ICONIC FRENCH SHOE DESIGNER Christian Louboutin, known for his signature red soles, opens his first boutique in Houston this month at the Galleria. The 2,250 square foot space, located near Neiman Marcus and next door to MaxMara and Miu Miu, will feature the brand’s signature red carpet throughout. The area designated for women features a blue-lacquered façade, on which multicolored studs create a camouflage pattern; shoes and accessories are displayed in custom metal gates calling to mind a western motif. Meanwhile, the men’s shopping area features lots of leather, gray lacquer panels and a gray-patterned rug, evoking a more masculine ambiance. The latest shoe and handbag offerings from fall/winter 2016, including a spectacular Fireworks collection for men and women, will be on display when the store opens. christianlouboutin.com
AN INTERVIEW WITH Henry Richardson, CEO & founder of DEFINE Body & Mind3
How did you adapt in these unprecedented times? Ahhh. Deep breath. Just thinking about those early days of the shutdown makes my heart palpitate. All of us at DEFINE had quite the shift happen in 2020, and honestly, it started off brutal. I don't think I slept for roughly 72 hours in those early days of the shutdown. In order to stay relevant, we launched both our DEFINE On-Demand service and our DEFINE Livestream classes. We wanted to move as quickly as possible to ensure our clients had the ability to take classes with their memberships.
<p><strong>What were those early pandemic days like for you? </strong>When I look back, I laugh at what we had to do to make things work. We had instructors teaching classes from their living rooms, from their backyards, at DEFINE, and even from their garages. Each day we were all meeting to try to create best practices because everything we were doing was new. We had to figure out the best cameras to use, the best way to play music through Zoom, what to do when the internet went out, and how to make sure our vocals and music were in alignment so clients got the true "DEFINE" experience. Even though it was brutal, I am so proud of what we accomplished. We learned the definition and application of resiliency and grit. And we were forced to put our mission of strength, flexibility and balance into everyday practice.</p>
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<p><strong>It sounds like you've been very innovative. </strong>We have. We have added new services and products to enhance the experience of DEFINE's clients. We have added an Infra-Red Sauna, health coaching, nutrition coaching, functional medicine, as well as several new classes. We created a new DEFINE Detox program that has had incredible results, all in an effort to give people an entirely new way of achieving optimal health and wellbeing. Our success stories of weight loss, increased energy, better digestion, clearer skin and overall happier clients have kept us really inspired. We're getting closer to my original vision of becoming a holistic health center, and that feels really good.<br/></p><p><strong>What did you learn that might inspire others? </strong>People are incredibly kind. I've always known that we have amazing clients, but the amount of gratitude that has been shown because of our efforts has made every moment of this pandemic manageable and meaningful. Not only did people choose to support us through this incredibly hard time, but they gave us credit for being their one true sense of normalcy. It was a very tough year psychologically, and I think every DEFINE staff member will agree that the only way we got through it was because of our awesome clients and their kindness.</p><p><strong>What's new for 2021 that you're excited about? </strong>We know that physical fitness, meditation, positive psychology, nutrition, as well as functional medicine all offer positive tools for transformation. We are now creating personalized plans that are based on client goals and their personal biology. Covid has forced us to be more innovative, and for that, I am excited for what is next. Not only will we be helping individuals, but we are about to help our entire community, which I personally find very inspiring.</p>
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"IT'S LIKE 2012, but times 20," muses a masked Tyler Price, 30, citing the apocalyptic film as he describes the year he and his bandmates, guitarist and vocalist Jose Sanchez, 32, and drummer Allen Edwards, 25, have had. Price provides additional vocals and plays bass guitar and keys in their indie-rock group The Soft Wear. The trio has gathered (six feet apart) on the grounds of the Menil.
In December, the band, which coalesced in 2018 after a series of fruitful jam sessions before playing its first show at an anniversary party for Montrose dive bar Poison Girl, released its self-titled debut album. The nine-track record, mixed and produced by Poison Moon Records' Kirk Campbell, has a feeling that makes one nostalgic for the foregone days of live shows. "The music I wanted us to make was music that feels like you're playing in a basement or at a show," says Sanchez, noting the band used to perform regular live shows at venues like Shoeshine Charlie's Big Top Lounge and Continental Club.
<p>"We come from Jonathan Richman, and also Lou Reed," adds Price of their influences. "That rawness is unapologetic, and that makes it a bit easier in the songwriting process." </p><p>The bulk of the recording of the angsty album happened at the end of 2019 — before 99.9 percent of all people on earth were forced into cultivating their own level of simmering, social-isolation-induced angst. This worked out quite well for the album. "So much of it was based on my ideas of love, of fate, of running away, of swirling," says Sanchez. "Now, it kind of feels like everyone is feeling that way. … I feel like it's time for all of us to acknowledge that in ourselves."</p><p>The band, which used to practice at the East End's historically decrepit Francisco's, had originally planned to do some touring after the release of the album, but the pandemic has torpedoed those plans.</p><p>"We're probably pretty rusty now," laughs Price.</p><p>"But I'd love to play a show," muses a melancholic Edwards.</p><p>"Until it feels safe, it won't feel right," adds Sanchez. </p><p>In spite of the roadblocks, the trio is happy they've contributed something worthwhile to the local music community, which Price praises for its innovation and resilience.</p><p>"We're part of the Houston music community that is still releasing stuff. And even though we wrote these songs the year before, we were still working in 2020," says Price. "It's super redeeming, in retrospect, knowing that we ... still hustled. It was just a different kind of hustle." ν</p>
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Food from B.B. Italia available from the Galleria-area cloud kitchen dubbed Fair Food Co
THE PAST YEAR has yielded plenty of change within the food and bev industry, and Ben Berg's restaurant empire has not been immune. He's faced shutdowns, slowdowns and natural disasters, and has given back to the community in the midst of it all. And this week, Berg Hospitality Group has three more announcements.
<p>His plans for two unique restaurant concepts in the Heights were announced yesterday. In partnership with regional real estate development firm Ancorian, Berg will open a romantic Italian spot, Trattoria Sofia, in the West 11th Street space formerly home to Presidio. He calls the restaurant — named after his first-born daughter, Sofia — "whimsical" and "reminiscent of a lost garden." It is slated to open in May.</p>
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<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Jonas Fertitta, Michael Sperandio, Benjamin Berg and Neil Martin inside The Docks at Timbergrove</small></p><p>The team will also bring an all-new concept to a mixed-use development a mile west on 11th, in Timbergrove. The Docks at Timbergrove, a 30,000-square-foot former warehouse, will be home to retail, coworking and restaurant space — including Berg's 8,000-square-foot project, about which details will be announced later this year. Construction will begin next month.</p><p>Meanwhile, one of Berg Hospitality's OG concepts, B.B. Italia in the Memorial area, has temporarily closed. A statement issued earlier this week explained that the restaurant's large footprint is suitable for lots of private events and corporate functions, of which there are few thanks to the pandemic. But B.B. Italia has plans to relocate to a smaller restaurant in the area in the next few months. "While we have loved serving our loyal guests in this location, we can't wait for everyone to see our new and improved spot, which is just around the corner in the same neighborhood," says Berg.</p><p>In the meantime, carb-lovers can still order pizzas, pastas and more off the B.B. Italia menu, thanks to the Galleria-area cloud kitchen dubbed Fair Food Co.; pickup and delivery is available via this <a href="https://berghospitality.olo.com/" target="_blank">link</a>.</p>
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