A looks insane Las Vegas' most beloved gym, Johnny Tocco's Boxing Gym.

Las Vegas’ most beloved boxing gym is not inside a glittering casino on the Strip. It’s not even accessible to anyone who doesn’t know where to look. Considering the former tenant, that is understandable. Situated in an alleyway, right around the corner from a tire repair joint, Johnny Tocco’s Boxing Gym (the official address is 9 West Charleston Blvd.) began its life as the Zebra Lounge, a speakeasy patronized by local mobsters. Johnny Tocco, a boxing entrepreneur who may or may not have had connections to organized crime, asked if he could use the space–which remained empty on most nights–as a place for training fighters. Johnny Tocco’s Boxing Gym opened its doors in 1955.

The Spartan, three-room facility, where a back-wall of the front-office used to be an open pass-through for cocktails, quickly earned its reputation as a serious place where rising boxers worked out. “Sonny Liston is the one who made this gym famous,” says Luis Monda, general manager at the venue. He points toward an enormous truck tire in a corner of the gym and continues, “That was Sonny’s tire. As part of his training he smashed at it with a sledgehammer. The holes he made are still there. It helped him to build upper body strength, lower body stability, and endurance. We keep a sledgehammer in the office.”

Liston became world champion in 1962 and the gym’s reputation was made. Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, and Michael Dokes have all worked out there. Joe Louis had been known for popping in and soaking up the atmosphere. It’s no surprise, then, that a young Floyd Mayweather solidified his style at Johnny Tocco’s. “It was at the beginning of his career,” says Monda. “He had gotten robbed at the Olympics and was already a multiple-time Golden Gloves champion. Over the years, he started to turn up the volume on himself and bring in his entourage. He likes getting positive feedback from people around him.”

These days, Mayweather works out inside his private gym and Johnny Tocco himself is long deceased. But the industriousness of hardworking up-and-comers, stoking championship-belt victories, remains alive in a 60-year-old gym that punches above its weight-class. “We’re the OGs,” Monda brags, acknowledging that the new owners (a local couple who originally bought the place as a real estate play at the edge of Vegas’ burgeoning Arts District) anticipated doing a renovation. “Someone heard about that plan and complained very loudly. That was Bernard Hopkins. He asked them not to change a brick and they listened. For people around the world, visiting Johnny Tocco’s is like making a trip to Mecca.”

Whether you’re experiencing the Kentucky Derby (May 2) in real life or attending a viewing soirée, here are seven perfect pieces you can wear to dress the part—after all, getting all dolled up is half the fun. 

1. A Big Floppy Hat

Mrs. Franklin floppy hat, Goorin Bros ($55). goorin.com

A winning Derby ensemble begins with a larger-than-life hat. Instead of an extravagant topper, go with a white floppy hat for endless styling possibilities. You can always dress it up with feathers and ribbons to complement the rest of your ensemble.

2. A Dapper Bow Tie

Polka-dot bow tie, Tom Ford ($250). bergdorfgoodman.com

Bow ties are another race day staple. Guys should go with this spiffy Tom Ford number for a subtle pop of color.

3. A Fancy Floral Frock

Abstract floral-print dress, Oscar de la Renta ($2,490). Neiman Marcus, 390 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 786-999-1000; Bal Harbour Shops, 305-865-6161

This glamorous Oscar de la Renta confection is made for the Derby gal who isn’t afraid to make a statement—its flirty, feminine silhouette is especially captivating.

4. A Dashing Pocket Square

Printed silk pocket square, Dolce & Gabbana ($185). mrporter.com

Dressing up a crisp suit jacket with a snazzy pocket square is basically a Derby day requirement. This black-and-white piece will go with any zany style you pair it with.

5. Ladylike Footwear

Fearne wedge sandals, Jimmy Choo ($695). Neiman Marcus, 390 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 786-999-1000; Bal Harbour Shops, 305-865-6161

These nude Jimmy Choo wedges not only suit a Derby-themed party, but a variety of summer outings, too.

6. A Natty Sports Jacket

Wool plaid sport coat, Isaia ($2,595). Neiman Marcus, 390 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 786-999-1000; Bal Harbour Shops, 305-865-6161

Venture outside your style comfort zone with this decidedly quirky orange sports jacket.

7. A Whimsical Pony Clutch

Daddy I want a pony! clutch bag, Charlotte Olympia ($995). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-868-1858

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more Derby-appropriate accessory than this horse head Charlotte Olympia clutch. Bonus: A chain strap will keep your hands free for sipping mint juleps.

Maison & Objet, the world’s top luxury decorative arts trade show, launches in Miami Beach, offering an exclusive invitation to the public.

Fair visitors take in the offerings at the Make “Techno Made” Vincent Grégoire exhibition during the Maison & Objet show in Paris.

Design lovers in Miami will be treated to a delectable taste of France in May. Maison & Objet, the must-see event for design cognoscenti around the globe, has stood as the world’s premier luxury decorative arts trade show since it was founded 20 years ago. Serving up a selection of the finest furniture, objects, lighting, tableware, and accents from top craftsmen and makers in Europe and beyond, the flagship fair, which is held semiannually in Paris, attracts about 166,000 architects, designers, retailers, and journalists each year. In 2014, it branched out to Singapore, broadening its reach to Asia. And this year, the renowned trade show will expand again, this time to America with its launch in Miami Beach, where exhibitors will offer the global design community a glimpse of some of the world’s most inspiring contemporary furnishings and objects.

Given its status as an emerging center of world-class design and its proximity to Latin America, Miami was pinpointed as the perfect setting for Maison & Objet’s entry into the Americas. “We chose Miami Beach for Maison & Objet Americas not only for its strategic positioning with quick access to some very important geographic areas, but also for the vibrancy and energy of the city,” says Philippe Brocart, managing director of Safi, which owns and operates Maison & Objet.

Like Maison & Objet and Maison & Objet Asia, Maison & Objet Americas will showcase the wares from a carefully vetted group of exhibitors to assure that offerings meet a standard of quality that will appeal to top-caliber professional visitors. Based on a mix of criteria, including creativity, show design, brand awareness, and regional commercial presence, the selection committee for the fair handpicked about 280 manufacturers, designers, and craftspeople to showcase their furnishings and objects at the inaugural Americas show, which will be held from May 12-15 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Though many of the brands exhibiting at the Miami event also exhibit at the Paris show, more than a third of the exhibitors, including many from North and Latin America, will exclusively present their products in this market. In addition to the furnishings, materials, upholstery fabric, accessories, and concepts on display at the convention center, Maison & Objet Americas will collaborate in a series of events, such as Miami Museum Month, Design District showroom happenings, lectures at Miami Ironside, and trends and inspiration workshops. While Maison & Objet is a trade event open to credentialed industry professionals, for the first time, only in Miami Beach, it will also offer limited access to the general public on the final afternoon of the fair. Maison & Objet Americas takes place May 12-15 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr.

Miami design enters a new era as starchitects, international art lovers, and now the Maison & Objet Americas Decorative Arts Fair flock to South Florida.

The Ocean House library combines gilded accents and modern twists on traditional elements.

New Yorkers often like to refer to New York as the center of the universe. But if you were a top-caliber architect or designer anywhere in the world right now, you’d probably be more inclined to reserve that claim for Miami.

Thanks in part to the sophisticated international crowd that regularly attends Art Basel in Miami Beach, the demand for residences and hotels commensurate with their tastes have upped the ante on Miami’s architecture scene. Savvy developers such as The Related Group, Swire Properties, and Terra Group, who understood the value of name-brand designers as marketing tools for their new developments, began enlisting top names to create their buildings. Now, not only are there arguably more world-class architects designing luxury hotels, signature condominiums, high-profile cultural institutions, and even landmark garages here than anywhere else in the US, but flocks of wealthy North and Latin Americans, Europeans, Russians, and Chinese have been arriving in droves to partake of the first-class city Miami is becoming, partly as a result of their influence.

To sate this sophisticated crowd’s appetite for high design, new waves of furniture, product, and fashion designers from all over the globe are setting up shop in the rarefied Miami Design District as well as in the edgier and more affordable Wynwood and Ironside enclaves nearby, expanding the nexus of the design community north and south along Biscayne Boulevard. Solidifying Miami’s ascendance in the global design firmament is the arrival of Maison & Objet Americas, the preeminent French decorative arts trade show, which launches in Miami Beach this month.

Designing the Sky

The Palazzo del Sol north lobby on Miami’s exclusive Fisher Island and the penthouse at Ocean House are among the duo’s current projects.

Over the past several years, a serious flock of international talent—starchitects, if you will—began shifting the aesthetic of Miami’s new buildings. They include OMA, the firm of legendary Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas; New York-and Toronto-based Yabu Pushelberg; Pritzker Prize-winning London-based architect Zaha Hadid; knighted British architect Sir Norman Foster; French designer Philippe Starck; Swiss superstars Herzog & de Meuron; Italian master Piero Lissoni; and New York architect Richard Meier, to name but a few. All told, the architectural talent enriches the fabric of the city with what Coconut Grove-based architect Max Strang refers to as “the connective tissue” that links the new buildings with Miami’s rich design legacy—and its environs.

The buildings designed by these global starchitects, as well as significant local firms such as Arquitectonica, Revuelta, and Max Strang Architecture, are a departure from the ubiquitous, safe white boxes seen a generation prior, and they have initiated a movement within the real estate community to take historical, social, or environmental context more deeply into account. Part of this movement is a vibrant sense of synergy with the surroundings: sculptural building shapes that meld with both lush landscapes and an urban context. Think Herzog & de Meuron’s Pérez Art Museum Miami downtown or the firm’s Lincoln Road parking garage in South Beach, as well as Danish wunderkind Bjarke Ingels’s torquing Grove at Grand Bay towers in Coconut Grove.

A greater commitment to fine art and furniture and a livelier color palette also add more dimension to the holistic mix of ideas prevalent in top buildings, such as the SLS Lux hotel and condo designed by Yabu Pushelberg and slated for completion in Brickell in 2016. “We wanted to up the luxe quotient by creating a modernized version of old Havana with colors of Latin America—emerald greens, deep blues, and soft pinks—reviving them as a character study in a more sophisticated and exotic way,” says designer Glenn Pushelberg of Yabu Pushelberg.

The family wanted to give their modern home an open feeling to take advantage of the views, while creating a cozy and relaxed space for their children.

At SLS Lux, the public spaces will get a lift from significant paintings and sculptures by renowned contemporary artists like Fernando Botero and Matias Duville. “People are so art centric today that it’s easier to bring in work by great artists that are recognized and appreciated,” adds George Yabu.

Art is also playing a major role in the latest project by Alan Faena, the developer of the much-touted Faena project on the Beach. The building’s developer has not only enlisted a team of top talent—including Foster + Partners and OMA—to design an exceptional condominium, but he is also helping infuse the surrounding neighborhood with a sense of community anchored in culture. “Alan Faena is known for having an art forum in mind in the neighborhoods he transforms,” says Shohei Shigematsu, the lead architect from Koolhaas’s firm OMA, which is working on part of the project. “Our project in the Faena District is a cultural center that represents a new typology that’s emerging—it’s not a museum, or gallery, or theater, or performance space, but rather one that is flexible enough to accommodate diverse art forms in a shared cultural space.”

By externalizing the structure of the building, the architects devised column-free interiors, making the space exceptionally adaptable. They also integrated the scale and accessibility of the cultural component into the urban fabric to offer walkable options for activity that bring a sense of community to the area.

Sensitivity to site and history also drove Terra Group President David Martin’s vision for The Residences at Park Grove in Coconut Grove. Shigematsu, who is leading OMA’s design of this project, says, “When we met the developer [Martin], he gave us a presentation on the history of Coconut Grove as the birthplace of the first community in Miami and highlighted its lush nature and bohemian background. Since the site of the project is on the bay at a nexus where the city grid ends, it was important that the project not become like a fortress, as so many exclusive condos do, but rather relate to the environment with a new sense of porosity.” As such, the three towers that comprise the project rise in undulating formation to reflect the “poetic organic shapes of the archipelagos and keys of the surrounding area,” Shigematsu explains.

Internal Affairs

Berryman’s vision plays on the unexpected: Photographer Greg Lotus’s rich and dark Mask is illuminated by the Cumulus chandelier from ABYU Lighting, NYC.

Less emphasized yet particularly important in this new generation of buildings is a focus on protecting the planet. Developers and designers are integrating features that take sustainability and human impact into account. For example, hotel visionary Barry Sternlicht aimed to reinvent the industry standard for socially responsible hospitality with his new 1 Hotel & Homes project now open on Collins and 23rd Street. At the property, Sternlicht prioritized using eco-friendly materials and sustainable building ideas.

And in the more than 30 single-family homes he’s currently working on in Miami, Max Strang is connecting the residences he’s designing to the environment and the city’s design legacy, utilizing local or eco-friendly materials like Florida keystone, oolite, Pipe, and Resysta, a man-made woodlike surface made of sea salt, mineral oil, and rice husks; his homes also feature layouts that promote natural ventilation.

This coalescence of great buildings and big design thinkers in Miami also offers an opportunity to consider on a grander scale the city’s overall sustainability in the future. “Miami is literally the most exciting city in the US right now, if not all of North and South America,” says Shigematsu. “It’s the only place that’s really enabling the two Americas to share their cultures; it’s amazing to witness. And if we can begin to make more resilient architecture that responds to the changes in climate, Miami has the potential to become a model for other cities to learn from.”

In a city as glamorous and over the top as Miami, minimalist styles in ultrachic cuts stand out from the crowd.

Belted jacket ($1,750), top ($475), and skirt ($695), DSquared2. Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-866-7880

Jacket ($12,250), top ($1,600), pants ($10,500), and gold sandals ($1,200), Chanel. Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-868-0550. Lia stone choker, Vita Fede ($1,550). Neiman Marcus, The Village of Merrick Park, 390 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 786-999-1000

Side slit dress, Lanvin ($4,450). Miami Design District, 150 NE 40th St., 305-864-4250. Pacato button down shirt, Max Mara ($310). Miami Design District, 106 NE 39th St., 305-770-6200. Pettea flats, Sigerson Morrison ($395). Capretto Shoes, 5822 Sunset Drive, South Miami, 305-661-7767

Fringe basket weave top ($2,150), pant ($1,950), and mules ($995), Proenza Schouler. The Webster, 1220 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, 305-674-7899

Heavy linen burlap coat ($3,450) and stretch scuba dress ($1,490), The Row. Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-6161. Safety chain choker, Eddie Borgo ($375). Intermix, 634 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-5950. Dakota loafer, Cole Haan ($218). The Village of Merrick Park, 342 San Lorenzo Ave., 305-442-0882

Sleeveless embroidered dress, Gucci ($5,000). The Village of Merrick Park, 342 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-441-2004. Button down shirt, Brunello Cucinelli ($1,380). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-864-4833. Nina flat, Vince ($350). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-351-0327

Cady romper, Versace ($3,625). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-864-0044. Charli pant, Diane von Furstenberg ($328). The Village of Merrick Park, 320 San Lorenzo Ave., 305-446-4003. Ella earrings, Vita Fede ($540). Neiman Marcus, The Village of Merrick Park, 390 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 786-999-1000. Flats, Alexandre Birman ($545). The Webster, 1220 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-674-7899

White button down, DSquared2 ($590). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-866-7880. Woven dress, Salvatore Ferragamo ($2,800). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-866-8166. Safety chain choker ($375) and extra thin safety chain choker ($275), Eddie Borgo. Intermix, 634 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-5950. Thin gold collar, Alexis Bittar ($195). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 305-865-1100

Top, Giorgio Armani ($625). Miami Design District, 174 NE 39th St., 786-501-7215. Mid-rise flare denim, Guess ($118). 736 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-673-8880. Collegiate flat, Stuart Weitzman ($425). Aventura Mall, 19575 Biscayne Blvd., 305-932-0080

For more than 80 years, the Galbut family has been developing Miami Beach, and now with a new generation taking over, the sky is the limit.

Keith Menin and Jared Galbut at the Menin Hospitality offices, in front of a beach skyline they are helping to shape.

The Galbut family’s love affair with Miami Beach began in 1931 when Abraham and Bessie Galbut moved to the city, opened Al’s, a shop that was equal parts drugstore, tag agency, notary public, and restaurant, and immersed themselves in the community. Their grandsons, Russell Galbut and Bruce Menin, cofounded with partner Sonny Kahn the development company Crescent Heights and reshaped the city with the Shelborne, the Alexander, the Decoplage, Carriage Club, and the Casablanca—not to mention 35,000 residential units around the country over the past 35 years.

Now, Bruce’s nephew, Keith Menin, and a cousin, Jared Galbut, are the next generation taking the town by storm. With hotel and food and beverage projects such as Bentley South Beach, Sanctuary South Beach, Gale South Beach, Kaskades Suites, Radio Bar, Pizza Bar, and most recently the massively successful Bodega Taqueria y Tequila, Menin Hospitality is continuing the family tradition of building a richer Miami.

What are your earliest memories of the family business?
Jared Galbut: I remember going [to the Shelborne] on the weekends with my father, looking at the renovations and eating breakfast by the pool every Saturday. It was always interesting, even at a young age, seeing the family working together.
Keith Menin: One summer, I worked at the Shelborne front desk with the bow tie and little name tag on the vest. Russell always said, “If you want to know what I know, and you want to be me one day, you have to really learn every inch of the business.”

When did you realize you could work together, and what’s the dynamic like?
KM: I had a car wash business when I was 15, a vending machine business when I was 16, and even then I would pick [Jared] up and he’d do all the work while I was watching. He was the younger cousin that wanted to hang out with me, and I needed the help, so we’ve always done things together.
JG: Now, we’re always in agreement with what we want to do. I enjoy operations and managing the company, and Keith enjoys acquisitions, construction, and design. I set him up properly for the operations, and Keith executes it, builds it, designs it, and then tags me in.

How did your first project, The Sanctuary hotel, pave the way for today’s success?
JG: It was our first learning experience developing these hotels. When you’re young, you’re excited and you have passion and you want to be on top of the world, but I think you learn patience and perfecting what you do.
KM: Back then, there wasn’t TripAdvisor, Yelp, or any social media, so I met all my guests face to face and saw what they liked and didn’t like. That customer service is still what I do today. When we open a bar like Bodega, I’m still there checking on every person.

The Gale South Beach, Bodega, and Radio Bar are all quite different in character, yet all are successful. What’s the secret?
JG: We don’t say we want to do Mexican and we’re going to put it here because we want to do it. We found a space that we loved and we asked, “What would be great here?” The same goes for our new projects South of Fifth—Red Ginger, an Asian-influenced concept, and Bake House, which is a French brasserie.
KM: Every concept we do is catered to the demographic, but the common denominator is that there’s always a great vibe and great customer service. If you go to Pizza Bar, Radio Bar, or The Gale, you can almost feel that we did it without having to say it’s Menin Hospitality.

What does Russell think of your success?
JG: He’s having so much fun with it, and it’s exciting for him to be a part of our growth and the growth of the city. His excitement and his guidance are vital to the success of our company.
KM: Russell walked into Bodega and said, “I love the warehouse. Do one of your concepts. You’re going to make it work.” He’s never wrong. A lot of our success is due to having him as our coach.

Your family has this hospitality heritage—do you see that passing on to the next generation?
KM: The business and the family all blend together. Between Jared’s kids and eventually my kids, I hope someone wants to be in the hotel business. I think that legacy is very important.
JG: I always joke that my son is going to be the first 6-year-old bellman. I’ve worked every single role—the mailroom, concierge, front desk, housekeeping, and construction. I would love for him to go through the same process.

At Sunset Harbour's revolutionary Anatomy at 1220, science and technology meet personal health, fitness, and glamour.

Chris Paciello and Marc Megna at Anatomy at 1220.

If you’ve ever wondered what high-altitude-esque running on a treadmill with an oxygen mask and electrodes is like, let me tell you—it’s really, really hard. Gatorade commercials make it look so easy. Nevertheless, measuring one’s VO2 max (your endurance) is a crucial piece of the body puzzle, according to South Beach’s newest fitness center, Anatomy at 1220.

Here, fitness has officially gone from the treadmill to the lab. The 13,000-square-foot, multilevel, chandelier-bedecked gym was envisioned by nightlife expert Chris Paciello, who launched the gym with—fittingly—a red-carpet grand opening. And after a few workouts and procedures at Anatomy, you might look just as “Hollywood” as you feel. “There was a void in Miami of a higher-end gym with the whole medical, anti-aging component,” says Paciello, who tapped into some of the city’s best talent, including co-owner and former NFL star Marc Megna (whom Chris lovingly calls an “Adonis”), as well as the Miami Institute for Age Management and Intervention to create the in-house FITTLab. “You see different facilities that have a beautiful gym or a beautiful spa, but you don’t really see them together,” says Megna.

Besides this being quite possibly the sexiest gym in America, get ready for the workout of your life. Head-to-toe personalization is also a big differentiator at Anatomy. What works for one person might fail for another, and it’s that philosophy that has the tailored fitness segments kicking Miami into shape. After my James Bond-like testing, I sat with trainer (and Junior Olympian) Jacqueline Kasen to discuss my results: My VO2 test ranked superior, but my Seca scan body fat ratio could be... better. Which means all the exercise I currently do needs to be replaced with a lot more strength training, because I’m consistently burning muscle instead of fat.

The new gym’s state-of-the-art weight room.

Next, Kasen and I did an FMS (functional movement screening), where I learned I point my toes too much. My session also revealed I needed tweaks on almost every move, only to be re-tweaked on rep 8 or 9. Apparently, form really does matter.

Nearby, other beautiful Miamians were perfecting their form as well—Instagram star Joey Swoll (835,000 followers) was lifting weights the size of a Honda, while musician Cedric Gervais was keeping up his endurance for 3 am deejaying gigs. Will Smith had stopped by the week before, and athletes like Mike Piazza pop in and out. Even among the über-sexy, athletic gymgoers (including dozens of Wilhelmina models taking selfies while shredding their abs), the vibe was somehow more intimate than intimidating, and not by accident. “We want people to feel like they’re a welcome guest in our home,” says Paciello. Meanwhile, Megna emphasizes a “consistent, positive energy.”

Unfortunately, we had to pause before the full workout, as the time had come for my blowout (#Tuesday). Anatomy also offers massages, blood tests, and chiropractic work courtesy of Dr. Matthew Cooper; guests can buy jewelry or fresh juices, or unwind on the sun deck overlooking Sunset Harbour. And you can keep your car in the parking lot while running over to JugoFresh.

Arguably the best part of the Anatomy at 1220 experience is the “recover” phase, which encompasses everything from a vitamin-infused Vita Squad IV bag (yes, the one everyone uses for hangovers) to the hyperbaric oxygen chamber (sooooo Michael Jackson). For most, it means heading to the lounge-y Sanctuary with its neon jellyfish mural and crystal ball ceiling lamps, and taking a plunge in the hot and cold pools. Just try not to stare at the women who look like they came with the place. Or do. Hey, after my perfectly executed workout, I almost felt like one of them. 1220 20th St., Miami Beach, 786-213-1220

Todd duBoef, president of boxing promotions company Top Rank, talks about the changes that are currently defining the boxing industry.

Todd duBoef, a Las Vegas native, is president of Top Rank. Looking beyond the arena, the 47-year-old has led Top Rank to become one of the most important sports entities in the world as promoter of major boxing matches. Perhaps his magnum opus is the May 2 Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao long-anticipated welterweight title bout that, at a minimum of $89.95 for pay-per-view, could generate $200 million in earnings for the fighters alone.

Here, we chat with duBoef about the changes that are currently defining the boxing industry.

You have almost-revolutionary ideas about how boxing survives and how to promote it—pay-per-view, streaming, social media.
Todd duBoef: Boxing’s a special product. In the States we’re used to the NFL or the NBA. and their regulated seasons. But look at a Wladimir Klitschko [a heavyweight champion]. He’s big in Germany and Russia. We have huge global stars who don’t necessarily relate to the United States. We’re building a global product that recognizes other countries, just as soccer has. We have to recognize the sport along international lines, not just think of what it means here.

How have you approached new media and the new fan as a game-changer?
TD: Look, TV used to want things arranged just for the screen. But now, with pay-per-view, we’ll stream the fights for free on the undercard. And then there’s the arena itself. Who doesn’t like a nightclub? It hit me that we had to create a nightclub atmosphere—music and lights. We light up not only the 24-by-24-foot-ring, we light up the entire arena. I kind of like the energy.

Where might we see boxing next—only pay-per-view? Something else?
TD: There’s a lot of boxing on different platforms: NBC, ESPN, in addition to pay-per-view and streaming. Will it continue? I don’t know. None of us know. Yet, I still see it as being at the highest level of fights. There’s an enormous amount of money generated for athletes. Look at social media. We didn’t have that in the days of Leonard-Hagler. Now everyone around the world is connecting, talking up boxing.

You’re 47 years old. You have encompassed both the old and the new and the future.
TD: I had the advantage of serving four years under Bob Arum, just learning. I wasn’t forced to make decisions based purely on money. So, I learned. I saw arenas with 20,000 people and they weren’t being catered to. We changed that. And I also saw boxing take off in other countries—4 million watching Zou Shiming in China. Mexico’s top-rated telecast is a weekly boxing show. We’re educating the sports public by putting on a video before a fight. It shows who the fighter is and some of his background. I’ve been lucky. I got an advanced degree in boxing. I love it.

Whether reflecting Deco neon or the stars above, this summer’s accessories feel fabulously futuristic.

Glowing Golds
High-shine metallic handbags hit all the right notes this season.

Caged top ($4,500) and skirt ($3,900), Fendi. Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-931-4326. Metalized clutch, Chanel ($3,800). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-868-0550. Carmen clutch, Jimmy Choo ($1,395). Village of Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-443-6124

Ultraviolet Urge
Entrance-making graphic sandals put your best foot forward.

Sunrise sandal, Aquazzura ($945). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100

Well Rounded
The hottest handbags come in not-so-heavy metals.

Melone handbag, Bulgari ($7,150). Miami Design District, 140 NE 39th St., 305-576-6506

Rainbow Waves
Full-spectrum pieces make a strong statement.

Powerstone minaudière, Diane von Furstenberg ($398). Village of Merrick Park, 358 San Lorenzo Ave., Coral Gables, 305-446-4003

Caged In
Bold cutouts give way to standout style.

Large square lasercut bootie, Versace ($2,525). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-864-0044

Sabrina Cohen turned tragedy into triumph by starting a foundation that has made it possible for people with disabilities to enjoy the beach.

Sabrina Cohen at Allison Park on Miami Beach, in one of the water-resistant, beach-ready wheelchairs that allow people with mobility issues like her to get close to the water.

Twenty-two years ago, six Miami teenagers loaded into two cars and decided to drag race down Alton Road. In the ensuing crash, five of the six kids walked away unharmed, but Sabrina Cohen, a “healthy, athletic, and normal” 14-year-old girl, was left paralyzed from the neck down. “I can vaguely remember that perhaps I didn’t think it was cool to put a seat belt on,” Cohen explains of the accident. “I wasn’t a bad kid. I was a great kid, very studious. I was just a teenager.”

After the accident, Cohen says, “My image was shattered... I saw other people in wheelchairs and it hit me that it was a reflection of me. The hardest part was being in high school with a full-time nurse who was pushing me around and had to take care of me.” Cohen underwent numerous surgeries and three months of rehab before returning to school, where she was asked to speak to a group of elementary school children. “Right away I realized—even though at first I didn’t want it to be my mission in life—that if my story could help other people be safe and think about the decisions they make in their life, then it gives you purpose.”

In 2006, Cohen launched the Sabrina Cohen Foundation. Initially, her focus was on science and treatment, but she soon found her efforts would be better spent working to enhance the existing lives of those affected. “I look at treatment and technology as ways that can improve a life [instead of] me waiting to run a marathon one day,” she says. Now, the foundation funds medical research and quality-of-life programs that help people with paralysis and disabilities live a fuller life.

The foundation’s largest undertaking to date is a partnership with the City of Miami Beach, which encompasses a number of initiatives that will allow disabled and paralyzed individuals to enjoy the same perks of living in South Florida as everyone else. One element of the project will include a “one-of-a-kind, accessible hub of activities” for those with disabilities, including a playground, outdoor fitness area with hand cycling and yoga, and most importantly, special technology that allows people with mobility issues to get closer to the water, like water-resistant beach-ready wheelchairs that can easily traverse the sand and elements, currently planned at Allison Park on 64th Street and Collins Avenue.

In addition to the structure itself, the foundation is creating suitable programming such as adaptive surfing, snorkeling and scuba, meditation, and art therapy. “That element of physical activity and the desire to stay healthy never leaves a person,” says Cohen. And for Cohen, the mission has already been life changing. “Because of this project, I got in the [ocean] for the first time in 22 years,” she says.

Outdoor fitness and activities can be accessible to everyone, says Cohen (center, in the blue jacket), here doing chair yoga on the beach with Ela Patricia Garcia, Chris Holcomb, Gustavo Rohrscheib Buseth, Alberto Perez, Ivanna Brown, Allan Biggs Williams, Alan Brown, and Christopher Robertson

Another goal of the beach project is to spread the message of inclusion—the special wood polymer decking planned will allow ramp access for strollers, coolers, bicycles, and more. “Whether it’s seniors, children, veterans, or adults with disabilities, visitors can come to Miami and have a place to go and experience outdoor activities,” says Cohen of the project, which is moving forward so quickly that it may set the stage for a global prototype. “I have been getting messages from people all over the world about traveling to South Florida to come to our beach and experience this and use it as a template to then develop in other cities.”

Cohen attributes her success to positive thinking. “Peace of mind and acceptance of oneself is probably at the core to anybody living a healthy and active lifestyle,” she explains. “I’ve come a long way to realize that.”

Add to that a changing social landscape (“Society is moving towards more acceptance of everybody—gay rights, disabilities, civil rights; we should all accept one another for the way we are”) and Cohen’s love for Miami, and her motivation, stays strong. “To be an advocate for beach and fitness in my hometown is pretty amazing.” To volunteer, make a donation, or receive more information on the Sabrina Cohen Foundation, click here.

STK reopens in South Beach with a duck breast as richly spiced as the magic city itself.

While duck is a rarity on Miami menus, STK’s vibrant, spice-rubbed duck breast will forever change how you think about the poultry.

“Not your daddy’s steakhouse” is STK’s tag line, and one that sums up the contemporarily chic restaurant that originated in New York’s Meatpacking District and has since expanded to locations in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Washington, DC. “It’s the type of place where you can have a good time and loosen up during dinner and no one is going to judge you for it,” says South East Regional Corporate Chef Aaron Taylor of the steakhouse, which recently reopened in Miami at the new 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach.

When STK Miami originally closed in 2013, Taylor took to the road, hopping into STK kitchens around the country. “New York always has some type of duck on the menu, but we’ve never done duck in Miami,” he says. Until now, with the restaurant’s spiced duck breast entrée...

The Other Other White Meat

Taylor cites awareness as the main driving force for putting the poultry on the menu. “I want people to know there’s more to steakhouses than just red meat,” says the Cleveland native, who first brought his talents to South Beach in 2008 for the opening of Meat Market. “I had an opportunity to work as chef de cuisine alongside Sean [Brasel] and couldn’t pass that up.” It was there that Taylor learned beef is only a small part of the puzzle. “Duck is kind of like the forgotten meat,” he says.

Preparing the Bird

“Duck has a bad reputation,” Taylor says of the animal commonly regarded as gamey. To counter the misconception, he sources his birds from Long Island’s Crescent Duck—a farm noted for producing fine duck since 1908. “It’s the best eating duck for the consumer,” says Taylor, who rubs the breasts with curry, cinnamon, brown sugar, and piment d’espelette (a variety of chili pepper cultivated in France) before setting them to a slow render to cook out the fat without overdoing it. “Duck can be pretty fatty, and we want to get it crispy at the top but pink in the middle.” Taylor simultaneously sears an accompanying duck roulade till it’s browned at the edges. “First we confit the legs and then pick it apart while it’s hot and roll it up.”

Balancing Act

“The biggest thing for me with every dish is to try to create a perfect balance between acidity, salty, and sweet,” the chef says. In the case of STK’s spiced duck breast, Taylor strikes that balance with lots of elements. Tangy whole-grain apricot mustard and acidic pickled cabbage coat the plate and cut the richness of the roulade, and he bathes the vibrant and tender sliced duck breasts in sweet duck jus reduction before spooning an earthy-citrusy apricot pistachio chutney on top. Even with so much going on, each element manages to stand and shine alone: the fuzziness of the apricot slices in the chutney, the crunch and nuttiness of the pistachios, the aromatic and fragrant taste of the pink white meat that you barely even need to chew, all countered with the roulade’s rough (in a good way) edges. Like STK, it’s a party for the palate. 2301 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-604-6988

The San Telmo Martini at PM Fish & Steak challenges the rules of cocktailery with its use of whiskey over tried-and-true spirits.

A dash of orange zest is a finishing touch to PM Fish & Steak’s San Telmo Martini, which also uses fragrant rosemary, in addition to French whiskey, ginger liqueur, lime juice, agave, and apple cider reduction.

Usually it’s bartenders or mixologists who are tasked with conceptualizing and creating a restaurant’s cocktail list, but at PM Fish & Steak, it’s floor manager Bettina De Andrea who’s in charge of what’s poured, shaken, and stirred behind the bar. A bartender by trade, De Andrea spent 12 years mixing libations, first in Boston and New York before landing in Miami, where she tended bar at Garcia’s and Seaspice. “Mixology in Boston is huge; I wanted to bring some of that to Miami.”

PM, named after the neighborhood of Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires, Argentina, opened its doors in Brickell in 2012, making it the first outpost in the US and outside of Mexico (where the Argentine-style steakhouse first opened in 1986). It instantly drew a hip crowd of South Americans looking for a taste of home.

The gargantuan space fuses the old world with a penchant for modern touches. The same can be said of the San Telmo, which blends Bastille, a French whiskey, with raw agave, lime juice, organic apple cider reduction, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, and muddled rosemary. “Women [didn’t] normally drink whiskey, but they drink this,” says De Andrea.

Making a whiskey-based martini is a bold move, but throwing rosemary into the mix is even more unorthodox for a classic steakhouse. Says De Andrea, “People see rosemary and they get scared,” although the fragrant herb shouldn’t be feared as it plays well with the Bastille’s robust yet fruity character. Then she adds two ounces of the whiskey—shaken, not stirred. “If I did one ounce, people would say, ‘Where’s my whiskey?’”

Indeed, the generous two-ounce pour of the powerful spirit doesn’t dominate the delicate martini, as heat from the ginger liqueur mingles flawlessly with the buzzing sweetness that both apple cider and agave bring to the glass. The whole thing is capped off with a splash of house Chardonnay (which isn’t listed in the cocktail description). “We all have our secrets,” says De Andrea, who adds a final, but essential, touch of orange zest and a rosemary sprig. 1453 S. Miami Ave., Miami, 305-200-5606

Multihyphenate Brad Cozza is using his knowledge of fashion, food, and real estate to leave his mark on Miami.

Suit Jacket, Gucci. Bal Harbour Shops, 305-868-6504; Dress Shirt, Prada. Bal Harbour Shops, 305-864-9111; Pocket Square, Hermès. 175 NE 40th St., Miami, 305-868-0118

How were you discovered?
I went to Model Search America, your traditional discovery weekend convention. I was discovered by Ford, and then I switched over to Major Model Management. I was booking ads [for] Tommy Hilfiger and Levi’s, but living on a couch. I had a degree in business management from Florida Gulf Coast [University]. My father said, “Why don’t you put your education to use?” So I got a real estate license and started going between Fort Myers and Miami.

Who is your ultimate model idol?
How could you not say Gisele? [Also] I’d say Nina Agdal, who actually got her start in Miami.

You’re also an investor in Haven. What’s your food philosophy?
An amazing dish doesn’t have to have expensive ingredients or be named something you can’t pronounce. I learned that from chef Todd Erickson. It’s true knowledge of flavors that separates good food from fantastic food.

How would you define your personal style?
Monday through Friday at the office, I’m very business professional. And I admit I’m [into] labels: Versace or Hugo Boss pants, and Dolce & Gabbana or Prada shirts.

How do you place Miami in terms of the fashion world?
Miami always has and always will be a European catalog powerhouse. When you look at cities like Milan, Paris, and London, Miami is always mentioned alongside them—that will only get stronger.

Where do you most like to travel?
Nothing beats Milan. I also love Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth [Australia]—just to go to the wildlife refuges and see dingos and wombats.

By your bed, you keep... 
It’s a massive stack of magazines—from Real Estate Investor for research, to Vogue for men’s trends, to a ton of food magazines. I’m always learning, so it’s simultaneously leisure and constructive reading.

Haven, 1237 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 305-987-8885; Evolution Model Management, 407 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 305-484-2039

If all of Miami is a stage—and an international one at that—these women are the lead players. From real estate to politics and entertainment, they are the visionaries, community supporters, and thought leaders who’ve built Miami’s past, and are shaping its future.

The Dream Builder: Sonia Figueroa

Jacket ($485) and dress ($675), Theory. Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-6161. Clear crystal enameled in black Icone bracelet, Lalique ($650). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-537-5150. Earrings, Figueroa’s own

After 17 years shaping Miami’s skyline, now as senior vice president of development at The Related Group, and previously in the public sector with Miami-Dade County, Sonia Figueroa isn’t just influencing the city—she’s creating it.

Describe your work in the public sector: I started in the planning department. It was extremely exciting because Dade County did not have a comprehensive development master plan to guide how municipalities grew. Then I went to work for the City of Miami for Jorge Pérez, and got involved with the housing issues to redevelop inner-city areas.

What has the transition to The Related Group meant to you? It’s been an incredible ride. I live on Key Biscayne, and when I walk on the beach, I’m able to see the tip of South Beach, those beautiful high-rises, and know that I had a part in that.

How are you shaping the future of Miami? We’re building the Biscayne Line, a bayfront pedestrian path that will link properties in Edgewater. On South Miami Avenue, we are big proponents of making that a Lincoln Road type of street during certain times to [allow] public transportation and cut traffic.

What are the advantages or disadvantages to being a woman in your field? You have to command respect by portraying confidence [in order] for [men] to look past your physical attributes. At the same time, women have a way of nurturing people along [to get] the best performance possible. Who is your role model: The most influential person in my life was my father. He was always a friend. That support and belief in me was incredibly sustaining. Best advice he gave you: Lead by example. I hope I’ve instilled that in my sons. 315 S. Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 305-460-9900

The Community Conduit: Pamela Silva Conde

Sterling silver and emerald earrings, So Sofia by Sofia Vergara ($380). Kay Jewelers, Aventura Mall, 19575 Biscayne Blvd., 305-937-1533. Jumpsuit and shoes, Silva Conde’s own

The coanchor for Univision’s highly rated Primer Impacto news program, Pamela Silva Conde has won six Emmy Awards, was one of People en Español’s “50 Most Beautiful People,” and has cohosted The View. She’s also a strong believer in using her platform to help shape her community.

Did being Miami-based give you a career advantage? I always wanted to do Spanish media because I wanted to serve my community. Miami’s a pivotal point. You have to be where the action is.

What role do you see Miami having in the world today? Miami has had an evolution in terms of news impact. We just built the largest newsroom in the country with a joint venture we did with Fusion, and were able to bring Univision News and ABC network [together]. It may be five or 10 years, [but] Miami’s definitely going to be a more competitive city than it ever was.

How do you pay it forward? With the [Pamela Silva Conde Scholarship], we have given six scholarships at Florida International University. I’m involved with the students because I want to maximize the impact that these scholarships have. That’s the purpose of doing philanthropic work, to build new generations of people with the same mentality.

How else do you give back to the community? I’m part of the committee of St. Jude Miami and I’m on the national advisory board for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. There’s also Amigos for Kids, which focuses on neglected and abused children. Throughout the year, we give counseling and seminars for families. We want to empower parents.

How do you manage it all? The second you start thinking, I could do this, it actually becomes manageable. Your attitude influences everything.

The Entertainment Empress: Dany Garcia

Last August, Dany Garcia won her IFBB Women’s Physique Pro Card and the Women’s Physique Overall competition in the 2014 North American Championship. Dress, Ralph Lauren Black Label ($995). Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-861-2059. Brandy pumps, Christian Louboutin ($945). Miami Design District, 161 NE 40th St., 305-576-6820. Rings, Garcia’s own

The Plantation-based founder and president of The Garcia Companies, Dany Garcia also talent-manages talent including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (her ex-husband), is a cofounder and producing partner with Johnson of $7 Bucks Productions, is the first-ever Women’s Physique Division athlete signed to the Weider roster, and is dedicated to her family and giving back.

To what type of projects are you drawn? First, it has to resonate with me in a way that I can see it as an extension of myself. I’m confident if something moves me, it’s going to resonate with audiences. I want them to be moved, entertained, and to be a different person at the end of it. Whether it’s Ballers, [TNT’s] Wake Up Call, or G.I. Joe: Retaliation, it should make an impact.

What made HBO’s Ballers, out in June, so exciting? It’s a love story to the NFL and to Miami. It’s the truth about what happens when [athletes] leave the field and they’re struggling and trying to be better. For Dwayne and I, we know where these stories came from.

You’re as dedicated to giving back to South Florida as you are to your family, fitness, and business. My first taste of business came from a student work program [at the University of Miami] in the school of business. The women around me were incredible mentors. Being involved as a trustee and the past alumni [association] president was natural. An investment in philanthropy [in South Florida] has such great ramifications. I established The Beacon Experience for 63 at-risk students. We have been tutoring them and giving them social support [since second grade]. When they go to college, our foundation pays for their tuition.

What’s your secret to balancing it all? Take care of yourself first. I love bodybuilding. My training is an expression of myself. With a healthy body, I can make greater decisions.

The Style Saver: Dani Parets

Dress, Brunello Cucinelli ($3,895). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100. 18k white-gold diamond Diva necklace ($7,200) and 18k white-gold and diamond Bzero1 ring ($8,500), Bulgari. Miami Design District, 140 NE 39th St., 305-576-6506. Shoes, Parets’ own

Young and ambitious, Dani Parets started her own styling company at age 18, and now, at 22, has worked with familiar faces on New York Fashion Week’s runways and was named one of StyleCaster’s “25 Most Stylish People in Miami." 

One thing you wish the rest of the world knew about Miami: There is a community here [of] hard workers [who] want to make more of themselves.

How did you get started? Interning at Wilhelmina when I was 15. I ran the model boot camp. The girls would come in and they didn’t know what to wear, or they were awkward. Some were shy, and I tried to break them out of their shells. I would take them shopping and make them feel comfortable. Eventually, I started doing that solely.

Biggest influence in your life: My mom is my biggest role model. She’s been through a lot, and she’s a single mom. [She] is a jewelry designer; I started working with her when I was 13, going to trunk shows. That’s where I learned to be sociable, talking to people, selling them things, making them feel comfortable and beautiful.

Best style advice she gave you: Not to be like the others. Go against the grain.

How do you want to impact Miami’s fashion industry? There is a market here that is growing. Miami—where you live—should be a part of who you are. This is a beach town, not Beverly Hills. I want people to embrace who they are and feel comfortable wearing what they want.

Sexiest quality in a woman: Simple elegance. A woman who’s beautiful, intelligent, and confident but doesn’t need to talk about it and is humble.

How do you deal with image pressures in your industry? It’s difficult. I’ve learned to have thick skin. It’s about being comfortable in who you are. Your personality shines more than anything.

Advice to your younger self: This too shall pass. One day, none of this is going to matter.

The Powerhouse Politico: Debbie Wasserman Schultz

In 1992, at 26, Debbie Wasserman Schultz became Florida’s youngest female legislator ever elected. She would also become the fi rst Jewish congresswoman elected from Florida. Jacket, Joie ($298). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-1100. Top, Blush Private Label ($52). Blush Boutique, 1935 West Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-3050. Conch shell earrings ($35), coral necklace ($40), and peach coral bracelet ($40), Floridian Ocean Jewelry. Lincoln Road Outdoor Antique & Collectible Market, 818 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 786-623-8773. Sandals, Giuseppe Zanotti Design ($775). Bal Harbour Shops, 305-868-0133. Pants, Wasserman Schultz’s own

As the US representative for Florida’s 23rd Congressional District, serving Weston to Miami Beach, and now in her 22nd year in public office, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a Miami resident with a direct line to the nation’s capital.

What’s a typical week for you? I have three incredibly important jobs: being a mom to my three children first, representing my constituents in congress, and then serving as the chair of the Democratic National Committee.

The secret to maintaining the balance: A partner who can keep you grounded and be there day-to-day when you can’t. Also, to not be afraid to ask for help.

Who influenced you in life? My parents instilled in me that a little girl in America can grow up and be anything she wants—even the president of the United States. It inspired a lot of confidence in me. I want to pull another woman up the ladder as I climb.

At 41, you were diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. What was your reaction? There was no other option for me except survival. After going through a year of seven surgeries privately, I introduced the EARLY Act, which is the Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act.

How would you like to influence Miami’s many changes to come? Helping to ensure that we have the transportation funding that is essential for us to move around effectively if we’re going to continue to grow and be an economic international hub. Also, we have to get a handle on the impact of global warming. We’re at ground zero when it comes to climate change and sea-level rise, so we can’t pretend that’s not an issue.

The Groundbreaking Architect: Laurinda Spear

Spear has won an AIA Silver Medal and the Rome Prize in Architecture, and the landscape architecture arm of her firm, ArquitectonicaGEO, has worked on prominent projects such as the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science and the Pérez Art Museum Miami. Clothing and jewelry, Spear’s own

In 1977, Laurinda Spear, along with her husband, Bernardo Fort-Brescia, cofounded Arquitectonica, eventually helping establish the firm as one of the world’s most recognized names in architecture. Today, the company has 10 global offices and a portfolio of significant international works, including Brickell City Centre here in Miami.

What did you envision when you started Arquitectonica? I thought we would be able to do great designs and travel the world. I wasn’t focusing on success.

What was a major turning point in your career? The realization that, to stay relevant to myself, I had to become a landscape architect as well. It changed how I look at architecture, planning, buildings. It’s a more thoughtful way of approaching architecture.

What has it been like to contribute so much to Miami’s makeup? Our firm has a lot of great, really competent people in it. My contribution has been to make [Arquitectonica] a vehicle for other great designers and thinkers and people who’ll move to Miami to be part of changing the urban environment.

How has your firm evolved? Architects peripherally have to be involved in the politics of how things work if they expect to get things done. If you want to make changes in your environment, you have to have a voice. When we first started out, we definitely did not have that voice.

How would you like to have an impact on the future of Miami? By having a viable, lively architecture, landscape, and interiors firm that attracts people to work and live here who also will be changing it. 2900 Oak Ave., Miami, 305-372-1812

The Multifaceted Passion-preneur: Eveline Pierre

Top, Hoss ($198). Bloomingdale’s, Aventura Mall, 19555 Biscayne Blvd., 305-792-1000. Skirt, DKNY Pure ($195). Dolphin Mall, 11401 NW 12th St., Miami, 305-593-9955. Earrings and ring, Pierre’s own

Little Haiti native Eveline Pierre’s varied interests have created a dynamic background for her. From her title as founder and executive director of the Haitian Heritage Museum to her empowerment coaching and tech-sphere-based networking groups, one theme is clear: Pierre is making a strong impact on Miami.

Why did you want to start the museum? Growing up, I was fortunate enough to go to Haiti every summer. It taught me at a very young age that what I would see in the media wasn’t necessarily what was happening in Haiti. I felt I could tell a better story.

How did you become an empowerment coach? [Through the museum,] we teach kids to have self-esteem and self-respect, and feel honored that they are Haitian-American. A lot of times when we went to the schools, they were denying the fact that they were Haitian, so we [tailored] our programming to meet that need.

Why focus on young women and Miami’s Caribbean-American workforce? That segment of the population is not quite where we need to be. [Women’s Technology Alliance] is trying to empower women with the tools to be able to come to the table. These women are looking for empowerment via money, marketing, and mentorship. I’m also starting Miami Caribbean Code. The Beacon Council says there are 900,000 Caribbean-Americans in the workforce in South Florida. The main issue I hear when I go to tech conferences is the workforce is not here. Why not work with this workforce that’s here so they can be economically viable and be a part of the larger picture that is happening in South Florida? 141 NE Second Ave., #105C, Miami, 305-371-5988

The Cultural Attaché: Diane Lieberman

Jumpsuit, Roland Mouret ($2,645). Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-6161. Shell ring bracelet ($35) and Wave seashell ring ($60), Floridian Ocean Jewelry. Lincoln Road Outdoor Antique & Collectible Market, 818 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, 786-623-8773. Sandals, Lieberman’s own

A staple in Miami’s business, arts, philanthropic, and social scenes, Diane Lieberman has become a local household name for her success as the owner of SBI Realty, a 100-agent-strong luxury real estate brokerage, and for her continuous contributions to the cultural development of Miami.

What’s your work-life philosophy? You don’t have to [work] 24/7 to be great; you have to be smart at it. I have a family, children, grandchildren, organizations that I’m involved in, a husband, parents. I still like to get to the gym every day, play polo and ride horses, play tennis every week.

You’ve said your trick to balancing it all is being present. This is one of the major secrets in life: compartmentalizing. When I’m at work, I do what I need to, and I love what I do. But if I’m with my grandchildren, I’m not answering my phone. If I’m out to dinner with my husband, my phone is in my bag.

Philanthropy is a huge part of your family’s lives. When I first met my husband, he encouraged me to get involved with the [Jewish] Federation. He used to say, “The more I give, the more I get.” When we came down here, we got involved with the JCC, and we pledged to build a theater there. We would bus in schools of children who had never gone to the theater [as part of the Alan & Diane Lieberman Children’s Cultural Arts Series]. Now we’re very involved with the Bass Museum, and we’re going to build a new wing on the Bass. [Art] makes the city thrive.

You must be at an event every night. [Alan] is on the board of the New World Symphony, which we go to two or three times a month. I’m on the Bass and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation boards. We’re active at the [Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts]. We probably go once a week.

How do you want to help shape Miami’s future? If you participate, just like anything else in life, you get so much out of it. Miami is giving me a lot more than I give Miami. 1680 Meridian Ave., Ste. 102, Miami Beach, 305-788-5030

The Public Service Siren: Claudia Succar Ferre

Jacket, Giorgio Armani ($2,845). Neiman Marcus, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-6161. Dress, Blush Private Label ($42). Blush Boutique, 1935 West Ave., Miami Beach, 305-531-3050. Yellow-gold and onyx Bulgari Bulgari bracelet, Bulgari ($1,350). Miami Design District, 140 NE 39th St., 305-576-6506. Juliette sandals, Alexandre Birman ($690). Saks Fifth Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops, 305-865-1100. Necklace and earrings, Succar Ferré’s own

Claudia Succar Ferré comes from a long line of public servants—starting with her grandfather, former Mayor of Miami Maurice A. Ferré. Now, as director of public affairs at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center, the 34-year-old is responsible for programming, funding, and supporting the center’s partnership with Miami-Dade Parks & Open Spaces and the Miami-Dade Public School System.

Tell us about the programs at the center. Thirty percent of our programs are geared to inner-city, underprivileged, [and] foster care youth that have never seen the water. We’re educating these groups and bringing them on free field trips. We also do a Patterns of Nature art project with an artist, where we create different marine animals [using collected] garbage.

Does environmental awareness spill over into your personal life? It’s who I am. It’s why my sister and brother and I have all decided to be here in Miami. It’s now our turn to say what we need to see in the future in Miami. And if we want it for future generations, we have to teach children.

You’re also championing child literacy as the youngest member and vice president of the board of Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library. Libraries are restructuring; I wanted to participate in that conversation. I grew up going to the Coral Gables library. [It] was really important in my life.

What does it mean to be influential at a young age? When I came [back] to Miami, I saw the lack of leadership at my age. Since being on these boards, I realized that everything I say, they are connecting with. These boards need young insight; they need fresh voices. 6767 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne, 305-361-6767

Donatella Versace steers the Versace brand into the future with a new creative director and development of the company’s Design District home store.

“Strong and powerful women can love frivolity too,” says Donatella Versace, artistic director of the fashion brand, which opened its first Versace Home store in the Design District last spring.

Since taking the helm of Versace nearly two decades ago, Donatella Versace has built a brand that is as synonymous with Italian glamour and luxury as it is with American pop culture. From Jennifer Lopez’s provocative Grammy Awards dress to the plethora of celebrities—most recently, Madonna—who have posed for the brand’s ad campaigns, Versace is constantly finding ways to create newness and excitement.

“Versace is more than just a brand to me; it is family, and its DNA and traditions are in my blood,” says Donatella Versace. “What interests me is taking those traditions and pushing them forward into the future. I am obsessed with the future—to me, the past is boring.”

And with the recent announcement of white-hot designer Anthony Vaccarello as the creative director of the brand’s sister label, Versus Versace, the future seems brighter than ever. “I’ve followed Anthony’s work from his very first collection, and as soon as I met him I realized he was the one,” says Versace of the choice. “He gets it. I love his fresh energy and innovation.”

Mod laser-cut minidresses in graphic patterns and sorbet-on-acid colors from the Spring 2015 collection.

The Versus line is particularly close to Versace’s heart, as it was originally created by her late brother, Gianni (Gianni Versace was killed outside his Miami Beach mansion, Casa Casuarina, in 1997). “It was the label Gianni created for me to capture the rebellious soul of Versace,” she says. “It has always been about youth and energy, and the best way to keep true to its origins is to encourage new talents in global fashion.”

This spirit of youth and energy is also alive and well in the Versace Spring 2015 ready-to-wear collection, which features midriff-baring tops worthy of an SLT devotee, floor-length skirts with up-to-there slits, and mod laser-cut minidresses begging for a night out at LIV in sorbet-on-acid pops of color and graphic black and white. To complement the collection, there are two new reinterpretations of the Signature and Palazzo handbags, the L.Signature bag and the L.Palazzo bag. The L.Signature features laser-cut leather lined with transparent PVC along with gold Medusa medallion accents, while the slightly less structured L.Palazzo offers laser-cut styling with a single Medusa accent. Each of the new styles is available in shades of soft pink and light blue, as well as classic white and black.

“I wanted Spring 2015 to feel like hitting the refresh button—everything was bold, vivid, and precise,” says Versace of her inspiration, adding that the bags were created with a sense of playfulness that will resonate with Miami trendsetters. “The bags are light, refreshing, and fun, because strong and powerful women can love frivolity too, right?”

Donatella Versace at work.

And really, this juxtaposition between power and play, between the sophisticated severity of black and the pure optimism of powder pink, has long been Versace’s forte. It’s an unabashedly confident, no-holds-barred approach to design that translates well with the women of South Florida. “Women in Miami live life to the fullest,” says Versace. “Miami is pure energy, from the passion and provocation of the city to the daring, strength, and fearlessness of the women who live there.”

Last spring, Versace opened the company’s Versace Home store, which carries the brand’s complete line of furniture, lighting, wallpaper, fabrics, and tableware, in the Design District. “It has been such a thrill to see Miami develop into a destination for the art and design world, and the Design District is now one of the most exciting retail destinations in the world, a focal point for true creativity,” says Versace of the concept, which she created with architect Jamie Fobert. “It’s the perfect location for a 21st-century Versace store.”

Looking forward, Versace is staying busy with her many duties as artistic director of the house, from overseeing the direction of each collection to envisioning the design of the Versace boutiques and Palazzo Versace hotels to mapping out the future strategy of the brand. It’s all in a day’s work for the petite powerhouse.

“I love the variety, from the first conversations about a new season through the design process to the show itself, and then afterwards the campaigns and the product hitting stores,” she says. “I couldn’t imagine a job where I did the same thing every day.” Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Ave., 305-864-0044; Miami Design District, 186 NE 39th St., 305-573-8345

Big-name architects from Miami and beyond are changing the skyline with groundbreaking condo projects from Sunny Isles to South Beach.

Turnberry Ocean Club, designed by New York architect Carlos Zapata, will rise to 54 stories in Sunny Isles Beach, with a projected opening in 2018.

Miami, with its beautiful beaches and sunny skies, has always been easy on the eyes, but in a city packed with eye candy, there is a new star in town: architecture. One by one, new structures are rising that are not only reshaping the landscape, but also getting recognition on a global scale for their impressive, innovative design.

Leading the way is Bernardo Fort-Brescia. Born in Lima in 1951, Fort-Brescia and his wife, Laurinda Spear, are founders of Arquitectonica, a firm with projects in 54 countries and 700 architects in offices around the world. On the company’s to-do list is a slew of projects for The Related Group, including One Brickell, Brickell Heights, SLS Brickell, Hyde Midtown Miami, and Paraiso Bay, the 53-floor luxury tower in Edgewater. “It’s different architecture for different locations,” says Related Group President of Condominium Development Carlos Rosso. “That’s the beauty of Bernardo; he’s always reinventing, and every building he has is going to be a signature building in Miami.”

Fort-Brescia is also working with the Melo Group on Aria on the Bay (250 NE 25th St., Miami, 305- 573-0666), a new 647-unit ultra-luxury condominium that’s under construction in the Arts & Entertainment District. The 53-story tower was designed with both Biscayne Bay and the geometry of some of the world’s greatest opera houses in mind. “When you start sketching, you start looking at metaphors; you start looking at ideas and shapes you love,” says Fort-Brescia. “When you look out at the bay, you see the wave crests on a windy day and how they form this interesting break. When I looked at this building and its position along Biscayne Bay, I thought of those shapes and how they could become almost a painting of that scene.”

Rendering of the rooftop pool at Brickell Heights, designed by Arquitectonica for The Related Group.

Arquitectonica isn’t the only game in town. The Related Group and Dezer Development are working together on the Residences by Armani/Casa in Sunny Isles Beach (18975 Collins Ave.)—at 60 stories, the tallest tower in the area. While there is obvious buzz surrounding the interiors by Giorgio Armani, it’s the exterior, by world-renowned Argentina-born architect César Pelli, that will reshape the Sunny Isles skyline. The design features unique cabanas cascading down to the beach as an ode to a Mediterranean shorefront village. “We love designing projects in Florida,” says Pelli, whose firm, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, also designed the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. “Its climate, its lifestyles, and its cultural mix lend themselves to exciting designs. I believe we captured this feeling in the Residences by Armani.”

New York architect Carlos Zapata designed the 54-story Turnberry Ocean Club (19950 W. Country Club Dr., Ste. 803, Aventura, 305-933-3000), set to open in Sunny Isles Beach in 2018, and Herzog & de Meuron, which made its mark locally with Pérez Art Museum Miami and 1111 Lincoln Road, will also take its talents to Sunny Isles Beach with Jade Signature (17070 Collins Ave., Ste. 250, 305- 940-0335), Fortune International Group’s 192-unit tower set for completion in early 2017. The impressive structure will rise 57 stories high and has long, uninterrupted horizontal lines (much like 1111) that carry the eye off to the Atlantic.

The Pritzker Prize-winning Zaha Hadid Architects designed One Thousand Museum (1040 Biscayne Blvd., Fifth Fl., Miami), a 62-story über-luxurious residential tower in downtown set for completion in 2017. Based in London, Zaha Hadid Architects is known for creating the Dubai Opera House, the BMW Central Building in Germany, and the London Aquatics Centre. At One Thousand Museum, Hadid has incorporated a unique crosshatch exoskeleton and arcing organic shapes, along with enormous units, making for a rather exclusive downtown experience.

One Thousand Museum, Zaha Hadid’s luxury residential project in downtown, features a unique crosshatch exoskeleton.

Right around the corner in Museum Park is the all-new Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, designed by Grimshaw, a firm with offices in New York, Melbourne, London, Sydney, and Doha, Qatar, which has designed everything from Wimbledon to the National Space Centre in the UK. The museum, set to open in 2016, includes a planetarium, a stunning 500,000-gallon Gulf Stream aquarium that can be viewed from underneath or above, and a structure built to take advantage of the Biscayne Bay breeze. The elegant yet efficient design will use architecture as a teaching tool complementary to the exhibits.

Over on South Beach, award-winning architect Rene Gonzalez’s design for Louver House (311 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach, 305-203-0170)—Mast Capital’s South of Fifth boutique condominium—connects the interior home with exterior tropical ambience by blurring the line between lush balcony and living space. And on Fisher Island, Kobi Karp is designing Palazzo del Sol (1 Fisher Island Dr., 305-535-6071), a 10-story, 47-residence condominium on the private island—the first new condo construction on the island in more than seven years. Sticking to the community’s Mediterranean-inspired style, Palazzo del Sol will feature contemporary living spaces and massive outdoor terraces to enjoy the Government Cut views when completed in the first quarter of 2016.

No matter who is behind the design, every neighborhood will have a new look in the coming years, and that looks pretty good from here.

Two veteran luxury real estate agents discuss how a booming South Beach market is leading to migration to neighborhoods to the north as well.

Katrina Campins and Lana Bell at Unit #501N at The St. Regis Bal Harbour.

As newcomers continue to crowd the condos of Miami Beach, locals and family-oriented buyers are also heading north along Collins Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard to find alternative residences. Katrina Campins, a Miami native and luxury real estate specialist with Trump International Realty, and Lana Bell of One Sotheby’s International Realty’s Sunny Isles office explain what northern neighborhoods have to offer.

Katrina Campins: With Trump, I’m still selling Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Shores, Biscayne, and it’s general real estate. You’ve always seen the international buyers coming to Miami, and more people want to be here because of the weather. You also see a lot of New Yorkers—that’s causing congestion. People are finding other places to reside because Miami Beach is becoming touristy on another level.

Lana Bell: I live in Sunny Isles because I think it’s the best, location-wise. It’s 20 minutes from South Beach; you’re 20 minutes from Fort Lauderdale. We have everything—we have parks, schools, Aventura, Bal Harbour, gorgeous beaches. My clients buy big units on the beach. In Sunny Isles, you can get much more for your money than South Beach. It’s more family-oriented [and] a quiet area—that’s what attracts people. That’s why they slide north.

A large balcony from One Bal Harbour’s Unit 1401, listed by Bell.

KC: A lot of people that were on Miami Beach for years have decided to move to the Biscayne corridor. You saw that at Bay Point, Belle Meade, and now it’s continuing to go north into Miami Shores. Sans Souci and Keystone have been there forever, but now you’re seeing people from Miami Beach making that transition to those neighborhoods. They have amazing school systems; people are moving there for that. You still see kids riding their bicycles in the neighborhood. You see couples walking with their dogs.

LB: Families who have three or four kids, plus the staff, need the space. New projects [in Sunny Isles] are spectacular. The Estates at Acqualina, which is completely sold out, is breaking all grounds price-wise because the square footage is 4,500 square feet, four bedrooms. That’s what people need. In Sunny Isles, we’re talking about $1,500 and up per square foot, which is nothing compared to South Beach. We’re waiting for our $3,000 per foot—it’s coming. It will get there because South Beach has no more space unless they demolish old buildings. Sunny Isles is going to have 17 new condominiums. We’re going to be the most expensive new city in South Florida.

The view from Unit #501N.

KC: The Shores is still very reasonable. You can get something at $300 a square foot. Families are moving there because you get more for your money—you get a pool; you get great school systems. If you look at the pending sales in Miami Shores, there are 20 sales at a time. And the Shores isn’t that big. People are getting into the area—I think it will become the next Coral Gables. Also, people in South Florida are upgrading or downgrading, depending on where they are in the cycle of life.

LB: We don’t have enough inventory, but there’s a lot of competition in Sunny Isles. Sunny Isles is going to have between two to three years where we’re going to have very high-end inventory on the market. The buildings that they’re building are very expensive, starting from $3.5 million and up. It’s 190 units, 70 units, depending on the building. There are a lot of investors who still buy, and brokers sell them. By the time they’re done, I don’t see them flipping and making another 25 or 30 percent. It’ll never happen. They’re going to have to close because they put 50 percent down, but they’re going to rent, they’re going to sell, and they’re going to drop the prices. Katrina Campins, Trump International Realty, 4400 NW 87th Ave., Miami, 786-493-5652. Lana Bell, One Sotheby’s International Realty, 3873 Sunny Isles Blvd., North Miami Beach, 305-336-0457

Quality Meats, which just opened on the beach, finds novel ways to bring the steakhouse into the 21st century.

At Quality Meats, the heart of the menu is its myriad of hearty entrées, ranging from oversize “Butcher’s Cuts” to braised veal shank to this bone-in rib steak.

Michael Stillman was attending high school in 1997 when his father, celebrated restaurateur Alan Stillman, opened a branch of his Smith & Wollensky steakhouse on South Beach. Michael would eventually play an integral role in managing the nationally expanding business, and in 2007, when all but the flagship New York venue were sold, father and son founded Fourth Wall Restaurants. This past February, under that group’s widening umbrella, Michael debuted a second outlet of his successful New York steakhouse, Quality Meats, in the former Bancroft Hotel on South Beach. A chip off the old butcher block, you might correctly note, but understand that Quality Meats is not Smith & Wollensky.

“There are a lot of similar ideas,” the younger Stillman explains, “but with a different generational view.” The divergence in aesthetics is evident as soon as one enters the elegant two-level, 200-seat space (replete with expansive wraparound patio). The design firm AvroKO used the Bancroft’s classic Art Deco elements and terrazzo floor as a foundation, but tweaks it with rich teaks, warm textures, and the rustic accoutrements of a family-owned butcher shop. (The hotel’s original check-in desk now functions as a faux butcher counter, the reception desk as a service bar.)

“We like to have fun with things that are familiar,” says chef/partner Craig Koketsu, and though he could be describing the balance of tradition and whimsy evident in the décor, the chef is speaking of the approach he and Executive Chef Patrick Rebholz have taken with the menu: big beefy offerings offset by a lighter, highly inventive, market-driven sensibility.

Executive Chef Craig Koketsu plating Quality Meats’ tomato and stracciatella salad.

This means diners can start their meal with a local farmer’s salad, a tower of pristine shellfish, hog snapper ceviche sparkling with sunchokes and citrus, or The Elvis—meaty slabs of grilled, house-cured bacon glazed with tamarind miso and served with peanut butter sauce and jalapeño jelly jazzed with minced apples.

The heart of the menu is naturally steered toward steak. The three primary cuts are a 24-ounce tomahawk rib steak, an 18-ounce bone-in sirloin (each dry aged for 28 days), and a 12-ounce filet mignon. “We didn’t want to do wagyu and 17 types of beef, and all that,” says Stillman. What separates QM from the herd instead are underutilized and supersize “Butcher’s Cut” meats that are cured, smoked, or dry aged in-house (intended for two to four to share). This falls right in Rebholz’s wheelhouse; the former chef de cuisine at Charleston’s Peninsula Grill possesses estimable skills in large-format butchering (as well as in farm-to-table cooking). He enthusiastically details the rarity of QM’s 64-ounce Angus double-rib steak, and is downright gleeful when describing the whole suckling pig confit that gets dry-rubbed, tied into a barrel shape, and “submerged and cooked in duck fat until it almost falls apart.”

The natural byproduct of butchering is homemade charcuterie, and Rebholz takes full advantage with riveting renditions of smoked soppressata and duck bacon.

The new space retains former elements of the Bancroft Hotel (pictured, the QM bar).

At QM, non-carnivores “won’t feel like they’re getting the short end of the stick,” insists Koketsu. “Our fish dishes are really strong.” Consider the “New York bagel-inspired” branzino, with its crisp coat of “everything” spice (sesame, poppy seed, et al.) and accompaniments of smoked cream cheese and pickled onions. “[It’s] food people can relate to,” Rebholz says of his focus, “but in a way that hasn’t been done.”

This same spirit extends to delicate sides such as corn crème brûlée with sweet, crackly crust, beet-glazed carrots, and grilled oyster mushrooms straight from the farms of Homestead.

“My father was very excited about South Beach since way back,” reflects Stillman, “and we’ve only become more so.” Regarding their enthusiasm for Miami, there is no generation gap. 1501 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-340-3333

One of the most exciting toques in South Florida’s culinary scene, chef Adrianne Calvo is bringing world-class taste to a small-town locale.

Adrianne Calvo behind the bar at her restaurant in Kendall.

She’s the youngest chef to ever cook for the United Nations and, at 19, catered the 2003 World Series for the then-champion Florida Marlins. She’s the winner of multiple awards, including champion of the 2013 Master Holiday Chef Challenge, where she beat 14 prominent national chefs, yet you’ve probably never heard of Adrianne Calvo or her wildly popular Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar in Kendall. Napa Valley-inspired menu items like the Wine Country cheese plate, the 24-hour braised prime beef short rib, and the Harris Ranch Black Angus five-diamond reserve filet have also won Calvo a strong following over the years. Here, the 31-year-old Cuban-American culinary force talks about what stirs her success.

Why did you become a chef?
I didn’t originally want to be a chef; I wanted to go into journalism. It wasn’t until a scheduling mistake in my sophomore year of high school, when I was put into a cooking class. While I was waiting to get out of it, Johnson & Wales [University, which has a prominent culinary academy] came in and gave a presentation. From that point forward, all I wanted to do was cook.

Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar’s platano soup.

Did you have any major hurdles to jump?
It was—and still is—very much a man’s world, but it didn’t matter. I stayed focused and went from doing an internship to opening my restaurant at 23 years old. I call myself the Beyoncé of the food world because Beyoncé’s band is all women and my kitchen team is all women. I think they’re drawn to me because they see opportunity or maybe they see themselves in me.

Where do you find your inspiration?
I was the fat kid. My mom cooked every day, and while the other kids were out playing, I’d stay inside setting the table hoping that dinnertime would come faster. I just cook things that I love to eat. We slowly braise our osso buco for six hours and check it every 45 minutes to make sure it’s simmering properly. There’s so much attention paid to the dish that whenever the guest has it, it becomes a memory.

Do you have passions outside the kitchen?
Seven years ago, I started my own foundation called Make It Count in honor of my sister who passed away from cancer. Her whole thing was “make it count,” and she wanted to help kids and families going through treatment when she got better. We partner with St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and have countless other sponsorships. My whole staff has to devote time to the charity; if you work here, you have to give back. 11510 SW 147th Ave., Miami, 305-408-8386