by Madison Rutherford | photography by Angelina Aragon
The newest addition to Fox Restaurant Concepts’ expanding flock of hospitality ventures – Culinary Dropout, The Henry, The Global Ambassador – has two muses. Inspired equally by Truman Capote’s “swans,” the high-society women who epitomized effortless glamour in 1960s New York, and the Isle of Swans in Paris, an island along the Seine that houses a replica of the Statue of Liberty, the two-level restaurant is an aesthetic pas de deux “where French and American ideals meet in a moment of grace and beauty,” FRC senior creative director Richard Cassey says. “The swan represents confidence, presence and a quiet kind of rebellion, the ability to carry oneself with grace while having a little fun along the way.”
Cassey describes the palatial space – formerly home to Kona Grill in Scottsdale Fashion Square – as “an American brasserie that blends East Coast poise, Parisian charm and just the right amount of curated rebellion.” This refined sensibility is reflected in the restaurant’s moody lighting, layered textures and color story, which marry metropolitan edge with Parisian romance.
Velvet Banquettes
Luxe booths in playful, unexpected patterns and textures “reinforce the transportive experience we want our guests to feel the moment they sit down,” Cassey says.
Votive Candles
Each evening just before dinner service, staff light a cadre of white candles, which “softens the energy, enhances the atmosphere and elevates the experience in a way only candlelight can.”
Antique Mirror
“The mirrors throughout Society Swan are true antiques, and they signal the lengths we have gone to create a genuine experience,” Cassey says. “Their patina, age and imperfections tell a story.”
Mood Lighting
“Every light in Society Swan is a coordinated design choice, layered intentionally to shape the mood from day to night,” including a 17th-century chandelier sourced from an atelier in Paris.
Wall Art
This gallery wall featuring figurative drawings from France, Spain and Germany lends “a sense of worldliness and authenticity to the space,” underscoring the restaurant as “a place where art, culture and dining naturally intersect.”
Society Swan
7014 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale
(Scottsdale Fashion Square)
480-863-3999
societyswan.com
