T LOunge for September 15th, 2023

PinSal Restaurant at Four Season Tamarindo – Jalisco, Mexico

Settle in, darlings. It’s FRIDAY. The sea, sky, comfortable seating, bottomless cocktails and endless nibblies are all yours for the day. Congratulations. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a sickening amount of content to spew at you today.

Annie Lennox Performs “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” at Vogue World: London
The ultimate delight at Vogue World: London, already a night of star-studded interactions and larger-than-life celebrity looks, took place when singer Annie Lennox took the stage and performed a surprise rendition of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” for an awed all-star crowd.

Revisiting Cecil Beaton’s Costumes for the Original Production of My Fair Lady
Central to its success (and its expense): the clothes, conceived by Vogue’s Cecil Beaton. Lerner and Loewe, who masterminded the musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, scouted the photographer for the role of costume designer before My Fair Lady’s Broadway debut in 1956. As the former put it, “His very look is such that it is difficult to know whether he designed the Edwardian era or whether the Edwardian era designed him.” Beaton had, in fact, spent his childhood collecting postcards of turn-of-the-century actresses and browsing Les Modes, a magazine first published in 1901 and devoted to black-and-white portraits in the style of Sargent and Whistler.

The peplum is back, whether you’re ready or not
This divisive silhouette has crept into the new-season collections – and it’s a chicer proposition than you may think
When peplum waistlines were sprinkled across the runways at the AW22 shows last year, we paid them little attention in the hope they’d remain firmly in the last decade. But the peplum persisted: and now, true to the theory, we’re finding ourselves coming around to it.
There’s no denying the style is back, with designers from Alexander McQueen – whose pre-AW23 collection is full of spectacular fit-and-flare pieces – to Alaïa, Richard Quinn, Harris Reed and Dior all embracing the waist-centric silhouette.

Princess Diana’s famous sheep jumper sells in auction for $1.14 million
The royal’s knit has become one of her most iconic wears of all time
The style of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, will forever be a source of inspiration to many. But now, someone will actually own one of Princess Diana’s most famous pieces: the ‘black sheep’ jumper that was once part of her everyday wardrobe.
The special item from knitwear brand Warm & Wonderful sold for an impressive $1.14 million (approximately £916,700) at Sotheby’s auction house in New York this week, far exceeding the original estimated value of £40,000 to £70,000.

“His characters are so incredibly vivid”: Gala Gordon on Vanya, a radical reinterpretation of Chekhov’s masterpiece
When I discovered that the formidable actor Andrew Scott (who you’ll know from Fleabag)was collaborating with celebrated playwright Simon Stephens and director Sam Yates on a new version of Chekhov’s masterpiece, entitled Vanya, I jumped at the chance to hear their thoughts. With a deep desire to return to the stage, Scott tells me he craved a “brass tacks version of theatre – storytelling at its most essential form was very appealing to me”. This production reunites Scott and Stephens, who previously collaborated on Sea Wall and Birdland; and Scott with Yates following their work together on the short film, The Hope Rooms.

Why this wellness haven in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is the perfect hotel choice for The White Lotus season 3
We visited the exceptional retreat to find out.
You only need to take the briefest look at someone’s ‘Thailand’ highlight on Instagram to catch a glimpse of the iconic, mountainous green landscape of Chiang Mai. One of the most popular cities in the whole of the Southeast Asian country, and the birthplace of my half-Thai husband’s mother, there was no doubt about it; my first visit to the country had to be all about this blissfully picturesque capital of the North.

Talking About My Generation
From millennial pink to gen X’s ‘You Do You’ attitude and the recession proof wealth of boomers, generational signifiers have become gratingly ubiquitous and polarising. But where does our compulsion to label our traits come from, and can it be used for a force for good?
Generational labels have become enough of a focal point that those who were born in the liminal years between generations have even come up with their own micro-labels – ‘Zennials’ for those in their mid-20s or ‘elder millennials’ for those in their late-30s. Xiennials (for that micro generation at the tail end of X and start of Millennials who don’t relate to either); Pro, Mid, and Nouveau Millennials, Neo Boomers, Gen XS, Gen Xenos – the implication is that their unique position straddling two generations confers a unique set of experiences which they alone can claim.

Bethann Hardison on Her Decades-Long Fight to Diversify Fashion
A new documentary, Invisible Beauty, chronicles the model, agent, and activist’s advocacy for greater representation in fashion. Here, she reflects on her work.
“There was only one time when I doubted myself, and it was at my first runway show, for Chester Weinberg, a top designer at the time. It was like I’d walked into the wrong neighborhood and there was no way I could get out because everyone was watching. It was just that I was a different type of model. That’s not what brown models looked like then; they were a little bit more sophisticated, and I was more edgy. Chester stood behind his decision to have me in the show and made sure that he gave me confidence. I had to go back in front of the audience another two more times, and all I wanted to do was go to the bathroom and hide.”

20 Two-Toned Hairstyles That Are Bold, Yet Wearable
As popular as Barbie blonde and bronde hair colors are, there’s something to be said for embracing more boldly-colored hairstyles. We’re not just talking about picking a single vivid or pastel color and calling it a day, though. Instead, we’re seeing more and more celebrities and people IRL experimenting with two-toned hairstyles.
“The way you style two-toned hair depends a lot on the placement of the dominant tones,” says colorist and R+Co collective member Richy Kandasamy. “You can choose to showcase the colors prominently for a bold and vibrant look, or you can hide them for a more subtle and reserved appearance. Being versatile with your hair color and style allows you to adapt to different occasions and moods, which is a fantastic way to express your personal style.”

Dolly Parton Wants to Help You Prepare for the Holidays With Her New Sugar Cookie Kit
Dolly always has your back.
We’re not even halfway through September, but it’s apparently not too early to start thinking about the holidays. Some big box retailers have started stacking their Christmas and Hanukkah decor in the aisles beside the Halloween candy, and other seasonal releases are quietly hitting shelves too. One early seasonal arrival is the latest collaboration between Dolly Parton and Duncan Hines — but let’s be honest, we’re always excited to see ANYTHING involving that particular icon. (We mean Dolly, but you’re alright too, Duncan.)

Regent Seven Seas Is About to Launch a Whole New Ship, and It Comes With 130 New Dishes to Try at Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Set sail on a culinary journey.
In November 2023, Seven Seas Grandeur, the newest ship from Regent Seven Seas Cruises, will set sail. And it’s unveiling 130 new dishes for guests to enjoy with it.
“For over 30 years, we have provided our guests with the highest standards in luxury travel, from personalized on-board service and immersive destination experiences to perfecting epicurean offerings across the world’s most luxurious fleet,” Andrea DeMarco, the president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, shared in a statement provided to Food & Wine. “As a celebration of Regent’s heritage, Seven Seas Grandeur has been stunningly reimagined for the future, enhancing the eclectic culinary experiences found on board through delightfully refined menus and beautifully reimagined specialty restaurants.”

Get Excited, Olive Garden Is Bringing Back Its Never Ending Pasta Bowl
Olive Garden eClub members can get it even earlier.
The carb kings at Olive Garden have just revealed that Never Ending Pasta Bowl is making its triumphant return this fall, from Monday, September 25 through Sunday, November 19. The big change this year is that members of the Olive Garden eClub can enjoy an extra week of this limited-time offer; anyone who signs up for the eClub before Saturday, September 16, can start enjoying their own Never Ending orders on Monday, September 18.

Donyale Luna, the Trailblazing Black Supermodel Gets Her Due
A new HBO documentary sheds light on the complicated story of the fashion pioneer.
If Donyale Luna stepped onto the scene today, she would be an instant It Girl. An ethereal beauty over six feet tall with doe eyes and an otherworldly charisma, the model and actor was a muse of Salvador Dalí, a favorite of famed fashion photographer Richard Avedon, a collaborator of Federico Fellini, and a part of the glamorous group of art world iconoclasts that orbited Andy Warhol’s Factory in the ‘60s. HBO’s Donyale Luna: Supermodel, now streaming, explores her life and influence via a trove of diary entries, archival footage, and interviews with those who knew Luna best. But unlike the supermodel documentaries of late, which detail the careers and legacies of various household names from Bethann Hardison to Naomi Campbell, Donyale Luna: Supermodel seeks to explain to the viewer why exactly it is that they aren’t familiar with Luna, given that she was the first Black model to cover Vogue.

A tourist broke a historic statue in Brussels one day after it was unveiled to the public following a 3-year restoration project that cost more than $18,000
A video showed a tourist climbing on top of a statue and breaking off a piece.
Police later arrested the tourist at a fast food joint.
The man who helped restore the statue said he felt sad the statue was broken so soon after it was unveiled to the public.

12 Groovy ’70s Makeup Looks, Updated for 2023
Disco glitter and bushy brows are back and ready to boogie.
The ’70s brought us disco! The women’s liberation movement! Charlie’s Angels! So it’s only fitting that this groovy era would bring us beauty trends that could still hold their own on TikTok. Would-be Fleetwood Mac groupies will relish in bare skin and thick, natural brows. Club-goers will love bringing back glitter and spiked lower lashes. And Farrah Fawcett herself would approve of the pastel eyeshadows and dewy foundation.
To help us bring these trends into 2023, we asked the pros to break down the best ’70s makeup trends and their must-have products to get the look.
Why are so many useless cold medicines littering pharmacy shelves?
Phenylephrine and other medications that contain it, like Sudafed PE, don’t work.
On September 12, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel agreed unanimously that phenylephrine, a common decongestant that’s part of many over-the-counter cough and cold medications, is ineffective as an oral medication.
That means name-brand medicines like Sudafed PE and Dayquil, which contain the drug, aren’t working as advertised. If you have a runny nose, these medications likely aren’t doing anything to clear it up.

Inside the very strange, very expensive race to “de-age”
“Young blood,” starvation, fruit-only diets: How the rich are striving to “age in reverse”
Rich tech entrepreneurs are by all accounts a hyper-competitive bunch.
Whether it’s taking a shuttle to the edge of space, buying the biggest yacht, or challenging one another to a cage fight, with great wealth and power seems to come a voracious desire to engage in games of one-upmanship.
The Rejuvenation Olympics, an online leaderboard launched by tech millionaire Bryan Johnson earlier this year, takes the rivalry of the rich to the next level. The game? “Reversing” your age.

An Illustrated Guide to Toppling the Patriarchy
In its first half-century, Ms. magazine upended norms, disrupted the print world and made trouble. It was a start.
Of course, what older readers probably remember are the magazine’s bread and butter, all those unapologetically feminist features and sidebars that combined the political with the personal and boasted bylines like Audre Lorde, Barbara Ehrenreich, Susan Brownmiller and Eleanor Holmes Norton. Containing stories on everything from the question of equal pay to the politics of body hair, “50 Years of Ms.” provides a snapshot of the issues facing many American women from the 1970s on, including the concerns and contributions of Black women to the 20th-century feminist and political project.

John Waters Talks Trash, Divine Inspirations and Why Anti-Drag Laws Are Doomed to Fail
“I haven’t changed,” says Waters. “It’s the culture that’s come around.” Or has it? “To watch ‘Pink Flamingos’ now is worse because of political correctness,” he says. “You can’t say ‘fat’ anymore. You can’t do anything.” He adds, “But I don’t want to retire. I’m busier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.” (Waters travels to roughly 45 speaking engagements each year, including off-color Christmas and Easter shows. He hosts the John Waters Summer Camp, where fans come dressed as favorite characters, and does voice work for Disney cartoons and kids shows, of all things.)

The Difference Between a Duvet and a Comforter—Plus, Choosing the Best Option for You
Find the bedcovering that’s best for you with this comprehensive guide.
As you upgrade your bedding to prepare for the season of chilly nights and cozy mornings, understanding the difference between a duvet and a comforter can help you choose the bed-covering that’s best for your sleep style. From warmth and washability to fashion and construction, consider these elements when choosing the winter-ready blanket that works for you.

4 Ways to Keep Matching Sheet Sets Together in the Closet
Stay organized and save time with these four methods for keeping sheet sets sorted, recommended by professional organizers.
There’s something satisfying about unwrapping a fresh new set of sheets that are folded into a perfectly neat, pressed rectangle. But after a few washes—and maybe some less-than-perfect folding of the dreaded fitted sheet—that previously perfect set of sheets can turn into one big jumble of fabric. Multiply that by a house-full of beds, and it’s easy to understand how a linen closet can become one big mess.

This 900-mile Amtrak Route Takes You to Some of the Best Music Cities in the U.S.
Meet Amtrak’s City of New Orleans train, which goes through some of America’s best music cities in one journey.
Amtrak may be best known for its commuter rails through the Northeast Corridor and down the California coast, however, it’s time for train travelers to get to know more of its routes. Including the epic City of New Orleans train, which takes travelers through some of America’s best music cities in one journey.
The City of New Orleans train originates in Chicago, where Amtrak suggests visitors take in a show by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra — it was founded in the late 19th century and still puts on more than 150 performances a year. Travelers can board with tickets for coach class seats, roomlets, or the one-bedroom suites, which come with a private in-room bathroom complete with a shower. (They just might be the ideal room for a trip traveling the nation’s length from North to South.)

[Photo Credit: fourseasons.com]

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