Luxury meets legacy as Donatella Versace unveils a boutique hotel and restaurant near the iconic Villa Casa Casuarina, once Gianni Versace’s home. Tonight, we will be attending the debut of the first-ever DART racecar and meeting the women behind it. I can’t wait! Meanwhile, South Florida’s skyline is evolving—every high-rise is being inspected and repaired in the wake of the Champlain Towers South tragedy. After two years of construction, we know firsthand what it’s like to live in a constant work zone. And Miami’s design scene is transforming, led by my friend Phoebe O’Neill with the launch of Pendentive Studio.

Donatella Versace Gives Ocean Drive A New Celebrity Boost

I’m not sure why this is happening now but I find this very exciting anyway. Donatella Versace is opening a boutique hotel and restaurant just a few blocks  away from The Villa Casa Casuarina (formerly the Versace Mansion), at 1350 Collins Ave. The Donatella Boutique Hotel and Restaurant has taken over a 1920s bungalow.

I am really curious why Donatella decided to get involved with Ocean Drive and Miami now, so many years after her brother, Gianni Versace, was murdered on the steps of his Ocean Drive mansion on the morning of July 15, 1997. He was a very famous Italian fashion designer, socialite, and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-up, home furnishings and clothes. He also designed costumes for theatre and films.

Some of my pals who know Donnatella’s inner circle of friends say she always wanted to set up a boutique business on Ocean Drive. Just like her brother, she found that area to be a breathtaking strip of land. The beach, the sand, the sun is very similar to the beach resorts in the South of France. It draws Europeans to Miami. Donatella now has more time to concentrate on Miami now that Versace was just sold to Prada.

The promotional material says, “The boutique will feature six guestrooms, each with Mediterranean-inspired interiors that incorporate natural stone and wood as well as gold accents.  Amenities will include concierge and butler service, beach access with daybeds and wellness programming offered by partner facilities.

“Donatella Restaurant, specializing in southern Italian cuisine. Helmed by executive chef Alessandro Morrone, the restaurant’s menu will draw inspiration from Morrone’s Neapolitan roots, showcasing dishes like black truffle cacio e pepe and Skull Island prawns.”

The project is a partnership between restaurant operator Vida & Estilo Hospitality Group and the Nakash Group, whose hospitality portfolio includes The Villa Casa Casuarina and The Setai brand.

According to its website, May rates at the Donatella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant start at about $500 per night.

DART Car Founders Unveil the DART Racecar at Exclusive F1 Weekend Event

We are going to be celebrating the debut of the DART Car Project Friday night, May 2nd at the Club Moore in Miami. Founders Zoë Barry, Spring McManus, and Aurora Straus invite you to an exclusive F1 weekend event. Guests will have the rare opportunity to view the first-ever DART racecar and helmet-designed by world-renowned artist and TIME 100 honoree Mickalene Thomas – and meet the women behind the project who are redefining motorsport through art and culture.

DART Car calls itself a high-speed manifesto, challenging the conventions of both the track and the gallery. Their mission is to elevate women’s voices in spaces where they’ve historically been underrepresented and undervalued—motorsport and contemporary art.

The women who created DART are: Zoë Barry, Spring McManus, and Aurora Straus. Aurora, a Harvard-educated racer and the first woman to win in Radical Cup North America, brings years of podium experience and a longstanding commitment to women in racing through her “Girls With Drive” initiative. Zoë is a tech entrepreneur whose venture-backed success has fueled her racing ambitions. Her climb from Porsche Sprint Challenge rookie to GT4 contender is a testament to her tenacity—and her belief in the transformational power of sport.

Spring is an art world insider with roots at Christie’s and a deep collector network, serves as the bridge between gallery and garage. Together, these women are building something more than a team. They’re constructing an ecosystem—one where female excellence is the rule, not the exception.

Mickalene Thomas is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist whose work is instantly recognizable. She is known for her elaborate portraits of Black women composed of rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel. Mickalene has custom-designed Driven Artists’ racecar, race suits, and helmets. She has successfully collaborated on commissions for luxury goods and charity including multiple commissions for Dior.

Her work has been exhibited worldwide at significant institutions including Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris; National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC; The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Aspen Art Museum, Colorado; Seattle Art Museum, Washington; Brooklyn Museum, New York; The Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris among others. Her major retrospective, All About Love, was on view at the Broad, Los Angeles and is traveling to the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia; The
Hayward Gallery, London; and Les Abattoirs, Musée–Frac Occitanie Toulouse.

The DART founders want to change the existing facts: women make up only 4% of drivers in elite motorsports—a modest jump from 1.5% just a few years ago. In the global art market, works by female artists account for just 3.3% of auction sales. DART Car is a curated, mission-driven brand—something closer to a cultural movement than a sports franchise. It’s racing with a purpose, wrapped in an aesthetic that dares to ask: What if beauty and bravery weren’t mutually exclusive? LEARN MORE HERE.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Ever since the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Miami, every high rise in South Florida had to be inspected and repaired to make sure that tragedy never happens again. Buildings three stories or taller, especially those near the coastline, are subject to mandatory milestone inspections, often every 10 years, to ensure structural integrity. These inspections, mandated by Florida Statute 553.899, help identify potential safety hazards and ensure buildings meet structural safety standards.

Everyone is grateful that we have these new rules and regulations. However, we all have been living in a constant construction zone for almost two years with perhaps another year to go. That means our windows were covered over, our balconies were closed off, no use of pools or other outside amenities, and several hours a day of loud disturbances from hammering and drilling.

The most dramatic event for many of us is when a helicopter is flying very close over our building to deliver necessary equipment. It’s unnerving to hear the roar of the engines and the winds that are created directly over our heads.

On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, there was a helicopter flyover and mobilization of equipment taking place at our property, This was in preparation for the elevators modernization project. The Miami Beach Police Dept.was on hand to assist with coordination and safety measures throughout the event. This is how we were notified and  prepped.

Murano at Portofino – Helicopter Flyover and Mobilization – Important Update – 4.29.25

Time: 9:30AM – 12:30PM

*Weather permitting

What to Expect: 

• Main Entrance – The main entrance and circular driveway will be temporarily closed and there will be a temporary access point to the building during the mobilization. Our staff will be stationed to direct visitors and residents to the main lobby.
• Garage Exit – Residents must use the rear gate located on the north side of the building to exit the garage during the helicopter mobilization. Please proceed with caution when exiting the garage.
• Valet Service: Our valet team will be temporarily stationed away from the front entrance of the building to ensure safe access to the vehicles.
• Front Gate – The front gate will be used only to enter the garage, please note our valet staff will be stationed at the front gate during the closure of the circular driveway. Please proceed with caution when entering the garage.
• Visitors & Guests – Please note our team will be directing guests to Tower 1 to reach the lobby level while the front entrance is closed due to the mobilization.
• Beach Club – Access to the Beach Club will be restricted from 9AM – 12:30PMwhile the helicopter performs multiple drop off’s.
• Dog Park – Access to the dog park will be temporarily restricted starting at 7:30AM to allow our elevator company to stage their equipment safely, and will reopen after the mobilization has been completed.
• Marina Boardwalk: Some areas will be temporarily closed, and pedestrian traffic will be detoured during the flyover. These areas will reopen once the helicopter operation is complete.
• Please be aware that you will likely experience increased aerial activity and temporary noise during this time. We recommend closing your shades/blinds during this time for privacy.
• We kindly ask all residents with balconies overlooking Fisher Island to remove or secure any loose items from their terraces before the event, due to the helicopter’s proximity and potential downdraft.

If you have any questions please contact the Management office. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding during this time. It hasn’t been an easy process for everyone in South Florida, but we had no choice. Better to be safe than sorry.

Phoebe O’Neill Breaks the White Box: A Bold New Vision for Art and Interiors in Miami

Grand Opening: Thursday, May 15, 2025 | 6–10PM

Location: 7615 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33138

Miami’s design scene is changing—and my friend, Phoebe O’Neill, is at the forefront. With the opening of Pendentive Studio, a hybrid showroom and exhibition space, O’Neill introduces a refreshing alternative to both the sterile white minimalism long associated with Miami interiors and the conventional white box gallery model.

At Pendentive Studio, visitors will find art and design in conversation: Postmodern chairs beside oil paintings, baroque lamps under contemporary projections, and every detail chosen with intention. “We’re showing artists—not selling vintage art,” says O’Neill. “And we’re exhibiting art salon-style—alongside furniture and objects—not isolating it on white walls. It’s something completely new.”

The showroom doubles as the headquarters of Phoebe O’Neill Interiors, a Miami-based design studio known for layering vintage and contemporary pieces with bold color, character, and meaning. O’Neill’s philosophy is deeply personal: art isn’t an afterthought—it’s the foundation.

The showroom’s debut exhibition features Maritza Caneca, a Brazilian multidisciplinary artist known for her ethereal pool projections and cinematic imagery. With a career spanning over 30 years in cinematography, Caneca was Brazil’s first female Director of Photography during the pre-digital film era. The exhibition includes several of her signature water-based video works, creating a meditative and immersive atmosphere in dialogue with the vintage interiors.

This launch marks a new chapter for O’Neill, whose career began designing for Miami influencers and who now works with private clients, artists, and collectors. Her vlogs documenting this journey gained her 90k+ followers across platforms. After early stints with Dani Klaric and Lauren Giraldo, she pivoted to focus on high-touch, analog design—and now, she’s expanding her reach again through artist studio visit videos on YouTube.

“I’m passionate about art and design—and the foundation of that is people,” O’Neill says. “We’re trying new things on every front. The showroom, the exhibitions, the videos—it’s all about making meaningful connections between artists, collectors, and spaces.”

Website: phoebeoneillinteriors.com

Instagram: @phoebe.oneill.interiors | @pendentivestudio