Fairweather Summer 2014

SUMMER 2014

Exploring the city of stars . . .

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PRESENTED BY

GAGOSIAN GALLERY

®

JUNE 25–SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

ORGANIZED BY PUBLIC ART FUND AND TISHMAN SPEYER

Split-Rocker (2000) installed at Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, 2012, photo: Jean-Jacques Nobs

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FAIRWEATHER | SUMMER 2014 | 1

34Isabella Hufngtonmakes her mark—creating beautiful

images with SharpiesBY ALEXANDRA

FAIRWEATHER

60Please Pass the Skimm

The founders of the rising newsletter

know how to keep things short and sweet

BY ERIC GOODMAN

38Cook or Be Cooked

Laurie David is changing the way we

think about foodBY ALEXANDRA

FAIRWEATHER

62Ready for your

Closeup?TernPro is an exciting

new way to make your own videos

BY NANCY GUEVARA

66A Prized Point of

ViewBlake Farber is an imaginative new

presence in music videos and flmBY ALEXANDRA

FAIRWEATHER46Intimate Italy

Get ready for a sensory journey in Tuscany that is like no other on the planet

BY EVAN HUGHES

72Unforgettable

FixturesEvan Geofroy

proudly takes the legacy of Sherle Wagner into the

21st centuryBY KATHERINE VOGEL

74The Art of Living

We visit the incredible

Manhattan home of Kara Van Der Weg

and Brett Littman for a taste of exquisite

design—and an exceptional pottery

collecitonBY ALEXANDRA

FAIRWEATHER &

LISA GRAHAM

78Secrets of a Private

ConciergeA self-styled “go-to girl” spills the beans

on her greatest triumphs—and what

it’s like to be hard-wired to help other people all the time

BY KRISTINA BRIGLIO

SUMMER 2014

For advertising and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Fairweather at 646.582.6927 or [email protected].

Fairweather magazine, Summer 2014, copyright © 2014, Fairweather Magazine LLC. All Rights Reserved. See the magazine

online at www.fairweathermagazine.com. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

For customer service, please contact Fairweather at 646.582.6927 or [email protected].

Publishers

Alexandra Fairweather

Eric Goodman

Creative Director

Warren Christopher

Designers

Douglas+Voss

Editor

Evan Hughes

02On Our Radar

04Outlook

12Predictions

14Trade Winds

16Climate Change

18Jet Stream

22A Fairweather

Moment with . . .

80CAVU

COLUMNS

Cover, back cover, p. 1, pp. 44–45: Photography by Rick Day; Stylist: Mario Wilson; Prop Stylist: Scott Delacruz; Hair and Makeup: Aeriel Payne. Jewelry courtesy of Joan Hornig. Additonal art: Cover: Hollywood, 1963 (crayons on paper) by Peter Blake; Private Collection; Mayor Gallery, London/The Bridgeman Art Library; Artists Rights Society (ARS) New York. Shutterstock. Digital illustrations by Ken Bae.

SUMMER 2014

Exploring the city of stars . . .

54Inspiring SpacesThe visionaries

at workshop/apd reimagine the way New Yorkers liveBY EVAN HUGHES

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mailto:[email protected]

http://www.fairweathermagazine.com


It’s time to visit the City of Angels,

the place where dreams are made,

Hollywood! While there, we got whipped

into shape with Barry Jay of Barry’s

Bootcamp and stopped by Silicon

Valley to see what start-ups are blossoming,

including Jason Galloway’s latest tech venture.

We found out why celebrities are donning Joan

Hornig’s beautiful jewelry, chatted with Nina

Montée Karp at Barneys’ restaurant, overlooking

the gorgeous Hollywood hills, and met with

Laurie David to get the scoop on her latest

documentary, Fed Up, and her new cookbook,

The Family Cooks.

Then it was time to head to the Mediterranean

to relax. We found out why a sensory journey with

Italian concierge Su Misura is a way of getting

up close and personal with Florence and the

surrounding Tuscan landscape. It was magnifco!

Once in New York, we spoke with the

visionary architecture and design frm

workshop/apd; found out how Sherle Wagner’s

current president, Evan Geofroy, is continuing

the legacy of his grandfather with a modern

twist; and how former NBC producers Carly

Zakin and Danielle Weissberg founded one of

the coolest e-blast newsletters, also known as

theSkimm.

Next stop… outer space!

ON OUR RADAR

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Follow us: www.fairweathermagazine.com Facebook.com/FairweatherMag @FairweatherMag @FairweatherMag

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4 | SUMMER 2014 | FAIRWEATHER

OUTLOOKFashion FavesCreativity is a kind of sensitivity to the world—

and that kind of sensitivity is what I have seen

on display at fashion shows this year. Mercedes

Benz Fashion Week New York held two special

fnds for me: Dennis Basso’s hand-painted gowns

(far left), which reminded me of a huge O’Keefe

canvas, and Son Jung Wan’s mixture of materials

and unfnished-edge techniques (left), which

echoed Rothko’s blurred color boundaries. At

LCM (London Collections Men), I discovered KTZ

and it was a quasi-mystical experience, with the

models resembling travelers journeying through

a monochrome post-apocalyptic world. This was

all edge-of-my-seat fashion that makes me look

forward to more from these great designers.

—Lupe Castro

Elegant ArrivalChester Barrie’s autumn/winter collection is

relaxed but sharp, appealing to young men who are

in love with British tailoring. And the company is

bringing its Savile Row elegance to New York—or

perhaps we should say back to New York—after

all, Chester Barrie was founded in the 1930s with

the intention of making English-quality ready-to-

wear suits available to the American man. With the

comeback of black-tie elegance, Chester Barrie will

be coming to Saks Fifth Avenue, featuring lighter

fabrics and innovative blends.

—Lupe Castro

Wearable ArtworksGoing well beyond the traditional gallery-artist

relationship, Grey Area (thegreyarea.com) has

been pushing the boundaries of collaboration

and programming. It not only sponsors major

programming events, such as Grey East at Glenn

Horowitz Booksellers in East Hampton this

summer, but also sells wearable art in the form

of playfully labeled socks and other items from

Baron Von Fancy, mood stones from Eric Cahan,

and “Versa Tables” by a variety of designers. We

especially love the provocative—and beautiful—

Robot Rings by Mia Fonssagrives-Solow (right).

—Paige Wright

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http://thegreyarea.com

Art Southampton is the premier International Contemporary + Modern Art Fair

and marketplace for acquiring the fi nest works of investment quality art available

in the Hamptons. The fair features a carefully selected group of 75 international

galleries exhibiting paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photography, video and

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Platinum VIP Preview July 24th to benefi t the Parrish Art Museum.

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OUTLOOK

FORECAST:Summer Breezes

It’s summertime again, which means it is

time for regattas in Europe, late nights in the

Hamptons, and weekend trips to Aspen. In

other words, it’s time to mark those social

calendars…

✹After the adrenaline rush of Monaco’s Grand

Prix in May and Art Basel in June, it is always

wonderful to explore the Croatian archipelago,

Italy’s Amalf Coast, and Cyprus, followed by a

quick stop to the Champagne Houses in Reims.

But don’t get carried away in Europe, since the

Hamptons season will be shifting into high gear

and you will not want to miss it.

✹On July 12, you will be forced to make a

choice, whether you wish to sip cocktails on

the Wharf at Bay Street Theatre’s Rock the

Dock Beneft or attend the Parrish Midsummer

Gala to see their premiere collection of

contemporary art; you could always try to

party hop, but remember that Saturday night

Hamptons trafc.

✹Next, hop on over across the pond to the

Panerai British Classic Week (July 12–19); it is a

spectacular regatta bringing together dozens of

sailing yachts to race in the legendary waters of

the Solent around the Isle of Wight.

✹Retire your sailing booties temporarily,

and head to Art Southampton (July 24–28),

the premiere art fair in the Hamptons, to see

what fun activities they have coming up (last

year they had a beautiful showcase of Graf

diamonds).

✹July 26 The Watermill Center will be having

one of the Hamptons’ most talked-about

parties of the season. This year’s theme,

Arabian Nights.

✹If you can swing it, head to Sydney for the

Sydney International Boat Show (July 31–August

4). The show is Australia’s premiere boat show

and has taken place annually since its inception

in 1968. This year, it will gather momentum in

Darling Harbour and Glebe Island.

✹But don’t get carried away down under—in

August, you do not want to miss the Guild Hall

Gala (August 8) celebrating the legendary

Robert Motherwell exhibition.

✹If you can fnd a few days to sneak away to

Aspen, it’s always great to have some good old

summer fun, like hot air ballooning, fy fshing

and whitewater rafting.

FORECAST invites you to share your events with

Fairweather magazine at:

www.fairweathermagazine.com.

Shore ThingsWhen we stretch out on the beach this summer, we’ll be fnding inspiration from Arianna Hufngton. In

her latest book, Thrive (Harmony, 2014), she helps to redefne what success means, and urges readers

to take a step back from our 24/7 lives and embrace well-being and wonder. And when we open our

cooler for some refreshment, it’ll be for a good cause! Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Caring Cooler is

a distinctive, limited-edition cooler with 100 percent of proceeds going to Share Our Strength’s No Kid

Hungry campaign ($35, amazon.com).

—Evan Hughes


Hot Stuf!Who will be mixing the tastiest, most elegant cocktails

this summer? You! Introduce your friends to Hottie Tottie

(drinkhottietottie.com), the new organic beverage line that

is delicious by itself and doubles as a fantastic mixer with

Champagne, vodka, or whiskey. Want some mixological

inspiration? Start here:

HOTTIE TOTTIE’S FRENCH MARTINI

11 oz vodka

1 oz Hottie Tottie Raspberry Pineapple Cranberry

1 twist lemon peel

Pour the above into a tall bar glass. Shake with ice, pour into

martini glass, and serve.

SUMMER COSMO

2 oz vodka

3 oz triple sec

3 oz Hottie Tottie Raspberry Pineapple Cranberry

1 oz fresh lime juice

Orange peel for garnish

Pour ingredients into cocktail shaker flled halfway with ice cubes.

Shake well, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with orange peel.

Serve.

RASPBERRY BELLINI

Equal parts Hottie Tottie Raspberry Pineapple Cranberry, chilled,

and your favorite prosecco, chilled

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T H E H A M P T O N S • N O R T H F O R K • N E W Y O R K C I T Y • P A L M B E A C H

All information is from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, prior sale or withdrawal without notice. All rights to content, photographs and graphics reserved to broker. Equal Housing Opportunity Broker. Brown Harris Stevens of the Hamptons, LLC. 2408 Main Street • P.O. Box 683 • Bridgehampton, NY 11932 • 631.537.2727



OUTLOOK

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How to Build a Wine Collection

We asked Robert Schagrin, founder and managing

partner of Crush Wine & Spirits (crushwineco.

com), to uncork the secret to getting started in

wine collecting.

VARIETALS Many collectors start with red

wines from Napa Valley—that’s a good start.

The essential elements of a European collection

are wines of France (Burgundy, Bordeaux, and

the Rhône) and Italy (Piedmont and Tuscany).

Buy some young wines, and while they are aging,

have some mature wines on hand to enjoy. And

remember that the great white wines—not just the

reds—can improve with a decade or more of age.

TASTE VS. VALUE Drink what makes you happy.

But be cognizant of how wines age. You don’t need

to buy 10 years’ worth of Sauvignon Blanc, for

instance, but having 10 years’ worth of Burgundy or

Bordeaux is totally appropriate. From an investment

point of view, some wine producers and regions

have a better track record for holding their value or

appreciating. Currently, red Burgundy is what’s hot.

STORAGE For long-term storage, white and red

wines are both ideally stored at 55˚F and 70

percent humidity—and for that you need a wine

refrigerator.

SERVING Have two sizes of glasses for reds—a

Bordeaux-shaped glass and one for Burgundy.

White wines and sparkling wines are best served

in the same glass. Look for Zalto stemware.

They’re not inexpensive, but they will enhance your

drinking experience.

Summer Salad!

When we want to know what’s for dinner, we visit

Runaway Apricot (runawayapricot.com), a blog

featuring local, seasonal recipes made from scratch

by Robyn Andrea Burgess. This time of year, we’re

hooked on Robyn’s Pickled Peach and Fennel Salad.

2 peaches, thinly sliced

1 cup white or rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced

1 small red onion or fresh pearl onion, thinly sliced

1 pound of arugula or bitter greens

1 handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

4 oz goat cheese

2 Tbsp olive oil

Toss peaches with vinegar and sugar in a medium

bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let stand for

10–15 minutes. Add fennel, onions, arugula, and mint

to a large salad bowl. Break apart goat cheese and

sprinkle over greens. Just before you’re ready to serve,

add peaches, drizzle olive oil and toss to combine.

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Jay had never worked out before. “I went

around stalking people on the ftness

machines to see what they were doing,” he

recalls. “And I always steered clear of the

free weights room.”

But that $19 gym membership changed

not only Jay’s life, but ultimately the lives

of many of his future clients. Over the next

six years, Jay developed a tremendous

penchant for exercising—including the free

weights—while maintaining a job in public

relations. “But public relations is really a

lifestyle and skill set unto itself,” he explains.

Long story short? “I was not a good worker

and got fred.” That turned out to be a lucky

PREDICTIONS

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Barry Jay, founder of

Barry’s Bootcamp.

Fairweather publisher ERIC GOODMAN sits down with exercise guru BARRY JAY— founder of Barry’s Bootcamp— to discuss the future of ftness.

Barry On!

In 1988, Barry Jay may have seemed like an unlikely candidate to pioneer the future of body sculpting. As an aspiring Los Angeles songwriter weighing in at 120 pounds, he found himself nearly broke and unclear about his career goals when he signed up for a $19-per-month membership at Sports Connection, a precursor to today’s 24 Hour Fitness.

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break. His next job was as a receptionist at

City Hall, where he befriended Mayor John

Heilman, who ultimately guided him to an

$8-per-hour job answering phones at a near-

by gym. “I took a ton of free classes and just

loved the energy of the room,” Jay enthuses.

Barry’s 60 minutes of fame fnally arrived

one fateful day when the class instructor

missed attendance. “I leapt over the desk

before the manager could even fnish asking

me to fll in.” Radiating energy and excitement,

he assumed the helm and realized at that point

that “this is what I was meant to be to doing.”

He proudly marked his next two years as a

class instructor with perfect attendance.

One of Barry’s many

Bootcamp studios.

That local gym shut down just two short

years later in the fall of 1998 due to misman-

agement. “I was told the morning of, that

this would be my last class as an instruc-

tor,” Barry recalls. Fast on his feet—no pun

intended—and determined to keep pressing

on, “I took a legal pad and started writing

down the names of everyone who attended

my last class.” One of the class attendees,

John Mumford, cultivated a strong relation-

ship with Jay and would later become a busi-

ness partner in the famed Barry’s Bootcamp.

Twelve years later, Barry’s Bootcamp

has expanded briskly beyond its original

West Hollywood location. After spread-

ing throughout California and the East

Coast, Barry’s Bootcamp broadened its

international presence with locations in

London and Norway. In a period where time

management and utility maximization are

of primary importance in our daily lives,

Barry’s Bootcamp has solidifed its place as

one of the most efcient and efective hour-

long workout classes of its time.

THE FUTURE OF FITNESS

In developing Barry’s Bootcamp, Jay is

helping to change some antiquated notions

about body sculpting. His major innovations

include:

A broad range of free weights, includ-

ing not only conventional 5- and 10-pound

weights but also those up to 50 pounds or

more.

Dedicated classes for targeted body

parts, including arms, legs, chest, etc.

Red lights! “There’s something about red

lights in the class that just raises the energy

and intensity of the workout,” he says.

Customer service. As commonplace as

it may sound, this is a major change for a

ftness program. “It’s the human factor,”

explains Jay. “If you signed up for a class and

didn’t attend, we call and ask, ‘How come

you weren’t at class?’ That kind of interest

and dedication resonates with customers.”

With additional locations on the way,

come check out Barry’s Bootcamp at

www.barrysbootcamp.com.

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http://www.barrysbootcamp.com


Enter Jobspot, a new app that is destined

to rock the world of employment apps this

summer.

Jobspot employs GPS to fnd you oppor-

tunities in your area—and you can register

for as many types of employment as you’re

qualifed for. Got a little unwanted time on

your hands? Jobspot can have you walking

dogs in the morning, writing press releases

in the afternoon, and tending bar in the

evening if that’s what you’re into.

And with Jobspot there’s no downside to

TRADE WINDS

A new app will make it easier to fnd part-time work—and quickly build a resume that can take you to the next level. PAIGE WRIGHT spoke with Team Jobspot member JUSTIN GALLOWAY about this exciting new venture.

Let’s face it, most apps aren’t exactly game changers. Sure, they’ll hook you up with a good slice of pizza within a few blocks, get you a deal on an air conditioner, or tell you what song is playing in the elevator. But when it comes to shifting the ground under your feet, those hundreds of thousands of smartphone-ready smarties are getting a little overhyped.

Meet Jobspot!

The Jobspot team is

focused on creating the

job search of the future.

holding down a multitude of part-time gigs:

It’s just the opposite. Do your part-time jobs

well and you’ll earn a positive rating from

employers that will make it easier for you to

land future opportunities.

It’s no secret that it’s more difcult than

ever for college students and recent grad-

uates to fnd full- or part-time work these

days. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports

that unemployment for recent grads is in the

double digits. And some of the “unskilled”

opportunities at

supermarkets and

cofee houses that

used to serve as

entry-level for grads

are now swallowed

up by experienced

adults happy to fnd

work.

Jobspot—

launched by a team

of true believers

determined to do

right by their fellow

grads—is tailor-made

for the enthusiastic

college student or

recent grad who is willing to hustle for every

opportunity and build a solid reputation by

doing great work.

Jobspot’s closest competitor is TaskRab-

bit. But to date, other part-time job apps

have amassed a relatively small following

and have charged a fairly high commission

rate to employers. We’re looking forward

to seeing how job-seekers respond to the

potentially limitless opportunities and low

commission rates ofered by Jobspot.

Look for a launch near the end of July!

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Browse the tasteful, distinctive pieces—made

with 18k gold, sterling silver, and semipre-

cious stones—on the Joan Hornig Jewelry

website ( joanhornig.com) and you might

presume that Hornig is smiling all the way to

the bank. But the former Wall Streeter has a

much higher purpose.

After the tragic events of 9/11, Hornig was

inspired to transition away from high fnance

and put her budding passion—and exquisite

talent—for jewelry-making to work helping

others. But the Harvard Business School

graduate was determined not to follow the

conventional charity formula of throwing

expensive bashes for worthy causes (where,

unfortunately, the nonproft being supported

by the beneft is often an afterthought).

CLIMATE CHANGE

JOE

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ON

From top: Mehla Cuf,

silver with foating

white topaz and gold

accent.

Gold Matisse Bracelet

with white topaz.

JOAN HORNIG designs stunning jewelry at price points for all budgets, but what she does with the profts is even more amazing, says EVAN HUGHES

Giving 100 Percent

Sure, you could call Joan Hornig a “jeweler to the stars.” After all, her gorgeous designs have adorned the bodies of such Hollywood A-listers as Zoë Saldana, Emma Roberts, Emma Stone, Amy Poehler, Naomi Watts, and Cameron Diaz. But you’d be only half-right. In fact, Joan Hornig’s real accomplishment is that she donates 100 percent of her profts to charity. No, that is not a misprint.

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http://joanhornig.com


Instead, Hornig decided to focus on the

enthusiasm and passion that many potential

charitable donors bring to jewelry. “Jewelry

is portable sculpture that doesn’t fnd a home

till it’s worn by a woman,” Hornig says. “As

a fundraising tool, it’s easy to transport and

store, and because of the precious metals

used to craft it, jewelry only increases in value

over the years.”

Thus was born Hornig’s philanthropy

model: When you buy one of her pieces—

available at luxury retail outlets such as

Bergdorf Goodman and at joanhornig.com,

she donates all of her profts to the charity of

your choice.

“We make it easy: Just tell us the name

of the nonproft you want to donate to, and

we’ll track them down and take care of the

paperwork,” Hornig notes. “And once you’ve

made a donation, your charity will go on our

online list so others can consider donating to

your cause too.”

A quick look at her website will confrm

that this is a win-win: Not only are you

supporting the worthy cause of your own

choice, but you will take home a miniature

work of art—often inspired by tribal designs

and Hornig’s deep knowledge of art history.

And lest Hornig’s beautiful design eye makes

you fear sticker shock, know that she prides

herself on ofering price points from under

$50 to fve fgures. The name of her parent

company really says it all: Philanthropy Is

Beautiful.

From top: Georgie

Earrings in white gold.

Double Pinwheel

Earrings in gold.

Joshie Earrings in white

gold with white topaz.

Jungle Pearl Necklace

with 18k green gold

feather toggle.

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http://joanhornig.com


We arrive in Bishop, California, and cellphone

service is history halfway up the mountain.

The lack of phone service and the dizzy heights

of the High Sierras—riding a horse past steep

inclines—have me arrested with fear.

It’s a challenge for me to be around

anybody for 20 minutes, let alone four days.

It’s 8 a.m. A cowboy is talking about scorpions

and making comments about New York

City. Wild mustangs are in a feld next to

the parking lot, unlike any horses I’ve ever

seen before. Absolutely aware of us, looking

directly at us, and keeping their distance. And

all I can think of is my lack of phone service. I

JET STREAM

JULIE KEYES experienced unforgettable mountain views and treacherous terrain on a horseback ride through the High Sierras. But what she learned about herself was even more stunning.

Signed up for a four-day horseback ride through the High Sierras (rockcreekpackstation.com) with college friends Lisa and Sue. A year in advance, the trip sounded romantic—four days following wild mustangs! But as our departure date approaches, the emails start to mention 30-degree nights, 90-degree days, rattlesnakes, and mountain lions.

Mustang Alley

must need this trip more than I thought.

Mount Whitney is the backdrop each day,

the tallest mountain in the continental U.S.,

capped with snow. We take of, mustangs on

our right, the mountains on our left.

The rangers talk about the horses as

if they were friends on a schoolyard. My

horse is Gallo, a white angel. We ride for six

hours, then stop for a snack among ancient

petroglyphs. Peanut butter never tasted so

good! Lying around for an hour, I kind of fall

in love with Lisa and Sue all over again on a

new level, saying nothing.

We ride on. When we dismount again,

my legs vaguely buckle. We walk like dirty,

dusty wooden soldiers to the solar shower.

Then we drink hot cofee and eat cheese

and crackers. Gene, the cook, is right out of

central casting—tall, skinny, weathered hat,

pipe, and drawl. He grills chicken, pork ribs,

and steaks in his makeshift kitchen. Nothing

feels more perfect. Nothing. He makes a huge

fre in the fre pit and we sit around and stare

at the fames with exhausted, empty minds

until the stars come out.

Sleeping in 30-degree cold at night is not

easy. But I fnd that if you put on every piece

of clothing that you have, plus gloves and

hats, zipping up the sleeping bag over your

head, you’re okay. And by the third night I am

sleeping alarmingly well.

We are about to go descend through…

Rattlesnake Pass! It’s the last pass and the

most notoriously steep. Prayers. Making deals

with God. And, poof, it’s over and we’re down

the hill and on the fat plains with mustangs

and antelope, and cars looming ominously

in the parking lot ahead. Civilization. After a

four-day sojourn across this wild, vanishing

world, I have rethought everything.

Selfe, with fellow riders

in the background.

Riding through 90˚F

days—and sleeping

through 30˚F nights!

Native American

petroglyphs dot the

High Sierra landscape.

FAIRW_18.indd 18 6/20/14 10:47 AM

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NYS Licensed

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The famed architect Norman Jaffe designed this sculptural beach house. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 2 fireplaces, gunite swimming pool, large decks, dock, and2 car garage. Majestic views of Gardiner’s Island, Long Beach Point & Plum Gut Lighthouses. A rare opportunity to own this architectural gem. This is the firstoffering of this property in 45 years. EXCLUSIVE: $3,950,000.

Newly renovated farmhouse facing West Neck Bayand Westmoreland Farms. Four bedrooms, fivebaths, Free-form swimming pool. Two Car garagewith unfinished loft space. Large Decks and porch-es, finished basement & boat dock complete thissummer paradise. Asking: $2,795,000.

Beautiful home on 30 acre fresh water pond and 1/2mile from Wades Beach. Three bedrooms, 2 baths,fireplace, deck and great sunsets. Asking: $999,000.

Wonderfully restored Shelter Island HeightsVictorian, with views of Chase Creek. Four bed-rooms, 3.5 bathrooms. Plus, separate adjacent build-ing lot. Both properties close proximity to NorthFerry, Heights tennis, shops & Dering HarborMarina. Asking: $1,100,000.

Fantastic location. Steps to Crescent Beach, PerlmanMusic Camp, Moussa Drame Tennis, CampQuinipet. Sunset Beach Motel/Restaurant, LaMasion Blanc Hotel, The Pridwin Hotel and a 17acre preserve. Walk to everything! Four bedrooms,two baths, fireplace, two car garage. All on 1.75acres. Asking: $850,000

Authentic Shelter Island Farm House with threebedrooms, two baths, one block from CrescentBeach and Shelter Island Country Club. Asking$649,000.

Newly renovated 1800’s farmhouse with barn. Thislovingly restored 4 bedroom, 3 bath farmhouse withits original maple floors has a beautiful chef’s kitchen,a woodburning fireplace and screened in porch. Thehome sits on approximately 1.6 acres with room forpool, tennis and/or accessory cottage. Close to town,shops, kayaking and beaches. Asking: $825,000.

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Location, Location, Location. Well maintainedhome on .84 acres with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 cargarage, fireplace, sun room and full basement onquiet street. One block from The Island Boatyardand Salt Restaurant. Exclusive: $575,000.

Single-level traditional, situated on a beautiful andprivate half-acre. Living room, dining area, kitchen,two bedrooms, and two baths. Steps to shops,library, school, art galleries, restaurants and beach-es. Asking: $435,000.

Completely renovated beach house on quiet street.New: kitchen, baths, roof, windows, siding, heat/airconditioning, appliances. 2~3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths,living room with woodburning fireplace, Large fam-ily room, legal finished basement bedroom, largedeck for entertaining. Situated on approx 1/2 acre.Ready to move in. Exclusive: $525,000.

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A Fairweather Moment with . . .

By Alexandra Fairweather

Nina Montée Karp

and Harvey Karp,

in Los Angeles.

I caught up with the gorgeous environmental activist,

producer, and director Nina Montée Karp for lunch at

Barneys’ beautiful rooftop bar, overlooking the Los Angeles

hills, one Sunday afternoon. It was the perfect setting. “I fell in love

with California and everything it had to ofer: its beauty, people, pace

and nature,” explained the Belgrade native, who frst came to the U.S.

to visit her sister and uncle, a successful entrepreneur and former

Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, Milan Panić. She returned to Newport

Beach in 1981 and decided to stay and call California home.

Nina Montée Karp

FAIRW_22-23.indd 22 6/20/14 11:10 AM


Multitasking for Moms—and Dads

This modern-day wonder woman owns Nina Montée, a skincare line,

that was until recently only available at dermatologists’ ofces and

premiere spas, runs the Happiest Baby on the Block with her hus-

band (renowned pediatrician and author Dr. Harvey Karp), produces

and directs documentaries, and champions a host of social causes

that are dear to her heart.

“Few things are as fulflling as working on projects that have a pos-

itive impact. My husband and I get great joy in immersing ourselves

in these eforts. I could not imagine being on this incredibly powerful

and passionate journey without him,” explains Montée Karp.

In order to assist parents around the world, Montée Karp direct-

ed and produced the award-winning educational DVDs The Happiest

Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block.

“As my husband was writing his frst book, The Happiest Baby on

the Block, he realized two things: (1) new parents often don’t have

the time to read a whole book and (2) his techniques are best learned

by watching them done, step-by-step. To capture the best shots, he

had to make house calls whenever a parent called with a crying baby,

night or day. Fortunately, I had experience directing and producing

short flms, so I became his ‘24-hour, on-call’ crew.

“The DVD was so popular, we decided to do the same thing when

he wrote The Happiest Toddler on the Block. And today, 12 years later,

our short flms are arguably the most watched parenting DVDs in

history. It is very rewarding,” refected Montée Karp.

In addition to the Happiest Baby DVDs, Montée Karp also

co-produced Not Under My Roof, an award-winning educational

video that teaches parents about the efects of environmental haz-

ards. “It was so exciting making that documentary because it was the

very frst video to teach parents about preventing child exposure to

hazards such as pesticides, lead, solvents, air pollution. These expo-

sures can have a potentially serious impact on children's health. Our

DVD was the frst educational tool on how

to substitute common sense and natural al-

ternatives for harsh chemicals to protect our

children's well being.”

When asked what advice she has for

new or expecting parents, Montée Karp re-

marked, “Get help! You deserve it. Ask ques-

tions, shop around for the best pediatrician

and don’t be shy about quizzing new parents

you see at the park or in cafes. Finding voices

you trust is so important because it’s easy to

get information overload from the Internet

and become totally confused. Sleep and rest

as much as you can before the babies come…

and line up some friends and family to help

you cook and clean for a couple of months

after the baby comes.”

5 QuestionsQ: What’s the best advice you’ve ever

received?

A: Take the riskiest path, be your authentic self,

forgive.

Q: What is your biggest virtue?

A: Loyalty.

Q: What is your biggest vice?

A: Dark chocolate!

Q: What is your favorite place in Los Angeles?

A: Our home—our sanctuary—with our favorite

art and books, and the most beautiful view of

the Pacifc Ocean.

Q: What do you hope your legacy will be?

A: Making a meaningful, positive impact on

people’s lives.©T

RE

VO

R T

ON

DR

O/

GM

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AG

ES

Healing Help

In addition to assisting parents, Montée Karp is a champion of breast

cancer awareness and produced and directed Breast Cancer: The

Path of Wellness and Healing.

“I have nine girlfriends with breast cancer and a sister-in-law who

succumbed to the disease at a very young age. The more my friends con-

fded in me about the very serious decisions that had been thrust upon

them, the more I recognized the dearth of information to help them.

“There is so much to learn when you get hit with the diagnosis of

cancer and there are so many misconceptions (even among doctors).

I wanted to help my friends and the one in eight of our mothers, sis-

ters and daughters with this terrible disease. Because of that experi-

ence, I joined the board of directors of Breastcancer.org, the world's

largest Internet support for women, and men, with the disease. And

over two years, I created a comprehensive visual guide on healing

from breast cancer: body, mind, and spirit.

“Rather than adding to the black-and-white sea of pamphlets and

books on the topic, I decided to create an intimate DVD weaving to-

gether the voices of America’s greatest doctors and wellness experts

with the inspiring stories of women surviving this great challenge.

It is a broad and detailed platform of essential information on every

stage of the breast cancer experience, assisting women and their

families from the very frst steps along their path of healing.

“This two-DVD set contains a two-hour disc that documents

inspiring—and even funny!—frst-hand accounts from breast cancer

survivors including celebrities like Sheryl Crow, Christina Apple-

gate, Melissa Etheridge, Olivia Newton-John, and Jaclyn Smith; and

powerful lessons from preeminent doctors and wellness experts

including Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Marisa Weiss, Dr. Susan Love, Dr.

Dean Ornish, and Marianne Williamson.

“In addition, there is a three-hour bonus disc of 16 discussions

on a wide range of issues, from reconstructive surgery, to the use

of hormones, to diet and meditation. The

overwhelmingly positive response we have

received—from the medical, wellness, and

breast cancer communities—has made every

moment of this efort incredibly satisfying

and worthwhile.”

Every Day Is a Winding Road

When asked what a typical day looks like for

Nina Montée Karp, she refected, “On a good

day—it starts with a joint meditation with my

husband, then a hike with girlfriends. The

rest of the day is flled with meetings for our

company, The Happiest Baby, and for various

non-proft organizations. There are always

events to go to and usually, after dinner, it’s

back to work!”

FAIRW_22-23.indd 23 6/20/14 11:10 AM

http://Breastcancer.org












Isabella Huffngton is making her markW

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FAIRW_34-37.indd 34 6/20/14 11:41 AM


by Alexandra Fairweather

I wish we could make basic things more beautiful,Ó explains

Isabella Hufngton, the gorgeous, confdent 22-year-old whose art has already gar-

nered attention from the likes of André Leon Talley, André Balazs, Mika Brzezinski,

Randi Zuckerberg, and Fareed Zakaria, to name just a few. The California native, daughter of

media mogul Arianna Hufngton and former Republican congressman Michael Hufngton,

graduated this spring from Yale University and is ready to take on New York. As the two of us met

for lunch one weekend this spring at Bottega del Vino, we covered everything from the accessi-

bility of art in today’s society to the tyranny of social media to Hufngton’s philosophy on life.

“The frst piece of art I made was in 10th grade. It was a mess up; I made a bunch of mistakes.

Art is the one place where I allow myself to mess up. And when I do mess up, gorgeous things

happen,” explains Hufngton. The young artist is known for using Sharpies on museum board

to create her beautiful pieces. “I was in a bookmaking class, and I started using Sharpies and

thought, these are fantastic—because I love bright colors. It is a fun and accessible medium,”

the artist recalls.

The accessibility of Sharpies refects Hufngton’s core values. “My main thing with art is

making it accessible,” she explains. She even wrote her senior thesis at Yale about making art

Sharpie on museum

board, 32 in. x 40 in.,

2014.

LE

FT

: A

ND

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W G

OB

LE

FAIRW_34-37.indd 35 6/20/14 11:41 AM


accessible through museums. “It is important

to bring art to people that may not have had

access to it in the past.” Hufngton is seeking

to address that lack of access to art across the

world. “Art can be anything. It is up for the

person to defne what art is.”

Refecting on the meaning of her own art,

she refects, “I don’t even know necessarily

what it means until I’m done,” and for Huf-

ington, art is very much about the viewer’s

response rather than one set interpretation

provided by the artist. “We need things that

make people happy. If people can look at it

and meditate on it, that is the goal.”

Speaking of accessibility, Hufngton is

very interested in uniting her artistic vision

with everyday objects. “I want to put my art

Above: Sharpie on

museum board, 32 in. x

40 in., 2013.

Left: Hufngton’s

unique technique on

display in a recent

work.

FAIRW_34-37.indd 36 6/20/14 11:42 AM


on objects, tablecloths, napkins, wrapping paper, and so on. There are so many things that

could be so much more beautiful!”

The two of us briefy discussed how we’ve noticed how artists often feel the need today to

create brands, and create social media accounts, but Hufngton has a refreshing perspective,

a wisdom that allows her to see above the fray: “I don’t want to do that. I’m not a brand. I don’t

want to waste my time doing that. I’m not into social media. I’m not into over sharing; my life is

my life, and a lot of people feel that way.”

Looking towards the future, Hufngton refects: “I didn’t dislike college, but college was in

no way the greatest years in my life. The ones who are most afraid to graduate are the ones that

think that learning ends when you graduate, when in reality, there is so much to learn after

graduation.” The young artist is eager to start her next chapter. “There’s a whimsy in life we

can’t fgure out; there’s so much in life that you don’t know and you can’t understand and you

can’t reason it. I very much feel what we do is intuition and when we try to overthink it, we end

up making bad choices. I’m very type A, so I used to overthink everything and I ended up mak-

ing bad choices.”

Now, Hufngton is following her intuition as she dedicates herself to her work and begins

the exciting journey that lies ahead of her.

Sharpie on museum

board, 32 in. x 40 in.,

2014.

FAIRW_34-37.indd 37 6/20/14 11:42 AM


This spring, flmmaker, author, and activist

LAURIE DAVID premiered her new flm, Fed Up,

and launched her latest cookbook,

The Family Cooks. She shares with publisher

Alexandra Fairweather her solutions to the

current childhood obesity epidemic.

Be CookedCook or

FAIRW_38-43.indd 38 6/20/14 11:51 AM


FAIRW_38-43.indd 39 6/20/14 11:51 AM


K“Katie Couric emailed and asked me to join her and director Stephanie

Soechtig in executive producing what we all hoped would be the An

Inconvenient Truth of food. Needless to say, it took me three seconds to

reply “yes!’” exclaims Laurie David. “It was a natural ft because since

the release of my book The Family Dinner in 2010, I had been working on

food issues. In examining where we eat, why we eat, and what we eat, it’s

undeniable that food has the power to make us healthy or make us sick.

In Fed Up we demonstrate why what we are eating is making us so sick.”

Laurie and I frst met at a Larry Gagosian’s Art Basel party at Mr.

Chow’s in Miami about two and half years ago. My mother, Prudence

Fairweather, fashion designer Vera Wang, and I were all talking about how

gorgeous Vera’s outft was when Laurie David walked over and introduced

herself. As a documentary flmmaker who had just fnished a documen-

tary on my late-stepfather, John Chamberlain, I was glowing with excite-

ment to meet the renowned flmmaker and author, who I had admired for

so many years. We talked about Laurie’s home in Martha’s Vineyard, Art

Basel, her new documentary that she was already working on with Katie

Couric, and how I had never been to Los Angeles (and I was dying to go).

About a year later, I was fying to LA to see Larry’s Richard Avedon

show at Gagosian’s LA Gallery and attend a few business meetings. It

With a hot

documentary and a

start-today cookbook,

Laurie is inspiring home

cooks to do better.

FAIRW_38-43.indd 40 6/20/14 11:51 AM


turned out Laurie was also planning on attending the Avedon show, so

Laurie, her amazing friend, Nina Montée Karp, my mother, and I all met

for a drink before the exhibition in the lounge of the L’Ermitage. We had

a great conversation about the importance of organics, taking care of

ourselves, and why LA living was spectacular. As we headed for the door,

Laurie, like a wise sage, said to me: “It is important in life to not just be

concerned with business, you must always consider the impact on soci-

ety.” I’ve held those words dear ever since. Following the incredible Ave-

don exhibition, we headed to Mr. Chow’s for a fantastic dinner. The next

day, I had to go back to NYC and I was so sad to go. Goodbye, LA!

Fortunately, a little bit of California—Laurie—came to New York in

April for the premiere of Fed Up and the release of her new cookbook,

The Family Cooks. Anna Carter & Anna Chapman hosted a lunch in

Laurie’s honor at the Monkey Bar (Katie Couric, Eleanor Acquavella,

ÒIt is important in life to not just be concerned with business but to always

consider the impact on society.Ó

Documentary

flmmaker Stephanie

Soechtig, director of

Fed Up.

Most of us are unaware

of the efects of sugar

on the brain, the

number of calories

packed into everyday

foods, and—most

importantly—what we

can do about them.

FAIRW_38-43.indd 41 6/20/14 11:52 AM


Laurie’s Start-Today TipsTake back the kitchen! When we don’t cook

our own food, we have no idea what is being

added to it. It’s not being made with love or

care with our family’s health in mind.

Keep it simple. Cooking real food and sitting

down to share it with your kids is one of the

most important activities you can do with

them. I know everyone is busy, but an easy

soup and salad is lovely and nourishing.

Bring back Sunday dinner. We hope that Home

Cooked Sundays will become a new movement

and TheFamilyCooksBook.com has recipes you

can make on Sunday and repurpose for meals

over the next three days.

“Here’s what is really shocking: The conventionalwisdom about diet and exercise isn’t true.”

and Nathalie Kaplan to name a few were in attendance). Laurie was so

excited as she spoke to everyone in the room; she explained how difcult

it is for families to eat healthy, how society has brainwashed us to think

that we cannot cook, and how her cookbook is a solution. “If I can do it,

anyone can,” she joked at the lunch, referring to her ability to cook the

healthy recipes in The Family Cooks. “After the release of The Family

Dinner, my co-author, Kirstin Uhrenholdt, really wanted to do a book to

teach children how to cook because it is a skill that will empower them

throughout their lives. But the more we spoke with our friends about

it, the more many of the adults we know said they wanted the book for

themselves! So The Family Cooks is a book for novice chefs of all ages

with simple recipes that have fve steps or fewer with real, whole foods,”

refected Laurie.

She was absolutely right. That night, I took home The Family Cooks,

went to Whole Foods, and cooked four recipes from the cookbook

(chicken adobo, tortilla chips, vegetarian tacos, and guacamole). I am

not exaggerating when I say every recipe I tried that night (and multiple

nights since then) was amazing! (The kale salad is incredible!) Laurie’s

favorite recipe is popcorn caulifower: “You simply can’t make enough

of it. It may not even make it to your table!” she enthuses. And I do not

consider myself a gourmet chef. These are easy, angst-free recipes.

When I asked Laurie what she found most surprising when work-

ing on Fed Up, she explained, “I thought I knew a lot about food when I

started working on this movie. We all did! I would eat low-fat yogurt or a

high-fber cereal for breakfast—but the more I learned about what is in

those “natural” products, well let’s just say I had to work through a lot of

guilt over what I fed my kids and my family all of those years.” She con-

tinued to explain, “But here’s what is really shocking: The conventional

wisdom about diet and exercise isn’t true, not all calories are equal and 80

percent of items in the supermarket have added sugar.” The news Laurie

David has to share isn’t always what you most want to hear—but it has

inspired me to think diferently about the choices I make every day.

Once you learn how

much exercise is

required to work of

the calories in a fast-

food meal, you think

diferently about what

you put in your body.

Right: Laurie with

Kirstin Uhrenholdt, one

of the co-authors of The

Famiy Cooks.

FAIRW_38-43.indd 42 6/20/14 11:52 AM

http://TheFamilyCooksBook.com


FAIRW_38-43.indd 43 6/20/14 11:52 AM

. . . it’s time for a little dolce vita

on the Amalf Coast . . .

FAIRW_44-45.indd 44 6/20/14 12:04 PM

FAIRW_44-45.indd 45 6/20/14 12:04 PM


Intmate ItalySu Misura means “ tailor made” in Italian,

and t he unique sensory experience elivered by t he luxury travel company are truly one-of-a-kind.

By Evan Hughes

FAIRW_46-51.indd 46 6/20/14 12:51 PM


Clockwise: The

amazing view from JK

Place’s terrace. The

gardens of Il Salivatino,

a 15th-century palazzo

in the hills outside

Fiesole. Take a stroll

through picturesque

Montalcino.

FAIRW_46-51.indd 47 6/20/14 12:51 PM


W hen Gabriella Contestabile, co-founder of

luxury travel company Su Misura, watched

her guests—travelers who had booked a

“bespoke” vacation experience tailored to

their tastes and interests—savor the sights,

sounds, scents, and tastes of Florence at an artisans event at the

Four Seasons Firenze, she knew it was an early highpoint in her

fedgling company’s history. “I saw something more than cursory

interest,” she recalls, describing how Su Misura’s guests mingled

with the perfumers, jewelry designers, chocolatiers, and leather

craftsmen. “I saw a desire to get inside the story, to connect on a

human level with that artisan cutting stones using a 15th-century

instrument, or a young shoemaker molding leather, or a young

woman weav silk on an 18th-century loom.” She sensed a palpa-

ble and visceral energy in the room and knew that Su Misura as a

concept “had legs.”

Sensory JourneysIt’s totally appropriate that Contestabile’s fve senses were key in

determining the success of the artisans event. After all, Su Misura

was founded by two well-traveled NYC-based women with a deep

background in Italian crafts, art, and food. Contestabile’s mother

was a seamstress and her father an Italian consulate representa-

tive, and she regularly visited her Italian hometown each summer,

where the family’s clothing was made by hand. Norma Frassa-Mc-

Grody’s parents ran an upscale Greenwich Village eatery, where

she learned that food was an art. Su Misura represents its two

founders’ artisanal sensibility—the notion that well-made clothing,

visual art, perfume, wine, and food are all part of what they have

called an “experiential mosaic.”

Idylic ItnerariesA typical Su Misura travel experience—between fve and 14 days,

for groups of six to 12 women—includes lodgings at luxurious JK

Place Firenze (Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, 7; jkplace.com) and

visits to artisanal perfume-makers, emerging Italian designers (in-

cluding consultations with stylists and tailors on fnding your own

personal style), the Oltrarno artisan district, Florence’s oldest silk

mill (where the craft of luxury silk-weaving is still practiced and

taught), the city’s oldest and most revered leather school, master

mosaicists as they create radiant images with colored stones, and

even a fashion-forward factory outlet store. Countryside excur-

sions include unforgettable landscapes, castles, the distinctive

FAIRW_46-51.indd 48 6/20/14 12:51 PM

http://jkplace.com


Opposite page:

Su Misura puts you

in the elgant sensory

surroundings of JK

Place, where each room

is a work of art.

This page: Checking in

at JK Place is truly like

stepping back in time.

FAIRW_46-51.indd 49 6/20/14 12:52 PM


Tuscan light—chiaroscuro—that has drawn artists to the region for

centuries, and a private winery tour and tasting and seasonal olive

oil tasting. Museum visits include the legendary Alinari Museum of

Photography, the Gucci Museum’s iconic shoes and handbags, the

Ufzi’s “secret” collection of Medici art via private tour, the Masac-

cio, Lippi, and Masolino frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel; and Flo-

rentine must-sees such as the Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens, with

your very own art historian accompanying you. Meals—at JK Place

and other fne dining locations—include tutorials on entertaining

Florentine style and conversation with local artisans, art histori-

ans, fashion consultants, and other sensory experts. The Su Misura

Daily Passport allows you to strike out on your own and explore a

variety of museums, restaurants, artisan studios, and boutiques.

Beyond HistorySu Misura’s “bespoke” itineraries are determined by each traveler’s

own wishes and priorities via online questions and customized ser-

vice (see “Bespoke Travel Made Easy,” opposite page). But the trips

are much more than a living history lesson. Contestabile is con-

sistently delighted by Florence’s fresh, contemporary vibe. “The

Florentines draw on their artisan heritage to craft brilliant and

innovative solutions and cutting-edge works of modern art,” she

notes, citing such examples as the new Antinary winery, the pho-

tography of Massimo Listri, the new opera house, and La Strozzina

Center for Contemporary Culture. “This is not so much a surprise

to me as an afrmation that art matters; it is the vital thread to our

collective consciousness. Art is more than a celebration of the past;

it’s a path to a more innovative future.”

Transformatve TravelIf the idea of putting together one-of-a-kind travel experiences

for clients who expect the very best seems challenging, you are

correct. But Contestabile is inspired rather than daunted. “The

biggest challenge is what makes this fun,” she enthuses. “Delving

into the desires and expectations of a truly passionate and curious

traveler while respecting privacy and spontaneity.” The passionate

co-founder of Su Misura must remain nimble and imaginative, and

on top of whatever is happening in Florence at any given time. “But

that’s why we travel, isn’t it?” she notes. “I once heard the director

of Palazzo Strozzi say, ‘One should never walk away from a work

of art unchanged.’ It’s the same with travel: We should never come

back the way we left.”

FAIRW_46-51.indd 50 6/20/14 12:52 PM


Opposite and this page:

From traditional elixers

to cocktails on the

terrace and artisanal

perfume, a Su Misura

vacation delights the

senses.

Bespoke Travel Made EasyInterested in a “tailor-made” sensory

journey to Italy? Here’s how to get started:

Visit sumisurasensoryjourneys.com and

peruse the company’s “master itinerary,”

which is intended to give you a taste of what

you might experience.

Contact Su Misura at sumisurajourney

@gmail.com to ask for a short online

questionnaire.

Complete the questionnaire, supplying

such information as preferred travel dates,

group size, any changes you’d like to make

to the master itinerary, budget, and areas of

preference (such as fne art, wine, cooking

classes, fashion, artisan visits, etc.).

Su Misura will schedule a phone call to

discuss your requests in depth, then prepare

a proposed bespoke itinerary just for your

group along with estimated pricing.

FAIRW_46-51.indd 51 6/20/14 12:52 PM

http://sumisurasensoryjourneys.com



2 0 E A S T 76 T H S T R E E T AT M A D I S O N AV E N U E R E S E RV E : 2 1 2 . 2 8 8 . 370 0 T H E S U R R E Y H OT E L .C O M

For extended stays at exclusive rates, please visit us online.


http://THESURREYHOTEL.COM

The Surrey is a discreet

escape on Manhattan’s

Upper East Side.

Steps from Central Park,

world-class museums,

and Madison Avenue

shopping, the hotel

features Cornelia Spa

and Daniel Boulud’s

Michelin-starred

Café Boulud. It is

New York City’s only

Relais & Chateaux hotel.

___________

TEA IN THE PRIVATE

ROOF GARDEN


By Evan Hughes

Inspiring Spaces

From left: City Beach

is a proposed foating

beach barge for NYC,

designed by workshop/

apd. Casa Moderne is

a luxury condominium

development on the

High Line.

FAIRW_54-59.indd 54 6/20/14 1:06 PM


Andrew Kotchen (left)

and Matthew Berman

founded architecture

and design frm

workshop/apd in 1999.

From luxury home design

to high-end commercial

development, the award-

winning visionaries at

workshop/apd are remaking

the way New Yorkers think

about design.

WO

RK

SH

OP/A

PD

(3

)

FAIRW_54-59.indd 55 6/20/14 1:06 PM


NYC-based design frm workshop/apd

made a splash in 2006 when it won the Sustainable Design Competi-

tion for New Orleans, sponsored by Brad Pitt and Global Green USA.

The frm’s founders, Andrew Kotchen and Matthew Berman, not only

helped bring afordable, sustainable living options to the Crescent City

in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, but also caught the attention of all of

us who care about contemporary architecture and design. Their crafted

modern aesthetic continues to shape the way forward-thinking New

Yorkers choose to live, and the team has been named one of the Top

15 Architects to Watch by Residential Architect and one of the Top 50

Architectural Designers by New York Spaces.

The frm continues to break exciting new aesthetic ground: Its latest

venture into hospitality, L’Apicio Restaurant in Manhattan’s East FR

OM

TO

P:

DO

NN

A D

OT

AN

; T

.G. O

LCO

TT

FAIRW_54-59.indd 56 6/20/14 1:07 PM


Left: The warm,

welcoming interior

of NYCÕs LÕApicio

Restaurant.

“We believe in the power of good design, its ability to afect your mood, lift your spirits, improve your image, and create a memory.”

Left: A private

townhouse on the

Upper West Side,

completely renovated

by workshop/apd

with an air of intrigue

about it.

Below left: Understated

modern interior

design is also a

major component

of workshop/apdÕs

mission.

DO

NN

A D

OT

AN

FAIRW_54-59.indd 57 6/20/14 1:07 PM


Above: Eclectic interior

design at The Printing

House, including a

table that’s a nod

to Mondrian, is an

example of the frm’s

playful style.

Above and left: The

Printing House, an

industrial space in

the West Village, was

reimagined by Kotchen

as a “rustic modern”

luxury residence.

In addition to luxury residences, workshop/apd brings a playfully crafted aesthetic to signature products, such as The Birdhouse.

DO

NN

A D

OT

AN

(3

)

FAIRW_54-59.indd 58 6/20/14 1:07 PM


Above: A beautifully

shingled private

residence whose

exterior will fade into

its environment over

time.

Village, welcomes diners with a warm atmosphere; Casa Moderne is

an eye-popping 10-story ground-up luxury residential condominium

project on the High Line; and City Beach seeks to make a decidedly

more literal splash—conceived by Blayne Ross and designed by work-

shop/apd, it is a foating beach barge with a Kickstarter program in

place to bring the innovative project to the Hudson River. In addition to

luxury residences and commercial developments, workshop/apd also

brings a playfully crafted aesthetic to custom and signature products,

such as The Birdhouse, designed as part of a fundraiser for Madoo

Conservancy in Sagaponack.

With luxury residences representing a major portion of the company’s

many projects, I asked Kotchen how they get started “collaborating”

with apartment- and homeowners on a renovation. “We cultivate in-

formation from a visual process with each client, which ends up being

very revealing not only for us, but also for our clients,” he says. “We try

to understand both what they desire in a new space while also estab-

lishing what their needs are.”

To learn more, visit workshopapd.com.

Right: The Birdhouse

was modeled after a

drinking satchel.

FR

OM

TO

P: T

.G. O

LCO

TT

; WIL

L S

TY

ER

(2

)

FAIRW_54-59.indd 59 6/20/14 1:07 PM

http://workshopapd.com


DANIELLE WEISBERG and CARLY ZAKIN have cracked the code to

keeping the news short and sweet.

please pass

FAIRW_60-61.indd 60 6/20/14 1:12 PM


U-LA-LA

Why did you decide to start theSkimm?

We both grew up news geeks. We really had a love of storytelling

from an early age. We pretty much always had our heads in books

or were asking way too many questions. We met studying abroad

in Rome, but didn’t put together our love of news and information

until later. We reconnected when we were both working for NBC

News, where we truly learned from the best in the business. But

the ideas behind theSkimm really came from our friends—super

smart, highly educated women leading busy social lives. They were

short on time and would ask us (who were paid to know what was

going on) to fll them in. We saw a void in the market place for news

delivered toward this valuable demographic in a way that they

respond to or that fts in with their routine.

Who is your primary audience and how are you growing it?

TheSkimm’s primary audience is women 22–34, educated, living in

big cities, with money to spend. The great thing about theSkimm,

though, is that it appeals to anyone short on time. We are popular

with all diferent age groups who respond to it for diferent

reasons—and 30 percent of our audience is men. We are doubling

down on growth by working with partners and continuing to put

down a great product each day.

Given the incessant fow of news today, how does theSkimm

prioritize news articles?

TheSkimm gives weight to what is the big news of the day and what

are the stories people are really talking about. We try for a good mix

of both. The idea behind the newsletter is that you should be able

to talk to someone no matter what industry they work in—so be it

fnance, education, politics, you have something to say.

What has been the biggest challenge in building theSkimm?

The hardest thing about starting theSkimm is that it’s our frst

business—so everything from quitting our jobs to launching to

fundraising to fnding an ofce to fnding a lawyer has been a frst

for us.

What advice would you give other start-ups?

Make time to sleep. We ran on adrenaline alone for the frst six

months and it really wasn’t healthy.

What is your favorite part of NYC? Hidden go-to spots?

We love our neighborhood, the West Village. It feels like a true

neighborhood in a city where that’s rare. Running along the West

Side Highway is one of our favorite things to do in the city. We also

love Tartine and Café Cluny.

What do you do in your spare time?

Sleep. And catch up with family and friends.

TheSkimm.com is your one-stop-shop news source

for all you really need to know before leaving the

house every morning. In an age of 24-hour news

coverage, the millennial generation now fnds

itself sufering from TMI (too much information),

a condition only aggravated by the multitude of

news sources, blogs, journals, podcasts, etc., vying

for a few free minutes of attention from our already

jam-packed days. TheSkimm has so far proven an

efective remedy to this rampant condition plaguing

our generation. Fairweather publisher Eric Goodman

interviewed the founders of theSkimm on the who,

what, when, where, why, and how of their explosive

new(s) start-up.

FAIRW_60-61.indd 61 6/20/14 1:12 PM

http://TheSkimm.com


B

TernPro has worked

on video production

for sports enthusiasts

and others around the

world. Inset: Bosché

at work on a TernPro

video.

BRIAN BOSCHÉ is a recent Dartmouth College grad whose imag-

inative business model, TernPro (ternpro.com), is not only an easy,

afordable tool for young professionals to promote their message and

brand, but it’s also the embodiment of Ivy Untapped (untapped.me),

the invite-only social network for the Ivy League community. I spoke

with Bosché about his company, and what it can do for people who

want to reach a target audience in an innovative way.

What is TernPro?

TernPro is a video production company that helps people create con-

tent to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defned and understood

target audience. We want to help people tell the stories they envision,

using our services. We help create content on a weekly or monthly

basis, such as travel videos and profles, all at an afordable cost. We

have worked with clients who are involved with travel, expeditions, ex-

cursions, Olympic athletes, sports events, Color Runs, outdoor events,

and real estate videos.

How is TernPro diferent from other video advertising companies?

We are based on a new model: Clients can upload an unlimited

amount of footage to our network, we edit it, and turn it into high

quality, genuinely engaged videos. We ofer guidance, we can provide

equipment, and help shoot footage as needed. Even though most of

the time we allow the clients to flm freely and submit the footage to

us, we’ve learned that not everyone has directing skills, so we provide

clients with a story outline of the video beforehand so that they know

what they are trying to shoot. We want the end result to be a profes-

sional video of our clients telling their stories from their point of view.

We think this is a huge improvement over the old industry model, in

which clients could fnd themselves with a video that did not represent

their company’s values and mission.

FAIRW_62-65.indd 62 6/20/14 1:25 PM

http://ternpro.com

http://untapped.me

FAIRWEATHER | SUMMER 2014 | 63Ready f

or Your Closeup?

TernPro is a video production service that allows rising entrepreneurs to make high-quality promotional videos and ads. Ivy Untapped member Nancy Guevara speaks with TernPro founder, and fellow Ivy Untapped member, Brian Bosché.

FAIRW_62-65.indd 63 6/20/14 1:25 PM


What does TernPro do once the client’s raw

footage is uploaded?

The clients provide us with ideas and tem-

plates and we provide the equipment needed

and services to edit the videos to accomplish

those ideas. Based on the creative direction

of the clients, we have a storyboard for the

video that we use for review, and edit to see if

it matches the client’s vision. We give clients

a few revisions so that they may make some

corrections. We work closely with the clients

during the revision period to develop their

video concept that they’ve envisioned.

TernPro allows clients

to capture footage

themselves—such

as these beautiful

athletic scenes—or will

provide equipment and

guidance for shooting.

FAIRW_62-65.indd 64 6/20/14 1:25 PM


How would I get started making a video with

TernPro?

Log on to ternpro.com and get in touch with

anyone on the team—it’s really that simple. The

website provides a project builder where clients

can customize their video package to make ev-

ery story unique. You can also choose the level

of support you’d like, all at an afordable cost.

What role has Ivy Untapped played in devel-

oping your career?

I just started using Ivy Untapped and I have

already been pleasantly surprised at how I’ve

been able to not only connect but collaborate with fellow Dartmouth

alumni I haven’t spoken with since graduation.

What advice do you give young professionals who have great ideas

for start-ups?

People are scared to talk about their ideas. Sure, they’re personal—it’s

like your baby that you don’t want to share. It’s the worst thing you can

do for a great idea! Ask people for feedback, don’t be afraid to tell peo-

ple about it, work with the industry, get feedback from professionals,

and make changes as needed. A lot of people get stuck with what they

want and never do anything to expand on it because they are afraid to

change. Don’t be afraid to share your great idea with the world!

How did you get started with your career?

Following graduation, I was given the opportunity to train with the Ven-

tures for America Program (VFA) for the summer. VFA provided crash

courses in business and investment. After the VFA training, I worked for

two years at Bizdom Start-Up Accelerator, which provided mentorship,

resources, and funding to help start-ups grow. I started TernPro because

I wanted to show companies how they could use video to engage and

captivate their audience. We wanted to help people tell their stories and

market their ideas by helping them capture live-action footage.

Where do you see TernPro in fve years?

I love this industry—it’s fun and creative. I’m defnitely looking to stay

with this company for as long as I can and expand the ways to capture

engaging stories and share them with the world.

LEARN MORE ABOUT IVY UNTAPPED: Visit untapped.me to fnd out how

you can tap into this exciting invite-only network for Ivy League students

and graduates—follow Ivy Untapped on Facebook.

FAIRW_62-65.indd 65 6/20/14 4:22 PM

http://ternpro.com

http://untapped.me


BLAKE FARBER sees things his way— and that has made him a sought-after music video director and rising flmmaker.

BLAKE FARBER is already a rising international director, cin-

ematographer, and editor. But if he ever needs a little inspiration,

he can draw it from his collaborators. You may have heard of a few of them: Beyoncé,

Alicia Keys, Dropkick Murphys… In fact, when Farber was co-directing Beyoncé’s

“Countdown” video, he was blown away by the singer-songwriter-dancer’s ability to

work 14-hour days while six months pregnant. “She’s a great person to work with. She

is nonstop working—she was even moving the lights, because she knows how they

look best on her. It was great,” says Farber.

But despite the glitz and glam—the young director has also worked with such lumi-

naries as Sepultura, David Sanborn, Anitta, Dead Fish, Negra Li, Onree Gill, Joe Sample,

Branford Marsalis, Hank Jones, Jonatha Brooke, John Mayer, Nile Rogers, and Jordin

Sparks—the NYC native still considers himself “more of a downtown punk guy.” And

that’s actually how he described himself to me when we frst met at the Cavalier Gal-

lery, where his father, world-renowned photographer Robert Farber, was exhibiting his

gorgeous photographs to beneft the National Meningitis Association.

After hitting it of at the gallery, I suggested we meet again at a wine bar. But Farber

teased, “Wouldn’t you rather go to some cooler, hipper café?” (We ended up compro-

mising and met up at a Czech café in Chelsea, Café Prague.)

Yes,

A Prized Point of View

by Alexandra Fairweather

FAIRW_66-71.indd 66 6/20/14 4:23 PM


Above: One of Farber’s

flm stills from working

with Rosie Varnier in

the U.K.

Left: Farber on set with

a unique set of stairs in

New York City.

FAIRW_66-71.indd 67 6/20/14 1:34 PM


As it turns out, growing up with photographer parents allowed Farber to see everything as

a potential photograph. “I see this table as a photograph,” he said of our café table. “I even see

that door as a photograph.” He’s seen things his way since he was 16, when he dropped out of

Santa Monica High School to pursue a career in flm. “I was already writing screenplays, draw-

ing storyboards during class, and the teacher would take them from me, so I thought, This isn’t

the place for me.”

The boy wonder landed a job at Fox Studios. “I learned flmmaking from watching. I helped

set up the lighting on sets and I learned by faking—I faked it completely and got yelled at a lot.

That was my Film School 101.”

‘I learned flmmaking by faking. I got yelled at a lot. That was my

Film School 101.’

Above: A flm still

from working with Um

Pörem Dois in Rio.

FAIRW_66-71.indd 68 6/20/14 1:38 PM


From top: A still from

a music video starring

Gena Perala in Canada.

A still from a music

video for hip hop MC

Slaine.

Farber at work,

shooting a rock band in

New York City.

AL

L P

HO

TO

GR

AP

HS

CO

UR

TE

SY

OF

BL

AK

E F

AR

BE

R

FAIRW_66-71.indd 69 6/20/14 1:38 PM


FARBER started to get noticed as a director when he combined his developing flm

craft with his other passion: music. Having formed his own punk rock band, Olde York

(which has already toured Europe twice), he casually started shooting music videos for

his friends’ bands. The response was encouraging. “People loved it and said I should keep doing

this,” he recalls.

Since then, Farber’s career has skyrocketed—and taken him all around the world, includ-

ing shooting K-pop videos in South Korea, music sensations in Italy, and rap videos in Qatar.

Then there was that time in Brazil when his whole apartment building was held hostage by

machine-gun-toting thugs until every bit of cash had been stolen. But even in adversity, Farber

fnds a way to spin things his way: When the thieves set the hostages free but took Farber’s dog

with them, he steadfastly searched for his dog, which resulted in his search becoming a Brazil-

ian media sensation.

These days, in addition to his already successful music production career, Farber is working

on several feature flms that are in pre-production. To learn more, please visit blakefarber.com.

Above: Showing

the label and the

managers the dailies

in Las Vegas.

Above: A moody video

shoot with Anitta in

Rio.

FAIRW_66-71.indd 70 6/20/14 1:35 PM

http://blakefarber.com


Left: Working on a

music video with Slaine

and his crew.

Above: A shadowy

music video starring

Anitta in Rio.MyNYC

‘I love vegetarian

cooking and

trying new

things. I like

to get out of

Manhattan and

head to the

ethnic markets

in Queens to

discover new

vegetables and

favors.’ —BF

FAIRW_66-71.indd 71 6/20/14 1:35 PM


Sherle Wagner

International is

known for its classic

mid-century look, but

Sherle Wagner himself

was very infuenced

by the innovative art

movements of the ’60s

and ’70s.

What are Sherle Wagner International’s

main infuences?

Architecture. The design, the shape, and the

history of architecture give us all an under-

standing of where we have come from, where

we are going, and where we should be headed.

Does a signature Sherle Wagner product

come to mind?

The dolphin basin set was the original Sherle

Wagner ftting—dating back to 1945. This

set embodies the history, elegance and hand

craftsmanship that defne the brand. But my

grandfather Sherle Wagner’s personal passion

was for the geometric, forward thinking de-

Unforgettable Fixtures

Continuing the tradition of beautiful design wedded to

everyday utility established by his legendary grandfather,

Sherle Wagner, EVAN GEOFFROY guides the family

company, Sherle Wagner International, into exciting new

aesthetic territory. Fairweather contributor Katherine Vogel

sat down with Geofroy for a peek behind the scenes at

the always surprising luxury fxtures company.

FAIRW_72-73.indd 72 6/20/14 1:49 PM


signs of the 1960s and ’70s. The Arco basin set

was introduced to the line very recently, and as

a contemporary departure from the deco styles

my grandfather loved so much, I think this set

embodies both the legacy and the future.

What unique processes does Sherle Wagner

employ in the manufacturing stages?

Our pieces are made by hand from start to

fnish by a skilled team of artisans in Fall River,

Massachusetts. We use processes that most

manufacturing companies believe to be too

time-consuming. We embrace these processes

and cherish the outcome.

What trends are you noting lately?

I think there is a renewed appreciation for the

classical. We seem to have moved beyond the

minimalist trend. Our clients seem particu-

larly attuned to living with objects of interest,

not that everything need be over the top, but

certainly featured items should come with

intrigue.

Where do you see tastes headed?

I strongly feel that fashion and design repre-

sent a deference to originality that transcends

trend. Particularly in one’s own home, stylistic

decisions have to last the test of time and show

individuality and expression.

What advice can you give for someone un-

dertaking a renovation project?

I think that renovating is a journey, not a des-

tination. Of course we all want to see the fnal

product, but if you approach renovation from

the standpoint that your ideas will change and

evolve, the process itself becomes more enjoy-

able. I also recommend making a short list of

what you cannot live without and work around

that. You are better of knowing where you will

not compromise than ending up lukewarm on

everything.

How often do you think one should replace

fxtures or redecorate?

In practicality, most people renovate when they

must. But given a choice—wait until you are

inspired!

Do clients shop diferently for a vacation

home than for a full-time or primary resi-

dence?

I think for their full-time home, a client will

cater to their particular personal style but with

functionality in mind. A client shopping for fx-

tures for a vacation home tends to be looking

for a space designed for an escape from every-

day life, a more laid-back atmosphere with the

overall feel of the home while staying true to

their style.

How do you see your style? How would you

describe your own tastes?

I am inspired by architecture, the clean struc-

tural lines and the geometric shapes seen all

over the world, this molds my style to have an

elegance and simplicity.

How would you describe your home’s aes-

thetic?

I have just recently moved to Williamsburg,

Brooklyn, and as the old saying goes, “The son

of the shoemaker has no shoes.” I have not

yet begun renovations. With my Tribeca loft,

I kept with the mid-century modern aesthetic

based on my grandfather’s design from the

early 1960s. In the bathroom, I chose white

onyx slabs that have a translucent glow. I felt

as though they absorbed and refected the

fxtures. I designed the space with details that

I truly loved and I will do the same in my new

home.

What are some fond memories you have of

growing up around Sherle Wagner?

Growing up around Sherle Wagner, I learned

about passion. My grandfather was famous for

saying “That is the best, now how can we make

it better.” He instilled in me the philosophy that

passion is the key to success—both in business

and in life.

Sherle Wagner’s advertisements inspired

homeowners to think of fxtures as much more

than merely functional, but an expression of their

personalities and lifestyle as well.

FAIRW_72-73.indd 73 6/20/14 1:49 PM


AAs real estate experts, we regularly visit the

beautiful homes of tastemakers and movers and

shakers. We have learned that there is truly an

ÒArt of LivingÓ that should be explored, studied,

and ultimately mastered. Recently, we spoke

with Gagosian GalleryÕs power gallerist, Kara

Van Der Weg, and the executive director of The

Drawing Center, Brett Littman, at the coupleÕs

gorgeous NYC home to discuss how their

lifestyle is a direct expression of who they are.

By Alexandra Fairweather & Lisa Graham

Photographs by Carrie Buell

The Art of Living

HEAT INDEX:

Top left: Kara and

Brett in front of the

leaded glass windows

they love. Above:

The couple's living

room showcases their

collection of art and

pottery.

LE

FT

: R

OB

ER

T W

RIG

HT

Left: Lisa Graham, a

Manhattan real estate

specialist with CORE,

most recognizable from

HGTV's Selling New

York, and Alexandra

Fairweather, an Upper

East Side luxury real

estate expert with

CORE, are on the

lookout for "The Art of

Living."

FAIRW_74-77.indd 74 6/20/14 2:03 PM


How do you defne “The Art of Living”

and how have you expressed it in your

home?

We’ve tried to create a living space that re-

fects who we are—our tastes, our friendships,

the fact that we are both creative people—and

feels special, so that it is a pleasure for us to

come home.

Do you have a favorite feature of your

apartment?

The leaded glass windows really convinced

both of us that it was the apartment for us.

How would you defne your style?

Eclectic and concise—living in New York, we

don’t have lots of things because there is nev-

er enough space, so what we do have around

us really matters.

As leading fgures in the art world, do

your passion and expertise infuence your

design at home?

Our friendships with artists really infuence

what we have in our apartment. That and our

travels—we love a good souvenir.

Do you have a favorite piece of art in your

apartment?

Everything has a meaningful story. But the

pieces with some personal history are espe-

cially important to us. We have Turkish tables

and shelving from Brett’s grandmother, who

sold antique replicas, and on the shelves are a

few pieces of my father’s pottery.

Do you have advice for people who are

interested in building an art collection in

their home?

Always be on the lookout for pieces that you

love. Also, you can build a great collection

with a very modest budget. Some of the art-

works we own have been acquired at charity

auctions and from memberships where you

pay a fee and get a new artwork once a year.

Brett used to be the director of Dieu Donne,

and they have a wonderful program that pro-

motes emerging artists.

FAIRW_74-77.indd 75 6/20/14 2:03 PM


Above: Kara with the

Jim Dine painting that

the artist gave her

when she worked at the

Guggenheim.

Top: Brett enjoys

showing visitors the

couple's extensive

pottery collection.

Could you talk about your extensive

pottery collection?

That collection is always evolving, and grow-

ing. Building it is something that we really

enjoy doing when we are traveling and at

antique stores around the U.S., especially. It

started with Brett’s interest in mid-century

design, and now we have plates to feed at least

six dozen people. Russell Wright’s American

Modern series, Tamac, and Raymor are a few

of our favorites. We both enjoy cooking, and

when we have dinner parties we select the

plates to suit the food.

What year was your apartment built?

How did the year it was built infuence

your design choices?

1929 by Rosario Candela. Previously we lived

in a factory building that had been convert-

ed to condos in the 1980s, and our style was

much more modern. Here we felt that we had

to fit the era while not making it feel like we

were living in a time warp.

Do you have a favorite neighborhood in

New York City?

That is tough to answer! We are really en-

joying getting to know our neighborhood,

which is variously defined as Lincoln Square

and Upper West Side. Downtown, in Soho,

is where The Drawing Center is located, so

Brett spends a lot of time there. And we lived

in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, for 10 years—

that neighborhood evolved tremendously

during the time we were there. There are so

many small local restaurants and shops there

that are fun to explore.

Why did you decide to live on the Upper

West Side?

The Upper West Side found us. It just hap-

pened that this was where we found an apart-

FAIRW_74-77.indd 76 6/20/14 2:03 PM


Kara and Brett's

pottery fnds a home in

their classic Manhattan

kitchen.

ment that felt right, but it seems that it is, in

fact, a perfect area for us. We are both within a

short distance of our jobs—I walk across Cen-

tral Park every morning to Gagosian Gallery

on the Upper East Side. It’s a pretty fabulous

commute. And we love being within walking

distance of half a dozen major museums.

What are your favorite spots on the

Upper West Side?

The Leopard, which is across the street from

us in the Hotel des Artistes, is a restaurant

with really delicious Italian food in a beauti-

ful, atmospheric setting. They have the orig-

inal Howard Chandler Christy murals that

he began painting for the Cafe des Artistes

in the 1930s—Marcel Duchamp and Isadora

Duncan used to eat there! Epicerie Boulud is

great for a quick co�ee or a glass of wine, and

the pastries are delicious. Having Lincoln

Center in our backyard is a huge luxury—we

can walk to world-class opera or symphony

performances in a matter of minutes. And I

could go on all day about all the things I love

about living near Central Park. It is one of my

favorite places in the city.

FAIRW_74-77.indd 77 6/20/14 2:04 PM


One of the greatest luxuries in life is

time, and that’s where I come in. It’s my job at

The Concierge (theconciergenewyork.com) to

make my clients’ lives easier—whether that’s

picking up your dry cleaning, stocking your

fridge, planning your next vacation, or buying

your mom a gift for Mother’s Day.

My philosophy is “Always Yes, Never No.”

I start every meeting the same way, “Tell me

about your life…” I want to know the ins and

outs of their routines, where they like to eat,

what they prefer to do in their free time. Once

they start talking, it’s clear to me what areas in

their life they need help with.

KRISTINA BRIGLIO is hard-

wired to take care of other

people. Here, she shares the

unique business philosophy

that turns her clients’ personal

challenges into smiles of relief.

GO-TO GIRLThe seed of The Concierge was planted when I worked at Lee Equity

Partners. Every day I saw these young successful guys who were working

long hours and didn’t have the time, let alone the energy or knowledge

to navigate their daily lives. Since I’m hard-wired to take care of other

people (I’m Italian!), colleagues started coming to me for everything:

Where should I eat? What should I buy my girlfriend? Do you know who

can repair my watch? I became the “little black book” for them, their

“go-to girl.” It was only a matter of time before I decided to do this for a

living, fnd a domain name, and, voila, The Concierge was born!

SUCCESS STORIESI love seeing the smile on the face of a client whose life I’ve made

easier—it’s a natural high. I recently planned a client’s 10th anniversary

trip to Istanbul. It was his wife’s dream and he wanted to surprise her.

The trip was fawless and when they returned, she couldn’t wipe the

smile of her face. Another client called me recently, very upset because

his dog had jumped on him and ripped his favorite Brunello Cucinelli

leather jacket, which his father had given him. I calmed his nerves and

told him “don’t worry.” A week later, that jacket was back hanging in his

closet as if nothing had ever happened. And I scheduled a visit to the

dog groomer—women aren’t the only ones who need to tend to their

nails! Another client has an incredible modern space in NYC’s Meat-

packing District. He’s always traveling for business, but when he is due

home, his request is for me to stock his fridge with all fresh produce from

the farmers market. He loves cooking and it’s my pleasure to spend a

beautiful Saturday morning perusing all the local produce. And a stop at

the wine store never hurt anyone.

YOUR TABLE IS WAITINGOne of the areas that my clients really truly trust me with is dining. I

know my clients—I know what they like, I know their taste, their per-

sonalities. And I know restaurants—I’m a serious foodie. Because every

reservation is a diferent situation—it’s a business dinner, a date, it’s a

client trying to impress the new in-laws. You name it, I’ve seen it. Being

able to pair my client with the right restaurant—atmosphere, ambiance,

everything down to the lighting and noise level—can make or break a

dinner. And having a great chef manning the kitchen doesn’t hurt either!

Those kinds of details are my job—keeping my busy clients’ day-to-day

lives free from stress.

secrets of aPRIVATE CONCIERGE

AR

TW

OR

K: C

HR

ISS

PA

GA

NI

FAIRW_79.indd 78 6/20/14 2:08 PM

http://theconciergenewyork.com


CAVU*

*Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited

THEN Edward Villella captured

by Bill Eppridge in the dancer’s

breakout role in George

Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, with

New York City Ballet. The native

New Yorker, widely regarded as

the fnest American-born male

ballet dancer, went on to found

Miami City Ballet.

NOW On August 16, Mr. Villella

will participate in Guild Hall’s Live

and In Person program in East

Hampton, New York.

FAIRW_80.indd 80 6/20/14 2:11 PM

gallery valentine

33 Newtown Lane, East Hampton

631.329.3100 [email protected]

www.galleryvalentine.com

George Condo, Lost in Time, 1999

Oil on Canvas 65 x 72 in.



http://www.galleryvalentine.com

. . . and now for some real stargazing . . .

FAIRW_COV4.indd 1 6/20/14 2:19 PM

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Fairweather Summer 2014

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