Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1471747
I 've noticed upon returning from dog walks of late that I've perspired through another of my Thom Browne button- ups. Pardon that indelicate description. It's the time of year when the rhythmic humming of my air conditioning never seems to stop as it battles the oppressive heat. I hope that you're reading this from some exotic locale, or that you're at least floating in an orange floral Prada tube in your swimming pool in Dallas. For me, it's time for a healthy swig of that oh-so needed elixir I call escapism. I was recently at Park House in one of the hushed, curtained back corner booths to catch up with two girlfriends who had just returned from a whirlwind trip to Taormina for the unveiling of Dior's largest high jewelry collection to date. I oohed and ahhed as they swiped through picture after glamorous picture on their iPhones. I couldn't get the idea of a grand summer traipsing about Europe out of my head. If you're like me and dream of adventures on the other side of the pond, our summer issue with its continental thread aspires to be that trusted girlfriend sharing dazzling memories and dreamlike images. Our resident bon vivant and European editor at large, Filippo Tattoni- Marcozzi, recently made his way to Venice for all things Biennale. The art was beyond beguiling, and in this issue, he takes us with him to one of the most glittering of affairs, the Venetian Heritage Foundation Gala. The grand soirée, hosted by Dior, welcomed aristocracy, starlets and jet setters such as Catherine Deneuve, Maya Hawke, and Beatrice Borromeo. In a charming little tucked-away corner of Lower Greenville, you'll find what I now dub Little Italy. Rebecca Sherman explored the block that houses Sister trattoria, Café Duro, and Casa Duro apartments (which are more akin to extended-stay suites). This stylish trio is the fever dream of Duro Hospitality — the team that also brought us The Charles in Dallas' Design District. Hotelier Benji Homsey and Chas Martin, two of four co-founders, traveled extensively along the breezy Amalfi Coast, the rolling hills of Tuscany, romantic Florence, and storied Rome to gather inspiration for these projects, designed by Corbin See and Ross See, who round out the Duro Hospitality team. I promise that after reading this, you'll want to book one of those apartments and have a plate of Sister's heavenly Wild Boaranaise sent up. In another story, Sherman presents Jill Brown's rural retreat in Bellville, Texas. The house was designed by late Houston architect Reagan Miller of Reagan & André, who found inspiration in Old American farmhouses, but there's also a distinct Belgian influence in the home's arched windows and doors and exterior portions clad in painted brick. Brown lived in Belgium during the 1990s with her late husband, Foster Brown, where she first fell in love with the country's rustic, handmade aesthetic. Ever looking for an excuse to quote Jane Austen (it seems like appropriate moments are few and far betwixt these days), here I go: "What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance." Miss Austen may not have spent time in Dallas, but I'm guessing she would have always found a path toward elegance. I shall attempt to channel my inner Mr. George Knightley with his refined manners and dashing tweeds during these Hades-like temps. Your confidant, Billy Fong Dallas Editor in Chief Billy Fong illustrated by Russell Gandy 16