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ELYSIAN Women Inspiring Women

DISPLAY UNTIL NOV. 25, 2025

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ELYSIAN VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 3 THE GOLDEN ISSUE / L’ÉDITION DORÉE AUTOMNE 2025

94 La fille en or

112

ANN MARGRET. BY MARCY DUBROFF

a Gilded Vision

THE MUSE COLLECTION FROM KHALED AND MARWAN OF MAISON DE COUTURE IS A REMINDER OF WHAT FASHION ONCE WAS—AND WHAT IT STILL CAN BE. BEAUTIFUL. ENDURING. SACRED.. BY SAMANTHA PAIGE

This striking beige strapless gown with a gold embroidered bodice, from Khaled and Marwan’s Muse Collection, features a lavishly ruffled skirt that creates dramatic movement. The bodice is adorned with an intricate mix of floral and ruby red jewel appliqués. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY KHALED AND MARWAN / KHALEDMARWAN.COM

the

132

Golden City

THE ART, THE HISTORY, THE ROMANCE OF LAS VEGAS.

BY CLARA SWANSON

150 A Trace of

Glitter

THE GOLDEN WORK OF PABLO PICASSO. MARGAUX SPINNER

164

Aspiring Women Haley Hudson page 166 Sarah Hunt page 172 Ivy Mae Anderson page 178 BY LAUREN BULLA

fashion&style

Schiaparelli: The Alchemy of Elegance - BY ELIZABETH BETTINGFIELD

food&dining A Golden Season for Fine Dining - BY SONIA HENRY

68 art&history

L’or Dans L’art: The Midas Touch - BY JULES INGRID ADELAR

88essentials

188 mind&body

Luxurious Indulgence - BY SINDIE FITZGERALD-RANKIN

194

A Woman’s Reflection on Addiction & Recovery - BY NICOLE LANGLEY

philanthropy

Hearts That Hold the Hardest Stories - BY TOBY MAXWELL

208 back story

ELYSIAN was thrilled to launch its 10-year celebration, “The Sky is the Limit,” with a spectacular two-day event and Summer Anniversary magazine reveal in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

on the cover

Australia-raised model and actress, and world-renowned influencer, Ivy Mae Anderson. PHOTOGRAPH BY KYLIE SOUTHWOOD

30 architecture&interiors The Modern Revival of Gold in Interior Design - BY HALEY HUDSON

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY COVET HOUSE / COVETHOUSE.EU

c r e at o r - i n - c h i e f

publisher

Karen Floyd

Ryan Stalvey

production

digital marketing & newsletter

d i g i ta l i n n o vat i o r

comptroller

Nicola Doring

Amber Edwards

Joey Iannetta

Anna Christian

web design

& development

Elliot Derhay

writer

legal

Jason Spencer

Eric Nodine

film

& video

Garrick Lane philanthropy

& i m pa c t

Kimberli Scott Still

p u b l i c a f fa i r s

d i g i ta l s t r at e g y

events

o u t r e a c h c o o r d i n at o r

c o m m u n i t y a f fa i r s

Boone Peeler

Don Bailey

Carolyn Schoepf

Mary Helen Wade

Ann Bible

lead photographer

e d i t o r i a l a s s i s ta n t

photographer

d i g i ta l s t r at e g y

social media

Michael Paniccia

Marcy Dubroff

Joy Smallwood

Christiana Purves

Michelle Young

audio production

office manager

liaison

p r o d u c t i o n a s s i s ta n t

Ark Tofan

Becky Kerr

Rita Allison

Aidan Stanton

inspiring women

aspiring women

Karen Floyd

Dr. Christina Rahm contributing writers

jules Ingrid Adelar, Elizabeth Bettingfield, Lauren Bulla, Marcy Dubroff, Sonia Henry, Nicole Langley Toby Maxwell, Samantha Paige, Sindie Fitzgerald-Rankin, Margaux Spinner, Clara Swanson copy editors

Nancy Brady, Monya Havekost, Diane High p u b l i c r e l at i o n s

printer

c i r c u l at i o n s p e c i a l i s t

c o n s u lta n t

Norah Lawlor

Joe Giuffrida/Mega Mailers

Greg Wolfe

Carmel Fauci

w w w . r e a d e ly s i a n . c o m ELYSIAN Magazine is published four times per year by Palladian Publications LLC., 113 W. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29306. For subscription information, call 864-342-6500. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

elysian is proud to feature our updated ios app, redesigned from the ground up to maximize your experience — download now in the app store to read and view exclusive elysian content, watch livestreams and participate in our special events.

www.mercidupreclothiers.com

BRASS SHINES AS FAIR TO THE IGNORANT AS GOLD TO THE GOLDSMITHS.” —QUEEN ELIZABETH LETTER (1581)

was drawn to Queen Elizabeth’s words, written five centuries ago, because of her capacity to understand the human condition. What we consider valuable (brass or gold) . . . is often a mere illusion . . . and depends largely upon perspective. In that day in time, in small hamlets, villagers were mentally and physically ground down by repetitive, mindnumbing daily tasks needed to endure harsh winters and cruel conditions. Survival extinguished the human spark. And it was that “ignorance” the Queen referenced, that could only be changed with knowledge and awareness. Fast forward to today. Something is happening. If you are paying attention, not just to the headlines, but to people… you also have felt it. You can see it in their glossy stares . . . feel it in public places. The warmth is gone. The spontaneity, the spark, the soul behind the smile . . . missing . . . and in its place are shiny new things to fill humanity’s void. You might think you are imagining things . . . becoming more aware with age . . . or is it because people are situationally stagnant? But the more you look, the clearer it becomes…this dullness is not random, it is systemic.

ELYSIAN begins our second decade, we purposefully expanded our ELYSIAN Circle of Women through our Aspiring Women, the next generation of female thought leaders. They are truth seekers who intuitively understand the modern-day complexities and their unique responsibility moving forward. I have gleaned from countless interviews; they collectively believe that only through intentional actions and unclouded minds can they find their purpose. To reignite the human spark, we dream that our daughters will push beyond the glassy eyed, superficial, and automated. They were not raised with hollow mothers and fathers, and they will create their own transformative truth to break the cycle. I have heard their voices, and they are very clear; complacency is death for their generation. And so, in this our Golden Issue, I think about the metaphor in Queen Elizabeth’s letter. She understood the differentiator between “the goldsmith” and the “ignorant”; it was truth . . . the ability to see past the shine and understand what holds real value. Likewise, the Aspiring Women recognize that if they mimic what they have experienced the past decade, their conscious awareness of injustice, love, and peace will be lost. There is a circle to life. Whatever we chase we become. I am filled with hope as our Aspiring Women lead the charge to a more aware and conscious world, filled with purpose and passion. May you rise up to take the challenge led by these women, understanding you are not alone. Thank you for taking the journey.

Much love,

Karen Floyd Publisher

• automne 2025 • l’édition dorée • readelysian.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL PANICCIA

uring the pandemic, many lives were re-defined by both fear and isolation, resulting in heightened anxiety. Humanity turned inward, relying on technology to fill the void caused by the lack of social interaction. Sadly, the curated content people read was controlled through algorithms . . . whose purpose was to create engagement on meta platforms. Addictive and often mind numbing material was fed to those seeking answers in a time of vulnerability and suffering. Today, we are living through a post Covid, silent emotional shutdown. The nervous system is overwhelmed and over stimulated. Modern life bombards us with signals, phones, screens, alerts, artificial light and manufactured sound . . . all of which pushes the body into chronic survival mode. In that space . . . you do not connect . . . you protect. Empathy becomes a luxury the brain can no longer afford. People are becoming less human and to combat their dormant existence are seeking shiny objects to fill an inner void…and break the dullness of the modern human condition.

artevey.com

EVEY FINE ART / PALM BEACH

D C SERIES N274, mixed media on canvas, 2023, by Marta Estrems

fashion&style

Schiapa Black velvet maxi dress with Phoenixwing shaped shoulders and an impossible V neckline. The dress is entirely embroidered with hammered gold brass pieces, paied with matching clutch adorned with signature padlock clasp in hammered gold brass, and Egg bracelet in shiny gold palladium and rhinestones. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.COM

• automne • readelysian.com printemps2025 2025• •l’édition l’éditiondorée sur les animaux de compagnie et la philanthropie • readelysian.com

parelli:

the Alchemy of Elegance BY ELIZABETH BETTINGFIELD

automne 2025 • l’édition doréee • readelysian.com •

Jacket in ecru crepe satin with a draped satin and tulle skirt with aerodynamic volume, entirely embroidered with sequins and shiny silver Egg crystals. A black crinoline veil with black velvet headpiece inspired by a vintage shoe, topped with tonal feathers complete the ensemble. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.COM

he subterranean glow of Paris’s Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, where shadow and splendor entwined in hushed communion, something otherworldly took shape. Daniel Roseberry’s Fall-Winter 2024/25 Haute Couture collection for Maison Schiaparelli— aptly titled The Phoenix—was not simply a fashion presentation. It was an offering, a myth reborn in gold, spun with reverence and audacity. Here, couture ceased to be cloth and thread and became artifact—talismanic, immortal. If couture is the modern chapel of fashion, then this was its benediction, whispered in a visual language of gold. Roseberry’s latest work summoned both the divine and the surreal, echoing not only the flamboyance of Elsa Schiaparelli’s original provocations, but the spiritual extravagance of haute couture’s golden age. It was theatrical, yes—but not for the sake of spectacle. It was gilded with intent. From the first look, it was clear: this was not a collection that asked for attention—it commanded it. A statuesque corset of polished bronze-gold resin, molded to resemble a human torso, shimmered beneath the stage lights like a relic unearthed from a cathedral vault. Both erotic and sacred, the bodice flared into pleated lamé, catching light in liquid motion. This was not worn; it was inhabited. The model’s gait was not a walk but a procession. Gold, in its many incarnations—hammered brass, palladium, metallic embroidery— became the narrative thread, the sinew that linked each silhouette to the next. It was not merely embellishment; it was structural, philosophical, almost alchemical. In Roseberry’s hands, gold was shield and skin, feather and flame, memory and prophecy. A visual dialect of resurrection. This reverence for transformation permeated the silhouettes. Exaggerated shoulders suggested phoenix wings; sculpted capes and architectural corsetry echoed both armor and flight. Velvet, wool, and suede served as the canvas—materials with depth and

• automne 2025 • l’édition dorée • readelysian.com

ONE FELT, IN THAT AMBER-LIT CHAMBER, THE ECHO OF A BYGONE WORLD—WHEN COUTURE WAS A RELIGION, ATELIERS WERE SANCTUARIES, AND DESIGNERS WERE HIGH PRIESTS OF BEAUTY.”

gravitas against which gold shimmered like heat lightning. Look after look glowed in chiaroscuro: black gowns with molten gold embroidery, corsets adorned with feathered brass appliqués, capes lined with sunlit halos of thread. Gold danced across the body like a second skin—or perhaps, a soul made visible. There were surrealist flourishes that called out to Schiaparelli herself. A jacket of interlinked golden hands—each cast from real-life models—clutched one another in a tense embrace, forming a cuirass of uncanny intimacy. It was playful and unsettling, as though Elsa’s spirit had whispered, “Remember me,” from beyond. And remember her, we did. For it was Elsa Schiaparelli who once dared to make fashion irreverent and cerebral, collaborating with artists like Cocteau and Dalí, embracing a sense of humor and high art that few since have captured. Roseberry understands this inheritance not as burden, but as birthright. Accessories deepened the narrative. Not content with simple adornment, the pieces became relics in their own right. Clutches molded in the shape of anatomical hearts. Earrings shaped like golden eggs—a motif Roseberry has lovingly preserved, symbolizing both fragility and genesis. Ear cuffs like angel wings, gloves that shimmered in golden scales, belt buckles with sculptural lips—every detail a wink, a symbol, a secret. Even the egg, so often humble, was exalted in gleaming palladium, pearls, and rhinestones, as if plucked from a nest woven by deities. Indeed, what emerged in this collection was a couture mythology. The phoenix—flaming, cyclical, reborn— became the emblem not only of the house’s legacy but of fashion itself: always dying, always resurrecting. Gold, as the eternal element, became its flame. The Phoenix rose not just in name, but in structure and spirit.

he staging itself amplified the collection’s resonance. Presented in an amber-lit basement, the atmosphere suggested something hidden, sacred—like discovering an archive of dreams long locked away. The models did not parade; they emerged, gliding through shadows as though rising from ashes. Their garments caught the warm glow not merely of the spotlights but of memory—gold shining through the patina of time. In perhaps the most emotionally resonant piece, a simple dress in black jersey featured a golden fingerprint at the bust. No more, no less. A human touch—intimate, ephemeral, now eternal. One could almost imagine Elsa’s own finger pressed there, marking the garment as hers, as ours. Couture, after all, is the art of presence. Of making memory tactile. The collection’s climactic look, a cathedral-length cape in gold and pearl mosaic, stood less as closure and more as coronation. When the model appeared, motionless under its weight, time itself seemed to hesitate. The room, lit

Black ball gown entirely embroidered with geometric sequins in black resin and enhanced by a tulle train with aerodynamic volume. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.COM

automne 2025 • l’édition doréee • readelysian.com •

Butterfly volume black velvet sleeveless dress with a tonal tulle explosion embroidered w contrasted light pink square-shaped rhinestones on the lining. The embroidery was inspir by the design of the iconic Schiaparelli “Apollo of Versailles” cape from the 1938 Zodi collection. The ensemble features matching embroidered tights and long gloves in bla velvet. The black velvet headpiece inspired by a vintage shoe, topped with tonal feathe

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.C

with red iac ack ers.

COM

Butterfly volume black velvet bustier dress entirely covered with a tonal faux horsehair, sequins and velvet embroidery from the Schiaparelli archives, complimented by a light green crinoline veil. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.COM

automne 2025 • l’édition doréee • readelysian.com •

Oversized trompe l’oeil jumpsuit in ecru neoprene jersey fully embroidered with brown toneds sequins and faux horsehair recreating a zebra skin. The Egg wire necklace is adorned in shiny silver palladium and rhinestone. A Midnight blue crinoline veil completes the ensmble. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.COM

• automne 2025 • l’édition dorée • readelysian.com

Bi-material bustier dress with dusting-effect embroidery on tulle and black velvet corset. It is embellished with a black satin 3D rose embroidery at the neck, with nude crinoline veil. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.COM

Corset bustier in nude organza with an impossible V neckline entirely embroidered with black contrasted dusting-effect sequins slowly gradating into black fringes and then finishing into a long black velvet skirt. Egg ring in black palladium completes the ensemble. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.COM

• automne 2025 • l’édition dorée • readelysian.com

Jacket entirely embroidered with ecru trompe l’oeil feathers tips made in silk organza topped with contrasted black pearls and matching toque. Black wool and mohair cropped trousers complete the ensemble. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.COM

• automne 2025 • l’édition dorée • readelysian.com

Black velvet cape with Phoenix-wing shaped shoulders adorned with a 3D chrome trompe l’oeil feathers embroidery and Eggs earrings in shiny silver palladium. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI / SCHIAPARELLI.COM

in tones of amber and shadow, fell reverently still. The cape was not a garment—it was architecture, a shrine. And in that breathless moment, the audience did not merely applaud. They worshipped. Critics have already hailed this collection as one of Roseberry’s most mature and coherent visions. Gone was the reliance on viral spectacle or gimmick. In its place, a collection steeped in craft, story, and restraint. Fashionotography spoke of chiaroscuro and celestial shimmer. Vogue praised the structural nods to the 1950s—a time when couture was at its zenith—and the recontextualization of hourglass forms in a modern, metallic palette. Even the ready-to-wear echoes with golden accents: medallion belts, gilded lips, laminated viscose. The dream trickles down, drop by gilded drop. This collection, however, is more than praise-worthy. It is meaningful. In an era of excess and instant consumption, The Phoenix dares to be slow, deliberate, spiritual. It’s an invocation of fashion as faith, craftsmanship as sacrament. Gold, here, is not showy—it’s sacred. And it is also, always, Elsa’s. That sly smile behind the surreal. That refusal to conform. That embrace of contradiction—where armor is also intimacy, where elegance is also rebellion. Her influence glimmers in every serpentine embellishment, every whispered absurdity made glorious. Roseberry’s genius lies in understanding this not as mimicry, but as conversation. Between past and future. Between earth and myth. So it was that in the shadowy hush of a Paris basement, beneath vaulted ceilings and beside whispered legacy, gold did not simply adorn. It spoke. It sang. It remembered. One felt, in that amber-lit chamber, the echo of a bygone world—when couture was a religion, ateliers were sanctuaries, and designers were high priests of beauty. The audience, swathed in silks and silence, bore witness not to a fashion show, but to a rite of passage—for the garments, for the maison, and for Roseberry himself. It was as if the ghosts of Schiaparelli’s past—her wit, her mischief, her mythmaking—had danced once more through goldthreaded veils. This was not nostalgia. It was reverence reframed. In a world that moves too quickly, Roseberry forced us to pause, to marvel, to feel. And in doing so, he reminded us of what haute couture once promised—and, in the rarest of moments, still delivers. And as the lights dimmed and the final golden thread slipped from view, one thing became clear: in this house built by a dreamer, couture remains not just alive—it burns. Bright. Undying. Divine. ■

INDEED, WHAT EMERGED IN THIS COLLECTION WAS A COUTURE MYTHOLOGY. THE PHOENIX—FLAMING, CYCLICAL, REBORN—BECAME THE EMBLEM NOT ONLY OF THE HOUSE’S LEGACY BUT OF FASHION ITSELF: ALWAYS DYING, ALWAYS RESURRECTING. GOLD, AS THE ETERNAL ELEMENT, BECAME ITS FLAME. THE PHOENIX ROSE NOT JUST IN NAME, BUT IN STRUCTURE AND SPIRIT.”

automne 2025 • l’édition doréee • readelysian.com •