ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: On That Note
Age: 20. Heritage: Chinese, English, Native American. Occupation: Actress. Always makes me laugh: A girl named Mimi Gianopulos. The last thing I ate: Jasmine milk tea with extra boba. Most overused phrase: Coolio Julio. Go-to comfort food: PB&Js. Current obsession: Game of Thrones. Treasured possession: My grandmother’s engagement ring. On “repeat” on my iPod: “Fool to Cry” by the Rolling Stones. Greatest fear: Mediocrity. Pet peeve: Disingenuity. Habit to break: I can be a worrywart at times. Motto: Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Go-to karaoke song: “Run This Town” by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West. Being Asian rules because: Frankly, it adds flavor to my life, and I’m not just talking about my Ni Ni’s cooking! Next up: The Amazing Spider-Man, Wine of Summer and Run.
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Wardrobe styling by Sophia Banks Coloma, assisted by Ali Mandelkorn; makeup by Kelsey Deenihan @ Exclusive Artists; hair by Stephen Lewis @ Exclusive Artists.
Ellery dress, Citrine by the Stones bracelets, Jewelmint earrings, Charles Albert ring.
Summer may bring to mind barbecues and pool parties, but why sacrifice style for a warm weather fête when all it takes is a few details to lighten up any look? Here, some experts show us how we can bring summer to two very different décor styles.
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Audrey Living
PHOTO: Callaway Gable
STYLISTS: Carpe Diem Special Events and Designs; Rrivre Works, Inc.
FLOWERS: Mille Flori Floral Design
VENUE: Rrivre Works, Inc.
“When you’re thinking of a summer dinner with friends, it is always nice to give your guests the unexpected,” says Slomique Hawrylo, who runs Carpe Diem, an event planning company, with partner Alice Chung. Always consider your surroundings when planning your tablescape, says Hawrylo. If you’ve got access to a great outdoor setting with a breathtaking view, you’re practically done. But if you’re working with an indoor venue, Hawrylo suggests an eye-catching print accenting the wall behind your table setting, like a bold damask design. Setting up a striking backdrop is easy to achieve, she adds. “Just purchase a large amount of fabric from your local fabric store and hang it flush to the wall accenting your tablescape.”
Against a sophisticated black and white backdrop, Hawrylo finds it important to make sure accent pieces are “wow pieces.” She suggests “sprinkling in a little summer brightness with a crisp apple green,” like vintage-inspired stemware and napkins. Don’t be afraid to mix and match modern and vintage styles of stemware in varying shades of your accent color. “Your guests will be impressed by the wonderful play on colors,” she says.
Florist Gina Kim-Park of Mille Fiori Floral Design continued the apple green theme by accenting each table setting with green cymbidium orchid blooms. She also used “modern baroque-style” mirrored trays for the charger. “You can purchase any cool picture frame to use as chargers for any dinner setting,” she adds.
To play off the bold damask backdrop, Kim-Park created an oversized garland with white and black paper flowers. She created one centerpiece with a white paper flower bloom accented with green moss balls, and another utilizing white akito roses meandering down a tall ceramic vase. As for setting up the layout of your dinner party, never feel that you are confined to the conventional table, says Hawrylo. “If you have a unique bar at your home, and you want your guests to experience a modern way of having a dinner party, have the entire evening themed around the bar. Your place settings, conversation and, of course, drinks will all take place at this unconventional table.”
If you’re working with a more traditional dining setting, bring summer inside — in an enchanted-forest- midsummer-night’s-dream type of way. This dreamy tablescape was created around the Montage Table, which features a magnolia tree at the center, by Rrivre Works, an event design and rental company. “Bring the outdoors in with living foliage, and accent with florals in the colors of the season,” says Rrivre Davies, owner of Rrivre Works. If your dinner is outdoors, he suggests building a table around your favorite tree.
If you don’t happen to have a tree in your dining room, “consider a potted tree for your next centerpiece,” says Hawrylo. “Big or small, it can provide an unexpected wow factor.” Kim-Park used oversized glass balls with candles for a whimsical yet modern touch — a crystal garland would work just as well against the hand-distressed texture of the table. She added large succulents with accents of fern greenery “for a more organic feel.” 
“We like to take our themes to the max,” says Davies. “Sweet bird dishware and natural linen napkins take the stuffiness out of a formal event without compromising elegance. Layering multiple textures gives the setting a unique, eclectic look.” Pair vintage-inspired “found” dishware from flea markets and estate sales with your existing china to add personality to your table. And never underestimate the power of a napkin, says Hawrylo. “The right color or detail on a napkin can make a table pop. An easy way to add a little flavor to your napkin is by taking two napkins with two different colors and folding it to accomplish a two-tone napkin. This adds character and a little charm.”
Finish off the tablescape with fresh seasonal blooms. For this particular look, Kim-Park used ranunculus, peonies, tulips, fruitilaria and green viburnum in a gold alabaster glass urn, but she says natural florals in miniature vases spread throughout the table work, too.
Columnist Paul Nakayama is determined to get to the bottom of what his male friends really want in a woman. What he discovered? Ask a woman.
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Audrey Living
STORY: Paul Nakayama
To be perfectly honest, I’ve been dreading writing this issue’s Awful Truth for weeks now. Seeing as I’m currently stuck in my hotel room in Jodhpur, India, awaiting the passing of a brutal dust storm, I guess it’s nature’s way of telling me to get off my ass. I just wish my to-do reminders didn’t consist of strong winds scooping up cow dung from the streets and whipping them around town. I prefer the carrot to a stick made of hepati- tis. At any rate, the topic for this issue is what men really want, so here’s what I did: I asked my single friends what they look for, and I asked my married friends what they love about their wives. If this works, the answer hopefully lies somewhere be- tween a booty call and a divorce.
Think the airport is a necessary evil for travelers? Then you’ve never been to Incheon, Seoul’s international hub. More high-end galleria than airport (Chanel? Check. Louis Vuitton? Check), Incheon actually makes me want to check in early. Here, the top five things to do at Incheon.
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Destinasian
STORY: Anna M. Park
In the aftermath of trauma, it’s easy to fall into denial. One woman found that in order to regain control of her life, she had to first let go and admit that she was a victim.
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: My Story
STORY: Anastasia Kim
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Audrey Style — Stylemakers
EDITOR: Anna M. Park
- Tam Tran’s specialty — rose cut diamonds set in 22-kt gold bands, left — as well as a selection of antique diamond rings available at Lost Wax.
In a world of cookie-cutter diamonds, it’s hard to find an engagement ring that’s less about weight and more about gravitas. Thankfully, fine jewelry designer Tam Tran specializes in the relatively uncommon rose-cut diamond. “Rose-cut is an old stone cut used during Victorian times, before electricity,” says Tran. “The stone was cut with uneven facets to maximize the brilliance of the diamond when reflected from the low gas lights during this time period.”
In addition to customized ring designs (22 karat is her gold of choice), Tran offers a selection of antique diamond rings at her studio/boutique Lost Wax in New York City. But it’s more than just jewelry — the studio incorporates a wealth of raw materials and metals for customized wearable art or even jewelry-making parties.
Don’t put anything past Janina Gavankar — the “trans-beige” actress can do it all.
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Personalities
STORY: Jimmy Lee
The Hunger Games and G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation star Tara Macken is in a league of her own.
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Personalities
STORY: Courtney Hong
Nichole Bloom makes her leading lady debut in the upcoming independent film, Model Minority.
ISSUE: Summer 2012
DEPT: Personalities
STORY: Courtney Hong
