And then one day, the pay phone rang in the hallway of my dormitoryit was my Dad calling, with news: Were moving. I've spent my entire life as a connector of people," Trevor Traina says in his cozy San Francisco den. But, if you ask Alexis Swanson Traina, that s exactly why she launched a line of $12.99 wines at Target. I wasnt quite sure what that meant, just that I wanted to work with them.. Alexis Swanson Traina Creative Director, Swanson Vineyards My name is Alexis Swanson Traina, I am a wife, mother of 2 young children, blogger, and also Creative Director at Swanson Vineyards, where I have worked with my dad since graduating from college. Alexis own style of entertaining is charmingly high-low. "Alexis has been so patient with me," says Trevor. Often well put the kids to bed and then take a walk, he says. Alexis Traina, "Im a gold hoop kind of girl, and I'm pretty obsessed with Jennifer Fishers hoops in all different sizes. It was the treat and experience of a lifetime.". ". Elizabeths favorite place to entertain is a 1904 utility barn on her property, which she describes as Marie Antoinettes poor sisters ballroom, complete with a special perfume thanks to the henhouse thats attached to it. My parents always had friends around and there was a lot of entertaining, and summer was spent hereall summer.. Half of IfOnly's business is now bespoke. "I started hanging out in the computer lab and never once visited career services. "Eventually my father said, 'You have a dozen employees now--it's time to get an office.' In my awkward teenage years, I became obsessed with Lady Diana Spencer and insisted on having her same hairdo, eagerly spritzed with several bottles of Sun-In Not a good look in tropical climates, with braces. "She married a man with 300 photographs!" This fall, Claiborne and I shared an amazing story,inspired by my book for Town & CountrysNovemberissue, where she shot all the portraits and that was super special for us both. (Trevor found a Proustian double-peacock bench at Steinitz in Paris to set against it.) Hamish Bowles is entranced. Theres so much growth in being able to explore new creative endeavors, and thats what I think is so fascinating about life, says Alexis Traina. "San Francisco right now is like the Florence of the Medicis. THROUGH WINE." -ALEXIS SWANSON TRAINA, SWANSON VINEYARDS CREATIVE DIRECTOR SWANSON SIP SHOPPE is delightfully whimsical Shoppe, a candy store for adults, showcases sips of Swanson Vineyards' nest library vintages . Creative director for her family-owned Swanson Vineyards, Alexis Swanson Traina is quite familiar with all things Napa. Traina and his wife, Alexis, packed up their two children and moved to Vienna. We were lucky; the point of entry was much different then than it is now, Alexis says. The Trainas also sought out furniture makers, designers, and decorative painters who could realize their schemes. A donor to Republican causes, Traina had sought the posting in Austria because his maternal grandfather, Wiley T. Buchanan, had served in the same post under President Gerald Ford. If you purchase an Italian wine apprenticeship with master sommelier David Lynch ($3,200), the box will be lined with corks. The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com. "That's such a specific moment in life and time. The morning mists roll in from the bay far below, shrouding the prettily fretted Victorian houses that clamber up the hill and the stately Beaux Arts mansions that crown it. When they rebuilt it, they modernized it and reworked some of the space. Buy Me! "She was so patient and kind." By boarding school, things had started to come around: Id found a new hairdo, zip code, Benetton, whole new set of friends, and pool of suitors. Alexis Traina, creative director at Swanson Vineyards, is one busy person. We interviewed and photographed peoplesome of whom appear in my book, some of whom dontwhose spirit, innovation, and creative gifts we think define this magical place today. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. And for the past few years, Traina has been holding that center--linking the Bay Area's tech titans with the city's Old Guard. It wasn't all work. For me it has always been the peoplea tapestry of interwoven multigenerational tribes made up of families, farmers, field-workers, wine- makers, chefs, and creative talent of all sorts. Gina Gallo and Jean-Charles Boisset were the only ones audacious (and legit) enough to purchase the Wappo Hill home that belonged to Bob and Margrit Mondavi. Situated in the heart of To Kalon Vineyard (which supplies grapes to Opus One, Schrader and Paul Hobbs), the area is considered sacred ground in the wine world. These two works formed the nucleus of a sophisticated collection that now spans the decades from Eggleston and Arbus to Gursky and Wall. President Donald Trump nominated Traina last January, and in the spring the Senate confirmed his appointment. Five O'Clock Somewhere: Riverside Sundowners At Zambia's Luangwa Safari House, Designer Mara Hoffman on Her Vibrant New Activewear Line, Cara Delevingne, Tag Heuer Raise Funds for Cecil the Lion Researchers, This 50 Million Vertical Ship Will Revolutionize Ocean Exploration, Vatican For Sale: Very Wealthy Rent the Sistine Chapel, Dine with the Pope and Buy Secret Archives, Mido Launches Watch Design Contest With Famous Timepiece Designers. Alexis Swanson Traina, creative director of her family's winery, Swanson Vineyards, lives a life that is rich in delight. Photo: Photographed by Drew Alter. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This is a family home; its very comfortable and familiar., The decor is an assemblage of styles, though most are heirlooms and antiques set in place by Trevors mother. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. The company offers one-of-a-kind items and experiences, from a $35 guitar pick signed by Chris Cornell (formerly of Soundgarden) to a $45,000 private training session with Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice--"luminaries," as Traina calls IfOnly's talent. Lanier Residence was a stunning, historical backdrop for our cover shoot with Katie Holmes More, The St. Regis New York Debuts a Chevalier Suite, Kelvin Harrison Jr. Is Riding the Fame Wave, Dont Miss The VeuveClicquot Polo Classic, Cartier Design: A Living Legacy Opens at Museo Jumex, Julia Roberts Expands Her Role As Chopards Global Ambassador, Were Over The Moon About This New Travel Registry, Our Favorite New Tech Gadgets and Devices Right Now, Carbone Opens in The Dallas Design District, Stylish New Reads From Louis Vuitton and YSL, Get behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram. They ran the winery for more than 30 years before selling it in 2016, and it's where Alexis honed her instincts for celebrating the ceremonies and rituals of winefirst, with the introduction of a salon-style tasting room, then a modern sip shoppe. The old house had less room, but was very charming., Even with its updates, the Napa Valley getaway is a far cry from the couples primary residence, in Pacific Heights. Alexis and Trevor Traina tapped into San Francisco's design historyand the talents of iconic family friendsto create a dramatic setting for their young family. She is a devoted advocate for people with disabilities. At a charity auction, he bought an hour of tennis with John McEnroe. He is heir to a name that has long been synonymous with Napa. Johnny sits atop "Herby," a . Alexis, meanwhile, grew up in a series of homes that were the bravura handiwork of her godfather, the decorator Thomas Britt, working with her mother, Elizabeth Swanson, whom he describes as "high-octane creative. Alexis and Trevor Traina tapped into San Francisco's design historyand the talents of iconic family friendsto create a dramatic setting for their young family. Two years ago, his collection was exhibited at the de Young Museum, where he is a board member. In a sister manse, Ann and Gordon Getty have assembled one of the world's most bewitching treasure houses, and the Trainas' elegant nonagenarian friends Adolphus and Emmy Andrews live nearby in a style that is frankly Whartonian. [13] His hobby is collecting photographs, an exhibition of his collection in summer 2012 at the Fine Arts Museum was discussed in the media. With unparalleled photography, insightful journalism and sophisticated wit, it is the arbiter of Californias taste and trends. Consider, for example, some of her favorite pairings: Oreos and merlot, cake and Sancerre, barbecue chips and ros, chocolate bonbons and a bottle of Modern House Wines, a project that she started at Swanson in 2000 with the help of Andy Spade (another contributor to the book and one of her favorite partners in crime). Talking with Roni Frank co-founder of Talkspace. We love living as much as we can outdoors, Alexis says. Traina, 50, is the son of Dede Wilsey, longtime president of the board of trustees of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. Its the idea of multigenerational families, farmers, winemakers, artists and chefs all coming together, bound by a love of creativity and the pursuit of magic, Alexis says. Elizabeth and Clarke Swanson. Children duly arrived; the couple moved in two weeks before their second child, Delphina, was born (her elder brother, Johnny, is now two). 2023 Cond Nast. Lorenza rose is produced by Michele Ouellet, a Napa Valley native and fashion model, and her mother Melinda Kearney. She specializes in portraiture and creates images that feel like intimate X-rays, pictures full of textured physical details set against back-drops of personal history. Traina is married to Alexis Swanson Traina and has two children. We all have different reasons for coming to Napa Valley: the light, the air, the soil, the vistas, and, of course, the wine. As the daughter of Elizabeth and W. Clarke Swanson, former owners of Swanson Vineyards, Traina spent most of her adult life in the family wine business, ultimately assuming the role of Creative Director. Year. ", After Seagram's, Traina returned to the Bay Area to attend Berkeley's Haas School of Business. "On her watch we were really able to discover our styles and blend them," says Alexis. Trevor Traina, Alexis Swanson, Veronica Beard and Jamie Beard attend The Museum of The City of New York, The Directors Council 20th Annual Winter. The wife and mother of two also runs a carefully curated Years later, he saw the image for sale at an auction and purchased it. "It really hit home that San Francisco has become the center of the idea economy." Arriving at their historic, Victorian-style Oakville home, its easy to understand why the pairknown for their notable art collection, philanthropy and omnipresence on the San Francisco social scenepack up their kids almost every weekend and head here to unwind.