. "She married a man with 300 photographs!" Like Napa, Alexis latest travel and lifestyle guide is enchanting, full of hidden treasures and favorite spots not to be missed! There were no databases of products where you could compare television sets or phones and that sort of thing. "And I told my parents that they were now free to live as long as they wished." [14] [15] Traina made a major loan of photographs to the Albertina museum in Vienna for the Fall 2021 exhibition American Photography. " Alexis Traina, "My summer bags are always bursting with Veronica Beard dresses, bathing suits and jean jackets. This was not the first time a Traina had dynamited the hills in this region. 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The following night, Alexis Swanson Traina hosted her husband and friends at a swinging soiree where designer Ken Fulk executed her whimsical, "American Graffiti" vision, reimagining Wilsey. Is this socializing, is it business? Haute Living 2023 - All content and source 2019 Haute Living |, Social Media Management for Interior Designers, Social Media Management for Real Estate Developers, How Tennis Star Caroline Wozniacki Is Acing Life On And Off, 6 Skin Myths Debunked Courtesy Of The Red Door Spa, Haute Living Celebrates Rob Lowe At Grant Cardones, Haute Living Celebrates Chef Pierre Gagnaire With The, Haute Living Celebrates Katie Holmes & Her New IFC, A Celebration Of Cover Star Emily Hampshire With The, The Karl Lagerfeld Hotel Will Open Its Illustrious, Lenny Kravitz Is The New Face of Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cooking For A Cause: Out Of The Kitchen South Florida, How Padma Lakshmi Is Stirring The Pot In The Second. The enormity of the renovation might have defeated some newlyweds. I asked them to tell their Napa Valley stories and to describe the places, things, and experiences they love about the valley. "We had absolutely no idea what we were getting ourselves intothe project just grew and grew," admits Alexis; but, she adds, "for Trevor and me, the house was a shameless love poem to each other.". It is a perfect gift for this holiday season. The crimson velvet is dusted with gold; "at night, by candlelight, it's really potent," says Alexis. Raise a glass to the artists, rebels, and dreamers who call this storied California paradise home. He is a general assignment reporter with a focus on writing feature-length obituaries. Sam Whiting has been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle since 1988. All of our good times were up here, Trevor, son of the late shipping mogul John Traina and the philanthropist Dede Wilsey, says of the six-acre property. "It's a handsome, dignified house," he says modestly. . The company offers one-of-a-kind items and experiences, from a $35 guitar pick signed by Chris Cornell (formerly of Soundgarden) to a $45,000 private training session with Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice--"luminaries," as Traina calls IfOnly's talent. Ad Choices, Where to Watch the 2023 Met Gala Livestream, 47 Best Mothers Day Gifts to Give Mom This Year, Everything You Need to Know About the 2023 Met Gala, The Inn at Matteis Tavern Is a Leisurely, Luxurious Ode to California Days of Yore, Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan Bring a Rarely Seen Lorraine Hansberry Gem Back to New York, Mumbais Breathtaking India in Fashion Exhibition Celebrates the Countrys Artisans and Designersand the Interaction Between Them, 84 Incredible Gifts to Give the Women in Your Life, From Pocket-Size Luxuries to Thoughtful Tokens. Click through for a glimpse. Situated in Pacific Heights, one of the city's most rarefied neighborhoods, the home, which Traina shares with his wife, Alexis, and their two children, was decorated by his neighbor Ann Getty.. Located inOakville, in the Napa Valley, the home was built in the 1860s by H.W. Its a really amazing thing to do, to stroll on a warm night with a glass of wine.In a place like this, it certainly is. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, At Home With: Designer Isabel Lpez-Quesada, Madrid, At Home With: Stylist Colin King, Tribeca, At Home With: Derkan & John, the Gooi, Netherlands. Her high-society family pioneered the frozen. "My father collected Faberg jewelry and vintage cars. ", At the time it was a breakthrough idea. New to Traina's list of endeavors is becoming CEO of messaging app, .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}HiNote. We have a number of family portraits, of my grandparents and my mother, and pieces of furniture I grew up with in various houses, he says. By Alexis Traina. Aside from being a wine connoisseur, author, and entrepreneur, Traina is also a well seasoned traveler, and now that the official first day of summer is around the corner, she wants to share her favorite summer travel essentials. "The house became a case study for all of us," Alexis explains, "asking the question, How do we live with young children, romance, and fantasy with all of this art?" Home Design Inside the Home of San Franciscos Most High-Profile Couple, For tech entrepreneur Trevor Traina and his wife Alexis Swanson Traina, a historic Napa Valley home is an ideal respite from city life. Going to a wedding? Aside from her professional title, she is also the wife of "Over the years I've reached out to the people I care about and recruited them to colonize the coolest and best part of the city," says Traina, who matches friends and nearby real estate with the enthusiasm of a high-commission broker. WHILE ON THE TOPIC OF decorating with chinoiserie wall panels, came across the wonderful Victorian-style summer home of tech entrepreneur Trevor Traina and his wife, Swanson Vineyards creative director Alexis Swanson Traina, an hour outside of San Francisco. Thats when I thought, how is it possible that in a world of so much color, we were operating in blue text bubbles and emojis, or modern caveman hieroglyphics as I call them." "Trevor has vision that I don't," says Alexis. A signed pair of golf pants worn by Gary Player in the 1960 British Open ($10,000) will come wrapped with white golf tees. One hundred percent! she says. RSVP OUI to our newsletter and get all the latest scoop on beauty and wellness trends, tips and features. He arrived in Napa Valley at age 12 when his parents, Eleanor and Francis, bought a house and moved the family up from San Francisco. Shop Our Favorite Saks Friends & Family Deals, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Some of my annual favorites include the spectacular homemade fudge from our favorite nun; the sweet, seedless Satsuma oranges from our neighbors; the addictive salted Virginia HUBS peanuts from good friends; and lastly, the Enstroms world-famous dark chocolate almond toffee from my aunt. ), For Alexisthe daughter of Elizabeth and W. Clarke Swanson Jr., a renowned vintner, whose grandfather started the national food-production company that bears the family namewhats outside of the house is equally important. His late father, John, was a San Francisco shipping magnate, art collector and legendary bon vivant. Pictured from left to right: Alexis Swanson Traina, Claiborne Swanson Frank, Veronica Swanson Beard; photo by Trevor Traina. Magic that celebrates ones surroundings. My parents always had friends around and there was a lot of entertaining, and summer was spent hereall summer.. C Publishing LLC 2023 All Rights Reserved, Alexis Traina on Raising a Family in Wine Country, father-in-law) in the garage, and a spacious, Tooling around in old cars is something of a family tradition and acutely. I started to research my book, From Napa with Love, which was published by Abrams in September, by reaching out to the areas most colorful characters, people I grew up around or just admired, like film-maker and writer Roman Coppola, interior designer Ken Fulk, and Elizabeth Swanson, my wonderfully talented mother. The HiNote CEO, wine connoisseur, and travel lover shares all her summer must-haves. Meadowood just opened their new spa, and it is pretty incredible and special. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. It was as if true refinement had sprung to life. These two works formed the nucleus of a sophisticated collection that now spans the decades from Eggleston and Arbus to Gursky and Wall. Alexis Traina Shares Her Summer Essentials. Alexis Traina, "Im a gold hoop kind of girl, and I'm pretty obsessed with Jennifer Fishers hoops in all different sizes. Trevor's latest Internet venture is DriverSide.com, a Web site focused on car maintenance. Swanson Traina, the creative director of Swanson Vineyards, a sprawling estate known for . Every year, the day after Thanksgiving,we assembleour entire collection on a table in our front foyer, and each night of the holidayseason we light the colored candles and marvel at the magic illuminating the room. It also helped that Getty "runs a true atelier, filled with acres of ancient textiles, books, and furniture from every corner of the Earth." "Philanthropy has always been very important to my family, and I firmly believe in giving back," he says. Alyssa and I have worked together successfully on many projects and this book was going to either make or break our friendship/ creative partnership. Alexis's ethnicity is unknown, whose political affiliation is currently a registered American Independent . She's the modern face of Napa Valley luxury. "It was too good to be true," he remembers. A favorite excursion entails piling everyone into an old Woodie for burgers at Gotts Roadside and praying the transmission doesnt fall out on the way there. My whole life I have wanted to be an ambassador because it was what my grandfather did, Traina told The Chronicle before his departure. Feature photography by Clairborne Swanson Frank, Katie von Strasser is a former ballerina with a background in fashion and art. This fall, Claiborne and I shared an amazing story,inspired by my book for Town & CountrysNovemberissue, where she shot all the portraits and that was super special for us both. , $25) released in September, takes readers on a whimsical armchair tour of the valley through the eyes of some of its most notable denizens (filmmaker Roman Coppola, wine proprietress Ann Colgin, artist Ira Yeager and the like) with scrapbook-style itineraries, entertaining tips and a glimpse inside Alexis magical life at the end of a private road off Highway 29. An interior designer and event wizard, Ken Fulk first visited the valley in 1994, and says We came to Napa on our very first trip to California. Plus, there are our daily edits of the hottest openings, tables and tickets, as well as our coverage of the most glamorous events in what is the most stylish state in the USA. In fact, doing so is something of a family tradition. "So many memories are connected to being outdoors," Roman says. For Trevor, raising a family at his childhood home is twice as sweet. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. Alexis Traina was reunited with her familyher sisters, fashion designer Veronica Swanson Beard and photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank, and parents were in Austria for the celebration. I wasnt quite sure what that meant, just that I wanted to work with them.. At a charity auction, he bought an hour of tennis with John McEnroe. Lorenza rose is produced by Michele Ouellet, a Napa Valley native and fashion model, and her mother Melinda Kearney. Thats me with my husband and partner in crime, Trevor Traina. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Theres an appreciation for simple pleasures, like swimming at sunset, water-balloon fights, cookie baking and bike rides. President Donald Trump nominated Traina last January, and in the spring the Senate confirmed his appointment. That's the ultimate luxury.". In San Francisco, its unapologetic old-world glamour; in Oakville, its the perfect combo of chintz and prints, totally comfortable without ever sacrificing style.. "He thinks on a much grander scale!". We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. These little collections tell the story of a person, their taste and sense of humor, but more importantly, what kind of fantasy they are creating.. The morning mists roll in from the bay far below, shrouding the prettily fretted Victorian houses that clamber up the hill and the stately Beaux Arts mansions that crown it. I opened the French Laundry to celebrate the work of the farmers, fishermen, winemakers, foragers, and other purveyors who work directly with the land of this beautiful place. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The Trainas friends were treated to several parties, including a sit-down dinner with live accordion players, and tours of Viennas top attractions like the Palais Liechtenstein as well as a glimpse of the famed Lipizzaner stallions. Situated in Pacific Heights, one of the city's most rarefied neighborhoods, the home, which Traina shares with his wife, Alexis, and their two children, was decorated by his neighbor Ann Getty. Alexis Traina, "Who isnt a sucker for a chic camo canvas bag for summer? "It really hit home that San Francisco has become the center of the idea economy." Consider, for example, some of her favorite pairings: Oreos and merlot, cake and Sancerre, barbecue chips and ros, chocolate bonbons and a bottle of Modern House Wines, a project that she started at Swanson in 2000 with the help of Andy Spade (another contributor to the book and one of her favorite partners in crime). But, if you ask Alexis Swanson Traina, that s exactly why she launched a line of $12.99 wines at Target. Here, time slows down, and things like cars, wine and friendships evolve and improve with age. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. ", His first Big Idea came in the mid-'90s, when he tried to buy a cordless telephone. Top Image: Carlo Mondavi is equal parts entrepreneur, winemaker, and goodwill ambassador. Our food guy is a well-known food critic." Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Below, shop a few of the items that the talented multi-hyphenate will be bringing along with her on her summer adventures. In the 1880s, Crabb added an addition to the home,and after a terrible fire in 1997, the home was nearly completely rebuilt. Raising $3 million from angel investors, including his neighbors Mark Pincus and Jeremy Stoppelman, plus Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, Traina launched IfOnly (ifonly.com) late last year. Picking up where Robert Mondavi left off, the Harlan family has completely rewritten the playbook of American wine. Alexis inherited her fanciful joie de vivre from her Cuban mother, Elizabeth Swanson, who is fondly referred to as the madam of ceremonies and the Wizardress of Oz.. Alexis Traina was reunited with her familyher sisters, fashion designer Veronica Swanson Beard and photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank, and parents were in Austria for the celebration. Trevor, Todd and their mother, philanthropist Dede Wilsey, who now has a home in the next town over, relied on their memories and photographs to rebuild the residence as it once was and took the opportunity to modernize some of the wonky layouts. Alexis Traina, "Gigi Burris makes insane hats all year round, but Im particularly fond of this straw stetson with an extra broad rim." My fantasy was to be a gentleman farmer with three grapevines and art. Theres an appreciation for simple pleasures, like swimming at sunset, water-balloon fights, cookie baking and bike rides. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. For me it has always been the peoplea tapestry of interwoven multigenerational tribes made up of families, farmers, field-workers, wine- makers, chefs, and creative talent of all sorts. "And while each of them was very different from the others, their common thread was the love of drama, romance, and imagination. Johnny sits atop "Herby," a . To accommodate the photography, Trevor boldly decided to dynamite the granite rock on which the house was built to excavate 3,000 square feet of subterranean space that would prove perfect for the light-sensitive prints. The Swansons' 50th Anniversary Celebrations May 31, 2019 | By Bev Church | St. Charles Avenue June 2019 Liz and Clarke Swanson's 50th anniversary celebrations began on Thursday with a private concert at Preservation Hall, a second-line to Napoleon House and a beautiful cocktail buffet and dancing. Trevor Traina, Alexis Swanson, Veronica Beard and Jamie Beard attend The Museum of The City of New York, The Directors Council 20th Annual Winter. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. "My name was still scribbled in pencil on the back," he says with a smile. ", The couple love to entertainTrevor sits on the boards of seven nonprofits, and one of Alexis's projects at the winery is "to partner with companies that celebrate pleasures complementary to wine drinkingincluding Chicago's Vosges Haut-Chocolat, domestic caviar from Tennessee, and iced coffee from New Orleans." "We wanted its look to give a nod to history and tradition, but also a sense of youth and wit." [13] His hobby is collecting photographs, an exhibition of his collection in summer 2012 at the Fine Arts Museum was discussed in the media. The Trainas also sought out furniture makers, designers, and decorative painters who could realize their schemes. I will not be revealing where we hid beers as teenagers, though!, The Trainas spend their days between their house and Trevor and Todds late father John Trainas property across the street (which is now shared among Johns children with Danielle Steel: Samantha, Victoria, Vanessa, Max and Zara) and Alexis parents place at the intersection of Oakville Cross. The acquisition was part of a complex transaction whereby vintner Robert Mondavi purchased the vineyards and Trainas parents received the property and the house. I started by collecting American art in my twenties. Hair and makeup by Sherrie Long (Molly Chappellet and Thomas Keller) and Bianca Rubi (all others). Two years ago, his collection was exhibited at the de Young Museum, where he is a board member. The home was built in the 1860s by H.W. "I knew that this big thing was happening across the Bay [in Silicon Valley] and that I was going to leave business school with a startup Internet company," he recalls. They ran the winery for more than 30 years before selling it in 2016, and its where Alexis honed her instincts for celebrating the ceremonies and rituals of winefirst, with the introduction of a salon-style tasting room, then a modern sip shoppe. I thought that if we could give people that information online, we could control what to buy and we could influence where to buy. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The dining-room table belonged to my great-grandmother, as did the sideboard next to it, and [the nearby] secretary belonged to my mother., Though theres no denying his familys pedigree, Trevor cant help but make fun of some of the houses inherited features: It reminds me of that great comment by Marella Agnellimade after the socialite toured Sid and Mercedes Bass apartment in New Yorkwhen she said, It will take her another lifetime to understand wicker! Theres nothing more WASP-y than lattice and wicker. And living in a house like this, you realize that a great big kitchen and a great big porch are really where you want to be., For his part, Trevor adds that even the houses indoor living can feel somewhat alfresco: I joke that were camping here, because we have 18th-century wallpaper. Though they both grew up in high-style households, Trevor says, were very casual and we arent at all fancy here., Trevor and Alexis are undoubtedly the chicest couple I know, says design impresario Ken Fulk, a close friend. This story appears in the April 13, 2014 issue of ForbesLife. "That was a pretty serious acquisition, but it would probably go for a lot more than that now," he notes. confetti, party hats, miniature American flags and a collection of tap-dancing shoes for after-dinner amusement. "We have specialists for our categories to reach out to luminaries," he explains. They are confident and bold in how they live. On October 10, she emailed us an .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}update after evacuating from Yountville, and this week, she sent us news that she and a number of local winemakers, chefs, and other concerned citizens (including many profiled in this story) have partnered with Tipping Point to form Napa & Sonoma Relief, a fund that will provide support to those most impacted by the fires. Alexis Traina considers the vintage cars at her familys weekend home in Napa Valley to be perfectly acceptable home offices. In. The wife and mother of two also runs a carefully curated He is heir to a name that has long been synonymous with Napa. It goes with absolutely everything and brings me endless joy." Alicia Engstrom and Heather Pegg. Part of HuffPost News. This story appears in the April 13, 2014 issue of ForbesLife. Alexis, meanwhile, grew up in a series of homes that were the bravura handiwork of her godfather, the decorator Thomas Britt, working with her mother, Elizabeth Swanson, whom he describes as "high-octane creative. ", It was Britt who set the gutsy tone of the house when he advised the couple on the look of their living room. Over the course of the next decade, he and his partners founded and sold three more tech companies: SchemaLogic (a document-management service), StepUp Commerce (which connected retailers with online shoppers) and DriverSide.com (a site on which car owners could manage their vehicle maintenance). "Because of my two kids, my wife has exiled the more risqu images to far walls," he says, staring out from behind one of his Frederick Remington statues. Allison Speer, Alison Pincus, Marissa Mayer, Denise Hale, Dede Wilsey, Kathryn Lasater, Alicia Engstrom, and Ken Fulk were some of the locals who jumped the pond to attend Trainas festivities. There was a knock on the door, and the company's photography conservator came in to offer a print for his office. Find a couple's wedding registry and website. Many of the guests stayed at the super-luxe Hotel Sacher Vienna, the birthplace of the famed chocolate and apricot cake, the sachertorte. Mine was wine; Claiborne (center)s, photography; and Veronica (front)s, fashion. Fantasy environments are certainly a leitmotif in the couple's life together; Trevor proposed in the handbag rotunda of Bergdorf Goodman. "The salesman was this expert in a red blazer and name tag, and couldn't tell me the individual features of the different phones. Lanier Residence was a stunning, historical backdrop for our cover shoot with Katie Holmes More, The St. Regis New York Debuts a Chevalier Suite, Kelvin Harrison Jr. Is Riding the Fame Wave, Dont Miss The VeuveClicquot Polo Classic, Cartier Design: A Living Legacy Opens at Museo Jumex, Julia Roberts Expands Her Role As Chopards Global Ambassador, Were Over The Moon About This New Travel Registry, Our Favorite New Tech Gadgets and Devices Right Now, Carbone Opens in The Dallas Design District, Stylish New Reads From Louis Vuitton and YSL, Get behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram. (Trevor found a Proustian double-peacock bench at Steinitz in Paris to set against it.) 1999 Traina started his career as brand manager at Seagram's. The silver-haired free spirit is known for amassing one of the most legendary prop closets in the valley, filled with trinkets and tchotchkes to adorn her candy-colored tablescapesthink confetti, party hats, miniature American flags and a collection of tap-dancing shoes for after-dinner amusement. (Photo by Darryl Nitke). For tech entrepreneur Trevor Traina and his wife Alexis Swanson Traina, a historic Napa Valley home is an ideal respite from city life Written by David Nash Read the Full Story ≫ Photographed by Douglas Friedman. They come in a dozen or so colors and are perfect for summer.- Alexis Traina, "This white enamel David Webb ring is my summer go-to statement piece of jewelry. In a Thursday morning ceremony at the historic Hofburg imperial palace in Vienna, San Francisco tech entrepreneur and socialite Trevor D. Traina was officially installed as the U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Austria.

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