Saks Celebrates Nili Lotan, Antonio Marras Lands in Rome, Mara Hoffman for One & Only
NILI’S NIGHT: Ahead of her upcoming 20th anniversary in business, Nili Lotan partnered with Saks for a celebratory dinner Thursday evening. Held at the fourth floor walk-up Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery, guests like Jacqueline Jablonski, Colin King, Alex Tieghi-Walker, Beverly Nguyen, DeVonn Francis, Anh Duong, Alexander Roth and Saks’ Roopal Patel and Tracy Margolies were treated to a special dinner by former Bon Appetit editor Andy Baraghani. Nili Lotan has been carried by Saks for roughly a year and a half.
The art gallery venue is in TriBeCa, where Lotan has lived since 2006.
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“I am a TriBeCa queen,” the designer said during cocktails. “I live in TriBeCa, my studio is in TriBeCa, my store is in TriBeCa. As a matter of fact, my studio was right next door to this gallery before the galleries were here. At one point there was a developer who brought all these galleries here. So I know this street by heart.”
She loves the “unpretentious and laid-back” nature of the neighborhood, noting her local haunts include The Odeon, where she is “almost every night.”
Adding a personal touch to the night was the custom plates at each place setting, designed with a motif Lotan’s mother had done years prior.
“My mom was a textile designer who never pursued her career. In her 20s she was caught in a war in Europe and immigrated to Israel, and had very limited possibilities to pursue her talents,” Lotan explained. “I wanted to honor her here because it’s a milestone in my career and I wanted her to be here.” — LEIGH NORDSTROM
BACK IN ROME: Antonio Marras has opened his namesake brand’s first store in Rome, which kicks off the distribution boost promised by the company’s new owner Gruppo Calzedonia.
Located in the luxury shopping street Via dei Condotti, the store marks a return to the Eternal City for the designer, who almost 30 years ago presented his first Alta Moda couture creations in Via Margutta, a stone’s throw from the retail space.
“It was right and proper to be back here,” said Marras about the store, which quietly opened at the beginning of the month and will be officially celebrated with an event on Thursday.
The unit carries both women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collections and accessories, as well as the designer’s artistic home objects and ceramics. These are flanked by books, drawings and portraits that Marras sketched exclusively for the store and that punctuate the location, further amplifying the feeling of stepping into a house rather than in a retail space.
A series of black-and-white rugs realized by a Sardinian craftsman based on Marras’ designs cover the marble flooring, while essential displays, wooden furniture and brass lamps finish off the interior concept.
As reported earlier this year, the brand was previously mainly distributed through the wholesale channel and Gruppo Calzedonia’s chairman Sandro Veronesi is committed to building a retail network. For one, Veronesi plans to emphasize the importance of the designer’s atelier in Alghero, in Sardinia, aiming to double the space of the boutique there and to refurbish it.
A store in Italy’s resort town Forte dei Marmi in early June and one in Venice will follow the opening in Rome. Other units opening in the fall might involve Florence or Naples, while a retail space in Milan is planned for early 2024.
Based in Verona, the hosiery, innerwear and swimwear group Gruppo Calzedonia acquired an 80 percent stake in Marras’ namesake brand last year, since then providing its retail and production experience, in addition to its financial muscle, to develop the label. The group also includes the Calzedonia, Intimissimi, Tezenis, Falconeri, Atelier Emé and Signorvino brands. — SANDRA SALIBIAN
FOCUSING ON MARA: One & Only, the ultra-luxury collection of resorts and private homes, is featuring Mara Hoffman, president and creative director of her eponymous brand, in its ad campaign.
Lachlan Bailey photographed Hoffman with her family and friends on holiday at One & Only Mandarina in Riviera Nayarit, a resort in Mexico.
Bailey captured candid images and videos as their holiday unfolded in real time. The photos show the family exploring the Riviera Nayarit via curated adventures, alfresco celebrations and quiet moments in nature.
“When selecting families to feature in the newest One & Only brand campaign, we were looking for a series of real people doing authentic things in one-off places,” said Brett Armitage, chief commercial officer, Kerzner International, whose holdings include One & Only Resorts.
“Mara Hoffman exemplifies the One & Only brand values — conscientious, accomplished and glamorous, and was purposely paired with One & Only Mandarina as her reputation and values mirror those of the resort. The campaign recognizes a desire for people to see content they can connect with. It further reflects the continued growth of multifamily travel and conveys the energy of the One & Only guest experience, local culture and genuine hospitality.”
Known for her sustainability initiatives, Hoffman said, “I am so grateful for the hospitality and respite that One & Only Manadrina offered me, my family and my friends in one of the most luxurious resorts, outshined only by its awe-inspiring, natural surroundings. Between walks amongst giant trees, surfing, visiting neighboring towns and moments of solitude and deep introspection, the balance of adventure and quiet serenity was unparalleled.”
The ads launch in March across print and digital media worldwide, and there are several short videos portraying Hoffman and her family.
Hoffman is the first in an installment of a three-year series that will feature modern, multigenerational families meant to exemplify the One & Only values and epitomize diversity across ethnicity, gender, age and lifestyles. — LISA LOCKWOOD
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