Just two and a half hours from New York’s chilly April rain, paradise awaited. Nestled among Palm Beach’s grand mansions, The Brazilian Court Hotel has been a quiet escape since the 1920s. Its understated yellow exterior gives way to a tropical oasis inside, with elegant Spanish colonial architecture and lush courtyard gardens. This week, the hotel became a fashion hotspot, thanks to Moda Operandi.
The luxury online retailer, co-founded by Vogue alum Lauren Santo Domingo, took over the hotel for five days of designer events and a pop-up shop at the property’s Casa boutique. Highlights included a facial masterclass with Skin Design London’s Fatma Shaheen, styling sessions with Moda’s Chief Merchant April Hennig and designer Trish Wescoat Pound of TWP, and a chic lunch with Johanna Ortiz.
Ortiz’s Thursday event was a standout. Guests dined on Café Boulud’s terrace, surrounded by tropical linens, custom surfboards, and floral arrangements by Fern and Douglass Florals. “Being around brilliant, sophisticated women always inspires me,” Ortiz said. “Palm Beach, The Brazilian Court, and Moda Operandi—the perfect match for celebrating my ‘joie de vivre!'”
After lunch, guests shopped Ortiz’s Spring/Summer and Pre-Fall collections, followed by cocktails at Lily’s Pool Lounge, transformed into “Johanna’s el Bar” for the night. LALO Tequila and Avaline wine flowed as attendees wore Ortiz’s vibrant designs, inspired by her Colombian roots, paired with jewels from Brazilian label Sauer.
“Moda has loved Johanna since we launched her in 2015,” Santo Domingo told Vogue. “For Palm Beach, she was the perfect choice—plus, she knows how to throw a party.”
Friday began with a breakfast hosted by Moda’s Contributing Editor Olympia of Greece, celebrating Agua by Agua Bendita. Founders Mariana Hinestroza and Catalina Álvarez toasted their Colombian heritage with guests over Maison Madison tableware. “We believe in the magic of Latin America when we stay true to our roots,” they said.
The day continued with a yacht ride on The Brazilian Court’s BC ONE and an evening cocktail party co-hosted by Hennig and The Stax’s Victoria Lampley. After returning to April showers on the East Coast, we can only hope this becomes an annual tradition.Moda Operandi turned Palm Beach’s historic Brazilian Court Hotel into a five-day celebration of fashion, beauty, and tropical glamour, highlighting Latin American designers and attracting a stylish crowd.
Photos:
– The Brazilian Court Hotel (Courtesy of William Perez)
– Olympia of Greece, Gaby Keiderling, Lauren Santo Domingo, Johanna Ortiz (Courtesy of William Perez)
– Yvonne Seiler and Lauren Santo Domingo (Courtesy of William Perez)
– Lauren Santo Domingo (Courtesy of William Perez)
– Catalina Álvarez and Mariana Hinestroza (Courtesy of Deborah Lee)
– Courtney Davis Schlesinger, Logan Horne, Katherine Lande (Courtesy of William Perez)
– (Courtesy of Deborah Lee)
– Olympia of Greece (Courtesy of William Perez)
– Victoria Lampley and April Hennig (Courtesy of Gabrielle Wilde)
– Johanna Ortiz (Courtesy of William Perez)
– Jordan Kanegis (Courtesy of Deborah Lee)
– Olympia of Greece (Courtesy of Moda Operandi)
– (Courtesy of William Perez)
– (Courtesy of Gabrielle Wilde)