The Holiday Host
CARA CARA: How do you bring the season indoors? Branches, candlelight, something unexpected?
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AUGUSTA COLE: It sounds obvious, but keep your ingredients hyper-seasonal. When it’s dahlia season, use dahlias. When it’s peony season, use peonies. If blooming branches are abundant, bring those inside for your entry arrangement. Leaning into what’s naturally at its best always feels right for the season.
CARA CARA: Let’s start at the door. What’s the first thing you want guests to feel when they walk into one of your holiday gatherings?
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AUGUSTA COLE: At ease. A warm welcome, inviting music, a place to drop your things and a crisp cocktail in hand within moments of arriving… inevitably sets the evening up for great success.
CARA CARA: Velvet, feathers, or something quieter? What does dressing up look like for you in this season?
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AUGUSTA COLE: Fun fashion is back in full force - colors, accessories, textures... It’s all fair game. I was joking with a colleague that I never thought I was a, “feather person,” but several of my evening staples have a feather flair. Brocades in floral prints and patterned textiles popping up in jackets in sets is such a treat for my aesthetic, especially as we head into the holiday season. I’m also really loving suede. Whether it’s a beautiful coat or pencil skirt, paired with a pretty blouse.
CARA CARA: Dinner for twelve or cocktails for fifty: where are you happiest as a host?
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AUGUSTA COLE: While I love nothing more than setting a table, I’m my bubbliest hosting cocktails for fifty. There is an art to timing a perfectly coursed dinner party, between preparing the meal and being your most present self. I’m working on mastering this balance - but in the meantime, I could throw a cocktail party for 50 with my eyes closed.
