Quest Magazine December 2023

DECEMBER 2023

THE HOLIDAY ISSUE

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110

CONTENTS The Holiday Issue 96

114

QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE We’re stocking up on treasures for everyone on our

list. From festive décor to a sparkling new watch, we’ve found essential gifts to keep the coming days both merry and bright. Brooke Kelly Murray

110 QUINTESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS In the true spirit of the holiday season, Phaidon’s latest publication invites readers on a captivating visual journey through the extensive history of Christmas, dating back to its inception.

114 THE FLAMES OF FAME : THE SHORT AND SAD LIFE OF JOANNE CONNELLEY Flipping through Debutantes: When Glamour Was Born brought back memories of a little girl from New Jersey named Joanne Connelley, who came out at the Infirmary Ball in New York in 1948. by David Patrick Columbia

120 TIMELESS STYLE A new book from Abrams highlights the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s enduring influence on fashion. by Brooke Kelly Murray

120

A S P R E Y. C O M

E N A M E L L E D S T E R L I N G S I L V E R C O C K TA I L S H A K E R E N G R A V E D S TA R M A R T I N I G L A S S

6 7 8 M A D I S O N AV E N U E , N E W YO R K , N Y 1 0 0 6 5 , T E L + 1 2 1 2 6 8 8 1 8 1 1

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94

96

CONTENTS Columns 30

SOCIAL DIARY Another month of the social circuit. by David Patrick Columbia

72

HARRY BENSON Our columnist recalls photographing Greta Garbo while on holiday in Antiqua in 1976.

74

TAKI Observations on the low-grade behavior and style of present politicians.

by Taki Theodoracopulos

76

QUEST @ HOME Jayne Chase chats with Palm Beach’s new generation of interior designers, then ventures to Georgia Avenue.

84

DEALERSHIP In addition to the best vehicles, Braman Motor Cars believes their customers deserve special treatment.

86

REAL ESTATE Projects by Two Roads Development are shaping the skylines of some of the country’s hottest destinations.

88

PHILANTHROPY Since its founding, the Red Cross Ball remains one of the most coveted invitations in Palm Beach.

90

CANTEENS High-quality food and good service define Palm Beach’s Al Fresco Hospitality Group. by Robert Janjigian

94

SOCIAL CALENDAR Our guide to the best luncheons, galas, and benefits this month.

124 YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST Partying in New York and London. by Brooke Kelly Murray 128 SNAPSHOT Kris Kringle doppelgänger Larry E. Wave takes pride in spreading holiday joy throughout Palm Beach. by Robert Janjigian

Greenleaf & Crosby Diamond Clusters

Buying, Selling & Collecting Since 1868

questmag.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA DEPUTY EDITOR

ELIZABETH MEIGHER CRE ATIVE DIRECTOR

TYKISCHA JACOBS MANAGING EDITOR

BROOKE KELLY MURRAY DESIGN EDITOR

JAYNE CHASE CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

ROBERT BENDER PHOTOGRAPHER- AT-L ARGE

JULIE SKARRATT SOCIETY EDITOR

HILARY GEARY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

HARRY BENSON KATE GUBELMANN TONY HALL ALEX HITZ ROBERT JANJIGIAN RICHARD JOHNSON KAREN KLOPP JAMES MACGUIRE HAVEN PELL CHUCK PFEIFER DAISY PRINCE LIZ SMITH (R.I.P.) TAKI THEODORACOPULOS CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

HARRY BENSON CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY BILLY FARRELL MARY HILLIARD CRISTINA MACAYA CUTTY MCGILL PATRICK MCMULLAN

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NICK MELE ANNIE WATT

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© QUEST MEDIA, LLC 2023.

All rights reserved. Vol. 37, No 12.

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Clockwise from bottom left: Ronald Reagan on the cover of TIME, 1981; Jayne Chase; John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, 1996; Arlene Desiderio and her son, José Luis Duran; Joanne Connelley on the cover of LIFE, 1949; Quest’s December 2021 cover; Kris Kringle doppelgänger Larry E. Wave in Palm Beach.

THE HOLIDAY SEASON started even earlier this year, and has brought with it the reawakened magic of Christmas in New York.

Despite the unending global crises, our City feels more vibrant and vital, operating at its brisk pre-pandemic pace. The avenues of Manhattan again reflect the positive and knowing faces of those who have endured and emerged more compassionate and kind.

Not unlike the streets in every Quest community ... Greenwich and Old Brookville ... Palm Beach and Naples ... Charleston and Nashville ... Millbrook and Miami ... we are clearly sobered by world events, yet ever wiser and more grateful for the lives we lead.

The cliches of the Season ring truer than before: “To a Healthy and Happy New Year” - you bet we’ll welcome that, as our mental and physical well-being have never been more prized. Our war-weary populace is anxious, but equally appreciative for our American way; “ Joy to the World” resonates cautiously among us.

Within this bountiful Holiday number that you’re reading, there is much to be celebrated. From the Grandma Moses-like cover image of Central Park’s Wollman Rink, to the seductive opulence of our annual Holiday Gift Guide, Quest brims with the hopeful promise that accompanies every new year.

Our much beloved contributor, Robert Janjigian, applauds the dynastic mother-and-son duo of Arlene Desiderio and José Luis Duran who have perpetuated a culinary tradition throughout Palm Beach County, anchored by their venerated and nearly five decades old Renato’s restaurant. Similarly, we salute our revered pal Taki’s justified and cleverly cutting column on John Fetterman’ slovenly and disrespectful attire in the chambers of our US Senate. And top editor DPC reprises the tragic tale of debutante Joanne Connelley’s fatal bow to Society, and her ambitious mother’s unconscionable social expectations. Lastly but eagerly, we welcome onto Quest’s masthead our friend and acclaimed journalist, Jayne Chase, as our new Design Editor. Jayne’s feature column, QUEST @ Home, will appear monthly; in this inaugural issue, she highlights the energized and fast growing creative community of Georgia Avenue

��

28 QUEST

in West Palm, profiling several younger principals who are leading the imaginative explosion of this SoHo-like neighborhood.

As we accelerate through December into 2024, our Country bears the burden of restoring balance to the world order, with our enemies - and allies - closely watching our every move and tactic.

It feels to this wizened publisher that it’s no longer enough to be the “arsenal of democracy”. Our economic and military clout are formidable and still dominate the dialogue. Yet, our leadership has proved to be unreliable in addressing these uncertainties, while our national well-being remains in a challenging, if not precarious state. As the world watches, a sign of strength must be accompany our moral rectitude; without this, women and men of goodwill will never achieve the “Peace on Earth” for which we sing and pray. May the Lord bless you, dear readers - the authentic humanity of Quest.◆

Chris Meigher

ON THE COVER: Wollman Rink in Central Park, New York, New York.

Photo by Gavin Hellier/Jon Arnold Images Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo.

Happy Holidays

Patricia A. Wheatley, E. Helen Marcos, Ashton Monroe, Nikki Field, Andrew Harris, Jeanne H. Bucknam, Daniel Y. Chang, Amanda Field Jordan, Benjamin Pofcher, Ian Ament, Mara Flash Blum, Matthew J. Perceval, Silvia Wong. Photo Shy: Sheila Ellis, Dana Kirshenbaum, Viktoriya Bastiyali

Visit NikkiField.com Photo by Jill Lotenberg East Side Manhattan Brokerage 650 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10022 Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.

DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA

David Patrick Columbia

NEW YORK SOCIAL DIARY THE AUTUMN SEASON we’re just putting to bed was without question the busiest it’s been in the past several years and specifically the present decade. The so-called pandemic that got underway four years ago dominated the way of life for many, keeping

us from our natural social endeavors. Or in another way of putting it: increasing a sense of isolation and even danger.

However, this past September after Labor Day was as if the city had awakened from a long sleep. With more New Yorkers returning from their

summertime isolation (not really), the city began to wake up. You could tell just by the traffic. It started with the Fashion week in early September, as if everyone decided to go out again. And it has remained that way to this last month of the old year. And it

has, in many ways, been rather nice.

These are, after all, trying times in this great big small world of ours. But the isolation that it brought on gave many of us a good look at the value of being out there with people. The social calendar

SOCIE T Y OF MEMORIAL SLOAN KE T TERING'S FALL PART Y IN NE W YORK

Laya Khadjavi and Arlene Cruz

Jean Altier and Beau Bohm

Sevda Kleinman and Annie Taube 30 QUEST

Amory McAndrew and Virginia Tomenson

Starrett Ringbom

B FA

Melanie McLennan

Karen Thornwell May and Muffie Potter Aston

SANTA’S COMING

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA BONPOINT 'S HALLOWEEN PART Y IN NE W YORK

Sarah Michler Rubin and Lizzy Michler

Tracy Yorks and Gustaf Demarchelier

has been particularly busy, moreso than the past few years.

Social life in New York is now almost entirely philanthropic by nature. The big parties, the fund-raisers are deeply important to the worlds they affect and assist.

They raise many millions for all kinds of charities with receptions, luncheons, dinners, and black-tie affairs.

New Yorkers were out and about. On a Tuesday last month, I went down to 583 Park Avenue where the American Cancer Society was holding its annual luncheon. I’ve been attending this annual event for years mainly because of several 32 QUEST

Christy Langley

Sabrina Taitz

Meghan and Adam Klopp

women friends, especially ers and shakers for them. It’s Diana Feldman, who’s been always been a pleasant lunone of the movers and shak- cheon. This year’s however, ers for this event for years. It was the most interesting and said in the press release that fun that I can remember.

The new it was their location 25th. I was is a beausurprised at ty—a classic the number, building (a asking myself church), it is if I’ve been atlarge, light tending that and bright/ long. Time flywhite. It was ing by. packed. The Mainly a laprogram dies lunch, for Diana Feldman used to be a years it was held at the St. Regis Roof. There Mothers-of-the-Year honor is a pretty good turnout of type format. This year’s was a men now also. But it always couple of girls, one of whom honored one or some of the has never been a mother. women who’ve been mov- That was Candace Bushnell,

Katherine Boulud

who has emerged with time (and her great talent) as one of the wise women of her generation.

The second honoree was Geralyn Lucas. I am not familiar with her name but she is very prominent in news media. She was the only honoree who actually had cancer (and had one breast removed). A very attractive, glamorous looking woman, when Ms. Lucas took the stage to talk about her cancer, that was the first thing she said. One breast only, removed.

She spoke about it so matter-of-factly and casually, and told us what added a hilarious moment in her chang-

B FA

Nicky Hilton Rothschild

DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA ing life when she told cabbie taking her to the hospital that she was going to have surgery and one breast removed. To which the cabbie replied, “I have only one ball. I had one removed.”

At first she thought he was making fun of her with something mean. But then he remarked that they were the perfect couple. She still thought he was joking... but then he explained the medical experience and indeed, it was true. And by the time they arrived at the hospital, they had a moment of bonding... and a laugh.

Ms. Lucas and her cabbie story brought down the house. She also told us that

she wrote a book about her experience and how she wore lipstick when she went into surgery.

What was remarkable about this particular luncheon was the sense of solution aroused by Ms. Lucas’ one breast removal. It is also true that Ms. Lucas has the distinct ability to look at a crisis with a common sense response.

And this was coupled by Ms. Bushnell, who had taken the podium first talking about how although she had not had cancer, her mother had and it deeply affected their lives. But Bushnell’s presence, like Ms. Lucas, made the luncheon interest-

ing, timely, and both with a common sense of living one’s life. Bushnell’s experience as a reporter/novelist has given her a very realistic sense of the modern woman’s life and how to make the best of it.

It was a serious luncheon but also with a kick, with laughter closeby. At a time and in an age where life is very difficult for many, the optimism of the two honorees, as well as their success with it, is a good lesson for all of us.

The Books. There was about a week last month when there was a book party almost every night. Book parties are not unusual in New York, of course; and I

love books. I even just love the concept of having that information and knowledge within reach physically. I also love them to the point where they’ve moved in with me in many ways, to the point where I am now looking for good homes – libraries who/ which might take some book off my hands. So when the invitations came in one after the other I couldn’t help seeing and getting.

One night there was a book party hosted by Gretchen Kimball and friend Peter Brown at his perfect apartment overlooking Central Park (to the east) for a New York book party. Mrs. Kimball, the book’s publishing di-

CENTR AL PARK CONSERVANCY 'S GAL A IN NE W YORK

Ranika Cohen, Heather McAuliffe, Christina Sethi and Kate Krieger

Tom Kempner, Judy Hart Angelo, Oscar Schafer and John Ehrenkranz 34 QUEST

Betsy Smith and Jenny Price

Tom Gimbel, Heidi Holterbosch, Elaine Textor and Rome Arnold

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA JULIA AMORY 'S STORE OPENING IN PALM BE ACH

Allegra Garcia-Velez and Charlotte Canet

Tammy Fender, Devon Roush and Hillary Hoyt

Andrea Halpern and Diana Benova

rector, is a full-time resident of Belvedere, California, as well as publishing associate of Jesse Kornbluth of this “children’s version” of Black Beauty.

Anna Sewell’s classic about a horse, was first published in London in 1877 when horses were quite a different element to the entire community. It has sold more than 50 million copies. Jesse’s version (illustrated serenely and beautifully by Paige Peterson) is abridged since it is too long for young readers, and perfect material for those who are just about to begin reading, and at least old enough to be affected by the story.

Do you remember reading it or first having it read to you 36 QUEST

Callie Baker Holt and Julia Amory

Kristin Hazelton, Hollis Pica, Susan Parsons and Kathy Mielbrecht

as a child? It is a common ing, and at least old enough to memory for what is a clas- be affected by the story.

Paige Peterson is the ilsic on many levels including lustrator of h i s t o r i c a l l y. this current It’s very afvolume and fecting to the this “unchild as well forgettable as differently horse.” Forto the adult tu n at e l y, for whom it Paige and was originally Jesse choose written in the stories with eons before a common, horseless carvery welcome riages. theme: the Black BeauThe cover of Black Beauty healing power ty is the sixthmost popular novel in En- of relationships, commitglish. Jesse Kornbluth’s ver- ment, and community.

More than 80 guests sion is abridged since it is too long for young readers, and turned out for this. Stacks of perfect material for those who books at the event dwindled are just about to begin read- to a few copies, and at the end

of the party, signed books were on their way to homes where children would meet a new friend: a horse that confronted every challenge, and triumphed.

According to Jesse Kornbluth: “In the case of Black Beauty, what we don’t recall is the political purpose that drove Anna Sewell’s story. Cruelty to London’s 10,000 cab horses was of no great concern to the public in the 19th century. They were often rented out to drivers who needed to work them every day in order to make even a poor living.

“In essence, those horses were worked to death—Black Beauty’s sweet days of play with friends in the fields

JA S ON N U T TL E

Michelle Clark and Laney Wilson

DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA when he was young were the exception. All too soon he experienced cruelty from a society woman who wanted the bit in his mouth pulled tight so his head would be held fashionably high. A drunken rider caused him to fall and scar his knees, and soon he was a cab horse, being worked to death and wishing for it. Give Anna Sewell credit for smart plotting: There’s a happy ending—Black Beauty once again has a good home and loving memories of his youth, but he’s the exception.”

Also on the same evening was the 39th annual Alzheimer’s Association Imagine Benefit, founded and built on the legacy of the Rita Hay-

worth Gala by Hayworth’s million caregivers.

Princess Yasmin was daughter Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, held at New York’s joined by event chair, Joseph iconic Jazz at Lincoln Center. M. Boitano. Prager Metis CPA was honHosted by ored with the Rita two-time OlymHayworth Award pic medalist for their incrediand Alzheimer’s ble commitment Association Ceto moving the lebrity ChampiAlzheimer’s Ason, Laurie Hersociation’s misnandez, the evesion forward. ning raised more “The incredthan $700,000 in ible generosity critical funds for Princess Yasmin Aga Khan of this room is a the organization’s care, support, and research testament to the lasting legprograms. The evening also acy of my mother, Rita Hayamplified awareness to Alz- worth,” said Princess Yasmin. heimer’s, a disease that affects She added, “Our combined now more than six million efforts will help raise awareAmericans and more than 11 ness and make the Alzheimer

Association’s mission to end Alzheimer’s disease and all other dementia a reality.”

A main feature of the evening was the entertainment, which included a special tribute to Tony Bennett by Emmy and Golden Globe award winner Darren Criss, and Broadway star Colton Ryan. The two powerhouse performers played songs from Bennett’s beloved repertoire including “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Strangers in Paradise,” and “Who Can I Turn To.” Members of the Bennett family, including Susan Benedetto, Dae Bennett and Robin Baker were in attendance,

MUSEUM OF ARTS & DESIGN'S BALL IN NEW YORK

Michael Bruno and Amra Sabic-El-Rayes

Nina Tiari 38 QUEST

Barbara Tober and Tinu Naija

Linda Plattus and Alexander Hankin

Tim Rodgers and Michele Cohen

Justin Vivian Bond

Doug Heller and Cynthia Manocherian

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BLÉRANCOURT'S GAL A IN NEW YORK

Esteban Abascal, Rosario Arnaud and Abelardo Marcondes

Charlotte and Miles Morgan

expressing their gratitude and appreciation for the Alzheimer’s Association’s crucial work.

Then on a Wednesday night at a private club here in New York, Vanessa Noel, the fashion entrepreneur, was hosting her first Noel Shoe Museum Gala.

You read that right: New York City’s First and Only Shoe Museum—what Fern Mallis, formerly Executive Director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, referred to in her opening speech as “a very soulful event.” In more ways than one, I’d say.

Vanessa’s museum project has come along at a time 40 QUEST

Dorothea De La Houssaye, Brigadier General Rose Keravuori and Major Justin Lenio

Contessa Brewer with Carole and Philippe Delouvrier

Maribel Lieberman and Dimitri De Yougoslavie

of major fashion change occurring among us hualso in footwear. Here in the manoids. I’m reminded city with so many pedestri- of a moment several years ans on “display,” you see the ago when Daphne Guiness Niarchos, one of changing fashthe most beautiions. One that ful women in the always catches world, came into my eye are the Michael’s restaublack lace-up or rant for lunch one zipped-up shoes day wearing black or boots that dressy shoes with young woman eight inch high en are wearing heel/sole. these days. They She looked a are—to these Vanessa Noel bit uneasy as she eyes—noticeably unattractive, even lessening moved baby steps across the the pleasure of looking at the room. Watching this beautifully dressed beautiful wearer.

It’s a fashion movement woman move so delicately which to me is an indica- step-by-step, I couldn’t retion of a greater change sist asking as she passed by if

Anne Therese Gennari and Arthur Gennari

her shoes were “comfortable” (since it looked like she was almost on a highwire).

“Very comfortable…” she responded as she moved along sensitively focused on her feet. When she took her seat, I felt a sense of relief although there was no such indication of interest in the wearer.

At the Vanessa Noel dinner, we were told Mayor Eric Adams also donated a pair of his shoes, which were brought on stage by the mayor’s brother Bernard Adams.

“The mayor’s shoes aren’t sexy,” brother Adams explained, “but I can tell you one thing; these shoes have a lot of mileage because the

AN N I E WAT T

Victoria Wyman, General Vincent De Kytspotter and Helene Chazal De Kytspotter

Holiday Magic Begins

Charleston

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83 East Bay Street | circa 1784 | Listed By Deborah C. Fisher | List Price: $3,950,000 Deborah C. Fisher , Broker in Charge

handsomeproperties.com | handsomepropertiesinternational.com | 843.727.6460 285 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29401

DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA man works hard. We were at the Gracie Mansion and I said, take your shoes off so I can bring them over [laugh].

If you know anything about the mayor, you know, he’s up early and he goes to bed real late. They say he’s a nightlife mayor. That’s true. But he’s out working all the time.”

Meanwhile with the Thanksgiving season about to arrive, here in New York, people’s energy continued to heighten and accommodate all of the activity of this center of creativity that we live in.

Back to basics. The Association of Community Programs for the Homeless celebrated its 2023 gala,

ACE, “Wednesday Night Fe- living in the neighborhood, ver,” at the historic Capitale. he found ways to successfulACE was founded by Henry ly assist and motivate some.

Today his Buhl more creation ACE than 30 years empowers ago when he homeless bought a resimen and dential loft in women to SoHo which change their was still in lives by givthe midst of ing them the redeveloptools and opment, and Barbara Tober, Henry Buhl and portunities they he learned that Donna Soloway at the 2023 Ace Gala need to succeed, there were a lot of homeless in the area barely including educational and vocational classes, mental surviving.

Henry himself was for a health counseling services, long time an internation- and a support network deal banker as well as heir to signed to help with self-sufone of the early automotive ficiency. It’s an amazing feat fortunes. In his early days created by one man out to

help another.

This year’s honorees included Barbara Tober, Donna Soloway, and Colleen Hess. The three women were recognized for their long association and support of ACE. Time being of the essence, the first week of last month looked like there would be double or triple the events during the week nights. Because—it was explained me over dinner—a large number of the Palm Beach residents have to leave town by November 6th to get their six months (no taxes) if they want to save those millions that they’ve already got. So, many of the most important

NE W YORK L ANDM ARKS PRE SERVAT ION FOUNDAT ION'S LUN C HEON

Christine Kuan, Christina Davis and Christine Goppel

Lauren Wolff, Tom Vecchione and Sofia Juperious

Peg Breen and Richard Farley

42 QUEST

Annika Pergament and Tom Krizmanic

Joyce Menschel and Margo Langenberg

J OH N C AL AB RE S E

Elisabeth Saint-Amand and Brandan Haw

Annabelle Selldorf and Jeanne Gang

THIRD STREET SOUTH GLAMOUR & GOOD TIMES

GLORIOUS FOOD, GREAT SHOPS & GRACIOUS BYWAYS

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA FRESH AIR FUND'S BENEFIT IN NEW YORK

The Beauty of the Bespoke

Benjamin, Daniel and Julia Kosinski

David Perpich, William Lauder, Isabelle Krusen and Rich Thomas

The hand-crafted artisan details we see in fashion also have a place in the home.

Everything from hand-carved molding to scenic murals enliven interiors by incorporating the human element and imparting personality, style, and visual interest. Here are a few ways to incorporate these one-of-a-kind, bespoke elements into a space.

Consider the walls. Carved moldings can create the illusion of higher ceilings. Wood paneling adds architecture to a room as well as warmth and texture. Rooms clad in woodwork of light oak or darker stained woods are in demand for libraries, dining rooms, and offices.

Hand-painted wallpapers have returned in a big way. Scenic murals and trompe l’oeil can be customized to incorporate personal moments, from a country property to a favorite garden.

They are a beautiful and imaginative way to bring the outdoors in.

Decorative and faux painting can make otherwise staid walls stand out. Looking to add a dose of whimsy with a favorite lattice motif or create textured Venetian plaster?

There are extremely talented painters to make a vision a reality. Hand-painted patterns and individualized details add instant personality and pique interest.

Whether it is the return of layered, Britishinfluenced interiors, or the love of a cozy wood library, one thing is for sure: decorative details provide the finishing touch.

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40 QUEST

@GILWALSHINTERIORS

Tiffany Turner, Donna Simonelli, Amanda Starbuck and Trey Hanlan

($$$) events had to be held by or before that date.

Hence the heavy social schedules.

On a Monday night, for example, there were three “major” events: the New York Public Library holding its annual major dinner; the Lauder Brothers, Leonard and Ronald, were hosting their 16th Annual Connoisseur’s Dinner for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation; and this year they are personally donating $200 million (!!) to their project.

I’ve been covering some of the Lauder philanthropies for a number of years, beginning with Evelyn Lauder’s Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I watched it grow and improve and the numbers changed dramatically. They get things done. When Ronald and Leonard Lauder started their Alzheimer’s Drug Dis-

Nicole and Suzanne DeFosset

covery Foundation they stated it was to Find a Cure; for this modern ailment. I knew then they’d succeed, or rather, we’d succeed.

Then on the same Monday night also over at the Museum of Modern Art, they were feting my friend Beth DeWoody for her dedication to the world of Modern Art. Although she doesn’t look old enough, I met Beth in the early 1970s when she’d just finished college.

In the ensuring years I’ve watched her build her expertise, her collections and her knowledge. She’s another example of someone who can engage the public with her choices, as well as her devotion to the artists’ community.

Because I’ve known her since she was starting out in life, I’ve observed her growth as a member of the artists’ community. She’s already been compared

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Lydia and Mats Carlston

Tis The Season for Style Helmed by award-winning designer Gil Walsh, GW Interiors draw from an extensive knowledge of art, fashion, and culture, using only the highest quality resources to execute a bespoke vision, exclusively designed for you.

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GILWALSHINTERIORS

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NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S GALA

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1. Annette Gordon-Reed and Robert Reed 2. Stephen and Christine Schwarzman 3. Andres Santo Domingo, Lauren Santo Domingo and Alisa Roever 4. Anna Zaiachkivska and John Gannon 5. Brett Tremain and Bella Paterson 6. David Warren and Olya Ginsburg 7. David Nasaw 8. Michael Powell and Matthew Lambeau 9. Dinner in the Reading Room

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46 QUEST

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4 1. Jennifer and Peter Wallace 2. Steven Spielberg 3. Serena and Shawn Levy 4. Laura Rivera Ayala and Oshane Kirlew 5. Elise Taylor 6. Loraine Gallard 7. Steve Martin 8. Steven Aaronson and Annette Tapert 9. Khaled Hosseini

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA CASA DE CAMPO'S FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Juliana Molina and Karina Banda

Gabriella Reginato and Annelisa Olivo

Claudia Becker and Alberto and Pierucci

to Peggy Guggenheim as a major collector in contemporary Art History. Except she’ll be the Beth Rudin DeWoody of her age. I am one of those individuals who has had the privilege of her interest in my life professionally. One of many I can easily assume.

On subject of leadership.

Anne Tracy Morgan was the youngest of the three daughters of J. Pierpont Morgan, the most powerful of International and American bankers of the late 19th, early 20th century. Anne was born in the last quarter of the 19th century and came into young womanhood at the beginning of the 20th.

She was educated privately, traveled frequently and grew 48 QUEST

Paula Dominguez and Leticia Coudray

Theavander Werf and Andres Pichardo

Loida and Jason Kycek

up amongst the wealth her fa- married woman of a certain ther had amassed. And like her place in society. She very often father, she made a prominent accompanied him on his voyplace for herself in the world ages. Because it was obvious which he had inadvertently led that she and Mr. Morgan were lovers, he also brought along her to. his daughter JP Morgan Anne, then old had a famous enough to enjoy 350 foot yacht, the traveling as the Corsair, well as to cover which he freup the presence quently used of his private to travel to Euguests. rope. The ship No doubt, was large with Peggy Guggenheim her father’s a large crew and several guests accompa- extra-marital relationships nying the man. And although was an important part of her he had long been married, “education” for his daughter.

Mr. Morgan had a reputation Although it would turn out for long having a mistress. that she was naturally growIn a mistress, he preferred a ing up to be a sophisticated

Chef Akira Back and Sean Decicco

and knowledgeable woman herself, and she accepted his choices. She also happened to like the woman.

It was during those travels that she met many sophisticated worldly people.

One of Anne Morgan’s early adult projects was opening a private women’s club. Her father was annoyed by her idea. He did not understand why women wanted to have their own club. Two important people who came in to her life because of it, through her father’s connection, were Elsie de Wolfe and Bessie Marbury who lived in another aspect of the social world of New York and Europe.

In 1903, Anne Morgan,

M AI ROB I H E RRE R A ; C H RI S TI AN N I N

Eduardo Garcia and Rodrigo Menendez

DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA then age 30, became part owner of the Villa Trianon near Versailles with decorator Elsie and her partner, theatrical/ literary agent Elisabeth Marbury. Elsie had been an actress although not successful in building a career. She was interested in designing interiors and Anne Morgan, in founding the club (The Colony Club) hired Elsie to assist, which she did and which was the beginning of a legendary career for Elsie, and a long association and friendship.

Anne was instrumental in assisting De Wolfe in pioneering a career in interior decoration, which up until the turn of the century to the 20th, was a field occupied by

males – the architects.

The three women helped organize the Colony Club, the first women’s social club in New York City and, later, were the founding force in creating the exclusive neighborhood of Sutton Place along Manhattan’s East River.

From 1917 to 1921, Ms. Morgan took up residence 75 miles north of Paris at the Chateau de Blérancourt, entrusted to her by the French Army, along with 350 American women — all volunteers — to help the war-ravaged civilian population in Picardy in northeastern France. The American Friends of France (AFF) employed several hundred people at a time, with

volunteers from abroad and locally recruited staff.

This she financed partly out of her own deep pockets, and partly with the help of an active network in the states.

The AFF was active in aiding noncombatants, organizing a health service that still exists in Soissons, as well as a workshop to provide basic furniture to bombed-out families, a holiday camp for children, and a mobile library that was eventually taken over by the library in Soissons, and so on.

She returned in 1939 to help the Soissons evacuees.

Meanwhile, back to business. City Harvest is New York’s first and largest food rescue organization, rescu-

ing perfectly good, nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste and delivers it for free to New Yorkers experiencing hunger. Over the past 40 years, they have rescued and distributed over one billion pounds of food for our neighbors across the five boroughs who are struggling to put meals on the table.

City Harvest’s initiatives are many as the need for this great city of ours is great. One such initiative is Buy-A-Bag, an annual campaign to support farmers while helping to feed New York, which is returning to GrowNYC Greenmarkets this month. Guests were encouraged to stop by the City Har-

PRO S TAT E CAN CER FOUNDAT ION'S DINNER IN NE W YORK

Stuart and Toni Holden

Felicia Evensen, Mike Vanneman and Oz Perlman

William and Phyllis Mack with Aaron Goldstein 50 QUEST

Kiendl Gordon and Melissa Simon

Michael Milken and Daniel Boulud

Gina Carithers, Dan Shedrick and Bonnie Pfeifer Evans

PATRI C K M C M U L L AN

Chris Oberbeck

Tiger Continuum Ring by JV Insardi. Photo: Edon Gottlieb.

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA NE T- A -P OR T ER 'S C OC K TAIL PAR T Y AT DOUBLE S IN NE W YORK

Charlotte Groeneveld

Sofia Karvela and Zani Gugelmann

vest table at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket on Saturday, November 11, or the 77th Street Greenmarket on Sunday, November 12, and “buy a bag” of fresh produce from the vendors to donate to City Harvest. They’d then deliver it to their partner food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the city to help feed our neighbors in need.

City Harvest also has a plethora of fun and very successful social events throughout the year, one of which is BID, its marquee tasting event, held at The Glasshouse in Manhattan (this year’s theme: “Drive-In”).

BID attracted more than 1,000 guests (!), raising enough to help feed nearly four million 52 QUEST

Alison Loehnis and Gabriela Hearst

Helena Christensen

Candice Lupton, Macrene Alexiades and Beth Newman

New Yorkers in need across the Secchi, and more. Participatcity. These funds are critical- ing restaurants and mixology ly important right now when partners included Le Bernarvisits to food pantries and soup din, Melba’s, Ci Siamo, Makitchens are up more than 60% salawala & Sons, Muddling compared to pre-pandemic Memories, Mexology, and more. levels.

“Thanks The event to the genbrought toerosity of gether more the restauthan 50 of rant comNew York A City Harvest truck munity, our City’s best chefs, restaurants, and mix- sponsors, event co-chairs, host ologists. Culinary titans in committee, and all the guests attendance included Geoffrey who joined us, City Harvest Zakarian, Eric Ripert, Mel- will be able to rescue and deba Wilson, Anne Burrell, liver more nutritious food for Simon Kim, Markus Glock- New Yorkers in need,” said Jilly er, Hillary Sterling, Dana Stephens, CEO of City HarCowin, Andrew Carmellini, vest. “This support comes at a Michael Lomonaco, Stefano critical time when nearly three

Lilly Hartley

million New Yorkers are struggling to make ends meet. Together, we will continue to feed our city – one day, one meal, one New Yorker at a time.”

“Year after year, BID proves to be the premier tasting event highlighting the best chefs, restaurateurs, and mixologists in New York City,” said Geoffrey Zakarian, City Harvest Board Member and Chair of City Harvest’s Food Council. “City Harvest has an extraordinary impact on the community, and I am thrilled to help support their mission of serving our neighbors in need.”

And here’s hoping, Happy Holidays and Peace on Earth for one and all! ◆

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Enikő Mihalik and David Koranyi

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA QUE ST AND ELI Z ABE T H G AGE HO S T PALM BE AC H LUN C HEON AT CLUB C OLE T T E

Amy Baier and Hilary Geary Ross

Pauline Pitt and Gretchen Leach

Annette Tapert Allen and Britty Damgard 04 5 0 QUEST

Anne Geddes

Jay Keith and Gill Fuller

Lauriston Segerson and Callie Baker Holt

Kit Pannill and Talbott Maxey

Jayne Chase and Jody Reiss

Gil Walsh and Joanne Rees

Fernanda Niven and Muffy Miller

Amanda Boalt

CAPEHART

Mimi McMakin and Julie Simmons

DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA F R I E N D LY S O N S O F S A I N T PAT R I C K ' S L U N C H E O N I N N E W YO R K

Ritika Ravi and Evelyn Tompkins

Elizabeth Lynch and Christina Frank Heather and Tom Leeds

Karen Klopp and Michele Heary

Christina Murphy and Megan Scott 56 QUEST

Jack Lynch and Barbara McLaughlin

Nina Richter, Robert O'Byrne and Tiff Metcalf

Mark Gilbertson, Susan Burke and John Coleman

Catherine Lenihan

CUTTY MCGILL

Noel Momsen, Paige Rustum and Georgine Ratelband

DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA J E A N - G E O R G E SH AVLOLNOGWEEREI N C HFTEESNT’ ISV ILTAI TE ES SAT T MDAONUHBALTETSA NI NV N EE NW T U YROER, KP E R R Y S T . T H E RE S TAUR AN T IS BAT HED IN NEU T R AL C OLORS , PREDOMIN AT ED BY A CALM , B ONE - C OLORE

Jeanne Leviant

Name Goes Here And Here

Elizabeth Darst

Blythe Brock and Paige De La Chapelle

Name Goes Here And Here

58 QUEST

Name Goes Here And Here

Name Goes Here And Here

Whitney Wolfe

Kate Earls

Whitney Teach

Katie Tenney

Katherine Boulud

Lauren Muzinich

ANNIE WATT

Name Goes Here And Here

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA TOA S T IN G A NE W E XH IBI T ION AT ANN N OR TON SCULP T URE G ARDENS IN WE S T PALM BE AC H

Sarah Benitz, Brenda Callaway and Polly Reed

Lauren Kenny and Holly Cardinale

Stephen Mooney and Scott Velozo

60 QUEST

Jeff Koons and Deb Drum

Monique Ogilvie and Sandy Thompson

Tim, Sarah, Aphra and Nico Benitz

Tina Munroe and Janet Shamblin

CAPEHART

Paul Gervais and Francis Fisher

Chris and Brewer Schoeller

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA PRE V IE WIN G ME S SIK A'S L AT E S T C OLLEC T ION WI T H QUE ST AT WEMPE IN NE W YORK

Mona Arnold and Lis Waterman

Lesley Schulhof

Mercedes de Guardiola and Alex Rose

Béatrice de Quervain and Guillaume Cousin

62 QUEST

Meghan and Adam Klopp

Michaela Kesselman, Alejandro Cuellar and Ulrike Fedle

Peggy Siegal and Daisy Prince

Louise Masano, Nicole Fischer, Kathy Irwin and Sabrina Forsythe

Elizabeth Meigher and Edward Barsamian

B FA

Haley Crawford and Justin O'Neill

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA C OX SCIEN CE CEN T ER & AQ UARIUM’S M A SQ UER ADE BALL AT T HE C OLON Y PALM BE AC H

Mark and Emily Coscia with Judy and Fritz Van der Grift

Allegra and Calixto Garcia-Velez

Rosie Quick with Ryan and Mimi Nogueras 64 QUEST

Serena and Bryan Mattson

Katie and Bill Benjamin

Meredith and Clay Gregory

Julia Wetherell with Minot and Julia Amory

Jessica Moreno and Anais Porthault

CAPEHART

Alexandra and Jarrett Danie

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA H O L I D A Y P A R T Y A T A N N A B E L' S I N L O N D O N

Annabel's holiday facade

Leonie Hanne

Poppy Delevingne 66 QUEST

Eva Apio

Patricia and Richard Caring with Tatiana Kharchylava

The Kingdom Choir

Doina Ciobanu

Lydia West

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DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA AL ZHEIMER ’S DRUG DISC OV ERY FOUNDAT ION'S C ONN OIS SEUR ’S DINNER IN NE W YORK

Ronald S. Lauder and Paula Zahn

Millie Bratten and Barbara Tober

Jane Hertzmark-Hudis and Roger Lynch

68 QUEST

Eleanora Kennedy

Wilbur and Hilary Geary Ross

William Lauder, Jane Lauder, Ronald Lauder, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer and Gary Lauder

John Paulson and Alina De Almeida

Jeff and Liz Peek

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Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz

DAV I D PAT R I C K C O LU M B IA HO PE FOR DEPRE S SION RE SE ARC H FOUNDAT ION'S LUN C HEON IN NE W YORK

Kim Heirston, Sharon Bush and Bob Murray

Tina Beriro and Margo Langenberg

Gillian Hearst and Scott Buccheit 70 QUEST

Brooke Shields and Grier Hammond Henchy

Muffie Potter Aston and Tom Quick

Ellen Ward Scarborough, Chuck Scarborough and Catherine Hormats

Sarah Wetenhall and Eleanora Kennedy

Mary Cunney and Mia Senaux

PA TR I C K M C M U L L A N

Audrey Gruss and Dakota Johnson

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HA R RY B E N S O N

IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY SHE DIDN’T EVEN know I was there...

Gigi and I were on holiday in Antigua in 1976 with our family and were out on a friend’s catamaran when the legendary Greta Garbo appeared on the beach, put on a swimming cap, and went into the water, practically in front of us.

At the time I was photographing our daughter, Wendy, when Garbo swam out and came close to our boat. I very casually moved the camera slightly up and to the right while keeping my finger on the automatic shutter. Garbo didn’t even know I was there.

Swimming nearby was her niece who often traveled with her. When they emerged from the water, Garbo took off her bathing suit right there on the beach, put on her terrycloth robe, and walked to their nearby cabin.

I didn’t chase her up the beach or interrupt her holiday, but I did photograph the woman I had heard my parents call the most elusive and beautiful women in the world. How could I not take a photograph? u 72 QUEST

HA R RY B E N S O N Greta Garbo contact sheet, photographed by Harry Benson in Antigua, 1976.

DECEMBER 2023 73

NTA AM K IE

HAT’S OFF TO THE MORONS

From left: U.S. Senate Chamber; Ronald Reagan on

I SPOTTED a tiny faux pas, as they say in the land of cheese and garlic, and only mention it for the follow-up. I was watching a black-and-white movie made in 1948 starring Gale Storm, a beautiful young American actress in her debut role, when in a scene she exits an elevator accompanied by three men all wearing fedoras. Believe it or not, it could not have happened in real life. All men wore 04 7 0 QUEST

hats back then, and all men removed them when a lady—make that any woman—entered an elevator, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It was so customary to take one’s hat off that even today, some seventy years later, it struck me when I saw the actors exiting a lift with their hats on while accompanying a lady.

Men still wear hats today, but they’re baseball caps, and I don’t know a single

moron who doesn’t wear one. Mind you, there’s a hell of a lot of non-morons who also wear them, but I’m keeping it personal. People I know who wear baseball caps I try to avoid as much as possible, and I only make an exception when the wearer has a MAGA cap on. No, I’m not for Trump because he lacks dignity, but I like the people who are for him, the ones the permanent state ensconced in D.C.

SP HE NO TA OT E C PR HE OD TI TO GS OT UE SD I HO E R E

the cover of TIME, 1981.

TA K I sees as cannon fodder or worse. Some caps are donned to maintain an incognito yet cool air, with Harry and Meghan rarely without them.

Never mind, and enough about hats and caps, I’m here to tell you about a slob who makes Harvey Weinstein look like Beau Brummell. He’s a first-time United States senator, John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. The hulking 6-foot-8 politician wears a baggy hoodie and large black shorts in the Senate foyer while he votes, and for a short time he was allowed by that other vulgarian Chuck Schumer to enter the chamber dressed

page boy in the U.S. Senate in the early 1950s. (About twenty years ago I sat next to him and his wife at a dinner, and I fell madly in love with her; alas, I never saw either of them again.) “Massachusetts’s Leverett Saltonstall, of Mayflower stock, stood ramrod straight, with neat, steelgray hair and a pronounced Plantagenet jaw; he looked like an aristocratic lobsterman. Nearby sat Clyde Roark Hoey of North Carolina, an upcountry Confederate antique who wore a wing collar and a black string tie. Then there was LBJ of Texas, the Senate Minority leader.

Lyndon Johnson was radiant with vulgar

transformed into a zombie apocalypse, with strung-out drug addicts smoking crack and injecting junk into their arms in broad daylight. Fragmented families, degeneracy, crime, sleaze—you name it, big American cities have it. There’s porn everywhere and mass killings in schools and nightclubs. And let’s not forget shoplifting, wrong-way cyclists, and illegal pot-vending stores everywhere.

What takes the cake, however, is Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen. How would you like it if you were rich-and-famous Charlie and were just informed that your 19-year old daughter Sami had begun her

opulence, his shirts monogrammed with his initials on each French cuff.”

Well, people no longer write as elegantly as this, and senators certainly don’t dress like their superior antecedents. The archaic dignity that Morrow reminisces about says it all about what’s happened to America. What used to be a respected chamber has turned into a smelly gym. (Thank God Schumer and Fetterman have for the moment been told off, but the walls of respectability have been breached.)

It is obvious that reminiscing about the past will not bring it back, but looking around me here in New York never ceases to upset me when I compare it with what used to be. Some places have been

career as a sex worker? They used to be called prostitutes, but now euphemisms are the rage. Here’s his reaction as told to Bustle: “Oh, this can only go bad.” Poor Charlie. He then recovered and added, “She’s doing this and it can only be a much more successful and pleasant experience with the support of myself, her mom [Denise Richards], and others.”

All I can say is “Wow!” Hollywood must be doing something right where children of the rich and famous are concerned. And let’s not forget the message it sends to us with every crummy picture that is released. This is America today.

Not a bad time to move to Albania. u

From left: Lance Morrow;

JP AHMO TE OS CK RE EY DS EI TR /GGOEETST YH EI RMEA G E S ; Q U I N N G L A B I C K I / R E U T E R S

Leverett Saltonstall; John Fetterman.

in that manner. Low-grade behavior is nothing new among today’s politicians, but Fetterman does take the proverbial cake for bad taste and manners. It used to be said that clothes make the man, but in today’s egalitarian culture this might sound like elitism, heaven forbid. Fetterman had a major stroke just before he got elected in 2020. At least that’s an excuse.

Schumer allowing him inside the chamber wearing shorts and sneakers proves how low our politicians have sunk.

Here’s a story that might charm those of you who still respect dress standards: The writer is Lance Morrow—yes, a perfect name for the terrific and wonderful writer for TIME magazine that he was— and it’s an account of his time as a teenage

For more Taki, visit takimag.com.

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QUEST @ Home

PALM BEACH STYLE has certainly evolved over the years, reflecting the changing tastes and influences of each era. Addison Mizner’s grand estates in the 1920s set the stage with their European-inspired designs, featuring marble facades, ornate columns, and luxurious textiles. The transition to the groovy 1960s and the disco era of the ’70s brought in bright colors, bamboo, trellis patterns, and faded rattan furniture. Then in the 2000s, with the rise of Wall Street and the new tech billionaires, these elements became the norm. Now, once again a new generation of interior designers are on the scene redefining Palm Beach style. They are refreshing its glamorous roots and sophisticated tropical style but making it distinctly their own.

David Mitchell Brown is one of those designer’s defining lux76 QUEST 00 QUEST

ury in a modern way. Mitch, as his friends call him, has been influenced greatly by his recent travels throughout Europe. “A lot of my clients are kind of looking for the same things.

Now that everyone is traveling again, they are asking for color whereas before, the trends were mostly based on monochromatic schemes of white, beige, and grey interiors.” The home Mitch shares with his husband, Rick Moser, CEO of Business Development for Douglas Elliman, is a beautiful example of color and pattern, working harmoniously in a residential space. “This summer we were at Counterclockwise from top: writer Jayne Chase; a David Mitchell Brown-designed interior; designer David Mitchell “Mitch” Brown; interior designer Caitlin Kah; a breezy Oceanfront room by Kaitlin Kah Interiors.

C O U R TE S Y OF JAYN E C H A S E ; C AR M E L B R AN TL EY ; C AP E H AR T ; C O U R TE S Y OF C AI TL I N K AH I N TE RI ORS

Jayne Chase Fresh Faces of Palm Beach

M A X K I M B E E ; C O U R TE S Y OF E L L E N K AVAN AU G H I N TE RI ORS ; N I C K M E L E

QUEST @ Home

the San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel in Taormina, Sicily, where we loved seeing the combination of old stone, marble, fresco and beamed walls that blended seamlessly with luxurious fabrics and upholstery. I was inspired by it all,” smiles Brown, “and I couldn’t wait to bring those ideas back with me here.” You can already see these influences in his work, especially in his newly-renovated Palm Beach home, located steps away from the ocean. “I think you want to walk into an interior and you want it to feel intelligent and smart. I look for and try to create a pattern of movement throughout my clients’ fabrics, textures, and art collections and eventually—all of the elements start to relate. A commonality emerges. Those are the things I really love.”

Caitlin Kah, owner of Caitlin Kah Interiors and a Florida native, is thrilled to be close to her design roots. “I interned for Kemble Interiors while I was a student in New York and then I really wanted to come back to Palm Beach County so I was lucky Kemble had a Palm Beach office. Now, I am running my own business just steps away from where I worked for over ten years. When I first began designing here, Palm Beach was more about old money and many of my clients wanted interiors sim-

ilar to what they grew up around in their parents’ and grandparents’ homes. However, now because of social media and websites like Pinterest, my younger clients come to me with full interior design decks of how they want their homes to be decorated. As a new business, I don’t like to turn any client away but I am honest about what I think works and what doesn’t,” the personable Kah explains. “Things are changing here,” Caitlin continues. “People are staying longer and loving being here in the summer. It’s their primary residence so they want to love and use all their spaces. Comfort is really important.”

Interior designer Helen Bergen moved down to Palm Beach in order to be close to family upon having her first baby—and hasn’t looked back since. “The energy down here is incredible,” smiles the youthful designer. “During the season, people literally do not rest and that enthusiasm is reflected in the design as well. Vibrant, timeless, and dynamic is how I would describe it. My clients are asking for Clockwise from above: A bright and neatly designed kitchen by Helen Bergin Interiors; Ellen Kavanaugh of Ellen Kavanaugh Interiors; interior designer Helen Bergin.

DECEMBER 2023 77

QUEST @ Home

A living room by Mabley Handler Home & Design.

Below: Jennifer Mabley and

organic shapes, a variety of textures, and a lot of customization. People want their interiors to be more relaxed but with a purpose.”

Ellen Kavanaugh, of Ellen Kavanaugh Interiors, agrees. “Our clients want to be able to live in a home that relates to them personally, reflecting their own aesthetic.” Since moving down to Palm Beach, Kavanaugh has remained true to her style, that could be described as classic style with a touch of nostalgia. “Clean, classic and timeless selections as the main canvas is how we like to start our projects, and then we layer in curated antiques, vintage finds, pops of color, textures, and patterns.

We especially love the glamour and nostalgia of elements that harken back to old Palm Beach.” Kavanaugh continues, “We love working on older homes, bringing them back to life and adding modern amenities for newer families. It’s fun to give them their own version of the perfect Palm Beach home.” The tall blonde beauty smiles and continues, “The 78 QUEST 00 QUEST

future of Palm Beach interior design is bright.”

Newcomer, Mabley Handler Interiors, has been enamored with Palm Beach for many years. “We almost opened four years ago,” Jennifer Mabley explains. “Since then, the market has continued to grow—and after our wonderful experience in the 2023 Kips Bay Palm Beach Decorator Show House, we felt the timing was perfect now. Finding our new showroom location on South Dixie was fortuitous.” Her partner and husband, Austin, adds, “And now, clients can experience our vision of Palm Beach. After building a solid foundation of coastal design for over twenty years in the Hamptons, we know our clients are looking for fresh fabrics, lighting, and textures (like rattan, for example) for contrast. The lifestyle down here is casual and effortles. And we look forward to escaping the frigid northern winters!”

One point that both designers and their clients always agree on is the importance of the kitchen. Known as the

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Austin Handler.

QUEST @ Home Kitchen and dining areas by master kitchen designer Jim

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Dove of Jim Dove Design.

heart of the home, kitchen’s function as the hub of daily life. Jim Dove, of Jim Dove Kitchen Designs, found himself working on so many clients’ homes in Palm Beach, that one day he finally decided to stay. “I grew up going to Miami where my family had a house and I never really knew the Palm Beach area until my clients from Summit and Short Hills, New Jersey—where I had an office and showroom—began buying homes here. I studied the region for a while and thought, “I can do my exquisite kitchens in Palm Beach.” Dove, who holds a masters degree in architecture, designs differently in Palm Beach than up north. “I use much more color in Palm Beach. And because the light is brighter and sharper here, every color looks different.”

Dove continues, “My clients cook differently here too— lighter and simpler.” Dove explains, “I have found myself designing more ‘social kitchens’ than ever before. Kitchens that allow families to entertain with unobstructed ocean views, and where parents can keep an eye on their children as they do their homework and watch TV.” Dove continues, “In some cases, the chefs might be across the hall in their

commercial kitchens with the staff preparing meals for the family and their guests, but each member of the family has their own space within the main kitchen. They have their own desks and coffee bars for instance, so a large part of the kitchen design is about functionality. These coffee and drink bars are easy to use but they can close and go away easily too. It’s an interesting design opportunity and trend.”

Dove emphasizes, “People want to be in the kitchen but they don’t want to feel like they’re ‘in the kitchen’. It needs to seem like a living space. The kitchen has become center stage.” Smiling, he says, “We can turn it on when it’s time to perform, and when the performance is over—we can turn it off.” ◆ DECEMBER 2023 79

GEORGIA ON MY MIND IN THE EARLY 1900S, renowned architect and interior designer Addison Mizner made a significant move to Palm Beach to oversee the construction of opulent oceanfront estates for his well-heeled clientele. In his quest to assemble a talented team of artisans, furniture makers, and skilled builders, Mizner established their base in West Palm Beach—just a stone's throw away from Georgia Avenue. At the time, the area was home to sprawling industrial warehouses and munition shops conveniently located near railroad tracks, permitting swift deliveries during wartime. However, the devastating hurricane of 1928 wreaked havoc in West Palm Beach, and it would take many years and generations to rebuild the local businesses.

Yet, as the saying goes, energy never truly fades. The creative spirit that once defined Georgia Avenue has been freshly reignited, as the area experiences an exciting renaissance thanks to the influx of thriving and innovative businesses cropping up in the historic district. High-end interior design00 QUEST 8

ers have joined the throng of local artisans located on Georgia Avenue, revitalizing the area and making it a flourishing and vibrant destination once more.

Cris Briger owns and operates Casa Gusto along with her two sons, Charles and Augie. Casa Gusto sells unique antiques, contemporary objects, and artworks that have been hand-selected from around the globe. Studio Gusto is the company’s interior design extension, from which the team creates, revives, and transforms spaces into exceptional places to live—reflecting occupants’ wishes while drawing upon Briger’s extensive knowledge and inspired sense of style. Casa Gusto is an acclaimed leader in Georgia Avenue’s revival. “I liked Georgia Avenue immediately,” Briger reminisces. “It was filled with warehouses and workrooms. Lots of people came to Kofski’s auction sales regularly, so I felt comfortable knowing that people were already familiar with the area.

Above: Meg Braff Designs at 6417 Georgia Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL.

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BY JAYNE C HA SE

CHASE

From above: Augie Briger, Charles Peed, and Cris Briger of Casa Gusto at 6316 Georgia Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL; an assortment

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of pieces for sale at Casa Gusto.

However, it still wasn’t the incredible destination that it is today. When we found our space, previously owned by a friend, we figured we could at least use it as a storage facility. We never dreamed it would be a flourishing business. That was over six years ago and now, because of social media, clients, the press, and interior designers from all over the world— Casa Gusto and Studio Gusto have grown into a global destination. There is nothing like walking home with an antique or any one of our plates, tole flowers, papier-mâché, or woven framed prints,” she smiles widely, “And I think this area will only continue to grow and grow. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Across the street from Casa Gusto, Danielle Rollins, a Georgia native, couldn’t imagine being anywhere but Georgia Avenue. “I always knew as a little girl I would live in Palm Beach and when I started looking for a showroom for my business, I only wanted to be on Georgia Avenue. It’s close to where Addison Mizner set up the “back of the house” for his business, which quickly became the designated Design District. As a designer, my job is to remain behind the scenes—creating a home and a lifestyle for other people. I knew I needed a big space to accomplish this task, and being close to history and witnessing the area changing every day is so exciting. I love the fact that I work alongside decorative painters, stone carvers, and marble-cutters, while the best

upholsterers are right up the street. It is such a fun time to be here and although the grittiness and industrial feeling is still pervasive, I love being near where things are happening.”

And so do her clients. Danielle Rollins Interior Design and her pop-up space next door is a home shopper’s dream. Each vignette is beautifully decorated, revealing her fascination with color. “There is such an indoor/ outdoor lifestyle here and color looks so different here than it does, let’s say, in Chicago or New York.

Here,” the southern belle smiles enthusiastically, “color makes you feel more and I’m fascinated by that. There is so much color outside here, that you don’t need as much inside. The wide variety of tones are much more appealing to me in a way that I never would have imagined. And, even though there is a practicality in living here, a casualness exists along-side of the grandeur. Being on Georgia Avenue gives me the space to show that to clients. I love that I get to keep a little bit of Georgia in Florida.”

Completing this corner-trifecta of luxurious home furnishing destinations and top-notch design studios is Long Island favorite, Meg Braff, owner of Meg Braff Designs Palm Beach. Known for her playful sense of glamour and spirited take on traditional design, her first shop was opened in Locust Valley in 2011.

Although by no means new to the area (Meg and her husband, Doug, have been coming to Palm Beach for over twenty years), Meg Braff Designs was opened in 2022. Braff believes her 4,500 DECEMBER 2023 81

The indoor-outdoor galleries at Authentic Provence,

square-foot space on Georgia Avenue was a natural transition for her business and exactly what she had been looking for. “I never had a proper showroom for all of my wallpaper and fabrics so we fell in love with this space right away—with its garden in back where we can showcase outdoor furniture. A former print shop, it took us about a year to renovate, but now that we have been open for about eighteen months? We couldn’t be happier. For any interior designer who has worked on homes in the Palm Beaches,” the affable New York native continues, “Georgia Avenue is familiar. You end up spending a lot of time with an iron-work expert, or a marble-cutter—they are all in this neighborhood. With its many exceptional resources, Georgia Avenue made sense for us. Plus, there is less traffic and fewer cars, so shoppers can easily stroll from store to store.” Her expansive, newly-renovated white showroom featuring seafoam double-doors and shutters is a stunning example of the retail expansion happening along the avenue. Beautiuflly curated with everything from small tabletop accessories to lamps, side tables, sofas and much more, Braff has something for almost everybody. “We find our clients 82 QUEST

entertaining at home much more.” Braff continues, “Whether it’s in their dining rooms or they are setting up several tables outside in the garden, they are asking for multisets of china, tablecloths, glassware, and accessories… We not only provide this option for them in our design plans by creating large-dish pantries, but in the store we sell lots of entertaining choices, offering them flexibility and different options.”

Georgia Avenue has always appealed to Authentic Provence owners Susan and Wolfgang Hofherr. The “large amount of property available” in such close proximity to “so many Palm Beach resources made it an easy choice. Our shoppers and designers come to us for our extensive collection of unique European antiques and mid-century modern furniture. These one-of-a kind treasures include hand-carved limestone fountains, statuary garden-planters, and other architectural elements from France, Italy, and Scandinavia—we needed a large space for these accessories.”

Just up the street is Koi Design Group’s newly renovated showroom, owned by interior designer Victor Figueredo. Walking through its doors delivers a perfect blend of beauty, harmony,

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6100 Georgia Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL.

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CHASE

and elegant Palm Beach style. “I love being on Georgia Avenue. I was introduced to it many years ago by Kofski’s estate sales. During the season the streets are filled with shoppers so I knew that someday I would want a showroom here. Plus, I was attracted to the wide streets and industrial shops– and with so many of my trade experts located in the area, I could easy to check on my customers’ projects.” Waiting turned out to be fortuitous for the interior design group. Recently, they expanded into the Dorothy Draper space next door, giving them 3,200 square feet for their design group and showroom. The new space includes Thibaut fabrics and wallpapers, carpets, linens, Palacek furniture, Zafferano lighting—and much more. “Durability and luxury is important to my clients,” the designer smiles. “There is no better compliment than a happy client.”

Rounding out the list of thriving shops and design studios situated on the avenue are Brass Scale Antiques, a newly transplanted dealer, and Devonshire, a local favorite that vacated Worth Avenue many years ago for Georgia Avenue. Judy Barron, owner of Brass Scale Antiques, wouldn’t be anywhere else. “Our customers love the vibe on Georgia and it’s just fun to go from venue

to venue. They seem to love the variety and many designers are working on projects where they have to buy everything for their clients, soup to nuts. We carry a variety of goods from big couches to small picture frames and we restock all the time.” The same is true for her neighbor, Devonshire of Palm Beach. “We had outgrown our wonderful Everglades Club storefront on Worth Avenue” shares Nelson Hammel, who owns the store along with his partner, Pete Hawkins. Hammel explains, “We were hungry to transition back to our roots, sourcing garden furnishings that required lots of additional raw space.

There’s also a special kinship we feel being a part of the original 1920s stomping grounds of Addison Mizner’s artisans, craftsman, and retailers of fine home furnishings. Our customers seem to love the feeling that they had discovered something new—something fresh and original on Georgia Avenue. It’s an exciting time to be here. We hope the future will be even more interesting, in a neighborhood mixing up service businesses with high-end designers and upscale retail establishments.” ◆ Clockwise from left: Victor Manuel Figueredo of Koi Design Group; a shelf of collectibles on display at Koi Design Group, 5709 Georgia Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL; A brass sculpture at Brass Scale Antiques, 3721 S Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL; an outdoor display at Devonshire, 4515 Georgia Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL. DECEMBER 2023 83

WHILE EVERY model that arrives on the showroom floor of Braman Palm Beach is undoubtedly special, true connoisseurs demand personal options to set their vehicles apart from others on the road. Bentley is more than happy to oblige their clients—allowing for customization of nearly every aspect of the construction and delivery experience. The year-over-year assurance that Bentley’s Continental GT finds itself at the front of a crowded class of luxury grand tourers is similar to that of taxes and death. Maturing over the past two decades into an evermore competent and sophisticated vehicle, the current

third generation somehow stands head and broad shoulders above those that came before. Power has of course increased, styling refined, materials upgraded, and its overall presence elevated; an approach emulating those of the most established luxury brands in the world—evolution over revolution.

As always, the 2023 line is split between the encapsulated coupe and effervescent convertible. The lone difference between the two being whether the driver prefers the moisture of their hair removed at home, or by way of wind on the way to their destination. In either case, the standard offerings take

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A SIGHT TO SEA

DEALERSHIP

From above: Braman’s Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at the Palm Beach International Boat Show, 2023; Club Braman members speaking with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America President Martin Fritsches. Opposite

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page: Bentley’s 2023 Continental GT model.

advantage of a 542-horsepower twin-turbocharged V8 which lows for bursts of supercar-like acceleration. Last year however brought the introduction of the GT Speed variant; blessed by the Crewe, UK crew with a fire-breathing 650-horsepower turbocharged 12-cylinder. So equipped, a Continental GT Speed will roar to extralegal speeds in a blink over three seconds, thanks in part to the gummy traction provided by the all-wheel drive system.

In addition to the best vehicles, Braman Motor Cars believes their customers deserve special treatment. For more than 30 years, Braman has elevated its standards of service to the point where clients tell them the company feels more like a club than an auto dealership. At the dealership, Braman clients enjoy a stylish and comfortable environment equipped with Wi-Fi, pastries and gourmet coffee. Off-site, they go behind the velvet ropes at exclusive events such as Golf and Tennis tournaments, fashion shows, car shows, cocktail parties, barbeques and new-model launches. The crown jewel of Worth Avenue Yachts’ display at the 2023 Palm Beach International Boat Show provided an opulent setting for an event fast-becoming an annual favorite of Club Braman members. While the dozens of floating aquatic mansions on hand, courtesy of more than 100 exhibitors, are the main public draw, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Palm Beach provided select guests with an evening of unprecedented access. In addition to free range over the Benetti Tradition Tri- Deck yacht, styled and designed respectively by Francois Zuretti and Stefano Righini, attendees were invited to personally speak with Rolls-Royce

Motor Cars North America President Martin Fritsches. In between passed appetizers of tuna, shrimp, lamb lollipops, and watermelon salad, guests took the opportunity to sit, pass time with, ask questions of, and be delighted by Mr. Fritsches.

While some wished to know more of the brand’s plan for EVs, others simply expressed their admiration for their transcendent transportation. Servers kept receding glasses filled with wine, champagne, beer, and water. All three decks were soon brimming with laughter and conversation, which mixed harmoniously with the marvelous music provided by live violinist Gigi. Club Braman will again invite a lucky group of members this March. All exclusive events—from a Rock concert at Cox Science Center later this month to a Casino Royale themed night in January—can be found at clubbraman.com. u DECEMBER 2023 85

TWO ROADS DEVELOPMENT’S LUXURY LIVING

FROM BOUTIQUE RESIDENCES in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood and along West Palm Beach’s Flagler Corridor to luxury-branded condos coming soon to Sin City, projects brought to life by Two Roads Development are shaping the skylines of some of the country’s hottest destinations – even stretching beyond borders into the Bahamas. The precise attention to detail and emphasis on creating iconic residences have attracted those seeking luxury digs with top amenities.

Located along the West Palm Beach waterfront offering panoramas of the Intercoastal Waterway and Palm Beach, Forté on Flagler is thoughtfully designed by Bernardo FortBrescia of Arquitectonica with interiors imagined by JeanLouis Deniot. The 25-story luxury condo features 40 half-floor residences and one full-floor penthouse, which is one of the handful of residences available. The four-to-eight-bedroom penthouse, dependent upon the buyer’s preferences, graciously spans 8,900 square feet with an additional 2,000-square-foot private rooftop deck, including a pool, summer kitchen and 360-degree views.

Two Roads also recently celebrated the launch of EDITION 86 QUEST

Residences, Miami Edgewater. Soaring 649 feet high, the Residences will feature 185 bespoke homes showcased in a sleek glass tower with a heightened level of personalization, privacy and comfort. Each residence will include a private foyer and elevator entry, superior finishes and fixtures, floorto-ceiling glass windows and doors, 10-14-foot ceilings and custom cabinetry. Spacious terraces will boast unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, Downtown Miami and the Miami Beach skyline.

Beyond its Florida portfolio, the team is working to deliver Four Seasons Private Residences Las Vegas. With estimated completion in 2026, the project features 171 residences with

R E A L E S TAT E

This spread: The Forté on Flager tower in West Palm Beach and its sweeping views.

This page, from left: A terrace in an Ocean Club, Four Seasons residence; a view of The Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences in the Bahamas. Opposite page: A living room in a

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Forté on Flager residence.

panoramic Strip views, offering a cosmopolitan lifestyle with contemporary desert design, resort-inspired amenities and fully serviced living marked by Four Seasons’ intentional and genuine care. Residences will feature turnkey touchpoints including semi-private elevators, private garages, and fully furnished interiors. Designer finishes will feature a rich palette of options, including epicurean kitchens and spa-inspired bathrooms, with floorplans offering customizable terraces with outdoor kitchens and social gathering spaces, extending owners’ seamless indoor-outdoor living and style.

Also currently in the works is The Ocean Club, Four Seasons Residences, Bahamas, built in proximity to the to the beloved

Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort. With sales launching soon, each residence will feature oceanfront or ocean views, floor-to-ceiling windows, open floorplans and expansive verandas. Residents will have access to the nearby resort’s amenities in addition to on-site amenities, including an oceanfront swimming pool with private cabanas and clubhouse, library, private cellar and rum room, and luxuriously appointed indoor and outdoor spa treatment rooms.

From coast to coast (and beyond), Two Roads continues to raise the bar in high-end condominium development, consistently delivering top-of-the-line residences in markets that cater to those seeking luxury, lifestyle and leisure. u DECEMBER 2023 87

PALM BEACH STANDS as the esteemed abode of the world’s preeminent families and industry titans, adorned with a social season marked by iconic galas. In 1957, luminaries and society’s elite first gathered in a glittering ballroom at the behest of Majorie Merriweather Post to support her favorite charity, the American Red Cross.

Since its founding by Clara Barton on May 21, 1881, the American Red Cross has steadfastly devoted itself to aiding those in distress. The South Florida Region, comprising of chapters in Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast, Broward County, Greater Miami, and The Keys, and the Florida Gulf Coast to Heartland counties, promptly responds to emergencies and disasters on average once a day throughout the region—ranging from home 88 QUEST

fires to floods—and offers shelter, food, clothing, and compassionate support at no expense to those in need.

For its inaugural Palm Beach gala, Post summoned ambassadors from Washington and filled the guest list with the social register. Known for her humanitarian spirit, impeccable style, and grace, Post’s touch ensured that the Red Cross Ball was an instant success.

Today—more than six decades since its inception—it remains one of the most coveted invitations in Palm Beach.

Over time, the event has embraced a multitude of themes and welcomed an array of distinguished personalities— from Estée Lauder and Marylou Whitney to politicians and global dignitaries. Following a three-year hiatus enforced by the challenges

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PALM BEACH’S RED CROSS BALL

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posed by COVID-19, the 2023 affair attracted an unprecedented number of ambassadors and diplomats, elevating the excitement for the forthcoming ball to new heights. The highly anticipated 63rd International Red Cross Ball will take place at The Breakers Palm Beach on January 6, 2024, under the chairmanship of Palm Beach residents Charles and Amanda Schumacher.

“Charles and I are thrilled to be the Chairmen of the International Red Cross Ball – for the second year in a row – and we invite you to join us for a memorable evening at this historic

Palm Beach event that attracts diplomats from around the world,” said Amanda Schumacher. “The American Red Cross is hard at work every day supporting families recovering from devastating disasters, like Hurricane Idalia and the Maui wildfires, while providing lifesaving blood products and caring for the servicemen and women of our nation. The International Red Cross Ball raises critical funds to continue that support. Join us as we celebrate the shared commitment of the Red Cross mission to make a difference beyond the ballroom.” u

Clockwise from top left: Lesly and Earl E.T. Smith; Brownie McLean, who attended more than 50 Red Cross Balls—starting with the first one in 1957; Majorie Merriweather Post, the ball’s founder; Colonel and Mrs. Howard Cox, 1982; Mary Sanford, Ted Kennedy, and Rose Kennedy, 1972; Newt Gingrich and Ambassador Callista Gingrich, 2023.

Opposite page, counterclockwise from above: Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Hille Mahoney, General Richard Cody, Amanda Schumacher, and Charles Schumacher, 2023; table setting at the 2023 ball; Bill Porter and Lois Pope, 2023; Michele Kang, Veronica Atkins, Suzanne Niedland, 2023.

N DO EV CEMBER 2023 8 09 0

LOCAL FAVORITES

BY ROBERT JANJIGIAN

Clockwise from left: Renato’s entrance;

IT BEGAN WITH Renato’s, the romantic and gastronomically astute restaurant that debuted in 1987 and is still going strong.

“Renato’s, with its classic Caprese menu, is a special place, full of charm,” says José Luis Duran, son of founder Renato Desiderio’s vivacious widow Arlene, who started working for his late stepfather at the restaurant as a teenager. He is now the managing partner and owner with his mother of the Al Fresco Hospitality Group, which operates Renato’s, as well as Via Mizner’s wildly popular and more casual Pizza Al Fresco; Piccolo Mondo, a takeout Window behind Renato’s that caters to workers, locals and others looking for a quick, but scrumptious bite for lunch; Piccolo Gelato, a nearby ice cream counter; Al Fresco, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner atop the clubhouse at the Palm Beach Par 3 golf course; and Acqua Cafe, the Al Fresco Group’s most recent venture, characterized as a 90 QUEST

seaside neighborhood Italian bistro on the town’s once sleepy and underserved South End. The emphasis at each location is on high-quality food and good service, Duran explains. “We try to stay current, yet honor tradition, and make sure that our customers feel comfortable and cared for.” That each place has a decidedly Italian accent makes sense to him. “Italian cuisine is popular globally,” he notes. It’s simple and familiar to most people.

“The chefs are allowed to express themselves, of course, so that each of our restaurants has a distinct selection. All share

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Renato and Arlene Desiderio; inside Renato’s.

CANTEENS

Clockwise from above: Al fresco dining on the terrace at Renato’s; vintage shot of the Renato’s entrance; Renato’s decorated for the holidays; Arlene and Renato Desiderio; Arlene Desiderio and her son, José Luis Duran; the Renato’s staff at a Windsome Farms event

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hosted at the restaurant in its early days.

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Clockwise from top left: Inside Renato’s; Arlene and Renato Desiderio; Acqua Café; Tiramisu at Renato’s; Duck Confit at Renato’s.

CANTEENS

Clockwise from top left: Prepping a Cosmopolitan at the bar at Renato’s; the terrace at Pizza Al Fresco; the signature Al Fresco pizza dish at Pizza Al Fresco; the Al Fresco patio overlooking Palm Beach Par 3; the Warm

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Chocolate Lava Cake at Renato’s.

our insistence on fresh quality ingredients and good service,” says Duran. “We have wonderful venues,” he continues. “It’s all about maintaining a level of consistency.” Duran recognizes that locals and visitors in Palm Beach are citizens of the world, who have sophisticated palettes and appreciate kind and gentle service that’s focused on pleasing them.

The restaurants have many loyal customers. Palm Beach attorney David Roth, who dined at Renato’s on opening night 36 years ago, has been and continues to be impressed with the “superb” food, ambiance “beyond compare,” and “extraordinary” service there, which extends to Pizza Al Fresco and the ocean-view Al Fresco.

Palm Beach Insurance pro Jack Flagg, who has also been a regular at Renato’s since its inception, calls the restaurant and its sister establishments “first class.” He adds, “José Luis and Arlene are very accommodating and are, importantly, valued contributors to the community.”

Retired entrepreneur Mark Goldman, a seasonal visitor

since the 1990s, who has had a Palm Beach home for about 15 years, admires the European ambiance and excellent service at Renato’s and Pizza Al Fresco. Goldman calls the Martinis at Renato’s “great,” and is a fan of the restaurant’s octopus appetizer.

He believes Acqua Café is a lovely addition to an area of town that was “begging for somewhere quite good” to have dinner.

Finance executive Cliff Viner of Gulfstream has been a Renato’s regular for more than a decade. “It is the best dining experience in Palm Beach County,” he raves. “The food is beautifully and finely done no matter what you order.”

“Our story is a vivid illustration of how personal dedication intertwined with strong family values can elevate simple establishments to community cornerstones,” states Arlene Desiderio. “Our thriving success is equally a reflection of our Palm Beach community, which has embraced and upheld our commitment to these values, fostering places where meals become meaningful and every guest feels they are part of our extended family. ◆ DECEMBER 2023 93

CALENDAR

DECEMBER

Through December 31st, New York City Ballet will perform George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker through December 31st at David H. Koch Theater.

For more information, visit nycballet.com.

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RADIO CITY ROCKETTES

Christmas Spectacular—a one-ofa-kind Christmas musical starring the Radio City Rockettes—will run at Rockefeller Center’s Radio City Music Hall in New York City through January 1st. To purchase tickets, visit rockettes.com.

Madison Avenue between 57th and 86th streets. For every purchase made at participating boutiques,

restaurants, and galleries, 20% will benefit The Society of MSK’s initiatives at MSK Kids, the

pediatric program at MSK. For more information at to purchase tickets, mskcc.org.

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CHRISTMAS BALL

During the holiday period, New York City Ballet is immersed in activities surrounding George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker through December 31st. All 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 40 stagehands, and more than 125 children in two alternating casts from the School of American Ballet join forces to make each performance as magical as possible. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit nycballet.com.

Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League will host its 52nd Annual Christmas Ball at the Sailfish Club at 7 p.m.

By invitation. The organization is renowned in Palm Beach County for providing shelter to lost, homeless, and unwanted animals, providing spay and neuter and other medical services for companion animals, and for caring for, protecting, and finding quality homes for homeless and neglected companion animals.

The charity advocates for animal welfare, community involvement, and education to further the bond between people and animals.

For more information, visit peggyadams.org.

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POLICE & FIRE DINNER

THE NUTCRACKER

MIRACLE ON MADISON

Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s 37th Annual Miracle on Madison Avenue will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on 94 QUEST

On December 7th, Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League will host its 52nd Annual Christmas Ball at the Sailfish Club at 7 p.m. By invitation. For more information, visit peggyadams.org.

Palm Beach Police & Fire Foundation will hold its Annual Council of 100 Holiday Dinner with guest speaker Buzzy Krongard at The Breakers at 6:30 p.m. By

CALENDAR

a cocktail reception, seated dinner, and dancing. For more information, visit salvationarmyflorida.org.

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PINK TIE GUY RECEPTION

On December 16th, the Salvation Army of Palm Beach County will host its Christmas in Paradise Ball at The Beach Club at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit salvationarmyflorida.org. invitation. Co-founded by David S. Mack, Tim Moran, and John F. Scarpa, The Council of 100 is a special division of the Palm Beach Police & Fire Foundation created to bring the community and public safety workers together.

For more information, visit palmbeachpoliceandfirefoundation.org.

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mission of providing collaborative and world-class care to animals and leading the advancement of veterinary medicine through innovative clinical research and education. Funds raised also support the Compassionate Programs and Charitable Funds, which provide free and subsidized care for pets whose owners

may not be able to afford such care. For more information, visit amcny.org.

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CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE

The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County will host its Christmas in Paradise Ball at The Beach Club at 6:30 p.m. The evening will feature

The Promise Fund of Florida will hold its annual Pink Tie Guy cocktail reception at the Palm Beach home of Nancy Brinker at 6 p.m. By invitation. Everyday the Promise Fund of Florida works to address health disparities to ensure that all women have access to timely and quality breast and cervical cancer resources and treatment.

The organization has educated, screened, navigated, and treated over 18,000 women in Palm Beach County. The Promise Fund of Florida looks to double its impact each year, and reach all 80,000 uninsured women in the community by 2024. For more information, visit promisefundofflorida.org.

JANUARY 4

PALM BEACH SYMPHONY

Palm Beach Symphony will host its 50th anniversary kickoff reception at Findlay Galleries. Palm Beach Symphony is South Florida’s premier orchestra known for its diverse repertoire. For more information, visit palmbeachsymphony.org.

MAJOR DONOR RECEPTION

The Society of the Four Arts will host its Major Donors Reception and Terrace Dinner in Palm Beach.

By invitation. The Four Arts believes that the passion of music, the beauty of art, the thrill of drama, and the pleasure of literature bridge the gap from mere existence to truly living. Its mission is to share the four arts with everyone. For more information, visit fourarts.org.

TOP DOG GALA

The Stephen & Christine Schwarzman Animal Medical Center will hold its annual Top Dog Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street. This year’s event will honor Trustee Emilia Saint-Amand Krimendahl with the Top Dog award in recognition of her longstanding commitment to AMC through her service on the Board, her generosity to the Gift of Love capital campaign, and her passion for the health and wellbeing of animals. Proceeds from Top Dog enable AMC to pursue its

On December 11th, the Stephen and Christine Schwarzman Animal Medical Center will hold its annual Top Dog Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit amcny.org.

DECEMBER 2023 95

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE B Y B R O O K E K E L LY M U R R AY

3 AS WE PREPARE for the holidays, we’re stocking up on treasures for everyone on our list. From festive décor to a sparkling new watch, we’ve found essential gifts to keep the coming days both merry and bright.

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C OU R TE S Y OF RE S P E C TI V E B R AN DS

QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 1. Spotlight Bracelet by Wempe Statements in 18k rose gold. $22,675 at wempe.com.

2. Countdown to Christmas in true Fortnum & Mason fashion. Crafted in the shape of a classic Fir, the design of this wooden advent calendar features all of your Fortnum’s favorites – from a Camellia Teapot and F&M Hamper to the iconic Piccadilly Façade. $140 at fortumandmason.com.

3. Mouth-blown and hand-painted glass “Santa Baby” ornament

by Houses & Parties. $98 at housesandparties.com. 4. Create a warm atmosphere with Parfums de Marly’s Festive Candle Trio. $150 at parfums-de-marly.com. 5. Verdura’s Maltese Cross Band Ring in diamond and gold. $14,500 at greenleafcrosby.com or the Worth Avenue boutique. Opposite page: 1. Beautifully enhancing the iconic Bee Bottle (which is celebrating its 170th anniversary this year), Guerlain’s limited-edition Bee Bottle, designed by Begüm Khan, is decorated with a radiant beetle. $20,000 at guerlain.com. 2. Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Day-Date, 36mm, Everose gold and diamonds debuted

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in 2023. Price upon request at rolex.com. 3. Oscar de la Renta’s Sequin and Paillette Grid Embroidered Gown & Bolero.

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$15,990 at oscardelarenta.com.

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DECEMBER 2023 97

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 1. When your Christmas outfit calls for a pop of red, Ala von Auersperg’s Bette Scarf in Rose Rouge is a must. $250 at alavonauersperg.com. 2. With a tip of his hat, Swarovski’s jolly Holiday Cheers Dulcis Snowman figurine welcomes in the festive season. $195 at swarovski.com. 3. Gil Walsh’s Black and White Inlaid Boxes reflect her love of giving special gifts that add beauty and function. These elegant inlaid boxes have a graphic pattern rendered in black and white

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and add visual interest to any coffee table. Gil Walsh Collection, available at gwifl.com. 4. Classic, contemporary, and minimal, with a polished gold finish, AERIN’s Martin Frame is an elegant, heavy frame that works well in any setting. Perfect for a photograph of a loved one for your desk. Available in 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10. Starting at $275 at aerin.com. 5. A rare dark rum inspired by a family recipe from 1862, BACARDÍ Reserva Ocho is known as The Family Reserve. $30 at select liquor stores.

3 98 QUEST

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1. Mark & Graham’s vibrant hand hooked pillows feature beautiful designs by Vermont-based artist Laura Megroz. $199 each at markandgraham.com.

2. TAMARA COMOLLI’s Ring Curriculum Vitae in 18k yellow gold featuring three princess cut diamonds,

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medium with diamond pavé. $13,500 at tamaracomolli. com. 3. Part of Nick Mele’s collaboration with The Colony Hotel, the “Poolside” series of prints envision a colorful cast of

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characters and animals as they enjoy a day at one of America’s most elegant and timeless hotels. Starting at $500. Visit thecolonypalmbeach. com. 4. Linda Horn’s elegant glass Pyramid Perfume Bottle in triangular shape with tall narrow stopper. $210 at LindaHorn.com or call 212.772.1122. 5. Carolina Herrera’s High-low Gown With Draped Skirt In Pink. $6,990 at the Carolina Herrera boutique at 954 Madison Avenue.

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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1. Escape the winter chill and follow the sun to Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Guests can book the Winter Sale offering and receive 25% off on rooms, suites, and villas. Valid

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for travel between January 4, 2024 to March 21, 2024. Visit casadecampo.com.do. 2. Elevate your aprèsski experience with Stubbs & Wootton’s exquisite Posters Luggage velvet slippers. $575 at

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stubbsandwootton.com. 3. Puiforcat’s Pair of Pepper/Salt Mills. Collection Granville, silver plated and wood. Visit puiforcat.com. 4. Asprey’s small Backgammon Set in red features saddle leather and exterior compartments, a sterling silver plate for engraving, lambskin playing field, and more. $3,900 at asprey.com. 5. Panerai Luminor Marina Goldtech in Sole Blue. $26,800 at the new Panerai boutique in Palm Beach, featuring the brand’s signature design concept in a 653-square-foot space. 6. Brunello Cucinelli’s one-and-ahalf breasted deconstructed blazer in comfort cotton and cashmere corduroy ($5,150), silk pocket square ($270), flecked Icelandic Jacquard sweater in alpaca, cotton, and wool ($2,500), denim-effect flannel easy fit shirt with button-down collar and chest pocket ($650), comfort cotton and cashmere gabardine leisure fit trousers ($1,000), and suede Chelsea boots ($1,195). Stop by the Brunello Cucinelli boutique at 683689 Madison Avenue or visit shop.brunellocucinelli.com.

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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1. Inspired by the crescent beach of Sandend Bay, Glenglassaugh Sandend is matured in bourbon, sherry, and manzanilla casks for luscious waves of tropical sweetness with a crack of sea salt. $70 at select liquor stores. 2. Inspired by Riviera Maya, these Vilebrequin swim trunks were designed in collaboration with the St. Regis Kanai Resort. $310 for men, $160 for boys. 3. Spread

QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

holiday cheer to family and friends with an assortment of seasonally-inspired treats, including festive favorites like Rustic Bakery’s chocolate-peppermint cookies and Four Brothers’ classic peppermint bark. $200 at winstonflowers.

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com. 4. After the prestige flannel-grey and dark-blue chess sets, Saint-Louis offers a new edition in its amber version. $31,800 at saint-louis.com. 5. Ralph Lauren Purple Label’s Polo Bear Cashmere Sweater; $1,695 at ralphlauren.com. 6. A variety of

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J.McLaughlin’s button-down shirts, perfect for the season. From above: Collis Shirt in Navy/Yellow/Red/Foulard ($158); Dobson Shirt in Red ($158); Collis Shirt in Brown/Red Mini Plaid ($148); Gramercy Shirt in Heather Gray/Off White Plaid ($168); Collis Shirt in White/Blue Stripe ($128); Dobson Shirt in Green/Navy/Red Window Pane

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($158); Dobson Shirt in Butter Yellow ($158), Dobson Shirt in Brown/Blue Plaid ($158). Visit jmclaughlin.com.

C OU R TE S Y OF RE S P E C TI V E B R AN DS

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7. HAC A Dos PM Backpack by Hermès. $9,550 at hermes.com.

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DECEMBER 2023 101

QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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2 11 12 1. Ralph Lauren: A Way of Living, published by Rizzoli New York, commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Home collection and is dedicated to the signature style of Ralph Lauren and his pioneering lifestyle approach to design. $75 at ralphlauren.com. 2. In Shooter’s Bible: Guide to Sporting Shotguns, Alex Brant provides a comprehensive guide to shotguns,

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ammunition, chokes, accessories, and where to shoot. $20 at amazon.com. 3. Claridge’s: The Cocktail Book explores the classic concoctions and contemporary inventions that shape the iconic hotel’s mixology. $15 at amazon.com. 4. Featuring extensive archival documents along with previously

unpublished photographs, Flammarion’s The Cartier Tank Watch by volume explores, through the passionate pen of a true connoisseur, the most significant Tank watches and their technical characteristics. $85 at rizzolibookstore.com.

5. This unique coffee table book showcases Linda Horn’s extensive collection of museum quality majolica. Linda’s whimsical vision comes through as she takes the reader on a journey into a world of “inspiration.” $85 at lindahorn. com. 6. For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story in Spare, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. $20 at amazon.com. 7. Celebrate the 65th anniversary of Barbie in Assouline’s book dedicated to the fascinating history of the world’s most popular doll. $105 at assouline.com. 8. Assouline’s New York Chic coffee table book offers an intimate view of the city. $105 at assouline.com. 9. Scribners tells the inside story of five generations—over 150 years—at the legendary publishing house of Charles Scribner’s Sons. $28 at amazon.com. 10. Part of a three-book trilogy and a continuing chronicle of the first (and only!) successful slave revolution in the world, Book Three of Triumph to Tragedy continues the riveting saga of Books One and Two, introducing

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the Haitian Civil War, and more. Visit page 61 for more information

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and a special discount code for Quest readers. Available for purchase at TriumphToTragedy.com. 11. Paul provides an intimate look at one of music’s greatest legends, as he turns 80, by iconic photojournalist Harry Benson. $70 at taschen.com. 12. CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion pays homage to the style icon’s timeless, distinguished beauty, and legacy in the first book of its kind. $65 at store.abramsbooks.com.

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1. Treat yourself to a trip to Ocean House, an iconic New England seaside resort, and the first and only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five-Star hotel in the state, perched high on the bluffs of Watch Hill, Rhode Island. For reservations, visit oceanhouseri. com. 2. Charlotte Kellogg’s Willow Linen Dress in Cabana print. $275 at charlottekellogg.com. 3. Acqua di Parma’s Bosco Holiday Candle. $108 at neimanmarcus.com. 4. Presented in a beautiful gift box for the holidays, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Sturmglow House contains bestselling innovations for glowing, radiant skin. $323 at drsturm.com. 5. Meg Braff Design’s Royal Palm Sconce. $815 at megbraffdesigns.com. 6. A stunning ring by Elizabeth Gage featuring a vibrant

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cushion-shaped faceted blue tourmaline to its centre (6.57cts), surrounded by a gallery of matching blue enamel.

Finished with a bombé polished ring shank. $19,050 at elizabeth-gage.com.

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

C O U R TE S Y OF RE S P E C TI V E B R AN DS

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1. Rufus Patrick racing car by Playforever was beautifully designed, using the finest quality materials to last a lifetime. $70 at playforever.us. 2. Bonpoint’s Thin Turtleneck Sweater in Navy ($100), Branco Sweater in Grey-Blue Multicolored ($340), Dewey Pants in Stone ($210), Mathis Boots with Elastic

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Bands in Caramel ($300), and Benny Beanie in Navy ($230). Visit us.bonpoint.com.

3. Let your little one conduct their own train with the Lionel Lines Train, featuring speed of 1 ½ mph with push button start and a 6-volt rechargeable battery and recharger included. $250 at us.pegperego.com. 4. BabyGap Graham 4-in-1 Convertible Crib with storage drawer in Bianca White. $330 at deltachildren.com.

5. Christmas Time Cotton Muslim Quilted Throw. $80 at littleunicorn.com.

6. Ralph Lauren Baby’s Cashmere Knit-Collar Coverall in Light Grey Heather. $275 at ralphlauren.com. 7. Odin Parker Nutcracker Ballet Music Box, plays “Dance of the Flutes.” $90 at odinparker.com.

8. Harry Potter Advent Calendar by Lego. $54 at maryarnoldtoys.com.

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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1. Tucked away on quiet South Summer Street in Edgartown village, The Charlotte Inn in Martha’s Vineyard is exquisitely appointed with fine art, English antiques, luxurious linens, and fresh flowers—a romantic reflection of a bygone era. Visit thecharotteinn.com. 2. From holiday hellos to après ski ‘mercis,’ bring some warmth to the wintry mix with these hand-illustrated Frosty notecards by Dear Annabelle. $80 at dear annabelle.com. 3. Stags’ Leap Winery’s 2019 Limited Edition Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. $120 at select liquor stores. 4. Roberto Coin’s 18k White Gold robertocoin.com. 5. Dennis Basso’s Golden

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106 QUEST

Russian Sable Hooded Topper. $65,000 at dennisbasso.com.

C O U R TE S Y OF RE S P E C TI V E B R AN DS

Diamond Love in Verona Bangle. $23,500 at

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1. Breathtaking Jean Schlumberger by Tiffany & Co. Bird designs were just released for the holidays. The latest evolution of one of the 20th century’s most iconic jewelry creations, the suite is a celebration of remarkable

QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

gemstones and Tiffany’s unparalleled savoir faire. Visit tiffany.com. 2. Jimmy Choo’s Aveline 100 bowdetailed crystal-embellished mesh and glittered leather sandals. $1,550 at us.jimmychoo. com. 3. Zimmermann’s Matchmaker Structured Mini Dress in Pink Bandana features a plunging neckline and bow detail, finished with a full mini skirt.; $1,600 at zimmermann.com. 4. The Rolls Royce Spectre has an enchanting presence, and is the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupe that is destined to change the world. Available at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Palm

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Beach, a Braman Motorcars dealership. 5. Authentic Provence’s French Orangerie Planter. Fashionable in Paris during the 18th and 19th centuries, this style of French planter box was often used to flank grand entrances with citrus trees or topiaries. Visit authenticprovence.com.

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DECEMBER 2023 107

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 1. Paul Morelli’s sky blue acrylic Wild Child Flower Cuff showcases a precious gemstone garden party around the wrist. $26,000 at paulmorelli.com. 2. Nestled in Via Mizner on Worth Avenue, Renato’s Palm Beach impresses in every way making it the perfect restaurant for any special occasion.

Visit renatospalmbeach.com. 3. Enjoy the intoxicating aroma of Vanessa Noel’s signature scent STILETTO, a delicious mix of Tuberose and Gardenia. $90 at vanessanoel.com. 4. Warm up a chilly holiday morning in the Monkeymas Women’s Pajama Set, a long-sleeved, two-piece PJ set covered in festive Roller Rabbit monkeys. $148 at rollerrabbit.com.

5. Whether for kids searching the house on scavenger hunts, newlyweds taking turns planning a surprise trip each year, or grandparents replacing white envelopes with something that will become a lifelong treasure, Tuckernuck’s Bauble Stockings can be used for many

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holiday traditions. $85 each at tuckernuck.com.

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C O U R TE S Y OF RE S P E C TI V E B R AN DS ; G E N TL E + H YE RS

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QUEST HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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1. Paravel’s Aviator100 Set includes the Carry-On Plus and Grand. The luggage in the collection is the first to feature 100% recycled polycarbonate shells crafted entirely from recycled water cooler jugs. $1,125 at tourparavel.com. 2. Make this year’s countdown to Christmas the most magical one yet with MarieBelle’s Chocolate Advent Calendar. $125 at mariebelle.com. 3. ARCH4 Clara and Snowberry cashmere beanie and gloves set. $345 at net-a-porter.com. 4. Chanel 19 Large Handbag. $7,100 at chanel.com.

5. J.McLaughlin’s Deeda Jacket in Holiday Red ($278), Theia Cashmere Sweater in Ruby ($278), Watson Velveteen Pants in Egret White ($188), Lara Hat in Off White ($98), Lara Scarf in Off White ($178), and Emerson Sneakers in Golden Caramel ($198). Visit jmclaughlin.com. u

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DECEMBER 2023 109

S C AL A , F L ORE N C E / © 2 0 2 2

QUINTESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS

From above: John F. Kennedy Airport, New York, 1968; the cover of The Christmas Book, published by Phaidon.

Opposite page: The Census at Bethlehem, 1566, painting

H OWARD G RE E N B E RG G AL L E RY

C O U R TE S Y OF P H AI D ON ; J OE L M EYE ROWI T Z / C OU R TE S Y

by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

THE ROOTS OF Christmas trace back to the Christian observance of the birth of Christ on December 25th.

Since the early 20th century, it has evolved into a secular holiday adorned with a myriad of decorations, rituals, and themes. In the true spirit of the holiday season, Phaidon’s latest publication invites readers on a captivating visual

journey through the extensive history of Christmas, reaching back to its inception. Beginning with a glimpse into a 10th-century gospel book cover, The Christmas Book unfolds with over 200 meticulously selected images, spanning across cultures and historical periods where the holiday holds significance. Within its pages, readers DECEMBER 2023 111

Clockwise from top left: Cover of Vogue, 1914, featuring a work by George Wolfe Plank; Caban Group, Los Reyes Magos, c.1875–1900; Tiffany & Co. candy cane charm, 20th century; Erzgebirge region, Christmas Big Red Nutcracker, 1970; Bongisiwe, Bongisiwe’s Angel, c.21st century.

112 QUEST

C O U R TE S Y OF C ON DE N A S T ; S M I TH S ON I AN A M E RI C AN AR T M U S E U M ; 1 S T DI B S / AL EX AN DR A G RO U P ; V I N TOL A S T U DI O ; WO Z A M OYA

encounter a 16th-century Botticelli painting depicting the nativity, Giuseppe Sammartino’s 18th-century terra cotta angel sculpture, an enchanting illustration from the first edition of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, and Andy Warhol’s whimsical Fairy and Christmas Ornaments drawings from the 1950s. Iconic contributions from figures like Alexander McQueen from the ’80s and ’90s further enrich the narrative. Beyond its visual splendor, the book presents three compelling essays inspired by the holiday, including a piece by Dolph Gotelli, a professor unraveling the evolution and lore of Saint Nicholas from the third century to the present day, offering a nuanced perspective on the timeless question of childhood: “Is there a Santa Claus?” This quintessential holiday gift is not only a delight for Christmas enthusiasts but also a treasure for those fascinated by art, design, and pop culture. u

B RI D G E M AN I M AG E S / © TH E ADV E R TI S I N G ARC H I V E S

John Bull, Christmas

Sweater, c.1950s.

DECEMBER 2023 113

THE FLAMES OF FAME: THE SHORT AND SAD LIFE OF JOANNE CONNELLEY

BY DAV ID PAT RIC K C OLUMBI A 00 QUEST

SPENDING AN AFTERNOON editing my overloaded bookshelves is a ponderous exercise because I’m attached to my books the way some of us are attached to family photo albums. Sentiment flourishes, and I find it difficult to let go of many. Among my souvenirs was a book for which I wrote the introduction—Debutantes: When Glamour Was Born by Diana Oswald (Rizzoli).

Although its social importance no longer exists, the “debutante” was still a sacrosanct tradition when I was a young man of college age, celebrated in New York and surrounding environs, and other major American cities as well as in France and England mid-20th century.

Perusing the book’s stories, I was reminded of a little girl from New Jersey named Joanne Connelley who came out at the Infirmary Ball here in New York in 1948. Her debut marked the height of the tradition, as the 17-yearold made the cover of LIFE, the most widely circulated and influential weekly magazine in America. The cover brought her brief international fame and fortune overnight, for what would become a star-crossed life.

She was a beauty, very blonde, with large and piercing blue eyes; an “extraordinarily middleclass” girl according to one who knew her then.

Shy around the “adults,” she was sure of herself when it came to getting a reaction from the opposite sex. After puberty, “pretty” became “beautiful,” and eventually “gorgeous”— the kind of looks ambitious girls in those days would kill for. She was, so it seemed, not so ambitious on the face of it. Dutiful, respectful, obedient, even compliant.

Nice girls were. Or so it seemed.

The mother was another story.

A one-time (but never forgetting) debutante, Margaret Dorner, who as a young girl married a handsome IrishAmerican named Jack Connelley. Mr. Connelley, like his wife, was not in Social Register, but he got around.

The child, Joanne, was born in 1931, just after the bottom had dropped out of the American stock market. The Connelley fortunes were tanking too.

A few years later, Mother and Father divorced. Margaret, now a young woman

with child, re-married and became Mrs. Huntington Watts, right out of the Social Register. She was back on track. But Joanne embodied Margaret’s dreams.

Daughter would be brought up to expect the best, and she would have it.

By the mid-1940s, her mother’s marriage to Watts faded away. Margaret was back working in an exclusive Upper East Side dress shop, eking out a living to keep the precious child in private school.

By her mid-teens, the child was developing into a lady. Petite, wellformed, buxom; the hair naturally golden blonde. There was a feverish mistiness to her hazel eyes, the kind that boys read as sex. The temptress was a virgin. On first sight, someone else might see sadness, or anger in that face. But then when she smiled, the sun was beaming, gone were all hints of darkness.

“At 21, she had gone from being a beautiful pawn to an expensive accessory …” She was not bright. She was pleasant— girls her age found her fun, rather than threatening. The personality was docile and willing to please. Which boys would read as sex also. Joanne just wanted most to please her Mother. Margaret was her spirit, her guiding light. And her nemesis.

Mother had big plans. By age 17, a very young woman in Joanne Connelley’s world of ambition had few choices.

College, if she could afford it—which she could not. Or a job—meaning a menial one, for the glass ceiling was then very low. Or she could marry, then the most legitimate pursuit in the minds of most women in those days. And, to a rich man; a very good idea.

New York City in 1948 was the center of the world, bustling at all hours of the day and night. The country had emerged from the war unharmed and the Depression had turned into the greatest boom in history. There were hundreds of nightclubs, as well as in all the big hotels like The Plaza, The Pierre, the Ambassador, the Savoy-Plaza, the Waldorf, The St. Regis.

On upper Fifth Avenue there were still dozens of mansions occupied by the rich.

Piers along the West Side teemed with luxury steamships arriving daily from all over the world. There were seven daily newspapers that everybody read—often two or three everyday. Republicans got the The Herald-Tribune in the morning and the Telegram in the afternoon.

The Times went to the liberals and the hoi polloi read the Daily News and the Daily Mirror and then read the Post and the Journal in the afternoon.

All the papers had syndicated columnists who kept the public tantalized with the inside stories on society and the Hollywood stars. The biggest was Walter Winchell (30 million readers daily syndicated) in the Mirror in the morning. Dorothy Kilgallen, and Cholly Knickerbocker, the latter being a nom de plume for a column called the Smart Set, were in the Journal-American in the afternoon.

They all covered society. Society girls, starting with Barbara Hutton whose coming out party in 1930 startled the nation with its cost ($52,000—about $4 million in today’s dollars), were fodder for readers. In the late ’30s, the ravenhaired, debutante Brenda Frazier became as famous as Shirley Temple. Then there was Gloria Vanderbilt coming of age. And Cary Latimer, Mimi Baker and Cobina Wright, Jr. Glamour girls—all beautiful and presumably rich, a dream come true. This was how Margaret Watts saw Joanne’s future.

A social debut was the first step. That was still part of the ritual of becoming a woman in society. A girl might marry a boy she met at her coming out. Margaret didn’t have a dime, but had access to clothes. The Infirmary Ball was a bargain; each girl paid $50 to bring one escort and $10 for each additional escort. For Joanne Connelley, it was her mother’s ride to the DD EC EC EM EM B EB R E R2 022032 01 0 10 5

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handsome, Sweeny was already famous for his affairs with Barbara Hutton (to whom he’d been engaged), and Lady Sylvia Ashley, famous herself as widow of Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. as well as a former wife of Clark Gable. Sweeny and Connelley made a beautiful couple straight out of Town & Country magazine.

He was also twice her age.

Marriage was next. Mother quit the dress shop and moved to Paris, and the newlyweds moved to Palm Beach. It was all glamour, all good.

Palm Beach was then, in the 1950s, little more than a village, its part time residents still often arriving by private railroad car or yacht. It was the Old Guard, a haven for WASP snobbery. Black people left the island before dark. Roman Catholics and the Our Crowd Jewish families were tolerated—despite having seriously

participated in its creation—although by the ’40s were beginning to intermarry.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor reigned over the “the season” with their annual stay at the villa of railroad executive Robert Young and his wife Anita. Vanderbilts, Phippses, Fords, DuPonts were names that filled the captions in the Shiny Sheet. It was a town of a month of Sundays —big drinkers, big rocks, a town of too many with too much time and too much money. Nevertheless, it was also a prize that mothers like Margaret Watts (and press agents) prayed for.

As did their daughters.

For the 19-year-old new arrival on the party circuit, Joanne Connelley, toast of

the New York gossip columnists, Palm Beach was like the Morning After. Mr. Sweeny played golf, while Mrs. Sweeny sat around—pool or the bridge table— with women often twice, sometimes three times, her age.

Many were rich and worldly. Joanne’s new social peers were used to the life of utter leisure, with nothing to do but amuse themselves. Palm Beach then was like Peyton Place for the rich.

In 1950, she gave birth to her first child, a daughter, Sharon. Two years later came a second, Brenda. Motherhood made few demands on her. Soon she was bored, and probably boring. Cinderella was now a girl with too much time and too much money.

Drinking became part of her daily regimen. She was a young drunk, in a world where they were all ages. She developed the classic vanity syndrome of worrying about her weight. The situation was further hindered by diet pills. They took off weight and gave you energy; a miracle! That, with a couple glasses of gin, and you could be on another planet.

Sleeping pills could bring her back to the satin sheets for a nap.

She was in the proverbial danger zone.

She had begun to lose interest in her husband, who had already lost interest in her. She fell into the “guidance” of Dominican diplomat Porfirio Rubirosa, international playboy/lover of so many famous blonde (and rich) women such as Barbara Hutton and Doris Duke (both of whom he married) and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

He was famous among his set for the size of his equipment, which was often said to be in at least a semi-state of preparedness at all times.

At 21, only four years out of boarding school uniforms, Joanne Connelley had gone from being a beautiful pawn to an expensive accessory. And then high maintenance. In short time, the Sweeny marriage was over. There were more men in her life, and none of them her husband.

In 1954, Bob Sweeny—naming Rubirosa as the other man, and getting custody of their daughters—divorced her.

He had no choice; she had already flown the coop. The year before in Switzerland, she had met Jaime Ortiz-Patino, known to his friends as Jimmy Ortiz, a member of the Bolivian tin mining family, and only

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end of the rainbow. And the girl’s ride to freedom from her mother.

On the evening of December 20, 1948, she was presented with 124 other girls to society at the annual Debutante Cotillion Ball, benefiting the New York Infirmary.

The Infirmary Ball was (and still is) prestigious, with girls mainly from the best old New York families. As well as the boys escorting.

And so it was: Winchell reported that the Connelley girl was “a stunner.” Dorothy Kilgallen and Cholly Knickerbocker concurred. A few weeks earlier, in late November, Margaret Watts introduced her daughter to a hungry and enterprising young press agent named Ted Howard.

Howard was always on the lookout for a beautiful girl who looks good in clubs, which attracts men with money, and more publicity, and all kinds of possibilities— every flack’s dream.

Within weeks, Joanne, with a handsome escort, began hitting El Morocco and the Stork almost nightly— smiling behind a glass of Champagne, dancing the rhumba with the South American millionaires. The girls riding the subway to work read about her the next morning, almost smelling the perfume, hearing the music and thinking: How lucky to be her!

It was all so swift that any girl might think it always happened like this. Joanne Connelley did. In mid-January 1949, just 18 years old, her face was on the cover of LIFE, the biggest selling magazine in America. “One of the prettiest of this year’s crop of debutantes,” pronounced the editors. A Ted Howard/Margaret Watts coup! The cover of LIFE was national fame itself.

Photo editors across the country feasted their eyes on her fresh loveliness.

Captioning her with the words “debutante” and “society,” they began to run her picture as often as it was provided. By the springtime, her name and/or her face was in one or all of the papers across the nation every morning.

Movie scouts saw it too. Screen tests were offered, (and taken—she flunked).

And marriage proposals. Suitor number four won. He was Robert Sweeny Jr., a lanky California-born millionaire, R.A.F. hero, and one-time (1937) British amateur golf champion. Tall, dark, and

Counterclockwise from top right: Zsa Zsa Gabor; Porfirio Rubirosa with Barbara Hutton; the marriage of Joanne Connelley and Robert J. Sweeny, Jr. featured in The Fresno Bee, 1949; Doris Duke; five debutantes (Cornelia Duryea, Cynthia Cogswell, Joan Lloyd, Grace Dyer, and Sarah Pell) from the Infirmary Ball, where Joanne Connelley made her fateful debut. Opposite page: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, 1971.

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Counterclockwise from top right: The divorce of Jaime Patino and Joanne Connelley announced in The Knoxville Journal, January 16, 1955; Joanne Connelley; a clipping from the Chattanooga Daily Times after Connelley’s death in 1957; Robert Sweeny, Jr. and Joanne Connelley, 1949. Opposite page: Dolly Hylan Heminway Fleischman O’Brien, Charlie Munn, and the very bored 21-year-old ex-debutante, Joanne Connelley Sweeny, at a ball in Palm Beach, 1952.

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two years older than she. By the time of her divorce from Sweeny, she had already accepted Ortiz’ proposal to marry.

Europe in the mid-1950s still climbing out of the ravages of the War, was the exciting place to be. Now the ex-Mrs. Sweeny was traveling in the same orbit as Elsa Maxwell, the Windsors, Maria Callas, Mona von Bismarck, Aristotle Onassis, Aly Khan, and Rita Hayworth.

Her fame in America had crossed the Atlantic. And, she was now marrying a Patino, she was destiny’s child.

Years later, she was remembered by the people who knew her then only for her looks. “She was like a well-decorated cake,” recalled Lady Sarah SpencerChurchill, eldest daughter of the 10th Duke of Marlborough and granddaughter of Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan: “good to look at, but nothing of substance.”

The Ortiz-Patino engagement came with $250,000 in jewelry (or about $5 million in today’s purchasing power).

The night before the wedding, however, something went wrong. Whatever it was, Joanne wanted to back out. There was a scene. Mother’s pressure was applied.

Daughter was in no position to back out.

She’d left the Sweeny marriage without a sous. Do, or die.

The marriage was performed in Margaret Watts’ Paris apartment and the newlyweds headed to Capri for the honeymoon. Almost immediately, sordid rumors about them began spreading. One day, seven weeks after the “I do’s,” Jimmy Ortiz returned to their villa to find his bride on the bedroom floor, unconscious.

Sleeping pills.

When she recovered, she suddenly departed, with her money and her jewels.

Ortiz frantically searched for her. He finally found her in a dingy penzione in Naples, limp and dank and barely conscious. Pills. Taken to Rome for treatment, she fled from her husband again. This time to Lausanne. Then Paris.

Then London, then back to Rome. Now a 25-year-old girl—willful, helpless, and in the classic addictive mode, heading for her “bottom,” she was destitute, except for money Sweeny would send her.

She was taken in by an American reporter Mike Stern looking for a good story. She gave him the details of her dilemma—a marriage of abuse and

brutality. Poor Cinderella, defiled by her prince: perfect tabloid headlines. Stern sold the story to a magazine. Ortiz sued.

Stern was fined, and Joanne was held in contempt for not showing up in court.

In 1954, Jaime Ortiz-Patino filed for divorce from Joanne Connelley, now 23, on grounds of desertion. In the suit he referred to his wife as a “worthless woman who did everything for money.” She drank too much, she took too many drugs. And he wanted his jewelry back.

But the docile little middle-class girl from New Jersey wasn’t giving up so easily.

She still had a mother. And Margaret Watts was thinking of their future: hers and her daughter’s. They fought back with suits in France, Switzerland, and England.

Mr. Ortiz-Patino, Joanne Connelley countered in her suit, was a “drug-sodden wife beater” who abused her so that she “lay down to die.” The divorce suit lasted

longer than the romance and the marriage combined.

The stress and pressure of it put Joanne’s life on hold. Now she really did have a drug problem. There was Dexedrine to wake her up, diet pills to slim her down and speed her along, and more sleeping pills to take it all away. All in the name of keeping up appearances. Not to mention that the baby fat that she obsessed about at 21 had become a matter of fact at 25.

She settled with her mother in a remote, rented house in Neuchatel, Switzerland.

Very occasionally she traveled to Paris and St. Moritz. She was not a recluse, but she was already out of the picture.

In June 1957, three years after the marriage ceremony that she tried to avoid that night in Paris, the lawsuits were finally settled. The golden girl of 1949 got approximately $100,000 in cash. She also got to keep the jewels. The total was a few million in today’s dollars.

The results were said to have left her optimistic once again. She would start over. She wrote to Ted Howard in New York and told him of her plans. She wanted to get a screen test, to get the “build-up” again. After all, it hadn’t been that long, she was still the beautiful young girl on the cover of LIFE—albeit, now with a serious drug addiction.

Late in the morning of June 31, 1957, two weeks into Joanne Connelley’s new life, a maid entered her bedroom and found her “unconscious and pale, breathing heavily.”

Panicked, she called for Margaret Watts.

Fearing the worst, Margaret called a priest for the last rites. Then they rushed the young beauty to the hospital. But not in time. Wrapped in a bathrobe, still wearing the $100,000 diamond Jimmy Ortiz had given her, Joanne Connelley had died.

The cause of death was listed as a heart attack. She was 26 years old. Although from that now-distant snowy December night at the Infirmary Ball in New York when the sun shone on her, only eight short years had passed, it turned out to be one long suicide trip.

Her passing was reported in The TIME, Newsweek and all the American papers.

“She was the beauty with the miseries,” wrote Dorothy Kilgallen in her best sob sister prose. “She had the brilliant smile for the photographers and the terrible tears when the bedroom door was closed.

She was equipped for nothing more than posing and taking orders. You couldn’t really feel sorry for her.”

She was, in the words of Reinaldo Herrera, who as a very young man knew her at her zenith, “one of those incandescent people whose life was very intense and short-lived.”

A friend remembered her as “a kind girl with a vivid interest in people and things.

All she needed was a man who could really lead her.” But in the end, all she had was a mother with whom she holed up in a remote villa in the Alps.

Few mourned her passing. She had been the meal ticket for her mother. To her own children, she was the mother they would never have. To her husbands she was dispensable, disposable; and to the press, another pretty picture gone up in the flames of celebrity. To herself, what was left? ◆ DECEMBER 2023 119

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NEARLY A QUARTER-CENTURY ago, tragedy struck as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, the late wife of John F. Kennedy Jr., met her untimely end in a private plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard in 1999. This heartbreaking incident also claimed the lives of her 38-year-old husband and her 34-year-old sister, Lauren. At the time, Bessette Kennedy, 33, held the role of a fashion executive at Calvin Klein. She first entered the public eye in 1994 when she began dating the former president’s son, marrying him two years later. Despite the couple’s inclination toward privacy, Bessette Kennedy’s distinctive street style always managed to capture attention, resulting in a collection of approximately 100 public photographs.

Bessette Kennedy’s enduring influence persists, highlighted in a recent publication from Abrams titled CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion by Sunita Kumar Nair. Featuring a preface by Edward Enninful, OBE, Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, foreword by fashion designer Gabriela Hearst, and 120 QUEST

personal anecdotes from friends and family, the book looks back on some of Bessette Kennedy’s most memorable fashion moments. Hearst described her looks as a very relevant aesthetic today that goes beyond trends. “She understood the value of quality and of moderation. She was not someone to be taken in by excess. The fact that she had just a few pieces shows how modern she was. This to me is the very essence of Carolyn and her timelessness,” explained Hearst. “In the high fashion ranks, Carolyn’s style defined a certain classic minimalism. Though already part of the ’90s fashion landscape, it was Carolyn who singularly translated conceptual runway fashion with her American fashion language of simplicity and accessibility,” said Nair. She continued, “Today, her fashion memory is kept alive by innumerable social media accounts, the silver screen, and fashion designers who still pin her looks on their design mood boards. Her relevancy speaks to a whole spectrum of people, capturing the attention of her peers through to Gen Z.” u

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Carolyn Bessette Kennedy being chauffeured alongside husband John F. Kennedy, Jr. Opposite page: The cover CBK: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A

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Life in Fashion, published by Abrams.

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Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, 1995. Opposite page: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette

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Kennedy, 1996.

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THE YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST B Y B R O O K E K E L LY M U R R AY

Dressed in theme for the Annabel’s “Horrors of Venetian Carnival” party.

Clockwise from top left: Richard and Patricia Caring; Wallette Watson and Lucien Laviscount; Beauty Spock; Mathias Le Fevre and Ciinderella Balthazar; Calum Harper,

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Alicia Rose Breuer, and Kit Price.

CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN AT ANNABEL’S IN LONDON ON OCTOBER 27TH, Annabel’s hosted a spectacular masquerade-themed Halloween party. The centerpiece of the evening, coined “Horrors of Venetian Carnival,” was a captivating façade, a grand hand-carved Venetian mask with eerie animated eyes, watching over guests as they entered. The event featured music by international DJs, cocktails, and dancing. Specialty drinks from Don Julio 1942 included “Dark Volto,” “Corrupted Bauta,” and “Plague Doctor.”

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SAVE VENICE’S HALLOWEEN SOIRÉE IN NEW YORK IN LATE OCTOBER, the Young Friends of Save Venice hosted a black-tie ball at Hotel Chelsea to celebrate Halloween and raise money for the organization. Since its founding in 1971, Save Venice has funded the conservation of nearly 2,000 individual artworks and has become the leading American nonprofit dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice.

Lathan Hall, Lizzie Asher, and Alexander Hankin

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Isabella and Alicia Serrani

Charles Du Manoir and Jamie Grimstad Sami Deller Laura Day Webb 126 QUEST

WHITE CROSS BALL IN NEW YORK LAST MONTH, the White Cross Ball was held at the Metropolitan Club. The evening featured a

seated three-course dinner, music from the KodiMiller Band, custom illustrations from artist Deanna First, and an exciting live auction. The annual event benefited the Order of the Malta, raising funds for three of its global humanitarian efforts.

Michael Espiritu, Sophie Bakalar and James Greenwood

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Mercedes de Guardiola, Jessica Lillemon and Catherine Wellen

Cocktail hour

Tina Lezhe and Niccolo Falez DECEMBER 2023 127

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CLAUS CÉLÈBRE DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, there are many “men about town” in Palm Beach. Some of them, of course, put on black tie for the variety of tradionally formal festive occasions.

But townspeople who catch a glimpse of Santa cruising around from Thanksgiving to Christmas have Larry E. Wave to thank for a bit of seasonal cheer.

Wave, 79, especially when Santa-suited up, is a Kris Kringle doppelgänger behind the wheel of a vintage mid-’80s Volkswagen Rabbit drop-top, his reindeerless “sleigh,” as he calls it. The beard is authentic, as is the twinkle in his eye and the joy he takes in bringing a “kinda nutty” touch to usually quite staid Palm Beach. His route, mostly along County Road 128 QUEST

and Cocoanut Row in the Midtown section of town, is intended as his gift to residents and visitors, especially the kids, he says, noting that he sometimes hands out Toblerone bars, and allows some children and “potential Mrs. Clauses” to climb into his car for a spin with Santa.

As one would expect from someone whose resemblance to St. Nick is so spot on, the Palm Beach Santa, who has worked as a handyman and carpenter for many years on the island, has always loved Christmas and plans to continue his jaunts for as long as his transmission cooperates. u Larry E. Wave cruising around Palm Beach.

C AP E H AR T

BY ROBERT JANJIGIAN

The Royal Poinciana Plaza, 340 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach, FL 33480 oscardelarenta.com