Philanthropist and woman around town Arlene Chaplin stops to breathe, just for a second, to give us her must-knows for style.
Arlene Chaplin at PAMM, where this year she serves as gala chair for the PAMM Art of the Party gala.
Breathe in, breathe out. It’s one of the most important things to do in the middle of a busy season, but all too often, many of us forget. Not Arlene Chaplin, whose philanthropic endeavors make her one of the most in-demand women in Miami, from cochairing lunches for the Women’s Cancer League and Project Newborn to serving on the Board of Trustees at PAMM. But her breathing goes far beyond her own lungs with her YogArt, an open-to-the-public collaboration of yoga, art, and music she cocreated in 2011 and which takes place this year during Art Basel.
Chaplin and daughter Jennifer at YogArt at the Loews Miami Beach in 2011.
Chaplin is also a go-to Miami resident in the know for all things fashion and lifestyle. “I can always find fun and trendy casual clothes at Atrium (1931 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-695-0757) for myself and my 23-year-old daughter, Jennifer.” She lists designers like Valentino (“elegant and timeless”) for the perfect fit, and relies on Abbey Glassman at Neiman Marcus at Bal Harbour Shops (9700 Collins Ave., 305-865-6161) to “find me a fabulous gown at the last minute,” while her “dear friend Mary Harris sets aside the perfect matching bag.”
For beautiful and one-of-a-kind jewelry, it’s Phillips Frankel (1935 West Ave., Stes. 200–202, Miami Beach, 800-892-5656). “My friend Lisa Frankel started making jewelry and selling out of her house,” Chaplin says. “Now she sells it in her own store in Sunset Harbour, as well as at Saks.”
Love Always bracelets, Phillips House ($1,800–$7,500).
While Chaplin’s beauty is more than skin deep, a facial from Lauren Anavim at Le Petite Skin Retreat (400 Alton Road, Miami Beach, 305-604-9709) never hurts. “It’s the best little secret in town.”
Chaplin has her own treasures, too. “My mother gave me my grandmother’s engagement ring,” she says. “I made it into earrings that I have worn and I now share with my daughter. Whenever [she] wears them, I am reminded of my grandparents and their love. They were married over 50 years.”
Her own husband, Wayne Chaplin, president and CEO of Southern Wine & Spirits, must have taken note. “[He] had a few special pieces made for me on an anniversary or a birthday,” Chaplin says. “They have great meaning because they were given with loads of love. We just celebrated our 28th anniversary in September at one of our favorite romantic spots, Fisher Island.” YogArt, Wynwood Walls, 2520 NW Second Ave., Miami