James Andrew and Brian Gorman - photo Scott McBee
On our recent trip to Miami, my dear friend, the super chic hotelier Brian Gorman, and I co-hosted a fabulous cocktail fete at his ultra glam Lords South Beach Cha Cha Rooster Bar. I had the great pleasure to connect with old friends as well as some fabulous local WIJW fans over drinks—do try the Cha Cha’s mojitos when you go, they’re simply superb! While there we took the opportunity to chat with the brilliant Gorman about his latest venture, Lords South Beach Hotel.
WIJW: What do you mean when you say Lords is “an appropriately orientated hotel?
BG: The hotel is a place for all to feel comfortable, relax and have a good time. It means you don’t have to be something for us; we will be something for you.
WIJW: What were some of your core design concepts when creating Lords?
BG: We wanted the hotel to encourage people to have fun and for this to be communicated in the spirit of the design. The décor is deliberately playful with bold colors, cabana stripes, and quirky details throughout – such as our lobby polar bear and the vintage photos in our restaurant of the old ladies of Miami Beach. We liked the idea of mixing-in these unexpected touches.
WIJW: I also liked what you said about bringing your own cool to a place – can you elaborate on that? You had likened the idea of a studio 54 kind of place where people felt free to be themselves- gay – straight – etc.
BG: Being different, being happy, being comfortable – this is cool. It’s the people that make a place cool and we like to celebrate their differences. That said, we do seem to have an unusually high demographic of handsome people hanging out by the pool and eating in the restaurant! (Laughs).
WIJW: What are some of your aspirations and fantasies as a hotelier?
BG: To continue creating environments where people enjoy spending time and feel part of a community. We believe the Lords brand could work in many cities throughout the country and we are actively exploring these opportunities.
WIJW: I’m sure it would please our WIJW audience if you’de tell us a bit about what you are wearing.
BG: Jeans, always Prada. Jacket and tie, YSL. Shirt, Charvet. Shoes Louis Vuitton.
Glitter Stairway at Lords South Beach Hotel.
A kiss with the super chic Brian Gorman (top), I’m sporting a “Spencer” sports jacket in rose silk linen basket weave and a white cotton shirt with french cuffs by Tom Ford, Seaman Schepps coral and shell cuff links, shocking pink jeans by Dior, silk floral print pocket square and ivory suede loafers both by Tom Ford, python belt with silver buckle by Gucci and my fragrance is fragrance is Creed Erolfa.