I think of the successive issues of South Florida Business & Wealth as in dialogue with each other. Now, landing Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Raymond Fort on our cover would have been achievement enough, with their firm, Arquitectonica, having conjured (and continuing to conjure) such a vast and stimulating swath of the Miami skyline.
But just as important as their iconic projects are their collaborations, so it is not accidental that I asked this visionary father and son about their work with Newgard Development Group’s CEO Harvey Hernandez—and the very well-known principals of the Related Group: Jorge Perez and his sons, JP and Nick. They’ve all graced the covers of our magazine, Hernandez just last month. I didn’t want to write a puff piece full of superlatives; I wanted a cast of characters, vivid scenes and the frisson that happens when creatives embark on an ambitious project. The motto of Lifestyle Media Group is Connections Done Right, after all. Even the estimable Richard Branson makes an appearance in the Arquitectonica story. These interconnections are what gives South Florida its distinctive flavor.
I like the idea of our covers in a continuing conversation. Flag Luxury’s Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos visits us again. When she appeared on our cover in June 2021, the subject was the new partnership of three families at the pinnacle of Miami hospitality. But in this issue, she’s making a plea for the community to support the Miami Design Preservation League, as it pushes to complete a reimagination of Miami Beach’s Art Deco Museum.
“It’s important to me to help support the Miami Design Preservation League in preserving the architectural legacy of our beloved city,” she told me. “It’s part of the cultural identity of Miami and one of the reasons why so many people are attracted to our community. We have to find ways to preserve and restore properties before they fall into irrevocable disrepair, which causes urban blight.”
And finally, Tamara Rodriguez’s cover story in March was so forthright and fascinating that we’re giving the Island TV co-owner an encore. The occasion was her live appearance at the Tower Club for our recent CEO Connect event, when, with her usual elegance and aplomb, she further developed some of the themes—from family bonds to women’s empowerment to racism—that so engaged our readers.
So, join the discussion. Our cover stars, past and present, are waiting for you.
Drew Limsky
Editor-in-Chief, South Florida Business & Wealth
