By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore  

Best Bar- South Beach- The Broken Shaker 

The Broken Shaker, the casual yet stylish bar at the quaint Freehand Hotel, is a bohemian speakeasy with a refined cocktail program at an accessible price point.  It’s one of the quaintest, liveliest bars this side of Paris, which serves up the most delicious drinks, made from the freshest and most authentic ingredients you’ll find anywhere with such attention to detail that even the ice is precisely cut to match each cocktail.  Oh, and the best part? Each drink and the delicious light bites won’t empty your wallet.  Read the rest of this entry »

By Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Downtown Miami Security Building Launch 

Two fabulous events took over the historic Downtown Security Building, drawing more than 400 lovers of art and fashion on Thursday, June 27.  The Miami-based KIWI Arts Group inaugurated its new Project Space, expanding from Wynwood with this second location, opening with the public premiere of William John Kennedy: The Warhol Museum Edition portfolio.  The collection of five photographs reveal a young Warhol on the cusp of fame and was created to raise funds for The Andy Warhol Museum. Eric Shiner, the museum’s director, states, “With this rare body of work, Kennedy has given us some of the most joyous and insightful images of Andy Warhol ever created.”  Serving as a looking glass into pop culture, both past and present, the event also launched Perrier’s limited edition Warhol bottles, presented with the support of Herradura and Chambord vodka.   Read the rest of this entry »

Reuters

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

When our beloved Miami Heat won the NBA Championship, for the SECOND time, (by the skin of their teeth after a grueling game 6) Miami as a whole shared a cathartic joy- as we are all once again, on some level, champions. Nowhere was this more evident than at Story nightclub, just a few hours before dawn, on Friday morning, at various nightclubs throughout the weekend and on the streets during the championship parade and at the American Airlines Arena (AAA) during the championship celebration on Monday. 

“We are the Champions” blared through the speakers at Story nightclub (the sister club to LIV, where the champs celebrated last year) at around 3 a.m. on Friday morning, as the Miami HEAT players, once again World Champions, fresh from winning one of the most exciting games in NBA history, entered the massive nightclub through the secret back entrance for their official victory party, to the ecstatic chants of thrilled fans, who shouted, “Let’s go Heat!”    Read the rest of this entry »

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

One of the best parts about staying in town for the summer, as the social season slows down, is that we get to experience what it’s like to vacation in paradise, without leaving home.  Just last week we got the chance to “stay-cation” at the Sense Beach House which felt like our very own beach house.  Possibly Miami Beach’s closest interpretation of a “bed and breakfast,” this 18- room luxury boutique hotel offers a casually sophisticated atmosphere, just steps from the ocean, and a personalized guest experience that feels more like a private Hamptons retreat than a hotel on Ocean Drive. Furnished exactly in the manner in which we would decorate our own beach house- in shades of blue and white with natural sea glass and bleached wood, the boutique hotel utilizes natural light to create a casual, beach chic ambiance while still offering the most up-to-date, modern amenities. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore
Hermès promised, and delivered to Miami, “A Journey into the Extraordinary” for its third A Man’s World  event – previously in Beijing and Paris – an art-fashion happening on May 31 – a party, like none the Magic City has ever seen, filled with multi-sensory experiences and illusions designed to deeply penetrate, and somewhat overwhelm one’s senses.  Over 600 guests were in town for the unprecedented event that took place at the iconic Moore Building, the 1921 architectural monument of Miami’s Design District, a few doors down from the Hermès boutique – utilizing the building’s fascinating interior structure as a backdrop for 11 human-experience art installations that allowed audiences to connect to each one. Read the rest of this entry »

Haute Living magazine editor, Hadley Henriette and her verrry French, husband, Yannick threw a tres magnifique soiree in their lovely Miami Beach home for the launch of Jac Henri Designs’ Slim Wallet, Yannick’s passion project- an innovative Italian leather wallet, designed and hand-crafted by Yannick himself. The Henriettes treated guests to a French-themed spread, of cheeses and delectable bites, drinks by trendy French liqueur St. Germain, tequila infused cocktails and a whimsical wallet-themed cake.  

Despite the multitude of events occurring simultaneously the same night, scads of fashionable friends stopped by to support this power couple and were excited about the Jac Henri line and the Kickstarter project. The lizard-skinned wallets were among the top sellers.  

Guests included stylist Rachael Russel, fashion designers Julian Chang, Karelle Levy and Tara Sokolow and artist Erin Parish. Jeff and Valentina Gutchess, Daniel and Marcella Novela as well as Pamela Jones, Suzy Buckley-Woodward and Dirk Goldwasser, owner of The Betsy Hotel. Read the rest of this entry »