Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge

In middle of New York fashion week mayhem, designer Wesley Cadle creates aserene suite

Wesley Cadle
Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images North America
Outside the entrance to the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge
Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images North America
A hand-beaded "Keep Calm and Carry On" canvas hangs over the fireplace.
Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images North America
Inside the entrance to the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, cool cucumber-coloredwalls create a calming tone.
Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images North America
Wesley Cadle, from left, Lindley Arnoldy and Annina Stefanelli in theMercedes-Benz Star Lounge
A cozy sette where people can relax and enjoy and glass of champagne
Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images North America
The main lounge area, which hosts a mix of furniture by Baker, Antica Farmacistadiffusers and TVs showing live runway shows
Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images North America
Lindley Arnoldy, left, and Tina Craig, creator of the popular website Bag Snob.
Photo by Annina Stefanelli

Editor's note: Clifford Pugh wasn't the only CultureMapper at fashion week. Contributors Lindley Arnoldy and Annina Stefanelli filed this report.

NEW YORK — During Mercedes-Benz Fashion week, the tents at Lincoln Center pulsate on energy high from editors, stylists, photographers and fashionistas. There is even a designated “blogger” area where techies can plug in and clack away on their keyboards, tweeting and posting about the events.

Beyond all of this mayhem lies the real gem of luxury, the Mercedes Benz Star Lounge, a swanky suite where invited guests can drop in to juice up their iPhones and iPads between shows while nibbling tasty bites and sipping champagne.

For the last few years, Wesley Cadle has been the creative genius behind the Star Lounge’s chic décor and star filled atmosphere. For this year’s lounge, he created a serene environment of cool cucumber greens and pops of pink with Pucci-inspired patterns flanking the walls and ceiling. The message is written clearly on Stephanie Hirsch’s Keep Calm and Carry On black and gold hand-beaded canvas mounted above the sandstone fireplace, designed by Chesney’s UK. The overall result is a calm, welcoming space that has seen the likes of André Leon Talley to Bag Snob editor Tina Craig.

CultureMap: Where have you drawn the inspiration to create this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Star Lounge?

Wesley Cadle: I was inspired by a silk scarf and wanted to wrap the room in geometric prints with cool mint greens and pops of pink. The walls and ceiling are wrapped with Porter Teleo mural panels custom hand made in ink for the lounge.

CM: You have said an environment provokes an emotional response. What emotion do you want to provoke with the Star Lounge?

WC: I want to create a living room experience offering folks a break from the hustle and bustle of the shows.

CM: When designing a space that hosts such a fashionable crowd, do you draw inspiration from the collections that are debuting at fashion week?

WC: I’m attaching it to fashion, but I look into the interior design industry for inspiration. I’m one of those designers that doesn’t heavily rely on following trends, but sometimes am open to using one here and there.

CM: How does the design process begin? How do you approach a project like this, the same as the others?

WC: I like to start with a neutral, like the carpet, and work up from there adding pops of color within the furniture, pillows, and Porter Teleo wall coverings.

CM: Is this a departure from what you have done in the past?

WC: Last year I designed the lounge with a Parisian apartment feel, wrapping the walls with over scaled fashion illustrations by Gladys Perint Palmer. I’ve departed from that this year, wrapping the walls with cool water color palette and fluid nature of the ceilings.

CM: How do you differentiate the design of the lounge from fall and spring fashion weeks?

WC: I don’t want to offend the weather, this could have been a lodge but I made it cool and feminine. I try to keep the design feminine for fashion week. I’m not designing a dress, but an ambiance.

CM: What composes an ambiance? Hosting a serene space for a variant crowd can be complicated. I see snacks, beverages, television, and Antica Farmacista home fragrances. What is the purpose of the extras?

WC: I’m creating an ambiance as a sort of sense theater. I want senses to be uplifted in all of the ways. I want a space like this to juggle sounds, smell, and sight.

CM: How are you accommodating the new world of bloggers and social media players?

WC: The whole lounge offers various hubs for everyone to plug in to recharge, catch up on emails, etc.

Lindley Arnoldy writes the fashion and style blog The Flip Side and Annina Stefanelli writes the blog Cinched at the Waist

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sleep like an olympian

Houston Olympians share sleep tips at luxury mattress maker's posh store

Luxury sleep brand Saatva’s Houston showroom (1703 Post Oak Blvd.), referred to as a “Viewing Room” by the company, is one of only three in Texas, and 17 in the country. Its steadfast stance to exclusively manufacture all of their products — from mattresses to furniture collections— in the US, has contributed to the 15-year-old, eco-friendly company’s success.

Courtesy of Saatva

Saatva has joined Team USA as the official mattress for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

Saatva is known for its made-to-order luxury mattresses that are always delivered white glove — never rolled and shipped. Designed in collaboration by Hines Collective and award-winning multidisciplinary architecture and design firm Ware Malcomb, the 4,000-square-foot viewing room integrates modern touches and emphasizes the new interpretation of Smarter Luxury Sleep.

From the moment a visitor enters through the foyer, the viewing room aims to redefine the customer experience. With its aromatic fragrance, subtle color palette, warm lighting, and sustainable flooring and wall treatments, Saatva Houston offers an inviting respite from the city’s bustle.

Further into the space, silvery trees form a canopy under the ceiling’s gentle curves. Soft fabrics and floor-to-ceiling mirrors punctuate the walls throughout, creating a unified environment from start to finish. In keeping with Saatva’s “made in America” philosophy, interior materials and finishes, including the architectural lighting, were manufactured in the U.S.

The Houston store also features a collaboration with Samsung, allowing customers the option to choose a self-guided tour of Saatva’s products. Customers can also test pillows, sateen sheets, and beautifully-upholstered furniture collections in store. Saatva even thought of the four-legged family members with a posh dog bed.

Supporting Team U.S.A.

Saatva’s commitment to all things American now reaches beyond the realm of manufacturing. The brand recently partnered with Team U.S.A. to provide mattresses during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. To celebrate their 15 year anniversary and new partnership, Saatva Houston recently invited two highly-decorated, Houston-native Olympic athletes to an intimate gathering to share the importance of restorative sleep.

Three-time Olympian and seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Manuel — who also happens to be the first Black American woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming — was joined by two-time Olympian and four-time Olympic medalist Bryce Deadmon (Track & Field) for the celebratory breakfast. Both athletes dished on their favorite Houston cheat meal spots and the restorative sleep routines they live by.

Pre-sleep routine of Olympian Simone Manuel (two Gold, four Silver, one Bronze)

“I think the biggest thing is definitely putting my phone away as early as possible,” she says. “It’s hard, you know? There are so many distractions, but I try to at least limit them if I can’t completely eliminate them.” Manual gets in bed around 9 pm, with her phone off limits. “I like to watch TV before I go to sleep, but I at least try to turn down the brightness and put on blue light glasses, and that helps a lot. Sometimes I’ll put the TV on mute and then I’ll turn on some white noise.” Manuel’s go-to sleepy time extras? Lavender linen spray and eucalyptus incense.

Favorite Houston healthy spots: Local Table and JLB Eatery
Favorite Houston cheat meal spots: On The Kirb, The Rouxpour, and Pappadeaux.

Pre-sleep routine of Olympian Bryce Deadmon (two Gold, one Silver, one Bronze)

Deadmon relies on 20 minutes of meditation to get ready to go to bed. “I try to make sure I do that just to make sure I’m not really thinking when I get into bed. So, I kind of regulate my breathing before getting into bed — that’s really my main thing. It can be dangerous,” Deadmon adds with a laugh. “I have fallen asleep while meditating. I’ll wake up like ‘What’s going on?!’ That’s not supposed to happen. But it really calms me down before I actually go to sleep.”

Favorite Houston healthy spot: Pre-made meals from H-E-B
Favorite Houston cheat meal spots: Doña Leti’s and Burger Bodega.

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