Mr. Glitterati

Born in Texas in 1962, Tom spent his teenage years in Santa Fe, New Mexico, before securing a place at New York University. It was there he discovered the seminal Studio 54 nightclub, where he met pop artist Andy Warhol for the first time. From then on, school was out and partying was in, in, in. Signing up as a model at one point he had no fewer than 12 TV commercials running at the same time he dropped out of NYU after his freshman year, and then changed tack, choosing to study environmental design at Parsons instead.

But his fascination with the subject waned and, just before graduating, he decided fashion was the thing for him. Although he had no problems getting jobs at Chloe and Perry Ellis, Tom didn’t make a name for himself in the business until he relocated to Europe and landed a position with Gucci. Tom’s partner, journalist Richard Buckley, had become ill with cancer and, after he was given the all-clear at the start of the Nineties, the two decided to leave the stress of New York behind and head for Italy.

The handsome Texan worked his way up to head of design, and although his first effort in October 1994 didn’t win him any plaudits, the following year’s collection was a different story. Gucci fashion had not just been made over, it had received a radical facelift. Out went the clothes for traditional socialites, in came the jet-set look – and Hollywood sat up and took note.

Essentially a monochrome man – his Paris apartment has been described as a three-dimensional photographic negative Tom brings a hard-edged look synonymous with 21st-century glamour to his clothes. In 2000, the Gucci group added Yves Saint Laurent to their stable and, unsurprisingly, Tom’s first collection for the French label was a study in black and white.

In 2004 Tom and chief executive Domenico De Sole made a shock departure from the Italian brand and left the fashion world wondering what he’d do next. The sexy designer revealed at the time that he’d set his sights on Hollywood. But while movie-making might still be in the pipeline, it’s clear that he can’t stay away from the day job.

He’s since been busy developing his own brand and signed multi-million dollar deals with eyewear company Marcolin and Estee Lauder to produce sunglasses and a make-up range under his name, as well as a fragrance for men. The man with the golden touch is also due to launch a hotly-anticipated eponymous menswear collection. Whether his future is films or fashion, his fans can be guaranteed that he’ll be stylish about it.

The Scene:
It’s the biggest hotel opening to hit St. Tropez and the South of France in 5 years as the operators or Murano Resorts (Murano Paris, Murano Marrakech, KUBE Paris) debut their first resort property on the French beach scene. Not your quick boutique hotel remodel, KUBE St Tropez is a design achievement located on the edge of town in Gassin near haute hoteliers Villa Marie and Villa Belrose. The property takes the former-Caesar Domus and resurrects it into the best design boutique property to date in the St. Tropez area.

KUBE sprawls out along a rectangular resort pool, outdoor restaurant and fitness spa aimed to please fickle urbanites looking for a dose of cool in old money St. Tropez. By night the hotel morphs into a nightclub with two bars including a rooftop sky lounge with bay view (a rarity for St. Tropez hotels) and garden-level ‘Ice KUBE’ sponsored by Grey Goose Vodka where DJs spin hip-hop and lounge dance tracks till the wee hours of morning.

The Room:
While swish design hotels like the Benkirai and Pan dei Palais offers stylish design properties for St. Tropez travelers, their meager guest rooms can feel like a cruise cabin to nowhere. KUBE offers more variety in their guest rooms arranged in four freestanding buildings along the perimeter of the resort garden and pools. 41 rooms and suites are divided between S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXL Terrace categories with smaller spaces ranging in price from 250-390 Euro per night and largest going for 950-1200 Euro per night. While very little is walkable from the location, the laid-back setting is an ideal retreat from the hectic village during high season.

KUBE St. Tropez
13 Chemin de Rogon de la Valette
St. Tropez – Gassin 83580
France
(33) 1 42 05 20 00
Official Website

Inspired by Kubrick’s famous ceremony scene of passion in the movie “Eyes Wide Shut”, the Swiss Andrej Lorenc organizes Castles Events in the same vein. He rents castles and invites selected members of his club to spend a night of fantasies: garters, black underwear, wasp-waisted corsets, capes and Venetian masks are compulsory. Drink Champagne, feast your eyes on skin, dance to the sounds of well-known dj’s, and give in to your erotic–or perhaps sexual–desires. Sexiness is also a prerequisite. Teased? Basically the parties are scheduled four times per year, mostly in Switzerland.

Dance and celebrate the sensual in a centuries’ old, mystical ambience. Enjoy culinary delicacies surrounded by stimulating music and distinguished performances.

Specially selected guests and high carat DJs create a world of tantalising and enthralling eroticism. Let the festivities carry you away. Castle Events are not just simple parties. They are journeys to a land of sensuality, the universe of your fantasies and an atmosphere of kings.

Dreams have a touch of the surreal and that touch is what we try to cultivate at our parties. This is why Venetian masks are an integral part of the events. They lend a magical, unconstrained flair to the evening, where nothing is a must, but certain things may happen. Just like in fantasy.

Castleevents is not a dating club. Castleevents provides a setting for people who would like to experience sensual parties. This is why they ensure that the ratio of men to women at their events is 1:1. This even ratio is not the result of hired staff, but is the outcome of a specific selection process, the sole purpose of which is to bring together like-minded individuals.

Dreams are private and fantasy is intimate. Consequently they require absolute seriousness and discretion in advance. This allows them to guarantee the same.

CastleEvents
Official Site