theFashionSpot’s Summer Must List: What to Do, Wear, Drink and Listen to Right Now

The summer is still sizzling, but rather than cower from the heat, us New Yorkers are soaking up every last drop of sun — because we all know when the jig is up, we’ll be trapped in concrete walls and office cubicles avoiding the harrowing winter. So while the getting is good, here’s our list of some of the coolest places to be seen, the sexiest artists to get you grooving, and fashions that take you back to high glamour and high waists. Plus, we’re checking in with my best new girlfriend Stefanie Marco, Creative Director of PAVAN Liqueur, to get her take on the best spots in NYC and share recipes for delish cocktails that will tickle you silly the rest of summer.

Stefanie Marco: My favorite roofs in NYC are AVA Lounge, Gramercy Park Hotel and Juliette in Brooklyn. My favorite beach is Ditch Plains in Montauk and Far Rockaway near where I grew up; mostly because of the great memories I have there – especially watching the surfers! The Dream Downtown is so cool because you feel like you are in so many different places all in one. You can swim and have a cocktail outside or wear all black leather and rock out downstairs at Electric Room with Elle Dee on the mix!

Speaking of sexy female music acts; we’re totally in love with fresh-faced beauty DJ Alex Merrell. Raised in my new favorite city Vancouver, BC, Merrell has hit the fast track and is spinning all over the globe and on tour with Taio Cruz. She rocked it out for us just last week at The Surf Lodge in Montauk, another haunt Stefanie has me sipping and twirling at. We’re also getting into Brooklyn-based band Friends. Their beats are electro-sultry realness rock and the vocals are intoxicatingly delivered by another musical stunner, Samantha Urbani. The girl’s got the soul and the look, it’s hard to take your eyes off her. Could she be the next Karen O and lead Friends into the coveted spot the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have straddled for over a decade?! I’m going to say totes YES!

Between all the sipping and the twirling, we’ve also been introduced to some delicious summer refreshers all based on PAVAN Liqueur. PAVAN is a delectably sweet combination of muscat grapes from southern France, eau de vie – which is pretty much grape vodka – and orange blossoms. Think of it as the colorful cousin of St. Germain. As Stefanie puts it PAVAN is all about the strut:

The name Pavan comes from a 16th Century dance of the peacock and “se pavaner” is a term still used in France today, meaning a person who struts with confidence and pride like a peacock – and we like that. Everyone must strut, daily!

PAVAN has the versatility to be added to a classic glass of champagne or sweeten up your favorite tequila. Click here to find dozens of PAVAN based cocktails and you too will find the perfect addition to your summer. My go-to drinks so far are the Monaco Margarita and the PAVAN Sangria.

With all the fabulous party-hopping you’re doing this summer, you’ll want to strut your best looks, and this summer we’re all about vintage glamour.  Vintage has created quite a wave in DIY style thanks to its balance of femininity and restrained sexuality. It gives enough strut without causing a scene — and that’s our mantra for summer because causing a scene only makes you break into a sweat! So this summer, we’re in love with high-waist bikinis, halter-tops and one-piece swimsuits with demure cut-outs. American Apparel has been the champion of the retro high-waist, but recently we fell in love with a number of designers including those featured in our editorial below, such as Rica Swimwear and OndadeMar.

For men, it’s all about showing a little more thigh and having fun with prints. The retro high waist and pleats may be more of a style challenge for most guys, so look for modern suits that fall mid-waist and are no longer than 5” in the inseam. Our go-to men’s swim and daywear can be found at Parke and Ronen, By Robert James and Bonobos — all of which have flagship stores in NYC.

So don’t despair because we’re experiencing a mild heatwave. Embrace it! Call your girlfriends or text that skater boy you met at Tiki Disco. With so many options to see and be seen in, you might as well enjoy every minute. So grab your SPF, pour yourself a cocktail and get into it!

Editorial Credits:

Casting by Drew Linehan, Trew Productions

Photographed by Amanda Bruns

Styled and Co-Produced by Izzy Ruiz, The Cannon Media Group

Co-Produced by Ingrid L. C. Nelson and Michael Colgan, OnePR

Hair and Makeup by Kurtis Dam-Mikkelsen

Featuring Brianna, RED Model Management and Josh Truesdell, Soul Artist Management

Photo Assistance by Andrija Petrovic

Wardrobe Assistance by Sarah Arroyo and Katie Smith, The Cannon Media Group

Special Thanks to Stefanie Marco, PAVAN Liqueur, Drew Hunter, OnePR, Jenna Lipkin, Dream Downtown Hotel, NYC