the world according to . . .
PATRICIA HERRERA LANSING AVENUE’s back-page column asks New York notables our version of the questionnaire made famous by Marcel Proust
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earing the Herrera name leaves big shoes to fill—and hopefully, a fabulous gown to wear with them. Yet, Lansing, a former fashion editor at Vanity Fair and currently a creative consultant for her mother’s fashion empire, is carving a name for herself in philanthropy: For five years she’s devoted herself to GO Project, a charity which provides New York City low-income school children with academic, social and emotional support; and on November 13, she’ll serve as honorary chair for the Associates Committee of The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Fall Party to benefit its Department of Pediatrics. Beyond that, “like mother, like daughter,” Lansing possesses the good taste and penchant for design that define her bloodline. Here, the downtown tastemaker reveals her favorite neighborhood spots near her Little Italy home..
HOME IS . . . Wherever my kids, husband and my two dogs (mutts), Bella and Vito, are. WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST NEW YORK CITY MEMORY? Walking up the entrance steps to the Met. LAST SHOW YOU SAW? The Carolina Herrera Spring 2014 runway show.
AT THE MOMENT YOU ARE . . . Training for a marathon; and needless to say, my legs are very tired. WHAT NEW YORK BUILDING WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE LOCKED IN OVERNIGHT? I would love to be able to spend a night with all my good friends in the room at the top of the Chrysler Building.
WHERE IN NEW YORK DO YOU GO TO GET INSPIRED? The Shakespeare Garden in Central Park is my favorite in the spring when it’s in full bloom. Like my mother, flowers always inspire me because they are so beautiful and bright!
WHAT’S YOUR FINISHING TOUCH FOR A NIGHT OUT? A great attitude.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NEW YORK SOUND? The kids playing in the park across from my home, and the bells from St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral on Mulberry Street.
WHO IS THE MOST STYLISH NEW YORKER YOU KNOW? I think my daughter and all her girlfriends are the most stylish New Yorkers. I can’t wait to see them teach me a thing or two about fashion! WHAT’S THE BEST MEAL YOU’VE HAD IN NEW YORK? Lately I’ve been loving Indochine. I recently celebrated my birthday there! WHAT DO YOU COLLECT? Books! I love all different kinds—coffee table books, the classics and even the latest, juiciest novels. I have a library where shelving covers every inch of the room, which is why I keep adding to my collection. 112 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2013
WHAT ITEM IN YOUR APARTMENT CAN’T YOU LIVE WITHOUT? My bathtub is my sanctuary. I designed it to have different textures of marble and I love everything about it! I would live in just that room alone if I could.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR BEST-KEPT NEW YORK SECRETS? The croissants at a tiny bakery called Ceci Cela on Spring Street. The Elizabeth Street garden—it’s hidden. My new favorite store is Warm on Mott Street. For vintage finds I go to Amarcord on Lafayette Street and for perfume, Aedes de Venustas on Christopher Street.
WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED? Be kind to everyone, have a sense of humor about yourself and never leave home without looking in a full length mirror! WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Who says I have to grow up? I hope I am always a child at heart! ✦ —As told to Charlotte Ross