It begins with me.
It’s that time now.
Not even ten days to Christmas.
Single digits left in December, and counting. Things slowing down as much as they speed up.
Driving past houses and through entire neighborhoods, I’m starting to feel the population as a whole lean toward that collective gesture which the holidays bring to bear. I search for it window by window. Whole cities turning inward, turning toward each other - what the Christians call the passing of the peace.
“And also with you.”
Christian, Jews, Muslim, etc. etc. Under the sky, across the rolling fields of the Republic, what’s it matter the denomination? As a Nation we move this month like a common flock towards decency, toward kindness, in general. And as I age “in general” means more to me. The most benefit for the greatest number. The widest distribution of affection.
I don’t mind if it’s a little hackneyed, a little commercial, a little heavy on the marketing end. What I feel is the moral earth shift. The tectonics of kindness lean slightly toward love. Day by dwindling day, minute by minute when you decide to hold the door for the stranger more than a couple steps behind, when you choose to embrace the old friend who hasn’t returned your call in an age, when you watch the year tick down and every moment seems to contain the question, the possibility of transformation: I will cherish this point in my life. I will lend some light, some hope, to someone today.
If there’s not a core truth to this season then why does it pester us so??
Why shouldn’t we feel a little guilt? And why shouldn’t it nudge us toward love? To quote Paul McCartney, “What’s wrong with that?”
What might be the greatest miracle at the heart of all the great religions is that they ask for irrational poverty. They’re relentless in their critique of the practicalities of wealth. How wealth creates it’s own “reason”. It’s own ecology of selfish thinking.
What I find amazing is that still, thousands of years later, we blush hearing the truth of that critique. And maybe we hear it best about now. We know rapacity doesn’t work, that it’s cruel, and that humans are only exalted by cooperative action. We sing best together.
(And forgive the pronoun, though written by a woman) -“What can I bring him, poor as I am..?”
Ourselves, gestures of generosity in the full figure, praise.
I think that’s what I feel during Christmas. Praise. Thanks. To some God somewhere who keeps speaking to us regardless of our faith. Ladders up to the same heaven.
In The Bleak Midwinter. And yet so damn gorgeous.
When I decided to publish a magazine five years ago, I had five basic goals in mind: first, to provide worthy exposure to charitable causes and organizations that were deemed not “sexy” enough to be covered by main stream media; second, to spotlight exceptional small businesses and talents that do not have the marketing budgets of their larger, more powerful competitors; third, to draw attention to and discuss important sociocultural issues with some depth and literary sophistication; four, to infuse “art” and storytelling back into magazine publishing through features and photography; lastly, to fuse real estate (which pays for all these) and lifestyle into one concept.
I knew it wouldn’t be easy. People are used to being served masticated coverage–simplistic ones–designed to be easily understood and/or recognized. But in my opinion, this dumbing down of things we read, see and hear creates a dumb world where everything has to be taken literally...all because people have gotten too lazy to think. And that is a travesty. It is an insult to all the legendary artists, poets, philosophers and scientists who have shown us that it is the combination of deep thought and deep passion that furthers our future and enriches our experiences in this thing called life.
In five years, we saw our own magazine evolve. The fastest growth came in the first few months when we acquired immediate, avid global readership and following. We’ve also had some difficult moments. We lost all files and images from our previous issues in a hard drive crash, and the back-up drive overheated and got erased. Or the time my bag, which contained a year’s worth of written interviews, notes and tape recordings, was stolen during a photo shoot.
We’ve lost our way at times, too; times when we let our commercial needs drive what we produced. The magazine was in danger of losing its soul, so we took a necessary sabbatical. It was the right thing to do. Since then we’ve become more focused. Today, our family of collaborators, contributing editors, and writers all value depth and quality as much as we do. And that makes all the difference.
This issue leads off with our cover, Broadway superstar Ramin Karimloo who shares an in-depth look at the life of an actor, while Romantica’s Ben Kyle recounts the making of Shadowlands and his battle with a debilitating disease that threatened to end both his life and career. The association of harmony and song is given a new twist in our feature of YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus, and Mademe X...well, you just have to read it. Joseph Marcellino gives us a peek inside his studio and what goes in a leather bag. We also: roundup of some of our favorite restaurants and cities for 2017, feature an insider’s guide to the Hamptons, introduce a wide variety of philanthropic causes, and offer several thought-provoking essays.
For five years, we at CLASSIQUES MODERNES have deemed ourselves modern storytellers. We did so from the very first issue when we tackled the complex but very important issue of Marriage Equality. It is only fitting then that on this anniversary, we renew our vow to be the voice for the voiceless, and to continue to tell stories that truly matter–those that inspire and those that provoke–always with dignity and authenticity.
he quips in a tone that rings more with an air of confidence but not of arrogance. “I beat my own drum. I’ve never been a follower, I’ve always led my own parade.”
Lawrence Scott is ebullient tonight, although he is probably found this way most of the time. After all he is, for celebrities and individuals of power and affluence, the quintessential go-to event planner–a term that insufficiently describes what he does.
Sitting at a table at Fresco by Scotto on Manhattan’s East Side, he is at a tale end of a meeting with a new client, a singer who is planning a big splash in the new year. Listening in on the conversation, bystanders are more inclined to guess that he is an agent, a manager or a publicist rather than someone who meticulously constructs and produces events.
Scott offers the artist a litany of suggestions on how best to build the type of drama and anticipation for her launch. He talks about advertising and marketing, whom to invite (and whom not to), and how to invite those that matter in order to increase their likelihood of accepting and attending. And while he mentions champagne, caviar and bits and pieces of possible elements of the party itself, he does so primarily to illustrate his points. For Scott, deciding on party details at this early stage is premature, and often unproductive. Details get stale over time.
Unlike most people in the business, Scott doesn’t simply single out his part of the story and call it a day. He believes fervently that his job is to understand his client’s story first, and then to play an integral role in its narration. As a result, how clients market themselves and the narrative they choose to go with are perhaps the most important ingredients in the creation of a Larry Party™. Larry’s parties are not just events. They are fully-strategized, wellsynchronized “invasions.”
by Loy Bernal CarlosAsked about his process and role in conceiving an event, he explains, “My events are not about linens and centerpieces. I am helping my clients tell their own stories. It is not my story we are telling. It is always their taste…but my style.”
One of the most effective ways to visualize the essence of his clients is by visiting their homes. He gives a cheeky example, “You go to a client’s house and do a walk through. Every room is Ralph Lauren. Then there’s this one room with a stripper pole. A stripper pole?! You know what I mean?”
That’s the kind of surprise Larry Scott says he is looking for. He doesn’t like to dwell merely on the mundane, inchdeep appearances that people present for society’s sake. He prefers to explore the “edge that makes them who they are. It’s the fantasy in their home.” That is the mystery that guests are going to be intrigued by. It’s what gives individual events its own personality.
Dressed in all black, his long hair neatly combed back, Larry Scott’s outward appearance alone doesn’t scream “PERSONALITY!”. Personally, he prefers a more subdued environment. While his events are often dramatic and over the top, he chooses to distance himself from that hype in his own life. “I am not Liberace. I like to be private. Some people like [the attention]. I prefer to be in a private surrounding. Some people do the entourage thing, I’m at the Pond in East Hampton. I don’t like going to every ‘opening of an envelope.’ I don’t like oversaturating myself.”
But look beyond the casually conservative clothes and you’ll quickly find his personality in abundance. Larry can be described as dramatic without being outrageous and ridiculous. He is indefatigable at work, and fierce in his acceptance of what and who he is. “My mother is dead. I no longer need anybody’s approval.”
He attributes part of his strength in character to being bullied as a child (it’s hard to imagine this now since he towers over most people). “It’s made me who I am today. Government couldn’t have done that for me,” he deduced. “At age 58, I love what I do. I get to say no, that’s the difference. I can pick and choose what I want to work on.”
He values his choices dearly. “I can say, ‘no, thank you’ to a celebrity or billionaire. It’s not [always] worth telling their stories.” Pressed on the matter, he is reluctant to elaborate. He guards the privacy and secrets of clients–even those that don’t work out–like a sphynx.
To illustrate, he describes an episode of a husband who was berating his wife, criticizing all her ideas for a party. The verbal abuse made Larry uncomfortable. True to his nature of standing up to bullies, he proceeded to point out to him that the man spends much of his time in the city while his wife is relegated to a life in suburbia. To Larry, it did not make any sense that the husband would expect the kind of cosmopolitan party that he is familiar with to be thrown by his wife who leads a rather stepford life. Where would she get that exposure?
One other character trait he especially detests is narcissism. He points out the futility in dealing with a narcissist’s misery. “Working with them is constantly walking on egg shells. You can never make them happy...they don’t know what happiness is!” Although Larry believes this relates to their upbringing, “I’m not there to play therapist.”
photo by Gruber PhotographersDon’t misunderstand. Demanding clients are not the same as narcissistic ones. He is undeterred by the former. “I’m not afraid to deal with difficult clients.” Instead, he thinks of it as a ‘higher being’ that’s handing him a challenge. And when he succeeds, he relishes the sweet satisfaction of a job well done. “It’s my F*ck You moment! You thought I couldn’t do this…You have to have faith in yourself.”
Egotistical ones notwithstanding, his long list of clients from fashion designers to celebrities to politicians do have unbridled faith in Larry Scott. That includes Michael Bolton, Drew Barrymore, the Hadids, John Varvatos (whose wedding he did), Donna Karan, Vera Wang, Bill Clinton, Mitt Romney, etc.
But one client whom he describes as a dear friend that best mirrors Larry’s fiercely unfiltered, no-nonsense attitude is Judge Judy, the beloved judge and TV personality who has won millions of viewers’ hearts with searing statements to plaintiffs and defendants like “Do I have stupid written on my forehead?” and “Sir, don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining!”.
This event producer has nothing but admiration and high-praise for her. “A lot of celebrities believe what they read about themselves. They don’t know that something can always happen that changes everything. Judge Judy is not like that, maybe because she got it all later in life when it was her time to get it. She walks into a room and says hello to all my staff. She is human. She takes pictures with them, gets it all out of the way. Then everyone goes to work. With her, what you see is what you get.”
Another friend and client whom he is particularly fond of is WNYW’s Good Day New York co-anchor Rosanna Scotto. “She is a [well-known] local news woman.” he continues, “but she is real. She comes with no agenda. She helps so many people.”
To Larry Scott, both exemplify hard work and integrity, which he values, himself. His motto is “Class never trash.” And this necessarily means “putting in the work before.”
LS with Judge Judy and Judge Jerry Sheindlin
LS with Rosanna Scotto and Lori Stokes
The planning process begins with a proper screening even before initial consultation begins. Larry says he doesn’t really get that many “shoppers.” “I’m not mainstream, I’m more couture.” After many years of back-breaking work to gain a solid reputation (he launched Larry Scott Events in 1989), he considers himself no longer “the best kept secret.”
After screening, the first consultation revolves around budget. Despite his clients’ extremely high net worth, he notes that everyone always has a range in mind. “People may have $10,000 or $10 billion, it doesn’t matter. People always have to know what they want to spend.”
Next comes choosing the venue, photographer and music. Larry uses a baking analogy, “You throw those main ingredients in the mixing bowl and you start baking your cake.”
The proceeding steps vary depending on the type of event. But always, Larry Scott focuses on what elements would enable guests to join the journey that the host and/or hostess set(s). “You want guests to feel a part of the story.” According to him, it’s important that guests are properly acknowledged and given importance, that they feel like insiders and not merely spectators. For example, to make guests feel like they were part of the show, he once had every guest’s name on the dance floor.
It is important that the hosts understand as well. That’s not always easy to accomplish especially for events like weddings, for instance, where brides and grooms are traditionally addressed separately from their guests. Family opinions may also vary. “The bride at 25 does not know what her parents know at 55,” he opines. To help explain his philosophy, he often uses the chandelier as a reference point to illustrate the relationship between the potential hosts and their guests. “The hosts and/or hostesses are the chandelier, the event planner is the dimmer switch, and the guests are the bulbs.” In a successful party, all work as one.
So how does he go about creating a cohesive atmosphere? He starts by choosing décor, music and food that define what the party is about. “Do you feel something when you walk in?” is a question to which he requires a positive response. Another crucial element is the “wow” factor. Something must grab the guests’ attention.
photo by Gruber Photographers
“I like parades.” He delights to see servers march for some type of glorious presentation. Larry says he wants guests to feel “like you’re alive in some Hollywood movie or big Broadway show…without being gimmicky.” Asked to define gimmicky, he responds, “Gimmicky is trying too hard.”
But what about haters and critics? Surely he often comes across those. He confides, “I tell my clients beforehand– brides and grooms or whatever–five ‘assholes’ are coming to your party. One of them is your best friend.” He warns them not to be surprised if the worst critics are those closest to them. Many times, these events show the true nature of people. “Maybe it’s time to drop some of them,” he suggests.
What Larry likes most about his events is that guests leave liking the event as a whole. “In other parties, people like the music or the food. In my parties, it’s not one thing. They love all of it.” This goes back to his role as a storyteller. With a book, a painting or a movie, an author/painter/director doesn’t aim to have people connect with just one chapter, one section, or one scene. The same principle applies here. For the best event creators, it’s a form of art. Little wonder then that Larry Scott’s dream is to one day do Lady Gaga’s wedding. “What she does in her business, I do at mine. Some people are just good at flowers or food. I’m good at the whole picture.”
Even though his events are of a different scale and budget, Larry believes that ordinary Joes and Jills, too, can do extraordinary things if they apply a little bit of creativity. He takes his own inspiration from ordinary things and transforms the idea into something fantastic, sometimes fantastical.
Old movies are his favorite. He pays careful attention to the background. Even when driving down the parkway, he notices the secondary bushes, always looking behind the scenes, beyond the obvious.
He suggests it is not necessary to go to some expensive Italian furniture store, for instance, to create an impressive ambiance. “Go to Home Depot, go through the lighting aisle where they have lamps for $29.95. Put them on your tables, add flowers. Taste is not right or wrong. It is what it is.”
LS with Hillary Swank LS with Michael Bolton LS with Yolanda Hadid LS with Usher LS with Janet Jackson, Jermaine JacksonWhen asked to identify today’s latest trends, he immediately replies, “There are no rules.” People follow Beyonce and Jay Z, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. Same sex couples marry. “So what is proper etiquette today? It’s not Prince Harry’s wedding!”. Although truth be said, even the royal wedding breaks tradition.
The key is to give guests something to enjoy. He believes it is better to serve the best, i.e., heaps of one really good thing than a “whole lot of shit.” Larry’s own parties, to be fair, could be 6 lbs. of caviar, champagne, and Tito’s Vodka. But he insists he seldom spends money on himself, he would rather that money be donated to charity. But when he does make a splash, he describes it as “nouvelle cuisine but with Jewish portions.” Plus “Desserts,” he suggests, “have to be killers. I don’t care if some anorexic model is coming. They can purge at home if they want,” he says sarcastically.
And then there’s “the surprise.” Every party must have one. What types of surprises has Larry Scott concocted in past events? How about, while people are seated for dinner in his backyard (the part he insists is the best time to hold presentations), opera begins to play and six drag queens come out to the tennis court and start playing? Or Cirque de Soleil descending from surrounding trees?
In the end though, a Larry Party™ is about people. “Everyone has a story. People love a beginning and an end. How you get from A to Z doesn’t really matter. Anybody can be a celebrity today. Everybody in life has a gift. We just have to find what that is and embrace it.”
Lawrence Scott Gottesman brings unparalleled creativity and imagination to his signature special events. A native New Yorker, Larry started his career in catering before opening one of Long Island’s most successful restaurants, Larry and The Redhead. In 1989, he established Lawrence Scott Events and instantly gained a reputation for his exceptional, oneof-a-kind celebrations. “From the ridiculous to the sublime”, A Larry Party™ brings families and friends together for life’s most memorable moments and milestones. While known for his non-stop innovation and ahead-of-the-trends approach, Larry is equally known for his philanthropic efforts. Larry’s commitment to community has spanned decades of support for charitable causes including, Make–A–Wish, The Feinstein Institute, Live Out loud, Forward Face, City Of Hope, and MS, to name a few.
Christmas is like the Titanic.
It’s beautiful, it’s powerful, everyone wants to be a part of it. No one thinks it’s going to end. People dress in their Sunday best, they greet one another warmly as they pass by, every day of the season seems special. And then when they realize it’s almost over, people climb all over each other to get what they think they need. Desperate messages are sent. There’s a rush toward the bottom, and its last hours are a frantic swirl of material, oaths of love, and cold reality.
Us and our stuff. So bring the boats back and save some poor bastards.
Remember it’s the “us” that matters.
‘Cause pretty soon, come New Year, the Carpathia will show up and take us back to real life. Snooze. Enjoy it while you can.
Random light. Framed memory safe inside, be taken down to share never ended up making bed, beside the pile of work
The rumbling of blankets begins awake enough yet to process morning soundtrack that could never
Before you gracefully slip out of bed, abruptly shaken out of your dreams thankfully not today.
You feel whiskers tickle your cheek. The his way of looking out for your nutritional
He follows you while you make your way even take care of yourself, you check his brings a smirk to your face.
While your own breakfast digests, you your mug, finding its way to your nose. You realize you never once had the urge of yourself that feels like it had never
You stare out the window where the triggers this most of all. It seems like a whole month to a day! It’s a necessary much needed slack on your New
Shuffling through these thoughts must have taken longer sheet of white. Footsteps of passersby are already beginning person. Even though your vision only reaches one street, living snow globe. In your head, the world has shrunk down
You wish you could always feel this way. But why couldn’t
Neither natural nor man made boundaries should make you or using the Interweb bridges, you can avail of limitless possibilities yourself, with the lives of your friends, family and those that you venture outside to join your newfound neighbors. You
by Jason Garelick
As the morning sun started to poke its way through the window shades, beams of light speared through the room like searchlights casting away the shadows of the night back under the bed where they belong, slowly bringing life back into the world.
objects affectionately strewn across the room one by one begin to be highlighted by the glowing Framed pictures on the walls give off a heavenly glare from the glass that carefully keeps that moment’s inside, protecting it from the inevitable dusts of time. Books on the shelf each patiently wait their turn to share the stories locked away between their covers. And there, too, sojourn midnight snack wrappers that making it to the trash can the night before. Yesterday’s clothes can be seen piled clumsily on the floor next to the work clothes that has steadily grown throughout the week, making the divide barely distinguishable.
begins to break the calm morning silence. Before now all other sounds were muted out because your mind wasn’t them. Now the ambient noises of outside traffic and the early birds trying to get the worm create the perfect lazy never be fully captured otherwise. As with most things it simply just needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated.
bed, you take a moment to enjoy the way it feels to naturally wake up when you’re good and ready, rather than being by the sound of an alarm whose only purpose seems to be to remind you that you have responsibilities that await¬–but
The vibration of purrs fills your ears while your cat carefully bops you to remind you that it’s time for breakfast. Whether this is nutritional needs or him just needing his bowl refilled, it’s hard to tell. But you thank him just the same with a loving pat on the head.
way to the bathroom to take care of your morning necessities as if he’s trying to make sure you got his message. So before you his water and pour him some food. As you close the bathroom door behind you, the faint crunching sound of feline satisfaction
pull open window shades. Coffee in one hand, you wipe sleep from your eyes with the other. Steam wafts its way up from nose. Saturday morning cartoons are probably on at this very moment assuming you didn’t end up sleeping the whole day away urge to check the clock…and still don’t. You warm at the thought, like the coffee flowing through your body, waking up the rest left your bed.
the first snow of the season can be seen. You think to yourself, “how fast time goes by.” The end of the year in particular like throughout the year each holiday’s decorations shift in an uncomfortable, feverish pace. No wonder people dedicate necessary albeit futile attempt to slow things down a bit. Wasn’t it just yesterday you were starting to give yourself some New Year’s resolutions by treating yourself to a little dessert or modestly skipping a day or three at the gy?
than you thought because the flakes of snow that were barely sticking to the sidewalk are now clumping together, forming a fresh clean beginning to fade. In a few hours those flakes will go from that thin white sheet to a cozy blanket to a snow bank that could hide a full grown in one town, in one of the few states that share these wintery weather conditions, you feel as if the whole world has been turned into a down to a manageable size where everyone has become your next door neighbor you?
you feel alienated. The world is smaller than it’s ever been. Whether it’s by utilizing and seeking more convenient travel accommodations possibilities that are now merely a fingertip tap away. You always have a choice. You can live life as an individual only concerned with that surround you. Or you can perceive the world as a small town snow globe where everyone is your neighbor. Consumed by the thought, can hear their child-like laughter from the friendly snow fights and sleds speeding down hills. They are having way too much fun.
Sittingin the cozy, elegant and well-appointed living room of economist Ishaq Nadiri and his lovely doctor wife Tahira Humayum overlooking Central Park West hardly gives one a clue as to the dramatic lives that both have led since they migrated to the United States in the 1980s. Though officially retired, this handsome couple looks strappingly young and energetic and they appear to have many projects still up their sleeve. They give a totally new meaning and dimension to what retirement means in the 21st century.
Afghanistan is their country of origin and one that they have not lost touch with all these years. Had political events not shattered their original lifestyle and existence, it is likely they would have been back in their homeland practicing professions that they had studied and trained for in the United States.
Afghanistan has always been the meeting place of cultures and the crucible of empires dating as far back as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. The “Great Game” between the Russian and the British empires was played here in the 19th century since it was here where the two rival imperial domains neighbored and played a cat-and-mouse game with each other. The landlocked mountain country is also strategically located in the midst of such giants as India, Pakistan, China and Iran. The Silk Road once linked some of these countries through Afghanistan with Greece, Rome and Constantinople. Splendid monuments and artifacts from its Buddhist, Hellenistic and Moslem pasts dot its landscape and embellish its museums and one remembers the tragic destruction of the giant Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban in 2001.
The Russian invasion of 1980 was a turning point for Afghanistan and its citizens; it also turned out to be what was called “Russia’s Vietnam” since even the mighty Soviet empire found its Achilles heel in this country. The events of 9-11 also ensured that the foothold that the United States had already taken in Afghanistan with its support of opposition to the Russians would be reinforced in 2001. Despite political promises made in political campaigns, American presence is still a reality in this small but in its own way, mighty and influential country. Nevertheless, in the light of America’s reexamination of its own place in the world and of its own priorities as a country, Afghanistan has fallen somewhat out of the radar of the ordinary American. Nevertheless, America’s latest batch of War Veterans come partly from this ravaged country. Due to America’s involvement, words like Kybher Pass, Kandahar and Herat should become part of America’s political vocabulary.
Both Ishaq and Tahira belonged to the educated elite who, while valuing their Islamic heritage and culture, also took what was best in the West with the intention of putting this knowledge towards the service of their country. They are probably among the finest representatives of how people from a Muslim background can contribute not only to their present country of citizenship but also to their own country and culture of origin.
The daughter of a distinguished physician herself, Tahira had finished medicine as one of the few female students admitted to Kabul University Medical School, an affiliate of Leone University in France.
After completing her medical studies in 1968, Tahira did a one-year residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Kabul’s Masturat Teaching Hospital. The following year, she arrived in the U.S. and had a rotating internship at Christ Community Hospital in Chicago before moving to New York for a three-year residency. This was followed by a rigorous program at New York Infirmary before she landed a one-year fellowship in Colposcopy and Cytology for the early detection of uterine cervical cancer at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn.
In 1975, Tahira returned to Afghanistan to prepare for the US medical board licensing exam. However, with the passing away of her father and political trouble brewing in Kabul, Tahira returned to the US within four months. She worked at Lutheran Medical Hospital’s Outpatient Community Clinic and later joined a private practice in Manhattan.
The Russian invasion in 1980 sealed the fate of their family—her mother and sisters followed Tahira’s path, leaving all their possessions and belongings behind.
In the meantime and unbeknownst to Tahira, a fellow Afghan by the name of Mohammed Ishaq Nadiri had migrated to the United States at the age of 19 and received his B.S. from the University of Nebraska and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He then taught at UC Berkeley, Northwestern University, University of Chicago and Colombia University. He then joined New York University in 1970 and became the chairperson of the Economics Department and founder and director of the C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics. In 1975, he became the Jay Gould Professor of Economics at New York University.
Nine years senior to Tahira, Ishaq seemed nevertheless destined to be her life partner. Afghan students and professionals had established communities all over the U. S. and it was in one such gathering where Ishaq and Tahira met. After a year’s courtship, they married and had two sons—Yussof and Khalid, who have continued in the brilliant tradition of their parents.
Building a new home in New York did not preclude efforts to assist their countrymen who had sought refuge here nor extending help to their beleaguered homeland. They opened their doors to those who needed temporary housing or legal assistance and linked up with organizations that channelled aid towards Afghanistan. It was not a time to retreat to a privileged existence but to lend a helping hand to those in need. Helping each other is an Afghan tradition. “We are a mountain people,” says Tahira with pride, pointing out both their hardiness and spirit of cooperation.
ProfessorIshak Nadiri was a signatory of the 2001 Bonn meeting where the interim government of Afghanistan was created. He was also a participant in the Tokyo meeting focused on funding Afghanistan’s reconstruction, the White House and UN Security Council meetings during Hamid Karzai’s visit in January 2002 and the Loy Jirga(national assembly) in Kabul in June 2002 that resulted in Mr. Karzai’s election as president. He then served as Senior Economic Advisor to President Karzai. For his services and accomplishments, President Karzai awarded Nadiri with the Ghazi Amanullah Khan, the highest civilian award of Afghanistan.
In June 2002, Tahira and Ishak saw for themselves the devastation and destruction that had overtaken their country. In Kabul as in the rest of the country, houses were taken over by warlords, schools and universities were in shambles, there was little, if any, medical care available. In a country where women had already began to make advances, the Taliban had reversed any such progress by denying education to young girls.
In response, Tahira and a group of Afghan women volunteers from New York and New Jersey set up a nonprofit foundation in 2003, the Organization for Advancement of Afghan Women(OAAW), of which Tahira is President with five board members and a dedicated team. OAAW has assisted in the formation of Aymini School, a coeducational public school that serves over 3,700 primary and secondary level students. Since 2007, material assistance has been lent to it in the form of shoes, books to the library, support of the janitorial staff and the rebuilding of the plumbing system.
In 2005, Tahira organized the Moshwani Outpatient Clinic, located 35 miles north of Kabul, the only clinic in the Kalakan district that provides free medical and dental services to nine villages of approximately 14,000 people.
With the help of the Afghanistan Foundation through Tahira’s initiative, two schools were organized, in 2005 and 2011 respectively as the Moshwani Payan Middle School for Boys, with over 650 students, and the Moshwani Payan Elementary School for Girls, with 220 pupils. In 2016, OAAW raised funds to plant over 70 trees, build a new library and a new volleyball court. OAAW provides dental hygiene lessons and distributes dental kits at the start of the school year to both schools.
On October 12, 2017, Dr. Tahira Humayum was recognized for her achievements in aid of Afghanistan at the Annual Charity Event of the Manhattan-based Global ShareResource Foundation.
It is fascinating to hear the story of Afghanistan from the lips of such well-informed, cosmopolitan and educated people as Ishaq and Tahira. Millenia of exposure to the great cultures of the world have brought about a hardy people who have developed singular ways of coping with international conflicts brought to their doorstep. In ideal times, Afghanistan could have remained a neutral territory(like Switzerland) which would have been a buffer zone among countries with conflicting interests. Clearly, this did not become the case and Afghanistan will remain a major international issue for a longer period of time. Nearly half of its population have sought refuge in neighboring countries and many Afghans—children among them—have trekked long distances(as far as Europe) in search of new lives and better opportunities.
Afghanistan, a divided country whose people reside in pocket communities used to ruling themselves, remains a conundrum. Tahira and Ishaq’s assistance is their own small but important way of focusing public awareness on their country’s plight. Afghanistan will continue to need people like them who can be spokesmen for their beloved country.
As Ishaq Nadiri said in his article on “Rebuilding a Ravaged Land,” Afghanistan has great potential for economic development. For decades, investment, principally foreign but also domestic, has gone into either the opium business or politics—that is, into guns. The amounts have been large; the return has been mainly devastation. But Afghanistan can be rebuilt. The first task is to feed the Afghan people, a critical political as well as humanitarian challenge: the people who control the guns must not become the people who become the people who control the food. The other great short-term challenge is resettlement of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran, as well as of those displaced within Afghanistan. Absolutely critical to resettlement is a sound plan for agriculture. Mine clearance and the building or rebuilding of dams, water pipelines, canals and water-purification systems require significant amounts of aid. But the tasks are clearly manageable and lead directly to self-sufficiency.”
WELL- STRUNG: Edmund Bagnell, Trevor Wadleigh, Daniel Shevlin and Chris Marchant
‘Root’ for Chris & Trevor of Team Well Strung in The Amazing Race Season 30JANUARY John Paul Filo/CBS
from Geneva, Switzerland founded by Sophie Bonvin celebrated the launch of their Fall/Winter Collection, the CODE Collection, in New York with artist Bill Claps.
The Collector endeavors to regularly collaborate with a successful contemporary artist to pro-duce limited editions of handpainted handbags every 2 years in addition to their signature line. Laura Chaplin, granddaughter of silent film actor Charlie Chaplin, was one of their most suc-cessful collaborations. The technique of Bill’s work, the mysterious and inspiring messages and the luxury feeling of the combination of the exotic skins combined with the special texture of his pieces, mostly in gold and silver, were a few of the details that drew The Collector to work with Bill.
“I always loved nice things and I decided that if I wanted to get the style of life I was dreaming of I will have to find my own way.” “Art feeds my soul and makes me dream and I love fashion and feel so great while I am wearing special clothes.”–Sophie Bonvin
Born and raised in Switzerland, Sophie knew from an early age she had a passion for all things style. Founded in 2014 by Sophie, The Collector Geneva produces luxury handbags and accessories crafted from skins including python, American alligator and South African ostrich. The interior of each bag is lined with lambskin and finished in hardware of gunmetal or plated gold. Designed by VietnameseFrench interior and landscape designer Hom Le Xuan, the line’s design is uniquely Swiss, while skins are selected in Paris and Italy from the best tanning and finishing companies.
Artist Bill Claps hails from New Jersey and was trained at Harvard University. He also studied painting and drawing at the Art Students League in both New York City and Florence, Italy. His paintings and drawings have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in galleries around the United States and Europe, including the Salomon Arts Gallery, Aspen Fine Arts Gallery and Art Monaco, among others.
Prior to creating the Code Collection, Bill worked with Sophie during a 2015 charity gala event at Art Basel Miami.
A handbag, customized by Bill with his signature Morse code was auc-tioned by Sotheby’s, with proceeds benefitting the Make A Wish Foundation.
Like Sophie, Bill is an active philanthropist, whose charity organization The Bill Claps Scholar-Athlete Award, grants scholarships to students on the basis of their academic and athletic per-formances.
For this most recent collaboration, Claps reflected on communication in the digital age by embellishing the handbags with the dots and dashes most often used in Morse Code communication.
Taiwan born designer, Malan Breton, opened his first New York City retail shop fin 2010. in 2016 he launched his own of bridal, handbags, and underwear brand. And for the European, and Asian markets, Breton he also introduced the Fantôme - Malan Breton line.
The brand is InStyle Magazine’ss eighth most tweeted fashion brand in 2017. Yahoo News dubbed him the “Internet’s Fave Designer while Amsterdam News hailed him as “one of New York City’s most celebrated designers of the past decade.”
Mentored by such fashion icons as Arnold Scaasi and trained at British Heritage brand, Turbull and Asser, Breton has won multiple awards including 2016 Taiwan Tourism Award, 2016 Fashion Group International “Rising Star” (Menswear), 2015 Taiwan Tourism Award, NYIFF Best Documentary Short, Director “Malan Breton A Journey to Taiwan”; 2014 United Colours of Fashion “Fashion Icon.” He is also known as a master of the made to measure suit.
Always looking ahead, Malan Breton became the first designer to become a part of the cryptocurrency phenomenon, opening the first blockchain-based online fashion retail shop in partnership with Tokenly, and SohoMuse.
The collections can be found at department stores, and specialty boutiques around the globe.
Malan Breton® counts the world’s top entertainers, royalty, and sports figures as clients, which include Ariana Grande, Lorde, Celine Dion, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Fan Bing Bing, Martha Plimpton, Kerry Washington, Michael Buble, Minnie Driver, Kylie Minogue, Ricki Lake, the KPOP band BTS, Daniel Craig, Law Roach, Jessica Pimentel, Keith Carradine, Scarlett Johansson, Ray J, Bonang Matheba, Kiera Chaplin, Rachel Adejeji, Gavin Creel, Katrina Bowden, Frankie Grande, Danny Burstein, Kathy Lee Gifford, Desmond Child, Sam Witwer, Florida Georgia Line, Anna Passey, Paul Wesley, Jody Watley, Nolan Gerard - Funk, the Prince of Wales, Ana Ivanovic, Rania, Nomzamo Mbatha, and Nate Burleson and many more.
Interview by Douglas Keisler
photos by Fashion Social Network
DK: What/Who is your current inspiration?
MB: The artist David Paul Kay
DK: What are the differences between new york london and paris fashion weeks?
MB: The professional orientation of the attendees.
DK: What is the future of the catwalk show?
MB: People want a story, and less stomp, but the catwalk is about to change drastically.
DK: What is next for you?
MB: Directing, film, expansion in fashion, an honour, cosmetics, and more b r i e f
DK: Who is your muse?
MB: My muse is hope
DK: Who is your ideal customer/ who do you design for?
MB: My ideal customer is a passionate person, I design for all.
DK: What words do you live by?
MB: Kindness, Paying it forward, and love.
10. anything else you would like to be asked/mention
DK: Current and upcoming fashion and non fashion related pursuits/ plans
MB: So many to come...
DK: how has the industry changed?
MB: It’s looking for a new direction, the antiquated ways of fashions past no longer work.
10. anything else you would like to be asked/mention
“There is nothing in life that is impossible, as long as you allow your heart to show you the way.”
- Malan Breton
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that bling!
he fine and costume jewelry from Bling Jewelry allows you regularly update the high-end pieces you already own with other fashionable and classic jewelry such as freshwater pearls, tennis bracelets, cocktail rings and statement necklaces. Nobody will be able to tell the difference between your diamonds and your sparkling CZs! Bling Jewelry also carries collections inspired by your favorite movies and books. See their 1920s Great Gatsby jewelry and a 50 Shades of Grey collection featuring playful handcuffs so you can imitate the looks in your favorite movies. They also feature themes like celebrity jewelry and Kate Middleton Jewelry for those with royal aspirations.
Bling Jewelry was conceptualized by Elena Castaneda, a fashion industry pro who saw a gap in the market for a fashion jewelry site that any woman could shop. As one of the top go-to websites for an astounding selection of sterling silver and CZ jewelry,
Bling is also the ideal place to buy a set of luxe travel jewelry. Leave your expensive and heirloom pieces at home and get the same look with cubic zirconia studs, necklaces and even place-holder engagement and wedding rings. You won’t have to worry about your most important pieces being lost or stolen while you are away—what a relief.
New to BlingJewelry.com is an exclusive collection curated by celebrity stylist Amanda Sanders. Her A-list roster of clients including Chris Rock, Wanda Sykes, and Gwyneth Paltrow has given her some serious fashionista cred. This exciting collection ranges from everyday pieces that sparkle and shine to breathtaking statement jewelry.
Inluggage, the name “Louis Vuitton” has come to represent the gold standard for travel and cutting-edge innovation. Dating back to as early as 1854 by a singleminded, hardy Frenchman from the Jura Mountains of Eastern France near the Swiss Alps, the company he founded eventually evolved its iconic look on its products with LV initials in beige imprinted on dark brown canvas. However, this was not to remain static and developed dynamically with the times—and thereby hangs a tale.
Held at the New York Stock Exchange building in New York City, the exhibit(open free to the public) and running a brief two months is designed by Robert Carsen and curated by Olivier Saillard. Its whimsical touches include a whistle-stop subway platform at the entrance, a large hall dominated by the canvas sail of a yacht and views of the sea and a desert, the moving interior of an Orient Express-like train, an early airplane replica, lavish Hollywood sets and the red carpet of a movie premiere. Interwoven with such fanciful scenes are the Louis Vuitton creations sought by a loyal elite public that was always sure that Louis Vuitton would always be able to cater to its latest demand and whim.
At the age of fourteen, in 1835 Louis Vuitton left his hometown Anchay in the Juras for Paris on foot, a journey which took him all of two years. He apprenticed himself to Romain Marechal, manufacturer of boxes and crates used to pack everyday objects and voluminous wardrobes. By 1854, Vuitton had mastered this craft enough to open his own shop on the rue Neuve-des-Capucines to cater to such exclusive clientele as the Empress Eugenie, consort of the Emperor Napoleon III. This was also the era when Paris had come onto its own as a world fashion center with such greats as Charles Frederick Worth, inventor of haute couture.
The trunk was something that had existed since the Middle Ages but it was Vuitton who gave it both ergonomic strength and supple lightness. He simplified the flat trunk, thereby laying the beginning of modern luggage and making it easy to stack one on top of the other. The introduction of canvas and the application of the monogram and distinctive patterns ensured that it would not be so easily copied(although many fakes would appear in the twentieth century). By 1875, the first vertical wardrobe trunk with two perfectly interlocking parts, made the company indispensable for travel. And voila! The invention of the tumbler lock made it possible for a customer to open each piece of luggage with a single key by 1890. 1895 immortalized the owner, who passed away in 1892, with the famous Monogram canvas hide.
by Amb. Virgilio A. Reyes, Jr.
The hundred twenty two years hence have seen the Louis Vuitton company and brand leap forward from strength to strength, scarcely missing a beat from world wars to radical changes in government and lifestyles.
Parts One to Three of the ten-part exhibit lead one first, from an elemental trunk of 1906, to second, the essential components of wood, locks, ribbon tufting and shapes required by different varieties of transport, then third, to the classic trunks. Louis Vuitton also went into experimentation with various colors and patterns before settling finally on plant motifs, geometric shapes and the initials “LV” which now defines its classic look. This was like the barcode which determined authenticity at a time when no electronic gear could ensure such. The French ferocity on protecting their brands is reflected in this early gesture. French sophistication is ultimately founded on tradition. It has literally never lost touch with its roots. Vuitton’s familiarity with the strengths of the poplar and beech and the fragrance of camphor and rosewood would be integrated into the design of his trunks. To this day, special requests are considered by workshops from Asnieres-sur-Seine. Everything, when possible, is made by hand.
Appreciation for beauty is blended with function and mobility. Louis Vuitton prides itself on safely packing the most fragile objects with a “specialization in fashion packaging.” How were such traditions reinforced? The French have always been travelers and explorers, with such exemplary exponents as Champlain, Napoleon himself, Paul Gauguin, Antoine de Saint Exupery and Teilhard de Chardin. It was but natural that having taken to the earth, the sea and the skies, they would soon need the accoutrements that would make such travel comfortable and practical. Part Four deals with “The Invention of Travel,” with its individual focuses on expeditions, yachting, the automobile, aviation and trains.
Vuitton was born past the first Napoleonic era but he himself experienced the revival of Empire and his grandsons lived during the technological and scientific boom of the Nineteen Twenties. Between 1924 and 1925, Andre Citroen organized an anthropological and technological mission known as the Croisiere Noire to Algeria, Mali and the Congo aboard such vehicles as the Gold Scarab and the Silver Scarab half-track. For this trip, trunks were developed that were suited to the climate,modes of transport and the needs of daily life or the explorers such as tea sets and toiletry kits. This was the height of dandyism and the pampering of the aristocrat, as might have been recorded by Marcel Proust.
from October 27, 2017 to January 7, 2018
On a more practical mode, yachting brought about the precursor of the gym bag in the Steamer Bag, which could be folded into a steamer trunk with a clever closing system on a canvas or leather frame.
The automobile brought about the birth of the flat leather bag, originally made of Moroccan leather, which could store gloves, stole and vials. It was the forerunner of the ladies’ handbag and fashion bag. Aviation brought about the Aero Trunk, a direct ancestor of our modern-day airline bag, since it could store enough clothing to carry on an airplane, weighing less than 57 pounds. Louis Vuitton’s great grandsons Jean and Pierre, who were twins, actually invented proptotypes of a helicopter and an airplane that were shown in 1909 and 1910 at the Air and Automobile Travel Exhibition of Paris at the Grand Palais. Travelling became a way of life in the nineteenth century and Louis Vuitton’s innovations closely followed travel trends and developments—steam vessels in the 1830s, railways in 1848, the automobile in the 1890s, commercial airlines in the 1900s and the development of tourism resorts along the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. These spurred the invention of the Cabin trunk slid under the sleeper wagon seat, the Square Mouth and Gladstone travel bag models, garment bags and night bags.
Parts Five to Ten cover such specialized functions of Vuitton luggage in areas such as writing, painting, fashion, music and the new world of America. Gaston-Louis, the grandson of the founder, assembled one of the most formidable collections of curio trunks dating back to the Middle Ages and had himself a special spot for books, writers and paper. He thus helped develop luggage which were geared for the special needs of writers, for storing writing implements and later on, typewriters and gadgets.
The sturdiness and functionality of Vuitton luggage also gave them a reputation for protecting and transporting art, dating back to 1924, when a prominent art dealer Rene Gimpel, ordered a trunk for his frequent trips between Paris, London and New York. This example was followed by later artists such as Henri Matisse and Francis Picabia. In the twentieth and twenty first centuries, the LV house itself commissioned artists such as Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince and Damien Hirst to reinvent fabrics, patterns or designs for Louis Vuitton. Although not featured in the New York exhibit, the most expensive art piece designed for the Louis Vuitton house was a gold handbag worth $133,400, done only in a limited edition of five, designed by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusuma in her typical polka-dot mode.
In 1996, to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the Monogram canvas, fashion designers Azzedine Alaia, Manolo Blahnik, Romeo Gigli, Helmut Lang, Isaac Mizrahi, Sybilla and Vivienne Westwood were gathered by the trunkmaker to create designs that were to reinterpret the hitherto traditional LV line. These included refreshing and startling new LV bags that referenced classical works of , for example, Leonardo da Vinci. In 1997, the House entered ready-towear design overseen by the Artistic Director Marc Jacobs, who held the position for sixteen years. Under the direction of Nicholas Ghesquiere since 2014, the Women’s fashion collection “dovetails experimental research and nomadic architecture, which the designer then translates into clothing with uncluttered lines.”
True to its tradition of catering to the rich and the famous, Part 8 focuses on the “Beauty of Fashion.” Movie icons such as Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor were among its patrons whose use and endorsement ensured the continued glittering and elegant reputation of the Louis Vuitton name. The 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts of Arts of Paris, which helped highlight the new Art Deco style, featured the Louis Vuitton Milano case for protecting chiseled ivory and crystal. One can only gape at the leisure and estheticism of the privileged class of that time.
In today’s era, Cate Blanchett, Catherine Deneuve and Julianne Moore carry on this tradition with jewelry boxes and luggage marked by LV personalized monogrammes. And even Sharon Stone has commissioned her own version of a unique vanity case. Someday, the future may regard these artifacts the way we wonder at the makeup cases of Nefertiti and Marie Antoinette, all courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
Even men are not exempt from such vanities, as the many toiletry kits, foot trunks and wardrobe trunks of French actors attest to. One accessory that has fallen out of fashion is that of canes with carved heads that form part of the collection featured here.
In a flashing finale that pays tribute to its host country, “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez”(Fy, Be Fashionable and Travel) states in Part Ten That “Louis Vuitton Loves America.” This section reveals the secret of the family which led Louis Vuitton for the greater part of a century. In 1893, Louis Vuitton’s son Georges visited the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and approached John Wanamaker, the owner of one of the first department stores. He then introduced Louis Vuitton products in New York and Philadephia and thereafter, in Washinngton, Boston, Buffalo and San Francisco.
This astute marketing and presence at international exhibitions made it ride the wave of 1920s travel predilections. It became the luggage of choice for family dynasties such as the J.P. Morgans. America’s sweetheart Mary Pickford favored this brand, as did countless other personalities. Its use in films automatically signals class and privilege, as it did in Audrey Hepburn’s “Charade” and in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.” Louis Vuitton has now been incorporated into the LVMH Group, whose lawyers are kept busy making sure that the brand is not abused in film depiction or in publicity. Its exclusivity is ensured by its not being sold on sale, in ordinary department stores and in the destruction of excess stock at the end of each season. Each product can be tracked by secret coding. There is nevertheless on-line access to Louis Vuitton and it is present in exclusive dedicated stores in more than 50 countries. Shanghai, Singapore and Manila are tuned on to it.
In a sense, the Louis Vuitton brand has acquired a distinct personality all of its own, instantly identifiable at a glance. It has now mutated into dernier cri garments and must-have accessories, which have become aspirational and a minor cult for millennials. A fourteen-year old hitchhiker from the Jura Mountains in Eastern France would have been astonished to know what he would unleash on the world more than a century ago.
Its newly relocated flagship store on Spring Street in New York’s chic Soho neighborhood and a brand new store inside the Denver Airport are the only brick and mortar stores Hormeta has in the U.S. But despite that, the award winning skin care company has continued to create waves in the States, thanks in part to a loyal following of satisfied, skin-replenished clients.
Maurice Chaponnier–a scientist, herbalist and a nature lover, founded the Hormeta Swiss Laboratories in 1950. Using only the purest of active bases, all its products contain an exclusive blend of ionized materials and organic ingredients. The result of Hormeta’s vast history of pioneering research in cellular & DNA regeneration compels it to use active ingredients directly and naturally derived from the earth and the oceans, including organic plants, fruit and other botanical extracts as well as essential oils!
The Hormeta products are meant to compensate for agerelated and/or hormone change-related skin deficits, in addition to epidermal damage caused by environmental exposure.
After more than 50 years of continuous work, Hormeta has taken a front-runner status in the skin care industry, outperforming other formidable and well-known brands.
According to Nancy Savitt, General Manager of the Soho flagship store, the main difference between Hormeta and most beauty and skin care products is that it focuses its research and effectiveness more on skin repair rather than anti-aging. “We don’t only prevent, we also treat the skin according to the damage that has already happened. So the ingredients are more specific like the most advanced peptides, ceramides, lipids, collagen...6 weeks of treatments we can notice a real improvement in the skin on a cellular level,” explains Savitt.
While they have several sets, the skincare specialist also recommends starting with one and incorporating it into your daily routine. All have Vitamins A, C and E as well as other trace elements like iron, zinc, magnesium, etc.
Because of the prestigious certification, SwissCos, the New York and Denver stores are the only ones allowed to sell Hormeta in the U.S. Hormeta also works exclusively with dermatologists and medical spas.
For Men and Women Over 35
• The Ultimate Mask with Ceramides are for the deeper lines on the forehead, around the mouth and neck, to do as a deeper treatment once a week. Amazing results seen 4-6 weeks into the treatment.
• The Ultimate Serum n.8 is for daily use.
• The Ultimate Cream with MPC has Milk Protein and Ceramides to rebuild the dermis and lift the face and neck. The day cream has a lighter texture.
• The Collagen Tri-Logic Cream, day or night.
This set is the winner of the prestigious Marie-Claire Award “Victoire de la Beauté” Best Eye Treatment 2016 in France.
What’s What:
• The Eye Cream is for daily use.
• The Eye Focus Gel is for lines, wrinkles and the lid. Both products have peptide that treats the lid, a rarity since most eye creams are too heavy for the lid.
• The Eye Rescue Mask is meant to address puffiness and dark circles around the eyes.
CLASSIQUES MODERNES’ Pick FLAGSHIP Spring Street York, NY 10013 917.528.0905
Time WitheringAs all the things I bought you wither and die and all the things you made me are put away in the passage of time modified by the love we once shared, the memories, like the flowers
Growing up, whenever there was a party, out came my mother’s recipe book–a compilation of worn pages handwritten pages fastened at the top, and bound by a hard black cardboard cover, beautifully hand painted with huge letters that read PLAYBOY, logo and all. My father made it for my mother when they first got married. Each time a member of the family hands down a recipe, my mother would add an entry. It is not only my go-to reference but my ancestral history book. Within those pages are lists of ingredients and secret techniques that give a particular dish or dessert of my grandmothers’, grand aunts’, aunts’, cousins’ or my mothers’ its signature taste, flavor and style. I don’t know of a single entry in that book that wasn’t exceptionally loved by everyone we knew. Decades later, we are still enjoying them-thanks to my mother’s diligence and my father’s Playboy cover.
I went to school at an all-boys Catholic school, which I think has a different dynamic from a co-ed one, especially when your high school class is doing “secret santa.”
One year, a boy who was a transferee revealed to me that he was my “secret santa.” While the class secret santa wasn’t meant to be a display of extravagance (students generally went to the general market, which sold inexpensive pre-boxed soap with a face towel and comb, or a set of handkerchiefs), he pleaded for me to tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I thought it was just a silly ploy, so I never did. Come class“revelation day” when we all disclosed our “secret babies,” he walked up to me with a small wrapped present.
As I was unwrapping, he said, “I told you I was your secret santa.” It was a set of handkerchiefs.
He explained, “I know you would have liked something better, but I just couldn’t afford what I was guessing you would have wanted.”
To this day I still think of those handkerchiefs and that sweet boy.
Until recently, every Christmas season since we bought our house in the North Shore of Long Island some over a decade ago, our next door neighbors-a retired couple-would bring over a coffee can (usually Choc Full of Nuts or Maxwell’s), wrapped in aluminum foil and packed with homemade chocolate cookies. They were not gourmet cookies by any means, but they were always deliciously browned, toasted and crisp with chocolate chips that screamed, “Don’t admire me... EAT ME!“
We didn’t just eat them, we devoured them Cookie Monster Style! “Me Loved Those Cookies!!!” The entire neirghborhood did, because we all got our respective cans, year after year. (Truth be told, they liked us particularly so we got two!)
“D” passed away over a year ago from emphysema, a disease had her going in and out of the hospital for years. I miss her cookies, even though it may very well not have been even an original recipe. But those no frills chocolate chip cookies had a way of tying the neighborhood together. Sometimes I can’t help but think that spirit crumbled along with her absent cookies.
One year, the day before my birthday, my partner and I passed by a pet store. And there, with huge puppy brown eyes, a black patch around one, white gloves on four and beautiful brindle, was an adorable English bulldog. I have coveted the breed ever since Captain & Tennille’s album cover of them carrying them. I took the puppy in my arms and immediately fell in love. But a puppy wasn’t part of the plan, so back to the cage he went.
The next day, my birthday, I came home to find that my partner and my niece had gotten the little puppy while I was at work. Afraid that someone would purchase him before they did, they headed to the store first thing that morning-before the store opened! Even though it was too early, they knocked on the door and begged the manager to let them in.
Harrison lived to be ten. And in those ten years, he had shown me the depth of unconditional love. Taking care of him wasn’t always easy and convenient.
There were times when it was downright scary. Having a pet requires work, commitment, and sometimes quite a bit of money. But my life has become far richer because of Harrison and Lily. And I can’t imagine having had a life without them.
There are so many pets in shelters that are awaiting an opportunity to show that love. Granted, not everyone is in a position to adopt a pet. But if you do, I promise you love that knows no bounds.
We tend to accumulate things as we get older, and thanks to my many moves, I’ve learned to purge and to be less sentimental about things.. While I firmly believe in preserving certain objects that trigger special memories, I realize the importance of being selective.
One favorite criterion is originality, i.e., gifts that were created specifically for me. Until recently I kept mixed tapes that people made for me (yes, I’m of that generation). I classify important letters and notes as original work, specifically because I am always surprised how much they remind me of who I truly am. As we get older, it is easy to forget that in favor of who other people think we are or should be.
There are some that I am fiercely protective of. Poems and songs written for or from me, for example. There’s a drawing of Snoopy a kid who used to sit next to me gave me in school that I’ve kept, or an Egyptian wall decor that my niece made in grade school, which hangs in my bathroom wall. To me, these are irreplaceable works of art because they were created for me.
Global ShareResource Foundation held its annual fundraising gala last October 12th at Bonnell Hall in New York City.
Proceeds of the event went to benefit Save the Children’s relief efforts for Syrian Refugee Children, the Children’s Orchestra Society, Apicha Community Health Center, and the continuing projects of GlobalShare.
Dubbed An Evening of Cultural Diversity and Recognition, the celebration honored three preeminent community leaders: Michael Dadap, composer-conductor of the Children’s Orchestra Society; Therese Rodriguez, CEO of Apicha Community Health Center; and Dr. Tahira Homayun, founder of the Organization for the Advancement of Afghan Women.
The program also included oustanding culural performances. First was a duet by renown violinist and bandurist, Leonore LLorin together with Dadap, performing Dr. Antonio Molina’s Hating Gabi and Ernesto Vallejo’s Habanera.
Next, the fashion collection of Afghan designer Zolaykha Sherzad, owner and founder of Zarif Designs was donned by models in a mini-runway show.
Concluding the entertainment part of the evening was Broadway Jersey Boys’ and Doo Wop Project’s Russell Fischer who wowed the crowd with Corner of the Sky from Pippin, followed by a moving performance of Coldplay’s Fix You while a video tribute to the various charities played in the background. Fischer’s encore I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash punctuated the affair with enthusiasm.
Presenting the award to Michael Dadap was GlobalShare President Rev. Douglas Grandgeorge assisted by Philippine Consul General Theresa de Vega. Ambassador Virgilio Reyes, Jr. presented to Dr. Tahira Homayun, assisted by Counsellor Seddiq Rasuli of Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission ot the United Nations. GlobalShare Treasurer Esmeralda O. Lyn honored Therese Rodriguez who delivered a riveting speech about what it means to be an immigrant and a member of the LGBT community, placing both in historical and contemporary context.
Presenter/Singer/Actor Justin Mise emceed the evening, keeping the mood lighthearted and celebratory throughout. The event was produced in cooperation with Classiques Modernes.
photos by Monico Rabara
Model’s Clothes by Zolaykha Sherzad/Zarif Designs
Models courtesy of True Models: Chelsea Henriques, Alexandra Aylward
Yazmin Guerrero. MC Robinson
Tiffany Scerbo, Jayson Speters, Jonathan Ercolino
by Loy Bernal Carlos
Atthe time of this writing, it is exactly three months since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, leaving the island –a territory of the United States–absolutely devastated. Sustained winds and massive flooding destroyed houses, severely damaged infrastructures, halted businesses, and caused hospital and emergency centers, whatever few that could function at minimal levels, overwhelmed. The beautiful isla del sol, frequented by fellow Americans and international tourists alike for that very reason, was shrouded in literal darkness, due to a total collapse of its power grid. As of early December, a little less than 70% of homes finally have electricity. Still that is far less than the unrealistic, or perhaps naively hopeful, goal of 90% by December 15th set in October by Gov. Ricardo Rossello. The date has come and gone, and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority could not reach even an 80% threshold.
But the darkness that I am bothered most by is not just the inability to deliver quick and efficient relief to the people on the ground who are still suffering. What has become apparent is a certain insidious apathy towards the plight of Puerto Ricans, or dare I say, our fellow human beings. Whereas I concede that technical difficulties may very well inhibit the efficient and effective implementation of relief and rebuilding plans, I cannot help but wonder whether the same situation would have been dealt much more decisively had it been an island of political donors. Surely the photo op of a president coming to its rescue would show more than the distribution of paper towels.
To be fair, the response to blue states devastated by Sandy was also highly political. It appears it has now become the norm for legislators to use federal response to calamities as punitive means. At best, they are manipulated to score political wins at the expense of ordinary people’s physical and financial survival. It is a way to prove to the base that “we” will refuse to expend energy, efforts, time and especially money for people who aren’t like “us.” When one spends every day purposefully, consistently, and methodically dividing people–pitting citizen against fellow citizen–almost as a sacred calling, then natural disasters that occur in your enemy’s backyard becomes seemingly divine in nature. No one grows up trained to aid the devil. No help arrives.
There are several theories that have been offered to help explain the sluggishness and lackluster response, not only by politicians but by the mainstream media and the public in general to this travesty of human behavior. Some say that perhaps Puerto Rico is not remote enough or poor enough. And in our contemporary culture, able people are expected to fend for themselves.
Of course, the opposite has also been proposed. Some maintain that Puerto Rico is too remote for aid to be able to come through quickly. Cynics argue that if money could be made out of this tragedy, we would be seeing corporations descending on the island like vultures. On the other side, there are those who argue that corporations should come and help the rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s infrastructure not only because it is the ideal (you would be starting from scratch) or because it is the right thing to do, but because it also could be a profitable endeavor.
Me? I think of Puerto Rico today and can’t help but think of West Side Story. Are we playing out the 21st century version of the Sharks versus the Jets. Are we seeing territorial warfare, a cultural clash? Brown versus white? Spanish speakers versus English speakers. Have we forgotten how that story ends?
Race is a hot button issue again. Like the 1960s Sharks and Jets, in 2017 everyone sounds aggrieved. And it’s tiring. It’s maddening. It’s counterproductive. And it’s a killer.
In 2018, we should, as a nation, somehow find a way back to valuing the ideals of respect, compassion, and good will. In order to do so we really should start in our own backyard.
So like West Side story, I end this with a hopeful reminder:
There’s a place for us. Somewhere, a place for us. Peace and quiet and open air wait for us somewhere.
There’s a time for us. Someday there’ll be a time for us. Hold my hand and we’re half way there. Hold my hand and I’ll take you there.
Somehow. Someday. Somewhere. That somewhere is the backyard of America–ALL of its states and territories. And that someday is TODAY.
LifeCoach Laura Posada and baseball legend and former Yankee catcher Jorge Posada have been at the forefront in efforts to provide relief to the people of Puerto Rico and to help facilitate its reconstruction. Their aim is not to just help rebuild, but to make Puerto Rico an example of a city of the future that rises from devastation.
The winds and rain brought on by Hurricane Maria had barely subsided when the Posadas began their outreach. News coming out was grim, so they immediately activated their network and commenced what has now become a full-time operation.
Puerto Ricans Laura and Jorge established the Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Fund, which now has raised in excess of $380,000, totaling over $500,000 including donated supplies. By late October, with the help of Fedex which donated a plane, they were able to deliver 160,000 lbs. of supplies that include food, water and diapers.
Laura Posada, master life coach and TV celebrity, reported that both of them have been raising and delivering essentials goods to the island. “Also, we have focused on transporting more than 200 patients with urgent medical needs-chemotherapy, dialysis, and other critical care–to Miami, at no charge to them”.
In November, they held a celebrity fundraising event at Hunt & Fish Club that drew new and former athletes. The evening alone raised approximately $200,000.
The foundation also has delivered essential goods to places that are most in need. Recipients of donations include the Children’s Hospital in Guaynabo, Girls Home in Cupey, Christian Center Bet-el, and the elderly in the town of Corozal. Door to door delivery has also reached the western town of San Sebastian and Ponce.
Shipments of supplies–like water, canned food, 30,000 lbs of chicken, thousands of jello and yogurt, 90,000 cans of canned chicken–were also delivered to Carmen Yulin, the mayor of San Juan for distribution to those in dire need.
The foundation is now working on a plan to purchase and deliver medication to previously selected hospitals in the island. For Laura, whose father is a diabetic requiring insulin, the need to provide basic medical assistance is particularly poignant.
This month, Jorge and Laura launched a new initiative in collaboration with The Estates at Acqualina, an ultra-luxury development in Sunny Isles, Miami, which is undergoing renovation. “The Estates at Acqualina is donating everything from beds, dressers and tables and chairs to lamps, refrigerators, microwave ovens and Flat Screen TVs,” said the Posadas. “All the furniture will be delivered to families in the beginning of 2018 and we are confident that we will truly make a difference for thousands of families in need.”
Longtime Yankee teammate and friend, Derek Jeter and his own charitable foundation Turn 2, also joined the cause. “We are going to donate furniture to the families affected in the Florida Keys and will also donate furniture to families who have relocated from Puerto Rico to the Miami area,” said Jeter.
In keeping with the spirit of the holidays, the Posadas and Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Fund has also teamed up with Wicked Cool Toys to donate more than 10,000 toys to the children of Puerto Rico who were hardest hit by the hurricane. “We are honored to join Laura and Jorge Posada to help families in Puerto Rico during the holiday season,” said Michael Rinzler and Jeremy Padawer, co-presidents, Wicked Cool Toys. “We are disheartened by the situation there and hope to lift childrens’ spirits by making their holiday season more joyful.”
But funds are still very much needed. “Puerto Rico still needs your help. The Fund is still open for new donations through youcaring.com/ lauraandjorgeposada,” says Jorge.
If you want a bag beyond man and time, you want a Marcellino.
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Call or email for true R.E.PRESENTATION: Kenneth J. Moore, LREB ken@classiquesmodernes.com 917-488-5315
Aloysius “Loy” Carlos, LRES loy@classiquesmodernes.com 718-757-8219
Etched into a spectacular rural countryside and set against a backdrop of striking vistas, Sky Blue Farm is a gateway to an illustrious
lifestyle, unrivaled in its breadth of luxury and amenities. The main residence, a grand Georgian colonial, is complemented by a two-story 3,200 sq.ft. guest house, a charming carriage barn with staff quarters, a caretaker’s cottage, two workshops/garages and additional outbuildings. In its entirety, this remarkable estate offers 13 bedrooms, 19 baths, 10 woodburning fireplaces and abounding entertaining areas for both formal and casual gatherings. Imagine this and more, all in an arboretum-like setting dotted with majestic maples, towering pines, age-old linden trees, a sprawling multi-tiered stone garden and mature landscape… a beautifully tended manor unique in its scope of possibilities. Artfully planned for the socially and recreationally active family, the sprawling estate unfolds to accommodate every desire, offering world-class recreation and elegant surroundings in the ultimate private setting.
A truly magnificent, oneof-a-kind 145-acre estate nestled in the hills of Millbrook’s prized Hunt Country
ECHO BRICKELL THE OF
Echo Brickell is a boutique, state-of-the-art residential high-rise in the epicenter of Miami’s fastest-growing metropolitan neighborhood, located on the coveted East side of Brickell Avenue. Designed by Carlos Ott, Echo Brickell’s 180 residences will feature summer kitchens, top-of-the-line appliances, expansive terraces and marble flooring throughout, and is slated for completion in early 2017.
MUSE is one of the newest luxury oceanfront condominiums in Sunny Isles Beach. The 49-story, full-service condo will soar 649 feet above the beach, and offers just 68 luxury residences, including two full-floor penthouse homes. Designed by worldrenowned architect Carlos Ott, this svelte twisting tower is slated for completion by mid-2017 BR/3 BATHS | 3635 ft2 | 338 m2 Ocean Views from $6.85 mil US
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every project requires a unique solution responding to each client’s specific needs, program, budget and site,” says Arthur Lasky, a principal at Silberstang Lasky Architects, P.C.
“In our residential work, that usually means talking to all the members of a family and spending time with them watching how they actually live.” The results in the West Village townhouse pictured here, bear out the validity of the process. The family had lived in the 150-year-old townhouse for decades and their needs had changed. But they also loved the feel of the history of the old brick house, even though there were functional and spatial challenges.
Lasky designed a two-story addition for the rear, which brings light into the back of the house with generous windows that allow viewing into the redesigned garden. The garden went from being an overgrown, cold mess to a well-proportioned light dappled landscape with delightful prospects in a minimal space. The mathematician and physicist couple each needed separate studies but delighted in having the garden level basement opened up as a floor-throughkitchen-dining room for accommodating the frequent return of their two grown children and the inevitable holiday gatherings with friends and colleagues. The space evokes the best of loft living, while merging seamlessly both modern and historical styles. The master suite preserved the bedroom’s wood-burning fireplace and added a new bathroom with a reclaimed wood floor. The suite connects to a graceful study that leads out to a 3rd floor terrace which provides another view of the serene garden.
The firm’s skill at blending the outside with the inside is also shown here in a Hampton’s Pool House, and a Bedford Country Home and Garden.
SILBERSTANG LASKY ARCHITECTS, P.C. 250 West 26th Street. New York, NY 10001 • T: 212-242-3234 • info@ slanyc.com
slanyc.com
SILBERSTANG
Del
Ina city renowned for ethnic restaurants, Russian Samovar is unique. Owned by Roman Kaplan and man-aged by his daughter Vlada Von Shats and her children, this elegant, upscale establishment offers some of the finest Russian cuisine in New York. Located in the Theater District, Russian Samovar boasts a 19th-century feel, complete with picturesque green and red shades and Russian folk prints. Being entrenched in the theater and art community, Ballet Legend Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Nobel Prize winner for poetry Joseph Brodsky are former partners. The popular eatery is famous for its 26 flavored vodkas prepared inhouse, including ginger, horseradish, lemon and cranberry, as well as its Russian delicacies. Jilly Rizzo, friend and bodyguard of Frank Sinatra, owned the establishment in the past, and Sinatra held many per-sonal concerts there and often spent time with The Rat Pack, as well as games of baccarat.
Appetizers include Beluga and Osetra caviar, blinis filled with salmon or caviar, the Assorted Fish Platter – in house cured Salmon Gravlax with dill, Smoked Atlantic Salmon, Smoked Butterfish — vol-au-vent, a wild mushroom puff pastry, traditional borscht, a pate Russe laced with brandy, and Pelmeni Stroganoff, veal or chicken with sirloin tips in a creamy mushroom sauce.
RUSSIAN
256 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
Mon 5pm-2am
Tues - Thurs 12pm-2am
Fri - Sun 12pm-4am
But its signature dishes have put Russian Samovar on the culinary map. House specialties include shash-lik Karski, rack of lamb marinated in Georgian spices, beef Stroganoff, veal pojarksi, ground veal and breast of chicken cutlets, chicken Kiev, pelmeni, veal, beef and chicken dumplings, and chicken tabaka, a baby chicken split and grilled. Side dishes, such as marinated red cabbage, boiled or mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables, compliment the succulent entrees. For dessert there is the Zapekanka, a very Russkiy cheese cake, and the Crème brûlée just to name a few.
Russian Samovar seats 100 in the dining room and 50 at the bar. Upstairs, the intimate St Petersburg Hall & Lounge, which caters to private parties, small dinners and events, seats 34 for sit-down dinner, and 100 for standing buffet comfortably. Designed by Felix Zbarski and Yuri Kuper, the lounge houses Kaplan’s extraordinary collection of samovars. The club-like feel is evident in the oak floors, schlacked with a warm gray/gold veneer.
Because the restaurant is a magnet for artists and writers, poetry readings are held throughout the year and a classically trained pianist performs nightly. Russian Samovar features live interactive theatre every Thursday with award-winning actors, performance from Opera Singer Michael Peer on Mondays, Gipsy Fun Trio on Fridays and Saturdays on violin and guitar playing traditional Russian music, and Jazz Blues Brunch on Sundays 3:00pm - 7:00pm with the Uptown Jazz Company. Russian Samovar has been and continues to be a major contributor and supporter of the art community.
230
New York, NY 10169
(Between 45th Street 46th
in 1969, Bobby Van’s Steakhouse has become a staple of New York City dining. Founded on the principles of quality food and superior customer service, Bobby Van’s main-tains the same high standards more than four decades later. Bobby Van’s Steakhouse has grown to include ten restaurants across New York City, Washington D.C. and the Hamptons, as well as a takeout burger joint called BV’s Burger. The friendly staff, warm décor and prime se-lection of steaks, chops and seafood at Bobby Van’s create a true New York steakhouse experience.
Known for its classic steakhouse fare, Bobby Van’s serves a variety of steak dishes including the traditional Porterhouse Steak (a premium cut of beef that can be shared between 2-4 people) and its signature Filet Mignon (a prime, tender cut of beef with exceptional taste and texture), as well as fresh seafood options such as Chilean Sea Bass (prepared with Miso & Tamari glaze and served with asparagus, Bok Choy and Shitake mushrooms in a white truffle fish broth). Each of Bobby Van’s five New York City locations offers a unique experience for Bobby Van’s customers, while upholding the superior qualities that make Bobby Van’s Steakhouse a New York icon.
Since opening its doors in 1996, Bobby Van’s Steakhouse on Park Avenue has become known as “the original” Bobby Van’s in New York City. Housed within the landmark Helmsley Building, the venue boasts scenic views of iconic Park Avenue. With its elegant menu options, award-winning wine list and refined décor, Bobby Van’s Steakhouse on Park Avenue attracts guests looking for a luxury dining experience.
Hell’s Kitchen: 371 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036
Upper East Side: 1626 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10028
Midtown East” 151 East 57th Street, New York, NY 10022
Latin American restaurant group La Pulperia, co-owned by Victor Medina and Head Chef Carlos Barroz brings Latin American cuisine with contemporary influences to the fun-loving epicureans of New York. Since opening their first location in Hell’s Kitchen in 2014, Barroz and Medina have gone on to open two additional locations on the Upper East Side and Midtown East.
La Pulperia serves classic Latin dishes with contemporary inspiration possessing a menu comprising several fresh seafood dishes, accentuated by select meat and vegetarian options. Inviting as well as adventurous, Chef Barroz brings simple yet refined cuisine with traditional culinary influences from places like Italy and Spain and has received an Open Table Diner’s Choice Award.
Signature menu items include Las Tablas, which allow patrons to choose from a variety of grilled proteins such as their famous Pulpo (grilled octopus), and are accompanied by five seasonal “cazuelitas”, a tasting of traditional side dishes such as Eggplant Chambota, Russian Potato Salad and Celery Root Gratin; Pacu Fish Ribs, a rarity in New York, are made with a grilled Brazilian Pacu – a wild and sustainable fresh water fish - and served with an orange chipotle BBQ sauce and coconut rice; and Moqueca Mixta which includes a mix of fresh squid, shrimp, mussels, white fish, scallops, soy beans, Spanish chorizo, bacalao and green coconut rice in dende oil. The Warm Farro Salad with parsnips, beets, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and butternut squash, tossed in orange maple vinaigrette, is an excellent lunchtime choice for guests of the Midtown East or Upper East Side locations.
Diners who love sweet dishes will relish La Pulperia’s dessert menu, which features specialities such as the Mezcal Chocolate Mousse, made with Riazuleno Classico Juven, olive oil flourless cake, popcorn toffee, espresso crumbs and 24k edible gold flakes; and Mango & Lychee Tres Leches, a citrus sponge cake, topped with coconut mousse & sake soak, with a dollop of vanilla whipped cream, white chocolate shavings, mango and lychee pico de gallo.
On the weekends, diners can enjoy a Latin twist to a classic brunch. Menu items include Lobster & Baked Eggs seasoned with fresh herbs, crema de blue cheese, fresh cream and truffled scented toasted bread; La Pulperia Omelette with caramelized onion, roasted red peppers, tomato confit, Chihuahua cheese,
a side of home fries and a house salad; and Tortilla Espanola, a Spanish style omelette with potato confit, onions and a choice of cheese or chorizo. The restaurant also offers an extensive selection of spirits and an ample cocktail menu featuring both classic and innovative cocktails.
For additional entertainment, the Upper East Side location hosts live Jazz every Monday night, giving patrons a chance to unwind at the beginning of the week with Brazilian themed entertainment. Happy Hour specials are also available all-day Monday, as well as Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM and Sundays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. In addition, The Upper East Side location offers local delivery.
La Pulperia Hell’s Kitchen is home to the famous La Pulperia Drag Brunch Sundays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. This location also hosts Tuesday Night Lady’s Night where from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM all female customers receive their first drink of the night free of charge! Hell’s Kitchen’s Happy Hour is every week, Sunday through Friday from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with Weekend Brunch and daily Dinner menus. Full service lunch menus are available Monday-Friday on the Upper East Side and all week long in Midtown East.
La Pulperia’s interiors were designed by Andres Gomez (Red Rooster, Whitehall, SoCo) and mirror the authentic pulperias of South America, with handcrafted floor tiles from Mexico, reclaimed wood from Brazil on the ceiling and walls, and abundant shelving displaying top shelf liquor, fresh produce, and wine.
Notonly is French born Eric Demarchelier a well-known painter, but he is also the owner of one of the most iconic Upper East Side restaurants, authentic French Bistro Demarchelier’s, celebrating its 25 year anniversary this 2017. Talent runs in the Demarchelier family. Brother Patrick Demarchelier is a world renown fashion photographer while Eric Demarchelier has received acclaim as a painter. Eric’s artistic style encompasses figurative, geometric abstraction and abstract expressionism, as well as landscape and portrait painting.
Born and raised in Normandy, French restaurant owner Eric Demarchelier has lived in New York since 1977, the same year he opened the very first location of his eponymous restaurant. After closing the original location on Lexington Avenue, Demarchelier re-opened the restaurant in 1992 on 86th street and his regular customers followed. The restaurant boasts a colorful and cozy environment, with artwork by Eric Demarchelier himself on the walls. He began painting in the 1990s and has been rotating the art ex-hibited in the restaurant every year since then.
DEMARCHELIER
50 East 86th Street
New York, NY 10028
Monday – Sunday 11:30am – 10:00pm
demarchelierrestaurant.com
Apart from the rotating artwork, Demarchelier has remained consistent throughout the years, both in terms of ambiance and menu, though part of the responsibility of running the restaurant has been pledged to his daughter Emily Demarchelier.
More bourgeois than bohemian, Demarchelier’s cheerfully noisy, cozy quarters are home to a menu of mainly familiar hits from French bistro fare, like standout French onion soup and briny moules mariniere au vin blanc, in a creamenriched broth. Main courses also hew to the classics; duck confit is served over a hearty mix of tomato- and tarragon-scented flageolets. For pure French luxe, sample the Sole Meuniere. Flour-dredged and pan-fried in butter, this tender fillet is accompanied by a grilled lemon half and fat wedges of boiled potato, tossed in plenty of butter and chives.
Chef Jennifer Day
GOLDEN
photo by Loy Bernal Carlos
FOR THE GLUEHWEIN
1 bottle of red wine
2 cinnamon sticks 2 tablespoons of clove 2 tablespoons of cardamom
1 orange
1. Heat up the red wine on low heat.
2. Add to the wine 2 cinnamon sticks, clove, cardamom, and grate the zest of 1 whole orange.
3. Continue to heat it all up on low heat.
4. Add some sugar, a little at a time, until you find the wine sweet enough to your liking.
5. When the wine mixture starts to boil, turn off the heat. Finish with a splash of brandy. Served best with raisins and almonds.
FOR THE DUCK
1 small oven ready duck (2lb)
1 orange 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 oz. of thyme 2 oz. of rosemary 2 cinnamon sticks ½ tablespoon Chinese five spice powder
FOR THE GERMAN BRAISED CABBAGE
2 red cabbages
2 onions ½ cup vinegar ½ cup brown sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the duck on a rack set over a roasting tin and prick its skin all over with a skewer. Season well with the brown sugar. Halve the orange and squeeze half of the juice into the duck cavity and the other half over the rest of the duck. Rub the five spice powder over the duck. Stuff the duck with the cinnamon sticks and rub the duck all over with thyme and rosemary. Place the duck in the oven and roast for 2 hours until the duck skin is crispy and golden. Keep the dripping duck fat.
2. Chop the red cabbages and onions. Using the duck fat, Sautee the onions and red cabbage for about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and brown sugar. Braise them for about 30 minutes, and serve it with duck.
3 tablespoons of raisins
1 tablespoon of rum
4 large eggs
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 lemon
1 & 5/8 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of store bought eggnog
1 stick of butter
4 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of grand marnier
1. Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit degrees. Soak the raisins in the rum. Zest the skin of 1 lemon. Separate the eggs. Mix together the yolks with the milk, salt, flour, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and sugar until it is all well mixed. Beat the egg whites until it is stiff and gently fold it into the batter. Fold in the rum-soaked raisins. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and butter a medium baking pan with it. Transfer the mixture into the baking pan and bake for ten minutes.
2. Combine the stick of butter, sugar, and eggnog in a saucepan and cook it over medium heat. Stir it constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of grand marnier. Remove it from heat and serve it warm over the kaiserschmarrn.
German native Calvin Phan traces his unique style of cooking to a long history of “growing up in the family business” cooking alongside his Vietnamese parents in the family kitchen. Deciding to take the next step, he invested in a classic culinary education in Switzerland that blends a natural heritage of talent with the tradition of culinary classics. The result is a modern fusion of dramatic edge without compromising on family comfort.
Where he decided to open his flagship restaurant is Atlanta, “one of the foodie capitals on the nation,” he exclaims. The concept is simple. It’s Southern Comfort in a nutshell, but with exciting international accents. It’s Poor Calvin’s Absolute Fusion: a place where you can have your cake and eat it too, like his Red Velvet suspension cake, which is dramatic red velvet cake dipped in a chocolate ganache coating, and filled with marscapone and berries. He is excited to share with us some tricks of the trade just in time for this year’s holiday season.
What makes a stunning dish nowadays is something that is close to the heart, but still keeps up with the trends that have tested the time. Take Calvin’s Fried Chicken entrée for example. He uses free airline chicken, a modern detail that makes a trendy menu pop, but pulls from the classic traditions. It’s soaked in buttermilk of course! But it adds one magical touch close to the heart: a secret blend of Thai spices that pays homage to his lineage. The dish is still playful and festive by incorporating a dual blend of rotini and bowtie into the “Lobster Macaroni and Cheese.” Keep it seasonal with a rotation of local farmer markets’ freshest produce such as broccolini and you know you’re in for a modern fusion of “trick, and treat,” all in one.
“Growing up in the Soviet Union in the seventies, vodka was an important part of my childhood. My mother (a chemist) always had large jars of fruit infused vodka in the basement. Since it gets really cold in Russia and you can have things built for vodka, instead of currency, we always had people over at our house from the studios. During those years, the good vodka that Russia was famous for was exported for dollars. What was left was this horrible fire water that was so bad it was thought to make you “blind”. To make the vodka better mom used the only things available to her—cranberries that we gathered in the woods, apples, pears and plums from grandma’s yard and juice oranges that were sold at the stores sometimes to make some awesome infusions. The Honey cake with honey vodka is a favorite childhood dessert, made with her infused vodka and just a few ingredients: flour, eggs, sugar, honey and of course honey vodka. The memory of the vodkas that I grew up with are still with me and we continue to share the recipes with our customers in our all natural, home infused vodka.”
“Christmas is very special for Filipinos. Simbang Gabi or Dawn Masses mean early morning street food comprised mostly of various types of rice based sticky cakes and ginger tea (salabat). My ancestral town is famous for our “puto bumbong, a purple specialty that is steamed in tubes, rolled in fresh coconut then smothered in powdered panocha.”
For noche buena, the aroma of my mother’s hamonado, which is rolled pork braised in pineapple, sets our Christmas apart. For New Year’s Eve, it’s my Tita Naty’s morcon. Though everyone has their own recipe, neither can be equaled in my mind. If you were feeling adventurous, my Tito Dading used to make the thickest hot cocoa, which almost always guaranteed a trip to the “throne room.”
But it’s the smell of baking that dominated the air. We used to make baskets of goodies to give away. In it were polboron (milk and flour based shortbread, not baked), different tartlets, and my mom’s coconut macaroons. My pantry is still never without dessicated coconut and Christmas paper cups...and I don’t even like coconut desserts.
– Loy Carlos, CM editor in Chief
– Roman Kaplan, owner Russian Samovarrussiansamovar.com
editors reveal their dishes
spirit of the season.
“Peanut Butter Blossoms! The memory of “helping” my mom make these when I couldn’t even see over the counter is ingrained in my DNA and its all I can do to be patient and make them with here every Christmas Eve!”
- Chef Chris Santos, Owner Stanton Social, Beauty & Essex Vandal; FN Judge, Chopped
“I moved to the Bay Area from from Illinois in 1987. When my family and I settled in the Bay Area we lived in San Jose. Growing up, San Jose has always been a very diverse city. The area I lived in was predominantly Hispanic. During the holiday there would be little old Hispanic ladies that would sell their fresh made tamales out of the trunk of their cars especially during thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
During one week leading up to Christmas my mom bought home a bag of tamales that she bought from a parking lot vendor. Up until then my family and I have never had tamales or even knew what they were. After tasting the pork and beef tamale that my mom bought we were in love. Every opportunity during the holidays we would snatch up all sorts of tamales; sweet corn tamales, pork tamales, beef tamales, chicken tamales, green chile tamales, you name them and we’ve eaten them. Now as an adult raised as a Vietnamese American, one of our traditions that we’ve adopted is a Mexican tradition. Every time I leave a grocery store during the holidays it brings me fond memories of delicious tamales.
– Chef Viet Pham, Host NatGeo Food Forager Iron Chef Season 11 Winner vs. Bobby Flay
follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @vphams
follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @santoscooks thisischrissantos.com
photo by Loy Bernal Carlos
The holiday season can be especially difficult for those afflicted with alcoholism and drug addiction, particularly those who are not yet in or are struggling with the initial stages of recovery. The holidays carry a certain set of expectations: merriment, parties, social interactions, family gatherings, etc. Alcohol (in some cases, illegal narcotics) is everywhere, and partaking is expected. Needless to say, it isn’t the ideal place to be for people who are working on their sobriety. So we’ve prepared a list for both addicts/alcoholics and their families that we hope may ease the pressure of, and help them cope with, the holiday season.
This is probably the most difficult for family members to master. Most are either in denial or are expecting the worst due to things that have happened in the past. The key is to realistically see what is happening (not what has happened or that which you fear might happen). No one knows the future so live in the present.
You can support someone without fighting their battles for them. It is very easy to be tempted to make plans for an alcoholic or addict. For example, you are invited to a party where there will be alcohol. So you decide on their behalf that they shouldn’t go. That likely wouldn’t work. The decision to, and steps they take to be sober, is theirs alone. Try not to rob them of the chance to work on their sobriety.
Not all people understand that alcholism and addiction are serious issues. Some people may keep cajoling an alcoholic or addict to drink. “Come on, it’s the holidays,” they might say. In their minds, drinking and continuing to do so is a matter of choice. We even once saw a jerk intentionally give an alcholic vodka under pretense that it’s plain juice. To these people, it’s all in the name of fun. To that we say, stay away.
An alcoholic or addict may not let you know that they are having a difficult time, so it may come out through some mean or inconsiderate way. Don’t take everything personally, try not to argue, especially about this that have no resolution. Remember that you are always entitled to be treated with respect, but that’s also a two-way street.
Have a network of supportive people who may understand what you are going through. Whether a twelve-step support group or just a network of family and friends who have been there, don’t be ashamed to reach out.
There is no better cure for self pity and incessant complaining than finding gratitude and being of service.
1. HAVE A PURPOSE FOR BEING THERE
If you decide to go to a social or family gathering, look for ways to be of service.
2. DON”T DRINK OR DO DRUGS
Without the first one, there is no next.
When going to an event, find or bring someone in advance whom you can confide in about your sobriety, and who will lend the support and strength if and when you need it.
When in doubt, don’t. Nothing is more important than your life and health. You’ll have more parties but only one life.
Have a network of supportive people who may understand what you are going through. Whether a twelve-step support group or just a network of family and friends who have been there, or counselors. Don’t be ashamed to reach out. Keep close contact with your network. Communicate with them before and after any event that are likely to be difficult or uncomfortable.
6. KEEP IT SIMPLE
7. MEDITATE AND BE GRATEFUL
Meditate and find gratitude within yourself. Know your center.
8. HAVE FAITH IN A HIGHER POWER, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE TO YOU.
While it has its place in a training program, cardio is very inefficient. Strength training, or resistance training, accomplishes many things. It increases functional strength, burns calories, builds muscle, can correct poor posture, improves movement efficiency, and much more. The most optimal training program includes three to four days of strength training with a few cardio sessions thrown into the mix as well as time spent working on flexibility, mobility, myofascial release, etc. One can lose weight by only doing cardio, but one cannot build the body they want without resistance training.
Get a gym membership… or don’t.
You can run the gamut with gym memberships these days. You have the high-end memberships with premium services like Equinox. Then you have the $10 Planet Fitness membership that offers pizza parties once a month. Whatever your preference, I recommend signing up for a gym membership of some sort. And base it off your budget, location, goals, etc. If you just want a place to do your cardio in the winter and maybe lift a few weights here and there, look at Blink, Planet Fitness, or one of the other cheap options. If you have more freedom with your budget and want a little luxury with your gym membership like eucalyptus towels and racy advertisements, check out Equinox. If you are looking for a middle of the pack option, see about Crunch.
As much as I recommend getting a gym membership of some kind, it is still possible to get fit without one. Our own bodies are one of the best tools we have but it is a lot easier to make excuses not to workout when we are attempting to do an at-home program. Push ups, squats, planks, and many other bodyweight exercises create great workouts. Purchase just a few dumbbells and you can do even more.
We can talk all day about what type of exercise one should be doing and how much. But when it comes down to it, the best exercise program is the one that allows you to be the most consistent. Not even the greatest training plan ever written will do anything for you if you are not consistently putting in the work. And always remember, doing ANY workout is better than doing no workout at all.
The first thing people want to do when trying to get healthier or lose weight is to eat less. While this may sometimes create quick “results,” it can be incredibly detrimental. It promotes muscle loss, not just fat loss. And it creates an internal environment where it is all but impossible to maintain the rapid weight loss. Especially if you are also starting an exercise regimen, it is important to be properly fueled. Focus instead on increasing the quality of your food. This in itself will cause you to eat less. After you begin eating higher quality food, then you can really crack down on portion sizes if results have stalled. A quality “diet” consists mainly of protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and water. Carbs are not the enemy but they should be eaten in moderation, fruit included. And supplements are just that: supplemental.
They aren’t just optional instructions when we tell people that they really need to get better sleep and manage their stress if they want to see results. Sleep is incredibly important for recovery, and stress can wreak havoc on your hormones and entire body if not mitigated. A lot of us are constantly in a stressful state even when it’s not obvious. While meditation and other specific anti-stress activities are great, they aren’t the only way to manage stress. Instead of doing more activities that aim to reduce stress, try to do less activities that are causing the stress in the first place. Be aware throughout the day and perform some belly breathing techniques.
Personal Training can be expensive. But a “good” personal trainer is an investment in yourself, not an expense. If you just can’t afford a personal trainer, though, there are other options. This could be finding classes that you enjoy taking each week. There isn’t much personalization but at least you have someone taking the guess work out of it for you, as well as the camaraderie of the rest of the group. Or seek out an online coach who will still hold you accountable and create a personalized program for a lot cheaper. What you don’t want to do is go it alone because fitness isn’t your expertise or your job. If I tried to handle my own finances by myself, I would be broke. If I had to be my own “tech guy” and fix problems with my technology, I’d be living back in the stone age. And if we all tried to diagnose our own sickness and health without a doctor’s opinion, we might not be here today.
I hope some of these small tips will help you in your pursuit of your goals and resolutions.
For more fitness and nutrition information “Like” the Facebook page Rezolution Fitness and check out rezolutionfitness.com.
Dalibor Davidovic is a Serbian artist residing and working in the United States. For Dalibor, the creation of art begins with awareness. Snapshots of time, people and places become actors in the stage of his imagination, which interprets the unraveling scenes, evoking intimate feelings as they collide and collude to create stories that are experientially unique.
Mr. Davidovic frequently combines images, skillfully manipulating colors and textures, shapes and dimensions of varying and seemingly unrelated parts in order to compose a formidable whole. In doing so he is able to produce imageries that are reminiscent of visions that occur at the crossing of slumber and awakening. Soft edges imply a slowing of time. Hence in discerning his work, one might find oneself pondering whether each is a manifestation of a connection between past, present and future, or even perhaps the simultaneity of universal existence. Varied though our individual intellectual conclusions may be, one thing remains clear. Emotion lingers, a haunting likely perpetrated by one’s own inner self.
by Sam Gabel
Weird Blood was released by Cavity Search Records on November 17, 2017.
It’s an intrinsic harmony of psychedelic finesse and the paranormal mundaneness of it all. From its teasing opener “Sweet Baba Jay,” the album opens up our ears and guards it well with the chords of Jerry Joseph’s war-torn triumph of hands and voice. It’s power, it’s original, it’s restraint. He holds our attention and gives us a very personal, no barred step-by-step tour into his soul with tracks like “Weird Blood” and “Think on These Things,” delivering us into our haunting, modern lullaby. The whole album sums up as a musical cross of orthodox anticipation and the lyrical meanwhile we live in.
Weird Blood’s release is inspired by the year Jerry Joseph spent in a refugee camp in Iraq and to perform with South African musicians in South Africa. 2015, he volunteered in bringing instruments and instructed at an underground co-ed rock school in Kabul, Afghanistan.
“I rented a tiny house about a mile from my home so I could write but be home for dinner and kid bedtime. I ended up writing a fistful of songs. It was cold early January but a perfect place to write. Weird stuff was happening in general, one of those weeks where I had my copy of Black Star and David Bowie died,” Joseph recalls. “I tend to do the mad scribble thing when I write.”
When after a week of writing, Joseph arrived at Jackpot Studios, Schools was adamant they record all the new songs. They also recorded a couple written in Scotland, “Sweet Baba Jay” and “Late Heavy Bombardment” and a few that they’ve been performing, but had never recorded. “The past few years we’ve been trying to figure out album slots for some of the hundred originals that are part of our live repertoire but have never been recorded, like ‘Wild Wild West’ which has been around since the late 90s,” remarks Joseph. The “tiny house” songs became the core of Weird Blood.
SG: How did Weird Blood come about?
JJ: Basically, I had gone in to write a couple of songs. I needed two songs for a record. I rented one of those tiny, weird houses. I wrote a lot of songs in a couple of days. And we decided to make it into a whole new record.
SG: The habit of inspiration in today’s everyday life, how do we find it?
JJ: As an artist or human being? That sounds so naturally self centered and selfish almost, which is probably good for the occupation that I have. But as a father and a band leader, I think I just need to find out where my vulnerability is and to stick it out as far as I can.
SG: Who are your top 2 favorite artists?
Nick Cave and I’ve been listening to a lot this week. For some reason, I keep thinking of Christmas songs. I keep listening to Bjork and Massive Attack.
SG: If you could raise your family in a different country that you’ve toured? Why one would it be and why?
JJ: Berlin. And there’s a million reasons for that. I think it’s a super cutting edge city. But if I was going to take a year’s worth, I would go to South Africa because of its natural beauty. It’s like going to Australia. It’s gorgeous.
SG: The Good Samaritan through your modern lens:
JJ: My aunt Virginia, the nun. That’s when I started to talking to her about politics. She turned out to be an activist nun. She was 92 when she died. It’s that combination of devotion to God and serving God constantly, and doing it quietly is about as powerful as anything I wanted to do in my life which included billionaire philanthropists and rock stars. She lived a selfless life. I am going with my Aunt Virginia.
SG: Lastly, what’s your favorite line of lyric?
JJ: “Everything little thing she does is magic,” by The Police. It’s so simple, but so difficult to grasp. It’s like looking at a piece of abstract art and thinking “my five year old can do that,” but then someone turns around and says, “but you can’t.” For me, that’s the most elusive thing in songwriting: to do something that simple, but it resonates for everybody.
“When I write in a flurry like that, it’s hard to see a thread. It feels more like a purge than a considered attempt at art but in the end I seem to get to stuff that I can’t get to when I’m thinking too hard.
So here is the ‘recorded during a massive snow storm at Jackpot Studios’ record. ‘There was a lot of blood, it was pretty weird,’ I don’t even know where that came from, scribbled on something, and turned into a uncomfortable song.”
The prolific writer has released more than 30 records and has a catalog of over 250 original songs and counting. Joseph has always stayed busy on the road, not only touring the US but also far-flung, underexplored locales. In the past couple years he has traveled to war-torn regions to bring supplies and teach and share music. In 2015 he brought instruments and volunteered as a music instructor at an underground coed rock school in Kabul, Afghanistan. This Spring, he brought guitars and supplies and taught and performed for the residents of a permanent refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
“For me, it was pretty profound. There were these teenage girls learning to play, Syrian Kurds. I wonder sometimes about the power or magic of music, but we certainly attach a lot to it. I think that there are these moments that I’ve found where music does make a difference. Showing these kids how to play a few guitar chords or teaching them ‘Three Little Birds’ by Bob Marley and teaching them about empowerment. It doesn’t matter if it’s clay or dance shoes, no one can take it away from you. They can take the guitar or the paint, but they can’t take your creative thinking. A lot of these kids and adults feel isolated and alone, and you go, ‘Here [hand them a guitar and a social media account], You’re not alone. You’re part of something beautiful and bigger.’”
Weird Blood is available now on Itunes and cosmosexschool.
To help make a difference for the holidays, please help contribute to Jerry Joseph’s international charitable endeavors by visiting https:// www.gofundme.com/send-jerry-joseph-musician-and-music-teacherto-Iraq
blog.jerryjoseph.com/music
For a complete visit list of his tour, jerryjoseph.com/tour
photo by Michael Schoenfeld
Bard
Whenever a beloved public figure falls from grace through some scandal or controversy, it leaves admirers caught in a difficult position. In the case of an entertainer or artist, fans must decide whether or not they can separate that person’s body of work from the misdeeds they committed. Comedians, actors, musicians and directors produce art that makes people feel good, but it is all too easy to begin to see these kinds of individuals as infallible, or incapable of committing wrongdoing, when in fact they are no different than anyone else.
After the discovery of Harvey Weinstein’s history of bullying aspiring actresses into sleeping with him in exchange for upward career mobility, more and more figures in the entertainment industry were outed for similar actions. Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Piven, Casey Affleck and Dustin Hoffman are only a few that have been named. Most recently, Louie CK, who has had a thirty-year career of doing comedy, was found to have propositioned five different women, asking each if they would either watch him masturbate or if he could masturbate while on the phone with them. C.K’s comedy, generally, deals with topics like the lack of women’s empowerment in a world dominated by men, which makes these allegations (to which CK fessed up) especially troubling.
CK was always known for being “the comic’s comic.” He did everything he could to avoid the excessive commodification of his art. From releasing stand up specials for five dollars on his website and “making them easy to steal,” to gaining complete creative control of his eponymously titled FX show, Louie, the comic and filmmaker has always appeared to care more about making people laugh than making a buck.
But the question still remains: how, now, do fans view a guy like CK? There is no doubt that the things he did to the women who came forward were completely unacceptable, and that there is no real way to defend his behavior, but as an artist, one has to wonder if it is also fair to discard his thirty-year body of work? There were echoes of this dilemma when Michael Jackson was brought up on child molestation charges in 2005. While he was acquitted, it left fans caught between wanting to stick by the man who’d brought them years of joy through his music, and also feeling a moral pressure to be turn their backs on him all together. Yet, Michael Jackson is still held in high regard as one of the greatest entertainers of contemporary pop-culture. The major difference is that CK confessed to what he did, and at present the future of the comedian is vague, at best.
by Chris GramugliaAs a man with a lot of power, CK has demonstrated that he is capable of some horrible things. In fact, HBO and FX, have even dropped all of Louie’s content from their streaming services, and the comics upcoming film I Love You Daddy, looks like it may never see a public release. The most unsettling part of CK’s behavior is that the content of his work often winked at these kinds of actions, but in a way that delighted fans. Now, looking back on jokes about Louie begging his wife for a handjob and him calling the act, “the saddest thing that happened in America,” makes one feel like more troubled than tickled by the humor. The most unsettling part is that it’s become clearer that these aren’t exactly jokes, but rather signs of a compulsion that the comic struggles with. Masturbation is something that CK has referenced multiple times, in both his on-stage comedy and his FX show. At the time, no one seemed to wonder if there was a bigger truth beneath those punch-lines. One can’t help but wonder if the comedian will ever step foot on stage again and, if he does, what exactly his act will be like.
Maybe the biggest difference between a comedian’s fall from grace over an actor or other artist, is the personal nature of the art itself. Stand-up comedy is a dialogue with an audience: jokelaugh-joke- laugh-joke-laugh. A movie in many ways is a monologue wherein the performer is hidden behind a character. For ninety minutes at a time, audiences don’t necessarily care to know about the personal opinions or perspectives of an actor who is portraying another person. On the contrary, so much of comedy is depends on actually liking the guy who’s telling the jokes. There are, of course, comics like Andrew Dice Clay who made a career out of being the kind of entertainer that people loved to hate; the misogyny was part of the act, a joke within the jokes. In CK’s case, his transgressions against the opposite sex were kept from his fans in such a way that it’s hard not to see him as a hypocrite. To many, it probably feels like betrayal.
If Louie attempted comedy tomorrow (it certainly wouldn’t be a good idea) he would likely get booed off the stage. But what about ten years from now? Or fifteen? The comedian would be sixty-five, but is that enough time for people to forgive him? Will enough time ever pass so that audiences can finally look at CK holding a microphone and comfortably say to themselves, “Okay, we’re ready to laugh again.”
With the allegations only weeks old, it is certainly too soon to tell. But if Louie’s career has had any theme, it’s that he is able to see where and when he has made mistakes. I think most would agree he is no Donald Trump and certainly isn’t as nefarious and despicable a character as Harvey Weinsten. Nonetheless, as the comic said, he does need to take some time sit back and listen if he wants to ever get back to the thing he loves doing.
Louie’s allegiance to his fans can’t erase the uncomfortable positions he placed those five women in, or the damage he may have caused, but it can be a reason to, at the very least, see what his next move will be. We may never see another stand-up special by the self-deprecating ginger comic. But if we do—months, years, or even decades from now—it will be interesting to see what effect, if any, this has had on him, both as a man and an artist.
draws on her experiences as a stay-at-home mom in affluent Manhattan as the basis for her observational comedy, poking fun at marriage, parenthood, and life in general. Felicia had a childhood dream of becoming a Broadway dancer. Her parents had other plans ...which is why she was pre-med in college!
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a major in the biological basis of behavior and a minor in marketing (she jokes that she’s only qualified to sell drugs), Felicia decided to try her hand at comedy after a class at the Manhattan Comedy School. She also blogs, podcasts, and is currently writing a television pilot. She can be found performing stand-up throughout New York City.
In 2016, Felicia launched Laughing Affairs, which produces daytime and evening comedy shows for so-cial events such as birthdays, showers, and corporate and fundraising events. A production of Laughing Affairs is Laughercise.
Laughercise eschews thetraditional late night environs ofcomedy clubs, instead treatingguests to a one course meal,dessert, and glass of wine in theafternoon as both up-and-comingand veteran comedians take to thestage. Laughercise’s times andlocations are perfect for comedyfans seeking laughs outside ofthe traditional late night, male-dominated clubs.
One of Felicia’s and LaughingAffairs latest projects isComedy for a Cause, whereFelicia and other comics cometogether to raise money fora foundation, charity, orbenefit, with all proceedsgoing to the cause.
The format “enables meto perform during the day,when I am completely free,and in front of ‘my’ audi-ence. The lunches havebeen a huge success forboth the moms and thecomedians,” Felicia toldBroadway World.
by Lillian LangtryHow YouTube Has Given Us A New Kind of Celebrity by Chris Gramuglia
a celebrity no longer means that one has to be an actor, musician or professional athlete. There is a new breed of public figure, who takes total control over their public image, independent of movie houses, record labels and endorsements. These select few are the writers, performers, producers and editors of their own shows, and have a level of creative control over their art that most highly paid actors would kill for. Most start off as a regular people with a lot to say, or a perspective they feel they need to share with the world. These I individuals get a camera for under a thousand bucks, maybe a microphone, learn how to edit video and—voila!—they start reaching thousands of people simply by pushing a tiny grey upload button when they feel that their latest installment is complete. Enter the vlogger.
Vlogging, in its most simple terms, is a blog or daily diary that is shot on video instead of written on a site like WordPress. By uploading content to YouTube and Vimeo, these independent filmmakers and creators can essentially do whatever they want when it comes to the content they produce. Each vlogger has a different feel for filmmaking, a unique editing style and the vlogs that work best tend to be the ones with the most honest, unfiltered perspective. It’s the ultimate form of reality television. There is no script and the creative control lies in the hands of the star themselves, rather than in the hands of a producer or director. In almost every mainstream form of entertainment, the artist themselves isn’t entirely empowered with the direction of what they produce, but with vlogging, these artists get the best of both worlds; they have ultimate freedom, and while it may have started off as an experiment, it has proven to be one of the most popular forms of entertainment on the internet.
The two most profitable vloggers right now are Casey Niestat, a 35 year-old filmmaker who first reached notoriety in the mid-2000’s for his HBO series The Niestat Brothers, and David Dobrick, a younger entertainer whose vlogs are comprised of fast cuts, pranks, and silly, delightful banter between himself and a recurring cast of characters. While the subject matter and audience of each vlog is different, the goal appears to be the same: to share a mostly unscripted, real look into the life of a regular person with a camera and something to say.
Niestat, who has been vlogging for a number years already, fills his sometimes eleven minute installments with product reviews, discussions of current events, anecdotes from his own life, motivational content, segments in which he reads fan mail and, for film nerds, some really lovely cinematography. Niestat has discussed moving to NYC without having any money to eat, how he became a filmmaker and how the mistakes he’s made in life have somehow transformed into successes. Internationally, Niestat has become as recognizable as almost any Hollywood actor, and often stops to take photos with fans whether it be in Helsinki or on a crowded street in SOHO. But he is not an actor, and likely wouldn’t even consider himself to be a writer; he’s a self-taught filmmaker with a perspective that people find engaging enough to, well, engage with.
One could argue that a lot of Niestat’s vlogs involve carefully planned camera angles, and thus are not truly unscripted or improvised, but Niestat himself admits that he does this in several videos. After all, he is a filmmaker. There is something charming about a Casey Niestat vlog. Even for someone who has never met him in person, his direct POV style of vlogging is hard not to enjoy. While he is a celebrity in every sense of the word, Niestat does something differently. He gets in front of a camera without someone else telling him what to say.
In Niestat’s case, he’s a new kind of role-model for people, because of the relationship he’s built with the public.
David Dobrick, whose content is vastly different from Niestat’s, is currently the most profitable YouTuber and, at first glance, you wouldn’t understand why. Each of his four minute and twenty second vlogs are almost so fast paced that they make the viewer tired, but like a good novel, it takes a few minutes to learn how to watch them. They’re motivated by harmless mischief and involve a cast of other vloggers that are essentially all part of the Dobrick YouTube community. Some more memorable episodes include filling a swimming pool with $1000 worth of dry ice, while others focus on having victims close their eyes while Dobrick pranks them by placing mystery animals like bunnies on their stomachs. It’s juvenile, but that’s the point. Dobrick’s goal is to have fun for his viewers to have the same reaction, and he accomplishes just that. While these episodes are not journal entries per se, they do provide a glimpse into the life of a kid just doing reckless kid stuff. When you look at it as a whole, Dorick’s brand is really a celebration of youth, and the brief years in life where there are no consequences for being a little crazy.
There are hundreds of other vloggers making content that is equally as informative and entertaining as Dobrick and Niestat and, as a result, the gap between celebrity and regular Joe has started to get smaller. Maybe there is an element of fascination with people we see on any type of screen, whether it be a laptop or in a theatre, or maybe our priorities for entertainment have changed. It seems like we’ve become more interested in our role models as actual people, rather than figures that we can only interact with through the filters and barriers of their industry. And on the side of the vloggers themselves, it seems like they’re just doing what they love, and the adoration and fan-base is just the result of an experiment gone right. Of course, even well-known actors are regular people who interact with their fans whenever possible, but the difference is that their notoriety comes from telling other people’s stories. The vlogger tells his or her story, and invites the world to listen one click at a time.
a blended Mexican-American family from San Antonio, Texas. Their mini-series reality show, “Hangin with Los Henrys” debuted on YouTube on December 13, 2017. The show centers around Thomas “Tom” and Azteca Henry and their two children, Thomas Jr. and model/actress Maya Henry. Also featured is “Abuelita,” Teresa Crawford, who lives with the family in their San Antonio mansion.
Follow Los Henrys as they try to top the $6 million Quinceanera they threw for daughter Maya last year with a multimillion dollar 18th birthday party for son Thomas. Watch the ups and downs of big budget party planning with this fun-loving family, headed by patriarch and high-powered attorney Thomas J. Henry. Season One was shot on location in San Antonio, Houston, and Corpus Christi, Texas, Los Angeles, California, and Monterrey, Mexico.
The first two webisodes of the mini-series debuted on Youtube on December 13, 2017. The final episodes of Season One, chronicling the party itself, including exclusive footage of J Balvin, Migos, and Diplo per-formances, will debut in late December.
The Henrys are a wealthy blended Mexican-American family from San Antonio, Texas. The family, headed by patriarch and high-powered attorney Thomas J. Henry, is known for throwing elaborate, star-studded bashes. In 2016, the $6 million Quinceañera they threw for their daughter, actress/model Maya Henry, was a viral sensation which led to appearances on the Steve Harvey Show and Inside Edition. The Henrys also sponsored the 2016 Apollo in the Hamptons event at Ron Perelman’s home, the 2017 Republic Records Grammy afterparty, and the 2017 Maxim Super Bowl party.
Maya Henry is a model-actress. Her upcoming film, Carte Blanche, co-starring Dylan Sprouse, Suki Wa-terhouse, and Jack Kilmer, is due out next year. Last year, she appeared alongside Joe Jonas in DNCE’s hit music video “Kissing Strangers.“
Thomas J. Henry is an attorney and philanthropist from Texas. He is the founder of Thomas J. Henry Inju-ry Attorneys, a national personal injury firm. He has been featured in Newsweek Magazine, Parenting Magazine, Forbes, and Fortune for the record-breaking multi-million-dollar awards hard-won for his clients.
Avanti Gupta, a leader in the new generation of “It” Girl trendsetters, has launched a beautiful new website for stylish women everywhere.
Her more than 26,000 Instagram fans already know Gupta as a go-to expert on all things fashion and entertainment. Now they have one more outlet to peruse her fabulous looks and glamorous adventures.
AvantiGupta.com offers readers a glimpse into the social media personality’s life of beauty, travel, and high fashion as well as showcase Avanti’s work thus far.
With seven years of expertise in the luxury fashion industry, Avanti curates strong visual images and works as an on-screen host with growing experience in creating video content. Her social me-dia presence is strong and climbing, especially on Instagram, where she boasts 26.1k followers. Those followers will now find Gupta’s talents, interests, and top picks for the good life all in one place: AvantiGupta.com.
So just how did Gupta refine her impeccable taste and amass such a loyal following? It all started when her taste for fashion brought her to New York City, where she attended the prestigious Parsons School of Design. Gupta has worked for Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Barneys, Lanvin, Versace, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi. Avanti also worked with a top stylist and assisted on shoots and content for Bally, Bergdorf Goodman, the New York Post, and Style. com Arabia.
Find out more about Avanti and what luxury fashion and lifestyle experiences she is loving these days at AvantiGupta.com | Instagram @ avantigupta Generation Media Girl
by Peter Elston
When the mood of the day is walls and travel bans, it can be tough to talk about immigration. But that’s exactly why “Super Lawyer” Brad Bernstein is taking the issue to the biggest medium on the internet –Facebook Live.
Widely known as one half of the long-running “Brad and Squeeze Show,” the tri-state region’s No. 1 source for Caribbean news and entertainment at WVIP 93.5 FM, the seasoned immigration attorney is bringing his in-formed and often uproarious advice segment to an even bigger audience with a new social media push.
The Brad & Squeeze Show Facebook page has now officially launched and much-needed immigration advice is going live daily for foreignborn temporary workers, visa holders, permanent residents, immigrants, naturalized citizens and Americans with family abroad – or anyone who needs a lighthearted and accurate take on the maddeningly complex U.S. immigration system.
In addition to traditional call ins, Bernstein will now be taking questions from Facebook viewers looking to have their anxiety-ridden legal questions solved by a professional with New York City savoir faire. And, of course, Bernstein’s popular co-host David “Squeeze” Annakie, CEO and Founder of Linkup Media Group, is right there with highlights from the day’s news and his signature irreverent banter.
Since the soft launch last month, followers have poured in. Bernstein’s personal and professional pages are now liked by a total of more than 75,000 fans. David Annakie and his media group has another 250,000 followers.
Off air, Bernstein is president of the law offices of Spar & Bernstein, P.C. and is recognized by “Super Lawyers®” as one of New York’s top-rated immigration attorneys. He has already helped approximately 70,000 clients with every kind of immigration problem imaginable and now he hopes to reach even more with this exciting social media debut.
In the universe of Brace Humanity, compassion for human struggle and creativity are one...
by Lillian Langtry
Ted Owenthe father of eSports, is close to seeing video gaming in the Olympics. Among the trailblazers of this mul-ti-billion dollar industry, Owen has been working toward this moment for two decades, with outlets like Bloom-berg.com recognizing him as “a pioneer of the video gaming industry.”
The potential introduction of eSports offers the Olympic Movement potential to fulfill its own Charter that “the practice of sport is a human right”. Whilst many Olympic sports favor young athletes who spend a lifetime prepa-ring with a specialist regime in a national athletic organization, eSports offers a potential democratization and broader participation in being short-listed to participate. PlayAPI’s Ted Owen emphasized that, “whilst traditional athletic events may involve at most several hundred athletes being shortlisted for a particular event, eSports could potentially involve millions of individuals competing for a spot on their 2024 eSports national Olympic team”.
Between 1993 and 2017, serial entrepreneur Owen initially financed several early stage companies in the video game industry such as 3DO and Spectrum Holobyte which gave an understanding of the complexities of the indust-ry. Owen launched several groundbreaking ventures. Game Dealer (which became UGO) and Professional Interactive Entertainment which became Global Gaming League (GGL), the World’s first professional online gaming community.
Among GGL’s achievements was to incorporate an eSports event into The Gravity Games and broadcast play-by-play coverage of the eSports scene and community through GGL’s media division, Epileptic Gaming (a precursor to Twitch), all aimed at making e-sports more accessible. As CEO, Owen made a name for himself leading to his latest endeavorPlayAPI – which has the capability to create and maintain fair play between global eSports participants.
Owen’s campaign to bring competitive eSports to the Olympics began over a decade ago when he had talks with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and then the Chinese government to introduce eSports to the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. Global Gaming League even held an Exhibition event prior to the Games. Although the idea was slow to catch-on, the rapid rise in competitive gaming and popularity of eSports (some 680m streams of video games were watched in the past year alone), led officials on reflection to give credence to what Owen has be-en suggesting all along.
Ted Owen commented,“ eSports offers the Paris Olympics the ability to break new ground in becoming a truly glo-bal phenomenon in 2024. Handled correctly, eSports can provide a truly global, fair platform for everyone to compete in – what more could the IOC and Paris hope for in meeting the aspirations of the Olympic Charter ?”
Owen’s influence on the largest entertainment form in the world both predicted and contributed to what is now the largest sport in the world: e-sports. He has again positioned himself as an entrepreneur to watch now and in the years leading up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
photos by john hughes photography, christian cross photography and tom jeavons photography
interview by Douglas Keisler
DK: What is your current inspiration?
SN: To find more inspiration while in New York finishing some of my new album. Places and New Horizons always spark visions in me to write more.
DK: Your saddest and happiest moments that you have written a song about?
SN: Saddest writing a song about my mum and my childhood she sadly passed away from cancer 10 years ago still raw. Happiest about evolution and birth the track is called child it is on my last ep The Prospect produced by Matt Griffiths.
DK: What is the future of the music industry?
SN: For it to keep changing and letting new artists explore their own moments of creativity. Originality is the key of the future of music.
DK: What is next for you/who is Shane?
SN: My new music album (Futurelife) I’m a Londoner is a quirky essence who has realised I’ve inspired others so I’m cracking on and exploring the universe writing my experiences through my songwriting.
DK: Who is your muse?
SN: So many have inspired me Bowie George Michael Prince soulful music I love house and DJs that can involve a muse I would have to say my own library No One Gets in Without a Card.
DK: How would you classify your style/genre of music?
SN: Deep Soulful melodic electro house dance underground the list goes on I feel I don’t just fit in I belong.
DK: What inspired you to bring your music to New York City?
SN: I’ve been under New Management with a Native American my manager Aaron Keith Stewart one part of the Grammy award winning the sounds of blackness founder of Paradise Hill Productions and I’m working with others here in the USA it’s about the bigger picture and you super cool creative lot know how to create also the dance sense and Underground music here is fantastic.
DK: What words do you live by?
SN: One day at a time.
DK: Current and upcoming music and non music pursuits/ plans/gigs?
SN: My new album with Paradise Hill Productions album name Futurelife also projects with others while in New York City also hope to go to LA as may have meetings lined up and doors may open while there networking is so important in this industry and I try to be the last thing that people remember if I possibly can more film projects casting calls and model work and life partners and family time is major for this Camden lad.
DK: How has the music industry changed?
SN: It’s found sounds and roots to new avenues and inspiration over time as well as opened new genres for those who still climb the music ladder it will constantly keep evolving and changing this is why I like what I do we have a platform to explore and provoke in the best possible taste
newest installment in the Star Wars franchise hit theaters last week but, unlike its predecessor, The Force Awakens, is a far cry from the magic and allure of the original trilogy. Even when compared to the often criticized prequels, The Last Jedi still can’t quite measure up, nor does it even feel like it has a place in the actual saga itself. It isn’t about what the film did that made it a disappointment; it’s what it didn’t do that left fans feeling slighted. The special effects, space battles and visual spectacles that one expects from a Star Wars film were certainly present and stunning as ever, but the decision to stray so far from the core of what Star Wars really is—a family saga that is set against the backdrop of a war in space—was uncomfortable, contrived and in many ways felt like a different experience entirely.
Anakin Skywalker, the young slave boy from Tatooine who eventually rises to power and becomes Darth Vader, is the driving force behind this story. It doesn’t matter which film you’re watching; the presence of Anakin Skywalker, whether he’s still a Jedi in training or fully transformed into the halfman, half-machine Sith Lord has always been a pervading force in this epic tale. Without his fall from grace to the dark side of The Force and subsequent leadership of The Empire under Palpatine, the entire story is effectively meaningless.
Yet, The Last Jedi makes about three references to this critical figure through all 159 minutes of its runtime. Fans of the original trilogy know that in the final scenes of Return of the Jedi, Anakin Skywalker is seen standing alongside his master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda as a force ghost. He has been redeemed by his son, Luke Skywalker, and has communed with the light side of The Force so that this third of the story is complete. The Last Jedi neglects that this character still has an active role in the events that are unfolding in the Star Wars timeline. After all, the film’s dark side antagonist, Kylo Ren, is Anakin Skywalker’s grandson.
While some fans may have been delighted at the prospect of seeing the hero of the franchise, Luke Skywalker, return to the screen, his character arc was ultimately a letdown. In the film, the Skywalker character rode on more of a flat-line than a full arc, which is a massive departure from the journey he goes on in Episodes 4, 5 and 6. Rey, the new hero of the franchise, finds the legendary Skywalker in “the most unfindable place in the galaxy,” alone, crabby, without much to do and pretty damn happy about it. Instead of the wise Jedi realizing the importance of defeating
The First Order a la Obi Wan Kenobi and reconciling with his fallen nephew, he claims that he has come to this island to die, and that the Jedi need to end. While there is a moment of redemption for the hero, his overall attitude toward the fate of the galaxy is, frankly, inconsistent with the brazen, adventure seeking do-gooder we saw forty or so years ago. From Beowulf to The Wolverine, every hero degrades with age, but most still seek a last chance at valor before calling it a life. Skywalker appears broken, weak and unwilling to help because of fear—an emotion that the Jedi are taught to avoid. Even his moment of redemption in which he appears as an apparition to distract Kylo Ren from the resistance fighter’s escape, is not particularly heroic. Director Rian Johnson cuts back to the real Skywalker sitting on a rock on his island meditating while his apparition engages Kylo Ren in a stand-off. If Disney wants to jettison the old generation of heroes in this franchise, they’ll have to do a better job than depicting Luke Skywalker as a hero who doesn’t care enough about saving the galaxy to put on pants.
The overarching theme of the film is to let old things die and, in a way that nearly breaks the fourth wall, is practically forced on the audience through various pieces of dialogue. Kylo Ren literally says this a few times on screen. One nearly expects Adam Driver to look directly at camera with a Mickey Mouse thumbs up, a wink and an, “Am I right?” As if the poor handling of the previous generation of heroes like Luke and Leia didn’t hurt the film enough, the new cast is equally as stagnant in their roles. Rey, whose biggest goal has been finding her parents, discovers that they are a couple of junk traders who sold her for drinking money, while Kylo Ren simply continues to teeter back and forth on whether or not he’s a good guy or a bad guy. Compared to Darth Vader, Kylo Ren’s rage is campy and hard to take seriously in The Last Jedi. Even his betrayal of Supreme Leader Snoke—a moment that feels like it could be a Vader-esque moment of redemption—ends up carrying no weight. Kylo Ren starts the film evil and he ends up just as evil at its end, while Rey ends up discovering almost nothing about her place in the story.
In the classic, but often annoying Disney way, there are various other parts of the film that are so obvious and irritating that it begs the question: why make this movie nearly three hours long? Finn and a new character, Rose, end up traveling to a planet where the most wealthy in the galaxy reside. Their goal is to find a master codebreaker who they believe can help them disable a tracking device on a First Order ship. At first, it seems like a cool, engaging subplot, until the whole thing falls apart faster than Sebulba’s podracer in The Phantom Menace. Not only do Rose and Finn fail in finding the right guy, but the whole mission ends up being a vessel for criticizing war profiteers. Certainly, this is a worthy thing to explore in a film, but thematic elements tend to work best in a story when they are woven into the plot, not hastily dumped on top of it like too much butter on popcorn.
Perhaps the film is right about letting old things die, but not in the way that it thinks. Kathleen Kennedy and the rest of the Disney execs who now control the direction of the worldwide phenomenon are the ones who need to let Star Wars die. Not because there isn’t more story to tell, but because telling it the Disney way, so far, has not done that story justice.
by Chris Gramuglia
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Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), along with founder Mike Milken, hosted an Intimate Dinner at DANIEL on New York’s Upper East Side. A highlight of the evening was special musical performances by Bernadette Peters and Matthew Morrison ©PatrickMcMullan
Mike Milken, Jerry Jones, Gene Jones, Mary Bernstein, Seth Bernstein
Matthew Morrison
Michael Kelly
Design industry came together for the much anticipated annual Spring Market 2017 event at the Decoration & Design Building in New York City ©Nathaniel Johnston Photography©LMG
In partnership with Johnson & Johnson, The inaugural Blue Jacket Fashion Show and Dinner was held at Pier 59 Studios during New York Men’s Fashion Week benefited the Prostate Cancer Foundation ©Patrick McMullan
Ian Mellencamp, Bonnie Pfeifer Evans
Nick Graham, Bill Nye
Sophie Matisse, Stephen Sills, Molly Ott-Ambler, Stellene Volandes
The New York Center for Children (NYCC) hosted its 22nd Annual Spring Celebration Benefit at Clement Restaurant, Peninsula Hotel in NYC. The event featured a Silent Auction and experiences, as well as a live performance by Lucas Pino along with strolling magic by Ben Nemzer. ©Patrick McMullan
Margo Manhattan, Luciana Pampalone
Celebrity jeweler Margo Manhattan held a special event previewing her collection exclusively for The Home Shopping Network, NYC ©Johnny Nunez
William Sullivan, Lauren Lawrence, Marion Waxman, Andrea Stark, Pamela Morgan
The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) hosted its fourth annual Collaborating for a Cure Luncheon at the private Upper East Side residence of Andrea Stark, NYC ©Rob Rich of Society Allure
Sean Young, Gianfranco Sorrentino
Restaurateur Gianfranco Sorrentino hosted a Members & Press Cocktail Reception for his non-profit organization Gruppo Italiano (GI) at Il Gattopardo, NYC ©Patrick McMullan
Reed Rosen, Paula Bolla-Sorrentino
Bill Ritter, Jean Shafiroff, Elsie McCabe Thompson, Don Peebles, Gail King, Katrina Peebles
David Dinkins, Aliza Taveres, Diahann Carroll
NYC Society held its annual Champions for Children Gala at the Mandarin Oriental honoring real estate mogul, investor and philanthropist Don Peebles, actress and singer Diahann Carroll, as well as recognizing two lifetime members: Dina Merrill Hartley and Lloyd W. Brown II. The Gala was co-chaired by Jean Shafiroff and Katrina Peebles, NYC L: ©Annie Watt, R: ©Patrick McMullan
Greta Gerwig, C. Mason Wells, Noah Baumbach
Real estate developer, film distributor, and patron of the arts, Charles S. Cohen, announced the opening of New York City’s original multi-screen theatre, the Quad Cinema, NYC ©Marion Curtis/StarPix
Harvey Keitel, Charles S. Cohen, Daphna Kastner, Martin Vhatra
Sonja Morgan, Ramona Singer, Larry Scott, Dorinda Medley, Carole Radziwill
Ramona Singer’s Birthday Party produced by celebrity event planner Larry Scott of Lawrence Scott Events at The Glasshouses, NYC ©LMG
Tony Mazzulli, Diana Ji, Michael Comandini, Meredith Benanti, Micah Curtis
RAND Luxury hosted its ultra-exclusive private British Luxury Brunch in Greenwich, CT showcasing the latest models from Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and McLaren ©Marilyn Roos of Greenwich Magazine
Bradford Rand
Samantha Brody, Dimitra Molossi, Lindsey Spielfogal, Elizabeth Shafiroff
Inaugural fundraiser in NYC for Global Strays, founded by young New Yorkers Elizabeth Shafiroff & Lindsey Spielfogel, working to better the lives of dog/cats in developing nations. ©Patrick McMullan
As 2018 draws near, it’s time to put together the best bucket list travel plans. Putting together a bucket list is no easy feat. There are destinations to think about, weather patterns to consider and times of year to ponder. However, one thing is certain, the new year will bring you to some of the most spectacular regions in the world to explore. Here is a list of the hottest and most dream-worthy locations to visit throughout the calendar year. Happy Travels!
Start the new year in Las Vegas with a suite at The Palazzo and enjoy the dining at TAO or LAVO, drinks at hip bar The Dorsey and spa treatments at Canyon Ranch SpaCLub. Venture out and see the future first and experience the latest technological adventures at the world-renowned CES Show from January 9th to the 12th, 2018.
Celebrate St. Valentine’s day on far-flung, romantic Fogo Island at the unique Fogo Island Inn. A contemporary, all-inclusive hotel amidst a remote setting the Inn has a seasonal program which would encompass skating, storm watching, caribou tracking and snowshoeing.
www.fogoislandinn.ca CANADA
The Dubai World Cup is the richest horseracing prize in the world and whilst the Carnival runs from January 11th – March 10th, 2018 the finale is run on Saturday March 31st, 2018. Stay in luxury at two Four Seasons luxury experiences at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and to make that deal at the Four Seasons Dubai International Financial Centre.
Be a Gazelle and celebrate the finale to the all-women Rallye Aicha Gazelles in its 28th year (which runs from March 16th – 31st, 2018). Stay at Sir Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot, a 28 room (including 10 Berber luxury tents) property situated in the stunning Atlas Mountains.
www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com www.virginlimitededition.com
The 2018 Cannes Film Festival brings the stars of Film from around the world to the South of France from May 9th – 20th, 2018. The Hotel to stay at is the Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc in Cap D’Antibes. The beauty of this property is without question and a perfect people-watching headquarters from which to watch the movie industry movers and shakers with a late night bar scene.
www.festival-cannes.com
www.oetkercollection.com
Why not indulge your love for Downton Abbey and the British social season by attending the horseracing at Royal Ascot (June 19th-23rd, 2018). Your ideal place to stay to enjoy all the traditions and pomp is the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London hotel in Knightsbridge and experience the beauty of the recently restored façade as well as the renovated rooms and suites including 2 new penthouse suites. Close to shopping institutions Harrods and Harvey Nichols and a short cab ride from Saville Row and St. James’s “it is simply the thing to do”. www.ascot.co.uk www.mandarinoriental.com
SOUTHAMPTON, NY
Summer is when New York society decamps from Manhattan some 90 miles East along Long Island to a cluster of seaside towns known collectively as The Hamptons. Weekends in July are actionpacked with a vast range of arts, charity and sporting events – not to mention more than a few summer parties for the 4th July ! The ideal gateway to The Hamptons is the perfectly manicured and situated Southampton Inn offering some 90 charming guest rooms. For dining, experience authentic Mexican cuisine at nearby Union Cantina.
Once a year is probably a good time to try something different. Why not experience five star luxury at sea with Silversea on a cruise. The only afloat Relais & Chateau restaurant, top quality service and facilities – all while travelling to new destinations. Summertime is particularly exciting for cruise experiences to Alaska and the Mediterranean, the latter on board the latest addition to the Fleet, the Silver Muse.
www.silversea.com
One of North America’s most modern cities Toronto, Canada celebrates the movie industry with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) each September which previews many of the likely award winning films to be celebrated early in the new year. One of the unique elements of TIFF is that both members and the public can purchase tickets. An ideal hotel experience for this Festival Bisha Hotel Toronto to relax in Five-Star serenity.
www.tiff.net www.bishahoteltoronto.com
The Fall is regarded as an ideal time to experience Tuscany at its finest and explore the wine harvest, hunt for truffles and mushrooms whilst all the time the wine and Tuscan olive oils are gathered. To complete the experience stay at the Villa Mangiacane Winery & Spa. Situated amongst 600 acres of award winning wine and olive groves the 10 room villa was built by the Machiavelli family and each room is uniquely appointed and some even have views of nearby Florence.
www.mangiacane.com
Round out your travel calendar with a relaxing beach vacation on the Carribean coast of Mexico at the Rosewood Mayakoba. Nestled in a nature reserve, enjoy the amazing cuisine, accommodation and facili-ties while being cared for by the resort’s expert staff. Perhaps you may be tempted to purchase a resi-dence and make your next years travel plans in just one location…
The ancient Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a historic cross-roads in the Middle East. The crown jewel of the kingdom is the capital city Amman, which like Rome and London is built on seven hills. Atop the highest of the seven hills is the Four Seasons Hotel Amman. Use this as your own palace from which to experience a month of adventure and explore the souks, the museums containing the Dead Sea Scrolls or to travel to the ancient City of Petra.
www.fourseasons.com/amman
