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Each month we share five unmissable things
to see and
do in The Golden State. You heard
it here first. |
Words by KELSEY McKINNON |
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Buy This |
A Collaboration of Dreams |
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Laura Vassar, co-founder of the women’s ready-to-wear luxury label Brock Collection, takes her bedtime routine very seriously. The Newport Beach native decompresses after a long day with yoga or meditation before turning to Nature of Things’ newly launched Rejuvenating Overnight Facial Masks. The California-based beauty company was co-founded by Vassar’s childhood friend, J.P. Collett, who suggested that they collaborate on a collection of luxurious sleep essentials. Together, the two brands dreamt up a limited-edition headband, eye mask and rose-and-lavender-filled dream pillow crafted in soft whimsical fabrics printed with French florals (the pattern is from the archives of Maison BUCOL, a French fabric mill Brock Collection often works with). Bonne nuit! natureofthings.com.
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Listen to This |
The Return of the San Francisco Symphony |
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Opening night at Davies Hall this season — or, as they are calling it, Re-Opening Night — marks a turning point in the history of the storied San Francisco Symphony. After Michael Tilson Thomas’s epic quarter-century-long tenure at the helm (he’s now music director laureate), the event will be music director Esa-Pekka Salonen’s chance to showcase a bit of what he has in store for the highly anticipated (and in-person!) 2021-2022 season. We know that Salonen, the Finnish conductor who for 17 years was the head of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (where he is now conductor laureate), is planning to shake things up with unconventional creative collaborations. The program on Re-Opening Night, for example, includes dancers from Alonzo King LINES Ballet performing original choreography by the company’s founder, and singer and bassist esperanza spalding plus a guest jazz trio performing Wayne Shorter’s Gaia with the symphony. The performance will be recorded live for Great Performances on PBS, and proceeds will benefit the symphony’s myriad artistic, community and education programs. Sounds like a recipe for success. sfsymphony.org/reopeningnight. |
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Indulge in This |
Wine and Wellness in One |
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As California’s harvest season kicks into high gear this month, oenophiles now have another reason to head to wine country. Sonoma’s serene Farmhouse Inn, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, has opened the doors to a new Wellness Barn — and by “barn” we mean a luxurious 3,000-square-foot, three-treatment-room facility with private en suite baths all housed in a beautiful open-air, horse stable-inspired structure with wide shutters, tall ceilings, stable doors and custom equestrian drawings. Visitors to the 10-acre property can choose from a range of holistic treatments all inspired by the Russian River Valley, including a massage with warm basalt stones and cool gemstones; a sensory treatment with Pacific sea-salt exfoliation, wild mustard seeds, purifying clays and coastal redwood mists; and the Spirit Path experience, which features healing quartz sound therapy, energy balancing and meridian-point massage. Many of the ingredients used in the spa are grown on the property or locally sourced, including passionflower (which is used in a specialty tea for relaxation), wild mustard seed (used in a mud mask and a great source of magnesium to promote sleep), oakmoss oil (helps with breathing during massage treatments) and redwood oil (calming for mind and spirit), as well lavender, rosemary, peppermint and sage. After a day of barrel-tasting, a trip to the barn will leave you feeling perfectly farm fresh. farmhouseinn.com. |
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Watch This Space |
A Design Empire Rises |
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Una Malan, the well-heeled proprietor of the eponymous La Cienega Design Quarter boutique, is on the move. The British native, who left her interior-design business in London to be the West Coast director of The Rug Company, launched her showroom five years ago importing luxury brands including Rose Uniacke, Matt Castilleja, Gabriel Scott and Lucas Leibman. Now she’s expanding with a second showroom in San Francisco’s Design Center while simultaneously designing a new private-home showroom concept in the Hollywood Hills called Una Casa Privada. Malan is busy infusing the historic Spanish-style home, which she expects to be completed in the next few months, with a roster of designers along with pieces from her burgeoning in-house line of furniture. Talk about a dream home. unamalan.com. |
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Book This |
Songs While You Sup |
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Beginning in the summer of 2015, Corey McGuire, a young entrepreneur who had recently moved to L.A. from the Pacific Northwest, started opening up his live/work loft on Electric Avenue to young artists who were also new to Venice. That quickly snowballed into a weekly concert series hosting hundreds of emerging and popular artists, who over the years have included some of the biggest names in the biz (Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, A$AP Ferg, Janelle Monáe and Weezer). This month, McGuire, who has teamed up with co-owner Jake Mathews (The Waterfront Venice), opens a modern-day supper club, run by Andy Vaughan (Soho House Malibu and Buddakan NY), called Winston House (named after McGuire’s childhood dog). Inside the former St. Mark’s Jazz Club in the heart of Venice, designers Michael Baker and Bridget Rynne reimagined the space with inspiration from McGuire’s original loft, Wes Anderson films and traditional supper clubs. Executive chef Jared Dowling (The Fat Radish and Habitas) is in the kitchen whipping up elevated bar fare (think duck tacos, carrots hijiki and truffle steak frites), while Dave Purcell (NoMad Los Angeles and the Melrose Umbrella Company) will oversee the cocktail program. For his part, McGuire will curate the music, which on any given night may feature surprise performances by up-and-coming talent or a global superstar. winstonhouse.com. |
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