Variety Act Miami #9: Meet Tara Solomon, Writer, Modern Culturist, and Founder & Co-Principal of TARA, Ink.
Exuberant entrepreneur, opulent observer of culture, whimsical wordsmith, and High Priestess of South Beach.
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I proudly welcome you to the ninth edition of Variety Act Miami. I’m your compère, Natalie Guevara, and I love nothing more than celebrating the merry Miamians who make this city radiate.
Today’s newsletter is especially potent. Not only is it Miami’s birthday week—the Magic City turned 125 this past Wednesday, July 28th, though she looks not a day over 25—but you’re about to meet one of its most magnetic icons, Tara Solomon. Cue the Cole Porter, because she’s magnifique.
Tara is Miami’s lion-hearted champion in leopard-print stilettos. Originally a daughter of Fort Myers, the quaint beach town in Southwest Florida, the University of Miami alum quickly ascended to Queen of the Night status during South Beach’s neon-lit ‘90s apex. That’s no exaggeration: Before building her communications empire with TARA, Ink., Tara—who commands a colorful imagination, sharp intellect, gilded tongue, and steel-trap memory—penned The Miami Herald’s “Queen of the Night” column. This was still when party reporting was an artform, a delicious chronicle of things overheard and under-seen—unless you were in the right place at the right time. (And trust me, many of us were not cozied up next to Ingrid Casares and Dennis Rodman, shimmying to Crystal Waters.)
And is it any wonder? Tara notes that her favorite era is the 1960s, the decade that produced both Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball and the Exploding Plastic Inevitable at Andy Warhol’s silver-strewn Factory. A flair for fêtes is hard-wired into her DNA. In both spirit and savoir faire, she reminds me of a cross between Babe Paley and Bob Colacello, a well-heeled wielder of words who’s kind and hard-working, even funny in a Carole Lombard sort of way. The kind of glamorous and soulful person Capote would’ve written a poignant short story about, except the story would be transposed from New Orleans or New York City to a three-bedroom, ‘60s-era condo in Miami Beach.
It’s in this sacred space—dubbed Casa D’Annunzio—where Tara lives “a maximalist life with [her] minimalist husband,” Nick D'Annunzio, her longtime best friend, partner, and co-principal of TARA, Ink. (After 23 years of dating, the couple wed in an intimate ceremony last November.) Her home library is a trove of art, fashion and design tomes, along with celebrity cookbooks, which she collects (a favorite is Elizabeth Taylor’s 1987 diet book, Elizabeth Takes Off). As for animals, she loves them but currently has none, “at least that are living.” Her late house cats, Miss Honey West and Mr. Furball, reached the end of their respective nine happy lives “and now reside in urns in the pantry.” (That Carole Lombard sense of humor, remember?)
Tara is prolific and involved; so too is the company she’s built. TARA, Ink., which specializes in modern culture, has executed bold-faced programs for a head-spinning array of celebrated brands, among them Gucci, Tom Ford, Rolex, Chopard, La Mer, Faena, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, Art Wynwood, Lexus, Vogue and Interview. Headquartered in Miami, with team members in New York and Los Angeles, the company is celebrating 20 years in business this year. It’s also served as an incubator for Miami’s fiercest communications talent. In fact, Variety Act Miami’s first subject, the Adrienne Arsht Center’s PR genius Gino Campodonico, is a proud graduate of TARA, Ink.
In between work obligations, Tara is active with the Leadership Council of Women of Tomorrow, a mentoring and scholarship program for at-risk young women, and serves on committees for the Vizcaya Ball and the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball. She also continues to write. A new contributor to Los Angeles Magazine, her first story—a restaurant profile—will be published in the forthcoming September issue.
Without further ado, here is one of the Magic City’s indelible muses, the sui generis Tara Solomon. Make sure to read until the end to bask in her bouquet of Miami favorites.
MEET TARA SOLOMON, WRITER, ENTREPRENEUR, MODERN CULTURIST, AND FOUNDER & CO-PRINCIPAL OF TARA, INK.
On how Miami—and in particular South Beach—has influenced her and informed her life’s trajectory:
Miami has always represented pure magic to me. I lived for the city’s nocturnal glamour during my UM days in the late 1970s, and I was so captivated by South Beach’s bohemian scene of the late 1980s that I built a career around documenting it.
South Beach’s biggest influence on me? It inspired me to create a persona that became the launchpad for a life of creativity, happiness and success.
I was part of a group of South Beach pioneers who believed the city was the most special place on earth. Through my “Queen of the Night” column in The Miami Herald in the 1990s, I helped shine a spotlight on South Beach and its Fellini-esque cast of characters. There were these wonderfully eccentric individuals—artists and performers, many of whom just came out at night. As documentarian of this demimonde, I dressed the part, wearing big wigs and colorful ensembles that could be spotted from space.
On the ethos of TARA, Ink. and a particularly poignant moment for the firm:
Nick and I work very hard to create a meaningful presence for every client we represent. And those big hits are absolute euphoria.
In September 2002, TARA, Ink. launched Esteban Cortázar, then a fledging 17-year-old designer from Miami, at New York Fashion Week. He was the youngest designer to ever show at Fashion Week in New York. That week, his press included stories in Women’s Wear Daily and The New York Times. It doesn’t get much better than that.
On how she transcends any personal and professional challenges that arise in her day-to-day:
It takes a lot to get me ruffled—and it usually takes only a good cup of coffee to snap me out of it.
When something unfortunate or frustrating happens, I always ask myself two questions: “What’s the lesson?” and “What’s the silver lining?” Focusing on the bigger picture is a great way to cut right through the negativity and chatter.
When I’m in the car, I listen to a gospel station, K-Love 89.7 FM, that plays uplifting music that puts me in an alpha state. I even ask Uber drivers to put it on.
On the classic Hollywood film that has single-handedly shaped how she moves through the world:
One movie I can’t get enough of is Auntie Mame—the Rosalind Russell version, of course.
Mame is my cinematic spirit animal. We both share a penchant for over-the-top seasonal home décor and have an unconditional love for our family. Like Mame, I love creatives and eccentrics, and have a soft spot for the Agnes Gooches of the world. We’re resilient and resourceful; we can work a 9-to-5 job, throw a cocktail party with less than an hour’s notice, and go head-to-head with a stubborn bigwig who won’t listen to reason. And we both fell in love with big-hearted men who are amused by our uniqueness.
On personal values and upholding her humility while never losing her pluck:
A quote I try to live by is, “To lead, you must serve.” Meaning, if serving, or being humble, is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you. It’s biblical, paraphrased from Matthew 20:26. Being mindful of common courtesies and thanking people around you is a beautiful thing. I love old-fashioned manners. When you’re nice, it’s a lot easier to push the envelope, as it were.
On the three most cherished items in her closet and the icons—past and present—they evoke:
I love cocktail rings, and one of my favorites is in the shape of a toucan, with a black bead dangling from its beak. It once belonged to designer Pauline Trigère; I bought it at her estate sale in Palm Beach years ago. I would gift this to Marc Jacobs. The size is adjustable, and he could wear it as a pinkie ring. It would look great on him.
The dress I want to be buried in is Gucci’s nude mesh corset illusion dress from the Spring/Summer 2001 collection, designed by Tom Ford. It’s the one Kate Moss wore in the runway show. If it doesn’t fit me, they can open it up in the back! I’d been searching for that dress forever and finally found it last year at What Goes Around Comes Around, online. I haven’t even tried it on yet. Just knowing it’s in my closet makes me happy. She’s very Rita Hayworth in Gilda. At UM, the cafeteria ladies always said I reminded them of Rita Hayworth.
If there were ever a fire, I’d grab the set of six wood bangle bracelets Nick got for me in the late 1990s in the Bahamas, when he was on a boat cruise with friends. They are beautifully made and very sentimental, of course. It was my first fashion gift from him. They would be best worn by Talitha Getty, style icon of the late 1960s.
On the most criminally overlooked element when entertaining at home:
This may sound obvious, but people really love to eat. Not having enough food at a dinner party or even a cocktail soirée is a cardinal sin—especially if you come from an Italian or Jewish home, as Nick and I do. We always overbuy, just to be on the safe side, and I can’t tell you how many times all the food was gone by the end of the night.
I remember at one of our parties, where we had chafing dishes on the kitchen island, buffet-style, one guest went back four times for a lamb cavatelli he clearly loved. Which is the ultimate compliment. You just can’t be chintzy with food, even if your guests are skinny fashion people.
On her multidimensional approach to Instagram as a storytelling medium, how she sets boundaries for social media, and her posting techniques:
I do love Instagram; it’s an easy platform for me. It doesn’t require me to condense, like Twitter, or dance, like TikTok. I just hired a TikTok tutor, though, and am excited to learn. I want to do a dance-off with Nick to Tiësto’s “The Business” for my first post, but Nick said absolutely not. Which doesn’t mean I’ll stop asking.
I only post content that I find fascinating. This, of course, is subjective, like the time I posted a photo of the 105-count bags of sugar-free, lemon-mint Ricola I ordered from Amazon and am obsessed with, even though there is evidence that they can cause IBS, which would be most unfortunate. Or like every time I post something related to TaB, the arcane 1970s diet drink that everyone tells me is discontinued, including the people at Coca-Cola, but somehow I can still order it from Instacart.
I like to share information, whether it’s what I’m wearing, eating, buying or watching on TV. Some days are particularly content-rich, and I’ll post up to four times a day, mostly on weekends when I have free time and should really be cleaning my closet.
My most popular posts are the #FlashbackFridays from the old-school South Beach days in the late 1980s and ‘90s. People love to hear those stories, and I love telling them. My least popular are the food posts—the what-I-ate-for-lunch-or-dinner posts—but I still like posting them.
As for boundaries, I won’t post anything too personal, even if it’s great content, like the video I took of my husband using my pink Thigh Master when he was home sick in bed and thought he was getting fat from too many bed trays of egg salad sandwiches. The most revealing thing I’ve ever posted was a selfie in a vintage Schiaparelli peignoir set, with the caption, “Hurry home, Mr. D’Annunzio,” which was followed by carousel photos of my candlelit hallway leading to the master suite, lined in rose petals.
The most exhausting part is filtering the photos, which can take a moment, especially for a carousel post. First, I edit in iPhone, primarily for brightness, vibrance, and sharpness. Then I use the Facetune app for whitening the eyes and teeth (everyone gets a little touch-up!) and smoothing any clothing wrinkles or glaring skin imperfections. I don’t use any of the scary filtering apps that make you look 20 years younger; I think that’s silly. The text is the easy part; I often know what I’m going to write even before I take the photo.
On the advice she’d offer to someone who feels stagnant in life:
I believe it’s all about learning how to vibrate higher. Keeping your thoughts positive. Taking the time to learn what makes you happy, and where your passions lie. Being your own muse. Studying and educating yourself. Creating. Having fun. Living your life out loud, and being the star of your own show.
I also believe in being grateful for everything that’s ever happened to you, both the good and the tragic, because it’s made you unique. Look for the lessons (and silver linings!) and grow from them. Then pass them on to help someone else. Keep looking for ways to help others, and you’ll transform yourself into your best self, someone whom you, and others, can respect and admire. Always treat yourself with kindness. As RuPaul famously said back in 2013, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”
On the unsung Miami heroes she admires:
Every police officer, firefighter and rescue worker who risks his or her life daily, for people they don’t even know, is the ultimate hero. Also doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, especially in today’s volatile environment. And teachers! How challenging it must be today to be a teacher, on every level, from low wages to safety concerns. Teachers should not have to take a second job to survive.
On the song she’ll always associate with her coming of age:
Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?”—my University of Miami disco anthem.
That song will always remind me of those late nights at the “It” clubs of the day... Menage, Faces in The Grove, Scaramouche, and Alexandre’s at the Omni hotel, with its glass-enclosed dance floor that went up and down like an elevator.
On when we can expect her inevitable page-turner:
Ah, my book! The million-dollar question! It’s morphed from a photo book of South Beach in the late 1980s and ‘90s—I took 11,000 photos during that period—to a photo-heavy memoir, which is probably where it will stay.
The date is still up in the air, but I’ve promised myself I’ll work on it soon, right after I finish my closet.
TARA’S MIAMI FAVORITES.
Miami anthem (current or classic!): “Bésame Mucho” and Tiësto’s “The Business.”
Restaurants & bars: Cecconi’s at Soho Beach House for the branzino; Carpaccio at Bal Harbour Shops for the salmon carpaccio with tricolore salad, and the best bread in Miami (plus a piece of ricotta cheese pie to go); Matteo’s of Hallandale for the Shrimp Wendy; Diplomat Prime at Diplomat Beach Resort for raw oysters and a rare filet; and Chotto Matte for sushi and fancy mocktails. I love Milos in SoFi for lunch (Greek salad, branzino, baklava) and brunch at Leku, followed by a tour of the adjacent Rubell Museum.
For cocktail lounges, my favorite is Omar’s at The Saxony Bar at Faena, hosted by bon vivant Omar Hernández; it’s dark, clandestine and has cabaret acts—what’s not to love?
Cafés, diners, bakeries, & ventanitas: I have a weakness for the chocolate-almond croissants at Café Crème in North Miami and the individual mushroom quiches at La Boulangerie on Key Biscayne. And while it may be considered sacrilege, I’m more of a Starbucks drive-through than a ventanita girl (venti latte, half almond, half coconut milk, 200 degrees).
When I’m shopping in the Design District, I always stop by OTL for a latte and one of their incredible gluten-free, quinoa-banana muffins.
For great deli, I order delivery from Bagel Bar East where, I’m told, all the Jewish doctors eat.
Cultural centers: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens; PAMM; Frost Science Museum; Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
The Great Outdoors: A stroll down Miami Beach, just before sunset.
Boutique shopping: Pinkgun Gallery in the NoMi Arts District, where owner Fernando García curates a well-edited, quirky assortment of vintage clothes, accessories and décor; Come On World, a Miami-based fashion house in the Little River district where designer Florencia Macri presents punk-inspired prêt-à-couture; Jonathan Adler, in the Miami Design District, for clever home décor items; and Frangipani in Wynwood, which has the best gifts.
Grooming: For my skin, Del Campo Dermatology & Laser Institute in North Miami. For my tresses, the very gifted teams at Sean Donaldson Hair in South Beach, Red Market Salon at Bal Harbour Shops, and Ricardo Rojas at Rossano Ferretti Salon at Faena Miami Beach.
Small businesses: Kat’s Beads in North Miami, for crystal beads and ribbon by the yard; the Coconut Grove Saturday Organic Farmers Market, run by Glaser Farms, for organic pantry staples including unsweetened dried cherries and date sugar for baking; Marky’s Gourmet on NE 79th Street, where I stock up on salmon roe caviar, homemade spicy Korean carrot salad, and the most addictive poppyseed-dark chocolate-raisin rugelach; The Scarlet Letter in Surfside for custom invitations and gift wrap; and The Cobblers in the Little River district, for high-end shoe, bag and luggage repairs.
Local Miami artist, author, or performer: I’m always interested in what @CarlosBetancourtArtist, @TheBiscaynePoet, and @AdoraDrag are up to; for me, they make Miami a much more vibrant city.
Most delightful discovery made during quarantine: That, after 23 years of dating Mr. D’, my title would finally be changing from Miss to Mrs.
The recommendation you’ll always give to a first-time Miami visitor: The perfect Miami day: Tour the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, have a late lunch at Versailles in Little Havana, then walk the Miami Beach Boardwalk at sunset.
THANKS, TARA!
Follow Tara at @tarasolomon to immerse yourself in her kaleidoscopic world—and words. Try to absorb even a sprinkle of her joie de vivre. It’s good for you.
Until next time, besos!