Issuu

ELYSIAN Women Inspiring Women

readelysian.com • l’automne 2021 •

The Windy Day, 40 x 30

By Carlos Gamez de Fancisco

Blue Jungle, 44 x 32

By Carlos Gamez de Fancisco

764 MIAMI CIRCLE, SUITE 132, ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30324 (404) 352-8775

•

www.pryorfineart.com

1969 est.

www.tirolergoldschmied.it South Tyrol - Italy

• l’automne 2021 • readelysian.com

the art of refinement diamond-studdet falconhoods

readelysian.com • l’automne 2021 •

• l’automne 2021 • readelysian.com

Fashion designer Kim Kassas creates a look complete with sheer Solstiss lace pant slip, with a peplum accentuated turtleneck jacket dress with bell sleeves made of crocodilepatterned cow leather and gold hand-embroidered Egyptian hieroglyphic motifs on the upper arms.

in the footsteps of nefertiti Kim Kassas harmonizes ancient culture in the Israeli fashion house’s distinctively modern “Walk Like an Egyptian” collection. BY LOLA PORT

ELYSIAN Volume 7 • Issue 3 • l’automne 2021 • leadership éclairé

56 Elizabeth

70 104 Joan of Arc Deliverer of France BY SIMONE BAUDELAIRE-FARROW

Actress. Humanitarian. Businesswoman. She dazzled millions of moviegoers with her stunning beauty, and raised millions of dollars for AIDS research. BY LAURIE BOGART WILES

FEATURES

Taylor

Montréal The autumn place. BY DAINA SAVAGE

114

Inspiring Women Nikki Haley page 116 Bea Sibblies page 128 Kristin Harmel page 138 Alveda King page 148 INTERVIEWED BY KAREN FLOYD

DEPARTMENTS

architecture

30 fashion&beauty Fusing architecture & interior design. BY CHRISTY NIELSON

food&dining Casual elegance-elevated. BY EMMA MCCRACKEN

Eyeglasses: The better to see you with, my dear. BY PEARL LUSTRE

mind&body The art of mindfullness. BY MARTHA WIEDEMANN

shopping

160

A foggy day in London town. BY SINDIE FITZGERALD-RANKIN

change creator

Amina Khalil: Being the best version of herself. BY ALLYSON PORTEE

164

philanthropy

180

NAWA: The original art influencers. BY SUZANNE JOHNSON

back story

A salute ot our “Inspiring Women.”

on the cover

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Elizabeth Taylor’s death, we celebrate this amazing woman, her films, her career, her life—but most important of all, her philanthropy in the fight against AIDS. PHOTOGRAPH BY DOUGLAS KIRKLAND / CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

When it comes to luxury real estate, we drive the conversation

c r e at o r - i n - c h i e f

Ryan Stalvey

executive editor

Laurie Bogart Wiles chief media director

Rob Springer

d i g i ta l m a r k e t i n g m a n a g e r

Cindy Bogart

managing editor

Kristen Henson

e d i t o r - at - l a r g e

Ruth Sherlock

editorial director

Rita Allison

social media specialists

Haley Hudson, Andrea McHugh e ly s i a n i m pa c t d i r e c t o r o f p h i l a n t h r o p y

Kelly Nichols

women inspiring women

Karen Floyd

arts

c u lt u r e e d i t o r

Hannah Shepard

l i t e r at u r e e d i t o r

Kathie Bennett

wellness editor

Martha Wiedemann contributing writers

Simone Baudelaire-Farrow, Suzanne Johnson, Pearl Lustre, Emma McCracken, Christy Nielson, Lola Port, Allyson Portee, Sindie Fitzgerald-Rankin, Daina Savage

copy editors

Monya Havekost, Diane High, Hadley Inabinet, Baker Maultsby, Phil Randall c o n s u lt i n g e d i t o r

Jason Spencer advisor

Abby Deering director of web design

development

Elliot Derhay

d i g i ta l s a l e s d i r e c t o r

Don Bailey

post-production editor

Elise Rimmer

post-production graphics

Ty Yachaina

special projects director

Kelly Ferguson comptroller

Anna Christian

ELYSIAN Magazine is published four times per year by Palladian Publications LLC, 113 W. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29306. For subscription information, call 888-329-9534; visit subscriptions@elysianservice.com; mailing address: Subscription Service, Elysian Magazine PO Box 2172, Williamsport, PA 17703 All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

• l’automne 2021 • readelysian.com

ELYSIAN Publisher, Karen Floyd, sitting with these remarkable women during their Inspiring Women interviews. From top to bottom: Nikki Haley, the first woman to serve as South Carolina governor. PHOTOGRAPH BY GRACE BELL / HAIR & MAKEUP BY ASHLEY BROOK PERRYMAN • Bea Sibblies, award-winning real estate developer in Harlem and founder of BOS Development. PHOTOGRAPH BY LISA PAVLOVA • Kristin Harmel, New York Times best-selling author. PHOTOGRAPH BY TANYA PTITSYN • Dr. Alveda King, niece of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and best-selling author, activist, broadcast commentator and songwriter. PHOTOGRAPH BY TANYA PTITSYN

E publisher

Karen Floyd

BOUTIQUE IN KING OF PRUSSIA MALL

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JULIAN LE BALLISTER

PAULAHIAN.COM

PAULA HIAN URSULA JACKET & JOLIE SKIRT PICTURED

PAULA HIAN

PEOPLE ARE MORE SIMILAR THAN WE THINK, ACROSS RELIGIOUS GROUPS, ETHNIC GROUPS AND RACIAL GROUPS. I BELIEVE AT THE END OF THE DAY; WE ARE ALL JUST PEOPLE.”

I AM

—KRISTIN HARMEL, NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR

more convinced than ever before, that as women age, the best is yet to come. Reflecting upon over six and a half years of interviews, I now recognize why. Women hold the uncanny ability to adapt, adjust and compromise.They are forced to “bend or blend” to avoid breaking. However, as families and careers mature, so too, do women. Over time, women “individuate” and self-actualize, creating an unusual juxtaposition.While on the one hand they understand the skills of compromise and adaptation, on the other hand, age creates a selfawareness and authenticity that allows differentiation. For women, age is a “rite of passage.”

ELYSIAN was the result of a personal quest to see what constituted “exceptional” women.Was it

With love,

• l’automne 2021 • readelysian.com

Karen Floyd Publisher

PHOTOGRAPH BY TANYA PTITSYN

timing, luck, innovation, funding, perseverance, faith, endurance or passion? Why did some succeed while others did not? In each interview, I asked the same litany of questions. I explained the process to each Inspiring Woman, that a portion of the interview was to acquire data, which was to be mined for empirical trends, quantifiable patterns and findings. The data shows that there really is no “secret sauce” to success and there is not one roadmap to achievement. But as Kristin Harmel suggests, we are all just people. With age and time, the Inspiring Women recognize and identify their “gift.” They all share one universal goal: making the second half of their lives more meaningful and purposeful with all their acquired life experiences. I wanted to investigate the finding further and decided to dedicate this issue to “Thought Leadership.” Four separate verticals; faith, finance, literature and politics were selected. At the core of the interviews, I was looking to see how each woman used her experiences and understanding to propel herself forward to new heights personally and as inspiration for others. This issue is therefore dedicated to “Thought Leadership” which is defined here as an authority in a specific field, recognized as experts, who ultimately earn the trust of their followers.They inspire, innovate and influence others with their suffering, successes, wisdom, and worldly impact. So, what do the following thought leaders share—Alveda King (Faith), Bea Sibblies (Finance), Kristin Harmel (Literature), Nikki Haley (Political). On the offset, they all recognize their heritage and family of origin as key to shaping who they are today. Each of these women went against the odds and defied expectations set by others. In their own way, each experienced some form of “ism” whether racism, sexism or ageism . . . and they all persevered and overcame. They pushed through their apprehensions, doubt and fear of failure. They remained on course and stayed true to themselves. Each woman recognized the value of every human being, no matter race, religion or standing and each took positions to support that finding. Each had the courage to “stand against the wind.” Whether you agree or disagree with their respective positions, these women defied the odds and had the fortitude and courage that can only come from a self-awareness and inner strength that is fueled by passion. “Follow your passions, follow your heart, and the things you need will come,” said one the most inspiring women and thought leaders of all, Elizabeth Taylor. In honor of the tenth anniversary of her death— and for the first time in this history of our publication—Elysian features a true ICON on our cover. Over the past 6 years, the ELYSIAN brand has continued to evolve. We have refined our focus to women over the age of 40. For these women who have “crested the top of life’s hill,” creating a meaningful second chapter of life is paramount. What connects us, brings us peace . . . the interviews reinforced that life is fleeting, today is a gift and compassion makes injustice intolerable. Journey with us as we support our differences, steadfastly encouraging lifelong learning and the unique paths to finding our individual and collective purpose. ■

INCREDIBLE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES CURATED FOR YOU. For the discerning and inspired traveler looking to scratch beneath the surface, there is no substitute for a one-of-a-kind private travel experience. When you travel with Journeys, not only is your trip custom designed around your interests, but you also have inside access to the world not afforded the general traveler, including insights and experiences with specialist curators, chefs, local purveyors, hand-picked guides and service providers. We invite you to explore the endless possibilities of our Journeys.

journeysyachtandtravelcompany.com hello@journeysatc.com (843) 647-1645