by Grayling Holmes

Record-setting temps have swept the country in June, but as they say, “you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”  It’s about to heat up a whole lot more, especially when the July/August issue of Sophisticated Living St. Louis hits your mailbox, or you pick it up at one of our advertisers.  Oh, and pick up a pair of shades too.  From the minute you see supermodel and St. Louis home girl Karlie Kloss on the cover you’ll know that life is so good for St. Louisans that you gotta wear shades.

This issue really defines Sophisticated Living in St. Louis. Who is this stunning goddess on the cover of our July/August issue? She is the essence of chic; an embodiment of new century meets old world glamour. She is among the best of best St. Louis has to offer. And her recent visit to St. Louis brings it all home.  If you happen upon the thoroughfare Karlie Kloss Way on a drive downtown, it tangibly demonstrates why we chose her to grace our Summer 2024 issue.

Our ads in this issue showcase the opulence of our city.  Leaf through the pages. The splendor of everything from BUDS Floral by Tony Montano to our Elleard B. Heffern Fine Jewelers ad on the back cover will arrest your eyes. Our tagline on the front cover, St. Louis’ Finest, is born out in this and each and every issue.

21c Museum Hotel St. Louis continues to bring the fresh, the new, the Avant Garde to Saint Louis. How many of you know that 21c is shorthand for the 21st century? I for one did not make the connection.  The 21st Century Museum Hotel holds the largest collection of contemporary art in the nation. This issue Pops! with a new exhibit that has the king of last century's pop art, Andy Warhol, make room for the new and the now, the next generation of pop artists who use mediums not available in the 1900’s.

And the Cardinals still define the Lou. Every team has a bad year. Yes, we’ve never hit the lower basement before, but we are climbing stories this season. We're now in second place on the NLC now, steadily nipping at the heels of the 1st place Milwaukee Brewers. Our sit down with owner Bill DeWitt gives us the, 411, strike that, the 703 on the latest and greatest from the team that still holds the record as World champs for the most seasons in the National League.

Sophisticated Living Magazine St. Louis makes us all proud to live here. We may not be the biggest city in the nation. We may not be NYC, LA, or Chi town. They have always been larger in population. Yet our legacy lives upholds its reputation as a city burgeoning with culture and good taste. We keep producing world class individuals like our cover model Ms. Kloss, Andy Cohen, Josephine Baker, John Hamm, and Maya Angelou, just to name a few St. Louisans who have made an indelible mark upon the world. We are steadily climbing the ladder to becoming one of the tech centers of the USA, currently at #41 of the top 100. Month after month, Sophisticated Living continues to bring issues that define sophistication and world class. Enjoy this issue. It's not the first time you will. And it won't be the last.

Webster Groves’ Brainy (and Beautiful) Cover Girl

By Christy Marshall   

Excerpt:

St. Louis has a lengthy roster of famous ex-pats — past and present: Jayson Tatum, Jon Hamm, Andy Cohen, Sterling Brown, Nelly, Betty Grable, John Goodman, Ellie Kemper, Maya Angelou, Chuck Berry, William Burroughs, Yogi Berra, Kevin Kline, Michael McDonald, Jonathan Franzen, Josephine Baker, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price among many others.

But which of those luminaries have a street sign emblazoned with their name AND their own Ted Drewes flavor?

Only one.

Karlie Kloss.

Pop Stars!

By Grayling Holmes

Excerpt:

Move over Andy Warhol. Pop Art has a completely new look — and plenty of star practitioners.

This summer, the museum hotel 21c St. Louis will feature a new exhibit titled: Pop Stars!: Popular Culture and Contemporary Art. It will be shown in the museum hotel’s vast 14,000 square foot second-floor gallery.

Opening July 10, the exhibit showcases 95 artworks from 50 different artists who work in the mediums of painting, photography, sculpture, and moving digital images.

The theme reflects what’s going on here and now. Politicians. Performers. Celebrities. Sports figures. Everything people revere today will be embodied in the show.

703 Reasons to Root for the Cardinals

by Craig Kaminer

Excerpt

While the team’s winning percentage is not up to our expectations, they were in fifth place in the division on May 15, seven games out of first place. Before you start booing, head to Busch to cheer them on.  There are a lot of reasons to support the team and boost the players' morale. Call me a glass-half-full kinda guy.

So I met with the Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III to discuss what’s going on, what the management team is doing about it, and what’s in the works to keep fans’ heads and hearts in the game.