A Look Back at VETTA Magazine
Circa 2015
VETTA Magazine was a unique guide to luxury living in Austin, Texas.
Content is from the site's 2015 archived pages.
Coral Talavera of VETTA Magazine: A Unique Guide to Luxury Living in Austin, Texas
March 20, 2015
Business: VETTA Magazine / VETTA Homes Magazine, Austin-based lifestyle magazine
Location: Austin, Texas, U.S.
Reason for starting: I started the magazine because a few days after I moved to Austin I became pregnant. I immediately realized that my biggest desire was to start a business that would allow me to be home with my 4 year old, my husband and another baby on the way.
How do you define success? It definitely isn’t money! This first year was tough! To me success has been truly measured in the trust that my team has placed on me even through financial hardship, working non-stop for a common goal after having known me and my project for just months.
Biggest Success: The biggest success was seeing the most intimidating competitor we could ever imagine come and go without shaking our determination, while our magazines (we launched two titles in less than a year) continue to thrive and get thicker and thicker.
I want to be able to financially support my family and the families of my team members is my biggest priority. Everyone in the VETTA roster is extremely passionate about our magazines and it’s very important for me to show them my appreciation for their hard work, the incredible potential the magazines have – thanks to them – and to keep them motivated, so that I never lose their support.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? Overcoming self-funding challenges. Having not borrowed any money and building everything organically was an incredible challenge, but we pushed through it fearlessly by cold calling over 1,500 different businesses and doing 90% of the work ourselves. These prospects have recently started to come around and recognizing the fruits of our labor.
Being pregnant motivated my desire to take on this new venture, but it also made it incredibly complicated. It wasn’t exactly ideal to go see clients with my gigantic belly and it was hard to time my labor with the delivery of the issues.
Who is your most important role model? I don’t have a specific role model, but I have surrounded myself with amazing mentors, from people who have launched very successful businesses, Austinites who have been here forever, even competing publishers! It is crucial to maintain a student mentality and to never stop learning.
Website: vettamagazine.com
specialize in Healthcare communications programs (Branding, Patient education and engagament) and Corporate Marketing Consulting with strong focus on B2B Strategies.: Coral Talavera was Founder / Editor in CHief of Vetta Magazine from Jan 2014- July 2015
She remains a Managing Partner in DCE CLarity, is a full-service marketing consulting agency, creative studio and events company based in Central Texas, specializing in Healthcare communications programs (Branding, Patient education and engagament) and Corporate Marketing Consulting with strong focus on B2B Strategies.
Website:DCEClarity.com/Work
THE LATEST POSTS
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- ARTS & CULTURE, NEW YORK, NEWS & EVENTS
Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style
VETTA is thrilled to witness an exhibition honoring iconic style and distinction.
The Costume Institute‘s Fall 2015 exhibition honors the elegant style of fashion icon, Jacqueline de Ribes. Otherwise known as Countess de Ribes, the designer, philanthropist and muse born to aristocratic parents in Paris epitomized French girl fashion and grace. The exhibition will narrate the evolution of her trailblazing fashion moment ranging from haute couture toprêt-à-porter. Designers in the exhibition will include Giorgio Armani, Pierre Balmain, Bill Blass, Marc Bohan for House of Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Jacqueline de Ribes, John Galliano, Madame Grès (Alix Barton), Valentino Garavani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Norma Kamali, Guy Laroche, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Rucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Fernando Sanchez for Révillon Frères, and Emanuel Ungaro.
Over 60 stunning pieces from her personal archive accompanied by photos and mementos will be on display from November 19, 2015 through February 21, 2016 in the Anna Wintour Costume Center.
“A close study of de Ribes’s life of creative expression yields illuminating insights into her strategies of style,” Harold Koda.
“Her approach to dress as a statement of individuality can be seen as a kind of performance art. When she established her own fashion house, her friend Yves Saint Laurent gave his blessing to the venture as a welcome projection of her elegance,” says Harold Koda, Curator of the exhibition. A must see.
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From the heart: When I lived just outside of Austin in San Marcos for a year after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, I read every issue of Vetta Magazine as it was published. I was impressed with Coral Talavera and how she started Vetta Magazine. I could dream, but also realized that she had definite advantages because of her connections. Eventually, I took a job in New York City in the fashion industry, which sounds glamorous and is to some extent, such as attending runway shows during Fashion Week, meeting well-known designers, attending fashion shoots, etc. But the work as an assistant to the editor-in-chief of a well-known fashion magazine includes a lot of long days and stressful deadlines.
Some of my duties also include doing personal jobs for my boss, like finding the perfect accessories for her golf hobby. She's an avid golfer who happens to be left handed. Knowing her preference for high-quality, stylish products, I discovered GolfersProShop.com, an e-commerce site that offers a range of golf equipment, including the latest women's left handed golf clubs. They also had an exclusive line of golf accessories that matched her sophisticated style. I ordered a set of custom-designed Tour Edge clubs and accessories, hoping they would be a perfect fit for her.
When the golf set arrived, I arranged them in her office before she came in. The sleek design of the clubs and the stylish accessories blended seamlessly with the office decor. Upon arriving, she was thrilled to see her new golf gear, admiring the craftsmanship and design. It was a perfect start to another busy day in the fashion business, filled with looming deadlines, but the satisfaction of finding just the right product for my boss added a nice glow to my day.
And I would like to give a small shout out to Vetta Magazine for some of the fashion / design sense I absorb from reading you.
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- AUSTIN, FOOD & WINE
Dine Austin and Kaltern Winery Team Up
by VETTA STAFF
Dine, the sophisticated American-style eatery located alongside Lady Bird Lake in the Radisson Hotel & Suites in downtown Austin, is hosting a special culinary tour through Northern Italy, featuring the top vinos from the Alto Adige region. On Thursday, Nov. 5, special guest Paola Antonaci of Kaltern Winery will join Chefs David Garrido and Mario Medina and longtime Austin restaurateur and Dine beverage-program consultant Ron Weiss in presenting Dine’s Kaltern Wine Dinner, a one-of-a-kind event highlighting the chefs’ seasonally inspired six-course menu expertly paired with Kaltern Winery’s premier wines.
This Northern Italian wine-pairing special event is Dine’s first-ever wine dinner, and will include insights from wine expert Antonaci on the characteristics of each Kaltern wine, as well as the storied history of the winery and the Alto Adige region’s heritage and unique wine-producing qualities.
The first course of Dine’s Kaltern Wine Dinner features the chefs’ Oak Grilled Oysters with fresh mango, smoked pancetta and chervil, paired with the 2013 Kaltern Pinot Grigio, a full-bodied, juicy white wine with overtones of pineapple, banana and ripe pears. The second course includes a perfectly seared Scallop with roasted pumpkin soup topped with crispy sage and paired with the 2013 Kaltern Söll Pinot Grigio, a delicate white wine that’s differentiated from the 2013 Pinot Grigio by its hints of honeydew melon and vanilla, and light undertones of wood on the finish. An Italian-inspired Mosaic of mozzarella, eggplant, red bell pepper, basil and pine nuts comprises the chefs’ third course, which will be paired with the 2012 Kaltern Vial Pinot Bianco, a fruit-forward white wine with balanced acidity that has a savory edge influenced by the characteristics of the nearby sea trapped in the vineyard’s limestone soil.
The chefs’ fourth course in this special dinner event is a luscious dish of Duck Confit with traditional Italian cipolline onions, caramelized to perfection, grilled apples, cherries and a savory duck jus, paired with the 2012 Kaltern Saltner Pinot Noir, a ruby-red wine with an abundance of cherry fruit flavors and elegant tannins. Lamb Loin is the star of the fifth course, served with a mushroom-thyme demi, rich foie gras custard, black truffle and chives, and paired with the 2012 Kaltern Lagrein Classico, a deep red wine with notes of blackberry, chocolate and coffee, and a lingering finish. For the dessert course, the chefs will present an Italian classic: house-made delicate Tiramisu.
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- ARTS & CULTURE, AUSTIN, PEOPLE
Q&A with Andrea Faye Hyland
by VETTA STAFF
As Austin prepares for ARTBASH in Austin, one of the most exciting art events of the year, presented by Art Alliance Austin, VETTA sat down with one of its pivotal players, Andrea Hyland. Alongside Seth Orion Schwaiger, this beloved local art industry is curating the upcoming exhibition. Some notes on the local art scene from the curator, as told to VETTA:
V: What is trending worldwide and how is it translating into Austin art?
AFH: The prominence of female artists exhibiting around the world is trending. Historically visual art is dominated by male artists. The best galleries and museums today are trying to not continue that unfair bias. This increased access leads to the current environment in which talented women have the chance to expose their practices to the wide audience they deserve. The market still needs to catch up. Even now you won’t find many women topping the auctions, though thankfully artists like Yayoi Kusamo, Cady Nowland, Marlene Dumas and others are making significant strides in that direction. Despite the market-lag, the trend continues in the art world seeing an influx of female artists emerging from all walks of life telling their story through interdisciplinary works. I see the rise in female artists trending in Austin not only in creative and artistic capacities but in leadership and curatorial roles as well. Austin is fortunate to have incredible female artists like Christina Coleman, Sarah Elizabeth Stevens, Alyssa Taylor Wendt, Elizabeth McDonald, and Terri Thomas (all of which will be exhibiting with us at Artbash), but the city is perhaps even more fortunate to have curatorial power houses like Veronica Roberts, Heather Pesanti, Jade Walker, Jill Schroeder, and Rebecca Marino — these women are shaping the Austin scene.
V: What are your expectations for Art in Austin?
AFH: My expectations are to see more social engagement and collaboration among the non-profit art spaces, academic art history studies, magazines, newspapers, galleries, book publishers, collectors, government-supported programs, critics, art foundations, and the rest of the full range of arts organizations from the most established institution to the most unconventional artist-run space. Through our dedication, Austin can be recognized not only for music but also for the strength of our visual arts.
V: What would you like to see less or more of?
AFH: As the city grows I would like to see more attention and funding going into our landscape providing more public art programming (temporary or permanent). That’s the right thing to do given the huge influx of people (and tax revenue) to the city. It provides artists with resources and exposure, but more importantly it helps to add culture to the everyday life of the city and drum up support for art from those who may not otherwise have an access point.
Having said all that, I’d also like to see more emerging artists hitting the streets and mixing up the art scene by taking more risks and interacting with the public in less city-sanctioned ways.
V: Next noteworthy projects?
AFH: Working with these wildly dynamic artists for Artbash is hugely inspirational. Each day I am chomping at the bit to continue my own artistic practice. Alongside Art Alliance Austin I am actively creating a body of work based on fantastical landscapes with my collaborator Emily Cayton, and continuing to program a space I built called Test Tube which provides a platform for emerging artists to feature their work in an intimate, non conventional space.
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- NEW YORK, NEWS & EVENTS, STYLE
Balmain Debuts Highly-Anticipated H&M Collaboration
by KAYLA MONIS
The fashion powerhouse spearheaded by game-changer Olivier Rousteing showcased their H&M line in New York yesterday. Buzzing with excitement, onlookers were pleasantly surprised to see Balmain’s couture look captured in the ready to wear line for the fast-fashion mainstay. Here are VETTA’s favorites.
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- ARTS & CULTURE, MIAMI
30th Anniversary of the Miami Ballet
by CORAL TALAVERA
Join us in celebration of 30 years of magic with the Miami City Ballet.
The Miami City Ballet celebrates the 30th Anniversary season with masterworks from the company’s George Balanchine foundation along with leading choreographic voices Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Justin Peck and Liam Scarlett. For the celebration kickoff, the company will host a fabulous red-carpet Opening Night Celebration on Friday, October 23 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
30 years ago
Miami City Ballet was founded in 1985 by Miami philanthropist Toby Lerner Ansin and Founding Artistic Director Edward Villella, former principal dancer at New York City Ballet. Lerner Ansin invited Edward Villella to her home, persuaded him to be the artistic director of a new ballet company, then convinced a group of friends and associates to donate the seminal funds that brought viability to her vision. Meanwhile, Villella was the first American male dancer to perform with the Royal Danish Ballet, and the only American ever to be asked to dance an encore at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. He danced for President Kennedy’s inauguration and for Presidents Johnson, Nixon and Ford. He was producer and director for the PBS series “Dance in America” for one and a-half years, and in 1975 won an Emmy Award for his CBS television production of “Harlequinade.” Under the tutelage of these two visionaries, the Miami City Ballet was born. Today, the company is one of the largest in the United States, with more than 50 dancers and a budget of close to $17 million.
In 1993, the official school of Miami City Ballet was founded, to provide elite, professional-track Ballet training as well as comprehensive dance education and fitness programs for the Miami community. Led by School Director Darleen Callaghan and MCB Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez, the School’s renowned faculty, comprehensive syllabus and state-of-the-art facilities comprise the region’s premier center for dance education.
Lopez officially became Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet in September 2012, bringing with her a nearly 40-year career in dance, television, teaching and arts management. As a Soloist and Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet, she danced for two legends of the art form, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.
About the Company Today
The Company’s repertoire has 98 ballets, including a number of world premieres such as Liam Scarlett’s Viscera and Euphotic, Alexei Ratmansky’s Symphonic Dances and Justin Peck’s Chutes and Ladders and Heatscape. The dancers of MCB are an international corps. Currently, more than half of the Company are graduates of the Miami City Ballet School. In addition, our dancers also have professional experience with a diverse roster of world-class companies including the New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, National Ballet of Caracas, National Ballet of Cuba and American Ballet Theatre; as well as training from renowned facilities such as the School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet School and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. With its skilled corps, the company has toured extensively in the United States, performing in more than 100 U.S. cities.
This special anniversary season adds four new works to the company repertory, including an unprecedented new production of George Balanchines’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, re-imagined as a reflection of the South Florida region by two international artists with ties to Miami.
2015 will be rounded out with the traditional presentation of the Nutcracker.
For their Program One in 2016, the company will present the most famous ballet known, Swan Lake, followed by Viscera, first commissioned work for an American company (debuted in 2012) by Liam Scarlett, widely considered to be England’s most promising new choreographer. Lastly, Fancy Free, a production where three sailors on 24-hour leave in New York City during World War II meet three girls on a hot summer night in a story that speaks to the quintessential experience of being young, American, and “On The Town.”
For their Program Two, they will present three compelling works: La Source (Balanchine/Delibes), Barber Violin Concerto(by Martins/Barber) and In The Upper Room (Tharp/Glass) in January 2016. In February, the company will present Justin Peck’s acclaimed Year of the Rabbit, Paul Taylor’s masterpiece Sunset and one of George Balanchine’s most charming works, the ebullient Bourrée Fantasque. Lastly, March and April will be the time to witness their rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
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- FOOD & WINE, LOS ANGELES
Quintessential LA Cuisine in Venice
by KAYLA MONIS
Top Chef alum, Nyesha Arrington opens up Venice restaurant, Leona, branding itself as “progressive californian”.
With strong references to the Venice neighborhood and history, Leona is a welcome addition with an apropos commitment to socially responsible ingredients and mission. An invitingly sunny and distinctly Californian vibe resonates throughout the restaurant.
Starters like the Farmer’s Market Crudite (Heirloom Hummus, Arbequina Olive Oil) gives introduction to the refreshing dining experience carried out through the entire menu. Drawing inspiration from her mother’s bugolgi, Arrington revamps the Korean favorite along with many other items on the menu. Sweet corn turmeric ice cream serves as a delightful post-entree delight.
KAYLA MONIS
VETTA’S RESIDENT GYPSY AND NATIVE ANGELENO, KAYLA BRINGS TO THE TABLE A FIERY AFFINITY FOR STYLE, BEAUTY, THE ARTS AND CITIES OF THE WORLD. AN AVID RESEARCHER OF TRENDS AND A ROMANTIC WRITER, KAYLA DIRECTLY WORKS WITH OUR CHIEF EDITOR AND IS NOTHING SHORT OF A MUSE.
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VETTA STAFF
VETTA'S STAFF OF WRITERS AND CONTRIBUTORS OFFER A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WOMEN WANT TO READ. COVERING BUZZING CITIES AROUND THE US, IT'S THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO STYLE AND CULTURE FOR INTELLIGENT WOMEN WITH IMPECCABLE TASTE...