Carolina Herrera’s newest fragrance release “Bad Boy” reincarnates the legendary James Bond. In exploring all the extents of traditionally accepted masculinity as portrayed by the character, the scent further reinforces a certain confidence only possible to achieve through perfumery. The eau de toilette is highlighted by notes of tonka beans and cacao for a deep mystical feel and layered with sage and bergamot that add contemporary flair. In fact, the image of the fragrance is played by actor Ed Skrein during a night in New York City. His character is contrasted by supermodel Karlie Kloss, who is the face of Good Girl fragrance. The lightening bolt-shaped flacon inspires Skrein allowing him to rebel, to break all the rules, and yet still do all with incredible elegance. That’s really the power of James Bond, a not-so-typical bad boy that still executes his success with utmost ease. And for moments when he’s in need of an extra elixir, Bad Boy acts as a secret spice to his powers. The new eau de toilette is a sure fall favorite.
Carolina Herrera Eau de Toilette Bad Boy is now available.
For a third consecutive year, Tulum’s staple GITANO is opening its makeshift gypsy disco in New York City. Just in time as the city emerges from a global pandemic and complete hospitality shutdown, the “Garden of Love,” located at the corner of 76 Varick Street, is bound to become summer’s hottest (and safest) destination. With international travel still at a hush, Garden of Love is the sweet in-between that allows one to jump straight into the jungle without having to leave the city. The tropics do, after-all, have a healing power that somehow gives you the impression of endless summer and that better days are coming soon.
Leading up to the rapid spread of COVID-19 earlier this year, James Gardner, founder of Grupo Gitano, had just opened two new Tulum locations: MEZE, an Aegean cuisine restaurant, and Gitano Beach. He had also jumped head-first into upholding and upgrading a sustainable and organic functioning at all GRUPO GITANO locations. During the three month hiatus, Gardner only added to his already busy plate with extra health provisions and company ethos. Thus was born the Gitano Manifesto, a brand deck that outlines the values that feature current social and health standards. Gardner describes it as the brand’s gospel that “visually shares our core values and creative, innovative changes we are making,” he says. “We have always been diverse and inclusive, but feel there is, even more, we can do in support of our Black Trans Community in particular and will be announcing initiatives to raise awareness and money for organizations like G.L.I.T.S. and Destination Tomorrow.”
With that in mind, GITANO Garden of Love kicks off July as a peace-offering to the tumultuous city. We’ve chatted with Gardner to get a peek inside the backroom workings and talk about the “new” kind of hospitality–
Essential Homme: This isn’t the first time that Grupo GITANO has had to adapt. First, from Tulum to NYC, then to Miami, and eventually even a beach club and Aegean restaurant, Gitano has certainly had to adapt to location and social climates. What are some ways in which GITANO will address the post-COVID-19 concerns within its TriBeCa location?
James Gardner: We are Gypsies, traveling, changing, adapting comes naturally somehow. The journey from Tulum to NYC in 2018 was the most intense, but everything has been a little easier since then somehow. Until now that is.
While this is a very challenging time we believe it’s an incredibly important time in the world. We have spent the last 3 months with our businesses closed, thinking, strategizing, planning, and have created our GITANO MANIFESTO to share visually our core values and creative, innovative changes we are making. We have created an entirely new system of automation to reduce contact, guests will order and pay on their phones, no servers. I’m excited by this change as I think not only does it reduce contact and thereby increases safety but it will also drive efficiency, faster service, and better guest experience. We are already taking rigorous Health & Safety standard’s to the next level: we have lots of space for outdoor dining and social distancing, we have appointed “Sanitizing Agents” using hospital-grade cleaning solutions, we have built a new outdoor hand-washing station – Tulum style – so guests don’t need to go inside. The team has a new look including face masks and rainbow visors and they will complete daily health screenings.
EH: How do the new edits to the service still follow the general GITANO atmosphere that patrons have been used to? Gitano is also known for its tropical lounge parties. Do you think there is a chance that its reopening will revive the downtown party scene? Is there another direction that you are trying to take instead?
JG: The Garden of Love is designed as a 450 seat restaurant. We have reconfigured the floor plan to accommodate around 200 diners with lots of space between tables and guests – we are calling it Tropical Distancing! We believe the changes that we have implemented will make GITANO NYC feel more elevated and intimate in some ways but it will definitely be just as fun. We think of GITANO as the place to see, be seen, and connect…. which will still be the case just from 6 feet apart! We will be strictly following and enforcing guidelines and requirements. Keeping our team and guests safe is our top priority.
EH: Could you tell me a bit about where your other locations are at with reopening?
JG: GITANO Tulum reopened first on Friday (that’s our famous “Gypsy Disco” night) June 19th serving dinner but no party and closing earlier to start off. MEZE had a fantastic reopening dinner last week for “MEZE Miercoles” and is busy again already, the food is just so amazing! Miami reopens this Thursday. We are waiting to see when we should reopen GITANO Beach depending on how busy Tulum gets this summer, we may wait to reopen in high season.
EH: In light of new hospitality changes that require extra sanitary conditions and meticulous care and caution for F&B venues, do you think these address an issue that already existed in the industry before quarantine? In other words, did the pandemic just provoke change in the industry that might have been essential but was, perhaps, previously overlooked.
JG: Health and Safety standards are already very high in NYC in particular, the DOH is an important organization strictly enforcing the codes. It’s interesting that “Back of House” is not changing so much while many changes are occurring “Front of House,” with guest interaction. I personally love change and disruption of established business models and view this as a great opportunity to do things differently and more efficiently. I think old school hospitality will change forever, we are removing the friction just like Uber did to Car Service: giving servers orders that are then manually entered into a POS system and waiting for a check to be delivered are things of the past!
EH: A large part of the hospitality business is ultimately customer service and a personal approach, how will you prioritize this with social distancing in effect?
JG: Put the tools and power in the hands of the guest to directly manage and control their own experience, remove the friction. This is controversial as some people think that human interaction is the hospitality. I disagree. I think what makes for great service and a great experience is getting exactly what you want quickly and easily, whilst safe and comfortable, in a beautiful setting, with delicious food, cocktails, and fabulous music. Personally, I prefer not having to talk to someone unless I want to or they are sitting at my table!
With a change in social politics and norms that came into effect mid-March with a surge in the COVID-19 pandemic, at-home exercise options have had to adopt as well. Ranging from low-impact at-home workouts, to yoga, socially distant runs, and more, it is the stationary at-home bike that has proven to be one of the easiest ways to exercise and sweat without leaving confinement. Newcomer Stryde is offering options never-before seen in the industry with more than 100 classes available from a range of cycling studios instead of the traditional single program. (Stryde will be donating all app proceeds to their partner studios through mid-July.)
Stryde was a project way before the pandemic with the situation only speeding up its launch in the early Spring (originally planned for May 2020.) The pre-order sold out. The immediate appeal of the bike is its versatile nature that connects to some of the best independent fitness studios hence leaving out the chance of getting simply bored. The bike itself is a sleek model with technology’s latest advancements offering a smooth experience on all ends from technical to its app connection, and tablet. Stryde is making it easier to get your cardio in no matter the situation outside. We spoke with Stryde’s founder Pasha Chikosh to learn more about the functionings of his new product–
How is Stryde different from other home cycling options? What was the niche that you saw on the market? What was not being delivered by other available options? In other words, why should one choose Stryde?
Stryde’s key difference is content – we partnered with the best independent fitness studios from across the country. Through our app we are bringing the most motivating, fun and engaging instructors in the country to our customers’ homes. All of our partner studios are top-rated across Yelp, ClassPass, and Google – three of our partners were actually just voted the best fitness studios in their respective cities by ClassPass. These studios have incredible instructors and a range of class styles that exceed what is currently available on other home cycling options, from pure performance rides to beat-based choreography.
What are some of the details about the bike itself?
Beyond the decision to market Stryde at an affordable price point, compared to many of its competitors, the brand’s strong suit is within the quality and build of the bike. The bike is built to be sleek and modern, offering a smooth ride and features like a magnetic resistance system and 22’’ HD Android tablet.
We give consumers a choice in how they want to engage with our bike and content. Our bike and app work best together, but also work independently of each other. The tablet on our bike allows the user to access any content they want, whether it is our app or other fitness and entertainment options. Likewise, the app can be purchased separately and used with any stationary bike.
What additional fees do you require?
We pride ourselves for working with some of the leading studios around the US. The independent studios we work with are committed to delivering the highest quality classes to their customers and in return, we are committed to providing these studios with a channel to engage a larger audience. Once a customer purchases the bike the only additional expense would be for the Stryde app – the subscription fee is only $29.99 per month.
Why do you think cycling has been one of the most popular pandemic at-home workout options? Do you think this kind of exercise will compete with gyms going forth when confinement ends?
In a time where people are confined to smaller spaces indoors, especially in metropolitan cities, it’s crucial to maintain a sense of balance with cardio and exercise. Stationary cycling is one of the most efficient ways to break a sweat without leaving one’s home. With the technology enhancements, riders can customize their experience while challenging themselves through various class levels. We’ll be interested to see how the fitness industry will evolve once confinement ends, but it really comes down to what makes people feel the most engaged, safe and empowered during their workouts.
What are the next steps for Stryde as a business when the quarantine comes to an end?
As we are just in the beginning stages of our launch phase, we are excited to see what’s in store for the evolution of Stryde. As we know the fitness industry will continue to change with new societal norms post-quarantine, we will adhere to them and ensure that our offerings and technology are unparalleled so that our customers can evolve with us.
Perhaps in a good telenovela, Fernando Garcia would be yet another supporting character in the story, but his reality is one of fantasy. The designer is the co-creative director at both his own brand Monse and his training-base Oscar de la Renta, where he drapes daring and distinctly contrasting silhouettes.
Garcia is recognized on a first-name basis within the industry. Originally from the Dominican Republic, he studied architecture while his dreams of fashion remained on the sidelines. But in good Latin tradition, as he explains, through a family connection, Garcia eventually found himself interning with Oscar de la Renta himself in New York City. It was there that he met Laura Kim, who would later become his creative partner. In 2015 the two launched their own label, Monse, and a year later they were appointed creative heads of the house at Oscar de la Renta.
Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim behind-the-scenes at a Monse fitting.
“It’s the biggest blessing to have these two creative roles because every designer, no matter how one-note they feel they are, all at one point or another wish they could do the complete opposite just for one collection,” Garcia says. “I get to have the luxury of expressing the two totally opposite sides of my brain in this industry.”
Monse and Oscar de la Renta couldn’t be more different—the former an honest and bold evolution of sexy, and the latter a more elegant and timeless outlet. It’s like a grunge baby walking into the Romantic Age, and Garcia is the lucky one to time-travel. Most importantly, his collections are not “Fernando Garcia for” but true embodiments of the ethos of each individual label. His signature is evident through the execution, allowing him to reinvent himself endlessly in a way that is consistently compelling.
Monse Spring 2019 runway looks.
With a team of only four for the first two seasons at Monse, Garcia became one of the fastest-rising designers thanks to celebrities like Amal Clooney and Sarah Jessica Parker sporting his creations on the red carpet. Quite the social butterfly and a quicklearner, he was set for success. A slow pace was out of the question; soon after its launch, the brand was stocked by Net-a-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Monse, it seemed, was unstoppable.
Garcia’s architectural background has actually helped him see design through a new lens. “If I were an architect I’d be thinking ‘There are too many windows in this front façade—we need to strip them down to make sure it’s balanced,’” he says. And just like that, he developed his signature: loud, asymmetric, and clean-cut pieces that resemble a masculine form. The expansion to menswear was a logical progression, as the basis was always in deconstructing menswear on a women’s body.
Outtakes from Pre-Fall 2019 collection.
By taking things apart, Garcia simplified the overall essence of Monse’s apparel. The brand first took a shirt dress, chopped it up to look more modern, and instilled it with the sensibility seen in basic menswear. But Garcia is entirely selfless when it comes to his design approach. “I think I project all of my ideas into the world because I have nothing for myself left,” he says. “My personal style is really boring.”
During the Fall/Winter 2020 season, Garcia and Kim had two days between the two runway shows. Oscar de la Renta presented a line of color-blocked evening-wear in juxtaposition to the dark hues of the younger brand. Monse, on the other hand, was a “happy punk” compilation of grungy pieces. “I would love for people to think of it as a brand that was able to answer that question of designing dresses that are sexy and interesting at the same time.”
The designer hand-draping a model’s dress.
To define his own image of the new “sexy,” Garcia has always looked to metropolitan trailblazers like Sarah Hudson and Kate Young—he wants to focus on fearless women who take risks with fashion. But throughout it all, he remains focused on being himself and channeling that into his creations. “I feel the same way about design,” he says. “If I’m inhibiting myself, I am not doing anybody any good.”
The sensory experience of consuming art is unique on its own, with the power to unite natural instincts with the imagination. Jean-Michel Othoniel, a revered French glass artist, has crossed oceans exhibiting in galleries around the world and even made it into the permanent collection of the Louvre. Yet beyond the residencies and commissions for designers like Chanel, his greatest fascination is delving into public space to evoke a sensory reaction from the viewers themselves.
“It is really my position as an artist to try to enchant the world,” Othoniel says.
Jean-Michel Othoniel in front of his La Rose du Louvre, 2019, Paris. | Courtesy of Claire Dorn.
His career started quickly after graduating from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Arts de Paris-Cergy. At the 1992 documenta, a contemporary art exhibition in Kassel, Germany, that occurs every five years, his glass-blown sculptures were an immediate hit. Othoniel’s glass bead modules became his signature, and have since been exhibited as Les Belles Danses at the Versailles gardens in 2015 and Le Kiosque des Noctambules, as a permanent installation at the Métro Palais Royal station, to name a few. Outside of Paris, Othoniel has exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Villa Médicis inRome, and Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo. But it was about a decade ago that he returned to Paris, which seemed changed and even more attractive than during his early years.
Overseeing a team of glassblowers, engineers, and technicians, Othoniel is like an architect or an industrial designer. Fewer artists choose to experiment with glass as it is particularly needy in terms of technical elements. While glass is not his only medium, the complexity of the material gives his work a particular meaning. “All those modules are very fragile, but it’s just an appearance, in fact, because it’s very strong glass,” he says. “I love that when you look at it it’s more feminine, subtle, and the idea of fragility is very important.” An artist who takesthe political and social into consideration, he transforms serious subjects into poetic material.
He recalls the Bateau de Larmes(Boat of Tears) installation he did for Art Basel in 2004 where he used a refugee boat filled with glass beads to symbolize tears—both of sadness and happiness. The reality was true in Europe a decade later with the migrant crisis. “I really have this strong feeling that artists are people who can see the future,” he says. “We have visions.”
La Grande Vague, 2019, Paris, in stainless steel and glass bricks | Courtesy of Charlotte Piérot.
Othoniel has also done work in metal and ceramic sculptures as well as calligraphy. His recent exhibit in Qatar in front of the Jean Nouvel-designed museum is a trompe l’oeil (a type of optical illusion), as it looks like black glass but is really metal painted in black. For the flower piece in the Louvre, Othoniel took to an entirely different medium: painting. The abstract flower shapes are similar to calligraphy and display the movement and energy in a way that glass can’t. In fact, it’s the sensuality that Othoniel says he searches for in the material he works with. He wants the texture to evoke an urge in the viewer to touch and feel the piece instead of just being an onlooker.
Othoniel is now focused on architectural art pieces that one can literally walk inside. This true public art comes alive because it stands in free space, giving the onlooker the chance to participate and engage with it from any vantage point. Othoniel explains, “I love this feeling that art is strong enough to protect you and I want to experiment with this in the city to give the people true art freedom.” The reality of public art is a risky matter since entering this space allows for communication with everyone instead of solely experts and connoisseurs. But he loves the uncertainty that comes with making art and being a part of the global community.
The artist likes to question permanence and ephemerality, and also the heaviness and lightness of topics. And while his art is meant to exist indefinitely, he does wonder about its légèreté, or levity.
“Feeling something ephemeral is bringing lightness,” Othoniel says. “It is so strong and emotional for me.” Adding poetry to the subject takes out the element of craziness and intensity. This way he can enter the personal space of the viewer, the mind, and the senses to experience his art on a totally separate wavelength. “The world didn’t change,” he says. “Everything is still there, but you need to make an effort to try to disconnect and to look at the world around you because it’s still the same magic and the same poetry.” •
As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make yourself a glass or two, on us — you deserve it.
We all need a little bit of harmony these days: both in booze and spiritual form. This week’s cocktail helms from Midtown bar Valerie where a name means everything we crave so much and a harmonious balance of Listoke gin’s juniper and citrus notes, as well as tonic and fruity tincture. And while the world is on a temporary hold, your bar cart isn’t. Test your home bartender skills with this week’s featured cocktail–
Created by Marshall Minaya, Beverage Director, for Valerie, NYC
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Listoke 1777 Irish Gin
2 dash Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters
4 drops Blood Orange Tincture
Fever Tree Aromatic Tonic
Method:
Add gin tincture and bitters to a goblet filled with ice.
Mexico City is a metropolitan hub for contemporary art and design. We take a look at some of the designs that a refueling the city’s creative economy.
ATRA Form Studio
Nerthus sofa
After recently expanding to New York City and exhibiting at Design/Miami, Atra, a Swedish/Mexican brand, has been keeping busy. The minimalist design house was founded by creative director Alexander Diaz Andersson and his family. It was originally known for the “Atra chair,” an impeccable industrial chair designed in leather, brass, and hardwood, and individually hand-finished by artisans. “If you can do a chair, you can do anything,” says Andersson. “It’s like a building that someone sits on all the time.” The studio is now multi-disciplined, also making bulbous couches presented alongside Alexander’s brother Andreas Diaz Andersson’s artwork. In sync with contemporary demands, Atra is also moving into an up cycled and recyclable venture with the Nerthus indoor/outdoor sofa system.
XINÚ
Xinú’s signature is a medicine table of olfactory goodness
Mexican scent-making is a beautiful craft rich in aromatic botany, raw material, and homage to the richness of the continent’s plant species. Taking inspiration from local ingredients like mystic copal, fresh agave, fruits of the monstera cactus, and the queen of the night flowers, the scents prove that perfumery also belongs outside of France’s Grasse region. Xinú’s scents are bottled within two half-moon shapes: glass and wood to balance the transparency of the brand with traditional materials. Broadening its range beyond its five-scent library, the perfumer will soon launch candles.
BALMACEDA
Balmaceda exhibition at Zona Maco 2020 art fair
Designer Jose Maria Balmaceda is honoring the custom and understanding between traditional textile design, tracing back to ancestral times, and contemporary techniques. Studying knots, dyes, and weaving processes, the designer says that “this is the time [in his career] to play, more than ever, with the forms and volumes and also colors.” Balmaceda is shifting his focus on the textures and shapes of his pieces to evoke emotions and highlight the human life behind the work.
As a majority of people adjust to working from home and continue to social distance (as they should), much of our daily routines are in a state of flux. Gyms and workout studios are currently shut down, but that doesn’t mean your workouts have to be. In fact, many fitness companies are offering amazing deals on free and discounted streaming classes that you can practice from the comfort and safety of your home. Here’s a list of some fitness studios offering home workouts to practice at your own leisure.
Rumble At Home— Known for its strenuous boxing workout and training classes, Rumble will now offer free cardio and bodyweight-inspired workouts on a daily basis through Instagram live. Some of their best instructors including founder Noah Neiman will be tuning in from home. (Follow @doyourumble to stay posted about times and training, and remember that IG live is online for 24 hours.)
Brahman Yoga— The small Harlem-based yoga studio is a gem in the community offering some of the best instructors for $10 per class. The studio will now offer donation-based Zoom classes 3 times a day. Take out your mat and namaste.
Physique57 — The popular barre and ballet-inspired workout studio is offering a 7-day free trial of their library of over 100 online classes. Signing up for a monthly subscription, you can also get $15 off with code SALE180.
Dance Body — The studio is offering 50% off your first-month subscription.
Melissa Wood Heath— The Insta-famous health and workout guru is offering a 7-day free trial on her online classes. She also films some of her workouts for free on her Instagram page.
Jessica Olie Yoga Tutorials — While Olie has paid classes on her app @alignwitholie, she is also offering free workouts under every single one of her Instagram posts. Each post targets a different body part.
New York’s restaurants have closed as an order from Mayor Bill de Blasio in an effort to limit social interaction and the spread of coronavirus. (Restaurants are only open for delivery and takeout at this time.) While an effective — and necessary — measure, these closures leave thousands without an income, in particular, those on part-time positions (which happens to be most of the industry). To help support service workers, SupportRestaurans.org’s Dining Bond lets customers to invest in the future of the industry by buying $75 ‘bonds’ they can later use for $100 value once restaurants re-open. However, the money is nonrefundable in the event that a restaurant permanently closes. The initiative has been joined by more than three dozen dining venues including Mister French, Mercado Little Spain at Hudson Yards, Scampi, and 232 Bleecker among others. The effort will support smaller businesses in particular, as they are at higher risk of shutting their doors permanently due to the pandemic. Supporting these businesses remotely is one of the things we can do to ensure their continued success once the health crisis subsides.
Each bond is available on the site of the participating restaurant. A list of participating restaurants may be found here.
With an increasing number of people being encouraged to work from home, we’ve talked about skincare as well as at-home workouts, but now’s also the time for self-improvement as well. If you’ve always been intrigued by the frequent Masterclass ads, you’re not the only one. Whether you want to learn how to cook traditional Mexican food or use Photoshop, there are plenty of options to boost your productivity and resume. Take a look at some courses below.
There’s nothing like Mexican comfort food and if you have been to Mexico City’s Contramar, you know that Gabriela Cámara is at the helm of the industry. Know for her farm-to-table approach, she will teach you how to make tortillas (which is surprisingly not that hard), tons of chiles so you never have to buy another bottled sauce, and, of course, tacos-al-pastor.
In this series, drag queen Queen of Drag RuPaul enlightens you on how to be the best version of yourself. Self-love, confidence, and joy are some of the central elements of this series, along with a side of wigs and makeup application.
The world-renowned photographer shares her secrets of how she approaches subjects for her famous portraits. In this course, you can learn how to understand lighting, storytelling, and the subject in your own photography — your own Instagram feed will be all the better when you’re done here.
Learn more about the intricacies of fashion with the famed designer. One of the last great New York designers, Marc Jacobs knows all the ins-and-outs of technical design and will teach you a thing or two about fabric, construction, and sewing.
Dr. Jane Goodall is certainly one of the world’s most fascinating scientists and breaking down her studies and wisdom is a step in the right direction for the planet. Her course will inspire activism and reveal the things we can do now for the sake of a better future.
How does one become a good boss and what does it take to lead a good team? Take notes on this one and maybe send it to your higher-ups as well because Miss Wintour has all the answers. Managing Vogue, she is always leading the industry instead of following.
The cult Spanish-Netflix show Elite has been a popular binge ever since its first season dropped in 2018. Just in time for the mandatory quarantine, the series’ third season is here to bring us out of our misery. The show’s basic premise started with three low-income students admitted into an exclusive private high school where money, power, and fame are all the rage. In an effort to stand their ground and assimilate at the same time, each student has taken a different path in their schooling, causing a few casualties on the way. The latest season delivers more of the drama as the ultimate high school powerplay continues.
Elite: Season 3 is available on Netflix. Watch the trailer above now.
As more countries continue to combat the spread of COVID-19, private brands are stepping in to help. In France, LVMH, the luxury conglomerate which houses brands including Dior, Guerlain, and Givenchy, announced that it will manufacture hand sanitizer in its factories. With cases in the country reaching over 4000, LVMH will deliver the hand sanitizer to 39 hospitals that assist and treat 8 million patients annually. While handwashing with soap and water is still being touted as the preferred and most effective method of hygiene, hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol is another necessary resource for dealing with the ongoing pandemic. When basic resources become scarce, the very meaning of luxury is challenged. It’s good to see brands with the capabilities intervening to help where they can.
