Dear ITG,
I’m fresh off a trip to Venice! I went for the first time in December with my family, but this time around I was there to prep clients for the Venice Film Festival—my first in 26 years as an aesthetician. I could’ve been nervous, but knowing I’d be working with my friend and client Sofia [Coppola], and getting to attend the premiere of her new documentary Marc by Sofia, took all the stress out of the week.
Prepping clients for premieres is so different from facials in the studio, where I might do more intensive treatments like peels or extractions. I want my clients to feel and look their best so I’m mainly focused on lymphatic drainage, hydration, sculpting, and bringing out a beautiful glow throughout our hour and a half together. I’ve been developing new face masks for my skincare brand Monastery, so we carved out time to try those. And for lymphatic drainage, I use this very cool, bespoke gua sha tool: a silver egg with a chime inside. I actually found it at a vintage shop years ago—I think it was once a very fancy baby rattle—and it sat on my shelf until one day I tried it on my own face and later incorporated it into my facials.
In total, I worked on five people: Sofia, Gemma Chan, Rashida Jones, Greta Lee, and Chloë Sevigny. I was also supposed to see Julia Roberts and Maggie Gyllenhaal, but you know how it goes—busy people, busy schedules.
I met Sofia through my publicist, Caroline, a few years ago. The thing that’s special about Sofia, other than how lovely and talented she is, is that she’s such a product junkie and a good student. She really wants to know everything about the ingredients we’re using; she wants to know what products I’m trying or hearing about; she’s super game to try new things—she’s actually been testing a new serum I’ve been working on for six months. We really geek out when we’re together.
Rashida’s another favorite. I first gave her a facial before the Oscars earlier this year. She’s really into lymphatic drainage and loves stimulating the vagus nerve and parasympathetic system in general. We also bonded over our love for music in the 540 hertz range, which is said to help with healing and relaxation.
Chloë’s back was hurting when she came in for her facial, so we did a bit of bodywork together. And Greta Lee—whom I’d never met before—walked in straight off a flight. Honestly, that can be the best time for a facial. You’re jetlagged, skin’s depleted, and it’s so rewarding to see how much can shift with lymphatic drainage. Every client that week looked in the mirror and said, “Oh my God.”
After work came play. Sofia gave us a recommendation to her favorite restaurant, Antiche Carampane—it’s practically impossible to get a reservation. It felt so intimate. Before we got there, Sofia sent us a photo of two bottles of wine to try. When we ordered them, the server goes, “Sofia must have recommended those.” We had a dish with seabass on eggplant that was unreal. And oh God, they had this crab salad I’m still thinking about. It was served on three separate layers with wafers in between.
The premiere of Marc by Sofia was incredibly special. I ended up buying a Jil Sander dress in Venice because nothing I packed felt right. The afterparty was at Diane von Furstenberg’s house. I can’t explain what that was like, but it was the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen. It was just so grand, and every room was more beautiful than the next. The original Warhols of her were there. I think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. She’s aged so beautifully, but she also just oozes coolness.
My favorite shopping was at Laguna~B. They make beautiful glassware in Murano. We went there a few times. Funny enough, when we were at Diane’s house, I noticed that every single cup was Laguna~B. As we were talking, it came up that the brand is related to Diane’s family in some way. It all felt serendipitous. At one point, we were having lunch at the Gritti Palace and ran into the owner, Stuart Parr, of Piedàterre Venezia, Sofia’s go-to for shoes. They really are the Venetian shoe—everyone wears them.
All around, the trip was one I won’t forget.
Love,
Athena Hewett
Photos courtesy of Athena Hewett