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or 20 years, Gary Black has been shaping Black Optical around a simple idea: exceptional eyewear matters, but the way people feel matters just as much. Last March marked Gary’s 30th year in eyewear. This year, Black Optical celebrates two decades of building something intentionally different.

When Gary founded Black Optical, the vision was clear: curate eyewear from the world’s best independent designers, champion exceptional craftsmanship, and create an experience rooted in education, hospitality, and genuine connection. He never set out to be everything to everyone. “If you try to be everything to everyone, you end up meaning very little to anyone.” That idea still shapes the brand today. Across six showrooms in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Fort Worth, Clayton, and St. Louis, Black Optical’s assortment is intentionally edited. Gary and his team seek out designers with a distinct point of view, exceptional materials, and a reason for existing beyond trend. But the product is only part of the experience. Inspired in part by Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality, Gary began thinking about Black Optical less like a traditional retail environment and more like a place where people should feel genuinely cared for. Inside the company, the philosophy is simple: treat everyone like a guest in your home. That means paying attention, asking better questions, sharing knowledge, and remembering the details. Styling begins with conversation, and education matters as much as aesthetics. The goal is not simply to find someone a frame, but to help them find something that feels unmistakably their own. 4 LUXI E R E

BL ACK OP TICA L’S TULSA SHOWROOM

The showrooms reflect the same thinking. What began as minimal, gallery-inspired spaces has evolved into warmer, more layered environments filled with vintage furniture, rugs, soft lighting and objects that feel collected rather than commercially placed. Gary describes the ideal Black Optical showroom as less like a traditional optical store and more like the home of someone interesting and well-traveled. The environment is there to support the hospitality. There is no single Black Optical client. Some collect eyewear alongside art, watches, or clothing. Others may not consider themselves collectors at all – they simply know what they like and are willing to invest in the things that matter to them. What connects them is discernment: an appreciation for good design, trusted expertise, and objects chosen with intention.

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Over time, that point of view has pushed Black Optical beyond traditional retail. The brand has developed exclusive collaborations, limited projects, and creative experiences rooted in the same philosophy: thoughtful design, independent creativity, and meaningful connection. More recently, Gary has taken that thinking into product creation with Kuro Athletics. Engineered in Japan, Kuro rethinks performance eyewear for prescription athletes through a first-of-its-kind integrated prescription lens technology that eliminates the awkward pop-in inserts traditionally used in sport frames. Lightweight construction, precision engineering, and considered design come together in eyewear built to perform without becoming a distraction. Kuro is simply the next expression of a philosophy Gary has followed for two decades: challenge convention, never settle for good enough, and make every detail matter. That same mindset still defines Black Optical today – a distinct point of view shaped by design, education, hospitality, and a commitment to creating an experience soon not to be forgotten.

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Contents

30 Glam for Good

Haute couture that elevates possibility: That’s the eye-pleasing power contained in Goodwill of Central Oklahoma’s annual Work the Runway fashion-centric fundraiser. S TO R Y B Y A N D R E A S C H U LT Z

56 Fall into the Catskills

The purest picture-postcard representation of autumn in the nation might be found in upstate New York, including plenty of temptations to make a getaway worthwhile. STO RY BY MEG A N SHEPHER D

74 Soft Power

Vibrantly colored and stunning in scale, Oklahoma artist Rachel Hayes’ epic textile creations defy easy categorization even as they dazzle viewers nationwide.

P H O T O G R A P H BY J U S T I C E S M I T H E R S

P H O TO G R A P H BY M I C H A E L K I N N E Y

STO RY BY MEG A N SHEPHER D

64 What Is Oklahoma Fashion? Luxiere asked local tastemakers—people working to help shape the way Oklahoma dresses, designs, shops and sees itself—about the state’s fashion identity. Their answers combine to form a fascinating ensemble of thoughts about expression and style. S TO R Y B Y A N D R E A S C H U LT Z

88 The Last Frontier From cloud-covered mountain vistas to coffee hut culture, Alaska’s unparalleled grandeur and unmistakable vibes make it an absolute must as a bucket list destination. STO RY BY MI CH A EL K INNE Y

96 For the Love of Film

L.A.-based Colton and Austin Warren came back home to Oklahoma to make their first film. The result—recent deadCenter standout Pale Night—shows exactly why. STO RY BY A L E X A NDR A B O H A NN O N

1 8 Making the News: Blayne Alexander | 2 4 Woman of Influence: Kathy Brown | 3 8 Mud, Fire & Swagger: Jonathan Adler 4 4 Living by Design: Cory Lloyd | 5 0 When Love Isn't Enough: Cartier | 6 6 A Persona, An Expression: Fashion | 8 2 Spiritual Awakening: Mallory's Ghost

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Pg. 38 Contemporary American potter Jonathan Adler has spent more than 30 years turning clay into a philosophy of living.

A Letter from the Editor

hat is it that intrigues you? What—or who—do you find inspiring? What brings depth and meaning into your life? These are the questions swirling in our minds most days. It’s what we do best here at Luxiere, after all. We love to chat up the creative class, suss out the secrets of bold business minds and discover charming characters whose captivating lives are filled with surprise and delight. Now is the perfect time to seize the moment and make it yours. Artists know this; perhaps they always have. Take Rachel Hayes, for example. Writer Megan Shepherd says “her body of work feels like a meditation on what it means to be in relationship with the landscape. With wind whipping through the fabric, and light refracting at different moments, evolving to the changing slant of the sun, they take on a presence of their own—unpredictable, shifting and very much alive.” Exhilarating, beautiful and fragile. Speaking of exhilarating and beautiful, we’re spending no small amount of time ogling Maison Cartier’s five most expensive necklaces. They’re all stunners, glimmering with rare beauty and exquisite artistry. We know you’ll covet them as much as we do. We found more beauty, and plenty of heart, at Goodwill of Central Oklahoma’s Work the Runway event, which in addition to supporting workforce development now includes a design competition for students. It was an honor to serve as an advisor and celebrity judge for the event alongside local designer Sydnie Banks, Kourtney Hartenstein with the Hartenstein Foundation and Jakian Parks with Oklahoma Cowboys. We spoke with the stylish Mr. Parks, along with a handful of other sartorial standouts, for a piece examining what fashion means in Oklahoma. No surprise, it’s multifaceted, inspired and layered with @ L U X I E R E M AG A Z I N E

many influences. Perhaps our location in the middle of it all, as it were, allows us the freedom to sample from the coasts, while making our choices distinct. You probably already know this, but the true-crime juggernaut “Dateline” has become a cultural phenom. What you may not know is that one of its best-loved correspondents, Blayne Alexander, grew up in Mesta Park. After college at Duke, she moved to Atlanta to begin her journalism career, and as she tells writer Greg Horton, there’s a story in the show’s upcoming 35th season you won’t want to miss. We’ll take you in this edition to the Catskills, and to Alaska, both places filled with breathtaking natural beauty. You’ll love eavesdropping on our writers’ conversations with the one and only Jonathan Adler, Emmy-winning Broadway producer-turned-home designer Cory Lloyd and the Edition 63 Woman of Influence Kathy Brown, whose ability to do good in the community has only grown since she became an owner of Nichols Hills boutique CK & Company. There’s so much more, friends. This edition is a great read. It’s beautiful, moving, energizing and filled with everything you need to know about living a life well played. Until next time,

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Contributors Pg. 96

EDITION 63

Behind the scenes of Pale Night, codirected and written by Oklahomans Colton and Austin Warren.

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

STACY D. JOHNSON

Each issue of Luxiere represents the combined efforts of an accomplished team of creative

Owner/Publisher/Editor in Chief

Oklahomans. We are pleased to share their work with you, and grateful for the time and talent each has contributed to bringing this publication into being.

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M A K ING THE

NEWS Blayne Alexander’s growth into a “Dateline” presence BY G R EG H O RTO N

“

tlanta is my now; OKC is my origin story and kind of who I am,” Blayne Alexander says. “If it weren’t for my time in Oklahoma, I wouldn’t be who I am today.” The Oklahoma City native and “Dateline NBC” correspondent begins her third year on the popular true crime show this fall. She spoke to Luxiere from her home in Atlanta. Alexander is the daughter of two attorneys, and her father Robert Alexander, a Harvard Law graduate, still practices product liability law from his office in the First National Center. Her mother Anita practiced litigation alternatives, and eventually became an administrative judge before she retired. “I was born at Presbyterian Hospital,” Alexander says, “and I grew up in Mesta Park and attended Wilson Elementary until third grade, when I transferred to Nichols Hills Elementary.” Alexander easily recounts her path through the metro’s public education system, including Classen SAS and graduation from Edmond Santa Fe High School before heading off to Duke. She said she’s proud to be “an OKC girl,” and the pride shows in her tone as she speaks fondly of all her metro memories. It was in third grade at Wilson that she realized that she wanted to be a journalist—like many Oklahomans of that era, the Murrah bombing was the proximate cause for her decision to pursue the news business. Her father was on 9th Street at the time, and the bombing blew the windows out, but a 9-year-old can’t typically contextualize the scale of an event. That was true of Alexander until she woke the next day to see Bryant Gumbel on television, and it’s one of those

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historically symmetrical “coincidences” that Gumbel was anchoring NBC’s “Today” show from Oklahoma City. “When I saw him on the television, I realized it was a big deal,” she says. “My family was the family who watched NBC, and so we watched Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel every morning before school. There are some people who know what they want to become, and I’m one of them, because I knew then that I was going to be a journalist.” The realization, which has stayed with her and informs her work at NBC, is the idea that the news tells people what story is a “big deal.” The reality of people whom she had only known from electronic images beamed from a New York City studio standing in Oklahoma City was disruptive enough to her experience that even a 9-year-old brain could compute that something transformative was happening. That shift solidified her love for journalism and writing; yes, she still writes, and loves the process. “When I was in sixth grade, I wrote a research paper,” she says. “My parents are the world’s biggest cheerleaders, and they never insisted I enroll in law school. They just wanted me to work hard at whatever I loved and be successful. After I wrote that paper, my dad would make me read paragraphs aloud to him, and then when we went somewhere, it didn’t matter who was in the car with us—my grandmother, one of his legal partners, anyone—he’d make me read a couple of paragraphs, and then say, ‘Does that sound like it was written by a sixth grader?!’” Alexander called it the first confidence booster that she was indeed a writer, and it cemented the desire to pursue the idea professionally

“Dateline NBC” correspondant Blayne Alexander LUXI E R E 1919

Alexander from behind the “Dateline NBC” lens 2020 LUXI E R E

as a journalist. Her parents didn’t just encourage, though; they helped her investigate with questions about what internships look like in journalism, what area she wanted to focus on, where could she submit her writing as a high school student … they even encouraged her to join the staff of the high school paper. Duke as her choice of university meant two things: a rigorous academic program and what Alexander calls “majoring in trash talking.” That’s related to Duke basketball, of course, and she remains a steadfast basketball fan, including the Thunder. Just to test her commitment to OKC, I asked if she’d become a Hawks fan while in Georgia. The look she returned was chastening. Duke is a springboard to opportunities for many graduates, but even by its high standards, Alexander’s path to NBC correspondent was hypersonic. She credits legendary Atlanta-area anchor Brenda Wood (16 Emmy Awards) with helping her on the path. Alexander went to Atlanta at 24, where she was a reporter for six years, including two and a half years as a D.C. correspondent. In 2019, she began as an NBC correspondent, bringing her story full circle to the third grader watching Bryant Gumbel on television. As cliche as it sounds, we had to pose the question: How do your Oklahoma roots inform what you do now and who you are now? There were the

aw-shucks moments, like when she was “that” student on campus extending friendly greetings to strangers, a habit that drew more “Is she OK?” looks when she moved to New York City—but the story that stood out demonstrates that she’s an Okie all the way down. “I had just finished a very tough interview with a woman whose story was pretty horrific,” Alexander says. “My first instinct is to listen. No one tells a person’s story better than the person can, so I want to respect their choice to talk to me, make them feel comfortable and let them tell their story. After she finished, I paused everything and asked if she was OK.” A simple, kind gesture that rarely happens in the world of television journalism, but Alexander was raised in the kindness culture of Oklahoma, beginning with her parents and Avery Chapel AME in northeast OKC. That informs how she treats the people she interviews. “‘Dateline’ is telling a story of what it looks like when a family or person gets justice, so something has gone very wrong for them to be talking to us,” she said. “We want to tell the story of who this person was, not just the nuts and bolts of the crime. There is nothing natural about this process. We are entering their life at one of its most difficult moments, and it takes trust for them to talk to us. I keep that in mind in my writing and reporting.” As for season 35, Alexander said it features the mysteries and stories viewers love, but it also has one story she calls “a little different,” and as a teaser of sorts, she finished with: “If I live to be 160, I will never forget the interview for this episode.” Stay tuned. • LUXI E R E 2121

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W O M A N of I N F L U E N C E

K ATH Y BROW N BY CH R IS T IN E ED D IN GTO N

Her grandfather, William T. Payne, was the first layperson to his is the story of a woman who is blooming precisely where serve on the board of Mercy Hospital, when it was still located in she was planted. Or at least pretty close. By Kathy Payne Brown’s reckoning, much of her life has been spent within a downtown Oklahoma City. He was an oilman, too, Brown said, but in her wonderfully understated style, what she did not say is that he, 5-mile radius, except of course for college at Oklahoma State along with Walter Helmerich II, founded Helmerich & Payne, Inc. in where she met her husband of 42 years, Hal. the 1920s, and Payne went on to found Big Chief Drilling in the 1930s. Generations of Brown’s family hail from Nichols Hills, all of whom Brown’s own civic work started in earnest when her kids were at have dedicated themselves to civic causes, philanthropy and voluntarism. Three generations of her family have graduated from Casady School Casady. There was no volunteer job too small, and she did it all. “The with more to follow. Most everyone in her family went to OSU; Brown’s Casady parent organizations, everything. Whether it was working in the concession stand or fundraisers or whatever,” she says. She brother Bond Payne, who attended Vanderbilt, is the exception. This family is deeply rooted in the community and determined to leave it was willing to give it a go. And she doesn’t believe in doing anything halfway. Anything she commits to is going to flourish. Brown said better than they found it. It’s just their way. Brown is happy to tell you about the good community work of during those early years, her husband kept telling her that somebody would gladly pay her for such hard work. But, she says, “I’ve just never her forebears. What she won’t tell you about willingly, and what she will do her level best to downplay, is the vast number of community- been motivated, really, by the dollar. It’s more about impact and making a difference in people’s lives.” changing civic and philanthropic endeavors she’s either led or played Something you’ll notice about Brown is that she almost never says a pivotal role in. She doesn’t see it that way. Brown views herself as more of a connector, with an authentic leadership style. In her words, “me.” It’s always “we.” And she has a quick, self-deprecating sense of humor. Before too long, she was asked to become a trustee of the she just enjoys “pouring into people and projects,” which she does because “I love people … and I love the community. You know, I just school, which came as a bit of a shock to the young mother. “When they said something about being a trustee, I thought, gosh, those do it from my heart.” By any measure, hers is an impressive lineage. Brown’s mother, people were old!” She didn’t see herself as part of that group, but on Nancy Payne Ellis, is something of a philanthropic legend in Oklahoma, the other hand, “I didn’t want to be a trustee on the backside when my kids weren’t there. I wanted to be involved in the life of the school having chaired among many other things the $40 million campaign while they were there,” she says. for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s downtown facility. Brown’s Like her grandfather and mother before her, Brown supports grandmother and namesake, Katheryne Bond Payne, along with Ann Mercy Hospital, something she’s done for three decades. She currently and John Henry, helped found the Payne Education Center, named for her. The nonprofit was the first in Oklahoma to provide training serves on the Mercy Hospital Board, which she chairs; she also serves on for teaching learners with dyslexia to read. If you love Premier Card the Mercy Hospital Foundation Board. In typical form, she jumped in with both feet. She led the fundraising effort for the 174,000-squareseason in Oklahoma City, you can thank Brown’s family.

Kathy Brown

Kathy Brown and CK & Company at Nichols Hills Plaza

foot Love Family Women’s Center, which provides greater access to care for women of all ages, including innovative labor and delivery, low-intervention birthing options, emergency care for pregnant women, women’s surgery and specialized services for women. Other projects at Mercy that bear her fingerprints are the Coletta Cancer Center campaign; the renovation of Mercy’s NICU; and the Catherine Ann Meinders Digestive Health Institute, which is the only comprehensive healthcare center dedicated exclusively to digestive health within a 500-mile drive of Oklahoma City. She has served the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County for about 14 years or, as she likes to put it, “When I joined the Boys & Girls Club, we had three sites and a couple of buses, and now we have 18 clubs, and a fleet of buses.” Boys & Girls Clubs were also chosen as the youth center provider for Oklahoma City’s self-funded improvement plan, MAPS4, and four new youth centers are in the works, too. Big projects clearly don’t intimidate her. “I think it’s because I like collaboration and I like teamwork,” she says. She uses the example of the Love Family Women’s Center. They needed the late Judy Love to chair the campaign, but Love had already told the hospital president no. “I said, ‘We cannot take no for an answer. We have to go talk to her again,’” Brown says. “And we went and sat in her office, and she said, ‘You know, I’ll do it if Cathy Keating will do it.’” Brown said, “Well, let’s go talk to Cathy Keating then.”

Keating said yes, so Love said yes and now Oklahoma women have a world-class healthcare resource. Brown was the glue that made it happen. Or as she says, “I was like, ‘I don’t want to be the head of the campaign, and I don’t want to chair the campaign, but I want to connect the right people that I think can lead this effort.’” One of Brown’s more recent big projects began in 2024, when she became one of four partners who now own CK & Company, a boutique which has anchored Nichols Hills Plaza since its founding by Jane Childress in 1982. Brown’s partners are Harper Webb, Jennifer FoggLickteig and daughter Sarah Bolding. Had she ever owned a business before? No. Did that stop her? Also no. She has a simple business strategy: “Other than making people happy and helping people feel good about themselves and look good, when people come here, they’re treated with kindness, respect and dignity. I just think that that’s important.” Naturally she also has a long-term strategy for the legacy of the shop, which is to eventually hand it off to her young partners. It’s crucial for Brown that the shop continues to be a force for good in the community, and it certainly is. “We continue Jane’s legacy with Hearts for Hearing, so we do the Fashion for Passion event which is really important to me. It’s not for visibility. It’s really just giving back and supporting our community,” she says. Just like absolutely everything else she does! •

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GLAM for

GOOD How Goodwill of Central Oklahoma’s annual fundraising event became a runway for change B Y A N D R E A S C H U LT Z

oodwill of Central Oklahoma’s sixth annual Work the Runway event on Aug. 7 hosted an audience of over 600 guests to support a shared mission: uplifting the local workforce while simultaneously hosting a chic runway presentation that engaged local designers, students, stylists and fashion-lovers alike. Goodwill may be most known for its retail stores across the country, but the mission that these outlets support is much greater than your average thrift store. “We are a workforce development organization; we’re not a retail organization. We use our stores to fund our mission, and so once people really see that and understand it, they’re bought in. They really understand that everything stays local. You’re helping your fellow neighbors get these resources,” says Melissa Richey, vice president of marketing and development for Goodwill Central Oklahoma. Richey, who came on during year three of this event, has helped catalyze it into one of the most anticipated local non-profit fundraisers in OKC. Coming into this year, she says, she “really wanted to make it a show.” One of year six’s new additions was the Work the Runway Student Design Competition in partnership with the University of Central Oklahoma’s Fashion Marketing program. It gave students a chance to design an upcycled look to walk the runway for a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize chosen by a panel of celebrity judges, and a vote in real time by the audience for a $5,000 People’s Choice Award. “It was about this time last year that we were sitting around the table during our brainstorming session—and looking at our survey from the previous event, several people pointed out that they really wanted to see more fashion and more upcycling. There’s another Goodwill in Texas that does something very similar to this, and so we just started asking, ‘What if we included students? What if we included a contest? Could we partner with a local school to see if they would want to provide the outfits?’ We made a call to UCO because we heard that they had a great fashion program, and they were on board from the beginning.” These celebrity judges also served as advisors to the students to help mentor them through their design process over the past year leading up to the runway competition. Their ranks included local designer Sydnie Banks, Kourtney Hartenstein with the Hartenstein Foundation, Jakian Parks with Oklahoma Cowboys and our very own owner/publisher of Luxiere Magazine, Stacy Johnson.

The grand prize winner was Bella Orcutt, who impressed the judges and audience alike with her couture dress upcycled from men’s denim—giving an item that is in abundance at your local store an unrecognizable transformation. “I am so incredibly lucky to have been a student designer for Goodwill’s Work the Runway this year! This was such a life-changing opportunity and I am so thankful to have been chosen as the student designer to receive a $10,000 prize!” wrote Orcutt in an Instagram post following the event. “Thank you Goodwill for this life-changing opportunity and to the wonderful judges who mentored all of us throughout this process and made my dream come to life!” Richey continues, “The response has been huge, and that’s a little overwhelming for us. We’ve kind of tapped into this fashion world that I don’t think a lot of people knew was here. So that’s really exciting.” The runway show also recounts the real stories of employees at Goodwill stores across the metro, highlighting how the organization has helped their career growth, while also allowing them to have a night in the spotlight showcasing their own look created in partnership with a personal stylist. “It’s really about us creating that opportunity for them, for them to build that confidence, for them to see their worth and their value, while also giving them skills—whether it’s their job here at Goodwill, or if they move on to another position,” says Richey. That’s where the real work happens behind the curtain of a fun and glamorous one-night event. By “workforce development,” Goodwill equips individuals with the tools and resources necessary to enter into the local workforce and grow those skills while working in the organization’s retail stores. “It could be anything from a young person who is in foster care and they have to learn how to live on their own, or if they have to care for their siblings. How are they going to do that? We have classes to help them do that,” says Richey. “People who have been incarcerated who are having to start all over again with a second chance opportunity. You see anything from people not knowing how to use a computer or a cell phone. So then, how are they going to get a job? Most applications are online. So it’s us really looking at that person and saying, ‘OK, where are you in life? What are your challenges? Let’s tackle the most important things and make sure your basic needs are met.’”

ABOVE: Looks by student designers Aiyana George (top) and Richard Camacho– whose look won the People’s Choice Award (bottom) OPPOSITE: More looks by student designers Jadyn Tran (top) and Bella Orcutt, whose upcycled denim dress won the Glam for Good Grand Prize (bottom) 33

Goodwill of Central Oklahoma employees take to the runway to sport their upcycled fits with enthusiasm and swagger

2026 Work the Runway Glam for Good judges Stacy Johnson, Kourtney Hartenstein, Sydnie Banks and Jakian Parks

Community events like Work the Runway also help spread awareness around what happens after you drop off a load of your pre-loved items at your local Goodwill donation center. Yes, the organization is operating a business that resells these items, but the proceeds go right back to support mission services to provide these free classes and services for people who need them. Richey says, “The biggest piece is [that] people can help by bringing their donations. If we don’t have those donations, we can’t put anything on our store floor, and we can’t provide funding to the services that Oklahomans so desperately need.” The mission relies on the local community’s support year-round, but coming out and supporting Goodwill’s annual fundraiser makes a huge difference—and gives us a reason to dress up and rally behind it. “It’s kind of become this anticipated night of looking forward to seeing what people are going to wear,” says Richey. “It’s that excitement of having a night out with your friends; no judgment about what people are wearing. It’s fun to get to dress up and be yourself in your own unique style.” The Goodwill team is gearing up for next year’s event, and Richey shares that, “As far as work for Runway goes, we are so excited about our seventh year and to incorporate some new surprising things this next year that people don’t know about yet. And that’s the fun of this event: It’s definitely not going to be the same each year.” •

Follow @okgoodwill or visit okgoodwill.org for more updates on the seventh annual Work the Runway event, and ways to support its mission year-round. 35

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François-Raoul Larche, Table Lamp in the Form of Loïe Fuller, (detail) ca. 1900, Gilt bronze, 18 x 8 1/2 x 10 in., Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., Image courtesy of the Chrysler Museum of Art, Photograph by Edward Pollard, © François-Raoul Larche.

MUD FIRE & Swagger ,

Jonathan Adler has spent 32 years turning clay into a philosophy of living B Y C R A Y B A U X M O N T - F LY N N

here is clay on his white jeans. There is almost certainly always clay on his white jeans—the only jeans he owns, worn to funerals, weddings and Tuesday afternoons in his SoHo pottery studio with what he describes as a spectacular lack of foresight. He is working while he talks, which is to say he is always working. The wheel is turning. He is 59 years old and has been doing this for 32 years, and the thing he needs you to understand—addressing it urgently, repeatedly—is that he considers himself extraordinarily, inexplicably lucky. Jonathan Adler is not, by his own insistent account, a visionary. He is a potter who got fired from five jobs in a row; who was told by a pottery professor that he had no talent and should move to New York and become a lawyer; who surrendered to clay not out of artistic ambition but as a kind of happy default. “The best thing that ever happened to me,” he says, “was what felt like the worst thing.” He returned to the wheel because there was nowhere else to go. From that unlikely posture of necessity, he built one of the most recognizable design empires in America—a body of work now available through the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, bringing his singular vision to Oklahomans who have long deserved access to it. The museum’s decision to showcase and offer Adler’s work is not merely a matter of institutional taste. It is a statement about what the decorative arts are, and what they have always been. Pottery is among the oldest human practices, predating writing, agriculture and nearly every other medium now displayed on a museum’s walls. That a contemporary American potter, working in SoHo, throwing egg-shaped vessels by hand at 59, should find his work available in such a setting is at once entirely expected and quietly radical. It is a reminder that the line between fine art and applied craft has always been drawn in shifting sand—and that the most enduring objects refuse, beautifully, to stay on the right side of it. He was 12 years old at summer camp when he first touched clay.

“It’s like having just the right amount of intermittent reinforcement to make it somewhat addictive,” he says. “One day you’ll throw a cylinder that’s 16 inches. The next day, not so much.” There is a Yiddish word he reaches for to explain the depth of the attachment: beshert. Meant to be. “I kind of always felt like clay and I were beshert,” he says, with the slightly abashed cadence of a man who has said this many times and still means it completely. What pottery taught him, in those years before success, was something he still struggles to articulate without sounding more spiritual than he is. “It taught me that I’m very primitive,” he says. “That my happiest time is spent in the most primitive way—one guy, mud, fire and water.” He pauses. “I say that and I sound like a really spiritual and soulful person; I am not at all. But it’s also undeniable. It’s a human impulse, the impulse to make stuff.” This is the central tension of Adler’s self-presentation: a man who reaches reflexively for the philosophical and retreats, equally reflexively, into self-deprecation. He is not special, he insists. Not a model. Not a visionary. Just a potter. And yet the work—vessels with weightless proportions, interiors with off-kilter glamour, objects insisting on being simultaneously beautiful and slightly absurd—carries unmistakably the marks of a very particular mind that thinks in elegance and wit, in narrative and surprise, in things that the heirs will fight over. He cold-called Barneys. He rollerbladed to his studio at six in the morning. He crowdsourced his existence, job loss by job loss, back to the wheel. “I don’t think I should ever be seen as somebody who created a path others can take,” he says. “I think I have been uniquely lucky.” What he built from that luck is a craft-based design practice that begins, still, with a human hand on clay. Every object in the Jonathan Adler universe originates in the SoHo studio before artisans worldwide execute production. It’s a model that situates him in a tradition far older than the contemporary design industry: the ceramicist as author, the object as argument.

P H O T O G R A P H BY J O N AT H A N A D L E R

P H O TO G R A P H BY J O N AT H A N A D L E R

His collaborations with artisans in Peru and beyond have made him feel not like a visionary but like a student. “The potters I worked with in Peru could make pots a hell of a lot better than I could,” he says. “Working with artisans has taught me humility and appreciation.” His aesthetic philosophy is elegantly simple and, he suspects, slightly out of fashion. “I strive for elegant proportions,” he says—something harkening to an older standard than the intentional naivete that defines so much contemporary ceramics. “A slightly older time wherein elegance was what people sought.” He is making egg shapes while he says this. He wants them perfect. He wants them weightless. He wants them fought over at estate sales decades from now. Ask Adler to define glamour and he will tell you, with considerable relish, that it is impossible. “It’s like an ineffable quality. Sort of like charm or charisma. You know it when you see it.” Then, with the pragmatism of a man in the business of glamour for three decades: “The closest word I can think of would be swagger. Confidence. Sparkle.” Not luxury—he is precise that luxury is “expensive stuff that you can afford that other people can’t” and that he has no patience for the notion that luxury is time or attitude. Luxury is stuff. Glamour is a posture. Personal style, meanwhile, is something simpler still: “Consistency. Just looking like yourself every day.” This hierarchy of values explains the strange buoyancy of his work—rarefied yet approachable, confident yet playful, laughing without being silly. “As much as my work has humor,” he says, “that needs to be just sort of the last touch. The main focus needs to be on glamour, elegance and luxury. Only once those things are clearly present do I have the permission to add a note of levity.” The irreverence is earned. At the Parker Palm Springs resort, his most complete spatial statement, he designed every room around the fictional character of Mrs. Parker, a glamorous and unknowable woman whose taste suffused every corridor and detail. The lesson for anyone designing their own home: “Why not design the house for the person you want to be? Your house should be something you aspire to live up to.” When Adler’s work found its way to the shelves of the OKCMOA, it arrived as a philosophical position that a beautifully made object is a choice about how to live. In offering his work, the museum—which has long championed the proposition that beauty belongs to painters, potters, sculptors, designers and makers of all kinds—places itself among the institutions willing to argue that the line between a painting and a pot is finally a matter of convention rather than quality. That argument resonates with particular force in Oklahoma, a state whose deep tradition of material culture has always understood that a vessel can carry more than its contents. Adler’s egg shapes, thrown in SoHo, carry the same elemental logic as a pot thrown in Tahlequah or Anadarko a century ago: one person, mud, fire, water and the ambition to make something that outlasts its moment. He is, after all, a student of ceramic history. “If you're going to be a potter,” he says, “you should become a student and learn the history, learn all the references, so that at least you are steeped in a tradition.” Museums are full of pottery from cultures whose names we barely know. Civilizations collapsed to dust. The pots remain.

“If your heirs won't fight over it, we won't make it. That's the lens through which I see everything.” J O N AT H A N A D L E R

P H O TO G R A P H BY J O N AT H A N A D L E R

Artist Jonathan Adler

After three decades, the question people ask him most—“What still excites you?”—gets the most immediate answer. “I woke up this morning and I was like, ‘I have to go make that pot.’” He has made three or four today while talking. He has thought about what makes a space unforgettable (something a little off, not too polished), about what homes reveal (“often a little melancholy even if they’re beautiful and bright — the accumulated evidence of a life”), about the danger in his career (“stasis, not growth”). He has done all of this thinking out loud while the wheel turns. His husband Simon—once creative director of Barneys, a famously stylish person with the smallest closet Adler has ever seen—provided him with the metaphor he returns to most often. Life, Simon wrote, is like being on a cube at a disco: You jump up when you’re young and start jiggling, having your moment. The goal is simply to keep jiggling until you fall off and it’s somebody else’s turn. “I would like to think,” Adler says, “that I’m still passionate about jiggling and making pots. And that’s what is in my past, my future and my forever.” The wheel keeps turning. The clay on the white jeans is not coming out. He doesn’t seem worried. He is, by his own insistent account, a very lucky potter—a man told he had no talent who proved, not out of spite but out of something more elemental, that the impulse to make stuff is its own kind of genius. In Oklahoma, in the bright rooms of the Museum of Art, his work is available to be taken home, lived with, passed down. It is elegant. It is slightly absurd. It is very much alive. Someone, someday, will fight over it. • 41

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LIV ING BY

DESIGN Cory Lloyd brings a Tony winner to Broadway and stylish furnishings to OKC BY MICHAEL KINNE Y

“I always knew that performing would be in my life,” says Lloyd. “I he play Death of a Salesman can be gut-wrenching. Whether the theatrical version or the many remakes for television and grew up acting, I grew up singing, did musical theater, did TV, did silver screens, audience members are asked to watch a man film, did commercials, all of that. When you love to perform, it will always manifest some way. So, I’m not surprised that it has taken self-destruct in front of their eyes. It’s an incredible opportunity for a skilled thespian to showcase different forms throughout the last 30-plus years.” Lloyd can’t remember a time he wasn’t entertaining. As far back his talent, though, and that’s one of the reasons DoaS has become one as his memory stretches, he has been singing, dancing, acting and of the most revived plays in Broadway history since it premiered in performing for others. Whether he appeared in the NBC Movie of the 1949. That includes the latest revival in 2026, which was co-produced Week (The Substitute’s Wife) or performed in The Music Man while in by Oklahoma native Cory Lloyd. One of the play’s prominent themes centers on chasing the American elementary school, he loved being on stage. While attending the University of Oklahoma, Lloyd planned to Dream. The protagonist, Willy Loman, is unable to accept that his graduate and head to New York City to pursue a life in lights. aspirations of reaching the proverbial goal are no longer part of his “But then I got an opportunity to work on a new show in Las Vegas, reality. But his inability to adapt and change course ultimately leads to so I ended up going west instead,” Lloyd says. “I stayed in Vegas for his downfall. about seven years and worked on all kinds of different projects.” He In many ways, Lloyd could be seen as the opposite of Loman. As a young man growing up in Oklahoma City, he had dreams of living finally reached NYC and continued his career on stage, acting and singing. But in the back of his mind, he could see a change was coming. the life of an entertainer and reaching star status. But when that goal “Producing was something that had always interested me,” he says. appeared to be fading from his grasp, Lloyd flipped the script and “I loved the idea of approaching the industry from the other side and created a new American Dream for himself. Instead of being on stage with the spotlight on him, Lloyd now getting to be part of the conversations and decisions that actually make a show possible, but bringing the perspective of someone who works behind the scenes to help others shine. That is true for both his careers: as a Broadway producer and a professional home designer. had spent years as a performer.” In 2024, Lloyd became the Managing Partner and Principal Producer Neither is what Lloyd could have imagined when he graduated from Putnam City North High in 2006. However, when he looks back of Lloyd Tichio Productions, which is a theatrical production company that develops and produces Broadway plays and more. over his life, the clues were always there.

P H O TO G R A P H BY T I N A B F O TO

Entrepreneur and Tony Award-winner Cory Lloyd 45

He had run his company while living on the east coast, which worked out for him and those close to him as demand grew for Cory Lloyd & Co.’s services. But a few years ago he started envisioning what it would be like to move back to his hometown. “I bought a house here a couple of years ago that I started renovating, and through that process I just really enjoyed being back home and being close to family,” he says. “I had a lifestyle brand in the Northeast that I’ve done for the last 10-15 years, so I had been thinking about what the next phase is for that; what the next steps are for that company and that brand, and sort of developing it into a more brickand-mortar retail store, and decided to open a store here in the place where I grew up.” Lloyd’s newest project, NH Home, is scheduled to open in Nichols Hills Plaza (6465 Avondale Drive, Nichols Hills) this month. The luxury home decor concept is a continuation of what he has been doing online for the past 15 years. “The store is really centered around the home and entertaining— tabletop, linens, decorative pieces, books, fragrance, gifts and all of those things you use when you’re having people over or just enjoying your own home,” he says. “We’re bringing together brands people may P H O T O G R A P H BY E M I L I O M A D R I D

The last time he performed on stage was in the show Oh What a Night! He toured for nine weeks throughout Australia and New Zealand. Since then, he has had other opportunities, but nothing that has made him want to jump back in. “I think it was really just a natural progression. I had spent several years touring and was ready to be home in New York more,” Lloyd says. “Especially after the pandemic, the industry had changed so much, and I think I was also at a point where I needed to do something different to fuel my creativity. I started pursuing it and found that I really loved it.” Earlier this year, he won his first Tony, the highest award offered in the theatrical world. His company won nine in all, but it was the one as a producer for Death of a Salesman in the Best Revival of a Play category that Lloyd took personally. With his family sitting in the audience, he was able to reach the pinnacle of success in a business that often leaves its members battered and bruised. “You’re also sitting in Radio City Music Hall with what is considered to be the best of the best in the industry,” says Lloyd. “To look around and see people who you have worked with or admired, or have seen from afar and never been in the same room with, to kind of all be together celebrating the work that has happened over the past year— it’s a night of celebration.” When he walked out of Radio City Music Hall on that night, his phone immediately started vibrating. All of the congratulatory text messages that were unable to get through during the ceremony suddenly began to flood his phone. People who Lloyd had grown up with had watched him stand alongside stars such as Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, who won a Tony for Best Featured Actress. That’s when he realized the type of influence the moment could have had on young kids in Oklahoma who may have had doubts about chasing their dreams. “Of course it was exciting for me. But you see the ripple effects of these kinds of events and this kind of recognition; somebody’s watching it,” says Lloyd. “And it’s also encouraging the next generation and the generation after that of people to continue dreaming and wanting to go down this career path—because it is a career.” Yet, when it’s all said and done, it’s possible the Tony Awards could end up being just a footnote for Lloyd in 2026. While winning the award was a night to remember, he was already working on moves he hopes will be even bigger in his other career path. He was just a few years out of college when he started taking on clients, and founded Cory Lloyd & Co. in 2019. The lifestyle brand was a way for him to share his passion for entertaining, tablescapes and home design. Throughout the years, the brand has allowed him to create special moments for clients on some of their biggest days. “What I found is that I really loved that part of the creativity. It’s kind of coming in and creating a world where you then come in and create these memories and these moments that you talk about for the next five, 10 years. You remember sitting around a table sharing stories at Thanksgiving with family. That’s what creates these really beautiful, special moments that we then carry throughout our life.” And while producing a Broadway show may seem like a completely different world than creating a memorable Christmas setting, Lloyd said they have the same central core. “I think the interesting thing about them is that when you take everything that I’ve done, there are very similar through lines, even though industry-wise, they are very completely different things,” he says. “But all of them come around the same idea of bringing people together for one moment, one event, one night.”

Actors Laurie Metcalf and Nathan Lane in the Tony-winning Broadway production of Death of a Salesman

Cory Lloyd at work, creating a space for living

“When you take everything that I’ve done, there are very similar through lines, even though industry-wise, they are very completely different things. But all of them come around the same idea of bringing people together for one moment, one event, one night.” CORY LLOYD

already know and love with other established names that haven’t had as much of a presence in Oklahoma. A big part of the fun for me has been finding those things and being able to introduce them here.” Lloyd’s return home coincides at a time when Oklahoma City could be on the verge of a new renaissance. He wants NH Home to be part of it. “It’s been fun to connect with people I knew when I lived here. We all went different ways and have all kind of come back and are now able to really invest in the city together. And you’re seeing a lot of growth happen in many different areas all at the same time. It’s really exciting.” He wants NH Home to be the place people go to in order to create their own Tony-winning moment, so to speak. “More than anything, I want it to feel collected and approachable,” Lloyd says. “I love beautiful things, but I don’t think they should be so precious that you’re afraid to actually use them. A beautiful home should be lived in, and entertaining doesn’t have to mean some huge, formal occasion. Sometimes it’s just having a few friends over for dinner and setting a great table. That idea is really at the heart of both Cory Lloyd & Co. and NH Home.” • 47

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WHEN

L OV E ISN’T

ENOUGH Lusty temptations from Maison Cartier BY CH R IS T IN E ED D IN GTO N

hen you know what to look for, you’ll start spotting them everywhere: simple gold bangle bracelets, worn solo or stacked, by a certain set of women and men since their 1969 release. We’re talking about the Cartier LOVE Bracelet, designed by Aldo Cipullo, who came to New York from Italy in 1959. Cipullo worked for Tiffany & Co. for a period, then David Webb. His years at Cartier were prolific, yielding the LOVE bangle, followed quickly by the Juste un Clou (Just a Nail), a bangle in the shape of a large, 18-carat gold nail. The idea of it was clever enough. Meant to be unisex, the bangle comes in two pieces, with a cute little screwdriver. One can’t put it on without help, which was Cipullo’s (sort of) romantic gimmick—a little handcuff to be applied and removed by one’s beloved. Well, okay. But the LOVE Bracelet has endured. And endured. And proliferated. The aspirational piece has now become one of Cartier’s best-selling offerings. It’s also been relentlessly counterfeited. In a bid to share even more LOVE, Cartier’s collection of LOVE jewelry now includes 161 items: rings, earrings, necklaces and bangles, bangles and more bangles. So, what happens, we wondered, when LOVE runs its course and is no longer enough? When you’ve got a hankering for a truly aspirational piece from Maison Cartier? Fortunately, our friends at Sotheby’s had the answer. Allow us to introduce you to the five most expensive Cartier necklaces! Sotheby’s describes them this way: “From exuberant Tutti Frutti creations set with carved colored gemstones to important jewels featuring Kashmir sapphires, Colombian emeralds and rare natural pearls, the finest examples reveal the extraordinary range of Cartier high jewelry.” We adore them. Santa, are you listening?

Cartier Natural Pearl and Diamond Necklace

5. Cartier Natural Pearl and Diamond Necklace From the collection of philanthropist and horse racing icon Marylou Whitney, this beauty was last sold in December 2020. Its 32 graduated natural saltwater pearls, ranging from approximately 14.9 x 14.8 mm to 9.2 x 9.0 mm, are finished with a clasp accented by two round diamonds in floral settings. A GIA report confirmed the pearls as natural and saltwater, while an accompanying letter described a necklace containing pearls across this size range as exceptionally rare. Whitney purchased the necklace from Cartier in 1950, when it originally contained 36 pearls; four were subsequently removed. It may have once belonged to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoléon III, although documentation establishing that earlier history has been lost.

Cartier Emerald and Diamond Pendant Necklace

$1.65M USD

Socialite and philanthropist Marylou Whitney

4. Cartier Emerald and Diamond Pendant Necklace Sold in 2025 for 1.3M Swiss francs ($1.56M at the time), this Cartier emerald and diamond necklace was created circa 1932. Its centerpiece is an 11.78-carat carat octagonal step-cut Colombian emerald, suspended within an old European-cut diamond frame and complemented by an important series of diamonds, including a 5.54-carat D-color, VS2 marquise-shaped diamond and a 3.12-carat heart-shaped diamond. A 2.64-carat cushion-shaped emerald surrounded by rose-cut diamonds forms the clasp. Although we don’t know precise details, we do know that this piece was associated with Albertina Taylor Winthrop, an American heiress who married Dutch diplomat Herman van Roijen in 1904. The gemstones were most likely given to Winthrop around the time of her marriage before being remounted by Cartier in 1932. $1.7M USD 51

3. Cartier ‘Tutti Frutti’ Colored Stone and Diamond Pendant Necklace Tutti Frutti necklaces are highly collectible. These designs, filled with carved emeralds, rubies and sapphires, are prized for the quality of their carving, composition and connection to Cartier’s early 20thcentury obsession with Indian gemstones and Mughal design. This one sold most recently in 2026, for 21.6M Hong Kong dollars. Its design centers on two embracing parrots, pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds, with circular-cut emerald eyes and mother-of-pearl beaks. Carved rubies, emeralds and sapphires form leaves around the pair, accented by more diamonds and a suspended diamond briolette. Three strands of emerald beads complete the necklace, joined by a clasp set with carved colored gemstones and more diamonds.

Cartier ‘Tutti Frutti’ Colored Stone and Diamond Pendant Necklace

$2.76M USD

Cartier ‘Tutti Frutti’ Gem-Set and Diamond Necklace from Demi-Parure

Cartier Sapphire and Diamond Necklace

2. Cartier Sapphire and Diamond Necklace What were you doing in June 2023? If you, like we, struggle to remember, none of us must’ve been the lucky buyers of this circa 1950 swag-style stunner. She’s set with five emerald-cut and square emeraldcut sapphires weighing 10.01, 7.66, 7.35, 5.45 and 4.44 carats, for a combined weight of 34.91 carats. The sapphires are complemented by approximately 40.09 carats of round, baguette and square-cut diamonds. All five sapphires are of Kashmir origin, making them among the most coveted colored gemstones, prized for the richly saturated, velvety blue associated with material from the historic deposits. Says Sotheby’s: Combining five important unheated examples within a single signed Cartier jewel makes this necklace exceptional not only for its design, but also for the rarity and quality of its gemstones.

1. Cartier ‘Tutti Frutti’ Gem-Set and Diamond Necklace from a Demi-Parure Another Tutti Frutti has entered the chat. This one is a set, created in 2018. It’s a Tutti Frutti revival piece, so to speak, with ear clips and a necklace, which sold in April 2023 for 25.9M Hong Kong dollars. Look at those emerald “tassels!” Here are the details: A hexagonal carved emerald weighing approximately 50.44 carats and a carved ruby of approximately 10.15 carats anchor the design. They’re surrounded by onyxes, diamonds and carved rubies, sapphires and emeralds arranged as colorful leaves and flowers. Two pear-shaped carved emerald drops totaling approximately 71.22 carats are suspended from the necklace and can be detached and worn with a separate diamond necklace included with the lot.

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A foggy morning sunrise over The DeBruce 56

FA L L INTO THE

CATSKILLS An autumn getaway in the iconic mountains of upstate New York BY MEG AN SHEPHERD

P H O TO G R A P H C O U R T E SY O F F O S T E R S U P P LY C O.

here’s a reason why autumn in New York has been so thoroughly canonized in film and television: The drizzly afternoons, the crisp air and the cobblestone streets plastered with crunchy, technicolor leaves all call for strolling around the city wrapped up in a scarf, hot cup of something in hand. While New York City in the fall is its own kind of wonderful, there is no better expression of the season than the one you’ll find in upstate New York. “Upstate New York” seems in some ways more a state of mind than a geographic region, as the actual boundary line of what constitutes “upstate” has long been up for discussion, and largely depends on who you ask. There is, of course, no official boundary. Depending on who’s answering, upstate begins somewhere north of Westchester, at the end of the Metro-North line or approximately five minutes after an NYC dweller starts to lose cell service. The truth is, each pocket of the region feels a little different, and magical in its own right. Take quirky Hudson, for example: This creative town with a cult-like following draws art collectors, design enthusiasts, antique devotees and mid-century furniture lovers in droves—but its vibe feels more akin to a Burlington, Vermont, or a Boulder, Colorado, than to its grittier neighbor to the north, Albany, which sits just an hour away. Then there are the Adirondacks, the vast, rugged mountain region encompassing everything from the glacial waters of Lake George to Lake Placid. The influence of towns like Lake Placid, a two-time host of the Winter Olympics, makes the area synonymous with winter sporting and cozy ski cabin weekends. Around these parts, apres-ski is a way of life. (Even if you don’t ski. Surprisingly, skiing is in fact not a prerequisite to after-skiing drinks.) Just to the west sits the Finger Lakes region, a mecca for the farm-to-table food and wine culture of upstate New York. Known for its lush vineyards and cool-climate grapes, the Finger Lakes is prime territory for Riesling, alongside Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and even intensely sweet ice wines. Some say you’re not upstate until you’re in the Catskills—the bucolic mountain region known for stunning vistas, ski and hiking trails, lush green farms, natural waterfalls and quaint summer mountain retreats a la Dirty Dancing—and for good reason. With its scenic byways, clear trout fishing streams, crisp evening mountain air and bursting fall foliage, there is simply no better expression of autumn in New York than in the Catskills’ pocket of it. To venture north to New York in the fall and not carve out a few days away from the hustle and bustle of it all for an upstate getaway would be a travesty. That said, if you still need convincing, the bed & breakfasts, hiking trails, mountain retreats and restaurants below should do the trick. 57

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BIG INDIAN Any weekend in Big Indian should start and stop at Urban Cowboy. This mountain resort was originally built in 1898 as a hunting lodge, and the owner’s reimagining pays homage to its original intent with rugged decor, a roaring stone fireplace, cedar soaking tubs and a vintage two-lane bowling alley on the property. Spend the afternoon hiking the nearby Shandaken Forest trails, where mid-October presents the fall foliage in all its splendor. Unwind afterward with a plunge into the stream that runs through the property, then warm up again with a schvitz in the wood-burning sauna. Evening brings stiff drinks at the parlor bar; wine and s’mores around the outdoor firepit; and onproperty programming like karaoke, tarot and bingo (there’s no cell phone reception here, so plan to partake). PHOENICIA Book an afternoon of fly-fishing on the legendary rivers of the Catskills with George Holz of Camp Holz Fish and Game. Holz is skilled at guiding groups of all levels through the streams and pools of the famous Beaverkill, Willowemoc and Delaware Rivers, and the nearby Esopus Creek, and happy to regale groups with the lore and history that’s beckoned generations of hunters and anglers to the Catskills’ waters. If booking a half-day fishing trip, round out the morning with brunch at nearby Phoenicia Diner. It’s true that the food influencers have made the lines to get into this retro roadside diner almost unjustifiable, but the buttermilk pancakes make it just worth it enough.

Urban Cowboy in Big Indian

Fly-fishing with Camp Holz Fish and Game on Esopus Creek, Phoenicia 5858 LUXI E R E

P H O TO G R A P H BY © G E O R G E H O L Z

HUNTER The best hiking trails in the Catskills sit in nearby Hunter, home to waterfalls, panoramic trails and other picturesque mountain passes. For a moderate out-and-back hike with a serious payoff, tackle the 4.5mile Huckleberry Point trail, where a rocky outcrop offers sweeping views over Platte Clove, the Hudson Valley and the surrounding Catskills ridges. Allow around two to three hours round-trip. If three hours round-trip feels like more gas than you’re looking to burn on a weekend getaway, take the easy 0.3-mile walk from Laurel House Road to the viewing platform above Kaaterskill Falls, an iconic twotiered, 260-foot waterfall.

P H O TO G R A P H BY © G E O R G E H O L Z

Esopus Creek, Phoenica

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P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E SY O F F O S T E R S U P P LY C O.

LIVINGSTON MANOR For folks who tend to plan their trips around food, The DeBruce from the Foster Supply Co. hospitality group is a no-brainer. This “James Beard-recognized restaurant with rooms” is every bit the picturesque upstate bed & breakfast, with its porch swings, roaring fireplace, private pool and on-property trout streams, but the real draw here is the exceptional dining experience. Situated on a ledge overlooking the Willowemoc Valley, the restaurant offers an enclosed, panoramic view of the mountain range. Inside the dining room, the tapestry on the table feels equally local, where a multi-course tasting menu built around the rhythms of the Catskills features fish, game, vegetables and dairy from New York state, with wine pairings to match. The food focus continues across the stay, with breakfast in bed delivered to the door each morning, and gourmet picnic baskets of local breads, spreads and caviar packaged for a perfect porch lunch. Even better: The DeBruce is dog-friendly, so you can live out the fantasy of relaxing by the fire, pup in tow, all weekend long. For a bit of thrifty luxury, book a tasting menu at the restaurant on a Monday night from May to October, and receive a complimentary room stay for the evening. 6060 LUXI E R E

P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E SY O F F O S T E R S U P P LY C O.

The DeBruce

P H O TO G R A P H C O U R T E SY O F F O S T E R S U P P LY C O.

The pool at Hemlock Neversink

NEVERSINK For a Catskills weekend filtered through the lens of a wellness retreat, Hemlock Neversink offers the perfect reprieve. This resort and spa gives adult summer camp vibes, with a side of luxury yoga retreat. Thanks to management’s planning and day-to-night programming, you’ll hardly notice Neversink’s remote location; with everything you need for a full weekend, there’s simply no reason to leave. Begin the day with a latte and a parfait before heading down to the barn for a goat hike, where Hemlock’s resident goats will lead you on a gentle hike through rolling meadows (an all-you-can-eat buffet of sorts for them). From there, it’s a quick changeover into the netted suits for a beekeeping class, followed by a honey tasting with a certified honey sommelier (yes, apparently such a thing exists). After picking up the funky nuances between prairie and wood notes, flex your creative muscle with candle-making, attempt portrait painting in pairs or say sayonara to the group and head to the indoor spa, pool and steam room for peak relaxation. There are so many nooks and crannies to sit, soak and snooze in around Hemlock, and you’ll want to explore every single one before heading to the dining hall for dinner. Like many of these upstate retreats, Hemlock is adults only, so bring a few bottles of wine to share around the fire and make some friends on your stay.

WOODSTOCK Contrary to popular belief, Woodstock, New York, wasn’t actually home to the iconic musical festival (that’s in nearby Bethel), but the bohemian spirit still runs strong here regardless. Make a home base out of Woodstock Way Hotel for a quirky weekend of treehouse living just steps from Tinker Street. Mosey over to the main drag and spend an afternoon browsing indie book shops, pottery outposts, home goods stores and head shops for a taste of classic Woodstock culture. For dinner, grab reservations at Silvia for fun drinks and perfectly charred, wood-fired meats in an anniversary dinner-worthy setting. Of course, no trip to Woodstock is complete without a pilgrimage to pay respects; drive over to Bethel and visit The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts for some history on the historic festival, or visit the main shrine at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery overlooking Woodstock, where visitors are welcome to sit for meditation. Wherever you decide to spend the weekend, may the magic of autumn in the Catskills greet you with full fall foliage, crisp campfire nights, a blissful absence of cell phone service and a glimpse of the timeless nostalgia that makes the region so sought after, even after all these years. • LUXI E R E 6161

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FA S H ION ? Beyond boots and buckles, Oklahoma’s designers, tastemakers and creative communities are challenging the perception of style in the heartland BY C AIT GR AHAM

sk someone outside Oklahoma to describe the state’s fashion identity, and you’ll probably hear a list of the usual suspects: cowboy boots, denim, big hats, maybe a little fringe. The pictured ensemble is an image we’ve seen a thousand times, from Hollywood Westerns to runway collections borrowing inspiration from the American frontier. And sure, those elements are part of the story. But they’re hardly the whole story. Oklahoma has no shortage of people with great style. What it has arguably lacked is a fashion conversation large enough to include all of them. For decades, the state’s visual identity has been packaged into something instantly recognizable: Western, practical, perhaps a little conservative. But who decided that was the whole story? And what happens to the designers, communities and subcultures that don’t fit neatly inside it? To explore the question, Luxiere asked experts working across Oklahoma’s fashion and creative communities what Oklahoma fashion means to them. Their answers reveal something far more interesting than a single aesthetic.

A STYLE OF OUR OWN There’s something wonderfully practical about the way Oklahomans dress. We like clothes that work, clothes that last, clothes that can take us from an afternoon running errands to dinner without requiring an entirely new personality. “Oklahoma fashion is very sensible. It’s gritty yet effortless—people here dress for real life,” says Andrea Schultz. “Oklahomans value quality and durability, while also being expressive and authentic in their individual sense of style.” She’s onto something. A perfectly worn pair of boots can be just as desirable as a new designer handbag. Vintage denim can share a closet with European tailoring. Here, the most interesting outfits aren’t always the most expensive; they’re the ones that feel like the person wearing them. Lauren Warkentine, owner of William & Lauren Clothier, sees Oklahoma moving past the expectations people have long placed on the state. “Oklahoma fashion is evolving beyond the traditional aesthetics people often associate with our state,” she says, pointing to a growing appreciation for craftsmanship, quality and individuality.

Why should great style need a New York or Paris address to be taken seriously? Of course, Oklahoma has been dressing fashionably for quite some time. For 90 years, OKC’s Balliets has brought European designers and international luxury to the state. Its longtime presence is a reminder that Oklahoma women have never needed permission to participate in the global fashion conversation. Jessica Mireles, owner of Balliets, described the Oklahoma woman as a colorful, fashion-forward Southern belle with a little Northern influence thrown in. “She represents all women. Both feminine and androgynous— whimsy and strength,” Mireles says. For Valerie Naifeh, owner of Naifeh Fine Jewelry, “Oklahoma fashion is a conglomerate of many things, but it always has flair (think cowboy meets the Paris runway). It has color, and is deeply personal.” Eden Turrentine, owner of Eden Boutique, sees a similar balance between outside influence and regional pride. “Oklahomans respect the trends of both coasts but we love to include authentic fashion relevant to our pride in Western, Native American and prairie lifestyles,” she says. For generations, Oklahoma retailers have brought the world’s fashion to us. Perhaps the next chapter is about what Oklahoma has to offer the world. MORE THAN A WESTERN LOOK Any conversation about Oklahoma fashion must acknowledge the people and cultures who helped shape it in the first place. Long before Oklahoma was a state, Indigenous communities were creating extraordinary works of adornment, jewelry, textiles and clothing. Today, Indigenous designers continue to carry those traditions forward while creating entirely new expressions of contemporary fashion. “Indigenous fashion is a powerful celebration of cultural identity, transforming traditional aesthetics and ancestral stories into bold modern expressions,” says Gena Timberman, who is Choctaw. Her words are an important reminder that heritage isn’t something fashion simply borrows from the past. It’s something people continue to live, reinterpret and create. Cray Bauxmont-Flynn, owner of Amatoya, sees Oklahoma fashion as a meeting place for Indigenous artistry, Western traditions and a new generation of designers. He describes it as “rooted in heritage yet unapologetically forward-thinking.” And then there’s the cowboy. Few images are more closely associated with Oklahoma, but even that familiar silhouette tells a much bigger story than most people realize. “For Black cowboys, a hat, boots and a belt buckle are more than a look; they reflect a living culture shaped by family, community and life in the [rodeo] arena,” says Jakian Parks, founder of the Oklahoma Cowboys Charitable Foundation. Parks has explored Black equestrian culture through photography, including work featured in The Black Land: Rituals and Rejoicing at Oklahoma Contemporary. His perspective reminds us that Western fashion is more than a trend. Behind the aesthetic are real communities and histories that existed long before anyone declared cowboy boots fashionable again. WHAT COMES NEXT? If Oklahoma fashion has a rich past, its future is being shaped by people who aren’t particularly interested in following someone else’s playbook. For Stella Thomas Designs, inspiration begins with the environment itself. “From the wildlife, to the heritage, to the landscape; the stimulus for creation is as great as the plains.”

“Oklahoma fashion is evolving beyond the traditional aesthetics people often associate with our state.” L AUREN WARKENTINE

There’s something refreshing about that perspective. Oklahoma’s distance from the traditional fashion centers doesn’t have to be a disadvantage. It might be exactly what gives its designers room to develop something different. Sydnie Peebles, founder of Sydnie Banks and co-founder of Oklahoma Fashion Week, believes the state’s makers deserve a larger platform. “Oklahoma is filled with incredibly talented craftspeople and artisans who, much like myself, use traditional techniques to create beautiful, meaningful work,” she says. Oklahoma Fashion Week may offer a new stage for the state’s creative talent. But a runway alone doesn’t create a fashion identity. That happens when designers have places to sell their work, photographers have opportunities to document it, retailers take chances on new talent and publications make room for stories that haven’t been told. And not all of that creativity happens in a studio or boutique: On any given weekend, Oklahoma style might mean vintage denim at a Tulsa flea market, a beautifully tailored suit at an Oklahoma City gallery opening, beadwork made by an Indigenous artist or a pair of cowboy boots that have actually seen the inside of an arena. Somewhere else, someone is dressing for a drag performance, a themed dinner party or a concert where looking the part is half the fun. Within these communities, clothing develops its own language. A hat can signal belonging. Jewelry can carry family history. Vintage denim, a designer bag or something handmade the night before can tell you quite a bit about someone before they’ve said a word. Fashion, after all, has never been just about clothes. It’s about identity, community, imagination—and occasionally the pleasure of showing up looking completely unlike anyone else. Which brings us back to the original question. WHAT IS OKLAHOMA FASHION? Maybe it’s the wrong question. Or at least, maybe it’s one that doesn’t need a single answer. For some, it might be craftsmanship. For others, heritage, luxury, practicality, rebellion or simply the freedom to wear whatever feels right. The more interesting question might be what happens next—and who gets to decide. Who is discovering Oklahoma’s next generation of designers? Who is documenting the communities shaping its style? Whose stories are being told, and whose have been overlooked? Because fashion history isn’t just about what people wore. It’s about whose creativity we chose to recognize. Oklahoma fashion isn’t one look. It never was. And perhaps the next chapter isn’t about finally discovering our style, but instead deciding how we capture and write its history. • 65

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P OW E R In conversation with artist Rachel Hayes BY MEG AN SHEPHERD

tanding inside her warehouse studio, flanked by handmade, floor-to-ceiling technicolor tapestries, Rachel Hayes embodies gentle power. In the center sits an agricultural hoop house draped in boldly colored fabrics. Across the room, a gigantic quilt has taken over the floor, eclipsing the commercial sewing machine that created it. Mobiles, photographs, garlands and pinwheels hang from the walls and ceiling; what’s left is claimed by stacks and racks of fabric. I’m familiar with Hayes’ work, but seeing it all up close, I’m still shocked by the scale of it. She and I have become friends through our book club, where I’ll occasionally hear about her latest project or collaboration. But standing among the work now, I find myself doing the mental calculus of how we could possibly have the same number of hours in the day. It doesn’t compute. Hayes is patient as I pepper her with questions. Soft-spoken, curious and full of wonder, she appears almost moony as she takes them in and considers them, standing across from me but gazing elsewhere— as if the answers were floating somewhere around us, moments away from arrival. It makes sense; if her artistic practice has taught her anything, it’s how to wait for the break. Hayes’ work is full of apparent contradictions: monumental but soft, architectural but porous, meticulously constructed yet ultimately surrendered to wind, light and landscape. Much of it begins with sewing, a practice historically dismissed as “women’s work.” “Textiles and fabric already hold so much narrative,” Hayes says. “People can bring different things to the table, whether it’s, like, women’s work, fashion ... They can project onto it a lot of things.” In Hayes’ hands, those materials become enormous: a tapestry stretched across the white sands of New Mexico; swagged panels 7474 LUXI E R E

suspended above a Missoni runway; hanging banners that form mazes; colorful fabric spilling from a Texas barn, visible for miles. Many of her installations are translucent, changing with the light, weather and landscape behind them. A 30-by-40-foot piece can feel monumental in Brooklyn and almost impossibly small against the desert. Rather than obscure the landscape, an installation becomes a veil to look through—a portal offering another view of it. As an art student in the 1990s, Hayes found herself drawn to artists working in entirely different mediums, particularly the sculptor Richard Serra. But unlike Serra’s almost confrontational style, Hayes’ feels monumental without feeling menacing. “I love the scale of his work,” she says. “I feel like I’ve been secretly competing with it. Like, ‘How can I do that? How can I make work that big?’” Her version of monumentality had a different ambition: “I just wanted it to be about color and material, and to figure out how to make something the size of Richard Serra, but that wouldn’t make you feel like you’re gonna die. “And I thought, ‘Maybe if I make something this big … no one will even care if it’s sewn anymore.’” Collectively, her body of work feels like a meditation on what it means to be in relationship with the landscape. With wind whipping through the fabric, and light refracting at different moments, evolving to the changing slant of the sun, they take on a presence of their own—unpredictable, shifting and very much alive. When I remark to Hayes that her works seem to dominate a landscape, but softly, she stops me. “Well, it actually doesn’t dominate,” she says. “It just affects.” “Works with?” I offer. And after a moment, her final assessment: “Responds to.”

“Golden Hour Grassland” by Rachel Hayes LUXI E R E 7575

Thumbing through photos of Hayes’ installations, I keep thinking about the enormous rainbow parachute that would appear on special days during elementary-school gym class: huge enough to engulf you, shapeshifting without being dizzying, thrilling, not threatening. Colorful, unpredictable, full of wonder. I ask Hayes if she’s heard the comparison before. “Oh, yeah,” she says. Twenty years ago, she might’ve bristled at it. “But you can have very serious play,” she reasons. “As a kid, you’re seeing something kind of overtake you and overwhelm you, and you’re not threatened by it.” In her work today, “serious play” seems to go something like this: Construct the thing. Put it into the world. Pay attention. Wait for the conditions to change, but be ready to capture the moment. It’s a methodology that’s served her well, whether waiting for an award to come through, or waiting for the clouds to move across the horizon so she can get just the right shot. “I’ve come through the back door, and waited for most things that I’ve done.”

OPPOSITE: “White Sands Mirage” by Rachel Hayes BELOW: “Clouds Against the Clouds” shot with Kendall Jenner by Rachel Hayes

“I felt like there wasn’t really a place for me. So I just had to create it.” R A C H E L H AY E S

ABOVE: Crowds take refuge under Hayes’ work at the 2026 Daisy Chain festival OPPOSITE: Hayes thumbs through photos of her work shot with Kendall Jenner

Hayes’ experiments have carried her far beyond Oklahoma—from national parks and museum exhibitions to fashion shoots and a Missoni runway—but her work remains visible across her adopted home state. A hand-sewn tapestry once draped a Tulsa church like a technicolor god’s eye for months, and “City Jewel,” her new installation at Guthrie Green, will remain on view through November with the city skyline serving as its backdrop. In August 2026, an email arrived from a producer asking if Hayes might be interested in showing work at a women’s arts event. Only after signing an NDA did she learn what it was: Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural Daisy Chain festival. Something of a Lilith Fair reincarnation, the festival featured a knockout, all-women lineup of musicians and artists (Stevie Nicks, Doechii, Chappell Roan and Rodrigo herself headlined). Despite being something of an experiment, year one was a massive success; tickets sold out in 30 minutes, and the festival ultimately raised $20 million for women’s reproductive-rights organizations. On the day of the festival, standing under a technicolor canopy of her own creation, Hayes found herself sharing the bill with some of her original art school heroes: Yoko Ono, Jenny Holzer and the Guerilla Girls—the very women who shaped the contours of her identity as an artist, once idols and now peers. “It kind of brought me to my knees,” she recalls of the festival. “The first thing you see when you get in there is Yoko Ono’s piece, ‘The Wishing Tree.’ It was originally conceived of in 1996. Walking under the trees and seeing, like, thousands of wishes already strung up, and just looking through a handful of them, I kind of burst into tears unexpectedly.” Daisy Chain offered Hayes something she hadn’t necessarily been looking for: a way to understand her own place in a lineage of female creative rebellion. “It feels like I’ve been given a gift of context,” she says. “I felt like I was recognized … for that rebellious spirit that I’d maybe hesitated to put words to.” Days later, the feeling had only intensified. “To be part of something like that, I’m still trying to figure it out, process it,” she says. “It makes me feel stronger in what I’m doing, and to not doubt what I’m doing.” For years, Hayes resisted putting a name to what, exactly, she was doing. Fiber art, sculpture, sewing, installation, architecture, land art—none seemed quite big enough. That ambiguity used to bother her. It doesn’t anymore. “I felt like there wasn’t really a place for me,” she says, “so I just had to create it.” • 79

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SPI R I T UA L AW A K E N I N G Psychological genre-bending film Mallory’s Ghost casts a spell on the festival circuit BY ALE X ANDR A BOHANNON

allory’s Ghost haunts audiences. At the film’s Oklahoma premiere on June 11 at deadCenter Film Festival in Oklahoma City, director Arabella Oz felt the room’s emotional charge after the screening. “I have to say that there was something particularly powerful about the reception at deadCenter. A lot of the people there just really connected with the film in such a deeply gratifying way—it opened up so many meaningful conversations with strangers,” says Oz, who also wrote, starred in, and edited the film (among many roles). “That was such a gift and makes all the hard work really feel worth it.” What lingers after 87 minutes is less about the film’s exceptionally sparse ghostly thrills and more about its understated and earnest psychological complexity. Audiences were enthralled. “Many of them were very moved, and so many of them had to express their thoughts to her,” says deadCenter’s director of programming Sunrise Tippeconnie. He points out this generous response isn’t because deadCenter only attracts “Keep Oklahoma Friendly!” types. “It’s not just us. I mean, we have great audience members, but they’re going to respond when the material is strong.”

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ART THAT REVEALS A TRUTH For years, Oz used screenwriting to make sense of her life and feelings, an approach partly modeled by her screenwriter mother. After a film studies degree from Columbia, Oz had written and directed shorts, but hadn’t made the jump to features. “A film studies course can sometimes feed the inner critic,” notes Oz. “You’re just learning to analyze the greats, so you’re going to apply that same analysis to you, but you’re 20 years old, and you’re trying to write a script for the first time. So that was a process of unlearning that inner critic.” As life progressed, having worked in both the film industry and in private practice as a therapist, she knew her goal was to direct a feature before she died. When she wrote the first draft of the script for Mallory’s Ghost in 2021, there was a realization of sorts. “I have this feeling, maybe it sounds cheesy, that this story picks you, and it picks you also through the things that you’re navigating in your life,” says Oz. “I started to realize that the things I was struggling with were actually fodder for a story and were initiating me into being able to represent certain themes or feelings or experiences for

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Cinematographer Jeff Griecci captures a moment between Mallory (Arabella Oz) and Louise (Anjelica Bosboom) for Mallory’s Ghost LUXI E R E 8383

Arabella Oz and Nick Canellakis reviewing a shot as co-directors

the collective; then I got out of my head and out of my own way, and I was just more in service to the story. It was like a bird landed on my perch.” The story of Mallory’s Ghost follows frustrated creative Mallory (Oz) and her struggling playwright boyfriend Sam (Nick Canellakis). Needing a burst of inspiration, Sam and Mallory visit his eccentric writing teacher, Lorna (Delphi Harrington), at her remote Maine mansion for an impromptu writing retreat. Upon arrival, Mallory discovers Sam had brought his glamorous playwright ex-girlfriend, Louise (Anjelica Bosboom), to the house for a similar retreat in the past. As Mallory’s jealousy grows and she begins to see figures in the dark, she realizes that something is happening to her that she can’t quite explain … From there, things take a left turn out of conventional haunted house tropes. Oz described the tone, especially set by Harrington’s Louise, as “a magical, whimsical fairy tale and less a creepy, witchy dark story.” Themes of envy, stifled creative urges, love, spiritual awakening and the wonder of creation emerge with the subtle poignancy of a gently whispered invitation. To borrow a quote from Louise, Mallory’s Ghost is “art that reveals a truth.” THE STARS ALIGN The gauzy 1990s warmth of cinematographer Jeff Griecci—a serendipitous discovery by Oz while searching “portland, maine cinematographers” on Google—provides a comforting, lived-in ease to the film, further enhanced by it being something of a family affair; Lorna’s home belongs to Oz’s grandparents, and Canellakis is Oz’s husband. Oz wrote the first draft of the script when her relationship with Canellakis began. In her mind, he was always going to play Nick, as she wrote the script around his approach to performance after years of acting classes together. “I was writing it around things in our relationship,” says Oz, who explained that some inspiration for the film’s dialogue even came from their fights. At one point, casting herself as Mallory across from Canellakis’ Nick did give her pause. “There was a moment I wondered if I should’ve cast out Mallory because I thought it would give me some perspective on the character,” she says. “There were moments where I didn’t know if I got a little lost or didn’t know if I was going as far as I could with the emotional background and journey of the character because it was so close to me.” A main reason Oz decided to keep herself cast as Mallory was the humor and rapport she maintained with Canellakis, which became a critical part of the film’s tone. Canellakis, who also co-directed, coedited and scored the film, was an integral collaborator. “Nick was really essential because he was co-directing with me on set, so we would meet each other’s eyes, and we would bounce ideas off of each other,” says Oz. “We could reflect to each other whether we thought we were getting there, and then sometimes we would watch playbacks, but we didn’t really have time for that very often.” Oz recounts that when the cameras were getting Canellakis’ coverage, she would direct him and give him notes; when they got the reverse, he would do the same for her. This experience came with a creatively exhausting strain. From managing wardrobe to building the schedule and shot list to doing her own makeup on top of directing and acting, she said production was “challenging.” “But it really worked, it all worked out,” says Oz. “The stars need to align in order for you to land and you’re constantly jumping or leaping, hoping that you’re going to land and then you’re like ‘Oh my god, I landed’ and the film stays together.” 84

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“If there’s a story that wants to come through in a certain way, I have to trust that it’s just using me to reach its people.” A R A BELL A OZ

P H O TO G R A P H C O U R T E SY SXSW/ S A B R I N A M AC I A S

Arabella Oz, Nick Canellakis, Anjelica Bosboom and the crew and friends of Mallory’s Ghost

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT The film did stay together—for 18 days of principal photography in the summer of 2024 and five days of pickups six months later. Oz and Canellakis edited the film on and off for a year before hiring the prolific Katie McQuerrey as co-editor to bring it home. When the film was picture locked and it was time for festival submissions, Oz had her sights set on Austin’s SXSW as her dream festival for the world premiere. “I was really wanting to get into South by Southwest,” says Oz. “I felt intuitively that it would make sense to premiere at South by. But I didn’t believe that it could happen.” Premiering there on March 14 was her dream made real. “I’m a testament to the fact that you can get in cold submitting,” says Oz, who since then has played at deadCenter and a whirlwind of festivals after. September and October are shaping up to be a busy time for the Mallory’s Ghost team, with plays at film festivals in Nashville, Oregon, Indianapolis, San Diego and Wichita. But collecting festival plays and having distribution talks aren’t Oz’s primary focus for Mallory’s Ghost. Oz finds herself affected by Mallory’s story in a new way since she shot it. “The response to the film has been—how to put it?—really moving and encouraging in a deeply spiritual way, just hearing the way that it’s resonating with people’s creative journeys, their individual journeys. Anytime someone who left me is like ‘This spoke to me, I want to pursue my dreams after this, I want to look at this pattern of myself.’ Then I’m like, ‘OK, yeah, screw the analytical or corporate framework, this is what it is all about.’ This has been a real beacon for me,” says Oz. “If there’s a story that wants to come through in a certain way, I have to trust that it’s just using me to reach its people.” •

Keep up with Arabella Oz and Mallory’s Ghost by following both on Instagram at @arabellasoz and @mallorysghost. 85

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INTO

THE L A ST F RON TI E R Alaskan adventure; no passport needed BY MICHAEL KINNE Y

It was my third day in Alaska, and I decided to take a “little drive.” In the 49th state, that can mean anything from a trip to the grocery store to a 100-mile trek to Bear Island, but I had a destination in mind: The Turnagain Arm. Before I even jumped on the eight-hour flight from Oklahoma City to Anchorage, I knew I wanted to get an up-close look at the waterway into the Gulf of Alaska. Even though the forecast called for thunderstorms, I made up my mind that day was my opportunity. Alaska has created 15 pull-outs for motorists heading southeast along Seward Highway, strategically placed to enhance the scenic experience, allowing travelers to stop and enjoy the breathtaking landscapes and wildlife of the area. At one such turn-in, I stopped to take a photograph of a mountain range that was “socked in” with dramatic storm clouds and fog at the top and energetic tide water at its base. It was as if a J.M.W. Turner painting had come to life. I saw a tourist who looked like he was having an out-of-body experience while taking in the scene that was unfolding in front of us. He then turned to me and yelled: “People here don’t know what they have.” While the gentleman, who I learned was visiting from Tennessee, was talking about the people of Alaska, I believe it’s the other 49 states who have no idea. Despite Alaska attracting more than three million visitors a year, many via a popular cruise market, “The Last Frontier,” as the state is nicknamed, is still an unknown to many. The state still feels like a different country looking to be discovered. So, that’s what I tried to do. For nine days, I woke up each morning with the mindset that this could be a once-in-a-lifetime journey and I wanted to take full advantage of it. On my first full day in the state, I scheduled a chartered fishing trip out of Seward and into the Gulf of Alaska. The owners of the boat wanted to be on the highway by 5 a.m. What I had completely forgotten

was that Alaska’s time zone is three hours behind Oklahoma’s. Suffice to say, my internal clock was a mess the entire trip. Regardless, when we got to Seward, I got all decked out in the customary fishing outfit. They felt a full-body bib, waterproof jacket and standard fisherman boots would be more practical than my Adidas jumpsuit, Tommy Bahama jacket and baby blue Nikes. Despite looking like a whaler from the 1800s, it wasn’t enough to fight off a severe bout of seasickness that hit two hours into the trip. That, combined with the Dramamine I was given, knocked me out for what I can only assume was the next three hours. When I wasn’t asleep, all I could do was lie in the cabin staring at the landscapes, puffins and seals as the rest of the three-person crew hauled in their limit of silver salmon, halibut and rockfish. The truly infuriating part was that once we got back to the Seward dock, the seasickness vanished just as quickly as it had arrived. Despite the time spent curled up like a baby in the cabin, I had an amazing trip. I was also able to bring back a “fish box” on my return flight home, filled with 40 pounds of fresh fish that were caught while I slept. That was supposed to be the first of two fishing trips that I had planned. The second was an eight-hour kayaking and fly-fishing excursion with Bear Paw River Guides at $385 per person. However, it rained the night before, and the guide decided the river was too dangerous. I didn’t argue. I had much better luck with the weather the following day. With the forecast predicting calm and sunny skies, I was able to take an aerial tour with Trey Miller, a local firefighter and pilot. He took me and my friend, Everado Rodriguez, up in a 1974 Cessna P206 Super Skylane. The small, one-propeller plane was just big enough for the three of us. For nearly two hours, Miller flew us around Knik Glacier, Lake George and the Chugach Mountain range. I had already driven in 89

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and around the area earlier in the week, but to photograph them all from less than half a mile at 120 knots gave me an entirely different perspective. That was especially true of the Knik Glacier, which is approximately 21,000 years old. It is believed to have once been almost 90 miles long. The ice field has since shrunk to its current size of just 25 miles long and 5 miles across. Seeing small blocks of ice in standing water was eye-opening. “Alaska is ahead of the curve in terms of losing its glaciers,” Tyler Sutterly, a scientist at the University of Washington’s Polar Science Center, told Alaska Public Media. “You go to the ice fields in Alaska, you can see visually the ‘bathtub ring’ of where those glaciers were a few decades ago and where they are now.” Thousands of glaciers cover more than 23,000 square miles in Alaska. Almost one quarter (4.6 million acres) of them exist within nine of the state’s 15 national parks. They include Kenai Fjords National Park, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Katmai National Park and Preserve and Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. The biggest tourist attraction may be Denali National Park and Preserve, which contains Denali, North America’s tallest peak at 20,310 feet. Due to constant cloud coverage, locals say it can only be seen 10% to 25% of the time in a given year. But while hiking up Flat Top Mountain in Anchorage, I hit one of those lucky, clear-sky days. I could see Denali from 130 miles away and snapped a picture at the top. I then hurried to my car to try and get closer. But by the time I got outside of the city, the clouds had started to converge on their humongous target again. Because of Alaska’s sheer size (663,300 square miles), I spent more time on various highways and backroads than anything else. I drove close to 1,000 miles and still felt like I only saw a small portion of a state that’s twice as big as Texas. One of the best, somewhat underrated ways to get around is Alaska’s railways (alaskarailroad.com). The passenger train from Seward to Fairbanks follows different routes and provides amazing scenic views. Nevertheless, I still embraced the independence of being a highway traveler. While grabbing a rental car can be expensive, the peer-topeer app, Turo, has extensive coverage in most cities at slightly better rental rates.

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With my main focus on landscape photography, I was able to tour sites at my own speed and not have to worry about anyone else’s schedule. Some of my favorite locations to photograph were Hatcher’s Pass, Eklutna Lake, Reflection Lake, Kenai Fjords, Mount Susitna (Sleeping Lady) and Girdwood. However, it’s the experiences I missed out on that may sit with me the longest, or at least until I go back. I just didn’t have enough time to visit Homer Spit, Kodiak “Bear” Island, Juneau, Fairbanks, the Harding Icefield, the Dalton Highway, the Alaska Highway, the skybridges at Alyeska, the Tongass National Forest or Utqiagvik, which sits on the northernmost point of the state. I also completely flamed out on getting any photos of grizzly bears, humpback whales or the Northern Lights. That was a bucket list failure. Choosing to travel at the end of the summer meant missing out on Alaska’s brutally cold winter climate. I was not disappointed in missing the temperatures dropping to minus-10 in places like Nome and Fairbanks. However, the day before I flew home, I was able to catch the first snowfall, which locals call termination dust. It signifies the end of summer and time to start preparing for the oncoming winter conditions. In just nine days, I somehow was able to experience all four seasons. It almost felt like I was visiting four separate countries because they were so drastically different. That was something I was not expecting. In fact, when I first booked my trip, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I certainly didn’t anticipate being immersed in some of the most visually stunning landscapes I have ever seen. I have always thought I needed to travel internationally to be amazed. Turns out I was wrong— no passport needed. • 91

THE LUXIERE LIST

Alaska’s Coffee Culture

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hen my flight landed in Anchorage on Aug. 24, it was already 8:45 p.m., but there was still light out as if it were midday. As we drove from the airport to where I was staying that night in Eagle River, one of the first things I noticed how many coffee spots littered every other corner of the city, and also that they were still open with people waiting in line. That was when I first learned of the coffee hut culture in Alaska. From cities like Fairbanks (32,515 population) to small towns like Cantwell (200), the coffee hut is king. Alaska’s coffee hut culture is one of the state’s most distinctive traditions. The small drive-up coffee stands—often called coffee huts, coffee shacks or espresso stands— have become an important part of daily life. “The sheer number of them, first of all. Anchorage gets cited a lot as the U.S. city with the most espresso shops per person,” says Kasper Svane Kristensen of the directory Roast Local (roastlocal.com). “Juneau has something like 20-plus coffee shops for 33,000 people, in a town you can only reach by ferry or plane. In most of the country, a drivethrough coffee stand is a bit of a novelty. In Alaska, it’s just how you get coffee.” The independent shops are so prevalent that they’ve formed a nearly impenetrable wall that keeps most big coffee chains from establishing a foothold in the state. Only eight states have fewer Starbucks than Alaska. There are a total of 49 franchises located throughout the entire state of Alaska, with 23 being situated in Anchorage. That is the same total the Fortune 500 company had in 2021, suggesting there’s little room for growth in the market.

Even 7 Brew and Dutch Bros, the country’s fastest-growing coffee chains, have yet to plant their flags in Alaska’s frozen tundra. While they also have a predominant drive-thru business, they don’t have the community vibe of the local huts. Unlike national chains, where the same drinks can be found around the country, each coffee hut uses different names, ingredients and roasters that add to their distinctiveness and separate them from the competition down the street. That matches the companies that provide the coffee huts with their product. According to Kristensen, there are 19 independent roasters in Alaska, which each region favoring different brands. “Anchorage has the most variety. SteamDot goes light to medium and is pretty focused on origin,” Kristensen says. “Silverhook is a medium roaster. Chugach Mountain goes medium to medium-dark. After Midnight does the whole range and roasts to order. Fairbanks is darker and more traditional. Alaska Coffee Roasting Co is medium to dark and sells a lot through cafes and grocery. Lifeline makes custom blends for cafes around the state, so if you had a local cup in Fairbanks there’s a decent chance it was theirs. There isn’t one Alaska taste: big city with everything, interior that likes it dark, coastal towns going lighter.” My Alaskan host/guide stopped at Wasilla’s Cozy Cup Espresso (@cozycupespresso) each time we headed out to explore. While I found the drip coffee weaker than what I normally get in Oklahoma, their specialty drinks like Campfire Mocha, Rhubarb Crisp and Fishbowl Lotus were obviously where they excelled. The popularity of coffee huts is partly practical. Alaska is a state where people frequently drive long distances, and many communities are spread out. A traditional café that requires parking and sitting down does not always fit the rhythm of Alaskan life. A small drivethrough stand offers convenience: Customers can grab a hot coffee, espresso, latte, tea or breakfast item without leaving their vehicle. While the name “coffee huts” make them sound like they are just a bunch of ramshackle tool sheds, shops like Bucko’s Coffee, Mocha Moose Express and Hottie Hut Espresso have their own distinctive looks that make them easily identifiable. Bikini Babes, which, as the name suggests, has all its employees wearing bikinis throughout the year, is a bright pink building that sticks out from the rest of the Anchorage scenery. Alaska’s climate also contributes to the coffee hut’s popularity. During the winter, temperatures can plunge well below freezing; daylight becomes limited; and snow and ice can make ordinary errands an arduous trip. So the less time residents can spend outside, the better. Conversely, during the summer months when Alaska experiences extended daylight hours, with some regions enjoying up to 22 hours of sunlight, coffee huts often accommodate early-morning workers, travelers, fishermen, construction crews and tourists heading out for a day of hiking, photography or exploring. I am sure there are executives at most of the major coffee chains being paid seven-figure salaries to figure out how to crack the Alaskan market. From all the locals I have talked to, they hope that never happens. They are perfectly fine with the coffee hut culture just as it is.

Photojournalist Michael Kinney will present Where We Are Small, a collection of fine-art photography on Friday, Nov. 6 (6-9 p.m.) at The Art House, 829 NW 4th St., Oklahoma City. The exhibition, which is curated by acclaimed artist Robert Peterson, runs through Dec. 6, features a selection of limited-edition prints drawn from Kinney’s travels through Alaska, offering an evocative glimpse into one of the world’s most compelling landscapes. 92

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Directors Colton and Austin Warren on the set of their feature directorial debut, Pale Night 96

FOR

T H E L OV E of

FILM The world premiere of Pale Night is a full-circle moment for its home-grown directors BY ALE X ANDR A BOHANNON PH OTO G R A PH Y BY R EE SE B A K ER

ust a few hours before the world premiere of Okie-shot feature Pale Night at deadCenter Film Festival, co-directors and writers Colton and Austin Warren are feeling the excitement—and nerves. Landing at Oklahoma’s biggest festival for the premiere feels appropriate for the brothers, who consider it a homecoming of sorts. “We’re glad that we can have the world premiere of Pale Night here. It feels fitting,” says Colton. Raised in Lawton, the twin brothers went to the University of Oklahoma for film. OU’s Film and Media Studies program has many connections to Oklahoma’s biggest film festival, which includes deadCenter’s director of programming, Sunrise Tippeconnie. “I believe the class we took with Sunrise was a directing actors class,” says Colton. “So it was great to come back here with a feature that we were using the same things we learned in that class and applying them to something 10 years later.” While Tippeconnie watched all the films selected for the festival, he recused himself from the acceptance decision for Pale Night and left it to Senior Features Programmer Kevin Ely and Features Programmer Camila Chaves Rojas to decide. Tippeconnie was pleased to see that the feature was selected by the team. “It’s always nice when the festival is a way that we can continue a story of Oklahoma filmmakers,” he says. “We’ve seen some of their

work on the craft side of it, the cinematography and the editing, but we’re always happy when we can continue that story when we display a film that’s able to display other attributes of filmmaking, and in this case, direction.” OKIE DOKIE After moving to L.A., the Warrens returned to Oklahoma to shoot their feature due in part to their local connections. That included an 11-year relationship with the film’s executive producer, Kyle Kauwika Harris, who knew how to stretch an indie budget and secure a production rebate from the Oklahoma Film and Music Office. “The rebate is also why people come to Oklahoma to shoot their movies, because the rebate allows them to do that and plan that into their budget,” says Austin. “It would be very difficult to shoot this movie without the rebate in place.” According to the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, the Filmed in Oklahoma Program issued the production a rebate of nearly 30% of the film’s budget, thanks to the use of local crew, talent and support services. That makes an ultra-low budget in the six-figure range stretch pretty far. Colton explained that the Warrens’ feature debut cost the same as one of the 20-minute short films he edited as part of his American Film Institute MFA thesis in L.A. 97

“We couldn’t have made this film in L.A.; we would have to build sets,” says Colton. “It would have just been way too expensive.” It was the brothers’ discovery of a hidden gem that pushed them to settle on Oklahoma as the shooting location in the first place. Tucked away on the second floor of the Reinhart Law building in downtown El Reno, the brothers found a relatively intact 1900s boarding house that begged to be used as a film location, even if just for a short. However, after it sank in how much prep the boarding house needed to become the haunting, Gothic space seen in the final film, they decided to make Pale Night a feature-length film. The rest is history. “The idea that we had in our minds of what we wanted to show and tell, I think was just linked to Oklahoma already,” says Colton. “We knew we wanted to come back here from L.A. to make this feature film; it felt like a full-circle moment.” “YOU NEED A VISION’’ Set in the 1930s, Pale Night follows an ether-addicted doctor (Van Quattro) and lonesome housekeeper Ms. Wickham (Whit Kunschik) after they take in troubled Bible salesman Sid (Justin France) and his pregnant sister Daisy (Kaylene Snarsky). The ratcheting interpersonal tensions of the Southern Gothic chamber piece slowly build to an explosive climax that changes each character’s trajectory forever. The brothers eschew saying much more. “I think it’s better the audience just goes in not knowing much, so they can experience it with fresh eyes,” says Colton. “Sometimes it’s better to just see a trailer and then not look at any reviews, don’t look at the press, just go in and be surprised.” Pale Night feels like the intentional antithesis of a stereotypical bloated Hollywood blockbuster; films with flashy quick cuts, rote cinematography and a heavy pour of CGI. At a few minutes shy of

Co-director and cinematographer Austin Warren getting the shot. 98

Kaylene Snarsky as Daisy in Pale Night

two hours, Pale Night is the definition of a slow burn. Long takes, practical effects and intentional craftsmanship prop up every frame. Tippeconnie noted that it’s hard to mistake the film for any other creation that played at the festival. “Not just the fact that it’s in black and white, but that there’s a time period and there’s sort of a wide-angle lensing of a lot of the material, and then the cutting and the way in which it’s very expressive,” says Tippeconnie. “All those things are very distinctive for any kind of film, and just to see it come from Oklahoma filmmakers was something that was really nice to see.” As production began, the Warrens continued to balance the film’s craft and creative direction with the real-world challenges of bringing it to life. Two days before production started, a dust storm hit El Reno and damaged the boarding house, which is ironic considering the setting and time period would put the film squarely in the middle of Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl. “The dust storm blew out two windows, so we leaned into this look by nailing boards across the frames,” says Austin. “It became part of the production design and added to the poor environment the characters were inhabiting.” Having to roll with the punches like this on a 15-day indie film production is not optional; it’s mandatory. Austin noted he and Colton kept focusing on “serving the artistic and thematic throughline of the story” despite choppy waters that producers Harris, Gared Reinke and Ben Stillwell White were tasked to navigate. For example, on the 13th day of production, the crew didn’t know where they would shoot on the 14th, as a location dropped out at the last minute. But thanks to the producers, they secured locations that worked “perfectly” on the final two days. “You can do things in Oklahoma that you can’t do anywhere else,” says Austin. “And it’s a local community, so if you get to know people, they’ll be pretty willing to work with you.” The community rallied around the Warrens’ deadCenter screenings of Pale Night on those hot days in June. The world premiere went great, according to the brothers in a follow-up interview. “We had a lot of people approach us after the movie to ask questions and express their enjoyment of the film,” says Austin. “I think the second screening actually had more people than the first.”

Van Quattro as The Doctor and Snarsky in-between takes

Austin and Colton Warren directing Pale Night

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“In Oklahoma, it can feel more authentic. People just want to be part of film for the love of film.” AUSTIN WARREN

Months after the film’s premiere, Tippeconnie stated he still receives comments about Pale Night being one of the most memorable films of the 2026 festival. Stepping out of the Hollywood machine to create such a distinctive debut speaks to the brothers’ commitment to their craft. “It doesn’t require the excess that is advertised in Hollywood. You don’t need big names necessarily. You don’t need a huge budget. You just need a team, and you need a vision,” says Tippeconnie. “Their persistence is part of that formula, I think. And they also have a passion that drives them.” The twins are keeping their distribution options open to companies that care about their film as much as they do, and they expect more opportunities for audiences to see Pale Night on the big screen. While the Warrens will screen Pale Night in Los Angeles, they’re also prioritizing additional Oklahoma screenings before the film is distributed. That’s intentional. “In Oklahoma, it can feel more authentic,” says Austin. “People just want to be part of film for the love of film.” •

Keep up with Pale Night and the Warren brothers by following them on Instagram. Follow Austin at @warrencine and Colton at @cinesir. 101

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O M Ō S T R AT EG I C PR EC O N S T R U C T I O N L E A D E R S H I P G A R D N E R S T U D I O | A R C H I T EC T U R E A N D D E S I G N F I R M

12401 N. Bryant Avenue, Edmond 5 BEDS

5 B AT H S

4,900 SQF T

$1,250,000

A rare architectural offering: a Scandinavian inspired compound defined by dramatic steep pitched gables, crisp white vertical board siding, and cedar shake roofs punctuated with skylights. The clean, minimalist forms, deep set windows, recessed entries, and sculptural chimney give the home a striking, gallery-like presence that stands apart from anything else in the area. LISTED BY JOY BA RESEL

Selling the Exceptional

Nichols Hills 1820 Drury Lane Offered at $3,350,000 4 BEDS | 7 BATHS | 7,229 SF | 5-CAR GARAGE | 0.5-ACRE LOT

Positioned directly across from Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, this extraordinary European estate represents timeless architecture, uncompromising craftsmanship, and one of Nichols Hills’ most coveted addresses. Designed and built by renowned architects and builders, this 7,229 square foot residence seamlessly blends classic European elegance with refined modern living. Beyond a gated motor court, the home is introduced by a distinguished Ludowici tile roof, hand finished stucco, limestone detailing, copper gutters, and manicured landscaping, creating an unforgettable first impression. Inside, reclaimed wood beams, soaring ceilings, and walls of windows overlooking the resort style backyard fill the home with warmth, natural light, and exceptional craftsmanship. Designed for both everyday living and grand entertaining, the home features four bedrooms, five full and two half baths, including a luxurious primary suite with dual bathrooms, and a private exercise room. A second ensuite bedroom is conveniently located on the main level, while two additional ensuite bedrooms occupy the upper level. The gourmet kitchen is appointed with top-tier appliances and opens effortlessly to elegant living spaces and a beautifully designed wet bar featuring an ice machine, wine refrigerator, and dedicated wine storage. A distinguished executive office offers a refined workspace. The private backyard rivals a boutique resort with a heated pool and spa, dramatic stone water feature, covered outdoor living spaces, and meticulously curated landscaping. Floor-to-ceiling windows create a seamless connection between the interior and outdoor oasis. Completing the estate is a five car garage and an unmatched Nichols Hills location just moments from the city’s premier golf, dining, shopping, and entertainment. A timeless European residence where exceptional design, enduring quality, and an unrivaled location come together to create one of Nichols Hills’ finest offerings.

For more information about our Exclusive Listings and Developments, please visit DAVIDOLIVERHOMES.COM

Sage Sotheby’s International Realty | 1047 NW 68th Street, Oklahoma City © 2026 Sage Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Oklahoma Equestrian Estate Just minutes from Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees

40+ Acres for $2,250,000 This property strikes a thoughtful balance of scale, function, and design, making it well-suited as a private residence, recreational retreat, or working estate — all within close proximity to Grove, Oklahoma.

33021 S 625 Road, Jay, Oklahoma 74346

Property Features 5 BEDS | 7 BATHS | 6,000 SF | 40+ ACRES

• DESIGNED BY JACK ARNOLD • 40 FT HEATED & COOLED POOL • 1,400 SF (MOL) POOL HOUSE WITH GUEST ACCOMMODATIONS • PICKLEBALL COURT

• BARN WITH PRIEFERT HORSE STALLS • DOG RUNS • BOAT & RV STORAGE • 1,000 GALLON IN-GROUND PROPANE TANK • SPRING-FED CREEK RUNS THROUGH PROPERTY

David G. Oliver O 405.748.0405 M 405.532.3800 david@ davidoliverhomes.com DavidOliverHomes.com LUXI E R E 105

THE ADVOCATE GROUP

C H U C K W E L L S M 4 0 5 . 8 3 4 . 1 7 2 2 O 4 0 5 . 2 5 6 . 8 0 5 5 C H U C K @ T H E A D V O C A T E G R O U P. R E A L E S T A T E

RUS T IC LU X U RY IN

OKL AHOMA

CIT Y

3376 NE 50TH STREE T, OKC Just a mile off I-35, this 32-acre retreat feels worlds away. With easy freeway access, this grand estate rests only minutes from the city with its striking log-and-stone profile tucked into mature woods along a running creek. With its vaulted, beamed ceilings, skylights, and floor-to-ceiling windows, this rustic sanctuary is your home-away-from-home — or distinctive setting for your business, designed for privacy. Its stacked-stone walkway leads beneath a canopy of trees to an inground pool, tennis courts, barn and wooded property on its expansive 32 acres. 2 BEDS / 2 BATHS / 5,031 SF / 32 ACRES

$2,995,000 Kay Pratt / Realtor / REMAX At Home 3121 Quail Springs Pkwy, Ste 100 • OKC kay@kaypratt.com / 405-641-5754

B R A D R E E S E R R E A L E S TAT E T E A M

BRADREESER.COM

405-990-8262

THE BEST VIEW IN OAK TREE 1 7 0 9 I R V I N E D R I V E I N OA K T R E E | $ 9 2 5 , 0 0 0 | 5 B E D S | 4 . 5 B AT H S | 5 , 6 8 2 S Q F T

INQUIRE TODAY! 405 .990. 8262

For Your Private Viewing, Call Brad Reeser 405-990-8262 BradReeser.com 10 E. Campbell | Edmond, OK

OKC’S Best-Kept Secret is Out & Filling Up Fast ONCE THEY’RE GONE, THEY’RE GONE FOR GOOD.

Only 13 Lots Left!

828 NW 72nd Street, Oklahoma City List Price $1,149,000

810 NW 72nd Street, Oklahoma City List Price $999,500

814 NW 72nd Street, Oklahoma City List Price $896,760

ilshire Point is a fast-growing gated community on the eastern edge of

Nichols Hills featuring boutique office sites, the neighborhood restaurant & bar “74,” water features, and much more. Located only 1 mile from Broadway Extension and less than a mile from Nichols Hills Plaza, Wilshire Point is perfectly positioned for both work and play. This HOA-run, maintenance-free community offers the highest quality homesites at affordable prices, perfect for singles, professionals, and empty-nesters … we call it Refined Rightsizing™. But, there are only 13 lots left and they won’t last long, so come and tour one or all of our 3 spec homes and see for yourself!

Refined Rightsizing™ Not smaller living. Better living.

834 NW 72nd Street, Oklahoma City List Price $1,099,500

Finished Homes & Build Sites Available W I L S H I R E P O I N T. C O M

405.850.0987 LUXI E R E 109

Lock and LeaveLive

100 RUSSELL M PERRY AVE | $993,000

503 NE 1ST TERRACE | $975,000

508 NE 2ND STREET | $945,000

505 NE 1ST TERRACE | $875,000

502 NE 2ND STREET | $775,000

423 NE 1ST STREET | $665,000

504 NE 2ND STREET | SOLD $585,000

506 NE 2ND STREET | SOLD $575,000

402 NE 2ND STREET | $479,900

MATT MARCACCI 405.613.5303 | matt@ okcurbanliving.com www.okcurbanliving.com

SCAN & STEP INSIDE! PHOTOS | VIDEOS | 3D TOURS

©2026, MLSOK, Inc.. All rights reserved. Certain information contained herein is derived from information which is the licensed property of, and copyrighted by, MLSOK, Inc This information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed. Subject

110 to verification by all parties. The listing information being provided is for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. This data is copyrighted and may not be transmitted, retransmitted, copied, framed, repurposed, or altered in any way for any other site, individual and/or purpose without the express written permission of MLSOK, Inc.

N O R T H W E S T

N O R M A N

A S H T O N G R OV E Luxurious homes. Exceptional homesites. Gated community.

2516 Highbury Drive

NOW OFFERED AT A COMPELLING NEW PRICE: $1,377,105

Experience easy luxury living at its finest. From the tile roof to the cast-stone arched windows, this lakefront home epitomizes quality and craftsmanship inside and out! The 400 SF outdoor living space features a fireplace, grill, heaters, and screens.

3,473 SF | 3 BEDS | 3.5 BATHS

2512 Highbury Drive

NOW OFFERED AT A COMPELLING NEW PRICE: $1,327,500

This stunning lakefront home pairs beautiful views with thoughtful design and versatility. The 400 SF of outdoor living offers a fireplace, grill, heaters, and screens. An additional 700 SF of unfinished attic space offers potential for expanded living and added value!

3,540 SF | 3 BEDROOM SUITES | 3.5 BATHS

2618 Highbury Drive OFFERED AT $1,799,500

This architecturally striking and exceptional contemporary home seamlessly blends sophisticated design and everyday livability! The outdoor living space offers a spa and pool with a waterfall, fireplace, grill, heaters, and screens.

4,200 SF | 4 BEDROOM SUITES | 4 FULL + 2 HALF BATHS

VILLA LOTS FROM $175K

ESTATE LOTS

$300K – $400K | Approx. 1/2 Acre

$10,000 SAVINGS ON LOT PURCHA SES CLOSING BY DECEMBER 31, 2026

DARLENE BOWLINE, Co-owner, Realtor, CLHMS

(405) 659-8291 | darlene@dillardcies.com | www.dillardcies.com LUXI E R E 111

COMING SOON

TO NICHOLS HILLS & OKLAHOMA CITY

New Custom Homes by Shane Rickey Design & Abode Builders CONTACT CHARLI BULLARD FOR MORE INFORMATION

Charli Bullard / Private Office Advisor 1138 N Robinson Ave • Oklahoma City charli.bullard@evrealestate.com 405-414-6215 ©2026 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

112

T HE

JOY BA R ESEL P ORTFOLIO OF FINE HOMES

1807 Guilford Lane Nichols Hills | $2,950,000

1117 Tedford Way Nichols Hills | $1,750,000

105 Lower Greenway Carlton Landing | $1,499,000

8614 N Georgia Avenue Oklahoma City | $775,000

19540 Talavera Lane Edmond | $579,000

4200 NE 36th Street Oklahoma City | $575,000

PENDING

12401 N Bryant Avenue Edmond | $1,250,000

820 NW 67th Street Oklahoma City | $729,000

PENDING

2841 Guilford Lane Nichols Hills | $2,000,000 Custom Build with Dream Construction

Joy Baresel / CEO Private Office Real Estate Advisor, Broker +1 405-826-7465 joy.baresel@evrealestate.com joybaresel.evrealestate.com Instagram: @joybaresel ©2026 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

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