Living your best life has never been easier with SELECT, a platform that rewards its Members through community and unrivaled experiences at the world’s most coveted destinations. Officially launched in 2015, SELECT is the brainchild of Carlo Cisco, a seasoned entrepreneur who works hard and plays harder. SELECT reflects the same spice of life that Cisco has expertly sewn into the fabric of his professional career, offering a space for people of all backgrounds to come together over a shared appreciation for good food, good times, and good company. The true essence of a SELECT lifestyle is immortalized in the SELECT black card, a new kind of membership card and mobile app that speaks to the next generation of adventure-seekers. SELECT members are granted access to some of the most high-profile staples in culinary arts, music, entertainment, and travel through its exclusive program. Additionally, Members enjoy discounts and complimentary beverages at hundreds of top restaurants like Katsuya, priority access to exclusive events like Art Basel, and discounts on brands like Tumi, BMW, and Seiko. With over a million partner locations and bombastic membership renewal rates, SELECT is the hottest place to be right now, wherever you are in the world. Access to all SELECT benefits is instant and unlimited. From 20-40% off the bill at premier restaurants to up to 60% off at close to a million hotels worldwide, SELECT is able to offer value daily. Not to mention, you receive 15-50% off leading lifestyle, retail, business, and entertainment brands. At its core, SELECT represents a renaissance in community, connecting people over something as simple as a wine tasting or an invite-only exhibition during NYFW. Better still, SELECT understands the importance of human interaction and routinely hosts Members-only events through its white-glove concierge service, keeping you up-to-date on the latest and greatest whereabouts near and far. In addition, the powerhouse is looking to expand into offering financial services to its members in the near future. We’ve never seen a rewards program like this before, and with SELECT in the driver’s seat, you can experience your own city or see the globe with luxe panache.
Sandviper is as their tagline states, The Next Major athletic apparel and lifestyle company. The company was founded in 2015 by David Leib, who wanted something more from existing athletic outlets. Based out of Miami, Sandviper’s flagship product, the Sandspeed, is a sneaker that allows for rigorous training both on and off the sand by uniting athletic utility with dynamic style and support. The first of its kind, Sandviper’s sand sneakers launched into the public eye in 2017 and have sustained a thriving demographic with the release of new products and offerings that expand into other wellness corners. Today, Sandviper stands as the next major resource for athletes near and far, effortlessly bridging the gap between fashion and functionality. The company’s eye for innovation has brought them into unique spaces like web3 and the Metaverse, while their dedication to performance-based gear has cultivated relationships with big names in South Florida, including custom cleats worn by the Florida Fire, one of the top 7on7 football teams in the nation. Sandviper has made exceptional strides in strengthening their local communities, sponsoring local high school all-star games, and working with regional schools/talent to highlight the difference in winning with additional products such as their Vipergloves and Vipercleats. Comparatively, Sandviper is poised to disrupt the global athletic industry entirely with a fresh take on daily essentials for both athletes and individuals alike, overstepping the existing threshold of tired trademarks like Nike with a dynamic sweep on movement and how we achieve our goals through their Sandviper Formula, which urges us to live our purpose, pursue our passion, and speak our truth. Sandviper has fostered a vibrant network of doers who are leading tomorrow’s standards in athletic apparel, and during an era of complete reconstruction in the wellness space, it’s a relief to find structure, strength, and innovation in leaders like Viperman, Sandviper’s eponymous hero leading the new wave of athletic brand excellence.
A lot of resale platforms are nothing but endless scrolling. For buyers, there are pages upon pages of a never-ending supply of secondhand clothes. Sure, you can score the occasional treasure, but you have to sift through a lot of junk to get there. For sellers, they have to deal with lowballers, or people looking to skimp on a brand new Moschino top, tags included. The high-touch, high-convenience resale companies might have better selections, but the payouts for sellers have become deplorable and untenable. Sisters Chloe and Claire Lee noticed these problems and wanted to shake the secondhand shopping landscape by making the experience more memorable (and less drudgery) for buyers with better payouts for the sellers. During Covid, they came up with the idea of a curated secondhand platform where they would source the clothes from creators and celebrities with influential followings. With this approach, Selleb was born as a streamlined marketplace where style-savvy celebrities sell items they own through the company’s platform. The sisters’ love for secondhand fashion goes way back, and growing up as classical musicians training rigorously for concerts and competitions during middle and high school, they would flip clothes on Poshmark and eBay as a break, back when these platforms were still kind of niche. They were younger than most of the other sellers but had built up a sizable following (600k+) to become “power” sellers. After a decade of the same endless scrolling, the sisters knew the time was ripe for disruption in the fashion resale space. They wanted to make it experiential and put celebrities at the center, using the power of their social media presence to sell their items. Selleb takes care of everything on the backend: they will list and ship the sold items. It’s a refreshing way for high-profile names to engage with their followers and showcase their style alongside other people in different categories. Every drop has the opportunity to be a big deal and stand on its own. Selleb started with one drop per month, but now it’s one drop per week. With their unique approach to resale markets, Chloe and Claire have reintroduced the fun in shopping through Selleb, sparking community engagement and well-rounded experiences with every release.
Part of the beauty in storytelling is that it reflects the unique voice of the weavers themselves, often changing and adapting over time as it’s told to others. In that sense, a story can only be told once, but its impact is felt long after its creation. For Yoté Jewelry, the Santa Fe-based purveyor of wearable art, jewelry is tangible folklore that can outlive us for generations, much like the stories our ancestors passed down to us. Leah Prada Harrison, the founder of Yoté, pulls inspiration from her maternal grandmother’s love and appreciation for quality jewelry. Officially launched in 2018, Yoté’s collections are rooted in a traditional Southwestern opulence that is both familiar and wholly original by design. Prada Harrison coined the term “yoté” herself, translated as an opportunity to welcome anyone and everyone to the table. It’s a word that means community, strength, durability, and creativity all at once, and perfectly embodies the hypnotic essence of a Yoté creation. At its core, Yoté is born of authenticity in its most basic albeit impactful iteration––Prada Harrison designs and crafts her pieces on the same land that belonged to her ancestors over 100 years ago. In many cases, it’s her way of giving something back to her community, while symbiotically telling the tales that define the Western landscapes through dynamic, wearable art sourced from her unique vision, colored by the past, present, and future.
Michael Eggleston had grown tired of nine to five jobs, so when someone on a Yahoo group mentioned Herkimer Diamonds, he went mining at a local mine. He earned $300 for his efforts and used it to found InnerVision Crystals, which has grown to become a household name in the crystal world. They offer affordable silver and gold jewelry, as well as quality crystals — a step above the mass-produced items flooding the market on Etsy and eBay. Last year, they sold about 34,000 items and currently have one of the largest online collections of Moldavite & crystals, usually between 4,000 and 7,000 at any given time. Their philosophy is simple: Everyone from the source to the client must be happy, the vibe just right. InnerVision works with independent miners and other sources to ensure lifelong partnerships and delivers the best possible products, services, and education to clients. One of the topics Eggleston teaches about is how to spot fake items on the market, such as the Moldavite stone, which he is a leading dealer and expert on. “Ancient Aliens,” an American TV show that ran on the History Channel, featured InnerVision’s Moldavite stones in Season 6 Episode 8, which aired in 2013.
Whatever happened to heirloom furniture? The chairs and couches passed down for generations? Nowadays, it seems furniture is simply thrown away or donated. This is precisely what Jory Brigham, founder of Jory Brigham Design, wants to reverse. Jory Brigham Design provides high-end, made-to-order, wooden, and metal furniture with collections that range from mid-century modern to the Boardroom Collection, their most popular line which includes ping-pong, poker, shuffleboard, and billiards tables. Game rooms are places where people unwind and connect, so Jory’s fun and edgy style truly blooms in this environment. Brigham’s style developed through his childhood from being homeschooled and tagging along with his father to job sites. He would watch his father build houses from top to bottom, and the designs started churning in his own mind. Later in life, after his first piece sold quickly, Brigham’s confidence solidified enough to keep pushing forward with his original designs. His unique style, attention to detail, and impeccable craftsmanship differentiate his pieces from competitors. Designs are often whimsical yet sophisticated due to his use of unconventional materials and pops of color, which helped the company’s Mackenrow Ping Pong Table win Interior Design’s Best of Year in the Accessories category in 2015.
After using a variety of available products, Michelle David, owner of 2 Chicks & A Toolbelt, grew frustrated. She wasn’t pleased with the limited colors that were available on the market and how difficult they were to apply, so David made her own. The company was met with raving response rates after bringing 26 pieces of their furniture to a convention, selling out in just three hours. Naturally, they didn’t stop there. 2 Chicks & A Toolbelt hired a chemist and a paint manufacturing company to help create a stellar product made in the United States, similar to painting with warm butter. Consumers simply wash the furniture with hot water and a little bit of baking soda, let it dry, and dive into painting. The Chalky Chicks Furniture Paint adheres to most surfaces including raw wood, finished wood, veneer, plastic, glass, fabric, metal, resin, and cement. Available in 56 colors, they also offer one indoor/outdoor poly acrylic, one gel poly acrylic, one furniture wax, three antiquing waxes, and four custom-made chalk-painted brushes. Accessibility and user-friendly design are integral to this small women-owned and operated business, so much so that the company’s phone number is listed on each bottle of paint, available to assist (and even Facetime) customers to teach them about the product. Their hard work and ingenuity helped them earn the Small Business Development Center’s “Business Of The Year” award in 2018, and it’s easy to see how a labor of love can give a new coat of paint to an otherwise stagnant market.
Are you a fan of beautiful live-edge wood furniture? Or have watched the videos of epoxy river tables being made? Wane + Flitch specializes in producing live edge wood slabs from locally reclaimed trees at their facility in Tacoma, Washington. They offer unique, stunning, and timeless custom furniture while simultaneously offering an exploratory experience. Since opening its doors in January 2015, they have completed hundreds of custom projects for residential and commercial clients. Every tree has a story, and they keep that story intact to help highlight the personality of each design. Even if clients have their own materials or wish to create a DIY piece, Wane + Flitch can help at every stage of the furniture building process, including sawmill services for cutting, kiln-drying, and flattening. Customers can also purchase supplies like individual slabs, epoxy, finishes, and tools that they use in their shop. The dedicated team at Wane + Flitch will even demonstrate how to use it. A true passion project, Wane + Flitch is rooted in the community and strives to give something back to their own. Washington state is renowned for its towering treeline, and with Wane + Flitch leading the revolution in furniture design, we can all have a piece of the Pacific Northwest no matter where we are.
Optical wellness is the unspoken hero of the next generation, and with eyes set on the future, J+S Vision is encouraging all of us to walk with a stronger perspective in everything that we do. Introduced in 2015 by co-founders Jason and Susan, J+S Vision was created after the engineering and start-up duo noticed a blinding bright spot in affordable, practical, stylish eyewear that united sharp design with smart utility. Humans have evolved alongside technology, which means our eyes have never been more strained or stressed than they are today. Both Jason and Susan took their Australian backdrop as inspiration for crafting a dynamic collection of sunglasses and computer glasses that speak to our blistering sun-soaked planet and our society’s move towards a more digital existence. J+S Vision’s computer glasses are built for screen time, complete with blue light shield lensing and a balanced palette that won’t make everything look orange or amber in tone. Their sunnies are second to none, designed with polarized, UV400, multilayer TAC lensing, and spring frames for maximum comfort in the temple region of the skull. Beyond the exacting science of their anatomy, J+S Vision takes functional fashion to new heights, generating plenty of buzz from names like The New York Times’ Wirecutter, People.com, and a recurring spot as the top glasses for gaming and computing on Amazon since 2016. J+S Vision is leading the future of optical health with precision and purpose, all we have to do is see the difference for ourselves.
In 1976, Suzanne Diamond was expecting her first child and in search of a reliable mattress for her family that was free of toxic petro-chemicals or fire retardants. It didn’t exist, so she designed and manufactured her own traditional natural futon from cotton and wool for her family to sleep on. When friends learned about her new mattress, they began requesting natural mattresses to be made for their personal use. Word spread quickly as did the requests, and soon after that, Diamond founded TFS Natural Home by The Futon Shop, now a leader in the chemical-free and natural furniture industry specializing in the manufacture of organic and natural sofas, mattresses, pillows, futons, and toppers. “People today are more knowledgeable than ever about the effect that products we use every day can have on our health. Because we spend a third of our lives in bed, it’s critically important to sleep not only in comfort but also on material that is natural, safe, and free of petrochemicals,” said Diamond. Probably the most attractive feature of products by TFS is that everything is custom made to the customer’s specs—including fabrics from organic cotton to linen, wool, or leather, colorways in a hundred hues, and construction ingredients including cashmere, hemp, coconut coir, wool, organic latex, horse hair, kapok, organic cotton and more. So you are guaranteed to get furniture that’s tailored to your specific taste, in addition to being high quality and all-natural, furniture sold at prices that make it accessible to a broader customer base. TFS Natural Home by The Futon Shop products is sold through retail stores nationally and online. Many publications have written about the organic and natural furniture manufacturing accomplishments and sustainable efforts that TFS Natural Home by The Futon Shop, furniture offers, including Apartment Therapy, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Shape, Remodelista, Forbes, Healthline, theveganword, and The Atlantic. For more information, check out https://www.thefutonshop.com/
Texas-born Birdie Bean, the women-owned and operated clothing and accessories brand, was recently nominated for “Best New Brand Of The Year” by Earnshaw’s Magazine. This nomination highlights the company’s unique and artfully crafted collections of children’s apparel that exude the highly sought-after qualities of bamboo material. Officially launched in September of 2020, Birdie Bean is the passion project of Autumn Heathman, design authority and mother of three. Inspired by her own children, Heathman laid the foundation for what would become Birdie Bean after searching for reliable teething remedies for her first son, to no avail. Channeling her creative spark, Heathman developed a line of practical yet vibrant accessories and apparel that both caregivers and babies could feel confident in growing with. All of Birdie Bean’s designs are custom-created, hand painted, and crafted with passion. Additionally, Birdie Bean seeks to supply utility with intention, donating to families in need of clothing as well as select organizations that aid in planting trees, rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing seals and sea lions back into the Pacific Ocean via the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. In addition, the company supports the rehabilitation of animals hurt in wildfires, such as UC Davis. This Fall, Birdie Bean is introducing a new collection, the proceeds of which will be donated to benefit childhood cancer research. Through their inventive line of children’s apparel, bedding, and accessories, Birdie Bean is building a nest of superior supplies that every family should add to their protocol because happy, healthy children make for a much happier and healthier household. Finally, a brand we can confidently suggest and stand behind!
Concerned by the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbug infections, Sarath Malepati, MD developed EZC Pak as a tool for clinicians and patients to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics in viral upper respiratory infection, the most common infection on the planet. Antibiotics don’t treat viruses, and according to the World Health Organization, their excess use has fueled a growing superbug crisis. EZC Pak takes the best available clinical data in its active ingredients and provides users a convenient five-day over-the-counter dose pack, composed of organic Echinacea, Zinc, and Vitamin C, to take when sick. A study commissioned by the UK government suggests that superbugs may kill more people than cancer by 2050. As the only physician-directed dose pack available for cold and flu over the counter without a prescription, EZC Pak is aimed to help reverse this trend. EZC Pak has been widely featured in the media, including internationally-syndicated programs such as Business Rockstars and Shark Tank, where Dr. Malepati did a deal with Shark Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful. EZC Pak has won multiple awards including two National Buyer’s Choice Awards as the top product in the cold and flu category, two Retail Excellence (REX) Awards in the OTC category, and two DataBird Business Journal Awards as a Top Company for Women.
Those Watch Guys is an online vintage and modern watch boutique where people from all around the globe can safely shop for rare and interesting watches. They have sold over 2,000 watches since their founding in 2018 while routinely adding unique pieces each week. Those Watch Guys also sell high-end, handmade leather straps made in the Italian countryside. Connections and reputation are all that matter in the watch dealing industry, so founder, Craig Moore, learned the trade by networking with the watch community all over the world. After a couple of years privately dealing in watches, he founded Those Watch Guys. One of the ways Craig does this is in the company’s consignment process, offering a flat net price to the seller, so they know what they are getting before sending it. Most dealers use a percentage-based model that can change the more the client adjusts the price. Those Watch Guys have been featured in a number of publications, including Hodinkee, Gear Patrol, and Fratello Watches, and taken part in several watch-based festivals, including Worn & Wounds Wind Up Watch Fair.
Eastern Accents, the Chicago-based purveyor of luxury home goods, was born of creative utility and panache for quality textiles. Ridvan and Siw Tatargil, co-founders of Eastern Accents, began their journey as immigrants traveling around the country with authentic Turkish rugs in tow. The couple’s eye for design and cosmopolitan flair eventually brought them into the home goods business, crafting one-of-a-kind pieces dressed in a variety of styles and fabrics. The company was officially founded in 1989 and has since enjoyed global recognition with a distinctly local, homegrown identity. Eastern Accents operates out of their boutique space in the residential quarters of Chicago’s Northwest front, spooling innovative and classic silhouettes that appeal to interior designers, model home creatives, and the stylish individual who craves something more for their home space. The company’s collections include decorative pillows, bedding and linens, window treatments, sheets, coverlets, and a suite of developing products and accessories. Due to the Tatargil’s diverse background, their collections are ever evolving to reflect the latest and greatest styles around the world. Additionally, the company owns Pandora’s Manor, a luxury bed & breakfast located in High Point, NC. Here, the company gives unrivaled service and comfort while decorating each space with Eastern Accents originals. It’s the perfect setting for showcasing new and familiar pieces, and with quality organically sewn into every design, we can expect only the finest home essentials from Eastern Accents no matter where we are in the world.
Saral Harrison, the founder of Crystal Couture, has seen her fair share of opulent costumes collecting dust over time. Even more so, she has seen families in need of budget-friendly options for custom dance apparel for their young performers. In response to this disparity, she launched Crystal Couture, a costume consignment and resale business that is turning performance art on its toes. As a one-stop shop for performance costume needs, artists from all backgrounds including dance, figure skating, and theater can sell or buy costumes, performance jewelry, unique trims, semi-custom costume designs, and Austrian crystal rhinestones. Every piece is vetted by a passionate Crystal Couture staff member, ensuring it is performance ready and is free of rips or tears, while all rhinestones and appliques are securely fastened in place to dazzle even in the most dizzying of routines. When they alter a dress, they ensure that they are properly categorized and sized. Of course, a costume needs to sparkle and exude confidence on stage, so the team can add customized details and embellishments to drive the look home. Crystal Couture also accepts custom and semi-custom solo, duet, and trio costumes for consignment for both large and small groups. With Crystal Couture, families can save money on picking a high-quality dance costume so they can focus on showtime. In fact, many of the costumes worn on “Dance Moms” came directly from Harrison’s business, proving that creative agency looks as good as it feels.
The Ritual Rug is a premium hand-woven yoga mat made with organic hemp and non-toxic foam, essentially like a yoga mat and towel woven into a yoga rug. The patented design is the only one of its kind on the market today and was created by Ma Wovens’ founder, Kelly Peyton. A painter by design, Peyton’s love of handwoven goods began when she traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico for an artist residency. While in Mexico, she also participated in a yoga teacher training program. Surrounded by beautifully handwoven goods and immersed in her yoga practice, the concept for a new kind of yoga mat was born, one that united traditional woven yoga rugs with modern materials to offer more grip, cushion, and beauty. This elevated yoga mat was originally designed to alleviate the issue of the hands and feet slipping while holding postures but has resulted in a high-performance, versatile, and highly coveted product. The “Ma” in Ma Wovens stands for Mother Nature, their muse, and a large part of their mission is respecting the planet and customers by only choosing the highest quality materials, and ethical manufacturing in order to offer premium, sustainable, non-toxic products for all people to enjoy.
Sustainability begins with action, and bluboho, a leader in clean jewelry, takes this to heart. The fine jewelry company carries handcrafted, raw, and refined statement pieces along with one-of-a-kind engagement rings, all made with ethically produced and sourced materials. They use recycled 14k gold and rose gold; sustainably sourced sapphires and diamonds; and sustainable packaging. Bluboho believes that businesses must play a role in protecting the environment for future generations and strive to be stewards of the planet, making every decision with their impact in mind. Bluboho is part of 1% For The Planet, a global network of 4,000 businesses in 90 countries that pledge a minimum of 1% of sales to organizations working to find solutions to the environmental crisis. “Blu” was inspired by the water and sky, to impart the notion of endless possibility, and “boho” came from a free-spirited life. Each piece is thoughtfully handcrafted by artisans in Canada to symbolize the stories that shape lives and guests are encouraged to choose with intention, seeking a resonant connection with their pieces. Bluboho was born out of a desire to mark impactful moments. Founder, Maggie Aurocco, and the rest of the bluboho team have always loved the idea of carrying tiny tokens that represent their most cherished memories, and jewelry has always been that token now and forever more.
Savor Beauty is a natural skin care and spa brand inspired by Korean beauty rituals that is founded, led, and crafted by women in New York. They use certified organic ingredients, luxurious textures, and aromatherapy to create high-efficacy clean formulas. With two award-winning facial spas in New York City’s West Village and Upper West Side, their self-love philosophy is in founder Angela Jia Kim’s newly-released book, “Radical Radiance,” how you treat your skin is how you treat your soul; both need nourishment, detoxification, and love. People Magazine said that “Her straightforward five-step system makes keeping your skin glowing easier than ever” and Savor Beauty’s multiple spas in NYC were voted as top facial spas by goop, Refinery 29, MindBodyGreen. This all started for Kim minutes before playing a concert. The former classical pianist applied a natural lotion and then broke out in hives in front of hundreds of people, later learning the lotion was filled with questionable ingredients. After researching, sourcing organic ingredients, and creating her own products, friends and family tested her creams and instantly fell in love. The brand is 100% self-funded and built on the philosophy that the customers are their investors.
Kat Hantas, Nicole Emanuel, and Sarika Singh were strangers to the spirit industry. The three women each came from different backgrounds but knew it was high tide to shake things up in the market. Hantas struggled to find an easy alternative to wine, so she decided to create her own and market it to other women. Since many women rarely discover spirits in bars, the team decided to focus on websites and social media platforms that their target audience might spend time on. It worked, to say the least, and 21Seeds Tequila has quickly become one of the fastest-growing, super-premium tequilas in the United States. Eighty percent of their consumer base is female by design, but the hypnotic quality of 21Seeds appeals to all genders and identities. Just add soda, ice, and a garnish to any of their signature flavors; Cucumber Jalapeño, Valencia Orange, and Grapefruit Hibiscus. Additionally, the tequila isn’t cloyingly sweet because 21Seeds listens to their consumers, who say they don’t, in fact, want overly complicated or sweetened cocktails. Only three short years after launching, the brand was acquired by Diageo, a multinational alcoholic beverage company, and along the way, they’ve received press coverage including a TODAY Show feature segment and inclusion in Oprah’s Favorite Things.
Written in partnership with Ascend
