Aperitivo Hour: A Late Summer Dinner with Taylor Sade

The dinner featured seasonal ingredients sourced from local markets

Jewelry designer Taylor Sade of Vertigo hosted a late-summer aperitivo gathering in New York City on September 18, 2026, sharing her creative process and personal style with close friends and collaborators. The event took place in a sun-drenched loft space in downtown Manhattan, blending intimate conversation with curated small plates and drinks. Photographer Emma Beiles Howie captured the relaxed yet refined atmosphere, highlighting the interplay between fashion, food, and art. Taylor Sade explained that the aperitivo tradition—rooted in Italian culture—resonates with her approach to design, where timing, light, and sensory details shape the final piece. She described how the transition from day to night during late summer inspires her use of warm metals and organic forms in her Vertigo collections.

The dinner featured seasonal ingredients sourced from local markets, reflecting her belief that creativity thrives in connection to place and moment. How Does Setting Influence the Design Process? Sade emphasized that environment plays a direct role in her creative rhythm, noting that natural light shifts in September allow her to see textures and colors in new ways. She often sketches outdoors during this season, using the fading daylight to test how her jewelry interacts with shadow and movement. The aperitivo setting, she said, mirrors this exploratory phase—informal, reflective, and open to conversation. Guests noted how the ambient lighting and handmade ceramics complemented the fluid lines of her latest prototypes. What Role Does Community Play in Creative Work? For Sade, gatherings like this are not just social events but essential to her practice, offering space for feedback and unexpected ideas.

She values the exchange that happens when people wear her pieces in real-life settings, observing how they move and feel over time. The dinner included a small display of works-in-progress, inviting guests to handle and comment on early iterations. This collaborative moment, she said, helps her refine designs before they enter production. Frequently Asked Questions What inspired the aperitivo theme for this event? Taylor Sade chose the aperitivo format because it aligns with her design philosophy—focusing on balance, timing, and sensory experience rather than formality. How does late summer influence her jewelry collections? The shifting light and warmer evenings of late summer inspire her to experiment with warmer tones, fluid shapes, and materials that catch fading sunlight. Why does she involve friends and collaborators in her process?

Sade believes real-world interaction with her pieces reveals insights that studio work alone cannot provide, making community input vital to her refinement stage.