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LOVE DESTINATION ROMANCE
DANCING QUEEN AN INTERVIEW WITH CARRIE ANN INABA
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FOR LOVE
Above: Platinum Sapphire Diamond Necklace, Oscar Heyman $200,000.00 www.oscarheyman.com
DESERT OASIS MICHAEL BERMAN REVIVES A CLASSIC MID-CENTURY MODERN IN THE INDIAN CANYONS NEIGHBORHOOD OF SOUTH PALM SPRINGS
MIKE RAGAN PHOTOGRAPHER GREY CRAWFORD INTERIOR DESIGNER MICHAEL BERMAN, MICHAEL BERMAN LIMITED INTERIORS EDITOR
The art of the mix: an Anglo-Indian carved ebony table paired with early 1960s Italian modern chairs under a mid-century hanging pendant with smoked gray glass orbs. Opposite page: Born the same year as the home, a classic 1964 Cadillac Sedan DeVille.
Los Angeles Interior Designer and entrepreneur, Michael Berman, was originally drawn to Palm Springs in the late ‘90s when the mid-century modern craze was just beginning. Palm Springs offered a quiet respite from Los Angeles and conjured up the Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin suave, easyliving of the 1960s. Michael says, “I had always admired this home, built in 1964, because of its iconic location in the Indian Canyons neighborhood of South Palm Springs.” Destiny played a major role in purchasing this midcentury home when a friend happened to mention that he had a “pocket listing” for an amazing architectural property. Michael couldn’t believe his luck when this opportunity to purchase his dream home in Palm Springs became a reality. The home has an elegant L-shaped floor plan with local whitewater rock walls piercing from the exterior through the interior and incredible views of the Sleeping Indian mountain range.
The first piece of furniture Michael purchased for the home was the Milo Baughman chaise lounge in chocolate-colored velvet with a stainless steel base. This served as the starting point for all of his eclectic but mid-century inspired furnishings. “I decided to keep the white terrazzo floors naked from any area rugs to keep the cool and minimal feeling of the home,” according to Michael. Each bedroom and guest suite retains an atrium with white rock walls and privacy. A scavenger by nature, Michael’s passion and hobby are one in the same: “shopping for the treasures left behind from a bygone era of martinis and go-go boots.” Black and white photography, as well as abstract studio art, serve as backdrops on the crisp white walls throughout the house. The Palm Springs home has served as somewhat of a laboratory for Michael’s own furniture and product lines which are “minimal, eclectic, with a nod to mid-century styling.”
Above: The center table came from a movie prop house sale in Hollywood. Below: Michael matched the entry door green paint to the William Platner occasional chairs covered in their original textured wool from the living room.
The outdoor alfresco dining area features iron garden furniture designed by Billy Haines.
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Features Editor Andrea Towers Photographer John Russo Location The London West Hollywood At Beverly Hills Photographer Assistants Jackie Brutchy, Jason Bush, Tas Limur and Justin Miller Stylist Jen Rade Hair Steven Berg Makeup Joanne McCarthy
Dress Ramy Brook Necklaces Marco Bicego Earrings Marco Bicego Ring Lafonn Ring Open Hearts by Jane Seymour Collection
CARRIE ANN INABA IS A PHILANTHROPIST. AND A SINGER. AND A DANCER. AND A CHOREOGRAPHER. AND AN ACTRESS. AND A JUDGE ON THE POPULAR, LONG-RUNNING ABC TELEVISION SERIES DANCING WITH THE STARS. AND SHE RUNS A FOUNDATION FOR RESCUE ANIMALS CALLED THE CARRIE ANN INABA ANIMAL PROJECT. She’s toured with the great Madonna on her 1993 Girlie Show World Tour, she’s been a part of iconic films such as Austin Powers In Goldmember, and she was an original Fly Girl on the sketch comedy series, In Living Color.
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Despite all that, she’s got a laundry list of things she still wants to do—in fact, she’s quick to let me know, “I’m only halfway through my bucket list.” “I know that I would like to produce a live show in Vegas,” she tells me from her home in California, where she’s in the middle of finishing up Season 24 of Dancing With The Stars. “And I also want to continue to host daytime, because I like talking about normal things and life’s problems. I love the power of talk; when you talk about things and when you bring them to light, even if it’s an embarrassing thing—like as I get older, I’ve gained weight, and the way you cope with that is to talk about it,” reveals Inaba. “It’s interesting, the feedback you get, because we’re all kind of struggling with something and not quite sure what we’re doing, and we’re all doing the best we can. And I think it’s really important to share with each other what we learn, because we all do different things and have different interests.” After speaking to Inaba for five minutes, I’ve already decided I want her to be my life coach, or at least my spirit animal. The practice of “sharing what you learn” has become a mantra of sorts for Inaba, who recounts her days of touring with Madonna as some of the most formative experiences of her life, both as a performer and as a woman. “For me, it was the golden star on the bucket list,” says Inaba. “I wanted to tour with Madonna.” Inaba got her wish, and also a little more than she bargained for. “She chose me to do this opening number where I came down a 50-foot pole, and I had to shave my head,” Inaba recounts. “It was like a combination of Cirque du Soleil and a stripper, and it was so far from anything I had done before. And that was so powerful, because I didn’t know I could do it. But she looked at me and thought ‘that’s what I want you to do,’ and so in the three months of training, I had to learn how to do aerial skills.” Inaba recounts training every day from five in the morning until eight, before having regular rehearsals that went until nine at night. Given that Madonna didn’t let her dancers off easy (Inaba admits the singer would dock one hundred dollars off their pay for every minute they were late), it’s no surprise that the lessons she learned have carried over into today, where’s she’s the one people are looking up to. “Madonna taught us how to be strong, she taught us our values on stage, and she challenged you as an artist,” says Inaba, adding that the largerthan-life star being so involved in her dancers’ performances, “made me realize that to build her career and maintain her career, you have to be that hands-on all the time. She brought out the very best in all of us by frankly telling us what she saw from her point of view as an experienced professional, and I learned so much and I gained a lot of courage.”
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Inaba was born and raised in Honolulu, where she spent most of her early years before migrating to the west coast for college. She started her career as a singer in Japan, releasing three singles, but it was her dancing that made American audiences take notice of her. And it’s no secret that being on the other side of the fence for so long has made her invaluable when it comes to sitting on the judging panel of Dancing With The Stars, especially because couples dancing, as Inaba notes, “brings a whole other level to any kind of performance. Having to be in a couples situation as you’re dancing is so much more challenging than anything. And I have so much compassion for them. I also know the rewards so well, that I look at my job as a judge and as more of a coach for the panel. Because really, all the judging I give is also filled with constructive comments to help them grow, and to look at themselves honestly. It’s really not so far from coaching when I’m judging.” When I mention that I love watching Dancing With The Stars because I was a former ice skater who could understand the level of training that went into each performance, Inaba makes my day by telling me I would most likely succeed on the program. “Skaters do well on our show because they know their articulation in the foot is so important in ballroom dancing; if you’re going to be placed on the inside of the foot or the outside of the foot, if you’re going to pronate … all of those nuances of the feet make ballroom dancing so spectacular,” she explains. Still, as fun as it is to see people come into the competition who have a little bit of experience, one of Inaba’s favorite things is being surprised by contestants with backgrounds that might not lend themselves to dancing at all. “Especially this year, I had the biggest thrill of reading a roster of who’s going to be competing,” reveals Inaba. (Just like the fans, the judges don’t know who the competitors are before the official announcement happens). “I’ve been through 24 seasons, and you think that I wouldn’t be surprised at any point—but just like everyone else, there were some fun people I was really excited and looking forward to seeing, like Charo and Mr. T. And then, you know, there’s some people that I see on the roster like Bonner Bolton: I didn’t know who he was, I’d never heard of him, but he turned out to be somebody who made it through week eight in the competition. And it was a really wonderful story … he had to fight a back injury, he came so far and had a beautiful, natural elegance that we did not see in too many other people.”
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So, out of 24 seasons, who still remains on Inaba’s Dancing wish list? Fashion model Chrissy Teigen (“I think she’d be so much fun,” Inaba gushes), figure skater Johnny Weir, model Ashley Graham, basketball star Michael Jordan, football quarterback Terry Bradshaw, and boxer Manny Pacquiao. “I don’t know what his dance background is, but with his boxing and dancing there is a connection … I have an eclectic list,” she finishes with a laugh. How does she spend the small amount of downtime she has? “I have a bevy of animals—3 rescue dogs and 3 rescue cats, so our house is filled with little fur balls and other fur balls of love,” she says. “I love to be at home with the animals, because animals are so healing and nurturing, and they’re just the most rewarding.” And before I completely commit to making Inaba my life coach of sorts, I have to ask her some wisdom: namely, what would she tell herself ten years ago? “Oh, don’t dance so hard,” Inaba decides, after mulling over the question. “Slow down, because I think I worked so hard when I was younger that I burned myself out. But now I enjoy going a little slower and keeping an even pace in my life.” That pace extends to some sage advice that she’s picked up along the way during her successful, storied, ongoing career. “I’ve found that you have to put in the work to be ready for the next opportunity that comes to you, but usually, the universe brings you opportunities, so you don’t have to go searching for them all the time,” says Inaba. “If you do the work, and you’re prepared when the opportunity comes to you, it’s all going to work out fine. A lot of people spend so much time chasing opportunities that then they are not ready, and I think it’s really important to make sure that as a human being and as a performer—in any aspect of life—that you do the work, that you know your business, that you know what it is you’re pursuing and all that comes with it.”
Dress Halston Heritage Necklaces Lafonn Earrings Csarite Rings Csarite and Lafonn
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Features Editor Asher Corey Photographer Reverie Photo & Films Ceremony Location Maria Lanakila Catholic Church Reception Location Hyatt Regency Maui Date April 30, 2016 Total Guests 120
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n August 3rd, 2014, Rae Pardini and Michael Matson met at a wedding, where they immediately hit it off and literally danced the night away. “We’ve been inseparable ever since!” Rae laughs.
The irony is that several months prior, Rae and Michael’s parents attempted to set the two up on a date, but the couple felt silly about their parents playing matchmakers, so they politely declined. But fate intervened and they connected at their friends’ wedding, proving timing really is everything. The next year and eight months saw Rae and Michael having one romantic adventure after another and building unforgettable memories together: going on dates, spending time with one another’s families, getting to know one another’s friends and traveling together. Fittingly, the couple said their first “I love you” on Valentine’s Day. Michael proposed to Rae on April 30, 2015 at “the happiest place on earth,” Disneyland. “It was a truly magical day,” remembers Rae, “and Michael’s family was there to share in the special moment, catching the whole thing on video.” Unbeknownst to Michael, Rae was surprising him two days later with a 30th birthday party in Los Angeles, and had invited close friends and family. The couple spent the next year planning their wedding. “We both love Hawaii and had vacationed there growing up,” Rae explains, “and we both come from large families and have lots of friends. So we knew we’d either have to host a huge wedding in Fresno or get away with a more intimate wedding at a destination location. While it was a very difficult decision to make, as we didn’t want to exclude friends or family, we also wanted to give our guests the opportunity to make a vacation out of the experience. And they sure did!” Exactly one year from their engagement, and on their niece Adriana’s second birthday, Rae and Michael’s love story continued when they tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony and reception in beautiful Maui, Hawaii. Rae and Michael wanted to tie in some local Hawaiian elements into their wedding weekend, beginning with the day before the wedding. “Our families did a traditional lei ceremony blessing on the beach for [my triplet brother, JW] and all of our loved ones that have passed, tossing our Hawaiian lei’s into the ocean after remembrances and prayer,” remembers Rae. The Hawaiian theme was carried into several other aspects of the wedding by including Hawaiian food on the 5-course reception menu, incorporating lush Protea and orchids into the floral designs, and planning an authentic Hawaiian “Bring in the Night” ceremony with a conch shell blowing before the reception. As Rae and Michael planned their special day, they had several priorities. “We knew we wanted to accommodate our guests, have great food, beautiful flowers, get married in a Catholic church and have good dancing music,” Rae says. “I also wanted to do a spin on a traditional photo booth, so we had Reverie bring equipment for a slo-mo video booth. It was hilarious!”
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The ceremony was traditional but intimate, held at the picturesque Maria Lanakila Catholic Church. Rae adds that “an amazing bonus,” was having Father Michael Burchfield from Fresno’s St. Therese conduct the ceremony. Simple but elegant floral designs filled the church and were carried by Rae, her bridesmaids (dressed in soft floral dresses) and her co-maids-of-honor (and sisters), Alicia Fisher and Tara Wagner, who wore a lovely blush pink. The groom wore a sharp vibrant blue suit, and his groomsmen and cobest-men, Trevor Clark and Chris Gutilla Jr., wore suits in a lighter shade of blue. The bride wore an exquisite dress designed by Lazaro. “I wanted something that fit the Hawaiian setting: nothing too formal or too casual,” Rae explains. “The style was actually not something I ever thought I’d pick for myself. After shopping with my grandma, mom and sisters, I walked out in the gown I ended up choosing, and we all looked at each other and immediately started crying. That’s when we know it was ‘the one.’ I felt so comfortable, sexy and pretty in that dress.” The outdoor reception, held at Maui’s Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa, had a spectacular ocean view. The tables were arranged in a square formation, with the dance floor in the center, making the reception even more intimate. The luscious tablescapes included Hawaiian floral designs, greenery, gold votives and pineapples. Each chair was festooned with a floral swag. “Everything about the reception was perfect,” remembers Rae, “but there was one moment that stands out in my mind where I felt this almost unspeakable happiness. In that moment, surrounded by our loved-ones, I was overwhelmed with my love for Michael, and his love for me, and our love for our family and friends. All of our guests were dancing, drinking, or at the slo-mo video booth, and Michael and I both went back to our seats at our table and just overlooked it all. Took it all in. Most all of our loved ones in paradise. It doesn’t get much better than that. The moment didn’t last very long, as we were soon pulled for pictures and dancing. But I’ll never forget it.”
Massage treatments • Facial treatments • Airbrush tanning Bridal Up-Do’s & Makeup • Pedicures and Manicures The Spa at Fig Garden Village is an oasis of beauty and serenity in the heart of Fig Garden Village where the bride can be pampered and prepared at every step on the journey to her wedding day.
680 W. Shaw Avenue, #101 / Fresno, CA / 559.229.9553 / thespaatfgv.com