The couple have added bedrooms and are updating the bathrooms, but are still keeping the original footprint of the furniture. As much as Gruss loves color in her own designs, the colors of the Hamptons house are neutral in tone. Nature, she explains, provides the colors—the ocean, sky and grass. “The way Norman Jaffe designed the house, he was using the land and the way it moved,” she says. Their life out there, she says, is lovely. While Joshua has trouble sitting still, Shoshanna says her natural tendency is to lounge by the pool with a good book. They rise early but try to schedule as little as possible. While they love the ocean, they also enjoy the bay beaches, especially one in Napeague, “where my husband can walk the flats chasing the fish, and my daughter and I catch crabs, shrimp and minnows, and collect ‘pirates gold,’ and my favorite, sea glass,” Shoshanna says. “I’m a nature girl. Nothing grosses me out.” A favorite escape is a late lunch at Sunset Beach on Shelter Island. “Josh is a great captain and always manages to find a school of fish or some kind of awesome ocean discovery.” Shoshanna says. “We swim, do flips off the high part of the boat and then dock on the shores of the island, swimming up to the restaurant with our clothes piled on our heads to keep them dry.” As entertainers, Ylvisaker says, Shoshanna and Josh could not be less Gatsby-like. No lavish parties for them; at most they will have just a few friends over. “They are the most relaxed, unassuming couple,” she says. “They don’t put on any airs whatsoever.” Meyer agrees that Shoshanna is nothing if not down-toearth. “She has such a generosity about her. An easy-goingness that you don’t get with many people. She makes time for her friends. She is an incredible mom. And she will stop at nothing to protect the people she loves. She is also very secretive. So when she confides in you, you know she would trust you with her life.” Shoshanna likes to keep things simple which is why she loves spending time on the East End. Their life there has had a huge influence on her swimwear and clothing designs. “I know they are appropriate for any situation you might find yourself in out there,” she says. “The fabrics, the colors, and cuts are inspired by and directly related to the Hamptons lifestyle. I’m just glad they sell well all over the rest of the country too.” Yes, her now-15-year-old company is in 400 stores, both the department and specialty categories. “I work like crazy in May and June so that I can truly vacation when my family does,” says the committed mother. “When my daughter is home from camp, the BlackBerry is out of my hand. I always tell the people who work for me, if it’s an emergency, call me. But there are very few emergencies in my business, so usually they just call with fun news like when our dress was on the cover of WWD or when Stacy Keibler wore our dress to meet George Clooney’s mom and dad.” Gruss’s design philosophy? “It’s a reflection of my life,” she says. “When I first started, I was all about ‘going out.’ Now it’s more about daywear.” She says she doesn’t really follow trends, but draws inspiration from New York and her travels. “I’d say the look is sort of classy, preppy, ‘uptown meets downtown,’” she says. “I also tend to look at eras when the body was more curvaceous.” There’s no particular designer Gruss compares herself to, but Carolina Herrera is an ongoing inspiration. Gruss is especially pleased that Herrera and her daughter Patricia, an old friend, are sponsoring the fall party for MSKCC. This is Shoshanna’s first year as chairman of the Hospital’s associates committee, and she describes her long-time involvement as a rewarding endeavor. “We pledged to raise $2 million for the housing endowment, and we raised it in three years,” she says with deserved pride. She does much more than mere fundraising—getting hold of prom attire for the pediatric prom, handing out candy for the Valentine’s Day party and visiting the hospital as much as she can. A self-described voracious reader, Gruss even attends seminars at Sloan, to learn as much as possible about an obviously important subject. And she is deeply touched by the stories that she hears there, tearing up when cancer survivors speak. “I’m a need-to-knower,” she says, chalking up that part of her personality to the fact that her parents were Holocaust survivors, and revealing just a little bit of the worry wart that lies beneath her easy smile and lovely life. ✦
“[At the beach in Napeague,] my husband can walk the flats chasing the fish, and my daughter and I catch crabs, shrimp and minnows, and collect ‘pirates gold,’ and my favorite, sea glass. I’m a nature girl. Nothing grosses me out.” —Shoshanna Gruss
Opposite page: Gruss wears her own design; a Washed Crepe de Chine Mabrey combo maxi dress by Shoshanna, available from www.shoshanna.com. Irene Neuwirth 18kt yellow gold necklace with rose cut pear shape rainbow moonstone and diamond pave pendant. Earrings are Irene Neuwirth 18kt yellow gold earrings with large tear drop mint chrysoprase and rose cut diamonds. Both designs are available at Barneys New York, 660 Madison Avenue, 212.826.8900. Gold wedding band is Gruss’ own. 78 | AVENUE ON THE BEACH • JUNE 2013