Miami Indulge editor Jenny Starr Perez on the magazine’s latest issue and designing a life you love

Call it cabin fever, angst or just plain old boredom, but lately I’ve have found myself picking out an outfit-coordinating face mask and cautiously venturing out into world. While my latest experiences have been different compared to those of the pre-Covid, halcyon days of the past — happily attending outdoor dinners in July (mosquitos be damned), taking in the pastel-hued architecture of Miami Beach’s Art Deco district on a scorching, sun-and-sweat-soaked afternoon — my safety-minded social endeavors have helped me to feel connected to the city I’ve been covering for 20 years. It also reminded me that Miami is drop-dead gorgeous.

The city was, after all, designed that way.

Morris Lapidus and Norman Giller’s midcentury MiMo architecture icons, the historic Spanish-style structures found in Coral Gables and Downtown’s soaring skyscrapers like Zaha Hadid’s One Thousand Museum Miami all contribute to the dramatic landscape of the ‘305’. And this year — even with all its unpredictabilities — has brought new standout projects that reflect both Miami’s beauty and future.

For INDULGE’s cover story, contributing lifestyle editor Daisy Olivera heads an exclusive interview with real estate developer David Martin and hospitality magnate Ignazio Cipriani, in which details about their much talked-about collaboration, Mr. C Residences, are shared. Joined by Raymond Fort of Arquitectonica, the third partner in this real estate ‘trinity’, the trio discusses how the project (which recently broke ground) came to be and how this will mark a turning point for the surrounding Coconut Grove neighborhood — one that is primed to be one of the city’s hottest spots come 2021.

I recently visited the home of my friend Yeliz Titiz, whose knack for accessorizing both a living room and fashion wardrobe is on full display at her Coconut Grove boutique, The Bazaar Project. The decor inside her house highlighted her eclectic nature: sculptural Kartell dining chairs blended beautifully with gleaming gold-embossed Ikat print plates, a framed authentic heirloom Kimono and artwork picked up on her many travels across the globe. As we continue with new schedules that find many of us living and working at home, the topic of design and upgrades has become more and more prevalent. In all its whimsical glory, Yeliz’s home supports the idea that sometimes the only requirements needed to revamp your space is a defined personal style and the desire to experiment. In this issue’s trend pages, style editor Claudia Miyar guides us on the must-have items for the fall season. Whether you prefer a contemporary look or lean towards free-spirited bohemian vibes, these furniture pieces and objets d’art instantly add visual inspiration to a ho-hum house or office space — thoroughly impressing all who are fortunate enough to enter.

All these home improvements can really bring on stress. Add to that daily responsibilities and jarring news headlines and you could have a health crisis (or at the very least, a pounding migraine) on your hands. Effective wellness tools and techniques have never been more in demand. But where do we begin on the journey to wellness and what does it truly mean to be healthy? Fitness editor Ginger Harris ponders these questions in her column, while also offering tips and advice on services and products that will lead to a healthier, tranquil you. If your skin has borne the brunt of your highly wound nerves, flip through to The Pros of Probiotics where beauty editor Erin Michelle Newberg makes the case for the superpower-like capabilities of good bacteria in the fight against dull, dry skin. Still not chill? The Pour section offers suggestions on CBD-infused sips that help keep anxiety down, without getting you high.

When all else fails, ditch the grind for a weekend finding “certain serenity” among Anna Maria Island’s turquoise waters and stretches of white sand. Our dedicated travel editor Angela Caraway-Carlton happily leads the way.

Whatever you decide, you’ll be designing the life you want to live.

Follow Indulge and Jenny Starr Perez on Instagram.