counts down to midnight with individual cakes for all 2,000 VIP guests and with headline entertainers including Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, and this year Lionel Richie. But the holidays are equally special for Wynn as a community, Wooden says, since each year more than 100 volunteers go into schools in underserved communities around the city,

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SECRETS

of the

WATCH VALLEY A quaint, picturesque region of Switzerland is the global nucleus for luxury watchmaking—and another industry less well known but equally cherished.

by Mark Ellwood

OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BOVET. THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAMBAKO THE JAGUAR

The city and castle of Neuchâtel, just east of the Jura Mountains, at the “blue hour.” left: Bovet’s Château de Môtiers facility. background: A sketch of Bovet’s patented Braveheart flying tourbillon.

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BOTH PAGES: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BOVET

clockwise from top: Artisans at work in Bovet’s Château de Môtiers atelier; Bovet Amadeo Fleurier Braveheart 22-Day Tourbillon; Bovet Sportster Saguaro Chronograph, Wynn & Company Watches, 702-770-3520.

left and right: Miniature paintings in progress for Bovet dials. below: A watchmaker tests the Bovet by Pininfarina OttantaTre Tourbillon.

W

hen Pascal Raffy first saw the Château de Môtiers, he was smitten. The 14th-century estate, built by Rodolphe I V, Duke of Austria, on a hilltop in Switzerland’s Jura Valley, resembles a fairytale castle, and Raffy resolved to secure it a happy ending.

After all, his connection to the 62,000-square-foot château was personal.

In 2001, the Lebanese-born entrepreneur had plowed the fortune he had earned in pharmaceuticals into reenergizing one of Switzerland’s most prestigious watchmakers, Bovet. Five years later, Raffy learned that the Château de Môtiers was for sale. The property was once home to the firm’s namesake family, but financial duress forced them to sell it to the local canton in the 1950s. Returning Bovet to its birthplace was the fulfillment of a long-held dream for Raffy, who practically swoons when recalling the moment he knew he could make it happen: “I was the only potential buyer in a position to ensure the long-term preservation of this unique heritage site. It’s an idyllic setting.”

The project was massive, with the entrepreneur investing heavily in the astonishing building’s restoration while updating it so it could serve as both Bovet’s worldwide headquarters and its watchmaking atelier. For the latter, he selected an area flooded with natural light that could be transformed into a hermetically sealed facility. “It had to maintain a minimum and constant humidity rate,” he says, “as well as a pressurized atmosphere able to expel even the slightest traces of dust and impurities.” No small task in a 700-year-old castle covered by stringent historic-preservation rules. But a decade after he purchased it, the Château de Môtiers is finally complete,

and Raffy relishes every moment he spends there: “I cherish appreciating nature from any of my windows, which offer so many different smells, sounds, and colors throughout the year.”

He isn’t alone. Bovet’s hilltop headquarters, hidden behind soaring conifers, is part of the world’s densest concentration of luxury timepiece workshops. So many renowned manufacturers jostle for space here that the region has earned the nickname Watch Valley. Alongside Bovet, there’s Breitling, Corum, Rolex, Patek Philippe, TAG Heuer, and Piaget, among others. Craftsmen painstakingly produce the world’s finest watches while surrounded by cows grazing in fields and forests of centuries-old pine trees.

Of course, Switzerland is synonymous with superior watchmaking; while the area may produce only 3 percent of the world’s timepieces, that tiny tranche is worth $24.3 billion, or as much as the other 97 percent combined.

Almost all of the priciest watches created in the country are made in and around this valley, a 120-mile stretch of land near Geneva in the tiny cantons of Vaud and Neuchâtel.

The watchmaking tradition began here in the 16th century, when a zealous Protestant leader deemed jewelry too papish and banned adornment, forcing goldsmiths to apply their skills elsewhere. They settled in this area, on the slopes of rugged hills, where 500 years later their descendants continue to live. By the 19th century, firms like Bovet began to emerge (Bovet originally produced timepieces for the nascent Chinese luxury market before becoming widely known in the West). The quality of the workmanship encouraged more companies to move to the valley, as did the weather.

The region is so cold in the winter, it has earned another nickname: Swiss Siberia. Forced to remain inside for months, craftsmen could hone their skills relentlessly, buttressing the area’s reputation as a worldwide hub for premium watches. The timepieces are so special, Bovet chooses its recipient boutiques carefully. It sent the Braveheart currently on display at Wynn & Company Watches exclusively to Wynn.

Visiting in the spring or summer, it’s hard to imagine that chilly landscape. The region is postcard-pretty, with villages that seem snatched from The Sound of Music, their winding cobblestoned streets lined with half-timbered cottages. Auvernier is typical; its settlement dates back to the Bronze Age and its prehistoric stilt houses make it a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Raffy credits this stunning setting with inspiring many of the best watches that Bovet and its counterparts produce. “The light there is unique, and

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“The light there is unique, and the watchmakers draw their inspiration from the serenity of enchanting nature. Just like a great wine, the terroir has its importance.”—pascal raffy

in Vevey, on Lake Geneva’s shore; the Patek Philippe factory; Patek Philippe Ref. 5159J Perpetual Calendar, Wynn & Company Watches, 702-770-3520; a rooftop garden at Rolex’s Plan-les-Ouates site.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JON ARNOLD/GETTY IMAGES (VEVEY); © ROLEX/JEAN-DANIEL MEYER (ROOFTOP); COURTESY OF PATEK PHILIPPE (FACTORY, WATCH).

OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT (STORE); COURTESY OF PIAGET (WATCH)

clockwise from top: Vineyards

The Piaget boutique on the Esplanade at Wynn Las Vegas. below: Piaget Polo S 42mm timepiece in steel with a gray dial, Piaget, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-330-3002.

“Swiss watches and wine are both businesses that even today remain very artisanal by nature.”—philippe léopold-metzger the watchmakers draw their inspiration from the serenity of enchanting nature,” he explains. “We oriented the watchmaking workshop to offer maximum natural luminosity and emphasized that by including a completely glazed wall.” He likens watchmaking to viticulture: “Just like a great wine, the terroir has its importance.” It’s a fitting comparison, given the little-known second industry that underpins the area’s economy: wine.

The same craftsmen who spent winters in their cottages working on watches earned money in the summer by cultivating grapes on the area’s steep slopes, and that ancient small-scale production persists. Watch Valley’s vineyards rely on a cozy, cavelike tasting room, known in the local dialect as a carnotzet, to host visitors. You’ll likely straddle a few rickety stools, with some barrels arranged as impromptu tables; the winemaker himself will probably lead any tastings and will welcome questions about his work. The vibe here is refreshingly uncommercial and reminiscent of Napa in the 1970s; there is nothing prepackaged or commodified about Watch Valley’s wine trails.

Chasselas is the region’s centuries-old varietal, more commonly eaten as a table grape in France and elsewhere. For the Swiss, it’s central to winemaking, constituting more than 60 percent of production in Vaud. Keith Wallace is the author of Corked & Forked: Four Seasons of Eats and Drinks and trains sommeliers at his wine school in Philadelphia; he’s also a Swiss wine superfan.

“Chasselas is the anti-Chardonnay,” he says. “It’s pretty, mineral, delicate, ethe-

real, and with a delicate, fairylike body.” It’s also a hardy, vigorous plant, well-suited to cope with the low levels of sunshine here—around 1,700 hours per year, at the bottom end of the amount required to successfully ripen grapes. The resulting wine is bright and low in alcohol, perfect for pairing with cheesy fondues, among other things.

Much of Switzerland’s wine is white, but it also produces a fine red from the gamaret vine, which is little known outside the country and barely four decades old. A hybrid developed in the 1970s specifically for local conditions (compare South Africa’s pinotage), it’s increasingly treated like Bordeaux, with a similar richness when aged.

Like Pascal Raffy, Piaget’s CEO, Philippe Léopold-Metzger, draws parallels between the two industries that thrive in picturesque Watch Valley: “Swiss watches and wine have so many things in common—family roots, skills transmitted from one generation to another, and they’re both businesses that even today remain very artisanal by nature.” (Léopold-Metzger also always serves local wines to visitors to his company’s headquarters and workshop in the valley.) Perhaps it’s Nicolas Joss, though, who best sums up the kinship between Switzerland’s watches and wines. Joss runs the Office des Vins Vaudois, the trade organization for the canton. “Everywhere in the world, Swiss-made is a sign of quality,” he says. “When you wear a Swiss watch, though, you don’t tell all your friends, ‘Look! I have a Swiss watch!’

It’s the same way for our wines. We are very proud, but very discreet.”

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A Moveable Feast

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN

Wynn chefs pull out all the stops for their fabulous feasts and holiday happenings.

40

WING LEI One of the restaurant’s most popular offerings at its holiday dim sum brunch is the dessert station. Chef Ming Yu keeps the offerings small but plentiful. “I love hearing people say they have no more room, but seeing them make one of two trips for sweets,” he says.

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“Americans have more food to eat than any other people and more diets to keep them from eating it. This time of year is for leaving your diet at home and enjoying holiday fare with friends and family .”

—joseph zanelli, executive chef, jardin

Chef Zanelli may call for holiday indulgence, but his organic, herb-crusted salmon with vegetable quinoa and confit lemon sauce is as virtuous as dining gets.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN

N

Wynn Las Vegas · 702.770.3520

above:

LAKESIDE

On the patio at Lakeside, guests can dine alfresco—in the glow of patio heaters. Chef David Walzog gravitates toward “familiar mainstays that go hand-in-hand with holiday celebration: Big shellfish platters for sharing; oven-roasted lobsters, charred steaks, and the kind of comforting, homespun desserts that we all surrender to.”

ANDREA’S

Chef Joseph Elevado turns to a bone-in ribeye and Wynn’s own Cabernet Sauvignon for pure, indulgent winter comfort dining.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN (ANDREA’S);. BARBARA KRAFT (LAKESIDE). OPPOSITE: BY JEFF GREEN

right:

“At our holiday dim sum brunch, our guests have indulged in more than 360 pounds of chilled jumbo shrimp, Maine lobster, and Alaskan king crab legs in a single afternoon.”—ming yu, executive chef, wing lei 45

MIZUMI

Cap off a festive meal at Mizumi with this edible work of art: a white chocolate kabuki mask covering molten chocolate cake in a praline-rice cracker crust.

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THE BUFFET AT WYNN

SW STEAKHOUSE

above:

right:

Few dishes express Las Vegas during the holidays better than delectable Oysters Rockefeller, shown here at The Buffet at Wynn.

The serene dining room at SW Steakhouse, with its view of the Lake of Dreams, is the perfect backdrop for one of the best beef menus in the United States, including a rare certification for Kobe beef.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN (MIZUMI, BUFFET); BARBARA KRAFT (SW)

top:

“Just stepping into SW lifts the spirits—it feels like you’ve arrived at a party in progress. And the holidays especially call for a certain amount of sensory overload.”

—david walzog, executive chef, sw steakhouse

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48

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MONCLER (VINTAGE IMAGES);

BY ANDRE SCHOENHERR/GETTY IMAGES (BACKGROUND)

GLAMOUR on the

SLOPES Now synonymous with haute winter fashion, Moncler’s jackets earned their stripes for cold-weather endurance from the athletes and adventurers who spent decades putting them to the test.

by Becca Hensley

clockwise from top left: Ski bunnies in Europe in a 1980s Moncler advertisement portray the brand as the pinnacle of coldweather glamour; a 1968 ad emphasizes that Moncler produces gear for explorers; a catalog shot from the tenure of designer Chantal Thomass, who introduced decorative trim and reversible fabrics; a Moncler ad from 1980; an image from the Winter 1967–68 Moncler catalog; ski instructors at the L’Alpe d’Huez ski resort in the French Alps, 1970.

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EARLY IN HIS CAREER, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT challenged the axiom that form follows function. The idea, he said, had been misunderstood: “Form and function should be one, joined in spiritual union.” Perhaps no wearable design better exemplifies the renowned architect’s philosophy than the eye-catching— and surprisingly high-tech—puffy parkas by Moncler. While the brand is recognizably high fashion, its roots are in utilitarian gear for working in high altitudes, and that’s where the marriage between function and form was born.

Moncler parkas begin with the finest feathers. Ninety percent of their filling is a wispy type of goose down (rather than duck) called duvet neuf (or “new down”), used for its fuller tufts. (The remaining 10 percent is small feathers.) This creates a denser fill, meaning the jackets hold a higher volume of down, which keeps them light and fashionable while still insulating the body and retaining its heat. Warmer than wool coats, the parkas vary in weight, depending on their intended season. (The down in a winter parka weighs just 180 grams, or a little over 6 ounces, while in the spring and summer jackets it’s only 31 grams, or a single ounce.) The down is encased in high-performance nylon and canvas to protect the wearer from the elements. Now produced in style-conscious Italy, Moncler’s slim quilted jackets don’t skimp on performance, having been worn by ski teams, mountaineers, and other extreme-weather

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athletes. They’re sleek and aerodynamic enough for downhill racers yet stunning enough for après-ski.

The story behind these fashion paragons begins in the French mountain town of Monestier-de-Clermont, near Grenoble, in 1952, where founder René Ramillon started manufacturing quilted sleeping bags, cold-weather tents and raincoats, and other equipment for outdoor laborers and adventurers. The products were well-known for their fine craftsmanship and durability, and by 1954, Ramillon was making his first down jackets, mostly to protect his own workers at his growing slopeside company (whose name is a truncation of the town’s name).

Seeing the coats worn by Moncler’s laborers, French mountaineer Lionel Terray, famous for his many daring expeditions, not only ordered an entire line of clothing and equipment, but also lent his name to the collection.

Photographs showing him wearing his namesake helped make Moncler synonymous with staying warm in the mountains as winter tourism in Europe became more and more glamorous. “My most memorable experience of Moncler was attending the show in Milan and discovering the uniqueness of their stores,” says Hedy Woodrow, Senior Vice President of Retail at Wynn, who worked with the brand to open their store in Wynn. “Their designs are an incredible combination of fashion and functionality along with the most advanced technology in materials.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MONCLER (VINTAGE IMAGES, JACKET);

BY MARK LEARY/GETTY IMAGES (BACKGROUND)

clockwise from top: Lionel Terray, Alaska, 1964; Moncler sponsors the 1954 Italian expedition to K2; a poster for the launch of Moncler’s “Special Bivouac” material, 1958; a scene from the first successful ascent to the summit of K2, July 1954, with equipment provided

by Moncler. below: Nylon and leather aviatorstyle Laredo jacket with sheepskin inserts ($4,550)

by Moncler. Moncler, Wynn, 702-323-7262.

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“On this proud and beautiful mountain, we have lived hours of fraternal, warm, and exalting nobility.”—lionel terray

In the ensuing years, the company grew in size and acclaim, outfitting such newsmakers as the 1955 French team that first summited Mount Makalu in the Himalayas, Terray’s 1964 expedition to Alaska, and the French downhill skiing team at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Further innovation followed as France’s downhill skiing team became de facto advisors to the brand, with Moncler replacing its jackets’ outer double layer with a lighter single version to help the team achieve faster times down the mountain. And in a stylish (but useful) twist, the company added leather epaulets to the shoulders, so skiers could rest their skis on their bodies without damaging the fabric.

Moncler continued working with athletes, scientists, and outdoors aficionados to perfect its parkas. Then, in the 1980s, the brand recruited Paris designer Chantal Thomass to give the jackets a chic makeover. She introduced hints of urbanity, replacing zippers with buttons and adding fur trim and satin. It was at this time that the jackets first appeared in bright reversible colors. Popular with snow bunnies worldwide, this versatile, high-performance version of a winter coat was the forerunner of the Moncler parka that the stylish love to flaunt today.

In 1999, the company presented its first spring and summer collections, and four years later Moncler was purchased by Italian entrepreneur Remo Ruffini, who moved its headquarters to Milan. Still the company’s chairman and CEO,

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Ruffini gets credit for the concept of a global down jacket and for dreaming up the puffy parkas—and their high-fashion offshoots—that are now worn yearround. While remaining true to Moncler’s functional origins, Ruffini initiated collaborations with a number of designers—including Alessandra Facchinetti, Giambattista Valli, and Thom Browne—to create a truly haute couture product.

In 2009, the brand joined forces with singer Pharrell Williams to design a limited-edition collection of men’s jackets with a refined ecological motif. The next year, Moncler debuted its men’s and women’s Grenoble collection in New York, reconsidering the past by giving its ski garments and après-ski wear an even more contemporary spirit. Guests can find these pieces in Wynn Las Vegas and in the boutique that opened in Wynn Palace in 2016.

In 2012, Moncler celebrated its 60th anniversary at Art Basel in Miami Beach, and in 2013, Williams returned to guest-design the brand’s first eyewear. The following year, in both a return to its roots in creating clothing for earth’s harshest environments and a look at the planet’s future, the company presented an exhibition of stark photographs of Greenland at Sotheby’s during the art fair Frieze London.

Indeed, Moncler is now dedicated to eco-conscious production, with its new Sustainability Unit ensuring that its products are made responsibly, from concept to delivery. Call it the ultimate “spiritual union” of form and function.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT (STORE); MARK LEARY/GETTY IMAGES (BACKGROUND)

A wintertime display in the Moncler boutique at Wynn.

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Diamonds were clearly actress Anita Ekberg’s best friend. In this 1960s image, she poses on a settee, dangling Cartier diamond jewelry like grapes. OPPOSITE PAGE: 18k white-gold and diamond Coup d’Eclat de Cartier ring ($36,100), from one of Cartier’s newest Art Deco-inspired collections, available at the brand’s Wynn Las Vegas boutique.

BACKGROUND: A panther design in Cartier’s renovated New York mansion.

TIME HONORED The historic house of Cartier draws on its heritage to create a thoroughly modern new boutique.

OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES. THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CARTIER (RING); BACKGROUND ON BOTH PAGES: PHOTOGRAPHY BY V. DE LA FAILLE © CARTIER

by Rachel Felder

T

he house of Cartier has built its reputation on jewelry that feels absolutely current even many decades after it was introduced. Those just receiving their first Trinity ring may be surprised to learn that it debuted in 1924. That modern icon the Love bracelet was created in 1969, while the Tank and Santos watches were introduced in 1919 and 1978, respectively. So when it came time for Cartier to renovate its Wynn boutique, the mission was as much about telling the story of the brand’s rich heritage as it was refreshing and modernizing its expansive space.

The store’s clean lines and muted tones produce a sense of elegant, understated grandeur, punctuated by a few majestic focal points, like the massive Windfall chandelier—featuring 50 balances and silver-plated mouth-blown glass candles—that hangs near the entrance. There is an almost residential warmth to the space, which was designed by Bruno Moinard, who has worked on more than 350 Cartier boutiques worldwide, as well as apartments for the likes of Karl Lagerfeld.

The undeniably luxurious atmosphere, with a nod to Art Deco design, is especially appropriate for a brand that’s been selling precious jewelry since 1847, when Louis-Francois Cartier founded his namesake company in Paris.

“When clients buy a piece of jewelry or a timepiece from Cartier, they are buying an object created by a house with almost 170 years of history,” says Mercedes Abramo, the brand’s North American president and chief operating officer. “They are looking for exceptional pieces that will withstand the test of time, as they are not just spending but making an investment.” The 

company’s ethos applies not just to its jewelry and watches but also to the spaces in which those pieces will first be experienced.

“They’ve had an uncanny sense of capturing the moment in time and being able to carry it through to today,” says Vivienne Becker, the author of the book Cartier Panthère, which explores the history of one of the house’s most beloved icons, the panther. “They were way ahead of their time. They anticipated the Art Deco trend—they were doing that decades before anyone. They more or less made the Belle Epoque style their own; they generated that whole movement.

And they just hit the spot perfectly with the Love bracelet and the Nail bracelet, which have become real classics.”

“For Cartier, creation and innovation are both part of our tradition,” explains Pierre Rainero, the brand’s director of image, style, and heritage. “Our contemporary style is deeply rooted in our history, like a living language. All our contemporary creations are new and pave the way for the future and at the same time bear the seal of a very strong identity.”

Cartier has always had an illustrious group of fans: royalty, industry power players, socialites, dignitaries, and many celebrities. Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor were well-known clients; in 1969, for example, Taylor’s then-husband, Richard Burton, gave her a diamond of almost 70 carats. These days, photos of Kylie Jenner wearing her Love bracelets frequently appear on social media; her sister Kim Kardashian wears a Panthère gold bracelet, a gift from Kanye West.

“They had exclusive clientele from early on,” says Carol Elkins, a senior specialist in jewelry at Sotheby’s. “When you’re talking about that level of clientele, you’re obviously presenting the finest in terms of quality of stones, exquisite craftsmanship,

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and excellent design that resonates throughout the ages. It just doesn’t go away.”

This year has been a pivotal one for the brand. In addition to the Wynn remodeling, Cartier unveiled a major renovation of its New York City flagship mansion on Fifth Avenue a few months ago. (The property was famously sold to Mr. Cartier’s grandson Pierre in 1917 for the price of $100, plus a pearl necklace crafted from 128 perfect—and perfectly identical—natural South Sea pearls.) The mansion’s renovation maintains its magnificent bones but adds a warm, welcoming ambience throughout. In addition to rooms focusing on categories such as watches and pearl jewelry, there are spaces inspired by famous clients, like Andy Warhol and Gary Cooper. “We knew it was time to give this wonderful building a facelift and that we needed to prepare for the future,” says Abramo. “We have created environments where you feel that you can come in, explore, and wander, but you can also take your time enjoying our creations and experiencing our story and learning about the history of Cartier as well as our current offerings.”

“Pierre Cartier’s original visionary idea of making clients feel at home is very relevant today,” adds Rainero. “In this inviting space, clients can imagine themselves more easily wearing those objects that are represented. There is a degree of refinement in the objects. The immediate environment—the way we represent them, from the rooms but also to the furniture and the counters—has to be in line with the preciousness of the space.”

In the renovated Wynn store, one of the most welcoming areas is a special VIP room decorated in homage to Jeanne Toussaint, who oversaw the creative direction of the brand’s fine jewelry from 1933 through 1970. “She’s only just beginning to get the credit that she deserves for her creativity and the role she played, not

PHOTOGRAPHY BY EVE JOHNSON/ARCHIVE FILMS/GETTY IMAGES, COURTESY OF CARTIER (TAYLOR); BY HORST P. HORST/CONDÉ NAST VIA GETTY IMAGES (JEANNE TOUSSAINT DESIGNS); LISA LARSEN/TIME & LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES, COURTESY OF CARTIER (KELLY); COURTESY OF CARTIER (RING); CARTIER ARCHIVES, NEW YORK © CARTIER (CARS)

TOP LEFT: Elizabeth Taylor reveals the Cartier ruby and diamond jewelry given to her by husband Mike Todd in 1957. BOTTOM LEFT: Cartier delivery vehicles pull up to the New York flagship store in 1920 to pick up their precious cargo. BELOW: Coral jewelry designed by Mlle. Jeanne Toussaint of Cartier: a bouquet of coral buds with diamond centers, a coral bracelet clasped with a diamond dragon’s head, an ivory rose set in coral and diamond leaves, and a curved ring banded by arcs of diamonds. BOTTOM: 18k yellow-gold and diamond Maillon Infini de Cartier ($13,100), available at Cartier in Wynn Las Vegas. RIGHT: Grace Kelly shopping at Cartier in New York in 1956.

“Our contemporary is deeply “Pullquote tkgoes hereandstyle heretk”— nametk rooted in our history, like a living language.”

—pierre rainero

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAZIZ HAMANI © CARTIER (OAK ROOM); BY BARBARA KRAFT (LAS VEGAS STORE EXTERIOR); FRANCIS GEORGE, COURTESY OF CARTIER (LAS VEGAS STORE INTERIOR)

clockwise from top: The showroom of the newly redesigned Cartier boutique in Wynn Las Vegas; Cartier on the Esplanade; the Oak Room in the renovated Cartier mansion in New York.

only at Cartier but in the design of 20th-century jewelry,” says Becker. Toussaint was responsible for creating many seminal pieces, like the bold panther brooches owned by socialites including the Duchess of Windsor and Daisy Fellowes.

While the store’s design is noteworthy, the real focus, of course, is the jewelry.

In conjunction with its opening, the boutique will be one of the few Cartier shops in the world to carry the Ballon Bleu de Cartier Vibrating Setting Watch, whose 18k gold dial is covered with 123 diamonds uniquely mounted on springs to gently oscillate with even the slightest movement of the wearer’s wrist. (There are three patents pending on the design.) Available in a limited edition of 30 pieces worldwide, the watch features a bracelet with 985 brilliant-cut diamonds and a crown with a sapphire in a distinctive cabochon cut.

Another star of the boutique at the moment is the new Coup d’Eclat de Cartier collection, five rings distinguished by their fluid shapes and bright pavé diamond sparkle. One more collection of particular note is Maillon Infini de Cartier, consisting of 11 styles inspired by Art Deco pieces and classic Cartier details, such as the links of a Santos metal watchband.

Abramo is thrilled at how the refashioned boutique—which offers the largest selection of Cartier high jewelry and precious accessories in Las Vegas—turned out: “The renovation within the space allows us to give our clients a warm welcome, while the boutique’s redesign and the addition to the VIP room has created an enhanced shopping experience.”

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WYNN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONNIE HOLLAND

Style Those wondering how to gain entrance to Intrigue’s most exclusive space, The Living Room, might take a page from this fashionable couple’s stylebook. Through hidden bookcase doors from the nightclub, Louis Vuitton trunk-inspired plush white stitched liquor lockers line the walls of the softly lit, social media-free zone, offering the perfect backdrop for winter’s most sophisticated looks. Luxurious textures, detailed lace, and meticulous finishes define the glamour of holiday style.

ON HER: Gold Lurex dress with black lace

by Dolce & Gabbana ($5,995). Dolce & Gabbana, Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-28776240. ON HIM: Black velvet jacket and waistcoat ($4,495), patterned silk shirt ($1,245), and black wool trousers ($695), all by Dolce & Gabbana. SEE ABOVE

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Holiday Excursion Some of Wynn’s most exclusive areas provide a luxurious backdrop for a jet-setting couple on holiday. photography by Bonnie Holland styling by Leilani Lacson

Modern guipure lace combo dress by Yigal AzrouĂŤl ($990). Wynn Collection, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3545.

Parisa sandals by Sophia Webster ($750). Wynn Collection, see above

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Carly lace midi dress by Diane von Furstenberg ($598). Bags Belts & Baubles, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3555. Pearl, strass, and metal necklace by Chanel ($3,025). Chanel, Wynn Las Vegas, Wynn Macau, and Wynn Palace, Cotai, 800-550-0005. Viv’ micro palm tree bag ($1,900) and Papillon de Nuit pumps ($1,395) by Roger Vivier. Roger Vivier, Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6290 opposite page: Tuxedo ($5,750), shirt ($795), tie ($230), and cummerbund ($300), all by Brioni. Brioni, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-7703440. Black leather slip-on shoes by Dolce & Gabbana ($1,075). Dolce & Gabbana, Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6240

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Jacket ($1,600), sweater ($750), pants ($650), and oxfords ($960), all by Salvatore Ferragamo.

Ferragamo, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-737-1171; Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6276 opposite page: Black wool dress with gold zippers ($3,390) and gold-plated long drop earrings ($720) by Salvatore Ferragamo.

Ferragamo, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-737-1171; Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6276.

Madame Butterfly sandals by Sophia Webster ($595).

Wynn Collection, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3545

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on him: Two-button jacket in black wool jacquard with devore checks ($3,350), shirt with goose feather detail in black cotton poplin ($640), and wool mohair pants ($730), all by Hermès. Hermès, Encore Las Vegas, 702-6503116; Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6029. on her: Lace laser-cut and organza flower top

by Marchesa ($1,995).

Wynn Collection, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-7703545. Black trousers by Marchesa (price on request). marchesa.com.

Metal earrings by Chanel ($550).

Chanel, Wynn Las Vegas, Wynn Macau, and Wynn Palace, Cotai, 800-550-0005

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Silk tulle dress ($31,700), gold metal buckle belt ($1,025), and tulle sandals (price on request), all by Chanel.

Chanel, Wynn Las Vegas, Wynn Macau, and Wynn Palace, Cotai, 800-550-0005 opposite page: on her: Embroidered leather dress by Tod’s (price on request).

Tod’s, Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6231.

Gold-plated long drop earrings by Salvatore Ferragamo ($720).

Salvatore Ferragamo, Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6276. Coco Crystal pumps by Sophia Webster ($495). Wynn Collection, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3545. on him: Suit, silk tie, classic shirt, and oxfords, all by Louis Vuitton (prices on request).

Louis Vuitton, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-650-9007

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on her: Silk-blend eyelash fringe and metallic jacquard plunging fil coupĂŠ dress ($4,595), gold belt with bow ($1,645), and gold embellished leather mary jane pumps ($2,095), all by Dolce & Gabbana.

Dolce & Gabbana, Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6240. on him: Black three-piece wool suit ($4,195), gold embellished bee lapel pin ($545), black silk tie ($195), and white cotton dress shirt ($595), all by Dolce & Gabbana.

Dolce & Gabbana, see above Makeup by Whitney Bansin for One Luv Agency Hair by Viviana Massis and Dania Carrillo for Claude Baruk Salon Styling assistance by Rita Sounthonephom Photo assistance

by Zeke DeRose Models: Kaitlyn Rightmyer with Photogenics and Alexander Prange with Wilhelmina

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Grace

Notes

Wynn takes inspiration from Le Rêve—The Dream and showcases the dreamiest jewels of the season. photography by Jeff Crawford styling by Casey Trudeau prop styling by Mariana Vera for Halley Resources

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White-gold and diamond bracelet (price on request) and white-gold, diamond, and lacquer necklace (price on request), both by Dior.

Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3496 opposite page:18k white-gold and diamond necklace by Chanel Fine Jewelry (price on request). Chanel, Encore Las Vegas, 702-770-5468; Wynn Macau, 853-28705111. 15.35 emerald-cut diamond ring by Graff (price on request).

Graff, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3494

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from top: 18k whitegold and diamond bracelet by Cartier (price on request).

Cartier, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3498; Wynn Macau, 8532878-6006. 18k whitegold and diamond bracelet by Chanel (price on request).

Chanel, Encore Las Vegas, 702-770-5468; Wynn Macau, 853-2870-5111

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18k white-gold necklace by Chanel Fine Jewelry (price on request). Chanel, Encore Las Vegas, 702-770-5468; Wynn Macau, 853-28705111. Platinum and diamond three-row bracelet by Tiffany & Co. (29,000). Tiffany & Co., Wynn Macau, 853-2872-3660

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Platinum and diamond necklace

by Cartier (price on request).

Cartier, Wynn Las Vegas, 702770-3498; Wynn Macau, 8532878-6006 opposite page: 18k rose-gold and 5.04 carats of brilliant-cut black and brown diamond earrings (price on request) and 18k rose- and white-gold with 4.79 carats of diamonds mother-of-pearl watch ($51,010), both by Chopard.

Chopard, Wynn Las Vegas, 702862-4522. Oyster Perpetual Pearlmaster watch by Rolex ($123,750). Rolex, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3560

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18k white-gold, 6.6 carat diamond and .8 carat Louis Vuitton star-cut diamond

by Louis Vuitton (price on request). Louis Vuitton, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-650-9007.

18k white and rose-gold and 19.3 carat oval-cut red spinel, mauve spinel, sapphire, and diamond ring by Van Cleef & Arpels (price on request).

Van Cleef & Arpels, Wynn Macau, 853-2878-6006. 18k white-gold, rubellite, onyx, and diamond brooch by Cartier (price on request).

Cartier, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3498; Wynn Macau, 853-2878-6006

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21.34 carat fancy yellow pear-shape diamond ring (price on request) and 87.76-carat multishape diamond necklace, both by Graff (price on request).

Graff, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-770-3494

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18k white-gold with 20.26 carats of diamonds and 275.93 carats of colored sapphire necklace by Chopard (price on request). Chopard, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-862-4522 opposite page: 18k Fairmined white-gold and 32.5 carat diamond necklace by Chopard.

Chopard, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-862-4522.

18k white-gold with sapphires and emerald earrings, Van Cleef & Arpels (price on request). Van Cleef & Arpels, Wynn Macau, 853-2878-6006

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18k white-gold and diamond ring by Cartier (price on request).

Cartier, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-7703498; Wynn Macau, 853-28786006. 18k white-gold diamond ring

by Van Cleef & Arpels (price in request). Van Cleef & Arpels, Wynn Macau, 853-2878-6006 opposite page: 38mm white-gold and diamond La D de Dior Cocotte watch, by Dior Fine Jewelry (price on request). 18k white-gold and 5.85-carats of brilliant-cut diamond earrings by Chopard (price on request). Chopard, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-862-4522. Platinum circlet diamond necklace by Tiffany & Co. ($160,000). Tiffany & Co., Wynn Macau, 853-2872-3660

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PARASOL UP

Parasol Up’s new Orchard Martini cocktail.

Parasol Up, the casino-level sister lounge directly up the escalator from the Lake of Dreams, adjacent to Parasol Down, has a whole new look. The refreshed space debuted in December with curtains in creams and golds, with trimdown sheers replacing draperies for a lighter, breezier feel. The bar itself has been completely redesigned to be state of the art. The stepped up mixology game includes handcut ice, fresh garnishes, and the best part: the accompanying all-new drinks menu, featuring a selection of inventive draft artisanal cocktails.

PATRICE CAILLOT This fall Wynn and Encore welcomed award-winning Executive Pastry Chef Patrice Caillot. A native of Burgundy, Caillot has honed his craft since the age of 14, with a CV that includes Le Cirque 2000 and Osteria del Circo at Bellagio.

“I am thrilled to return to a Steve Wynn establishment and bring my expertise and vision to such an innovative culinary

With a scene reminiscent of a bygone nightlife era,

Louis Vuitton trunkinspired wall panels line the walls of The Living Room, and a two-way mirror allows patrons to watch the action in Intrigue without being seen.

quality and service,” says Caillot. The master pastry chef oversees menu creation for the resorts’ in-room dining, shops, and casual restaurants,

Intrigue Nightclub’s private

as well as a selection of

club The Living Room is

fine-dining restaurants.

now accessible to select invited guests. The social media-and photographyfree zone creates a discreet environment; a two-way mirror behind the private bar allows guests a glimpse into the main club, which is accessible through hidden bookcase doors; and the DJ’s wall collection of over 1,000 vinyl records provides the rare grooves. Get cozy!

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A sculptural masterpiece from the artful Caillot’s pastry kitchen.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARBARA KRAFT (CAILLOT, INTRIGUE); JEFF GREEN (DRINK). OPPOSITE:

BY BARBARA KRAFT (FOUNTAIN; STORE); © GREGOIRE VIEILLE (JEWELRY)

THE LIVING ROOM

program that prides itself on

DIOR

caption

THE ESPLANADE FOUNTAINS

From 9 am until midnight each day, Wynn’s Esplanade Fountains serve as a grand welcome to guests entering the front vista or driving on the Strip. The 12-minute aquatic performance is choreographed to a montage of musical classics chosen

by Steve Wynn himself including “Consider Yourself” from the musical Oliver!, “Well Did You Evah?” by Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby from High Society, “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast,

tk “Style” by Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Crosby from Robin and the 7 Hoods, a custom-tailored rendition of “Elegance” from Hello Dolly!, and “Mr. Success” by Sinatra. Designed by water-design firm WET (which also designed key elements in Le Rêve-The Dream), the fountains feature 37 singular plumes of water that rotate 360 degrees and reach 30 feet high, lit by more than 300 full-color, Wynn-exclusive underwater LED fixtures.

The elegant boutiques at Wynn and Encore have always created a refined atmosphere for shopping or browsing. Now, with an eye toward matching the décor of its boutiques to the codes of the house, Dior recently commissioned several contemporary artists to design works of art for

LOUIS VUITTON

its boutique on the Wynn

The Monogram Flower, a key symbol from Louis Vuitton, has made its way into delicately sculpted mother-of-pearl and ornamental stone jewelry in the new Blossom fine jewelry collection, which you can find in Louis Vuitton’s only dedicated women’s store, thanks to a major revamp at its Wynn boutique. Look, too, for the new fragrance collection, Les Parfums, runway accessories and footwear, sporty pieces from the cruise collection, and of course, those iconic leather goods.

Wynn, 702-650-9007

Esplanade. These pieces include a lamp by Laurent Chauvat, a bench by Christopher Schanck, stools by David Hayman, a side table by Christophe Delcourt, and a side table by Ligne Roset. The boutique offers a range of luxury products including ready-to-wear, bags, accessories, shoes, fine jewelry, and timepieces.

Wynn, 702-770-3496

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SEASON’S FLEETING Meals at Costa di Mare are inspired by seasonal seafood from the waters of the Mediterranean. Catch them before they’re gone.

by Andrea Bennett

FOR ONLY A FEW DAYS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER, THEN AGAIN IN APRIL AND MAY, the molecanti (or soft-shell crab fishermen) of Venice venture into the lagoons to find the tiny crabs—moleche—that are just about to molt. There is a window of only up to six hours between the time the crustaceans shed their tough carapace and their new shell hardens when they can be eaten in their entirety. This lightning-fast process requires quickly identifying the crabs that haven’t yet molted,

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harvesting them, shipping them, and storing them in seawater tanks until the moment they transform. Of the two brief seasons when they can be found, fall is when they’re rarest: Both male and female moleche molt in the spring, but only males slough off their shells in the fall. The best way to prepare them, of course, is simply—lightly dusted in flour, flash-fried, and served with a wedge of lemon. They’re sweet, salty, and tiny (about half the size of a soft-shell Maryland crab), and they taste

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN. OPPOSITE: BY BARBARA KRAFT

In colder months, sautéed sea scallops are served on fennel puree, with blood oranges, pistachio, fennel, and olive oil.

clockwise from top left: A dramatic sculpture in Costa di Mare’s dining room depicts a swirling school of gilded fish, inspired by the work of Dominic and Frances Bromley of Scabetti; diners can sit in cabanas to dine alfresco around the private lagoon; chef Mark LoRusso; a private dining room.

“We’ve always gotten species that are hard to come by, but with our focus on seasonality, we’re bringing in really rare things.”—mark lorusso precisely like a late-season dinner in Venice.

The race to procure these tiny delicacies in many ways defines the kitchen of chef Mark LoRusso at Costa di Mare, who has taken a restaurant already well-known for the rarity of its seafood (gourmands make pilgrimages here just for the live langoustines) and introduced species that are here and gone in the blink of a short season. “We’ve always gotten species that are really hard to come by,” LoRusso says, “but with our focus on seasonality, we’re bringing in really rare things.” And while the menu is a good indication of what is available on any night, it’s what’s off the menu that can be truly special.

Since taking the helm of the restaurant, LoRusso has of-

ten allowed the seasons—and Wynn’s resourceful, dedicated seafood dealer in Milan—to dictate what will be compiled in single shipments from the Ligurian, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Adriatic seas.

“Tomorrow night after service, we’ll order the fish,” the chef explains, sitting at a table in the late afternoon before the dinner hour, overlooking Costa di Mare’s serene private lagoon. “He’ll send a couple of kilos of things we’ve never seen before—and then the fun begins,” he adds with a smile. “We’ll grill it; we’ll see if we can use it as crudo. We know it’s coming in about two days before, and he’ll tell us where it’s from, so we’ll begin researching. Some of our waiters will have had

something as children in Italy, and they get excited to see it.” In fact, most of the waiters have worked at the restaurant for the 10 years it has been open, presenting the night’s catch to guests in an elaborate tableside cart service whose variety almost always dictates the meal.

For general manager Elion Prodani and his staff of predominantly Italian waiters, the two or three weekly shipments of 100 kilos (220 pounds) of seafood still seem wildly abundant. “In Italy, people have their local markets,” he says, recalling a couple who came into the restaurant seeking to duplicate a dining experience from their honeymoon in Venice. “They showed us the exact wine and pictures of the fish they had. But it was

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so poor compared to what we have.” Long-cultivated relationships with fishermen bring those moleche and Mediterranean sole from Venice, snapper from the south, and red shrimp and orate from Naples. “If you were in Puglia and wanted something from the south, you’d wait longer than we do, it would likely come frozen, and you’d have to pay a lot of money to get it,” Prodani says.

Another hallmark of LoRusso’s menu is that it has been gently pared down: Fewer

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items allow him to focus on the seafood and on the superbly fresh pastas he has introduced. Right now, for instance, is prime time for sea urchin in Sicily, where they’re harvested from the middle of November to April. They play a starring role in his maccheroni alla chitarra con ricci di mare. LoRusso’s own Abruzzese-style chitarra pasta (long strands of spaghetti that are square rather than round) is the perfect vehicle for a substantial sauce—here with crab, tomato, and lemon, topped with briny and complex

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN. OPPOSITE: BY BARBARA KRAFT

Handmade chitarra pasta with spider crab, tomato, lemon, and a seasonal star: sea urchin.

“The whole concept of our menu is linecaught fish, no nets, and completely sustainable. Our meu has become more. well-rounded, more seasonal.”

—mark lorusso sea urchin, as light and creamy as foam. Although sea scallops are available year-round, their season runs from October through March. LoRusso sautées them, placing them on fennel puree, and scatters them with tangy blood orange supremes, pistachio, and fennel. “The whole concept of our menu is line-caught fish, no nets, and completely sustainable,” he says. And if the kitchen runs out of something, that’s a mark of success: “I think it’s okay to run out sometimes. Our menu has become more well-rounded, more seasonal. If it were all the same, the menu wouldn’t always be evolving as it is.”

Come spring and summer, you’ll find mormora (striped sea bream), roasted whole with olive oil and white wine, and centrolofo (imperial blackfish) in frittura di paranza Mediterranea—fried Mediterranean fish, crispy artichoke, and pickled lemon—which instantly transports guests to a seaside summer feast in Naples.

Summer also delivers (with some luck) cicala di mare, a large, flat lobster whose flesh is even more clean-tasting and elegant than that of common lobster. Highly sensitive to pollution, these prehistoric-looking crustaceans live only in pristine waters and their harvest is tightly restricted by the Italian government to a two-and-a-halfmonth season that ends in July.

For now, though, focus on the bounty of winter—that luxurious urchin, the calamaretti (tiny calamari), and Costa di Mare’s legendary live langoustine, perfectly sweet and salty, its source so zealously guarded that its boxes are thrown away only after all identifying tags have been stripped and destroyed. The source delivers only to a dozen restaurants in the world, and the langoustines come in four sizes, from large to “extra jumbo.” LoRusso fishes them out of the tank in the kitchen, and simply splits and grills them. “Our goal is to transport you to Italy,” the chef says. So do as the Italians wish they could and savor the winter catch from the entire country. ’Tis the season!

Costa di Mare’s scampi Siciliani (Sicilian langoustines).

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LET THEM DESIGN CAKE! Custom baker Flora Aghababyan satisfies sophisticated sweet tooths with her custom-made Celebration Cakes.

by Beth Schwartz

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN

IT IS A TRUE ARTIST who can capture every detail of a Henri Matisse painting with the deftest touch or recreate a Manolo Blahnik down to the designer’s label on the shoe’s sole, and yet another kind of artist altogether who can simulate these objects of desire… in cake.

Flora Aghababyan is like a fairy godmother who can make any wish—birthday, wedding, or otherwise—come true in the form of pastry’s most supreme confection.

Whipping up ornately artistic creations is second nature for the self-taught chef who started baking when she was 12 years old as a way to busy herself when she got home from school to an empty house. “I like being challenged.

Some people have to perform in a competition to win or lose, but every day is a competition for me,” explains the Armenian-born Aghababyan. “I am challenged every day in the pastry kitchen. I love that feeling because I can put my team and myself in a position to create something we’ve never done before.”

When the kitchen door swings open to the workshop where Aghababyan concocts her unique brand of magic, essence of lemon is delicately hanging in the air. One of her assistants is expertly covering a cake shaped like a giant rubber duck with a large square of bright yellow fondant. Another assistant, with the nimblest of fingers, is carefully maneuvering a long piece of coppery brown ribbon made from modeling chocolate into a bow for the top of a cake that is an ornately wrapped gift.

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“Some people have to perform in a competition to win or lose, but every day is a competition for me. ” —flora aghababyan

Aghababyan’s Triple Tier Deco cake is flanked by two signature wrapped “gifts.”

A triple-tier Chocolate Scroll cake is a celebration of its own.

This year’s fabulous gingerbread house at Wynn greets guests at The Buffet.

The edible sculpture, crafted from 35 pounds of gingerbread, 30 pounds of fondant, and 25 pounds of chocolate, features the hotel nestled into an ice mountain topped with gifts, penguins in their holiday best, Santa’s sleigh, the Grinch, and a moving train.

The Red Rose Fantasy cake, as precise as porcelain, is a delicious statement.

The gift box-shaped cake with its pristine bow is Aghababyan’s signature and the inspiration behind Celebration Cakes, which makes her custom creations available for retail or carryout purchase at Wynn Las Vegas. “We created Celebration Cakes to give people the opportunity to commemorate even pop-up celebrations in the most personalized way,” she explains.

Celebration Cakes, which puts the wonders of Aghababyan’s talents at the disposal of both Wynn and Encore guests as well as the city’s residents, requires 48 hours’ notice for one of her signature gift box cakes. More customized creations, such as an exact replica of this season’s trendiest Dior handbag or a convertible Maserati with golf clubs in the backseat require a minimum of five days’ notice.

Not only do Aghababyan and her staff of three fulfill the orders for the Celebration Cakes program, but they also handle the needs of the restaurants, nightclubs, and banquet requests for both Wynn and

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Encore, which number in the hundreds of cakes each week. Most of the time, people generally have an idea of what they want when they place their order, says Aghababyan, who notes that no order is impossible to create. “We never say no. Even if it’s tough, we don’t say no.”

Aghababyan’s meticulous nature means she first draws a sketch of the creation she has in mind based on the customer’s request—which turns out more like a precise architectural rendering, every detail taken into account.

“When a customer is explaining what they want to create, I already have it in my mind and can envision the final product. I always draw before I start. I want everybody to understand, in black and white, exactly what I am going to make,” explains Aghababyan, who has been a cake artist at Wynn since 2007 and before that was the chief cake designer at Bellagio Las Vegas.

“Once I have a drawing, now I have to build it. I take

the image from my mind and make it come to life.”

Her ability to make things come to life is aptly illustrated in the masterpiece she is most proud of and is prominently displayed in the same kitchen where she works every day, almost as a reminder of her commitment to detail and artistic authenticity. Her face lights up as she points to the cake for which she won the grand prize at the 2010 Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show‚—an interpretation of the Ettal Abbey, a renowned Benedictine monastery in Bavaria, Germany.

But it’s not just her ability to create cakes, seemingly sprinkled with fairy dust, that evokes the kind of wideeyed wonder requisite for any celebration—there are two other essential ingredients. “Good energy and love,” Aghababyan replies in response to the secret of making a delicious cake. “It’s the good energy that you put into it, combined with the love you have for what you’re doing.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN

“When a customer is explaining what they want, I already have it in my mind and can envision the final product.”—flora aghababyan

KNOW WHEN (AND HOW!) TO FOLD ’EM

1.

There are few truly incorrect ways to fold a pocket square; it’s fine simply to fold the square and place it in your pocket.

A more advanced pocket square fold is the combination of rolls and points, shown here.

2.

1.

2.

3.

Fold the lower right corner up so it meets the top left corner.

3.

Fold the two long side corners to meet in the middle, then fold back the two sides to fit the width of the pocket.

4.

Tuck as needed and place your pocket square in your jacket pocket.

Jacket ($1,870), pocket square ($140), shirt ($550), trousers ($730), and shoes ($960), all by Salvatore Ferragamo.

Ferragamo, Wynn Las Vegas, 702-737-1171; Wynn Palace, Cotai, 853-2877-6276

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4.

POCKET ACES This squarely simple accessory adds that final touch of sartorial style.

by Casey Trudeau

STYLE IS ALL IN THE DETAILS. There is no easier way to elevate a man’s appearance than with a sophisticated pocket square—done right, of course. James Ferragamo (yes, of that Ferragamo family) knows a thing or two about creating a fashion-forward look.

“Men are rediscovering the art of sporting a pocket square,” he says. “With a pop of unexpected color and texture, a clean, flawless presentation can be tempered with a dapper charm.” Given the explosion of menswear in recent years, brands like Ferragamo offer a plethora of pocket square options, from minimalist solid colors to whimsical prints and patterns. The beauty of the pocket square lies in its individuality: Pick one that expresses your personal style. “The age of street style has not lost the finesse of sharp tailored dressing and fine Italian craftsmanship,” Ferragamo adds. “If anything, the peacocking of modern men has come to celebrate and expand on details that nod to la dolce vita.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF CRAWFORD. MANICURE BY MICHELLE MATTHEWS USING DIOR HOMME. MODEL: CLAY BOUTTÉ FOR PARTS MODELS NYC

Hold the pocket square flat with the two top corners horizontal.

CHEF JOSEPH ZANELLI

PHOTOGRAHY BY JEFF GALE

6:37 pm, Jardin

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