Inhoudsopgave van Summer 2025 - Chic Compass

Welcome to the summer 2025 edition of Chic Compass. This one feels extra special because, as of this season, we're officially entering our eighth year. And that's a milestone that makes us stop and take a breath. When Ann Parenti, publisher, and Carolyn Muse Grant, then editor-in-chief, launched Chic Compass in August 2018, there wasn't a detailed plan. It was just a small team with a big dream. The two, along with the writers and others who contributed to its success—from graphic designer Jake Naylor to fashion and creative director David Tupaz—all shared a belief in the power of meaningful storytelling. They wanted to create something beautiful and soulful, with a strong focus on art, fashion, food, design, travel, culture and, most of all, the people who bring those things…

The iconic showgirl in Las Vegas remains an integral aspect of the city's past, as the present honors the women (and men) of this timeless art form. Recently, Circa Resort & Casino welcomed the legendary Crazy Girls statue to the resort after shining for 24 years at the Riviera. Diane Christiansen and Lou Anne H. Chessik both embodied the showgirl persona while living that life before transitioning to different careers. Christiansen parlayed her experiences as a showgirl into becoming an actress, dancer, author, director, producer, writer, costume designer and studio owner. Today, she is the owner, CEO and master coach at the Christiansen Acting Academy and the author of the recently released “The Last Real Showgirl: My Sequined '70s Onstage.” Chessik is the founder and president of the Showgirl Legacy…

Tiffany Chang is not your typical changemaker. She is something far rarer. A Stanford student, nonprofit founder and crowned Miss Asia USA, Chang is the kind of leader who navigates high-pressure spaces with both poise and purpose. But beyond the accolades lies a story of quiet grit, cultural duality and a deep commitment to creating meaningful impact. In this wide-ranging, intimate Q&A, Chang opens up about what it costs to live between worlds and what it takes to lead from them. She speaks candidly about moments of doubt, the unseen labor behind her successes and the power of softness in spaces that often demand perfection. Through her words, we see not just a role model, but a real person: someone who is still becoming, still questioning and still choosing to…

As famed skier Alberto Tomba once said, “Skiing is an art, and the mountain is my canvas.” In Crans-Montana, that canvas is nothing short of spectacular. Having visited Switzerland many times, we find the winter months magically magnetic, drawing thousands to some of the world's best ski regions. As we settled into our comfortable first-class train seats, we passed snow-covered, chalet-lined villages straight out of a storybook—our destination: Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Historic Charm and Contemporary Allure in the Swiss Alps Designed for discerning travelers seeking comfort, exclusivity, personalized service and outdoor adventure, Crans-Montana embodies the charm, sophistication and natural beauty of the Swiss Alps. The area blends world-class ski slopes, luxury accommodations and gourmet cuisine to captivate even the most refined traveler. Before exploring modern-day Crans-Montana, it's worth considering the region's…

Beyond the glitter of the neon lights, incredible gourmet dining and extraordinary entertainment, Las Vegas has a different story. Addiction, homelessness and mental health struggles have impacted countless lives. Vegas Stronger, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is working to offer a different future where every individual, regardless of their past or circumstances, can heal, recover and reclaim their life. Vegas Stronger provides compassionate, evidence-based behavioral health care to underserved populations in the community. Its goal is to reduce homelessness by addressing root causes such as substance use disorders and untreated mental health conditions. Vegas Stronger received its official documents from the Secretary of State more than 10 years ago and has been treating patients for eight years in Las Vegas. “We're pulling the Las Vegas community together to help solve the…

Las Vegas kicked off the 2025 EDC weekend of musical festivities with a night of fashion at Area15. Produced by biteSiZeD multiMedia, Dreamsickle featured its first-ever rave fashion show, powered by eight extremely talented local designers who were eager and overjoyed to present more than 60 looks on their Yellow Brick Road runway in front of an energetic crowd. Highlighted by the incredibly talented Jason Beaver, Debra Storey, Indigo, Heather Freels, Kapria Robinson, Heather Thomas, Chloe Stafford and Wild Muse styled by Dae Thomas, these local Las Vegas up-and-coming fashion stars understood the assignment and gave many attendees—who were planning to attend this year's EDC festivities—fashion inspiration for their outfits heading into one of the biggest weekends of the year in Las Vegas. Beeva, by Jason Beaver, shone with a…

In the hush of early morning, Chase R. McCurdy moves through his home studio like a monk tending an altar. No notifications interrupt him. A biography of Paul Robeson lies open beside a teacup, not far from the studio notebooks of Jack Whitten and a well-worn Alice Coltrane vinyl sleeve. The soft hum of Coltrane glides through the light like a whispered mantra-slow, sacred and deliberate. A canvas rests silently under soft light, waiting. This is not a place of urgency. It is a chamber of patience, of intention. McCurdy doesn't conquer the page. He listens until it speaks. McCurdy's home studio is lined with books—well-worn volumes on philosophy, history, revolutionary theory and art. These aren't decorative objects. They're lenses, like the ones he once looked through as a photographer—tools…

Tucked away in the woods of Redding, Connecticut, is Studio Unicorn, a magical hideaway where four-time Grammy winner Paul Avgerinos daily alchemizes his diverse forms of musical composition. While his passion and focus center on composing and playing New Age music, his talent is expansive: a multi-instrumentalist, engineer and producer composing and licensing music for film and TV, with a catalog of more than 9,000 tracks and over 300 million streaming listeners. Avgerinos achieved such accolades by following his bliss and being true to himself, which meant no touring, something unheard of in the world of music. So, if the public wants to experience his angelic music, they must go online and float away to the heavens. “I found that touring didn't suit my personality because I'm very sensitive and…

“Onward Ever, Backward Never” is the mantra of Michael Patrick Thieme [pronounced Tee-Me], a quote from his grandmother Marie Thieme's 2004 book of the same title. There are lines that divide and lines that define. Some are in graphite, others in paint and still others in the invisible gestures of love and shared laughter. For Michael Patrick Thieme and Larry Thielen Jr. [pronounced Tee Len], life has always been a study in linework—fluid, fearless and occasionally serendipitous. Born miles apart in suburban Illinois, these two creative forces were unknowingly sketching parallel paths that wouldn't converge until years later under the neon glow of Las Vegas. Their story is not one of overnight romance or Instagram-ready perfection. It is instead an honest, elegant composition layered with the marks of two men…