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Bella Hadid: Supermodel, Trendsetter, and…Horse Girl?🐎

Bella Hadid has done it again! On February 20, she announced in a joint Instagram post that she is releasing a collection with Frankies Bikinis. This collaboration arose from a fifteen-year friendship between the world famous supermodel and Francesca Aiello, the founder of Frankies Bikinis. According to Frankies’ website, the collab will feature pieces “with special fabrics and sweet silhouettes.” 

With 103 distinct items, the collection’s extensive offerings will span from swimwear to ready-to-wear. Their style is inspired by Hadid’s new rural roots. She recently moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where she seems to spend more time on horses than the pavement pap walks of years prior. 

Of course, this southern swagger is enhanced by Hadid’s inherent glamour. In her photo campaign for this collection, she posed in sweet ginghams and sultry leathers alongside horses and the rugged foliage of southern ranches.

Lucky for us, we don’t have to wait long to emulate Bella Hadid’s backwoods beauty. Her Frankies Bikinis collection drops today, March 4, at 11 AM ET! Check it out now to get a head start on your hot girl summer. https://frankiesbikinis.com/collections/bella-hadid-x-frankies-bikinis

Clandestine Cocktails in Boston’s Speakeasies🍸🤫

Boston is a city full of hidden cocktail bars and low-lit luxury — that is, if you know where to look! These are my top recommendations for you and 2-3 friends (or lovers, up to you!):

My last visit to Wig Shop– try the drink “I Feel Pretty”, with elderflower & glitter foam.

Brick and Mortar: Behind an unmarked glass door in Central Square (so close!) you’ll find this second floor hidden gem. My faves are “What’s new, pussycat,” with lychee liqueur, aperol, and  plum wine, and of course the “Electric kool-aid acid test!”

The Wig Shop: This tiny storefront (with real wigs!) reveals a glittery gothic bar near Boston Commons — perfect for a night with the girls! Wig Shop is walk-in only after 7pm, so go early with a reservation or plan to add your name to the waitlist. 

Hecate: Good luck finding the entrance to this one… the wait is worth it for the dazzling cocktails (or, from the rather eclectic menu, “Rites & Rituals”) at Hecate in Back Bay. 

Wink & Nod: A beautiful space for a larger group, South End’s Wink & Nod has one of my favorite cocktails of all time… the“Phoenix” with rose prosecco, Peruvian pisco, and lime foam.

Honorable Mentions: Blind Duck (Back Bay rooftop), Carrie Nation (infamous 1920’s vibe in Boston Commons), Lucky’s Lounge (Sinatra-themed spot in Seaport), Stanza Dei Sigari (formerly a REAL Prohibition-era speakeasy in the North End).

Florals aren’t all that groundbreaking for spring, but immersing yourself into the sonic dreamscape of Caroline Polachek is. The indie philosopher princess may be a veteran in the alternative music space, but she’s a relatively new entrant into the world of mainstream pop — welcomed by the likes of Charli XCX and Christine and The Queens. Her cover of “Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth” bursts with new possibility and futuristic synths. Yet, it is juxtaposed by her classic lilty, airy vocals that have an ancient, hopelessly romantic quality about them. 

In the past, I’ve argued that the best way to absorb Caroline’s music is to bask in its glory in the comfort of your room, lights off, headphones on. But “Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth” has changed my mind, and rightfully so –  it’s a song whose emotion deserves to be experienced right at this beautiful moment, the cusp of time between winter and spring, while walking outside.

Crazy girl sh*t gonna go Spring Breakers. The temperatures are finally rising after what feels like decades of freezing snow. However, I still feel the need to swap the current 40 degree cloudscape with 80 degrees and sunny weather. Here are my favorite dresses from Peppermayo that’ll help you accomplish that same goal.🏝️

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In the weeks to come, I’ll be clinging to the hope that the clouds will part, the rain will cease, and suddenly, magically — absent of mud and stress — spring will be here. In reality, I’ll be playing a game of self-delusion until about mid-April, and I’ll have these bits of writing by my side the whole time. 

1. “Flowers for Yellow Chins, Bruised Eyes, Forsaken Nymphs, and Impending Death” ⚘ Katy Kelleher’s article pairs art history with the botanical with wittily incisive comments about what it means to Live. Learn the names of your flowers, she remarks, and they’ll tell you “an entirely new story.”

2. Big Swiss 𓂃🖊 I’m not entirely sure why this novel reminds me so much of the year’s shift into spring — the touch too much introspection, maybe, or the messiness of love and transformation — but it does. Jen Beagin’s characters are ridiculous and they are touching, and they tell a story “where love was a deeper season than reason,” for whatever that’s worth.

3. “HOPE” -`🕯´- Here, too, in this post from author Jeanette Winterson’s Substack, are flowers, are the rituals that keep us moving, keep us changing, keep spring coming. “Something in us,” she writes about the nearing season, “rises to meet it.”

The Brutalist (2024), Brady Corbet

The Brutalist marks a return to prior kinds of film composition. Through the use of an overture —  an interlude halfway through the film that I had never seen elsewhere —  and a cohesive soundtrack, The Brutalist, directed and produced by Brady Corbet, fits  its depiction of Lazlo's architectural feats in America. 

The shot of the Statue of Liberty during the overture, which positions the audience as if they’re looking up at it, establishes the grandiosity of life in 1940s America. Corbet not only emphasizes the temporal working rhythms that pervades the film, but also the emotion of triumph that came with overcoming hardships near the film’s end.

It’s hard to believe that many creative executives passed up The Brutalist because of its run time. In hindsight, three hours and change may seem daunting to modern audiences. However , the inclusion of the interlude was an amazing choice, as it broke down the three-plus-hour film into manageable parts. Although I did not watch it in theaters, I can imagine it would have been an amazing point to chat with friends and take a breath before entering the film’s second half. 

Lastly, I can’t seem to stop thinking about the song “Overture” from the soundtrack. It fits the film like a glove.

DEFYING GRAVITY‍🫧⋆｡˚°‧🫧⋆

Let’s take a look at some of the most famous and evocative Best Original Song winners from Oscars past:

• “Naatu Naatu” from RRR

• “Shallow” from A Star is Born

• “City of Stars” from La La Land

• “Glory” from Selma

• “Al otro ado del río” from The Motorcycle Diaries

💌 lesadore.com | @lesadoree 💌

_{See you next week!}