Sophisticated with a dash of swagger, these Palm Beach trendsetters prove that style is indeed a state of mind.
MARA MARTIN
Palm Beach resident, model and entrepreneur Mara Martin is best known for her iconic walk down the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway while breastfeeding her daughter, Aria. After over 5 billion impressions worldwide, that moment ignited a global conversation about motherhood, and Martin was given an incredible platform to advocate for women. She has spoken on panels across the country, rung the New York Stock Exchange bell, attended NASA’s parenting initiative, serves as a celebrity cabinet member for Save the Children and works with numerous other charitable organizations. After spending 15 years in the fashion industry as a model, Martin now also works as a burgeoning designer and on-air fashion host and co-owner of a media relations firm, Vyral Media PR. Utilizing everything she’s learned along the way, she now helps manage the major media moments of the industry’s biggest players. She is a true example for women and reminder that they can do it all.
WAKE-UP TIME: 6:45AM OR WHENEVER MY 4-YEAR-OLD, ARIA, GETS ME UP
NEMESIS: MY CHILD AT BEDTIME
WEAKNESS: HANDMAID’S TALE , MY FAVORITE SHOW OF ALL TIME. AND BOXER DOG CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS—IF I SEE ONE I HAVE TO HAVE IT!
MY AESTHETIC: COLORFUL MIAMI CHIC
UNIFORM: OVERSIZED PULLOVER, JEAN SHORTS, CHUCK TAYLORS AND A MOM BUN
CHERISHED ACCESSORY: A LOCKET WITH MY DOG GUS AND DAUGHTER ARIA’S PICTURES IN IT
YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH: SUSHI! MY FIANCE HATES SEAFOOD, SO ANYTIME I GET A CHANCE TO HAVE SUSHI, I EAT IT ALL.
WORKOUT: CHASING A TODDLER. YOU’D BE SURPRISED AT HOW FAST THEY ARE.
LAST MEAL: WINE
MOVIE: TOO MANY TO CHOOSE FROM! SOUND OF MUSIC , PRETTY WOMAN, THE NOTEBOOK, SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, RUDY… I COULD GO ON AND ON.
STYLE ICON: BLAKE LIVELY AND IRIS APFEL. THEY BOTH LOVE COLOR LIKE ME.
SHOES: CONVERSE SNEAKERS AND NIKE HIGH-TOPS
LIPSTICK: CHANEL ROUGE DUO. I HATE REAPPLYING.
BEST ADVICE: YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING, BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE EVERYTHING.
PHILANTHROPY: SAVE THE CHILDREN CELEBRITY CABINET MEMBER
MANTRA: ALL OUR DREAMS CAN COME TRUE, IF WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO PURSUE THEM.
CURRENT OBSESSION: COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON STARTING! GO, DAWGS! GO, BLUE!
APP: INSTAGRAM
COCKTAIL: DIRTY MARTINI, EXTRA DIRTY
SOUL MATE: RYAN AND ARIA
SKINCARE ESSENTIAL: ULTRACLEAR LASER TREATMENT CHANGED MY LIFE.
ZODIAC: ARIES
BEDTIME: WHAT’S SLEEP?
BEDSIDE READING: I HAVE A TODDLER…
BAG: ANYTHING THAT FITS A KITCHEN SINK. I AM MARY POPPINS.
SIGNATURE SCENT: CHANEL CHANCE
MARTIN MARTINOV
As maitre d’ of Le Bilboquet in Palm Beach and Sag Harbor, N.Y., Martin Martinov is a familiar face greeting patrons from all over the world. He has an uncanny ability to recall names, recognize faces and keep tabs on preferences. He charts seating arrangements with the precision of a chess master, a skill Martinov refined after years of working with Le Bilboquet in New York. Originally from Pleven, Bulgaria, Martinov is himself an unforgettable face. Discovered by a modeling agent, at 18 he was walking Milan’s runways for designers such as Armani, Yamamoto and Prada. His modeling, and a brief reality TV career, made him a household name in his country, granting him access to world travel. After landing and falling in love with New York City, Martinov started out as a busboy for Le Bilboquet. He caught the eye of owner Philippe Delgrange, who had also started at the bottom of the restaurant food chain. Under Delgrange’s tutelage, Martinov ascended up the ranks and is now Le Bilboquet’s jovial gatekeeper. While he is usually the first face to greet you in Palm Beach, in summer he is often working at the Sag Harbor location. When not at Le Bilbo—his “second home”—Martinov loves to spend time on the green, refining his golf swing. Since moving to Palm Beach, he not only found paradise, but he found his better half. Martinov just became engaged, following a long line of other “Bilbo faces” who found their soul mates at the restaurant.
WAKE-UP TIME: AROUND 8AM. EARLIER ONLY WHEN I HAVE A GOLF TEE TIME.
DOPPELGANGER: I’VE BEEN TOLD JAMES DEAN WHEN I AM SERIOUS, OR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER BECAUSE OF MY NOTABLE GAP IN MY SMILE.
NEMESIS: CUSTOMERS WHO WEAR FLIP-FLOPS
ESCAPE: DESERTED BEACHES, BUT WITH ACCESS TO SOME SPICY MARGARITAS
WEAKNESS: I THINK MY FIANCEE WOULD ANSWER THIS AS ‘HOUSE CHORES’
MY AESTHETIC: I LOVE ST. BARTS VIBES, SUNSETS AND CANDLES. ANYWHERE BY THE WATER.
UNIFORM: DRESS FOR SUCCESS WITH AN ELEGANT SUIT OR BLAZER, AND A POCKET SQUARE IS A MUST.
CHERISHED ACCESSORY: BELTS AND SHOES ARE UP THERE, BUT I COLLECT BASEBALL HATS.
YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH: TIME WITH MY FIANCEE
WORKOUT: NOT SO MUCH, BUT LOTS AND LOTS OF GOLF
LAST MEAL: NICE MEDIUM-COOKED RIBEYE AND A FINE GLASS OF BORDEAUX
MOVIE: TRAINING DAY AND GLADIATOR
MENTOR: PHILIPPE DELGRANGE
STYLE ICON: DAVID BECKHAM
SHOES: LORO PIANA
BEST ADVICE: BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.
PHILANTHROPY: HOPE FOR DEPRESSION RESEARCH FOUNDATION
MANTRA: I AM THANKFUL AND HAPPY, LIFE IS GOOD. CURRENT OBSESSION: GOLF
FOOD: ANYTHING WITH SEAFOOD
COCKTAIL: SPICY MEZCAL MARGARITA
SOUL MATE: VANELI BOJKOVA (MY FUTURE WIFE)
SKINCARE ESSENTIAL: NONE. I GUESS I SHOULD START AT SOME POINT!
BEDTIME: LATE, UNFORTUNATELY, AND ALWAYS AFTER MIDNIGHT
BEDSIDE READING: DOES WATCHING GOLF TIPS ON YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM COUNT?
THEME SONG TO YOUR LIFE: ‘IT’S MY LIFE’ BY BON JOVI
SIGNATURE SCENT: TERRE D'HERMÈS
CAROLINA BUIA BAREFOOT
From handling dual high-powered career paths, philanthropy startups and life at home with multiple sets of twins, Palm Beach resident Carolina Buia Barefoot not only balances it all with grace, she does it with serious style. She straddles two careers as a successful realtor specializing in multimillion-dollar homes for ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, and vice president of media and branding for public relations firm Altima Palm Beach. She started her career as a journalist in New York writing for outlets like Time, InStyle, Newsweek and more, as well as on-air talent for networks like Telemundo, MSNBC and CNN. Also a published author, Buia Barefoot drew on her roots in food and family to publish a cookbook called Latin Chic: Entertaining With Style and Sass (HarperCollins). The mother of two sets of twins has lived in Palm Beach for a decade and is very involved in Dreyfoos School of the Arts. She’s most proud of the philanthropic organization she started with her 16-year-old twins called the AuntFloridaProject, which seeks to close the opportunity gap for women and girls. A true superhero, Buia Barefoot is the wonder woman we all dream to become.
WAKE-UP TIME: AN UNGODLY HOUR, BUT I TRY TO BE UP BY 6:15AM.
NEMESIS: THE DEVIL, SHE HAS MANY GUISES. SOMETIMES SHE COMES AT ME IN THE FORM OF A BAG OF CHIPS OR AN IPHONE AT THE DINNER TABLE.
ESCAPE: THE DOLOMITES IN ITALY
WEAKNESS: CHIPS
MY AESTHETIC: TAILORED, CLEAN, CAMEL AND WHITE COMBOS OR JEWEL TONES. THOUGH OCCASIONALLY I GO FOR A LITTLE DRAMA AND DISCO!
UNIFORM: ALVIN VALLEY PANTS, THEORY SHIRTS, EASY, FLOWY DRESSES AND SAINT LAURENT HEELS WHEN I WANT TO BE PUT TOGETHER. IF NOT, I LOVE A PAIR OF CUTE CHLOE SNEAKERS.
CHERISHED ACCESSORY: A LIMITED-EDITION CARTIER AMULET WITH MY BIRTHSTONE (AQUAMARINE), SAPPHIRES, MOONSTONES AND DIAMONDS
YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH: DANCING IN SPONTANEOUS PLACES
WORKOUT: PILATES, CLUB TENNIS AND THE OCCASIONAL GYM CLASS
LAST MEAL: TRUFFLE, NUTMEG AND PARMESAN PASTA
MOVIE: TOSS-UP BETWEEN THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL , LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL OR MY NEW FAVORITE, PEDRO ALMODOVAR’S PARALLEL MOTHERS
STYLE ICON: AMAL CLOONEY
LIPSTICK: LIPGLASS FROM MAC
BEST ADVICE: HARD WORK ALWAYS BEATS TALENT WHEN TALENT DOESN’T WANT TO WORK HARD.
PHILANTHROPY: AUNTFLORIDAPROJECT.ORG, A SERVICE CLUB THAT MY DAUGHTERS, THEIR FRIENDS AND I HAVE RECENTLY STARTED
MANTRA: BE PRESENT.
CURRENT OBSESSION: VIA COQUINA’S LALAOUNIS BRACELETS AND ANY FOOD WITH PASSION FRUIT
APP: TO DO BECAUSE I ALWAYS HAVE TOO MUCH TO DO!
COCKTAIL: NUESTRA DAMA, THE PASSION FRUIT-INFUSED TWIST ON A MARGARITA FROM LE BILBOQUET
SOUL MATE: MR. BAREFOOT: MY COLLEGE BOYFRIEND AT DUKE. ONE WEDDING LATER, TWO SETS OF TWINS, FIVE BIG CITIES. AND THAT’S JUST THE FIRST 20 YEARS OF MARRIAGE.
SKINCARE ESSENTIAL: CUVGET, A NORWEGIAN LINE CARRIED BY DR. RICHARD MIRON, WHO JUST OPENED CARE ESTHETICS IN JUPITER
BEDTIME: 11PM
BEDSIDE READING: EVERYTHING FROM VOGUE, ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST, TIME AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Photography by: PHOTO BY HELEN LE VAN; PHOTO COURTESY OF LE BILBOQUET; PHOTO BY SIENA M. BAREFOOT
