VIE Magazine September 2026

MADE for SUNSHINE From GULF COAST to AMALFI COAST

HONEY SWIM BUILDING a LIFESTYLE BRAND on FRIENDSHIP, TRAVEL & GREAT BIKINIS

KEEPING ART ALIVE SCOTTISH FASHION & TEXTILES

The ART of the ALBUM OUR FAVORITE MUSIC of 2026 (SO FAR)

September 2026

FASHION & ENTERTAINMENT

T H U R S DAY – M O N DAY F O R D I N N E R 5 : 0 0 – 1 0 : 0 0 P M S AT U R DAY A N D S U N DAY F O R L U N C H 1 2 : 0 0 – 4 : 0 0 P M 5 0 O R I G I N S M A I N S T, WAT E R S O U N D , F L 3 2 4 6 1 | S C O U T S P O RT S TAV E R N . C O M

In this issue On the Cover

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WALKER MONTGOMERY TOOK THE STAGE ON OPENING DAY AT GULF COAST JAM 2026 IN PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA, WITH KEITH URBAN HEADLINING THAT NIGHT.

Photo courtesy of Gulf Coast Jam

Born from four friends’ love of the beach, travel, and making memories together, Honey Swim is all about bikinis that are meant to be lived in, not just looked at. It’s a brand built around the idea that your swimwear should be as ready for adventure as you are. From the sun-drenched Gulf Coast to the cliffside glamour of the Amalfi Coast, this cover is serving serious high-fashion energy with a relaxing charm as we transition from summer to fall. Honey Swim’s fresh, feminine take is all about sunshine, confidence, and making every coastal moment look like a postcard. Check out the feature on page 20! Photo by Noah Custer

Vie is a French word meaning “life” or “way of living.” VIE magazine sets itself apart as a high-gloss publication that focuses on human-interest stories with heart and soul. From Seattle to NYC with a concentration in the Southeast, VIE is known for its unique editorial approach—a broad spectrum of deep content with rich photography. The award-winning magazine was founded in 2008 by husband-andwife team Lisa and Gerald Burwell, owners of the specialty publishing and branding house known as The Idea Boutique®. From the finest artistically bound books to paperless digital publication and distribution, The Idea Boutique provides comprehensive publishing services to authors and organizations. Its team of creative professionals delivers a complete publishing experience—all that’s needed is your vision.

PUBLISHED BY

FEATURE 20 More Than A Bikini: Friendship, Marriage, and a Love for Sunshine

SARTORIAL 18 28 Petite pause: pause: CAMILLA’s Elsewhere Palace 32 A Sisterhood of Style 38 L’intermission L’intermission:: A Love Letter to Travel & Design

90 The Life of a Hollywood Icon: LA and London Museums Celebrate Marilyn Monroe

96 Petite pause: pause: Louis Vuitton’s Women’s High Summer Collection

LE MONDE 40

98 A Portrait of a Place: Lucian Books & Wine

42 Music Is Not Dead: The Art of the Album

Paints an Experience Beyond the Table

48 Petite pause: V&A Dundee’s Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show

50 The Quiet Art of Being a Sideman 58 Where Country Meets the Coast:

104 Petite pause: pause: IM MEN’s Spring/Summer 2027 Collection

INSPIRATIONS 106

Gulf Coast Jam

108 Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

64 L’intermission L’intermission:: A Birdie Fortescue Summer

110 L’intermission L’intermission:: American Pleasures by AMIRI

66 North Beach Social: Where the Coast Comes to Life!

74 Experience The Paper Bear’s Unfolding Story

VOYAGER 76 THEIDEABOUTIQUE.COM INFO@THEIDEABOUTIQUE.COM

88 L’intermission L’intermission:: Alys Goes Italian!

78 Crafting New Traditions in Scotland: A Celebration of Fashion, Beauty, and Heritage

C’EST LA VIE CURATED COLLECTION 112 LA SCÈNE 120 THE LAST WORD 131 AU REVOIR! 136 V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 11

CREATIVE TEAM CEO / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / CREATIVE DIRECTOR LISA MARIE BURWELL LISA@VIEMAGAZINE.COM

FOUNDER / PUBLISHER GERALD BURWELL GERALD@VIEMAGAZINE.COM

EDITORIAL EDITOR JORDAN STAGGS JORDAN@VIEMAGAZINE.COM

ASSISTANT EDITORS K ATIE OGLETREE K ATIE@VIEMAGAZINE.COM CAITLYN BURRUS CAITLYN@VIEMAGAZINE.COM

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

MEGHAN RYAN ASBURY, SARAH FREEMAN, ANTHEA GERRIE, TAYLOR HOLCOMBE, MYLES MELLOR, CAROLYN O’NEIL, COLLEEN SACHS, XENIA TALIOTIS

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTOR JACK KIRKENDALL JACK@VIEMAGAZINE.COM

GRAPHIC DESIGNER CALLIE NUNLEY

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

GRANT ANDERSON, L AUREN ATHALIA, HUNTER BURGTORF, ERIC CHARBONNEAU, JIM CL ARK, NOAH CUSTER, L AUREN DUESING, JACK GARDNER, MILTON H. GREENE, AMELIA HALE, BEN HOUDIJK, JEFF L ANDRETH, ANDREW THOMAS LEE, MARK LITTLE, STEVEN MANGUM, CARLO PIERONI, ROMONA ROBBINS, ALBERTO E. RODRIGUEZ, CARLO SCARPATO, SAM SHAW, EMILY SHUR, DAVE WARREN, CHANDLER WILLIAMS, ACADEMY MUSEUM FOUNDATION, GETT Y IMAGES, GORUNWAY, HUFTON + CROW, L A FREE FILM, MCEACHIN MEDIA, MODERNMADE PHOTOGRAPHY, MODUS PHOTOGRAPHY, NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY LONDON, PETER FETTERMAN GALLERY, ROBERT FAIRER ARCHIVE, SHUTTERSTOCK, SONY PICTURES, STM PHOTOGRAPHY, V&A DUNDEE, VISIT SCOTL AND

ADVERTISING, SALES, AND MARKETING DIRECTOR OF MARKETING / AD MANAGER MORGAN CL AYBOURNE MORGAN@VIEMAGAZINE.COM

AD MANAGER ABIGAIL RYAN ABBY@VIEMAGAZINE.COM

BRAND AMBASSADORS LISA MARIE BURWELL LISA@VIEMAGAZINE.COM MARTA RATA MARTA@VIEMAGAZINE.COM

VIE is a registered trademark. All contents herein are Copyright © 2008–2026 Cornerstone Marketing and Advertising, Incorporated (Publisher). All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. VIE is a lifestyle magazine and is published twelve times annually on a monthly schedule. The opinions herein are not necessarily those of the Publisher. The Publisher and its advertisers will not be held responsible for any errors found in this publication. The Publisher is not liable for the accuracy of statements made by its advertisers. Ads that appear in this publication are not intended as offers where prohibited by state law. The Publisher is not responsible for photography or artwork submitted by freelance or outside contributors. The Publisher reserves the right to publish any letter addressed to the editor or the Publisher. VIE is a paid publication. Subscription rates: Printed magazine – One-year $29.95; Two-year $49.95. Subscriptions can be purchased online at www.VIEmagazine.com.

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Editor’s Note

MILESTONES A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step

T

here is an ebb and flow, a cadence, to building something, whatever that may be. Building and creating your life’s work, a family, a nonprofit mission, or your own home, writing novels, songs, or poetry, or creatively inventing new ways to do things better, easier. It all takes time, dedication, passion, energy, and commitment, but it also means digging and excavating, both figuratively and sometimes literally. The bigger the ditch, the bigger the building. If you’re building a skyscraper, its foundation will need to be deep before you see what it will become when completed. This has been one of the many lessons of my life.

We just released the 100th episode of our podcast, VIE Speaks: Conversations with Heart & Soul, that I host, and have 16 episodes of VIE Book Club, which our editor, Jordan Stags, hosts (she filled in for me on VIE Speaks a few times). What started as an idea to combat the COVID pandemic has now led us to look back on what we grew during that time of reinvention or reimagination. Please listen on your favorite podcast platform or visit YouTube.com/@VIEtelevision to watch Episode 100 as Jordan and I take a walk down memory lane along with my husband and partner, Gerald Burwell. This added layer of storytelling was important to maintaining our ethos across a wide array of topics, all guided by authentic, engaging conversations with our guests.

We were recently featured for the second time in the Top 100 Luxury Media in the As a Type A personality with a lot of energy, waiting has never been a virtue for World by the World Luxury Chamber of Commerce, and we consider this a great me, as I like to get things done, and I like them to be done quickly. The saying, “If achievement, as we are in good company among our fellow winners, which you you want something to be done, ask a busy person to do it,” rings pretty true. That can find at WorldLuxuryChamber.com/top-luxury-media-of-the-world-2026. We has been an asset in helping me accomplish many things, but it has its downside. didn’t apply or pay for this honor, and we are so grateful The waiting game is what I’ve come to know up close to have made the cut for the second time in three years. and personal these past eighteen years while creating and building this magazine. I thought that after the first eight Jordan Staggs and Lisa In addition to 157 issues of VIE, our boutique publishing years, we should have been further along in our growth. Marie Burwell on set company, The Idea Boutique, has published four books Two more years after that, I thought we would summit. recording VIE Speaks Episode 100, now streaming! over the last six years, including our luxury coffee-table I was getting weary after my goals were not realized and cookbook, COOK: Cocktails. Cuisine. Culture. by VIE; a seriously contemplated closing VIE. Since this idea was celebration of homes and architecture, HOME: Inspirations God-given and I knew that the only way we got this for Home & Life by VIE; The Seaside Style, the story of the far to begin with was because of that, out of respect to brand and merchants of Seaside, Florida, as told through my Maker, I prayed about it and asked Him if I could the eyes of its cofounder Daryl Rose Davis; and a debut close the doors and move on to something different. The romantic thriller novel by author Suzy Accola, Janie Blue. answer was “no.” I clearly heard the answer and did not look back, and that was over ten years ago. This has been the hardest time of my life, as I didn’t want to plow so hard anymore, but I have a built-in kill switch that won’t let me quit once I agree to do something, and I did agree. My passion for making this magazine never waned, but when things get really hard, we sometimes try to talk ourselves into letting go and moving on to something else. I found new passion and energy in growing this endeavor with everything I had, putting even more effort, faith, time, and passion into building VIE. I became so accustomed to things being hard. At times, it was nearly impossible to figure out how I would fund this, but I just got stronger. When I realized that I was growing, maturing, and forging ahead with what I believed I was supposed to do, I could see the work made me a better person. My faith skyrocketed, and we kept growing, evolving, and maturing as a brand, too. I am proud we didn’t quit. We all need mile markers to whisper in our ears that we are still on the right path, and, without thinking much about it for the last few years, this year has delivered some telltale signs that all is well.

Since our mission was always to build a global storytelling brand, I knew we needed to find a platform that could help us reach a wider audience, attract more advertisers, and grow our fanbase. To that end, we recently launched VIE on Substack, sharing good, interesting news about all things lovely and beautiful. Please check us out at Substack.com/@viemagazine, where we will share thoughts and behind-the-scenes content you won’t find in the magazine. Thank you for reading VIE! Thank you to our advertising partners and our creative staff of extraordinary people who bring this magazine to you every thirty days. I can’t say where we will end up on our journey, but it sure has been a ride so far. To Life! —Lisa Marie Burwell CEO/Editor-in-Chief/Creative Director V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 15

The Creatives We collaborate with talented photographers, writers, and other creatives on a regular basis, and we’re continually inspired by how they pour their hearts and souls into their crafts. Follow these creatives on social media and don’t forget to check out our account, @viemagazine.

IN THIS ISSUE, WE ASKED THE CREATIVES TO FINISH THIS SENTENCE: WHAT’S YOUR CURRENT OBSESSION— FASHION, MUSIC, TV, FOOD, OR SOMETHING ELSE?

of browsing vintage pieces we absolutely did not need but now have to have. Secondhand forever!”

OUR CURRENT OBSESSION IS DOOMSCROLLING THE REALREAL INSTEAD OF TIKTOK.

RENDY LOVELADY Executive Producer of Gulf Coast Jam @producerjam

“My current obsession is a baby Rottweiler to take the place of our puppy, Jammer, who passed away about a year ago. We have one coming—he’s been born, and now we’re waiting 90 days to get him home. We see pictures and videos of him growing up before our very eyes, and we’re just so excited to bring him home. His name is going to be Ozzy.” MARY MARGARET CUSTER & BRYNLEY JOYNER Founders of Honey Swim @honeyswim

BRIANNA ANDERSON Special Events Coordinator for Chef Jim Shirley Enterprises @briannaandersonrealtor30a

“My current food obsession is Japanese sweet potatoes. They taste almost like candy, but in the best way, and I’ve been loving them lately. I hate that you can’t buy them at every grocery store! My favorite show right now is Lioness. I binge-watched the first season in a day! It keeps you hooked and is one of those shows that makes it hard to stop watching after just one episode.” 16 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

ELSON, BRADFORD, AND FRANCES STEWART Founders of Poema Clothiers

@styledbypoema

“Our current obsession is doomscrolling The RealReal instead of TikTok. What started as sourcing for our clients somehow turned into hours

Mary Margaret: “My current obsession is playing music while we’re working, driving, playing with our baby, cleaning the house, at a gathering—it’s so powerful and sets the tone in an environment! Music has been so transformative since having a baby because it can completely turn your (or your baby’s) mood around. There are so many songs that bring me right back to certain memories when I hear them playing.” Brynley: “My current obsession is inclined walking on the treadmill! I usually do it during one of my baby’s nap times, and it helps me to multitask by getting some exercise in while taking a Honey Swim Zoom meeting, responding to emails, editing content, etc. It helps me clear my mind and my to-do list at the same time, and I always feel on top of the world after!”

La conversation

What’s Next The fashion and entertainment industries are constantly evolving, shaped by changing culture, technology, consumer behavior, and the voices of a new generation. As seasons change, so does the energy surrounding the industry— from emerging designers and evolving aesthetics to new talent, creative projects, and shifting ideas of what it means to be relevant. We want to see your take on fashion, trends, and what it means to be creative this fall season. Tag @viemagazine so we can show you some love!

@eluxuryproperties Thank you, VIE Magazine, for the feature of Above & Beyond, available for your next vacation at ELuxury Properties! “The owners of this unique beach vacation rental created Above & Beyond from the ground up because they saw a niche to fill in the 30A vacation rental market. . . . The Lloyd family worked with Archiscapes Architects and Grand Bay Construction to bring the vision to life.” Read more on VIEMagazine.com and book Above & Beyond for your next getaway at ELuxuryProperties.com.

@adaroart With over a month left of summer, we’re still feeling the heat and hitting the beach! Australian contemporary artist Mitchell English perfectly captures the sun-drenched essence of coastal life. As a lifelong surfer and over 30 years as an artist, his paintings act as a visual love letter to the coastline. . . . We’re thrilled to be able to offer his work at Adaro Art to be included in your coastal collection!

LET’S TALK! Send VIE your comments and photos on our social media channels or by emailing us at info@viemagazine.com. We’d love to hear your thoughts. They could end up in the next La conversation! @northbeachsocial Long Live Summer! We’re soaking up every last bit of fun in the sun. Come join us for Happy Hour! Weekdays 3-5 PM with drink specials including $7 well drinks, $5 Shock Top, Nutrl, and High Noon, or $4 bubbles! Plus live music 6–9 PM!

@viebookclub Just a few sightings of COOK by VIE out in the wild recently. You can still get your copy of our luxury coffee-table cookbook featuring stories, chefs, restaurants, and events from Florida’s Gulf Coast! Shop now at VIEmagazine.com/shop-vie.

VIEmagazine.com

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For more information, visit LEMAIRE.fr. Photography courtesy of LEMAIRE

Sartorial STRIKE A POSE

LEMAIRE’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection begins with curiosity, bringing together unexpected references across womenswear and menswear. Contrasts of matte/sheen and structure/fluidity shape the season, with menswear taking on a distinctly tropical mood through prints of palm leaves, shimmering oceans, and changing skies. Lightweight leather Mandarin jackets and yukata-inspired wrap shirts join raincoats, shorts, crisp cotton workwear, and breathable nylon, cotton voile, and cotton mesh. Womenswear looks to the openness of the 1970s, with psychedelic motifs, decorative details, organic shades, and fluid fabrics including viscose, silk, and jacquard. Paintings by French artist Claudine Wick appear as prints on transparent mesh jersey, while jewelry draws inspiration from natural forms including pine cones and blades of grass. Bags are designed to be layered and worn in multiple ways, continuing the collection’s interest in versatility and surprise.

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Sartorial

Friendship, Marriage, and a Love for Sunshine s a woman living in Florida, I’ve learned that a swimsuit isn’t reserved for vacations. It’s a staple. One that gets just as much wear as my favorite sundress or matching set. Whether it’s a beach day, a boat ride with friends, a day at the pool, or going to take in the sunset, life here revolves around the water. Finding a swimsuit, though, is another story. Every woman knows the ritual. You order three sizes, convince yourself the lighting is the problem, and wonder why something designed for the beach can make you feel so uncomfortable before you’ve even left your bedroom. Confidence is a difficult thing to manufacture, especially in swimwear. Then there are the rare brands that somehow understand women before they ever understand trends. Honey Swim is one of those brands.

BY CAITLYN BURRUS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NOAH CUSTER

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Mary Margaret Custer and Brynley Joyner, cofounders of Honey Swim alongside their husbands Noah and Lukas

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 21

Sartorial he first thing you notice is the aesthetic. Sun-drenched destinations. Crystal blue water. Beautiful women laughing instead of posing. The kind of imagery that feels effortless enough to make you wonder if every trip is simply a vacation with a camera in tow. But spend even a few minutes learning about Honey Swim, and you realize the bikinis are only one part of the story. The real story begins with four founders who built a company the same way they’ve built their lives, together. Married couples Noah and Mary Margaret Custer and Lukas and Brynley Joyner didn’t set out to create another swimwear label competing for attention online. They set out to create something they wished already existed. “Honey Swim really started from our own lifestyles and friendships,” Noah explains. “We were constantly traveling, creating content, spending time at the beach, and realized there was a gap in the swimwear space for bikinis that felt elevated, flattering, and high quality without feeling completely out of reach.” That perspective came naturally. Noah’s background in photography and creative direction blended seamlessly with Lukas’s experience in business and digital advertising. Mary Margaret and Brynley, already immersed in the world of content creation, brought an instinctive understanding of style, trends, and what women actually wanted to wear.

“Honey Swim still feels remarkably personal. Every campaign, every collection, every destination tells the story of the people behind it.”

Although Honey Swim has traveled the world, 30A remains home. Brynley describes it as the perfect combination of elevated coastal living and playful beach culture, a balance that naturally finds its way into each collection. Some designs lean toward timeless and understated, while others embrace bold colors and vibrant prints, much like the communities that inspired them. That same philosophy extends well beyond the products themselves. Honey Swim has become known for destination campaigns that look less like advertisements and more like pages torn from someone’s travel journal. These features’ accompanying photographs, many of which were captured by Noah during a collection shoot in the Bahamas, perfectly embody that spirit. They don’t simply showcase swimwear. They transport you there.

Individually, each founder filled a different role. Together, they built something much bigger than a product. It’s a balance that feels increasingly rare today.

What many people don’t see is everything happening behind the lens. Every shoot begins with mood boards, locations, lighting, styling, playlists, hotels, itineraries, and content strategies before a single camera comes out. Every image is carefully considered, but never meant to feel overly polished.

In a world where brands often appear overnight, backed by investors and polished marketing campaigns, Honey Swim still feels remarkably personal. Every campaign, every collection, every destination tells the story of the people behind it.

“Our favorite content comes from spontaneous moments,” Noah says. “Being on a boat at sunset, walking through a beach town, getting coffee in the morning, or exploring somewhere new. We want people to feel like they’re part of the trip with us.”

That authenticity isn’t accidental. From the very beginning, Honey Swim was self-funded. Every decision carried weight, and every collection represented another leap of faith. “Honestly, just going all in,” Noah says when asked about the biggest risk. “We were young, self-funding everything, and putting so much trust into an idea that only existed in our heads at first.”

That’s exactly how the images feel. They’re aspirational without becoming unattainable, and beautiful without losing their humanity. They’re real.

That willingness to bet on themselves has become part of the brand’s identity. It would be easy to assume the creative process starts with fabric swatches or trend forecasting. Instead, it begins with a feeling. A destination. A memory. A color pulled from the sea. A photograph that refuses to leave someone’s camera roll. The team draws inspiration from places they’ve traveled, including Costa Rica, Hawaii, Greece, and Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Those experiences eventually evolve into prints, palettes, silhouettes, and campaigns that somehow feel nostalgic even when 22 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

they’re brand new. For a brand rooted along Florida’s Gulf Coast, that sense of place matters.

Perhaps that’s because the team behind Honey Swim has never been interested in selling perfection. They’re selling possibilities. The possibility that your favorite swimsuit becomes part of your favorite memories. The possibility that confidence has less to do with size charts than it does with how you feel walking toward the water. The possibility that a simple bikini can accompany the moments you’ll remember years later. That emotional connection has surprised the founders more than anything.

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“When you first start, you think you’re creating products,” Noah says.

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“Over time you realize you’re really creating a feeling and a connection for people.”

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 25

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Life was meant to be lived in the sunshine. hat feeling extends far beyond the four founders. As Honey Swim has grown, so has the team behind it. The founders no longer respond to every customer email or track every inventory shipment themselves, but they remain deeply involved in every creative decision. Noah continues leading branding and campaign production, and Lukas oversees operations and advertising. At the same time, Mary Margaret and Brynley help shape product development, styling, and the social presence synonymous with Honey Swim. Their expanding team now helps bring those ideas to life, allowing the founders to dream even bigger while staying true to the heart of the company. Something is refreshing about that. Luxury today often feels distant, carefully curated, and inaccessible. Honey Swim approaches luxury differently. It looks like waking up early for coffee before a beach walk. It looks like planning a cookout after a day in the sun. It looks like best friends becoming business partners, then becoming family. You can feel that sincerity. That may be why the brand has developed such an engaged community. Women aren’t simply buying swimwear. They’re buying into a lifestyle that values travel, sunshine, meaningful friendships, and making the most of every season. The founders hope Honey Swim ultimately becomes known for much more than bikinis. Their mission has always been to inspire people to get outside, spend time on the water, travel often, and embrace the adventures waiting beyond their front door. The swimwear becomes part of those experiences. As someone who spends most of the year somewhere near the coast, I understand that feeling. The swimsuits we remember are rarely about the fabric itself. They’re the ones we wore on family vacations we’ll never forget. The ones packed for girls’ trips that somehow became annual traditions.The one that traveled to a new destination and became the most unforgettable vacation. We remember how we felt. Honey Swim understands that better than most. In an industry that often tells women to change themselves before stepping onto the beach, Honey Swim offers another perspective. One rooted in confidence, community, and authenticity. And perhaps that’s the secret behind its success. Not that Honey Swim makes beautiful bikinis. It’s that behind every stitch, every photograph, every campaign, and every destination are four people who believed life was meant to be lived in the sunshine, surrounded by the people you love most. The rest simply followed.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, FOLLOW @THEHONEYSWIM ON INSTAGRAM. TO PURCHASE YOUR NEXT BIKINI, VISIT HONEYSWIM.CO. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 27

CAMILLA’s Elsewhere Palace Collection draws inspiration from founder and creative director Camilla Franks’ travels through Austria and its iconic palaces. The collection brings together bold prints, rich color, and resort-ready silhouettes in the Australian fashion house’s signature style. Shop now at Camilla.com. Photography courtesy of CAMILLA

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Petite pause

A celebration of the extraordinary, the unexpected, and the art of dressing without rules. —CAMILLA FRANKS V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 29

ARCHITECT: A BOHEME DESIGN BUILDER: E ARTHBUILD LLC INTERIORS: MEL ANIE TURNER PHOTO: L AYNE LILLIE

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Three sisters built Poema Clothiers around the belief that style should feel personal. here is something wonderfully intimate about getting dressed. Before the meetings, celebrations, errands, vacations, and big moments of the day begin, there is the closet and the familiar question of what to pull from it. For sisters Elson, Bradford, and Frances Stewart, that daily ritual became the inspiration for Poema Clothiers, a personal styling company built around a simple idea: the right clothes should not make you feel like someone else. They should make you feel more like yourself, reflecting their shared belief that style is about authenticity and confidence. Style was part of the sisters’ relationship long before it became their work. Elson, Bradford, and Frances have always been comfortable weighing in on one another’s outfits, whether that meant an honest opinion or a quick suggestion before heading out the door. They know each other’s tastes well, but they also see things differently, which has become one of their strengths as stylists. Those everyday exchanges eventually led to Poema, where they now bring that same mix of instinct, honesty, and perspective to their clients. “Poema was born from something we all shared long before we shared a business: a love of style and a belief that getting dressed can change the way you move through the world,” Elson says. The business began in 2023 after the sisters were asked to style a family friend for sorority recruitment. A few outfits turned into social media posts, word-of-mouth, and more clients. Before long, they realized they were doing something much bigger

than helping women find clothes. They were helping women navigate new seasons of life, rethink their wardrobes, and feel more confident in the process. Today, the sisters work with clients across the country, blending personal styling with a distinctly sisterly point of view. That sisterhood is not only the charming story behind the brand, it is also part of what makes Poema work. “Being sisters gives us a very unique advantage in the styling industry because we each have a unique perspective to offer our clients,” Bradford says. “Having three of us makes our aesthetic richer and more textured. There are more layers to our styling because each of us touches the final product.” Elson brings her marketing background to Poema, helping shape everything from affiliate marketing strategy to the website and Substack. Bradford is especially attuned to the client experience and has played a major role in growing the brand on TikTok and Instagram. Frances has a natural eye for sourcing, along with a creative instinct that comes through in photoshoots and collaborations. Their combined expertise aims to make clients feel confident that they are in capable hands, with a style that truly reflects their personality. Of course, working with your sisters is not without its moments. “People often ask us if we ever fight, and the answer is yes, absolutely!” Frances says. “Healthy conflict is part of owning and operating a business together.” They have learned to give each other room, separate business disagreements from family relationships, and, perhaps most importantly, make time just to be sisters.

By Caitlyn Burrus | Photography by Lauren Duesing

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hat same warmth carries into the client experience. Poema aims to recreate the feeling of those college days at Ole Miss, when a friend could run down the hallway, hold up an outfit, and ask for an opinion, knowing they would be met with no judgment. “When a client books us, we want them to feel like they are part of the sisterhood,” Bradford says. “We want our clients to feel like when they text us, they’re running down the hallways of the hypothetical Poema sorority house to ask us questions.”

heels. Another client may need something soft and comfortable after a difficult week. A bride may be navigating difficult family dynamics as she prepares for one of the most important days of her life, while a new mother may be rediscovering her identity and style as she adjusts to a changing body. The clothes change, but the question remains the same.

The work can become surprisingly personal. Styling means learning about a woman’s lifestyle, insecurities, preferences, routines, body, and the moments when she most wants to feel like herself. The sisters sometimes describe their role as one-third stylist, one-third personal shopper, and one-third therapist. The last third may be the most important.

That approach also means Poema does not assume a client needs to be rescued from a “bad” sense of style. Their clientele is fairly evenly divided between women who are still discovering their personal style and women who already have great taste but do not have the time to bring it all together. Think of it as an interior designer for your closet.

At Poema, the first question is not necessarily, “What do you want to wear?” It is, “How do you want to feel?”

The process begins online with a consultation that typically lasts 45 minutes to an hour. The sisters go far beyond favorite brands, asking about colors, fabrics, silhouettes, heel heights, necklines, sensory preferences, lifestyle, and the pieces a client reaches for again and again. “We get very granular with our clients to try and discover what makes their style truly theirs,” Bradford says.

That distinction gets to the heart of the sisters’ mission: increasing women’s confidence. The name Poema comes from the Greek word poiema, meaning artistry, masterpiece, or handiwork. Inspired by Ephesians 2:10, the sisters were drawn to the idea that every woman is uniquely made, with her own character and purpose. In their philosophy, clothing can be a small but meaningful way to step into those qualities. “Peace, joy, kindness, courage, and comfort can all be tapped into through color, style, and texture, and choosing to view getting dressed as an act of self-care,” Elson says. It is a refreshing perspective in a fashion landscape that can make getting dressed feel like a constant exercise in keeping up. Instead of asking women to become trendier, Poema asks them to become more self-observant. A woman heading into an important C-suite presentation may want to feel powerful and protected, so she reaches for a structured blazer and

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“It’s a shift from waking up and saying, ‘What do I wear?’ to ‘How do I want to feel today and what outfit can evoke those feelings?’” Elson says.

From there, the sisters source pieces based on the client’s coloring, body type, lifestyle, taste, and goals, then create a digital lookbook where the selections can be viewed and purchased. The experience becomes especially transformative through Poema’s closet service. Approximately 60 percent of bookings begin with the company’s more comprehensive Closet Curation service, which allows the sisters to first take stock of what a client already owns. They visit the client’s home for roughly three to four hours, sorting through the wardrobe and identifying the pieces that work, the pieces that are neglected, and those that may be ready for a new home. Poema even assists with selling unwanted pieces, allowing clients to receive a percentage of the profit.

Left: Sisters Elson, Frances, and Bradford Stewart, cofounders of Poema Clothiers

Each sister brings a unique perspective to the table when styling and shopping for clients. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 35

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hen they get to work. Using what is already in the closet, the sisters can build 50 to 100 looks and document them in a digital lookbook. If an outfit would benefit from a new shoe, jacket, handbag, or other finishing piece, they can digitally add those items so the client can see exactly how a purchase would work within the wardrobe. Clients can also participate in virtual fittings and try-ons through Zoom, creating an experience that continues beyond the initial styling appointment.

family is involved, too, with their mother, Monica, offering input on select projects and their father, Carter, helping launch the business with the initial investment used to establish the LLC. Besides that support, the sisters have been self-funded.

The goal is not a bigger closet. It is a better one.

Now, the sisters are looking toward new services, an increasingly bespoke client experience, and the hope of eventually launching their own clothing line and a chic studio where clients can come in for fittings. Still, the heart of Poema remains beautifully uncomplicated: three sisters, a shared love of fashion, and a belief that confidence is always in style.

“The pieces we source—these are the ones that are going to extend the life of your wardrobe,” Frances says.

“We are stronger together, and I don’t think any of us could imagine doing this alone,” Bradford says.

In the process, a closet becomes less of an overwhelming collection of clothes and more of a personal library, full of possibilities. It is also a philosophy that challenges the idea that great style requires constant shopping. While Instagram and TikTok have been instrumental in Poema’s growth, the sisters are careful not to let the internet decide what personal style should look like. They encourage clients to experiment with trends at more accessible retailers before making bigger investments, while grounding their wardrobes in natural fibers, classic silhouettes, enduring colors, accessories, and texture.

In a world filled with algorithms telling women what to buy, what to wear, and who to become, the sisters offer something that is far more personal: pause, pay attention, and figure out what feels like you. “There is no faster way to comparison than social media,” Frances says. “At the end of the day, you should wear what you love and what makes you feel good.”

“Finding your personal style is really so much about slowing down and paying attention to what gives you butterflies,” Bradford says.

Sometimes, the pieces that matter most are the ones that have been there all along. The dress you reach for without hesitation, the jacket that changes your posture, the shoes that make you feel ready for whatever comes next. Style, at its best, is not about becoming someone new. It is about recognizing yourself and having a closet that reflects the woman you already are.

For Poema, that might mean styling a mother, a bride, a woman preparing for a major career moment, or someone simply ready to see her closet differently. The sisters have even styled men for weddings and wardrobe rebuilds. Their own

To book your styling appointment, visit PoemaClothiers.com or email the sisters at sisters@poemaclothiers.com. To follow them on social media, visit @styledbypoema on Instagram, @poemaclothiers on TikTok, and find them on Substack.

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L’intermission

Lyra is a quietly elegant nineteenthcentury home in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District and part of The Muses collection by Dear Valentine. See more stays at DearValentine.co. Photo courtesy of Dear Valentine

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For more information, visit HunterMoss.com. Photography courtesy of HunterMoss

Le monde GOES ROUND AND ROUND

For the Italian Grand Prix this September, HunterMoss is pairing the excitement of Monza with a luxury weekend in Milan. The experience includes qualifying and race day hospitality in the Champions Club, with track views, live coverage, an open bar, and fine dining. Guests stay in central Milan, with private transfers arranged throughout the weekend and dinners at some of the city’s leading restaurants. For travelers looking to experience the race without having to manage the details themselves, the itinerary brings together Formula 1, Milan’s dining scene, and five-star hospitality into a fully organized weekend.

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Olivia Rodrigo photo by Ben Houdijk/Shutterstock

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good musical album can define a season or a year. A great album can define a generation. In an age where so many songs are clipped and repeated only for social media, it’s more important than ever for consumers to support the artists they love by listening to new albums. The process of making music is a collaboration not only among the singer or band but also many studio musicians, producers, writers, and other creatives with a passion for what they do. A full studio album tells a story, captures a feeling unique to its time and audience, and represents months, if not years, of hard work and human connection with a soul that can never truly be replicated by a computer. Nostalgia and a desire to support the people who make music have even driven vinyl records to become the preferred medium for people who buy albums—in 2023, vinyl sales surpassed CDs for the first time since 1987, and they have only grown since. Promotions such as Record Store Day, indie record store exclusives, and special editions even drive devoted fans and collectors to buy multiples of the same album if they love it. Companies such as Diggers Factory, Bad World, and Blood Records have capitalized on colored, patterned, picture-topped, and even liquidfilled LPs. For example, Noah Kahan’s 2026 release, The Great Divide, has at least eight vinyl variants, with color names like Cigarette Smoke, American Rust, and even the liquid-filled Pond Water variant. The VIE team is excited to share some of our favorite studio albums of Spring/Summer 2026!

PR I Z EFIG HTER mumford & sons – february 24 We know this isn’t technically a spring release, but we couldn’t leave it off our list of favorites. Are Mumford & Sons the kings of collaboration for this year? Their charttopping sixth studio album would suggest the answer is yes, featuring a star-studded lineup of artists. Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Gigi Perez, Gracie Abrams, and Sierra Ferrell all join the band on this album and its extended cut. Prizefighter includes new hits like “Rubber Band Man,” “The Banjo Song,” and “Badlands,” while holding onto the soulful, bluegrass-inspired indie sound of this British powerhouse group.

K IS S ALL THE T IME. DISCO, OCCASIONALLY harry styles – march 6 Returning after a four-year new music hiatus in the wake of his multi-platinum, threeGrammy album Harry’s House, Harry Styles ushered in Spring 2026 with Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. A fun dance-pop departure from his previous work, the album takes inspiration from the disco era, electronica, and Italian culture, drawing listeners into Harry’s world as he spent the past few years living in a small village in the Lazio region. The album’s artwork features disco balls, bold colors, and vinyl variants such as Kiss Pink, Tomato Red, Pop-Blue, and Smoke Machine.

Top: Mumford and Sons Prizefighter Clover Vinyl 2026 © GOTR / Glassnote Entertainment Group

Bottom: Harry Styles Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally Pink Vinyl 2026 © Erskine Records Limited / Columbia Records / Sony Music Entertainment V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 43

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WOR$T GIR L IN AMER ICA slayyyter – march 27

THE GR E AT DIVID E noah kahan – april 24

Slayyyter’s third studio album debuted in late March, inspired by the artist’s life growing up in St. Louis and the people she knew then. Described as “the portrait of a woman from the Midwest,” the album is a genre-bending mix of electro-pop, nu metal, pop punk, and industrial hip-hop. WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA quickly topped the Top Dance Albums chart, and critics have likened Slayyyter’s sound to the likes of Madonna, Robyn, and Blondie on various tracks. The visual album companion videos are available to stream for each track, lending an extra-immersive full-album experience that many artists now create.

It’s time for everyone’s favorite American son. The spotlight has shone bright on Noah Kahan leading up to his fourth studio album, The Great Divide, as well as his Netflix documentary, Noah Kahan: Out of Body, which premiered April 13. Heartfelt and heartbreaking as usual, The Great Divide and its extended edition, The Last of the Bugs, have been released in various vinyl editions. Promising as ever to “leave you a lot sadder than you were before,” Kahan’s latest opus reached number one on over a dozen charts worldwide, and The Great Divide Tour sold out throughout the US, Canada, and Europe.

MIDDLE OF N OWHER E kacey musgraves – may 1

DAND ELION ella langley – april 10 Featuring the highly beloved single “Choosin’ Texas,” country artist Ella Langley’s sophomore album, Dandelion, debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. Prior to its release, Langley shared the concept, saying, “Dandelions are masters of survival, thriving in even the harshest environments. Often dismissed as a common weed, this unassuming plant carries a deeper symbolism of hope, healing, and resilience.” With vinyl variants including a dreamy Puffball White and a bold Honey Bee Yellow, the visual theme carries over into the artwork, while the album’s tracks celebrate growth and strength.

CRUEL WOR LD holly humberstone – april 10 Indie-pop’s ethereal Holly Humberstone brought a poignantly dark yet hopeful album to 2026 with Cruel World. Full of the edge Humberstone has become known for, yet with upbeat tracks like the hit single “To Love Somebody,” the album was followed up in June by It’s a Real Cruel World, which features four reimagined tracks from the original project. Inspired by gothic themes and fairy tales, the album’s artwork, companion videos, and vinyl variants showcase Humberstone’s penchant for dark yet romantic vibes. 44 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

Texas native Kacey Musgraves returned to her roots with Middle of Nowhere, the country star’s seventh studio album. Deeply introspective and drawing on Western swing and bluegrass influences, the album features the hit tracks “Dry Spell,” “Loneliest Girl,” and “Mexico Honey.” Musgraves says she really “leaned into herself ” and her origins, examining how the in-between, “middle of nowhere” emotional places aren’t always negative. The Rodeo Clown Edition LP variant is a favorite, featuring a translucent mixed-color vinyl.

THE BOYS OF DUN GEON L ANE paul mccartney – may 29 Even legends take time to look back and reflect on all they’ve experienced. The Boys of Dungeon Lane is McCartney’s walk down memory lane, from childhood memories growing up in Liverpool to the energetic, no-holds-barred life he was catapulted into when The Beatles became an international music sensation. At 84, McCartney proves he’s not only still relevant but still able to capture the spirit of something new with his twentieth solo studio album. Ringo Starr joins on vocals and drums for the track “Home to Us.”

Top left: Olivia Rodrigo you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love 2026 © Olivia Rodrigo / Geffen Records Top right: Noah Kahan The Great Divide Podunk Translucent Spotify Fans First Vinyl 2026 © Mercury Records / UMG Recordings Middle: Paul McCartney The Boys of Dungeon Lane Amazon Exclusive Vinyl 2026 © MPL Communications / UMG Recordings Bottom left: Holly Humberstone Cruel World Alt Art Blue Vinyl 2026 © Polydor Records / Holly Humberstone / Universal Music Operations Ltd Bottom right: Charli xcx Music, Fashion, Film 2026 © Charli XCX / Atlantic Recording Corporation Opposite: Slayyyter WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl 2026 © RECORDS Label / Columbia Records / Slayyyter Enterprises

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YOU SEEM PR E T T Y SAD FOR A GIR L SO IN LOVE olivia rodrigo – june 12 On her third album, Olivia Rodrigo continues to tell the story of her journey from girlhood to womanhood, navigating life, love, heartbreak, and dreams. Calling it a collection of “sad love songs,” Rodrigo’s vulnerable yet pop-fueled album kicks off with the hit single “drop dead.” It is stylistically divided into the opening “Girl So in Love” section and the “You Seem Pretty Sad” section. The album order seems to emulate the stages of a relationship and subsequent breakup, ending with “cigarette smoke.” Target stores featured two exclusive vinyl variants: a Pretty Sad pink edition and a Hope Like Snow white edition, while Rodrigo’s online store released a picture disc edition featuring an original oil painting by Chloe Wise.

MUSIC , FASH ION , FILM charli xcx – july 24 The brat is back! Following the extremely popular release of her Brat album in 2024, Charli xcx’s highly anticipated Music, Fashion, Film brought energy and honesty in equal measure. Lauded for its lyrics and experimental sounds, the album topped the charts in Australia, Belgium (Flanders), Hungary, New Zealand, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. It also hit the top ten in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. With a full promotional package of limitededition 180g black vinyl, three seven-inch singles, a 48-page companion book, and two art prints, all in custom packaging. And she’s just getting started! Charli hits the stage on tour starting in September.

PE TAL ariana grande – july 31

MY MES S, MY HE ART, MY LIFE. myles smith – june 19 Building success up to now through his 2024 debut EP and singles, including “Stargazing” and “Nice To Meet You,” which launched him to stardom on social media, Myles Smith is vulnerable, raw, and powerful on his debut studio album, My Mess, My Heart, My Life. The energy he brought to his first two stage tours has gained him even more fans—who Smith affectionately refers to as “pookies”—who have lauded his authenticity and willingness to open up onstage and online. The Luton vinyl variant, named after the artist’s hometown, features a beautiful blue-and-orange disc that mirrors the Luton Football Club’s official colors.

DAUG HTER FROM HELL gracie abrams – july 17 An admitted nepo baby (did you know? I didn’t), Gracie Abrams has nevertheless proved she’s in the music business by talent and her own personality as she continues to gain steam in her career. From collaborating with Mumford & Sons to releasing her third album, 2026 might just be her best year yet, but we’re willing to bet she’ll continue to soar. Stepping into confidence and her own skin, Abrams cited that she was anxiously anticipating the release of Daughter from Hell earlier this spring, but that she also felt calm and collected about it, like she is exactly where she’s meant to be. 46 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

A memorable July finale and the possible end of an era? Ariana Grande’s eighth studio album, petal, made waves on the charts when it debuted July 31. But even more than the music, fans were talking about the singer’s plans to step away from the spotlight for a while following her Eternal Sunshine Tour this fall. We applaud a diva who knows when it’s time to rest, and we’re loving the honesty and vulnerability in petal, which Ari says is about “romance, self-worth, and fame.” Taking its title from the metaphor of a flower growing through cracks in concrete, the album “revolves around finding hope and resilience from emotional and mental turmoil.”

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A G O O D MU S ICA L AL BUM CA N D E F IN E A SE ASO N O R A Y E A R . A G R E AT A L B U M CA N D E F IN E A GE N E R AT IO N .

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Opposite top: Olivia Rodrigo you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love Target Exclusive Pink Vinyl 2026 © Olivia Rodrigo / Geffen Records Opposite Bottom: Ariana Grande petal Exclusive Picture Disc Vinyl 2026 © Babydoll Music / Republic Records / UMG Recordings V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 47

Feature

An immersive journey through a century of runway history. —VOGUE 48 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

V&A Dundee’s Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show, on display through January 17, 2027, explores more than a century of fashion shows, from intimate salon presentations to today’s large-scale productions. Among the exhibition’s highlights is Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 1999 No. 13 collection, including the final look worn by Shalom Harlow, seen here. For more information, visit VAM.ac.uk/dundee. Image courtesy of Robert Fairer Archive / V&A Dundee

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Jazz bassist Steve Gilmore, the subject of the upcoming documentary Sideman 50 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

Le monde

THE QUIET ART OF BEING A

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here is a particular kind of musician who can spend a lifetime standing beside the spotlight without ever being diminished by it. In jazz, these musicians are called sidemen. The word can sound secondary, but anyone who has spent time listening closely to great jazz knows better. The right bassist can transform a soloist. The right drummer can change the emotional temperature of an entire performance. A great rhythm section doesn’t just accompany the music; it creates the environment in which the music becomes possible. Steve Gilmore has spent nearly seven decades mastering that art. Now, let’s be clear: they don’t just hand out the name “sideman” to anyone. To even be considered one, you have to know how to play every single song in the Great American Songbook in every key, at any reasonable tempo, with people you’ve never met, without sheet music. That is no small feat.

His musical education eventually took him to Toronto's Advanced School of Contemporary His musical education eventually took him to Toronto’s Advanced School of Contemporary Music, where he studied with one of the giants of the instrument, bassist Ray Brown. From there, Gilmore developed his career the old-fashioned way: by playing, listening, traveling, and working. He worked with musicians such as Ira Sullivan, Flip Phillips, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, and Mose Allison. He also became part of a remarkably durable rhythm partnership with drummer Bill Goodwin. That relationship would become central to one of the defining chapters of his career: in 1974, Gilmore and Goodwin joined the newly formed Phil Woods Quartet; in 1977, under The Phil Woods Six, they won the Grammy for Best Jazz Performance by a Group for “Live” from the Showboat; in 1982, they won for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Group for More Live — The Phil Woods Quartet; and in 1983, the group won Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Group for At the Village Vanguard — The Phil Woods Quartet.

Steve was born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1943 and began playing bass at the age of twelve. By fourteen, he was already performing professionally. Growing up within reach of Philadelphia’s jazz scene, he absorbed live performances by musicians including John Coltrane, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, and Wynton Kelly.

By Katie Ogletree | Photography by Jim Clark V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 51

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he Phil Woods organization itself describes Gilmore and Goodwin as original members who remained with the group for more than thirtyfive years. The longevity alone is remarkable. Jazz musicians traditionally move from group to group, but the two became the rhythmic foundation of Woods’ ensemble through years of changing personnel. Gilmore’s résumé reads almost like a map of American jazz. Over his career, he has worked with figures including Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Stitt, and Freddie Hubbard, while also crossing into the worlds of Tony Bennett, Tom Waits, Bernadette Peters, Rosemary Clooney, Les Paul, and Dave Matthews. The new nonprofit documentary film Sideman: The Legacy of Steve Gilmore finally puts the spotlight on the musician who spent his career making sure the spotlight fell on everyone else. Produced and directed by Emmy-recognized documentarian Dave King in partnership with the SOWAL Foundation, Sideman combines archival material, new interviews, studio sessions, and a live performance to tell the story of Gilmore’s extraordinary career. The project also includes a companion soundtrack intended to preserve and extend his musical legacy.

Steve Gilmore, Bill Charlap, Dennis Mackrel, and Jon Gordon behind the scenes of Sideman, recording the film’s soundtrack at Sear Sound studio in New York

“Somewhere along the way, I realized it needed the sound of Steve himself—still playing, still listening, still holding the room together the way great bass players do,” says King. “That is how this album began.” Steve Gilmore, Bill Charlap, Dennis Mackrel, and Jon Gordon walked into Sear Sound studio back in March 2026 as four master musicians with separate histories, languages, and lives in music. They had not spent years touring together or rehearsed this album to form a comfortable rhythm together. They came together in New York City’s oldest recording studio and trusted the thing that great sidemen know better than almost anyone: how to listen. Bill Charlap is widely regarded as one of the great living interpreters of the American Songbook, a pianist with the rare ability to make familiar songs feel newly discovered. Dennis Mackrel was Count Basie’s final drummer, later entrusted with leading one of the world’s most celebrated jazz orchestras. Jon Gordon received the Thelonious Monk Award for alto saxophone, one of the highest honors a jazz musician can earn. And Steve Gilmore brought the authority of a lifetime spent making other people sound legendary.

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Bob Green, producer/ director Dave King, and Steve Gilmore

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ontrary to popular assumptions, sidemen are not supporting characters. They are the quiet architects of jazz, and this album is proof. According to King, the recording sessions are intended not only to document Gilmore’s playing but to create a career-defining album for another generation to experience. The filmmakers explicitly position the film within that larger goal as they prepare to premiere it this fall. Sideman focuses on what it means to continue working as a professional musician late in life and on the peers who helped create the soundtrack of the last seven decades. The greatest lesson in Steve Gilmore’s story may be that sometimes the most important person in the room is not the one standing in the spotlight. And for Steve specifically, he is never really in the background.

He is the foundation of each great performance. Check out Sideman: The Legacy of Steve Gilmore, coming soon from producer/director Dave King and the SOWAL Foundation. Visit SidemanTheFilm.com to learn more. 54 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

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Le monde

here are plenty of places where you can hear country music. There are far fewer where you can hear it with the Gulf breeze in the background, sugar-white sand just down the road, and thousands of music fans coming together for four days of music, sunshine, and more food than you can imagine. For fourteen years, Gulf Coast Jam, presented by Jim Beam, has made that combination its signature. This past May 2026, at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach, the annual festival once again brought some of country music’s biggest names to Florida’s Gulf Coast. But Gulf Coast Jam has always been about more than the names printed on the lineup. 58 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

The festival first began in 2013, when the first Gulf Coast Jam welcomed more than 15,000 fans and featured artists including Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, Brantley Gilbert, Eli Young Band, Kip Moore and The Charlie Daniels Band. What started as a three-day celebration has grown into a major four-day music destination, drawing fans from across the country, and there may be no better place for it. The festival itself describes the experience as a blend of chart-topping artists, breakout performers, coastal views, and the community of fans known as the “Jammers.” That combination has become increasingly central to what makes the event different from a traditional music festival.

By Katie Ogletree Photography courtesy of Gulf Coast Jam

Chris Stapleton headlined Gulf Coast Jam 2026 in Panama City Beach, Florida. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 59

Le monde n 2026, that experience came with an especially impressive soundtrack. Keith Urban opened the headlining slate Thursday night, followed by Chris Stapleton on Friday, Riley Green on Saturday, and Post Malone closing out the weekend Sunday. They were joined by artists including Marcus King, Jackson Dean, Brent Cobb, Koe Wetzel, Josh Ross, Ashland Craft, 49 Winchester, Muscadine Bloodline, Jessie Murph, Wyatt Flores, Cooper Alan, and many more. The result was a lineup that reflected how broad modern country music has become, from traditional country and Southern rock to artists who comfortably cross genre boundaries. For all the attention given to the performers, the heart of Gulf Coast Jam is arguably the people who return year after year. Some are longtime Jammers who have made the festival an annual tradition from the very beginning. Others arrive for the first time, drawn by a favorite artist or simply by the promise of spending a long weekend on the beach. That mixture of visitors, locals, families, friends, and devoted music fans gives the festival a personality of its own. The fans have become so dedicated that for the past few years, they have sold out just a few weeks after the lineups are released, which is a whole year out! Rendy Lovelady, Executive Producer of Gulf Coast Jam, shares that there is a fifth headliner, who is the real showstopper: the Gulf. Panama City Beach gives Gulf Coast Jam something a festival venue cannot manufacture: a vacation destination outside the gates. The Emerald Coast’s beaches, warm weather, and coastal atmosphere become part of the event, making the festival feel less like a concert weekend and more like a full paradise getaway. Rendy mentions that he now has even the artists themselves booking past their concert performing responsibilities just so they can stay and enjoy the coast.

Gulf Coast Jam 2026 headliners, top to bottom: Keith Urban Riley Green Post Malone

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Another important part of Gulf Coast Jam’s identity is its appreciation for the military. From its earliest years, there was always a high priority on honoring those service members. That recognition fits naturally within the spirit of the event. Gulf Coast Jam is a celebration of freedom, music, community, and the place it calls home, and taking a moment to recognize the men and women who serve is an important part of that celebration. And of course, the festival’s

location is sandwiched between two Air Force Bases, Tyndall and Eglin.

Jessie Murph

The transformation is easy to see in the scale of the event. The 2026 festival featured four days of music and more than 20 artists, with organizers expecting crowds of roughly 30,000 fans. Recent editions have also demonstrated the festival’s momentum, with sellout crowds in the preceding two years.

“The transformation is easy to see in the scale of the event. The 2026 festival featured four days of music and more than 20 artists, with organizers expecting crowds of roughly 30,000 fans.” The nightly headliners for 2027 have already been announced, including Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Bailey Zimmerman, and Zach Top. The energy for next year is already amping up, and Gulf Coast Jam’s producers are excited to share it. “We are so excited to kick off 2027 with Jason as our first headliner announcement,” Lovelady said at Gulf Coast Jam 2026, when Aldean was revealed as a 2027 headliner live in front of the crowd. Later, he shared, “Luke is no stranger to Gulf Coast Jam, and we can’t wait to have him back on the Panhandle next June. Bailey played Gulf Coast Jam for the first time three years ago, and you could tell then he was going to be a star. It’s been fun to watch his career take off, and we can’t wait to have him back next year.” V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 61

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Opposite: Executive Producer Rendy Lovelady and COO Mark Sheldon with the crowd 62 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

ulf Coast Jam COO Mark Sheldon adds, “Bailey’s dominance of the country music charts has sent his demand through the roof. With Jason, Luke, and Bailey, this is shaping up to be an incredible lineup.” The final headliner announcement came in August, when CMA Awards “New Artist of the Year” Zach Top joined the lineup as Sunday’s closing act. “Zach has taken off like a rocket, and he’s one of the top names our Jammers bring up as wanting to see here,” says Lovelady. “We can’t wait to roll out more artists.” It’s no wonder Ticketmaster has listed Gulf Coast Jam Presented by Jim Beam as one of the Best Country Music Festivals to See in 2026. Music Festival Wizard named it the number one festival in their Top 50 Most Popular Fests in the World 2024 – Voter’s Choice poll and their Best Beach Music Festivals This Summer in 2025. Yet despite the growth, the essential idea remains remarkably simple: bring great country music to one of the country’s most beautiful coastal destinations

and give people a reason to come together. And that formula has continued to work. Gulf Coast Jam has become more than an annual concert. It is part vacation, part music festival, and part community gathering. It’s a place where boots meet beach sand, where longtime friends reunite and where newcomers discover why so many people make the trip back year after year. Even when the last note fades and the festival grounds begin to empty, the beaches remain, the Gulf keeps rolling in, and the countdown to the next Jam begins.

Visit GulfCoastJam.com to learn more and buy tickets for Gulf Coast Jam presented by Jim Beam, coming June 3–6, 2027. Save 10% when you use the discount code VIE27 at checkout! Listen to Rendy Lovelady share the journey of Gulf Coast Jam on VIE Book Club podcast, Episode 13, now streaming everywhere and available on YouTube @vietelevision! V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 63

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A Birdie Fortescue Summer Designed in Norfolk, England, by interior designer Birdie Fortescue, the summer collections are inspired by timeless English design and made for relaxed indoor and outdoor living. From garden lunches and terrace seating to outdoor entertaining, her signature use of pattern, natural materials, and artisanal craftsmanship creates spaces that feel both refined and inviting.

The made-to-order furniture range is handcrafted at a small workshop while many of the textiles are blockprinted by hand, ensuring no two pieces are ever the same. Check out the rest of the collection at BirdieFortescue.co.uk. Photo courtesy of Birdie Fortescue

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Love, VIE xo

North Beach Social: Where the Coast Comes to Life!

GOOD FOOD, GREAT MUSIC, and a FULL CALENDAR of COASTAL FUN 66 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

Le monde By CAITLYN BURRUS | Photography by HUNTER BURGTORF

At North Beach Social, the Gulf Coast lifestyle comes with a side of good music, great food, and plenty of reasons to gather. Set along the water in the heart of the Emerald Coast, this laid-back destination from Chef Jim Shirley Enterprises has become a go-to for locals and visitors looking to turn an ordinary day into something worth celebrating. From wellness mornings and lively evenings to chef-driven fare and community events, North Beach Social makes it easy to settle in, stay awhile, and enjoy the moment. This fall, the social calendar is especially exciting. Whether you’re starting the evening with a little friendly competition, settling in for live jazz and paella, or heading out for some of the area’s biggest food festivals, there is no shortage of ways to make the most of the season. Consider this your invitation to pull up a chair, bring your favorite people,

and make North Beach Social part of your next coastal adventure. Move, Breathe, & Socialize with LuckyBird Pilates Upcoming sessions by Kylinn Kraemer are scheduled for August 31 at 5:30 p.m., September 8 at 5:30 p.m., and September 22 at 5:30 p.m. It’s the perfect opportunity to mix a little movement with a lot of Gulf Coast energy. Come ready to stretch, strengthen, and enjoy the social side of wellness. Visit NorthBeachSocial. com or LuckyBird.studio for more information and registration! Venice & Gold Permanent Jewelry will also be on-site on August 31 and September 22, with a selection of high-quality pieces ready to become part of your late-summer memories. Trivia Night! Think you know a little bit of everything? Put it to the test at Trivia Night on August 27 starting at 6:00 p.m. Gather your smartest friends, grab a drink, and prepare for an evening of laughs, unexpected questions, and a little friendly competition. Whether you’re in it to win it or simply there for the fun, trivia night is a great excuse to get the crew together. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 67

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Le monde Wednesday Paella and Jazz Jam Midweek plans get a serious upgrade with Paella & Jazz Jam Nights every Wednesday. Chef Joyce gets things cooking at 6:00 p.m., with serving beginning at 7:00 p.m., while the Jazz Jam keeps the atmosphere lively from 6:00 to 9:00. With a communal spirit, flavorful food, and live music filling the evening, it’s the kind of Wednesday that makes you forget the weekend is still a few days away. (Please note there will be no paella on September 16, and times are subject to change with daylight saving time.) Turn Up the Volume The music is always playing at North Beach Social, with local favorites, regional bands, and award-winning musicians taking the stage daily. From country and classic rock to pop hits and original songs, there’s always something good to hear. Be sure to check out the lineup at www.NorthBeach.social and their social media channels. Burgers, Bourbon, and Beer Festival – September 19 Food lovers can keep the celebration going at the 6th Annual Burgers, Bourbon & Beer Festival on September 19 at the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Cultural Village, 4323 Commons Drive West in Destin, Florida. Benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, the event brings together top local chefs and restaurants for a delicious competition featuring creative burgers, bourbon, craft beer, and live music. Guests can sample the offerings and vote for their favorite burger while supporting programs that provide academic support, mentorship, and other opportunities for local youth. It’s the ultimate combination of indulgence and impact. The Chef Jim Shirley team is thrilled to be participating this year with some of North Beach Social’s newest burger creations. Come hungry, discover a new favorite bite, and help give back to the community while you’re at it. Head to EatSomeBurgers.com for tickets! Destin Seafood Festival – September 25–27 The North Beach Social and Chef Jim Shirley team will also be on the road for one of the Emerald Coast’s signature traditions from September 25–27, the Destin Seafood Festival. The free, three-day celebration takes over the Destin Harbor Boardwalk with more than 75 vendors, live music, local food, shopping, and plenty of Gulf Coast flavor. Festival hours are Friday from 4:00 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For those looking to take the experience up a notch, the festival’s ticketed VIP area offers a more intimate local seafood experience, with participating chefs and restaurants serving signature dishes for guests to sample and vote on. The VIP experience runs Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., making it an especially tasty addition to a weekend spent exploring the harbor. Visit DestinSeafoodFest.com for more information. Harvest by the Bay Festival at North Beach Social – October 16–18 Starting on October 16, join North Beach Social and Southern Sound Music Alliance for a full weekend of live music on the bay! Friday night will kick things off, with Saturday and Sunday featuring local and regional musicians and bands 70 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

rocking the North Beach Social stage all day. Guests can enjoy the music with views of the bay, seating on the beach or the deck, and food and drink specials. This event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public.

With a calendar packed with movement, music, food, and community, North Beach Social captures what makes life along the Emerald Coast so much fun. Whether it’s a midweek jazz jam, a friendly round of trivia, or a festival-filled weekend, there’s always another reason to get out, gather your people, and enjoy the good stuff. So grab your calendar, make some plans, and let North Beach Social be your next stop for coastal fun. To be a part of all the coastal fun, follow @northbeachsocial on Instagram, go to www.NorthBeach.social for more events and information, and come by 24200 Hwy 331 S, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459.

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EXPERIENCE

The Paper Bear’s UNFOLDING STORY

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ulf Coast Floridians, how lucky are we to have such a beautiful original film made in our own backyard? If you haven’t seen The Paper Bear, this is your sign to stream it or attend a local screening event!

The Paper Bear follows Max, a boy who is glued to his phone, and his father, an experienced outdoorsman. They spend a week in the Florida Panhandle tracking a young black bear. The film is ultimately about a father and son reconnecting, Max learning to appreciate nature, and understanding why Florida’s wilderness needs protection. Blending live-action footage of Florida’s black bears with hand-drawn animation, the feature film has carried its message of family, conservation, and connection to nature to audiences well beyond the Panhandle. Most of the scenes were filmed in Northwest Florida, particularly around Walton County, which is considered one of North America’s five richest biodiversity hotspots. The filmmakers also shot in places including Apalachicola National Forest and Blackwater River State Park. Arix Zalace, the film’s Director, spent more than two and a half years filming wild Florida black bears in their natural habitat. What began as a deeply personal story rooted in the forests and coastal wilds of Northwest Florida has grown into an international journey for The Paper Bear. It made its world premiere at the Florida Film Festival in Orlando in April 2025. The film was selected from nearly 3,000 submissions, with only 187 films ultimately included in the festival lineup. The film’s festival journey continued overseas with an official selection at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia in Spain. The Paper Bear was selected in the festival’s Family Films category. Although it is not technically a film festival selection, one of The Paper Bear’s most significant honors came through the 2025 Jackson Wild Media Awards, widely considered the “Oscars of environmental filmmaking.” The film was named a finalist in the Trailblazer category, selected from more than 500 entries worldwide.

Lisa Marie Burwell, Kelli Carter, Arix Zalace, and Laurie Hood on the set of a special VIE Speaks podcast episode about The Paper Bear

The local community journey is continuing with a screening at Alaqua Animal Refuge on September 19, 2026, in partnership with St. Joe Community Foundation. It will include a tour of the refuge and refreshments, beginning at 5:00 p.m. A special Alys Beach screening on September 25 is also listed as part of an exciting Merchant Walkabout and movie night with kids’ activities, photo ops, and more. Both events are free and open to the public! Perhaps the most meaningful part of it all isn’t the festivals, screenings, or accolades—it’s the conversations the film continues to inspire. The Paper Bear reminds us that some of the most important stories are the ones that teach us to slow down, look around, and care about the world we’ve been given. Stay tuned for more news and upcoming screening events in Northwest Florida and beyond.

Visit ThePaperBear.org to learn more, and stream The Paper Bear now on Apple TV or Amazon Prime! You can also hear an extended conversation with director Arix Zalace, Alaqua Animal Refuge founder Laurie Hood, and Walton County director of marketing Kelli Carter on VIE Speaks: Conversations with Heart & Soul Podcast hosted by our CEO/editor-in-chief, Lisa Marie Burwell. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 75

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For more information, visit Bellevue-Gstaad.ch. Photography courtesy of Le Grand Bellevue

SEE THE WORLD

This season, Le Grand Bellevue in Gstaad invites guests to experience the Swiss Alps through local traditions, outdoor adventure, and wellness. Its new Alpine Craft Experiences package includes a traditional Swiss pocketknife-making session with a local artisan, a visit to a local farm to learn about Alpine cheesemaking, and a privately guided yodeling workshop. The hotel’s Extreme Sports package takes a more active route, combining a guided e-bike ascent, a downhill ride, a swim in a mountain lake, and a Swiss Back Release Treatment at Le Grand Spa. Guests can also explore Gstaad by Microlino, take a helihike above the treeline, or see the landscape by horse-drawn carriage. The village’s calendar also includes the Menuhin Festival & Academy and the Gstaad Züglete, an annual tradition when flower-decorated Simmental cows parade through town.

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26 ORIGINS MAIN STREET SUITE 100, INLET BEACH, FL 32461

INTERIOR DESIGN | FURNISHINGS | FASHION | GIFTS | APOTHECARY @SUMMERHOUSELIFESTYLE| SUMMERHOUSELIFESTYLE.COM

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RAFTING NEW TRADITIONS in SCOTLAND A Celebration of Fashion, Beauty & Heritage

It is unsurprising that a place so abundant in stories and dreamlike landscapes as Scotland would be full of creative people inspired by its history, beauty, and collective experiences. For centuries, its craftspeople have defined and redefined Scottish culture, sharing its rich story through fine art, the written word, photography, textiles, fashion, and more. Museums throughout the country celebrate its makers with a reverence well deserved. In a time when digital engines claim to “create,” it is more important than ever to look back at where true art comes from—the soul of the people who make it and those who are touched by it. I was fortunate enough to experience a taste of Scottish tradition and art through textiles, fashion, and fragrance on a recent trip, and am thrilled to share these makers and storytellers who are keeping art alive with a beating pulse.

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Curtain Call: Costumes from Stage and Screen runs through November 15, 2026, at The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum. Photo by Grant Anderson

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The V&A Dundee museum is the jewel of Dundee’s waterfront, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Photo by Hufton + Crow

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Voyager Fashionable Finds in Fair Dundee Just over an hour’s drive from Scotland’s capital, Dundee is the nation’s fourthlargest city, situated on the River Tay and known for its vibrant arts community. It is brimming with galleries, theatres, universities, and museums. It has raised many notable artists, actors, and designers of all types. It’s no wonder Dundee is the UK’s first and only UNESCO City of Design. Currently celebrating local costume designers is The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum in the heart of the city. The beautiful exhibition Curtain Call: Costumes from Stage and Screen runs through November 15, 2026. The exhibit “celebrates the creative power and global influence of costume designers who hail from or were inspired by Dundee,” including Jane Petrie, Ros Little, Alex Reid, and other creatives who have collaborated with Dundee REP and Scottish Dance Theatre. The dazzling display showcases everything from a gown worn by Claire Foy in The Crown to Meryl Streep’s Emmeline Pankhurst costume from Suffragette, Tom Hiddleston’s vicar’s outfit and Claire Danes’s dress from The Essex Serpent, and much more. Other theatrical costumes are on loan from the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Scottish Opera. Concept drawings, notes, and journals round out the exhibition, bringing guests into the world of the talented Dundee designers who created each iconic look.

“The show brings together landmark examples from renowned houses, including Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Maison Margiela, Vivienne Westwood, Mary Quant, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Charles Jeffrey, among others.”

Don’t miss The McManus’s other incredible halls and exhibitions, from the Victoria Gallery full of original Scottish and English oil paintings to the exhibit Border Crossings: Ten Scottish Masters of Modern Art, running through September 20. Other historic and contemporary pieces draw the eye in every corner throughout the gorgeously preserved Gothic Revival building.

From The McManus, it’s a short walk to the waterfront—stop by Quayside Bar and Grill on the way for a cheese toastie—where the striking V&A Dundee museum became the architectural focal point when it opened in 2018. Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the building itself is a highlight, inspired by the eastern cliffs of Scotland and the nation’s maritime history. Inside, its vast halls are home to permanent collections and rotating exhibitions. Now through January 17, 2027, fans of fashion and its impact on culture should visit V&A Dundee for Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show, a multifaceted exhibition featuring haute couture and ready-to-wear looks from runway shows and fashion houses throughout history. The museum shares, “A UK exclusive to V&A Dundee, Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show charts the dramatic evolution of the catwalk, from the private salons of the late nineteenth century to today’s immersive, live-streamed runway experiences. The show brings together landmark examples from renowned houses, including Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Maison Margiela, Vivienne Westwood, Mary Quant, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Charles Jeffrey, among others.”

From the most famous labels to modern innovators, the Catwalk show spans the museum’s exhibition halls with “a rich mix of film, photography, original garments, and archival materials. It marks seminal moments from iconic runway presentations throughout the last century and explores their lasting cultural impact.” The show is curated in partnership with the Vitra Design Museum in Germany. “Fashion” seems to be the current buzzword at V&A Dundee and even around the city. The museum has launched a new annual fashion program. In September, it will showcase the work of Scottish graduate students in fashion, and will host other events throughout the month as part of the larger Fashion Britain series. Meanwhile, Design & Disability, on display now through October 4, features about 170 pieces that celebrate disabled, deaf, and neurodivergent creators across all fields of design. Other recent exhibits at the museum have included a look at Turkish red textiles inspired by Glasgow’s relationship with India, jute pieces made in Dundee (once known as “Juteopolis”), collections of Fair Isle knits, Ayrshire lace, Paisley patterns, and, of course, Tartan. So popular was the V&A’s Tartan exhibition in 2023 and 2024 that it will be on tour starting in Canada for 2027. “It’s rare to have a single fashion exhibition outside of London,” shares co-curator Kristy Hassard, “so to have this many is really excellent.” Coming in November 2026 on the first stop of its UK exhibition run is David Bowie: On Tour, which will include legendary costumes and other memorabilia from the life and works of the late music, film, and pop culture icon. Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery opens in March 2027, giving viewers a closer look at the life and style of the revered fashion designer. Visit VAM.ac.uk/Dundee and McManus.co.uk to learn more and see what else is on at these unforgettable Dundee museums.

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The Balenciaga Summer 2020 runway show featured a spiral catwalk modeled after the European Parliament, designed in partnership with sub, a Berlin architecture firm. This design is on display with Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show at V&A Dundee through January 17, 2027. Photo © Balenciaga, courtesy of V&A Dundee V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 83

Voyager Cashmere Up the Coast A scenic train ride up the eastern coast from Dundee to Montrose, followed by a short ride south to Lunan Bay, brings guests to a truly unique destination in Scotland. And I’m not only referring to the castle ruin on a hill above the beach, where Vikings once roamed, and World War II soldiers later hid out in the “pillbox” lookout stationed just off the coast for enemy ships or U-boats. This is Lunan Bay Farm, the country’s only regenerative cashmere goat farm. Farmer Jillian McEwan and her family didn’t initially dream of starting a cashmere farm, she says. “We originally sourced the goats to improve the farm’s soil health.” But after learning more about them and falling in love with the process of harvesting, spinning, and educating others about cashmere, the journey “from goat to garment” became a business that continues to grow in unexpected ways. McEwan shares that Scotland attempted cashmere farming in the 1980s, but the collective farming effort and demand just weren’t there at the time. Now, thanks to the internet and growth in the luxury fashion market, plus many brands seeking product from sustainable, environmentally responsible suppliers, there has been a surge in agriculture. Agri-tourism has also increased, she adds, as visitors seek more unique experiences like the Lunan Bay Farm provides. Guests can go behind the scenes to meet the friendly (and eager for treats) goats, get a spinning demonstration and history lesson in the Yarn Barn, stop by the gift shop, and explore how this fine, low-impact cashmere is developed in collaboration with leading Scottish mill and brand, Johnstons of Elgin, which supplies cashmere to well-known brands including Burberry, Chanel, and Hermès, to name a few.

Visit LunanBayFarm.com to learn more.

Celebrating Heritage with Handbags Back in Edinburgh, heritage meets hip at the Islander Workshop Experience. Walking into one of their four locations within the city is like venturing into both a luxury fashion house and an old-timey crafter’s shop all at once. Rows and rows of leather and vegan leather bags and straps, hardware, and accents line the walls, waiting for each guest to become a designer with a unique vision. This handbag-making workshop is the perfect outing for a girls’ trip, but that’s not to say gents won’t enjoy it, as there are plenty of options for all tastes and needs available, from cross-body purses to backpacks, totes, toiletry bags, Jillian McEwan, and messenger bags. owner of Lunan Bay Farm Photo courtesy of Visit Scotland

If you visit in springtime, you may even get the chance to experience the farm’s adorably hilarious Goats in Coats event. Citing its accidental origins, McEwan shares that one year her mother, Jennifer, knitted a small coat for one of the bottle-fed baby goats named Dennis. After Dennis and his little coat went viral on social media, they shared the pattern for making the coats, and hundreds of people from around the world began knitting and sending their designs for the farm’s other babies. “We expected that we would receive maybe twenty or so hand-knitted goat coats from local knitting groups, but imagine our surprise and joy when parcels and bags of hand-crafted creations started flooding in! From Bristol to Banff, the parcels kept coming. Every day our postie arrived laden with woolly treasures. Talented folk from our local community dropped off bag after bag of their handmade creations too. All in all, over 500 goat coats were donated by the time our newborns arrived!” The phenomenon evolved into what is now a fourday festival and knitting competition with plenty of local crafters, food, and fun.

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With over 160 goats across their 600-acre farm on the Angus coast, Lunan Bay shows no signs of slowing down, but its team is committed to making sure every goat is well cared for and that their cashmere travels from goat to garment in the most ethical and sustainable way. “It’s a legacy,” McEwan says. “Everything we’re doing is to create pioneering works, as the first cashmere producer in Scotland. It’s exciting and great—we especially love having people from all over the world visit on tours and become part of our story in that way.”

When you enter the workshop, you’ll be greeted by your workshop leader and given a rundown of all the options for bags to build, which parts are needed to complete the design, and the options for colors and patterns. Islander is known for its beautiful Harris Tweed fabrics available for the lids, but a variety of heritage and modern Lochcarron Tartan elements are available at the Canongate location, as well. (I chose the traditional Wallace Tartan for the lid of my bag, in honor of my Scottish ancestors on my mother’s side.) The workshop leader guides the class step by step through the assembly process, offering individual help as needed to ensure each component is attached correctly. The loveliest part of the workshop is spending time with those around you and seeing how each bag takes shape, mirroring the unique personality and style of every guest. You’ll be choosing colors and patterns, seeking advice on which strap to add, and laughing heartily while using a tiny screwdriver to create your masterpiece. Despite choosing from the same bunch of materials, every bag at our table turned out so differently! It was a memorable experience, and each bag is the perfect stylish souvenir. Visit IslanderUK.com to learn more or book a workshop in Edinburgh, St. Andrews, or London.

Islander Workshop Experience at Canongate in Edinburgh Photo courtesy of Islander UK

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Voyager Storytelling Through Scent Another pioneer in Scotland’s fashion and beauty industry, founder Imogen Russon-Taylor of Kingdom Scotland celebrates the stories of Scottish people, places, and culture through luxury fragrances. A former team member at the global luxury powerhouse LVMH and a veteran of the craft spirits industry, Russon-Taylor launched Kingdom Scotland in 2018 after realizing there was no fine fragrance brand in Scotland. Tapping into her education as a geology and earth sciences student and lover of botanicals, she brought her brand to life in Edinburgh and has since focused on expanding with intention, one scent at a time. “Slow branding has been part of the process,” she says. “It was important to me to use natural oils and packaging partners from the UK, preferably from Scotland.” Growth has ignited quickly, however, thanks to the popularity of Kingdom Scotland from the beginning. Its launch event took place at department store Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh, garnering a lot of buzz that only grew as more people fell in love with each scent. The fragrance house’s current lineup includes four distinctive eau de parfums: Metamorphic, a richly spiced and award-winning scent inspired by Scotland’s complex geology with a nod to the world of whisky; Portal, which is luminous and transporting, capturing springtime in a dense Caledonian forest; Albaura celebrates notes of iced botanicals and frosted sharp berries, based on the inspiring life and works of Scottish botanist and Arctic explorer Isobel Wylie Hutchison; and finally Kingdom Botanica, whose verdant, floral, woody scent celebrates over 355 years of plant protection and adventure at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Harking back to Russon-Taylor’s expertise in fine spirits, Kingdom Scotland has also partnered with The Macallan Scotch whisky to release two signature candle scents. Nurtured by Nature is reminiscent of The Macallan’s beautiful 485-acre Estate, home to the iconic Distillery, while Easter Elchies is inspired

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by the brand’s spiritual home—the Baronial Easter Elchies House at the heart of the Estate. With storytelling and sustainability at its heart and Scottish heritage in its soul, it’s no wonder Kingdom Scotland has garnered plenty of accolades in its relatively young lifespan thus far. Kingdom Scotland has been named a three-time finalist in the Fragrance Foundation Awards, a finalist for Best Sustainable Business by Women’s Enterprise Scotland in 2024, and winner of the Archetype Award for Best Spicy Fragrance (Metamorphic) in the Marie Claire Fragrance Awards 2025. Imogen Russon-Taylor received the Business Woman of the Year 2024 award by Business Women Scotland and was named a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2024. Kingdom Scotland also offers immersive Scent Experiences and Masterclasses, which the brand describes as “refined, multi-sensory events created for private clients, luxury brands, and corporate audiences. From seated scent workshops to curated whisky and fragrance pairings to bespoke collaborations with chefs and mixologists, these experiences illuminate the shared language of aroma, craftsmanship, and storytelling. Here, perfume becomes a cultural encounter, transporting guests through Scotland in scent.” I had the privilege of attending a Scent Experience with Imogen and a whisky tasting at The Balmoral in Edinburgh, in partnership with the hotel’s SCOTCH Bar, which was the perfect way to experience both brands and the mingling of history, luxury, and senses. A spritz of Kingdom Scotland’s Metamorphic eau de parfum and a sip of Glenmorangie will forever create a perfect time capsule moment of my first (but certainly not last) trip to Scotland. Visit KingdomScotland.com to learn more. US readers can shop Kingdom Scotland fragrances online via Harrods and Les Senteurs.

To plan your trip, start exploring at VisitScotland.com.

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Visit IndacoRestaurant.com to learn more. Reservations at Indaco can be made on OpenTable. Photo by Modernmade Photography

Alys Goes Italian! Indaco is a modern Italian restaurant that spotlights fresh seafood, authentic wood-fired pizzas, and hand-crafted pastas, with an atmosphere that complements the idyllic and bustling Alys Beach Town Center. Indaco is nestled alongside another Indigo Road property, O-Ku, which opened its doors in 2024. The culinary program is led by Executive Chef Dakota Watson, who brings a wealth of local knowledge to the team at Indaco. Guests can expect fresh seafood, authentic wood-fired pizzas, and hand-crafted pastas that showcase locally sourced, premium ingredients.

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Love, VIE xo

M O D E R N COASTA L D ES I G N Furniture • Art • Decor • Garden • Outdoor • Custom Upholstery • Design Services 16810 Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama City Beach, FL 32413 Open Tuesday–Saturday, 10 AM–6 PM

(850) 775-1227 • MAISON30A.COM • @MAISON30A

LA and London Museums Celebrate Marilyn Monroe 90 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

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By Anthea Gerrie

t may be 100 years since she was born and more than half a century since her brief life expired, but Marilyn Monroe lives, forever young, in 2026 Los Angeles. Platinum blondes stride the Santa Monica Pier, ocean breezes rather than subway grates billowing their white pleated dresses high around their legs. Statuesque rival lookalikes strut their stuff on Wilshire Boulevard in shocking pink cocktail gowns designed to show off the diamonds given by gentlemen to the blondes they prefer, while others offset their peroxided locks with the kind of black evening frock Marilyn so presciently wore for her last photoshoot—an epitaph in the making.

—every independent woman can see an aspect of herself in Marilyn, applauding the actress’s triumph over tragedy and victory over the men who sought (and failed) to control her career and image. So it’s not surprising America’s movie capital is celebrating the centenary of the world’s most famous film star with a handful of not-to-be-missed exhibitions in LA and across the pond in London. “We’re looking at how she shaped her career quite actively,” says Sophia Serrano, curator of Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. More actively than might be imagined, because even when more of a rising star than a guaranteed box-office draw, the blonde bombshell circumnavigated the studio system that sought to stereotype so many other beauties they held under contract rather than freeing them to perform to their full potential. After capturing her on camera, the photographer Milton H. Greene empowered his subject way back in 1954. Greene persuaded her that she could control her destiny by forming her own production company to showcase the considerable range of her talents.

Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon is on display at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures through February 28, 2027. Photo © Academy Museum Foundation, Photos by Emily Shur

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ith its giant screens and unparalleled archives, the Academy Museum is betterplaced than any other institution to tell Marilyn’s story through the movies she starred in. It’s a treat to see her stitched into that tight pink dress by William Travilla, singing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” before the changing projection brings you so many other Marilyns: the object of every man’s sexual fantasy in The Seven Year Itch, the aspiring cabaret star in Bus Stop who provoked a Golden Globe nomination, and the ditzy girl band singer in Some Like It Hot, for which she won that Golden Globe, reminding the world what a natural comedienne she was as well as an accomplished singer and surprisingly serious actress. Her most famous movie costumes are on show at the museum, although what we really want to see—and can, on the spot—is Marilyn twirling in them to bring them to life. And while her own wardrobe of simple shapes and neutral shades seems a tad drab by comparison with her screen costumes, it’s fascinating to see her make-up palette laid out and learn how her look was a careful collaboration between herself and her trusted make-up artist, Allen “Whitey” Snyder, who fulfilled his promise to do her funeral make-up if she died before him. Like all of us who judge ourselves too harshly, even this beauty found fault with her features, working her whole life to disguise what a producer described as “an unattractive jawline.”

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Her talent, not the main topic of conversation in this exhibition so much as her public look and private life, was not lost on that greatest of British actors, Sir Laurence Olivier, despite the troubled shoot of The Prince and the Showgirl, which she made for her own production company, inviting him to direct and co-star with her in 1957. He was generous about the experience, saying, “Marilyn was quite wonderful.”

Marilyn Monroe’s movie costumes are a prominent feature of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ Marilyn exhibition. Photos © Academy Museum Foundation, Photos by Emily Shur

But not all directors were so indulgent of a star who unraveled fast in the last few years of her life, including Billy Wilder, with whom she shared her greatest commercial and critical success in Some Like It Hot. A shocking exchange of never-before-displayed correspondence can be read between Wilder and Marilyn’s adored third husband, Arthur Miller, the former making a vicious attack on his star’s lateness and unprofessionalism. Miller robustly defended her with a reminder that his wife was pregnant and not supposed to work full days on a shoot that culminated in her miscarriage. Wilder caved in with an apology, but the pregnancy was lost the very day the film wrapped, and within a few short years, the marriage to the man Marilyn described as the first with whom she had ever been truly in love was lost, too. Yet the woman who was abandoned by her mother to the care of others at two weeks old and never sure who her father was remained surprisingly close to her father-in-law after her divorce from Miller. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 93

he brought him with her to the JFK birthday celebration gala where she sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to the president, and she remained close to Miller’s children, too,” reveals Serrano, who also addresses the fact that Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn’s second husband, came back into her life during her final months and ultimately oversaw her funeral. Serrano’s personal favorite item in the show actually predates the star’s career: her childhood collection of cigarette cards featuring movie stars she never imagined 94 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

at age nine she would one day be seen with on the silver screen. “She was a huge movie fan, and had a card featuring Bette Davis; then later she’s in a movie with Bette Davis!” says Serrano of All About Eve, in which the still virtually unknown actress stole all her scenes but did not win any of the five Oscar acting nominations. More bittersweet was her appearance opposite Clark Gable, another star who made it into her card collection, in The Misfits, the troubled shoot in which her marriage to Miller, who wrote the script, experienced its excruciating death throes.

Voyager

Photos © Academy Museum Foundation, Photos by Emily Shur

“He loved her but could not save her from herself,” says Peter Fetterman, whose portrait exhibition at his Santa Monica gallery, Marilyn Monroe: A Silent Life, offers the most immediate way to get up close and personal with Marilyn and gain insights from the gallerist into the photographers who became close friends and mentors throughout her career. Even more so than Greene—“He fell in love with her before becoming her business manager”—there was Sam Shaw, who captured the actress and the playwright throughout their courtship and honeymoon period. “He moved in the circle of New York intellectuals Marilyn aspired to join, which included her acting coaches Lee and Paula Strasberg, as well as Miller,” adds Fetterman. It was Sam whom Marilyn invited to take intimate pictures of herself and Miller at their country home early in their marriage, which are on show at London’s National Portrait Gallery as part of the exhibit Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait. Honoring the end of her life, the Academy Museum does Marilyn proud by replaying her last interview, given the day before she died, on a loop. In it, she candidly expresses the dichotomies of her life: liking people, for example, while finding “the public” scary. But it is a shocking image at Fetterman’s gallery that endures in the mind: the naked, faded-out blonde, canceled in one bright stroke, a lipstick-colored cross on the contact sheet of her “Last Sitting” photoshoot for Vogue by Bert Stern. The mark was made by Marilyn herself to indicate rejection of the shot—one of her last acts of selfassertion in the right to control which images of herself she would allow to be published. In death, Marilyn was denied that. The picture was put out there after all. But given how maligned she was by so many, with conjecture about whether her premature death really was at her own hand—the inquest was inconclusive—she would likely have approved the title, Crucifix, and the conspiracy theory associated with it that Marilyn, the original Inconvenient Woman, was disappeared before she could cause any embarrassment to figures of high office or anyone else.

Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon is at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles until February 28, 2007. Marilyn Monroe: A Silent Life is at the Peter Fetterman Gallery, Santa Monica until September 5, 2026. Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait runs at London’s National Portrait Gallery until September 6. Visit AcademyMuseum.org, PeterFetterman. com, or NPG.org.uk to learn more or plan a visit. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 95

Petite pause

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Louis Vuitton’s Women’s High Summer Collection captures the spirit of the Riviera through relaxed silhouettes, seasonal accessories, and the House’s signature craftsmanship. The collection brings a polished ease to warm-weather dressing, designed for days spent along the coast and summer escapes. To discover the collection, visit LouisVuitton.com. Photography courtesy of Louis Vuitton

A summer state of mind. —LOUIS VUITTON V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 97

Voyager

A PORTRAIT of a PLACE Lucian Books & Wine Paints an Experience Beyond the Table

BY TAYLOR HOLCOMBE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW THOMAS LEE

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n a cloudy day in November 2018, a married couple walked hand in hand down the streets of London, mesmerized by the sights and enamored with the possibilities. Katie Barringer had just shut the doors to Cover Books—a bookstore in West Atlanta that showcased her passion for lifestyle-based volumes centered on food, wine, travel, art, and design—and Jordan Smelt had recently left Bread & Butterfly and was working as general manager for Rive Gauche Wine Co. It was when they stumbled upon Maison Assouline that their creative and entrepreneurial hearts began to flutter. Despite the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Circus, once they opened the doors to the small bar that seamlessly combined culture with elegance, style with sophistication, their vision began to clear with the English skies. “We truly looked at each other and just knew this is what we’re doing together,” Barringer told Eater Atlanta. Combining Barringer’s bookstore experience with Smelt’s wine background, they created Lucian Books and Wine, located in Atlanta’s premier Buckhead neighborhood. Fittingly, Lucian was named after renowned British painter Lucian Freud, a pioneering portraitist and modern expressionist whose neo-figurative work centered on infusing emotion, boldness, and humanity into abstraction. At Lucian Books and Wine, the characteristics of Freud’s work take on a life of their own, not only in the meticulous curation of books, wine, food, and atmosphere, but in the people who come for the experience and inevitably walk away with so much more. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 99

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EMOTIONAL DISTORTION Something Lucian Freud did best was use exaggerated, twisted, and often primitive forms to show raw feeling. Books have that same tendency—to challenge people, to elicit emotion in us all, willing or otherwise. And when you walk into Lucian Books and Wine, you can’t help but be spellbound by its art museum of pages meticulously chosen and placed—some on display, some stacked, but all available to peruse and purchase. With Barringer’s background in the arts, along with her upbringing as the granddaughter of a librarian, it makes sense that she personally curates Lucian’s collection, which primarily comprises nonfiction and centers on the same topics she was passionate about displaying at Cover Books: art collections on everything from Cézanne to Basquiat, fashion volumes covering Chanel and Marc Jacobs, and even wine anthologies like Château Lafite’s The Almanac chronicling its entire history since 1868. Each title serves as a celebration of culture, style, and life. This love of art and culture spans back to her college days. “As a student, I couldn’t afford to buy art,” Barringer told Atlanta Magazine. “But I could afford books. So they were my starter collection,” she adds. It’s this accessibility that is just as important to co-owner and beverage director Jordan Smelt. With more than 450 bottles of wine, patrons could become

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overwhelmed, but Smelt was intentional with the menu’s approachability. “A lot of places still make wine intimidating in the way the lists are written,” he says in Eater Atlanta. But at Lucian Books and Wine, all wines are organized by grape variety, and by-the-glass or bottle options are listed in a magazine-style menu for ease of discovery. With hundreds of wines, it’s hard to pick just a few. Still, standout pours include the Union Sacré Edelzwicker (2025), a skin-contact or orange wine produced in California’s Central Coast region. It’s especially palatable, with crisp acidity and a vibrant finish of citrus and wildflowers. Another favorite is the Bodegas Tros Tempranillo (2024), a full-bodied red wine, both balanced and velvety, from Ribera del Duero, Spain, with flavors of dark cherry, ripe blackberry, and vanilla followed by hints of leather, cocoa, and spice. As though a part of an exhibition, even the bottles of wine at Lucian are on display, ready to be admired and tasted. Just look up, and you’ll see hundreds of bottles lining the ceiling, ready to be explored.

BOLD TECHNIQUES Rough brushstrokes, mixed media, and color choices that reject neat, traditional rules are methods Lucian Freud often employed in his work, and you can sense them in Lucian Books and Wine’s decor and atmosphere. For the space, Barringer and Smelt “wanted to balance sophistication with a relaxed quality.” The result is a restaurant that is luxurious and elevated yet approachable. The walls are drenched in rich plum with cushions to match; guests are seated at marbled tabletops; a bronzed, geometric chandelier hangs overhead; curtains, equally geometric in pattern, help to dim the bright, natural lighting coming through Lucian’s many floor-to-ceiling windows; mid-century bookshelves pair nicely with Lucian’s arched doorways; and the Harlequin floors makes you feel like you’ve waltzed in to a Parisian cafe. The unconventionality and innovation of Freud’s art can be felt in Lucian Books and Wine’s cuisine, as well. Executive Chef Jason Paolini, a Louisiana native with more than twenty years of experience in Atlanta’s restaurant industry, joined Lucian in January 2022. Since then, Paolini has been blending subtle flavors with moments of intensity. A particular highlight on their menu is the crisp gem lettuces with delightfully crunchy pole beans, Belper Knolle cheese, and benne seeds. It’s a textural tour de force brought together by an herbaceous vinaigrette so bright and flavorful it seems worthy of drinking on its own. Another is their viral omelette with caviar and crème fraîche. Apparently, the omelette was on the menu long before Paolini joined Lucian, but, as he shared on the Sky’s The Limit podcast, he’s worked to “continue to perfect it and make it even better.” Prepared in the classical French style, the omelette baveuse has a fluffy texture and a beautifully cloudlike center that offers a subtle explosion of flavor. Nearly juxtaposed in its composition, the buttery comfort of the eggs and the luxurious salinity of the caviar make a formidably sexy pair. To put it simply: this omelette will change you.

OH, AND BE SURE TO ASK FOR THE FRENCH FRIES SERVED WITH A SIDE OF TARRAGON AIOLI. IT’S AN UNLISTED DISH ON THE MENU, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY A WORTHY ADDITION. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 101

RETURN TO THE FIGURE Lucian Freud’s art, unlike the greats whose works depict landscapes, still life, or abstraction, focused on humanity, or rather, what it means to be human. Physically, yes, as he often painted the human form—but also meaningfully, as he strove to portray their everyday realities. As guests sit, drink, observe, and dream, it’s the people at Lucian Books and Wine that truly make the space special. Their interactions with each other and their engagement with the restaurant, Barringer told Eater Atlanta, “has always been the purpose behind Lucian.” You may find two women on what appears to be a bestie outing seated right next to you, looking through books about wine and bonding over their lack of experience in a place like this, and one of them mid-sip, fawning, “I love every part of this place.” Or there could be a table of friends (or maybe lovers) having conversations ranging from in-depth to lighthearted as they share stories of their tragic love lives and subsequent trips to Barcelona. The stylish couple, well into their seventies, are on what could either be a casual outing or a special occasion—either way, they’re dressed to the nines. That’s what Lucian offers: the opportunity for experiences both profound and mundane, each exquisite in its own right, and each uniquely human. Barringer and Smelt have now breathed this same life into their newest endeavor, Sargent, located in the Old Fourth Ward near Atlanta’s BeltLine. Named after American expatriate artist John Singer Sargent, famous for his Impressionist portraits, particularly the Portrait of Madame X, which depicts a woman posing in a black satin dress with jeweled straps. Her demeanor and dress suggest that she has something both to reveal and to hide. Likewise, mystery and intrigue are part of what has made Lucian Books and Wine so captivating, but at three times the size of its predecessor, Sargent is all about making itself known. Patrons can expect a larger bar with a covered patio, more energetic music, and an expansive selection of classic cocktails and spirits. 102 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

Voyager When it comes to the cuisine, just like the artist himself, Sargent promises to feature American classics with a French influence. “John Sargent was known for technique and craftsmanship in his artwork,” shared Chef Paolini in Atlanta Magazine. “We want to take that to the food.” Though Sargent will provide a different experience from Lucian, the books aren’t going anywhere; those will continue to be displayed and sold. It was Barringer’s love of books, after all, that brought the dream of Lucian to life. Today those same books line its shelves—books like Eric Wareheim’s Steak House: The People, the Places, the Recipes, a love letter to local restaurants and fan-favorite establishments across the United States; Cig Harvey’s Emerald Drifters, an exploration of the ephemeral told through ruby reds and royal blues; and collections like Carlotta Guerra’s Like We Could Almost Live Forever, a series of photographs and writings that celebrate life’s idiosyncrasies and reflect on its impermanence. Collectively, the shelves offer more than reading material. They articulate Lucian’s philosophy of finding meaning in the moments that so often slip by unnoticed and of taking time to treat oneself, whether with others or alone. But with the books and stories all around them, whether at Lucian or Sargent, no one is truly alone.

Visit LucianBooksandWine.com to learn more or book a table.

Silhouettes sway like waves. Lines overlap one another. Figure and ground intersect. —ISSEY MIYAKE 104 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

Petite pause

IM MEN’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection, In Praise of Bamboo Shadows, explores the shifting forms and textures of bamboo through layered silhouettes, overlapping lines, and subtle movement. Inspired by bamboo forests depicted in ink-wash paintings and traditional katazome kimono dyeing, the collection translates these natural and artistic references into contemporary menswear. Presented in Paris this summer, the runway featured an installation by the MDS design team and Rikako Nagashima. For more information, visit IsseyMiyake.com. Photo by Carlo Scarpato (GoRunway) / Issey Miyake Inc. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 105

Inspirations

For more information, visit ChanLuu.com. Photography by Rich Stapleton

Inspirations IMAGINE MORE

Chan Luu is entering a new era with its first-ever Bridal Collection, a capsule created for the unconventional bride. Inspired by founder and creative director Tessa Tran’s own wedding, the collection includes heirloom-worthy jewelry, feather brooches, and taffeta and dupioni separates. The pieces are designed to work across the wedding weekend, from courthouse ceremonies and rehearsal dinners to bridal brunches, while remaining wearable long after the celebration. Tran describes the collection as an alternative to purchasing pieces intended for a single occasion, instead creating designs that can become part of a woman’s wardrobe and carry the memories of her wedding into everyday life.

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Inspirations Making Lemonade Out of Lemons By Meghan Ryan Asbury Life has given us some lemons lately. Some of them are related to moving cities, others related to life with an infant. And some come from simply being human and struggling to live in a broken world. I’ve tasted the sourness of those lemons: middle-of-the-night crash-outs from not sleeping, teary car rides grieving unmet expectations, frustrated conversations with my husband about the unfairness of life. But I know I have some autonomy to change my perspective even if I can’t change my circumstances. They say, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade,” and I’m here to put that to practice. For the past several weeks, I’ve taken steps to change my attitude about these lemons. So I dubbed this season “My Lemonade Season.”

about acknowledging what’s hard, unexpected, and disappointing but not staying there. Instead, we choose to trust that God has good for us here still. It doesn’t change the facts of life, and I say often, it doesn’t always change my feelings. But it does increase my faith—and it helps me find joy in the here and now, which is where life happens. The funny thing I forget about “lemons” is they are fruit, too. They are evidence of life, growth, and harvest. We may not always like the taste. We may wish for berries, peaches, or something a little sweeter. But all we have to do is mix in some water and sugar-like gratitude and find ways to enjoy and enhance our days. And boom, we’ve got something better than we started with. Those other fruits have their seasons, and we’ll get to enjoy those when they come. To do that, I’m documenting the beauty of each day with photos on my phone and scribbled lists of what I’m thankful for in a notebook. I’m telling my husband and parents what has been good, and asking them to share the same with me.

What does that mean? I think it’s tempting to spend time focusing on things we do not have, and in the process we miss what we do have. More than that, I think we miss what the “lemons” we’ve got are actually offering:

ingredients to make something beautiful out of the life God has given us. We may not have all the things we wanted or hoped for right now, but we’re fighting to find things around every corner to love and appreciate about this season. Things that wouldn’t exist if we had all the things we wanted and hoped for at this moment. For example: My husband, daughter, and I are temporarily living with my parents. The “temporary” part is taking longer than we expected as we try to sell our house and look for a new one. While we long for our own space to feel more settled, there are some perks to our current setup. We get to be walking distance to the beach and our favorite coffee shop, which is not something we’ll have once we get our own house. We’re getting to experience multi-generational living and all the fun (and tensions) that come along with it. We’re getting to live really simply with all our stuff in storage and enjoy what each day has to offer us without getting bogged down by house chores and maintaining things. (And we’re also not sleeping, thanks to our six-month-old waking up constantly. I don’t have a “lemonade” for that yet, but I believe it’ll come!) We don’t know when these things will change, but for the first time in a long time, I’m not worried about it. Because perspective really does change things. I’m not talking about gaslighting ourselves into Pollyanna-like optimism—I’m talking 108 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

So I hope you can find ways to take what’s in front of you and ask God what He wants to make out of it. Some days it’ll be easier than others.

My prayer is we all find more beauty, more joy, and more abundant life within whatever season we find ourselves. Meghan Ryan Asbury is an author and speaker who is passionate about helping people discover and live out their God-given callings. She has worked in international ministries as well as with Proverbs 31 Ministries. When she’s not surrounded by friends, you can usually find her reading a book or enjoying the great outdoors. A 30-A beach girl, born and raised, she and her husband now reside in Nashville. Her first book, You Are Not Behind: Building a Life You Love Without Having Everything You Want, is available wherever books are sold. You can connect with her on Instagram @meghanryanasbury and at AlwaysMeghan.com.

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L’intermission

Mike Amiri presents an American approach to elegance: instinctive, impulsive, personal, and easy, reflecting a breed of confidence and effortless sophistication. These are clothes built for pleasure. Find more at AMIRI.com. Photo courtesy of AMIRI

American Pleasures The Spring-Summer 2027 AMIRI collection for men and women is inspired by LA after dark—Malibu at sunset, Beverly Hills at midnight—rediscovering the city as louche and languid, debauched and decadent. It’s Hollywood at night and at play. After dark, the city’s topography is viewed from a new perspective, shifting between locales, identities, and characters, from casual to formal, public to private. Intimate homes, hotel bars, and private clubs are backdrops to seduction and provocation.

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Love, VIE xo

1

In The Fold

The Rapture – Flame & Blush Flip raptnewyork.com – $350

CENTER STAGE

September arrives with a renewed sense of style, shaped by the people and places that leave a lasting impression. This edition of C’est la VIE brings together pieces chosen for every moment, from refined wardrobe staples and statement jewelry to heirloom-worthy accessories and luxury essentials. Whether inspired by the spotlight, a favorite soundtrack, or the energy of a new season, each selection reflects the artistry and confidence that define fashion and entertainment today. 112 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

C’est la vie

2

Flower Power

Maisha Dress lollieshop.com – $495

Red Carpet 3

HARRY WINSTON Platinum & 18K White Gold No Heat Ruby and Diamond Necklace yafasignedjewels.com – Contact for pricing

4

Speed Reader

Vintage Cars (2nd Edition) assouline.com – $120

Final Touch 5

Lip Pencils and Case us.louisvuitton.com – $980

6

En Pointe

Arizona Sandals – Repetto x Birkenstock repetto.co – $495

Stripe a Pose 7

Grant Shirt shoproari.com – $240

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 113

C’est la vie

8

Bright Side

Orly Dress lollieshop.com – $525

Golden Age 9

BULGARI Tubogas Necklace with Ancient Domiziano Coin Pendant 81–96 AD yafasignedjewels.com – Contact for pricing

Spring in Your Step 10

Spring in a Bottle Non-Alc Rosé wolffer.com – $20

Wild Card 11

Barb Top shoproari.com – $420

After Hours 12

Victoria Hagan x High Camp | The Art of Summer Candle Large highcampsupply.com – $275 114 | SE P T E MBE R 2 026

Pocket Full 13

Flò Pouch – Beige flowze.it – $217

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 115

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Fine Tune

Le Peigne david-mallett.com – $75

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C’est la vie

Stained Glass Chic 15

Rowan Dress cartolinanantucket.com – $398

16

A Star Is Born

Idylle Blossom Pendant, White Gold And Diamonds us.louisvuitton.com – $5,250

After Party 17

Lucca Dress lollieshop.com – $495

18

The Toast

Spring in a Bottle NonAlc Blanc de Blancs wolffer.com – $20

Black Tie 19

Spring Bag Onyx rhakanewyork.com – 178 V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 117

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La scène

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Brooke Gontarek

The Adaro Art Team: Nicole Upchurch, Brooke Gontarek, Francisco Adaro, and Alexandra Dyanne with Sleepyhead

V I E X A DA RO A RT J U LY I S S U E COV E R C E L E B R AT I O N We rolled out the VIE pink carpet at The Shops at The Hub on 30A on July 17, 2026, to celebrate our July issue, featuring work by Francisco Adaro of Adaro Art on the cover!? It was a great event with the community, readers, and friends enjoying a live painting by Francisco, live music by Jesse Reese, and an evening that reflected the creativity and whimsy behind the Summertime Issue. It was a pleasure to celebrate with everyone who joined us and an honor to feature Adaro Art on our cover! Photography by Hunter Burgtorf

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 121

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La scène

The VIE Team: Callie Nunley, Katie Ogletree, Jordan Staggs, Lisa Marie Burwell, Gerald Burwell, Caitlyn Burrus, and Jack Kirkendall

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 123

Tom Holland takes a selfie with fans by the red carpet during the LA premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez//Sony Pictures via Getty Images

S P I D E R- M A N : B R A N D N E W DAY LOS A N G E L E S P R E M I E R E Spidey is back in a premiere bigger than ever as the fourth installment of the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise debuted July 31. The Los Angeles premiere on July 27 at the Dolby Theatre was an exciting red-carpet event complete with fan photo ops and, of course, great style from the cast and crew. Spider-Man: Brand New Day went on to become the second-largest box office opening globally (number one in the US) and joins the ranks of just a few films to earn over $2 billion in theatres worldwide.

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Michael B. Jordan

Zendaya

Jon Bernthal and Colton Hill

Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images

Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images

Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images

Liza Colón-Zayas and Marvin Jones III

Jacob Batalon and Destin Daniel Cretton

Sadie Sink with fans on the red carpet

Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez//Sony Pictures via Getty Images

Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images

Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez// Sony Pictures via Getty Images

Tom Holland and Zendaya Photo by Eric Charbonneau/ Sony Pictures via Getty Images

Spider-Man cast and director Destin Daniel Cretton Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images

V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 125

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The Last Word

Solution on next page

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT! BY MYLES MELLOR

ACROSS

DOWN

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Song by Billie Eilish which won Song of the Year in 2026 Cirque du Soleil show Help Eric Clapton classic The Lord of the Rings actor, Bloom Slice of history Harry Potter actress, ____ Watson Guitar great Jeff ___ Sign of agreement That is, abbr. Main setting for The Devil Wears Prada 2, abbr. The Bangles song, “Walk Like an ____” Alicia Keys hit The original James Bond’s last name Hello! in slang Mountain, for short Former partner, informally The Hobbit actor, ____ Wood Avatar star, ____ Saldaña Concerning Mischievous little devil Peaky Blinders star, Cillian _____ Cole Hauser’s role in Dutton Ranch, ____ Wheeler

“Last Night” singer, Morgan _____ Bob Dylan song from 1969, 3 words Outlander hero, Jamie _____ Lennon’s lady Jazz singer Fitzgerald The Karate ___ Fuss and bother Vampire author Rice Palillo of Welcome Back, Kotter Penn & Teller’s expertise African American entertainment provider Group often featured in Tom Clancy novels Jazzman G Peter Sellers stars in the hilarious movie The Pink ____ ___ T: in Law and Order “I did it __ way” —Frank Sinatra ____girls movie starring Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson Fish eggs used as a delicacy Gen. ____ Bradley Jodie Foster stars in Panic ___ She does commercials for AT&T ___lining US environmental watchdog, abbr. Street abbreviation V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 131

The Last Word Puzzle on previous page

“

The world is a stage; the stage is a world of entertainment. —Howard Dietz & Arthur Schwartz, “That’s Entertainment!”

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SEASON 6

WALT CHANCEY & CAMERON HUGHES • ANGELA & JEREMY WALTON • JON SHIRLEY • BROOKE KROMER • DAVE KING • MELISSA SKOWLUND • DR. DAVID WEILL • ZOLTAN NAGY • THE PAPER BEAR TEAM

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1

24,229 Total Children Helped

193,617 Total Services Given

$11,051,277 Total Dollars

Au revoir!

A beautiful luncheon setup featuring the Gracie Gardens collection by Carrier and Company Interiors for Lee Jofa, including the Gracie Gardens – Slate tablecloth, Camellia Toile – Brown and Margaux Print – Moss pillows, and Camellia Toile – Sky seat cushions. For more information, visit CarrierandCompany.com.

Au revoir! BEFORE YOU GO . . .

Photography by Hunter Abrams

Created to coincide with Carrier and Company’s twentieth anniversary, Gracie Gardens takes its name from the Upper East Side building where Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller founded the firm. The textiles collection draws from the layered interiors of prewar New York, Art Deco, and Japonisme, reinterpreting each through the designers’ signature approach. Painterly florals, imperfect block prints, tailored weaves, velvets, chenilles, and embroideries are designed to layer throughout an interior, while moody charcoals, inky blues, blush tones, aged golds, and rich reds create the collection’s palette. The result is a collection rooted in the influences that have shaped Carrier and Company, with patterns, textures, and colors intended to work together across an interior.

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