Bogomolov on the court last July

Alex Bogomolov Jr., the Russian-born, Miami-raised tennis player who arrived in town as an 11-year-old, attended Sunset Senior High School, and currently resides in Boca Raton, has just triumphed yet again. The previous night, he defeated a fierce rival in Serbia’s Viktor Troicki during the Apia International Sydney tennis tournament in Australia. “I lost to him in a three-hour match in Moscow that tied for the longest of the year,” says Bogomolov. “It made this match very tough and emotional, so winning it was a really important way to begin 2012.”

Though poised for success, the path to this moment has not exactly been smooth. “I was always working hard, but it just wasn’t working out before. Things are finally taking the right course,” he says. Last year, Bogomolov was the most improved player of the year on the ATP World Tour after rising from a ranking of 166th to 34th.

Along the way, Bogomolov has had to overcome the glare of the spotlight for other reasons: a very public divorce from professional tennis player-turned-Playboy model Ashley Harkleroad, and a temporary suspension by the International Tennis Federation for using asthma medication that contained the banned performance enhancer salbutamol. On top of it all, a wrist surgery left him wondering if he’d ever play professional tennis again.

“Everything was shitty. I couldn’t even hit a backhand, and it was so discouraging,” says Bogomolov, who took up work as a tennis director at Gotham Tennis Academy in New York in 2009. “I felt like I had so much left in me, and I was praying for a second chance. Then, one night, I came home and my fiancée told me she was pregnant. I felt so happy and at peace with this new idea of being a father, and the next day, I was hitting backhands full-on. The pain didn’t matter. It was something I had to start liking. After that, everything got serious.”

That journey out of the darkness brought Bogomolov back to South Florida. He and his new family purchased a home in Boca Raton last August and couldn’t be more pleased. “It’s amazing to be back,” he says. “My kid can go outside every day! I can also practice year-round. I’ve been hitting with [pro-tennis stars] Andy Murray, Feliciano Lopez, Ryan Sweeting…. Everybody spends their off-seasons in Miami, so it’s great.”

It all makes for a nice comeback story, but for Bogomolov, this is far from a happy ending. “I was tested a lot, and to have a breakout year after all of those rough years is so satisfying,” he says. “I [was] seeded at the Australian Open for the first time this year, and I’m just 28 years old. Now that I’ve tasted a little bit of success, I want a lot more. It’s very addictive.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN DUNN/GETTYIMAGES.COM

McKay and Foord at Government Cut

A gray, rather nondescript warehouse lies on the Seybold Canal, just off the Miami River on the border between Overtown and Spring Garden. The words FLORIDA PRECISION INSTRUMENT CORP. are painted on the wall, but inside it’s a different world altogether: a colorful marine micro-universe teeming with life, where science and art converge in remarkably symbiotic ways.

This is the headquarters of Coral Morphologic, a 3,000-square-foot coral aquaculture center and forwardthinking, multimedia aquarium studio, the only one of its kind in the entire country. Helmed by two young visionaries—marine biologist and artist Colin Foord and his collaborative partner and close friend, musician and artist Jared McKay, both 30—the HQ contains several thousand gallons of coral aquaculture systems filled with a plethora of international stony corals and soft corals (colorful invertebrates that attach themselves to rocks) from the Caribbean and South Florida, all of which are used for scientific purposes and creative endeavors that include macro-photography, films, projections, and site-specific installations.

“We noticed that Miami doesn’t really have a true pop-cultural association with its coral reefs, and we want to change that,” Foord says. “In Miami, you have the [Art Deco] association with tropical, bold colors, and really, the corals are the original neon, glow-in-the-dark examples here.”

Recently, the coveted Knight Arts Challenge awarded CM a $150,000 matching grant to create a multimedia project promoting the upcoming Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, scheduled to open in 2015 at the new Museum Park in downtown Miami. This spring, Foord and McKay will also install a series of high-definition screens at Miami International Airport featuring marvelous aquascapes created with live coral in their aquaculture lab (including many of the most sublime, polychromatic soft coral morphs they’ve collected and cloned). Also in the works? A corresponding website with real-time coral evolution video, a projection project for the screens at New World Center, and an iPad app.

Beyond the artworks, Coral Morphologic is doing its fair share for science, as well. Foord has discovered three new species of local zoanthids (botanical-looking invertebrates). The duo have also collaborated with scientists at the Université de Provence in Marseille, France, sending over their own specimens to help build a living genetic database of coral and to make these particular species of soft coral accessible to biotechnology and pharmaceutical researchers.

But wherever Foord and McKay’s work takes it, Coral Morphologic will always remain bonded to its hometown, as it couldn’t have been formed elsewhere. “We want to keep promoting the idea that Miami truly is a coral reef city,” Foord says. “We hope this becomes an international point of view. This city is more than just a hedonistic playground—it’s also a place of unique intellect and creative opportunity.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM ARBOGAST

Today’s opera star has to be fit, which probably explains why Elizabeth Caballero eyes, but does not eat, the two small croquetas she’s ordered on a cool, golden November morning at La Carreta in Key Biscayne.

She instead sticks with dipping long slices of Cuban bread into her café con leche while explaining how a working-class Cuban-American came to Florida on the Mariel boatlift in 1980 as a child, fell in love with opera, and decided to pursue the diva’s life.

And she’s well on her way. The New Yorker’s Alex Ross, praising her performance this past October as the doomed slave girl Liù in a Lyric Opera of Kansas City production of Puccini’s Turandot, wrote that she “has sung only one small role at the Met stage… but deserves to ascend farther.”

Caballero had never heard of Ross before friends told her about the review. “But everybody has been asking me how much money I gave [him],” says Caballero, who’s friendly and direct with an easy laugh. She adds that receiving the adulation of an audience is reward enough for what she does. “When you get a review like that, it’s just icing on top of an amazing red velvet cake.”

This month, Caballero stars as Magda in Florida Grand Opera’s staging of Puccini’s La Rondine, a tale of a woman in pursuit of a dream who takes up with a younger man but ultimately realizes she must return—like the swallow of the opera’s title—to her older, wealthier paramour. La Rondine has mostly languished since its 1917 premiere, but in the past decade has enjoyed a major revival. It’s an opera Caballero believes in, and not solely for its scrumptious music.

“It’s more of a realistic story in today’s society,” she says. “[Magda] is just out for her own pleasure. She does not think about the consequences she’s bringing to her lover. It’s all about her.”

After finishing La Rondine in February, Caballero heads to Austin Lyric Opera in April for another Liù in Turandot, then to Colorado’s Central City Opera in July to play Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème. And in 2014, she’ll sing Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni for Seattle Opera.

Caballero, who is technically based right here in Miami, stays with friends and family during her frequent local performances. Looking ahead, she would like to sing more at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, and also wants to increase her European credits, her only one now being a 2008 production of La Rondine in Trieste, Italy.

She says she loves being constantly on the go, despite the obvious drawbacks. “All I know is that I really like it. And even if you don’t care for opera, you still can’t say, ‘That girl can’t sing,’” she says, giggling. “And I like that.” La Rondine, January 21–February 4, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 305-854-7890; fgo.org

PHOTOGRAPH BY REED HUMMELL

Sometimes being stylish is not about what you wear, but who you know. For a growing list of Miami fashionistas, Sandee Saunders is one very important contact. A makeup artist-cum-stylist who first visited the city in the early ’90s, she started wintering here and moved permanently in 2000 for the love of a man—at the time, a very little man. “I became a mom, and showing up on shoots with a young son just didn’t work with makeup jobs,” Saunders recalls.

So she expanded into fashion, working as a sales specialist at Valentino before joining the team that opened The Webster boutique in 2007. But the bond between a woman and her trusted makeup artist is almost as sacred as the one between mother and son, Saunders says. “I continued doing makeup for private clients who would not give it up—socialites in the charity circuit, Europeans with homes in Miami, celebrities when they’re in town.” These same women now also trust Saunders and her sensibility for wardrobe styling.

Ready to branch out on her own after a successful run at Miami’s chicest shops, Saunders launched The Sandee Saunders Project last year. Among other services, her company offers personal shopping and dressing, which can mean “someone wanting me to style a video, or my team and me going into someone’s home, editing and rebuilding their closet.” But the most exciting aspect of the business is its online showroom, thessproject.com, which Saunders uses to highlight six up-and-coming designers. “I wanted to focus on emerging talents, to introduce stylish women and men to the finer things they haven’t seen yet.”

Think of Saunders as a fashion matchmaker, joining style setters with something they’ll love. “It’s always all about the relationships,” she explains, from her days as a New York makeup artist glossing the lips of her childhood icon Diana Ross, to a retail maven helping Gianni Versace try on wigs at the much-loved Washington Avenue boutique Meet Me In Miami, to shopping for Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner when they’re in town. As for her current passions, Saunders’s favorite fall looks are square body bags and ’70s styles that mix retro fashion with vintage jewelry. “A lot of the fads from the past are back, so people are pulling out their old pieces,” she reports.

Just don’t expect her to revive her old New York wardrobe. “When I first arrived, the way I dressed was totally ‘New York,’” admits Saunders, who added an office in Manhattan recently. “But Miami has such festive flavor—you can play a lot more with color, and people aren’t afraid to be sensual. Even if you thought you didn’t have that side to you, when you get to Miami, you find it.” Or, best-case scenario: Saunders finds it for you.

As the boyfriend of bewitching Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, 35-year-old Nick Loeb has faced the flashing light bulbs of hundreds of paparazzi, but it doesn’t bother him. “No one’s curious about me, they only care about her. I just happen to be next to her! You just deal with it.”

Unlike other famous boyfriends who spend their time racing cars or fronting rock bands, the entrepreneur has been busy considering hot dog toppings. His latest venture is introducing America to Onion Crunch, a fried onion topping for hot dogs, pizza and salads. He discovered it as a child in Copenhagen where his father was President Ronald Reagan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. “I love it on hot dogs! That’s how I grew up with it.”

Before Onion Crunch (and Vergara), Loeb was a producer for the acclaimed documentary series The Living Century that aired on PBS. On top of all that, he’s also mulling a run as a Republican candidate for the Florida Senate next year. It goes without saying, but he probably has more on his mind than the average celebrity boyfriend.

Nick Loeb’s Shortlist:

Favorite movie:The Godfather
Can be found rooting for:The New York Giants
Favorite City: Delray Beach “There are more restaurants in Downtown Delray right now than there are in Downtown D.C. It has exploded.”
Obsessions:Genealogy. “I’ve traced parts of my family back to the 1500s.”

Embroidered Idyllic White Guipure shirt ($1,200) and Halycon leather flip skirt ($775), Zimmermann

Thinking man’s babe and Damages star Rose Byrne popped in at the W South Beach Hotel & Residences’ two-year anniversary party recently to watch Theophilus London perform his genre-mashing blend of indie rock, hip-hop and pop. Byrne, also known for roles in Bridesmaids and X-Men: First Class, is a busy girl: The Australian actress is currently shooting The Place Beyond the Pines with heartthrobs Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, and season five of Damages starts filming this month as well. While on South Beach, she shined in a mustard pleated leather skirt and white embroidered long-sleeved top, both by Aussie fashion brand Zimmermann.

Bloodlines: They make for coveted Kobe beef, prized thoroughbreds like Secretariat and, as it turns out, in the case of brothers Joaquín and José Mollá, expertise in the glamorous field of creative advertising. “My family tree looks more like an advertising agency organizational chart,” remarks 44-year-old José, the elder of the two, whose grandfather opened Exitus, one of the first and biggest agencies in Argentina. Ad wizards among four generations in the Mollá clan also include father Rodolfo, who ran his own agency (Nesway SA) out of Buenos Aires. Ten years ago, Joaquín and José joined forces to found their multinational advertising agency venture, La Comunidad, which translates from Spanish to “The Community.” Joaquín says of the egalitarian moniker, “It came from the feeling that a company is a group of people that make each other better.”

The more collaborative vibe the Mollá brothers cultivated has paid off. This year they’re celebrating their 10th anniversary, having received more than 430 industry awards and represented such heavy-hitting clients as Apple, Volvo, MTV, Original Penguin and Corona Extra. Their progressive approach has also been helpful given the seismic recent influence of interactive and social media: Advertising has shifted distinctly from a monologue to a dialogue. “Interrupting someone’s life to talk about how great a product is... doesn’t work anymore,” says José of the traditional advertising model.

The brothers are also passionate art enthusiasts and run a showroom in Buenos Aires’ Palermo neighborhood called This Is Not a Gallery, featuring primarily video art and multimedia installations. “It is not commercial, but more like an intellectual experience,” Joaquín says of the endeavor. The gallery has appeared at Art Basel Miami Beach, which the Mollás have attended yearly since its inception.

They have offices in Buenos Aires and New York, yet La Comunidad’s headquarters remain right here in Miami. Joaquín, 42, is based in Argentina, and José works out of the firm’s Biscayne Boulevard location with copartner, CEO and president Antoinette Zel. Both brothers wholeheartedly enjoy the quality of life South Florida affords. “In five minutes, you can go from working hard to being in the middle of the bay, rowing in the sunset with dolphins,” José says. Joaquín and his brother are adept sailors, and although José endured a terrifying 2010 shark attack in the Exumas that left him with a bitten calf, he still spearfishes regularly. “I can’t stay away from the water,” he insists.

The brothers’ success arises from a respect for artistry, keen business savvy and keeping a sharp eye on the community—the context for their thriving advertising operation. José says of the company, “Our secret is very simple: When we’re together, we reach a place that we would have never reached on our own. And that’s a great feeling.”

Barry Jenkins
Director, screenwriter
Age: 31
Provenance: Miami

Kickoff: As a former running back at Liberty City’s Northwestern High School, Jenkins is used to receiving accolades. Back then it was for football, while today it’s for his work as a filmmaker. “It was a bit shocking,” he says of the first time his feature Medicine for Melancholy screened, at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2008. The film, which explores race and romance, was praised by The New York Times’ A.O. Scott and nominated for three Spirit Awards. “It was cool to put all that work into something and then have it actually reach its goal,” he says.

Soundtrack to success: Now a Sundance Short Film juror, Jenkins says, “There’s always been a sort of natural relationship between music and my filmmaking.” Thus, it was fitting he worked with the Borscht Film Festival this past April on a project teaming filmmakers with local music ians. Jenkins used the dreamy, synth-heavy track “Chlorophyl” (by South Florida chillwave artist Millionyoung) to inspire his own film’s vision.

End scene: Though he did pen Melancholy, what appeals to Jenkins most is the fast-paced role of director. “When you’re writing, it’s just you, and the only limitations are your imagination. [With directing], you have to think eight million steps ahead.”

Favorite film as a kid: Die Hard

Favorite film now: Carlos Reygadas’ Silent Light. It is the greatest movie in the history of the world.

Graphic novel hero you’d be: I’d change sexes and become Martha Washington (of Frank Miller’s Give Me Liberty).

Favorite place to eat in Miami: Mandolin Aegean Bistro

This Colombian soccer stud lines up next to David Beckham on the LA Galaxy and counts Juanes among his friends. Guapo is having a stellar year, so read my lips: Angel will soon be a household name.

Dream collaborators: Warren Buffett for investments, Lionel Messi for soccer practice

Words you most overuse: “Brilliant” and “fancy”

Underrated travel destination: Las Islas del Rosario, Colombia

The lead in the recent Smurfs movie had recurring roles on Heroes and Ugly Betty before landing the gig of a lifetime on Glee. As lovable as she is approachable, this rising star is funny, flirty and not that innocent.

Favorite TV family: The Cosbys

Time travel: I’d love to go back to the ’60s. I’m pretty sure I was made to live during the years of bright polyester and Laugh-In.

I always DVR: Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Intervention and Whale Wars

My fantasy entourage includes: President Obama, Dolly Parton, Carol Burnett and She-Ra

No one knows: My first alcoholic drink was moonshine.

What you find irresistible in a mate: I love a man who has to go on his tiptoes to kiss me.

Favorite website: awkwardfamilyphotos.com