Permele Doyle and friend

This week on Wynne's World we meet my beautiful friend Permele Doyle, who is known for her impeccable manners and sharp wit. The PR and Marketing Guru splits her time between the Upper East Side and Millbrook where she provides us with an insider's guide to the quaint and charming town of Millbrook, New York.

Millbrook, NY

Permele: Working at a startup and building a new business is super exciting. I'm running the recently opened New York office for the London-based influencer marketing agency Billion Dollar Boy. We help brands connect with the right online influencers to tell their story. We focus on engaging male audiences on social - still a big challenge for brands!

I am so much more invested in it that I really relish some downtime on the weekends. There is no better place to do that for me than where I grew up in Millbrook, NY in the Hudson Valley.

Market Street in Rhinebeck, NY near Millbrook

Wardrobe Staples: I leave a set of “Millbrook” clothes up there which are more brown and blue tones than my black New York gear. Jeans, leather boots, a white blouse and of course a Heidi Wynne cashmere wrap is my uniform up there. I dress things up by wearing tweed blazers from the House of Bruar or Cordings with sparkly pins - the more I can try and look like Lady Mary on a day outing, the better.

Cordings Tweed Blazer, Heidi Wynne Habitually Chic Bella Wrap, Equipment Silk Shirt, Frame Denim Jeans, Prada Boots 

Currently Reading: I just finished the “The Marriage of Opposites” about Pissarro's family in St. Thomas. It filled with the most vivid tropical imagery and is the perfect winter escape. Every week I try to make it a goal to read my New Yorker cover to cover, which is sometimes very hard to achieve and I end up lugging 3 -4 to Millbrook to try and get through.

Alice Hoffman's The Marriage of Opposites

Favorite things to do in Millbrook during the winter: Stay cozy by the fire. If there is snow we go snowshoeing up behind our house and it is a blast to go skiing at this tiny mountain nearby called Catamount. It has a great apparel store next to it called Kenver where they serve you hot apple cider as you shop.  We also love to get games of paddle tennis together, day or night!

Winter in Millbrook

During the Spring: Get out of town! Spring doesn’t come until so late up there that it is really the mud season. When flowers do come out, two of the best places to see them are at Innisfree Garden and Wethersfield.

Innisfree Garden, Millbrook

Wethersfield Garden, Amenia, NY

During the summer: I am a tennis addict. I feel happiest in whites, blushed post-match on a hot sunny day. Millbrook is very social in the summer so in between parties I am stationed by the pool to decompress. It is fun to see friends and cheer on some attractive Argentines at Mashomack Polo Club for the weekend polo matches. Anyone can come and tailgate. Two parties not to miss are the Mashomack International Polo Challenge in June at Mashomack run by dear friend Karen Klopp and the Blue Jean Ball at Fitch’s Corner in July.

Tennis Courts in Millbrook

Mashomack Polo Club

Summer in Millbrook

Permele's Pool

During the fall: I love to shoot, if not only for the gear (Beretta!). I don’t enjoy killing birds and prefer clay pigeons. I am a pretty good shot but mostly like being the only girl out there with the boys. It is quite a unique place in that there are so many places to shoot. Aside from the clubs Mashomack or Tamarack, another great option is Orvis Sandanona.

Permele

Autumn in Millbrook

Favorite Beauty Products: I am still finishing up my Tom Ford Beauty products from when I used to work there so I usually dress thing up with a Blush Nude lip color for lunch and Flame for a pop of color at night. The smell of Byredo “Tree House” a houseguest once gave me still permeates the upstairs. I go through lots of Epsom salts and lavender for long baths. I am also addicted to coconut oil and think it is a a miracle product. 

Tom Ford Lipcolor in Blush Nude, Byredo Parfums Tree House, Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame, Dr Teal's Epsom Salt with Lavender, Organic Coconut Oil 

Currently Watching: TV is definitely a vice for me! I am re-watching Mad Men which is turning out to be so helpful for my new business - not sure if I should trust him but I am learning a lot about dealing with clients from Don Draper, including the fact that sometimes they are not always right. I adored Mozart in the Jungle, tore through latest season of The Affair and now am finishing Judd Apatow’s new Netflix show Love.

Mad Men

Mozart in the Jungle

The Affair

Favorite restaurants in Millbrook: People entertain a lot at home in Millbrook, but when we do venture out my favorite restaurants include Stissing House owned by our dear friends Patricia and Michel Jean, formerly of La Provence in Greenwich Village. My other favorite is Market St. in Rhinebeck - makes one feel they could possibly be downtown! The food is spectacular and is right next to my favorite movie theatre, Upstate Films. For breakfast or lunch The Millbrook Diner is where the elite meet! It is super retro but has olive oil the owner’s family produces in Greece and is always fun. The Red Devon in Bangall is another good lunch spot and for delicious prepared food or dinner parties we turn to Slammin Salmon. When we go to see a movie in Millerton we love the Oakhurst Diner owned by the Harney and Sons tea family. They produce all of the tea in Millerton and have an adorable tea shop in town. The White Hart Inn in one of my favorite towns Salisbury, CT re-opened last year and has a dining room and a cozy Tap Room which is great to have a hamburger by the fire. They also have chic hotel rooms to stay overnight to avoid the 40 minute drive back to Millbrook.

Stissing House, Millbrook

The Millbrook Diner

Oakhurst Diner, Millerton, NY

The White Hart Inn, Salisbury, CT

 Favorite shops in Millbrook: The beautiful Alicia Adams and her husband Daniel just made downtown Millbrook MUCH tonier with the opening of their store Alicia Adams Alpaca. They have all hypoallergenic wraps, sweaters, scarves etc. from their alpaca farm in Peru. They share the space with textile guru John Robshaw. The best place for hostess gifts is Punch. I often find treasures in the Millbrook Antiques Mall. If you forgot any country gear (or guns) check out British Sporting Arms.

Alicia Adams Alpaca Farm

Alicia Adams Alpaca Shop, Millbrook

John Robshaw, Millbrook, NY 

Millbrook Antiques Mall

Favorite galleries or museums near Millbrook: There are none in Millbrook (maybe why people from the Berkshires call us “unintellectual”) but are beautiful, and not too far, drives away from Bard College, Dia:Beacon, the Clark Institute, Mass MOCA. I also love visiting numerous historic mansions along the Hudson, my favorite being Montgomery Place.

Dia:Beacon

Montgomery Place, Barrytown, NY

Favorite cocktail: Bordeaux all day, any day. In the summer Campari sodas to dream of Italy and The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Campari Soda

The Talented Mister Ripley

Favorite Meal: The best food in town is always my mother's home cooked meals. I actually want to start a YouTube channel with her cooking. She is gluten, dairy, sugar and egg free which sounds impossible but her recipes are delicious. My favorite lunch party meal of hers is risotto with sundried tomatoes and basil, roasted lamb with a pesto garlic sauce, asparagus and salad with lemon juice and olive oil.

Permele's Dinner Table, Millbrook