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WATCH

Patriots


Nations get the Broadway plays they deserve. The United States got Hamilton, a joyous, stirring musical about the Founding Fathers. Modern Russia now has Patriots, a Peter Morgan drama that traces Vladimir Putin’s rise after his country’s disastrous experiment with democracy. The tale is grim, but the play isn’t, mostly because Morgan cleverly distills the 1990s through the twisted co-dependence of Boris Berezovsky, the O.G. of oligarchs, and the implacable petty bureaucrat Berezovsky thought he could control: Putin. I was a reporter in Moscow back then and witnessed their power struggle firsthand, but you don’t have to know much about what happened to Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union to enjoy Patriots. Michael Stuhlbarg as Berezovsky and Will Keen as Putin are electric and slyly witty as they re-enact a clash of egos and ambition set in recent history but as old as time. (from $52, broadway.com) —Alessandra Stanley

Carry

Strathberry x Collagerie


The thrill of spring shopping in person is not easily replicated online, but Collagerie, the smartly edited, wide-ranging e-commerce site founded by former British Vogue fashion directors Lucinda Chambers and Serena Hood, comes pretty close. Their collaborations are particularly enticing, especially their latest one, with Strathberry. Chambers has worked her magic on the Edinburgh-based leather-goods brand, and the resulting collection is centered around the new Bollo, a slouchy shoulder bag that closes with a drawstring. The name comes from the Spanish word for “bun,” and the bag is crafted in Strathberry’s Andalusian workshops, with all kinds of kicky combinations of color, print, and texture. Our current favorite is the black-green-and-chestnut-striped style, but the graphic black-and-white is also tempting. Leather wristlets and skinny silk scarves round out the well-priced offerings. ($555, collagerie.com) —Ashley Baker

SWIM

Cover Swim


Those looking to receive a lot of attention on the beach, behold Cover Swim’s new Unisuit. Granted, it elicits a different sort of stare than a string bikini, but it’s still seductive despite its modesty. Hear us out: This is probably the most sun-protective suit on the market, which means you’ll save hundreds on La Roche-Posay Anthelios, and there’s no need to interrupt a swimming session to re-apply. While it can be a bit warm on the beach, once the Unisuit gets wet, it’s pleasingly cool and not so quick to dry that you end up sweltering on the lounge chair. Most importantly, it eliminates sunburn anxiety and its minimalist, lean silhouette will invite more compliments than you might expect. Especially from your dermatologist. ($350, coverswim.com) —Ashley Baker

TREAT

La Grotta Ices


To quote Twin Peaks’ Dale Cooper, “Every day, once a day, give yourself a present.” For Londoners demoralized by the city’s never-ending gray skies, Kitty Travers’s superlatively colorful La Grotta Ices make the perfect gift. The former St. John Bread and Wine pastry chef set up her company in 2006, specializing in “seasonal plant and real dairy” ice cream. She adventurously discovers exciting flavor combinations, including apricot and rose petal, chocolate and caper, and white peach and tomato. Produced in small batches and sold only at select spots, such as Peckham’s General Store and Shoreditch’s Leila’s Shop, tubs of La Grotta Ices are among London’s most wonderful culinary treasures. ($12, generalstore) —Spike Carter

READ

The Urbanist


Like Rome, New York City was not built in a day. It was, however, rebuilt during Michael Bloomberg’s first two terms as mayor. Daniel L. Doctoroff, Bloomberg’s deputy mayor for economic development and rebuilding, is much to thank. Just a few months after the fall of the Twin Towers, he was already working on the reconstruction of the World Trade Center. Doctoroff reshaped the city’s landscape on a large scale in a short amount of time, with projects such as Brooklyn Bridge Park and the High Line. A new book, The Urbanist, tells Doctoroff’s story through a collection of essays from notables including Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton, and Paul Goldberger, as well as through more than 450 photographs of his recognizable landmarks. ($65, phaidon.com) —Carolina de Armas

WATCH

Uncropped


James Hamilton started out as a painter, but thanks to a summer job at the studio of pioneering photographer Alberto Rizzo, he decided to switch his medium from the canvas to the camera lens. He embarked on a photography career that led to stints at Crawdaddy! (a rock-music publication) and Harper’s Bazaar, before landing at The Village Voice in 1974. There, he developed a reputation for capturing the energy of Manhattan’s city streets and their notable inhabitants. He took intimate portraits of Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Lou Reed, and Patti Smith and photographed film sets for George Romero and Wes Anderson. D. W. Young’s documentary Uncropped surveys the compelling life and work of Hamilton, and the indelible mark he’s left on New York City’s cultural history. ($18, ifccenter.com) —Jack Sullivan

Issue No. 250
April 27, 2024
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Issue No. 250
April 27, 2024