Nick D'Annunzio and Tara Solomon

One event to which we look forward every summer is TARA, Ink. Principal, Nick D’Annunzio’s birthday party. Some locals even plan their summer travels around the celebration, which promises a fabulous theme- and even better crowd, year after year.  This year’s party, which took place last Saturday night, was no exception, with a “vintage tease/burlesque” theme at Miami’s first and only exclusive tease burlesque absinthe club, La Fee Verte.

Miami’s who’s who, dressed in their haute-est couture, enjoyed V Georgio Vodka cocktails, hors d’oeuvres courtesy of French Bistro Lemon Twist and delectable treats courtesy of Sweet Street and Ana Paz Cakes, who created a cake in the shape of a corset, in keeping with the theme. The burlesque numbers were unmatched, including contortionist acts and a ballet performance-leading to comments by partygoers such as, “If I could do that, I’d be a very wealthy woman,” and “Who needs college, when you can do THAT!?” (from one of the younger attendees). Guests delighted in a surprise performance by temptress Nicole Soden of the club’s tantalizing Madames du Mischief and danced the night away to the beats of South Florida’s latest stylish DJ duo Ess & Emm (Sasha Lauzon and Michelle Leshem). But the highlight of the evening was the seductive birthday surprise, in which a dancer, clad in black feathers, serenaded Nick with Marilyn Monroe’s infamous, “Happy Birthday Mr. President.” Read the rest of this entry »

By: Mary Jo Shore and Maryanne Salvat

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim descended upon the South Beach sands this weekend, with an action-packed schedule of 20 shows, featuring designs from top swimwear brands including: Poko Pano, True Religion, Mara Hoffman, Ed Hardy, Red Carter, Luli Fama and our favorite, this season’s Mercedes-Benz Presents Designer, Trina Turk, whose 60s Hollywood-glam-meets Acapulco inspired pieces received raving reviews.  The daily mix of sweltering heat and torrential rain, (c’mon, it’s Miami in JULY, what did you expect?) hardly dampened the excitement for the thousands of fashion insiders who packed the various venues at the Raleigh and trekked amid puddles to off-site shows, such as Red Carter’s at the Bass Museum and satellite swimsuit showcases such as Salon Allure and Melissa Odabash at the W; Funkshion at the Setai; and numerous events at the Webster boutique (more on these next week). Read the rest of this entry »

At the risk of dating ourselves, we’ll admit it- when it comes to the movie Grease, we had it all- the poster, the record (yes, kids, that’s what we called them in those days), the Candies, the (inappropriate-for-our-age) off-shoulder black top and tight jeans, the movie photo-book and the 18 movie stubs.  With regards to the Grease fan club, meet the president!  Talk about “Hopelessly Devoted!”  So we are delighted to report that a childhood dream was actualized last Thursday when we met “Sandy” a.k.a. Olivia Newton John at the Raleigh for the Pink and Blue For Two fundraiser, sponsored by Grey Goose Vodka. To say that our heads almost exploded when she sang “You’re the One that I Want” with Jon (Secada- not Travolta, but we’ll take what we can get- after all, he did play “Danny” on Broadway) is the understatement of the year!  “Oh yes indeed- eeed!” The otherwise sophisticated crowd went crazy, jumping, screaming and dancing on the sand.

The performance culminated a series of terrific musical acts including:  Inner Circle who played a concert, which included “Bad Boys,” the theme from Cops, Brett Goldsmith, Olivia Newton John’s nephew who flew in from Australia to sing and play the acoustic guitar and Jon Secada, who sang his hit, “Just Another Day,” before his duet with Newton John. Read the rest of this entry »

Donald and Lisa Pliner

Renowned designer, Donald J. Pliner, celebrated 20 years of groundbreaking success in the luxury footwear industry hosting a meet and greet event at his flagship store, Donald J. Pliner, in Aventura, on March 13, alongside his creative director, muse, and wife Lisa Pliner.  Pliner has established a global cult following among men and women with his fashionably chic and comfortable shoes.  His success stems from his passion for the craft.  Designing shoes for over 43 years, Pliner has been committed creating beautiful pieces that are comfortable and inspired by the world that surrounds him.  Glass beads, snake skins, suede, and elastics are the instruments he uses to interpret his inspirations.  The secret to his success lies in the mantra that is central to his fashionable, comfortable shoes:  “When the feet are uncomfortable, so is the mind, so is the body, so is the soul.”

The stylish Lisa Pliner, known as “the lady with the green-soled shoes,” debuted her 2010 spring collection “LISA” for Donald J. Pliner during the 20 year celebration.  Inspired by Starr, the Pliners’ five year old daughter, the fashionable collection incorporates a traction platform that gives height and stability for women on-the-go, who need a little extra support, especially for those chasing down toddlers at a mall or at the grocery store, to which Lisa is no stranger.

Staunch philanthropists and humanitarians, the Pliners started the PEACE for the Children Foundation, which provides safe playgrounds for children of underprivileged families.  The organization provides charitable funds in support of non-profit organizations that foster peace in the lives of children.  Proceeds from the 20 year celebratory event benefitted Jewish Adoption & Foster Care Options, Inc.

Donald J. Pliner, the man and the brand, known for quintessential elegance and perfection, puts his heart and soul into all of his “soles.”  The result:  shoes you will love to live in.

In a tent to rival those formerly in Bryant Park, Fashion Miami, presented by Chrysler, kicked off its inaugural season with over 30 designers who showcased their fall/winter 2010 collections throughout four nights of runway shows.  With an average of over 1000 guests per show (multiply that by 30 shows!) this was a fashion aficionado’s dream come true.   Celebrities such as Whitney Port (who showed her new line Whitney Eve, during Gen Art’s opening night), Jon Secada (singer), Romero Britto (artist), Ana Cristina (singer), Burn Notice’s Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar, Roxy Olin (MTV STAR-The City), soap star, Khotan with girlfriend Candela Ferro, Alejandro Sanz and Rony Seikaly attended Fashion Miami, some sitting front row at multiple shows.  These VIPs just added to the list of celebrity designers who were all present throughout Fashion Miami, including Custo Barcelona, Craig Signer, Red Carter, Silvia Tcherassi, Julian Chang, and Gustavo Cadile to name a few.   On opening Night MTV filmed an upcoming episode of “The City” and closing night was filmed by the Bravo Channel.   For those of us who missed NY and Paris Fashion Weeks, we were lucky to get a little taste of the excitement thanks to Fashion Miami. Read the rest of this entry »

The ninth annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival has come and gone, leaving the South Beach sand wine soaked, the air tinged with delicious aromas and our scales tilting in the wrong direction.  This year’s festival boasted an unprecedented number of events, with more than 50, 000 attendees, and over $2 million raised for the Florida International University (FIU) School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center.

The Amstel Light Burger Bash kicked -off the four day festival on Thursday night. Bobby Flay, Daniel Boulud, Guy Fieri, Rachael Ray, and Michael Symon all under one tent is any foodies dream, and this year’s carnivorous romp made that delectable dream come true as chefs from all around our nation battled it out to see who could come up with this year’s People’s Choice Award for “Best Burger.” The party, held in a giant tent behind the Ritz Carlton, was a blast, the cool weather adding to the already high-spirits of SBWFF lovers, who didn’t seem to mind the smoke and barbecue “fragrance” which permeated their lungs, hair and clothing.  Last Year’s defending champ, Spike Mendelsohn, wore a heavyweight championship belt, boxing trunks, robe and gloves and had the Rocky theme song blaring from his section, while serving his classic burger with American cheese and bacon on a soft bun accompanied with a cotton candy milk shake (yummy!).  Masaharu Morimoto’s burgers were rumored to be among the best, as evidenced by the line of people waiting that spanned the length of the tent.  The Iron Chef won for best “toppings” and was awarded a Tiffany Heinz Ketchup Bottle.  The 2010 People’s Choice Award winner was Michael Symon of B Spot and his Swiss, pastrami, and coleslaw burger (Pepcid, anyone?).  Former champ, Mendelsohn graciously handed over his heavyweight belt to Symon to solidify the win.  Our very own, Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food (who in our humble opinion makes the best burger in Miami) took top honors earning the Allen Brothers Golden Grill Award – the judge’s choice for best burger for his bacon cheeseburger on brioche with a side of crispy hominy with chili and lime. Other celeb-chefs spotted included Sandra Lee, Michael Chiarello, Sunny Anderson, Rocco DiSpirito, Jeff McInnis, Govind Armstrong, Tim Love, Carla Hall, Art Smith, Anne Burell, and Michael Schwartz among many others. The delightful dessert selections from Jeni’s Splendid Gourmet Ice Creams (almond brittle and Cocoa Zin and salty caramel-ooh la la!) and Levain Bakery’s 6 oz cookies (yes, almost half a pound) capped off a perfect evening. 

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