Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1354780
P erhaps I've sipped from the fountain of youth. I was at lunch on the patio of Café Pacific, and it felt like the cafeteria of Shermer High School. For those of you whose formative years were like mine, in the 1980s, that was the school in John Hughes' The Breakfast Club. Chitchat was taking place from table to table as air kisses were blown from Ann to Lela to Capera to Alvise. The tulips had emerged, and leave it to the Highland Park Village team to have flowers that produce very little pollen and thus no dreaded allergies. Who needs a sneezing fit when perusing the latest flap bags at Chanel. In addition to full blooms, there was lots of tea. And by tea, I mean fabulous little tidbits of information — dare I say gossip —that made us all atwitter. On our staff Zoom call to discuss the April issue, editor in chief Holly Moore shared that I must check out the F.E. Castleberry website, since it had provided some inspiration for this issue. It's the vision of Fred Castleberry, who grew up in a small town outside Fort Worth. I became an instant addict. The site is filled with images that seem straight from the lens of Wes Anderson; I started my wish list. Definitely must have a desk plate emblazoned with "Troubled Youth," and a sleeveless knit vest that might have seemed appropriate for Chess Club needs to make its way into my wardrobe. Check it out (and our story on Mr. Castleberry on page 50) and download the playlist. Perhaps my only addition is a song I've had on repeat, "Eyes of Green" from Lee Hobson's album Voices of Yesteryear. A Dallas local, Hobson is quite the renaissance man, given his status of philanthropist, hedge funder, musician and plein air painter. I'm sure you'll agree that Rebecca Sherman's feature "How They Roll," about the wild and wondrous home of April and Jeff Manson, is a sight to behold. I had the chance to visit when the Mansons had a back-patio party to celebrate the Dallas Museum of Art's commission of a work by Jammie Holmes. April gave me a masked tour of their Lakeside manse, and I was enchanted — a magical de Gournay wallpaper, a child's antique swan boat displayed like sculpture, which April climbed into for me to take a photo. And, right up my alley, a swoon-worthy closet filled with playful pieces that look straight out of the groovy fashion spread that begins on page 34. Rebecca Sherman also has a "coming home" story about Dallas native Alison Berger. The glass designer, artist, and former architect has partnered with RH (Restoration Hardware's new moniker) on five exclusive lighting designs to be showcased in its retail galleries around the country — including RH Dallas, where we'll all be queuing when it opens in early May in the Knox Street neighborhood. Berger was the first American artist commissioned by Hermès to design a line of objets d'art, and her work is in the permanent collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, as well as featured at MoMA and Cooper Hewitt in NYC. Also in this issue you'll find details on the much-anticipated Sotheby's auction of the estate of Anne Marion. The Burnett heiress was one of the last of her generation — an era of women with exquisite taste who lived hushed lives outside of the spotlight. It's a great juxtaposition to my Bomb this month, Selwyn Rayzor, who is eloquently outspoken and willing to be in the spotlight as long as she's given the opportunity to speak on women's rights. I pen this letter shortly after having received my first COVID vaccine dose. My next is just a few short weeks away. The year 2021 is beginning to open up, and my heart and mind are filled with optimism. Your Shermer High cafeteria confidante, Billy Fong Culture + Style Editor billy@papercitymag.com letter editor Billy Fong Illustration Leanne Fitzpatrick 14