T LOunge for February 1st, 2023

Miró Restaurant – Alicante, Spain

EVENING ELEGANZA! And why not? It’s WEDNESDAY and there’s no reason to stress yourself about going out and getting sun on your face or any nonsense like that. Grab a candelabra and find yourself the best possible velvet cushion upon which to perch your dainty ass for the day.

Bury Me in a Banshees of Inisherin Knit
I may not be the first to observe the timeless seductive pull of the ravishingly gorgeous sweaters worn throughout the course of the film, whether by Brendan Gleeson as grouchy folk musician Colm, or Colin Farrell as Hibernian himbo Pádraic, or Barry Keoghan as misunderstood rascal Dominic; a quick Google search revealed that plenty of menswear magazines, from GQ to Esquire, have already beaten me to the punch there. But I did find myself especially miffed when the Oscar nominations dropped last week and, in the best-costume-design category, Banshees was nowhere to be seen.

A Look Inside New York’s Most Popular New Bakery, From Lucie
The East Village shop is known for flower-bedecked layered cakes.
Lucie Franc de Ferriere grew up in the French countryside, and you can see hints of her origins all over her wildly popular new East Village bakeshop, From Lucie. The bakery started as a passion project: She was working at her fiance’s Lower East Side restaurant Sunday to Sunday when she decided to go solo, selling her confections via pop-ups and pre-orders.
At the height of the pandemic, her flower-decorated cakes — she describes them as “morsels of a still-life painting” — quickly became a hot commodity, not just within her personal circle but on social media as well. Harry Styles tried her treats; so did Lorde. When the bakery finally opened this year, the lines were out the door, and her wares sell out daily.

Unpacking My Ambivalence Towards Joy
Finding joy can be difficult—especially when the world itself doesn’t seem particularly joyful. But as Durga Chew-Bose discovered, sometimes it finds you.
Recently, I was sent a quote by the writer and academic Saidiya Hartman. In it, she describes her relationship to joy as a form of floating: “It’s about being nothing and being everything at the same time—this sense of the self disappearing in the context of the vastness of the earth, the ocean, the sky, the land.” It’s an experience, she says, “of transformation or release from the constraint or costume of the individual … into this other form.” Another form. This way of understanding joy resonates with me because joy is not simply controlled; it’s constitutional.

The 10 Biggest Hair Trends for 2023, According to Hairstylists
It’s the year of sleek, statement-making styles and baby bangs.
I’m all for heatless hairstyles, taking a beat from bleach, and low-maintenance looks, don’t get me wrong. But, life is all about balance. So while easy, breezy cuts and colors have been the status quo for the past few years, it’s due time for a little shake up—a pivot if you will. As such, the 2023 hair trends are a little, well, extra. Think: More high-maintenance haircuts, dyes that require religious touch-ups, and glossy finishes that necessitate a stockpile of hair products to “get the look.”
“2023 will be a big year for bold, vibrant, statement-making hair trends,” says celebrity hairstylist Justin Anderson.

The Private Provocations of Karl Lagerfeld
In an exclusive excerpt from his book Paradise Now, author William Middleton, a former W editor, recalls his adventures with Lagerfeld—and sheds light on the designer’s famous falling-out with Yves Saint Laurent.
It was January 1995 that I first met Karl Lagerfeld. He would be turning 62 that year; I was 33. At that point, I was the newly named Paris bureau chief for Fairchild Publications, overseeing Women’s Wear Daily and W magazine, which had been, for decades, two of the most formidable and feared fashion publications in the world. The group was run by John Fairchild, always referred to as Mr. Fairchild, who had turned a sleepy, family-run firm into a media powerhouse. One of my responsibilities was going to the major houses to do a preview of the 1995 spring/summer haute couture collections that would be presented later that month.

These Are the Most Romantic Restaurants in America, According to OpenTable
Just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Whether you’re ringing in Valentine’s Day with your gals, pals, or lover, time is ticking. OpenTable is back with another restaurant list, rounding up the “100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America for 2023,” and it might offer the nudge you need to start planning your special night out.
OpenTable compiled the guide by analyzing millions of reviews of restaurants that US diners say deliver on romance. The list spans over 27 states, with California being the destination with the most romantic hotspots.

Gillian Anderson launches new project exploring women’s sexual fantasies
The book will explore and empower female sexuality in the 21st century
Gillian Anderson is launching a new project that aims to explore and empower the sex lives of women all around the world. The Sex Education star is asking women everywhere to take part by sharing their sexual fantasies with her. The letters submitted will be anonymously included in one book that portrays women’s sexuality and explores what it means to be a female today.
The inclusive project is inspired by Nancy Friday’s best-selling book My Secret Garden: Women’s Sexual Fantasies, which was published in 1973. It is considered an era-defining observation into the sex lives of women, and this new project will reimagine the new classic for the 21st century.

The Most—and Least—Expensive Countries to Buy Wine In
You won’t be surprised at all by which country came out as the most expensive.
There are a lot of factors that will help you whittle down a vacation destination: hotel cost, airfare availability, seasonality, and the actual desire to see a spot in real life, among many other things. But for wine enthusiasts, the cost of a good bottle may also play into that plan. On that very specific note, Compare My Jet — a database that helps those seeking private jet service find the best deal — put together a study digging into the most and least expensive countries to buy a bottle of wine.

How to change your company culture for the better
The lawyer turned entrepreneur Charlene Brown on cultivating empathy in the workplace
“It’s not straightforward, but nothing’s straightforward that involves people,” says Charlene Brown, a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur who supports companies in their mission to create an inclusive culture through her consultancy, Howlett Brown.
Brown gained a degree in law from the University of Westminster before working as a paralegal in a global investment company. “I think I was meant to be an entrepreneur, but I had to be a lawyer first,” she says. Her decade of legal experience specialising in diversity, equality and inclusion led her to discover a gap between the service provided by lawyers, human-resources teams, and diversity and inclusion consultants. “None of those groups have interconnecting skills,” she says, “and there’s a big void in the middle that’s culture.” Fuelled by this paradox, she decided to launch what she calls a ‘people-intelligence consultancy’.

New DC Universe Unveils First 10 Projects: ‘Superman: Legacy’ in 2025, Batman & Robin Movie, Green Lantern Series, Wonder Woman Prequel and More
The projects run the gamut. There are titles based on marquee DC heroes — including the previously announced Superman feature written by Gunn, now officially titled “Superman: Legacy,” a Batman and Robin movie, a Wonder Woman prequel series and a Green Lantern mystery series — as well as titles featuring lesser known characters, including Booster Gold and Swamp Thing. The DCU exists as a multiverse, Safran said, but the titles will exist in one singular universe. Overall, the slate represents the most robust vision for DC’s future in scripted entertainment since Warner Bros.’ first attempt in 2014 to build a universe to rival that of Marvel Studios.

Charting Harry Styles’s Evolution From Boy Bander To Boundary-Pushing Fashion Force
If boy-band style is all about co-ordinating colours and matching outfits, Harry Styles has never really paid attention. As his career hit the big time, the former One Direction member traded teen-friendly Jack Wills tracksuits for an enviable (and expansive) selection of Saint Laurent, Burberry and, most notably, Gucci.
Always the most directional dresser of the fivesome, it was in early 2013, at the age of 19, that Harry began to break the mould. A printed Burberry shirt here, a skinny-jean-and-boots combination there, all enhanced by his scrapbook-esque collection of tattoos. His peers might have continued to sport boyish trainers, hoodies and leather jackets, but Harry honed his sartorial focus. As the year ended, Harry had collected a British Fashion Award for his personal style.

The Language of Champagne: Here’s What Terms Like Brut, Demi-Sec, Vintage, and Cuvée Really Mean
Because dry doesn’t really mean “dry” when it comes to Champagne.
Champagne is the wine we turn to for special occasions, birthdays, engagements, and other life landmarks—so it’s not something we drink all the time. As a result, we’re not as familiar with Champagne as we are with our weekend wine; it also costs significantly more than the bottles we turn to on the regular.
Bring the special language of Champagne into the mix and finding the right bottle for the celebration you’re planning can be difficult. To help you select the perfect Champagne for your palate or party, we’re decoding the terms that both define the wine and appear on labels, so you can choose a bottle with confidence.

Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott and Sheryl Crow Nominated for Rock Hall
Cyndi Lauper, Joy Division, George Michael and the White Stripes are also among the first-time nominees up for induction this year.
Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Sheryl Crow, the White Stripes and Cyndi Lauper are among the first-time nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, the organization behind the museum and annual ceremony announced on Wednesday.
Artists become qualified for induction 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording; both Elliott, the trailblazing rapper, and the White Stripes, the defunct garage-rock duo, made the ballot in their first year of eligibility. (Because of changes in when the nominating committee meets, the Rock Hall said releases from 1997 and 1998 were eligible this year for the first time.)

You Can See Mercury, a Meteor Shower, and Planets Aligning This February
The shortest month promises serious stargazing potential.
Last month’s lime-green comet and eye-popping planet sightings were mere appetizers to the many night-sky attractions on the docket for 2023 †itle— including several key events coming up quickly. February provides a chance to see the ever-elusive Mercury, not to mention multiple planet and moon conjunctions, a meteor shower, and, if you’re far north enough, those increasingly vivid northern lights dancing.
Grab your binoculars and blankets; here’s everything to watch for in the night sky this February.

[Photo Credit: mirorestaurante.es, vicalhome.com/es, Juan Serrano Corbella, dekorasihome.com]

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