With sophistication, grace, and unbridled love for our city, these six women embody modern beauty in Miami, captured at the iconic Raleigh Hotel.

Monika Arenas
A Wealth of Health

Floral collage scuba dress, Reed Krakoff ($1,690). Saks Fifth Avenue, BalHarbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100. 18k yellow gold, diamond, and blue topaz Albion pendant, David Yurman ($6,850). Bloomingdale’s, Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-792-1000. Shoes, Arenas’s own

Arenas’s interest in healthy cuisine developed at a young age when she taught herself how to cook after losing her mother at 16. Now a registered dietician who works part time at Miami Children’s Hospital and also has a private practice in downtown Miami, the ever-smiling Arenas is revolutionizing staff members’ approaches to healthy living and sustainable weight loss. In her free time—of which she wishes she had more—this grounded and wise-beyond-her-years former model/actress takes on private personal-training clients and shares healthy cooking tips and recipes on her blog, feedmehealth.com.

Age: 25.
Neighborhood: Edgewater.
Miami inspiration: The weather and the culture.
Beauty brand go-to: M.A.C. mascara.
Fitness regimen: I mix it up—spinning, Pure Barre, Bikram yoga, running on the beach, and good old weights.
Style black book: My friend Kelly Nugent owns French 75 Vintage boutique and also does my hair.
Favorite feature: My eyes.
What makes a woman beautiful: Brains and seeing the cup half full—it changes everything.
Most proud of: Putting myself through college and getting my dietician license.
Signature style: I was a full-out rocker girl growing up in California, and then Miami spiced it up; it brought out the Latin roots in me.
Cause closest to my heart: Farmers markets and local suppliers.
Best piece of advice I’ve received: Keep going. My mom always told me, “Everything changes until you’re dead.”
Personal manifesto: There is no right, there is no wrong, there are just moments.
Person I’d most want to have dinner with: My mom. I miss her. I wish I could catch up with her.
When no one is looking: I play music. It’s my escape.
Happiness is: A state of being. You choose to be happy.
Greatest love of my life: Music. I genuinely love feeling music.
What makes me smile: I’m smiling 80 percent [of the time], so a lot of things. Good company.
What I see when I look in the mirror: Light. I see that in everyone, though.
I never leave home without: A water bottle—have to stay hydrated!

Suzie Sayfie
Philanthropic Powerhouse

Jacket, Akris ($2,690). Neiman Marcus, BalHarbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-6161. Silk blouse, Gucci ($950). Neiman Marcus, SEE ABOVE. Sterling silver and diamond collar necklace, David Yurman ($4,250). Bloomingdale’s, Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-792-1000

Ever the matriarch on a mission, Sayfie is a recognized pillar of the community. As the executive director of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, Sayfie raises both funds and awareness for those affected by paralysis. Together with her husband of 45 years, Sayfie, a Miami native, has raised four daughters, who have already established themselves as integral facets of the Miami community.

Age: 64.
Neighborhood: Bay Point.
Signature scent: Chanel No. 5. I’ve been wearing it for 40-something years.
Miami inspiration: In the morning, I look outside and see that sunshine, and it makes me stop and smile.
Why it’s important to be engaged with my community: We live here; this is where my family’s home is. I want the best for not only my family but also for all of our friends and neighbors.
Personal manifesto: If I can change one person’s life for the better, then I feel like I’ve done my job.
Best piece of advice I’ve received: From my husband—to always have a good day; whatever’s thrown at you, make the best of it.
Signature style: Ninety-nine percent of the time, I’m in a black suit.
Quality I like most in a woman: Honesty.
Thoughts on aging gracefully: It’s wonderful to be a grandmother and I think my lines add character, but it’s different for all people. Aging gracefully is what makes you comfortable.
Favorite feature: My smile.
Favorite beauty products: La Mer [and] Olay—I go back and forth.
Most valuable talent: Seeing the good in everybody.
Person I’d most like to have dinner with: Jesus Christ.
Miami guilty pleasures: BalHarbour Shops and Toys “R” Us.
My eulogy would read: She was blessed with a great family and enjoyed every minute with them.
Secret to my success: A very supportive family and a husband who has let me find my own way. When you have somebody encouraging you and telling you to do what makes you feel good, that empowers you.
I strive to be: A better version of myself.

Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd
Skin Savior

Olive night Danielle silk safari blouse ($298) and Flote skirt ($345), Diane von Furstenberg. Saks Fifth Avenue, BalHarbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100. 18k white gold and diamond Serpenti earrings ($22,800) and 18k white gold and diamond Parentesi ring ($7,300), Bulgari. BalHarbour Shops, 305-861-8898

Dr. Woolery-Lloyd made history when she was appointed the director of ethnic skincare at University of Miami, heading the country’s first official ethnic skincare department at a university. In addition to running her specialized clinic at UM, to which other nationwide doctors refer their most difficult cases in skin of color, the board-certified dermatologist sees patients at a private practice, is an investigator on FDA clinical trials, and cofounded the Specific Beauty skincare line. Woolery-Lloyd also sits on various dermatology boards and frequents the lecture circuit, speaking to the Florida Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants, the Skin of Color Seminar Series, and more. Outside the beauty boardroom, the doctor helped establish CodElla, a nonprofit program that encourages young Hispanic girls to learn about computer science so that they can build a career in technology. At home, she cares for two children with her husband.

Age: 42.
Neighborhood: Morningside.
How Miami influences my look: I love warm weather and the flexibility you have with clothes in Miami.
Why it’s important to be engaged with my community: I love mentorship programs. It’s so important for young girls to see people who are not only successful but are also approachable and down to earth.
Biggest challenge: Trying to find the time to do everything that I need to do.
Qualities I like most in a woman: Motivation, self-direction, ambition.
How important is image: The image that’s important to me is the image that you project, which is not necessarily a physical representation of you but what your core values are.
Miami guilty pleasure: Date night with my husband.
Happiness is: Peace.
When no one is looking: I sit down.
I most admire: My parents—they instilled in me the importance of education. It gives you an opportunity to do many things.
Person I’d most want to have dinner with: Madam C.J. Walker, the first self-made female millionaire in the United States.
Beauty secret: Sunscreen.
Miami is home because: I was raised in South Florida. I love that it’s very multicultural and there’s never a dull moment. It’s the perfect place for me.

Iva Kosovic
Classical Composure

Isabela pearl blue feather jacquard dress, HerveLeger ($2,790). Bloomingdale’s, Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-792-1000. Willow sterling silver and diamond bracelet, David Yurman ($2,650). Bloomingdale’s, SEE ABOVE. Shoes, Kosovic's’s own

Known in Miami’s cultural scene for her grace, impeccable style, and striking statuesque presence, Kosović plays an integral role in developing the city’s arts landscape. In her previous position as the New World Symphony’s director of development, special events, she helped raise an excess of $1 million at this year’s annual gala. Today, she’s the newly appointed director of corporate partnerships and Friends of NWS; as such, she cultivates support among Miami’s younger generations. Having immigrated to the US from Croatia at the age of 17, the classically trained concert pianist has called Miami home ever since and is involved with Fashionably Conscious, a fundraising sale benefitting Coconut Grove Cares, a local nonprofit that offers summer camp and after-school programs for children in need.

Age: 30.
Neighborhood: Brickell.
Signature scent: Thierry Mugler’s Alien.
Why it’s important to be engaged with my community: It’s important to make changes. It would be crazy not to leave your own personal mark on the city and not influence it somehow.
Signature style: Eclectic. During the day, you’ll see me in a chic dress with hair loosely in a bun, funky shades, and a big, colorful purse—I always like to add a splash of color.
How Miami influences my style: Nothing in Miami is tremendously structured. We have this very effortless way of life.
How important is image: Image is part of being respectful of your environment, knowing the boundaries.
My philosophy on aging: We have amazing technology at our disposal, and we should use it wisely. Every age comes with its own set of beautiful moments to cherish. Approach maturity with maturity.
What makes a woman beautiful: The way a woman carries and cares for herself.
Quality I like most in a woman: Somebody who can be a shark in the boardroom but at the same time can be really loving and nurturing to her friends and family.
Most reread book:The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.
Most proud of: The life that I’ve created for myself and the life to come—it’s the sum of everything I’ve ever worked for.
Personal motto:“Chance favors the prepared mind.” (Louis Pasteur)
Secret to my success: I’m such a happy person because I have so much love for what I do. I think that enthusiasm translates into results.

Carolyn Plummer
Beauty of Business

Nina cutout scalloped top, Herve Leger ($1,090). Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-6161

Despite South Florida’s infamous humidity, Plummer rarely has a bad hair day. As the CEO of It’s A 10 Haircare, her award-winning product line that includes cult favorite Miracle Leave-In Product, she has built a rewarding career helping others feel confident and beautiful. Apart from her professional role, Plummer’s pride and joy is her 6-year-old daughter, Kyana, who inspired her to establish the Kyana’s Dreams Foundation, devoted to humanitarian and environmental issues for children, such as helping teachers create safer schools, and helping the underprivileged. (Plummer is also the foundation’s president.)

Age: “47 and fabulous.”
Neighborhood: Fort Lauderdale.
Miami guilty pleasure: Eclectic martinis.
Go-to scent: Laura Mercier Ambre Vanillé Soufflé Body Crème.
How important is image: The beauty of the world is that there are many great ways to portray [yourself]. Ultimately, find the image that suits you best so you can be your best self.
Most proud of: Being a mother. I could run 10 companies and there’s not a bigger job in the world.
Most valuable talent: The ability to always find a way to make something happen, to learn, and then actually apply [what I’ve learned].
Secret to my success: Having passion and love f or what you do.
Best advice I’ve received: Everyone makes mistakes and no one’s perfect—always find a way to do better.
Cause closest to my heart: The issue of school security nationwide—training and empowering our teachers and students to defend themselves in certain situations.
What makes a woman beautiful: When a woman has balance.
Fitness regimen: My all-time favorite thing to do is to run on the beach because it mixes my solace with exercise.
Favorite feature: My passion.
Thoughts on aging gracefully: I’m an older mother—I had my daughter at 40—so aging gracefully is really about embracing life experiences, being thankful for them, and looking forward to the ones ahead of you.
When no one is looking, I: Eat chocolate.
No one would ever guess that: I’m a foster child.
What makes me smile: Love.
I never leave home without: Saying “I love you” to my loved ones.

Alexis Rivera
Local Lens

Full-length green dress, Versace (short version, $815). Bloomingdale’s, Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-792-1000. Diamond and white and red gold Eros pendant, Lalique ($3,350). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-537-5150

As the morning anchor at WSVN, Rivera’s familiar face is widely recognized across Miami—a place she and her family have called home for decades. The self-professed Miami girl grew up in Miami Beach (coincidentally and unbeknownst to Rivera, alongside her future husband), and after experiencing colder climes in the Northeast, she returned home to quickly ascend the ranks at her local station. The accomplished journalist also anchors her family, which includes her husband and 1-year-old son, and works with various organizations like the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science.

Age: 31.
Neighborhood: Bay Point.
What I love most about Miami: I am home; [Miami] will always be home. It’s nice to be on-air in a community where everybody knows you and you’re surrounded by people you love.
How important is image: Professionally, image is everything. The viewers know only what they see. Not only do I have to be professional, but they also have to trust me.
How Miami influences my look: In Miami, anything goes. You can have so much fun with what you wear. That doesn’t mean I’m going to wear a crop top at 31 years of age; I don’t think I can pull that off anymore.
Go-to beauty brand: I swear b y Yves Saint Laurent mascara.
What makes a woman beautiful: How she feels about herself, her sense of security, her sense of self.
Quality I like most in a woman: Compassion.
Best piece of advice I’ve received: Do what makes you happy and find something you’re passionate about.
Why it’s important to be engaged with my community: It’s part of what I do professionally. In my personal life, I was always raised to give back. I find it important to help those who helped you along the way.
Miami inspiration: Miami is a melting pot, and there are so many different opportunities here. You have the world at your fingertips.
No one would guess that: I like watching sports.
If I could teach my son one value, it would be: Kindness and understanding.
Person I’d most want to have dinner with: Oprah. She’s amazing. The woman has accomplished so much.
Happiness is: Feeling fulfilled.

Miami's power women get an amped-up wardrobe this season.

ON SHELBY: Dress ($3,045) and belt ($990), Lanvin. Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-864-4250. 18k yellow gold and rock crystal Caged earrings, Verdura ($8,000). Betteridge, 236 Worth Ave., Palm Beach, 561-655-5850. 18k yellow gold Celtic Dunes ring, H.Stern ($3,200). Village of Merrick Park, 342 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-443-8887. Pumps, Aquazurra ($595). Intermix, Bal Harbour Shops, 305-993-1232. ON ERIKA: Dress, Oscar de la Renta ($1,790). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-865-7986. 18k white gold Fulfillment round diamond earrings, Hearts on Fire (price on request). Montica Jewelry, 75 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, 305-446-2957. 18k white gold Perlée diamond motif ring, Van Cleef & Arpels ($15,250). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-0899. Pumps, Dolce & Gabbana ($598). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-0503

ON ERIKA: Jacket ($375) and pants ($275), Rachel Zoe. Bloomingdale’s, 11401 NW 12th St., Miami, 305-597-2080. 18k white gold Fulfillment round diamond earrings, Hearts on Fire (price on request). Montica Jewelry, 75 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, 305-446-2957. 18k rose, yellow, and white gold diamond Trinity de Cartier necklace, Cartier (price on request). 151 NE 40th St., Miami, 305-864-8793. 18k yellow-gold Perlée diamond motif ring, Van Cleef & Arpels ($14,850). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-866-0899. ON SHELBY: Jacket ($1,900), bra (price on request), and pants ($790), Salvatore Ferragamo. Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-8166. Earrings, Alexis Bittar ($125)

Dress, Bottega Veneta ($2,650). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-864-6247. 18k rose gold bangle ($23,500) and 18k rose gold bracelet ($44,700), Pomellato. Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-1225. Bag, Dolce & Gabbana ($2,895). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-0503

Vest, Donna Karan New York ($1,495). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100. 18k yellow gold Perlée diamond motif earrings ($14,500) and 18k yellow gold Perlée diamond motif ring ($14,850), Van Cleef & Arpels. Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-0899. Bracelet, Vita Fede ($675). AtikShop, 900 S. Miami Ave., Miami, 305-373-9707

ON ERIKA: Jacket, Gucci ($4,500). Village of Merrick Park, 342 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-441-2004. Tank, Donna Karan New York ($595). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100. Trousers, Boss ($295). Village of Merrick Park, 305-442-0011. Bag, Valextra ($3,990). Barneys New York, 832 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-421-2010. ON SHELBY: Dress (worn as top), Donna Karan New York ($995). Saks Fifth Avenue, SEE ABOVE. Skirt, Stella McCartney ($2,185). Saks Fifth Avenue, Town Center at Boca Raton, 600 Glades Road, 561-255-1556. 18k white gold Fleurette diamond earrings, Van Cleef & Arpels ($25,400). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-0899. Star Classique lady automatic watch, Montblanc ($5,400). 7481 N. Kendall Dr., Miami, 305-669-5152

Pumps, Manolo Blahnik ($835). Nordstrom, Village of Merrick Park, 4310 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, 786-999-1313

Jacket ($3,900) and pants ($1,250), Dior. Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100. Shirt, Burberry London ($325). Village of Merrick Park, 342 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-446-1550. 18k white gold Fulfillment round diamond earrings, Hearts on Fire (price on request). Montica Jewelry, 75 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, 305-446-2957. iPad case, Smythson ($635). Barneys New York, 832 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-421-2010

BEAUTY, ON ERIKA THROUGHOUT: Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Foundation in Beige 10 ($45), Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour in No. 30 ($58), Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Passion ($35), Soft Touch Eyeshadow in Lotus ($30), Automatic Liquid Liner ($34), Inimitable Mascara in Noir ($30), and Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in Brun Naturel ($29). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-868-0550. Moroccanoil Treatment ($43). ON SHELBY: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation ($57), Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour in No. 60 ($58), Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Pirate ($35), Automatic Liquid Eyeliner ($34), Powder Blush in Emotion ($43), Inimitable Intense Mascara in Noir ($30), and Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in Brun Cendré ($29). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-868-0550. Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Medium ($22).

May gets off to a delicious start with Miami restaurants debuting special eats and drinks for Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and National Burger Month. 

Tacos and cervezas will be in long supply at Huahua's on Cinco de Mayo. (photo: Jipsy)

Huahua's Taqueria Celebrates Cinco with Tacos, Margaritas, and Beer 

Huahua's Taqueria is throwing a Mexican fiesta for Cinco de Mayo on Monday, May 5 with all-day happy hour specials and piñatas filled with Mexican candy. The fiesta includes $4 margaritas, $3 Mexican cervezas, and a $10 taco basket special, as well as the eatery's signature and special tacos, including the Hongos Magicos, fried chicken and chili rubbed shrimp tacos. 1211 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 305-534-TACO

Rosé and Caviar for Mom at Meat Market

Meat Market is celebrating Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11 with a special menu for mom. Dishes include a starter of smoked salmon and truffle caviar with sparkling rosé; an entrée of wood-grilled Togarashi tuna; and fresh wild berry short cake with strawberry watermelon sorbet and crème fraîche for dessert. The celebration will be topped off with a specialty cocktail created by mixologist Ezra Pattek, a concoction of spiced pear liqueur, lemon juice, honey, Oloroso Sherry, aromatic bitters, and prosecco. 915 Lincoln Road., Miami Beach, 305-532-0088

Michael Mina 74 Does Burger Month with Foie Gras, Truffles, and... Peanut Butter

In honor of National Burger Month, Michael Mina 74 at Fontainebleau is whipping up a new specialty burger each week in May crafted by chef de cuisine Thomas Griese. First up is the Puebla Burger, a Latin creation celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Mexican ingredients. Other burgers include the Yo Mama Burger for Mother's Day, inspired by the chef's mom, with peanut butter and bacon; the French-focused Rossini Burger with foie gras, fondue, and black truffles with a port demi-glace; and the Backyard BBQ Burger for Memorial Day, with house-smoked brisket glazed in a homemade barbecue sauce. Diners can also opt for a burger and beer pairing ($28) at the bar. 4441 Collins Ave., Miami, 877-326-7412

Acqualina's New Oceanfront Resto Serves Up Global Cuisine

Acqualina Resort in Sunny Isles debuted its latest farm-to-table restaurant last week, AQ by Acqualina, serving up modern American fare with a global touch by chef Dewey LoSasso. The menu at the oceanfront eatery blends Mediterranean, Latin, and Asian flavors into dishes such as snapper croquettas, falafel fritters, red and white quinoa salad, and grilled skirt teak on wild boar black beans with foie gras tostones. Matching the flavors of the menu is a global wine list from old and historic estates spanning regions from France, Italy, Turkey, Israel, Greece, and the U.S. 17875 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach, 305-918-6816

Adidas by Stella McCartney chooses Miami for the line’s first US retail shop.

Stella adizero 2.0 sneakers in fresh aqua/white/ultra glow, Adidas by Stella McCartney ($160).

Designer collaborations are ubiquitous these days, but nine years ago, Stella McCartney’s partnership with Adidas was groundbreaking. Now, the first US outpost of Adidas by Stella McCartney has arrived on Lincoln Road. “Miami is the perfect place to showcase the collection focused on style and performance,” says McCartney.

Divided into categories for swim, running, cycling, studio, yoga, tennis, and weekenders, the brand has plenty to offer active Miamians, including the new Adidas by Stella McCartney barricade Youth line that caters to the next generation of stylish tennis players and the adizero footwear collection for fashion-forward training.

Available in seasonal-chic colors with a cool, transparent mesh accent, the Stella McCartney Adidas adizero 2.0 running shoe is a hip fusion of style and performance-enhancing technology. Coupled with Adidas’ sprintframe design, these trainers not only look light, but feel light, too.

Considering that both Stella McCartney and Adidas focus on sustainability efforts in their businesses, it’s no surprise that the collection includes 39 highly sustainable pieces from apparel to accessories in which Adidas Better Place Program principles—low waste; eco-friendly materials like organic cotton, recycled yarn, and Tencel—are employed to reduce the carbon footprint.

The newest piece of technology, called Dry Dye, is used on select tank tops and shorts and eliminates the need for water in the dyeing process. “I’m really proud to offer a collection that incorporates sustainable elements wherever possible,” says McCartney. “We continuously strive to find new ways to do our bit for the environment.” 1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 305-532-5455

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GALE

The demolition of historic homes on South Beach has reached a climax, bringing with it attention and discussion as to what should—and should not—be protected.

42 Star Island Drive pre-demolition. Owners Lisa and Leonard Hochstein are replacing it with a house more than twice the size.

By the time this article is published, the 1925 house designed by Walter DeGarmo at 42 Star Island Drive—one of the most visible and architecturally noteworthy houses in Miami Beach—will have been demolished. Easily visible to anyone traveling westbound on the MacArthur Causeway, the historic home will have been razed and the entire city of Miami Beach will have watched it happen. Lisa and Leonard Hochstein of The Real Housewives of Miami fame are replacing it with a 20,000-square-foot house that is more than double the size, complete with home theater, commercial-size kitchen, and staff quarters, for their growing family. Demolition began in late March, when a crew (both TV and demolition) arrived and started on the garage.

Hochstein actions aside, Miami Beach has become known for its preservation efforts on structures ranging from hotels to apartments to prehistoric circles. Everything from the Art Deco District in South Beach, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, or even the Australian pines of Pine Tree Drive (especially the pines) is protected by laws, statutes, the city’s Historic Preservation Board, and tax breaks for preservation-minded developers. The fact that Miami Beach has such a great collection of historic buildings and districts is a testament to its strong preservation ethos, and some would argue that preservation is part of Miami’s boom. “Historic preservation was definitely the catalyst for [Miami Beach’s] success,” says Herb Sosa, a member of Miami Beach’s Historic Preservation Board. “The sun and beach have always been here, but it took preservation—the protection and promotion of our unique buildings, homes, and neighborhoods—to make South Beach a textbook study in what happens when the preservation stars align.”

This as yet unprotected Star Island home, designed by August Geiger, was built in 1925 in the Mediterranean Revival style, and its exterior walls have the original rough stucco finish.

Where many of the city’s preservation laws end, however, are single-family neighborhoods. A homeowner can’t be stopped from demolition based on the age of his or her house, and in a town flush with new wealth, tax breaks don’t seem to be the preservation incentive they used to be. The city is considering new laws meant to encourage homeowners to seek historic designation and limit the lot coverages of new houses that replace older, possibly historic, ones. Limiting the sizes would presumably deter owners from demolishing smaller structures to replace them with much larger ones. But the details of the new law, puzzlingly, might have the opposite effect by allowing larger houses in certain situations where they wouldn’t have been allowed before.

The city has seen a spike in the loss of architecturally significant single-family houses of a certain age in recent years. Notable examples include modernist Jorge Arango’s Villa May on North Bay Road and a red brick Federal-style mansion by the famed Maurice Fatio, also on North Bay Road. (Arango also established the Arango Design Store, a South Florida institution.) Other noteworthy but unprotected houses have come under threat but remain standing. The longtime Miami Beach home of Al Capone, on Palm Island, is currently for sale and located on land far more valuable, monetarily, than the structure itself. The house is relatively small and simple compared to the baronial mansion that might replace it.

Al Capone’s longtime Miami Beach home at 93 Palm Avenue.

According to a City Commission memo, owners made demolition requests for at least 25 “pre-1942 architecturally significant single-family homes” in 2013, and 20 in 2012, a skyrocketing figure considering there were never more than five proposals a year for the seven years prior. And in 2009, there were none. The economic recovery seems to have people thinking demolition as opposed to preservation.

In a twist of fate, the demolition of 42 Star Island Drive just may be the best thing to happen to Miami Beach’s single-family-home preservation movement. The house could be the martyr that galvanizes the city to action, led by preservationists and the Miami Design Preservation League, just as the almost mythical loss of the Senator Hotel in 1988 became the rallying cry that saved the rest of the Art Deco District. This momentum was summed up by Daniel Ciraldo of the MDPL when he told The Miami Herald, “We’re a small town and we have our symbols. And when certain symbols are lost, it kind of gets a community together and makes us think, What can we do to make sure this doesn’t happen again? Somebody’s got to do it. It’s important to our city.”

Whether because of the Hochsteins’ fame or the high profile that 42 Star Island already enjoyed due to its elaborate design and prominent location, something is afoot. After all, the threat of 42 Star Island’s demolition alone set off a legal battle between the Hochsteins and the MDPL that lasted longer than a year and resulted in national publicity, a six-month citywide moratorium on historic home demolitions, new legislation, and even a story line on The Real Housewives of Miami. It just might be the cause around which an invigorated historic preservation movement could rally.

Gone are the days of the apple martini. Miami’s sophisticated female cocktail connoisseurs are pushing the spirit boundaries.

Miami women are exploring cocktail culture with drinks such as (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) the Bonnie & Clyde from The Cypress Room, the East by West Old Fashioned from Hakkasan, and the Oaxacan Venice from The Broken Shaker.

Brandi Reddick has a keen eye for the cutting-edge—both with the public art installations she’s placed around South Florida and with her taste in cocktails. The curator for Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, Reddick doesn’t shy away from powerful spirits or obscure liqueurs with hard-to-pronounce names. For a nightcap, she selects a potent yet elegant French 75, made with gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and simple syrup, at TheCorner (1035 N. Miami Ave., Miami, 305-961-7887). On Sundays, she’s partial to a Tequesta Sunrise, featuring Avion tequila, Blanche de Normandie (apple brandy), crème de mure (blackberry liqueur), and fresh lemon juice at Seasalt and Pepper (422 NW N. River Dr., Miami, 305-440-4200).

And Reddick is hardly alone—liquor brands are increasing their outreach to women, while others in the spirits industry, such as Jennifer Massolo of the Miami-based tasting series Spirited Sirens, which brings female imbibers together to explore artisanal spirits through interactive seminars, are helping expose more women to bourbon, Scotch, and other brown spirits. “Ladies are always asking me for refreshing bourbon cocktails,” says Sarah Lawrence, head bartender at Hakkasan (4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 877-326-7412) at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Lawrence recommends the popular East by West Old Fashioned, which blends Yamazaki 12 whisky with Basil Hayden’s bourbon and Licor 43, along with BittermensXocolati mole bitters and Fee Brothers black walnut bitters, garnished with a grapefruit twist and bachelor’s button flowers. “I love it when a couple steps up to the bar to order a lychee martini and a Black Label, [and then] the lady takes the Scotch.”

The Cabana Colada from the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach offers rich deep rum and coffee flavors.

“I’ve seen it evolve so much here that even when I worked at the nightclub Set last year, I’d get women asking me to make them an elaborate cocktail,” says Virginia King, bartender at The Broken Shaker (2727 Indian Creek Dr., Miami Beach, 305-531-2727), who has found that women are doing their research and asking thoughtful questions about ingredients, including mezcal, the key player in her Oaxacan Venice, which mixes mezcal, Aperol, and sweet vermouth.

The same dichotomy can be found at The Cypress Room (3620 NE Second Ave., Miami, 305-520-5197) in the Design District, where pink floral wallpaper appears alongside deer trophies, and feminine vintage glassware is used to serve liquor-forward rose-colored cocktails. “You would think that the manly spirits would be served in manly glassware, but they’re not, so women feel empowered to try them,” says bartender Noelle-Victoria Service, whose signature drink is the Bonnie & Clyde, made with Hendrick’s Gin, Solerno blood orange liqueur, and Cocchi Americano aperitif wine. The cocktail is served in charming Nick and Nora stemware, which looks like a more bowl-shaped martini glass.

While it’s fairly common in Miami to find talented women like Lawrence, King, and Service behind the bar, you don’t see many running beverage programs. An exception to the rule is Ashley Danella of The Pubbelly Restaurant Group, who oversees the bars at the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach(6261 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-864-6261). “Women are open to what’s out there, and they’re drinking more gin over vodka,” says Danella, who is partial to the Cabana Colada, made with DiplomaticoReserva rum, Panther cold-brew coffee, fresh pineapple juice, and orgeat, and garnished with a mint sprig. “They’re trusting the bartender more and ordering something they haven’t tried before.”

For Carina Radonich and Ariel Tomat, the couple that builds together stays together.

Carina Radonich and Ariel Tomat at work in the lobby of Ocean House in Miami Beach’s exclusive South of Fifth enclave.

If working together puts an otherwise solid relationship to the test, Ariel Tomat and Carina Radonich of Finish My Condo, a luxury general contractor company, could teach the course on how to make it successful. The husband-andwife team, who celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in September, create model residences at some of South Florida’s most desirable addresses, including Paramount Bay, Acqualina, Canyon Ranch, and the St. Regis, as well as custom-build the homes of local celebrities.

Currently, Radonich and Tomat are finishing a 4,000-square-foot model loft at Ocean House. The multimillion- dollar redesign in the exclusive South of Fifth enclave will mix stainless steel and exotic woods for a fresh, contemporary vibe and include furnishings by Brazilian design company Artefacto. “The people coming to Miami have money and don’t need to show it,” Radonich says. “They’re looking for something minimal, beautiful, and smart. Elegance in the truest sense of the word.”

Radonich, a vivacious personality who spent more than 10 years working for the nation’s leading real estate brokerages, including Fort Lauderdale’s Galleria Collection of Fine Homes, taps into her extensive network at the onset of each project. Then, if clients can dream it, Tomat, a former industrial engineer, “can build it from the ground up”—from the classic to the ultramodern, such as the floating white onyx floors with underlying LED lights that they recently created for one client on North Bay Road. Says Radonich, “If a problem presents itself, it is only because a solution already exists.”

Married for two decades, the couple have only been in business together since 2007; however, they make sure to keep home and office life very much separate. “We leave work talk for the office,” says Tomat. “When we [cross] the threshold of our home, it becomes our sanctuary.”

Family—including the couple’s two children, ages 9 and 11, continues to fuel their work with Finish My Condo. “When you see clients who are so thrilled that they’re literally moved to tears, you realize you’re the architect of the most important moment of their life,” says Radonich. “Home is where the best moments are shared.”

With his annual DJ IRIE Weekend set to rock Miami Beach, our town’s favorite spin master gives the lowdown on this year’s fun-in-the-sun events.

DJ Irie’s charity tournament at the Miami Beach Golf Club combines music and sports to help South Florida’s underprivileged youth.

The definition of Miami Beach, it can be argued, is sun, fun, and, of course, the ocean. So when world-renowned DJ and Miami resident DJ Irie learned that many of the city’s disadvantaged young people hadn’t even had the chance to dig their toes into the sand, he set out to make a change.

“I was visiting at this one school and was telling the kids how I lived in Miami Beach,” recalls Ian Grocher, aka DJ Irie, the Miami Heat’s official DJ for more than a decade. “One boy asked if I had ever actually been to the beach, and I said, ‘Of course.’ He then asked me what it was like, since he had never set foot on a beach, even though his school was 10 miles from one.”

That simple conversation helped spur the DJ (who was born in St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands and raised in Miami and Jamaica) to launch the Irie Foundation, which supports Miami’s at-risk youth through mentorship programs, cultural experiences, and scholarship opportunities. Programs are held throughout the year; however, it’s the annual DJ Irie Weekend, kicking off June 19, that draws first class athletes and Hollywood’s hottest. Started in 2004, this three-day festival of music, food, sports, and entertainment has quickly become one of the city’s most sought-after tickets. “We want people to come out and really have a lot of fun and raise awareness for the foundation,” says Irie of the celebrity-studded event. “It draws in people from all over the world.”

The weekend’s biggest attraction is the golf tournament held at the Miami Beach Golf Club, and with 144 slots already filled, DJ Irie and his organization are looking into expanding to multiple courses next year. “No other DJ has a golf tournament, so we’re changing the game and bringing a party to the golf course,” he says.

Festivities kick off June 19 with a VIP party followed by the popular golf tournament the next morning and a concert later that night. In previous years, artists such as LMFAO, Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx, and Flo Rida have performed, while A-listers such as Dan Marino, Carmelo Anthony, Luke Wilson, Gabrielle Union, and players from the Heat are regularly in attendance. “DJ Irie’s been a part of the Heat for many years,” says team superstar Dwyane Wade. “To know the guy is to love the guy, which is a big part of why his Irie Weekend event is such a success. My teammates and I are happy to support his charity.”

On Saturday, June 20, the two groups—the stars and the kids supported by the foundation—have the opportunity to comingle. “We wanted to have an event that our kids could participate in with the celebrities,” says Irie. “We came up with this really cool bowling tournament at Lucky Strike here on the beach. It’s a huge hit!”

In addition to all the smiles the weekend brings, the financial support is crucial to the success of the foundation’s mission. “We are committed to helping kids get on the right track and strive for successful futures,” says Irie of his eponymous foundation. “When we do the weekend, the money we raisegoes towards those programs and helps create well-rounded individuals. What’s better than that?” The 10th annual Irie Weekend takes place June 19–21; for a full schedule of events and locations, visit irieweekend.com.

The women of Miami select smart choices to wine and dine clients, and catch up with old friends.

When you think of a power lunch, you think of a steakhouse, unless, of course, you’re one of Miami’s growing legion of power ladies. Lighter, airier spots with diverse cuisine—often healthy and locally grown—are perfect for these female dealmakers. Below, we ask some of our town’s leading women where they do lunch.

Healthy Hedonism

Avocado tartare at Canyon Ranch Grill.

Top real estate broker Nancy Batchelor is entertaining a client on the terrace at Canyon Ranch Grill (6801 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-514-7474) in North Beach. The beachside restaurant is a popular destination for the EWM Realty International agent not only for its unrivaled view of the water but also for its health conscious gourmet dining. “They have a passion for the holistic, spiritual lifestyle, and they’re feeding themselves to fuel their bodies and manage the stress of their hectic lives,” says Batchelor of her Fortune 500 clients. At Canyon Ranch, nutritional information such as calories; grams of carbs, protein, fat, and fiber; and sodium milligrams is broken down for each dish on the lunch menu. Salt must be specially requested because it’s not part of the restaurant’s usual repertoire. Batchelor’s go-to meal is by no means short on flavor, however; she recommends the kale peanut salad with bell peppers, carrots, scallions, cabbage, cilantro, and peanut vinaigrette, as well as the many hearth fired flatbreads such as the fig and Maytag blue cheese with sweet balsamic glaze, arugula, and caramelized onions.

Elegant Asian

The sleek Japanese Makoto restaurant at BalHarbour Shops is a popular lunchtime destination.

A few miles north on Collins Avenue is Makoto (9700 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-864-8600) in BalHarbour Shops; here you’ll find entertainment reporter Lisa Petrillo catching up with friends before a busy day at WFOR-TV/CBS4. “Eating and gabbing can be productive,” she says. “We share stories that can lead to story ideas for everything from fashion trends to human interest pieces to new restaurants worth checking out.” At Makoto, a modern Japanese restaurant that’s sleek and always packed, Petrillo and her friends usually start with the Makoto house salad—a hearty bowl of watercress, chikuwa (tiny Japanese fish cakes made in the shape of a tube) for texture, and a light wasabi dressing. Then, Petrillo opts for what she considers one of the best deals in town: For $18, the bento box includes short rib robata (prepared on the traditional charcoal grill) with truffle miso, ponzu salmon with crispy Brussels sprouts, a spicy tuna roll, and a California roll. The potent green tea, served in a traditional cast-iron tetsubin, is a delightful way to pick up the pace for an afternoon of creativity.

Local Pioneer

In Miami proper, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink (130 NE 40th St., Miami, 305-573-5550) was the first hot spot for power lunches in the Design District. For seven years, it has served as a hub for business and cultural leaders such as Susanne Birbragher, associate publisher of ArtNexus and CEO at Liaisons Corporation, an international marketing consultancy catering to chic clients like Chanel. “I love the ambience—contemporary yet laid-back—and Michael Schwartz’s creations are always innovative and fresh because his ingredients come from local providers,” says Birbragher. She starts with the crispy hominy (fried whole kernels of corn) sprinkled with lime juice. It’s a snack you must eat with your hands, which eliminates pomp and circumstance from a business meeting. To boost her energy level, she’ll ask for the wood-roasted local fish of the day.

Aegean Awesomeness

Health-minded Miamians enjoy an alfresco midday meal at Mandolin Aegean Bistro in the Design District.

Nestled in a residential neighborhood just a few blocks away from the Design District is Mandolin Aegean Bistro (4312 NE Second Ave., Miami, 305-749-9140). It’s where Susie Wahab, a prominent philanthropist who volunteers at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, enjoys meeting friends for the restaurant’s authentic Mediterranean cuisine. “The best way to keep up with the people you care for is to listen to what they have to say,” explains Wahab, who typically orders a medley of her favorite dishes, including the kefte, grilled beef and lamb meatballs minced with fresh parsley; the Greek Village salad, an assortment of tomato, cucumber, Feta, green pepper, red onion, and Kalamata olives; and whole fish grilled with olive oil, lemon, and fresh oregano. Most of the ingredients, like the tomatoes, herbs, and greens, are picked from the restaurant’s backyard garden. “Good food must be complemented by good conversation and Mandolin’s homemade fries because they’re delicious.”

Vegan Victory

Lentil Geniroll at Choices Vegan Cafe in downtown/Brickell.

For AlysePask, Choices Vegan Cafe (379 SW 15th Road, Miami, 305-400-8895) in downtown/Brickell is like a breath of fresh air in contrast to the hustle of the city. It’s off the beaten path and unassuming, but once you enter the front door, Pask says, you’re warmly greeted with topnotch service. Choices is always bustling with positive energy, and that’s exactly what the Pask Productions founder, who executes events across the country for clients like Bacardi USA, needs to keep her creative juices flowing. “I think the food options at Choices help inspire us from the inside out,” she says of lunch with her team. Her typical order includes La Pixsa: Daiya cheese, black beans, tomato, walnut meat, red and green bell pepper, pico, carrots, onion, and pesto on a sprouted crust, with lots of chipotle sauce to add depth. No meal is complete, according to Pask, without a shot of ginger (for energy and vitality) and a slice of vegan cheesecake.

Before success in Aventura, Turnberry Associates’ Jackie Soffer recalls a life in North Beach.

Jackie Soffer at the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach, which her family now owns.

Turnberry Associates founder Don Soffer helped build Aventura—he’s the billionaire developer behind many of its landmarks such as the Aventura Mall and Turnberry Isle Miami. He raised his family next door to Jimmy Connors, hosted Pro-Am tennis tournaments with Brooke Shields, and sent his high school aged daughter Jackie backstage at a Van Halen concert with tennis star Vitas Gerulaitis. (“I was in shell shock from that,” she recalls.)

Before there was Aventura, for Jackie Soffer, today the cochair and CEO of Turnberry Associates, there was Miami Beach.

Miami Beach in the 1970s was a far cry from today’s Miami Beach that attracts visitors from around the world. South Beach—as it is currently geographically defined—was, as Soffer calls it, “God’s waiting room” with elderly residents sitting on porches as far as the eye could see. Her Miami Beach—which ran mainly from 41st Street to 79th Street—had more of a neighborhood vibe. It was a place where kids could ride bikes or roller-skate, as she did every Friday night in North Shore Open Space Park.

The beach at North Shore Open Space Park.

“I lived basically off of 50th and Pine Tree Drive—it was a great neighborhood. I have such positive memories,” says Soffer, who attended North Beach Elementary School (notable alumni include Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg) and Nautilus Middle School. “I remember walking home from school sometimes. When I drive that route now, I remember walking it. I had full freedom. My parents were probably a lot more lenient than I am as a parent.”

However, the neighborhood wasn’t short on glitz and media attention with residents like the Gibb family and the controversial singer Anita Bryant turning heads in the area. “We used to trick or treat on North Bay Road, but even in those times, our parents would take us to homes of people I knew,” she says. “Anita Bryant was a big deal in Miami Beach at the time, and she lived right next door to one of my friends.”

On the south side of town, 41st Street was a bustling shopping destination with a beloved old-fashioned pharmacy and, of course, The Forge, a Miami Beach institution that was at the heart of Soffer’s early nightlife experience. “The Forge was always very opulent,” she recalls. “It’s a very unique experience, and it was a fun place as a child—you would go and sit in chairs that were double your size. It’s a little bit fantasy-like, and I think it always was.”

North Shore Open Space Park runs along Collins Avenue from 79th to 87th Streets.

In the 1970s, Miami “club life” meant going to country clubs for tennis or swimming during the day and evening social hour. “There was the Palm Bay Club, then there was the Jockey Club, then the Cricket Club, and then eventually there was Turnberry,” she says. “The nightclub action at the time was in these different clubs. We used to go during the day to go to the pool; the pool at the Jockey Club was a very social atmosphere.”

In those days, most places were kid-friendly, and Soffer would go with her family to Benihana and swing by a neighboring trampoline park, where she’d spend hours bouncing around, or walk around Fun Fair, a child’s paradise with food and games. She’d watch the swimmers at the Eden Roc through the glass walls and even ice-skate at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, a hotel Turnberry Associates now owns. “They had a small ice-skating rink but it was cool,” she says. “Fontainebleau was a fun place to go because they had a bowling alley and they had shops and the pool and the beach. You could do a bunch of things.”

For some healthy nostalgia, Soffer heads to Athens Juice Bar, a landmark since 1942.

Soffer’s grandmother lived at the Harbour House for some time, which meant trips to Jewish delis like Pumpernicks, Rascal House, and Wolfie’s. Those are all gone today, but when in need of a trip down memory lane, Soffer will swing by Athens Juice Bar—a landmark since 1942. “If you want to go somewhere nostalgic, you should go there,” she says. “It’s an old-fashioned Miami Beach juice bar, nothing like this coldpressed modern stuff.”

Today, Soffer sees Miami Beach as more international, more sophisticated than it was during her childhood. However, when she wants it, there are still hidden pockets with that classic neighborhood feel. “There are little local places you can go, like Purdy Avenue with Fresh Market, Lucali, and Panther Coffee, where it feels like a community,” she says. “That to me is great.”

Space travel is one step closer as the Zero-G Experience brings weightlessness to Miami.

Passengers get a taste of weightlessness aboard a Zero-G flight.

Can you imagine anything more blissful than swimming through the air, unburdened of your weight and gravity itself? Take a second to really think about it. Chances are you’ll come up short. If you’ve seen footage of astronauts floating in space stations and have found yourself jealous, you now have something to add to your bucket list: an opportunity to experience weightlessness, thanks to the Zero-G Experience.

Founded in 2004 by futurist/entrepreneur Peter H. Diamandis and Byron K. Lichtenberg, a former NASA astronaut, Zero-G conducts flights on a specially modified Boeing 727 that jets high into the atmosphere and performs a series of parabolic arcs to give passengers on board a taste of weightlessness. “They knew the average person would not get to experience space in their lifetime, so it was the closest thing to feeling what it would be like up there without having to leave the atmosphere,” says Terese Brewster, the president and chief operating officer of Zero-G.

Since launching a decade ago, more than 12,000 people have boarded the Zero-G plane, many of them celebrities who were just as geeked out as the average Joe. Physicist Stephen Hawking apparently still raves about his flight, and buxom supermodel Kate Upton was recently photographed during her float for the Sports Illustrated 50th-anniversary Swimsuit Issue.

Zero-G uses a specially modified Boeing 727 for its experience.

However, superstars are far from the most VIP to take the flight. “Flying with celebrities has been great, but really, the most touching flights are ones we’ve flown with kids from the Make-A-Wish Foundation or guys from the Wounded Warrior Project,” says Brewster. “We also did a flight with Nickelodeon for a show called The View from My Chair for children who have been in wheelchairs their whole life. For some of them it was the first time they were able to stand up straight.”

A Zero-G flight costs exponentially more than the average plane ticket—$4,950 per passenger—but given that you’re probably not going to astronaut training anytime soon, it might be entirely worth it. “It’s so different from any other experience you can have,” says Brewster. “It’s otherworldly.” Zero-G will be staging flights in Miami on Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25. For more information, visit gozerog.com

In the independent spirit of Wynwood, Frangipani brings just the right eclectic mix of creative gifts and home goods.

Owner Jennifer Frehling’s strong eye for interior design is evident in the artful merchandise.

The Wynwood Walls, the warehouses that serve as giant canvases for street art, are successfully luring pedestrians to the burgeoning arts district. But if you keep your eyes locked only on the striking exteriors, you just might miss some of the imaginative goods on the inside of those buildings.

Nestled in between the winding warehouse paths and Joey’s restaurant, Frangipani (pronounced franju-pan-ee) blends into the city blocks so well that the store, which offers a chic and artistic array of items from coffee table books to impossibly modern yoga wear, might be missed by a distracted browser. In the oversize front window, the shop’s merchandise is not represented by any of the exotic trinkets found within but rather a single vintage Vespa from 1964 that’s restored in both body and motor. With an original 150cc, it can travel at 70 miles per hour. Compare that, says shop owner Jennifer Frehling, to a typical 50ccVespa, which rides at only about 40 miles per hour. “People see them and go crazy,” she says, pointing to the $5,600 model currently on display. “I’ve sold four.”

The Wynwood store has a vintage Vespa in the window. “People see them and go crazy,” she says.

That notion of “special” pervades the store and is all part of the proprietor’s vision. Frehling—who, along with her boyfriend, Alain Guillen, also owns the recently opened Flavorish Market on Biscayne Boulevard—has filled Frangipani with vibrant global merchandise set against a pure white backdrop. Sprawling white tables exhibit glossy books, Hopscotch Kids nail color, handpainted bike helmets, messenger bags stitched from exotic tapestries, clutch purses made from Berber carpets, and black ice buckets made from thick resin. Here, you can also find iPhone cases adorned with imagery from works of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. “We sell a lot of these,” says Frehling. “We saw quickly people were interested in art-related cases—the things we have here you can’t find at the Apple Store.”

Off to one side is a thoughtfully curated collection of items with a strong sense of design, smarts, and whimsy: colorful kids’ bathroom soap holders, chunky wood jewelry, a bamboo rice bowl with a pair of chopsticks that was imported from Vietnam, and an array of goat milk soy candles, which are considered more ecological and cleaner-burning than their waxy counterparts. There are vintage plates stamped with a British artist’s sketches of skulls and birdcages. One table takes center stage with its two-deep wells that are topped with glass and filled with jewelry crafted from crystal, leather, fabric, and a dozen mines’ worth of metals. “I try to make one big trip every year to bring back products and source new artists,” she says. “Last year, I went to Paris; before that, it was Vietnam. This year, who knows?”

Some of the unusual items at Frangipani include a Russian Criminal Tattoo book ($33), petrified wood bookends ($225), and handmade nesting olive wood bowls ($275 for a set of 7).

Other highlights include local photographer Andrew Kaufman’s images of Wynwood and a collection of ceramic hearts that are more creative than cute. “I order shallow in all products so there’s a constant change of goods,” says Frehling. “I try to stay away from the items carried in other Miami stores.”

Frehling herself grew up in a retail family: Her parents owned NessaGaulois in BalHarbour for over 30 years and today operate Oggetti, a manufacturer and importer of furniture, lighting, and home accessories with a showroom in the Design District that’s owned by her brother, Greg. After earning her master’s degree in architecture from the University of Virginia, Frehling interned at the Smithsonian Institution’s historic preservation office and then worked extensively in interior design before opening Frangipani nearly two years ago. The boutique is named for the sweet-scented blossoming tree she would smell as a little girl waiting for the school bus in Miami Beach.

However, Frehling is certain it’s Wynwood that is the perfect location for her retail vision; after all, Frangipani was profitable from the first month, she says, and sales are up 25 percent this year. “That could credit the neighborhood as much as the store,” she says, humbly. “Wynwood has been written up in The New York Times, a ton of tourists are coming to look at the walls and the graffiti, and I can’t wait for the other retail stores to open.” But as any retail analyst would agree, foot-traffic alone is not a recipe for retail success. That might have something to do with what she’s collected inside the walls. 2516 NW Second Ave., Miami, 305-573-1480

Lee Brian Schrager’s new book, Fried & True, out this month, pays homage to a beloved American dish—fried chicken. We sat down with him at Yardbird to talk about his latest culinary obsession.

Lee Brian Schrager.

Lee Brian Schrager, best known as the founder of the Food Network New York City and South Beach Wine & Food Festivals, would argue that any time is a good time for fried chicken. But there are few better places in Miami than Yardbird, the ardently Southern eatery off Lincoln Road. We sat down for a proper meal with Schrager to chat about his new book, Fried & True (available May 20), which chronicles more than 50 of America’s best fried chicken recipes—both back-road and big-city iterations—and explores the phenomenon of what Schrager calls America’s “number-one guilty pleasure.”

Why write a book about fried chicken?
I love it. It’s something that everyone relates to. When I told people about the book, some said, “We don’t eat fried chicken,” but no one said, “We don’t like it.” And there are so many great recipes.

I understand that as a kid, your love for fried chicken got you into some trouble.
Howard Johnson’s used to have an all-you-can-eat fried chicken night. I would go with a group of five guys—we were like 13 years old—and could really pack away the food. I think they probably lost money on us, so it’s true, we were asked not to return to the Howard Johnson’s in Massapequa, New York.

The signature fried chicken at Yardbird, accompanied by chilled spiced watermelon and a green tomato chowchow-topped waffle.

What’s your take on the fried chicken here at Yardbird?
It’s not the first time I’ve seen fried chicken with a waffle or with watermelon, but all together, it’s great. It’s really crispy on the outside, and when you bite into it, it’s moist. I love the contrast. The green tomato chowchow on the waffles is fun, too.

What dishes here at Yardbird do you like to eat along with the chicken?
It’s nice to have a vegetarian option, so the cauliflower steak is fantastic. It’s beautiful, first of all, and secondly, the cranberries on top are interesting, and I love the bay leaf crumble on the side. The St. Louis ribs, too, have a very tangy standout taste. The meat is not overly fatty, just fatty enough.

Sweet iced tea is presented in Southern-style Mason jars.

Anything on the lighter side?
The farmer’s salad changes by the day. What I love about it is you could eat here tomorrow night and rather than cherry tomatoes, maybe they’re teardrop tomatoes. I’m impressed with how committed they [are to using] local ingredients. The pickled vegetables, too, with mushrooms, garlic, and carrots, come with bread and whipped butter. The butter and the pickled tartness are a nice contrast.

What other local spots are you keen on?
I love Publix—the best fried chicken. I love Joe’s Stone Crab, too. Those are the two places out of 200 I asked that wouldn’t give me their recipes for the book. Michy’s is one of my favorites. Michelle Bernstein does an all-you-can-eat fried chicken on Wednesdays over the summer that I love—and she hasn’t kicked me out!

Everyone knows you as the mind behind the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. But you went to the Culinary Institute of America?
I graduated in ’79. I didn’t want to be a chef, but I wanted the culinary experience. I went, also, because I was a very average student, and at that point, you didn’t have to take the SATs to get in. I was deathly afraid of not doing well on my SATs.

The eatery’s kitchen pickle jar is served with whipped butter and country bread.

Tell us about the road trip you took for the book.
We went on a three-week trip to do the lifestyle shots all over the South, hitting 60 or 70 restaurants. We found that be it Thomas Keller at Ad Hoc or a shack on the side of the street in Georgia, you’ll find chicken that’s just as good as Keller’s, just not in a white-tablecloth, Michelin-starred setting.

What tricks of the trade did you discover on your road trip?
I heard two things throughout the South: “Always use cold chicken.” I’d never heard that before, but I heard it many times through [the research]. The end result is very crispy. And the clapping method—you hit the chicken after you dredge it in flour, to knock the excess off.

They need to teach that at CIA.
They probably should. We didn’t make fried chicken once when I was there, though it’s probably on the menu now.

Industrial meets farmhouse chic in the dining room.

What recipes might surprise some readers?
There’s an Indian chef, Asha Gomez, who lives in Atlanta. Her chicken recipe was unbelievable. It’s marinated in yogurt and fresh herbs. It fries up green from the herbs, and she serves it on a sweet-potato waffle. It was the most delicious fried chicken I’ve ever had.

You said writing this book was humbling. How so?
I’m so used to dealing with food personalities and pop-culture chefs that I think it was traveling on the back roads, and stopping and talking to people who are so passionate about food—people who cook to support their families. One of the things that came up the most was people talking about food and using the word “love.” If you hear that from a lot of chefs, you think, Oh, what BS is that? But from these people on the back roads of the South, you really believe it. These people are so hard working and so committed to pleasing people. Meeting them was really humbling.

What’s next for you?
I’m working on two more books, one called Morning Glory, on breakfast foods. At the same time, I’m working on Hole in One, which is a book on doughnuts.

Media executive and Miami native Antoinette Zel is switching gears from corporate giant to social media start-up.

Antoinette Zel, at the Rubell Family Collection Library. “I’m excited to tell the stories of today,” she says.

There are only a handful of major TV networks operating from offices in South Florida—Univision, Telemundo, MTV Networks Latin America, and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s new El Rey Network, to name a few. And over the past 20 years, Antoinette Zel has been at the helm of most of them. But after resigning as COO of El Rey in March when the company relocated to New York, Zel knew it was time to chart a different path.

With a unique and impressive pedigree in both corporate media at Viacom and NBC, and ad agency experience as the CEO of award-winning La Comunidad, Zel is now going out on her own with a start-up venture focusing on social media. Here she talks with Ocean Drive about today’s media landscape, the power of our own social networks, and life in Miami.

Tell us a little about your career trajectory towards becoming a media mogul.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in English [from Tufts University] and an entertainment law degree [from Columbia University], I knew there had to be a way to merge my love of the arts and my love of business. It was natural that I ended up at Viacom when the MTV and Nickelodeon brands were considered highly innovative and influential during the ’90s. These brands were the social influencers of that era. Then, the years when I ran the MTV Networks Latin America operations from 1111 Lincoln Road (before Lincoln Road was cool) were very special because we had assembled a dream team of executives who were committed to building youth brands with highly relevant content and storytelling in ways that hadn’t been done. After that, my next career moves were built on the shoulders of that experience—running a creative ad agency, launching El Rey. Innovative storytelling is a natural for me.

Zel says “there’s no happiness” without her husband of 20 years, Cary, and their three sons, Alexander, Sebastian, and Oliver.

How would you say audiences and networks have changed?
There’s no difference other than the platforms we use today to tell our stories. It’s always been and will always be about the emotional connection content makes with its audiences.

Until this month, you were the COO of El Rey Network, the new cable network started by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez that’s poised to be the next big network for TV....
Robert and I worked to create a new brand that would speak to second and third-generation Latinos with relevant English language content that wasn’t being shown anywhere else. No Spanish, no Spanish advertising—it was 100 percent English—but really focused on the interests we knew unified young male Hispanics. We launched the channel to about 40 million households, and in the next year they’re looking to hit 60 million. El Rey is in a really strong position to be the next FX; it’s on its way.

But the network is now based out of New York?
Yes. When they first came to me two years ago to join, I said, “I will not leave Miami,” and after almost two years of commuting back and forth between NYC and Miami, I decided to make true what I’d said. Miami is my home.

As president of MTV Latin America, Zel worked with performers such as Nick Carter.

What’s the next chapter for you?
I’m focusing on the things that define and inspire me: First, there’s no happiness without my family close by—my husband of 20 years, our three sons, our happily chaotic home; second, the lifestyle in Miami; and finally, those ideas that have been circling in my head for years. I’m committed to staying in Miami to build a new venture that inspires me every day. I’m excited to write the next chapter of my book and tell the stories of today. I have a lot to learn, so I’m still in the research phase.

How are stories being told today?
The best stories are being told on people’s “TV networks” of today; everyone has their own “network,” and they are called social media channels. It’s digital—from Facebook to Vine to Snapchat to Kik to Pinterest to Tumblr. That’s fertile terrain for storytelling. Social media is to cable TV today what cable TV was to broadcast 20 years ago.

And your new company will do what exactly?
My partner in the start-up, CristianJofre (the former worldwide creative director for MTV Networks), and I are still defining its scope, but we do know we want to build a place where stories are being told authentically, with great creativity.

Was it ever a struggle being a woman working as a high-powered attorney or as a media executive?
No one will say it, but yes, of course! The struggle is a subtle one. Sometimes you’re not sure if it’s you or the system, but as a woman, you are definitely tested. I do believe your character and your determination can equalize the playing field.

What advice would you give to a young woman who’s just begun to climb the ladder?
Life is not a dress rehearsal. Make sure you love what you pursue, and it will take you far. If you don’t love it, don’t do it.

After her first solo museum show in the US , Tracey Emin takes up residence in Miami to live, work, create, and, as she puts it, “relax.”

The “Angel Without You” show at MOCA.

The first time British artist Tracey Emin visited Miami, the city left its mark on her—and not just in the metaphorical sense. “I got stung on my elbow by jellyfish and still have scars!” says Emin, an avid swimmer, of that initial trip to Miami Beach. But she loved the Magic City, so much so that she decided to take up a residence here.

Miami, so far, has proven to be a welcoming respite for the boundary-pushing creator. “I wish I had come here earlier,” she says of her newfound retreat, near the Fontainebleau Miami Beach on Indian Creek, demurring to give further details to protect her privacy. “I love the architecture of Miami. There’s a fecundity in Miami; I feel good….”

Her new South Florida apartment is just one of the luxuries that, after an upbringing marked by instability, Emin says she now allows herself. “My big indulgence now is property,” explains the artist, whose pieces can be found in the private collections of such high-profile connoisseurs as Joan Collins, David Bowie, Elton John, and Madonna. “I was invited to stay in people’s houses and got tired of always being the guest.”

Artist Tracey Emin, seen here drawing in her studio, creates controversial works that can be found in the private collections of everyone from Madonna to Joan Collins and Elton John.

In contrast to her loud art, Emin herself keeps a low profile while in town, and her Miami routine is a restorative one. “I [go] to rest and be peaceful, not to socialize,” says Emin, who lists Soho Beach House, The Dutch, and yes, even Walgreens, as a few of her favorite local spots. “I love the terrace of my little apartment. I sit there drinking tea and watch the clouds go by.” She even brought a cadre of UK pals to see her new work and new life here. “I had a couple hundred people over from London and the majority really loved Miami.”

In a spirit of reciprocation, the artist too has left a lasting impression on the Magic City: Emin’s neon creations have been snatched up by private art collectors all along the beach; hotels such as the Fontainebleau hosted her book signing and displayed her work; and her recent neon show, “Angel Without You”—a first in the US for her—was on display this spring at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami. All of it solidified her love affair with Miami. “I really love the sun beds; they remind me of where I grew up,” says Emin. “Miami is a major contradiction of man-made [development] and architecture that has completely taken over. But yet the nature is ever present.”

The artist (SECOND FROM LEFT) with Ingrid Sischy, Sandra Brant, and Alex Gartenfeld at the MOCA + Vanity Fair International Art Basel party last year.

Her neon exhibition at MOCA—illuminated sayings spelled out in Emin’s own handwriting, complete with her own capitalization and punctuation peccadilloes—captured pithy but personal emotional tidbits that seemed like the mantras, mottoes, and maxims one might scribble in a diary: YOU FORGOT TO KISS MY SOUL; EVERY PART OF ME'S BLEEDING; I LOVED YOU MORE THAN I CAN LOVE; and PEOPLE LIKE YOU NEED TO FUCK PEOPLE LIKE ME—a particularly popular piece that had fans queued up waiting to take selfies. “I’ve wanted to do a pure neon show for a long time,” says Emin, who was brought up in an area with lots of neon and nightlife, the somewhat tawdry seaside town of Margate, on a peninsula east of London. Miami, with its neon-lit history, was the perfect place to debut her work. “[They] work on the level where it’s like the lyrics to a song that you think you know but you don’t,” she says. “It’s not one dimension.”

The words expressed in fluorescence were of an intimate nature, things you might hide, yet here, Emin turned them into bright, brazen signage akin to Washington Avenue marquees. That very tension made them artful to some, including famous fans like actor Kevin Spacey, artists Mickalene Thomas and Damien Hirst, photographer Bruce Weber, and Pharrell Williams. Others found Emin’s work distasteful; few are neutral about her pieces. But as author Jeannette Winterson wrote, “The noisy arguments around Emin’s work are good for art. Nothing is worse for art than a rarefied remote state, where the thing languishes in the lands of connoisseurship and curators.”

Beach towels with Emin’s KISS ME KISS ME COVER MY BODY IN LOVE draped the poolside lounge chairs at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach during Art Basel.

It was two other controversial art installations that initially put Emin on the international map: her famously slept-in My Bed (1998) and her Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 (1995), a tent appliquéd with the names of everyone she has ever shared a bed with, platonically or otherwise. Winterson wrote that those two works in particular had a “huge impact—Duchamp‘Urinal’ impact, or Warhol ‘Soup Can’ impact—because they found a way of containing the mesmeric and iconic properties of art within the most commonplace of objects.”

Miami, with our gallimaufry of cultures, our collection of immigrants, is a town where one has the power and freedom to reinvent oneself. “Power for me is to have choice, choice of freedom, choice of identity. I’m not Mrs. Anybody; I am Tracey Emin. I have my own autonomy.”

Says Emin, “I’ve been doing what I do for so long, they realize that I’m not going away. This is my work; this is my life. I’m an artist and I’m here to stay.”

Out of his father’s shadow comes the next big name in real estate development—Jon Paul Pérez.

From Sea Isle Marina, Jon Paul Pérez can view Edgewater, the neighborhood where he’s developing a posh high-rise for The Related Group.

As with most development companies, The Related Group’s every project starts with a vision. Founder, Chairman, and CEO Jorge M. Pérez looked at a hole in the ground and pictured an up-and-coming South of Fifth neighborhood before building Portofino Tower, Murano at Portofino, and Murano Grande. He envisioned a budding Brickell before building One Miami. And he foresaw a shining Sunny Isles before constructing Oceans I, II, III, and IV and three Trump Towers.

Riding in the backseat for all of it was Jon Paul Pérez, Jorge’s son, who would tag along with his father as he bounced from site to site, checking up on The Related Group’s latest projects. “Those were my Saturdays,” says Jon Paul. “After the soccer games, he would take us to the leasing centers and the models, since at that time he was doing rental properties. I always enjoyed visiting projects and learning what it was my father did, and I’ve been able to pick up on it fast.”

That was the plan from the beginning—to transform the young boy into The Related Group’s eventual leader. The company, which currently has a $10.7 billion portfolio, has not only changed the landscape of South Florida but also made a name for itself around the globe. And Jon Paul has seen the worldwide success firsthand.

As Related’s vice president, he regularly travels to India to visit the company’s building projects for that country’s rising middle class. “People [in India] talk about the Related name and what we’ve done,” says the younger Pérez. “There’s definitely a sense of pride when you travel and people recognize what you’ve done back home.”

After graduating from the University of Miami in 2007, Jon Paul moved to New York to “get out of my father’s shadow.”

“There was no special treatment,” he says of his five years working for the separate Related Companies, where he was directly responsible for all financial modeling, design programming, and construction management. “It was a place where I really had to dive in and learn, and work investment banking hours to prove myself in order to eventually come back and join the family business.”

Locally, Jon Paul is responsible for three projects: The Manor (a completed 197-unit apartment building in Plantation), a 365-unit development in the works in Pembroke Pines, and an as-yet-unnamed “super-luxury” high-rise in Edgewater. He’s a start-to-finish guy who oversees a development from the ground up, from deciding the right type of project for the land to working one-on-one with the attorneys, architects, interior designers, and construction executives needed to shepherd a building through to completion.

Proving things come full circle, Jon Paul is still driving around town on weekends with his father, checking on sales centers and visiting construction sites, but these days, it’s with the goal of one day taking over The Related Group alongside his younger brother, Nicholas. “We can talk business now,” he says of their father-son relationship. “But now I’m in the front seat.” And it won’t be long before he’s behind the wheel. 315 S. Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 305-460-9900

After a global upbringing and culinary career, Vegas standout Carla Pellegrino brings her classic Italian cuisine to a downtown rooftop, with Touché.

Touché chef Carla Pellegrino finishes a dish of pappardelle with porcini mushrooms and white truffle oil.

What happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas, and when it comes to Carla Pellegrino, that’s a good thing. In fact, she didn’t stay put in Brazil, Italy, or New York, either, but she did pick up culinary gems along the way. Pellegrino was born in Rio, where she helped at her mother’s catering business, but she also grew up in Italy, giving daily cooking demonstrations before moving to Manhattan and studying at the French Culinary Institute. After a stint running New York’s Baldoria Restaurant, Pellegrino became the executive chef responsible for opening Rao’s Las Vegas, an outpost of the city’s famed family Italian joint. She’s also been a contestant on Top Chef and won her episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay. And it’s all led to Miami, where she’s the powerhouse chef behind Touché.

The restaurant is a cool glass cube perched on the rooftop of the new and opulently renovated E11even club downtown, which, depending on what room you’re in, is either a lounge, a cabaret, or a gentlemen’s club. That, and the fact that it’s walking distance from the Heat’s AmericanAirlines Arena, makes Touché a prime spot for a steak joint, but Pellegrino took the menu in a different direction, instead, opting for fare with heritage in both Italy and Japan. “I’m not a steakhouse chef,” she says. “I’m known for good Italian food. It’s something I’ve been cooking since I was a kid. Why change the game plan if I’m winning? I wanted to give this [place] a little feminine feeling.” A yin to the yang, if you will.

Colorado lamb lollipops are served with haricot vert, Parma prosciutto, and caramelized-onion mashed potatoes.

Pellegrino made her name with classic Italian cuisine, and Touché falls in line. (Her chef de cuisine, Diego Pasqualicchio, is Italian from the Piedmont region.) Here she covers a rustic, thick pappardelle with porcini mushrooms, cream, and white truffle oil; there’s classic lobster fra diavolo over spaghetti with a spicy tomato sauce, white pizza from a wood oven, and meatballs made with pork, veal, and beef.

Entrées include a pan-seared Florida red snapper with skin crisp, as it should be, but with a light red sauce that gracefully gets out of the way, its acidity seeping into sautéed spinach, and plump caper berries. It’s not your typical Florida presentation and brings in just the right amount of Italian. If you want to go in the steakhouse direction, there are more opulent choices, such as Colorado lamb lollipops served with Parma prosciutto, caramelized onions, and a house-made mint sauce, or the unapologetic filet Chateaubriand—filet mignon medallion wrapped in pancetta and topped with melted Gorgonzola.

The rooftop lounge offers sweeping views of Miami.

Why add a Japanese section of the menu? “It was personal,” says Pellegrino. “I’m a chef, but I want to keep skinny, and every time I go out I end up eating Japanese. I don’t want to go dancing with four bowls of pasta in my belly.” The Japanese section is creatively non-classic—halibut usuzukuri comes with a zingy yet almost creamy citrus sauce on the plate, and the ceviche roll uses Japanese structure but has a South American influence via mango and cilantro, and surprise appearances by both tarragon and an ultrathin slice of lime with the skin on (yes, you eat the skin). “It’s pretty,” she says of the lime skin. “It has a nice bite.” Just the kind of outside-the-box thinking you might expect from a woman bold enough to open a restaurant perched where this one is. 15 NE 11th St., Miami, 305-538-9848

Style and pop-culture phenomenon Sarah Jessica Parker debuts her eponymous shoe and accessories collection at Nordstrom Aventura.

Sarah Jessica Parker models a pair of Sex and the City-worthy red Lady pumps ($350) from her new SJP Collection.

“I wanted to make a beautiful, long-lasting shoe that, in five years, would still be relevant, feel good, and look good,” says Sarah Jessica Parker of her new accessories line, The SJP Collection.

Amid a fan frenzy, Parker presented the collection’s Manhattan trench coat, handbags, and shoes at Nordstrom at Aventura Mall. Channeling her well-heeled alter ego, Carrie Bradshaw, Parker wore the line’s Carrie—a glossy, black pointy-toe T-strap pump—for her in-store appearance. “I freakin’ love the Carrie,” she says. “It’s sexy, it’s strong, but it’s still really feminine.”

A year in the making, SJP is a collaboration with business partner George Malkemus, CEO of ManoloBlahnik. It’s a fitting partnership considering Parker made “Manolo” a household name during her six-year run as Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City. “I wanted to revisit the single sole and focus on colors as neutrals,” she says. “We have three black options out of 32.”

The Carrie pump in purple ($355).

The rest, an assortment of peep-toe and traditional pumps, flats, ankle-strap sandals, and booties, stand out in Miami-friendly hues of teal, coral, and mint. “Women are still under the impression that if they go to work in a geranium-red grosgrain pump, that somehow makes them appear less capable, less reliable,” she says.

In addition to timeless designs and wearable heel heights, Parker says the collection’s bright color palette offers women liberating options. “It’s what you really want to do,” she says. “Mint can go with this and grape can go with this—you can wear whatever makes you feel good. That’s when you look your best.” Available exclusively at Nordstrom, Aventura Mall, 19507 Biscayne Blvd., 305-356-6900

New South Florida resident Samantha Cox trades caribbean castaways for high rollers at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.

Samantha Cox in the VIP “Man Caves” chickee cabana at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

It’s hard to imagine anything more beautiful than Necker Island, Richard Branson’s private, luxury island sanctuary in the British Virgin Islands. But Samantha Cox, who lived there for four years as Branson’s personal assistant, believes she may have found something even better.

Cox is the new director of VIP services at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino—a 140,000-square-foot casino, Hard Rock Live concert venue (Counting Crows and Weezer are playing in June), and 500-room hotel and spa. “I look after all the high rollers and any celebrities that we have here—either staying in-house or playing at Hard Rock Live—anything they want, any time,” says Cox, who often greets VIPs’ private jets with a limo on the tarmac in Fort Lauderdale. “I have guests who have lost a million dollars still coming back and having a great time.”

Born in England, Cox moved Down Under to be the assistant to the COO of Virgin Australia before the owner of the company, billionaire Richard Branson, offered her a position on Necker in the Caribbean. Four exhilarating years later, she moved back to Australia where she met Larry Mullin, COO of Seminole Gaming at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “He was getting ready to come here to start revitalizing the Hard Rock,” says Cox. “I knew South Florida, loved the climate, loved the culture. And with Larry’s vision of where he wants to take the Hard Rock, it was kind of a done deal.”

While her job on Necker Island often skewed toward the extravagant—a guest once requested KFC chicken, so she chartered a helicopter to nearby St. Thomas to fetch some—her new role at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel isn’t all jackpots and hot tubs. “I sleep with my cellphone at my bed; my guest experience is absolutely vital,” she says. “I’m their main point of contact, and if they need me at 3 am to arrange a limo, then that’s what I’ll be doing.”

No matter how all-encompassing the job is, Cox wouldn’t have it any other way. “I love my job,” she says. “I’m a world traveler, and I’ve chosen to live here in South Florida.” 1 Seminole Way, Fort Lauderdale, 954-327-7625

Louis Vuitton looks to its iconic travel trunks for a line of fine jewelry and watches out this summer and perfect for Miami.

Pink-gold and amethyst Emprise ring, Louis Vuitton (price on request).

With six stores stretching from Aventura down to Coral Gables, Louis Vuitton has established a dominating presence in South Florida. The brand garnered additional exposure during December’s Design Miami, when it transported legendary French architect and designer Charlotte Perriand’s house, La Maison au Bord de l’Eau, directly onto the beach for a show-stopping exhibit.

Now Louis Vuitton has turned even more heads in Miami with the new Emprise collection—a glittering array of lemon, amethyst, and smoky quartz gemstones, artfully crafted into pendants, rings, metal bangles, and watches. The line pays tribute to the French fashion house’s signature monogrammed trunks, incorporating distinctive elements such as corner caps, nail heads, and metal framing into the pieces, a modern Miami twist to a classic design.

Minimal cocktail rings feature octagonal stones encased in yellow or white gold and outlined in studs, while chain-link tassels hang from the collection’s more intricate drop earrings and necklaces. Most spectacular is a diamond-encrusted gemstone tassel pendant with floating white diamonds that will be hard not to wear out of the boutique. 170 NE 40th St., Miami, 305-573-1366; Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-866-4470

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LOUIS VUITTON