T LOunge for April 21st, 2023

La Sponda Restaurant – Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy

Words go here but they’re pointless right now. It’s FRIDAY. You’ve earned this. Take a seat, tilt your head back, and let the sun hit your face as the ocean breeze flows over you. Drinks are on us.

Patrick Stewart Explains Why Watching the ‘Picard’ Finale Was ‘So Emotional,’ Teases ‘Star Trek’ Return
When Patrick Stewart first met with producers Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman in 2017 to discuss the possibility of returning to play Jean-Luc Picard again on a new “Star Trek” series, Stewart famously did so as a courtesy to explain that he had absolutely no interest in revisiting the world of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
“I explained to them all those elements of ‘Next Generation’ which belong in ‘Next Generation,’ and why I didn’t want to go near them again,” Stewart told Variety in a January 2020 cover story. When the producers noted that the show could show a much different Picard, one who’d changed over the two decades since the events of the final “TNG” movie, 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis,” Stewart became intrigued, and signed on to do three seasons of “Star Trek: Picard” — but without the rest of the “TNG” cast.

How Much Should You Spend on a Wedding Gift? 12 Etiquette Tips
Wondering how much to spend on a wedding gift? It’s a fair question—as wedding invites start to pile up, dollar signs might also start to flash. The idea of having to spring for flights, hotels, bridesmaid dresses, and then—on top of everything—a wedding present for each occasion can become a serious source of stress for wedding guests. (It doesn’t help that wedding gifts often conjure up images of, well, a lot of expensive things: porcelain china, polished silverware, and linens with a thread count you didn’t even know was possible.)
Complicating matters more is the seeming lack of concrete wedding gift etiquette. Questions, like how much to give for a wedding gift, start to come up. When do you buy the gift? Can you buy gifts outside the registry? Is giving cash gauche?

A Guide to The Diplomat: The Plot Points, Key Terms, and Characters You Should Know
Navigating the new Netflix political thriller might require a handbook.
The Diplomat, like the business it portrays, walks a wire. In practice, that could have created a real marketing nightmare for Netflix. The series needed to bear a passing resemblance to the real world of phone calls and paperwork it represents, but neither could its jargon be so technical as to alienate viewers, running the risk of confusing (or outright boring) them into abandoning ship. Ideally, the show would be both accurate to U.S. international relations and riveting in its depiction of them; leaning too far into either camp would sever a delicate thread.
Once viewers get acquainted with the life and times of one Kate Wyler, The Diplomat is indeed a simple enough series to follow. (Even when it isn’t, rest assured: You needn’t pick up every dropped name to grasp the gist.) But settling into the U.S. Embassy in London takes Kate a few episodes, and so too does the series use its initial hours to warm up a few muscles. The dramatic payoff is ultimately worth that early, slow investment—trust us, it gets fun—but there’s no doubt a guidebook would ease the entrance.

Blake Lively’s Best Met Gala Looks Over the Years
Compared to your typical movie premieres or awards ceremonies, the annual Met Gala encourages more of a dramatic, over-the-top dress code. No classic gowns allowed! It didn’t earn its nickname as the Super Bowl of Fashion for nothing. And someone who’s always understood that sentiment? Blake Lively. Over the years, the stylish actor has nailed statement dressing on the step and repeat, and Vogue is looking back on all of her best Met Gala looks.

“This is Not Your Grandmother’s Camelot”: Costume Designer Jennifer Moeller Explains Her Approach
What does one wear to Camelot? Even if the climate is “perfect all the year” as the jaunty title song goes, the task of dusting off the tabards and trains of the round table for the current revival of the 1960 Lerner and Loewe musical now running at Lincoln Center Theater fell to costume designer Jennifer Moeller (Clyde’s, Dickinson). Under the direction of Bartlett Sher and with an updated book by walk-and-talk king, Aaron Sorkin, the legendary tale of medieval love and loss gets a modern refresh that allowed Moeller to reimagine Guenevere beyond the cone hats and courtly frocks associated with the famous queen. “This is a different Guenevere, she has some chutzpah,” explains Moeller.

The Rising Dallas Artist Spotlighting Black Life—And Black Joy—In the South
Evita Tezeno had a bucolic childhood, ensconced in a predominantly Black community in small-town Port Arthur, Texas, near the Louisiana border. Despite the sociopolitical tensions of the 1960s and 1970s, “I grew up in a bubble,” she admits. “I wasn’t exposed to other races until my senior year of high school. I didn’t know what prejudice was.”
Today the 62-year-old Dallas artist draws upon these fond memories in her exuberant collage paintings, employing elaborately patterned hand-painted papers and found objects to depict everyday scenes of Black life: prim ladies waiting at a bus stop, young girls nattering away, women hanging laundry, couples linking arms for a stroll, gazing lovingly at each other, or dressed in their finest for a night of dancing.

The ‘Food Disgust Sensitivity Test’ Is a Fascinating Window Into the Soul
An online quiz reveals an awful lot about how we think about other people’s food habits.
It would seem that I’m disgusting. Maybe not me personally (you would have to ask my husband, friends, and colleagues who most frequently see me eat), but the fact that I scored only 25.88% on the IDRlabs Food Disgust Sensitivity Test that recently trended on Twitter would indicate that I have a tolerance for sensations and circumstances that might send the other 74.12% of the population screaming toward a plunge pool full of hand sanitizer.

Purple eyeshadow is back – here’s how to wear it now
Refresh your look with purples and periwinkles
Warm, earthy tones have dominated the eyeshadow sphere for some years. Responsible for creating that contoured while soft, smoked-out look, these shades will always have their place. But for 2023, cooler tones have clawed their way back. In line with the ’00s revival, shades of silver, grey and taupe are back – and when it comes to colour, purple is the ‘it’ shade.

It Took 40 Years Of Silent Pain For Selma Blair To Receive Her Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis. Now, She’s Done Staying Quiet
After revealing her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis to her now 3.1 million Instagram followers in 2018, Blair – famed for roles in Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde and Hellboy – has emerged as one of the most well-known faces in the world with a disability. It means she has become adept at working around the constraints of MS, though admits it can be “overwhelming”. “I can be sat on the couch and then I wake up. I’ve passed out and have no idea where I am,” she says, her voice occasionally tremoring.

At 65, Andie McDowell Is A Silver-Haired Goddess
An actor who is still as in demand now as she was at the start of her career in the ’70s, there is something about Andie MacDowell. How many of us fell in love with her as Carrie – the sophisticated American among bumbling Brits – in Four Weddings and a Funeral? Nowadays, she is just as beloved in the beauty world as she is in the film space; she’s L’Oréal’s longest-serving spokesperson; a purveyor of all manner of brilliant red carpet make-up looks; and has also played a pivotal role in making grey hair a look to embrace, rather than disguise.

“The Phantom of the Opera” Takes a Final Bow
Vinson Cunningham, Helen Shaw, and Michael Schulman revisit Andrew Lloyd Webber’s mega-musical.
It’s a prematurely warm spring in New York—people are outside, promenading up and down the crowded sidewalks, colors are exploding, pollen is profligate. But, amid so much liveliness, there’s a kind of funeral happening on Broadway. On Sunday, April 16th, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s big, bombastic, shamelessly maudlin, undeniably iconic musical “The Phantom of the Opera” played its last show at the Majestic Theatre. Opening in 1988, “Phantom” became the longest-running show in Broadway history. In traffic-choked midtown, it’s quite palpably the end of an era.

Broken Ribs, Exploded Discs and Gunshot Wounds: Actors on How Much They’ve Suffered for the Craft
The Hollywood Reporter discovered that Colin Farrell put up with heart palpitations, David Arquette got shot in the leg, Joshua Jackson’s disc exploded, Charlie Hunnam battled dengue fever and Betty Gilpin got a concussion, to name but a few.
Fame is far from the only occupational hazard in Hollywood.
Lately, it seems there’s a new headline every week detailing the varying degrees actors have suffered for the craft — everything from the psychological torture of getting in character to broken limbs or back injuries while filming and even the mental gymnastics required to decompress from a difficult role. Or, simply fainting while watching another actor suffer.

Elizabeth Taylor’s crown jewels: a glimpse inside her glittering personal collection
As Tuppence Middleton dazzles in jewels worthy of Elizabeth Taylor in Tatler’s June issue, Contributing Jewellery Editor Emma Samuel showcases the actress’s most extravagant pieces
Picture Elizabeth Taylor and you will likely conjure an image of the quintessential diva dripping in jewels with glamour beyond measure. Accumulated through decades spent in Hollywood (and a string of ex-husbands), Taylor’s remarkable private jewellery collection boasts twinkling tiaras and the most bedazzling of Bulgari emeralds. Taylor once said, ‘You can’t cry on a diamond’s shoulder and diamonds won’t keep you warm at night, but they’re sure fun when the sun shines.’ Auctioned at her request following her passing in 2011, her treasure trove raised over £140 million for charity. Here, a peek into her extraordinarily extravagant jewellery box…

Celebrating Elizabeth Taylor’s most fabulous fashion moments, as cover star Tuppence Middleton brings her to life on stage
Style Editor Chandler Tregaskes shares Elizabeth Taylor’s words to live by – and most iconic looks – in honour of June cover star Tuppence Middleton
A pioneer in film, fashion and fabulousness, Elizabeth Taylor’s enduring legacy is one of unbridled glamour. The original Hollywood darling, Taylor’s penchant for lavish extravagance has informed and influenced generations of elegant aesthetes who look to the star for lessons in chic. Now, as Tatler’s June issue cover star Tuppence Middleton portrays the icon in The Motive and The Cue, Taylor’s teachings have never been so relevant.

Buckinghamshire mansion with fascinating ties to the Bonapartes, Queen Elizabeth I and Wallis Simpson is on the market for £75 million
Denham Place, which is on the market for £75 million, has hosted royalty, theatre heavyweights and a king of the gilded age
A magnificently opulent mansion which has been a hive of activity for British high society for more than three centuries has come to market.
Denham Place, in the exclusive Buckinghamshire village of Denham, is a resplendent 17th century pile boasting 12 palatial bedroom suites, a vast lake and exquisite gardens designed by Capability Brown. Formerly the home of exiled members of the Bonaparte family and the influential American financier J. P. Morgan, the property is now on the market for £75 million.

The History of Wizard Robes
Getty medievalist Larisa Grollemond discusses the real history of magical fashion
Robes were commonly worn by real citizens of the middle ages, namely scholars. The tradition associating robes and scholars goes back to 12th-century Europe, when the first universities were founded.
Many of the students at Europe’s first medieval universities were clergy, and, in the first college towns, their robes marked them as different from the regular townspeople.

[Photo Credit: sirenuse.it]

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