Gucci, gossip, and a personal guide on gift guides
So you take two of the biggest ongoing news items—covid and cryptocurrency—and you get Omicron, a new variant with a name that sounds like a bitcoin. It’s not funny, and it’s not money. Seriously though, who the hell is naming these things?
1.
Tom Ford wasn’t a starring character in House of Gucci (aka House of Gaga, because who are we kidding…), despite being one of the pivotal figures responsible for the fashion house’s dramatic turnaround in the mid-90s, however he did appear at the end of the film as an excitable, charismatic young Texan. Here’s his personal take on the dramatized version of the true story, from the point of view of someone who literally knows all the players involved— from the Hollywood actors, to the real-life Guccis and their associates.
2.
It’s gifting time! Or as I like to call it “Gift Guide Season.” I think I get more enjoyment from discovering all the fun new items, brands, and retailers than I do actually buying stuff. It’s great for year-round inspiration. A few favorites: Cool Hunting, New York Magazine’s The Strategist, as well as this three-part series from a favorite podcast, A Thing or Two With Claire and Erica (here, here, and here). Also, Deligram’s insidery food-world recs from some of the coolest, in-the-know makers on the scene right now, and a very cleverly-curated round-up from someone who’s personal taste I trust and admire, Patrick Janelle (aka, A Guy Named Patrick).
3.
I’ve always wished I could read music—in that masterful, play-as-you-read sort of way. What I can read are recipes. Somewhere between Barefoot Contessa and Priya Krishna’s Indian-ish, I developed a knack for scanning the ingredients list and accompanying directions, and getting a pretty accurate sense of how the rest of the story will play out. Will the dish be easy, messy, time-consuming, versatile? I copped this deliciously fragrant, Moroccan-inspired stew recipe from my friend Anna after a cozy dinner at her place last month, and it was love at first sight—super easy to replicate (only without Anna’s culinary finesse, and charming, French je ne sais quoi of course). Non recipe-readers: just take my word for it and start cutting up those peppers.
4.
Yaaas! Vegan food is getting better by the minute, given the rate of exciting new restaurants and cafes opening their doors throughout NYC lately. My friend Zach, a vegan, and I went to Plantas Queen two weeks ago, and aside from the joy of seeing a relatively tofu-less menu, we were downright giddy over how delicious the maki rolls were (spicy, chewy watermelon in the place of tuna!).
5.
I loved reading this “gossip item,” a measured defense of spilling the tea, so to speak, in the most recent issue of Vogue. I’m in full agreement with its writer, Catherine Ostler, when she wrote: “What did happen during the pandemic—and it was happening anyway—was that the remaining shreds of gossip, tattle, rumor, and info all went online. This strikes me as supremely unhealthy: Our supercharged scrolling, our super-scolding, any difference of opinion or real or perceived grievance played out at hysteria pitch.” I love a good bit of goss every now and then, but mostly in more intimate forms, shared amongst friends and such. When you see something play out in public or on social media, it all just feels a little empty. The excitement and fun is in the secretive, exclusive feeling of it all, n’est-ce pas?