Pret-à-Surf debuts in Boston with stylish swimwear perfect for the summer months.

The chic set will have another excuse to hit the beach this summer with the launch of Pret-à-Surf at The Revere Hotel’s rooftop bar this month. The brand, founded by Weston native Jillian Demling (the entertainment editor at Vogue) and Karen Mulligan (the studio manager for photographer Annie Leibovitz), is both fashionable and functional, and will take you from a late afternoon surfing session to dinner overlooking the water. The spring/summer 2013 collection includes gems like a short sleeve sweatshirt with a back zipper, a gingham retro bikini, and classic one-pieces.

How did you both realize you had a mutual passion for surfing and then design?
We both love outdoor sports and have spent our summers together in the Hamptons. It wasn't until we went shopping for a surf trip in Costa Rica that we saw a void in the market place. We did not want to wear logo'd out neon rash guards so we ended up buying the smallest sizes from the men's selection. As far as design, we have both have worked in the fashion industry for over a decade and had a clear vision of what we wanted. If that vision did not exist then we were going to have to make it ourselves; the decision was that easy.

Was there one piece in particular that made you want to launch Pret-à-Surf?
We needed to launch Pret-à-Surf because there was nothing out there with the design and fit we wanted, especially with rash guards. It seemed as if no surf brand was taking the woman's body into consideration when designing. We put zippers on the back of our rash guards to make them easier to get on and off and to keep them from riding up in the water.  

You both work full-time. When do you fit in the creative stuff?
We are multitaskers! It is not hard to find time for something you are passionate about. We work on weekends and have surf meetings one night a week. We are never short of creative ideas.


Is one of you more the creative side and the other the business?
We have been best friends for 12 years and have very similar taste. We are inspired by the same things and find designing together seamless. Everything is 50-50.


Is it nice to be able to bring this line to your hometown?
I would love Pret to catch on in Boston. There are so many great beach towns in the area, from Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard. Our spring/summer 2013 collection is especially New England with the prints and colors. I can picture a girl in our gingham dress strolling the beach in Nantucket.


What is your must-have piece from your summer collection?
We have our first collaboration with J.Crew launching this month and are excited to reach a whole new group of women.

Exhale Mind Body Spa’s signature Core Fusion program is celebrating its tenth birthday with free classes during a Fusion Fest event on May 22. Guests can enjoy complimentary Core Fusion classes, check out a Sikara designs trunk show, and sip Vita Coco water and Cocobon wine. Come prepared to use your own weight as resistance, burning calories through the ultimate full body workout. Classes are exhilarating both mentally and physically, and you'll feel the effects long after leaving the studio. Visit exhalespa.com/fusionfest to schedule a class during Fusion Fest. 28 Arlington St., 617-532-7000; 2 Battery Wharf, 617-603-3100

Phil and Nick Mastroianni

Entrepreneur and distiller Phil Mastroianni fell in love with homemade limoncello while visiting extended family in Calabria, Italy. Along with his brother Nick, the Newton native now brings a bit of his ancestral homeland to the States with his hand-peeled Fabrizia Limoncello, which is made in New Hampshire and has been honored as a Gold Medal spirit above internationally produced limoncellos.  

The Mastroiannis' success with citrus hasn’t stopped at lemons. Demand for a new liqueur prompted the brothers to introduce a new Blood Orange liqueur. During the month of May, $5 from the purchase of either Fabrizia liqueurs ($18.99) sold in a New Hampshire liquor stores will go directly to the nonprofit Homes for Our Troops. Additionally, the proceeds from the Mastroiannis' annual fundraiser will help build a new, specially adapted home for wounded veteran Corporal Kevin Dubois of Rhode Island. 

Try Fabrizia Blood Orange liqueur straight from the freezer, or mix up a colorful Fabrizia cocktail, such as the Uncle Joe’s special, which combines two ounces of Fabrizia Blood Orange liqueur with one ounce of vodka, one ounce of fresh orange juice, and a splash of Sprite or club soda on the rocks. Hanover Wine and Spirits, 363 Hanover St., 617-723-3663; NH Liquor and Wine Outlet, 417 South Broadway, Salem, NH, 603-898-5243

A dish from American Seasons restaurant, which will host a Nantucket Wine Festival event on Friday, May 17

One of my favorite events of the year, and our unofficial kickoff to summer, is the Nantucket Wine Festival from May 15 to 19. Thursday night’s gala and tastings has the feel of an excellent first course, where you still have several more to anticipate. Friday night is the entrée—when most of the fine wine dinners happen—either intimate affairs at some of the island’s most grand homes or multi-course prix fixes at top restaurants. Here are the five events I'm most looking forward to:  

Rosé Tasting Luncheon at The Pearl ($125 per person)
Friday, May 17, NOON 
A rosé four-course tasting luncheon at The Pearl serves as a wonderful amuse bouche to the weekend long festival. Paul Chevalier of Provence vineyard Chateau D’Esclans will describe and pour three of the estate’s most interesting rosés: Whispering Angel, D’Esclans, and Les Clans, saving the rare and acclaimed Garrus for last. What I love about these rosés is how dry they are, and while they’re terrific for sipping, they’re even better paired with seafood. 

Maison Joseph Drouhin Dinner at Topper's at The Wauwinet ($200 per person)
Friday, May 17, 6:30 p.m.
Owner Laurent Drouhin presents his family’s historic wines that hail from Beaune, Nantucket’s French sister city in Burgundy. Chef Kyle Zachary’s menu will highlight the subtleties of these chardonnay and pinot noir-based wines.  

Galley Beach Veuve Clicquot Tasting Dinner ($295 per person)
Friday, May 17, 7 p.m.
I love Champagne, so Galley Beach’s Veuve Clicquot dinner also tops my list, and it will be the first time many of us have a chance to sample the kitchen magic of the restaurant's new executive chef, Neil Ferguson. The five courses include some wonderful temptations, such as the halibut with a caviar and Champagne velouté paired with my favorite Clicquot offering, La Grande Dame 2004.  

American Seasons Wine Dinner, Featuring Flowers Winery ($210 per person)
Friday, May 17, 7:15 p.m.
Chef Michael LaScola of American Seasons will pair his new American cuisine with the single-vineyard chardonnays and pinot noirs of Flowers Winery, a small-production California estate that practices sustainable and organic farming. 

Met on Main Beer Brunch, Featuring Firestone Walker Brewing Company ($65 per person)
Sunday, May 19, 11:30 a.m.
This year for the first time, island newcomer Met on Main offers to balance all our oenophile passion with some craft brews at a beer brunch on Sunday. California’s Firestone Walker Brewing Company will pair beer with five courses that include house-cured salmon and seven-grain pancakes. Mmmm. Maybe they put hops in there…

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The Great Gatsby Collection Savoy Headpiece ($200,000)

 

Ziegfeld Collection Daisy Locket ($600)

 

Ziegfeld Collection Ziegfeld Cuff Links ($350)

 

Ziegfeld Collection Daisy Signet Ring ($650)

 

Ziegfeld Collection Pearl Ring ($475)

 

Ziegfeld Collection Pearl Tassel Necklace ($1,200)

 

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Tiffany & Co.’s two new collections are not only inspired by the glamour and allure of the 1920s, but also The Great Gatsby, whose big screen adaptation is set for release May 10, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire in the three lead roles. After all, the iconic jewelry brand designed all of the jewelry made in the film.

The Ziegfeld Collection was inspired by the grand, one-of-a-kind jewels featured in the upcoming film, as well as pieces from the Tiffany archives. From tassel necklaces to drop earrings to men’s cufflinks, each item is crafted with the utmost sophistication, evoking a romantic, old school glamour. With a baby blue ribbon chain, the heart-shaped Daisy locket is especially feminine. Slide on the Pearl and Onyx ring for a black-tie wedding in Newport this summer. Other Art Deco touches seen throughout the collection include sterling silver and plenty of ropes and pearls intertwined with diamonds and precious gems.

Even more exclusive is The Great Gatsby Collection, a small, rare grouping of jewels used in the film. This collection will be sold mostly at Tiffany & Co.’s New York City flagship. The Zeigfeld Collection, however, is available at Tiffany & Co. stores throughout the country, including the one at Copley Place. Many of these jewels are featured in the 2013 Tiffany Blue Book (such as the pearl tassel necklace), with some of the extraordinary gems fetching seven-figure prices. Copley Place, 100 Huntington Ave., 617-353-0222; 1245 Worcester St., Natick Collection, Natick, 508-647-5915

Elizabeth Hurley, Leonard Lauder, and Judith Schlager

As the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) prepares for its annual Hot Pink Party at the InterContinental Boston on May 8, event co-founding chair Judith Schlager talks to Boston Common about her own personal battle with the disease (back when “there was no pink ribbon”), the need for more focused research on metastatic breast cancer, and the legacy of Evelyn Lauder.

How did you get involved with BCRF?
JUDITH SCHLAGER: I first became involved with the BCRF in 1994. I was invited to the symposium and luncheon in New York and was so impressed with the physicians and researchers I met that I decided I would like to become involved. I also met Evelyn Lauder at that time and was charmed by her intelligence, wit, and fervor for finding a cure—and by her zest for living. We became good friends. When I was asked to become an advisory board member and to cofound with Sandra Krakoff the Boston Hot Pink Party in 2005, I was delighted to bring this important organization to Boston.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Hot Pink Party?
JS: I am looking forward to celebrating the great work the BCRF has funded in the Boston community. We fund 31 grantees across a number of local institutions, and $5.8 million has been directed to researchers in New England alone in 2012-2013. I am also delighted to see Carolyn and Peter Lynch presented with the BCRF’s 2013 Boston Humanitarian Award for their commitment to philanthropy and to our community.

You were just honored with the BCRF Unsung Hero Award at this year’s Hot Pink Party in New York on April 17. What does this award mean to you?
JS: I am humbled and gratified that I have been able to be of support to other women and men facing breast cancer. If people want to know where their funds go once they reach the BCRF offices they need only to look at me. I am a three-time, 22-year breast cancer patient. When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1991, there was no pink ribbon, few support groups, and little information being disseminated. In fact, I knew of only one woman who had had a mastectomy and she was reluctant to talk about it. Today, thanks to the work of the BCRF researchers and scientists, more woman like me are living longer after diagnosis, and huge advancements and progress has been made.

What do you see in store for the next year at BCRF?
JS: This fall will mark the 20th anniversary of the BCRF’s establishment. So many breakthroughs have occurred, but there is still so much more work to be done. One hundred and eight women in America die of metastatic breast cancer each day, and the BCRF recognizes the importance of research focused on this disease. BCRF announced last November a new initiative called the Founder's Fund in memory of Evelyn Lauder, which will dedicate $27 million in funds toward advancing the scientific community’s understanding of why some cancers spread more quickly than others, why some cancers respond so well to therapies while others do not, and why believing that a greater understanding of metastatic tumor biology could unlock new answers to why this type of breast cancer spreads so rapidly and is so deadly.

What are you most proud of that BCRF has achieved since the passing of the wonderful Evelyn Lauder?
JS: I believe that the BCRF is achieving Evelyn’s goal of eventually putting her Foundation out of business by finding a cure for breast cancer. We will continue to fulfill her legacy to work towards achieving a world free of this disease by providing significant funds to researchers and scientists throughout the world.

The Boston showroom director for Alton Lane (91 Newbury St., 2nd Floor, 646-896-1212), Chris Cuozzo can suit you up for any summer social event—be it in the city, Newport, or on the Cape or Islands. And while, according to Cuozzo, prints, plaids, and ginghams are trends for spring/summer, you can customize every square-inch of your Alton Lane suit. Choose from four collar types, three types of cuffs (one-button, two-button, or French) and endless fabrics milled in Italy and France. Here are three styles to get your sartorial wheels turning:  

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Gingham
This upscale backyard barbecue look has fun with color; the cotton/linen two-button blue blazer has a notch lapel, functioning buttonholes at the cuffs, and picks up a similar color in the grey windowpane slacks. The colorful Thomas Mason gingham cotton shirt is left tieless for an easygoing look. A crisp white pocket square pulls the look together without being too formal.

 

Seersucker
Seersucker is as synonymous with New England summers as clambakes and the ferry are with Nantucket. Wear this cotton seersucker look out to dinner or a wine bar with friends. “This is the epitome of casual suiting,” says Cuozzo. “It also breathes really well.” The suit jacket has a peak lapel and a ticket pocket where, as Cuozzo explains, “men used to put their tickets for the theatre.”

 

Summer Tux
“A tuxedo is one of the staples of a guy’s wardrobe,” says Cuozzo. Certainly, with wedding season upon us, a good tux (or three) is essential to every Boston man’s wardrobe. This tuxedo look has a shawl collar, black bow tie, and a bib placard shirt with studs and cufflinks. Perfect for an evening event at the Boston Public Library or a wedding at the Fairmont Copley Plaza.

 

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Be Styled blow-dry lounge

Be Styled Blow-Dry Lounge
Local hair guru Nicholas Penna Jr. has added to his SalonCapri brand with the Be Styled blow-dry lounge in Chestnut Hill. The blue, silver, and white themed studio has eight blow-dry stations and a plush lounge where clients can rest before choosing a hairstyle, like the straight and sexy Be Sleek or the wavy Be Swanky (both $35), from a set menu. Blow-out addicts can opt for the blow-dry packs of three, six, and twelve. The Street, 49 Boylston St., Suite 4920, Chestnut Hill, 617-734-4000

Camille Albane Paris
Established French brand Camille Albane Paris has opened its first American salon on Newbury Street. Heading up the salon is U.S. artistic director Nicolas Tisler, who is an expert with hair extensions and has styled the likes of Robin Wright and Bridget Fonda. The sleek, all-white space has two levels, with shampooing and cuts upstairs and color services and the exclusive Essie nail bar downstairs. For spring color, clients can choose from the lightly sun-kissed “Coup d’eclat” balayage or a full color. Complimentary make-up touch ups are part of the salon experience, and guests can also book appointments for a simpler day look or pre-party application. 252 Newbury St., 617-379-3220

Salon Mario Russo 1960s Pop-Up
Do the women of Mad Men make you long for the hairstyles of the 1960s? Well, you're in luck. Salon Mario Russo is hosting a '60s-themed pop-up event at its Newbury Street flagship salon on May 3. Guests can choose from one of three hairstyles ($35 per person) iconic to that time period—a beehive, chic bouffant, or waves—while listening to ’60s music and sipping cocktails. 9 Newbury St., 617-424-6676

Samantha Raine and Rupert Pennefather in The Royal Ballet's Chroma

After a successful season that saw the re-launch of The Nutcracker, the Boston Ballet continues its creative streak with Chroma (May 2–12). Here, artistic director Mikko Nissinen speaks to Boston Common about this exciting ballet.

This program has three parts to it, with Chroma in the middle. How did you seize on this idea?
MIKKO NISSINEN: I made the program to be a progression, and Chroma is sandwiched between two amazing George Balanchine ballets. Serenade is the first ballet he did in America and is about the transformation of a woman into a dancer. It is so striking and one of the most romantic things you’ve ever seen. And from Serenade we move to Chroma, which is a difficult, acrobatic piece. The last piece, Symphony in C, is a four-part, ‘white tutu’ ballet. Balanchine wrote the piece when he was 17-years-old. It is difficult not to love. The finale culminates with the dancers from all the pieces coming together, and it is like a beehive on stage.

Where was Chroma first performed?
MN: Chroma was commissioned by The Royal Ballet in London from choreographer Wayne McGregor, who has his own studio in the city where he continues his innovative work. The Royal Ballet chose to make him its first non-classic resident choreographer. I am excited to have him here in Boston.

How many dancers will be in the program?
MN: Altogether we will have over 70 dancers in the program. There are 65 just in the last piece.

How long have you worked to get Chroma to Boston?
MN: Chroma has been on my mind for two or three years. Wayne and I were so keen to make it happen. I found that with Chroma he was able to leave just the essence of it with the audience. It is a little bit like Michelangelo when he looks at the big piece of marble and takes the unnecessary stone out. Wayne was able to make the choreography to the point. It is always a sensation for the audience.

Will McGregor be in Boston for the run of the show?
MN: He will be here prior to the opening of the show to work with the dancers, and then will stay for the first couple of shows.  

The Ballet has performed a show-stopping version of The Nutcracker this season, as well as Sleeping Beauty and All Kylian. How do you think audiences will react to this program?
MN: I think the Boston audience will love it. This is not a difficult thing to love. The first and last ballets are more obvious, and Chroma is more strikingly emotional. I am trying to give our audience a mixed diet of dance. They really embraced the All Kylian program. I am very aware that if we step into the terrain that is much more unknown, we need something to balance that out. We are saying the art form of dance is evolving and the parameters are being pushed. I want to be the ballet company of the future. 

The Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., 617-695-6955 

While some of the thrill of driving a supercar comes from prestige and top styling, the real thrill comes from helming an automobile engineered for speed. But our 65 mph highways curb our ability to push the limits of the car and test its full range. What we really need is a track. This May a new company, Exotic Driving Experience, is touring the East Coast with its fleet of dream cars, including a stop at the New Hampshire Speedway in Loudon, NH (May 3-5). The experience includes an hour of classroom time and an instructor in the passenger seat who knows exactly when you should gun it to get the most out of the car. Drivers can feel the muscle of a 570 horsepower engine as they take tight turns and race down the straightaways in Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Audis, Porsches, or Aston Martins. We loved driving the Lamborghini Superleggera, which is a good 400 pounds lighter than other models and goes from 0 to 60 in a head-snapping 3.4 seconds. An onboard computer tallies your speed for each lap, and you’re digitally linked to your instructor through your racing helmet for immediate feedback.