POEMÄ PARTY
It’s hard to believe that Lilac and Lilies, Fort Lauderdale’s indie go-to for fashions and gifts across from the Galleria, is about to turn nine. Aside from carrying staples like One Teaspoon, Kendra Scott and L*Space, owner Michelle DiMarco regularly hosts trunk shows. On January 20, from 1-4 p.m., she welcomes Poemä Swim, a Boca Raton-based resortwear brand designed by a mother and daughter. It’s the first time fans can shop their Spring 2018 collection, “True Colors,” which features trending styles such as one pieces with high-cut legs, high-waisted bottoms and crossover suits and other resort pieces that serve double duty as daywear into evenings out. Though fabrics are sourced from Europe, manufacturing occurs right here in South Florida. Pencil in the store’s birthday bash, too, from April 27-29.
2541 East Sunrise Boulevard; 954.530; 3109; lilacandlilies.com
DOUBLE DROP
When German skin-care star Dr. Barbara Sturm comes to town, she goes big. The Miami regular (she has friends in high places here) introduced her namesake molecular cosmetics line’s latest wonder product, Glow Drops, only to wow the packed house at Gee Beauty in Sunset Harbour with her even newer Anti-Pollution Drops. As its name implies, the former creates an instant glow through purslane—her signature, fountain-of-youth ingredient—bistort root extract and sweet almond oil, topped off with mineral pigments. The latter not only protects against air pollution but the blue light from those omnipresent screens that have taken over our lives. Through researching microorganisms in French Polynesia, she discovered a natural skin shield whose formula also has purslane, betaine and cocoa seed extract.
1845 Purdy Avenue; 305.868.3533; geebeauty.com; dr-barbara-sturm.com
LATIN LOVER
We’re barely into the new year and already chef Michael Schwartz has another restaurant to his name. Located in the quickly emerging Edgewater neighborhood near his Miami Design District home base, Amara is a “love letter” to the city’s melting pot cultures. The Caribbean and Latin American menu merely looks to the bay in front and the diverse patchwork of ethnicities around it for inspiration. From cassava to fresh fish, he’s finally diving into his backyard. Banana leaf-steamed cobia, which he describes as the quintessential dish here, comes with yuca, coconut chutney and grilled lime. Cocktails follow the food, such as the potent Weathering the Storm’s mix of cachaça, rum, sugarcane and pineapple juice. Soak up the damage with short rib-stuffed empanadas baked in old-fashioned lard crusts.
3101 NE Seventh Avenue; 305.702.5528; amaraatparaiso.com
BILTMORE BAUBLES
It sounds like the beginning of the cliché joke, “A man walks into a bar.” Only instead, and lucky for us, an Indian dentist by way of the Midwest who moonlights as a jewelry designer walked into the Biltmore Hotel. She was so bowled over by the historic property’s hand-painted frescoes, ocean-hued ceilings, and jewel-toned finches, not to mention their opulent cages, that she created special earrings and necklaces just for onsite boutique, Peacock & Finch. Each piece goes through an intense process involving several artisans who are skilled in the centuries-old techniques of engraving and enameling. Due to their delicacy, only pure silver and 24K gold will hold the enamel in place. She uses the same tools and practices, such as tiny pliers and looping wire, as her dental practice.
1200 Anastasia Avenue; 305.913.3200; biltmorehotel.com; deenakjewelry.com
