The Marchesa Bridal Capsule Collection for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts

There are a couple of things I have in common with Marchesa’s designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig. First, my eternal love for a gown moment, and second, the St. Regis New York. For the past two fashion weeks Marchesa has shown their Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 collection in the opulent ballroom that brings to life the fantasy of their designs. Taking the relationship further, they just realeased a Marchesa Bridal Capsule Collection of exclusive and one-of-a-kind couture bridal gowns inspired by iconic St. Regis destinations around the world: Mumbai, Dubai, Punta Mita and New York.

Below is a look at the four romantic visions come to life we photographed in a suite at the St. Regis that left me dreaming of weddings all over again…. New York

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St. Regis New York

Oh the glamorous St. Regis New York hotel. I seem to always find myself here if it’s for a photoshoot, to film a video, attend a midnight supper, watch a  New York Fashion Week designer shows, or meet a client at the King Cole Bar for cocktails. Nestled in the heart of Manhattan its unyielding standard of elegance, history, and hospitality make it the perfect place to find yourself for any reason. Having just finished a new redesign throughout the hotel the property feels contemporary and fresh without loosing the formality synonymous with its name.

When Kevin and I wrapped a very intense shoot out in L.A. last week for Volvo we decided to carve out some R&R time, and take a moment to celebrate how far we have come and what we have survived (cough, 3AM call times three days in a row). Since I went for days shooting outside with no makeup, dirty from crawling on the ground and sweaty from standing in the sun, I wanted full fledged romance with crystal chandeliers, red lipstick and high heels.

So we had a little staycation at the St. Regis New York with champagne and oysters, fine dining and dessert followed by sleeping late and lazy morning baths. It was heaven and for a moment, high atop a building in Midtown Manhattan, we felt like two kids drunk in love lost in a beautiful castle in the sky.

StRegis_NewYork_01 Above, Kevin wears his new Ralph Lauren suit as we arrive to the St. Regis with our Hartmann Tweed weekender. Below, I wear a Ralph Lauren white boatneck summer dress and Elie Tahari heels. StRegis_NewYork_02 Continue reading “St. Regis New York”

Ralph Lauren Holiday Bloody Mary

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I love this time of year, the seasonal cocktails you sip by the roaring fire and if you’re like me, Nat King Cole’s Christmas song filling the room. Tomorrow I head home to Texas to be with my family and I look forward to the mulled wine, hot toddies, and yes, even egg nog. I like indulging a bit during the holiday season, and there is always something fun about the idea of having a bloody mary with breakfast.

When Ralph Lauren Magazine sent us on assignment to the historic King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel to direct a short piece about a holiday twist on the traditional bloody mary I was all in. I mean, to learn from the original creators of this classic cocktail was such a honor, which you can read all about here.

Kevin and I had such a fun time filming this at the King Cole Bar which is one of my favorite places in Manhattan to have a dirty martini after a day of mid-town meetings. I also love any chance I can get to see behind the scenes of how a place operates and to have such a legendary bartender make nine bloody mary’s for us… for filming purposes obviously.

So cheers! And mom if you’re reading this, can you pick up the ingredients before I get home? 

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See the full story and recipe at Ralph Lauren Magazine  & Happy Holidays! 

A Travel Giveaway

A major giveaway for a new generation of global travelers experiencing a new grand tour!

For the past two weeks I’ve shared with you our #GrandTourista journey with the St. Regis and all the wonder, beauty, and romance of Florence. I acquired sweet memories I’ll cherish forever and knowledge about a place that opened my eyes and heart… that’s the power of travel! The St. Regis is generously giving away a 5-night stay at a grand debut hotel of your choice and The Grand Tourista Bag designed by Jason Wu for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts —

Follow @StRegisHotels on Instagram to learn more about how you can win!

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The Finest Silk

Silk has been in Italy for nearly one thousand years, but only one silk house has lasted through the ages.

Antico Setificio Fiorentino is the oldest silk-weaving workshop in Florence, in operation since 1786 with roots back to the Medici in the fifteenth century. There’s such amazing history in the shop… they still use the same 18th century looms (designed by da Vinci!), weave traditional patterns in bottegas, and only use hand-dyed silks without any chemical treatments.

The final product is absolutely breathtaking – rich in color, luxurious in sheen, and a wondrous work of art. It’s no wonder at quality this high they can count the Russian tzar and the Royal Palace of Denmark among their prestigious roster of clients.

  

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…and then we ate

I knew going to Italy was going to mean a couple of things…

Good wine, good food, and especially good pasta, and I was certainly not let down. Our mornings started with breakfast on the private terrace outside our bedroom overlooking Florence’s Arno River… but that was just the beginning. Pour yourself a glass of wine (and one for me too) and let’s tour a taste of Italy!

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The Grand Hotel

What is it like to step into a dream? To walk through doors where the historic Medici family lived and great works of art hung? To stay in a hotel that feels more like a home than your real home? The St. Regis Florence so graciously showed me all of these things as part of their #grandtourista tour. When you walk through the halls, the perfume of Firenze wraps around you and the balcony doors overlooking this magnificent city glide open filling your heart with romance and your soul with visual beauty. For a few lovely nights I lived in a dream, one of true elegance aided by the best personal service I have ever experienced. I’m sure you will believe me when I say my eyes watered with overwhelming beauty and love for the St. Regis, my dream home away from home….

Won’t you look inside with me?

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Packed & Ready to Go.

Hopefully by now you’ve all seen via Instagram that I spent this past weekend in Florence, Italy on behalf of St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and their #GrandTourista experience. We travel quite a bit for work (was in Palm Springs this time last week and will be in DC next!) so I have packing down to an art.

St. Regis Hotels and designer Jason Wu collaborated on the perfect travel tote inspired by luxury, style and elegance for the modern day traveler and here is what I never leave home without (from the top down) when traveling:

  • A good magazine. So PDN might be a bit photo-geeky, but it’s one of my favorite industry reads.
  • A soft scarf. This purple & green Chopard scarf was a gift handmade in Italy & perfect for chilly moments.
  • Sunglasses. Just in case you get off the plane and the paparazzi are waiting… jk, but if your eyes look less than perky this will keep the rest of the world from knowing.
  • Eye mask. This is my favorite and yes, I always sleep on flights so I can hit the ground running.
  • Makeup, Jewelry, Amenities. The floral clutch, blue pouch and larger pink pouch are all handmade items from Of a Kind and where I keep my makeup, lipsticks, travel sized perfume, lotions, pills, and travel mirror. This is my favorite NARS all-in-one red lipstick to travel with; I never leave home without this elixir; planes tend to make skin very dry so I have Josie Maron Argan oilKiehl’s Lip Balm #1, and Olivina Fig Hand Cream.
  • Entertainment. iPad with books, movies, and games to pass the time & a super classic Tiffany & Co. iPad case. (Also, FYI, the iPad has become an amazing tool on location shoots to pull up inspiration photos to share with the model on set for what we are trying to achieve!) 
  • A camera. Any camera, because you never know when you need to snap a photo. I just acquired an old Olympus film camera after being inspired by this book given to me by a dear friend. I love it for being small and easy but ready to roll.
  • Writing utensils. I always take a journal and pen for moments when ideas come to me or someone suggests a restaurant I must go to where I’m traveling. My red journal was made in Florence with paper marbling edges, so beautiful.  You can buy it in NY in the seaport at Browne & Co. For a good pen, I *love* my Parker Pen with its beautiful old fashioned tip.
  • Last but not least, the passport. Here is a story to show you how much of a perfectionist I am: I went to three different stores to have my passport photo taken because I was unhappy with the quality of camera or quality of light used. I think of documentation photos as pieces of my history, I want my grandchildren to discover this one day and see me at my best! It has also been very popular among passport control.

What do you put in your travel tote? Am I missing something I shouldn’t be living without?

The Grand Tourista Bag by Jason Wu for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts—for a new generation of global travelers experiencing a new grand tour.