Culture, hospitality, style and cuisine to kick off 2021 on the right note.
The Comeback Last month, the long-shuttered National Hotel quietly opened its Cabana Wing with 36 poolside rooms and suites (marked by South African colonial decor), as well as amenities including the 205-foot infinity pool and beach club. This month, the property (originally built in 1939) will lift the curtain on its main tower’s 115 accommodations (including a three-floor penthouse), a new martini bar, an indoor restaurant and an outdoor beach bar and cafe. While details were slim as of press time, we know the public spaces were conceived by Francois Frossard, who maintained the venue’s signature art deco style. Best part? The hotel is now adults only. 1677 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305.532.2311
The National is welcoming guests again in 2021.
Lasting Effect Pepe Mar is a homegrown artist who never fails to surprise us. For his latest opus, Mar has partnered with the Frost Art Museum FIU for Tesoro: Pepe Mar’s Love Letter to the Frost, an installation drawn from the institution’s permanent collection. The grouping includes masks, ceramics and paintings by everyone from Pawel Althamer to Purvis Young. “I wanted to make a collage to create new definitions for the objects on view,” says Mar. “I have proposed an alternative narrative, one in which I focus on art made by artists of color, self-taught artists, LGBTQ artists, non-Western artists and others regularly excluded from the dominant narratives of art history.” The installation will remain on view until December 2022. 10975 SW 17th St., Miami, 305.348.2890
Pepe Mar’s new installation at the Frost focuses on often-overlooked artists.
Good Taste After years of working with culinary royalty like Pierre Orsi, Daniel Boulud and Bernard Loiseau, chef Fabrice Di Rienzo is putting all that knowledge to good use with the launch of his new catering company, Events by Chef Fabrice. His niche? Intimate dinners at home following all COVID-19 safety guidelines and social distancing measures. “I created this as a way to express my passion for gracious hospitality,” says Di Rienzo, whose signature dish is Florida snapper in salt crust. “I’m excited to share my respect for French tradition on a personal level with Miami.”
Octopus with peppers, avocado and tomato coulis from Events by Chef Fabrice
Rebel Yell You gotta love the new collaboration between rocker YUNGBLUD and Ray-Ban. The Weird Collection offers styles such as State Street, a squared take on the Ray-Ban Wayfarer; Nomad, a nod to 1970s rock and film; and Caribbean, a jet-set pair with green Evolve photochromic lenses. The choice is all yours.
The Nomad frames from the Weird Collection by YUNGBLUD for Ray-Ban
Photography by: PEPER MAR PHOTO BY Vince Rives/courtesy OF Frost Art Museum FIU; ALL OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRANDS & VENUES
