AVENUE Magazine May|June 2020

OLIVIA PALERMO

On influence, inspiration,

and designing

for our times

Live Where It All Comes Together.

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CONTENTS MAY–JUNE 202O VOL.43 NO.3 44

OUT ON HER OWN

The New York designer Olivia Palermo speaks with Ben Widdicombe about influence, inspiration, and launching her own business in difficult times.

Photographs by Heather Sten.

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STYLISH TO A T

Billionaires, baronesses, and beauty queens! Serena Daniari on need-to-know socials who are more than meet the eye.

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STRANGE FLOWERS

Bijou blooms in a hothouse of idiosyncratic chic, by Horacio Silva and Catherine G. Talese.

Photo-collages by Martin Vallin.

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UNCUFFING SEASON

The dissolution of a marriage can be just like breaking up a business.

Mike Albo says it pays to be strategic.

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THE UNCOMMITTED

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EDUARDO REZENDE FOR OLIVIA PALERMO

Social distancing can’t last forever!

Zachary Weiss prepares a handy field guide to eligible New Yorkers.

OLIVIA’S TWIST The influencer moves to center stage.

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VERNISSAGE

A preview of work by artists including Jodi Bieber, Katy Stone, Gina Beavers, and Shirazeh Houshiary; Angela M.H. Schuster talks to starchitect Markus Dochantschi about his latest project, Phillips’s Park Avenue auction house; Zibby Owens interviews decorated Marine and literary star Elliot Ackerman; Tyler Coates picks the streaming releases ruling May and June. Plus: Cecil Beaton’s Bright Young Things are back in the limelight, and the month’s must-read fiction.

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BUY CURIOUS

A kaleidoscope of summer must-haves, from Hermès bangles to the Rolls-Royce of headphones, to lift even the darkest of moods. Plus “escape vehicles” (submarine included), and desk dressing for every budget. By Horacio Silva.

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HEIR CARE

The latest educational technology to help your children avoid summer slippage after a no-show spring semester.

By Heather Hodson.

COVER: Illustration by Cecilia Carlstedt 10

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TIME, TRAVEL Above, Shirazeh Houshiary’s The Order of Time, 2019, in powder-coated cast aluminum; below: delicious offerings from the Plaza Cafe food truck in Southampton; left: an Italian scooter for the younger generation.

CULTURE

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Joshua David Stein explores NoHo, the super-cool slice of downtown Manhattan.

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NOTORIOUS NEW YORKERS

How Arnold “the Brain” Rothstein modernized the mob.

By Angela M.H. Schuster.

LIVING

Social distancing means summer in the Hamptons looks a little different this year. Nancy Kane reports on the slate of new East End offerings to entice those interested in food, homes, gardens, and wellness.

NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT

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SEEN

With the social calendar on an enforced hiatus, Avenue spotlights the smart set at home.

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SOCIAL SKILLS

Still not learning to knit, despite unlimited amounts of time?

Then you might enjoy Posey Wilt’s To-Don’t list.

For our relaunched website, go to avenuemagazine.com

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SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY COURTESY THE ARTIST AND LEHMANN MAUPIN, NEW YORK, HONG KONG, AND SEOUL, PHOTO BY DAVE MORGAN, DESIGNLIFEKIDS, ERIC STRIFFLER, ILLUSTRATION BY GUY BILLOUT

Avenue’s insider preview of all that’s new and noteworthy: the lockdown of the spring fundraising circuit; how global art fairs have gone online; and the pick of in-home exercise equipment. By Horacio Silva.

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Transitions

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Warmly, BEN WIDDICOMBE

Editor-in-Chief

Like and follow us at @AVENUEinsider Sign up for our weekly newsletter at avenuemagazine.com

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ow are you?

In the past two months, these three uncomplicated words—once a greeting so commonplace, it passed almost without notice—have assumed a new gravity. Very few of us have not reached out to a loved-one, over the phone or by text, to check in with that simple but urgent question.

It’s an appropriate question to ask, as I introduce myself At this to you as Avenue’s new editor-in-chief. At this unprecedented moment in the unprecedented magazine’s more-than-four-decade history, New Yorkers are simultaneously moment, separated and connected in ways that could never have been imagined when New Yorkers are our first issue hit the streets in the fall of 1976.

Earlier this year, we decided the theme of our May/June issue would be simultaneously “transitions.” The most obvious associations, in a pre-coronavirus world, separated and were of spring blossoming into summer, and of graduates emerging from the connected in chrysalis of the academy, ready to stretch their wings. ways that could As events around the world changed so dramatically, it became clear that never have while students would still be graduating, it would not be in the traditional been imagined. group celebration. Among our adjustments to the issue was adding information for families tasked with educating their children at home.

Another unusual development this year was the early arrival of the busy summer season in the Hamptons. Late March and early April saw houses being opened, a spike in rentals, and robust demand for provisions from local merchants. Even the still-chilly Atlantic beaches saw a bump in visitors— scrupulously staying six feet apart, of course.

Despite mandated social distancing, however, spring is still the season when, as Tennyson reminds us, “a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” We have a few thoughts on relationships to share with you, from the point of view of both prelude and denouement.

And we’re especially proud (because June is Pride Month, after all) of our feature that shows how trans people are thriving at all levels of society, including the very top.

How are you?

I hope, after a challenging couple of months, the return of warm weather will mean you’re doing a little better. And it’s nice to meet you.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ben Widdicombe CONSULTING CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Michael Grossman HORACIO SILVA (Vernissage, page 16) was born in Uruguay and raised in Australia, and moved to New York City in 1998, where he has carved out a highflying career in magazine journalism, including a tenyear stint at the New York Times. He currently writes for Town & Country, The Gentlewoman, and Fantastic Man, among others. For this issue, Horacio wrote and edited the inaugural Vernissage section, and regrets failing to snap up one of the newfangled home exercise machines he mentions in the pages. “Ideally I would have exercised nonstop and emerged after lockdown looking like one of those French firemen I pretend to work with on YouTube.” Horacio’s book, Miami Beach, will be published this winter by Assouline.

HORACIO SILVA BY ROBERT MAXWELL; SERENA DANIARI BY GEORGE STEPTOE; MARTIN VALLIN BY EDITH VALLIN; ZIBBY OWENS BY EMILY YOUNG; MICHAEL GROSSMAN BY CELESTE SLOMAN

SERENA DANIARI (Stylish to a T, page 52) graduated from NYU and is now a multimedia journalist, an editor at Slate magazine, and a leading trans activist. For Avenue she writes about trans role models, including April Ashley, Sophia Hutchins, and one of her personal inspirations, Giselle Getty, aka Gigi Gorgeous. “I’ve followed Gigi Gorgeous since the start of her YouTube channel,” Serena says.

“She’s someone I’ve found fascinating for a long time, and she inspired me to transition.”

MARTIN VALLIN (Strange Flowers, page 58) is a still life photographer and fashion director whose clients range from Louis Vuitton and Cartier to Nike and Adidas. Before the coronavirus, he worked often in Paris, but is now hunkered down with his family in Stockholm. “It’s a weird feeling thinking you won’t see Paris for a while. Maybe I’ll end up biking there.”

ZIBBY OWENS (Soldier Scholar, page 38) A New York native, Yale and Harvard MBA graduate, and mother of four, Zibby launched her award-winning literary podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time To Read Books, two years ago. Before the coronavirus she ran a literary salon and author events from her Manhattan home, and now hosts an online book club and two Instagram live shows, ZTV and KZ Time, for quarantined book lovers. She admits to finding the logistics of interviewing author Elliot Ackerman while in parental lockdown a challenge. “I was running around putting my four kids on four different electronics— everybody was on a device. It was a miracle we connected at all!”

MICHAEL GROSSMAN, Avenue’s new consulting creative director, has spent the past decade in tech (he helms Factr, a private network for gathering, organizing, and sharing knowledge), but he has deep roots in magazines. A cofounder of Saveur, he’s worked for publishers as varied as Harper’s Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly, O, Real Simple, The Village Voice, and Time Inc., where he was editor-at-large. “Even after years in the digital world, I still get seduced by print. It’s a kick to help such a talented crew reinvent a magazine—and a daunting challenge to simultaneously reinvent our ways of magazine-making.”

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DEPUTY & MANAGING EDITOR

Angela M.H. Schuster FEATURES DIRECTOR

Heather Hodson PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR

Catherine G. Talese PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Jessica Lee DIGITAL FASHION EDITOR

Aria Darcella ART ASSISTANT

Shaoyang Chen LONDON EDITOR

Catherine St Germans PARIS EDITOR

Clemence von Mueffling CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Horacio Silva, Alex Kuczynski, Liesl Schillinger, Katrina Brooker, Gigi Mortimer, Tracy Bross CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Anders Overgaard, John Huba, Mitchell Feinberg, Mark Seelen, Nick Mele, Billy Farrell, Scott Frances

© 2020 by Cohen Media Publications LLC AVENUE MAGAZINE 750 LEXINGTON AVENUE, 16TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10022 EDITORIAL@AVENUEMAGAZINE.COM PUBLISHER

Michael Calman ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Betsy Jones

COHEN MEDIA PUBLICATIONS LLC CHAIRMAN

Charles S. Cohen AVENUEMAGAZINE.COM

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avenuemagazine.com Visit us online every day

WHERE WE LIVE.

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V E R N I SSAG E /v r• n •säZH/ [n.] (pl. -sages) A private showing held before the opening of an art exhibit e

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Friends Without Benefits

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This year, the charity circuit begins at home.

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f all the telltale indicators that warm weather is upon us—allergies, balayage, UPS hunks in shorts—few things have traditionally signaled springtime in New York like the season’s charity benefits. Perfect storms of philanthropy and fashion, they are a mainstay of the social scene.

Alas, not this year.

The Frick Collection Young Fellows, American Ballet Theatre, New Yorkers for Children, New York Botanical Garden Conservatory, Robin Hood Foundation, and El Museo del Barrio are among the venerable institutions whose charitable shindigs have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Elsewhere, give-till-ithurts hurrahs such as the Save Venice Ball and the Met Ball (more formally known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala) have been rescheduled for later in the year.

Little wonder that the city’s beau monde is as lost as a Kardashian in a library. But beyond just missing a party, many cultural organizations are being squeezed of crucial operating funds.

“Of course, they’re memorable experiences and a great source of fun,” says María Eugenia Maury, the Venezuelan-born chair of El Museo del Barrio and

PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION BY SHAOYANG CHEN; BILLY FARRELL/BFA.COM

BY HORACIO SILVA

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VERNISSAGE

wife of William Haseltine, the scientist and infectious diseases expert. “But as significant annual fundraisers, the cancellations of these events has a cataclysmic impact on small- to mid-sized institutions like ours.”

Such holes in the social calendar have implications beyond the bottom line of nonprofits. “It’s easy to dismiss these galas as frivolous but they keep the engine running,” says Lizzie Asher, chair of the Young Friends of Save Venice, whose annual masked ball has been moved to October 29. “Think of the impact that these events have on the hotel and catering industries, and the small or family-run businesses in the flower district.

Their absence will be felt across the board.”

And while many of these institutions and charities are pivoting to digital in an effort to raise funds and support their programming efforts (El Museo del Barrio, for example, is putting its popular Coquí Club, a bilingual program for toddlers, online), there’s a limit to what the Internet can offer during this period of staying at home.

“You could never have an event like ours on Zoom,” notes Asher. “For one, you’d never be able to raise the money. And it’s an excuse to peacock, to be the best version of you. I’m happy to wear a top knot on a video chat, but there’s no way I’m going to a ball with hair like that.”

“Think of the impact that these events have on the hotel and catering industries, and the small or family-run businesses in the flower district.

Their absence [is] felt across the board.”

—Lizzie Asher

Putting the AR in Art

Do Ho Suh's 2016 mixedmedia Main Entrance, 388 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA, in polyester and stainless steel, was tendered by Lehmann Maupin during the virtual Art Basel Hong Kong.

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© DO HO SUH COURTESY THE ARTIST AND LEHMANN MAUPIN, NEW YORK, HONG KONG, AND SEOUL

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arlier this spring, when VIP attendees of the online-only edition of Art Basel Hong Kong (ABHK) first logged on, they might have been forgiven for expecting the digital equivalent of a champagne preview.

After all, the physical fair, which like most other live events had been cancelled, is an important stop for international collectors. So it might have been fun to encounter 3D renderings of power gallerists like Larry Gagosian and Emmanuel Perrotin, swilling drinks in a virtual party like characters in the Sims video game.

That proved to be an unrealistic expectation. And when the reviews came in, it became clear that in the art world, everyone’s a critic.

“It was disappointingly dull, just a website,” said Sheri Pasquarella, an art advisor and president emeritus of the New Art Dealers Alliance, better known as NADA. “It was glitchy, and the whole element of spectacle was missing. I certainly didn’t see a queue of digital characters fighting to get a look at a banana.”

Pasquarella was jokingly referring to Comedian

by Maurizio Cattelan, a banana duct-taped to the wall that sold for $120,000 at Art Basel Miami Beach in December. But even if the website couldn’t deliver all the fun of a real-life fair, nor could it be considered a failure.

The ABHK experience, which opened to the public two days after the VIP preview, attracted more than 250,000 unique visitors and generated more than $270 million in sales. Also of note is that galleries publicly listed sale prices—an unheard-of and well-received level of transparency for such a blue-chip affair.

In fact, the online fair was something of a bellwether.

As tentpole cultural events and museums figure out how to activate their networks online, the art world,

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which was strangely slow to innovate, has been stepping up their efforts.

The Broad museum in Los Angeles recently launched a game-changing digital platform, and the May 6 opening of Frieze New York is tipped to be the most sophisticated online fair yet. Highlights will include its Acute Art section, curated by Daniel Birnbaum, the former director of the prestigious Moderna Museet in Stockholm, who left to work at a virtual and augmented reality (AR) art production company.

“In addition to videos of 3D objects and also video work,” explains Loring Randolph, director of Frieze New York and Frieze Sculpture at Rockefeller Center, “we will also have the ability to do a 3D AR function, where if you’re on the mobile app and you hit the 3D button and you move around a room in your house, you can actually place that two-dimensional object in space in your own space.”

You will, however, need to drink your own champagne. —H.S.

Working (Out) from Home

© HULTON-DEUTSCH COLLECTION/CORBIS/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

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For anyone struggling to keep social distance from their fridge, the Variis Equinox app offers further motivation to get on your bike.

f there’s one thing more exhausting than exercise, it’s keeping up with exercise trends.

But as anyone who hasn’t been holed up at a remote meditation retreat for the last six weeks knows, gyms are currently out of the question. Led by the success of Peloton, the smart exercise bike that quickly went from social media punchline to punching above its weight, the trend is now for high-end, web-integrated home equipment that offers a range of exercises.

Newfangled contraptions such as The Myx (a stationary bike marketed as “the un-Peloton”), Technogym (a putative favorite of celebrities from George Clooney to Kim Kardashian), and the Bowflex C6 (a relatively affordable option that links with cycling apps like Peloton and Zwift) have been selling out faster than a fitness influencer posting spon-con.

And good luck getting your hands on the new SoulCycle at-home bike or The Mirror, an interactive home gym that, when turned off, becomes an elegant, fulllength mirror. (Some users, who may be more familiar with books than burpees, have admitted it reminds them of the mandatory home fitness classes in George Orwell’s 1984.)

“I wish I could say that I’m the best marketer in the world,” says Mark Swaby, owner of Diamondback Fitness, who sold six months’ inventory of his company’s Diamondback 1260Sc bike in just two weeks, “but like a lot of fitness companies, we definitely benefitted from circumstance.”

For anyone struggling to keep social distance from their fridge, Andrew Slane, an Equinox Group fitness instructor on the Variis app, offers further motivation to get on your bike.

“The best part of working out from home is that you can train without the judgey looks or side-eye,” he says.

“Sometimes the best things in life are discovered when no one’s watching.” —H.S.

Newfangled home exercise equipment is all the rage during lockdown.

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BUY CURIOUS

Color Therapy A kaleidoscope of summer must-haves to lift even the darkest of moods.

Pierre Hardy leather and lamb suede “V Linea” sandals. $795; pierrehardy.com

Anna Sheffield sapphire, reclaimed white diamonds, and 14-karat gold ring. $2,100; annasheffield.com

Evarae “Elsa” maillot with tie side detail. $350; evarae.com 20

BARTHOLOMEW COOKE/TRUNK ARCHIVE

Salvatore Ferragamo “Boxyz” handbag. $1,900; ferragamo.com

Christian Roth rose-gradient cat-eye sunglasses in rose and white gold. $475; christianroth.com

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Eres print kaftan. $850; eresparis.com

Richard James “Spirit” linen blazer. $1,255; richard-james.com

Hermès printed enamel “Clic H” bracelets with palladium-plated hardware. $670 (each); hermes.com

Harry’s of London men’s sneakers with perforated side detailing. $450; harrysoflondon.com

Chanel “Première Rock” watch in steel and pink leather with mother-of-pearl dial. $4,600; available at Chanel Fine Jewelry Boutiques.

Chiara Boni A-line stretch jersey dress with georgette scarf sleeves. $795; neimanmarcus.com MAY—JUNE 2020 | AVENUE MAGAZINE

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BUY CURIOUS

Escape Vehicles Whether by land or by sea —or just wishful thinking— there’s never been a better time to get away.

MAKE A RUN FOR IT The Wave Creation Waveknit 2 running shoe, from Japanese cult sneaker brand Mizuno, offers luxurious cushioning from heel to toe. $188; mizunousa.com

CIAO, BAMBINI! A ride-on toy version of a classic Italian scooter, DesignLife Kids Primo Classic Ride-On Push Scooter is just the ticket for mini adventurers. $200; designlifekids.com

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HOT ON THE TRAIL Ibis Ripmo AXS, the reigning king of trail bikes, is as handsome as it is rugged.

From $2,999 (for frame only); ibiscycles.com

SUB SANDWICH The made-to-order Triton 3300-6 personal submersible comes with all the fixins’, including stadium seating and panoramic views for up to six people.

Price on request (starting at $5.35 million for this model); tritonsubs.com

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THE WRITE STUFF

HiLo

Desk-set additions for aesthetes of every budget.

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Montblanc’s Great Master Alligator Black Rollerball is proof that sometimes the pen is pricier than the sword. $3,170; montblanc.com

Uni-Ball’s AIR Micro Rollerball is the smoothest, most reliable pen your pocket change can buy. $5.99 (for pack of 3); amazon.com

THE GOOD BOOKS Smythson of Bond Street’s SoHo notebook (W5.5 x H7.5”) is for discerning scribblers everywhere. $285; smythson.com

Maruman’s Mnemosyne Notebook_196 (W5 x H7.5”) is really something to write home about. $5.30; amazon.com

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THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC are the Rolls-Royce of noise-cancelling over-ear headphones. $4,995; abyssheadphones.com

Jabra, the best wireless headphones under $100, just got better with this upgraded Move Style Edition, featuring battery life of up to 14 hours. $99; jabra.com

THE JOY OF SPECS Thom Browne brings his brand of cerebral glamour to the eyewear arena with these wordnerd tortoiseshell frames. $550; thombrowne.com

IZIPIZI, a new Paris-based eyewear brand favored by A-listers such as Jude Law and Isabella Rossellini, offers budget-friendly Euro-cachet. $40; izipizi.com

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HEIR CARE

Power to the Pupils After a surreal spring semester, the latest educational technology will help your tots and teens stay on track this summer.

BY HEATHER HODSON

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fter months of enforced captivity with our children, the summer holidays can’t come soon enough.

But if we were expecting a reprieve from parental lockdown, the summer camps, which we have long relied on for physical and academic enrichment, will likely be off the menu due to the continued constraints posed by the coronavirus.

As a result, the annual phenomenon known as “summer setback” or “summer slide”—when students return to school in September with lower academic levels than they had in June—is looking more like a runaway freight train, hurtling inexorably toward the new school year, our children trapped on board.

But fear not. Help is at hand. What all this tele-schooling in splendid isolation has shown is the potential of the digital world to enrich and enhance the education of our children, who are now experts at navigating the remote-learning toolkit. With engaging math apps, video conferencing, and and interactive science simulations— we’ve got this.

FOR THE FUN CROWD BrainPOP (and Junior BrainPOP) | This popular, animated site for younger children explains complex topics in eight clearly defined subject areas, from science and social studies to engineering and tech.

Kahoot! | A game-based learning platform geared for individual students as well as classrooms, it offers a host of educational games known as “kahoots” that motivate students through quizzes and multiple choice questions. (Sample question: “What is the difference between Ontology and Epistemology?”)

Explore.org | From livestreaming of a bald eagle nest located in Iowa to looking in on animals at a watering hole in Kenya, this enchanting live nature cam network and documentary film channel also includes free lesson plans for students.

Thekidshouldseethis.com | This site presents a vast collection of fascinating, child-friendly videos on such topics as how a Steinway piano is built, and how to make beeswax wrap as an alternative to single-use plastic wraps.

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FOR THE SERIOUS-MINDED Scholastic “Learn at Home” | In March, the educational company relaxed restrictions for use of its books, allowing teachers and authors to read them aloud online. Scholastic also launched a website, Learn at Home, with daily courses for students from pre-K to grades 6 and higher. It includes writing and research projects, virtual field trips, and geography challenges, all divided by grade level.

World Book | This excellent research website has built-in tools and features designed to make knowledge accessible and enjoyable, integrating reference articles and primary source databases with access to new publications from all over the world. World Book Student is for elementary through middle school students, and World Book Advanced for high schoolers.

FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARTS CLUB Mondays with Mo | Younger children love the weekly lunch-hour sketch fest and doodle art of artist Mo Willems, held on Mondays at 1:00 pm. Videos of the “Lunch Doodle” sessions are also available.

MoMA Learning website | The Museum of Modern Art’s learning website offers access and education to modern and contemporary artworks, and encourages a thematic exploration of art, with downloadable slideshows, worksheets, and hands-on activities. MoMA also provides free educational online courses through the online learning platform Coursera. Courses on offer include “What Is Contemporary Art?,” an in-depth look at more than 70 works of art from MoMA’s collection, and “Fashion as Design,” focusing on a selection of 70 garments and accessories from around the world.

FOR YOUNG LINGUISTS Duolingo | Duolingo’s language learning app has 300 million users worldwide and offers more than 20 languages. Using “gamification,” it teaches children with games and quizzes and offers rewards, new levels, and new skills that are unlocked through a learning tree that adapts to a user’s ability. Duolingo also offers the very useful Tinycards—an app for creating flashcards for learning about any subject, the old-fashioned way.

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TAKE A BYTE Kano offers a build-it-yourself computer.

FOR FUTURE WORLD LEADERS Civilisations AR | A BBC app that covers human art throughout history, this was designed to accompany the BBC Civilisations television documentary. (Yes, the Brits spell “Civilization” with an s in the middle; all complaints about the Queen’s English may be addressed to Buckingham Palace.) Easy and fun to use, it includes more than 40 different artifacts, including sculptures, masks, and paintings. When the viewer makes a choice, the artwork appears in 3D on the screen, and can be rotated and increased or decreased in size.

FOR COOL NERDS Arloon Chemistry | For older teenagers who love chemistry and science, the app allows students to create virtual 3D structures of chemical compounds, with augmented-reality tools that are enabled through the camera on your teen’s device.

IXL Math | The go-to math-learning tool for parents and students, IXL provides online math practice with tutorial help. Students can skip between grade levels and math topics, and parents can receive daily or weekly email reports on their student’s progress.

Khan Academy | The Khan Academy is the

KANO COMPUTIN

gold standard for virtual lessons in the STEM subjects for all ages, and is officially recognized by the College Board SAT study site. Started

by Salman Khan, a young hedge-fund analyst with a master’s in computer science from MIT, the YouTube channel has exceptional educators who use electronic tools to illustrate concepts as they teach in an informal and friendly manner. The Khan Academy has partnered with Pixar for its tutorials on computer graphics.

Skype a Scientist | Since the coronavirus threat appeared, this well-known platform that connects classrooms with scientists has opened up to allow individual students to reach specialists. Sessions take the form of

half-hour Q&A sessions, through Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, or another video conferencing tool. Participants have included anthropologist Julie Lesnik, who studies edible bugs, and NASA engineer Bobak Ferdowsi, who was instrumental in the Curiosity mission to Mars.

Vsauce | Another excellent STEM YouTube channel, Vsauce is hosted by educator and comedian Michael Stevens, and aimed at a teenage audience. Complicated math and science concepts are explained in quirky, absorbing ways, with videos such as “How to Count Past Infinity.” Some of the content is esoteric, and parent co-viewing is recommended for children under 3.

FOR THE NEXT BILL GATES Kano | For the tech-savvy, Kano’s build-ityourself computer is a perfect toy for home learning. The company—launched by Alex Klein, son of Getty Images cofounder Jonathan Klein—sells PC kits and coding tools that allow children to learn about tech and how computers work. Its software includes a coding school to let children build and play games using simplified coding language. It also sells a Harry Potter wand filled with electronics that connects to Kano’s app. Together, they allow it to be tracked in 3D space so children can cast “spells” using different lines of code. The code links actions with wand movements.

Smithsonian Education | This website is stuffed with resources for children on a diverse range of topics, from history and science to culture and literature, with games, experiments, and a searchable resource library. Activities such as Prehistoric Climate Change enable kids to learn how to use fossils as a thermometer to read temperatures 55 million years ago.

The Learning Network | For children 3 and older, The Learning Network is a New York Times daily blog run by five Times editors, all of whom have worked as teachers. Each day, at least one Lesson of the Day, one Student Opinion prompt, and one Picture Prompt is posted.

News literacy and critical thinking is embedded in the writing prompts, and students are encouraged to join in the national conversation through the moderated comments site.

FRAZZLED? THE CAVALRY IS HERE Digital tutoring services have the advantage of being a one-stop shop for homework help, test prep, and tutoring, and are available at all times of the day and evening.

Tutor.com | The Princeton Review recently acquired the popular Tutor.com, and offers all services, from test prep to traditional tutoring.

Pricing plans vary according to the service, which ranges from on-demand questions to three hours of lessons and a guarantee of better grades.

Smarthinking | Pearson’s Smarthinking claims that 90 percent of its tutors have advanced degrees in their subject areas. There are tutors for every subject, but writing is the emphasis. Services range from essay reviews to online tutoring. n MAY—JUNE 2020 | AVENUE MAGAZINE

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The Show Must Go Online

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With a stay-at-home order in place, writes Angela M.H. Schuster, many of New York’s contemporary galleries have shifted to virtual viewings.

Peering inside Shirazeh Houshiary's multidimensional sculpture Twilight, 2019, (cast glass and stainless steel, 551⁄8" × 263⁄8" × 123⁄16") at Lehmann Maupin.

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Shirazeh Houshiary A Thousand Folds

For this solo exhibition, the London-based Iranian artist Shirazeh Houshiary presents a suite of new multidimensional mixed-media works that seek to challenge viewers’ perceptions of time, space, and materiality.

In her words, they deliberately blur the lines between “transparency and opacity, sound and silence, surface and depth, presence and absence.”

Works by the artist are held in international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Tate Modern in London.

LEHMANN MAUPIN 501 West 24th Street New York, NY 10011 212.255.2923 newyork@lehmannmaupin.com Aura 2019 Glass bricks 551⁄8" × 263⁄8" × 123⁄16"

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Gina Beavers World War Me

For her first solo exhibition with the gallery, the artist will present a selection of both largescale and intimate sculptural paintings, including a series of new works that “illuminate the ways in which social media has distorted and fractured our sense of self.” The exhibition’s title, World War Me, suggests Beavers’s fascination with juxtaposing global events with myopic self-obsession. “I am interested in the ways that existing online is performative, and the tremendous lengths people go to in constructing their online selves,” says Beavers. “These meme-makers, face-painters, people who make their hair into sculptures, are really a frontier of a new creative world.” Her work is held in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami.

MARIANNE BOESKY GALLERY 509 West 24th Street New York, NY 10011 212.680.9889 marianneboeskygallery.com The Artist's Lips with Pollock, Kelly, and Kline 2020 Acrylic and foam on linen on panel 72" × 72"

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Katy Stone Light Currents

The exhibition presents a dozen pastel-hued pieces by the Seattle-based sculptor, who is best known for her dynamic large-scale public and private commissions, including projects for the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and Microsoft.

Working primarily in aluminum, Dura-Lar, and dichroic plastic, the artist combines the visual language of organic forms found in nature—seascapes, cloud formations, and celestial bodies—with these industrial materials to create a signature multidimensional hybrid of sculpture and painting.

For Stone, “light, time, cosmic forces, and natural phenomena become literal and metaphorical guides” for her artistic meditations.

RYAN LEE GALLERY 515 West 26th Street New York, NY 10001 212.397.0742 ryanleegallery.com Light Current (Portal) 2020 Dichoric paillettes, pins 102" × 222" × 2"

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Jodi Bieber Real Beauty and Other Tales

This exhibition presents more than two decades of work by the award-winning documentary photographer, who has chronicled the politics, socioeconomic disparities, and collective struggle for freedom in her native South Africa. “For me,” says Bieber, “photography has been a journey I have needed to take, one that began in 1994 with the first democratic elections in the wake of apartheid. The legacy of South Africa’s past and poverty has created an abnormality in our society. Choosing to photograph what I have will not change anything, but it has shown me that for many, even in the harsh landscape of life, the human spirit is very powerful. I am hoping through my photography that in some way you can identify, even if culturally different, opening up the space to reflect on oneself.”

Pella, Northern Cape 1999 Archival pigment print 101⁄2" × 153⁄4"

Bradley refuses to take a bath, Westbury 1996 Archival pigment print 127⁄8" × 193⁄8"

Father and son trapeze act, Market Theatre Precinct, Newtown 2012 Archival pigment print 127⁄8" × 193⁄8"

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Pension Payout Point, Nababeep, Northern Cape 1998 Archival pigment print 127⁄8" × 193⁄8"

Durbs by the Sea 1999 Archival pigment print 101⁄2" × 153⁄4"

Sacred Heart, Primary School, Nababeep, Northern Cape 1999 Archival pigment print 9" × 153⁄4"

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Through the Looking Glass

As Phillips debuts its Park Avenue headquarters, Angela M.H. Schuster talks to its designer, gallery starchitect Markus Dochantschi.

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BEYOND THE CUBE From an early sketch to two final renderings, the new Phillips New York headquarters by architect Markus Dochantschi (far right) and his firm, studioMDA, is revealed.

e have literally turned the auction house inside out, inviting the public into what had previously been a very private world,” says Markus Dochantschi of studioMDA, the visionary behind Phillips’s new North American headquarters on Park Avenue.

The German-born Zaha Hadid acolyte has become the go-to art world architect, having recently designed dramatic new spaces for New York gallerists David Nolan, Anton Kern, and the late Paul Kasmin, who lost his battle with cancer just before press time.

For this project, within the 1,396-foot-high Rafael Viñoly– designed tower at 432 Park Avenue, Dochantschi’s challenge was to visually and functionally unify some 55,000 square feet of space. Five thousand of those are located within what has been dubbed the Park Avenue Cube, a modernist glass structure on the northwest corner of the thoroughfare’s intersection with East 56th Street, with much of the rest coursing through a double-height, column-free underground concourse.

“When we were invited to compete for the project, my first thought was to completely abandon the Cube as the entrance,” says Dochantschi. Instead, the enormous glass box could become a prism to illuminate and provide a window into the activities in the space below.

“For us, it is all about ‘transparency,’” he explains, acknowledging that quality is a rare thing in the art world, particularly when it comes to behind-the-scenes dealmaking and third-party guarantees. “What is novel about our focus on visual ‘transparency,’ and our approach to this particular project, is that it affords Phillips a unique opportunity to invite the public in to see great works of art by Rothko, Picasso, Basquiat, or Chagall during that brief moment when these prized objects are moving from one private collection to another.”

“One of our goals was to create a space that could be transformative, and Markus has done that,” says Edward Dolman, CEO of the 224-year-old privately held concern, which notched a cool $908 million in sales in 2019. “This is a very exciting moment for Phillips as we embark on the company’s next chapter.” And a fitting new chapter it is for the forward-looking house, which cut the ribbon on a similar state-of-the-art salesroom at 30 Berkeley Square in the heart of London’s Mayfair in 2014.

As of this writing, the inaugural sales in the Park Avenue space are still scheduled for the week of June 22—quarantine permitting.

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NOTABLE SALES AT PHILLIPS

Andy Warhol’s silkscreen ink on canvas, 9 Flowers (1964), sold for $2.6 million in May 2019.

Horse and Rider (1976), an oil and Magna on canvas by Roy Lichtenstein, achieved $6 million on the block in that same May 2019 sale.

Norman Rockwell’s oil on canvas, Before the Shot (1958), was snapped up for $4.7 million this past November.

The Walk Home (2012), a handsomely scaled acrylic on canvas by KAWS, blew past its $600,000 to $800,000 estimate in May 2019, finding a taker for $6 million.

Willem de Kooning’s oil on canvas, Untitled XVI (1976), notched $10.3 million, also in May 2019.

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Soldier Scholar Five-tour veteran and novelist Elliot Ackerman talks to Zibby Owens about life, love, and writing in quarantine.

WAR OF WORDS The latest novel from decorated Marine Elliot Ackerman (top) is about infidelity and escape in Istanbul.

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ew writers are as dashing or daring as Elliot Ackerman, the former Marine and ex–CIA paramilitary officer whose literary outpourings about this country’s Middle East conflicts have made him one of America’s foremost novelists of war.

Five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan—he saw action in the Second Battle of Fallujah, and was a combat advisor to 700 Afghan troops— and two years working in intelligence in Washington, D.C., have placed the highly decorated Ackerman—Purple Heart in Iraq, Bronze Star for Valor in Afghanistan—in a unique position to write about the experience of war. Since leaving the military, he has written a series of critically acclaimed books, including the novel Dark at the Crossing, set on the Turkish-Syrian border and a finalist for a National Book Award, and the unsparing memoir Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning. His latest offering is Red Dress in Black and White, a thriller set in contemporary Istanbul written in concise, descriptive prose.

As if being both a decorated war veteran and acclaimed novelist were not enough, the 40-yearold Ackerman is also half of New York’s most glamorous literary couple: his girlfriend is Lea Carpenter, author of the novels Eleven Days and Red, White, Blue, and the screenplay of the Mark Wahlberg movie Mile 22, whom Ackerman credits with making him “better in every single way.”

Both divorced, with children from previous marriages, they also have the military in common—Carpenter’s father was a decorated soldier and earned a Bronze Star, and, like Ackerman, her literary terrain pivots on America’s overseas wars. Before the arrival of the coronavirus, Ackerman divided his time between Washington, D.C., where his two children live, and New York, where the couple regularly hosted

dinners at Carpenter’s book-filled apartment on the Upper East Side, entertaining a wide group of friends that includes novelists, screenwriters, and military veterans. Now, they eat quarantined in Delaware with their rotating combination of kids.

The erudite Ackerman, who found it “very intuitive to try to go and make a life in the arts,” may fit the literary archetype better than that of a Marine, but he has always had a fascination with the military. The son of the financier Peter Ackerman and the novelist Joanne Leedom Ackerman, he was an artistic kid and a skateboarder, with an unparalleled passion for G.I. Joe toys. At eighteen he joined the Marines and was commissioned as an officer straight out of Tufts University in 2003, following the invasion of Iraq, staying in the Marine Corps for eight years because, he explains, “there was a real immediacy to the work I was doing.”

In 2011 he opted to leave—by then he was married and had a daughter—and, in 2013, moved to Istanbul to work as a journalist, covering the Syrian civil war. In 2015 he published his acclaimed debut novel, Green on Blue, an unfiltered look at war through the eyes of a young Afghan boy.

In contrast, Red Dress in Black and White takes place in civilian life, although the setting is Turkey during wartime. Its protagonist Catherine, an American living in Istanbul, is trying to flee the country with her adopted son to escape an unhappy marriage, and embarks on an affair with a photographer. A fictional meditation on infidelity, parenthood, escape, and freedom, at the time of writing Ackerman was getting divorced, which could explain some of the questions he leaves unanswered in the novel.

Photography becomes a metaphor for creative endeavor, Ackerman says, including “creating your life,” the book’s main theme.

In Delaware, Ackerman is spending his time in self-quarantine reading, writing, and wishing he could work the way Carpenter does. While he has a very structured approach to writing—“the alarm goes off, I hit the gym, I’m at my desk at a certain time,” he says—and sets his word count for the day, sometimes “staring at the computer like I’m going to put my head through it,” he recounts that Lea “sort of wanders around,” deals with her two young boys, and doesn’t look like she’s working until he will casually ask, “How’d it go?” and she will reply, “Great, I got about 8,000 words done.” Ackerman says, laughing, “I’m like, what?!”

As for the new reality of staying put, “My friends and I are like, we don’t even notice it’s shelter in place. It just feels like nobody wants to make plans or go out to dinner with us tonight.”

For Ackerman, while the personal transition has been easy, the global experience harkens back to the combat-like environment he knew before.

“Frankly, parts of it kind of reminds me a little bit of the war—I would always be hearing, ‘soand-so got hurt,’ or ‘this happened,”’ Ackerman says. “Now I'm like, wow, I'm getting those types of phone calls again.”

Red Dress in Black and White will be published in June by Knopf. n

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Books

RODDY DOYLE BY ANTHONY WOODS; DIRK WITTENBORN BY SEBASTIAN SOROS; MAGGIE O'FARRELL BY MURDO MACLEOD; ANNE TYLER BY DIANA WALKER

HAMNET

by Maggie O’Farrell (Knopf) In this fictionalized account of the short lives of William Shakespeare’s twin children, Hamnet and Judith, as well as his enigmatic wife, Agnes, grief binds the family like a shackle around an ankle. Author Maggie O’Farrell has transformed her obsession with an historical footnote into a novel that is evocative, lush, and utterly precise in language.

Hamnet transports the reader to Elizabethan England with such clarity that one is able to smell the horses, “the aroma of wood, of lime, of something sweet and fibrous,” taste the ale, feel the wind, and experience fear and grief as plague claims the young twins. While Shakespeare is never named in the novel, and the death of Hamnet has been lost to the annals of time, the former went on, four years after his son’s death, to write Hamlet. O’Farrell has created a magnificent story of love and loss in a manner reminiscent of Hilary Mantel’s work, although singularly her own.

ELISSA ALTMAN

THE STONE GIRL

by Dirk Wittenborn (W.W. Norton) Evie Quimbly grew up in the Adirondack Mountains, learning the ways of the wilderness— guns, beaver traps, and all— from her adoptive parents, who have mysterious earlier lives. A series of violent events involving fabulously wealthy clients of a nearby all-male country club permanently alters her quiet life.

Seventeen years later, she is a renowned art restorer living in Paris, and the mother of a teenager who is dying of cancer. Her only hope of saving her daughter involves going back home and confronting her past.

In The Stone Girl, Dirk Wittenborn (who published Fierce People in 2002) tackles Wall Street corruption, sexual assault, and trauma in settings so well-realized you forget it is fiction.

Spanning the period between the 9/11 attacks and 2018, Wittenborn has a knack for plopping us into the thick of things: fly-fishing in North Country woodland, dangling off a Park Avenue balcony, and joining a stake-out conducted from the vantage point of a boat off the Florida coast. If you were looking to lie down with this baroque thriller, be ready to sit back up: The Stone Girl is quite a ride.

MARK ANTHONY LIBATIQUE

REDHEAD BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

by Anne Tyler (Random House)

LOVE: A NOVEL

by Roddy Doyle (Viking) Dublin emigrant Davy, almost 60, has returned home after 30 years in England to face a dying father. He catches up with his estranged childhood friend Joe, whose uncertain marriage is complicated by a woman from their shared past. During the 12-hour pub crawl that follows, Davy must confront the memories he has spent his adult life avoiding.

Love is the latest from Irish dramatist Roddy Doyle, author of the 1993 Booker Prize–winning novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. It transports us to Dublin in the recent past, packing 40 years of friendship in an evening of drinking.

Doyle speaks in the language of decades, accented by split-second moments that are fleeting, visual, and imprecise.

He thrusts us into raw memories of anger, jealousy, fragility, and joy, nestled within a cozy, weary silence that lingers. He makes no apologies for the Irishness of it all, stretching writing to its limits to express the characters’ speech and the effects of alcohol upon it.

Love is a novel for the end of the day: meditative, introspective, nostalgic, and melancholy. Pour yourself a pint (or six) and settle in.

Anne Tyler’s latest novel explores what happens when we’re not seeing our surroundings—or ourselves—clearly.

After all, Micah Mortimer has a serious perception problem.

While on a run, his eyes play a trick, transforming a fire hydrant in the distance into a redheaded child. Unfortunately, that’s not the only area of his life where he suffers from fuzzy vision. The precursor to the crotchety old man, Micah is an IT specialist in his mid-40s who has worked hard to construct a clutter-free life void of imperfection. But when a mysterious teenager arrives on Micah’s doorstep with misconceptions of his own, Micah is forced to reevaluate everything in his past past—and his future—through a new lens.

Perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove, this book will have readers urging Micah toward clarity, right up to the very end.

CLAIRE GIBSON

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Cecil Beaton Season How the great British society photographer immortalized the Bright Young Things, and a cocktail book inspired by his life and times.

BY HEATHER HODSON

ALL IMAGES © THE CECIL BEATON STUDIO ARCHIVE AT SOTHEBY'S EXCEPT THE ‘RIVIÈRA WANDERERS’ © RESERVED, NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY COLLECTION, LONDON.

GIN AND BEAR IT Self-portrait of Cecil Beaton in his studio in 1934, surrounded by his work and various props (main picture).

Clockwise, from bottom: Cecil Beaton’s Cocktail Book includes Beaton’s illustrations and portraits alongside recipes given a swizzle and a stir by Denis Broci of Claridge’s; Beaton’s 1927 portrait of Tallulah Bankhead accompanies a recipe for the classic Jazz Age drink, the Angel Face; Bright Young Things photographed by Beaton at Wilsford Manor in 1927; Paula Gellibrand, Marquesa de Casa Maury, who Beaton called “the first Modigliani I ever saw,” photographed in 1928; Cecil Beaton (left) and Stephen Tennant, the “Rivièra Wanderers,” photographed in 1927 by Maurice Beck and Helen McGregor; and Cecil Beaton’s Bright Young Things by Robin Muir and Cecil Beaton.

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efore he knew everybody, Cecil Beaton was a nobody.

The illustrator, photographer, and theater designer would go on to scale the heights of British society, win three Academy Awards for costume and production design, and become so famous for his arch commentary that Jean Cocteau nicknamed him “Malice in Wonderland.”

But aged 21, just down from Cambridge (where he had failed to gain a degree), he was stuck with his parents in London’s unfashionable Paddington, eking out a living designing book covers and charity ball costumes.

“What will I be?” he lamented to one friend.

“I wouldn’t bother too much about being anything in particular, just become a friend of the Sitwells, and wait and see what happens,” came the reply.

Never shy to put himself forward, Beaton soon engineered a sitting with the three fashionable siblings, whose artistic and literary clique rivaled that of Bloomsbury. At Renishaw, the family’s ancestral seat, he photographed the striking Edith (in an eighteenth-century turban) and her brothers, Sacheverell and Osbert.

As the British curator Robin Muir’s new book, Cecil Beaton’s Bright Young Things (National Portrait Gallery Publications), makes clear, it was arguably the most consequential sitting of his life. Taken up by the Sitwells, Beaton shot into the orbit of the Bright Young Things, the glittering and hedonistic group of writers, artists, society figures, and bohemians who scandalized British society in the interwar years.

Over the next decade Beaton photographed them all: Stephen Tennant, the doe-eyed scion of the Glenconner dynasty, who would become a close friend; Georgie “Dadie” Rylands as Webster’s Duchess of Malfi; Loelia, Duchess of Westminster, the wife of Hugh “Bendor” Grosvenor, a tiara containing the Arcot diamonds balanced atop her head; Paula Gellibrand, Marquesa de Casa Maury, eyelids heavy in glitter; Margot, Countess of Oxford and Asquith, swathed in dramatic satin. (Beaton’s portrait of Margot was lampooned by his prep school enemy, Evelyn Waugh, in his 1928 novel, Decline and Fall.)

He honed his eye, upped the artifice, and emerged as the world’s first celebrity photographer, reinventing himself along the way. Truman Capote observed of Beaton: “There are very few people that are total self-creations, and he certainly is one.”

These dazzling early decades of his life, which Beaton called “the uprise,” are masterfully surveyed in Cecil Beaton’s Bright Young Things. Muir spent four years traveling between English stately homes, auction houses, and public institutions in search of rare Cecil Beaton prints, which will eventually be displayed in London in a National Portrait Gallery exhibition of the same name, but is now on hold due to the coronavirus.

More useful for lockdown is the whimsical Cecil Beaton’s Cocktail Book (National Portrait Gallery Publications), compiled by Denis Broci, the head mixologist of Claridge’s, which acted as the informal London headquarters for Beaton and the BYTs. “I looked to the most popular drinks of the ‘Golden Age’ of cocktails, the 1920s and ’30s, and then gave them a contemporary twist,” says Broci, whose recipes for Jazz Age tipples, including Sidecars, Flappers, Grasshoppers, and the Hanky Panky, are displayed among the portraits.

We may have to wait for the exhibition, but in the meantime, we have pages of Beaton’s shimmering photographs to pore over at home, Old-Fashioned in hand. n MAY—JUNE 2020 | AVENUE MAGAZINE

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Full Stream Ahead With theaters across the country shuttered, Tyler Coates explores how the American living room became the entertainment industry’s most important auditorium.

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n March, when cinema chains began closing as the coronavirus spread throughout the United States, it seemed logical that Hollywood studios would redirect their upcoming films from theatrical release to streaming platforms.

After all, Americans have been watching movies in their living rooms for decades, homemade popcorn and all. Netflix drastically accelerated that trend, even changing cultural habits around watching TV, from waiting for weekly installments to bingeing.

Universal was the first major studio to quickly add its theatrical releases to video-on-demand services, with The Invisible Man, The Hunt, and Emma immediately available for a home viewer for the not-low price of $19.99.

Disney quickly followed with its latest animated feature, Onward—and placed Frozen 2 onto its Disney+ streaming platform months ahead of schedule. Paramount’s romantic comedy The Lovebirds saw its theatrical run replaced by a Netflix premiere, and Neon’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire received an early streaming release exclusively on Hulu.

The question is: once the world returns to

normal, will our viewing habits follow suit?

“When we look back a year from now, people will see that streaming became mainstream in this period,” says Bill Demas, CEO of streaming video analytics company Conviva. “But will this stop once COVID-19 goes away? I would argue, probably not.”

In a March 31 report, Conviva data showed that global streaming saw major growth during the first weeks of COVID-19’s spread, with streaming hours growing by 20 percent worldwide and 26 percent in the United States.

The biggest change was when people started streaming. Daytime hours saw the largest boost, which is perhaps unsurprising, as people began working from home and, with schools closed, children nationwide were also stuck indoors.

“We used to say that prime time begins at 7:00 pm,” Demas says. “Now prime time starts at 10:00 am.”

This sudden streaming boom is great news for platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ —some of the few companies not hit hard by this sudden social disruption.

And it’s also perfect timing for the May launch of HBO Max and the July launch of NBCUniversal’s

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STREAMING FOR SMART PEOPLE...

...AND FOR THE REST OF US

Stream top-quality performing arts while you’re stuck inside

If you prefer popcorn entertainment, these are some of the most anticipated May releases.

Broadway HD | This service has plenty of Broadway’s biggest shows from recent seasons—including Phantom of the Opera and Kinky Boots—plus off-Broadway, regional, and international productions.

National Theatre at Home | Britain’s beloved theater brings some of its most acclaimed productions to your living room, including One Man, Two Guvnors, a comedy that introduced James Corden to American audiences with its Tony-winning Broadway transfer.

Ailey All Access | New York’s venerable Alvin Ailey American Dance Company marked its twentieth anniversary by launching this platform, which offers performances, classes, and original short films.

MasterClass | Here, famous names offer tutorials in their fields.

Learn photography skills from Annie Leibovitz, brush up on your tennis game with Serena Williams, and look your best on those Zoom calls with makeup tutorials from Bobbi Brown.

Hollywood (Netflix, May 1) | Emmy winner Darren Criss stars in this 1940s-set drama series that follows an interconnected group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in postwar Hollywood.

The Eddy (Netflix, May 8) | From producers including La La Land director Damien Chazelle comes this limited drama series about a Parisian jazz club, the center of racial and familial tensions.

Trial by Media (Netflix, May 11) | This docu-series is a true-crime anthology that examines infamous court trials that were not just covered endlessly in the media—but could have also been influenced by excessive coverage.

The Great (Hulu, May 15) | Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult star in this historical satire from the writers of the Oscar-winning film The Favourite, centered around the rise of the Russian empress Catherine the Great.

The Last Narc (Amazon Prime Video, May 15 | The 1985 kidnapping and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena is the subject of this four-episode docuseries that uncovers the details of a notorious murder amid the War on Drugs.

STAY-IN THEATER Main photo: Elle Fanning as the formidable empress Catherine in The Great, from the writers behind The Favourite.

From top: James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors, which won him a Tony; David Corenswet and Patti LuPone star in the postWorld War II drama, Hollywood; Amandla Stenberg in jazz drama The Eddy; Rod Blagojevich, whose political fall is documented in Trial by Media, with wife Patricia; and former DEA agent Hector Berrellez, who shares his story in The Last Narc.

Peacock—although part of the latter’s appeal was its Olympics coverage, now delayed a year.

Quibi, which also debuted in April, specializes in short-form video content produced specifically to watch on smartphones. For consumers, the only potential downside might be that with so many more content options, there are now more services to pay for.

Industry Cassandras are scrambling to predict what the mix of streaming versus out-of-home entertainment consumption will look like once we can all leave our houses again. Movie theaters are likely to take a big hit, particularly if studios and distributors see an increased profit in their films’ digital releases.

“If this lasts for most of the year, it won’t be business as usual for movie theaters,” Demas says, explaining that the big studio-backed blockbusters could very well be the only kinds of films with traditional releases, as smaller-budget films draw fewer people to cineplexes and struggling independent theaters.

“For the Parasites of the world, it’s going to be difficult. Does one of these streaming services become the place to go for that art-house kind of movie? Market forces will figure that out.”

With films, at least, there was an established model for home release. But the crisis has also disrupted other forms of entertainment that have traditionally been consumed in auditoriums.

And it turns out the same technology that brings Frozen 2 to your phone is also suited to delivering entertainment previously consumed in live settings.

Comedians, for example, have been using Instagram Live to reach their audiences, or hosting open mics on Twitch. One singer friend sent out a private YouTube link of a recent cabaret performance, requesting a $5 donation. (I sent her twenty bucks via Venmo; I was still saving money since there wasn’t a two-drink minimum.)

And while nonprofit community organizations, museums, and performing arts centers have lost ticket revenue during the crisis, many have turned to the internet to keep their patrons connected.

The 92nd Street Y has embraced its online presence, offering free nightly livestreams of their scheduled programming. The National Theatre in London launched a two-month program that allows audiences to stream a backlog of its award-winning productions, which is free on YouTube and available in the United States.

The Metropolitan Opera also hosts productions from previous seasons on its site for online viewing. But a New Yorker who frequents the Met can also find offerings from opera houses across the country, as well as the globe. In fact, opera lovers may be more likely to see a Paris Opera production now than before because international air travel is out of the question.

So even as the current crisis have kept us indoors, culture and entertainment has never been easier to access, at least through online platforms.

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O

UT ON HER OWN

After a decade collaborating with other brands, Olivia Palermo dropped her first solo collection this spring.

She speaks with Ben Widdicombe about influence, inspiration, and launching a business in difficult times.

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“I

came

in when the fashion industry was changing, and people were starting to shop online.

Instagram has been an incredible

FAMOUSLY FASHIONABLE Olivia Palermo, this page and throughout, wears a Cascade Blouse in silk, $350, and a Draped Midi Skirt in silk, $395, both from the Olivia Palermo Collection. oliviapalermo.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HEATHER STEN; HAIR BY RO MORGAN; MAKEUP BY ANDREA TILLER

vehicle.”

O livia Palermo’s spacious apartment, in the landmark Clocktower building on the Brooklyn waterfront, enjoys sweeping westward views of the Manhattan skyline. “I always look forward to seeing the storms and the sunsets here in DUMBO,” she tells me over the phone on a recent spring afternoon, just as a storm broke over the city.

“It’s very dramatic,” she says , pausing to enjoy the spectacle.

The 34-year-old creative director has just launched her new line, the Olivia Palermo Collection, which debuted at New York Fashion Week in February. The label blends youthful and mature sensibilities—think bold colors and prints with superior tailoring— with an unmistakably New York point of view.

“I really like the leather pieces,” she says of her favorite looks.

“I love mixing leather and lace and kind of that soft, romantic vibe, with something a little bit cooler. And we have a great jumpsuit, in black or white cutout with lace and that’s quite chic going into spring.”

Nan Kempner would have bought every piece.

Palermo lives in Brooklyn with her husband, the German-born model Johannes Huebl, and Mr. Butler, a Maltese who will soon celebrate his fifteenth birthday. At home in early April, she is wearing a black silk skirt and sweater, both with the perforated, cutout

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“I

love

mixing leather and lace and kind of that soft, romantic vibe, with something a little bit cooler.”

Nan Kempner would have bought every piece.

From top right: Pleated Dress Shirt in white cotton, $395, Tailored Midi Skirt in pink plaid, $517, and Arrow Oxford Lace Ups, $660; Boyfriend Blazer in navy wool with black lace trim, $795, Cropped Kick Flare Trouser in navy wool, $495; Perforated Flounce Neck-Tie Blouse in white cotton, $325, High-Waisted Cropped Trouser in plaid, $395, the Giannico Louis Mule 15, $604. All from the Olivia Palermo Collection. oliviapalermo.com

COURTESY OF OLIVIA PALERMO

PLAID TO THE BONE

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details that are among her trademarks, paired with Giuseppe Zanotti leopard flats and a favorite Piaget watch.

She has to describe all these details to me during our conversation, because, like every other responsible New Yorker, she was staying home and practicing social distancing.

“I had a haircut and my hair done right before quarantine, so I’m good for a few months, which is great,” she says with a self-aware chuckle. “I do miss my manicure and my pedicure, which now I have to do at home myself. I’m looking forward to that, but I do miss interacting with people.”

Millennial New Yorkers need no introduction to Palermo, who has been modestly famous since appearing on The City, an MTV reality show that ran between 2008 and 2010. In the series, she worked in junior fashion roles for Diane von Furstenberg and Elle magazine. Like most “reality” entertainments, however, it was a complete sham.

“It was fully phony,” she told the New York Times in January.

“There was nothing real about that show at all. Other than our first and last names. Nothing. Absolutely zero.”

Nonetheless, it gave the then-22-year old, who grew up between the Upper East Side and Greenwich, and attended St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, a profile among teens and twentysomethings with an interest in fashion and popular culture.

When a photo-sharing app called Instagram launched in 2010, Palermo was quickly able to convert her television fanbase to an online following—becoming, arguably, the very first influencer.

“I came in when the fashion industry was changing, and people were starting to shop online,” she explains. “Instagram has been an incredible vehicle.”

And she has been incredibly smart about it, amassing 6.7 million followers. Over the past decade, she has lent her cachet to a series of collaborations with fashion brands and retailers, including Karl Lagerfeld, Stuart Weitzman, Nordstrom, and Banana Republic.

Everything she learned brought her to the moment last New York Fashion Week, when the Olivia Palermo Collection dropped to an enthusiastic response. Pieces priced between $275 and $1,595 are available on OliviaPalermo.com and Saks.com, as well as in-store at Saks Fifth Avenue and certain smaller specialty retailers.

And then, the virus hit.

There’s never a good time for a pandemic. But the crisis came at an especially sensitive moment for the business she has carefully built in partnership with her brother, Grant Palermo, who serves as the company’s chief executive.

Nevertheless, she remains sanguine about the future.

“My brother and I have spent many years being thoughtful about how we wanted to build out the company. So we’ve been very cautious, and just like any business, you have to be slightly flexible,” she says.

“If that means downscaling for the time being, and then building back up, so be it.”

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“L

ike any business, you have to be flexible.

If that means downscaling for the time being, and then building back up, so be it.”

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T Stylish to a

Billionaires, baronesses,

and beauty queens!

Serena Daniari on

need-to-know socials

who are more

MADISON MCGAW/BFA.COM

than meet the eye Absolutely Gigi Gorgeous: the trans icon at Jeremy Scott’s New York Fashion Week party in 2016, with two guests.

G

iselle “Gigi” Getty has such smooth, Nordic-goddess looks that even her fans—and there are many of them—compare her to a Barbie doll.

When visiting New York, the Los Angeleno is a fixture at Fashion Week and its related parties, as well as voguish restaurants like La Mercerie in SoHo. Paparazzi stalk her outside the trendy hotels she favors, such as the Bowery Hotel and Dream Downtown.

But even though the soigné, Montreal-born personality has an instantly recognizable surname—she is married to the fashion designer Natalia “Nats” Getty, of the noted oil family—she is even better known by a sobriquet. As the YouTube sensation “Gigi Gorgeous,” Getty has just shy of three million subscribers (plus more than another two million followers on Instagram), who leave thousands of comments on each one of her fashion and beauty videos.

“The wedding of Gigi and Nats”—posted last July, following their ceremony at Miramar Beach in Montecito, California—received almost four million views. And the videos addressing Getty’s journey as a transgender woman routinely receive more than a million views each.

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GIGI GETTY, FROM TOP: OGUT/STAR MAX/GC IMAGES, MONICA SCHIPPER/GETTY IMAGES FOR KETEL ONE FAMILY-MADE VODKA, CHRISTOPHER POLK/GETTY IMAGES

“My YouTube channel was literally the most organic way I could have ever come onto the online scene,” she tells Avenue. “I’ve always been cheeky, and I’ve always been honest. Never once have I shied away from sharing my life, and that’s how I’ve been able to build genuine connections.”

Getty is at the forefront of a new trans visibility, which is increasing in every part of society, including the very top. Alongside her are women like Jennifer Pritzker, 69, who is regarded as the first trans billionaire, and Sophia Hutchins, 24, a beauty start-up founder who divides her time between Malibu and New York City.

Their prominence is also shining a light on the historical role of trans women in high society, including Anne Lister (subject of the recent HBO series Gentleman Jack) in the 19th century, and April Ashley, 84, who married into the British aristocracy in 1963.

But Gigi met her wife the modern way, as a result of her online fame. After discovering her social media channels, her future brother-in-law, August Getty— son of Ariadne Getty and great-grandson of J. Paul Getty—made her the muse of his fashion line, August Getty Atelier.

In 2016, he asked both Gigi and Nats to model in his runway show at Paris Fashion Week. The two women began spending days and nights together in the City of Love—and the world’s romantic capital lived up to its reputation.

“Entering such a powerful family that has such a profound legacy, it’s intimidating,” says Getty. “When I got engaged, I really wanted to consistently make the Getty family proud. I wanted to represent the family well, and they know that.”

In her private moments, does she see herself as Giselle Getty, or Gigi Gorgeous?

“I would say that I’m 100 percent both of those people,” she says. “I’ve matured a lot, and legally, on paper, I’m now Gigi Getty, and I’m honored to represent that legacy. But I also wake up every day as Gigi Gorgeous, the girl from Canada who started out playing with makeup in her room.”

Outsiders might be familiar with the Gettys only by their legend (and they weren’t particularly pleased with the clan’s portrayal in All the Money in the World, a 2017 film that dramatized the kidnapping and ransom of John Paul Getty III in Italy in 1973.) But within their own circle, these days the family is better known for its LGBTQ advocacy.

Ariadne Getty has close ties to organizations, including the Los Angeles LGBT Center and GLAAD, formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. She joined the latter’s board in 2016, and two years later traveled with Gigi to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where she announced a gift of $15 million.

“The Getty family is tirelessly working toward equality,” says Getty. “Day in, day out, Ariadne never stops. She’s a powerhouse.”

Although Getty may currently be the most publicized trans member of a prominent family, gender nonconformity has existed throughout history, at all levels of society.

Sixties icon April Ashley was a cabaret star, baroness-in-waiting (for her father-in-law to die), and a famous model of her time. But behind her high cheekbones was a well-kept secret.

Gigi Getty GIGI WHIZZ: from top,

Gigi Getty, aka Gigi Gorgeous, photographed in 2019 in L.A., the same year she married Nats Getty, the designer and oil heiress; Gorgeous and Getty get up close and personal at the 29th GLAAD Media Awards in New York in 2018; Gorgeous poses for a selfie with fans at the MTV Video Music Awards in LA in 2015.

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JENNIFER PRITZKER, FROM TOP: COURTESY OF TAWANI ENTERPRISES, INC., AB FORCES NEWS COLLECTION/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, SGT. CHRISTOPHER GARIBAY ; SOPHIA HUTCHINS, FOR TOP: CAROLINE TOMPKINS, NEIL RASMUS/BFA.COM, JASON MENDEZ/GETTY IMAGES

Jennifer Pritzker SHE DID IT HER WAY:

from top, the financier, philanthropist, and Pritzker heir is the world’s first trans billionaire; Pritzker, also a retired army lieutenant colonel and founder of a military museum and library, greets Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John M. Richardson at the 2017 Warrior Games reception; saluting at a rededication of the Victory Monument in Chicago in July 2019.

Sophia Hutchins BEAUTY INFLUENCER:

from top, the ‘trans visible’ model and founder of a beauty line; with BFF Caitlyn Jenner at a Harper’s Bazaar party at the Plaza Hotel in 2018; and dressed to the nines at the World Pride summer party in New York in 2019.

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April Ashley PIONEER MODEL:

clockwise, from top, a Sixties model and cabaret star before she was outed as a transgender woman by the British tabloids, Ashley appeared in movies including 1964’s The Carpetbaggers; performing at the Aston Club in London’s West End in 1962; photographed at the age of 75 in a London hotel; on her way to the divorce courts in 1970, where the judge would invalidate her marriage; with the English aristo, the Hon. Arthur Corbet, later the 3rd Baron Rowallan, on the day of their wedding in Gibraltar in 1963; raising a glass in 1973, aged 38.

APRIL ASHLEY, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PARAMOUNT PICTURES/AFARCHIVE/ ALAMY STOCK, KEYSTONE PRESS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, CHRIS BROOKS/TRUNK ARCHIVE, PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES, SIMPSON/DAILY EXPRESS/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES, TRINITY MIRROR/MIRRORPIX/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO, COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA LIBRARIES, TRANSGENDER ARCHIVES

A onetime merchant navy seaman, at the age of 25 she traveled to Morocco to become one of the first trans people to undergo sex-reassignment surgery.

After her operation, Ashley began to model while living “stealth,” meaning she concealed her trans identity. She even scored a role as a background beauty in The Road to Hong Kong, a popular 1962 film starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.

But when Ashley’s trans identity was shared without her consent, her social status and livelihood were yanked away in an instant. “I was a celebrity freak,” Ashley told Britain’s Independent newspaper.

“I couldn’t even get a job as a shopgirl.”

After being outed as a transgender woman, Ashley’s romantic life became tabloid fodder, with her affairs regularly splashed across the headlines.

In 1963, she married a young British aristocrat named Arthur Corbett, who would become the 3rd Baron Rowallan. When they divorced in 1970, however, the courts ruled that Ashley was legally a man, invalidating the marriage.

Her case was widely cited when Britain finally revised the law in 2004, and Ashley was made a Member of the British Empire by Prince Charles during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, in honor of her work as a trans rights pioneer.

Even earlier than Ashley was Anne Lister, one of the nineteenth century’s most fascinating characters.

She is remembered as a businesswoman, mountaineer, world traveler, and a champion of science.

But it’s her romantic life and androgynous appearance that has most fascinated historians, for whom she thoughtfully left a 26-volume diary.

Lister has frequently been described as the “first modern lesbian,” although many trans activists also claim her as a forebear. Because of her masculine, gender-bending manner and clothing, Lister was nicknamed “Gentleman Jack,” which HBO took as the title of its series based on her diaries.

Being openly transgender has historically carried a financial and social cost, which is why the growing number of successful role models are so important.

Jennifer Pritzker, for example, one of the 11 heirs in the Chicago-based Pritzker clan, is known as the world’s first transgender billionaire.

Pritzker inherited stakes in the family’s Hyatt Hotels chain as well as industrial firms run by her late father and uncles. In 2013, the retired Army lieutenant colonel announced that she would transition to living as a woman. She is also the founder and CEO of private wealth management firm Tawani Enterprises.

Sophia Hutchins, the young manager of Caitlyn Jenner, has also found success in business. Her tech and beauty start-up, Lumasol, raised $3 million from investors, including Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and Greycroft Ventures in New York.

Ashley, Pritzker, Hutchins, and Getty are among those reinventing what it means to be trans in business and society. Each has found success in areas previously closed to openly trans women—and done so on their own terms.

“Being trans comes with struggles no matter what part of society you’re in,” says Getty. “Even being part of the Getty family, you’re scrutinized because of your past and your gender identity. But it’s so worth it to be authentically who you are.”

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strangeflowers PRECIOUS BLOOMS in a HOTHOUSE of IDIOSYNCRATIC CHIC

b y H O R A C I O S I LVA

&

C A T H E R I N E G. TA L E S E

P H O T O - C O L L A G E S b y M A R T I N VA L L I N

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MARIE-LAURE DE NOAILLES ,

PHOTO-COLLAGES BY MARTIN VALLIN/KMA, MARIE-LAURE DE NOAILLES: PHOTOGRAPH BY DORA MAAR, © CNAC/MNAM/DIST. RMN-GRAND PALAIS/ART RESOURCE, MARCHESA CASATI: ARCHIVIO GBB / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

queen of the entre-deux-guerres Paris art scene, is crowned by a pair of emerald and 22-karat gold Belperron “Couronne” cuffs. $222,000; belperron.com

MARCHESA CASATI , the Milanese heiress who captivated European society with her leashed wild cats, would have purred at this Panthère de Cartier 18-karat white gold, emerald, onyx, and diamond bracelet. $105,000; cartier.com MAY—JUNE 2020 | AVENUE MAGAZINE

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CLAUDE CAHUN ,

COLETTE , the mononymic French author and actress, steals the scene in this dramatic Van Cleef & Arpels “Perlina” ring from the “Romeo & Juliet” collection, featuring rubies, sapphires, malachite, and diamonds set in 18-karat rose gold. $82,500; vancleefarpels.com

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COLETTE: REPORTERS ASSOCIES/GAMMA-RAPHO VIA GETTY IMAGES; CLAUDE CAHUN: ALBUM/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

the gender-bending Surrealist photographer and collage artist, rode roughshod over convention as does this Hermès “Galop” ring in rose gold and black jade. $34,800; hermes.com

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DJUNA BARNES: OSCAR WHITE/CORBIS/VCG VIA GETTY IMAGES, MARELLA AGNELLI: MONDADORI VIA GETTY IMAGES

DJUNA BARNES , the Modernist writer and queer icon, was as rare a creature as this Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. clip with more than 21 carats of demantoid garnets and paillonné enamel.

Price upon request; tiffany.com

MARELLA AGNELLI

was known for her aristocratic bearing, a long-necked hauteur that is enhanced by a Chopard brooch, featuring a 19.95-carat black opal set in 18-karat yellow gold and titanium. Price on request; chopard.com

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“I

n the Spring a young man’s

fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love,” Alfred Tennyson wrote in his 1835 poem, “Locksley Hall.”

Which is delightful, except when the man in question is your husband, and those “thoughts of love” involve him sexting someone else.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that, according to a 2016 study by the University of Washington,

THE DISSOLUTION OF A MARRIAGE CAN BE JUST LIKE BREAKING UP A BUSINESS. MIKE ALBO WRITES THAT IT PAYS TO BE STRATEGIC IF YOU’RE CONSIDERING A SPLIT.

U.S. divorce filings spike every August. Just as the young ones have taken to calling the onset of fall “cuffing season”—meaning, time to pair up—the

BARTHOLOMEW COOKE/TRUNK ARCHIVE

Uncuffing Season 64

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return of warm weather signals its corollary: uncuffing season.

This year may even see a bumper crop of divorces, with the close quarters imposed upon many couples in the spring providing a nudge to those already thinking of going their separate ways. So if a visit to Splitsville could be in your future, it pays to take a map.

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DIVORCE BASICS

In the eyes of the law , marriages are essentially seen as “economic partnerships”—a business, more or less. “When the love is gone and the sex is bad, it’s still an economic partnership,” says Ken Jewell, a divorce attorney with his own private practice in Manhattan.

In order to get every penny you deserve, you need to demonstrate what you’ve contributed to the marriage, and what your marriage is worth monetarily. Time to get Marie Kondo–level organized, and pretend you are being audited.

It may seem unfairly binary, but the courts see two roles within a marriage, the “moneyed” and the “non-moneyed.” In other words, which spouse made the bucks, and which one maintained the home?

So unless you are Seal and Heidi Klum (who divorced amicably in 2012, content with their individual income streams), the court determines how much “maintenance” or spousal support (alimony) the non-moneyed partner will receive.

The basic New York State formula is based on the length of the marriage: up to 15 years, support to be paid by the “moneyed” for 15–30 percent of the length of the marriage; for 15–20 years, support to be paid for 30–40 percent of the length of the marriage; and for 20-plus years, support to be paid for 35–50 percent of the length of the marriage.

These are just ranges to work within. So, lawyers being lawyers, there is room to argue. Especially if the earning spouse started a successful enterprise while you were together—for example, if your wife went off and became Bethenny Frankel while you were married, and you kept the home running so she could focus on making Skinny Girl Margaritas. (Early in their divorce, a judge awarded her ex, Jason Hoppy, “temporary spousal maintenance” totaling almost $26,000 per month. That ended in 2016 as new reforms to alimony law went into effect.)

The lesson, according to Sherri Sharma, a matrimonial attorney at New York firm Aronson, Mayefsky & Sloan, LLP, is that “indirect contributions matter.”

LAWYERING UP

No New Yorker needs to be told that the world is full of lawyers. But which one is right for you?

To put it in terms of the recent Academy Award-winning divorce drama A Marriage Story: we all know that you should probably not hire Alan Alda’s character. But you don’t want to hire the type portrayed by Laura Dern, either.

“She called up the husband to push him to file a resolution in California? That was outrageous. I would never contact an adversary. I would have filed a motion to disqualify her immediately,” Jewell says. He cites one often-used strategy is the “war of attrition”—wearing down the other side, stretching out the case (and lawyers’ fees) to get the other side to relent.

“It becomes, how much do you want so that you go away?” says Jewell. He considers himself the Ray Liotta type. “I’m typically the guy who gets the case where the client is in trouble and I dig him out of a hole.”

But even a relentless counsel like Jewell knows he needs to remain within boundaries. “If the courts have a sense that bullying is going on, they will cool it off,” he says. “You have to be careful. I have to make sure I don’t look like I am being predatory.”

It’s important to remember that there are only five matrimonial law judges in Manhattan, and another five in Brooklyn. They are probably seeing your attorney more than you do, so if the judge’s eyes roll when you walk into the room with your lawyer, that’s not a good sign.

“They hate motions,” says Sharma, whose firm has represent-

THE

5

MOST EXPENSIVE DIVORCES ON RECORD

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STEVE AND ELAINE WYNN: AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF MONACO; BERNIE AND SLAVICA ECCLESTONE: DAVE M. BENETT/GETTY IMAGES

ed several figures in high-profile divorces, including actors Katie Holmes and Richard Gere.

“We have to appear with them again and again. If you have no credibility and give stupid motions, that doesn’t work,” she says.

“If they respect you and your firm, that’s best for the next case you have.”

“NO FAULT” MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU’RE SORRY

In 2010, New York became the last remaining state in the union

MAKE YOURSELF LOOK INDISPENSABLE

“In the deposition, I will ask the non-moneyed spouse, ‘Did you

to adopt a “no fault” divorce resolution. That means adultery; snoring; having the “wrong” opinion about Woody Allen (whichever one that is): none of it matters. The courts only care about your ex’s hideous behavior if it can be shown to have impacted your income.

For example, you can cite if your spouse spent money gambling. “Or making irresponsible investment decisions (not just bad ones) or spending money on drugs, prostitutes, and ‘third parties.’ That’s the big one—affairs,” explains Sharma. So save the personal complaints for your therapist.

“I remember before [the law changed] we would draft these elaborate examples of cruelty. It was juicier,” says Sharma, who has been practicing matrimonial law since 2007.

She recalls her clients would tell her, “‘He called me a [expletive],’ ‘He had all these affairs.’ Even refusing to have sex could be used as grounds for divorce. It was called ‘constructive abandonment.’ But now it’s all different, and divorce can be based on ‘irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.’”

provide a good home, did you manage and supervise servants, did you cook, did you make sure the bills were paid, did you show up at work events?’” says Sharma.

So, if you showed up at your spouse’s work, managed files, bounced ideas off each other, you have a much bigger claim.

(Jewell adds that the witnesses who support this on the stand tend to be ones with credibility, like accountants and work associates, not spacey friends from yoga class.)

MacKenzie Scott Bezos walked away with $36 billion, the biggest settlement in the history of civilization, because she was there the entire time Jeff Bezos built his empire, way before he got those biceps.

“But even your stereotypical stay-at-home housewife, you are going get at least 5–10 percent,” says Jewell.

#5

#4

SETTLED 2010

SETTLED 2009

The Las Vegas casino couple married and divorced twice, settling in stock ultimately worth ten figures.

The complex structure of the couple’s finances meant she had to pay him.

$1.0 BILLION

$1.2 BILLION

STEVE & ELAINE WYNN

BERNIE & SLAVICA ECCLESTONE

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With steely resolve, can you find your inner Huma Abedin and work out some kind of private agreement?

If you are the injured party (see: Huma) you may want to settle quickly to take advantage of what some divorce lawyers call “the guilt window,” when your philandering spouse with the itchy thumbs still feels terrible and is inclined to be a little less stingy. “Basically, would you rather be happy or right?” asks Jewell.

(Note: if you’re on the other side, maybe don’t look out the guilt window.)

AND THEN, THE ASSETS

Then there is everything else. The houses, the cars, the portfolios, the art collections. When it comes to assets, you have to figure out what’s in play.

Is your mouth watering over her real estate portfolio? Not so fast. Anything bought before the marriage, or inherited, is off the table. So don’t think you will get the Montauk bungalow just because you spent a lot of time there with Ingmar, your energy body healer. Unless, that is, you made renovations and contributed to its appreciation. If you redo the kitchen or worked closely with the contractor (professionally, of course), then you may have some stake.

Consider the current David and Libbie Mugrabi divorce. The Mugrabi family, including David’s father, Jose, and his brother, Alberto “Tico” Mugrabi, have been well-known traders at major auctions for at least two decades, and own the largest private collection of Andy Warhol paintings in the world, along with many works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Richard Prince, George Condo, and others. David Mugrabi was married to Libbie Mugrabi from 2005 to 2018 until, she says, she walked downstairs the night after a wine-filled dinner party and found a naked woman lying on top of him in their rec room.

The issue is the art acquired from those years. Libbie is contending that this work is marital property, part of their “economic partnership.” Her contention is that she, as a society hostess and tastemaker, would throw parties at their Water Mill estate, wearing The Row and helping negotiate sales of work hanging on the walls, which, she argues, was on full display during their dinners and other events.

How much will that be worth in the divorce? The world—or at least a particular coterie of high-net-worth New Yorkers—is holding its breath to see what the court decides.

#3

#2

SETTLED 1999

SETTLED 1999

Rupert married Wendi Deng 17 days after his settlement with Anna, only to pay out again when he and Deng divorced in 2013.

This Upper East Side socialite will forever be remembered as the cat who got the cream.

$1.7 BILLION

$3.8 BILLION

RUPERT & ANNA MURDOCH

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RUPERT AND ANNA MURDOCH: RON GALELLA, LTD./RON GALELLA COLLECTION VIA GETTY IMAGES; ALEC WILDENSTEIN: BERTRAND RINDOFF PETROFF/GETTY IMAGES; JOCELYN WILDENSTEIN: GLOBE PHOTOS/ZUMAPRESS.COM/ALAMY

THROW THEM OUT “THE GUILT WINDOW”

ALEC & JOCELYN WILDENSTEIN

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JEFF AND MACKENZIE BEZOS: JEROD HARRIS/GETTY IMAGES; CURRENCY STILL LIFE: LAUREN NICOLE/GETTY IMAGES

IS THERE ENOUGH MONEY AT STAKE?

That lawyers charge a lot of money is almost a natural law, akin to gravity. In addition, businesses need to be valued by forensic accountants, bank accounts need to be unearthed, art appraisers need to look at your collection, and so forth. And that costs money.

“Jewelry, wine, coin collections, rare books, even Birkin bags have been tallied as assets,” says Sharma. “I had one client whose husband collected weird fireman paraphernalia.

And I had a client where the deal almost fell apart over who got to keep the dining room table. The marital assets were in excess of several million dollars.”

Grace Hightower is certainly making a go of it. Disappointed with her $6 million in property, $500,000 in cash, and $1 million alimony prenup, she is subpoenaing Robert De Niro’s financial records, arguing that she is entitled to $500 million made from his earnings during their marriage. (Perhaps she believes Meet the Fockers was a cash cow.)

One thing to note: there is no divorce until an action is filed.

Just one side needs to say that the marriage was irretrievably broken for six months. It’s not supposed to be romantic, and it isn’t.

SAVE THE DRAMA

Quibbling over the value of assets can be dicey in court.

Basically, you aren’t that special. Judges see cases from across the class spectrum in their courtroom, and who knows what they dealt with before you?

Last year, Manhattan Supreme Court justice Laura Drager ordered that the estranged Harry and Linda Macklowe must sell their top tier art holdings—which includes names like Giacometti, Koons, Warhol, and Rothko—and split the profits evenly, because they couldn’t agree on a value. (Harry put the price tag at $788 million, while Linda argued it was closer to $625 million.

It was in her interest to lowball the number after a judge ruled she could keep $39 million worth of the collection.)

In a way, divorce in the city is a lot like sex in the city. Yes, you should be aggressive and demand what you want, but it’s also best to stay cool about it, like you don’t care. All your acrimony may backfire on you, Macklowe style.

The level of feeling runs high in these cases, often among people who should know better.

Says Jewell: “Sometimes I’m like, ‘Really? You manage a desk at a Wall Street firm, and you can’t contain your emotions?’”

#1

JEFF & MACKENZIE BEZOS SETTLED 2019 Everything you ever bought on Amazon, MacKenzie got a cut

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THEUNCOM Social distancing can’t last forever!

As a service to our single readers, Zachary Weiss prepared this handy field guide to eligible New Yorkers.

Keep a copy

GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO Politico New York State’s 56th governor—who has become something of an unlikely matinee idol for his daytime television appearances during the crisis—is newly single and ready to mingle (six feet apart, of course).

in your pocket, so that when the summer season finally opens, ready to pounce.

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ANDREW CUOMO: IRA L. BLACK/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

you can be

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OMMITTED TINA LEUNG Frock Star A tasty fashion plate and fixture on the global fashion circuit, this influencer has been a close confidante to top designers since Instagram was “Insta-what?”

SAVANNAH ENGEL: PHOTOGRAPH BY SAVANNAH ENGEL; TINA LEUNG: COURTESY OF TINA LEUNG

THIS PHOTO MISSING IN HIGH RES FOLDER

SAVANNAH ENGEL Glamplifier No stranger to a dance floor or a front row, Engel runs her own fashion-focused PR firm with a contact list of friends and acquaintances reputed to be in the thousands.

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JACKIE ASTIER Statement Piece

EDOARDO FERRAGAMO Troubadour With debonair looks and an unmistakable surname, this grandson of Salvatore Ferragamo is bucking the family tradition of fashion design in search of a musical career under the moniker EDO.

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JACKIE ASTIER: PAUL BRUINOOGE/PATRICK MCMULLAN VIA GETTY IMAGES; EDOARDO FERRAGAMO: ROCHELLE BRODIN/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES

New York born and bred, Astier is equal parts uptown and down.

While designing her own collection of Astier NY statement pieces, she also lends a hand in the styling and creative direction for brands like J. Mendel.

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MORGAN RICHARDSON Lingerista

MORGAN RICHARDSON: BENJAMIN LOZOVSKY/BFA.COM

With a Harvard degree and a penchant for ballet, Richardson is equal parts poised and stylish. Following a gig at Oscar de la Renta, she’s recently decamped to La Perla lingerie to lead their North American expansion.

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JON NEIDICH Nightlife Nabob

VERONICA CHOU Eco-Warrior

This popular party person worked alongside André Balazs before founding Golden Age Hospitality, which created watering holes like The Happiest Hour, Slowly Shirley, Tijuana Picnic, ACME, and RAY’S. You can thank him in person.

VERONICA CHOU: DAVE BENETT/GETTY IMAGES FOR NINA RUNSDORF; JON NEIDICH: NEIL RASMUS/BFA.COM

The daughter of Hong Kong fashion magnate Silas Chou, this social fixture leading the charge in fashion sustainability as the creator of basics brand Everybody & Everyone, and is known for purchasing carbon credits to offset her frequent travels.

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ALEXANDRE ASSOULINE Book Bae

NAUSHEEN SHAH

NAUSHEEN SHAH: OSVALDO PONTON; ALEXANDRE ASSOULINE: ROMMEL DEMANO/BFA.COM

Stylista Impeccably dressed and dead set on the jet set, when not collaborating with top fashion brands, this stylist sylph can be spotted in street style snaps from London, Milan, Paris, and New York.

At 27, this pictureperfect publishing heir balances a breakneck Manhattan social calendar with helping to run his family’s storied book business.

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JACK SCHLOSSBERG Dashing Dynast

PRINCESS NOOR PAHLAVI

JFK’s grandson has dashing good looks, an Ivy League education, and rubs elbows with Clintons, Obamas, and Bezoses. Who wouldn’t want to be his Jackie?

The daughter of Iran’s crown prince Reza Pahlavi, this working royal loves a party as much as her role at the real estate firm Beachwold Residential, heading up their fundraising and investor relations.

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PRINCESS NOOR PAHLAVI: BENJAMIN LOZOVSKY/BFA.COM; JACK SCHLOSSBERG: NATHAN CONGLETON/NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBCUNIVERSAL VIA GETTY IMAGES

Working Royal

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ZANI GUGELMANN

ZANI GUGELMANN: ANGELA PHAM/BFA.COM

Designing Woman If she’s not flexing her philanthropic muscle for local causes like the New York Academy of Art and the Art Production Fund, Gugelmann is in her atelier, fashioning SANTO jewels inspired by (what else?) the soul.

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TYLER CLINTON Mannequin He may not have political aspirations like his uncle Bill and aunt Hillary, but he does spend plenty of time in front of the camera as a masculine mannequin repped by IMG.

FREDERIC ARNAULT Heir Head

TYLER CLINTON: KELLY TAUB/BFA.COM; FREDERIC ARNAULT: BERTRAND RINDOFF PETROFF/GETTY IMAGES

As strategy and digital director of TAG Heuer, the youngest member on our list perhaps has the heftiest title. At 25, Frederic is the latest member of the storied Arnault dynasty to take up an important role at one of the blue-chip brands in his family’s LVMH empire.

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ARIANA ROCKEFELLER: SAM BISSO

ARIANA ROCKEFELLER Stable Genius Training and competing around the world, this equestrian obsessive globe-trots alongside her team of horses.

When not making triple bars, she’s busy designing ready-to-wear clothes and accessories for her eponymous brand.

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SARAH COLEMAN If she’s not busy staying on her internet A-game as the creator behind @sexandtheziti, Coleman can be found taking shears to vintage designer bags and reworking them into everyday objects— from milk cartons to lighters—and selling them at posh shops around the world.

PETER BRANT JR. Flâneur The progeny of supermodel Stephanie Seymour and Peter Brant, there isn’t a glamorous soirée where Brant Jr and his younger brother, Harry, can’t be found— and they’ll always be dressed to the nines.

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SARAH COLEMAN: ZACH HILTY/BFA.COM; PETER BRANT JR.: LEV RADIN/PACIFIC PRESS/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES

Upcyclist

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EZRA WILLIAM Real Dish

ASHLEY WYNDHAM: COURTESY OF ASHLEY WYNDHAM BY JACQUES BURGA; EZRA WILLIAM: COURTESY OF EZRA WILLIAM

There’s no more room in this fashion fiend’s closet! He also collaborated with Cedric Vongerichten, son of Jean-Georges, on the opening of SoHo’s buzzy Indonesian-French eatery Wayan.

ASHLEY WYNDHAM Queen of Arts No stranger to a ball gown, this art expert also enjoys hanging at home in her midtown co-op decorated generously with modernist works.

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LIVING LIVING

GUTTER CREDITS TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK;

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GUTTER CREDITS TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK;

Season

This year, summer came early to the East End, writes Nancy Kane

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Normally, it’s Memorial Day weekend when the Hamptons’ peaceful hamlets swell with second-home owners opening their beachfront estates and renters heading to their tree-shaded cottages. But the unprecedented threat of coronavirus meant that 2020 will be remembered as the year the “summer season,” at least as it is traditionally experienced on the East End of Long Island, began in spring.

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OPENING SPREAD BY ERIC STIFFLER. HOME DESIGN BY BETTY WASSERMAN ART AND INTERIORS.

LIVING

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such as coffee to cases of Aperol and Gardiner’s Bay littleneck clams. Traffic on Route 27 surged, while beaches welcomed their first visitors (scru-

Oh give me a home, near the billionaires’ own, where the deer and the affluent play.

pulously social distancing six feet apart, of course), with only a few daring enough to take their first dip in the 45-degree waters of the Atlantic.

THIS SPREAD: JULIETTE CHARVET

At press time, the Hamptons were adapting to the situation, with some venues still working out how best to open for their customers. Even with the springtime restriction on gatherings, plans were in the works for a slate of new East End offerings to entice those interested in food, homes, gardens, and, of course, wellness.

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Growth Area

Edwina von Gal designs gardens that are sustainable, and healthy for the environment.

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PORTRAIT OF EDWINA VON GAL BY ERIC STRIFFLER; LANDSCAPE: ALLAN POLLOK-MORRIS

LIVING

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hen a landscape designer on a mission to save the Earth met a pair of local filmmakers who shared her vision, it was a match made in compost. East Hampton–based landscape designer Edwina von Gal (who has done the gardens of Calvin Klein, Ina Garten, and artist Cindy Sherman, to name a few) created the PRFCT Earth Project, a mission to encourage homeowners and landscapers to take a natural, toxin-free approach to their yards and gardens.

It was at a town hall meeting on the environ-

ment, of all places, that von Gal met Benjamin and Orson Cummings—award-winning filmmakers acclaimed for Killer Bees, their documentary looking at race, income inequality, and gentrification through the lens of the Bridgehampton High School championship basketball team. (The film was produced by Shaquille O’Neal and gallerist Larry Gagosian.) After hearing von Gal speak, the Brothers Cummings (as they are known professionally) proposed a television program that would spread the word. The result: A PRFCT Place, which will visit homeowners, including some of von Gal’s high-profile clients, and feature horticultural experts, who will demonstrate

Edwina von Gal amid the trees at “Woodlands,” the gardens of Vincent Covello and Carol Mandel in East Hampton, left.

At right, a boardwalk meanders through the salt marsh toward a dock and oyster farm at the noted gardener’s home on Accabonac Harbor.

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From left: An arch in Edwina von Gal’s vegetable garden; filmmaking brothers Benjamin and Orson Cummings; and an allée of hawthorn trees in a “wild garden” designed to attract bees in East Hampton.

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PORTRAIT OF BEN AND ORSON CUMMINGS BY ERIC STRIFFLER; LANDSCAPES: ALLAN POLLOK-MORRIS

LIVING

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simple techniques that can make any landscape not only beautiful, but safer for people, pets, and the planet. “Take clover, for example,” says von Gal, “Clover takes nitrogen from the air and puts it in your lawn, making it naturally greener without the need of fertilizer.”

Episodes will also stress the PRFCT Earth Project’s Ten Commitments, one of which is using native plants that provide food and shelter for insects and birds. Over the years, von Gal’s “Two Thirds for the Birds” initiative has gained the support of Bette Midler and addresses massive bird die-offs. According to the Audubon Society, an estimated three billion North American

birds have been lost since the 1970s due to habitat loss in yards where pesticides are prevalent. “Our landscapes have become food deserts for birds and the insects they need to feed their young,” says von Gal. The idea behind her program is to get people to plant at least two-thirds of their yards with native vegetation to bring them back.

Promising a “not your run-of-the-mill gardening show,” Orson Cummings tells Avenue: “We can do this in a very entertaining way, but we realize the stakes are high. If we don’t make changes to preserve the diversity of all the species in our yards, we face an existential threat for the human race. Edwina is the perfect messenger.”

“Our landscapes have become food deserts for birds and the insects they need to feed their young.”

—Edwina von Gal

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From left: Fresh-baked baguettes and croissants at Armin and Judy; and grilled salmon being served up, and up close, at Dopo La Spiaggia,

by Maurizio Marfoglia.

Glorious Food East End restaurants have adopted innovative responses to dining in the age of social distancing.

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e feel it’s a restaurant for expats,” says Judy Bellova, one half of Armin and Judy, the newest restaurant to open in the former Almond space on Montauk Highway, in Bridgehampton. The French restaurant, which Bellova describes as Basque-inspired with Mediterranean influences, aims to give Pierre’s a run for its money.

The eatery features a bakery on is lower level, Le Quignon, where their “mother dough” 36-hour fermented sourdough baguettes have been flying out the door faster than one can say bonjour.

COURTESY OF ARMIN & JUDY; PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC STRIFFLER

LIVING

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“The heart and soul of the restaurant is the bakery below,” says Bellova. “It’s a huge inspiration for the menu as well as a destination unto itself.” Think creative twists on classics: a lemon tart layered with three different kinds of lemons, caramel-passion fruit pastry, and a deconstructed Black Forest cake. “And baguettes, brioches, and croissants like you find in Paris.”

Judy and her husband, Armin, serve up farmto-table cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all year long, serving the growing number of year-round residents who’ve migrated from New York and other cities. Their simple but creative dishes are made with locally sourced ingredients,

including Acabonac Farms grass-fed beef, fresh catches of the day from Montauk Fish Dock, and an abundance of oysters harvested from the waters of the East End. Meanwhile, the dream team behind East Hampton’s Dopo La Spiaggia has taken over the former Silvers space on Main Street in Southampton. Silvers, which opened as a cigar store in 1923, will become Dopo Argento (Italian for “after silver”).

Quintessential Italian fish and meat dishes and homemade pastas that draw legions of fans to their other locations in Sag Harbor and East Hampton will be offered here, as well as fresh burrata and cherry tomatoes, scallop

crudo, and spicy tuna tartare.

Co-owner Maurizio Marfoglia adds, “We have dishes with a light Italian touch, a full inventive wine list, and a beautiful spot on Southampton’s Main Street.”

As for the ambience, “the windows and décor will feature lots of plants and herbs, very light and airy,” says co-owner Maria Baum, adding that the eatery will offer both indoor and alfresco dining in the style of a 1950s Italian ristorante.

With a sophisticated bar, Dopo Argento is a stone’s throw from the Southampton Arts Center, making it perfect for a post-event aperitif.

Bravo!

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TOP CHEF TAKEOUT Curbside deliverables from left: Chef Michael Rozzi of 1770 House Restaurant & Inn with his signature Montauk fluke tartare; Wagyu New York strip steak with brussels sprouts and gorgonzola polenta at Nick and Toni’s; and chicken curry at Le Charlot.

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arlier this spring, many restaurants closed their dining rooms but not their kitchens. Instead, they pivoted to curbside delivery, taking credit cards over the phone to limit personal contact.

East Hampton’s well-regarded Dopo La Spiaggia launched

Dopo Gogo, a menu whose most popular item we hear is the seared salmon with farro and pea puree.

Nick and Toni's, an East Hampton favorite since 1988, saw patrons lining up for Wagyu New York strip with gorgonzola polenta. It also allowed patrons the option of making a donation to those in need, in lieu of

leaving a gratuity.

Chef Michael Rozzi of East Hampton’s 1770 House Restaurant & Inn stepped up his game with crowd-pleasers to go such as spicy Montauk fluke tartare with pickled cucumber.

Meanwhile Le Charlot, in the middle of Main Street in Southampton, offered its signature French fare to be enjoyed at home.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC STRIFFLER

LIVING

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STILL HUNGRY?

Ian Duke and David

Hilty (owners of Southampton Social Club), who closed Union Cantina on Bowden Square in Southampton, moved their Union Burger Bar into its space this past spring. Next, they’ll open Union Steak & Sushi, all

housed in the historic building on Monument Square that once was famed Herb McCarthy’s.

The folks behind Highway Restaurant and Bar in East Hampton will take over the Indian Wells Tavern on Amagansett’s Main Street, keeping to a tavern theme with an updated cocktail menu.

Tony Fortuna’s Upper East Side hangout, T Bar, will return to Southampton, and other favorites such as Le Bilboquet on the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor and Moby’s at East Hampton Point, as well as Montauk favorites Crow’s Nest and Scarpetta Beach at Gurney’s, are all returning.

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I Peace Out

Soothing spas where the (Michelin) stars align.

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n addition to the calming waves of the Atlantic, there are a few perfect places to find serenity on the East End. Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill features “Signature Reset Retreats”—allinclusive overnight or by-the-day programs that are filled with yoga, meditation, beach walks, sound baths, breath work, and more. Here you are encouraged to try an Earth & Sea Body Scrub, Shiatsu Massage, or Watsu Therapy, or immerse yourself in a Sacred Sound Journey or Crystal Healing.

Facilities include infrared and dry saunas, steam rooms, plunge pools, and an “experience” shower, which blends color, light, and sound

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC STRIFFLER

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with water to relieve tension. The Ice Fountain, when contrasted with the heat of the body, promises benefits to the immune system.

Craniosacral Therapy prompts the body to repair old injuries, while a Purity of the Moment restores and purifies your natural energy. Hydrotherapy treatments area tonic for the skin, and will set you nicely for a post-treatment drink.

At Shou Sugi Ban House, Michelin-starred chef Mads Refslund offers plant-based dishes and cooking demonstrations. Overnight accommodations feature in-room fireplaces and minimalist comfort. You may find it hard to leave.

At picture-perfect Onda in Sag Harbor, which was cofounded by Naomi Watts, several in-house

treatments can ease worried minds and troubled bodies. Making good use of a beautiful back garden and adjacent treatment rooms, the allnatural beauty boutique offers such healing therapies as the Revive Facial, which includes a facial massage to reset and restore balance. The CBD Wellness Experience Massage (using locally grown hemp) promises to melt away tension and relieve insomnia and headaches.

For those curious about the future, Christiana McMahon offers intuitive readings. Follow it up with a soothing Reiki massage and a chakra realignment.

And if you pass any of Naomi’s famous friends on the way in, we trust you not to stare.

Rosemary aromatherapy, hot stone massage, and meditation at Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill.

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A Village

Person

An architect embraces the Hamptons’ small-town charm.

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nyone who’s ever crossed the scenic bridge from North Haven to Sag Harbor has seen the dilapidated former home of Bruce Davis, the late founder of 1-800 Lawyers.

Eyesore, no more.

After years of stalemates with the Architetural Review Board, architect Andre Kikoski and developer Jay Bialsky will unveil 2 West Water Street this fall, and the village, known for its opposition to change, is embracing this transformative residential project.

It began when Bialsky asked his friend to look over plans for the project from three other architects. Kikoski, whose designs include 75 Kenmare Street and the interiors of One Hudson Yards in

JEAN-FRANCOIS GOYETTE FOR ANDRE KIKOSKI AND WATER STREET

LIVING

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Manhattan, thought he could solve the problems that had held up approval. Bialsky listened to his ideas and hired him on the spot.

“I wanted to study the history and architecture of this beautiful historical gem,” Kikoski says of Sag Harbor. “The village’s oldest building was occupied by troops during the revolutionary war—you don’t find this kind of architecture just anywhere.”

Kikoski decided he needed to really look at the DNA of the village, a place he has loved for 25 years.

“My 17-year-old son was a little tyke when we went to the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum and marveled at objects like scissors and eye-glasses. These were made here!” says the architect, who has been summering in East Hampton since the mid-nineties.

Citing his deep reverence for its charm (the Old

Whalers Church he said was “the most beautiful shingled building in the country”), he designed 2 West Water Street to honor the past while embracing how people live now. Each of the three-level residences will feature open and airy interiors with floor-to-ceiling walls of glass with harbor views, as well as expansive roof decks, plunge pools, and other resort-style amenities.

“This is the tallest building in Sag Harbor in more than a hundred years,” he says. “That is not lost on me.”

2 West Water Street stands next to the new John Steinbeck Waterfront Park, named after the author, who had a home in the village.

“I’d like this to be my love letter to Sag Harbor,” said Kikoski.

Architect Andre Kikoski’s latest project, 2 West Water Street in Sag Harbor, is slated to be unveiled this fall.

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F Found

Property “South Hampton Bays?”

Sure, why not.

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or many Hamptons’ homehunters, anything that isn’t “South of the Highway” just isn’t desirable. So, the new Hampton Boathouses—being not only north of the highway but also west of the Shinnecock Canal—may seem like a risky venture.

But Rechler Equity Partners believes the 30 or so charming two- and three-bedroom townhomes will lure those seeking sunset views, onthe-water living, and a turnkey way of life. Using the address of South Hampton Bays (which some locals might regard, to put it politely, as an innovation), the three-story, elevator-equipped homes, built on either side of the historic canal, range in price from $1.5 million to $2.5 million. They come complete with a private marina with docking privileges. Shared

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amenities include a waterfront pool and private dock, and residents enjoy access to the refurbished Canoe Place Inn, a historic property that has been reborn as a 20-room boutique hotel and restaurant. The new construction preserves the 1927 inn, dance pavilion, and the half-round “porch” expansion, as well as the second-floor porches and tall brick chimneys.

In its heyday, the Canoe Place Inn hosted dignitaries and presidents, among them FDR, while Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz are known to have rented one of the bungalows out back. Rum was run along the shores, making this place positively light up during Prohibition. It is rumored that a popular cocktail, known as the Long Island Iced Tea, was first crafted here during a later incarnation, when the inn was a nightclub known as the Oak Beach Inn East.

Hampton Boathouses, a suite of charming townhomes being built just west of the Shinnecock Canal.

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NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT

Bohemian Rhapsody NoHo, a downtown micro-neighborhood sandwiched between the East and West Villages, manages to be cooler (and more expensive) than both.

Joshua David Stein goes exploring.

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or decades, NoHo—a cluster of blocks that gets its name from being North of Houston—was known simply as the Warehouse District. Its industrial buildings were once filled with dry goods merchants and housed the area’s thriving class of artisans and skilled manual workers.

Now the only remnants of that era are the industrial-chic touches in brand-new condominium developments like the new 40 Bleecker and 10 Bond Streets.

Chockablock with boutiques and some of the city’s best restaurants, NoHo has become the crown jewel of lower Manhattan.

On its signal streets—Great Jones, Bond, West 4th, and Bleecker—vestigial cobblestones contrast with strikingly modern architecture. It all forms an attractive backdrop for the community of successful artists and creatives who emerge in the springtime, to sit in outdoor patios, browse and kibitz.

The Smile | Ever since Carlos Quirarte and Matt Kliegman

opened this warm subterranean room back in 2009, it’s been filled with the sort of creatives who seemed to have wafted out of bed a few moments before. During the day, toothsome, flaxen-haired lasses commune with men with impeccably rusticated beards over small plates of smashed avocado toast in a wood-lined room. At night, chef Melia Marden, daughter of Brice Marden, serves comforting, Mediterranean-inspired dishes like roast balsamic-glazed chicken and a quinoa and root vegetable bowl studded with crispy chickpeas and gilded with turmeric yogurt.

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of Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness brand is in NoHo. Modeled after a 1920s Hollywood home, with gold accents and a marble sink, the shelves of the 2,100-square-foot store are filled with Goop must-haves including its notorious “This Smells Like My Vagina” candle, plus vitamin packets like Madame Ovary and The Mother Load. Shoppers can also find leather shorts and chenille hoodie sweaters, as well as other salutary ephemera like yoga mats, foam rollers, and Elvie, a Bluetooth-controlled pelvic floor exercising device.

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DOWNTOWN ABBEY Ian Schrager’s 40 Bond Street stands out on this thoroughfare of hip shops and residential buildings with its facade of pre-patinated copper and mirrorpolish stainless steel.

BRIAN EDEN

Goop | Of course New York’s first brick-and-mortar outpost

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LIVING

Il Buco and Il Buco Alimentari | For the last twenty-five

years, restaurateur Donna Lennard has conjured the spirit of Umbria from her small Bond Street restaurant. Some of the city’s best chefs have passed through the kitchen, from Ignacio Mattos to Sara Jenkins to Justin Smillie, each creating Italian- and Spanish-inspired dishes that emphasize highquality ingredients and artisan producers. Today, there are two Il Bucos: the original location on Bond, which radiates bonhomie at night, and the all-day alimentari on Great Jones with its admirable bread program and displays of house-made salumi and imported cheeses, salts, and oils.

Broadway is not only the address of a venerable, multi-tenant building that has stood for over 100 years (Brooks Brothers clothing was once sold and manufactured there; now it has an Equinox gym), but also the name of a new private club that occupies its upper two floors. Founded by Scott Sartiano (a partner in Butter Group, creator of the 1Oak nightclub empire), Zero Bond aims to be a smaller, hipper version of clubs like Soho House. Although its scheduled spring opening was impacted by the pandemic, once life returns to normal expect it to be the prestige members-only downtown venue for a handselected mix of fashion and entertainment creatives, artists, athletes, and business leaders.

The Jones | For decades, The Great Jones Diner was a slightly ragged, Creole-tinged bar for NoHo’s artistic set. Its décor might have been charitably be described as French Quarter chic, with Mardi Gras beads and an Elvis bust. But since restaurateur Gabriel Stulman relaunched the place last year, it has become another oasis of lightly rustic, highly Instagrammable virtuous lifestyle. Thankfully the menu isn’t too ascetic, featuring the city’s best Filet-O-Fish sandwich, as well as fresh crudos and ceviches—a fluke with coconut milk, chili, and mint is a revelation—from chef Jack Harris.

LOCAL GEMS Clockwise from top left: a dish of black bass bouillabaisse served at Lafayette, a Belle Epoque-style brasserie and NoHo favorite; restaurateur Gabriel Stulman, left, sits with business partner and executive chef Jack Harris outside their new eatery, the Jones, an affectionate revamp of the iconic Great Jones Cafe once frequented

by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Madonna; the beloved Italian Il Buco, with its eccentric countryantique-store interior; jewelry designer Mish Tworkowski in his NoHo boutique, with gem-like interiors by the decorator Ina Lindemann.

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Mish | The atelier of haute jeweler Mish Tworkowski is as opulent as his creations. Tucked behind a set of lavendercolored doors, the space features walls hand-painted to resemble petrified wood; tufted sofas, art deco settees, and pale suede walls. All this complements Mish’s intricate jewelry— coral cabochons, South Sea pearls, precious and semi-precious stones—which are frequently found on the fingers of the famous and fabulous.

Atla | Let Cosme, Enrique Olvera’s award-winning restaurant in the Flatiron, have the gravitas. Atla, its younger, hipper sister, is where the party’s at. Helmed by Daniela Soto-Innes, San Pellegrino’s 2019’s Best Female Chef, Atla’s kitchen churns out plates of bright, herby guacamole hiding under crisp purple tortillas, cauliflower al pastor tacos, and flaxseed chilaquiles to a stylish crowd basking in the sun streaming through the large windows and the club-like vibe at night. The bar’s list of mezcals, rarefied and voluminous, is among the most interesting north of Houston, or the border.

Lafayette | Chef Andrew Carmellini’s version of a Parisian

grand café occupies the cornerstone of Noho and is, fittingly, the epicenter of the community. In the mornings, regulars fill the bakery for croissants, coffee, and fresh juices. By lunch they move to the graceful leather banquettes in the plant-

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Zero Bond | This marketing-friendly rebranding of 670

LAFAYETTE RESTAURANT: NOAH FECKS AND PAUL WAGTOUICZ, THE JONES: STEFANO UKMAR, MISH BOND: JOSHUA MCHUGH, IL BUCO: JASON KEMPIN/WIREIMAGE/GETTY

For the last 25 years, restaurateur Donna Lennard has conjured the spirit of Umbria from her small Bond Street restaurant.

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Showfields | Have you ever seen an advertisement for a utopian-seeming online product that’s so vague, you’re not quite sure what it is? Whether it’s eyeglasses or cryptocurrency or a new dating app? Find out at Showfields, a “revolutionary” retail market of start-up brands. Here you’ll find the directto-consumer like Quip and Buffy and Sum, which sell toothbrushes, comforters, and phone chargers, respectively.

Each brand is represented in a little tableau, not unlike the American Museum of Natural History, but for future-tech instead of dinosaurs.

Levain | It used to be you’d have to travel above 14th street

for the city’s gooiest, densest, most addictive cookie. No longer. For the last twenty years, Levain Bakery has done a small number of large things very well. Their four cookies— Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip—were over-the-top, puppy-sized gut bombs that undid a year at the gym in one sitting. They are worth it. But the opening of their new NoHo bakery brought with it the introduction of a new flavor, the Two Chip, a double-chipped chocolate cookie that has already drawn long lines along Lafayette.

Overthrow | One of the first of the new breed of boxing gyms geared not toward grizzled fighters but lithesome fashionistas, Overthrow carefully cultivates a punk pugilistic aesthetic from the former headquarters of the Yippies, the Youth International Party led by Abbie Hoffman. Today, the party of youth is still happening, although perhaps not in the way Hoffman envisioned. The ground floor is artfully covered in graffiti, and the gift shop selling $80 “420” boxing gloves.

But in the ring where sparring still goes down and along the long aisles of heavy bags where models and hipsters practice their jabs, real work is done, tears well, sweat flies, and there’s even the occasional trickle of blood.

10 Bond Street | This boutique residence is a modern

BOHO NOHO Clockwise from top left: the terra-cotta and steel facade of the white-hot condo building 10 Bond Street, designed by Annabelle Selldorf; Overthrow Boxing Club delights in putting noses out of joint; Showfields, with its revolving inventory of innovative brands, aims to be ‘the most interesting store in the world’; Tal Zvi Nathanel, CEO and curator of Showfields.

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interpretation of the loft spaces for which the neighborhood is known. Designed by renowned architect Annabelle Selldorf, the building’s 12 units offer a mix of floor plans including a penthouse and townhouse. The minimalist aesthetic— Douglas-fir floors, bathrooms laid with white marble, and eight-foot windows—caught the eye of supermodel Gigi Hadid, who reportedly bought into the building in 2016.

40 Bleecker Street | The most eye-opening amenities

offered in this 2019 development may come from its retail tenant, Clean Market, a wellness concept whose services almost sound like medical treatments. For example, building residents can avail themselves of in-home intravenous vitamin drips as well as delectations delivered from the organic cafe, although other services (like cryotherapy and infrared saunas) are presumably less portable. The strikingly contemporary facade contains interiors designed by Ryan Korban that evoke the serenity of a five-star hotel spa.

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and-brass-filled room (designed by Roman & Williams) and at night, they occupy the bar. Carmellini, of Locanda Verde fame, tilts toward France, with a standout brisket burger with mushroom duxelles, plats de mer overflowing with oysters, shrimp, clams, and lobster, and riffs on rarely seen classics like scallops Veronique.

10 BOND STREET: PHOTO BY NICHOLAS VENEZIA/COURTESY OF SELLDORF ARCHITECTS, OVERTHROW BOXING: JENNY JONES/GETTY IMAGES, SHOWFIELDS, TAL ZVI NATHANEL: EITAN GAMLIELI, EACH&EVERY: EITAN GAMLIELI

Overthrow is one of the first of the new breed of boxing gyms geared towards lithesome fashionistas.

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EVERETT COLLECTION HISTORICAL/ALAMY

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NOTORIOUS NEW YORKERS

The Man Who Organized Crime How Arnold “the Brain” Rothstein modernized the mob.

BY ANGELA M.H. SCHUSTER

Mob boss Arnold Rothstein takes care of business in his New York City office.

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h ile legendar y mob kingpins such as Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Seigel, and Charles “Lucky” Luciano have come to dominate gangster lore, it was Arnold Rothstein who, in the early years of the twentieth century, put the “organization” in organized crime.

Rothstein was the first to treat his criminal dealings as “big business,” with attention paid to every detail. “He literally transformed organized crime from a thuggish activity carried out by hoodlums, into…a corporation, with himself at the top,” says crime writer Leo Katcher.

Long before his exploits were immortalized in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, the notorious crime boss served as inspiration for the shady Meyer Wolfsheim in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Like his fictional counterpart in the novel, Rothstein is rumored to have orchestrated the “Black Sox Scandal” in which eight paid-off players from the Chicago White Sox threw the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, creating a windfall for bookies in on the scheme.

Nicknamed “the Brain,” Rothstein was a gambler, racketeer, bootlegger, and drug lord who quickly rose through the ranks of New York’s Jewish mafia. It was an unlikely career path for a man born in 1882 to Abraham Rothstein, a prominent Manhattan businessman and philanthropist, so beloved within the Jewish community he was known as “Abe the Just.” (Taking a different path, Rothstein’s older brother, Harry, would become a respected rabbi.)

But upholding family tradition was of little interest to “the Brain,” who chose to devote his intellectual gifts to calculating the odds in poker and craps, strategizing—and profiting from— games based on luck.

Over time, he expanded his portfolio, channeling his ill-gotten gains into loan sharking ventures, horse races, and ultimately the establishment of his own casino in midtown Manhattan.

By the early 1910s, he was raking in cash, which afforded Rothstein and his new bride—a former showgirl named Carolyn Green—a lavish lifestyle.

By his thirtieth birthday in 1912, Rothstein was a millionaire. He also had begun to groom a new

generation of business-minded mobsters, among them Luciano and Lansky as well as Jack “Legs” Diamond, Frank Costello, and Dutch Schultz. The founding father of organized crime soon found himself in a prime position to mediate disputes between New York’s rival gangs, and became an interface between legit businesses and the underworld, earning him a prominent place at the table at Tammany Hall.

But Rothstein’s greatest opportunity would come with the establishment of Prohibition in January 1920. As Vanity Fair contributing editor Rich Cohen wrote in his 2013 book Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons, and Gangster Dreams, Rothstein was the first to see Prohibition as a means by which to amass enormous wealth.

He opened supply lines to Canada via the Hudson River and across the Great Lakes, delivering his booze through a fleet of rumrunners that serviced clients throughout New England. “[He] understood the truths of early twentieth-century capitalism,” says Cohen, “giving people what they want—and came to dominate them.”

Rothstein would later expand his moodenhancing offerings to include heroin imported from Europe and cocaine from Latin America.

But all good things must come to an end. And Rothstein’s demise was nearly as dramatic as his meteoric rise.

He died on November 6, 1928, having succumbed to a gunshot wound inflicted two days earlier during a “business meeting” at the Park Central Hotel on Seventh Avenue. He paid the ultimate price for failing to pony up monies lost in a rigged poker game the previous month. During the game, he purportedly lost $320,000 (nearly $5 million in today’s money) during three days of play.

On his deathbed, Rothstein, in true mob fashion, refused to name his killer, according to historian Selwyn Raab, author of Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires. He responded to police inquiries with “You stick to your trade. I’ll stick to mine.”

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SEEN May–June 2020 Hannah Bronfman

House Parties

Larry Milstein

Igee Okafor

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Serena Kerrigan

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF CONTRIBUTOR: IGEE OKAFOR BY SIMI VIJAY, SERENA KERRIGAN BY BREDNER PEGUERO

New York’s party scene shut down in March, when the population was ordered to stay at home. But friends were still able to share their at-home lifestyles on social media, as they spent time with family, practiced self-care, and sheltered in place.

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ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF CONTRIBUTOR: CIPRIANA QUANN BY TERRY GATES

Athena Calderone and family

Cipriana Quann

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Ido Nivron and Eden Grinshpan

Julia Moshy

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Roopal Patel

Claire Olshan

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Krystal Bick

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF CONTRIBUTOR

Lilliana Vazquez

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Nicky Rothschild

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Casey Fremont and family

Wes Gordon

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Melissa Wood-Tepperberg and family

Sofia Sanchez de Betak

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SOCIAL SKILLS

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My To-Don’t List

ith all the extra hours we have on our hands by keeping indoors, so many of my friends have dived headfirst into s elf-improvement. They’re taking up needlepoint; reading Proust; making needlepoints of Proust. That’s all right for some—but optimizing every moment with a hobby or by learning a new skill isn’t for everybody. If the lesson is that our time is valuable, maybe it’s also worthwhile to identify the pastimes that are best left to others:

BY POSEY WILT

n SUBSCRIBE TO MASTERCLASS I’m not sure I’ll ever take a photograph like Annie Leibovitz, no matter how many online classes I take.

And 30 episodes of Martin Scorsese teaching filmmaking? I sat through The Irishman, I’ve done my time. n TAKE UP KNITTING We’re in quarantine, for goodness’ sake, not Manitoba. n WATCH THOSE DREARY LORD OF THE RINGS FILMS If I want to watch nine hours of hobbits chasing a ring, I’ll turn on The Bachelor. n GET INTO PODCASTS Apparently these days the kids make playlists of themselves talking, instead of music? Remind me to check that out, like, never. n MEDITATE MORE OFTEN Honey, I was born with an empty head. n BAKE SOURDOUGH FOR SOCIAL MEDIA I feel like I’m more on the demand side of carbs than the supply side? Unfortunately, midnight bread binges don’t make for such cute Instagram stories. n LEARN A TIKTOK DANCE It’s not beneath my dignity to compete with a 10-year-old for attention…but it is to lose to one.

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n READ INFINITE JEST Literally every guy I meet on Bumble wants to talk about this book, so I feel like I already have it covered.

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Between Bay & Beach in Amagansett Gary R. DePersia Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker m 516.380.0538 | gdp@corcoran.com

Amagansett. Close to all that makes Amagansett a world class destination, a McDonough & Conroy designed 6 bedroom, 7 bath gambrel, with interiors by Celerie Kemble has just come on the market for sale. Perched high on a beautifully landscaped 2.25 acre parcel, this 7,000 SF +/- residence offers masterful construction and impressive symmetry on three levels of living space. The journey begins as a double-height paneled entry welcomes you into a sun drenched environment over richly stained oak floors. Spread out before you is the great room with coffered 11’ ceilings, fireplace and a wet bar. Turn right, past a powder room, into the handsome formal dining room with paneled walls, chunky moldings and grass cloth highlights. The heart and soul of your days will happen in the expansive kitchen, professionally equipped and bolstered by a butler’s pantry leading to the dining room. The kitchen flows seamlessly into the familyroom which has beamed 20’ ceilings, wainscoted paneling and a large flat screen TV above the handsome fireplace. French doors open from here to the screened outdoor living room that overlooks the pool and grounds, An expansive master suite with fireplace, his/her closets and luxurious bath with heated floors, steam shower and jacuzzi completes the first level. Upstairs, a second fireplaced master bedroom with private terrace and similar amenities reigns over 3 additional ensuite bedrooms, plus laundry room. The finished lower level offers recreational and media rooms, full bath, staff lounge, a second laundry room and a heated and tiled garage. The tiered 2.25 acre property includes handsome stone walls and colorful landscaping which frames the heated Gunite pool, spa and expansive slate patios. Completing this offering is a full audio/visual package, dumbwaiter from garage area to kitchen, security and sprinkler systems, whole-house generator and convenient remote to control the pool and spa from anywhere. With the village of Amagansett nearby and its sandy white ocean beaches just beyond, this beautifully articulated offering awaits your private tour today.

Exclusive. $3.795M WEB# 482005 Real estate agents affiliated with The Corcoran Group are independent contractors and are not employees of The Corcoran Group. Equal Housing Opportunity. The Corcoran Group is a licensed real estate broker located at 660 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10065. All listing phone numbers indicate listing agent direct line unless otherwise noted. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Corcoran makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice. All dimensions provided are approximate. To obtain exact dimensions, Corcoran advises you to hire a qualified architect or engineer.

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461 Park Avenue at 57th Street, New York, NY 10022 646-905-8733

RICHARD JAMES SPORT 0520.indd 136

Online store www.rj-london.com

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