Quest Magazine April 2023

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CRAFT FRONT & CENTER

CRAFT FRONT & CENTER

CRAFT FRONT & CENTER

Exploring the Permanent Collection

Exploring the Permanent Collection

Exploring the Permanent Collection

ON VIEW NOW

ON VIEW NOW

ON VIEW NOW

Craft Front & Center has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Museum of Arts and Design together: Democracy demands wisdom. The exhibition is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Research was supported by a Craft Research Fund grant from the Center for Craft. Additional support from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

Craft Front & Center has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Museum of Arts and Design together: Democracy demands wisdom. The exhibition is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Research was supported by a Craft Research Fund grant from the Center for Craft. Additional support from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

Craft Front & Center has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Museum of Arts and Design together: Democracy demands wisdom. The exhibition is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Research was supported by a Craft Research Fund grant from the Center for Craft. Additional support from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

2 COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NYC | MADMUSEUM.ORG

Teri Greeves, Khoiye-Goo Mah , 2004.

2 COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NYC | MADMUSEUM.ORG

Teri Greeves, Khoiye-Goo Mah , 2004.

2 COLUMBUS CIRCLE, NYC | MADMUSEUM.ORG

Teri Greeves, Khoiye-Goo Mah , 2004.

CONTENTS

Philanthropy Issue

96 THE SUBSTANCE OF STYLE Shining a spotlight on the lovely women who are using their talents, time, and influence to contribute to their communities. This year, we’ve added Hillie Mahoney, Gretchen Leach, and Judy Lauder.

photographed by Harry Benson, Julie Skarratt, Annie Watt, Carrie Bradburn, Scott Erik Buccheit, and Jack Deutsch

120 NEXT GENERATION OF GENEROSITY Quest’s annual roundup of young philanthropists, featuring Georgina Bloomberg, Olympia Shields Bishop, and Olivia Debbs. by Brooke Kelly Murray

questmag.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DAVID PATRICK C O LUMBIA

DEPUTY EDITOR

ELIZABETH MEIGHER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

TYKISCHA JACOBS

MANAGING EDITOR

BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

ROBERT BENDER

PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE

JULIE SKARRATT

SOCIETY EDITOR

HI LARY GEARY

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

HARRY BENSON

KATE GUBELMANN

TONY HALL

ALEX HITZ

ROBERT JANJIGIAN

RICHARD JOHNSON

KAREN KLOPP

JAMES MACGUIRE

HAVEN PELL

CHUCK PFEIFER

DAISY PRINCE

LIZ SMITH (R.I.P.)

TAKI THEODORACOPULOS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

HARRY BENSON

CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY

BILLY FARRELL

MARY HILLIARD

CRISTINA MACAYA

CUTTY MCGILL

PATRICK MCMULLAN

NICK MELE

ANNIE WATT

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PHILANTHROPY

I WRITE THIS from Palm Beach on the very first day of Spring, where the temperature is 54 Fahrenheit ... while in Manhattan it’s a balmy 67 degrees (“go figure” as they say in the Bronx). Regardless, the days are definitely getting longer and the season of renewal and hope is now upon us. Alleluia! And with renewal comes generosity - of the heart, and from the pocketbook. At Quest, we’re celebrating our 16th annual Philanthropy Issue, featuring those remarkable and stalwart “Women of Substance and Style” who make a measurable difference in their respective communities through their charities, cultural institutions, and grass-roots outreach to those in quiet need. The simple tradition of photographing these ladies in white shirts continues, because, well ... it’s what’s inside that counts! And the incomparable Harry Benson, my colleague of five decades - at LIFE, TIME, PEOPLE and Quest - has brilliantly captured the humble majesty of these highly accomplished, yet genuinely modest women. This grateful publisher salutes each and every one of them.

And speaking of accomplished women, Quest salutes several younger philanthropists in these pages, including my former Clarke Avenue neighbor Olympia Shields Bishop, whose inspired dedication at Palm Beach Day Academy embraces this storied school’s simple credo of “work hard and be kind” - every day, inside and out of the classroom. Another dedicated lady who Quest admires for her community commitment is Gil Walsh. Our intrepid Palm Beach contributor, Jayne Chase, has profiled Gil and her highly efficient team, including their recent pop-up exhibition that featured the underwater photographic genius of Chris Leidy - a fine young professional and submariner lensman supreme!

As announced in a previous Pub Letter, the feared and fabled ex-Page Six columnist, Richard Johnson, has been holding court for Quest from his regular poolside table at Swifty’s in The Colony Hotel. Richard has recently penned posts on: Bob Colacello speaking at PB’s vaunted Society of the Four Arts ... Ambassador Earle Mack’s continued humanitarian missions

to Ukraine ... Paris Hilton’s great aunt BiBi’s juicy take re: the female Hilton line ... and an interview with the real estate savvy and eternally lovely Liza Pulitzer. Click into questmag.com/ richard-johnson to be even further entertained!

Per usual, we close with our SnapShot column on page #128. This month’s is written by yours truly, in tribute to Nelson Rockefeller, a genuine patrician politician whose personal philanthropy was as practical as it was magnanimous. Which conjured up the sage words of another legendary legislator, Teddy Roosevelt. A bold champion of “big stick” diplomacy which he tempered with a local touch, TR once ruminated on personal affluence: “ ... without the community, there would be little wealth for anyone”. Rockefeller and Roosevelt - two of New York’s finest and most capable statesmen, whose principles and standards produced fair and uncompromised governance. As we begin the 18 month slog toward a polarized national referendum, we’d do well to remember the strong national conscience of those previous leaders who lead our beloved Nation with courage, dignity and purpose - when Country always came first and foremost. ◆

Clockwise from bottom left: Olympia Shields Bishop; Richard Johnson; Liza Pulitzer Calhoun on Quest ’s April 2022 cover; Chris Leidy and Gil Walsh; Nelson Rockefeller; Gigi and Harry Benson; Earle Mack during his recent trip to Ukraine.

David Patrick Columbia NEW YORK SO CIAL DIARY

AS I SIT AT MY DESK IN New York writing this Diary, it is exactly four days until Spring. Yesterday it tried to snow –very light but hardly noticeable, blown in with a strong wind. Lasted about an hour. But we are leaving a snowless winter behind. Of course it could snow in April or May or even June

or July the way Mother Earth’s been acting lately. Anything’s possible the way things are changing.

It wasn’t so bad having a snowless winter in Manhattan. Much easier to get around, less cars and trucks keep the roads open enough that we can keep moving. Although a big snow

in New York City is something else besides traffic. It has its magic, if only for a few moments. People slow down because they’re forced to—at the risk of losing their balance. Although New Yorkers are always in a rush.

I missed Fashion Week this year. I’m not a fashion reporter

so it doesn’t matter. Except to me. I tend to “watch” fashion because it’s a serious part of the story, indicative of the roads we’re traveling and the talks we’re talking. And of course fashion changes. It goes with the flow. In the past four years it has changed noticeably. The day-to-day fashion for many—

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AT ANNABEL'S IN LONDON

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Imani-Lara Lansiquot

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both men and women—has changed to the point where many believe there is no fashion anymore. Not true; Fashion is always an indicator of where we’re at as a society.

It reflects our state of being. Up until the end of the 19th century, the hems of women’s skirts that were only an inch or two from the floor—where they had been for centuries— began moving upwards to, and eventually above, the ankle, and then the “mini” above the knee. It was literally revolutionary, beginning in the 20th century as never before in the history of civilization. This “change,” now long forgotten, changed everything in our way of life.

Fashion is a natural indicator of our state of being individ-

ually. And where we’re going. And in New York – which is the center. The “where we’re going” part is the subject these days. And it so happens that the last 150 years has transformed our entire civilization; all of us. Although we have always had “leaders,” history is about All Of Us down through the centuries, and how we behave.

Speaking of behavior, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York as you may know had been in town lately plugging her new book, a novel entitled A Most Intriguing Lady, described as a “sweeping, romantic, compulsively readable historical saga” about a Duke’s

daughter. Can’t-put-it-downable. The duchess certainly has the background and experience right there at the top to write such a tale. And of course you’ll be wondering who the characters are/were in real life.

Over the last decade the author has spent a bit of time here in New York as Andrew’s ex-wife. A few years ago, Daisy Soros hosted a reception where I had the pleasure of meeting her. She’s a very likeable woman and very relatable; naturally congenial. At that time she was being very industrious also, making a new life for herself. I never happened to follow the breakup of

that marriage. I’ve never met the Prince but (knowing nothing about their relationship) I’ve thought he’d never find another to match his loss of her.

Today you follow these affairs instead of the hard news that affects us all, you’ve learned that Sarah and Andrew are now very much together. She’s back and under the same roof. And of course, it’s not just any roof, although Sarah struck me as a person it didn’t matter what or whose roof: she cares about him.

She told some reporter that she is basically looking after him, in concern and sympathy for his royal plight, and no matter what we commoners are thinking, royal or not royal, speaking of titles and allowanc-

Sarah, Duchess of York

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es and the comforts he’s grown used to since the day he was born in 1960.

Which wasn’t his fault, landing as Number 2 a.k.a The Spare in that family. Reading about his situation, I could only think he’s got in her the best thing he ever had. And she’s back, with Common Sense and caring. We learn that she and her ex-mother-in-law, the Queen were on very good terms and she believed Sarah could help her boy.

This whole story, nevertheless is associated with the Prince’s fatal misfortune of having known the late or not-solate Jeffrey Epstein

She spoke with natural finality about the marriage. Howev-

er, we can now see that 12 years later, she has returned and put all of that behind her. It is definitely good news for the Prince, who could use some good news to go with his good ex-wife. You can file it under Hope.

On a Wednesday last month, Jeff Hirsch and I made one of our rare duo excursions onto the streets of Manhattan so he could photograph an exhibition at the Frick Madison, which is temporarily located in the “old” Whitney Museum – which having been built a little more than 50 years ago was designed by Marcel Breuer, and later in more recent times and location, by Renzo Piano.

I’ve visited the “old” Whitney

and the even much older Frick many times in my life. In terms of content and architectural design they were as unalike and dissimilar as museums can be. Although they both were constructed in the 20th century— the Frick in 1913 and thereabouts; and the Whitney in the mid-1960s.

They both were “founded” by single individuals – Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and Henry Clay Frick, with multi-million dollar fortunes first made at the end of the 19th century. Mr. Frick’s eye was on the classics and Mrs. Whitney’s was on the Now and Tomorrow

Both establishments have not only survived but expanded

to new heights and influence.

The Whitney, the younger architecturally, and drawing the eye’s interest, has expanded extensively to an even more modern – or is it post-modern? – architecture built on Gansevoort Street in what used to be called (right up into the mid-20 century) the Meatpacking District.

So it is a sweet irony that these centers of art are now doing business with each other to support their objectives for the clamoring crowd. It’s one of the great things about the time in which we’re living.

This all came to mind when I entered the former Whitney now called the Frick Madison. I love the Frick Collection for

Alexandra O’Neill Indre Rockefeller and Lily Kwong Cécile Lochard

Gillian Hearst

George Matelich, Susan Matelich, and Richard Chilton, Jr.

NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN'S ORCHID DINNER AT THE PLAZA

Jill Joyce

Lilah Ramzi

many reasons/aspects and personal history, with its classic roots both interior and exterior. It’s like walking into another time but in the Right Now.

But walking into the Frick Madison is definitely the flip side. Still new and fresh and dynamic with its own kind of late 20th century grandeur. The interior is impressive, spacious, beautifully organized (I’m referring to the lobby), but suddenly relaxing and comfortably warm with a really nice neighborly disposition for us visitors.

I enjoyed just walking around the building just to take in the effect of the architecture on one’s imagination. However we were there to view “The Gregory Gift,” described as an exceptional collection of bronzes, sculptures and Limo-

ges enamels. The collection reminds one (who knows about these things) of the “Kunstkammers (cabinets of curiosities)” created by Renaissance princes for the display of precious objects, exotic natural specimens, and assorted other curiosities.

It is so specific in its authenticity that unless it is of personal interest, you might be inclined not to bother. However, on display in this museum environment, it becomes fascinating and draws you in.

The “Gift” was that of Alexis Gregory, an American and a New Yorker who was born in 1936 in Zurich of Russian parents, where the world surrounding them was already

getting into the War Habit. The Gregorys soon emigrated to New York, and the young Alexis as a child frequently visited the Frick with his parents.

Alexis grew up in New York with the natural influence of his sophisticated and internationally social parents. As an adult he became very active in collecting and also founded the celebrated Vendome Press, the premier Publisher of Art and Illustrated Books. He named it after the most elegant square in Paris, the Place Vendome. Its mission is to imbue every book it publishes with the impeccable taste of its namesake

That should tell us every-

thing we need to know about Mr. Gregory’s taste and sense of life; an elegant man himself whose physical presence exuded his eye. He died only a few years ago, in his eighties, assured that his collection can be appreciated for many who would never know otherwise the wonder and the thrill of it for those who came before us.

Ian Wardropper, the Director of the Frick described it thusly:

“Alexis Gregory had one of the finest collections of Renaissance and Rococo decorative arts in this country. His deep affection for the Frick led to his bequest.”

The “Gregory Gift” features 28 acquisitions in a variety of media and forms, curious luxury objects (“luxury” to princes and queens of 17th and 18th

Henry Clay Frick

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centuries and onwards) which when shown together give you an idea of a “fine collectors cabinet” (or Kunstkammer).

Among the collection are Limogesa enamels, two clocks, two ewers, a gilt-bronze sculpture, a serpentine tankard, an ivory hilt, a rhinoceros horen cup, a pomander, and two stunning pastel paintings by Rosalba Carriera.

They are beautiful and naturally elegant. I was curious about the painter’s name since in those earlier days rarely were there women artist/painters. Rosalba I soon learned was indeed a woman and also very successful in Europe in her day 400 years ago when the art really belonged only to one gen-

der. Rosalba was one of the few exceptions— good marketing even then—and famous for her work in Europe, then the center of the world.

The collection is not extensive. It is on display on the Fourth Floor along with many of the other classic pieces that have been transferred temporarily from the house on Fifth Avenue which is closed while undergoing additions to expand their library for students.

It’s captivating, and in an architectural environment that enhances the beauty of the art

of those times long past. They tell us about the life of those who possessed and appreciated these objects of “luxury” in a time and a place which in retrospect remains simpler, more imaginative and a wonder (for us).

Our life in the movies. Last month a friend knowing my lifelong interest in Hollywood and its cast of character, gave me a new biographical piece, Frank and Marilyn by Edward Z. Epstein Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. A really excellent biographical piece about two actors and entertain-

ers who met fame and fortune and each other in Hollywood in mid-20th century. Everyone knows or knew who they were. We read about them in the papers and the magazines, saw their films and had (imagined) personal relationships with them. And besides their films, their private lives were another movie. Such was Hollywood fame and fortune in the mid20th century.

First hearing about the story, it never occurred to me that they knew each other. It was never written about or noted in their public lives. I don’t recall ever seeing anything about them back in the day and their prime. And I was a fan of both. This book is centered by the

Frank & Marilyn

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Gigi Benson and Wendy Cox

Hilary and Bryant Gumbel

Jennifer Garrigues and Rochelle Ohrstrom

Jeff and Frances Fisher Michael Landes, Mimi Landes, Wendy Benson Landes and Dominic Landes

Judy Glickman Lauder and Harry Benson Talbott Maxey and KC Pickett

reader’s natural interest around Marilyn. I was a big fan, ordinary as that was in those times. So were millions. I saw her as a comedienne but something else that ran deeper. That was the appeal. That and sex. As “fans”, the audience learned early about the personal history of that (not dumb) blonde who was also hilarious and compelling.

She lost her mother very early in her childhood, not to death, but to mental factors. Ironically her mother actually outlived her by a number of years. She was a foster child. Her mother was mentally inaccessible. That is the ultimate loss in a child’s life.

Loss of mother leaves a profound mark on the child which they take through life. Marilyn Monroe clearly bore that mark,

LIGHTHOUSE GUILD'S DINNER IN PALM BEACH

and the impression it made on her became her prize and that eternal loss. As it happened, her mother outlived her by decades, cared for with a trust set up by Marilyn in her will.

Epstein’s book is like reading about Marilyn for the first time. It brings that all to mind while taking us up to the heights and then down the path of a very intelligent, driven, hardworking, curious and ambitious woman who took the name from her original Norma Jean and turned into Marilyn Monroe—names she chose from others’ fame and fortune.

Frank and Marilyn is a very good book about the princi-

pals, about the film industry at its zenith in Hollywood, and about American politics and its players. Monroe is a tragic figure but as a mere female, unmothered and otherwise neglected, she nevertheless had the brilliance to pursue a career that made her one of the most famous women in the world. Both characters, Frank, and Marilyn, had very dramatic 20th century show business lives. They both came from working class backgrounds where struggle was a given. Monroe’s life especially was of its time – the triumph of the Women’s Liberation Movement.

She was one of those women privately. With all of her childhood losses, the personality was so strong that she could still “go out into the world” and “succeed.” I put it in quotes only because as successful as we the audience saw the movie star, we were also aware of the road she’d traveled on from the beginning of her life, and yet still could emerge a hugely successful personality.

This book is the first time I’ve read about Marilyn’s demise which followed only months after she performed singing “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to President John F. Kennedy at his massive public birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden before thousands of paying guest/customers.

The moment was televised and a great sensation. In Frank

Marilyn Monroe

Candy Hamm and Michael Donnell

Jennifer and David Fischer

Eleanora Kennedy and Joan Schnitzer

Linda Talarico and Mary Mahoney

Mashi and Manucher Azmudeh

Tom Quick and Frannie Scaife

John and Sharon Loeb

and Marilyn, Epstein takes us to the creation of that moment and especially of the “dress” that Marilyn wore which was specifically sexy, revealing, and brilliantly constructed artfully, all for her personal message to the man with whom it is she was involved.

Anyone who’s ever seen photos of the dress get it. Marilyn had chosen its designer with everything in the mind that the dress/gown would speak not only to the President but to the world watching. It was a sensation.

That dress was the original crack in mirror, however. From the moment she stood before the crowd on that stage singing directly to the birthday boy, he never spoke to her again. This was deeply upsetting for her.

There’s more to the story and nothing in her favor. Mar-

ilyn’s death came suddenly and shockingly, concluding suicide. Mr. Epstein’s biography leaves the reader with an entirely different conclusion. The 20th century American way of life has changed, for all, and has transformed daily life noticeably if not radically. The change is sociological and behavioral. Its roots in the late 19th through the late 20th century in this country were sprouted in the world we now call Silicon Valley, affecting the entire civilization.

The electric light, the telephone, Henry Ford’s Model T had transformed our country in the last century into its glorious success and power in the world right up until the

last decade.

Marilyn and Frank. Frank and Marilyn. They both represented fantasy figures of their age who came from the bottom of the social ladder, and rose by their own efforts to the very top of their world, our world.

Memories change. Early last month a publicity photo came in my email. It was a designer ad (Romona Keveza) which ordinarily I would immediately delete and move on. But what caught my eye in this one was the woman in the red dress. She looked familiar, a little like a New York society woman, maybe a hostess at her best for a dinner she was hostessing. Although she also looked like Jamie Lee Curtis who happened

to be the daughter of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis.

Yes, that was she, so it said in the caption, but she had now become a blonde; a natural grey-blonde, which gives her an entirely different image. Older, more established, self-possessed with a nature that enjoys a lot of life. It turns out that Ms. Curtis was dressed in this for an awards evening she was hosting. But you can tell the story by the face; a very cool and good hostess, welcoming and amused.

I was drawn to it because it revived very pleasant memories of my life out there thirty years ago. I met Jamie Lee back when I was living out there in Hollywoodland. I knew her mother. Back then, Janet and Donna Reed and Debbie Reynolds all looked after the home care of the aging Lillian Burns Syd-

Jamie Lee Curtis

HOLIDAY HOUSE'S EVENT AT THE COLONY PALM BEACH

Andrea and John Stark

Olivier Nourry and Katharina Platt

Sarah Wetenhall, Helmut Koller and Catherine Adler

Campion and Tatianna Platt with their children Ashley Stark

Jane Hanson and Amy Rosenblum

ney who had been the Acting Coach at M-G-M throughout its golden years from 1938 to 1954.

Lillian had a powerful personality in her post at the Studio. It was she who decided whom they had under contract who would get the “star treatment”—which was in those days, an actual business plan to create a star. Stars were made in those days when the moguls started and owned the studios. They were their most valuable assets. Lillian, who was highly cultured as well as having a clear view of the image that the studio represented to the public, got the message and had the eye for it.

So as she moved into her late 80s and early 90s, she lived alone in a comfortable apartment in Westwood and was looked

after by these three actresses, all of whom had been guided professionally by Lillilan. It was notable to see the caretakers looking after this powerful personality who preferred taking care of herself, ideally speaking. As charitable as it looked, they all pitched in as they all would do for a family member with the idea of keeping Lillian at her place in the world.

Three movie stars in the role of three caring daughters. Debbie had organized it after Lillian’s husband director George Sidney left her for Edward G. Robinson’s second wife and widow. Despite her powerful personality, maternal in a wise sense, Lil-

lian was crushed by George’s departure. Which takes me back to the Society matron in the scarlet gown looking like today’s version of CZ Guest or Babe Paley that was Jamie Lee Curtis, ready for her closeup and looking like the nice and really lovely lady that she is. I didn’t see this year’s Oscar telecast but I learned soon after that Jamie also won the Oscar for best-supporting actress!

And while we’re on the subject of beauty, on a Thursday night right here in little ole New York, the New York Botanical Garden hosted its annual Orchid Dinner at The Plaza for nearly 400 guests, raising more than $800,000 to

support the Garden’s global plant research, conservation and education initiatives. The evening was in celebration of The Orchid Show: Natural Heritage, which opened on February 18th in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

This annual dinner is famous to its patrons for astounding beauty that is created and put forth on the tables and in the room. Known for stunning table centerpieces of large-scale orchid arrangements created by the country’s most innovative designers, florists, landscape enthusiasts, this year’s designs did not disappoint and showcased dramatic, colorful bold works, inspired by artist Lily Kwong’s vibrant, and fantastical vision. Ms. Kwong’s message to the guests: “To be honored with the distinction of guest designer for

Lily Kwong

Sharon Bush and Bob Murray Liz McDermott, Cheryl McKee and Bettina Bennett Chips and Sarah Page

Lee and CeCe Black

Jean Doyen de Montaillou and Michael Kovner

FRENCH HERITAGE SOCIETY'S PALM BEACH DINNER

Guy Robinson and Elizabeth Stribling

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the 20th annual Orchid Show has been a joy and privilege. It has been deeply rewarding to see the public connect with Natural Heritage, and consider our powerful ancestral connections to the plant world.”

The evening began with cocktails and the sale of exceptional and rare orchids, as well as a tour of the designers’ imaginative tablescapes. Guests had the opportunity to meet designers and experience the inspiration behind their creations. A multi-course dinner began promptly thereafter with an exclusive performance from Gina Alice, Guerlain’s Orchidee Imperiale global ambassador and world-renowned pianist. Later guests danced to music by Timo Weiland

Proceeds from the evening support the Botanical Garden’s

premier programs in horticulture, botanical research, and children’s education – central to preserving and protecting the plant world.

The Orchid Dinner’s Gala Chairs were Maureen and Richard Chilton, Jr., J. Barclay Collins II and Kristina Durr, Ravenel Curry and Jane Moss, Gillian Hearst, Cecile Lochard, Holly and Todd Lowen, Susan and George Matelich, Tina and Steven R. Swartz, and Mr. and Mrs. Edward K. Weld. Junior Chairs were Sara Arno and Kevin Cornish, Lizzie Asher, Naeem Crawford-Muhammad, Casey Kohlberg, Isabel Leeds and Rebecca Vanyo

The designers and companies who donated their services to create the evening’s breathtaking tablescapes included A-List Interiors, Kristen Alpaugh of FLWR PSTL, Ace Berry AIFD of Fulshear Floral Design, Brian Bowman and Dan Dahl of Bowman Dahl, Floral & Event Design, Marcella Rodriguez Broe of The Parcel Flower Co., Ingrid Carozzi of Tin Can Studios, Calvert Crary of Flower School NY & LA, Lily Dierkes of LKStudio, Jacqueline Elfe of Stellar Style Events, Keiko Ellis of Botanique K by Cloud, Zoe Feldman of Zoe Feldman Design, Molly Ford of Flowers

by Ford, Chris Goddard of Goddard Design Group, Michael Gonzalez of Verde Custom Flowers Inc., John Goodman of JL Goodman Design, Malka Helft of Think Chic Interiors, Sarah Khan of Sarah Khan Event Styling, Aamir Khandwala Interior Design and Nicolas Cogrel, Canaan Marshall of Canaan Marshall Design, TJ McGrath of TJ McGrath Designs, Lewis Miller Design, Michelle Murphy of Demi Ryan, David Netto Design, Susie Novak of Susie Novak Designs, Kelsea Olivia of East Olivia, Beth O’Reilly AIFD of Dutchess Bouquets, Hilary Pereira and JSA Stud NYC, LaParis Phillips of Brooklyn Blooms, Hollis Loudon Puig of Hollis Loudon Interiors, Romanek Design Studio, Olivia Rose of Original

Gillian Hearst

Michael and Annie Falk

Ella Ross, Sean, Beth and Lulu Lang

Tom Mihaljevic, Beth Mooney and Conor Delaney

John and Giuliana Koch

Simone and Kerry Vickar

CLEVELAND CLINIC'S FLORIDA BALL IN PALM BEACH

Lynne Wheat and Thomas Peterffy Marianne and Dean Metropoulos

Rose, Rudy Saunders of Dorothy Draper & Co., Mally Skok of Mally Skok Designs, Studio Lily Kwong, Gerald Tolomeo of Gerald Tolomeo LTD, Robert Ventolo of Crain and Ventolo, Joy Williams of Joyful Designs® Studio.

The Garden was pleased to have French luxury beauty brand Guerlain as a sponsor of the evening with additional support from Hearst. “The TianZi Exploratory Reserve represents over 1,100 acres (450 hectares) of orchids in their natural habitat, one of their oldest birthplaces,” said Minguo Li-Margraf, Head of the TianZi Exploratory Reserve. “In partnership with Guerlain, we have reintroduced more than 20,000 orchids and are proud to extend our commitment for the coming decade.”

Meanwhile down in Palm Beach where the action is (socially) our friend Photojournalist Harry Benson CBE was presented with the Key to the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens as the 2023 Artist in Residence. CBE, not so incidentally, stands for Commander of the Order of the British Empire, granted to Harry a number of years ago by Queen Elizabeth II

Harry, as you may know, began his distinguished career when he was a young man from Scotland (Glasgow) working with his camera for Fleet Street, which ultimately brought him to the the U.S. in 1964 to cover the American

debut of The Beatles which –because of his wisdom of his eye – made him famous to the American public looking at photos of them having a pillow fight in their bedroom in a New York hotel. The pillow fight was Harry’s idea since he had the camera and boys in the band in the hotel with nothing to do (after making their American debut on the Sunday night “Ed Sullvan Show”) and suggested they get a little action for his camera.

Since that prized moment, for the next half century Harry has photographed American life and its characters, its Presidents, its movie stars and even

Truman Capote hamming it up for Harry’s camera in a gay bar in New Orleans (for People magazine) with a bunch of drag queens who amused Capote. The boy from Scotland who became the photographer from London, has photographed the world and especially the American way of life – which is where following his much herald debut, he made his way (and even married a girl from Texas) and has lived here ever since.

This isn’t Harry’s first “award”—this one was presented to him by Frances Fisher, President of the Board of Directors on that Friday evening, at the newly completed Sculpture Gardens Gallery in West Palm Beach. Harry and his wife Gigi keep a house down there in the sun as their getaway from New York’s winters.

Beatles Pillow Fight by Harry Benson

TOASTING THE CORAL TRIANGLE AT GIL WALSH'S SHOWROOM IN WEST PALM BEACH

Cori Lee Seaberg

Gil Walsh

Jayne Chase, Grace Meigher, Sharon Bush and Jules Reid Julie Graham, Blake Hanley and Jessie Pulitzer

Elizabeth Meigher and Kim Coleman

Wendy Cox, Chris Leidy and Katie Carpenter Austin and Kristina Bryan

Minnie Pulitzer McCluskey, Lilly Leas and Robin Baker Leacock

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BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF PALM BEACH'S WINTER BALL AT THE BREAKERS

1. Martin and Audrey Gruss 2. Mayor Dani Moore and Jaene Miranda 3. Ambassador Howard and Gretchen Leach 4. Pauline Pitt and Jerry Seay 5. Ambassador David and Jennifer Fischer 6. Brooks and Olympia Bishop 7. Kathy Connors Muller, Gregory Connors and Julie Connors 8. Bonnie McElveen Hunter with Hasham and Kate Khorsavani 9. Vera Serrano with Jim and Cherie Flores

4

1. Tom Quick, Lynne Wheat and Thomas Peterffy 2. Christine and Bob Stiller

3. Charles and Ann Johnson 4. Ellen Merriman and Amanda Schumacher

5. Carol Moran and Mashi Azmudah

6. Jermaine Lovely 7. Steve and Andrea Wynn 8. John and Amy Phelan 9. Charles and Helen Schwab 10. Bob and Debbie Dunkin with Sean and Erin McGould

The event was also the opening of his exhibition, “Picturing History,” attended by Gigi and their daughter Wendy, and her husband Michael Landes and Harry’s grandchildren Mimi and Dominic, who flew in from Los Angeles for the event.

Nearby were the co-chairmen of the event, Karyn Lamb and David Miller, committee members Mieke van Waveren, Linda Silpe, and Sarah Benitz; Director of the Sculpture Gardens, Margaret Horgan; Palm Beach Modern’s Nick Korniloff and Pamela Cohen; Jaye Luntz and Gabriel Gordon from JL Modern Gallery who curated

the exhibit, along with The Gardens’ Donna Pfeiffer; and Frances’ husband, Jeff Fisher

The event had a huge turnout. Among those attending were slew of friends, to name just a few, including Edwina Sandys, Hilary and Bryant Gumbel, Susan Lloyd, Wendy Bingham Cox, Julia Hansen and Bill Foulk, Michel Witmer, Simone Levinson, Luce Churchill, John Loring, Fernanda Niven, Erin Flanagan, Cari Anderson and David Lubben, Annette Tapert, Maribel Alvarez, Rose Olsham, Caroline and Victoria Lloyd, Dr. Michael Ray, Dr. Sowmya Kishor and Dr. Krishna Kishor, Talbot Max-

ey, Scott Huston, Jane Ylvisaker, Regine Traulsen and Bill Diamond, Susan Magrino, Burt Minkoff, Jane Moore, Rochelle Ohrstrom, Missie Rennie, Brownie Warburton, Sharon Bush, Elizabeth and Bill Leatherman, Michael James, Eva Roosevelt, Charlie Scheips, Jennifer Ruys, William Blair Meyer III, and fellow photographers including the celebrated Judith Glickman Lauder and Priscilla Rattazzi, Neal Tandy and Palm Beach’s own Carrie Bradburn.

As Harry signed books, the crowd spilled over into the Sculpture Gardens where tables and chairs were set up

and guests enjoyed the lovely evening breeze. The exhibition includes the 12 US presidents that Harry has photographed; and the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II taken as the official portrait for the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

The exhibition will be up until the end of June with several events planned including the screening of the documentary Harry Benson: Shoot First. By then, a great many New Yorkers who took refuge in warm and sunny Palm Beach during our snowless winter season, will have returned to the then sunny New York. ◆

CELBRATING VALENTINE'S DAY AT DOUBLES IN NEW YORK

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J.MCLAUGHLIN'S LUNCHEON WITH QUEST AT CLUB COLETTE IN PALM BEACH

Meghan and Karen Klopp

Jay Keith and Lucy Musso

Jayne Chase and Jack Lynch

Lesly Smith and Vicky Hunt

Grace Meigher, Pauline Pitt and Annette Tapert Allen

Mimi McMakin and Wendy Cox

Richard Johnson

Mary Ellen Coyne and Amanda Cummings

Gil Walsh and Corina Papanicolaou

Lore Dodge and Ann Summers

Lauriston Segerson and Amanda Frank

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For full schedule and tickets to Opera Lafayette's New York City Baroque Music Festival, visit www.operalafayette.org/ny-2023

PRESERVATION FOUNDATION OF PALM BEACH'S DINNER DANCE

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NAMING OF THE METROPOLITAN OPERA’S SEVEN LOBBY CHANDELIERS IN MEMORY OF DONALD GIBBS TOBER IN NEW YORK

Dominic and Nella von Habsburg

April Gow and Peter Gelb

Nassrin Iromloo Zahedi and Oscar Tang

Liane Pei, Oscar Tang and Shannon Gibbons

Carrie Rebora Barratt and Tinu Naija

Barbara Tober

Sana Sabbagh and Jonathan Marder

Cece Cord and Marta Nottebohm

Layla Diba and Lisa Vita

Barbara Taylor Bradford, Sandra Whitney, Nicky Downey and Kenneth Koen

Palm Beach Mayor Dani H. Moore with her mother, former mayor Lesly S. Smith, 2013.

IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY

THE HONORABLE Lesly Stockard Smith, former mayor of Palm Beach, and her daughter, Dani H. Moore, who is now the Honorable mayor of Palm Beach, were photographed in 2014 for my book, Palm Beach People, co-authored with writer Hilary Geary Ross. (I did the photography while Hilary wrote the text, and along with Gigi who scheduled the over 200 Palm Beachers who are in the book.)

The former mayor, who began coming to Palm Beach in 1952, told Hilary and me at the time of the photograph:

“What I love about Palm Beach is, even at 100 years old, it remains young at heart. Palm Beachers enjoy a sense of community and the generous spirit of a small town, but we share the sophistication and excitement of some of the world’s greatest cities. Yes, we are set in our ways, but we are open to new ideas, too. No one would call us provincial. Our neighbors are rock stars of a certain age, retired CEOs, outspoken politicians, hightech entrepreneurs, philanthropic dowagers, young families, and more…a bond that energizes the town and keeps us looking forward.”

Fast forward 12 years, Dani has followed in her mother’s footsteps and was elected to the Palm Beach Town Council in 2015. And in 2021, she was sworn in as Mayor of Palm Beach. She begins her upcoming second term on April 3, 2023.

Quite a mother-daughter accomplishment I would say. Both women continue to lead extremely busy lives with work, friends, and their support of many fine causes that extend beyond the shores of Palm Beach. ◆

LONG LIVE THE RICH

GSTAAD—The man in the white suit is not exactly a matinee idol around these parts. The  mauvaises langues have it that the rich fear him more than the poor because they have more to lose. I’m not so sure, although it does make sense. It did not in the past: Spartan kings were on the first line of battle, unflinchingly eager to show their troops how to die. Samurais worshipped a heroic death,

shunned opulence, but were employed by very rich patrons who answered to all their needs. It was a symptom of the times. Teutonic knights, and those of the Round Table, officers during the Napoleonic Wars, all had a lot to lose but fought bravely and to the death. I could go on about scions of rich gentry who led attacks for both sides in World War I. The Japanese, needless to say, rich or

poor, turned courage into a death cult. No longer. Not too many multimillionaires died in Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, in fact I can’t think of anyone offhand. Oliver Stone had a very rich mother and was awarded a Bronze Star in the Nam, but at the time he served he was penniless. As were Chuck Pfeiffer and Billy David, both decorated, both close buddies of mine, both dead broke

Sir Lancelot; Billy David; Chuck Pfeifer as Winston Man. FELICE BEATO; PATRICK MCMULLAN

while fighting but striking it rich later on. Nah, maybe the WASPish gossips have it right: The rich fear the man in the white suit more than the poor.

If the gossips are right, they must be trembling more in St. Moritz than up here in Gstaad, and not only because it’s a lot higher and colder. It’s because the rich in St. Moritz are much richer than their Gstaad counterparts. The reason I write about fear of death and wealth is the recent conference that took place here in Gstaad. It was called the Longevity Investors Conference, and the twoday event apparently was a great success. There were scientists and biotech found

chase women all night, or take drugs. What the hell is so miraculous about that? The other thing the scientists did not elaborate on was boredom. I think that if I lived a perfectly healthy life the man in the white suit would have visited me long ago.

One Mortimer Sackler, who is the son of the departed synonymous Sackler, whose OxyContin made him a billionaire and killed 500,000 Americans, attended the conference but was informed by the organizers that his moola was unwelcome. He nevertheless remained in person and followed the proceedings with great interest. I suppose having a father who knocked

one will make Elon Musk a pauper by comparison. Let’s hope someone reads this and hits the books and comes up with an invention that will ensure that all us good-time Charlies—starting with my buddy Jeremy Clarke—live to 120.

Yep, fending off the man in white will cost you, although it’s the quality of life that matters, not the length. The young are not expected to understand that the brutality of old age is the problem, not life and death. I think of Jeremy daily but continue to drink and smoke for as long as I can. The second-largest crowd that attended the Gstaad Symposium—the largest by far was Lady Thatcher’s visit— was when a professor-chemist friend of

to avoid the man in the white suit and are willing to pay any price to do so.

Deep-pocketed investors who wish to live longer are not very hard to find around these parts. I did not attend because watching old men do push-ups in order to prove to investors that with exercise one can defy nature is nothing new—to me, at least. Had the conference advertised how one can live longer while smoking, drinking, and many other things, I would have been there in a flash. But what they were selling is a long life as long as one doesn’t drink, smoke,

off half a million, he’s not exactly eager to join them anytime soon. None of us are certain of this, but there could be hell to pay down there when one’s time comes. If I were a Sackler I’d want to live for as long as possible and avoid contact with those the family’s enriching product knocked off.

Never mind. Hype and hope go together like rum and coke, and from what I was told about the conference, the case was made for various approaches to prolonging the years, but all were based on a healthy lifestyle. If I had attended I would have demanded they come up with something original, like prolonging life with cigarettes, whiskey, and cocaine. The person who comes up with that

mine announced he would soon have a pill that prolonged life by a quarter. He’s still alive—just—and the pill turned out to be no better than aspirin.

So, will the very rich obtain a Sue Gray type of shortcut to a longer life? I’m betting against it, but it’s fun watching them try. All in all, not everybody wants to live forever—Gianni Agnelli, who died twenty years ago, did not. He had prostate cancer, tried a new American method that didn’t work at all, and went merrily on his way, asking me over the telephone why a friend of ours had fallen out of my chalet window the night before. My advice is, bottoms up. u

For more Taki, visit takimag.com.

From left: A samurai in his armor in the 1860s; Jacqueline and Mortimer Sackler; Gianni Agnelli on his yacht.

JOHN O’HARA’S NEW YORK

OUR VENERABLE COLLEAGUE David Patrick Colum

bia esteems author John O’Hara (1905-1970) as one of the 20th century’s greatest writers and the very greatest in recording American dialogue. Former New Yorker and New York Times Book Review editor Chip McGrath called O’Hara “one of the great listeners in American fiction, able to write dialogue the way people really spoke, and he also learned the eavesdropper’s secret—how often people left unsaid what was really on their minds.”

Longtime publishing executive and literary agent Alex Hoyt calls the O’Hara novels Pal Joey and Butterfield 8 “New York at Heart.”

Is it time for an O’Hara revival?

Raised in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, O’Hara loved the Big Apple and often wrote at or about such places as the Pickwick Arms at 230 East 51st Street, Tim Costello’s saloon at Third Avenue and 44th Street (where the walls were adorned with cartoons drawn by his New Yorker colleague James Thurber to pay off his bar tab), and his beloved “21,” whose post-pandemic fate remains agonizingly uncertain.

O’Hara wrote more stories for The New Yorker than any

10 year falling out with the magazine after his one-time friend Brendan Gill savaged his 1949 novel, A Rage to Live

Among his friends he counted John Steinbeck, Wolcott Gibbs, and the inimitable Charlie Addams. He befriended the younger John Updike and Truman Capote who invited him to his now legendary Black and White Ball. Tart-tongued Algonquin Round Table stalwart Dorothy Parker was one of his early champions. She forthrightly commented when she heard O’Hara’s friend and her great love John McLain was boffing a Long Island heiress, “He’ll tire of her once he licks the gilt off her ass.”

Thrice married ever upwardly, O’Hara settled in Princeton, but drank too much and died too early, of cardiovascular disease. His jealous critics accused him of shallowness, what William Faulkner called in his 1949 Nobel address was “Writing not from the heart but from the glands.” Yet he was a pioneer in writing frankly and realistically about sexuality, including homosexuality.

His Newsday column “My Turn” in the 1960s earned him liberal opprobrium when he supported Barry Gold -

water for President and identified his cause with the corny accordionist and band leader Lawrence Welk. “I think it’s time the Lawrence Welk people had their say. The Lester Lanin and Dizzy Gillespie fans have been on too long. When the country is in trouble, like war kind of trouble, it’s the Lawrence Welk crowd we can depend on, all the way.”

O’Hara’s New York stories include such concise gems as “The Assistant,” with its creepy denouement, the warm-hearted story of a black man taking his son to a ball game “By Bread Alone,” the ever so poignant story of an aging actress and her agent “Call Me,” and the cynical realism of “Women of Madison Avenue.”

Of himself he wrote, “He told the truth about his time. He was a professional. He wrote honestly and well.”

His last wife wisely chose those words for his epitaph. ◆

Clockwise from above: Marilyn Monroe beneath the Thurber murals at Costello’s, 1955; the cover of Sermons and Soda-Water; the cover of BUtterfield 8; The April 1 1939 edition of The New Yorker. Opposite page, from left: 21 Club; John O’Hara.

in Palm Beach

RICHARD JOHNSON has settled in at Palm Beach’s Pink Paradise (otherwise known as the legendary Colony Hotel). He is penning a tri-weekly column from his table at Swifty's on questmag.com, brimming with everything under the sun—from people, parties, and fashion… to philanthropy, polo, and all worth noting within the realm of Palm Beach’s ever growing playground.

POOLSIDE AT SWIFTY’S

THERE WAS NO international incident at Swifty’s at the Colony Hotel on Monday, even though there were two U.S. ambassadors on hand.

Ambassadors David Fischer and John Loeb, Jr. came with their wives Jennifer and Sharon to sample the cuisine of chef Tom Whitaker.

Fischer was a top car dealer with 50 locations in Michigan before President Trump made him Ambassador to Morocco. The posting didn’t last overly long, and then it was back home to the U.S. and soon after to Palm Beach. “They came down to Palm Beach for a few months and never left,” said one friend.

Loeb — a scion of two Wall Street dynasties, Loeb Rhoades and Lehman Brothers — was Ambassador to Denmark under Ronald Reagan.

The great perk with being an ambassador is you keep the title forever. Once an ambassador, always an ambassador. You have to host a lot of parties, but some people enjoy all that.

If you get invited, don’t forget: he’s Ambassador Loeb.

Also in the lunch crowd was Eleanora Kennedy, the widow of lawyer Michael Kennedy, who represented everyone from Timothy Leary to Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton and Ivana Trump. Eleanora, carrying her curly dark-haired dog, had helped her husband run High Times magazine for

40 years, until marijuana became legal. Now she’s busy raising thoroughbred horses in Ireland.

Robert Caravaggi, who ran Swifty’s on Manhattan’s Upper East Side for decades, has a side talent as well. Caravaggi plays guitar and sings in a group titled The Brothers of Others, and has recorded a single, “Summer Rain.”

Also spotted were one time New Yorker Amy Hoadley, Aspenite Karin Luter, and Averil Meyer of several fashionable summer watering holes.

Bruce Seigel, the Colony’s general manager, credits the hotel’s popularity to the fact that it’s “a club without the dues.” Even if they are members of PB’s legendary clubs, people get bored seeing the same faces every day, and hearing the same conversations. They want a little excitement. “We always say we have one foot on Worth Avenue and one foot on the beach,” said Siegal.

For you readers who have never traveled to Palm Beach, Worth Avenue is the shopping mecca where ladies who lunch like to invest their husbands’ earnings.

From above: Robert Caravaggi; Ambassador David Fischer and Jennifer Fischer. Opposite page: Swifty’s at The Colony Palm Beach.

PARIS HILTON — reinvented as a happily married doting mother — won’t be mentioning her great aunt BiBi Hilton in “Paris: The Memoir” due March 14.

BiBi, 88, was married 34 years to Eric Hilton, brother of Paris’ grandfather Barron Hilton, and is the longest surviving matriarch of the Hilton Hotel dynasty.

Now she’s planning to move to Palm

BIBI’S BOOK

Beach to work on additional chapters for her 2022 autobiography“ “I’m Just a Guest Here,” a title inspired by Conrad Hilton’s book, “Be My Guest.” BiBi was supposed to inherit millions when Eric died in 2016. “Guess they forgot to give me the money, but I’m not bitter,” she told me.

“I remember Barron and his brothers unanimously turning Kathy down when she begged them to use a Hilton Hotel in New York as the place to film her show, ‘I Want to Be a Hilton.’ They thought the show was too, too ‘tacky’ for such an elegant venue, despite Rick’s involvement as a producer.”

BiBi sniffs, “Out of morbid curiosity, nothing else … Eric and I suffered through the first episode. I said, ‘Darling, where did they film this, The Holiday Inn?’ Eric laughed, ‘I know It’s dreadful. This is never going anywhere!'”

And, it didn’t. NBC pulled the plug after only one season.

BiBi is prepared for some revisionist

history in Paris’ memoir. Though Paris was going to Studio 54 and dancing on tabletops as a 16-year-old, and made a sex tape that went public long before Kim Kardashian copied her, now she’s a victim.

The all but forgotten BiBi has plenty of tales to tell about Paris, as well as the plethora of schemes she used for attracting publicity over the years. BiBi mused, “Perhaps the title for my epilogue should be: ‘I’m Not Dead Yet.’”

HARRY BENSON

HARRY BENSON, the Scottish photographer who came to America with the Beatles in 1964 and never went back, was faced with a lot of questions from fans at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens.

How did you convince Willie Nelson to pose naked in a bath tub? Don’t ask for permission.

How did you get the photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton clinching like teenage lovers? Persuasion and patience.

Having photographed every U.S. president since Dwight Eisenhow -

er, which was the most difficult? Barack Obama wasn’t fun.

After touring the exhibit of his photos, Benson and his wife Gigi had lunch with Karyn Lamb, Francis and Jeff Fisher, Margret Horgan, David Miller, and Jane Manus. Then Benson signed books, starting with his latest, “Paul” (McCartney.) Benson, who had taken a number of images of Muhammad Ali, was wondering why there were no boxers worth shooting these days. I didn’t have a good answer. If there were a boxer worthy, Harry would have him in focus.

Eric and BiBi Hilton (above) and the cover of BiBi Hilton’s memoir, I’m Just a Guest Here (right).

HARRY BENSON: A HISTORY OF OUR LIVES

A curated compilation of award-winning photographs shot by Harry Benson throughout his career featured on Quest’s October 2019 cover.

BOB COLACELLO — who edited Interview magazine for a dozen years, was a star at Vanity Fair and wrote several books — doesn’t put himself in the same category as Andy Warhol. “I never doubted for a minute that Andy was a genius,” Colacello told a capacity crowd of a couple hundred fans at the Society of the Four Arts.

Colacello was a Columbia grad student writing movie reviews for the Village Voice in 1970 when his rave for Warhol’s “Trash” landed him a job at Interview. Six months later he was editor. “I never plotted and planned anything,” Colacello said. “I did follow my mother’s advice, ‘When opportunity knocks, open the door.’”

It was a dream job. In the presidential election of 1968, Colacello had made a write-in vote for Andy Warhol. Soon, Robert Mapplethorpe was taking photos for the magazine, and Fran Lebowitz, who had been driving a taxi cab, was writing.

After putting Jerry Hall on the cover, angering Mick Jagger’s ex Bianca Jagger, Colacello was banned from Studio 54. “I fixed that by putting Steve Rubell on the cover,” said Colacello. The choice of who deserved the cover was controversial. “I put Nancy Reagan on the cover of Interview in 1981 and half the media in New York was outraged,” Colacello recalled.

As for Warhol’s politics. “Andy was a Democrat who hated taxes.” Colacello

EARLE MACK IS BACK

thinks fondly of the Prince of Pop for giving him such a head-start in life. “I never had to social-climb. I landed on Mt. Everest.”

The crowd included former NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly, Chief of CBS News‘ Washington Bureau Chris Islam, Warhol confidante Sam Bolton, “Mortimer’s” author Robin Baker Leacock, and p.r. potentate Paul Wilmot and photographer Bruce Webber, who had driven up from Miami.

EARLE MACK, former U.S. Ambassador to Finland, is back home after a humanitarian trip to Ukraine. Mack delivered heaters and generators that operate on liquid fuels to the victims of Russian aggression.

“Earl is 66.7% Ukrainian and very patriotic,” a friend told me. Mack himself said, “Ironically, two hours after leaving, the Russians knocked out the grid! How’s that for timing?”

Mack, whose father made a fortune in real estate, has owned or bred more than 25 stakes winners, and currently owns about 75 thoroughbred horses. The steeds won’t be racing in Ukraine.

Earle Mack during his recent trip to Ukraine. ALLAN TANNENBAUM/GETTY IMAGES; PATRICK MCMULLAN; AARON LEWIS AND RICHARD BLANSHARD

Bob Colacello and Andy Warhol in New York, 1979; Bob Colacello at Studio 54, 1983.

MARY ELLEN COYNE

MARY ELLEN COYNE, CEO of J.McLaughlin clothing, is busy these days with 170 stores. But the fashion powerhouse took time for lunch with dozens of admirers at Club Colette. “I’ll be on the 4:07 JetBlue flight back to New York,” Coyne told the crowd. She was introduced by Quest magazine owner Chris Meigher, who started by telling the overwhelmingly female crowd that it was “a pleasure looking around this room … easy on the eyes.” But one woman barked, “Do you need glasses?”

Meigher recalled that the original J.McLaughlin was in Manhattan on Third Avenue and 76th Street, next to Jim McMullen’s legendary restaurant. As that was sinking in, Meigher proclaimed, “In her previous life, Mary Ellen was a Quest cover girl.”

Among those clapping were Sharon Bush, Wendy Brigham Cox, Callie Baker Holt, Vicky Hunt, Mimi McMakin, Gil Walsh, Lucy Musso, Pauline Baker Pitt, former Mayor of Palm Beach Lesly Smith, whose daughter Dani Moore is the current mayor.

Annette Tapert Allen, author of several books about the likes of Slim Keith and Swifty Lazar, looked around the room and said, “You know what’s coming? ‘The Real Housewives of Palm Beach.’” Her tablemates laughed, but started thinking.

Counterclockwise from top left: Mary Ellen Coyne; Callie Baker Holt and Amanda Cummings; guests during lunch at Club Colette.

IWC INFLUENCER JAMES MARSDEN

TIME STOOD STILL for James Marsden as he posed for photos at the IWC Schaffhausen wrist watch store on Worth Avenue. Marsden, who encountered otherworldly phenomena as the star of HBO’s “Westworld,” was wearing a beautiful IWC watch. He’s been the Swiss time piece’s brand ambassador since 2015.

But the watch was set at 10:10 — about four hours slow. It’s the time all watches show in ads, so the hands don’t obscure small dials on the face. Marsden shrugged and smiled since no one looking at his photo would know that time had stopped. The star — who played Cyclops in the film adaptation of the Marvel comic, “X-Men” (2000) — was with his father James L. Marsden, a proud product of Oklahoma. The blonde woman who looked like Marsden’s leading lady was actually Natalie Betteridge, a former figure skater married to Win Betteridge, who opened the store. The couple, refugees from Greenwich, Connecticut, already have a jewelry store on Worth Avenue, Greenleaf & Crosby.

So Natalie switched from ice to diamonds — not a bad trade.

From above: IWC Schaffhausen on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach; James Marsden with Natalie and Win Betteridge.

Fresh Finds

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

PALM BEACH’S social season remains in full swing and spring has officially arrived in New York, so we’re stocking up on lightweight apparel and accessories in vibrant hues. We’re also preparing for the upcoming holidays. Fill a chic House & Parties’ Easter Basket with J.McLaughlin’s new pickleball paddles or surprise a new or expecting mom with Wonderfold’s luxury VW4 Volkswagen Stroller for Mother’s Day.

Part of the Chaos Collection, Asprey’s Blue Chaos Pendant features blue topaz and iolites set in 18k white gold. $8,250 at asprey.com.

Zimmermann’s Hide Tide Linen & Silk Strapless Maxi Dress.

Featuring signature intrecciato lambskin leather, Bottega Veneta’s Jodie Teen Intrecciato Napa Shoulder Bag features a flat shoulder handle with knot accent. $3,500 at bottegaveneta.com.

Inez’s Camilla Platform Sandals in Soft Silver. $268 at inez.com.

$2,950 at zimmermann.com.

Escape to Casa de Campo’s luxury villas in La Romana, the Dominican Republic. Casa de Campo offers a safe and healthy sanctuary for those needing a fun and thrilling getaway. Including a staffed villa, chic décor, a private pool, daily breakfast, and more. Starting at $750 per villa per night. For more information, visit casadecampo.com.do.

Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II in Oystersteel with an oyster bracelet features a black dial and a two-color Cerachrom bezel insert in green and black ceramic. Price upon request at rolex.com.

Inspired by the iconic polo shirt, Ralph Lauren Home recently introduced its Polo Towel Collection. The collection offers a wash towel, hand towel, bath towel, body sheet, and bath mat. Prices range from $20 to $75 at ralphlauren.com.

BMW i4: The First-Ever, All-Electric BMW i4 projects strength and refinement In every detail. Discover the intense combination of electric innovation and expert engineering in the i4. Order yours today. Visit BramanBMW.com.

Canali’s Navy Blue Herringbone Suit in cotton. $1,500 at canali.com.

Set of Three Hermès Rocabar Mugs in porcelain. Decorated using chromolithography. $600 at hermes.com.

Fresh Finds

Goshwara Pink Sapphire Disco Ball Earrings. $21,000 at Greenleaf & Crosby’s Worth Avenue boutique in Palm Beach.

Cut in luxury French compression fabric that targets key problem areas, this statement-making Sculpting Puff Sleeve Zip swim suit in Pink Palm Print pulls out all the stops. $278 at stylest.com.

House & Parties’ Handwoven Easter Basket with Cherries ($178) is generously sized to fit all the spoils of the season. Fill your baskets with the Solid Chocolate Pig ($86) or the Pink Fuzzy Bunny Heels ($424). Visit houseandparties.com.

Be the envy on and off the court with J.McLaughlin’s Pickleball Paddles in Coco Plum. 15% of proceeds from each paddle sold will benefit Play for P.I.N.K. $110 at jmclaughlin.com.

Graff’s Icon Cushion Cut Diamond Engagement Ring in white gold with a diamond pavé band. A modified brilliant cut, the cushion cut is renowned for its high degree of brilliance. It makes a showstopping statement upon the finger, encircled by a gleaming halo of pavé diamonds. Price upon request at graff.com.

Veronica Beard’s Dree Muscle Tee in Dark Sage White ($138), Jeanne Pants in white ($428), and Asha Sandals in Ecru ($295). Visit veronicabeard.com.

Tiedrops Pendant by Wempe Casuals. 18k rose gold, 35 brilliantcut diamonds 0.21 ct, 5 cultured Akoya pearls. $2,245 at wempe.com.

Brunello Cucinelli’s Straw Fedora with Linen and Monili Rope String ($1,595), Crispy Silk Dress ($5,395), Tafeta Water Resistant Jacket ($5,995), Calfskin Suede Belt ($1,295), and Suede and Canvas boots ($2,295). Visit Brunello Cucinelli’s Madison Avenue boutique or call 212.813.0900.

Stubbs & Wootton’s Africa slippers were made in collaboration with Palm Beacher Olivia Meyer and her brand Banniere, which produces high quality silk scarves that are painted and hand rolled in England. $575 at stubbsandwootton.com.

This boho Hollyhock Sun Hat by Sarah Bray Bermuda is woven with all-natural palm tree leaves and features a Peacock Blue Long Grosgrain Ribbon. Visit sarahbraybermuda.com.

Mother’s Day is next month, and Wonderfold’s luxury, versatile stroller wagons are the perfect gift for new or expecting moms. This special edition VW4 Volkswagen Stroller Wagon in Bondi Blue was inspired by the vintage VW Bus and includes features like the classic VW bumper, functioning headlights, and retro all-terrain XL wheels! $1,599 at wonderfoldwagon.com.

The Colony Hotel Palm Beach recently unveiled its Katy Ferrarone art exhibit located in the solarium.

Stop by to see Ferrarone’s new series, DIVE, inspired by her Transcendental Meditation practice. Visit thecolonypalmbeach.com.

New York Michelin Starred Chef Shaun Hergatt will be the “Chef In Residence” in COAST Restaurant at the Triple Forbes Five Star Ocean House in Rhode Island, from May 10th to 21st. Don’t miss out! Visit oceanhouseri.com.

AN EYE FOR DESIGN: GIL WALSH

WRITTEN BY JAYNE CHASE

PHOTOGRAPHED BY NICK MELE

ACCORDING TO GIL WALSH, her eponymous interior design firm relies “on intuition to know which rules to break and when and where to add color.” With over 30 years of design experience and $200 million dollars of commercial and residential projects under her belt, this design dynamo is not only known for her attention to detail, but also her for her insistence on using the highest quality resources available to apply the best principles of color, texture, and form to her clients’ vision. Now a Florida resident with a new atelier in West Palm Beach, Walsh is taking her client experience to a new level, offering every design element imaginable in her modern cutting-edge studio.

“When our clients call us, they are interviewing us but we are also interviewing them,” smiles the warm and relaxed Walsh. “We ask them a series of important questions, particularly about their style, the size of their home and of course, their

From above: Principal Designer Gil Walsh looks out from her glass-encased office; the Gil Walsh Interiors sign rises high above South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach’s Design District. Opposite page, clockwise from top: Gil Walsh’s team (L-R) Sara Ordonez, Lauryl Guse, Kelly Sullivan, Dina Muzzy, Adriana De Armas, Gil Walsh, Michael Roefaro, Oana Rusu, Sarah Ordonez, and Ashleigh Wilson. Visiting artist, renowned underwater photographer Chris Leidy, seated in front; Senior Interior Designer Ashleigh Wilson smiles from her desk; a close up of Gil Walsh at work at one of her design tables.

budget. From there, the dialogue continues and we give them a tour of our studio so they understand our business and how serious we are about design. Once they retain Gil Walsh Interiors and we have a signed contract in place, we are in debt to them to deliver their brand, their vision for their home and then, the magical collaboration in our atelier begins.”

The firm’s new West Palm Beach studio is an enormous space directly located on South Dixie Highway and topped with Gil’s well-known signature GW initial logo in red. The impressive space houses a very large state of the art conference room, several offices for designers and draftsmen, as well as a large sample of countertops, hardware, and cabinetry. But it’s their warehouse size “library” across the hall from their offices where much of the initial work begins. “I’m in WPB because I couldn’t get this kind of square footage anywhere and it gets the client excited. In a space this size, we don’t have all the wallpapers and fabrics in the world, but what we have is pretty close to it,” giggles Gil.

Walsh emphasizes how crucial the first step of the design process is. “The first thing we do in the library is look for inspiration. We show the client pictures and they are able to articulate what they like and don’t like and we can talk about the function of the space. We start to draw up a floor plan and then, we pull that floor plan up on a huge flat screen and automatically, the plan becomes three-dimensional. This allows the client to see each room in full dimension, and puts the size into perspective for them. Then, we begin to place fabrics, carpets, window treatments, and furniture concepts into the space and it’s all laid out for them. They can see right away if they like something: whether they prefer this chair to another, if they like a certain fabric, or if they might like to

Clockwise from top: Palm Beach native and renowned underwater photographer, Chris Leidy, sits before a series of his pieces curently on display at Gil Walsh’s Showroom; Oana Rusu seeks design inspiration from One Man’s Folly: The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood (Rizzoli); a Gil Walsh Interiors hard hat sits on a shelf. Opposite page, from above: Gil Walsh leads a lively team discussion over a current design project; interior designer Sarah Ordonez points to a sea of fabric samples on hand at Gil Walsh’s Interiors.

switch to another color scheme altogether, for instance. It becomes a give and take process and before we know it, we are off to the races.”

The attractive, chic Pennsylvania native smiles as she describes this creative and clearly joyful practice. “I love that we allow are clients to develop their own brand and we are simply here to guide them. If they explain to us in pictures what they like, our job as designers is to make that happen for them. I don’t have my style, I have their style and I love that collaborative process. The beautiful thing about our firm”, she continues proudly, “is that our client always has at least 3 people on their design team, which not only facilitates the project, but also allows for other viewpoints. The most important thing is we are training a really good group of designers in Southern Florida and the firm is an atelier; a studio where we all design together, drawing from each other’s work. It does take a village.”

At the moment, South Florida is booming and Gil Walsh Interiors is busy working on its largest projects ever—with its client base primarily requesting casual, comfortable, and laid-back environments. “Clients usually bring some of their furnishings with them from the northeast but slowly they weed them out and replace them. Now, it seems young families want easy maintenance with the use of lots of performance fabrics, while still incorporating antiques and fabrics that harken back to their grandmothers’ homes. Think about it,” Gil momentarily reflects, “floral wallpapers are coming back. The designs are now bigger and the colors are watered downed. But these are essentially the same magical and beautiful designs that we all grew up with. Even oriental rugs today or intricately

woven tapestries—they are being printed on cotton, but they still emulate the period of our grandmothers. When I was growing up in Western Pennsylvania, we lived in the country and I spent a lot of time outside because there wasn’t much else to do there. But it taught me a lot about color, plant material, and architecture. I grew up looking at the sky, trees, and the houses—thinking about how they all fit together. I can still see our house, my grandmother’s house and they were all lovely properties. And because my mother was an artist, you know,” she candidly smiles, “I think, for me, it all started right there! I was destined to be in the design industry”. u

From above: Interior designer Sarah Ordonez turns around from her desk at Gil Walsh Interiors; an aquatic slew of fabric choices sit beside Gil Walsh Interiors: A Case for Color (Gibbs Smith). Opposite page: Gil Walsh and Chief Financial Officer Michael Roefaro discuss some of the books on hand in Gil Walsh’s library.

NOT JUST FLOWERS!

THE GARDEN CLUB of Palm Beach will host its biennial, free to the public flower show “In Bloom” Saturday, April 15th, and Sunday, April 16th, at the Society of the Four Arts’ Esther B. O’Keeffe Gallery. More than just flowers, the show includes competitions in Floral Design, Botanical Arts, Photography, and Horticulture Specimens. The Florida mangrove tree will be the subject of an educational conservation exhibit. A highlight of this year’s edition is the presentation by noted floral designer Bill Beers. “Table Tales: Beyond the Sublime” offers an inside look into the development and execution of the creative vision that makes rooms, tables, and events come to life. The lecture will take place Saturday, April 15th, at the Gubelman Auditorium at 2 p.m.

The Garden Club of Palm Beach has held a flower show periodically since 1929, one year after the founding of the

club. In 2021, COVID resulted in a new format for the show, which was presented outside in the Sculpture Garden of the Four Arts, featuring (non-judged) arrangements by members referencing the diverse sculptures. The proceeds of an earlier show in 1935 made possible the club’s planting of three blocks of Royal Palm Way with the large Royal Palm trees. Shows in recent years, including this year, have been free of admission fees. The club continues its mission of town beautification, education, conservation, and maintenance of the Four Arts Demonstration Garden. This year’s show is chaired by Vicky Hunt and Mary Pressly, two past presidents of the Garden Club. The Co-Chairs are Louisa Ordway and Alison Sieving. Every member participates in making In Bloom one of the premier flower shows in the country. Don’t miss it! ◆

Clockwise from above: Polly Reed stands before her orchid wall; Christina Kramer designs a brooch inspired by Bulgari, displayed in a Worth Avenue shop window for the GCA Zone VII meeting; Kit Pannill with her Rhyncholaeliocattleya Memoria Crispin Rosales, an orchid hybrid; Christina Kramer recreates her mother’s pearl ring, shown here in a Tiffany box for the Newport Flower Show. Opposite page, clockwise from left: Ginny Parker works on a floral arrangement; Mary Pressly creates a Victory Garden for the Jupiter Island Flower Show; Faberge Hot Air Balloon created by Christina Kramer, which won first place and Best in Show at the Jupiter Island Flower Show in 2022.

A ROYAL TRANSITION

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S death on September 8th at her Balmoral Castle home in Scotland marked the end of her 70-year reign. Her son, former Prince of Wales and now King Charles III, filled her role—a position he has been preparing for his entire life. Ahead of the coronation taking place next month, Rizzoli announced its new book, Charles III: A King and His Queen, authored by Getty Images Royal Photographer Chris Jackson who has accompanied the royal family on tours and engagements in more than 100 countries. The book features an extensive archive of Jackson’s images of King Charles III, from historic moments like HM Queen Elizabeth II’s public endorsement of Prince Charles as the next leader of the Commonwealth to family moments like the Braemar Gathering and the Queen’s funeral on

CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES

King Charles III in his “outside office,” complete with a cabled phone on the table next to him. Opposite page, from above: The cover of Rizzoli’s Charles III: A King and His Queen; the new King and Queen Consort pose with the new Prince and Princess of Wales before a reception for heads of state and official overseas guests at Buckingham Palace ahead of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

September 19th. “As Getty Images Royal Photographer, I have spent much of my career photographing the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, now King Charles III and the Queen Consort. I am consistently amazed by their incredible energy and commitment to duty, but above all their sense of humor, which has made my job such a pleasure over the years,” said Jackson.

During the Queen’s later years, Charles began stepping in to fulfill public duties, including taking center stage at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which helped to facilitate a smooth transition. “The blueprint for the seamless transition from one sovereign to the next has been in place for centuries: the continuity of the monarchy is key to its success, upheld by tradition and ceremony. King Charles has assumed the mantle of the late Queen and inherits her legacy. He now receives papers in the same iconic red despatch box as the Queen did every day of the year except Easter and Christmas,” said Jackson. Jackson also noted that while the important nature of royal photography has always drawn him to the genre, he believes it is vital to capture not just the ceremonial and formality, but also the personality of those being photographed. “I hope that when leafing through the pages of this book the reader will gain an insight into the genuine characters behind the royal titles and roles, and some of the passion and energy that have made this particular royal couple such a success story of the modern age,” said Jackson. u

This spread, clockwise from bottom left: Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, at the reopening of the newly renovated Strand Hall in Builth Wells, Wales, 2018; members of the royal family at the Platinum Jubilee celebration; Charles, Prince of Wales, pictured with a bald eagle called Zephyr, the mascot of the Army Air Corps, at the Sandringham Flower Show, 2022; dancing in the Maguari Village in the Amazon rainforest at Santaram, 2009.

A LIFE OF LUXURY AT FORT É LUXE

“WE ARE SELLING LIFESTYLE, and that’s always been my focus,” said Marius Fortelni, the chief visionary for the Forté Luxe development. “I want the buyer to feel special, and I knew when I found this piece of property that we could accomplish that.” He’s managed that at his first Palm Beach development, the iconic Forté tower on Flagler, a luxury high rise with only two large units per floor and dedicated elevators, which is nearly sold out. While the Luxe is a much smaller endeavor, it represents Fortelni’s high-end, Palm Beach lifestyle brand perfectly. With a community pool open to the 17 residents and personal docks between 50 to 60 ft+ available for owners, the small, exclusive enclave offers the lock-and-leave ease that many Florida part-time residents respond to. “Our designer kitchens employ the open, clean lines of the newer European luxury installations. Absolute top of the line appliances blend seamlessly into the sleek, calm décor, effortlessly combining live-in practicality and comfort with lavish elegance,” said Fortelni. But the most important ingredient, he noted, is always the water. “I love boats. If they changed the laws, I’d marry my boat!” The locations of this Tequesta development, right on the turquoise portion of the Intercoastal, is a yachtsman’s dream. “I wanted our buyers to see water, right as they drive into their garage,” said Fortelni. Every unit faces the water, with floor-to-ceiling windows and unobstructed views. “It’s the

magical effect of being on the peninsula it’s the closest you’ll get to actually just living o n a boat, without the rocking of the waves! You wake up on the water, dine on the water, barbeque on your deck overlooking the crystal aqua of the Intercoastal! What could be better?” The peninsula he refers to is a football field of property that juts out into the Intercoastal. On warmer days, like a mirage, you can spot boaters wading on the distant sand bar too far away to hear, but just close enough to believe your eyes that they appear to be walking on water. “There’s an enchantment out here,” noted Fortelni. “They made us wait for our building permits, but it was worth every moment because this development will be a crowning jewel for anyone fortunate enough to reside in it. Fortelni boasts vast international development experience building single family homes in Saudi Arabia under very difficult conditions as a subcontractor to Bechtel, Ballast Nedam, and Dumez. Having been successful under these demanding conditions was the best training for his future development actions in New York and the Hamptons. His Florida developments have afforded him the tremendous opportunity to combine his two loves: luxury living and water, water, water! And Florida buyers are the lucky beneficiaries. u

The Forté Luxe residences start at $4,000,000+. For more information, visit forte-luxe.com or call 561.440.6103.

Renderings of Forte Luxe residences in Jupiter-Tequesta, Florida.

Michael Lorber and his Springer Spaniel River (left) with Adam Hofer in Palm Beach.

THE MICHAEL LORBER TEAM EXPANDS TO PALM BEACH

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

MICHAEL LORBER’S rise in the real estate world began at a young age. His father, longtime real estate investor and current Executive Chairman of Douglas Elliman Howard M. Lorber, would ritually bring him along to open houses as a child, bestowing him with a passion for the industry that he never lost. In 2019, Michael Lorber co-founded The Michael Lorber Team with Alexander Boriskin at Douglas Elliman’s flagship 575 Madison Avenue office in New York. Together, the top-ranking brokers—both Upper East Side residents themselves—have closed over $1 billion in deals at some of Manhattan’s most notable addresses including 432 Park Avenue and 220 Central Park South. Building on their success in Manhattan, the team subsequently expanded to the Hamptons, with lifelong Long Island dweller Adam Hofer running the day-to-day operations. The cross-market collaboration proved to be an instant success, and now the team has most recently announced its expansion to Palm Beach County, where Lorber has owned a home for nearly 12 years and where Hofer recently purchased a home. “Following the Elliman business model of servicing areas with overlapping customers, the move to Palm Beach was a no brainer. Palm Beach has the same clientele as the Hamptons which has the same clientele as New York City,” said Hofer.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the Palm Beach market has boomed, as New Yorkers have migrated south in droves for the luxury beach life. With many now living there full-time, the island has seen a shortage of inventory, driving buyers to surrounding areas like West Palm Beach. “What excites me most about expanding our business to Palm Beach is being able to provide the best service to our clients,” said Lorber. “We have so many clients who have decided to not only fly south for the

winter, but to make Palm Beach their permanent home,” he continued.

Hofer noted that, regarding those who are not leaving New York City permanently, there is a trend of downsizing in the city, upgrading in the Hamptons, and purchasing a third home in Palm Beach. “People are spending more and more time in these destinations—which were once considered seasonal markets—and going to the city as needed. We call it the ‘luxury triangle.’’’ In addition to its unmatched quality of life, Palm Beach County also has lucrative investment opportunities. Hofer purchased in Northwood, an area that he describes as the next SoSo or El Cid, two neighborhoods in West Palm Beach that have seen tremendous value appreciation in recent years. “In Northwood, prices are still fair and there is a lot of growth potential. My house has already doubled in value since I purchased it. It’s a historic town that has preserved the old Florida bungalows, giving it a charming feel. Luxury developments like The Ritz are in the process of being built which should only add to the value,” said Hofer.

The Lorber Team’s ability to live alongside their customers in these markets is their point of differentiation. “Brokers need to live and breathe their markets,” said Lorber. “And today, these markets and inventories are changing daily and we need to be here. I believe in the philosophy ‘practice what you preach.’ By being a part time resident of Palm Beach for over a decade, it allows my team and I to provide the highest level of service and expertise for our clients from the Hamptons and New York City,” he added. “We are really personally invested in these areas, so we truly understand how our customers live and what they’re looking for,” said Hofer. Their slogan, “With you wherever you go,” perfectly encapsulates the ethos of The Michael Lorber Team. ◆

MARKET INSIGHTS

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

Q: Tell me about the market.

A: The Palm Beach market has been very stable. While there is not the sense of urgency that was evident last season, we do have consistent activity. There is a still a limited amount of quality inventory on the market. From a pricing perspective we are flat compared to where we were a year ago. While Palm Beach is not totally immune to market headwinds (equity market volatility, interest rate hikes, inflationary concerns), we have not seen any cracks in pricing.

Q: For those looking for an investment, what are some of the up-and-coming neighborhoods in and around Palm Beach?

A: There are some amazing areas in West Palm Beach. What has happened over the last few years with the migration to the area is that buyers are being pushed to the north, south, and west of the most expensive neighborhood in West Palm Beach, El Cid, into the surrounding neighborhoods like Northwood, the South End (“SoSo”), Prospect Park, and Flamingo Park.

Q: What’s new around town?

A: There are always new restaurants opening up. Felice, an offshoot of the popular Palm Beach hotspot, Sant Ambroeus, has opened in West Palm Beach, in the new Related building at 360 Rosemary.

Q: Why should our readers use your team?

A: There are a multitude of reasons, but first and foremost we have many decades of Palm Beach real estate experience. There is no substitute for experience as we make a complicated and intricate process smooth and easy. We are extremely service oriented as our business is 24/7. We have unparalleled market knowledge. We have been through up markets and down markets and have our fingers on the pulse of exactly what is going on in the market to give true insight. We live and work in Palm Beach and are totally immersed in the Palm Beach lifestyle having lived here over 45 years. We have a love for Palm Beach and are passionate about the real estate business. We are always looking for ways to improve our business and to put our clients in a position to succeed. We are a constant resource for our clients, even years after they have bought or sold their homes. Finally, we are deal makers and get our clients the results that they desire. There is a reason that we have sold over $1.5 Billion worth of real estate since 2020. We are the ONLY Palm Beach brokers to be on the Wall Street Journal/Real Trends list for top brokers by sales volume every year since 2008. Last year, we were #12 in the nation.

Above: 1080 South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach, Florida, listed for $32,000,000. Opposite page: Paulette and Dana Koch.

Q: Tell me about the Manhattan real estate market.

A: The Manhattan market is in an ebb and flow cycle. I have seen movement in all price points, especially the luxury segment in the last few weeks. Buyers are back and ready to purchase. There is low inventory in the 4+ bedroom market so when an apartment hits, it’s snapped up quickly.

Q: Tell me about the areas you represent and their main draws.

A: I have been concentrated on the Upper East Side in the last few months and we have definitely picked up speed here. Buyers are flocking uptown for many reasons but primarily the great value, lovely parks, museums, restaurants and wonderful schools.

Q: What are the city’s up-and-coming neighborhoods for those looking for an investment?

A: Hell’s Kitchen and the East Village.

Q: What advice can you offer buyers and sellers?

A: To my buyers: Don’t overthink every decision, you cannot time the market and it only takes one buyer to purchase quickly at any price.

To my sellers: Understand the market you are in and engage accordingly. It’s better to sell quickly than sit on the market, chasing it down and having your listing get stale.

Q: Tell me about a notable listing.

A: My listing at the Sherry Netherland hotel, a magnificently renovated three-bedroom, threeand-a-half-bathroom co-op, is truly a grand jewel! Graciously-proportioned #505 was meticulously designed by the famed Jeffrey Bradfield, featuring elegant coffered and tray ceilings to rich woods and intricate marble floors, magnificent moldings, custom millwork doors, a stately marble fireplace mantle, high-end lighting, to premium Bullet brackets and hardware adorning all cabinets and doors. Topping the allure are the breathtaking views of Central Park, Fifth Avenue, and the Manhattan skyline, enjoyed from oversized windows lining the entire southern and western sides of the sun-bathed apartment. Everytime I show it I think this is really New York City at its best!

From above: 781 Fifth Avenue, #505, at the Sherry Netherland hotel in New York, New York, listed for $8,895,000; Leslie S. Modell.

LIZA PULITZER & WHITNEY MCGURK

Brown Harris Stevens / 561.373.0666 or 561.310.7919 / lpulitzer@bhsusa.com or wmcgurk@bhsusa.com

Q: Tell me about the Palm Beach market.

A: As always, the Palm Beach market continues to surprise us. The number of sales this season is down. However, Sellers are achieving strong prices. We are continually finding that move-in ready homes command a premium. And we continue to see very strong sales in the $30M+ market. Most notably, a property located at 1495 N. Ocean Blvd sold last week for $155M. In addition to this sale, another property located at 1071/1063 N. Ocean Blvd was listed for $200M.

Q: For those looking for an investment, what are some of the upand-coming neighborhoods in and around Palm Beach?

A: We have seen a trend where many Palm Beachers are now looking to West Palm Beach, particularly the El Cid and SoSo neighborhoods, east of Olive. These are becoming very desirable for families looking to be close to Palm Beach and all that Palm Beach has to offer without paying the prices it takes to be on the island.

Q: What advice can you offer buyers and sellers?

A: Our inventory is still limited. If you are looking to sell, taking

advantage of the season, it’s the best to time to put your property on the market. For buyers, we have seen that Palm Beach real estate is a relatively safe place to invest. Historically, Palm Beach Real Estate values rise over time. With the uncertainty of the financial markets, Palm Beach is a great place to invest while enjoying the lifestyle your investment provides.

Q: Why should our readers use your team?

A: With our local insight from being born and raised here, we are a great resource in finding opportunities in all price points.

Q: Do you have any listings of note?

A: We just recently listed 245 Dunbar Road for $28,000,000. This is one of the oldest and most unique houses on the Island. This architectural gem was built in 1901 and was originally situated on the Intracoastal Waterway and moved by logs to its current location. There are only a handful of homes still in existence in Palm Beach of this vintage with its original architectural details still intact.

245 Dunbar Road is situated on one of the most desirable streets on an oversized lot with 195’ of depth and that is 100’ wide. The main house boasts five bedrooms with the ability to turn a downstairs library into a 6th bedroom. There is also a separate four-bedroom, four-bath guest house. This exquisite house lives like a family compound and is ideal for large families or for the discerning buyer looking to purchase a romantic Palm Beach classic.

Very rarely does such a unique property like this come to the market.

From above: 245 Dunbar Road in Palm Beach, Florida, listed for $28,000,000; Liza Pulitzer and Whitney McGurk.

Q: Tell us about your background and focus in real estate.

A: I serve the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, Florida markets, specializing in high-end luxury real estate, representing both buyers and sellers. With more than 25 years of experience in real estate development management, owner and investor representation and general contracting, I’ve become a proven resource to my high-net-worth clientele, especially on complex luxury spec projects, new construction estates, and multi-family properties. One of my leading development clients, Landmark Ranch Estates, is in the Town of Southwest Ranches, near Fort Lauderdale, where I have been able to establish several sales records for land and luxury spec home transactions ranging from $8M to $35M+.

As for my focus, I can say it is to provide unparalleled dedication, hard work and outstanding client service in every transaction and relationship, making sure I deliver an exceptional experience to my clients while skillfully guiding each of them through their specific real estate journey.

Q: Tell us about Southwest Ranches and Landmark Ranch Estates. What kind of lifestyle does the community offer?

A: The Town of Southwest Ranches, known as “The Ranches” to locals, represents one of the last bastions of rural land conservation within the convoluted Southeast Florida area. What makes the Ranches very special is its proximity to the region’s main urban hubs of Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and outstanding regional accessibility; just 20 minutes from Las Olas Boulevard and 35 from Miami Beach. The Ranches has a similar relationship to downtown, as Wellington has with Palm Beach, and the Hamptons to New York City; thus being dubbed by many of the new northerner buyers as “The Hamptons of South Florida.” Owning an estate in the Ranches provides that rural lifestyle, but even closer to urban action than the Hamptons is from the city. Although the Ranches by itself is an unexpected urban oasis of tranquility, living at Landmark Ranch Estates, the only gated estate community in town, adds an unparalleled level of privacy and exclusivity, rarely found elsewhere. A selection of top-notch schools in the area, and that remarkable accessibility to Palm Beach, Boca, Fort Lauderdale and Miami have made Landmark the premier option for buyers looking for a true estate lifestyle, and a great value proposition; it’s quite unique.

From above: A Landmark Ranch Estates property in Southwest Ranches in the greater Fort Lauderdale area in Florida; Miguel Serrano.

Q: Tell me about the Palm Beach market.

A: Our market is still robust. The buying frenzy has tapered off since the spring of 2022 shifting the playing field and opening up negotiability on both sides of the transaction. As inventory is picking up, buyers are beginning to have options to choose from at various price ranges. If you are considering relocating to Palm Beach and/or West Palm Beach in the future, now is the time to begin your search.

Q: For those looking for an investment, what are some of the upand-coming neighborhoods in and around Palm Beach?

A: West Palm Beach took off during the pandemic and a number of major players are redeveloping the downtown skyline. New commercial and residential buildings are in the works. Several condominium developments are breaking ground or will be in the near future. Depending on one’s price point there is a great investment opportunity for everyone.

Q: What advice can you offer buyers and sellers? Why should they use your team?

A: Our market has shifted for the first time since the pandemic, giving buyers options again. They now have multiple properties to choose from across most price points and are able to negotiate the terms and the price. It is very important to identify what is important and to prioritize your wish list. Once a property has been identified, act swiftly as you are not the only party in town. Sellers need to be realistic and educated on the market. Prices have shifted and competition has increased. Buyers today are beginning to look for value and with additional options to choose, sellers need to be priced correctly. We strongly advise learning your immediate market and taking time to review the comps in your area before determining the value of your home.

Q: Do you have any listings of note?

A: We have 302 Via Linda asking just under $20M, located on the southern tip of the north end. A beautifully renovated Henry Harding Regency style home on a coveted high elevation street. The residence provides a welcoming entrance hall, leading to a high ceiling living room featuring a fireplace, a sun lit family room and four ensuite bedrooms plus two covered outdoor entertaining areas around the pool and privacy provided by manicured landscape. ◆

From above: 302 Via Linda in Palm Beach, Florida, listed for $19,995,000; Cristina and Kevin Condon.

On May 3rd, Central Park Conservancy will host its annual Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon at the Conservatory Garden at 11 a.m. For more information, visit centralparknyc.org.

4

SPRING LUNCHEON

The Boys’ Club of New York (BCNY) will host its annual Luncheon at 583 Park Avenue in New York. This year honors the legacy of Julian and Josie Robertson and their deep commitment to BCNY. Alex and Alexandra Robertson are serving as Honorary Co-Chairs, and event Co-Chairs are Elizabeth Ainslie, Stephanie Coleman, Amy Griffin, Dara O’Hara, and Betsy Pitts. The luncheon will feature a panel discussion on the power of mentorship with some of Julian Robertson’s longtime mentees, the “Tiger Cubs.” For tickets, call 212.353.2122 or email Ravali. Ceyyur@BCNY.org.

5

BRITISH INVASION

The Salvation Army will hold its British Invasion Bash at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. Release your inner Flower Child and put on your Mod attire for this groovy reception, featuring hip tunes played by DJ Supreme 1, of Supreme Events, as well as hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. For more information, visit salvationarmyflorida.org.

8

EASTER EGG HUNT

The Royal Poinciana Plaza will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt. For more information, visit

royalpoincianaplaza.com.

10

YOUNGARTS GALA

This year’s YoungArts New York

Gala will take place at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the spectacular Temple of Dendur. Celebrating the creativity and community of YoungArts, the event will be Co-Chaired by Sarah Arison, Gillian Hearst, and Sandra Tamer. Performances during the evening will be directed by the evening’s Emcee Daniel J. Watts (2000 Winner in Dance), a multidisciplinary artist whose practice includes dance, stand-up comedy, storytelling and spoken word. Watts has appeared in Broadway shows including Hamilton , In the Heights , and Memphis, among others, and he was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of Ike Turner in TINA. For more information, visit youngarts.org.

12

CHAPTER LUNCHEON

The Daughters of the American Revolution will hold its Palm Beach chapter’s luncheon meeting and election of officers at 11:30 a.m. at Café Boulud. For more information, call 540.295.0902.

On April 14th, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County will host its Barefoot of the Beach event at The Breakers at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit bgcpbc.org.

14

BAREFOOT ON THE BEACH

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm

On April 4th, the Boys’ Club of New York will host its annual Spring Luncheon at 583 Park Avenue in New York. For tickets, call 212.353.2122 or email Ravali.Ceyyur@BCNY.org.

Beach County will host its Barefoot on the Beach event at The Breakers at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit bgcpbc.org.

15

IN BLOOM

The Garden Club of Palm Beach’s “In Bloom” Flower Show will take place on April 15th and April 16th in the Esther B. O’Keeffe Building at 10 a.m. For more information, visit gardenclubpalmbeach.com.

17

PALM BEACH CIVIC

Palm Beach Civic Association will hold its annual meeting and reception at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum at 10 a.m. By invitation. Palm Beach Civic Association’s mission is to protect and improve the quality of life in the Town of Palm Beach by taking proactive stands on civic affairs; informing, educating, and engaging residents on key town issues; working with local government; and encouraging citizen involvement in the community. For more information, visit palmbeachcivic.org.

21

UN BALLO IN MASCHERA

Save Venice’s annual Un Ballo in Maschera will dazzle New York City. This year, the event returns to the Plaza Hotel, a favorite of years past, with the theme of Byzantine Ball brought to life by

internationally renowned event designer Bronson Van Wyck of Van Wyck & Van Wyck. The evening is generously sponsored by BVLGARI and Oscar de la Renta. Save Venice Inc. is the leading American nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, Italy. Since 1971, Save Venice has funded the conservation of nearly 2,000

individual artworks. For more information, visit savevenice.org.

MAY 1 MET GALA

Metropolitan Museum of Art’s highly anticipated Met Gala will take place, as always, on the first Monday of May. The

star-studded event raises funds for the Costume Insitute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For more information, visit metmuseum.org.

3

HAT LUNCHEON

Central Park Conservancy will host its annual Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon, the signature event of the Women’s Committee. The event will take place at the Conservatory Garden at 11 a.m. The co-chairs are Kathryn Beal, Kristy Korngold, Melanie McLennan and Suzy Welch. The Conservancy is committed to serving the public’s best interests and providing the oversight and expertise necessary to ensure that the world-class greenspace is accessible to all. For more information, visit centralparknyc.org.

6

KENTUCKY DERBY

The Kentucky Derby is unlike any other sporting event! With a crowd of more than 150,000 people, the event boasts unparalleled history and tradition. On the first Saturday in May, thousands of guests will gather under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. For more information, visit kentuckyderby.com.

On April 15th and 16th, the Garden Club of Palm Beach’s “In Bloom” Flower Show will take place in the Esther B. O’Keeffe Building at 10 a.m. For more information, visit gardenclubpalmbeach.com.

The Substance of Style

Once again, Quest is proud to feature the leading women who champion and support so many charitable causes. And once again, we’ve chosen to photograph them in white shirts—because, after all, it’s what’s on the inside that truly matters.

Hildegarde “Hillie” Mahoney Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County

Palm Beach resident Hillie Mahoney is the co-founder of the Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute and has been involved with the Boys’ Club of New York since her early days. After Jeremiah Milbank, Jr. asked her to join the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, she continued with a branch of the organization when she moved to Palm Beach. She is also the author of Journey Interrupted, a book that tells the tale of her German-American family who found themselves stranded in Japan in the midst of World War II. Below, she describes her relationship with community giving.

“I became involved with the club in New York City during the 1950s. As a Manhattan resident, I realized the importance of providing underserved boys with opportunities that they would otherwise not have. We raised money to keep a number of clubs around the city operating, which were safe places for kids to go after school, and allowing boys to attend prep schools and get a first-class education. When we moved to Palm Beach, my late husband and I became involved with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. I also joined the board of Hospice of Palm Beach, The Preservation Foundation, and have co-chaired the annual American Ireland Fund dinner for many years. I am a director of the Dana Foundation in New York and, together with my late husband, founded the Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute to bring awareness to brain diseases and to erase the stigma of mental illness.”

PHOTOGRAPHED BY HARRY BENSON AND ANNIE WATT, JULIE SKARRATT, CARRIE BRADBURN, SCOTT ERIK BUCCHEIT, AND JACK DEUTSCH

Gretchen Leach

Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County

Gretchen Leach, who resides in Palm Beach, is married to Howard Leach, who served as ambassador to France from 2001 to 2005. Still a frequenter of Paris, Gretchen is the author of Letters from Paris, a compilation of notes she wrote to family and friends during the couple’s full-time gig in the City of Light. Her personal reflection on philanthropy follows.

“Boys and Girls Clubs has been a real eyeopener to me. To see these kids come to the club after school and do their homework, play sports in the gymnasium, and then have dinner… it is amazing. They have no place to go and this provides a safe refuge to literally thousands of needy children every day. I am happy to do what I can to help this organization. My husband and I are also involved in many political causes that will hopefully make a difference to our great country… a REAL PASSION. I serve on the board of American Hospital in Paris, an important institution in my other life, which happens to be in Paris.”

HARRY BENSON

Judy Glickman Lauder Glickman Lauder Center of Excellence in Autism and Developmental Disorders

Judy is an internationally recognized photographer and humanitarian. Her works are held in private collections and public institutions around the world, from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Her husband, Leonard Lauder, is the chairman emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies. The couple’s philanthropy has a global reach. She reflects below on her charitable endeavors.

“My major focus has been on all aspects of mental illness, culminating in the opening of the Glickman Lauder Center of Excellence in Autism and Developmental Disorders in Portland, Maine in 2021. Along with my husband, Leonard, I care deeply about organizations that are working to find cures, such as the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and The Michael J. Fox Foundation. As a photographer, I believe fervently in the transformative power of art and cultural institutions. It gives me great joy to have promised my entire photography collection to the Portland Museum of Art. I hope this gift will encourage public engagement in the arts for generations to come. Both Leonard and I are incredibly proud that both of our families are carrying on our lifelong philanthropic tradition.”

HARRY BENSON

The women featured in “The Substance of Style” from our April 2022 issue, photographed by Harry Benson. From above: Jennifer Fischer, Lighthouse Guild; Liza Pulitzer Calhoun, Hanley Foundation.

“I believe that it is especially important for the educational efforts to begin as early as possible, with childhood literacy programs to provide a foundation for successful lives.”

—Wendy Bingham Cox

Wendy Bingham Cox, Cox Science Center and Aquarium, posing for “The Substance of Style” for our April 2022 issue.

The “Women of Substance and Style” from our April 2021 issue. This page: Gillian Hearst, The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Missie Rennie Taylor, Vassar College and The Asia Foundation; Britty Bardes Damgard, Landmarks Preservation Commission of Palm Beach and The Blair House.

in “The

“I am particularly passionate about the arts, especially in difficult times.”

—Deborah Royce

The women featured

Substance of Style” from our April 2020 issue. This spread, clockwise from top left: Louise Stephaich, Hospital Albert Schweitzer; Deborah Goodrich Royce, supporting The Avon Theater, PRASAD, NYBG, and NYPL; Denise Hanley, Palm Beach Atlantic University and the Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation.

The women featured in “The Substance of Style” from our April 2019 issue, photographed by Harry Benson and Annie Watt. This page, from above: Georgina Bloomberg, The Humane Society of the United States; Whitney Bylin, Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society. Opposite page, from above: Mila Mulroney and her granddaughters (Thea and Minnie Lapham), Cystic Fibrosis Canada; Ritchey Howe, Boys’ Club of New York.

“I love to be able to share the zoo’s conservation message through my films.”

—Whitney Bylin

The women featured in “The Substance of Style” from our April 2018 issue, photographed by Harry Benson. This page, from above: Jamee Gregory, The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Barbara Tober, The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). Opposite page, clockwise from above left: Julie Frist, Teach for America; Susan Lloyd, Palm Beach Island Cats; Talbott Maxey, The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. HARRY BENSON

Addams

The women featured in “The Substance of Style” from our April 2017 issue, photographed by Harry Benson. This page, above: Frances Scaife, Lighthouse Guild. This page, below: Nancy Brinker, Susan G. Komen. Opposite page, above: Hilary Geary Ross, The Blenheim Foundation U.S.A., Women’s Board of the Boys’ Club of New York, Women’s Committee of the Central Park Conservancy, Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. Opposite page, below: Jacqueline Weld Drake, Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education, Literacy Partners, and PEN America.

“Social advance depends quite as much upon an increase in moral sensibility as it does upon a sense of duty.”

—Jane

HARRY BENSON

The women featured in “The Substance of Style” from our April 2016 issue, photographed by Harry Benson. This page, top row: Audrey Gruss, Hope for Depression Research Foundation; Dani Moore, Town of Palm Beach United Way, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. Bottom row: Pauline Baker Pitt, Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. Opposite page, top row: Mary McDonnell Davidson, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Jacqueline Desmarais, The Metropolitan Opera. Bottom row: Edith McBean, African Parks Foundation, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya, Panthera, Rainforest Trust; Michele Kessler, Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society.

HARRY BENSON

The women featured in “The Substance of Style” from our March 2012 issue, photographed by Jack Deutsch and Capehart Photography. This page, top row: Nancy Kissinger, Animal Medical Center; Anne Harrison, Women’s Committee of the Central Park Conservancy. Bottom row: Louise Grunwald, Lighthouse International; Emilia Fanjul, Everglades Preparatory Academy and Glades Academy Elementary Charter Schools. Opposite page, top row: Sasha Heinz, Planned Parenthood; Sydney Shuman, Women & Science, Rockefeller University. Bottom row: Jill Kargman, American Foundation for Equal Rights; Emma Bloomberg, Robin Hood.

JACK DEUTSCH; CAPEHART

The women from the April 2009 “The Substance of Style” shoot, photographed by Jack Deutsch. This page, top row: Nancy Paduano, Central Park Conservancy; Lorna Graev, Fountain House; Susan Burden, New Yorkers for Children. Second row: Elizabeth Stribling, French Heritage Society; Cynthia Lufkin, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Bottom row: Liz Smith, Literacy Partners; Blaine Trump, God’s Love We Deliver. Opposite page, top row: Susan Fales-Hill, American Ballet Theatre; Lauren Bush, FEED. Bottom row: Diana Taylor, New York Women’s Foundation; Evelyn Lauder, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. JACK

DEUTSCH

NEXT GENERATION OF GENEROSITY

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

Quest’s annual roundup of young philanthropists.

GEORGINA BLOOMBERG

The Humane Society & Equus Foundation

A PROFESSIONAL SHOW JUMPER , it’s no surprise that Georgina Bloomberg—daughter of Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg—is an avid animal rights activist. In addition to her successful equestrian career, she is most well known for her philanthropic efforts, particularly for her extensive animal welfare work and for founding The Rider’s Closet, a program that ensures riding apparel is accessible to those in need.

Brooke Murray: How do you approach the world of philanthropy?

Georgina Bloomberg: I think that everyone has to do what they can and recognize that it will mean different things for different people. There are people who only want to write checks to help, which for many organizations is not only what they want but also the biggest help they can receive. Others may not be able to write a check but can help in other ways, such as volunteering at an animal shelter or collecting items for a food pantry. I am fortunate that for many of the organizations I care about I can do both: financially make a difference for them and also help in other ways. I like to be hands-on and see the work and the difference that is being made as much as I can, and for me philanthropy will never be about just writing a check. That is not only my sincere desire, but also the example I want to set for my son. When I started my program The Rider’s Closet, being hands-on was the only thing that I could do and that mattered. I needed to go out there and ask people to donate their clothing, and then figure out how to get it to the people who needed it most. Shipping was my only cost and I have always and still do pay for that myself so that there are no costs for those who receive items from us.

BM: What are your specific causes?

GB: I have worked with many different large animal

organizations such as the ASPCA, The Humane Society, and the Equus Foundation, that are making a meaningful difference for animals all over. I also make sure to work with and help smaller animal shelters that may not be able to do things like change the rules of how factory farming animals are kept or whether horse slaughter becomes legal in the U.S., but are doing everything they can to help animals and save lives. For a long time I only cared about animal causes and had very little compassion for people. As I got older and became a mother, that started to change for me and I became more aware of not only how fortunate I had been by being raised in a family that could provide everything I needed in life, but also how fortunate I was to be able to provide those things for my son, and wanted to help those who could not. I began supporting organizations such as Good+ and programs that help the homeless and try to involve my son as much as I can with doing things like collecting toys and clothes for kids who are not as lucky as he is. I make sure that he is very aware of why we do that and the position he is in. I don’t sugarcoat things with him. I make sure he knows he is incredibly lucky, and he has a duty to help other kids.

BM: What inspires you?

GB: Every time I am able to find a dog a home or transport them up to a rescue where they were able to get adopted, or hear a story that a kid was able to feel better about themselves because they could finally ride with the proper apparel or a parent writes me a letter to say how much it meant to them to be able to afford to let their child get on a horse, it inspires me to do more and keep going. If you can’t see the difference that you are making or hear from those you are helping, it is easy to become discouraged or feel like you aren’t making a difference. Especially in the animal shelter system, it’s easy to feel like you can’t really make a difference or fix the problem, but I try to focus on each life I am able to save, not the ones I may not be able to.

Georgina Bloomberg holding a rescue puppy.

OLYMPIA SHIELDS BISHOP

Palm Beach Day Academy

FOR AS LONG as she can remember, Olympia Shields Bishop has wanted to be an educator. Even as early as middle school, she served as a peer tutor, helped the children of family friends complete their summer math packets, and volunteered as a homework helper at the local Boys and Girls Club. During the summers, she worked at a camp for children with emotional and behavioral disorders where she learned to acknowledge and appreciate what makes each child unique. She eventually enrolled at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody School of Education and graduated with a master’s in special education and child development.

After enjoying various roles as an educator in both New York and Boston over 12 years, she eventually joined Palm Beach Day Adacemy (PBDA) in 2015 as a math teacher. She currently serves as the Math Department Chair and teaches Middle School Mathematics on the Upper Campus.

Brooke Murray: How did you land at Palm Beach Day Academy?

Olympia Bishop: I attended Palm Beach Day School and graduated from ninth grade in 1997. My two math teachers at PBDA, Mrs. Barbara Close and Mrs. Tina Barbieri, are a large part of why I became a teacher. I remember saying when I was younger, “I want to be Mrs. Close when I grow up.” And to this day, I credit Mrs. Barbieri for seeing something in me and moving me to a challenging math class in the middle of sixth grade, an event that truly changed how I thought of myself and shifted the trajectory of my life. Thus, when the opportunity arose for me to come back and teach at my alma mater, I jumped at the chance to return to these hallways and work with my two former teachers. PBDA has always had a special place in my heart and being part of this community has been a gift. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

BM: What inspires you?

OB: Every day, I am inspired by the teachers and professionals that I work with. Each individual is truly a master of his or her craft and I thrive being part of such a collaborative community where you are recognized for the unique gifts you contribute. I am humbled by the overwhelming commitment and dedication of the people I am surrounded by. I am also inspired by my students and feel so fulfilled when I am able to help them recognize and capitalize upon their strengths. As a teacher, it is the “little things” that mean the most: a smile when a student gets a problem right, a look of pride when hard work pays off, or seeing a student’s increased motivation to go above and beyond.

BM: How can our readers help support the organization?

OB: The culture at PBDA is a philanthropic one. This starts with our students as community service and giving back to others are an integral part of our curriculum starting at a young age. We teach our students to “work hard and be kind” every day both inside our classroom walls and within the broader community. Those who support PBDA and its mission are helping me and my colleagues to continue to cultivate compassionate leaders that will one day change lives.

To learn more about how to support Palm Beach Day Academy and its Second Century Campaign, visit pbday.org/secondcentury-campaign.

Clockwise from top left: Olympia Bishop on the steps of Palm Beach Day Academy; Olympia teaching; students during class; PBDA’s logo.

OLIVIA DEBBS

Red Sneakers For Oakley

TODAY, OAKLEY DEBBS would be 17 years old. Oakley suffered from both asthma and — what his doctors called — a “mild” allergy to peanuts and tree nuts, but Oakley’s doctors never educated his family on how to protect Oakley from his food allergies. Unfortunately, in 2016 while the Debbs family was on a Thanksgiving vacation with all of their relatives in Maine, he ate some cake that unknowingly contained either nut extract or nuts — and ultimately suffered a fatal anaphylactic reaction. The Debbs feel that had they been trained and educated on food allergies, Oakley’s death may have been avoidable. After his tragic passing, Oakley’s parents, Merrill and Bobby Debbs, founded Red Sneakers for Oakley (RSFO), a 501(c)3 nonprofit foundation dedicated to education and advocacy for food allergy awareness to save lives across the globe. A sports enthusiast, Oakley loved playing flag football, tennis, and soccer with his friends. Now his red sneakers sit in the corner and have become a symbol of his tragic death a few years ago. Oakley’s twin sister Olivia currently serves as a teen ambassador for her school and community.

Brooke Murray: What motivates you?

Olivia Debbs: Knowing I can make a difference in my brother’s memory. No family should lose a loved one from the simple act of eating. We strive everyday to bring food allergy awareness to schools, the general public, and as many institutions as we can reach.

BM: What’s on the horizon for Red Sneakers for Oakley?

OD: Red Sneakers grows every year exponentially and going forward we hope May 20th, International and National Red Sneakers Day, is recognized throughout the country as it is now on the national calendar. Red Sneakers for Oakley was able to reach nine million people worldwide during the month of May in 2022. This year, RSFO is

hosting a free community event on May 20th in West Palm Beach. There will be food allergy friendly vendors, allergists, and fun activities for the whole family! The goal of this event is to bring the food allergy community together and to educate those who do not know about the severity of food allergies. We hope to continue to host this local event every year as well as help Ambassadors across the globe host their own International Red Sneakers Day.

BM: How can our young readers help?

OD: We encourage all ages to participate as ambassadors or to use their own platforms that fits within their communities as a way to promote food allergy awareness. Red sneakers for Oakley isn’t just for Oakley, it’s for everybody. ◆

Clockwise from top left: Olivia, Bobby, and Merrill Debbs; the Oakley Gage Debbs Memorial Field in Palm Beach; Oakley Debbs; Olivia Debbs (left) with freinds at a RSFO soccer match, 2020.

THE YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST YGL

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

Kate Upton and Justin Verlander.

ON MARCH 11TH, amFAR, the Foundation for AIDS research, hosted its second annual Palm Beach gala at the home of event chairs Michele and Howard Kessler . In her remarks, Michele noted that her family’s support for amfAR comes from a desire to “improve the health and well-being of all people, through investments in education, medical research, human services, and community organizations.” The evening featured performances by Jane Krakowski , a seated dinner, and Clase Azul Tequila cocktails. An exciting live auction presented guests with luxury items and experiences, including a George Condo, which sold for $1,100,000, and a day of golf with Greg Norman and Wayne Gretzky.

AMFAR’S ANNUAL PALM BEACH GALA

Clockwise from top left: Sam Horowitz and Bettina Anderson; auction item Aaaaaaaaa, 2023 by Paola Pivi; Jane Krakowski; Howard and Michele Kessler; Emma Kessler and Kelly Rutherford.

CAPEHART; COLBY TALLIA

YGL

COCKTAILS AT DRAWBERTSON’S PALM BEACH GALLERY

LAST MONTH, Danielle Lauder and Donald Robertson, known as “Drawbertson,” hosted an opening reception for the artist’s new gallery at the Royal Poinciana Plaza, featuring 2,300 square feet of original art, prints, and other merchandise that are typically only available online. “I’m so bored with TikTok, I’d rather be LIVE and in-person,” said Robertson. “I’m excited to hang out with my collectors, paint, and show my art in this new gallery and studio space. I’ve been going to The Royal for years with my family, and now it will be home to a great deal of my art.”

Danielle Lauder and Donald Robertson

Drawbertson’s artwork

Ashley Lauren

Captain Casual and Tommy Pitts Whitney Hesse

IN LATE FEBRUARY, the Fresh Air Fund hosted a cocktail party at the Royal Poinciana Plaza. The not-for-profit youth development organization provides free, life-changing summer experiences in the outdoors to children from New York City’s undeserved communities. The evening featured an open bar and projected a short video to educate guests on the charity's incredible work and mission. u

FRESH AIR FUND’S PALM BEACH MIXER

Amanda Starbuck Hanlan and Trey Hanlan

Caroline Rafferty

Alex Hamer and Hannah Selleck Tony and Amanda Cummings

Patrick Murray, Elizabeth Meigher, Brooke Murray, and Mark Gilbertson

CAPEHART

Stacey Leluiette, Randolph Walker and Grace Hyde

AN EASE OF GIVING

NELSON ALDRICH ROCKEFELLER—“Nels” to his legions of pols and pals—was a modern day philanthropist in a bygone era of Establishment partisanship. His four brothers and one sister would become legendary pace setters in 20th Century philanthropy; yet this privileged son, with a kind and common touch, brought philanthropy to politics, dispersing public funds from Albany as readily as his own.

Fresh out of Dartmouth in 1930, young Nelson quickly became immersed in the structuring and building of Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art and the United Nations, employing his unique combination of optimism, urgency, diplomacy … and occasional arm-twisting.

On his journey to elective office, Nelson emerged as a symbol of the establishment, ever seasoned by his “everyman” style. Indeed, the Governor’s trademark greeting became a backslapping “Hiya fella!” to each and all, regardless of rank or station. Rockefeller’s biographer, Jonathan Knee, recalls a difficult moment during his 1968 presidential bid when a frantic aid begged Nelson to call in the support of the so-called Eastern Establishment. “You’re looking at it, buddy”, Nelson told him, “I’m all that’s left”. How true, some 55 years later!

He was a mentor, boss and family friend, whose innate sense of giving remains a hallmark to this day.—Chris Meigher

This page, clockwise from top left: Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller chatting with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in New York City, 1965; Laurance, David, Nelson, Abby, John III, and Winthrop Rockefeller; Nelson Rockefeller—the Establishment’s “everyman.”