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IN THE FACE OF PREVAILING WINDS, TAKE FLIGHT & EMBRACE BEAUTY AND WONDER.

WHAT ’S OUT THERE IN THE WORLD OF COOL

WELCOME

A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS OF WelSpotted, A WELSPUN SIGHTS & SOUNDS MONTHLY

Editor’s Note: Dear Reader, we’re big fans of the New York Times feature the Ethicist, and with this issue, dedicated to All Things Escapism, we’ve retooled our Welcome note in homage to that smart and oh-so-direct advice column.

Dear Ethicist, Le sigh…help straighten me out.

On one hand, I understand that all of us are standing in the face of the prevailing winds of hopelessness, because look at the current state of affairs in the world today! But on the other hand, I just don’t want to “go there” anymore. How can I still recall a sense of beauty and wonder, of excitement, of curiosity, of just plain “hope” when all I want to do is dig out my COVID sweatpants and dig into a pint of something soothing?

Surely, I can’t be the only one, right?

Signed, A Lifelong Sybarite Looking For His Tribe Dear Sybarite, First, kudos to you for employing such an underutilized word. A sybarite, for the uninitiated, is a person who is self-indulgent in their fondness for sensuous luxury but is often used to describe someone who seeks out beauty and pleasure via beauty in all of its forms. We applaud you for not sticking your head in the sand (or the cushions of your sofa), even though all of us have had that “ostrich” impulse. We agree that today, more than ever, we MUST embrace beauty and grace, precisely because of these winds of which you write.

Yes, it is indeed a time to fly towards all manner of beauty and happiness. And the thing to remember, Sybarite, is that this can be a big or small thing, depending on how you look at it. When you are feeling “I cannot”—do the opposite.

Do you remember the Lorax, that beloved Dr. Suess character who was a tree-hugging testament to all things conservation? In the face of desperation, even extinction, he believed in Hope. And Sybarite, even on days when you are not feeling so carpe diem, it’s still possible to inhale and exhale beauty with exuberance: by being quiet and still. That tranquil peace that settles upon you when you enjoy the silence? Pretty nice when you think about it from this POV. Here’s something else to consider in your quest for beauty—this issue of WelSpotted that you hold in your brave little hands. It’s our tribute to Escapism. Take a trip into the light with us.

Chin up! Signed, The WelSpotted Ethicist

A W E L S P U N S I G H T S & S O U N D S M O N T H LY

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CHRISTOPHER MOONEY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ABBE ARONSON CONTENT CREATOR GREGORY MONFRIES CREATIVE DIRECTOR SHARLENE BREAKEY EDITOR

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As we move forward at WelSpotted, we aim to up the ante on original content. Wherever you see this button, you’ll know that we spent some quality time with the primary source concerned and reported back!

Glorious Santorini in Greece, where the white and blue homes reflect a late ’60s/early ’70s political agenda of uniformity in landscapes. But what a way to show your colors!

ON THE COVER

Transcendence creates the illusion of boundless space and infinite universe at Summit One Vanderbilt, the world’s most immersive observatory experience in New York City. Read more about it in our Trend section—as long as you’re good with heights. Our Content Creator took a peek for herself.

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BACK TO THE FUTURE/THE DeLOREAN

What’s old is new again in this nod to Escapism via the DeLorean DMC-12.

The car has literally gone back to the future with its star turn in London’s Adelphi Theatre staging of Back to the Future, a musical that has rocked the West End and is headed for Broadway this coming year. Famous for transporting main character Marty McFly back in time in the 1985 film, which starred Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, the original auto, called the Time Machine, was retired and resides at the Los Angeles Petersen Automotive Museum. But DeLorean has produced a brand-new gleaming stainless-steel DMC for the stage. Estimated to cost $300,000, the car makes its appearance in a haze of smoke and flashing lights about 20 minutes into the first act. It was always all about the DeLorean. Legend has it that Ford Motor Company offered the film writers Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis a $75,000 “incentive” to use a Mustang. Gale’s response? “Doc Brown [Lloyd’s character] doesn’t drive a f***king Mustang.” Need your own Time Machine? DeLorean is back in production and these iconic gull wings could be yours!

Wow’ing London audiences, Back to the Future and its co-star DeLorean, are coming to the U.S. this spring.

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New York Comic Con is the East Coast’s largest pop culture convention and the only one that takes place in Gotham City—the comic book, publishing, media, and licensing capital of the world—making it ground central for all things Escapism. Known for providing “a home for a unique, diverse community where fans can truly be themselves while celebrating the best pop culture has to offer,” this multi-day event at the Javits Center is going live again after a COVID hiatus, welcoming every possible self-appointed freak and geek back into its ever-loving bosom.

We adore how the Comic Con creators approach their fanbase, offering a proverbial plate of warm cookies and glass of milk and encouraging attendees to “create memories with people you care about the most. Because this event is for you. To embrace your inner hero or root for the villain. To geek out as a family.” Tearing up? We are too. October 6-9; tickets on sale now; live panels, autograph and photo ops, and more chances to pretend for real.

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You’ll find crystals, minerals, ritual candles, and guided meditations for rockhounds (and those who love them) at Los Angeles’s Spellbound Sky, the place to shop for whatever you need for your own vision quest. Owners Mark Phillips and Martin Anguiano have always believed in the power of manifesting their own reality, and considered it their destiny to create an uplifting space filled with love, magic, and good vibes. And the name?

When you are spiritually “spellbound” by the wonders of the world, the “sky” is the limit? Get it? The couple spent their first 20+ years together as fashion designers living in the city’s Silver Lake area and have always shared a passion for unconventional points of view with a mystical twist. That metaphysical interest eventually inspired them to take a leap and start a business that reflected their true spiritual passion. Spellbound Sky opened in 2011 with a goal of sharing a love of crystals and the magical realms (hello, Escapism!). Today, Mark and Martin continue to inspire and empower, connecting their community with the wisdom (and tools) needed to unlock potential and turn dreams into a reality.

Who needs to board an actual ocean liner, when you can escape into one of these beauties? According to curators at London’s V&A Museum, the golden age of ocean travel early in the century coincided with the rise of the illustrated poster, and shipping companies employed the greatest graphic designers of the day to promote innovation, leisure, modernity, and progress. Companies began producing the posters in the 1880s and 1890s (thanks in part to the simplification of color lithographic printing), and French masters of the medium, including Toulouse-Lautrec, led the trends.

In the early 20th century, with the expansion of global manufacturing, entertainment, and travel for the masses, posters became the essential method of spreading a commercial message, and advertisers were driven to outdo their competition with ever more eye-catching, original, and appealing imagery. Every class—from luxurious first to “lowly” third—was illustrated to convey an awe-inspiring sense of scale and escape to parts unknown. Find some of these gorgeous pieces online or at New York City’s Poster House in Chelsea.

NEXT!

The WILDLY inconsistent sizing that our lady pals are reporting from Instagram targeted ads, mostly coming out of Asia.

As in, U.S. size 8 = XXXL. Hmmm.

#everyone’sdoingit

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COLOR Peter Som is an award-winning fashion designer, culinary creator, and lifestyle expert. Among other projects, Som is currently collaborating with Welspun USA on an eponymous home fashion line of product for the bed and bath, so we chatted with him in one of our new first person interviews before going to press in August.

HOW ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU, AND WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR WORLD?

I’m doing well! I love the warm weather of summer. I’m a beach bum at heart, so for me, it’s all about hot and sunny versus cold and gray. Spring, summer, and fall are the times I’m happiest. I think I’m like a flower—I need the sun. Funnily enough, I’m not really a gardener; my boyfriend does that best. But I do enjoy tending to the herbs that we grow. We split our time between [Sag Harbor, Long Island] and New York City, and for me, it’s the perfect balancing act of two distinct lives. An enormous chunk of our time is spent in the vibrant energy and diversity of the city, with all that culture. The pulsating life force.

That’s offset by the “rest, recharge, chill,” aspect of our life here in Sag Harbor. When I’m out here, cooking, relaxing, soaking in all the quiet energy of this place, nothing seems more compelling than the sights and sounds of the wind rustling the grass. That’s my perfect idea of escape right now!

HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT COLOR THESE DAYS?

Color is a mood definer. Earth tones can evoke a time or place. Rugged neutrals and naturals with warm overtones—along with gray and beige—can instantly evoke calm and serene locales where you can get away and slow down. These colors aren’t dull by any means—they’re restful and will feel like you’re in your own personal mountain retreat. I also love happy joyous colors. Optimism is in! Vibrant but sophisticated colors will liven up any mood—pale pinks and leafy greens can instantly transport you to dreamy warm-weather places. I mean, I can already hear the water lapping on sandy coral beaches, can’t you? Color is the quickest way to find respite and escape to wherever we want to go. And I don’t know about you, but I’m always ready for a little bit of escapism!

YOU READ OUR MINDS, PETER. WHAT DOES THE IDEA OF “ESCAPE” MEAN TO YOU?

Given the current events and state of the world, to me, escapism is self-care these days. We need it. “Escape” means something different to everyone, but just being able to escape to your bedroom, to rest, unwind, sleep, dream, is the simplest thing but can make a profound difference. It gives you comfort, even unmatched luxury. The bedroom has become a true retreat for so many people…you could be in Capri, in Greece, in upstate New York. No matter what the outside world offers in the way of gorgeous settings, your bedroom is your sanctuary.

Peter Som is rarely as restful (or inspired) as he is in his Sag Harbor, Long Island, home, which serves as a counterpoint to a NYC work world for this self-admitted “beach bum.” This fall, Som and his boyfriend plan to travel to Venice and Mexico, but his perch out east will always be his “perfect escape.”

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It’s long been speculated that Lewis Carroll indulged while writing Alice (at right). Fantasy patterns are speaking to us today, providing an instant (and welcome) departure from the mundane.

FANTASY Who’s shroomin’ who? You might be surprised.

Psychedelics are poised to change the course of mental health treatments, and are slowly seeping their way into hallowed institutions—some of which are opening specialized centers, where closely monitored use of LSD, magic mushrooms, Ecstasy (or MDMA), and Ketamine (street name Special K) are being prescribed to treat a host of mental health issues and ailments. “For a long time psychedelics have been frowned upon,” says Amy Morin, psychotherapist and editor-in-chief at VeryWell Mind. “We thought of them as recreational drugs, but with a closer look, we’ve seen they can be good treatments for things like depression, anxiety, even substance abuse issues.” Likewise, Dr. Matthew W. Johnson, acting director of the Johns Hopkins Center of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research, says there’s been a “dramatic increase” in interest in the medical community.

Psychedelics first gained widespread popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, then went underground after the FDA classified them as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. But they’ve been around for eons. Books like Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland were tied to psychedelic drug use, because the author journaled about his migraines and the auras he experienced, leading to speculation that his meds may have inspired Alice’s adventures. Likewise, Roald Dahl and Dr. Suess are cited again and again by trip-tastic readers who claim both authors indulged as a way to up the ante in their writing. We’ll let those legends speak for themselves, but that’s a “storied” bit of Escapism, don’t you think?

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Behold “Transcendence” (here and on cover), one of the multi-sensory art experiences from Kenzo Digital at Summit One Vanderbilt.

It offers skyline views that span from Coney Island to the Bronx Zoo. Photos courtesy of Summit

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Clockwise from upper left: the Levitation platform (photo from Summit); our Content Creator and a pal try the view on for themselves (shoe booties required); Molten sculptures from Yayoi Kusama (images from WelSpotted); “Air,” another installation from Kenzo Digital.

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“New York’s most transformational experience is Summit One Vanderbilt,” or so says the copy for this immersive experience at New York’s fourth tallest skyscraper, which opened earlier this summer to roaring applause and spellbound crowds. It’s not hyperbole! “There’s really nothing else like it in Manhattan,” said one online reviewer about the experience, which begins as the elevator brings you 1,000 feet above midtown Manhattan to a four story observation complex, where you’ll walk through hallways and enter beautiful rooms while taking in the city’s skyline. As another enthusiast puts it, it’s a “space for art, gathering, and wonder.” Behind much of the magic is Kenzo Digital, the artist who created the mind bending, resonant installation simply titled “Air.” Calling the experience a “Central Park in the sky,” he describes how it immerses visitors into nature, and the air that surrounds them: “Whether sunrise or sunset, blue sky or clouds, rain or snow, weather patterns are magnified.

On bright days, you feel warmth on your skin from every angle, as if you’re floating amidst the orbit of multiple suns. On rainy days, you feel as if you’re inside the storm, the vitality of the cloudscape enveloping everything around you. Whatever form the sky takes, “Air” changes your relationship to it, delivering a wondrous range of perspectives and promise.” Our Content Creator visited Summit last month on a gorgeous summer evening and reported that while the entire experience screams for you to whip out your phone and capture everything you see, the point of Summit is to lose yourself, to drink it in. And then, yes, to snap a photo. In today’s world where devices rule, at Summit, the air itself becomes the escape.

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Chris Demakis is a branding veteran and founder and co-owner of Town Wharf General Store in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, which he operates along with his “brother-business,” Demakis Family Real Estate, also located in the shop.

“Living above the shop” in the most literal way possible, Chris Demakis (above) and Vince Cragin (top left) operate Town Wharf General Store in what is the epicenter of Mattapoisett, MA, serving locals and newbie visitors a little bit of everything they need.

Here at WelSpotted, we have a soft spot for your basic soppy love story, like the Shop Around the Corner, where retail plays a role. And we’re not too proud to admit that Baby Boom, which doubles as a classic “escape from Gotham” tale, is near the top of the list. The 1987 rom-com is focused on big-time exec J.C. Wiatt, who chucks it all and moves to rural Vermont, where she finds happiness via baby applesauce. The real-life inspiration for the movie’s general store is JJ Hapgood, which is located in Peru, Vermont, and worth a stop on your next escape.

Chris Demakis is co-owner of a similarly compelling “oh my lord, they have EVERYTHING!” general store in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, called Town Wharf General Store.

Of course we couldn’t help but draw more parallels when we chatted with him about how he and his husband and partner Vince Cragin escaped themselves—albeit to a place that’s been beloved to Demakis since childhood.

“We opened Town Wharf General Store as a creative outlet, and because we renovated the space and it’s in our home (a mixed use live/work building dating to 1798), we wanted to control what was happening there,” explains Demakis, who grew up in the town. “My husband is an attorney, and I spent my career in the advertising agency business, so at first we ran the store while also doing those things,” he says. But when Demakis’s ad agency was bought, he turned to real estate, and started running a brokerage in the back of the store. “As is the case with much small-town living, the store is a focal point for the local and seasonal community, my real estate business, and life here in general,” he says.

Stepping into the General Store, located on Mattapoisett’s town wharf, is like stepping back in time. Over the more than

220 years since the building was originally built, it has been a carpenter shop (serving the wharves behind the building, once the epicenter of the whaling ship building industry), dry-goods store, lunch counter, dentist’s office, and bakery. Now, shoppers can stock up on endless goods, which run the gamut from fancy-pants charcuterie to kids’ toys. You’ll find specialty groceries, housewares, penny candy, local clothing and merchandise, kitchen wares, fine cheeses, fresh eggs and butter, cold drinks, local New England made goods and gifts, organic coffee and tea, chocolates and caramels, bath and body products—and all the fixings for a great cocktail party, including beer and wine.

Summing up the assortment as “beachside bodega,” Demakis says he sources as much as possible from smaller or family-owned businesses or New England-based companies or suppliers that embody those ideals. Among his bestsellers? Items he refers to as “Mattapoisett icons”: home goods (like wall hangings, shot glasses, and zip pouches) and apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags) that promote local lifestyle with custom illustrations of local points of interest.

Pragmatically, the general store operates almost as a marketing line item for Demakis’s real estate business, which thrives inside the bustling shop. And why wouldn’t it? Locals are in and out all year long, sometimes texting after hours to see if the menfolk might open up to sell a last-minute bottle of wine. Tourists and vacationers naturally flock to the store, and when they’re ready to make the escape from their everyday lives more permanent with a home on the coast, Demakis realty is there, ready to help make that a reality.

As is the case with most “escape” destinations in these postCOVID days, the population of this charming town on the southern coast of Massachusetts, which is just three hours from New York City and one from Boston, keeps growing. So it only makes sense that Demakis and Cragin recently purchased an escape from their escape—a home in Maine off the coast of Portland, a place to get a much-needed respite from what’s become a bit of a “fishbowl” existence.

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“To me experiential travel means more than just visiting a beautiful location. It means immersing yourself in an experience by connecting with the local culture, people, and history, It is about making each and every travel experience personalized and unique,” says Nick Udall, luxury travel veteran and part of the highly specialized team at Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), the geniuses behind the impossibly chic and straight-outta-fantasyland Airlander 10. The blimp-like aircraft can operate without port, road, or runway, and take off and land on virtually any flat surface.

Multiple configurations for super pleasant, slow-as-molasses blue sky cruising almost boggle the mind. Daytime sightseeing? There’s room for up to 90 seats. Luxe dinner party in the sky? Airlander can accommodate 40 for a seated dinner. Price is not an object, so how about the ultimate VIP sky experience? En-suite rooms can be arranged for up to eight doubles. With three-day excursions in a 2,000 nautical mile range at 50 knots cruising speed, this is basically lazing about in the clouds. The cabin is unpressurized, so the floor-to-ceiling windows can be swung open for fresh air to flow. Travelers sleep in beds, and have room for morning yoga or a gathering around the spacious cocktail bar. Airlander’s low carbon technology makes it a nearly eco-perfect way to travel without damaging flora and fauna at its destinations. And what destinations! There will be cruising over the Grand Canyon, dining over the sights of Dubai, and expeditions to the Artic. Air Nostrum has reportedly ordered the first ten Airlanders, so Spain-centric flights are already in the works! Brand experts have said, over and over again, that the “Instagram Effect” has a massive impact on the travel industry, with holidaymakers wanting to escape to unseen areas of the world and have authentic experiences they can share on social media. Apparently wish = command here.

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Airlander 10 languidly cruises the coastline. The cabin (below) is completely customizable, with room for sit down dining, morning yoga, and afternoon cocktails, and has windows you can throw open.

Clockwise from top left: pendants and rings by Leigh Maxwell; bracelet, ring, and necklaces by Jorge Adeler; cross, hamsas, ring and other pendants

by Buddha Mama. Opposite page: Beth Anne Bonanno of The EAB Project, who says pieces that offer “protection” have never been more popular.

From left, necklace by Pamela Huizenga, earrings

by Leigh Maxwell, ring by Jorge Adeler.

According to Bonanno, unique yellow gold pieces with high karat content are the go-to for today’s luxe shopper.

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LUXURY Elizabeth “Beth Anne” Bonanno is a luxury brand development expert of The EAB Project and co-owner of The Gems Project, specializing in independent, high-end designer jewelry and representing some of the most premiere brands on the market.

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Diamonds may or may not be a girl’s best friend, and to that point we spent a few minutes chatting (and gasping!) with Beth Anne Bonanno, who repH AN resents brands we love, and whose portfolio of retail partners are among the world’s leading stockists. We learned that while the pricey baubles and beads one finds at Chanel, Bulgari, and Tiffany’s will always have enormous shopping bases, there’s waaaaaay more out there these days for the discerning customer. Given that exquisitely crafted jewelry can transport the buyer to a state of Nirvana—a glorious way to Escape, right?—we needed to know more.

In Beth Anne’s world, where jewelry often runs between $22K to $150K, customers are in hot pursuit of yellow gold, 18k gold (or higher), and finishes that range from high polish, hammered or satin luster. Talismans, such as hamsas, crosses, and Buddhas, for protection, are also widely popular—a trend that took off during lockdown. Both high-end retail brands and artisan jewelers are hitting high notes with designs that incorporate those elements, but Beth Anne says it’s important to note the distinction between Cartier, say, and more contemporary jewelry designers.

“Some shoppers collect both, of course, but for many, the experience of working with an independent artist or designer is far more interesting than walking into a retail store that could be in Vegas or could be in Paris,” she says, explaining that it’s more like working with a painter or sculptor in their studio. A deeply personalized experience, this might range from selecting stones, gems and earthly materials like meteorite (or even lava) for the design to discussing with the artist the feeling or desired effect the wearer wants the jewelry to have. “Ultimately, we are all seeking objects that bring us feelings of love, peace, beauty, aren’t we? In the luxury jewelry market, all of that is in the mix, as well as the idea that by wearing a certain piece or jewelry or a collection of jewelry that has been carefully and thoughtfully chosen by the wearer, one is able to use jewelry as a ‘calling card’ of sorts. It’s a way to announce, ‘this is me’ without saying a word.”

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Wilhelm designer Megan Guip’s newest collection, Soldier of Love, continues the decades-old shopping fixation with reimagined military ware—in this case, upcycled, embroidered, and overdyed camo jackets. Available online at wilhelm-nyc.com.

Lately we’ve had a love-hate relationship with the apparel in our own wardrobes and closets. First, we all melted into a pool of loungewear and sweats during lockdown. Then we couldn’t wait to get dressed again when it was safe to leave the house. Now we’re…well, we’re a little bit bored. So when we stumbled onto Megan Guip’s new collection of upcycled, overdyed, and reimagined military camo jackets and accessories, we breathed a sigh of YES. Called Soldier Of Love, the line was created under the designer’s Wilhelm NYC label, which also offers fantastical fascinators. Guip, who was a swimwear designer for J. Crew for 13 years, debuted the camo pieces earlier this year to a resounding “love, love, love!” from customers, who snapped up the jackets, hats, and accessories in bright hues for spring and summer—inspiring Guip to augment the line with deeper tones for fall. “I love throwing one over a chunky cable knit sweater in the colder seasons,” says Guip. The reimagining of military garb is anything but new: fashion-conscious consumers have long incorporated army- or navy-issue uniform pieces into their wardrobes. As Thread.com puts it: “The camo print is nothing if not ironic. Originally, its raison d’etre was to conceal, blend in, and protect soldiers. Now, it is worn as a means of standing out from the crowd and making a statement.” Indeed, Guip gave the standard issue jacket a vibrant new life with color and embroidery. We find this morphing from battle garb to counterculture irony quite fascinating—as if camo has literally “escaped” the bonds that confined it to wartime roles.

In fact, pretty much everything Thread.com writes about the pattern in its “A Brief History of Camo” is fascinating: “The original camouflage patterns were hand painted by a team of fine artists who were enrolled as camoufleurs for the French army in World War I. They were enlisted as experts in concealment, and painted equipment and positions to blend in with the ground and sky. Picasso, humble as ever, claimed that the dazzle patterns introduced were in fact cubist; ‘Yes, it is we who made it, that is cubism,’ he supposedly said. Once the word spread about the art of camouflage, other armies got on board. The adoption of camo prints pervaded every subsequent war and spread to uniforms. As is the way of human existence, we rebelled, and men and women far from the trenches began claiming the pattern as part of their wardrobe. No one can quite pinpoint when camo became more than just a military ploy, but some attribute it to when veterans and civilians alike began sporting the print as an ironic message of protest against the Vietnam War. Thus, a counterculture was born. Wearing camo became a way for peace seekers to subvert warfare by seizing the print and giving it new meaning.”

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We’re fascinated by the niche social media darlings who’ve been popping up left and right, and so found two Wonder Women to chat with. First up, @nailbetch, who has nearly 820K followers on TikTok and 85K on Instagram.

From the Queen Betch, AKA Jess Brush: “I joined TikTok mostly to watch videos, and liked that it didn’t mean having one more social media account where I had to follow people to do that. When I was thinking about content for my own feed, a friend suggested painting my nails since I was doing that every week anyway. It started off as a bit of a joke, but then I met someone who loved my videos and had a really large following. He gave me some pointers, so I tried them, and my account blew up in about a week’s time! It’s been a whole career ever since.” Jess does collabs but only with brands she uses herself; she has management to handle the flood of pitches.

Next, meet @giftwrappinglove, with 58K followers on TikTok and nearly 24K on Instagram. Ms. Gift, who shares pro techniques for wrapping packages, prefers to remain anonymous behind her brand. She also posts heavily on YouTube, and as a member of the YouTube partner program, gets paid for each view on the channel, works the affiliate sales option there, and just started an Etsy shop where she sells digital downloads for DIY projects. “When I started my channel, I envisioned my viewer as a maker—someone who would sit and take the time to wrap a package with a little more care. The thing that has surprised me the most is the amount of people who watch my videos with absolutely no intention of wrapping anything!

Also I’m quite surprised how many small business owners (in particular, bookshops around the world) write to me.”

Hey, Ms. Gift: sounds like YOU might be the perfect escape from their busy lives!

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FULGURANCES LAUNDROMAT

Having immigrated from Turkey, brothers Gundogdu created an avant-garde bar with a nod to the sun and sea of their childhoods.

Cocktails here = nectar of the gods.

Photo by Yurek Akbar

In a refurbished suds shop, this rotating incubator for rising chefs has a tasting menu and wine pairings that rotate every two months.

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SMILE LOUNGE This full-service dental studio takes a holistic and individualized approach to overall wellness, and looks more like an art gallery than a cavity club.

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Carrying rare plants, handmade pots, and garden inspired gifts, this shop has everything an urban green thumb needs—including locally made goods.

Greenpoint, N.Y.

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Like much of New York, Greenpoint was settled by Dutch, prior to which it was inhabited by the Keskachauge Indians (a sub-tribe of the Lenape).

Today, settlers include modern day hipsters, aging urban pioneers, and a hefty long-standing Polish population—posters for amateur boxing matches in Polish pop up on telephone poles alongside flyers for “hug ins” and “puppy pile gatherings,” street artist stickers, and other gritty ephemera. On the East River, this waterfront manufacturing community once focused on shipbuilding, porcelain, pottery, and glassworks.

Today’s Greenpoint has an outstanding assortment of home shops, chef-celebrated restaurants, glam-o-rama bars, vintage and apparel outposts, and boutique hotels. You’ll also find Polish poppy seed bread, Slavic butcher stores, pierogi diners, and some of the best, and oldest doughnuts in New York at Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop, which has been family owned and operated for 60+ years. Escape to Greenpoint.

Otherworldly could be its tagline!

BIG NIGHT

From former Infatuation editorial director Katherine Lewin, this boutique carries pretty much all your dinner party essentials, except the booze. We want EVERYTHING!

Carleton Varney, the nearly color-obsessed interior designer whose use of bright cheery hues in “hotels, castles, palaces, and the habitats of film and theater royalty—and one president,” according to the truly excellent obituary Penelope Green wrote for the New York Times, died on July 14 in Palm Beach, Florida. He was 85.

Nicknamed Mr. Color, Varney was trained by the ultimate maximalist, Dorothy Draper, who was known for her Hollywood Regency flourishes (enormous stripes, hot colors, and swirls of plaster relief). He ended up purchasing her company in the 1960s and, according to the Times obit, Varney learned from her that every room needs a touch of black, and

perhaps a mirrored wall. He learned to mix at least three or four prints and patterns per room, and that vertical stripes make any space seem taller. Draper would often declare: “Show me nothing that looks like gravy!” Mr. Varney inherited her aversion to the bland and the beige, which he said was bad for the psyche. “I once went to a hotel on my way back from Bora Bora, and the carpet was a knobby gray, and the walls were beige with white trim, and the curtains were gray-beige,” he told the Washington Post in 2020. “Even the art was beige. I went into the travertine bathroom, and when I came out, I thought I was naked in a bowl of oatmeal.”

Varney’s clients included Ethel Merman

(a lover of artificial Christmas trees); Judy Garland (whose color scheme was lime and yellow); Joan Crawford (pale pink bedrooms were her calling card and she had plastic slipcovers on her upholstered furniture). But per the Times, Varney’s career went beyond the celebrity. As a design consultant to the White House during the Carter administration, he decorated state dinners and other affairs.

When the Israel-Egypt peace treaty was signed in 1979, President Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, hosted a dinner for 1,340 people on the South Lawn of the White House; Varney covered the tables in a forsythia pattern and set them in an orange tent. He also decorated the Carters’ log cabin in the

A show-stopping room at The Greenbrier, in West Virginia, one of Carleton Varney’s most lauded and recognizable properties in the world and known as “America’s Resort.”

Varney, AKA Mr. Color, took over as resident designer and curator here in the 1960s after Dorothy Draper’s retirement. He led a life nearly as colorful as his creations.

C A R LT O N V A R N E Y 1937 ~ 2022

Blue Ridge Mountains in an early Americana style (though the president made much of the furniture himself, including the couple’s four-poster bed).

In 1980, Varney even designed souvenirs for the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden. These included tote bags, umbrellas, and scarves, all made from a quilted fabric printed with white and green stars and stripes (green was both Varney and President Carter’s favorite color). Over the years, Mr. Varney designed everything from fabric to furniture, fashion accessories and reading glasses, candles and cigarette lighters.

You name it, Varney put his stamp on it. This even extended to a fleet of New York City

taxis, whose owner supposedly hired Mr. Varney to spruce up its Checker cabs—which he did with bright red seat belts, sky-blue interior paint, green and white checked vinyl seats, and green jump seats. As reported in the Times, one pleased cabby said he was earning $4 more in tips each day driving his refurbished hack.

Carleton Bates Varney was born on Jan. 23, 1937, in Lynn, Massachusetts, and grew up in nearby Nahant. He was named for his father, who owned a sporting goods store; his mother, Julia Catherine Mary Raczkowskos Varney, was a homemaker. He majored in Spanish at Oberlin College in Ohio, and in 1960 earned a Master of Arts degree from the New York

University School of Education, now the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Varney is survived by three sons; his partner, Brinsley Matthews, vice president of Dorothy Draper & Company; a grandson; and a sister. His marriage in 1968 to Suzanne Lickdyke, who was also a designer, ended in divorce.

Varney wrote more than 30 books on decorating, as well as two novels. His most recent book, The Draper Touch: The High Life and High Style of Dorothy Draper, was published in July. Varney gave every client precisely what they desired: the ability to escape into a swatch-specific fantasy of their own choosing. Rest in technicolor, Maestro.

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