AVENUE
MAY 2012
“In 15 minutes everyone will be famous.” —Andy Warhol
THE
OF
ART RT T JEWELRY Art Production Fund Director Casey Fremont Crowe
f2 g y actor
.0
irl
CASEY FREMONT CROWE
Artist
HUNT SLONEM’s SLONEM Wonderland
is the art world’s hardest working it-girl
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letter from the editor
Dear Readers,
editor, Janet allon
But Casey is not your prototypical Factory Girl, lost in a haze of partying and drugs, which is why we’ve dubbed her Factory Girl 2.0.
If you have recently happened to pass through the Times Square area, you might have thought, as I did, that someone has struck oil beneath the isle of Manhattan. Two twenty-fivefoot red and black oil pumps are bobbing around the clock in an empty lot at 46th and eighth. But it’s not true. It’s art. It’s art that comments. “Manhattan oil Project” by Josephine Meckseper is an example of the kind of smart art that the art Production fund has been bringing to the public in recent years, and Casey fremont Crowe, a driving force behind making these projects happen, is this month’s cover subject. The 28-year-old director of the aPf (and mother to be) is as glamorous as she is hardworking, and her personal history is steeped in the lore that makes New york a contemporary art capital, including a close family connection to the pop art godfather himself, andy Warhol. We shot Casey in her parents’ art filled Lower fifth avenue home where Warhols lined the dining room, for starters. everywhere there was ironic and fun art by Koons, Schnabel, Ruscha and many more, collected over the years from friends of vincent and Shelly fremont. as our cover story by Daisy Prince explains, vincent fremont came east to work for andy Warhol and today directs the andy Warhol foundation. But Casey is not your prototypical factory Girl, lost in a haze of partying and drugs, which is why we’ve dubbed her factory Girl 2.0. This being an art issue, visual feasting is on offer throughout, especially in our tour of artist hunt Slonem’s antique and animal filled studio, and a fab photo essay on “The art of Jewelry.” here too this month, is the debut of Real estate editor and bestselling author (740 Park, Unreal Estate) Michael Gross’ column, on a property not so far from the fremonts’ home that might just signal a renaissance in the village. We didn’t know that at one point Warhol revised his most famous one-liner, “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes,” which he said had grown boring to him, to “In 15 minutes, everyone will be famous.” We could not resist putting that Reality-Tv-predicting turn of phrase on our “quotecorner” of our cover. This new feature is our little wink to you, a nod to your intelligence, food for thought or a laugh, and we hope you like it. Let us know,
Editor 4 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
JoSh LehReR
Janet Allon
AVENUE
MAY 2012
VOL. 36 NO.5
44
FEATURES 44
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PoP ART PRiNcESS
Casey Fremont Crowe grew up surrounded by the antics of Andy Warhol and other Factory artists. Somehow she kept her head and now directs one of the City’s hippest arts organizations, the Art Production Fund. by daisy prince photographs by alix smith styled by jules wood
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All THAT SPARklES Showcasing the timeless beauty of the world’s finest jewels. photography by desmond nettel styling by amy michelle smith
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HUNT SloNEm’S WHimSicAl WoRld
Step inside New York artist Hunt Slonem’s wild west side studio full of Gothic furniture, rare antiques, blooming plants and talking birds. by mara siegler photographs by sophie elgort
THE SPRiNg REAl ESTATE RoUNdTAblE
Manhattan’s real estate power brokers discuss the state of the market, the new foreign buyer, and the resurgence of the Upper East Side introduction by michael gross portraits by andrew schwartz
this page
(clockwise from top) Casey Fremont Crowe wears a black silk dress by Rubin & Chappelle and necklace and earrings by Sam Lehr. She poses in front of a painting by artist Carl Fudge. Photography by Alix Smith, styling by Jules Wood. Dragonfly necklace by Tiffany & Co. Hunt Slonem photographed by Sophie Elgort. “Tilda Sleeps” by Sandro Kopp.
AVENUEinsider 72
For the latest on people and parties, visit www.avenueinsider.com
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cHRoNiclES
Celebrating with Liam Neeson at the Museum of the City of New York’s Winter Ball, and toasting Frank Langella’s new book with Barbara Walters and Mayor Bloomberg. by debbie bancroft 6 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
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Try this one: BA in the History of the Interior and the Decorative Arts.
AVENUE
MAY 2012
VOL. 36 NO. 5
28
Where the Wild things Are
38
Objects Of desire
40
UnreAl estAte
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scAndAl sheet
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AveneW
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WOrld AccOrding tO . . .
Women shine this month at the screenings for Mélanie Laurent’s new film, Greta Gerwig’s star turn in Damsels in Distress and Lena Dunham’s Girls. by mara siegler Channeling Warhol with wearable art. by amy michelle smith The house once owned by John Philip Sousa is a newly-renovated West Village trophy property. by michael gross A look at whether or not Man Ray stole his signature photo style when a relationship went sour. Sandro Kopp, Tilda Swinton’s boyfriend, wows the art world with his Skype portraits of famous friends. by amy michelle smith Art maven Bill Powers on his wish for enduring relevance and why he loves it when people yell “Taxi!”
dePArtMents
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8 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
17
On the AvenUe
34
Arts cAlendAr
The best parties of the month. Expanded listings of what’s on view at auction houses, galleries and museums.
on the cover
Casey Fremont Crowe wears a blue silk Helmut Lang dress from Saks Fifth Avenue and shoes by Louis Vuitton. Necklace and bracelet by Anndra Neen. Photographed by Alix Smith at the home of Vincent and Shelly Dunn Fremont, Casey is pictured with a Jeff Koons dog vase owned by her parents. Styled by Jules Wood at Seven Artist Management with fashion assistance by Ashleigh Williams. Hair by Johnny Wojtanowicz. Make-up by Cheyenne at Top 5 Management using Smashbox cosmetics.
letters to the editor
AVENUE welcomes “Letters to the Editor” Please address to Editor Janet Allon 79 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, NY 10016 jallon@manhattanmedia.com
AVENUE PRESIDENT Randi Schatz rschatz@manhattanmedia.com EDITOR Janet Allon jallon@manhattanmedia.com ART DIRECTOR Jessica Ju-Hyun Lee Ho jlee@manhattanmedia.com SENIOR EDITOR Mara Siegler msiegler@manhattanmedia.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Amy Michelle Smith asmith@manhattanmedia.com REAL ESTATE EDITOR Michael Gross mgross@manhattanmedia.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Debbie Bancroft ■
Noah Wunsch
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Stephanie Posner ■
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Cristina Cuomo ■ R. Couri Hay
Peggy Siegal
■
Melissa Berkelhammer
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Aram Bedrossian Brendan Stumpf
Lacey Tisch-Sidney
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Billy Farrell
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Ben Fink Shapiro
Patrick McMullan
PRODUCTION MANAGER Ed Johnson ejohnson@manhattanmedia.com ADVERTISING DESIGNER Monica Hsiao-Hsuan Tang mtang@manhattanmedia.com FACT CHECKER Alexandria Symonds asymonds@manhattanmedia.com
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Rosemary Winters
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contributors Daisy Prince, who penned our cover story on art world “it-girl” and Warhol heir Casey Fremont Crowe this month, has been a journalist for over nine years in London and New York where she worked for Tatler, Vanity Fair and The Evening Standard. Currently, she is a Senior Editor at Worth Magazine. “Casey was one of the most grounded individuals I’ve ever met. Dignified, fantastically organized and incredibly charming, she is on her way to becoming one of New York’s art world leaders.”
Avenueinsider aliX smiTH
mara siegler Mara Siegler, AVENUE’s new Senior Editor, debuts her column “Where the Wild Things Are,” tracking the glamorous goings-on of Manhattan after dark. She also interviewed artist Hunt Slonem and takes us on a whimsical tour of his wonderland of a Manhattan studio. Before coming to AVENUE, Mara wrote for BlackBook, New York, and reported for the New York Daily News’ Gatecrasher column where she interviewed everyone from Bono to Anna Wintour to Woody Allen and Madonna.
Cover photographer Alix Smith is best known for her ability to create iconic images that defy cliché. She shows with the Morgan Lehman Gallery in New York City and has been in solo exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe. She loves working on editorial projects because she gets to collaborate with a team of creative minds. “I had such a wonderful time photographing Casey, who I have coincidentally known for several years because the art world is a very small industry,” she says. “We spent most of the day laughing at ourselves, both waddling around and trying to maneuver our ever expanding bellies - our babies are due a week apart!”
Cover story stylist Jules Wood worked in Tokyo, London and Hong Kong before coming to New York where she has styled shoots for NYLON, PAPER and Marie Claire as well as AVENUE. This month’s cover shoot with Casey Fremont Crowe was a challenge and a pleasure, Wood says. “I think every mom-to-be has a hard time finding stylish clothing that complements her growing bump. As a fashion stylist and personal shopper, I found it quite easy to dress her, especially given her great personal style and bright personality.”
JUles WOOD 12 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
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On the
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Peter Brant Jr, Michelle Harper and Harry Brant at Save Venice
on the avenue
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It was quite a month for Andrew Saffir and the Cinema Society. Co-hosted by Calvin Klein Collection, A-Listers flocked to the much-anticipated premiere of The Hunger Games before heading to the Top of the Standard for a Grey Goose-infused after party. Co-stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci and Josh Hutcherson rubbed elbows with the likes of Zoë Kravitz (representing her rock-star dad’s role in the flick), Penn Badgley, Spike Lee, Patti Smith and Courtney Love (accompanied by the always dashing Brant boys). HBO and the Cinema Society presented the New York premiere of its soon-to-be hit Girls, with show creator and star Lena Dunham. It seemed every bold-faced name in New York was at the Top of the Standard for a jam-packed after party. Guests included Executive Producer Judd Apatow and wife Leslie Mann, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Chloë Sevigny, Charlotte Ronson, Edward Norton and Brian Williams and wife Jane Stoddard Williams who were on hand to cheer on daughter Allison in her first leading role. 1. Peter Brant Jr., Courtney Love, Harry Brant 2. Mia Moretti 3. Jennifer Lawrence, Francisco Costa 4. Stanley Tucci 5. Zosia Mamet, Lena Dunham 6. Michelle Trachtenberg, Brad Goreski 7. Jackson Lee, Spike Lee 8. Hilary Rhoda 9. Zoë Kravitz 10. Olivia Palermo
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Cinema Society’s star-studded screenings
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NIGHT ON THE LIDO A masked evening to Save Venice
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Party guests went all out for Save Venice’s “Un Ballo in Maschera.” Alexandra Lind Rose, Tinsley Mortimer, Whitney Fairchild, Patrick Herning, Ashley and Jeff McDermott, Jamie Tisch, Luigi Tadini and Amanda Hearst were just a few of the beautiful faces partially hidden under ornate masks, many created especially for the occasion and all vying for the chance to win the evening’s best. Not your average costume competition, prizes included 18-karat gold cufflinks from de Grisogono and a couture Badgley Mischka gown. But there were no sore losers for the evening held under huge blue and white beach tents and full of champagne. All proceeds go to restoring the Italian city’s art and landmarks.
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1. Top: Tinsley Mortimer 2. Bottom: Charlotte Ronson 3. Alexandra Lebenthal 4. Adelina Wong Ettelson 5. Dani Stahl 6. Hannah Bronfman 7. Derek Blasberg, Luigi Tadini, Amanda Hearst
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© PATRICK MCMULLAN==PHOTO - CLINT SPAULDING/PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM
PARTY
NO-ANIMALS The launch of a new vegetarian book
Vegetarians and carnivores alike came out to fête Kathy Freston’s new book Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World. The event, hosted by Arianna Huffington, brought out Rupert and Wendi Murdoch, Charlie Rose, Tina Brown, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, as well as actor James Van Der Beek and musician Moby who all dined on meat-free dishes like mushroom-wrapped dates stuffed with soy cheese. 1. Kathy Freston, Wendi Murdoch 2. Tina Brown, Sir Harold Evans 3. Diane Sawyer 4. Tory Burch 5. Rupert Murdoch, Robert Peng, Dr. Mehmet Oz MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 19
on the avenue 1
BULL(Y)’S EYE A screening for Harvey Weinstein’s latest 1
There was no fighting at the Paley Center for Media screening for Harvey Weinstein’s newest project, Bully. Hosted by Peggy Siegal and JP Morgan Chase & Co., along with Bing and Gucci, the evening also included a Q+A with director Lee Hirsch and students from the film. Meryl Streep, Bob Balaban, Tiki Barber, Tom Brokaw, Paul Brittain, Antonio Campos, Katie Couric, Billie Jean King, Meredith Ostrom, Martha Stewart and Julie Taymor all came out to watch the flick.
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©PATRICK MCMULLAN==PHOTO - PAUL BRUINOOGE/ PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM
1. Angela Martini 2. Meryl Streep 3. Martha Stewart 4. Harvey Weinstein 5. Georgina Chapman 6. Lee Hirsch 7. Katie Couric
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AVENUE TOASTS AVENUE magazine held an intimate party at the penthouse of Twenty9th Park Madison in Gramercy to celebrate our February cover girl, Man Repeller Leandra Medine and the rest of AVENUE’s annual best-dressed list. Warburg Realty’s Richard Steinberg offered up the gorgeous space, taking many inquiries from guests as to the availability. The cameras from HGTV’s Selling New York captured all the action.
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1. Nancy Silberkleit, Chiu-Ti Jansen 2. Roy Kean, Michael Gross 3. Laura Escobar 4. Leandra Medine 5. Richard Steinberg, Leslie Rosenthal
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Our celebration for a fashionable cover
20 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
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HAVING A BALL
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A Fool’s Fete of Gorgeous Gowns New Yorkers For Children celebrated their ninth annual gala “A Fool’s Fete” with dinner, dancing and a silent auction at the Mandarin Oriental. The event, hosted by CD Greene, brought out Selita Ebanks, Linda 1 Fargo, Arden Wohl, Zani Gugelmann, Andrew Saffir and Daniel Benedict, Victoria’s Secret Angel (and Leonardo Dicaprio’s girlfriend) Erin Heatherton, Topper Mortimer, Jessica White, Nicole Miller and more. Zac Posen was there with both Crystal Renn, showing off her new blond hair, and Coco Rocha as his dates. Over $580,000 was raised for youth in foster care. Being decked out in beautiful gowns never looked this good.
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NYDC presents new paintings by Joseph Hart
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Halsey McKay Gallery collaborated with 1stdibs at the New York Design Center to present an exhibition of new paintings from artist Joseph Hart entitled “Odd Antique” exploring compositional hierarchies and incidental versus articulated mark making. Among those in attendance for the Opening Night Party were Jim Druckman, Peter Pap, David Gittleman, Kathrine Tekworth-Porter, Alix Lerman, Leah Blank, Jim Druckman, Nancy Druckman, Ryan Wallace and Hilary Schaffner.
1. Ryan Wallace 2. Joseph Hart 3. Hilary Schaffner 4. Nancy Druckman, Jim Druckman 5. David Gittleman, Katherine Tekworth Porter, Alix Lerman, Leah Blank
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chronicles
by
DEBBIE BANCROFT
Nicole Miller and Beth Rudin DeWoody
Having a Winter Ball MCNY’s annual bash does not disappoint and neither does Frank Langella’s new book
S
pring break presumably rested you in preparation for the spring season onslaught. That is of course, if your break didn’t include your husband’s break, thanks to a gopher hole discovered while careening at full speed on a Segway (four ribs and a clavicle), following your son’s
24 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
‘Family Weekend’ at his famously festive frat. Well, some of you will look well rested, golden, and peaceful. I look like Florence Nightingale after a series of beer bashes. But never mind, it is you we celebrate. And celebrate we did, at the reliably fab, Museum of the City of New York’s Winter
Ball, sponsored in style, by Giorgio Armani. Yes, many of us have been going to this party for . . . well, a long time. But its papa, Mark Gilbertson, freshens it up every year with new faces, better dancers, more emphatic fashion and oh yea . . . every woman’s (and I daresay a few of the gents’) ultimate heartthrob, Liam Neeson. Liam (we are on a first name basis by now), came with his pals from Armani, and wore their dinner jacket just about as well as possible. We compared theater and kid- (his are the same age as mine) notes, before I released him to the eminently capable, and beautiful hands of Jamie Tisch, who was his dinner partner, but not before every single girl swirled, batted their lashes and posed in front of him, à la Cinderella. Alas, no glass slippers found, but in every other way it was a magical ball. Armani’s candelabras flickered candle light on lovely faces, including Chairs Phoebe Gubelmann, Celerie Kemble, Nicole Mellon, Burwell Schorr, Calvert Moore, Allison Rockefeller,
©PATRICK MCMULLAN==PHOTO - NICHOLAS HUNT / PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM
Zani Gugelmann, Gillian Hearst Simonds, Amanda Hearst and Meredith Dunn
chronicles
graziano de boni and Heather Mnuchin
cristina greeven cuomo and caryn Zucker
Mark gilbertson and allison rockefeller imogen lloyd Webber and dr. douglas Steinbrech
christian Simonds and gillian Hearst Simonds
tamara Mellon and Shafi roepers
Mayor M
eeson liam n ie tisch m a j and
ichael blo
omberg
Frank langella and barry diller
Heather Mnuchin, and Shafi Roepers, “My babes,” Mark told the group, “. . . and Andrew (Roosevelt.)” He then intoned, “Now please stay and dance . . . it’s been too much effort for you not to.” Well, OK. Those happy to oblige included: Eva Lorenzotti, Gene and Jackie Williams, Jeff Sharp, Sara and Charlie Ayers, Graziano de Boni, Kathy and Andrew Thomas, Travis and Nick Aquavella, Geoffrey Bradfield, Zack Bacon, Rachel and Ara Hovnanian, Bruce Addison, Carol Mack, Marisa and Matthew Brown, Alexia Hamm Ryan and Baird Ryan. We don’t just dance; we also read. Barbara Walters hosted a book party at Arabelle at the Plaza Athenée (the coziest, sexiest room up here) for her dear friend, Frank Langella’s book, Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women as I Knew Them. “I met him when he was doing Frost/Nixon,” Barbara told us. “I told him Nixon walked like he was constipated, and that helped his performance. He is a rarity among actors . . . he doesn’t always talk about himself.” Even his book 26 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
is about others. This is how he wrote it: “I holed up in my house in Dutchess County, woke up at 5 a.m., and sat in my underwear, writing every day,” he told me. “I always wake up at 5, but then I went right to work.” Frank’s fans included Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, Candice Bergen and Marshall Rose, Alan Rickman (who told me he had just had his last performance of Seminar the night before, and now he’d have time to see some other shows), Jessye Norman, Renée Fleming, Elaine May, Chita Rivera, and Barry Diller. Mayor Michael Bloomberg toasted Frank and said, “I was going to complain that I wasn’t in the book, till I realized everyone was dead.” “The sequel,” Frank promised him. The Mayor continued, “I wrote an autobiography and the Times review said it was too ‘favorable’! What kind of person writes a negative autobiography?!” Barbara looked lovingly at him and said she’d be looking for the write-in space on the Presidential ballot, and many of us agreed. ✦
©Patrick McMullan ; langella and blooMberg: david j. Martin
“I wrote an autobiography and the Times review said it was too ‘favorable’! What kind of person writes a negative autobiography?” —Mayor Michael Bloomberg
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MARA SIEGLER
C
ue the Spice Girls. This month’s screenings brought a whole new class of smart, hilarious women primed to take over the entertainment world. Forget what the co-creator of Two and a Half Men thinks about having too much of Eve Ensler’s favorite body part on screen, ladies are having a moment and it’s set to last. No neon sign Mélanie Laurent needed, get ready for girls, girls, girls (!!!). and Dave Franco Kicking off the femme fest was a Cinema Society event for Mélanie Laurent Laurent’s Les Adoptés. The petite French actress, who is familiar to American audiences for her roles in Inglourious Basterds and Beginners Beginners, wrote, directed and starred in the film that brought out an audience of Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher and Mark Ruffalo. Laurent, looking très chic outfitted in a quintessentially French LBD by Dior, wasn’t too busy soaking up the praise to gush to me about meeting Patti Smith—whose book Just Kids the actress is “obsessed” with—at the Hunger Games premiere Terry and inviting her to the screening. Despite having a personal Richardson invite, Smith was a no-show. C’est la vie. Instead, Dave and Harry Danielly Silva, Billy Beee Franco, Amy Sacco and Dylan McDermott turned up. Not bad. Magnussen and Emily Fardo Woody Harrelson Harrelson, covering his bald head with a baseball cap and seemingly unimpressed with the stacked guest list, left the roped off section to venture into less VIP spaces. We spotted him trying to make his return via the back entrance, a few very well-dressed and very new friends in tow. This month’s female-centric screenings But there would be no party offer a new generation of power women crashing. Stopped by security, Harrelson tried for two minutes, arms gesticulating as animatedly as a proponent of 420 can muster, to gain them entrance. Denied, he returned to the party solo. Brian Williams and Allison Whit Stillman’s first film in 14 years, Damsels in Distress, also Williams got a screening from The Cinema Society with Town & Country Kelly Rutherford and Brooks Brothers followed by another party at the Tribeca and Matthew Settle Grand that brought out the elusive director and the cast of pretty young things including Adam Brody and Analeigh Tipton, all wide eyes and big lips, who told us Stillman, ever the gentleman, wouldn’t allow anyone to cuss on set. Being known to mutter a few four-letter words at times (by accident, of course), I figured it had to be hard to keep things so squeaky clean. “No, it actually made me appreciate when I could use them. So when I wasn’t filming I was a sailor,” she told me, unashamed. “It was great. It was like a release. I would just cuss my head off when I wasn’t working so I was fine when I got on set.” Analeigh’s costar Greta Gerwig spent most of the night on a couch chatting with her boyfriend, director Noah Baumbach as Chloë Sevigny Sevigny, Andie MacDowell, Chace Crawford, and Almost Famous star Patrick Fugit (whose girlfriend is in the film) milled about the room. When we finally caught up with the mumblecore darling Gerwig, who is quickly evolving into a marquee name, Analeigh she told us about the noisy Halloween party she’d thrown for Tipton the cast at her apartment. Shut down by the neighbors, they tried a bribe. “I remember one of my roommates trying to give her cash and she was really mad. We were just really drunk Dylan and like, ‘how do you feel about Benjamin Franklin McDermott making a lot of noise?’ And she was like, ‘you are holding
© PATRICK MCMULLAN; © BFANYC.COM
Hey Girl, Hey
Chloë Sevigny, Whit Stillman and Tara Subkoff
Judd Apatow and Lena Dunham
Greta Gerwig
Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon
Claire Danes, Jemima Kirke and Zosia Mamet
up a one dollar bill,’” Greta said before getting suddenly distracted. “Oh my gosh, models just arrived.” “Male models? Where?” I asked, a little too eagerly. “No, lady models. It’s so amazing when you see them how they couldn’t be anything else. No one just looks like that.” Wild parties, cursing like sailors, being starstruck, gawking at beautiful people? Stars, they really are just like us. Just days later Lena Dunham Dunham, whose film Tiny Furniture has become a hipster cult classic, offered up yet another mumblecore-goes-mainstream moment with a Cinema Society screening for her new HBO show, Girls. Just 25 years old, Dunham already has breathless critical and fan approval (myself included) and the buzz of “being the voice of a new generation.” Whether that pans out remains to be seen, but the girl can pull a crowd. The Boom Boom Room was so packed even executive producer Judd Apatow, of slacker comedy fame, seemed overwhelmed. “It’s way more crowded than I thought it would be,” he mentioned to a friend
Wild parties, cursing like sailors, being starstruck, gawking at beautiful people? Stars, they really are just like us. who responded “Yes, don’t you wish everyone would just leave and it would just be 30 people.” Ah, but what sort of party would that be? Brian Williams Williams, there to see his daughter Allison who has a role in the show, played the proud father chatting with fellow newscaster Katie Couric; Claire Danes radiated enough elegance to draw people to her; and SNLers Nasim Pedrad, Taran Killam, Killam and Abby Elliot found their own nook to trade jokes with 30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer. Others didn’t fare so well. Tony Danza ran into some problems when an overzealous party guest kept backing him uncomfortably against the bar. Politely tapping the man to move only fueled the fire. “Hey man, I didn’t push you. Stop saying I pushed you,” the actor turned to face his aggressor. Front and center at what seemed to be evolving into a fistfight, I did what any other sane person would do when caught between an 80’s icon and a potentially violent place, I scrammed, only to run into the 60-year-old actor later. “If I was younger,” he told me, “If this was years ago, this would have gone differently.” Show him who’s the boss Tony. Boys, apparently, will always be boys. And girls, thank heaven, will be girls. ✦
Jean Ann Williams and Maggie Betts
Patrick Fugit and Megalyn Echikunwoke
For Mara Siegler’s latest nightlife coverage, visit www.avenueinsider.com Ryan30 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012 Metcalf and Adam Brody
Woody Harrelson
© PATRICK MCMULLAN; © BFANYC.COM
where the wild things are
social safari
by
R. COURI HAY
High Society Ignites Spring Season
Fêting Randy’s 21st, Movies, Women, Ballet & Leap Year
NEW YORK’S MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR. Randy
Jay McInerney, Amanda Hearst, Patricia Hearst Shaw, Anne Hearst McInerney, Bernard Shaw, Randy Harris & King Harris @ Randy Harris’ Birthday at 21
Collen Murray & Sara Oldmixon @ Randy Harris’ Birthday at 21
Cece Cord & Lisa Simonsen @ Janna Bullock’s Art Show
Tony Ingrao & Randy Kemper @ SAB
Harris is a triple threat: smart, attractive and modest. While the arrivistes court controversy and reality TV, Randy lives his life as a good son and solid friend to those he’s met along the road less traveled by. His mother and step father, the writers Anne Hearst and Jay McInerney, sent out impeccable engraved invitations beckoning family and friends to celebrate Randy’s 21st Birthday at The “21” Club; it’s the only way really. Randy’s father, King Harris, his sister Amanda Hearst, his aunt Patricia Hearst and her husband Bernard Shaw greeted Kimberly and Steven Rockefeller and their debonair sons Christian & Steven, Edith and Joe Tobin, Ashley and Sharon Bush, Alexandra Kotur, Jonathan Becker and Candace Bushnell in the Club’s private rooms. The crème de la crème of haute society were placed at seven tables of ten, laden with fine silver and crystal and centered by fragrant spring bouquets. Each place was set with an engraved menu card and a souvenir jockey cap that secreted a bottle opener; have you ever? Nothing was less than plus perfect. The bright young things included Emma and Lucy de Kooning, Meredith Dunn, Sophia Signorelli, Luigi Tadini, Theresa Berkery and Randy’s roommate Alex Ersoff who joked, “Now we won’t have to worry that Randy’s fake IDs will get us banned from all the clubs.” Oh-ha-ha-ha! Mrs. McInerney, elegant in a blue sheath and a diamond bracelet that would choke an emu, introduced a short film she produced that showcased some of the sweet, raucous and slightly embarrassing highlights of Randy’s life. I’ve sworn a blood oath not to reveal a frame of this video that would certainly go viral on YouTube. Mr. McInerney called Randy, “Cool, in the way the trumpeter Miles Davis was cool in the 50’s.” Among those raising their glasses to the birthday boy were Alison Mazzola, George Farias, Janna Bullock, Christophe von Hohenberg, Carolina von Humboldt and Patrick McMullan. After blowing out the candles on his three-tiered cake the extremely eligible bachelor told everyone, “Let’s party the way Jay did in the 80’s.” N’est-ce pas?
ADRIEN BRODY & LUCY LIU TEACH CLASS & DETACHMENT. Paper Street Films producers Austin Stark,
Ashley & Andrea Stark @ The Premiere of Detachment
Lucy Liu, Adrien Brody & Sami Gayle @ The Premiere of Detachment
Bingo Gubelmann and Benji Kohn celebrated the release of their drama Detachment about the traumas of the public school system. Adrien Brody, Sami Gayle, Marcia Gay Harden and Lucy Liu star in the movie which you should see, especially if you’re thinking of NOT sending your children to a private school. Andrew Saffir’s sophisticated Cinema Society hosted the screening along with American Express at The Standard East Village. Tribeca Film’s Jane Rosenthal, Joshua Bell, Tony Kaye, Ashley, Andrea and John Stark, Tony Bennett, Jeffrey Sharp, Bettina Zilkha, Alex Lundqvist, Fern Mallis, Robert Verdi, Lonneke Engel and Daniel Benedict all congratulated the trio. detachment-film.com.
SOCIAL STARS LEAP INTO A POSH PARK AVENUE PAD. Why NOT? Give a party, just for the fun of it! Jean and Martin Shafiroff threw open the doors of their far flung Park Avenue apartment to toast Leap Year and they all came; even their adorable pit bull, Bella. Maggie Norris,, the couturier known for her corsets, offered to make one for Bella for the upcoming Humane Society of NY’s Paws For Style show. Have you ever? I’m not sure Jean will go for that; but she is chairing the Southampton Animal Shelter benefit at Christopher Obetz’s and Sandra McConnell’ss waterside estate in Southampton on July 21st. Among those admiring Bella were Mario Buatta, Karen Klopp, Dr. Robert Grant, CeCe Black, Christine Biddle, Jonathan Marder, Michele Gerber Klein, Barbara de Portago, Nancy Silberkleit, Ann Rapp, Larry Kaiser, Melissa Berkelhammer, Lady Liliana Cavendish and Elizabeth and Jackie Shafiroff. southamptonanimalshelter.com
Leap Year hosts Jean & Martin Shafiroff David & Julia Koch @ SAB
CORNELIA GUEST IS ONE HOT COOKIE. “Cornelia Cornelia Guest is our eternal muse,” declared Mark Badgley and James Mischka as they presented her with the Women’s Project Achievement Award. The animal advocate and designer of animal-friendly bags returned the compliment by wearing a white va-va-va-voom dress of theirs that clinged and clanged in all the right places. It must be those yummy vegan chocolate chip cookies Corny makes. corneliaguest.com. The irrepressible Cindy Adams emceed the night, which was co-chaired by Cassandra Seidenfeld Lyster and Lucia Gordon. Leading the applause were Nora Ephron, plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Greenberg, Barbara Goldsmith, Paola Bacchini, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans and cosmetic dentist, Dr. Laura Torrado. womensproject.org. CHELSEA CLINTON TEARS UP THE RUG @ SAB SOIRÉE. “I feel like the pig that the found the truffle,”
Elaine Sargent @ Lincoln Center
Cassandra Seidenfeld Lyster & Cornelia Guest @ Women of Achievement
chuckled David Koch of his ever-glamorous wife Julia, who wore the night’s chicest frock, a Carolina Herrera number that hit all the right notes, to The School of American Ballet’s Winter Palace themed dinner dance. Dashing David wore a burgundy Christian, Kimberly, Stevelvet jacket with emerald studs that put him on top of the men’s ven & Steven Rockefeller III @ Randy Harris’ Best Dressed list. “I’ve been working with Avery Fisher Hall on Birthday at “21” how to improve the acoustics for the New York Philharmonic. You need to spend 500 million to make it significantly better,” said Koch of the sound that’s already first class. “The Phil” had its inspiring spring concert where Alec Baldwin and his lady love Hilaria Thomas and Richard LeFrak and his lady love Karen LeFrak led the applause. Koch, who gave 100 million to transform Lincoln Center’s State Theater into its current state of the art glory has been renamed after David, and well it should be. The Kochs greeted Chelsea Clinton,, who along with Brie Bythewood, Amanda Brotman and Ann-Marie MacFarlane were the Young Patron Co-Chairs. Clinton, a long-time supporter of SAB graciously worked the crowd like she was running for office, which some Chelsea Clinton @ SAB whisper she will do, but then some will whisper anything. Compris? The night, underwritten by Van Cleef & Arpels, raised just shy of a whopping one million. Contributing to the SAB Scholarship Fund were Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, Gossip Girl’s Kelly Rutherford, Nolé Marin, dashing Mac Hyman and Christian Leone, Douglas Hand, Dennis Basso, Alexandra Lebenthal others of that ilk and stripe. sab.org. ✦ & Michael Cominotto @ the Museum of the City of New York Bal MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 33
arts calendar
Feasting the Eyes This month’s selection of art and antiques on view or for sale 41 E. 57th St., 13th Fl. 212.755.2828 DaviD Zwirner Alice Neel: Late Portraits and Still Lifes May 4- Jun. 23 525 W. 19th St. 212.727.2070 GlaDstone Gallery Anish Kapoor May 5-Jun.9 530 W. 21st St. 212.206.7606 GreenBerG van Doren Gallery Richard Diebenkorn: Prints 1961-1992 Through Jun.29 730 Fifth Avenue 212.445.0444
David Ligare, Still Life with Figs (Aparchai), 2011. Oil on canvas. Photograph by David Kingsbury courtesy of Hirschl & Adler Galleries.
auctions Christie’s May 2: Impressionist and Modern Art Works on Paper May 22, 23: Latin American Sale 20 Rockefeller Plaza 212.636.2000 Bonhams new york May 8: Photographs May 23: Antiquities 580 Madison Avenue 212.644.9001 sotheBy’s May 2, 3: Impressionist and Modern Art May 12: Finest and Rarest Wines 34 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
1334 York Ave 212.606.7000 Doyle new york May 9: American Art May 23: Important English and Continental Furniture/ Old Master Paintings 175 E. 87th St. 212.427.2730
galleries alexanDre Gallery Anne Arnold: Sculpture from Four Decades Through Jun.8
hirsChl & aDler Galleries David Ligare: New Paintings Through May 12 730 Fifth Avenue 212.535.8810 Joan B mirviss ltd. The French Connection: Five Japanese Women Ceramists and a Passion for France 39 E. 78th St. 212.799.4021 Jonathan levine Gallery Eric White: Transmission May 19- Jun. 16 529 W. 20th Street, 9th Fl. 212.243.3822 kouros Gallery Laura Murlender: Memory Variations May 3- May 31 23 E. 73rd St. 212.288.5888
arts calendar Lehmann maupin GaLLery Gilbert & George: London Pictures Through Jun. 23 540 W. 26th Street 212.255.2923 matthew marks GaLLery Thomas Demand May 5- Jun. 23 522 W. 22nd Street 212.243.0200 the pace GaLLery Robert Irwin: Dotting the i’s and Crossing the t’s Through Jun. 23 32 E. 57th Street 212.421.3292 spanierman modern Jasmina Danowski May 3- Jun. 2 53 E. 58th Street 212.832.1400
exhibitions asia society Revolutionary Ink: The Paintings of Wu Guanzhong Through Aug. 5 725 Park Avenue 212.288.6400 the Frick coLLection Antico: The Golden Age of Renaissance Bronzes May 1- Jul. 29 1 E. 70th Street 212.288.0700 GuGGenheim museum A Year With Children 2012 May 11- Jun.13 1071 Fifth Avenue 212.423.3500 moma Cindy Sherman Through Jun. 11 11 W. 53rd Street 212.708.9400
neue GaLerie Heinrich Kuehn and His American Circle: Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen Through Aug. 27 1048 Fifth Avenue 212.628.6200 new museum Phyllida Barlow: siege May 2- Jun. 24 235 Bowery 212.219.1222 rubin museum oF art Illuminated Through Sept. 3 150 W. 17th Street 212.620.5000 whitney museum Whitney Biennial Through May 27 945 Madison Ave. 212.570.3600✦
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Old Master’s Paintings, fine European paintings of the 19th–20th century, European Porcelain, 18th–19th century Decorative Arts
Valentina Gallery 960 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10021 212.807.6450 646.301.1405 www.valentinagallery.com info@valentinagallery.com By Appointment
A Meissen equestrian group of Catherine II The Great Empress of Russia After a model by J.J. Kändler, blue crossed swords mark, 10 1/8 in. (25.8 cm.) high, late 19th century
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Deux pommes et un coing by Pierre Auguste Renoir. Signed, painted circa 1900. Oil on canvas from Waterhouse & Dodd.
unreal estate
by
MICHAEL GROSS
The March of Time John Philip Sousa’s former home in the West Village is ready for an encore
T
he death of Greenwich Village, the neighborhood bounded by the Hudson River, Houston Street, Broadway and 14th Street, with Washington Square Park at its heart, has been regularly announced since it was first settled in the 1830s—and the empty storefronts of once vital West 8th Street do make you wonder. I’ve been guilty of this crime, having fled from the influx of trust fund brats, debt lawyers and finance-holes. But a townhouse at 80 Washington Place, which has just come on the market for a staggering (at least by Village standards) $28.5 million, stands as proof that, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the demise of the Village may have been greatly exaggerated. After a gut renovation of everything but its red brick façade topped with a mullioned studio window, the house is a shining example of how a neighborhood is reinvented. That façade bears a plaque noting the home’s most famous owner, the patriotic
40 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
Above left: John Philip Sousa bought 80 Washington Place in 1919 Above right: The Sousa house is now on the market for $28.5 million
march composer and bandleader John Philip Sousa, who bought it in 1919. It also name-checks William W. Berwick, who built it after rising from mason to builder, with a clientele that included the Schermerhorn family, namesakes of the landmark Schermerhorn Row at the South Street Seaport. Berwick lived one door to the east of No. 80 in the second of a pair of Greek Revival row houses (he sold the other to an “importer of fancy goods”), then built and moved into
a third house, which replaced an adjacent stable, before his death in 1856. Sousa had studied music and joined the U.S. Marine Band, in which his father played trombone, at age 14 in 1868, eventually becoming its director. During World War I he was commissioned a Lieutenant Commander and led the Naval Reserve Band. By the time he moved to the central Village, it was no longer the privileged enclave of Vanderbilts and Astors that it was in the mid-19th
Living room
Entry dining room
Backyard
SOUSA WAS HARDLY A REBEL, BUT NEITHER WAS HE A TOTAL MISFIT IN THAT MILIEU. THOUGH HE BOUGHT THE TOWNHOUSE, HE DIDN’T LIVE IN ALL OF IT. Century. But its first reinvention at the start of the 20th set its lasting image as a bohemian hothouse, home to radicals, artists and musicians. Sousa was hardly a rebel, but neither was he a total misfit in that milieu. Though he bought the townhouse, he didn’t live in all of it (his main residence overlooked Manhasset Bay in Sands Point, Long Island). He added a new top floor, installed an elevator to reach it, and rented out two-room apartments beneath with private baths and kitchenettes for rents ranging from $900 to $1,500 a year. After his death in 1932, No. 80 remained in his family’s hands through both the Beat and the protest eras; the last Sousa in his house was his youngest, Helen, who finally moved due to ill health in the late 1960s, when the second great flowering of the Village Bohemia was almost played out and a long decline set to begin. Gildo Rainero, who bought the home in 1970 with a $125,000 A rendering of 80 Washington Place
mortgage from the Sousa estate, was already a presence in the neighborhood. Born there to an Italian immigrant father, he grew up in the restaurant business, and co-owned or owned the Jericho Tavern and Fugazzi’s Bar and Grill on Sixth Avenue (the latter rendered as Dante’s in Jack Kerouac’s The Subterraneans), the Gondolier on the Fifth Avenue site of today’s New School, the Derby Steak House on Macdougal Street and finally, Emilio’s at Sixth and Carmine, which now houses a CVS. Rainero invested his restaurant profits in local real estate. Rainero’s grandson William Rainero, who grew up in one of four family apartments at No. 80, would later develop a condominium on a site his grandfather owned around the corner, and suggested to his grandmother that for his next act, he would empty No. 80 of tenants (who’d included, over the years, the president of a tennis umpire association and a member of the prominent Pennoyer family) and turn it back into a onefamily home. Or rather, as he puts it, a light-filled, completely computerized “party house” with dedicated media, billiard and winestorage-and-tasting rooms; four separate kitchens (two exterior and two interior, including one designed by Da
Silvano’s renowned Silvano Marchetto, who began his storied career as a waiter at the Derby); three Montigo fireplaces; a full rear garden and four separate roof terraces (including one rented from the building next door with 360 degree views that include the Empire State Building, the new 1 World Trade Center and Washington Square Park); bedrooms with built-in cappuccino machines and mini-refrigerators; eleven skylights; a floating mezzanine and glass-sided staircases; heated floors throughout; a spa with glass-walled sauna; five steam showers; and a coal shaft turned into an interior fountain playing water music—not Sousa marches—in the home’s thirty-one-and-ahalf-foot-tall entry foyer. To some, this will all be more proof that the Village of old is dead (again). But maybe the ‘hood has just come full circle, back to the privileged enclave of wealth it was when it was new. ✦ MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 41
scandal sheet
y t i c i l b u P Negative Did a broken heart lead Man Ray to steal his signature photo invention?
I
t was a long way from Poughkeepsie to Paris in 1929, which was well before the Concorde age, but that didn’t stop the beautiful and talented Lee Miller. At 22-years-old she headed for the City of Light to seek out the man who would be her mentor for the next few years, the surrealist artist Man Ray. Miller had been an art student and Condé Nast fashion model in New York when she saw photography as her true calling and wanted to learn at the hand of a master. Only too pleased to accommodate one so gorgeous, Man Ray took her on immediately. After just a few hours of apprenticeship in a tiny darkroom, the two became lovers. It was in that darkroom that the breakthrough Man Ray photo signature ‘solar42 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
ization’— where the image seems to float, outlined by a dark line — was discovered. Flash forward to years after the romance ended. Miller had returned to New York and later married wealthy Egyptian businessman Aziz Eloui Bey and moved to Cairo. Only then did the great Man Ray admit his famous technique was discovered accidentally. But he didn’t quite say who had made the accidental discovery. Miller claimed it was her doing and even had the backstory to back up her assertion. One day, while working in the darkroom, a mouse ran across her foot, she said. She jumped, screamed, threw on the lights and exposed a group of developing negatives, instantly creating the solarization effect. Was it jealousy that prevented Man Ray
from giving Miller credit? He was crushed when she left him. He went on a diet of Perrier water and orange juice and let it be known around Montparnasse that he had a revolver and would use it on anyone who was seen with his former protégé. But heartbreak heals and the pair eventually became friends. Miller married her second husband, became a portrait photographer, was a war correspondent in the U.S. Army and worked for Vogue. Man Ray made himself a legend with his perfection of the solarization technique. In the end, it had truly become his. ✦
Above: The various poses of Lee Miller, photos taken by Man Ray
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Casey Fremont Crowe grew up surrounded by Warholian excess. Now she’s the art world’s hardest working “It-girl”, making sure artists get the support they need so that the public sees more thought-provoking art. by Daisy Prince photographed by Alix Smith styled by Jules Wood at Seven Artist Management
Hair by Johnny Wojtanowicz Makeup by Cheyenne at Top 5 Management Photo assistance by Kevin Goggin Fashion assistance by Ashleigh Williams
Opposite page: Dress with layered fringe tunic, and long shawl-sweater by Missoni. Necklace and earrings both by Missoni. Shoes by Rachel Zoe. OY/YO by Deborah Kass, Eye Pillows by Sean Mellyn, painting in background “Sunday Chuck” by Julian Schnabel
MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 45
46 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
I
f Andy Warhol were alive today, he would have begged to paint the art world’s latest “it” girl, Casey Fremont Crowe. At just 28, she is the director of Art Production Fund and has quietly become a serious force in Manhattan’s art world. Daughter of Andy Warhol’s longtime associates, she grew up in the downtown, artistic swirl of the 1980’s. Grounded and well brought up, Crowe has an air of calm capability which makes it easy to believe she is the perfect bridge between the worlds of art and business. A tall, glowing blonde, Crowe is early for our meeting at The Odeon Restaurant in TriBeCa. She navigates her way around the small, white tables with ease, no small feat since she’s nearly seven months pregnant with her first child. One of the rarest breeds of native New Yorker, the Greenwich Villager, Crowe grew up in one of the green awning masterpieces that line the tree-shaded streets of Lower Fifth Avenue. The daughter of Vincent and Shelly Fremont, her parents were key figures in the art scene of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Her father, Vincent Fremont, originally a surfer from California, decided as a teenager that he wanted to work for Andy Warhol. After making his way to New York, he started by sweeping the floor of the Factory but ended up as Vice President of Andy Warhol Enterprises. He is now a founding director of the Andy Warhol Foundation. Her mother, Shelly Dunn Fremont, from Detroit, dated artist Larry Rivers before falling in love and eloping with Fremont (Andy Warhol lent them his Rolls Royce for their get away). Together, they produced two daughters, Casey and her older sister Austin, and a number of highly respected films including Pie in the Sky, the documentary about the life of another of the Warhol-crew, Brigid Berlin. Casey remembers Brigid Berlin coming over to her parents’ apartment and making her famous “tit” prints on their kitchen table. “When I was ten she made me one for my doll house. A tiny one in a gold frame, it was so cool. I was obsessed.” She tells tales of Andy Warhol (her sister Austin’s Godfather) turning up at Christmas parties with over-thetop cans of candy for the girls and of visits to the Factory on 33rd Street where she remembers a big stuffed Great Dane in front and Ed Ruscha’s elephant. “It smelled like cigarettes and art, like an industrial space.” Despite any Warholian influences, the Fremonts gave their children a pretty strict upbringing. Shelly Fremont was a principled feminist. “She had a very specific idea of how she was going to raise us,” Casey says. “We both have unisex names. She didn’t want us to be raised ‘gendered’ in any way. When people address letters to Mr. Casey Fremont, she’s actually won. Her proudest moments are when someone mistakes me for a man.” While Crowe attended the United Nations International School, Shelly Fremont gave her daughter an earlier Opposite page: Black silk dress by Rubin & Chapelle, necklace and earrings by Sam Lehr, painting in background by Ed Ruscha.
“Casey thinks like an artist only she’s more decisive and she’s always right.” —Artist David Brooks
[ ] Casey’s Favorite Galleries Lehmann Maupin Gagosian The Hole Dan Flavin Art Institute in Bridgehampton
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Casey’s Up-and-Coming artist piCks Angel Otero Shelter Serra Laurel Nakadate Theo Rosenblum Alex Israel Tauba Auerbach
]
curfew than any of her friends, “Her big line was, ‘Nothing good happens after 2 a.m.’” Crowe says, “The reason I didn’t need to rebel and be a bad girl is because I never had to rebel against anything. I could never shock my parents with anything. They had the wilder life and I wasn’t trying to compete.” That is not to say that Casey was a homebody or wallflower in her youth. She can wax lyrical about nights spent sipping cocktails in what has become the “21” Club for millennials, the Beatrice Inn. But despite having a varied group of friends, the temptations of drugs never appealed. Even her courtship and marriage at 27 to chef Brandon Crowe was pretty conventional when compared to her parents’ spontaneous elopement, “We got married under a tree in our house in Bridgehampton. My mother is just shocked by how conservative I turned out. ” It might have been a conventional wedding but a number of the guests were pop superstars, like Baby Jane Holzer, Marilyn Minter and Bob Colacello. Bob Colacello, Vanity Fair special correspondent, ex-Factory veteran and friend of the Fremonts since 1970, says that seeing unconventional lifestyles up close might have been what stopped Crowe from following a self-destructive path, “She witnessed a lot growing up,” he says. “Maybe being exposed to the crazy world of the Factory from a young age and hearing about drug addiction problems and people dying of AIDS kept her in balance. She had these two great examples in Vincent and Shelly who are still married and have Christmas parties every year. There just really doesn’t seem to be a dark side to the Fremonts.” Although Crowe never openly rebelled there were times when she found growing up surrounded by so much art to have certain drawbacks. “A lot of things in the house were art,” she says. “You couldn’t sit on the chair in blue jeans because it was Kenny Scharf. These were things you let your friends know when they come over and you think are normal until you go to their house and you felt like they can do anything. I remember telling my mother, ‘They have so much freedom. Everything is art in our house—it doesn’t even seem like you have kids!’” Despite her early reactions, Casey changed her mind about art after a life-changing internship at 16 with Yvonne Force Villareal and her partner Doreen Remen at Art Production Fund. After graduating in three years from Boston University, she joined their company without so much as a backward glance and has worked there for the last eight years. She was made director in 2008. Art Production Fund was started 12 years ago when Villareal 48 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
and Remen saw that artists often couldn’t get the money or manpower to make some of their larger and more ambitious projects happen. They set up the organization as a non-profit to help artists realize their works and bring renewed awareness of the art to the public. Their work is now recognized as being a real asset to the cultural landscape of New York. “Art Production Fund possesses the dynamic energy needed to bring contemporary art to the general public arena,” notes Sherry Dobbin, director of public art at the Times Square Alliance. “NYC needs these individuals to create bridges—those who are not apologetic about sharing the contemporary artists’ vision with their communities.” Amy Todd Middleton, Worldwide Director of Strategic Marketing at Sotheby’s, who has collaborated with Art
“In New York you can have intense depth and extreme glamour simultaneously and Casey’s got a great history in that sense.” —Yvonne Force Villareal Above: Dress and knitted cardigan by Missoni. Necklace by Anndra Neen. Shoes by Karen Walker. Casey’s own black leggings.
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Casey’s favorite book about an artist?
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The Andy Warhol Diaries. There is some voyeuristic pleasure in reading an artist’s thoughts about every detail of his life. Like the earliest form of reality TV.
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Production Fund on a number of projects says it is, “incredibly important in the ultimate flavor of the city enabling artists to bring public works to life and exposing the public to different genres and media.” The Fund’s recent projects have included: David Brooks’ “Desert Rooftops” at The Last Lot, “After Hours: Murals on the Bowery” (a group show of painted roller shutters along the Bowery) and “Art Adds,” with Kehinde Wiley and Chuck Close on taxi tops throughout the city. As the director, Crowe’s job can be everything from deciding which artists the Fund wants to work with, to dealing with city permits, to asking a local pub if she can drill a hole in their wall and siphon off a bit of their electricity for a 35-foot electric fountain by Tim Webster and Sue Noble at Rockefeller Center. Crowe loves working with artists and acknowledges that the personalities can be pretty interesting. “It runs the gamut,” she says. “You don’t know what you are going to get until you start and that is part of the challenge of the project. It is navigating those personalities, making the project happen and figuring out how to help the artist best.” Yvonne Force Villareal agrees. “Nothing is a given when you are producing public art. We’re artists’ allies and we work for artists. Casey works with artists like Kiki Smith and Josephine Meckseper and Rudolf Stingel as beautifully as she can handle drilling a hole in the wall to get electricity.” Crowe is just as adored by the artists she works with. David Brooks who worked with Casey on his installation, “Desert Rooftops” at The Last Lot, says, “Casey thinks like an artist only she’s more decisive and she’s always right.” Crowe has the rare ability to be just as at home painting plywood for a giant Aaron Young burnout painting as she is at the book launch of the latest society tome, Claiborne Swanson Frank’s American Beauty. She’s equally happy talking about the world of Gossip Girl (Art Production Fund was recently featured on an episode) as giving an eloquent discourse on how she thinks Andy Warhol influenced today’s artists into looking at popular culture as a reflection of current, contemporary society. “The other amazing thing about Casey is that she grew up in New York and that she’s part of the fabric of art-making,” Villareal notes. “She understands it truly from the artists’ perspective through her own relationship with Andy Warhol since she was a baby. She will rarely talk about that. She doesn’t use any of her past relationships with some of the most important artists in the world as a talking point. She’s very humble and understated. When people start to understand what she’s seen and witness the depth of it, it is profound. She can also be the stunning glamour girl. In New York you can have intense depth and extreme glamour simultaneously and she’s got a great history in that sense.” Despite her history or maybe because of it, Crowe really does seem to have her act together more than most at 28. Even becoming a mother before most of her friends hasn’t fazed her, “I got my show on the road.” She jokes, before adding, “I always wanted to be a young mom.” When asked if she’s a serious person, Casey reflects for a moment before 50 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
“Casey witnessed a lot growing up. Maybe being exposed to the crazy world of the Factory from a young age and hearing about drug addiction problems and people dying of AIDS kept her in balance.” —Bob Colacello answering. “I’ve always liked having a plan and executing that plan. I’m very driven in that way and specific about what I want and getting what I want. Doreen and Yvonne always joke that when we do openings and parties that I’m the one who’s always saying, ‘Nope, we’re not getting another bottle of wine. We don’t need to extend the open bar.’ It’s not to say that I don’t like to have fun but I’m like my father in that work is work and I like to separate the two. I like to keep control of things.” Casey Fremont Crowe might not be a stereotypical Factory Girl but she keeps a tight grip on the organization, finances and beliefs of Art Production Fund. She works hard so others can enjoy the art. And Andy Warhol would have definitely approved of that. ✦
PArTy PHOTOS By BFAnyC.COM; PErSOnAl PHOTOS FrOM CrOwE’S COllECTIOn
[
The exhibiT ThaT made Casey fall in love wiTh The arT world Before The Armory Show was The Armory Show it was in the Gramercy International Art Fair, and was held in the rooms of the Gramercy Park Hotel. Down the hall from where my father was showing the editions that he produced, Tony Oursler’s projected faces were installed in the closet of one room, and Tracey Emin was under her embroidered quilt in another room . . . The art appeared in ways I had never seen or imagined. It was incredible and inspiring!
“After Hours Murals on the Bowery” by Mary Heilmann
. . . with Poppy Delevingne
Casey’s parents Shelly Dunn Fremont and VIncent Fremont watch with pride at her wedding to Brandon Crowe.
Jospehine Meckseper “Manhattan Oil Project”
. . . with Doreen Remen, Jeff Koons and Yvonne Force Villareal
[ ]
JAMES EWING
THE ARTIST CASEY WISHES SHE COULD MEET I would love to meet Andy Warhol as an adult. And Marcel Duchamp . . . The list goes on . . .
. . . with Art Production Fund co-founders Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen
. . . a cozy shot with husband Brandon Crowe at their wedding in Bridgehampton
KAI REGAN
. . . with Prabal Gurung
Aaron Young “Greeting Card”
. . . with Shala Monroque MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 51
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Hunt Slonem’s
Wonderland A look at the treasures inside the famed artist’s studio
by Mara Siegler photographed by Sophie Elgort
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Y
Hunt’s collection began with Gothic frames and chairs
ou walk up the stairs through an unmarked door in a nondescript building near the West Side Highway and enter the studio of artist Hunt Slonem. That’s when you begin to feel like Alice. You are greeted by flowering plants and mythic objects, a large marble Pietà sitting in all its casual Garden “The conservatory glory on a nearby window as pedestals was part of most 19th century with antique treasures rise between the environments. I think foliage. Bird sounds echo thoughout and to the left, a everyone should have a wall of rabbits stare from multicolored backgrounds, a window box. When we lose stopwatch surely hidden somewhere behind an ear or contact with nature what are under a paw. You’ve stepped through the looking glass we? Just these text robots. or rather, the canvas. I start my day by just walking Hunt is an established force in the art world, known through the flower district for his large-scale, colorful works full of parrots and and buying a few things.” butterflies, saints and the head of Abraham Lincoln. —Hunt Slonem He booked his first show in New York through Ruth Kligman, the artist and muse who was the lone survivor in the car crash that killed Jackson Pollock. His star has since become lodged in the firmament, with representation by New York’s famed Marlborough Gallery and pieces hanging in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and more than 70 museums around the globe. Dressed in vibrant colors and a loud tie, Hunt is a Mad Hatter of sorts, eager to show off his wonderland full of late 18th century to the mid 19th century Gothic furniture from the likes of John Henry Belter and the Vanderbilt collection, candelabras, glass vases, fish tanks holding Siamese fighting fish and endless antiques. Granted, he lacks the hat and the insanity, but sparkles with brightness and bubbling eccentricity as he plays guide around the colorful, cheery space telling stories of nights at Studio 54, where he used to go five nights a week (but he still couldn’t get Georgia O’Keeffe’s husband in), his friend the actress Sylvia Miles, and his fascination with the psychic realm as he leads back to the aviary full of live birds which function both as beloved pets and models. In this 30,000 square foot imaginarium, paint and life seem to blend, reality becoming a mirror image of his work. Art reflects life reflects art reflects life reflects art reflects . . . and so on.
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Helpful references for Hunt’s butterfly paintings
The artist in his garden
A Pietà sits near the entrance
Detailing on an ornate chair
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ÉtagÈres “It’s the height of Victoriana. I’ve certainly lit them up like Christmas trees but they are meant to hold porcelain. I love them.” —Hunt Slonem Done by Mitchell and Rammelsberg, who made the bed in the Lincoln bedroom, Cincinnati, 1850,
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A typically over-stuffed room
“I create rooms which help me paint and give me a sense of something I need in order to work. What, I don’t know. Clutter, period works, I don’t know. I just float from room to room going through different periods of time and history and it’s fun.” —Hunt Slonem
The Art of Collecting Hunt takes on collecting with the same voracity as he does painting and goes about it with just as much love. A copy of Antiques and the Arts Weekly sits on his kitchen table and he admits to spending evenings looking at books full of pictures of houses and historical settings before bed. He is constantly curating, procuring items from auction houses, flea markets and other collectors. For him, there is no such thing as too much. He collects enough to fill this and three other properties. Hunt never counts. “I don’t know. I’m not big with numbers,” he says when asked about the size of his collection. “People are always asking me how old a certain piece is or how many birds I have and I really don’t know. Numbers don’t really mean much. I can’t even balance a checkbook. It’s what it is and what it looks like. I’m not a minimalist to put it mildly.” The space is Hunt’s fourth studio over the course of 20 years, including one which had an unheard of 89 rooms. This one has far fewer, but the function is the same. “I create rooms which help me paint and give me a sense of something I need in order to work. What, I don’t know. Clutter, period works, I don’t know. I just float from room to room going through different periods of time and history and it’s fun.” Hunt has been collecting since childhood. He was born in Kittery, Maine, moved around from Boston to Hawaii with his Naval officer father and spent time in Nicaragua as an exchange student. “We moved a lot so I wasn’t really allowed to hang on to things for long.” His earliest memory: Going to giant furniture sales in barns and antiques shows with his parents. “I was allowed to buy one thing and I bought what’s called a Sailor’s Valentine where people on ships would go from place to place and collect shells and then make a little box and then send them home to their wives,” he says. “That is the first thing I remember.” It was later in life when Hunt’s passion, serendipitously spurred on by his artwork, grew to what it is today. While doing a show early in his career he was asked to frame his pieces but lacked the money. “I realized I was doing a lot of sizes that fit Victorian portrait frames. There were a lot of stores in the East Village in those days, in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, and I noticed that a lot of the people who had the frames had Gothic chairs around.” And thus, a collection and an obsession with Gothic furniture was born. “It’s like seeing the big toe of a Roman statue or piece of a foot in Rome and you imagine what the rest of it looked like because it was colossal and you’re only seeing a little piece of the picture.” MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 57
Southern Charm Along with the Manhattan space, Hunt also owns Cordt’s Mansion in upstate New York and holds a deep soft spot for all things southern with two historic plantations he has restored in Louisiana, all filled with rare furniture and Gothic antiques. He seems, more than at any other time in our conversation, most joyous when talking about these estates. One, called Lakeside Plantation, is currently having its exterior filmed for a new film starring Emmy Rossum and the other, Albania Plantation, served as the location for Jude Law’s All The King’s Men. Law was constantly being scolded for smoking cigarettes on the highly flammable Cypress wood porch, being warned by the caretaker that he would scream during takes if Law lit up again. Amongst the collection held in these homes was a hidden surprise. Hunt had purchased a 10-foot-tall portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette painted in 1830 without looking at the painter. A friend later pointed out the plaque with the artist’s name, Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, the same person who painted Washington Crossing the Delaware.
Head Vases Hunt began buying these for the wife of a friend and fellow collector who chose just one leaving Hunt with a cabinet full of head vases, mostly from the ‘30’s and ‘40’s from Japan. “I don’t really collect kitsch or pop things so much. Occasionally I find them and buy them. It’s just one of those quirky things and I just can’t stand them. They grow on you and you learn all the different ones. The most expensive are Jackie O and Marilyn ” —Hunt Slonem
Acto et, popordis, se nontem terbis publiquam hor ut facerum, et addum dem etorum deri ia tiam co erumus vis.
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A wall of Hunt’s Lincoln paintings hang in the kitchen
VASES Hunt used to buy giant bouquets of flowers to brighten the place but after finding how expensive it becomes, decided to replace the blooms with colorful cases.
Abraham Lincoln & The Psychic Realm “I’m not a channeler. I work with people who channel,” Hunt explains. He is vocal about his dealings and belief in what some may consider New Age mysticism. Think what you will, but it has guided his way in his art. Working with psychic Michael Butler, Hunt says he discovered he had a connection with Abraham Lincoln. Butler has since gone missing, though Hunt continues regularly doing energy work with healer Lena Falth and says he receives messages and instructions from the past President. “I’ve been painting Lincoln and he’s been giving me assignments. He wanted me to paint doves, which I am in the middle of doing and calling Abraham’s Peace Plan,” Hunt says. “I get really long messages from him which is great. My original interest in Lincoln was Mary Todd because she used to hold séances at the White House which I thought was pretty interesting. But, it was really just one of those things that people did in the 19th century, kind of after dinner entertainment like piano and singing. And supposedly Lincoln foresaw his own death.” Hunt has had a show in Gettysburg and one of his paintings hangs in Ford’s Theatre. He was gifted a shawl of Mary Todd’s and he just recently added a bust of the former First Lady to his collection. “It was written in the catalogue as a ‘19th century woman of fashion, probably Mary Todd Lincoln’ which I think is the funniest attribution I have ever read,” he says. “The shawl I have matches the one on the statue but I’m still not convinced it’s her. It’s an interesting synchronistic thing.” Top hats are another item that Hunt avidly collects. The antique wares come from all over the world including Ireland, England, France and Philadelphia, in all different sizes and materials including beaver fur. They are kept in a closet outside a bedroom at one of his Louisiana homes and the caretaker swears he can smell cigar and pipe smoke coming from the room. MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 59
A Menagerie for the Birds Hunt is perhaps best known for his paintings of birds, colorful works featuring groups lined in a row with cross hatches on the surface to create the appearance of a cage. Tiffany even recently created a special edition China collection featuring his parrots. Over the years, keeping birds has become a mainstay, clearly functioning beyond artistic inspiration to serve a deeper emotional purpose. In his early days working out of a studio on Houston Street where he now lives, he kept a 40-foot birdcage and 90 kinds of finches along with soft-billed, non-seed eating birds like toucans, which he later gave to the Bronx Zoo. He has since begun keeping birds with longer life spans. He feeds a white Cockatoo out of a coffee cup; a Macaw hangs from the ceiling and a green Amazonian parrot sits on his shoulder and sings as he paints. “Some of them I have had for 40 years already. Some of them will live to 100,” he says. “I think several of them might be in their 70s already. It’s much better than dogs and cats because they have shorter life spans.” Hunt used to keep the other subjects of his paintings, a large cat and rabbits, but found them too much trouble, especially when one long-eared friend was so aggressive it caused three of his assistants to quit. ✦ Hunt’s sculptures of monkeys and parrots
“Some of them I have had for 40 years already. Some of them will live to 100. I think several of them might be in their 70s already. It’s much better than dogs and cats because they have such short life spans.” —Hunt Slonem
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A bird sits on Hunt’s shoulder and sings as he paints
The aviary holds several macaws who sit both in and on top of the cages
Stacks of paintings scattered throughout the space
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Art Jewelry The
of
The sparkle of a diamond never fails to take our breath away. Here we showcase the fine craftsmanship and ornate detailing that goes into the world’s finest jewelry. After all, diamonds, rubies, tourmalines, pearls, emeralds and sapphires really are a girl’s best friends. photographed by Desmond Nettel styled by Amy Michelle Smith
SHOwStOPPer Van Cleef & Arpels is undoubtedly one of the world’s leaders of luxury. Adorning the necks of royals from the Duchess of Windsor to the Egyptian royal family, it caters to an elite following. This classic “Birds of Paradise Volutes” necklace features exquisite round diamonds, pink sapphires and 18-karat gold. www.VanCleef-Arpels.com MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 63
THE CLASSIC BEAUTY Audrey Hepburn and her croissant, standing outside of Tiffany’s 5th Avenue windows is a New York classic. This diamond and yellow sapphire “Monarque” necklace is set in platinum and 18-karat yellow gold, and designed by longtime Tiffany’s collaborator Jean Schlumberger. German company Wempe may be best known for its centuries old lineage of watchmakers, but in the hands of CEO Kim Wempe, the company has expanded into beautifully crafted fine jewelry, such as this 18-karat white gold Wings pendant with 293 brilliant cut diamonds. www.tiffany.com www.wempe.de 64 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
THE YOUNG STUD Relatively new to the industry, Leviev has quickly emerged as one of the leaders in high-end gems. The immaculately crafted pieces are undeniably eye-catching. Here we feature the intricate detailing of the intense yellow and white diamond earrings, hand-crafted in 18-karat yellow gold and an elegant diamond necklace hand-crafted in platinum. Both by Leviev. www.leviev.com
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AN AMERICAN TALE These intricately detailed bracelets show the humor and craftsmanship behind one of America’s heritage jewelry houses. Yellow gold elephant featuring diamonds, carved rubies and white enamel. Yellow gold frog featuring platinum, diamonds, rubies and green enamel. Yellow gold bull featuring platinum, diamonds, emerald and carved coral. All from the David Webb workshop. www.davidwebb.com
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THE INNOVATOR The Swiss jewelry house, de Grisogono, is both avant-garde and glamorous, having pioneered the use of Sting Ray skin in luxury jewels. This eye-catching set features white gold dropped earrings, set with tsavorites, sapphires and white diamonds and a stunning choker crafted from white and pink gold which features the same tsavorites, sapphires and white diamonds. Both by de Grisogono. www.degrisogono.com
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TIMELESS ELEGANCE Known for their classic style, CHANEL’s “Perle de Rosee” necklace is crafted from 18-karat white gold and set with a central 2-carat, round-cut diamond, white diamonds, black and grey spinels, moon stones and pearls. www.chanel.com
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SPARKLE AND SHINE Graff is synonymous with the rarity and excellence of diamonds. This platinum round diamond and ruby bracelet with white pear-shaped diamonds is a perfect example. www.Graffdiamonds.com MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 69
A-LIST LUXURY When you can count Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie and just about every Oscar winner in recent history as your fans, you know you’re doing something right. Lorraine Schwartz is pure magic, with her exquisite statement pieces adorning the necks, wrists and ears of the Hollywood elite. This statement necklace features roughly cut turquoise stones, white diamonds and platinum.
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THE VETERAN AND THE NEW YORKER Renowned for its creativity, its state-of-the-art technology and immaculate craftsmanship, Chopard is one of the most coveted producers of fine jewelry today. At right we see the exquisite detailing of Chopard’s “Copacobana” earrings, which feature 18-karat white Gold and 122 Sapphires. David Yurman is the quintessentially New York design house, and the embodiment of a successful family business. Their classic styles are easily recognized and eye-catching, but it is the pieces like this tourmaline and diamond pave woven ring, set on platinum, that continues to set them apart. www.chopard.com www.davidyurman.com MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 71
Skyping with
Sandro The German-born painter, and impressively bearded arm candy of actress Tilda Swinton makes his mark on the Manhattan art scene by Amy Michelle Smith
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PEOPLE: BFANYC.COM
M
ove over Chuck Close, there’s a new bearded art-innovator on the scene. German-born painter Sandro Kopp first garnered attention as the strikingly handsome, remarkably bewhiskered date of actress Tilda Swinton at the 2011 ISTANCOOL Arts Festival in Istanbul, Turkey. New York was officially introduced to Kopp, the artist, as he made his mark in Manhattan this past January with the success of his exhibit “There You Are”. The series of “Skype Portraits” saw a short but much-buzzed about run at Lehmann Maupin Gallery’s Lower East Side location. Starting with perennial New York It-boy and long-time friend Waris Ahluwalia, Kopp began his series of cyber-sittings in 2005. Using Skype as a medium is well suited to Kopp’s international origins and lifestyle, as it is a constant source of communication for the world traveller. “The tension between the old-fashioned, time-consuming oil on canvas portraiture and the quick fix, instant gratification, non-space wormhole reality of Skype tickled my fancy right away,” he says. The project was initially intended to be part of a much larger series that would see Ahluwalia sitting for portraits several times a year, but before long, other boldface names like Michael Stipe, Terence Koh, John Waters, Wes Anderson and Swinton were also sitting for sessions with the artist. The opening reception at Lehman Maupin’s Chrystie Street gallery attracted some of New York’s hottest names, a handful of which just so happened to be the subject’s of Kopp’s paintings. From Carine, Vladimir and Julia RestoinRoitfeld to Frances McDormand and photographer Ryan McGinley, the sit-down dinner and subsequent Chinatown after party was packed with A-Listers. No stranger to the sights and sounds of Manhattan, the artist has found a cozy home among the elite members of the community. This coming year Kopp is taking “Being With You” one step further for a show in London in October that will also be presented with Istanbul ’74 later in the fall. But New York is always in his sights. “I come back [to NYC] quite regularly. I love it here.” So the next time you find yourself at a Chelsea gallery, or enjoying a late night beverage at the bar at the Bowery Hotel, keep an eye out for this bearded wonder. And hope that he doesn’t shave. ✦
Clockwise from top left: Artist Sandro Kopp with Michael Stipe. A portrait of Michael Stipe. Kopp with Kirsten Dunst. The artist in front of a series of his portraits. A portrait of John Waters. Kopp with Bethanie Brady and Demet Muftuoglu Eseli. A portrait of Ryan McGinley. Kopp with Tilda Swinton and Waris Ahluwalia. A portrait of Frances McDormand.
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AVENUE’s REAl EstAtE spRiNg RoUNdtAblE
Manhattan Market green shoots in the 2012 market, the rise of the foreign buyer, and new insights into the age-old question of condos vs. co-ops portraits by Andrew
Schwartz
W
hy did the homebuyers cross the ocean? To get to the other side, of course, where foreign currency covets luxury in close proximity to Central Park, Madison Avenue, Lincoln Center and Broadway, and everyone—New Yorkers especially—comes out a winner. Earlier this year, seven of New York City’s real estate royals met with Manhattan Media’s chairman Richard Burns and me to discuss the current state of our housing market. Right now, that market is (perhaps surprisingly) strong, high-end condos are up but they’re also increasingly scarce, and though Upper East Side co-ops may seem down since bonus babies and flight capital don’t like board scrutiny, the smart money says they’re ripe for a revival, because although this is a global city, it’s an ever-morefamily-friendly town, too. —Michael Gross
ParticiPants (in alPhabetical orDer): Dorothy herMan, President and CEO, Prudential Douglas Elliman Kathryn Korte, President and CEO, Sotheby’s International Realty Kelly KenneDy MacK, President, Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group
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WenDy MaitlanD, Managing Director, Town Residential FreDericK Peters, President, Warburg Realty Diane M. raMirez, President, Halstead Property elizabeth stribling, President, Stribling & Associates
Movers
AVENUE: There is a lot of experience in this room, and I am wondering if this current time period reminds you of any other time in New York real estate? Fred?
market, like London or Hong Kong, New York is cheaper. There are more foreigners here now than in the peak of the boom. Even if we think we are going through uncharted times as a country, it is still a lot safer bet than any other place in the world.
not seen in a long time, not since the ’80s. Some rental buildings have changed hands and will be very exciting new product. But I think we might see more rental buildings converting and we have not even heard that word in a long time.
ElizAbEth stribliNg: New York, more than ever, has become the most cosmopolitan city in the world. About 30 percent of our condo purchases are made by foreigners. There are always pockets of people from all over the world, and our latest insight at Stribling is the British are coming to Brooklyn.
kAthryN kortE: I would say the current period shares similarities with the summer of 2003, when we finally began to move out of the economic landscape that occurred in the aftermath of 9/11. Back then we saw New Yorkers recommitting to New York. Now we are seeing an influx of foreign money and foreign buyers. Initially there were many Russians entering the market, but now there are more buyers from Asia, the Middle East, India, and Australia. There is a greater focus on wealth preservation now over investing, which many buyers view as a safe haven.
FP: There was at one time concern about an inventory overhang, but we actually have a relatively serious inventory shortage. This fantasy that there were going to be thousands of unsold condos depressing the market for years to come just turned out to be completely wrong.
dottiE hErmAN: Yes, we compete in a global market. If you compare prices to any other city that competes in that global
diANE rAmirEz: Every time period is a little different. We are starting to see some conversions, which we really have
FrEdErick PEtErs: A year or two ago reminded me of the early ’90s. But today we’re actually moving into somewhat uncharted territory. That is mainly because we haven’t had a marketplace which has been impacted by globalization in the way today’s marketplace is.
Es: In fact, in 2013, there is going to be a shortage of new condominiums. michAEl gross: Is that shortage because of the dip in construction? Es: The current supply is being quickly snapped up, because what people want today is the latest finish, the most modern construction, the least in need
MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 75
of renovation. And most of the new developments are going to have fewer than 100 units. So, we don’t have a lot in the pipeline. WENdy MAitlANd: What I see in our market today Dorothy is that it is much more Herman segmented than it was, say, five years ago. There is a lot happening at the very high end of the market, and less in the more cookie cutter type of product. KElly MAcK: Over all, the whole market, at every price category is very strong. Everyone is talking about the high end of the market because there were about 94 deals done last year at over 10 million dollars, which is amazing. But the issue right now is lack of inventory, across the board. AVENUE: Statistically, the overall market through the end of 2011 was flat. But average prices in the luxury category, which is defined by the top 10 percent of sales, were up three percent. So, does that jive with what you’re saying in terms of supply and demand? You would expect it to be higher. Dottie? dH: It is almost a doughnut. The middle market is the weakest. But still, I don’t think that it is a real estate problem. I think what we have is a financing problem. The boom market, around 2006, would not have existed without financing. I’ve lived through a lot of different markets, and I don’t hear anyone saying, ‘I don’t want to buy real estate. I don’t trust real estate.’ I haven’t heard that for a couple years. People are sold on New York City. But financing is a problem. dR: The number of available units continues to decline market wide. The areas and sizes with the lowest level of inventory are poised for price awareness.
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KM: The condominium market operates a little differently. Condo pricing has increased about 5.9 percent per year over the past 25 years, but last year, it increased 6.5 percent. Scarcity of new product is now driving up prices.
FP: How can we predict anything but a shortage three years from now? We’ve returned to the pre-construction sell-outs. Who would have guessed that three years ago? AVENUE: Let’s turn to the age-old question of condos vs. co-ops. Do you have a preference?
“People are sold on New York City. But financing is a problem.” —Dottie Herman
AVENUE: Here’s an eyebrow-raising stat. The attorney general approved 609 units for sale last year. In 2006, they approved just shy of 24,000. KM: More than 8,000 new development units were brought to market in 2008. Compare that to last year when just 286 new units were introduced. Construction financing is unlocking for strong developers, so we expect 1,500 units to hit the market annually for the next few years. That’s an improvement, but far below the historical average.
WM: Clearly, cooperative deals traditionally are more arduous, although I think the condo boards are inching up. I think we all have to give kudos to our co-op boards, which helped protect New York compared to every other market in the world. ES: You can convince a co-op buyer to look at a condo, but you cannot convince the condo buyer to look at a co-op.
Kelly Kennedy Mack
AVENUE: In terms of sales since 2005. Co-ops have risen 3.2 percent. Condos, 16.5 percent. That tells a story.
NIKKI FIELD Senior Vice President Associate Broker tel 212.606.7669 EAST SIDE MANHATTAN BROKERAGE 38 EAST 61ST STREET NEW YORK, NY 10065 T 212.606.7660 sothebyshomes.com/nyc
THE RESIDENCE | 995 FIFTH AVENUE | $30,000,000 8,360± square feet, overlooking Central Park and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
NIKKI FIELD Senior Vice President, Associate Broker T 212.606.7669 | nikki.field@sothebyshomes.com | nikkifield.com Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark.
CAROLE KOEPPEL Senior Broker Associate tel 561.329.0019 PALM BEACH BROKERAGE 340 ROYAL POINCIANA WAY SUITE 337 PALM BEACH, FL 33480 T 561.659.3555 sothebyshomes.com/palmbeach
BREAKERS ROW | PALM BEACH, FL | $8,995,000 Meticulously renovated, situated directly on the ocean, adjacent to the Breaker’s Hotel.
CAROLE KOEPPEL Senior Broker Associate T 561.329.0019 | carole.koeppel@sothebyshomes.com | carolekoeppel.com Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark.
FP: Condos have a few outlier sales, which I would guess would skew the numbers somewhat. I wonder if it would be as extreme if you remove the outlier sales. MG: Are the co-ops loosening a bit as the condos are tightening? Are condo boards behaving like co-op boards and vice versa?
financial market but very restrictive to the general buying public.
DH: People like new. I also think people not from New York City have a problem with someone telling them they can’t sell their apartment to whomever they want. At some point in time, Kathy Korte
“The Upper East Side is going to make its comeback in its own way.” —Kathryn Korte
FP: My observation is with big ticket sales in the past year, there is a big de-emphasis on the finance industry. In 2006, every expensive apartment was bought by a finance person. Now, the finance people are no longer in the forefront. This is relevant to your question because co-ops are looking at bonus income differently now. If you can’t afford the apartment with your salary and the money you have already accumulated, they are not taking your bonus into account the way they used to. That is a sea change.
78 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
the co-op boards may loosen up, as older people retire and new ones come on, but I am not seeing it yet. DR: I have always said the co-op boards have to change. The next board has to make the process easier, and it has never happened. The close financial scrutiny of the co-op boards gets tighter and more far reaching. Income and Elizabeth Stribling assets are looked at near term and not at the long term value. It makes the ownership more insulated to a downturn in the
ES: I think a lot of the snobbery is gone. As long as a person is not disruptive, they’ve got some liquidity in the bank, they pay their bills on time and don’t have a huge dog that is going to bite the neighbor’s children, they should get into the building. MG: Will there ever be a movement for co-ops to convert to condos? ES: No, because there are 32 people more or less in that building, and if they all have to pony up to pay off the mortgage, they won’t do it. KK: You’re always going to have a market for co-ops. When a co-op listing comes to the market like the new 2 East 70th Street penthouse, the demand is fantastic. That being said, the condo market has really taken off, as condominiums have greater stature now. The trend I see in the condo market, which I think is wonderful for New Yorkers, is that there are more condos now with large floor plans and layouts that are ideal for family living, which are quite different from the shiny new pied-a-terres that might be more appealing to foreign buyers. So even if New Yorkers have lived all their lives in a co-op apartment, condos offer a fun change of pace. MG: Are we looking at a situation where there are going to be many peaks of the pyramid, instead of just the Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue Candela, Emory Roth, Carpenter buildings alone at the top? Will living in a Stern building, say, become just as desirable as living in a Candela building?
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EAST SIDE MANHATTAN BROKERAGE | sothebyshomes.com/nyc 38 EAST 61ST STREET NEW YORK, NY 10065 T 212.606.7660 F 212.606.7661 Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. is owned and operated by NRT LLC. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark.
WM: Desirable to whom is the question. There are people who like Birkin bags, and people who prefer Balenciaga. There are always going to be different peaks and different styles.
Diane Ramirez
KM: The high-end coops are never going to be replaced. There is always going to be a very strong market for that. But the buildings that trade for the highest prices right now, many of them surround Central Park, which is not surprising, and many of them are newly built. New buildings are designed to meet the expectations of today’s buyers. They are larger spaces with more light. They have advanced heating and cooling systems, brand new pipes, large eat-in kitchens with family rooms, tons of amenities, tons of services. Time Warner Center was one of the pioneers. Columbus Circle was not seen as desirable back when it was being developed. When we put it on the market, we wondered if we would see the Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue buyers. It was the first time those people even considered coming to the West Side. KK: For many years, the new development was in TriBeCa and SoHo and on the West Side, like Riverside Drive. What’s happening now is a resurgence of the Upper East Side, with buildings like 737 Park and 150 East 72nd, and more
80 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
family-oriented buildings and apartments. The Upper East Side is going to make its comeback in its own way. RB: So, let’s talk about the foreign buyer. Who are they? How do you draw them in?
City, so my Russian sales agent generally helps Russian customers. Our website also attracts people. So, we’re not advertising specifically to a foreign buyer because you don’t need to. FP: Everyone shops online. ES: The foreign buyer is no different than any other.
“I see all markets moving, the two-bedroom and up.” —Diane Ramirez
DR: We have a great video library that has been incredibly appealing to clients—especially the international market. We went into it five years ago with full commitment. We are selling to the international client on video including a feeling for the surrounding area through our neighborhood videos. They are buying because the video is so true to what it is that when they come here, they are not disappointed when they actually visit the property. DH: Our sales force is very representative of New York
MG: Are they first home buyers, or second, third, fourth? KM: All of the above. Last year, we sold a billion dollars of new development and 22 percent of that was to international purchasers, up from 10 to 15 percent several years ago. WM: Where are the rest of the buyers coming from? KM: Entertainment, media and technology are growing categories. Wall Street, though still very important, has decreased from 35 percent before the downturn to about 23 percent now. There’s also significant Wendy crossover between the Maitland city’s most exclusive buildings like One Beacon Court, 15 CPW, and Time Warner Center. International money shifts based upon global economic events. In 2006, much came from Ireland. Now, buyers from Asia comprise a third of the international pool and South America is rapidly gaining ground.
L OC A L EXPE RT S WORLDWIDE
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Multi-Lingual with a Global Reach for Real Estate Citywide Cooperatives | Condominiums | Townhouses | Investment Properties
SYBILLE NOVACK Senior Vice President, Associate Broker | sybille.novack@sothebyshomes.com
212.606.7693 TOP RANKED AGENT OUT OF 45,000 BROKERS IN 2011 PARK AVENUE 8 ROOM
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SYBILLE NOVACK Senior Vice President, Associate Broker 212.606.7693 | sybille.novack@sothebyshomes.com
EAST SIDE MANHATTAN BROKERAGE | sothebyshomes.com/nyc 38 EAST 61ST STREET NEW YORK, NY 10065 T 212.606.7660 F 212.606.7661 Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. is owned and operated by NRT LLC. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark.
MG: With people grasshopping from Park Imperial to 15 CPW to Time Warner, and more and more foreign buyers, does New York remain a community or is it just becoming a global beehive? DH: It is still a community. Certainly, you can choose to live somewhere where you don’t know your neighbors. But families have grown up in New York, too. We should be grateful that it is a global city because, during the recession, we got bruised, but we did not get killed. WM: It’s not a competition. There is no other Paris. There’s no other New York. No one is going to say, ‘Should I buy in Shanghai or Brooklyn?’
KM: I think the biggest story of the year is going to be One57. They have had a tremendous start and there is a lot of pent up demand for very high-end luxury product. Because of the lack of inventory we are going to see upward pressure on pricing continue. If the appreciation mimics that of the last 20 years, we are going to be at the peak or just above it in 2013. DR: We have had a great 2010 and 2011. I think 2012 will be very good as well. Not great, but good. I see all markets moving, the two-bedroom and up. If it is a
“I am usually pretty gloomy as a prognosticator, but I think that 2012 is going to be quite strong.” —Frederick Peters
AVENUE: At the end of the year, what are we going to say about 2012 in real estate? DH: It is an election year. So I don’t think anything significant will change this year. We are moving ahead, it is a healthy, perhaps even a healthier market than we had in the boom. WM: I agree that it is a healthy market. Globally, New York represents safety, quality and stability in the context of what is happening in the world.
82 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
good apartment and priced well, which is key, good location and in good condition, it is off the shelf in milliseconds. We’re starting to see bidding wars, and the
prices of the bidding wars are starting to go over asking, which we have not seen for a few years. I see another good year, a solid year, but not big jumps. FP: We signed two and a half times as many contracts in January, 2012 as in January, 2011. We have had the lowest vacancy rate in the rental market that any of us can remember. We have all been waiting for that to flip, for people to go back into the sales market with the Frederick smaller apartments. Peters That is starting to happen. I am usually pretty gloomy as a prognosticator, but I think that 2012 is going to be quite strong, both in terms of volume and in terms of pricing because demand is outstripping supply. ES: We’re going to have a good, solid, strong year. I agree that it is not going to shoot through the roof. People are still worried about the global economy and what is going to happen in this country. I think it will be slightly stronger than 2011. KK: I think people will say there were green shoots. If we do as well as we did in 2011, I’ll be very happy with five to ten percent more growth. Anything beyond that, and I’ll be tremendously happy. We’re entering a healthy market. I’d like to see it continue. ✦
Local Experts Worldwide
MANHATTAN PROPERTIES
120 E 70TH ST: Superb Neo-Federal townhouse with 10,000± sq ft on celebrated block. 16 rooms, 11’ ceiling, 9 bedrooms, 3 terraces, elevator, garden. $35,000,000.WEB: A0016387. Louise Beit, 212.606.7703
740 PARK AVE: Recently and impeccably renovated immense 15 room duplex. High ceilings, grand staircase. $23,000,000. WEB: A0016023. Serena Boardman, 212.606.7611, Meredyth Smith, 212.606.7683
116 E 70TH ST: Extraordinary townhouse in triple mint condition. 5 stories, 11 rooms, 12’ ceilings, 5 bedrooms, 4 fireplaces, 2 terraces, elevator, garden. $22,5000,000. WEB: A0017310. Louise Beit, 212.606.7703
BRILLIANT BARBIZON TERRACED CONDO: Rare 4 bedrooms, 4½ baths duplex with Valcucine kitchen, 2 terraces, and Bolivian floors. $11,750,000. WEB: A0018078. Danielle Englebardt, 212.606.7608
149 E 38TH ST: Behind the flamboyant Dutch Revival style façade is a 3 story space suitable for a residence, art gallery, nonprofit, event space, etc. $10,200,000.WEB: A0017803. Louise Beit, 212.606.7703
PERRY STREET OPPORTUNITY: Combine 2 separate 2-bedroom lofts. 3,015± sq ft, 4-5 bedrooms, 4½ baths, 10’2” ceilings, river and city views. $7,500,000. WEB: A0018072. Oliver Brown, 212.606.7714
1148 FIFTH AVE: Bring your architect and combine these 2 grand 8 room apartments to create a sprawling 16 room residence. Direct Central Park views. $7,425,000. WEB: A0018084. Royce Pinkwater, 212.606.7718
FULL FLOOR EAST SIDE CLASSIC 12 INTO 10: Ideally situated between Madison and Park Avenues. 4,000± sq ft. $6,750,000. WEB: A0018064. Brenda Straus, 212.606.7662, Olivia Hoge, 212.606.7738
GLAMOUR REDEFINED IN SOHO: Awe-inspiring 3-bedroom loft for grand entertaining. Chef’s kitchen, wet bar, gas fireplace. Master with spa bath. $5,850,000. WEB: A0135963. Mara Flash Blum, 212.431.2447
42 WEST 17TH ST: Meticulously designed 2,500± sq ft south facing loft with high-end finishes, 12’ ceilings, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. $3,395,000. WEB: A0017913. D. Senko, 212.606.7785, W. Hilliard, 212.606.7689
MODERN CHELSEA HOME: Sun-filled, impeccably maintained home with split 2 bedrooms, wall of windows, open South and West views. $1,695,000. WEB: A0018086. Eric Malley, 212.606.7625
55 PARK AVENUE: Prewar 2 bedroom, 1½ bath co-op facing Park Avenue. 9’ ceilings, herringbone floors, and wood burning fireplace. $1,295,000. WEB: A0018097. Phyllis Stock, 212.606.7745
MANHATTAN BROKERAGES I sothebyshomes.com/nyc
EAST SIDE 38 EAST 61ST STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10065 T 212.606.7660 F 212.606.7661 DOWNTOWN 379 WEST BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10012 T 212.431.2440 F 212.431.2441 Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark. Landscape@AuversRain – VanGogh, used with permission.
real estate
The New Team in TOWN Lyon Porter and Ari LeFauve bring their unique blend of classic and modern style to the real estate game
industry. Together as a team we have vertically integrated in order to take on at the highest level, Sales, Rental and New Development business. What distinguishes you from other brokers? LYON: We are the hardest working brokers in the business . . . that said, we also have the most fun because we love what we do. At the end of the day we actually care about our clients, and that shines through in our daily work. ARI: Our ability to see all angles of every deal. In order to reap the best results for our clients we are able to see everyone’s motives in a transaction. Our knowledge of the real estate business and the ever-changing inventory is on par with the best and brightest. What is your biggest deal or most successful project? LYON: I sold out an entire condo building in a month, last winter. It was an amazing experience. ARI: I have had many rewarding deals, both big and small but my most challenging as of late was selling out Loft 25, 420 West 25th Street in the far west Chelsea neighborhood. This condo conversion had been on the market for years with a competitor brokerage company. The remaining inventory in the project was not able to be sold by this company and so the developer hired me and my previous company to sell the remaining units for them. We did so in record time, using very creative and smart marketing techniques to attract the exact target market we anticipated owning in this building. Is there anything new and exciting you are working on? LYON: Several new developments that are coming to market in the next year. I am also syndicating a few deals that are very exciting with groups of investors.
Why move to Town? What is your team bringing to Town? LYON: After a great experience at our previous firm, we wanted to do something different. TOWN offered a unique platform that was in line and on-brand with who we were, and where our careers were headed. We aspire to offer the best service to our clients possible, and TOWN is the premier FULL-SERVICE firm for customer care. There is no equal, and we love giving our clients that level of attention and quality. ARI: In TOWN we saw an opportunity to grow and thrive in an environment that exemplifies premier quality in every facet. TOWN’s philosophy is a “customer service oriented”, “client first” mission that starts at the ground level with the Managers and Agents. Our team brings to TOWN a total of 25 years of experience in the real estate 84 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
ARI: We are working very closely with several developers who are in the pre-planning stages of building and we will be bringing these projects to market between now and 2014. Aside from that this will be the first public piece on our new marketing campaign for our team. Lyon, myself and the rest of our team are positioning ourselves to be the eminent sales, Rental and New Development alternative to the norm. We are building a brand and a team that will exemplify our skill sets and knowledge of our business and we know that it will be well received among our clients. ✦
TOWN RESIDENTIAL 110 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor ■ New York, NY 10011 Lyon: 646.738.6934 ■ Ari: 646.738.6933
We define our neighborhoods as much as they define us.
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TOWN Residential, LLC is a licensed real estate broker and proud member of REBNY. Town Residential LLC is a partnership with Thor Equities LLC. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. 1 The complete offering terms are in an offering plan available from sponsor. File No. CD06-0264.
real estate
Mid-Century Icon Timeless architecture and five-star amenities on the UES at Manhattan House
86 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
Spacious private balcony of a residence overlooking the private gardens
L
e Corbusier, a pioneer of Modernist architecture, famously described houses as “machines for living.” Behind this pronouncement was the profound desire of Modernist architects to design spaces that would respond to the needs and aspirations of an increasingly complex world. Modernism’s pragmatic approach to residential design – with its focus on simplicity, the use of high quality materials, clarity of form and balance – is as valued today as it was in the post-war years. Manhattan House, a landmarked Mid-Century icon, has been impeccably re-engineered to combine its Modernist heritage with the quintessential elements of contemporary living. Designed in 1950 by Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Architect Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Manhattan House received landmark status in 2007. Bunshaft, who designed such recognized buildings in Manhattan as Lever House and 9 W. 57th Street, brought to Manhattan House a Modernist sensibility for light, order and simplicity that still resonates nearly 60 years later. Elegant porte-cochere entrances on the tree-lined 66th Street, a grandly proportioned glass-enclosed lobby overlooking the building’s private gardens, and residences with multiple exposures and gracious private balconies speak to Bunshaft’s skill for timeless architecture. Located at 200 E. 66th Street, Manhattan House features spacious, light-infused, one- to five-bedroom condominium residences, which offer the ultimate in privacy and are available for immediate occupancy. Residences range in size from approximately 955 square feet to more than 3,500 square feet, with a select number of floor-through residences featuring double exposures, a rare find in buildings of this caliber; private outdoor space; as well as wood-burning fireplaces. Manhattan House captures the spirit of New York City’s Upper East Side with full-time doormen, five-star concierge services, on-site garage with valet parking service, as well as cold storage and private storage. The stunning 10,000-square-foot rooftop level features the Randall A. Ridless-designed Manhattan Club, which showcases an outdoor terrace and indoor library for residents’ enjoyment and relaxation. Residents enjoy weekly signature Core Fusion classes as part of the residents-only exhale® mind body spa, including a yoga studio and treatment room. There is also an exhale® fitness center, and both are the brand’s first residential locations in Manhattan and is exclusive to residents. For the youngest residents, there is a Roto Studio-designed children’s playroom. The exclusive private garden, designed by Sasaki Associates, is one of the largest in Manhattan and includes two significant sculptures, Trinity and Red Gateway, by internationally acclaimed Dutch-sculptor Hans Van de Bovenkamp. Located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, one of New York City’s most consistently desirable neighborhoods, Manhattan House offers unparalleled access to the finest parks, museums, public transportation, dining, shopping, and private and public schools that the city has to offer. For more information, visit the on-site sales office, call 877.394.6492, e-mail info@manhattanhouse.com or visit www.manhattanhouse.com. ✦
Above: A sunny south-facing living room of a floor-through residence by James Huniford Below: exhale® yoga studio
Below: A Large, eat-in kitchen with a breakfast room that looks onto a private balcony by Celerie Kemble
MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 87
real estate
Properties of the Month A selection of deluxe residences
Sotheby’s A PARISIAN PIED-À-TERRE Considered the best two bedroom line in the legendary Plaza Hotel, located at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, every window of this fabulous apartment faces the foliage of Central Park. This triple mint suite features soaring 11-foot ceilings, a unique feature of this particular floor in the Plaza. The bedrooms are split, providing complete privacy. In addition, the apartment has been painstakingly customized and renovated and now truly has the look and feel of a Parisian flat. If you’re looking for the very best two bedroom home or pied-à-terre in New York City’s most famous Landmark, your search is finally over. Please contact Roger Erickson at 212.606.7615.
Corcoran
Saunders
A RE-INTERPRETATION OF THE CLASSIC BRIDGEHAMPTON FARMHOUSE
BRIDGEHAMPTON BAy FRONT CONTEMPORARy WITH OPEN VIEWS
A 6,700 SF farm house has completed construction among the fields of Bridgehampton. Custom built by Farrell Building, with interiors by Greg McKenzie. This spacious home includes the great room with fireplace, an expansive kitchen and intimate dining room. The sunroom is augmented by a fireplace and heated floors with a patio just beyond. Upstairs, the impressive master suite offers a fireplace, luxurious bath and a private balcony. Sharing the second floor are 3 bedrooms, each fitted with an ensuite bathroom. The lower level offers recreational areas, staff suites and dedicated gym space. Outside, an impressive pool house opens to the heated Gunite pool and spa. Please contact Gary DePersia at 516.380.0538.
This renovated waterfront contemporary beach house, designed by Horace Gifford on 1 +/- acres overlooks the stunning views of Mecox Bay. Featuring 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, this stylish abode is close to the ocean, has floor to ceiling glass windows, expansive decks and beautiful, natural landscaping. All of these features provide the sense of living amongst nature. It’s the ideal Hamptons retreat, in the very best location. Please contact Faye Weisberg at 516.662.7708.
88 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY JANUARY 2012 2012
FEATURED PROPERTY
LRG 10 ROOM CORNER APARTMENT
70s/West
Excl.
Fantastic with 5 large bedrooms and 4 full baths. Huge loft-like living room and dining room. Master bedroom suite with private den and custom closets. Great light. $4.195M. Web#2239696 Louise Phillips Forbes, EVP 212.381.3329
GRAND MiLLENiUM 3BR UWS Excl. This elegant condo features 3 marble baths, foyer, spacious living rm and dining area, oveszd wndws and wndwd kit. $3.35M. Web#2235507 Diane Stigliano 212.381.3273
GRAND TWNH Park/Madison Ave Excl. Rare oppty for a big house. Best block, E 66th St. 5 flrs + big south garden. 8BR/7.5BA, fireplaces, high ceils. $9.9M. Web#1832784 Jeffrey Peckage, SVP/David Hench, VP 212.317.7893/7831
LOFT-LiKE CONDO 60s/East Excl. Top bldg. 5BR/5BA. Mint, 3,500SF, chef’s kit, W/D, city views, fitness & playrm, rfdk. $3.895M. Also for rent at $19,995/month. Web#2220165 Eloise Johnson, EVP 212.381.3224
TiMES SQUARE PENTHOUSE 1600 Broadway Excl. Serene 2BR/2.5BA condo overlooking NYC & Times Sq + prvt terr. FSB, amazing views, great home. $2.9M. Web#2262933 Joe Monteleone, SVP 212.381.2490
RENOV 4BR WiTH RiVER ViEWS WEA Excl. Elegant finishes. 2,165SF of lux living. Great light. Large EIK, 3BA. MBR w/WIC, AC, W/D & hdwd flrs. FSB. $2.85M. Web#2239908 Louise Phillips Forbes, EVP 212.381.3329
GLORiOUS SUNSHiNE Midtown/East Excl. High flr 3BR + maid’s. River and city views, huge LR, FDR, EIK, 3.5BA, deep closets, W/D, floor-to-ceil wndws. $1.995M. Web#2244024 Rona Mann, SVP 212.317.7836
SETBACK TERR GV Excl. 1st time on mrkt in years. Crnr unit w/wndwd kit. MBR w/bay wndw. Huge bath w/Jacuzzi tub & shower. Brilliant light. Grt bldg. $1.295M. Web#2301754 Janet Weiner, EVP 212.381.6558
MiNT 2BR GEM East Side Excl. Mint 5 rm, 2BR/2BA. Fab PW. Entry gallery leads to LR w/oak flrs, 9’ ceil, moldings and gas fplc. Renov EIK, DR or 3rd BR. $1.15M. Web#2239886 Monica Podell, EVP 212.381.3231
SUPERB, HUGE TERRACE 70th/UWS Excl. High in best new condo on WEA sits a bright 1BR w/garden-sized terr. Topline new condo w/421-a tax rebate. $1.125M. Web#1757579 Bill Barton, EVP 212.381.2215
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Halstead Property, LLC We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.
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Arden Stephenson Michael Davis Darren Henault Inson Dubois Wood Meryl Toback Jennifer Post James Aman Kathleen Walsh Arden Stephenson Michael Davis Darren Henault Inson Dubois Wood Meryl Toback Jennifer Post James Aman Kathleen Walsh
the grand design Leading designers and architects share their inspirations and thoughts on current trends
Arden Stephenson Michael Davis Darren Henault Inson Dubois Wood Meryl Toback Jennifer Post James Aman Kathleen Walsh Arden Stephenson Michael Davis Darren Henault Inson Dubois Wood Meryl Toback Jennifer Post James Aman Kathleen Walsh MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 91
the grand design
Arden Stephenson ARDEN Interior Architecture & Design
WHAT 3 WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGNS? Fresh, classic, timeless WHO ARE YOUR MENTORS, OR WHO IS A DESIGNER WHOSE WORK YOU ADMIRE? I love Dorothy Draper! I love the fact that she was bold and daring and willing to take risks when it was frowned upon! Her use of color and contrast and play on proportions made her designs whimsical and fun. She never stopped reinventing herself.
WHAT DISTINGUISHES YOU FROM THE WORK OF OTHERS IN THE BUSINESS? In New York City, there are thousands of interior design professionals, but I think it is my experience combined with my educational background: A degree in interior architecture and masters in the history of decorative arts, an NCIDQ certification and New York state license in interior design and many professional affiliations. I studied extensively in England and France and I have a background in commercial and retail design as well as residential, so I feel that I have tremendous breadth to the scope of my design abilities.
ARDEN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN 917.447.4012 info@ardenstephenson.com www.ardenstephenson.com 92 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
WHAT INSPIRES YOU? I get inspired when I go out into the field and find what is new – or old! I love vintage furniture and accessories. It can be something big or small. I may be walking down the street and see a dress in a window and decide it would make a great color palette for a room. I like to find off the beaten path sources for inspiration. Taking a client somewhere they would never go and finding a treasure that works for them – that makes me happy.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY PATRICK MACLEOD AT STUDIOFOUR NYC
WHAT PROJECT HAS GIVEN YOU THE MOST SATISFACTION? The project I did on Martha’s Vineyard. It was an enormous three-year project from the ground up where I had my finger on every single detail. It is a beautiful waterfront home that looks perfect and timeless. I just love it, but more importantly, so do they!
Michael Davis
Michael Davis Design and Construction WHAT PROJECT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? There is not one single project that I am most proud of. Every one of the 70+ homes we have built is one of a kind. I am proud of the legacy these homes leave and particularly the enjoyment I know these homes are giving to their owners. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR EXPERTISE? Designing and building homes with good bones and never compromising on the quality of the materials as well as the construction, which makes the home built to last. Being a master builder is to choreograph all the parts of a project and all the parties: the owner, architect, interior designer and builder work together as one. WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY? Siting a home that does not detract from the property and uses its attributes to its best advantage and making rooms functional in size. Most importantly, I always insure that the home has “soul”. Working with some of the world’s top designers has given me a broader perspective. For example, having a furniture plan at the very start of the design insures good planning for lighting, shade pockets, door placement, etc. WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING PART OF YOUR JOB? Working with both of my teams that are in the office and out in the field who share my dedication to achieve excellence. WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? I guess experience enables me to envisage the end product before it becomes obvious. Blending the English school with the American shingle style, while at the same time insuring that the interiors are modern but classic and timeless.
MICHAEL DAVIS DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION 631.537.4444 www.michaeldavis.com
HOW OFTEN SHOULD A PERSON RENOVATE? If the original design of the house meets the owners’ needs then not much will need to be addressed other than incorporating today’s amenities, such as home automation. If the house is well designed, a little tweaking here and there to insure the home meets every need is a good thing and, of course, insures continued value of the property.
MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 93
the grand design
Darren Henault Darren Henault
WHAT PROJECT HAS GIVEN YOU THE MOST SATISFACTION? The best work happens when people come to me because they love what I do and they are willing to be adventurous. I don’t expect carte blanche from everyone but clients have to trust me and be willing to push a little beyond their comfort zone. That’s when I get excited and inspired—and they get something extraordinary. WHAT DISTINGUISHES YOU FROM THE WORK OF OTHERS IN THE BUSINESS? I am going to answer this from an economics perspective, rather than a design one. I have a business background and truly understand the importance of staying on budget (without sacrificing beauty!). DOES FASHION INFLUENCE YOUR DESIGN WORK? Personal style influences my design, not fashion. Fashion is based on trends and that gets old quickly. But real style; that’s interesting. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Detail. When I see something very fine done skillfully. A bit of embroidery on a chair back, a well-placed ormolu mount on a piece of furniture. Even ordinary materials used sumptuously.
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM PROJECT? A new build or full renovation with my new partner architect Michael Goldman. Being able to specify every inch of a place in terms of architecture and design with a game client. 94 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
SOPHIE ELGORT
HOW OFTEN SHOULD A PERSON REDESIGN? Good work should last. A little wear on a room or house gives it life.
Darren Henault DARREN HENAULT
65 W. 55th Street, Suite 8E 212.677.5699 www.darrenhenault.com
MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 95
the grand design
Meryl Toback Meryl Toback Interiors
WHAT 3 THINGS MAKE A ROOM FABULOUS? Scale, color and pieces of character. It should never be about any one particular item, it should always be about the whole composition and concept of the space. You want to walk into the room and be floored by it’s beauty. WHO ARE YOUR MENTORS, OR A DESIGNER WHOSE WORK YOU ADMIRE? John Saladino and Axel Vervoordt. The element of layering in their body of work is always visually viewed as simple and casual. That is design at it’s best. WHAT 3 WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGNS? “Chic” in a very “Unassuming” way. “Classic” with an element of Modern. IS THERE A CERTAIN COLOR PALETTE YOU’RE PARTICULARLY DRAWN TO? IF SO, WHY? I like to work within monochromatic tone. I believe rooms should have a sense of calmness to them. There should be a feeling of graciousness and beauty. You do not want your design concept to be taken over by any one color or element, you want to achieve a sense of subtleness and ease. WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH? Experience . . . Knowing how to get your client to reach all their objectives. At the end of the day, handing over a beautifully designed project; one that you are proud to have your name on. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Being the Conductor of a very fine Orchestra. It involves making sure all my instruments are finely tuned and playing in perfect harmony . . . the horns, the strings, the percussions, all the details. It’s about pulling it all together brilliantly for opening night; and when the curtains go up it is quite a fabulous feeling of accomplishment and a job well done.
MERYL TOBACK INTERIORS 212.620.3752 Meryltobackinteriors@nyc.rr.com 96 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
DO YOU HAVE ANY EXCITING PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON? I am currently working on a project that is being filmed for the DIY Network. A fabulous Duplex Penthouse apartment with outdoor space that most only dream of.
Inson Dubois Wood Residential Design & Interiors
YOU HAVE AN EXCITING NEW ONLINE VENTURE WWW. VON REMUS.COM. WHAT IS IT? Von Remus is an online shopping network for extremely high net worth individuals. I wanted to create a site where everything was vetted by me and the items met with my design standards. But more importantly, it’s largely in the name of charity. It’s to raise money for scholarships for extremely athletic AND academically talented individuals with high IQ’s, ambition and goals. It is to promote future Renaissance men and women. WHY IS THIS SITE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER WEBSITES? The items largely represent individualism. They range from exotic cars to fine art. I select things that make my clients feel unique - each piece will be stamped with the von Remus logo. I believe that charitable giving should be an integral part of collecting high-end elegant unique objects. If you wish to buy a luxury item, something should also go to charity. These items are not necessarily at discount but a percentage of the profit goes to the charity of the buyers choice. So, sorry, no haggling! HOW DOES THE LEVEL OF SERVICE YOU PROVIDE KEEP YOU AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION? I am a very empathetic person—I feel my clients’ joy and pain, what makes them tick. I often look deep beneath the surface to understand the big picture of their life goals. I want every project to reflect their inner transformation towards perfection and individuality.
JAY LENNARD
HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY CRAZY REQUESTS FROM PEOPLE FOR ITEMS THEY ARE LOOKING FOR? Someone once requested that I customize an already custom vintage 1962 Ferrari.
INSON DUBOIS WOOD, LLC RESIDENTIAL DESIGN & INTERIORS 212.343.1077 iwood@insonwood.com
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU EACH DAY? I feel I am the luckiest man on earth because I have a job that let’s me create or utilize all that is beautiful in the world. I want to celebrate the beauty and bring joy to others through aesthetics. I am an alchemist. With simple materials: leather, metal iron and repurposed wood, I can make the most beautiful chair you have ever seen. I want to make and use things so beautiful that they will never ever be thrown away. MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 97
the grand design Jennifer Post Design
JENNIFER POST DESIGN 25 E. 67th Street 212.734.7994 www.jenniferpostdesign.com
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WHO ARE YOUR MENTORS, OR WHO IS A DESIGNER WHOSE WORK YOU ADMIRE? All the great ones: Calvatrava, Raphael Vinoly, Richard Meier, Phillip Johnson, Robert Metzger. WHAT WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGNS? Elegant, contemporary, fresh, clean, life. I am a classical modernist who creates beautifully edited contemporary interiors with a sense of great style and sophistication. IS THERE A CERTAIN COLOR PALETTE YOU’RE PARTICULARLY DRAWN TO? IF SO, WHY? I am known for creating pristine white interiors with a great sense of sophistication and style. WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH? Creating the Vision. HOW DOES YOUR BACKGROUND INFLUENCE YOUR DESIGNS? I have a theater design background, so I always think in 3D. When I think of my projects, when I first see them and in deciding on the vision, I always think of the house in dimensions. It’s a talent I am blessed with.
Tribeca Duplex
WHAT DISTINGUISHES YOU FROM THE WORK OF OTHERS IN THE BUSINESS? My work is consistently fresh, always meticulously conceived and designed, and always contemporary and elegant. DOES FASHION INFLUENCE YOUR DESIGN WORK? Absolutely, I often refer to a style of a project being like a Tom Ford suit or a Jil Sander, a tailored look. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Life, great architecture, great design, travel, travel and more travel. DESCRIBE YOUR CLIENTELE: IS IT INTERNATIONAL? WHAT KIND OF DEMANDS ARE SPECIFIC TO NEW YORKERS? I have a diversified client list, mostly New Yorkers, but a lot of international clientele who buy second homes in NYC. I also do a lot of second and third homes for people in Palm Beach, Miami, Aspen and beyond.
CPW - Beresford
DO YOU HAVE ANY EXCITING PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON? Yes, one in the South of France and two new projects in New York. WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING PART OF YOUR JOB? WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING EACH DAY? Creating all day. Creating beautiful homes for my wonderful clients.
MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 99
the grand design
James Aman WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY? I find that my design philosophy is always evolving, but still focuses on refinement and luxury with an overarching feeling of being created over a period of time. Whether incorporating client’s own pieces or creating an entirely new space, I find that a mixture of traditional and modern pieces feel fresh and creates the perfect balance. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR EXPERTISE? Most of my work falls into transitional design. Creating spaces that incorporate new and old never feel dated and this is what most of our clients are looking for. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? I’m inspired by so many things. I’m lucky enough to work with clients who have incredible artwork—which can set the tone for an entire project. I also pull inspiration from my surroundings. If something grabs my attention or sparks and idea . . . I’ll find a way to incorporate it into someone’s interior.
JAMES AMAN infomatchstudios@gmail.com 212.794.8878 100 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
ANY TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY OR POPULAR REQUESTS? Yes, perhaps the most relevant trend is the use of metallics in unique applications such as fabrics, wall coverings and furniture. I tend to use these materials in subtle ways to add glamour without overpowering a room.
PATRICK MACLEOD
WHAT 3 THINGS MAKE A ROOM FABULOUS? Three elements that really make a room shine are great artwork, good architecture and unique wall finishes. These key design elements make a huge impact and provide the foundation for furnishings and accessories.
Kathleen Walsh Kathleen Walsh Interiors
WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH? My clients first approach me because they’ve seen another client’s house and they like a sense of organization and calm, or they like that the house reflected the client’s personality instead of seeing my “stamp” or brand. I’m told that they hire us because, in addition to designing lovely homes, an integral part of our approach is to encourage the client to be as active in the process as their schedule and desire allows. The more we engage the clients in the running conversation the stronger our design solutions are for the project. WHAT 3 WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR DESIGNS? “Smart”: Our first priority is making a home function for the client’s practical needs, and to solve things in a way that is respectful of the timeline, the architectural requirements and the budget . . . then we dive into the aesthetics. “Edited”: We’re forever asking what’s necessary to make a room “right”- then we ask what can be shaken up a bit. “Liveable”: Kids run, wine spills and dogs drool. With a little common sense and the aid of some fabulous technologies, we get you to the look you want in a way that allows everyday life to happen.
HOW DOES YOUR BACKGROUND (EDUCATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL OR PERSONAL) INFLUENCE YOUR DESIGNS? I earned a BFA from Pratt Institute where understanding how things function and are built was highly stressed. To be able to design so that needs of the builder, architect and client are all met is a strength I value. My MBA gets put to use on the business and organizational side of the design process and has been invaluable.
SOPHIE ELGORT
DOES FASHION INFLUENCE YOUR DESIGN WORK? It’s impossible to not be aware of what editors and magazines are deeming fashionable, but no, we design to be time-less. If we’re ever “on-trend” it’s a coincidence. DO YOU HAVE ANY EXCITING PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON? We’re just finishing a project on Martha’s Vineyard for a long-standing client for whom every project is completely different, stylistically. After 3 years of design and planning I can’t wait to see the finished whole.
In Westchester we’re working on a gorgeous house for repeat clients. The property is truly beautiful year-round and we’ve been spoiled by well-considered architectural details to work around. It’s one of those houses that keeps providing new inspiration season after season. WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION? Where I least expect it, of course.
KATHLEEN WALSH INTERIORS 303 5th Ave # 1305 212.255.0209 www.kathleenwalshinteriors.com MAY 2012 • AVENUE MAGAZINE | 101
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the world according to . . .
BILL POWERS AVENUE’s back-page column asks New York notables our version of the questionnaire made famous by Marcel Proust
W
ork of Art judge Bill Powers wasn’t just posturing for the cameras like some Bravo stars. He has steadily been making a name for himself in the coolest of art circles. He co-owns the much buzzed about Half Gallery, a Lower East Side space he shares with author James Frey (of Oprah infamy) and the ever-fashionable Andy Spade, and is also the cofounder of art website Exhibition A. His new novella, What We Lose in Flowers, published by Karma Books, focuses on an aging artist who steals his son’s girlfriend in a grasp to stay young. He lives in the West Village with his wife, designer Cynthia Rowley, and their two daughters, and is a regular on the party circuit.
Bill Powers at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo
AT WHAT ADDRESS WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE? 1342 Lexington Avenue
favorite New Yorker, I appreciate it as a link to the city’s history. “The Little Flower” is a pretty killer nickname, too.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST FEEL LIKE A NEW YORKER? WHAT HAPPENED? When I was
WHO IS THE SMARTEST NEW YORKER YOU KNOW? Kara Walker’s lecture on
(Andy Warhol’s house).
born at St. Clare’s Hospital in Hell’s Kitchen. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WATERING HOLE FOR LUNCH? FOR DINNER?
Clam Bar on Montauk Highway at dusk (summer/fall only). WHAT NEWSPAPER COLUMN DO YOU READ FIRST IN THE MORNING?
Andy Warhol recently was pretty enlightening.
or when I find myself doing it.
WHAT’S YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING NEW YORK MOMENT? Does reality TV count? WHAT’S YOUR WORST-DRESSED NEW YORK MOMENT? Pick a day in the late 1980s
WHO IS THE FUNNIEST?
Hennessy Youngman. WHAT PART OF THE NEW YORK LIFESTYLE CAN’T YOU LIVE WITHOUT?
NY Post
Trick or treating with kids in the neighborhood.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE NEW YORKER, PAST OR PRESENT? We live in Fiorello
WHAT’S THE ONE THING ABOUT NEW YORK YOU WOULD CHANGE?
LaGuardia’s house from before he was mayor and while he’s probably not my
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NEW YORK SOUND? When people actually yell taxi
More diversity.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO GET AROUND NEW YORK? Vespa. WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT LIVING IN NEW YORK? It can make you
crazy if you don’t escape now and then. WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? I feel lucky to know Richard Prince. Not too many people get to be friends with one of their heroes.✦
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? RELEVANT 104 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MAY 2012
Cobb Isle Water Mill. An extremely rare opportunity to own new waterfront construction on Cobb Isle in Water Mill presents itself along a 275 ft bulkheaded stretch of Mecox Bay. A 7,000 SF +/- 6 bedroom gambrel style traditional is well under construction on an idllyic acre very South of the highway in this coveted bayfront enclave. Views and four fireplaces highlight generous rooms that comprise an excellent floor plan to include great room, living room, kitchen with breakfast room, dining room and intimate sitting room. A staff suite and 2.5 car heated garage complete the first floor. Upstairs, the second floor is host to one master to the west which offers luxurious bath with heated floors, his and her closets and a waterview balcony. Three additional bedroom suites and another master to the East with a fireplace, similar amenities and two waterview balconies complete the second floor. Outside, a pool house and expansive patios provide ample opportunity to enjoy the waterside heated gunite pool with spa, fireplace, fire pit, outdoor kitchen and extensive landscaping that lend greenery and color to this attractive setting. A floating dock accommodates boats and jets skis that can motor out to Mecox Bay and the beaches beyond. With the ability to infuse your own personality as construction continues, make plans to visit this work in progress today. Co-Exclusive $13.95M WEB# 46749
Exceptional Properties...Exceptional Results With over $150M sold in 2011, Gary DePersia has shown why buyers, sellers, renters and investors continue to contact him for all their needs in the Hamptons. In just sixteen years on the East End, Gary has participated in over a billion dollars of real estate transactions with more than 200 of his exclusive listings sold and closed, as well as matching hundreds of his own buyers and renters with the right properties. Benchmark 2011 sales included the 55 acre bay front estate Tyndal Point ($44.99M*) and the 2+ acre oceanfront residence Meadow Lane Development ($26.995M*) to two of his own buyers. His inventory of sensational exclusive listings from Quogue to Montauk and from Sagaponack to Sag Harbor includes such standouts as Bridgehampton’s record setting Sandcastle, the 40-acre enclave known as Sagaponack Greens, the incredible Edgefield, now in contract for the highest price ever achieved on Highland Terrance, and over a dozen new construction projects. With four licensed assistants Gary easily covers over $400M worth of properties he has currently listed. Contact Gary DePersia to explore the full range of services available to sell, buy rent or invest in the Hamptons today.
Gary DePersia | VP Associate Broker | 516.380.0538 | gdp@corcoran.com Equal Housing Opportunity. The Corcoran Group is a licensed real estate broker. Owned and operated by NRT LLC.
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