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The Great Escape: Where Tastemakers Travel

July 29, 2022

Creative tastemakers and their essential haunts in the world’s most happening spots

“The eye has to travel,” famously quipped the fashion icon and early tastemaker Diana Vreeland. In this new series, CatchOn speaks to tastemakers from New York City and Bogota to Mexico, Singapore, and more to discover their essential haunts, secrets to creativity, and where they find inspiration in some of the most exciting destinations in the world today.

Stay tuned as we regularly debut a new city guide this summer and beyond.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Mexico City

Known for her striking food photography, Colombian creative Ana Lorenzana has called Mexico City home for the last 12 years – mainly taking pictures of food. Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Crash Magazine, Nylon USA, Vogue, Vogue Hommes, and more. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Bogota, Colombia

A Colombia native, Mariana Velasquez is a New York-based chef, food stylist, and cookbook author. She recently published Colombiana (Harper Collins), and launched Casa Velasquez – her own brand of hosting essentials spanning garments, table linens and accessories, all crafted in collaboration with women artisans and makers in Bogota. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… New York City

Emily Takoudes is the Executive Commissioning Editor of Food & Drink at the global book publisher Phaidon. Throughout her career, she has worked with some of the most renowned chefs in the world, including Yoshihiro Imai (Monk), Virgilio Martinez (Central), Gisli Matt (Slippurinn), Enrique Olvera (Pujol), Junghyun Park (Atomix), Ana Ros (Hisa Franko), and Jeremiah Stone & Fabian von Hauske Valtierra (Contra), among many other chefs and food writers. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Palermo

Alberto Tasca d’Almerita is the CEO of Tasca d’Almerita and the eighth-generation scion of this Sicilian winemaking dynasty. A man of diverse interests and talents, he is also Vice President of the Istituto del Vino Italiano di Qualita, Grandi Marchi, where he educates on the culture, quality, and varieties of Italian wines alongside fellow winemakers, as well as President of the Foundation SOStain Sicily, promoting sustainable viticulture across the region. Explore his guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Singapore

Julien Royer is the chef-owner of Odette, the three Michelin-starred modern French restaurant at the iconic National Gallery Singapore. Having grown up in a family of fourth-generation farmers in France, Chef Julien is known for his respect for seasonality, terroir, and artisanal produce. As well as being chef-owner of Odette, Julien is chef-patron of Claudine, a neighborhood French restaurant in Singapore, and founder of Louise, a one Michelin-starred French restaurant in Hong Kong. Explore his guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Buenos Aires

A hospitality expert with over 20 years’ experience with international hotel brands, Marina Kleiman is the co-founder of Lifestyle Unlimited, a luxury concierge company offering bespoke experiences and tailor-made travel services. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Marina was a professionally trained contemporary and ballet dancer before entering the world of hospitality. She has lived all over the world but her heart remains firmly in Argentina. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Bali

Husband and wife duo Marcello Massoni and Michela Foppiani relocated from Italy to Bali, Indonesia, in 2001 to establish Gaya Ceramic, a creative ceramic production company that now spans a design studio and arts center, with its collections shown widely around the world from individual homes to shops, restaurants, resorts and hotels. Marcello teaches in workshops run through Gaya Ceramic Arts Center, while Michela, as creative director, takes charge of designing Gaya’s unique and diverse creations. Explore their guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Copenhagen

Patrik Rolf is the founder and CEO of April Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee company in Copenhagen that produces sustainable high-quality roasts, coffee products, and equipment. Patrik is also the author of From Nerd to Pro: A Coffee Journey, which chronicles his story from Gothenburg, Sweden, to founding his own roastery in Copenhagen. Explore his guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Kyoto

Based between Paris, Kobe, and Tokyo, Yoko Ooka is a communications consultant for luxury lifestyle, gastronomy, and the arts, having worked with storied French luxury brands such as Baccarat, Louis Vuitton, Champagne Louis Roederer, and Le Meurice. She is also the Japanese ambassador for Métiers Rares, a French studio specializing in the sourcing and storytelling of fine crafts. Here, she shares hidden gems and artisanal spots in Kyoto. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Miami

Cheryl Tiu is a lifestyle journalist, content creator, food and beverage consultant, and entrepreneur, born and raised in Manila, Philippines and is now currently based in Miami. She founded the events and consultancy platform Cross Cultures, which promotes the exchange of cultures through food, working with chefs from Michelin-starred and World’s 50 Best restaurants, as well as private kitchens and food movements. She is the co-founder of Proclamation Gin, a small batch gin from the Philippines, made from the finest sampaguita flowers handpicked by women farmers. She is a Tastehunter for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and World’s 50 Best Bars. Her bylines have appeared in Forbes, The Infatuation, Wine Enthusiast, CNN Travel, and more. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Paris

Hélène Pietrini developed her career in Paris and London, before entering the world of hospitality as Strategic Marketing Director of Relais & Châteaux in 2012, and then Director at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in London in 2016, helping to unite the global chef community until 2020. She moved home to Paris and joined La Liste, a prominent restaurant finder as Managing Director. A deeply respected figure in the world of gastronomy, Hélène is known for her experience and appetite, travelling the world and restaurants as the #hungryblondie. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Los Angeles

California-based natural wine maven Amy Atwood founded her namesake distribution company, Amy Atwood Selections, in 2009, after over 15 years of working with wholesalers and importers. Focusing on smaller production wineries with organic or sustainable farming practices and little to no intervention, Amy has since created Oeno wines, made in Healdsburg, California, and co-founded her own line of spirits, including Future Gin, a dry gin with the dynamic flavors of Southern California, and Flora rosé vermouth, made with rosé of pinot noir from Sonoma County. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Porto

A Porto native, Luis De Oliveira is the London-based co-founder of De La Espada, a luxury furniture brand whose solar-powered factory an hour outside Porto specializes in exquisite solid wood craft and masterful upholstery. De La Espada works with some of the best international designers including Ilse Crawford, Neri&Hu, Manuel Aires Mateus, Jason Miller, Matthew Hilton, Luca Nichetto and Autoban as well as local Portuguese artisans. Luis has made it his mission to bring the best design and craft to the world and, through events and media, to encourage discussion and a learning mindset. Explore his guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Stockholm

Cassandra Rhodin is an illustrator and designer who founded Mini Rodini, a Swedish children’s wear brand, out of her apartment in Stockholm in 2006. Mini Rodini quickly became a sensation and is now one of Scandinavia’s fastest growing children’s wear brands, purveyed in department stores around the world, from Harvey Nichols to Selfridges and Barneys. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Madrid

Patricia Mateo is an entrepreneur, marketer, and CEO and founder of some of the most interesting gastronomic projects in Spain in the last decade. Named one of the 25 most influential people in gastronomy and one of top 50 Women in Gastronomy in Spain by Forbes and Tapas Magazine, Patricia is an entrepreneurial and dynamic leader with over 20 years of experience in food, having led strategic consulting projects for the most renowned chefs and food brands around the world. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Manila

Trickie Lopa is the Chairman of Philippine Art Events, which runs some of Manila’s biggest art events including Art Fair Philippines, Art in the Park, The Nonesuch Fair, o2oart, and most recently, MaArte at The Pen. She also serves as an adviser for the PHx Fashion Group, working with emerging fashion creatives to organize the PHx Fashion Conference 2019, the first of a series of projects that aims to equip local fashion creatives with the skills to take their brands global. Explore her guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Istanbul

Read the ultimate guide to Istanbul from three insiders: Sinan Sökmen, the founder and the CEO of Istanbul Tour Studio, a boutique travel agency that designs perfectly curated tours in Turkey; Arda Sayıner, a Turkish lifestyle journalist with over 20 years of experience; and Deniz Met, the Director of Marketing at Raffles Istanbul. Explore their guide here.

A Tastemaker’s Guide to… Dubai

Tara is the director of VIP content and communications at Tatler Hong Kong. She is a Saudi-born, Dubai-raised Indo-Canadian and a third-culture kid to her core. She now resides in Hong Kong, where she chronicles the lives of Asia’s most influential through in-depth interviews and insider access into the most fabulous and important events happening in the city. Explore her guide here.