Tag Archives: Icons

New Hospitality Books: “Amerifine – Hotels: Icons Of American Luxury (2020)

The fifty independently owned and operated hotels in this book make up the best of Amerifine Icons of American Luxury - Hotels - Assouline April 2020what the United States can offer: extraordinary locations, exquisite design, fantastic food, and boundless comfort. These first-class establishments are run by American hoteliers with a passion for proper American hospitality.

Over the course of the last two centuries, the American hotel has become a fixture of the modern lifestyle and a concept that has revolutionized travel, created subcultures, and given new meaning to locales both urban and remote. A superior hotel is much more than a place to spend the night: it is an institution, a cultural center, an icon of luxury. Since the 19th-century opening of the Tremont House—America’s very first five-star hotel—the great American hotels have come to symbolized style, opulence and social distinction to well-heeled travelers from around the globe.

Amerifine Icons of American Luxury - Hotels - Assouline April 2020

Amerifine, a discerning voice of American luxury, has endeavored to curate the finest, most iconic expressions of American hospitality currently in operation. Without exception, each hotel pictured here fulfills and transcends the great responsibility of the modern hotel: to turn each visitor’s experience of their destination into something truly memorable.

Faye Mythen was born in London but lives between the USA and Europe. She is a passionate Ameriphile and founded Amerifine to promote the most ambitious and well-loved American luxury brands and hotels and experiences. Mythen’s career spans 25 years as a entrepreneur, uncovering new businesses, several of which embody America’s proud history of excellence, craftsmanship and great design.

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Style: A Look At NYC Home Of The Late Lee Radziwill – “Muse To Warhol And Capote” In 1960’s & 70’s

Fluent in French and Italian, Lee Bouvier Radziwill was able to navigate New York and European high society, and support her sister Jackie, who became the First At Home With Lee Radziwill Christies video April 5 2020Lady when her husband John F. Kennedy was elected President.

Fashion writer Hamish Bowles said Radziwill ‘defined dynamic American style for decades’. In fact it was Lee’s innate style that helped shape Jackie Kennedy’s wardrobe and transformed her into a fashion icon. Lee had a taste for the exotic and unexpected, and understood how clothes could be used to make a statement in the political arena.

She was one of Truman Capote’s ‘Swans’ — the beautiful socialites he doted on — and when he threw his spectacular Black and White masked ball at The Plaza in 1966, she was a guest of honor.

Lee was just as comfortable at the Factory, mingling with Gerard Malanga and Andy Warhol, or on the Rolling Stones’ tour bus with Mick Jagger and his wife Bianca, who holidayed with her in the Hamptons.

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Super Bowl Ads: Planters To Kill Off 114-Year Old “Mr. Peanut” (1916 – 2020)

From an AdWeek online article:

AdWeek logo“It’s with heavy hearts that we confirm Mr. Peanut has passed away at 104 years old,” said Samantha Hess, brand manager for Planters, in a statement. “He will be remembered as the Mr. Peanut in 1950'slegume who always brought people together for nutty adventures and a good time. We encourage fans to tune in to Mr. Peanut’s funeral during the third quarter of the Super Bowl to celebrate his life.”

In a shocking move, Planters, the Kraft-Heinz-owned snack brand, has killed off its iconic mascot in a teaser for its Big Game spot. Mr. Peanut’s untimely demise began with a Nutmobile crash, followed by falling off a cliff and ending in an explosion.

In the 30-second teaser, Mr. Peanut is driving his signature Nutmobile around a winding cliff with actors Matt Walsh (Veep) and Wesley Snipes in the front and back seat, respectively. Walsh spots an armadillo in the road, and Mr. Peanut swerves—right off the cliff.

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1960’s Cinema Icons: Remembering French “Bond Girl” Claudine Auger (1941 -2019)

From a France24.com online release:

Thunderball Movie 007The film’s trailer introduced Auger as: “Young. Beautiful. Trapped. Could be dangerous”.

French actress Claudine Auger, best known to international audiences playing alongside Sean Connery in the 1965 James Bond film “Thunderball”, has died aged 78, her agent said Thursday.

She played the character “Domino” in the film, the fourth in the Bond franchise, which was set in the Bahamas providing ample opportunity for swimsuit action scenes.

To read more: https://www.france24.com/en/20191219-auger-thunderball-bond-girl-dies-aged-78

1960’s Icons: Remembering French New Wave Actress Anna Karina (1940-2019)

From a Hollywood Reporter online article:

It was during a run-in with Coco Chanel in 1958 that Hanne-Karine changed her name to Anna Karina, which the fashion designer told her sounded better. She used the moniker for her movie career, which began in earnest in 1960 with A Woman Is a Woman— just Godard’s second feature to be released —and lasted until 2008 with Victoria, a road movie she directed as well as starred in.

Anna Karina, the French New Wave starlet who rose to international acclaim in films directed by her then-husband Jean-Luc Godard, has died. She was 79.

She and Godard were married from 1961-64, and she served as his muse in such memorable works as A Woman Is a Woman (1961) — for which she received a Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival — Vivre sa vie (1962), Band of Outsiders (1964), Pierrot le Fou (1965) and Alphaville (1965).

The actress’ productive career was not limited to the movies of Godard, however. She accumulated more than 50 feature credits, working with other major auteurs like Jacques Rivette, Luchino Visconti, Chris Marker, Volker Schlöndorff and Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

To read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/anna-karina-dead-radiant-actress-jean-luc-godard-muse-was-79-1203437?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%20Breaking%20News_now_2019-12-15%2003:47:13_ARahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_breakingnews

Celebrity Documentaries: “Very Ralph” On HBO Profiles 50 Years Of Ralph Lauren Fashion (HBO)

From a The Cut online review:

Lauren lived his life as a character in his own movie, and his clothes allowed his customers to do the same. Some days he was Rick from Casablanca, dressed in a double-breasted white dinner jacket, and other days he was a cowboy, wearing jeans and cowboy boots with a blazer.

Ralph Lauren is “zee American designer,” says Karl Lagerfeld in Very Ralph, a new HBO documentary on the Bronx-born fashion icon. Coming from zee most prolific French designer of the 20th and 21st centuries, that’s saying a lot. But the film, which premiers today, supports that statement, illustrating with interviews and archival footage how he’s successfully sold an American fantasy to a global audience for over 50 years.

To read more: https://www.thecut.com/2019/11/ralph-lauren-documentary-very-ralph-hbo.html