The suitcase is packed, the boat is leaving the dock, and PALMER Vol. 11 has arrived. Editorial Director Stefano Tonchi gives a preview of what to expect from our summer issue.
Planning holidays used to be a pleasant exercise. But more often than not, it has become a stressful activity. Every destination feels overbooked, every hotel room misrepresented, every sport activity a competition. Even the weather has not been collaborative! Lucky are those who have a family home that they can return to year after year, like the Cushings, one generation folding into the next, layering public history and personal memories in the rooms and on the walls of their holiday retreat. Our knowledgeable frequent contributor, James Reginato, visited their residence, the iconic Ledges in Newport and, with photographer Brian Finke, documented their timeless summer lifestyle on the edges of the Atlantic Ocean.
A century ago, before photography and smartphones, travelers often brought watercolors and brushes on their voyages as a way to make memories of the places they visited. To honor this rich tradition, we publish a portfolio of watercolors by Winslow Homer, one of the most underrated American artists of the 19th century, who frequently traveled to our part of Florida until his death, painting scenes of fishing in the deep sea and untouched lands.
Palm Beach lifeguard supervisor Craig Pollock photographed by Weber for Per Lui magazine in 1988
Photographer Bruce Weber with the Palm Beach lifeguard team on the day of the PALMER shoot
Today, that same adventurous spirit can be found in the stories told to Tim Malloy by Craig Pollock, Palm Beach’s Lifeguard Supervisor. Pollock, along with a number of his fellow lifeguards, were captured in action by legendary photographer Bruce Weber (who first shot Pollock in 1988, as seen above). It’s disconcerting to learn that Palm Beach is home to some of the most dangerous waters in America. But it’s also reassuring to know that this group of brave heroes is watching over us.
When your idea of a holiday is traveling abroad, customization is the ultimate luxury—having your trip planned down to every detail, from where to land your plane to where to eat the most exquisite food and buy unique souvenirs. Ms. Audrey Gruss took PALMER along on a weeklong tour-de-force of Paris Couture Week, including the fashion shows by the newly appointed designers at Chanel and Dior to the classic Armani and provocative Schiaparelli, as well as the ateliers where select clients get to see and touch the most precious creations. We also followed Ms. Gruss as she tried on and ultimately chose the unique made-to-measure pieces that she will wear next season. Hint, expect to see her in yellow and jade green.
Audrey Gruss poses for photographer Luna Conte in her suite at Le Meurice during Haute Couture Week. To the photographer’s right is PALMER Photography Director Wynn Burson Cateron and at far right, Gruss’s step-granddaughter Skye Chambers is prepped for the Spring 2026 Armani Privé show
If cars, and not clothes, are your passion, like Martin Gruss, we recommend a tour of the Motor Valley in Italy, the birthplace of Ferrari and Lamborghini, in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna. As narrated in detail by our man on the circuit, Brett Berk, and beautifully shot by Thomas Prior, you can read everything you need to know about taking a personalized trip of the factories and the garages where the best and most expensive cars in the world are made—and also take a test drive, or have your dream car customized to your very own specifications.
Making the best of every hour of your day, balancing otium and activity, lazy cocktails and competitive sports, has forever been the privilege of a certain group of Palm Beach residents through every season of the year, whether they are on the island in the winter and the Hamptons in the summer, or in Aspen or Nantucket. Every hour counts and every moment has great value, as you can see in our portfolio of the most incredible jewelry watches and sport chronographs of the moment.
Time may be mercilessly passing by, and the signs of age gaining ground, but never fear. We’re here for you! PALMER’s new beauty expert, Sandra Ballentine, shares the latest trends in plastic surgery and the leading doctors from New York to Palm Beach. As she writes, “Suddenly it seems like everyone looks so fresh, so dewy, so ageless, but crucially—not so different or ‘done’ than they looked the last time you saw them. More frozen in time than frozen in place.”
At the end of the day, beauty, in all its forms, is not about erasing all traces of a life well lived. It’s an outward expression of one’s unique interior self.
– Stefano Tonchi
