Coconut Cabana

With tasting notes of sea and sand in Naples, a forest-like sunny home in Vietnam, a deep dive into Sony Walkmans, cruising around Kingston with Sean Paul, a sushi chain in Milan gets a space-themed makeover, Sean Pablo’s latest drop, unreleased films at DSML with Nadia Lee Cohen and immerse yourself in a Los Angeles maximalist wonderland.

The good life beckons once more!

Hot Hyperlinks

☼ Bare skin and sea in Naples: Photographer Sam Wright captures everything from summer swimming to sun-fatigued nuns

☼ The lofty Gather House in Vietnam’s Dong Nai district is flooded with leafy greens and sunlight to create the perfect atrium for a multi-generational family

☼ Reinventing a classic: Introducing our all-new Vacation® SPF 30 Baby Oil, delivering an iconic, enviable shine

☼ Everything you could ever want to know about Sony Walkmans: Dive into The Walkman Archive, with a nostalgic website to match

☼ The lesser-known films behind Nadia Lee Cohen’s renowned photo project, Women, are now on display alongside flip books at Dover Street Market London.

SUMMER-ENHANCING PEOPLE

Vintage Allure: Alexa Demie

Actress and musician Alexa Demie grew up in Los Angeles, the daughter of a Mexican single mother working as a make-up artist, whose Old Hollywood glamorous touches are apparent in her daughter’s aesthetic inclinations today — she’s known for her strong, soulful look.

Breaking into the film industry in Jonah Hill’s skate movie Mid90s, Alexa has gone on to star in the beautiful, gut-wrenching A24 movie Waves (soundtracked to numerous Frank Ocean songs) and perhaps most notably, the gritty hit show Euphoria directed by Sam Levinson.

With an entrepreneurial edge and a knack for screen-writing, Alexa is only getting started. This week, we dive into some of our favourite things about Alexa, whose magnetic and infectious personality alongside her daring work have inspired a cohort of loyal fans.

Highlights

• On her early days growing up in LA: “It’s funny, because I think everyone assumes that I was a cheerleader or hung out with football players… I was quite a loner and had a lot of trouble with girls. I was bullied probably from elementary school all throughout high school; sometimes I’d leave early to avoid certain situations. I was in the performing arts programme in senior year and I only had one or two classes, so I’d go straight home and work on my sunglasses.”
• On her styling: “My mom's a makeup artist, she was always into fashion, so I grew up with every fashion magazine flooding my house. I would just sit there as a little girl and flip through pages and sketch things. I thought I was going to go to design school. I got into Otis [College of Art and Design], went to orientation and then realized I hate school so I left. But it's just always been in me. Even with styling. I style myself, I like to custom design stuff for me to wear all the time. It's just something that's a part of me, so that's always been the plan — to incorporate that. Now, I am working on that.”
• On her biggest success: “I’d say my biggest personal successes were every time I got out of my own way. And my biggest failures were every time I got in my own way. I’m hardest on myself, and I had to have a conversation with myself about that. I feel like when you have so much resistance in life, which comes from within, you can’t get the right doors open. So as soon as I stopped being so hard on myself, a lot of doors started to open.”
• Alexa is known for her old Hollywood glamour, inspired by the late Mexican film actress and singer María Félix and Spanish actress Penelope Cruz. Don’t miss her viral 90s glam makeup tutorial for Beauty Secrets with Vogue
• On balance: “What I try and do for balance is I go to nature a lot. I have a secret spot in L.A. where I go to just lay on the grass. I stay there for a couple hours. You don’t have cell service, so you’re just there. I always feel rejuvenated, and then I come back and I get back to work.”
• On perseverance: “You just have to keep going, even if you don’t see the reward right away because it’s going to come at some point. It’s all timing. The universe knows what it’s doing. You just have to trust it.”
• Quickly garnering a reputation as a style icon, check out Alexa’s top looks
• Alexa’s Euphoria character Maddy has spawned hundreds of fan accounts replicating her bold looks and fantastical makeup, firmly making their way into ~the culture. This interview with Euphoria’s costume designer, Heidi Bivens, goes in depth on achieving the distinct looks not only of Maddy but the rest of the cast
• Enter the World of Petra Collins and Alexa Demie’s eerie, erotic photo series Fairy Tales

Hotter Hyperlinks

Reserved with utmost care for the most discerning followers of leisure...

☼ The sushi chain Ichi Station in Milan gets a peachy, futuristic space makeover with pastel-hued LED lights integrated into the walls, ceilings and even tabletops

☼ Skater Sean Pablo opens up about the inspiration behind the latest drop for his clothing line: P4R4D1$3, 20th century philosophy and writing his first short film

☼ Cara Delevingne walks us through her fantastical, maximalist LA home blending patterns and textures galore

☼ PLACE Skateboard Culture is a Berlin-based magazine documenting the latest in the skate community including art, streetwear and lifestyle

☼ The story of “Get Busy” by Sean Paul: From Jamaican dancehall dreams to an international artist, cruise along with Sean in Kingston

SUMMER-ENHANCING VEHICLES

EXHIBIT A: 1999 Mercedes-Benz SL500 • EXHIBIT B: 1998 Mercedes Benz G500 Cabriolet • EXHIBIT C: Porsche 911 SC Targa

SUMMER-ENHANCING PRODUCTS

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