Summer Ready
Summer in the city. Or the country. Or the beach.
As the weather warms and the days grow longer, many people are thinking of how they can enjoy the next few months and plotting their getaways. Judging from the huge crowds in Europe and the U.S., thousands already are escaping — by one estimate, the number of American tourists in Paris this summer is expected to almost double. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific region is also seeing a huge increase as pandemic-related travel restrictions are lifted.
These travelers are splurging. Airlines are expanding the number of business class seats to meet surging demand, while high-end hotels and restaurants are booked months in advance. Still looking for quiet luxury away from the crowds? WWD Weekend offers tips of five lesser-visited locales, including Portugal and Slovenia. We also catch up with Rosewood Hotel Group's Sonia Cheng on the company's expansion from London to Abu Dhabi, and do a deep dive into the French coastal city of Marseille which, while not always on everyone's bucket list, is definitely worth visiting.
And what would summer be without dining alfresco? While it became the norm during the pandemic no matter the season for safety reasons, there are few things better than whiling away a balmy summer afternoon over a lunch outdoors, or watching the shadows lengthen while having dinner outside. To help, we introduce the first in WWD Weekend's new Ultimate Guide series, this time about alfresco dining. See how many you can hit this summer, from the Hamptons to Montenegro and beyond. Summer, for those who like wine, means rosé, so WWD Weekend offers tips on how to enjoy the pink wine, especially French – which ranges in color from pale to deep raspberry. Another hint: while many like it ice cold, that can kill the complexity, so watch the temperature carefully.
Holiday or no holiday, summer is another excuse to pamper ourselves. So WWD Weekend takes a deep dive into the latest beauty products; the best sunscreens to protect skin in this time of climate change; spas to treat oneself, and one of the latest beauty treatments in L.A., sound. “What sound healing does is, it induces what they say is an altered state of consciousness, and it does that by vibrating our cells at different frequencies,” Staci Levine, founder of Sacred Woman Collection, told WWD's L.A. Eye and Beauty reporter Ryma Chikhoune.
After the pampering, what about some new clothes or accessories? We pick men's fashion essentials for the season — from the swim trunks to the blouson — and dive into the latest diving watches. Then there is our new feature, Mood Board, talking to legendary accessories designers about where they get their inspiration. WWD senior fashion market editor for accessories Thomas Waller kicks things off with Dior Joaillarie's Victoire de Castellane, who wants her creations to be associated with "joy, nature, freedom, life.” Meanwhile, Paris bureau chief Joelle Diderich catches up with Andrew Gn, who is about to have a major retrospective in Singapore of his 28-year career. And what would summer be without a new “It” bag — not to mention the jewelry and makeup to go with it? Take a look at our Color Now shoot to find out the latest.
Finally, summer generally means a hit song — you know, the one you hear playing constantly wherever you go, from the pool to the beach to the latest hot restaurant. This year, it might just be from Kim Petras from her first major label album, “Feed the Beast,” due out in early June. The Grammy-winning singer talks with Eye editor Leigh Nordstrom about feeling newly powerful, an attitude evident in the songs she wrote. “I thought it was kind of vain and stupid for me to want to make big radio hits and things like that, and it's not, and that's what I've always really wanted, so that's what [the album] means,” she says. “Don't question yourself. Don't think that you shouldn't want things that you want. Just go and feed the beast. Do whatever you like and don't stand in your own way.”
So, to quote Petras, wherever you go this summer and whatever you do, “just go and feed the beast.”
And have fun.