Welcome to Fashion's Finest Stays, a travel series where we lend our fashion-editor POV to the world of hospitality. Here, we'll give you exclusive insider access to the world's most renowned hotels and resorts, uncovering every detail you'd ever want to know before you book.

Bvlgari hotels are exceptional around the world, but the Italian properties hold a special place in my heart. I travel to Milan twice a year for fashion month, and I’ve long been aware of the admiration the fashion community has for Bvlgari Hotel Milano. Still, it wasn’t until a recent trip with Bvlgari Hotels that I truly experienced its allure for myself. This time, I had the opportunity to stay at both Bvlgari Hotel Milano and Bvlgari Hotel Roma, fully immersing myself in Bvlgari’s Italian world. While it hardly feels fair to compare one property to another, having also visited the Beijing and Shanghai locations, I can confidently say there is something especially distinctive about Milan and Rome. Both embody the heritage, glamour, and unmistakable Italian spirit that Bulgari expresses so beautifully.

There were many things I loved about my experience at the Bvlgari Milan property, but the hotel's sense of calm might have been the most unexpected and cherished of them all. Tucked away on a private street just steps from Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, the hotel feels almost like a secret hiding in plain sight. The renovated 18th-century Milanese palazzo is beautiful without feeling overly precious, but the real surprise is the garden: a sprawling 4,000-square-meter pocket of greenery that feels worlds away from the fashion-fueled energy happening just outside. After a day of running around Milan, it was exactly the kind of place I wanted to come back to.

The Bvlgari Hotel Roma has that very specific Roman magic where everything feels steeped in history but still incredibly modern. Set on Piazza Augusto Imperatore in the heart of Campo Marzio, it puts you within easy reach of Via del Corso, Piazza di Spagna, and Bvlgari’s historic Via Condotti boutique, so I could spend the day wandering around Rome and never feel far from anything. Inside, the hotel feels like a true celebration of the city, with Italian design and Bvlgari’s signature glamour woven into pretty much every detail. Between the beautiful rooms, standout restaurants, and the overall feeling that you’re staying somewhere genuinely special, it’s the kind of hotel that makes you want to linger a little longer than you planned. Rome is already a city that’s hard to leave, and this certainly doesn’t help.

I received the new Aqua Rebalance treatment at the spa during my stay at the Bvlgari Hotel Milano. While quite different than any treatment I had ever received, it ended up being the perfect reset after a few intense days of travel. It starts with an aromatherapy welcome, complete with warm herbal tea and lavender inhalation, before moving into two rounds of Shiatsu that work through the body’s energy points and release tension. For me, the main highlight was the Watsu portion, an aquatic therapy where a guide gently moves you through warm water while your body completely lets go. The concept of another human swaying you back and forth in the water was jarring at first, but it ended up guiding me into the most intense state of relaxation.

The spa at Bvlgari Hotel Roma feels like a treatment in its own right, and the 20-meter natatio makes that clear. Inspired by the grand Roman baths, the pool is surrounded by glistening Bisazza mosaics and dramatic marble columns, making the entire space feel more like an ancient Roman monument than a hotel spa. After spending time in the pool, I moved on to the treatment side of the experience, where Bvlgari combines traditional techniques with the latest skincare technology and products from Augustinus Bader. This facial has built quite the reputation amongst editors around the world as being one of the most relaxing and luxurious. Partially thanks to Bvlgari. Partially thanks to the Augustinus Bader products.

Il Giardino at Bvlgari Hotel Milano

Tucked inside the hotel’s private garden, Il Giardino feels wonderfully removed from the busy city, with trees, hedges, and little shifts in elevation creating a series of cozy outdoor spaces for guests to enjoy. I loved having dinner here after a day spent running around Milan. It’s lush and romantic without feeling overly formal, and the garden offers a dining experience that feels private, which is hard to come by, especially in such a central location. It’s also the kind of setting that makes you want to never ask for the check (a very Italian thing to do), whether you’re sitting down for a proper meal or are enjoying an espresso or two.

Il Caffè and La Terrazza at Bvlgari Hotel Roma

The dining options at Bvlgari Hotel Roma really take advantage of the fact that you’re in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Il Caffè, located beneath the monumental porticos of Piazza Augusto Imperatore, has a much more relaxed, come-as-you-are energy, with an expansive outdoor area that’s perfect for chatting with friends over a coffee or the most perfect spaghetti alle vongole. La Terrazza, meanwhile, is the spot I’d save for aperitivo, which is a must in Italian culture. Perched on the hotel’s rooftop, it has the most incredible sweeping views across Rome. It feels glamorous but still distinctly Roman, which makes it the perfect spot to add to your itinerary, whether you're staying at the hotel or not.

Il Ristorante – Niko Romito at Both Properties

And then there’s Il Ristorante – Niko Romito, the Bvlgari dining concept that brings the celebrated chef’s take on contemporary Italian cuisine to both Italian properties and beyond. Romito spent two years studying traditional Italian techniques and ingredients before creating his own modern interpretation, with flavor and the essence of "Made in Italy" at the center. I had the pleasure of enjoying an Il Ristorante experience in China when I visited the Beijing and Shanghai properties and fell in love. Each dish is somehow better than the next, and the vibe of each restaurant is always so alive.

Afternoon tea at Il Giardino was one of those experiences that felt quintessentially Milanese, but with the Bvlgari twist. Set in the hotel’s gorgeous garden that I keep raving about, the tea service is centered around La Pasticceria by Niko Romito, with miniature versions of the chef’s signature dishes and desserts. It’s an extremely chic way to spend an afternoon in Milan, and, honestly, a very good excuse to eat your way through a few tiny desserts and even more perfect savory bites.

The design of the Bvlgari Hotel Roma is worth its own callout. The hotel sits right in the heart of Campo Marzio, an area layered with thousands of years of Roman history, and the hotel does an amazing job of tapping into that history while still feeling very modern. The original architecture of the property is balanced with rich Italian materials, beautiful craftsmanship, and subtle Bvlgari touches throughout. Similar to all Bvlgari Hotel locations, you’ll find references to the brand’s iconic jewelry in the rooms, along with gorgeous marble, Murano glass, vintage Italian pieces, and art and design details that made me want to take a picture of absolutely everything.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Coach Creative Director Stuart Vevers first got into fashion by going out. "I definitely got into fashion through going out, through clubbing," Vevers says. In the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Vevers shares how he got his start in the industry by literally knocking on an interviewer's door, the hints he can share about Coach's upcoming collection, and more. To read excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you first got interested in fashion and thought maybe that was the industry for you?

I grew up in the north of England, a working-class family. It felt, in retrospect, quite far from the world of fashion. I definitely got into fashion through going out, through clubbing. I'm tall, and I was tall for my age at like 15, so I could get into nightclubs quite young. The excitement of dressing up led to me researching outfits.

I used to make things. My grandmother was involved in amateur dramatics at her local theater. I would go to her house, and we'd make outfits or bits of outfits together, and then I started to research designers. I discovered fashion as something to do rather than something to buy, with a lot of help from my grandmother.

Talk to me a little bit about moving into the industry after college. I read that your first job was at Calvin Klein—not just any era of the brand but late-'90s Calvin Klein. What was that experience like?

In many ways, it was just mind-blowing. I still didn't really know a lot about the industry, but I very quickly realized it was a competitive world. I knew I would have to work hard and stand out and all of those things.

I was actually interviewed for Calvin [Klein] in London, so they were recruiting in the UK. I wasn't actually on the interview list, but a friend was going, and she divulged the location, and I actually just knocked on the door of the interviewer. She was more interested in me because of that. I don't know for sure, but it seemed like she was interested in the fact that I pushed my way in.

I studied womenswear at college, and she was interviewing for womenswear. She didn't think I was right for her team, so she actually put me forward for a job in accessories, and that's actually how I got into accessories.

I have to talk to you about New York Fashion Week because it is nearly upon us. I know that you can't reveal all of your secrets, but I'm wondering if there's any insight that you can share about your inspiration for the upcoming collection.

There's something a little bit more controlled about it, but things start to act a bit strangely when you look closely. And there is a bit of a journey in the show. We start in one place and… I'm saying it as if it's done. We're not quite there yet, but that's the intention, at least today. We're celebrating our 85th anniversary, so that's part of it. We're bringing people into our world and hosting them and telling some stories about Coach along the way.

Actually, the collection itself is very forward-looking. There's really no retrospective elements from either my time at Coach or through the history of Coach. There [are retrospective elements] in details and ideas, of course, but the collection as a whole is quite forward-looking. There's something a bit more controlled about it.

As someone who actually sets trends and moves the way that America dresses, the way the world dresses, do you have any predictions for any trends this fall?

People are experimenting more. I get a sense that people are more drawn to the strange in this moment. I think it might come down to self-expression. I'm seeing more things that surprise me, some stranger things. We've mostly come through a quieter period, in a way.

What is the most underrated Coach bag?

Probably, I would say Rogue. It's been part of our collection, then it's not, and now it's back again. I do think that was a really important moment for Coach when we introduced Rogue. I met someone once at a party who I'd known years before, and she was like, "I didn't think I'd go back to Coach, and you got me with that bag. … There's something about it. I just had to have it." It's definitely a bag that I really love.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, cofounder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

The industry standards for dog beautycare have officially been raised by Jess Rona. As the founder of Jess Rona Grooming Salon and the up-and-coming dog brand Shmoop, Rona has breathed fresh life into a mundane task.

Yet Rona never planned to build a dog-grooming empire. As a teenager, she set her sights on acting, and at 18, while chasing that dream, she took a job as a dog bather at PetSmart. There, she gradually learned the craft of grooming itself. She later stepped away from the work, waiting tables so her schedule could stay open for auditions. The pursuit eventually carried her to New York City, where she discovered a new creative outlet: improvisational comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade.

She eventually returned to Los Angeles and recommitted to grooming, continuing to refine her technique and even entering grooming competitions. Rona then took a massive career leap and opened her own operation out of her garage, moving from employee to boss. Naturally funny and creative, she began filming the dogs she groomed and posting the clips online. The videos were hilarious, and they quickly went viral, and their unexpected popularity put her business on the map.

She moved the salon out of the garage and into a proper brick-and-mortar location in Larchmont Village. Today, Rona is at the helm of both her established grooming salon and an ambitious new venture as she prepares to launch Shmoop, a beauty brand for every dog (a brand we truly cannot wait to see).

Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to discover how Rona was able to transform a temporary job to support an acting career into a full-fledged professional identity rooted in skill, humor, and an unmistakable affection for dogs.

Next: How Roxana Saidi Is Redefining Café Culture With Táche

I recently got back from a four-day trip to Oaxaca de Juárez, otherwise known as Oaxaca, the capital of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. I went for a friend's wedding. (Side note: if you're ever invited to a wedding in Oaxaca, prepare to be blown away! The customs and traditions are absolutely incredible.) It was my first time visiting the vibrant cultural and culinary capital, and I was truly captivated by the magical city.

I stayed at the boutique Hotel Los Amantes in the historic center (the buzzy scene and the breakfast here are amazing, FYI), which was conveniently located close to the colorful colonial buildings and the famous Templo de Santo Domingo, a cathedral admired for its striking baroque architecture and a meeting place for many locals.

Between wedding festivities, I spent most of my days walking the beautiful, colorful cobblestone streets; indulging in Mexican street food and Oaxacan mezcal; and checking out the coolest coffee spots and bustling markets. More than anything, I did what I do best—shopped! Oaxaca is an absolute shopping paradise, and I get very impassioned every time I talk about the shopping there. Sure, you get the average dose of touristy merch, but I found the markets and boutiques to be of great quality, with beautiful handmade goods. From the traditional Mexican embroidered dresses, tunics, and blouses to the colorful beaded jewelry and handwoven Zapotec textiles to the colorful woven bags and rustic clay pottery (I bought a full set of bowls, cups, and water jugs), the city is bursting with unique and vibrant cultural and traditional delights.

If you're headed to the historic city, I'm sharing my condensed packing list of essentials to take with you on your trip that are perfect for exploring the city, keeping you cool, and fitting in with the Oaxacan vibe. I'm also sharing some of my favorite spots for shopping in the stunning city. Keep scrolling and get inspired to add Oaxaca to your travel bucket list.

Linen and Cotton Dresses + Versatile Sneakers

Oaxaca's average year-round temperature is between 63°F and 72°F, and in the summer, it can reach the high 80s, which means dressing in lightweight and breathable layers is key. Naturally airy cotton and linen are the way to go. I wore linen and cotton dresses that I styled with comfortable sneakers since I walked a ton throughout the city. I particularly love my low-profile red SeaVees sneakers that are chic for day and night.

Colorful and Bold Accessories

Oaxaca is bold, vibrant, and colorful, and I leaned into that vibe with statement accessories. A bold beaded necklace (which you can find at so many of the markets around Oaxaca if you want to buy one there), a colorful headscarf, and statement earrings will elevate your basics in an instant.

Raffia Bags + Straw Hats

Oaxaca's warm and laid-back vibes mean you can forgo heavy leather accessories for easy raffia and straw bags and hats instead.

Tank Tops + Flowy Skirts

Flowy skirts are another great option to mix and match with tank tops and tees. I bought this white one from one of the markets in Oaxaca. Pair them with chic beaded accessories to finish the look.

Comfortable, Versatile Sandals

When I wasn't in sneakers, I was wearing comfy sandals in colors that pair well with everything and are versatile enough for day and night. In fact, I didn't bring heels on this trip (only wedges for the wedding).

Colorful Statement Pieces

If there's anywhere to sport pops of color, it's Oaxaca! The city is vibrant, and I brought a few statement pieces to reflect that vibe.

Where to Shop

• Lia: This cool boutique and café has an impressive selection of carefully curated ceramics, handmade artisanal products, clothing, and accessories and serves delicious coffee in a lovely atmosphere.
• Mercado Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre: The two markets are located two blocks south of the Zócalo. You'll find literally everything from incredible local food products to crafts and artisan goods.
• Mercado de Artesanías: This is one of the city's largest markets dedicated exclusively to quality Oaxacan crafts, clothing, and jewelry.
• Piedra de Río: This is one of my favorite places to buy traditional pottery at decent prices. I bought a whole set of bowls, mugs, and a water jug there.
• Cooperativa 1050°: Here's another gorgeous boutique that offers a curated selection of Oaxaca's famous pottery in barro rojo, an earthy rust-colored clay, and barro negro, the iconic black version—all handmade by artisans around Oaxaca.
• Marias Arte y Diseño: This is the perfect spot to pick up gifts, prints, drawings, home goods, and unique pieces by emerging Mexican artists and designers. I love the colorful atmosphere, and the whole row of stores beside this charming boutique is worth strolling into as well.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Costume designer Marissa Schwartz found her way into styling while in fashion school. "I ended up walking up to somebody one day that was speaking at this event, who was a stylist, and asked if I could assist her," Schwartz said. "She was wonderful and incredible, and to this day, [she's] a mentor of mine who sort of thrust me into the world of styling." In the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Schwartz shares how she landed her job on the Amazon Prime Video series Sterling Point, the hardest piece to source for the show, and more.

To read excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

How did you get into costume design in the first place and fall in love with fashion?

As a kid, I was just a very creative being and really drawn to color and texture and was just excited to put on a show from a really young age. I was lucky to be involved in theater growing up, and that really set the stage for me to learn about building character and story. Like many young women, I was just really into fashion as a form of expression, as a form of fitting in.

I found myself leaving high school a bit lost and a bit unsure [about] what the next steps were. Most of my peers were going to get very academic degrees, and it just didn't resonate with me. I'm really lucky that my parents always encouraged me to follow my gut, and my gut was to go to fashion school, which I did, and it was heavily focused on merchandising—a little bit more of the retail side of business fashion.

When I left that program, I knew styling was the area of expertise that I wanted to explore. Mind you, at that time, even within my program, there wasn't a lot of information or a direct path to what that could look like as a career. I ended up walking up to somebody one day that was speaking at this event, who was a stylist, and asked if I could assist her. She was wonderful and incredible, and to this day, [she's] a mentor of mine who sort of thrust me into the world of styling.

I started in fashion print, editorial. [I] loved it. It was at the moment when print was going out of print, I guess. It was that unknown, and I wasn't sure if it was going to be the thing that would really be successful for me in the long run, so I decided to go back to school for makeup, which was a secondary love, something I came to love in my early adulthood.

That program I was in was heavily film and TV focused, and that was where everything fell into place. The light bulb went off, and I discovered that there was a path for my love of fashion and clothes and story and creativity, and everything snowballed from that point forward.

Tell me how you got connected with Sterling Point and what made you want to say yes to this project in particular.

I got a cold call one day from our lovely producer Anna Beben. This was not a job that I should have been put forward for because it was with a different union. In Toronto, we have two different unions, and this one was with a union that I am not part of, or I wasn't at the time.

They just hadn't found the right fit, so at that point, they looked outside of that union resource, and it only came to light after I got the job that my name came to them through our producer Louie [Hayes], who's with LuckyChap. He had, I guess, reached out to his network here in Toronto, somebody that he knew who had done a movie here years ago. (And I need to find out who this person is and give them a ton of thanks because I had never actually met them.) He had just heard good things about me, which was so incredible that he was willing to pass my name on based on that. That is how my name got passed on.

What sort of research did you do to make sure that you were true to Gen Z style without turning it into something ridiculous, over-the-top, and clearly crafted by an adult?

At the end of the day, many adults are often the ones that have a hand in creating a visual of what it looks like to be a teen. There were a few different pillars for me that were really important. I got on TikTok, I got on Instagram, and I'm scrolling, and I'm saving videos and photos. I'm just trying to understand the language and the looks and what is happening today in this demographic.

The other thing that I think stands the test of time is people are individual and have really unique, nuanced ways of showing up in the world. When I'm building a character, any character—whether they're 8 or 80 or anywhere in between—what do I know about them from the script and the story? What can I dive into that's going to help create that?

Then, of course, there are layers on top of that. … What is their demo? Where do they live? What socioeconomic background do they come from? Those are all things that influence the decisions.

The other pillar is just our cast. They were so incredible in helping bridge the gap for me of when things veered millennial—dare I say it? Something that I feel is a really big part of my process when I'm building a character is working super closely with the actors because, at the end of the day, they have to show up in their body and do what they have to do to create a person outside of themselves, so it's a real collaboration.

What was the hardest piece to source for the show?

I would say the hardest piece was the bathing suit that Annie wears in [episode 4] when she's in the sauna with Rory. We actually ended up making it. It was such a fun endeavor, and I'm so grateful for the experience because I will make every bathing suit from now on, I think. We tried so many on, and there were great options, but ultimately, for how it had to function, we really needed it to hit specific technical requirements that real swimwear just wasn't working. We ended up building it from scratch, and it took a lot of fittings and time and patience, and I think anybody in fashion or costume will tell you that the [simpler] something looks, the harder it is to execute because you can't hide anything.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

There’s no denying we’re in the era where matcha lattes and café culture are absolutely dominating. At the helm of the rapidly evolving industry is Roxana Saidi, founder and CEO of Táche, a pioneering plant-based milk brand. “Táche is for those who crave flavor first and nutrition always,” notes Saidi . “For palates that read between the lines and sips that never settle. It's a little luxury that's always within reach—never asking you to sacrifice deliciousness, your health, or the environment.”

Yet before Saidi began changing the way we consume our favorite drinks, she actually began her career in public relations. After graduating with a degree in marketing, she launched her career with a public relations position in Los Angeles. That early experience laid the groundwork for entrepreneurial ambition. She soon founded her own social media agency, which expanded into a full creative and brand strategy firm known as RX Social. Through RX Social, Saidi helped launch and grow more than 45 brands across the fashion, food, and lifestyle industries, honing her expertise in brand-building and market positioning.

Eventually, Saidi relocated to New York and shifted into consulting work. Yet a compelling idea soon took hold: an alternative milk made from pistachios. Pistachios had long been a staple in her household while she was growing up, making the concept both personal and practical. She recognized that pistachio milk offered clear advantages—greater sustainability compared with almond milk and superior nutrition relative to oat milk. Driven by this insight, she founded Táche and officially launched the brand in 2020.

Táche products quickly appeared in cafés and grocery stores, including well-known retailers such as Erewhon and Sprouts. More recently, the brand expanded its reach by entering Whole Foods, offering its three-ingredient pistachio milk to an even broader audience—ultimately proving the appeal of a simple, thoughtfully formulated product rooted in both cultural familiarity and modern consumer priorities around sustainability and nutrition.

Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to discover how Saidi’s journey illustrates how professional experience in marketing, public relations, and brand strategy can converge with personal inspiration to create something new. And keep scrolling to shop some of our favorites from Táche.

Next: This Cofounder Is Creating a New Kind of Candy Culture

"Sometimes, people just see me as a significant other," Ayan Broomfield tells me ahead of the 2026 US Open. "[They] assume that's why I'm in the tennis world." If you've only seen photos of the 29-year-old cheering on her partner, Frances Tiafoe, at the French Open or Wimbledon in a vintage Pucci set or a Cult Gaia minidress, that would probably be an easy assumption to make. "But I've actually had 20 years in the game," she assures. Broomfield is a spectator. She is a WAG (the nickname fans and media personnel have given to the wives and girlfriends of professional athletes). But neither descriptor defines Broomfield completely. If you look a little closer, you'll discover she's actually a Renaissance woman with an NCAA doubles title, a small part in King Richard, and two decades of experience playing the game. While she may have hung up her racket (professionally, at least), Broomfield's impact on the tennis world is far from over.

As an athlete from a young age, Broomfield never saw tennis as just a spectator sport. It was the foundation of her life. She grew up playing in Canada, eventually taking her talents to UCLA, where she won a national championship and established herself as a serious competitor in her own right. Then, the pandemic happened, as well as a slew of hard-to-overcome injuries. After giving her life to the tennis court through her childhood and collegiate years and stepping into the professional field, Broomfield traded the daily demands of athlete life for a new venture that allowed her to explore the sport from a different angle.

"I feel like I've done everything possible in tennis as a player," she tells me, reflecting on her career on the court. "At this point, I think of myself more as a storyteller—sometimes through content, sometimes through hosting, sometimes through building communities like Ayan's Aces. Everything I'm doing right now, especially in tennis, is about bringing people together, and I want to keep growing that."

Tennis has historically been a buttoned-up sport, but Broomfield believes that's changing. Her tournament wardrobe used to be dictated by comfort and function, but once she began attending matches as a spectator to support her partner, she realized fashion gave her a new way to express herself.

Over time, especially as fashion has become more integrated into the sport, she started showing her personality through her looks in the stands.

She now gravitates toward bold prints, designer looks, and statement-making pieces, and Thom Browne, Cult Gaia, and LaQuan Smith are among the designers on her radar for this year's US Open. "I really wanted to lean into the word 'bold,'" she explains, sharing a preview of her wardrobe for the tournament. "Bold silhouettes, tailoring, [and] fun accessories." Upon noticing this shift in fashion as it relates to the sport and adopting it herself, Broomfield realized something else: There is plenty of room to grow the tennis audience too.

Ayan's Aces was inspired by many moments where Broomfield saw a lack of diversity at tennis matches and events. "Once I started coming as a spectator, I realized there weren't a lot of women who looked like me in the stands, especially women of color," she says. When women told her they didn't feel like tennis was "for them," she knew she needed to take action.

What started with five tickets grew to 10 and eventually became a much larger initiative designed to help more people step into the world of tennis. Brands and tournaments now work with her to provide tickets and suites for a diverse community to enjoy the sport. Her goal? To get more women of color attending tennis tournaments. "Can you imagine the girls going to Paris for a week—shopping, sightseeing, going to a tennis tournament—just being together and building community?" The growth of the initiative has been fast, now reaching sports like Formula One and golf. Next, she hopes to take Ayan's Aces global.

For Broomfield, that evolution is about more than what people wear to tennis matches. It's about creating a space where more people feel like they can show up as themselves—whether that means donning a runway-worthy look in the stands, wearing a matching set on the court, or simply seeing someone who looks like them sitting beside them. "I want to use my platform and voice to keep pushing the envelope with how I present myself so more people feel comfortable wearing exactly what they want instead of conforming to typical tennis attire," she explains. Tennis might have been buttoned up during Broomfield's first 20 years on the court, but she's determined to leave it in a different state, one that's a little less proper and a little more open to interpretation.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

For Sunna Yassin, wedding-planning expert and co-owner and principal of Bash Please, there's a shift happening in how couples are thinking about their weddings. "I think we're just seeing celebration over performance, for sure, and really, really seeing atmosphere over decoration," Yassin said.

One specific area that has noticeably changed is florals. "I do think flowers are definitely becoming more architectural," Yassin said. "Instead of filling every surface with blooms, designers are really working with shape, with scale, with movement, negative space."

In the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Yassin breaks down wedding-industry trends, how she got her start, and more. To read excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Before we get into all things wedding trends for 2027, let's take it back to the beginning. How did you get into wedding planning and grow your business to the scale it is today?

I started off in the hotel industry. I loved working in hotels. I worked for a bigger-brand hotel and was climbing that ladder. I loved everything about hotels. I loved the energy. I really loved the fact that they never closed. There was always something going on 24/7. I left that big-box brand and made my way to a luxury property here in San Francisco, doing events and doing catering.

I met a really great destination planner, who is still crushing it in the industry to date, and I got the opportunity to work with her and her team, and I learned so much, met a ton of people. It's actually where I met my now business partner, who, at that time, worked for a luxury caterer in the Bay Area, and that was the piece that I was really missing. I didn't know a ton about high-end catering and doing a gala or a huge charity event for 1000s of people. I needed that expertise to continue to grow in my career.

I actually joined her at the catering company. I think I was there for … maybe two or three years, and then Mollie [Jones Hennes], my business partner now, and I quickly realized—working with a lot of planners and a lot of designers and just a lot of vendors in the industry—that there was just something missing in the industry. At that time, we hadn't pinpointed what was missing, but we just knew there was a void. We got together and decided this was something that we really wanted to do.

Over time, we figured out our place in the industry, and I think our place was quickly defined by not doing anything that felt really overproduced but still working at a highly intentional, personal, luxury level. Hopefully, that point of view has stayed really consistent and really clear over the last decade of us working together on this.

Let's break down the shift that we're seeing that you talked about to one of our editors, Nikki Chwatt, who did a wedding-planning-trend story where you were an expert. You said couples are now prioritizing "intimacy over spectacle and depth over excess." Did we hit a peak in visibility, excess, that kind of thing? Is the comedown from that?

I think we did sort of hit a peak. At one point, luxury was associated with more. It was more flowers, more production, more everything. Today, at least, our couples are redefining that. I also think the word "luxury" is being tossed around at every turn. People are really taking a step back.

To us, I think luxury actually feels like just having enough confidence to actually edit and bring things down. We're just seeing celebration over performance, for sure, and really, really seeing atmosphere over decoration—just coming back to the emotional memory that people are experiencing over the weekend versus some sort of visual spectacle.

I want to also talk about florals. Obviously, that's a huge part of any wedding production, and it feels like we're starting to move away from the standard floral arrangements as centerpieces at the table. I'm curious what trends you're seeing.

It's one of those things that we come back to in the very beginning, and we ask people, "Is investing in floral really important to you?" Nine times out of 10, most people say yes, but we have to also sit down and think about where the floral makes the most sense. If what has a top priority is working with an amazing culinary team or an amazing chef and we're doing this huge family-style meal, we don't have room for flowers down the table, so we're shifting priorities from the go. I do think flowers are definitely becoming more architectural. Instead of filling every surface with blooms, designers are really working with shape, with scale, with movement, negative space.

Event design is your expertise, but you obviously see the wedding dresses. Have you seen what kind of styles people are gravitating to?

For 2027, it's the year of the fashion stylist. They are coming in hot, and they are incredible, and they have some great things up their sleeves. Gone are the days where a bride is walking into one bridal studio salon and picking their dress. They're building a team, and those teams are sourcing vintage. They're borrowing from ready-to-wear. They're mixing couture archival pieces, and they're thinking about their wardrobe the same way they think about their everyday style. It's less about them choosing a dress and more about curating a fashion story for the weekend. I think there's just something really special about wearing a piece that already has a story, and it feels personal.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

This summer, candy is having a major moment. At the helm of the candy evolution is Better Sour, a gummy-candy brand inspired by sour flavors from the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific, founded by best friends Isabella Hughes and Semira Nikou. As the cofounder and chief revenue officer of Better Sour, Hughes has navigated the brand through its growth.

Before leading the charge in redefining candy culture, Hughes initially pursued a path in the arts. She curated and coordinated exhibitions for a variety of organizations across the United States and the United Arab Emirates, developing a keen eye for presentation and storytelling that would later inform her business ventures.

Despite her success in the arts, Hughes had long been drawn to entrepreneurship. In 2014, she launched her first company, Lezzetli, a Middle Eastern–inspired ice cream brand. Around the same time, she developed the concept for a second venture: Shaka Tea, a Hawaii-grown herbal iced tea brand. Shaka Tea grew steadily and was acquired in 2022, marking a significant milestone in Hughes's entrepreneurial journey.

Following the acquisition, Hughes was ready for a new challenge. In 2023, she cofounded Better Sour with her lifelong best friend, Nikou. Both daughters of Iranian immigrants who grew up in Hawaii, Hughes and Nikou drew upon their shared cultural backgrounds to shape the brand's distinctive flavors. Their blend of Iranian heritage and Hawaiian upbringing provided a unique foundation for creating sour candy that stood out in a competitive market.

Under Hughes's leadership as chief revenue officer, Better Sour has expanded rapidly, and the company is now available in more than 4000 stores nationwide, including major retailers such as Costco, Whole Foods, and Erewhon. This wide distribution reflects the brand's broad appeal and the effective strategy Hughes has helped drive.

Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to discover how Hughes's path demonstrates how diverse experiences—artistic, entrepreneurial, and cultural—can converge to create something both innovative and successful. Keep scrolling to shop Better Sour.

Next: The First First Lady Who Kept Her Job Outside of the White House

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Fashion designer Rachel Scott has been making clothes since she was a little kid.

"I've always been obsessed with making clothes," Scott said. "It's just something that was in my upbringing and my childhood."

After studying French and art, Scott moved to Milan, where she began working in the fashion industry.

Scott eventually made her way to New York City, where she continued working in the business until she decided to take a leap of faith and launch her own brand, Diotima.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Scott shares how she launched her own line, how she became the creative director at Proenza Schouler, and more.

To read excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Tell me how you got your start in fashion, and what drew you to creating Diotima?

I've always been obsessed with making clothes. It's just something that was in my upbringing and my childhood.

I used to make clothes for myself to go to parties. Not the same type of clothes I make now.

How are they different?

They were micro. I did grow up in Jamaica, so tiny, tiny skirts and triangles for tops.

I love fashion, and I grew up in the heyday of Vogue Italia, and I was obsessed.

I grew up in Kingston, and I really wanted to get a really broad education.

I didn't study fashion initially. I studied French and art and then ended up going to Italy and studied fashion there and began my career in Milan and then worked there for a few years and then ended up moving to New York.

Then was just in the industry for a long time and loved my job and loved what I did, but I had a full very typical existential kind of crisis in the early days of the pandemic.

I think I just really needed to find meaning in what I was doing every day.

I think I was just kind of lost, and I wasn't sure what I was doing anymore and decided that I needed to do something for myself, and that's why I launched Diotima.

Since we last spoke, you have, of course, become the creative director of Proenza Schouler. Can you share the story of how you landed the role?

It was super exciting for Jack [McCollough] and Lazaro [Hernandez]—this opportunity that they had [to take over Loewe].

I'd never met them before, which is really funny. We knew of each other. I was a big fan. Have always been.

They're a few years older than me, and so I always looked up to them and admired what they did.

The brand holds such a special place in New York fashion and American fashion in a way that it was just incredible.

It was very much New York, and it's very much an American brand, but it kind of superseded these ideas of what an American brand should be, so I was sad when I heard that they were leaving their brand that they founded.

I think the guys, obviously, really wanted to make sure that it was going to be in good hands because I can't imagine how difficult that must be to leave something that you founded and had for nearly 25 years at the time when they left.

They were on a long search, and the current CEO, Shira Snyder, reached out to me and was like, "We're not sure what we're going to do. We really love your work. Would you be interested in just like helping us get through this period? Because I know you're busy with your brand Diotima." I was like, "Sure, that sounds really fun."

I went in kind of secretly at the end of early summer last spring and just started supporting the team.

I think within less than a month, Shira was like, "This is actually going really well. Would you like to officially have the role? And I was like, 'Great, yeah.'"

I have a quick lightning round. Most challenging piece you've ever designed?

The most challenging things are trying to make things that I would find conservative interesting, like a skirt set.

If I find something conservative, it bothers me, and then I have to find a way, like I said, to make it interesting to me.

Current material or pattern or silhouette that you're obsessed with?

I'm really into animal prints these days.

I always like to know your personal favorite fashion designer working today?

I can give a few. I was dying over the [striped] jeans from Dario Vitale Versace. I really wanted them, and I was like, "I don't think I can spend $4000 on a pair of jeans that probably will not look good on me," but I really wanted them.

Maybe Yohji Yamamoto.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, cofounder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

Dr. Jill Biden is an absolute force. She is an educator, the author of View From the East Wing, and the former First Lady of the United States, yet long before she stepped into national roles as Second Lady and later First Lady, Dr. Biden dedicated her professional life to teaching and learning.

She began her career as a high school English teacher. In 1977, she married then-Senator Joe Biden, and from the start of their marriage, she was determined to continue her teaching career while raising their family. Balancing the demands of family life with her work in the classroom remained a central priority for her.

At the same time, she pursued her own education with steady focus. She earned two master's degrees—one in education and another in English. As her husband set his sights on the presidential nomination, Dr. Biden found her professional niche teaching community college students, where she connected with a diverse group of learners while remaining grounded in the work she loved. During this period, she also completed her doctorate in education at the University of Delaware, marking a significant milestone in her academic journey and further preparing her for the dual roles she would later balance.

In 2009, she assumed the position of Second Lady after her husband became vice president of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama. As Second Lady, she led the Joining Forces initiative alongside former First Lady Michelle Obama. The initiative focused on supporting military families, and Dr. Biden continued to prioritize her identity as an educator. Throughout her years as Second Lady, she maintained her position as an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College, refusing to set aside the classroom work that had defined so much of her adult life.

When she became First Lady in 2021, she again chose to keep teaching. In doing so, impressively, she became the first First Lady to hold a job outside the White House. Her decision underscored a consistent theme throughout every stage of her public and private life: a steadfast dedication to education, both as a student and as a teacher.

Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Dr. Biden continues to stay committed to the belief that teaching and learning truly matter in everything she does.

Next: Meet the Founder Changing the Menstrual-Hygiene Game

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Rudy Mance, the Emmy-nominated costume designer for FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, has always loved fashion.

After moving to New York City, Mance had a chance encounter that changed the trajectory of his career. "Through friends, I had met a stylist and fashion editor named Sarah Richardson," Mance said. "She lived in London and still does, but at the time, she was doing a lot of work in the States for I-D magazine." Through another friend, Mance eventually began working in film and television as a set costumer, dressing background actors. "I was a set costumer when I first got in, so that taught me filmmaking and what it was like to be on set and all of the hard, painstaking work that goes into it," Mance said.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Mance tells Who What Wear cofounder Hillary Kerr how he made the leap from editorial styling to working on some of the biggest projects in Hollywood, how they sourced archival looks for FX's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, and more.

To read excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Talk to me a little bit about how you got into fashion in general and costume design in particular.

I grew up in a very small town, rural Indiana. [I was] always very interested in fashion but didn't really know how to break in and had moved to New York. I didn't really have a plan, so I just started working and networking. I lived on the Lower East Side, which was a very hip, trendy party part of the city.

Through friends, I had met a stylist and fashion editor named Sarah Richardson. She lived in London and still does, but at the time, she was doing a lot of work in the States for I-D magazine. I began assisting her whenever she would come to the U.S. Through my work at I-D and her, I met Edward Enninful. I would assist Edward on occasion and Sarah and a handful of other Condé Nast stylists.

Fashion assistants never make a ton of money. Monday through Friday, I would work at the magazines. On Saturdays, I would work on a taco truck on Bedford Avenue, and then on Sundays, I would work at this place called Beacon's Closet. I met a woman there who was… I didn't know what she did, but I knew she did something costume related. Her name's Laura Downing. She's still a very, very dear friend. She was a wardrobe supervisor, so she hired me to do a film with her dressing the background.

I was a set costumer when I first got in, so that taught me filmmaking and what it was like to be on set and all of the hard, painstaking work that goes into it. Then I got hired as a costumer on a show called The Knick.

Love Story is obviously a Ryan Murphy project, but this is not your first time working with him. You have worked with him on a number of projects: Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, American Horror Story, and Monster, to name a few. Even though these are very different projects, that relationship must be such an interesting one because it has evolved over time, and you start to get in each other's heads.

I came to work with Ryan Murphy through Lou Eyrich, who is Ryan's costume designer on many of his shows, and they've been working together, I think, for 25 years or so. Lou now oversees, as a producer, all of his shows in terms of the costumes, so I work very, very closely with Lou.

I want to talk a little bit about when you craft a costume for a character that's based on a real person, especially people like John F. Kennedy Jr. and like Carolyn Bessette. The world has an idea of what that legacy looks like, but your responsibility is also to the new viewer. How do you balance all of those things?

I always try to approach every single thing from a point of reality in terms of costume design, even though it has to look intriguing and aspirational and all of these things because it is for TV. No matter who the character is, whether it's pretty or ugly, it should always feel real. Even though they are costumes, they should feel like clothes, and nothing should ever be too, too precious. Kind of like the two of them, nothing should ever be trying too hard. It really just comes down to style, and thank god Paul [Anthony Kelly] and Sarah [Pidgeon] [are] both very stylish in their own right, and they could pull off almost anything.

Talk to me about sourcing.

Incredible, incredible team of assistants and shoppers. Yes, 1stDibs. Yes, Etsy. Yes, eBay. We had a team of shoppers here in L.A. that would pull from the rental houses and from the various vintage shops here. We went everywhere in New York. Vintage shops. We even would, if we really were struggling, go to Philadelphia. Then a lot of pieces came from abroad. We had a Prada purse from Ukraine.

Japanese eBay, at one point, because we were struggling. In terms of archives, yes, as much as we could. Sunita Kumar Nair was incredible and introduced us to Yohji Yamamoto. I don't know if we wound up using anything from Yohji's archives, and same with Prada. … Yohji Yamamoto and Prada, I think they had both just opened their flagships in New York in 1995, so they weren't fully set up with archives. So that Yohji suit with the ruffle, the tan and black, they didn't even have it in their archives.

Then we wound up having to make it. In terms of Calvin [Klein], I think we have the most vintage Calvin archive of all time now. It was really important for me to use as much vintage as we could throughout the series.

Keep scrolling to shop our CBK-inspired picks.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to Fashion's Finest Stays, a travel series where we lend our fashion-editor POV to the world of hospitality. Here, we'll give you exclusive insider access to the world's most renowned hotels and resorts, uncovering every detail you'd ever want to know before you book.

When planning a honeymoon, most newlyweds start big picture with a loose idea of cities they want to visit and activities they want to explore. Beach or mountains? Adventurous itinerary or flat-out relaxation? I had a hotel—a plush, extravagant "Marie Antoinette would geek out over this" hotel. I didn't know much about the surrounding area (it would be my first time in the South of France), but I'd been obsessing over the historic cliffside palace ever since I met Natacha Bonjout, French pharmacist and cosmetic chemist, for lunch to discuss her award-winning skincare brand. I told her I had recently gotten married and was hoping to organize a summer honeymoon, and she immediately responded with, "You have to stay here." She pulled up her Instagram, and there it was: Airelles Gordes, La Bastide—the elegant, extremely intimate 16th-century maison in all its glory. When I later mentioned it to a travel advisor, she unwaveringly agreed, calling it "heaven on Earth" and "one of the best hotels in all of France." And just like that, we were honeymooning in Provence.

To be clear, Airelles isn't the type of hotel you book on a whim unless you're some sort of heiress or perhaps a cast member on The White Lotus. (Its Saint-Tropez property, Château de La Messardière, is a confirmed location for season 4.) It's top of the line in terms of luxury, hence why it took a special milestone like my honeymoon to justify the splurge. A month later, however, I don't regret it one bit. Here's every reason why it's worth booking and why I'm already dreaming of the day I can go back.

Gordes is known as one of the most beautiful villages in the Luberon, and at its top rests the five-star Airelles. It's perhaps more accurate to say that the property is wedged into the cliffs themselves. The entrance is street level, but the inside is a vertical labyrinth of stone buildings, terrace gardens, and winding staircases. What was once a private seigneurial manor in the 16th century, the space underwent a full restoration in 2015 with the help of 150 local artisans to honor its rich history. At the helm of said project was architect and interior designer Christophe Tollemer, who also sourced authentic antique furniture and over 2000 pieces of period artwork. As a result, no two rooms are the same in design.

There are 40 rooms and suites in the entire hotel with views over the village or the Luberon valley. I stayed in the Deluxe Village Bedroom, which is technically on the lower tier in terms of price (I'd rather spend more of my budget on dining and excursions) yet is still one of the most high-end spaces I've ever slept in. Despite its authentic woodwork and rare antiques, like an 18th-century writing desk, it comes with all the modern fixings of a luxury hotel, including a marble-finished bathroom, a Dyson hair dryer, Jardins Baulieu toiletries, and a fully stocked and complimentary minibar.

As soon as you set foot into the airy lobby, you're treated like royalty—quite fitting for one of the 33 hotels in the region awarded Palace status by the French government. The staff, dressed to the nines in period-style uniforms, somehow knows exactly what you need before you even know you need it, be it a fresh cocktail, garment press, or list of recommendations for exploring nearby villages. A tote bag, a straw hat, and custom-embroidered pajamas were waiting for my husband and me in our room upon check-in, and each night, we returned to find surprise gifts, including a sunglasses case, a toiletry bag, and an eye mask.

Upon checkout, a staff member brought us out to the terrace for a quick Polaroid photo to look back on (as if I could ever forget such opulence) and escorted us to our rental car, where chilled bottles of water, Ladurée macarons, and personalized luggage tags were resting on the front console. Small touches like these set Airelles apart from other five-star stays. The experience makes you feel like a noble yet completely at home.

You'll find three pools on the property: a dedicated kids' pool, an indoor pool at the spa, and the iconic terrace pool situated on the lush hilltop gardens overlooking the Luberon. The latter is probably the most peaceful place I've ever lounged. All you can hear is the gentle lapping of water, the rustling of olive trees overhead, and the occasional server offering you a glass of rosé. After visiting the lavender fields, shopping at local markets, or passing through nearby villages, it's the only place you'll want to be.

A couple of floors down from the pool, you'll reach the tranquil underground spa—aka 17,000 square feet of bliss. Meant to resemble the Sénanque Abbey (which is just 20 minutes away), the space is equipped with stone archways, vaulted ceilings, and soft, serene candlelight. Guests are permitted to take advantage of the indoor pool, hammam, and sauna at any time, but I highly recommend booking a treatment if your schedule allows. My husband and I received a romantic couple's massage, which included a few minutes of Guerlain sheet-mask pampering and culminated in champagne and macarons on a private outdoor terrace. Swoon. The spa also offers a full collection of Guerlain's highly coveted fragrances, such as the viral $660 Vanille Planifolia Extrait 21.

Talk about dinner with a view! I dined at two of the hotel's on-property restaurants, La Table de La Bastide and Clover Gordes by multi-Michelin-starred chef Jean-François Piège, both of which boast sweeping views of the Luberon. (Fun fact: Clover is where Emily and Gabriel go to lunch during season 3 of Emily in Paris.) Sunset dining will never be the same for me moving forward; there's nothing like sharing a plate of glossy heirloom tomatoes as the sun drenches the valley below in pink and gold.

Breakfast, however, deserves its own moment to shine. Twist my arm, and I'd tell you that the complimentary morning meals at Airelles Gordes were my favorite of the entire trip. Again, there's not a bad seat in the house thanks to the breathtaking scenery on the outdoor terrace, but the spread itself is that of a royal banquet. Think towering pastry stands, charcuterie boards galore, fresh juices, and every piece of seasonal fruit you can imagine. And if you're still feeling peckish, there's a full à la carte menu that's also free of charge, with customizable omelettes, collagen smoothies, and other morning delights. My advice? Get the French toast every single day.

My trip landed smack-dab in the middle of a record heat wave, so breathable fabrics (e.g., lots of cotton and linen) and layers were key. A few silk scarves were also a must since there are so many ways to wear them (as a strapless shirt, a hair scarf, a bag accessory, etc.), which ultimately means more room in my suitcase for French market treasures and beauty products. For shoes, I wore my black Repetto Camille Flats nearly every single day of the trip, as they effortlessly suit every outfit while being some of the most comfortable footwear I own. Of course, in the South of France, a straw bag was nonnegotiable. The one I brought is sadly no longer available at Jenni Kayne, but the brand has a similar bucket silhouette in a rich chocolate that I'm dying to get my hands on—perhaps in time for my next Provence getaway.

Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, the destination for style-minded weddings. Expect insightful tips straight from the newlyweds, shoppable elements, and plenty of must-save imagery as we share the nuptials of our favorite fashion people getting married. For upcoming features, share your submissions here.

Their love story began nearly a decade ago when they were introduced through a family member. "It was love at first sight," says Georgie Wright, cofounder of The Veil, as she thinks back to when she began dating Charles Forte, her now-husband and the vice president of development at Rocco Forte Hotels. However, it wasn't your typical whirlwind romance. "What followed was a few years of us both pretending not to be interested and playing it very cool," she says. "Somehow that worked."

After eight years together, the couple traveled to Mustique, a private island in the Caribbean that a select group of royalty and rock stars call home. It was there, shortly after arriving, that they got engaged. "The proposal happened on New Year's Eve 2024 in our hotel room after breakfast," Wright says. Forte was nervous, profusely sweating, as she recalls, trying hard to keep his cool. "It gave the game away rather quickly," she says. "But it was understated, incredibly sweet, and very us." The ring is an antique cushion-cut diamond that Wright sourced. "I've always been obsessed with the character of old-cut stones," she says. "Unlike modern diamonds, they were originally cut to sparkle by candlelight, giving them a softer, more romantic brilliance that I find incredibly beautiful."

The couple exchanged vows on April 24, 2026, with festivities centered around Villa Igiea in Palermo. "Choosing our venue was actually one of the easiest decisions," Wright says. "Villa Igiea has enormous significance for Charles and his family. His father, Sir Rocco Forte, founded Rocco Forte Hotels, and Charles spent time living there during its reopening."

The two-day celebration embraced the grandeur of Sicily while remaining deeply personal. Invitations, by Laura Graham, founder and owner of GG Print, set the tone. They included bespoke illustrations of Palermo's landmarks—including Villa Igiea and Monreale Cathedral, a 12th-century Catholic church where the ceremony was held—as well as a charming drawing of Forte and Wright's miniature dachshund on the RSVP cards.

To bring their design vision to life, the two worked closely with friend and planner Anna Boglione, focusing on celebrating the extraordinary architecture of the venues rather than competing with them. This intentionality shone through in Wright's choice of bridal attire. For the first night, which included the ceremony and dinner, she wore an Audrey Hepburn–inspired gown of her own design, which she accessorized with a custom ivory version of The Veil's signature Melt bag. Her ensemble for the second night showcased another bespoke, hand-embellished gown created by Wright, beautifully layered with a fur-trimmed opera coat by London-based designer Viktor Gichev. Keep reading to admire all of the elegant details that made this wedding feel so special.

"I got ready at Villa Igiea surrounded by my closest friends and family, which was one of the most special parts of the weekend. We played ‘Going to the Chapel’ by The Dixie Cups just a couple of times…"

"I thought about getting the dress designed for me; however, since launching The Veil and the knowledge I have about embroidery, it didn’t feel right for me not to design it myself. The biggest inspiration came from Audrey Hepburn's Ascot dress in My Fair Lady—a look I've been obsessed with since childhood."

"I incorporated an incredibly meaningful family heirloom: a veil that belongs to Charles's family. I photocopied every flower within the veil before re-creating my own embroidery pattern inspired by those floral motifs. Once the embroidery artwork was complete, I traveled to our embroidery factory in India over several months, perfecting every tiny detail. The final dress took around four months to develop and featured thousands of miniature ivory and glass beads that shimmered almost like diamonds."

WWW Weddings Tip: "If you're designing or custom-making anything, start far earlier than you think you need to. Beautiful craftsmanship always takes longer than expected."

"Hair was by Pierre Saint Sever and makeup by Mayumi Oda, who created an elegant and timeless beauty look that made me feel like the best version of myself rather than someone completely different. Mayumi did the most insane facial massage every morning to bring me back to life."

"As the cofounder of The Veil, it felt only right to create my own bridal handbag, too. I designed a bespoke ivory version of our signature Melt bag especially for the wedding and a mini crystal tassel bag."

Wright with her close friends.

Wright poses with her parents.

"We got married in Monreale Cathedral in a traditional Catholic ceremony surrounded by our closest family and friends. The moment we walked inside and saw the extraordinary gold Byzantine mosaics, we knew it was where we wanted to get married—it is mind-blowing."

"Walking into the cathedral remains one of the most emotional moments of my life."

Wright's father walks her down the aisle.

"Charles wore a bespoke Anderson & Sheppard suit, finished with his grandfather's beautiful pearl and diamond dress studs, making his look feel incredibly personal while honoring family tradition."

Wright and Forte officially become husband and wife.

Wright and Forte leave the cathedral and get showered with rose petals.

The Sicilian Ballo della Corsella cheered us before entering dinner.

We danced with the traditional Sicilian Ballo della Cordella.

"Dinner took place in the spectacular Benedictine Cloisters beside Monreale Cathedral. Our vision was always to celebrate the extraordinary architecture of our venues rather than compete with them."

"We wanted the setting to feel incredibly romantic, while allowing the beauty of the cloister to speak for itself. Long tables were positioned around the cloister, framed by the beautiful golden mosaic columns and Romanesque arches, allowing the historic surroundings to become the backdrop to the evening. The tables were dressed with an abundance of candlelight winding down their full length, alongside scented seasonal greenery and delicate touches of white flowers. We deliberately kept the florals understated, allowing the centuries-old architecture to remain the focal point. Looking around and seeing everyone we love together in one place was the highlight of the entire weekend, along with the most incredible speeches."

"As the sun set and the candles were lit, the entire cloister took on an incredibly intimate and magical atmosphere."

Wright tosses the bouquet over her shoulder for a guest to catch.

"Instead of a traditional wedding cake, we served a beautiful three-tier pavlova."

Aerial acrobats close out the evening.

WWW Weddings Tip: "Design your wedding around how you want everyone to feel rather than simply how you want it to look."

"For the celebrations at Villa Igiea the following evening, our inspiration shifted to the hotel's belle époque heritage. During the aperitivo, guests were welcomed by a spectacular ice fountain installation that doubled as a crudo bar, surrounded by fragrant lemon trees and sprawling foliage—a celebration of Sicily and its abundance."

"I designed my second look myself. The dress was entirely hand-embroidered in thousands of tiny ivory glass microbeads, creating a subtle shimmer that perfectly matched my bespoke ivory Mini Melt bag from The Veil."

"To complete the look, I wore a custom cream lace opera coat, finished with vintage white fur trim by Viktor Gichev. It was incredibly dramatic yet timeless, and I think it ended up being the star of the show."

Wright shares a laugh with her father.

WWW Wedding Tips: "Don't over-schedule your wedding weekend. Leave enough time to actually enjoy your guests."

Guests enter Villa Igiea for dinner.

"The floral design and overall aesthetic were inspired by the magnificent murals in the Sala Basile, reinterpreting their colors and romantic botanical motifs throughout the ballroom."

"Everything was softly lit with candles and warm lighting to create a romantic, intimate atmosphere."

Wright and Forte share a kiss.

"We loved the contrast between the timeless elegance of the dinner and the vibrant, joyful energy of the party that followed. This all came to life by my party planner and dear friend Anna Boglione—a creative genius."

"Once dinner was over, the mood shifted. The dance floor became much more playful, with rich pink and red drapery framing the stage and a large draped heart creating the backdrop for the band."

Details of the dessert buffet at the after-party.

WWW Weddings Tip: "Trust your instincts. Every decision became much easier once we stopped thinking about what weddings 'should' look like and focused on what felt authentic to us."

Photographer: Gioconda & August
Planner: Anna Boglione
Hair: Pierre Saint Sever
Makeup: Mayumi Oda
Florals: Frascati Fiori
Stationery: GG Print
Catering: Chef Fulvio Pierangelini

Welcome to Fashion's Finest Stays, a travel series where we lend our fashion-editor POV to the world of hospitality. Here, we'll give you exclusive insider access to the world's most renowned hotels and resorts, uncovering every detail you'd ever want to know before you book.

Of all the celebrity-adored hotels in the world, the first that likely come to mind are the buzzy names widely known to be hot spots where the A-list crowd descends. Then there are the stays that fly almost completely under the radar, where it's more about achieving a sense of quiet and calm than it is about seeing or being seen. Crillon Le Brave is the very definition of the latter. Tucked discreetly into the Provençal hills in the South of France, the 17th- and 18th-century stone village-turned-hotel was named the number one resort in France in the Travel + Leisure 2025 World's Best Awards, and after spending three nights in May, I fully understand why.

If you haven't heard of it before, well, that's kind of the point. The hotel, which is a cluster of honey-stone village houses turned into a five-star hideaway, is the spot where fashion insiders, actors, Formula One drivers, and royalty alike go when they want to disappear for a few days. There's no "see and be seen" atmosphere—just centuries-old architecture, incredibly local food and wine, and panoramic views of Mont Ventoux.

Here, see inside my Crillon Le Brave experience and what makes the South of France hotel one of the fashion crowd's most wish-listed spots.

I first came to know about Crillon Le Brave via Jenny Walton and have had it bookmarked as a wish-list stay ever since. Images of its slim rectangular pool framed by tall, slender cypress trees make up the iconic imagery the hotel is most known for. Over the years, famous guests have included everyone from F1 drivers and British royals to A-list actors. (Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas apparently spent a few nights at the hotel during their South of France wedding celebrations.) Its owners are the family-run hospitality group Maisons Pariente with just three (soon to be four) other hotels around France, including the fashion insider–beloved Parisian destination Le Grand Mazarin.

Following a major renovation, the hotel reopened this April, unveiling an expansion of the guest rooms. The update added three restored historic houses—including 10 new rooms and suites, bringing the total to 26 rooms and 17 suites—a fully renewed spa, a second adults-only pool, and a new culinary space for hosting cooking lessons and other events.

What makes Crillon Le Brave so special and so unlike anywhere else I've stayed is its location. It's not that the hotel is situated in a charming town in the foothills of Provence, which would have already been a major draw in itself. It's the fact that the hotel is completely intertwined with the hilltop village, and it's hard to distinguish where one ends and the other begins. Walking from your room to breakfast, for instance, means meandering through the cobblestone "streets" and underneath curved archways. The entire experience had me feeling less like a hotel guest and more like a proper resident of the village. The architecture and design take care to incorporate original details wherever possible, revealing hidden clues and corners of the village's 17th-century origins. My favorite example of this was in my bathroom, where a small window was built right into the wall of the shower, revealing a sweeping view of the valley below. Talk about special.

There is farm-to-table dining, and then there's the menu at Crillon Le Brave. The restaurant on the property adheres to Écotable, which is France's leading sustainable restaurant rating, and it comes with stringent standards for short supply chains, seasonal menus, and at least 15% of products being organic. It poses a creative challenge for the kitchen—if it's not in season or can only be sourced from a distance, it won't be available—but it also means that everything that landed on my plate was remarkably fresh and creative.

While I could have easily passed several days without ever feeling the need to leave the property, its location offers an abundance of excursions and experiences that you can't find elsewhere. I left twice—once to explore the local market in the town of Bédoin just 10 minutes away and a second time for a vineyard tour and wine tasting at Chêne Bleu. If you're into cycling, I noticed a few guests taking the opportunity to bike along a route that makes up part of the Tour de France.

The 2026 updates include the newly unveiled Maison Tilleul, a space that's dedicated to events like cooking classes and workshops. I took a cooking class with the lead chef Thomas and learned how to make a few dishes that are very typical of the region. The space will also be used to host retreats, kicking off with Crillon Le Brave's very first culinary retreat held by photographer and cookbook author Chloé Crane-Leroux alongside her mother and coauthor, ceramicist Trudy Crane, this October, bringing the seasonal, plant-based sensibility that runs through their cookbook, The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking.

While I'd say the pool is, naturally, the main event at Crillon Le Brave, the spa was a close competitor, and I was grateful to be among the first to experience it after a major facelift. Upstairs, treatment rooms for massages and facials utilize Tata Harper products, and downstairs, it's all about the contrast therapy. Hot and cold plunge pools are set inside a literal stone cave, and a few steps up are a sauna and steam room to rotate between.

While a stunning view and great food drew me to the property, all the smaller details and thoughtful touches made a lasting impact on my experience. Every night, I would come back to my room after dinner to find a little treat sitting on my bedside table. It was always something new and different and was accompanied by a note card with a line of poetry. Small gestures, like the custom luggage tag affixed to my suitcase and a small pouch of local dried lavender, made my stay feel incredibly personal.

Since the surroundings were very rustic, I wanted my wardrobe to reflect that laid-back, effortlessly cool French energy. I packed airy maxi dresses from Almina Concept and Dissh, which I layered with my favorite Sézane trench coat since the weather was still on the crisp side during my visit in mid-May. For shoes, a pair of sleek flat sandals and polished ballet flats made for the ideal outfit finishers, as the vibe here was more casual than dressed up. As for a handbag, I felt very local carrying my Liffner striped basket tote to shop the markets and lounge by the pool.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Adir Abergel got his start as a hairstylist at a very early age.

When Abergel was 9 or 10, he began learning how to do the hair of the women in his life.

"I was surrounded by very strong women, Moroccan women, who loved getting their hair done because they had frizz and they had to get their hair blow-dried all the time," Abergel said. "Somehow, to make extra money, they had convinced me that I could do their hair color and apply it on their hair."

Today, Abergel works with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including one of the stars of The Odyssey, Charlize Theron.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Abergel sits down with Who What Wear co-founder Hillary Kerr to share how he got his start, a behind-the-scenes look at some of Theron's iconic press tour moments for The Odyssey, and more.

To read excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

For anyone who's tuning in now for the first time, can you give us just a smidge of background about how Adir became Adir?

I moved to the United States when I was 7 years old.

Didn't speak the language, had to acclimate very quickly into my life here, and I had really incredible teachers early on who really invested time in me.

I was very, very lucky to have that.

I then was surrounded by very strong women, Moroccan women, who loved getting their hair done because they had frizz and they had to get their hair blow-dried all the time.

Somehow, to make extra money, they had convinced me that I could do their hair color and apply it on their hair.

I think I was like 9 or 10.

When I was 15, I went to school at Santa Monica College and went to cosmetology school.

When I was there, I'd heard someone was looking for an assistant, and I took the bus to Beverly Hills, and I met this guy named Arthur Johns.

Arthur Johns, at the time I didn't know had people like Sally Hershberger assist him before me and Jonathan Antin before me, and so he was this really prolific, beautiful hairstylist who I somehow convinced by the time I left that I was going to quit school. He was going to do an apprenticeship program, and I was going to get my license through him.

Then I ended up working for him for almost seven and a half years.

I want to talk about how you started to approach this with Charlize Theron for this press tour. Can we start with the premiere in London?

I really kind of started the tour, which I always do, with really trying to understand what some of the pieces are going to look like.

Also, where are we at with Charlize's hair, right?

We had just finished a movie that I actually went ahead and did. I was on the movie for three and a half months called Tyrant, where she plays this incredible, incredible Michelin-star chef.

I had already created this really strong bob that had very strong lines to it that was all about symmetry. That was all about intention, where every highlight was, where every cut was.

I'd already loved that concept going into this tour.

So I was thinking, "Okay, what are some of the things that I could work into this?"

I start with going into the history in my brain of things that are interesting, that I love, that I remember, and I start building boards around it.

I was thinking, "Okay, let me see the structure of this dress."

It had this really great gathering that went to the side. It had beautiful symmetry to it.

So I wanted to create that same tension in the hair for Charlize, but it's very hard actually when you have a bob to create something that doesn't feel like a bob.

Because it was actually very structured and had a lot of weight at the bottom. It didn't have a lot of layers. I had to think on how to do it.

Not easy for the everyday woman to maybe re-create this specifically at home, but if you are going to an event, it's nice to know that you have ability to actually think outside of it.

With this, I wanted to have structure, but I still wanted to have softness to see the clarity of the bob.

It was all about linear lines.

Talk to me about the look that she wore for the Paris photo-call in front of the Eiffel Tower?

This is where haircuts are incredibly important and investing in your haircut because when you have weight, the thing that was really magic about that is that there was a lot of weight at the bottom, right?

It wasn't thin; it was about heavy. Almost think of it as taking kitchen scissors and cutting blunt, blunt, and so you have all of this weight.

If you have fine hair, it's incredible. Even if you have thick hair, this is incredible, right? Because it kind of creates all of that shelf right at the bottom.

The rest of it, I didn't create a lot of volume right at the top.

I actually just took my fingers, and I wrapped it around the hair, and I scrunched it, and then I used a diffuser.

I didn't use any curling irons. I didn't use any heat on it.

Can we do a quick lightning round? Most underrated product in your kit?

I really, really, really, really love my Sheila Stotts detangling brush.

Hair ritual that seems extra but will actually change your life?

Scalpcare is incredibly, incredibly important.

The idea back in the day that you could go six days without washing your hair: uh-uh.

There is microbiome. There is actual bacteria growing on your scalp. If you want healthier hair, it always starts at a scalp level.

So really, really take the time and really clean your scalp.

Actually, the lengths of your hair, most of the time, don't need a lot of washing.

Most of the time, we actually wash our hair and not our scalp.

At Virtue, we have amazing scalp products that are really focused on that to really help your hair health from the ground up.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Living in New York City, I quickly learned that there's a set of go-to relaxing weekend trips within a certain distance—the places New Yorkers head to escape the city for a change of pace. Of course, we all know the Hamptons, and Hudson or Beacon upstate; they're common knowledge. Even the Poconos in Pennsylvania, or Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, the Cape, or the Berkshires in Massachusetts. But when I first moved here years ago, I hadn't yet heard of the under-the-radar destinations on the North Fork of Long Island.

While the Hamptons are on the South Fork, made up of East Hampton and part of Southampton, the North Fork is a 30-mile-long peninsula with a collection of quaint towns, including the charming seaside village of Greenport. With influencers flocking to Surf Lodge in Montauk, the North Fork is almost like the sleepier, underrated alternative.

If you're planning a getaway from the city, here's my Greenport guide, including my favorite places to eat and shop, plus what to pack.

Greenport's Chicest Hotel

As I planned my trip, I knew there was one place I wanted to stay: The Sound View. The waterfront hotel has a private beach, which was my very first stop after checking in and dropping off my bags. I've never been to the French Riviera (though it's high on my list), but I imagined this is what it feels like—an intimate, blissful pebble beach. I fell asleep quickly to the sound of the waves, waking up completely relaxed.

The property has everything you need on-site: a pool, a restaurant and bar, complimentary bikes, and a thoughtfully curated gift shop with things like Only Hearts pajamas, Flamingo Estate candles, and Garrett Leight sunglasses.

From the hotel, it's a short drive into a very walkable downtown area with a cluster of shops and restaurants all within one square mile, as well as the lovely 67 Steps Beach. Whether you want a trip of total downtime spent entirely at the hotel without having to leave at all or prefer to bop around, you can do either.

To get there, I took the Hampton Jitney from Midtown, which took less than three hours, but you could also take the Long Island Rail Road or drive. I went without a car and got around just fine using Ubers.

Dining in Greenport

My favorite meal of the trip was dinner at The Halyard, the hotel's restaurant. I got the chicken and trout, and both were incredible. I also loved the chocolate cake and cookies for dessert. Between The Halyard (which recently added a brunch on Saturdays and Sundays), poolside options at Jack's Shack, and room service, you could easily spend your entire trip eating there.

If you do want to venture out, for breakfast and lunch, there's Pip’s Café & Provisions, Nookies, and Bruce & Son. For dinner, Noah’s, Ellen’s on Front, 1943 Pizza Bar, or American Beech. If you love raw bars, Little Creek Oyster Farm & Market is really popular, Ralph’s Famous Italian Ices of Greenport has my favorite ice cream, and the Greenport Farmers Market is on Saturdays.

In the neighboring towns, I'd recommend North Fork Table & Inn, which also runs a weekend food truck that has smash burgers and lobster rolls, as well as Southold Social for farm-to-table dining. For casual, fresh seafood, go to Braun Seafood Co. and Southold Fish Market. Other noteworthy options include North Fork Roasting Co., Country Corner Cafe, and Little Fish.

For a day trip, you can also easily take the ferry to Shelter Island. Get breakfast at Stars Cafe, or relax in an Adirondack chair with a gorgeous view at The Pridwin hotel and eat at its restaurant called The Terrace. Across the street, it's quite the scene at the bar at Sunset Beach Hotel in front of Crescent Beach. And Marie Eiffel Market is a French-inspired café, bakery, and market where you can grab snacks for the beach or eat-in on the dockside.

Greenport Packing Tips

In theory, a two-night trip doesn't require much packing, but I somehow always manage to overpack. If I had to whittle my suitcase down to just a few things for a weekend beach getaway, I'd choose my Cou Cou Intimates dresses. For swimwear, I've been loving my jewel-toned green Baserange one-piece paired with a Fella Swim sarong. Los Angeles Apparel jelly flats were my go-to shoes since they're easy to wear both on and off the beach, and I always make sure I bring a claw clip to put by hair up and a hat for shade.

As for bags, my nylon one from the Parisian brand Kabas makes the perfect summer tote since it's waterproof. In the evening, I wore my baguette bag from the Los Angeles label Are Studio. And although I have a large collection of sunglasses, I only brought one pair this trip: my sold-out, oversize Giada frames from Chimi.

For beauty, I packed my Leatherology croc-effect travel case with Sofie Pavitt cleanser and gel moisturizer, EltaMD face sunscreen, Vacation body sunscreen, Ciele tinted serum foundation, a Kate McLeod mini body stone, and Rōz leave-in conditioner and hair oil. For my lip combo, I brought the cult-favorite MAC Whirl lip liner and Crème in Your Coffee lipstick.

And I couldn't forget my Kindle to read Lena Dunham’s Famesick. If you're looking for another recommendation of personal essays from 2026 for a beach read, I loved Delusions by Cazzie David.

Shop Chic Items for Greenport

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Micaela Erlanger always knew deep down that she wanted to be a stylist. "I think I always knew I wanted to be in a creative field, and in my core being, I always knew I wanted to be a stylist, but I didn't know that the world of styling existed at the time," Erlanger said. She got her start working on the editorial side at publications such as Harper's Bazaar before taking the leap into styling. For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Erlanger shares how she made that transition, what it was like to work with Lupita Nyong'o on The Odyssey's press tour, and more.

To read excerpts from the interview, scroll below.

Can you give our audience a top-level background on how you first found your way into fashion and styling?

I think I always knew I wanted to be in a creative field, and in my core being, I always knew I wanted to be a stylist, but I didn't know that the world of styling existed at the time. It was through a series of internships in college, really, where I discovered the world of editorial.

I got my start as an intern at various publications. I was in the Condé Nast summer intern program and then worked at Hearst for a bunch of magazines. [I] really learned the ropes there, working as an intern in the fashion closet and, ultimately, working as a freelance fashion assistant to the fashion directors at Harper's, at Cosmo, et cetera. That's really where I cut my teeth on all things styling.

It was later on where I met my mentor Annabel Tollman, who I worked with for just over six years. At the time, she was really pioneering the celebrity-styling space. I learned so much from her, and that's really what set me forth on this path.

One of the things that has been such a joy to watch from afar is your relationship with Lupita Nyong'o, going all the way back to her campaign that led to the Oscar for 12 Years a Slave in 2014 and that perfect powder-blue Prada gown. Now, 12 years after that momentous look, you are back on another press tour with her for The Odyssey. Obviously, she, like many of your clients, is very long-term. I'm curious about your relationship and the styling choices that you make together and how they have evolved over the years.

I'm so grateful for this relationship, and I'm so lucky that I can count my client also as a dear friend. Our collaboration is really rooted in this deep trust and mutual respect for one another.

That first year out the gate was momentous for every reason. Not only did her talent earn her the Academy Award, but the choices that we made, I think, also reflected how important image is and how the red carpet can really catapult somebody … and what brand positioning looks like—why choosing a dress is important and intentional and strategic. After that year, we really found our groove. Fast-forward, this is 12 years later. It's insane to think about. We're on this new, massive, momentous press tour with an extraordinary cast, and we really got to play.

Talk to me about the very first look for the very first press day. How did you land on that look to kick things off?

That was actually a look that I had custom-made that I had been hanging on to for quite some time. It was Sally LaPointe. I didn't know where it was going to go and where it might fit into this tour.

Oftentimes, I see something, and I'm like, "Yep, that's the look. I know it's going to work out. [I] don't know where it's going, but just have faith and give me a little bit of time and watch it land." It's awesome when that happens, when the right look winds up in the right location for the right photographed moment. This felt like the perfect look to kick off the tour with. I always think the first outfit that's photographed also sets the tone and the narrative for the visual story that you're going to tell, and I loved everything about this.

I also want to talk about Nyong'o's New York premiere look—down to the bag. How did you think through New York, and what was the strategy behind it?

We tried this gown on, and it was spectacular. I worked with Nicholas Oakwell many years ago when he first launched his couture house, and I'm so happy that he's back in action making the most exquisite work.

It was interesting. The inspiration of the dress was actually written in the lookbook, and it, too, tied back to mythology and story. That just felt like it was meant to be. But you never know until you get something into the studio and until you try it on and you see how it fits.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Once the pressure of choosing a wedding dress has been alleviated, don’t think brides are in the clear in knowing what they’ll wear down the aisle. (Or, at their receptions and after parties, for that matter.) As the current bridal accessories trends indicate, the sartorial accoutrements you don for your nuptials need to be considered as the gown itself. Playing a supporting, if not even starring, role in your bridal look, what was once a secondary decision has now become a significant one, given how specific pieces can alter your overall ensemble.

Once upon a time, options were fairly limited, and all you had to do was select from a few accessories before arriving at the altar. Would your veil be long or short? Would your jewellery be classic or contemporary? Would your shoes be flat or heeled? The answers to these rudimentary questions would dictate your finishing touches for the big day.

But with the advent of a more trend-forward market and the rise of bespoke wedding dresses that suit your personal style, of course, more individualised accessories would come to the fore.

You only need to look at the most prolific newlyweds to prove this point. From Gabriette’s custom Matières Fécales top hat to Charli XCX’s bratty sunglasses, those with impeccable taste know that the best bridal looks are those that have been thought through from top to toe. So, without further ado, uncover the key bridal accessories that every chic bride is wearing to tie the knot.

The 5 Key Bridal Accessories Trends of 2026

1. Wide-Brim Hats

Style Notes: Dua Lipa’s wedding to Callum Turner delivered a pantheon of iconic looks to covet. From her vintage scintillating Versace mini dress from the autumn/winter 1995 show, which Kate Moss wore down the runway with a pair of go-go boots and a cropped veil, to being the first bride to wear a Chanel wedding dress during Matthieu Blazy’s tenure at the helm of the French maison, every look was a spectacle in and of itself.

However, it was the Schiaparelli set that she wore to her civil ceremony in Marylebone Town Hall that proved to be the most memorable. Taking cues from the two-piece skirt suit that Bianca Jagger wore to wed The Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger in Saint-Tropez in 1971, she lent into the effortless tailoring and chic daytime setting of the nuptials by reviving the wide-brimmed hat. In lieu of a veil, the songstress showcased that millinery can be just as powerful as a sheath of wispy fabric, and doesn’t contain any of the archaic modesty connotations.

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2. Neck Scarves

Style Notes: Spotted on Grace Kelly in Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief and on Princess Diana at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987, neck scarves have always been imbued with an Old Hollywood glamour that’s made them such a timeless fixture. Of course, the reason for its inclusion in this edit is in the name itself, given it will make any silhouette all the more opulent when added.

Still, there is a more subliminal reason for wearing one, which is that the very act of layering it on will create the illusion of two separate wedding dresses. When removed, it almost feels like you have another moment to let the dress shine, when all you’ve done is make the mindful choice to take the accessory off.

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3. Lace Gloves

Style Notes: Some of the more alternative brides are biting their thumbs at tradition and subverting the age-old convention of wearing gloves on their wedding days by opting for a more sensual style. And given how many iconic looks in popular culture are centred around a pair of gloves, be it Audrey Hepburn at Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Rihanna in a pair made of Swarovski crystal for the 2014 CFDA Awards, it should come as no surprise that this trend has taken off amongst the bolder dressers amongst us. Still, gloves also add a touch of visual intrigue to your look, especially when opting for a corseted or strapless option. Adding a touch of colour that draws your eyes down the body, it's a touch that makes your look feel more put together.

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4. Pill Box Hats

Style Notes: The pill-box hat will forever be associated with Jackie Kennedy and the pale pink Halston style she wore with her famous Chanel suit. Last year, they made quite the comeback in ready-to-wear spheres, whether rendered in leopard print like the style spotted at Copenhagen Fashion Week or timeless black versions. Now, they’re finding their way into bridal wardrobes. As a true alternative to an elongated veil, this hat style feels both quaint and cool, making it the perfect option for those who are planning a wedding in the city.

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5. Opera Coats

Style Notes: Though there is something perennially appealing in wearing a simple slip dress, brides who find themselves underwhelmed by a pared-back look will find solace in the rise of the opera coat trend. Across London, the most stylish dressers are being swept up by this silhouette, from the jacquard chinoiserie Conner Ives style to the animal print Queens of Archive version. Whilst this trend leans more towards winter weddings, there’s something quite cool about running around in a jacket that Cruella de Vil might’ve once lusted over. (Completely faux, of course.)

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Max Hurd is a Who What Wear UK editor-in-residence and London-based art director, tastemaker, interior stylist and creative consultant. A collaborator and advisor to leading luxury brands including Manolo Blahnik, Farfetch, Asprey, Cartier, H&M and Patrón Tequila, his exuberant aesthetic—which he describes as "Oscar Wilde meets Marie-Antoinette by way of a Brazilian bordello"—enables him to curate, write and create across interiors and culture.

I would hazard a guess that, as you are reading this, you are parked, perched or plonked comfortably in a chair. What kind of chair is irrelevant. The point is that you are sitting in one. We often take chairs for granted or see them as purely utilitarian, yet they form such an essential stitch in the fabric of our lives. Their presence in our homes is often overlooked, but shockingly, chairs only really became part of the furniture, so to speak, 300 short years ago. Before that, we were a species that sat on stools or benches, with even the wealthiest individuals having limited access to backed seating.

It was not until the 17th century that we decided to do something about the orthopaedic harm we were committing every time we wanted to sit down, and not until the 18th century that we considered making them comfortable through upholstery. Finally, in the 19th century, they became mass-produced and commonplace.

Like that apex of chairs, the throne, they have always been considered status items, and as such, over the years, they have been reimagined by some of the greatest creative minds of the past three centuries. Read on for five radically different yet individually remarkable chairs that will not only provide you with somewhere comfortable to sit, but with something beautiful to look at, no matter your aesthetic.

The 5 Armchair Trends That Everyone With Taste Knows About

1. Britannic Domesticity

Style Notes: The Bridgewater Chair by Howard and Sons is for lovers of what I often see referred to as "cottagecore". Now, I am not one for acronyms, mainly because half the time I don’t know what any of them mean—and frankly, I am now too embarrassed to ask—but I believe I am using this one correctly when I say this chair is the G.O.A.T. (Which, for the uninitiated like me, means The Greatest Of All Time.)

In my opinion, it is the blueprint from which all of our favourite armchairs have been copied, and for good reason. It is the last word in comfort and the first word in that quintessential English-country-house aesthetic that never seems to go out of style. They are frighteningly expensive, and even antique pieces that come up for auction—often damaged and unloved—end up going for a small fortune. The reason being that when it comes to furniture, these pieces are truly an investment. A good armchair is a purchase for life, the bones of which can be reupholstered to fit changing tastes in fabric, and can be used and enjoyed in any room, by anyone, of any age. The Bridgewater looks best when well-loved, but it needs to be upholstered properly, so if you end up buying an antique, make sure you are willing to give it the restoration it deserves.

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2. Adriatic Opulence

Style Notes: I have spoken ad nauseum about Venetian Grotto Chairs. In my opinion, they are truly the holy grail of interior design and the tiara worn by any maximalist home. They are whimsical, highly impractical and appeal to the Disney Princess in all of us. Popularised in the 19th century by European nobles who had nothing better to do than collect beautiful things, their design was originally inspired by the shell grottos created by the nobility to escape the summer heat during the Renaissance. Like all the most beautiful things, they are purely decorative, which means that actually sitting on them is out of the question.

Now, before you jump down my throat with indignant shouts of "What's the point of a chair you can’t sit on?", I hear you. But I promise their showstopping good looks more than make up for their somewhat limited use. On the rare occasion that one comes up for auction, there is always a flurry of activity in the saleroom as eagle-eyed shoppers flock to the "bid" button, despite their impractical nature. So, when parked next to a fireplace, in front of a large window or perhaps with a few choice coffee-table books or a geranium placed on the seat to warn the uninitiated not to sit down, they provide a wow factor that few other pieces of furniture possess.

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3. Bauhaus Baby

Style Notes: If you have an eye for fuss-free design, you are in the right place. At the other end of the spectrum from the Venetian Grotto Chair sits the Wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer. Contrary to popular belief, this chair was not designed specifically for Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, but instead inspired by the construction of a bicycle. First produced in the late 1920s, the Wassily, as it later became known, was revolutionary in its blend of form and function and embodied all the elements of what became known as the Bauhaus movement.

Central to the movement's core beliefs was the idea that "form follows function" (in layman's terms, no frills), and each product was designed to be mass-produced, rather than in short supply for strictly wealthy individuals. Followers of the Bauhaus movement believed in the democratisation of the arts, and that truly beautiful design came from simplicity. Whilst usually I argue the opposite, that we all need a little magic in our lives, the Wassily Chair is my favourite piece of contemporary furniture. Personally, I find the best rooms are multilayered with inter-period play. There is nothing that dates a room more than focusing too heavily on one decorative style or period. I love to see this chair in a classic sitting room in front of a fire, next to a Howard and Sons armchair with an antique side table in between them, or in front of a Georgian secretary desk as an office chair.

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4. Nordic Simplicity

Style Notes: Let's get hygge with it! Mid-century Scandi design is full of elegant simplicity, and if that floats your handcrafted wooden boat, I would like to draw your attention to the Wishbone Chair. It is Hans Wegner's best-selling design and has been in continuous production since its inception in 1949. Wegner is one of the pioneers of what we now call mid-century Danish design, whose focus is on organic functionality, whatever that means. (I jest, I know what it means… I think.)

Inspired by antique Chinese chairs from the Ming dynasty, the design has been copied into oblivion, but the original is still the best. People are always surprised when I suggest these chairs for a project, as my aesthetics do not exactly scream Scandi, but I love them as dining room chairs, especially in a bold colour. (Go for red!). I find that they are particularly effective around a "farmhouse" style table, as their inherently modern design can keep the room from tipping too far into country-cottage territory, unless, of course, that’s the goal. They also have the benefit of being comfortable, which, as you settle into hour four of a long Sunday lunch, is a real plus!

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5. Modern Bloom

Style Notes: If you dream of the universe but don't fancy sharing a rocket with Lauren Sanchez, then perhaps you should lean into the "space age" aesthetic that was hugely popular from the '50s through to the '70s. Designed in 1956 by Finnish-American architect and industrial designer Eero Saarinen, the Tulip Chair revolutionised modern furniture design. When asked about the inspiration behind it, Saarinen gave perhaps one of my favourite answers in the history of interior design. He said he "wanted to get rid of the slum of legs under the table", which is a phrase I am not sure even Nicky Haslam could get away with these days.

Jokes aside, the Tulip Chair was the first of its kind and is one of the pinnacles of the "space age" design movement, which to this day features in films set in galaxies far, far away. The single leg allows light to bounce around under a table, which helps lift an area of the room that is otherwise a bit dark and gloomy. These chairs—which by their very nature are alarmingly modern and somewhat cold, like I imagine space to be— work best when they are softened slightly by being placed on a rug made of natural fibres; ideally one with a very thick pile, or made of some sort of faux hide.

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I'll be the first to admit that I have high standards when it comes to black-tie wedding guest dresses. The dress code calls for something elevated, but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice personality—especially during the summer months, when I'm all about color.

After years of covering fashion and attending my fair share of events, I've learned that the best wedding guest dresses strike a very specific balance: They should be special enough for the occasion while still feeling like you. I've seen so many people choose a dress that falls flat just to feel like they're fitting into the dress code. Good news is that ends today with this edit.

Whether you're headed to a destination wedding, a garden celebration, or a formal evening affair, these are the summer black-tie wedding guest dresses I'd happily recommend. Each one passes my test.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

When it comes to working with new clients, celebrity stylist Molly Dickson says it's all about that first impression. "I feel like the initial meeting with a client is more about personalities and how well your energies mesh," Dickson says. She has amassed an A-list roster of clients, including Lana Del Rey, Keke Palmer, and Lexi Minetree, the star of the Legally Blonde prequel Elle.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Dickson shares what she looks for when working with new clients, how she started working with Minetree, her go-to travel pieces, and more.

To read excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

One thing I really wanted to cover today is your work with Lexi Minetree because she is playing young Elle Woods in the new Legally Blonde prequel, Elle. How did you and Lexi get connected, and why do you think that you work so well with these rising stars who are such powerhouses?

She, I think, took meetings with a few stylists. I had a Zoom meeting with her probably like three months ago. I feel like the initial meeting with a client is more about personalities and how well your energies mesh. At this point in my career now, my one big thing is I only want to work with nice people, and Lexi is literally the biggest sweetheart. Our Zoom was an hour and a half, which is really, really long for an initial interview. We were talking about boys, and it was just… It was like two girlfriends catching up. I think we literally talked about fashion for maybe five to 10 minutes.

We are seeing them at their most vulnerable. They're coming to my office, and they're literally stripping down naked, and we're dressing them. There's nothing more vulnerable or intimate than that, so a huge part of my job is making them feel comfortable, and also, every female has their own insecurities. Then you have a conversation like, "Okay, do you not want to show your legs? Do you not want to wear short skirts?" It's just finding the things that will make them feel their best because that's going to translate to the red carpet. When they're feeling hot and confident, those photos on Getty and the red carpet are going to be way better.

You wrote a story for us about the eight wardrobe basics you and your clients spend your own money on, and the recommendations are fantastic. Inspired by that, I would love to do a little bit of a travel rapid-fire. Favorite sneakers if you're going to be on your feet all day, running around airports, traveling, sightseeing, etc.?

I have two. Salomon sneakers, I love. They're my everyday go-to shoes. If I know it's going to be a really, really, really long set day or I'm working out, it's going to be Hokas.

Best cozy socks for airplanes?

Barefoot Dreams, their socks and their bathrobes. I would literally show up to a fitting in a Barefoot Dreams bathrobe. They are the coziest things.

Best seamless underwear, because no one wants to have itchy underwear?

Commando.

What's your travel uniform these days? What are you wearing right now when you travel?

I'm only wearing sweatpants. I flew in last night to L.A. I wore my dad's sweatshirt, my ex-boyfriend's T-shirt, sweatpants, and my Hokas, and I looked like a hot mess. But you know what? I was very comfortable.

Do you have favorite sweats?

I like the Skims ones, and I like the ones that have pockets. I need pockets in my sweatpants.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

"How's wedding planning going?" It's one of the first questions that follows an engagement—and one of the hardest to answer. Between guest lists, invitation designs, food, music, and décor, planning a wedding quickly becomes an exercise in endless decision-making. For years, many couples approached wedding planning by asking what they should do: the expected venue, the trending color palette, the Pinterest-worthy floral installations, the cool food truck at the after-party. Today, the mindset is shifting. Instead of planning around expectations, couples are asking a different question: How can we create a celebration that feels like us? The result is a wedding design that not only impresses but also leaves the couple and their guests with memories that last long after the night ends. But what does that actually look like?

While 2027 may still feel a long way off, the planners, designers, and creative teams already bringing those celebrations to life can see where weddings are headed. And across the industry, they're pointing to the same evolution: Bigger is no longer better. Instead, the weddings that will define 2027 will be pulled back and rooted in intention, intimacy, and storytelling.

"For the past several years, weddings have largely been optimized for photography; however, couples are now prioritizing intimacy over spectacle and depth over excess," Sunna Yassin, owner of Bash Please, tells Who What Wear. That shift is showing up in every aspect of wedding design. Rather than layering on details for the sake of impact, planners are editing with purpose and choosing elements that feel meaningful to those getting married. The result is celebrations that will feel immersive.

"A 'less-is-more' mentality is emerging," say Victoria and Amanda Dubin of Victoria Dubin Events. It's a philosophy that's changing how designers approach design. This involves not forcing a theme on a space that doesn't feel aligned with it, but "rather leaning into the existing space and integrating restraint in terms of décor," says Hope Sword, owner of Pigsty Studio.

The same thinking extends beyond décor. Curated guest experiences, something as small but meaningful as personalized thank-you note cards at every seat instead of elaborate favors or flowers, are expected to contribute to a larger narrative. "Luxury will no longer be associated with spectacle but with the unrepeatable—something that couldn't exist at any other wedding, because it stems from a unique story, always supported by thoughtful art direction," say Paloma Agramunt and Carla Rodrigo, founders of Pipeta CXS.

Serving as the ultimate thread binding these elements together will be the idea of storytelling. For 2027 weddings, every choice—from the invitation to the final song of the evening—will feel intentionally linked to share the couple's unique narrative. Continue reading to discover the defining 2027 trends across stationery, floral arrangements, design, dining, tablescapes, and cakes, straight from leading experts in planning, catering, florals, and paper goods.

In 2027, the most captivating wedding elements will begin long before the ceremony, starting directly with the invitation. A major trend for the year ahead focuses on stationery that highlights personal narratives. Shana Wanco, founder of Iris and Marie Press, emphasizes that storytelling will become essential as couples increasingly prioritize the guest experience. As a result, invitations will provide early glimpses of what guests can expect during the celebration. "This might be a pattern that will get repeated in the reception space, stemming from the couple's love of a particular vacation they took together," Wanco says. "Or couples might dive into their shared love for tennis and want to immerse their guests in that world as well."

In these types of storytelling stationery, the designs will be quirky and fun, Wanco adds. "Color will come into play with pattern usage and mixing prints: I can see a colorful block print pattern being utilized on an envelope, then recurring in the table linens or lampshades," she says. "I also think that couples will seek out niche artisans to create these one-of-a-kind, colorful, keepsake-type pieces."

Paper elements—ranging from invitations and menus to seating cards—will be integral to the overarching design narrative. Making a true statement will rely heavily on textured paper rather than smooth options. "Paper goods are becoming increasingly tactile," Yassin notes. "Rather than flat, minimal suites, these artisanal finishes feel collected and deeply personal." They also deliver a distinct visual richness and showcase a level of craftsmanship that reflects genuine care, quality, and deliberate intent. "In an increasingly digital world, beautifully crafted paper feels even more meaningful. … [It feels] collected rather than manufactured," she adds. In the end, it encourages guests to pause and run their fingers across the paper. This extra moment of engagement makes the underlying message feel far more impactful and memorable.

Restaurant-style menus are emerging as the latest luxury wedding detail, perfect for couples who appreciate fine dining, elegant design, and creating unforgettable experiences for their guests. Instead of a standard sheet of paper displayed in a clear frame at the bar or placed on reception plates, these high-quality, beautifully crafted hardcover books are used to present everything from signature cocktails to thoughtfully curated dishes. According to Jesse Tombs, creative director and founder of Jesse Tombs Events, this shift reflects a desire for menus to serve as enduring keepsakes of the celebration. "Couples want to invest in materials and create objects that their guests will cherish and keep for a lifetime," he explains

"Couples are looking for thoughtful details that spark joy, or as we like to call them, 'smile factors,'" Victoria and Amanda say. For example, this can manifest as thank-you notes placed at every seat, custom menus featuring each guest's name, monogrammed napkins, personalized gifts, or even intangible details like arranging table assignments based on shared interests. No matter the format, these touches are deeply personal and appreciated because they make guests feel valued. Victoria and Amanda note that they also keep guests talking long after the wedding weekend concludes.

In 2027, reception floral décor is shifting away from traditional centerpieces and arrangements and toward immersive installations situated between long tables. Victoria and Amanda explain that these layouts give guests the feeling of dining inside a garden, as if flowers are naturally emerging from the floor. More than a mere visual feature, these organic arrangements function as living art, evoking deep emotions "and a feeling of being transported," florist Katie Wachowiak says. Sword agrees, noting that "[these immersive floral designs] collect everyone’s attention and invite them into the space, to be a part of something instead of a routine dinner and dancing."

Although various types of flowers will be featured in these artistic arrangements, particular colors are set to dominate. "Bold hues are not disappearing anytime soon," Wachowiak notes. "Rich browns and deep reds will continue to have a strong presence, while softer accents such as lilac and pastel blue begin to emerge." She continues to share that the floral color palettes we see in the year ahead will harmonize with other décor moments, as well as with fashion and dress codes, to create a cohesive look.

Integrating natural elements that mirror the local landscape is one of the simplest ways to give a wedding an organic, lived-in feel. Designers are increasingly blurring the boundaries between a venue and its surroundings rather than keeping them distinct. According to Yassin, moss perfectly achieves this and is set to become an even more prominent design choice by 2027. Its ability to thrive across various climates means it can be seamlessly woven into almost any celebration. Victoria and Amanda note that whether integrated into floral displays or spread naturally across tables on its own, "moss introduces an earthy, layered quality that adds depth and texture." This approach makes the décor feel less forced and arranged, appearing instead as though it were a natural part of the space.

While social media has popularized the idea that larger floral arrangements represent luxury and translate better in photos, the future of high-end weddings is turning toward simplicity. This transition will be highly evident in wedding bouquets, where brides and bridesmaids are opting for minimalism over excess. Instead of complex, multi-bloom arrangements, today's bouquets will focus on just one or two flower types. "We will see cleaner groupings of florals," Sword says. "Volumes of one or two varieties or colors, either contained or more wild in shape, but letting the floral speak for itself." Industry experts, including Tombs, note that local, seasonal flowers will be favored for their effortless and organic appearance. By embracing restraint and executing it flawlessly, these understated designs will deliver a powerful impact.

We are already seeing this monobloom trend in action, most notably at Dua Lipa's London courthouse wedding, where she carried a simple bouquet of yellow Iceland poppies. With their long, delicate stems fully exposed and no added greenery or fillers, the poppies remained the sole focus. Sword notes that we might see couples leaning into minimalist floral designs with ikebana, which involves manipulating stems and grasses to create unique, sculptural forms. "The trend of dense sculptures of florals with lots of variety can feel busy," she says. "Leave the complicated designs for an install or a photo moment."

Intentional lighting will redefine event spaces with an impact that florals simply cannot match. "We’re spending more and more time creating layered lighting plans that evolve throughout the celebration," Yassin says. "It's become one of the highest priorities and one of the defining luxury investments because clients understand it shapes emotion." When executed flawlessly, the lighting itself remains unnoticed, while its atmospheric effect is deeply felt by everyone present. "Beyond candles, we're incorporating concealed architectural lighting, custom fixtures, pools of light that guide movement, and candle installations that create warmth without overwhelming the room," she adds. Tombs points out that light serves as an effective tool to structure both space and time, offering guests subtle environmental cues. For instance, transitioning the ballroom to deep crimson tones can instantly evoke a club-like setting, marking the shift from dinner to after-party. Tombs also plans to incorporate Japanese paper lanterns and tall taper candles to establish distinct moods and make a visual impact.

Thoughtfulness will be a dominant theme for weddings in the coming year, with a strong focus on utilizing practical elements already present in the venue rather than adding excess décor. A prime example is arranging tables in organic shapes and integrating them directly into the reception's design. "We are seeing much more flexibility to play with floor plans and reinvent traditional seating layouts," Victoria and Amanda note. "These unexpected configurations allow the tables themselves to become a bigger part of the design while creating a more dynamic guest experience." As Yassin says, this approach delivers a customized and distinctive feel that is truly one-of-a-kind. Additionally, it photographs beautifully in aerial shots, all without requiring an increase in the budget.

The worlds of fashion and wedding design are merging, ushering in a new era of celebrations. As experts in the space have noted, many couples, especially style-conscious ones, are eager to draw inspiration from recent runway collections and broader trends. An example of this crossover is seen in cakes. "Wedding cakes are becoming an extension of the bride's fashion, borrowing details directly from the gown to create a cohesive design story," Victoria and Amanda say. "We are seeing more edible ruffles, pleats, draping, lace, bows, and unexpected silhouettes that turn cakes into couture-inspired statement pieces." Beyond confections, fashion is influencing décor, with feathers and fringe detailing everything from lampshades and menus to table linens, adding dynamic movement and visual interest. Lace is also dominating in design as we move away from minimalism and into more romantic styles, Charlotte Forsyth-Wastell, cofounder of Hands London, notes.

Antique accents continue to stand out as a defining wedding décor trend; however, they maintain a fresh appeal despite their enduring popularity. Yassin notes that these details provide clarity and contrast following years dominated by heavy textures, warm neutrals, and antique brass. "They bring a distinctly modern edge without feeling cold," she explains, pointing to options like silver candelabras and serving trays. Yassin also attributes this movement to a rising appreciation for true craftsmanship, as couples look to invest in unique, artisan-made details rather than standard options from a rental catalog. For Victoria and Amanda, clients are eager to integrate these elements because their reflective surfaces interact beautifully with lighting, enhancing the surrounding décor. This widespread interest in them is no surprise given that the trend effortlessly complements both minimalist and maximalist aesthetics, they note.

Food has evolved beyond something we simply eat—it has become entertainment, celebration, and connection all at once. While social media may have fueled this shift because of its visual appeal, the trend isn't dying down. "Watching food being prepared, smelling the fire, or interacting with the people cooking creates a far more sensory memory than a conventional service," Agramunt and Rodrigo say. One of the most popular examples at weddings is through dessert. Rather than serving a finished tiramisu or Italian mille-feuille, weddings will now invite the newlyweds to add the final dusting of cocoa powder or the layer of fresh berries together in front of their guests. "It's both theatrical and fun," says Pip O'Shea, founder of Good Good Cakes. "It also adds a visual and a tactile element—they and their guests are involved in a part of the night that usually happens behind the scenes." And of course, it allows couples to express their personalities while creating authentic, joyful photographs and videos.

As couples look to prioritize connection, the dining table will become one of the most meaningful spaces of celebration. Family-style service will replace individually plated meals, inviting guests to pass dishes, linger over conversation, and share in the experience together. "Food will no longer simply be served on a table; the table itself will become part of the gastronomic experience," Agramunt and Rodrigo say. "Family-style banquets respond to an increasing desire to share. By placing all of the dishes at once in the center of the table, the meal becomes participatory, breaking away from the formality of traditional service and creating a warmer atmosphere."

This type of connection between guests will also occur at buffet stations during weddings. Sofie Thompson, cofounder of Hands London, says that buffets are making a comeback. "People are less inclined now to do a three-course sit-down meal," she notes. "They want an experience that isn’t similar to a restaurant style of service."

As for the type of food, couples will gravitate toward seasonal ingredients and menus. "We'll see a stronger focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients presented with honesty," Agramunt and Rodrigo share. Tombs agrees, adding that the most memorable menus will be those that authentically reflect the couple and the type of food they love to connect over.

Keep your eye out because minimalist wedding cakes are set to take over in 2027. Instead of over-the-top designs and endless layers, couples will opt for clean, sculptural designs with crisp lines, two-tier silhouettes at most, and just a few carefully placed flowers or other natural decorations. "Cakes will take on a more structural and architectural look with swathes of icing and folds of buttercream," O'Shea says. The polished, understated look feels modern and elegant yet also extends the overall vision of pared-back, intentional wedding designs. "It's also a great choice for those making their own cake (or having a friend or family member make it), as a way to save money," she adds.

There was a time, not even a generation ago, when the post-wedding getaway had a predictable formula: check into a beach resort (usually Caribbean, usually all-inclusive), order a couple of frozen cocktails to your lounger, and spend a week doing absolutely nothing. That kind of trip will never truly lose its appeal, but it’s simply no longer the default. Instead, today's newlyweds are treating their honeymoon as its own main event, one that, more often than not, requires the same level of scrutiny, research, and financial investment as the ceremony itself.

In 2026, we've entered the era of the high-stakes honeymoon: an elaborate, increasingly ambitious, and highly-customized journey where traveling purely to unwind is more of an afterthought than the primary directive. It’s no longer just a vacation. Instead, the honeymoon has evolved into a singularly defining statement of taste and lifestyle, and it's part of a broader evolution of how we view and consume luxury.

Post-wedding travel has transformed into one of the most visible markers of status for a new couple, who are more likely to spring for the five-star design-driven hotel, remote wilderness trek and chartered transfers than they are for the standard air-and-hotel package. Backed by months of research (and hours scrolling social-media feeds), couples are no longer looking for a trip they could easily take at any other point in their lives; they want a once-in-a-lifetime, borderline cinematic journey tailored specifically to them. And the numbers back it up. The level of detail and depth of budgets you'd expect for celebrities or the ultra-wealthy—think multicountry itineraries, private-island resorts, and $15,000-a-night suites—are the new baseline for couples. If you spent the last year planning a wedding down to the napkin fold, why stop optimizing once the vows are said?

We spoke with the luxury travel advisors who plan honeymoons for a living to understand exactly how this once-private trip has become one of the most biggest status symbols of the modern age.

Ask any seasoned honeymoon travel planner what couples are spending this year, and the figures alone tell the story. Nicole Wallach, vice president of leisure travel at Magma Global, says the average luxury honeymoon she plans now falls between $30,000 and $45,000 for two people (before international flights), while more elaborate itineraries regularly climb into the $50,000 to $100,000 range. Those figures often include private guides, yacht charters, bespoke excursions, luxury transfers, and stays at some of the world's most coveted resorts, with some clients even inquiring about experiences like Aman at Sea or the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience.

Rabia Malik, a Fora advisor, is seeing similar momentum across a broader range of budgets. Most of her honeymoon clients spend between $16,000 and $60,000 before airfare, with luxury safaris paired with private island stays easily pushing beyond that. Both advisors estimate honeymoon spending has risen by roughly 30% in just the past few years. It's not only because travel has become more expensive, but also because couples are intentionally traveling longer, choosing higher-end stays, and treating their honeymoon as one of the defining luxury purchases of their newly married lives, rather than just another vacation.

So what's changed? Both Malik and Wallach point to the same inflection point: the pandemic, and the broader cultural pivot toward experiences over things. "After the pandemic, people began placing much more value on experiences over material purchases, and lucky for us travel agents, honeymoons naturally became part of that trend," Wallach says. Malik agrees, noting that travel has become "more intentional and experience-driven as a whole" in the years since.

Then, of course, there's the role that social media has played. Couples are exposed to remote safari camps, overwater villas, and viral hotel suites in the course of a normal scroll, which, consciously or not, expands their horizons beyond what their parents or family members may have done for theirs. "It's made couples more informed than ever before," Wallach explains, adding that many clients now arrive with a fully researched wish list rather than a blank slate. There's also an emotional through line: after months (sometimes years) of meticulous wedding planning, couples want their honeymoon to carry the same weight. As Malik puts it, they're determined to make it just as special as the wedding day itself.

The pandemic fundamentally changed the way many people prioritize travel, and honeymoons have become one of the clearest examples of that shift. Rather than collecting designer purchases or investing in traditional status symbols, many couples are channeling those resources into experiences they'll remember for decades. Advisors say clients increasingly describe their honeymoon as the biggest trip they'll ever take together, making it feel worthy of months of planning.

Both Wallach and Malik point out that platforms like Instagram and TikTok have expanded travelers' horizons more than they've fueled simple comparison. Couples now arrive with saved hotels, dream itineraries, and destinations they may never have discovered otherwise, from remote safari camps to overwater villas and cultural retreats. The challenge for advisors often isn't convincing clients to dream bigger, it's helping them understand that the villa they've bookmarked might cost upwards of $10,000 a night while finding ways to recreate that same sense of exclusivity within their budget.

Both advisors report a decisive shift toward multi-stop, multicountry itineraries that string together completely different experiences. The formula usually looks like beginning with a city for food and culture followed by a remote beach or safari for total decompression. Japan and Southeast Asia are having a major moment; Wallach says requests for the region have been "off the charts," and Malik notes she now has multiple clients departing for Japan nearly every month thanks to a favorable exchange rate and the country's range, from dense cities to quiet cultural retreats.

That's not to say that the classics like Italy or Greece have disappeared, but itineraries have gotten longer and more ambitious. Instead of a week on the Amalfi Coast, couples are booking three-week loops through Tuscany, Sardinia, Lake Como, and Sicily, something that Dua Lipa and Callum Turner's post-wedding road trip throughout Italy exemplified. Safari-and-beach combinations remain a favorite for a reason. Wallach cites South Africa paired with the Seychelles as one of her go-to pairings, and Malik sends couples to Kenya or South Africa followed by Zanzibar, the Seychelles, or Mozambique. For the more adventurous, both advisors are fielding growing interest in farther-flung, less-trodden destinations including French Polynesia, New Zealand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Patagonia.

When it comes to honeymoon destinations, the farther and more remote, the better. According to both experts, Japan is the absolute star of the year. Malik notes that couples visit Japan to experience everything from bustling Tokyo to remote ryokans. Southeast Asia, East Africa, New Zealand, and Australia are also seeing massive waves of interest. What unites all of these destinations is a craving for unmatched exclusivity and deep cultural immersion. "Couples want destinations and hotels that feel truly unique and memorable," Wallach says. Today's travelers want to balance absolute relaxation with high-adrenaline, unforgettable stories, from helicoptering over Victoria Falls to white-water rafting in New Zealand and glamping in Ubud. Ultimately, the modern honeymoon is less about checking into a hotel and more about curating a private collection of memories that will be talked about for decades to follow.

If there's one word that defines what today's honeymooners want, it's exclusivity. Wallach's clients are requesting properties defined by their inaccessibility as much as their beauty: an overwater villa at Four Seasons Bora Bora, a private-plane-only island resort like Amanpulo, a tented camp in Chiang Rai, and Singita Boulders Lodge in South Africa. The goal isn't always a famous hotel; it's a hotel that feels like it belongs only to them. Malik sees the same instinct, with couples looking toward experiences that stand apart from their everyday travel.

Pop culture plays a quiet but real role in shaping those wish lists. Both advisors note that hotels featured in shows like The White Lotus and spotted on a celebrity's feed frequently land on client mood boards, sourced from Instagram and TikTok saves as much as traditional research. But neither planner describes this as chasing clout for its own sake. As Wallach puts it, "most clients are prioritizing the overall experience rather than simply staying somewhere famous." The real challenge, both agree, is translating a dreamy screenshot into a realistic budget since a villa that looks perfect online can easily run $8000 to $15,000 a night before taxes and fees. The honeymoon, in other words, hasn't just gotten more expensive. It's become a fully considered creative project, and couples are willing to spend accordingly to get it exactly right.