On the Cover: Hear Her Rhorer
Jacey Rhorer's inspiring journey to becoming the Official Milliner of the Kentucky Derby Festival
Photo of Jacey Rhorer by Kristen Ellis, Kristen Ellis Photography
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Highlights from the March/April 2025 issue:
COVER STORY
Hear Her Rhorer
One would generally think that the motto "Fortune favors the bold" is more applicable to a Marine than a milliner. Still, after talking to Jacey Rhorer, founder of Rhorer Couture, I couldn't think of a more apt phrase to describe her trajectory from hat-making hobbyist to headlining milliner for the 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival.
Text: Bridget Cottrell
Image of Jacey Rhorer by Kristen Ellis, Kristen Ellis Photography
Sophisticated Stars
Spring awakens powerful celestial shifts, aligning you with divine timing. March and April 2025 bring transformative eclipses, reflective retrogrades, and dynamic lunar cycles guiding you toward renewal.
The Universe guides, supports, and aligns you precisely with your needs. Trust the journey, be patient with the process, and remember that what is meant for you will always find its way to you. Read your Sophisticated Stars below to discover how these energies will shape your journey.
Text: Joy Yascone Elms, MA
Photo: Aquamarine is March’s birthstone. Penny Preville diamond and aquamarine leverback drop earrings. Available through Schiffman’s Jewelers.
Sophisticated Wellness
How Cellular Medicine Changed My Life
We all come to our chosen careers in many ways. My personal health struggles led me to a career in cellular and regenerative medicine. As a physician with Medical Transformation Center, I can now use some of those same principles, advanced tests, and innovative treatments to find answers for my patients.
I know firsthand how frustrating it is not to have answers to your health problems. I see this same frustration and hopelessness in the faces of patients who have sought treatment only to be shuffled from one medical professional to the next without any results.
Text: Dr. Alexa Davis
Tripping the Light Fantastic
Bittners' interior designer Kari Ferris choreographs a delicate tête-à-tête between contrasting palettes to create a unique blend of ambiance in a renovated 1970s-era home.
Text: Bridget Cottrell
Photo: Kate Leichhardt
Derby Jubilation
It's a fortuitous happenstance when personal passions and professional pursuits align. That's precisely what happened to Ashley Davis Sigman, Board Member of the Kentucky Derby Museum (KDM) and 2025 Chairperson of their annual Ball Committee, renamed a "Ruby Jubilee" this year to highlight the event's 40th anniversary. As Vice President of Davis Jewelers, Ashley has longstanding ties to the Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs due to Davis’s affiliation with Longines, the Official Timekeeper of the Kentucky Derby. She joined the Ball Committee in 2021 and was elected to the nonprofit's Board of Directors in 2024. "I absolutely love Derby season and the beautiful light it shines on Louisville," Davis Sigman said. "KDM, as the keeper of Derby history, gives you that feeling of excitement and pageantry every time you walk through their doors."
Image of Ashley Davis Sigman by Tony Bailey
House of Hues
Color has always been the calling card of interior designer Bethany Adams. She recalls that when she was fresh out of design school nearly two decades ago and interviewing for internships at the height of the "greige" era, design firm principals would visually recoil as she waxed poetic about her penchant for pigments. Apparently, the design world, now awash in "color drenching," has finally caught up to championing what she's long celebrated. "My time has finally come," she said with a laugh.
Her hold on hues is strong in a thoroughly renovated farmhouse built around 1835 as the centerpiece of a 2,000-acre homestead. Today, its remaining acreage straddles a coveted swath bridging bucolic farmland and urban encroachment. Describing the residence as a "very dated and well-loved family home," when acquired by its current owners, Adams joked that they were "bold" to retain a "Yankee" as their interior designer. She added that what made them "click" was that her clients weren't looking for the "same old thing" but rather a fresh take on traditional equestrian-focused design that respected the home's past while fully embracing the present.
Text: Bridget Cottrell
Photo: J. Jordan Photography
Sophisticated Wedding
Mark Coley and Logan Ormerod tied the knot on December 7, 2024, in a stunning winter wedding at the Governor Thomas Bennett House in Charleston, South Carolina. Their journey to the altar began with a simple first date at an Italian restaurant in Frankfort, Kentucky, a convenient meeting point between Mark's then-home in Lexington and Logan's in Louisville. It was the week before the pandemic shutdown, so their subsequent few dates were video calls where they got to know each other and ultimately fell in love!
Charleston was the natural choice for their destination wedding. The city held a special place in their hearts, and the Governor Thomas Bennett House was the perfect venue. Its stunning architecture and beautiful gardens provided an ideal backdrop for their December celebration, allowing them to utilize the historic interior rooms and manicured outside spaces.
Mark and Logan hired wedding planners extraordinaire Francesca DiSalvo-Follmer and Blake Baumbach of Pure Luxe Bride to plan their special day, becoming their "Pure Luxe Grooms." Their expertise and connections were invaluable in bringing the couple's vision to life.
The wedding was an elegant and classic affair, with festive touches celebrating the holiday season. They aimed to create a beautiful, sophisticated evening filled with unique surprises and details - and succeeded! Two surprise ring bearers discovered the wedding bands under their seats during the ceremony. Custom silver bells engraved with each guest's name served as seating cards and charming "ring outs" at the night's end. A secret Bourbon and Bailey's bar offered guests merry cocktail options throughout the evening. Adding to the day's joy, Mark and Logan's dog made the trip to Charleston to participate in photos earlier in the day with the happy couple.
While many moments were memorable, one in particular stands out. After a short break, the band returned, and the wedding planners began distributing Santa hats. Guests enthusiastically donned the festive headwear, singing and dancing around Mark and Logan as "All I Want for Christmas is You" filled the air. It was a joyful and unforgettable culmination of a truly perfect day, celebrating Mark and Logan's love.
Photos by Justin Leon Brown
Society Calendar
Happenings of note in March & April
Is there an event you’d like us to cover or add to the calendar in our May/Junel issue? Send an email with the details to bridget@slmag.net.
Photos by Daniel Roberts
Cheers for Wishes
Photos by Daniel Roberts
Horse of the Year Awards
Photos by Daniel Roberts
Heart Ball
Photos by Daniel Roberts
Party for a Purpose
Photos by Daniel Roberts
Centennial Gala
Photos by Daniel Roberts
The Soviet Union wasn't the only entity melting down over a convergence of crises in the waning days of the 1980s. In my case, a spectacularly failed attempt to recreate the tousled pixie-esque bob actor Meg Ryan sported in the movie Top Gun made my already fraught high school experience much worse. My chopped locks and any notions I had that "the cut" would imbue me with the same coveted "America's Sweetheart" stature held by the queen of 1990s romcoms were both quickly relegated to the trash. The lingering rotten egg odor of the perm solution was nearly as strong as my dread of walking the halls of my all-girls school the following morning. What I imagined to be the worst hair disaster in history (I've always been prone to melodrama) came on the heels of rebounding from a bout with anorexia, brought about more by my competitive nature related to playing sports rather than feeling like I needed to lose weight. "Bridget used to be so pretty," I heard a classmate not-so-quietly whisper to a group gathered at the lockers as I walked by. Ouch.
At the time, I had a weekend job in retail, and when spring rolled around, even though I lived in Northern Kentucky, the department store received a shipment of fancy hats that I now know were suited for day trips to Keeneland or Churchill Downs. I'd never been to the track, but I was instantly captivated by the brimming potential beneath those big brims to hide what I hated while allowing me to do a bit of peacocking and reclaim my mojo. I used my employee discount and most of my minimum-wage paycheck (a whopping $3.35 an hour back then) to buy my first hat. From then on, I was off to the races, so to speak, quickly adding to my collection and rarely being seen without a chapeau crowning my noggin.
Text: Bridget Cottrell
From the Editor-In-Chief
Get to Know Us
At Sophisticated Living, we are dedicated to and passionate about all the finer things life has to offer. Whether your interests are close to home or in far-flung places. each issue shares highlights of the good life in Lexington and beyond.
Bridget Cottrell, Editor-In-Chief
A co-founder of the company, Bridget is Editor-In-Chief of both the Lexington and Louisville editions and serves as the editorial director for shared content across all Sophisticated Living issues. Originally intending to become an archaeologist, she transfers her global curiosity into content that considers multiple perspectives.
bridget@slmag.net
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For advertising information, contact Bridget Cottrell, bridget@slmag.net
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