Discover more from All's Well by Nadine Zylberberg
Hi friends! What’s on deck this weekend? We have playground, scootering, birthday party, gymnastics class, more scootering, pancakes, pancakes, and pancakes. Not that you asked.
This week, I’ve been noticing some cultural relics of the past creeping their way back in, trying to become relevant. For example, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (remember that one?), back after a six-year hiatus. Then there are pantyhose, getting cool again. And I suddenly find myself wanting to wear Pumas. Even 7Up has given us canned Shirley Temple, the beverage of my (everyone’s?) childhood. Will any of these stick? Who’s to say. What follows are some more… contemporary observations and recommendations from the week:
Well Read
Hallie Meyers-Shyer, daughter of longtime filmmaker Nancy Meyers (The Parent Trap, Father of the Bride) has directed her second movie, a character-driven, feel-good comedy called Goodrich. It stars Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis as a father and daughter with some baggage (remarriage, half-siblings) to get through. I can’t speak to it yet, but I did read a recent IndieWire interview with Meyers-Shyer and I loved learning what she gained from having parents in the industry. “For me, the benefit was I saw directing my whole life as a woman’s job, and that’s really powerful and unique,” she said. I remember seeing Meyers-Shyer in The Parent Trap and learning that she was the director’s daughter years later. It made filmmaking seem like a family affair. And why not? “They put me in [their films] as a fun thing so that I could come on set. I consider those movies now like family albums,” Meyers-Shyer says. Here’s the trailer, if you’re curious!
Well Observed
A picture is worth 1,000 words—and Maggie Smith’s Loewe ad is no exception. Photographer Juergen Teller (who also made the wonderful Joan Didion Celine ad) shot this powerful and distinctive last fall. For The New York Times, Rhonda Garelick shares the rare eloquence of the image, particularly in the wake of Smith’s death. “That Ms. Smith was well into deep, remarkable old age cannot, and should not, be denied,” she writes. “To attain this age is an accomplishment, a privilege. Mr. Teller’s photos understood and respected this. They honored Ms. Smith’s age. His images captivate with the stark encounter they offer with their subject’s face — her deeply lined, world-weary, expressive, seemingly makeup-free, magnificent face.” And it does: the image above conveys elegance and grit in equal measure. This is 88. It begs the viewer to look at Maggie—and there just so happens to be a bag to sell there, too. You might never know it.
Well Watched
I recently watched Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning film Anora (in theaters today) and left buzzing. It was excellent. If you’re new to Baker’s work, his previous films (Florida Project, Tangerine) spotlight people on the fringes of society, for example, sex workers. Mikey Madison plays Anora’s titular character, a stripper and escort. When she meets Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian scion, the fun begins. Their chemistry is zingy, the soundtrack thumping, and what begins like a modern take on Pretty Woman becomes a unique romantic comi-tragedy altogether. As Alissa Wilkinson writes in her review, “Like most of Baker’s movies, it is, at its core, about the limits of the American dream, the many invisible walls that stand in the way of fantasies about equality and opportunity and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.” A great and edgy watch, and an homage to the New York City (Coney Island, Brighton Beach; Tatiana Restaurant—not the hot new spot in Lincoln Center, the other one—even makes an appearance) that we don’t often see onscreen.
Well Lived
Even Hermès upcycles its scraps—but it won’t come cheap. The brand’s “Petit h” concept opened a pop-up in the flagship Madison Ave. store through October 26, where one-off pieces made with Hermès leftover materials are for sale: shoelaces for $225, a sleep mask for $640, a fan for $2,125. Still, it’s fun to peruse what artists and artisans will make with extra silk, leather, felt, and porcelain. There was a green and red tote with tool punched out that, if this wasn’t Hermès, I would’ve considered. They even have mask-making workshops while Petit h is in out, which, of course, booked up quickly.
Well Fed
Our cozy culinary idol Julia Turshen has a new cookbook out, What Goes With What, which essentially takes us through charts for sandwiches, salads, vegetables, etc., and how to mix and match to create your own achievable dishes. Julia’s recipes seem a little complicated at first glance, but I’m always surprised as how manageable they are for a weeknight. This week, we made her sticky chicken with rice, green beans, and dumplings from H Mart, my new favorite grocery store. We doubled the recipe and still managed to polish off the chicken as a table of four.
Well Drawn
A cartoon by Liz Montague, who I interviewed for this very newsletter, with an important message.
Well Worn
First, leopard print made it back into the mainstream. Then, zebra print came in on the fringes. Now I can’t unsee cow print everywhere. The Argentinian in me was born for this moment. Freshman year of college, my messenger bag backpack was cowhide. I had a cowhide belt, a cowhide maté vessel, a patchwork cowhide rug at home. Not to overstate it, but no one does cowhide better than Argentinians. Except, well, the makers below who are giving my homeland a run for its money. Here are some exceptional cow print or cowhide pieces, even for someone who’s making a face at the idea of it (I see you!):
The slippers that started it all by Ancient Greek sandals.
The shoe department is not lacking: flats by Le Monde Beryl, loafers by Tod’s (and Del Toro, which I think I prefer), Zara sneakers, clogs by Marni.
Masimo Dutti's leather bag feels like an everyday fall staple. Bottega Veneta’s cassette bag, not so much, but still oh so beautiful.
I would really love this Saks Potts cow print coat, which is also lovely in jacket form over at Mango.
Okay, fine, I won’t convince you all that this is a trend worth picking up (and if it doesn’t resonate with you, then it’s not). So here are three other fall pieces I’m excited about, that sort of evoke this gaucho-adjacent feel if you squint hard enough:
I saw these Re/Done jeans in person and the blend between brown velvet and denim is genuinely cool; you can’t quite see the combination online.
These beige suede flats by Massimo Dutti that I’m hoping will return in my size.
There’s something about these cuffed corduroy pants for little kids…
More soon! x