The Row rarely makes much noise, no doubt a function of founders Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen’s extremely discreet proclivities. Lately, though, the stoic torchbearers of luxurious basics have been making headlines—and not just for banning phones at their runway shows. First was the announcement of the brand’s fourth bricks-and-mortar outpost, a storybook cottage on Amagansett’s idyllic Main Street. Then came news that the brothers behind Chanel and an heiress to the L’Oreal empire acquired stakes in the label, valuing it at an eye-watering $1 billion. Now comes the grand unveiling of The Row’s long-awaited Paris boutique, no doubt a career milestone that establishes a permanent retail presence in a city where they’ve long hosted temporary pop-ups.
Much like a color wheel that rarely ventures beyond neutrals and creamy cashmeres, the Paris boutique’s simplicity stuns. For one, it’s situated in a former restaurant on the relatively quiet rue du Mont Thabor, just around the corner from peers Balenciaga and Burberry. Generously sized windows offer passersby peeks inside, where the Olsens and their in-house team of design advisers skillfully opened up a series of formerly interlocking dining rooms anchored by a walled-off kitchen. The casual ambiance—there’s an espresso bar outfitted with ceramic tumblers from Commune—belies a priceless array of museum-quality art and exquisite mid-20th-century furniture. Expect a pair of velvet Hendrik Wouda armchairs, a Georges Jouve cocktail table, a rust-and-beige Ivan da Silva Bruhns rug, and a metallic Jean Prouvé sliding door in the fitting room to lend Parisian flair. —Ryan Waddoups
Photography by Liz Clayman…
PLAY Elvis Wine Bar Brings a Taste of Paris to NoHo
In Elvis, a new bar-à-vin in NoHo from the minds behind Le Dive and The Nines, the former Great Jones Cafe lives on in spirit. After stealing away to the erstwhile cafe for a moment of peace and the occasional beer during the construction of cocktail lounge Acme, founder Jon Neidich couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pay homage to the cafe, which closed in 2018, with an intimate wine bar doused in shades of red.
In Elvis, the 35-year-old wooden bar that charmed Great Jones Cafe patrons remains, though the surrounding space is now done up in red travertine and tiles, with burnt orange walls that channel 1970s eclecticism. As New York hurtles towards cozy season, Elvis promises to be an intimate hideaway with only 30 seats, but will offer open-air patio seating come spring. There’s also more to this haunt than its extensive wine list: small plates like patés, duck and salmon rillettes, and beef tartare will surely counterbalance that glass or two of wine. –Jenna Adrian-Diaz
Image courtesy of Bottega Veneta…
SOURCE In Milan, Bottega Veneta Takes You to the Zoo
Once again, the seats at Bottega Veneta’s Spring 2025 show at Milan Fashion Week might be turning more heads than the clothes. Attendees perched on a gaggle of leather animal-shaped beanbags—ranging from foxes and pandas to dinosaurs and whales—designed by creative director Matthieu Blazy. Not only did the zoo embody the show’s childhood theme, it offered guests an unconventional reclined viewing experience not unlike a playroom. Vanessa Friedman found them comfortable—likely because they were inspired by Zanotta’s iconic Sacco chair and feature intricate backrests mimicking animal anatomy, from whale tails to rabbit ears. You can also bring the menagerie home: limited editions are available on Bottega Veneta’s website, with special pieces like a chicken and rabbit slated to debut at Design Miami. —R.W.
Image courtesy of Aesop…
OBSESS Aesop & Bocci: 14p
Walk past Aesop’s boutiques in the Meatpacking District, Rockefeller Center, or Vancouver’s Gastown and you may be beckoned inside by a dazzling array of gently glowing orbs in the same amber hue as the beauty mainstay’s signature bottles. One can grace your bedside table thanks to a new partnership with lighting studio-lab Bocci, which reimagined its 14p light into a rechargeable luminaire that embodies the essence of both brands. Entirely wireless, it features two uniquely imperfect poured-glass hemispheres with tiny air bubbles suspended inside the surface, with a candle-like luminaire emitting at three ambient lighting levels controlled by a touch-dimmer. Anywhere you go, so does the rippling glow. —R.W.
Photography by Dario Garofalo…
STAY An Umbrian Resort Channels Transportive Villa Vibes
Amid the olive groves and forests of Umbria, the former residence of 19th-century painter Rossi Scott Counts is living on as an idyllic country resort. Relais & Chateaux and The Hospitality Experience tapped Spagnulo & Partners to restore the Borgo Dei Conti’s 200-year-old frescoes, beamed ceilings, and fireplaces for its second chapter. After partaking in experiences like truffle hunting—or, for the less intrepid, perhaps a trip to Gialletti Giulio, a pottery store that stocks artisan ceramics made in the Umbrian town of Deruta—guests can pick from the spa’s Finnish and Turkish saunas, or even a full sensory-deprivation area, to unwind. Meanwhile, the on-site café, trattoria, lounge bar, and fine-dining restaurant all overlook the verdant surrounding estate—and the latter even sources its produce from the garden. —J.A.D.
Photography by Daniel Greer…
VISIT Shantell Martin at Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center’s Art in Focus program is now showcasing the British-American artist’s spontaneous, free-flowing line drawings about our shared humanity across the complex’s public spaces. The exhibition includes a 125-foot-long mural, a display of her KOOBs series, and live drawing sessions where she creates new works in real time. —R.W.
Photography by Pablo Enriquez…
SAVOR Marc Ange Gives Form to L.A.’s Muse
Chef-owner Fardad Khayami’s Muse brings modern French fare to the coast of Los Angeles with sandstone interiors awash in an amber glow. To do so, Khayami worked with Marc Ange Design Studio, whose founder and principal designer in turn found inspiration in the romanticism of early-20th-century Parisian and Roman interiors. This in turn provides a picturesque backdrop to a rotating selection of museum-worthy art, beginning with a showing of paintings by Joan Miró. It’s a heavy-hitting debut, and so is its menu, with highlights including saffron risotto served with lobster and gremolata, filet mignon and bordelaise, and a bitter chocolate sorbet. —J.A.D.
