Classiques Modernes 5th Anniversary Issue Spring/Summer 2017

100% of the profits from every purchase of a nice™ button or limited-edition enamel pin supports Indigenous Youth Empowerment Programming run by WE. Help us reach our goal of $150,000 for this nice cause by purchasing your nice™ button or pin and wearing it proudly.

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. FROM THE

by Loy Bernal Carlos

THE GLEB CLUB

THE REMARKABLE RISE OF RAMIN KARIMLOO

Even in New York City where the theater scene is fertile with talented performers, this Broadway leading man presents a rare gift, like that box of decadent truffles without cherry or coconut filling.

In Ramin Karimloo is the complete package: smoldering, rugged good looks that make even villains and phantoms dreamy; a hardearned, well-sculpted body that brings GQ appeal to Hugo (Victor, not Boss); a natural acting ability that comes from a deep, personal desire to tell a character’s story in an authentic manner à la Daniel Day Lewis; and a mesmerizing voice that soars like an eagle–graceful yet powerful, smooth, gentle, and fierce.

His performances of any passionate song but particularly those of The Phantom or Valjean, for example, are subtle as morning dew, if not knee-wobblingly seductive. And when he lets “the Phantom rip–what fans call his unleashing of the awe-inspiring force that seem to launch from the belly of his soul, rocketing to celestial infinity–it is enough to make many a grown man weep.

He has arrived full circle from that fateful day when another Phantom enchanted the singer to the brink of tears.

Tony and Olivier Award nominee Ramin Karimloo has been attracting die-hard followers like Broadway’s American Idol. And while there are a handful of other very popular, contemporary theatrical leading men, not many have the same fervent fan base that spans the globe. His ardent supporters are everywhere–from North and South America to Europe and Asia. On Instagram alone, he has close to 170,000 people anticipating his every photo and video post. His Facebook following exceeds 100,000.

And like him, they don’t all fall neatly into a stereotype. Some are avid theatergoers, some are not. Most have seen him either on London’s West End or on Broadway. Then there are those who have never seen him perform live at all, but admit to actively awaiting every YouTube post and saving them! For Raminites (or is that Raminions??)–let’s just call it The Gleb Club for now–the day starts, the day ends, time crawls by till they hear him sing.

Others were lucky enough to watch him, at BB King’s in NYC or similar venue, perform a repertoire of Broadway favorites mixed with his own brand of music he dubbed, “Broadgrass”– a stylistic mashup up of two of his passions: Broadway and bluegrass.

London and Broadway original Jean Valjean, Colm Wilkinson, recalls advising a young Ramin not to listen only to theater music. This suggestion combined with his own natural curiosity allowed Ramin to cultivate a wide interest in music. Still some have influenced him a great deal more than others. And those are his favorites.

“I grew up on bands like The Tragically Hip and Johnny Cash,” explains the artist. “I always loved their sound. I think it’s honest. I love the whole “grassroots” sound they have, so that’s something that I wanted to take and make my own.” He is also keen on The Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. Of his own music, he particularly enjoys singing “Traveler’s Eyes.”

Born in Tehran, Ramin Karimloo, 38, was an infant when his family moved in 1979, first to Rome for two years then finally to Ontario, Canada. His father worked as an Imperial Guard in Iran and his mother was a tailor until the Islamic Revolution overthrew the Shah of Iran and ended the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. Growing up in Petersborough in Central Ontario, 75 miles northeast of Toronto, it was inevitable that the boy would spend a good part of his childhood playing hockey (left wing). Lots of it. His family would later move to Richmond Hill.

But it was a school trip to Toronto when he was twelve years old that redefined the path to his future. The Phantom of the Opera was the first musical he had ever seen. Going in he had anticipated disliking a musical, instead the boy found himself shaken by it. He recalled holding back tears, repeating to himself that hockey players didn’t cry. Still, he had a deep connection with the character and had such admiration for the performance that he told friends he’ll be the guy behind the mask one day.

“Colm Wilkinson has inspired me since I was a kid,” the actor relates. “He was playing the Phantom the first time I saw a musical. The way he told that story–it made me say, I can do that. I want to do that. I’m lucky enough to call him a pal now, and that’s never lost on me.”

But back then, Ramin did not have the means to pay for vocal training. He was limited to reading books on acting and studying them. At 18, he dropped out of school. And like many aspiring theater performers, he began his career auditioning for and performing in various minor theater productions and cruise ships... not exactly the best stepping off point, but a usual one nonetheless.

In one such cruise, he would meet Amanda Ramsden (Mandy), now his wife. Twenty years later, he is still as madly in love as a teenager, and she still serves as his inspiration. “She manages to be both the strongest, smartest, and sexiest woman I know,” he declares. “And she’s the mother of my children!”

In 2001, Mandy and Ramin decided to move to England where he got work in a factory that makes hand dryers. He found a voice teacher on a message board of a dance studio who would later give him the name of an agent. From there, he landed minor roles in various national tours including The Pirates of Penzance and Sunset Boulevard.

The following year saw Ramin making his West End debut playing Feuilly in Les Misérables and understudying Marius and Enjolras.

2003 saw the fast rising star take one of the lead roles, Raoul Vicomte de Chagny, in The Phantom of the Opera. As fate would have it, it was during the audition for this when he would first come across director Laurence Connor whom he would work with at a much later Broadway revival of Les Mis. In a past interview with the New York Times, Mr. Connor recalls noting of Ramin’s audition, “Great look. Great voice. Not sure where he fits.” The actor’s success despite not falling under a certain look or type is exactly what makes Ramin’s stellar ascent even more remarkable.

In 2004, he returned to London’s Les Mis as Enjolras, before taking on the lead role of Christopher Scott in the 2005 U.K. national tour of Miss Saigon

The game changer occurred in 2007 when Ramin Karimloo was picked as the youngest Phantom ever at age 29. He would continue playing the role until 2009, when he was plucked by theater giant Andrew Lloyd Webber for the Phantom sequel, Love Never Dies, starring alongside Sierra Boggess. His performance in this production would earn him his first Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

Although the sequel did not enjoy quite the success of the original, the world took notice of its leading man. Ramin’s portrayal of the lovestruck Phantom was punctuated and memorialized by Till I Hear You Sing, a stirring song from the show that underscores the pain and yearning of one so haplessly in love. It’s the musical’s runaway hit that may forever be associated with Ramin, in much the same way Bring Him Home is with Colm Wilkinson.

By the end of 2011 into 2012, Ramin is back in The Queen’s Theatre London production of Les Misérables, this time in the starring role of Jean Valjean for which he won the Theatregoer’s Choice Award for Best Takeover in a Role. It was also the year he released his first album, Human Heart, and the year that ignited a new passion–fitness.

RAMIN KARIMLOO

Feature Photos Jacket, Shirt & Pants John Varvatos

RAMIN KARIMLOO as GLEB VAGANOV in Broadway’s ANASTASIA photo by Matthew Murphy

One evening, another theater legend, Les Mis and Miss Saigon producer, Cameron Mackintosh passed by his dressing room. After eyeing the shirtless lead, the producer quips, “Looks like somebody got into his 30s.” That was all it took for Ramin to resolve to get his body in top shape.

Explains Ramin, “For me it’s just become part of life, and it’s helped me to connect to the role that I’m playing. When I did Valjean, I looked at it and said, ‘Hey, this guy is supposed to be in the prime of his life,’ and I certainly wasn’t meeting that image physically, so I thought I have to become that.” Hence with the assistance and support of his own fitnessminded wife, he started a 60-day circuit program called Insanity. That was just the beginning. And he hasn’t looked back or slowed his health regimen since.

2013 takes Ramin back to his adopted country in the Toronto production of Les Mis. The leading man recalls a particularly moving evening when Colm Wilkinson played the “Bishop” for just one night and handed Ramin the silver candlesticks. It was a figurative if not literal passing of the torch. Fans argue though, that it was a duet that brought the house down, especially a certain ending when Ramin graciously backed away, leaving the spotlight and allowing his idol the last, ethereal “Bring Him Home.”

When the Toronto production wrapped up, instead of heading back to London, the new Jean Valjean got ready for his Broadway debut in the show’s 2014 revival. By then, the thespian had already earned a reputation for thoroughly researching the characters he would play, studying them, and finding new nuances to illuminate. He decided to evoke a much more spiritual, prayerful Valjean. But what is soul without the body?

He had already developed impeccable physique and abs so impressive the production made it its own theater draw, an unforgettable prop like the Phantom’s chandelier or the helicopter in Miss Saigon. Ramin’s Valjean, abs and all, was a phenomenon that hit the papers, one that saw even the liberal leaning New York Times and the conservative New York Post agree. But it was his exemplary, heartrending and gritty performance that earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.

Interviewed by the New York Times at the time, Will Swenson who played Javert in the production perfectly describes Karimloo. “There are tenors and there are baritones, and then there are those few people who are genetic mutations, who take all the weight of the baritone and take it up into the tenor register, so it sounds huge and full even up on those high notes. Ramin can sail up high, and it doesn’t seem like he’s carrying the weight of the world. You never fear: ‘Is he going to hit that note?’.”

But things don’t go without a hitch all the time. “I was in my dressing room during the show one night going over some sides for an audition I had the next day,” Ramin narrated, “and there was a knock on my door. It was the stage manager, and he came in really calmly and said, ‘Hey Ramin, aren’t you supposed to be on stage right now?’ And I looked up at him, listened to the intercom to see what part of the show we were at, and replied with that same calmness, ‘Yeah, yeah I am’….and then ran to get on stage. I completely missed my entrance and poor Samantha Hill who was playing Cosette was just left hanging…when I got on stage I sang my line and just looked into her eyes, and tried to say “I am so sorry, I am so sorry, please don’t kill me…” He joked that people find it pretty funny now, but it sure wasn’t a laughing matter to him then. “I felt awful.”

By 2016 Ramin had released his second EP entitled, The Road to Find Out: South. And this year, he is back again on Broadway playing lead antagonist Gleb Vaganov, a new character on the Broadway version of Disney’s Anastasia So magnetic is his portrayal that many in the audience find themselves oddly rooting for Gleb over the “good guy,” Dimitry, played by Derek Klena (Wicked, Bridges of Madison County). The Phantom mesmerizes yet again.

a a a

The singer reveals that, for him, family is the most important thing. “Performing is great, and it’s fun. But that’s just the job. I try to put my relationship with my wife and my kids, Hadley and Jaiden before everything else.” With the family in England and him performing in New York, Ramin concedes that it gets difficult. Given some reasonable time off, “I’d spend it all at home in England. We just moved into a new house, so I’m anxious to get back there and get settled.”

He says it’s never easy, but they make it work. “We facetime everyday, and I handwrite a letter home once a week.” (He jokes that given the legibility of his handwriting, it probably takes about that long for them to finish reading one letter.) But by and large, he credits his family’s coping abilities to Mandy. “She teaches me what it means to be a team,” he says, “and I’m in awe of her accomplishments.”

Between hectic schedules, intense workouts and strict discipline when it comes to nutrition, it may surprise people to know that he indulges on certain things, too. In New York, Ramin admits to enjoying pizza on cheat days. “There’s an amazing pizza place down on 20th called La Pizza Fresca that I can’t get enough of.” Other things he also misses? Taking a ride on his Harley (Davidson). ”I miss that about England! I don’t have my bike here!” he laments.

Asked how he refreshes his spirit he replies, “Hanging out with friends and family, whether it’s the gym or just hang at my place.” He continues, “fishing with my kids, just relaxing with the people I love most.”

If he sounds like a nice guy, all who know him say that’s because he is. For example, prior to Canada officially celebrating 150 years of independence, Ramin Karimloo collaborated with Roots, Canada’s most iconic clothing brand on their “Be Nice” campaign, an initiative that promoted the classic Canadian ideal of “being nice” both locally and globally. Roots set a goal to raise $150,000 by donating 100% of the profits from every purchase of a “nice™ button or limited-edition enamel pin to support Indigenous Youth Empowerment Programming run by WE. Ramin was one of its Ambassadors.

The actor relates, “A friend of mine told me about it after I became an ambassador for the Roots 150 campaign, and I just thought that we could all use a little “nice” in the world. It’s something that I thought, hey maybe if I pass this on to people then they’ll in turn pass it on to others, and it’ll be a great butterfly effect. We need more kindness in the world.“

It’s a quality he sees in Gleb, the character he plays in Anastasia as well. “I think Gleb’s just a normal guy that’s trying to do the right thing. I guess that’s something I try to do in real life as well.”

After Anastasia and before coming home, Ramin will be heading to Japan for some concerts, something he had tremendous success previously in a 2013 tour with Lea Salonga, Sierra Boggess and Yu Shirota. When asked if there’s a cultural difference in performing and performers in Asia, the Broadway star replies “I love my fans out there, they’re so generous and grateful that you’re there. It’s always a great time getting to perform. Lea is absolutely incredible. Her talent is really something else – and she’s such a warm, lovely person.”

Looking to the future, he would love another shot at playing Che in Evita or perhaps Archibald Cravin in The Secret Garden, which he would like to see Broadway bound. He imagines performing with Lucas Steele from “Natasha, Pierre,” too, someday, or perhaps star in a play. But for now, what he longs for most is to be home with his wife and boys.

What makes it all worth it is this: for Ramin Karimloo, performing is another way of being of service. After the curtain closes, he says he leaves it all on the stage. “If I thought about this after I performed every night, I would have gone crazy by now.” So when he leaves the dressing room and heads out the stage door, he explains, “I just look for the people who seem to want to have a conversation, who want to talk. It’s all about the connection for me, and if I see someone who’s willing to share that, that’s who I go to. I don’t want to just mindlessly sign Playbills, I want to know that it’s something more meaningful. I just hope that maybe I can inspire someone out there in some way or another.”

RAMIN KARIMLOO Shirt John Varvatos

Consider this:

Hamlet: Denmark’s a prison.

GOOD TI MES

Rosencrantz: Then the world is one.

Hamlet: A goodly one, in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o’ the worst.

Rosencrantz: We think not so, my lord.

Hamlet: Why then, ‘tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

This is true for times as well as things. The troubled prince could have observed, “no times are good or bad, but thinking makes them so.” Which brings us to the present.

The signature state in the age of Trump is not Alabama. It is mild depression accompanied by self-pity.

Known to me and now perhaps to you as MDSP, this condition is currently indulged by America’s conservatives and liberals alike. Wealthy, poor, urban, rural, white and non-, men, women and rather-not-say-or-really-not-sure,all wallow in MDSP like contentedly unhappy pigs in biodegradable waste. The cause of the distress is the nearly universal opinion that the nation is headed in the wrong direction, and the fault lies not in our stars, but in the “other” Americans. That is to say, ourselves.

Alas, there’s not much to be done to enlighten the wrongheaded, and thus save the nation. If they were capable of learning, they’d already have learned. If they could understand the error of their ways, they wouldn’t have made it. They are here to stay, just as they are. In a couple of years, again they will vote. In the meantime they are free to be what they are, and to make their presence known, and so, perhaps metaphorically, “now we are engaged in a great civil war”.

by Kenneth Kern

The likelihood is that since you are reading in your free time, you’re among those Americans who believe Mr. Trump’s election assures America’s path to the future runs steeply downhill. Among us, a touch or more of MDSP is completely understandable. So may I suggest, in those dark moments when things couldn’t possibly turn for the worse, remember Hamlet. Remind yourself that nothing’s really good or bad, but thinking makes it so. Remember Dickens referring to the era of the French Revolution during which the “government” executed as many as 40,000 people as “the best of times [and] the worst of times”. Then think about Phaedrus.

Phaedrus was a Roman fabulist. (He wrote fables.) Phaedrus lived from 15 BC to 50 BC, a lifetime that endured the consecutive reigns of Tiberius and Caligula. Go ahead and compare Trump and Jared Kushner to Tiberius and Caligula. Note that our next president almost certainly will not be Jared Kushner, and it absolutely won’t be Tiberius or Caligula. Then, rejoice America! The good times are here!

I N R E T R O S P E C

Photographers are always hoping to capture unexpected, timeless moments. Such was the case here when I took this shot of a little spot of Coney Island Beach pre-Sandy where, for a good time, all one needed was the spirit of play.

- Loy Bernal Carlos

AMERICAN SUMMER, Classiques Modernes July 2007

The Letter Yellow appeared in the Back to Black issue. It’s always great to have fun interviews, as we did with Randy Bergida, the band’s leader. It’s even better when the music is good. That this set off a desire by musical artists from all over the world to be featured in CM–well, that’s just a pretty sweeeeet surprise. Since TLY, we’ve continued to cover musicians and their stories. We think that’s far more relevant than boring lectures disguised as critiques.

Dear Randy, Hoorah, he’s not dead!

MUSICAL CHAIRS

by Jason Garelick

I not, end up becoming the ones you remember the most. There is endless beauty found in the moments of minutia patiently waiting there to be revealed.

t was one of those days that started off with no particular hint that anything special was bound to happen. And from what I’ve come to realize is that days like these, more often than

You catch snippets of conversations on restaurant patios as you pass along. Families on vacation taking in the local culture, long time friends reuniting over a couple rounds, or summer romances in full bloom each in their own little bubbles. Separate parts making a bigger whole like a jigsaw piecing itself together before your very eyes.

Shoes laced, teeth brushed, and with destiny discretely sneaking its way over the horizon you leave your apartment without any real destination allowing your mind to slowly shift itself into cruise control. You can walk these streets a thousand times and still there’s always something new and different to discover. It’s as if within these city streets is held all the wisdom of the world connecting places to people and sunrises to sunsets.

It’s midsummer where the city heat is beaming down slowing time to a near standstill where a single day can last an eternity. You get the same nostalgic feeling of school being out and that anything is possible. Everywhere you go the carefree smiles you see are contagiously spreading across everyone’s face and you feel one effortlessly growing upon your own. If you had a hangover of worries when you woke up this morning they were thankfully left at home without even a second thought. While the day goes on it becomes harder to tell your problems were even problems to begin with. Life tends to have its way of working itself out anyway and forcing what isn’t quickly presents itself as a continually senseless act of futility. You can almost feel yourself closing your eyes, crossing your arms, and actually breaking into an uninhibited trust fall knowing the world below is right there waiting to catch you.

There is something in air that was probably always there. You can feel everyone pick up on it and collectively shut the news off, put their papers down, and for once just simply be.

You relax your vision as you take it all in. The wavy heat rising off the asphalt plays tricks on your eyes making it so like you’re walking through a waking dream. Almost like a living painting with all the vibrant colors blending together creating caricatures of the children cooling off with the help of a cracked fire hydrant and a soft serve ice cream cone courtesy of Mr. Softie. You can still hear the melodic jingles of ragtime playing over the loudspeaker slowly fade as the truck disappears around the corner carried on by the wind.

You mouth the words of the nursery rhyme as it plays:

“Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream.”

A thought clicks and begins to dance playing musical chairs inside your head as you sing it to yourself.

(‘Round and ‘round and ‘round it goes where it stops nobody knows)

It’s a song so simple, yet oddly profound. Something that flew right on by you as a kid but takes on a whole new meaning while you sit here thinking it out on a park bench. Life is taken so seriously as we grow older, but relatively not much has changed. If we can still hold on to that childlike wonder and belief that life can actually be a dream, a dream that we are all in control of then maybe we never truly get older. Age sure that’s a given, but actually get older? In this moment it feels like there is no such thing.

But when it all comes down to it we are not an exact science. We are all human, beautifully beings living perfectly in an imperfect world, each rowing our own boat trying to make our life into a dream.

Basking In The Shadows

Shadows

photo by Nicole McCoy Photography

by Loy Bernal Carlos

Thecool breeze during a rainstorm that finds its way through an open window, swirling over your skin, following weeks of baking air under the scorching summer sun. That first sip of hot chocolate after traipsing around the city on a wet, snowy day. That relief you get when you put on your house clothes, finally unbound, after an entire evening of being stitched stiff in pretense inside a gown or tuxedo.

Or that split second sense of serenity before falling asleep when you’ve turned off the television, lights, put down your phone, and the tumultuous waves of charged energy are suddenly lulled to calm in the darkness, like waves retreating at low tide. That song that plucks you from the crises of the present, and delivers you back to some episode of a distant past, tucked neatly in your repainted, refurbished library of recollections, where all but the good is forgotten.

Romantica’s Spring-released album, Shadowlands, hits you with the same sense of soothing comfort as these, one with such grace as almost to seem frail yet, contrarily, possess enough might to block much of the noise of the outside world and the caterwauling within. From the opening hymn-like notes of Let The Light Go Through You to the last spriteful strums of Shandy Bass, its good energy permeates the air, like the rousing smell of fresh homemade apple fritters and bold coffee on the first morning of a long overdue vacation.

Without a doubt, Ben Kyle, the Minneapolis alt-country slash Americana band’s frontman slash songwriter, speaks with a timbre of weariness, not altogether surprising considering the withering he has endured within the last several years before, during, and after completion of the album.

To him, greetings as mundane as “How are you and how have things been” are loaded questions that necessitate nuanced responses with several explanatory parentheses. For when you’re about to cross the wall that separates “things are worse” into “things are better,” one can choose to focus either on the ever-looming darkness behind or the light just beyond your reach.

“I’ve been through some very deep shadowlands in my life in the last few years, and this material comes out of that experience,” Kyle explained, adding, “I feel like a lot of the content of this record is about the fruit of the darkness in life.”

Indeed quite a few shadows, there have been since Romantica released its EP, Control Alt Country Delete, a surprising fan favorite released in 2009 that took a day to be written and recorded. For some other followers, it’s been almost a decade-long wait for the follow up to 2007’s critically acclaimed America, listed in Paste Magazine’s “Best of the Decade.” A dispute with its former label, changes in the band’s lineup, growing families, and a debilitating disease were significant roadblocks that stood in its way. But for the 36-year old Belfast-born Irish-American artist, there was another, more subtle but all important factor–time.

“I had a significant dream before my solo album (selfnamed, 2012), that gave me permission to wait,” he recounts. “ I knew we were coming back.” Kyle then goes on to explain the significance of “timing” and “getting it right.”

The band actually recorded an album prior to Kyle’s solo, which they later “canned.” “It didn’t feel great,” he confesses, “It didn’t feel right to muddy everything and put out material to the world that isn’t great.” Only a handful of that work would make it to Shadowlands

This philosophy minimized the compulsion to produce an album for the mere sake of doing so. After all, in his ever “conscious effort to deflect such pressure” he aptly named his studio “Slow Studio” to remind himself that it was okay to take it slowly, or as he puts it, “to wait for the good stuff versus to just produce and consume.”

The songwriter offers a refreshing breath of fresh air in a culture that demands constant manufacturing of and incessant updates. Social media and online marketers demand that we tirelessly churn out new things in order to remain relevant. We see it in music, fashion, restaurants, etc. In music, thousands of EPs, singles, videos and albums are released daily. Ironically, however the multitude and variety, most are limited to the same overused chords. Meanwhile, lyrics often fall into either of two categories: the obscure or the absurd. So by patiently waiting for things to coalesce naturally, Romantica has allowed to happen what many of its contemporaries do not: proper, ample time to reach maturity. And with maturity comes wisdom.

“I have five children, and between us there’s about thirteen kids in the band,” Kyle says. “We needed those years to ground ourselves and our families, so now we’re coming back together with a little more life experience.”

While the band was taking a recording hiatus, it continued to play together despite some changes in membership (Among others, original guitarist Luke Jacobs had moved to Austin to be with fiddle-playing, fiery singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriguez with whom Kyle had also recorded and performed). It was losing its original identity and Ben Kyle was afraid it might begin to sound like a cover band of the old Romantica. He felt that if the band had any chance of success in continuing as an entity, first they “needed to dissolve.” “It needed a new life for the people who are now making up the band,” says the frontman. It needed a “resurrection.”

Still, Kyle felt the album was not going to organically evolve while surrounded by the same day to day individual and familial pressures. So in 2015 he sequestered the entire Romantica community for close to two weeks in Shepherd’s Hill Farm located in the wilds of Southwestern Minnesota. The barn recorded Shadowlands captured the spirit of the place. The ambiance, design, materials, construction and acoustics of the space, which the band and engineer Brad Bivens helped convert into a studio, lent its own je ne sais quoi, giving it vivid clarity and depth.

“I think it’s the first real band record we’ve made, in the sense that it was a pure collaboration, in a way that our earlier albums maybe weren’t,” Kyle asserts. He knew that going away was the only way an album was coming together because it provided an opportunity to “channel energies.” “This time, I brought the songs in skeletal form,” Kyle recalled, “and we all put them together in the same time and space and played everything live. We’d wake up in the morning in the little farmhouse where we were staying, and we’d make a plan for what songs we wanted to approach that day.

But the days and sessions weren’t always easy. By this time, the artist was already showing ominous symptoms of a mystery illness that was slowly wreaking havoc in his body. Productivity was already slowing before the trip, hours were shortening as he struggled with fatigue. The probability of completing the album was growing grim.

Kyle explains, “I was aware that this could be my last song, or this could be my last project. I knew that I was losing strength and energy…didn’t have a lot of passion or inspiration, it was more of a struggle to move forward.”

ROMANTICA

frontman BEN KYLE photo by Tony Nelson

He says he was just putting “one foot in front of the other,” aware of his own vulnerability and the need for other people, “other creative minds, artists around me.”

According to Kyle, he needed to “rely on the strength of other members of the band to help carry the project along, in a way I couldn’t do so myself.” So instead of him micromanaging, Kyle decided “to give up control and to let go.” The result is a symphony of sorts, a sublime blending of voices in an album that, whatever your predilections, is indubitably as good as it gets.

As a complete body of work, Shadowlands does not quite fall neatly into any one place. To call any of it forlorn or melancholic is to miss the narrative of the album entirely. Sound wise, it exudes a mixture of various styles, tone and influence. Cecil Ingram Conor, for example, is an upbeat ode to Gram Parsons, a confluence of country, bluegrass with even a driblet of Irish folk.

The suave Lonely Star fuses Nashville with Jersey, combining a lot of soft swinging country with a little bit of The Boss’s (Springsteen) rock and roll. Reverse that proportion and out shines St. Paul City Lights.

Where Shadowlands is most profoundly moving is in its slower ballads, which Kyle delivers in a haunting, if not beseeching, tone. Whether declarative as in After the War, Buffalo Bill and Nobody Knows or demonstrative as in Get Back in Love or Give Your Heart A Shelter, all leave an “afterfeeling.” Like aftertaste and afterthought, it lingers. It’s akin to what you feel after a long protracted argument with someone you love, wherein nothing has changed but suddenly the argument seems trivial. It’s similar to that quiet ease you get after a rainstorm.

The album’s piece de resistance is without a doubt, Harder to Hear, which targets not any particular group of individuals or even philosophies. Rather, it describes the overwhelming effect virtual social institutions have on everything we think, everything we do, and, ultimately, everything we are. It is hard to imagine a song that strikes as accurate a cultural chord since Lennon’s Imagine. “I feel that people are saying these things not because this is truly what they believe deep down. They’re doing so because of ego, the need to be right,” opines Kyle.

Music and words set simply and delicately, Ben Kyle imparts a soulful yearning that all but the trolls should find undeniably relatable. Simultaneously, the lyrics describe today’s overindulged world of superfluousness, each mantralike stanza contrasting both the essential-ideal with today’s reality. Summarizing, we are–as perhaps both Imagine and Harder to Hear observe–our biggest obstacle to global and individual peace. Rarely do songs say so much, so effortlessly.

But effortless is not the word one uses to describe the singersongwriter’s life. “My health was quickly deteriorating during the making of the album. It was difficult to focus, hard to even just wake up.” According to Kyle, it was not until the band had finished mixing and mastering the album, and all was set to go when the symptoms “went into overdrive.” The album’s release was put on hold for a year as “I struggled to stay above water.”

Kyle suffers from an illness that doesn’t “leave a lot of space in your mind to even deal with what’s happening culturally.” He continues, “It has given me perspective, a lot of this is absurd. There’s so much confusion, turmoil and suffering. But because of this life and death struggle, it made the cultural noise less important. Life’s much bigger than what we’re seeing through this cultural lens.”

He would eventually be diagnosed with a biotoxin illness, also known as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), a condition wherein the body of genetically vulnerable individuals have an extreme reaction to biotoxic chemicals produced by environmental factors such as “heavy metals, Botox, xenobiotics, food preservatives, and toxins from stress, Staph, parasites, Lyme, fungal, and viral infections as well as some algae, recluse spiders, and certain types of molds.”

In the musician’s case, toxic mold had been inconspicuously growing within the walls of a house he and his family had lived in for seven years. Unlike two daughters who just showed minor symptoms with the rest of the family exhibiting none at all, Kyle’s immune system’s response was both insidious and debilitating. In its attempt to fight off the toxins, the immune system’s response was causing inflammation and congestion in his brain. That’s apart from the damage the toxins were causing directly. It explained his frequent confusion, difficulty in concentrating, fatigue and even inability to sing or play guitar.

It’s getting harder to hear my heart these days Harder to hear my heart

There’s so much culture in the way

There’s so much culture in the way

It’s getting harder to hear my voice these days Harder to hear my voice

There’s so many voices in the way There’s so many voices in the way

Oh, somebody save me, somebody save me I don’t wanna be cool

Oh, somebody shine the light on this soul tonight I don’t wanna be right

It’s getting harder to hear the truth these days Harder to hear the truth

There’s so much money in the way

There’s so much money in the way

It’s getting harder to hear from God these days Harder to hear from God

There’s so much religion in the way So much superstition in the way

It’s getting harder to hear the love these days Harder to hear the love

There’s so much criticism in the way So much ammunition in the way

It’s getting harder to hear the hope these days Harder to hear the hope

So much journalism in the way So much ammunition in the way

It’s getting harder to hear my heart these days Harder to hear my heart

There’s so much culture in the way

Fortunately, the help and support of his family, the band, and friends, plus regular rounds of intensive detoxification have given Ben Kyle an optimistic path to recovery. Although not completely out of the dark, Kyle has grown to appreciate even the smallest things.

“How bright and beautiful life truly is!” he declares. “Asher (his youngest) was born in the middle of all this. He just turned one. I’m so grateful, so thankful for the moments with my children. The ability to be present…without the constant static, and conflicts. To be there in peace, with somebody, and enjoy their presence…enjoy what my children are saying. The magnificence of life, that’s what the shadows have revealed to me. I was dying just a year ago. I’m not anymore.”

Life does indeed go on for Ben Kyle. And though he admits some days are still difficult, the good days are increasing. He prefers not to dwell on his own troubles but rather to seek those who need help or need to be served, whether through music or something else.

This turn of events suggest that even in the shadows one finds light. When asked to expound on Shadowland’s message, he concludes “My prayer is that it lands on the right ears, on some good ears. We’re told the more drive you have the more successful you’ll be. I don’t believe in that philosophy of life. Sharing and doing good work. Being fruitful. Contributing to something bigger. I hope that’s what people take away from all this. Darkness teaches us. Darkness can be a friend, the everlasting arms is underneath it all. It’s about love, not ego. Love will get us there.”

ROMANTICAMUSIC.COM

Ben Kyle / Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica

Tony Zaccardi / Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals

Danger Dave Strahan / Guitar

Ryan Lovan / Drums, Percussion

Aaron Fabbrini / Pedal Steel Guitar, Dobro Jayanthi Kyle / Backing Vocals

Peter Schimke-McCabe / Piano

HARDER TO HEAR from Shadowlands ROMANTICA

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.

THE COLLAGEN TREATMENT

For Men and Women Over 35

What’s What:

• 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.

THE EYE TREATMENT

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 York, NY 10013 917.528.0905

THE REGENERATION +60 GOLD TREATMENT

For women over 60.

Because the skin gets thinner with time and we don’t want to apply products that are too rich or heavy, this treatments provides the collagen and all the active ingredients to rebuild the elasticity of the skin and to bring back the glow. Notice a real improvement of the face and neck area.

What’s What:

• The Regeneration Gold Serum is formulated to smooth the deeper lines and the neck. This fantastic serum received the Prix de l’Innovation in France in 2012.

• The Regeneration Gold Cream is used as a moisturizer

- The Radiant Gold Mask is actually for all ages. This amazing mask got the Victoire de la Beauté in 2014.

THE FEMINISSIME HIGH REDEFINITION TREATMENT

For Women Between 45 and 60

This set treats specifically women who are noticing changes in their skin due to hormonal changes–more dryness, pimples, a face contour that’s becoming saggier...this treatment is formulated to help restore the hydration level of the skin as well as its elasticity. It’s called high-redefinition because it really lifts the contour of the face and the neck.

What’s What:

- The High-Redifinition Cream, day or night. This innovative formula received the Victoire de la Beauté in 2007 and keeps being improved every year.

- The High-Redefinition Fluide, day or night. Can be used as a light cream or a serum under the cream

For a limited time, Hormeta is offering Classiques Modernes readers a free skin consultation, a mini facial and 20% off all in-store products plus a special gift. Please call the Soho flagship store or email Nancy Savitt at nancy@hormetaus.com and mention Classiques Modernes.

CULTURE

by Ernest Butler

In order for modern art to exist it must tear down the aged structure of the past. If you hold this to be true then you saw the “new” New York City coming for a long time. From “East Bushwick” to Adam Clayton Boulevard, there isn’t much recognizable structure left.

As a native New Yorker, the child of native New Yorkers, I bit my teeth on the hand me downs of New York culture before I was able to speak. Sure there will always be staples like Nathan’s, Katz’s & Woh Hop, right? Who will share dim sum Saturday afternoons in China Town, weekday beef patty & coco bread lunches in Crown Heights? Bouncing from the Korean grocery to the Dominican supermarket with mom for Sunday dinner has been replaced with Whole Foods & long lines at Trader Joe’s.

“The only constant in this world is change,” my father always said. As I look across the landscape of the New NYC I realize I’m not prepared for that inevitability. Growing up, going to school, hospitals and living in hundred year old buildings, New York was always this beautiful old city that everything else had to adapt to in order to survive. Now it’s struggling to resemble itself and we’ve erected so many beautiful new things that no one realizes the soul of this city never really recovered from September 11th, 2001. In any era, a new metropolis is always on the horizon. But at what cost? I wonder what the artist of the Bowery would say of this NYC, the punks who molded a good chunk of themselves in spaces that now house Starbucks and reservation-only Michelin Star restaurants. Would it still inspire them? Cradle them in its darkness? Keep them sharp against its concrete? If only they could landmark the culture and heart of a whole city.

As we watch staple after staple close its doors and thank its patrons with final dinners with old friends they’ve probably spoken to but haven’t seen in years, we say goodbye to what this city meant to each of us. I guess things remained unchanged for so long perhaps we felt it never would change. The gift of this generation is that we’ve seen the birth of so much that has become a part of our lives today in technology. The curse is that we have to watch everything that raised us fade away.

By Robert James

T i ll We Meet A g a i n

by William Jackson

AN OPEN LETTER TO MY MOTHER

Three years ago, you left us, just months before you were tocelebrate your 65th birthday. My family and I were devastated. Things haven't been the same since you've been gone. I wish that you were still here, giving us the tough love that my three siblings and I came to know growing up. There were good times, and there were bad times, but you were there to guide everyone through them.

A lot has happened since your passing in 2014. I moved back to Connecticut, where I had gone to attend graduate school. Iwish that you were able to see my Master's diploma from Sacred Heart University, as well as the short film in which I acted. At least you were able to see the very first article I had published for The Harlem Times. I have published several more articles for many publications since then, including this one. I know that you would beproud of the work that I have been doing as a freelance writer.

I have been having dreams about you, a lot of them as of late. I wake up many times from these dreams and I have to go back to accepting you are no longer here. I have even had timeswhen I was flashing back to the day of your funeral. A lot of people turned out that day, including relatives from down south. We reminisced about the good times we had when you were here. Therewere chuckles, understandably a lot of tears. But we wanted to show that we loved and cared about you.

I hope that you are comfortable on the other side. And I certainly hope to see you again one day. Just know that your family is doing well, we love you, we miss you, and that we think of every day. I know that you are smiling down on us.

Until We Meet Again. Billy

preview photos by Laurent Nivalle

The ashionF of ART

Natureinspired fashion designs heated up the runway show at the Philippines Center of New York. The Autism Hearts Foundation (AHF) joined with the Philippines Consulate General to present their first Fashion for Hope show and benefit to raise awareness and funds for autism. All proceeds from the event are going to AHF’s Fashion Arts Autism Benefits (FAAB) Project to help youths with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) lead fuller and richer lives.

Over 200 people packed the Philippine Center’s Kalayaan Hall on New York City’s Fifth Avenue as the event kicked off at 6 pm with an array of Filipino food and drinks for ticketed guests, VIPs, and media. At 7 pm, attendees were guided upstairs to the main event, hosted by Master of Ceremonies, Ms. Henni Espinosa of Balitang America, a Filipino news program of ABS-CBN International’s TFC that broadcasts in the Philippines and in the San Francisco Bay area. AHF’s CEO/Founder Erlinda Borromeo and Philippines Consulate General Theresa (Tess) B. Dizon-De Vega gave opening speeches to thank all the supporters, volunteers, friends and family members for helping make the event possible.

Following Dizon-De Vega was Dr. Andy Shih, Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs of Autism Speaks, AHF’s much older predecessor that has raised millions of dollars for autism awareness since 2005. The final speaker of the evening was FAAB artist, Nina Bantoto, who gave a rousing testimony of her excitement for the FAAB program.

The fashion show portion featured various fashion apparel, evening gowns, and accessories as well as men’s dress shirts (barongs) with ornate drawings hand-painted directly onto the piña cloth (made from pineapple leaves). The runway show rolled out in two sections: the first half featured AHF patrons, Lissa Sobrepeña (AHF Board Director), Richard Gervais (AHF Board Director), and Michael Rosanoff (Autism Speaks Director of Public Health Research) modeling their own custom-made apparel with the FAAB-created drawings. More models followed donning large shawls designed and executed by the FAAB artists.

The second half of the show featured women’s evening gowns and pantsuits as well as men’s dress shirts designed as a collaborative work between the FAAB artists and Filipino American fashion designer and textile technologist Anthony Cruz Legarda. Legarda is well-known for incorporating authentic handwoven fabrics from the Philippines and Asia into distinctive American apparel as well as modernizing luxurious ethnic cloth for the eco-fashion world. The models strutted down the runway displaying an array of evening gowns with flowing capes, form-fitting pantsuits and men’s barongs.

photos courtesy of AHF

In attendance were the following FAAB artists and their parents: Nina Bantoto, Samantha Kaspar, Julyan Harrison, Vico Cham (all from Manila), J.A. Tan (from Vancouver, Canada), and Julien Borromeo (from San Francisco). In addition, the art coaches who attended included Kenneth Sioson, Jennyfer Uy, Camelli Villavicencio (all from Manila) and Kayla Silverio (from San Francisco). Anna India Legaspi, the master artist and FAAB Philippines Program Director, also flew in all the way from Manila to attend the week’s festivities. Legaspi taught all the FAAB artists how to paint on the piña cloth. Her company, Heritage Arts and Crafts, grows the piña and weaves all the various types of fabrics--piña, piña with abaca, silk, and cotton blends Other VIPs who attended included Harry Thomas, former U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, and Mrs. Loida Nicolas Lewis, former Chair and CEO of TLC Beatrice International. In addition, international pop singer-songwriter and Autism Speaks ambassador, Meredith O’Connor, entertained everyone with a live performance during the event.

About Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder that affects the person’s social, communication and behavioral capabilities creating serious challenges in learning and development. It knows no boundaries occurring in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. The Mayo Clinic says “Autism spectrum disorder is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child’s ability to communicate and interact with others. It also includes restricted repetitive behaviors, interests and activities. These issues cause significant impairment in social, occupations and other areas of functioning.” “Spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms and severity. Asperger’s syndrome is now included in autism spectrum disorder and is considered at the mild end of the spectrum.

About the Fashion Arts Autism Benefit Project

The FAAB Project enables individuals to courageously overcome challenges by promoting healthy self-expression, building essential life skills, and providing inclusive opportunities in the creative arts. The entire FAAB Project includes an educational art therapy program and a series of fashion shows. The program involves ongoing workshops where students produce original works of art on canvases made of piña cloth. This distinctive fabric is produced from the leaves of a pineapple plant and is indigenous to the Philippines. FAAB artist’s creations are transformed into fabulous outfits, gowns and accessories by distinguished fashion designers and brought to runways around the world. The FAAB FASHION FOR HOPE International Runway Show is made possible through the collaboration of Autism Speaks, United Nations World Focus on Autism, World Health Organization, Philippine Mission to the United Nations, Philippines Consulate Generals of New York and San Francisco, and the FilipinoAmerican Communities of San Francisco, New York and New Jersey.

All items presented during the show are one-of-a-kind and are available with a minimum donation of $500-1000 for the scarves and shawls, $1000 for the barongs (men’s formal piña wear), and $2000 and up for the evening gowns.

About Autism Hearts Foundation

Autism Hearts Foundation was founded in 2008 in San Francisco by Erlinda P. Borromeo, who also successfully launched the Autism Network for Global Education and Lifelong Support (ANGELS) in 2004 and Autism Hearts Philippines, Inc. in 2007 in Manila. AHF envisions a world in which the needs of ALL individuals affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders are met, and the cultural and cognitive diversity of people living on the spectrum is celebrated, not stigmatized. Where each person receives the highest level of customized care and treatment, education and lifelong support they deserve. Their mission is to maximize the potential of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders to learn, develop, function independently, and participate in the full range of social and cultural activities for an improved quality of life

Esteemed philanthropists, Don and Katrina Peebles, hosted Cocktails and Conversations benefiting the New York City Mission Society’s programs and services, which are designed to help youth and families living in the City’s most underserved communities break the cycle of poverty and achieve success.

Hosted at the Peebles’ Bridgehampton home, the elegant but understated event drew an enthusiastic and delightful gathering of long-time supporters and new recruits intent on doing their part in winning the War on Poverty.

Summer of Giving

Ravishing in a dusk-hued, long evening dress of purpleblue grey by Lia Kes, an Israeli designer with boutiques in Southampton and Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Mrs. Peebles warmly welcomed everyone and expressed her gratitude for their time, friendship and support. A veritable success in business herself, she suggests that one’s lot in life may only be partially attributed to skills, discipline, perseverance, and hard work. A little bit of luck is also often involved. And organizations like the NYC Mission Society provide a way for the downtrodden to turn that luck around.

Mission Society Board Member and the evening’s event committee member, Stanley Rumbough, pointed out that the work of the Mission Society and the positive impact it has had in various poverty-stricken communities have won it the admiration and fervent support of New Yorkers, at times spanning several generations, citing his own family. The Colgates and Rumboughs have been working with the mission since the late 1800s.

Now in its fifth generation, the prominent clan was also represented by 26-year old jazz and cabaret singer, Cole Rumbough, the grandson of this year’s gala honoree and long-time board member, the late Dina Merrill Hartley; and great grandson of cereal heiress, Marjorie Weather Post. The evening proved that regardless of background, and across cultural, generational and financial spectra, people are ready, willing and able to come together to help provide opportunities for those in need.

Elsie McCabe-Thompson, President of NYC Mission Society, said that the Mission is increasingly becoming more focused on education.  She explained that the road to success or failure, especially for students in failing schools, are often paved as early as the third grade. Because in grade three, children are at the tale end of the process of learning how to read. “And if you’re still struggling to read, you begin to fall behind. And then you fall further and further behind. You get frustrated.” There is a point when a child has fallen so far behind that they may begin to lose hope; and finally, they give up.

It is important, therefore, for organizations like the Mission Society to be there for those kids: to have a place for them after school, to help them catch up, and to provide a supportive environment that keeps their faith, in the world and in themselves, alive.

Its progressive portfolio of educational, workplace development, cultural enrichment, and community building programs make a positive, long-term impact by promoting academic achievement, career opportunities, and cultural enrichment. For instance, the Mission gave one group a “Tour of the World” by bringing them to various neighborhoods within the five boroughs of New York City that have high immigrant populations. The goal was not only to educate them about different food and traditions but to underscore the importance of appreciating and respecting strength and beauty in diversity.

photos by PatrickMcMullan

That is also something that both Donahue and Katrina Peebles fully appreciate as philanthropists. Don Peebles has generally focused his charitable work on empowering underprivileged youth by helping to provide tools that they need to pursue entrepreneurship. He is on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Greater New York, is former Chairman of the Board of the Congressional Black Caucus, was a two-time former member of President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee, and former Chairman of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Apart from being a Board Member and Champions for Children Gala co-Chair of the NYC Mission Society, Katrina Peebles focuses her charitable work on those that concern politics, art, education, and historical preservation. She was appointed by President Obama to the Board of  Directors of John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. She also served in the Women’s Cancer League, and sits currently on the Board of Directors for CARE Elementary School in Miami, Florida.

Cocktails and Conversations event host committee included Peggy and John Bader, B. Michael and Mark-Anthony Edwards, Missy Kilroy and Jay Moorehead, and Leah and Stanley Rumbough.

For more information, visit: nycmissionsociety.org

Facebook: nycmissionsociety | Twitter: @missionsociety

Hosts & Philanthropists Don and Katrina Peebles

NYC Mission Society President Elsie McCabe Thompson & Classiques Modernes Editor in Chief Loy Carlos

Mark Anthony Edwards, B. Michael, Darold Cuba, Doug DiStefano

Stanley & Leah Rumbough

“If you want a bag beyond man and time--you want a Marcellino.” SpeakBags

JOSEPH MARCELLINO is an award winning American classic briefcase maker. His bags have appeared on Billion Dollar Buyer, and are carried by celebrity and professional clients worldwide. To view his work and blog, visit marcellinony.com. He lives in New York.

Staying RELEVANT in Today’s World

by Sam Gabel

Staying relevant in the industry means you have to pull from the classic and push to a new limit. You don’t want to dwell too much in the past because the new generations will not be able to associate and you don’t want to be left out in the blink of an eye.

What Does STYLE Mean to You?

Style is an artistic expression, something you can tell the world about yourself without telling in words. Style is not something that comes easy or is thoughtless. Style is an individual expression of curated material objects. Style is a step below being a true artist but a step above the expressionless masses.

The Modern Value of CUSTOM MADE

Before the industrial revolution everything was custom made. You were not only able to gauge the quality of an item firsthand, but you also had a close relationship with the maker and their ability to better understand your needs. This was our ancestor’s currency and it also gave a deep meaning to craftsmanship, apprentice and the lifelong multigenerational role one had as being the locksmith, the leather craftsman. True art creates meaning from nothing. Mass production split the trades. That is why custom made is so valuable today.

LONG LASTING Beyond the Current

When I create an object for another human being to use or appreciate I create it with that in mind. My legacy, my reason for being and for existing is wrapped up into what hands can form. A true artistic expression is forever unfinished needing a user to complete the artwork. When professionals carry my work, they’re standing it up and showing it off. When you buy from a company, they look at profit. I look at legacy. I could do that kind of business, but I won’t. There’s no way.

A Collection of EXTRAORDINARY Details

One will never understand the extraordinary details in an object until you dissect that item. When I build my briefcases I do such subtle things to them that only the hand can do and is hidden by the other layers of formation. From the intricate sculpting that goes into making a handle to the prepping of the interior of a briefcase lining, the details are contained within.

I have a consciousness of where material comes from. I won’t use anything farm raised. I use material from the food industry. I use by products that would otherwise be wasted. I buy materials from England, from Italy. I know how they tan them. I know the laws. When I make a bag, I don’t design for a price, I design for perfection. I use great materials. The whole fashion industry works on fashion and season. I don’t.

TIMELESS, CLASSIC Components

Physically building items to last is very important. If they are not made to be relevant, they will be tossed away. I stay away from trends; they don’t last. I use different shapes, different types of locking mechanisms. The Marcellino latch is signature. The latch is saddlery hardware. It’s used on a harness. When you put the harness on a horse, you would buckle the harness strap around the horse’s belly, and then the tip of the strap would tighten it completely. The classic way of closing a briefcase is a buckle. But the locks eventually broke. I came up with something that gave them the classic, vintage buckle look—just as strong as a buckle, but easier to open. Aesthetically, it all flirts together to create that vintage briefcase look.

The NEW Man & Woman

I can tell you who my customer is. They’re professional. My customer is buying me, they know me. They love me, they know how the stuff is produced, where the leather comes from, and they’re really intertwined with the material. My style is pushed from my customers. When I make the bag, I build it to last, to make it have a function. Suede feminizes bags. I use light blue suede, I use weird types of shapes, experimental; a bag can be made of cat hair. The feminine part has to conform to the durability. I do a lifetime warranty on all my stuff. It’s got to be durable. Men want pockets, they want shoulder straps, they want function. They want something to last, something that won’t break, something they can talk about. Their alligator bag, they want people to know, “I know this guy!”

What goes into ONE MARCELLINO Bag

Each bag is individual. They’re one person. They’re tough. They’re complicated to make. You can’t put my bag into a factory. They take a person to make it. It’s one craftsman per bag. I’ll design, I’ll build. I’ll cut pieces of leather. I’ll determine the size. “What kind of lock is it going to be?” It’s a sculpture. It can take two days to make one bag. It’s my blood, sweat, and tears.

Faced with market adjustments, real estate brokers in New York generally may now be divided into two types: the deniers and the fear mongers.

BROKERING

by Loy Bernal Carlos REAL ESTATE DOOMSDAY

Here is an excerpt of a letter sent to area residents by an agent from one of the city’s most prominent firms.

“...the L Train will be shutting down for repairs and that is going to be a great inconvenience for homeowners in Williamsburg, perhaps like yourself, who rely on this train for your daily commute. The temporary shutdown this week was only a minor taste of the major inconvenience that will be part of many people’s lives for a long duration of time, however, this presents you with a window of opportunity. While the MTA has provided a 15 month timeline, we all know how quickly and frequently that changes...”

The first are those who walk around telling clients and all who ask that the market has never been better. They cite big Manhattan closings ($70 mil at 432 Park Avenue, for example) as indicators that real estate is continuing its record breaking streak. What they omit to say is that a number of these high-end contracts that have closed were signed three or four years ago. Both the local and global economic and political climate have changed dramatically since then. Uncertainties almost always lead to a decrease in activity and, often, lowering of prices.

An owner should ask, if the near future holds so much doom as the agent suggests, who would buy now? And with such a gloomy message, why would anyone list with him/her and expect that they will deliver a good price?

Here’s the same doom, told from a different angle, sent by another agent from a different firm.

The fear mongers, on the other hand, seize on this period of adjustment to scare potential clients into selling. That’s because lack of activity may also mean a lack of inventory. When things are uncertain, and barring a catastrophic turn of events, owners may just elect to not make a move. And that’s a problem in a city where there are more brokers than Thai restaurants and bodegas combined. Everyone is fighting even more fervently to get listings.

Increasing price reductions are often used to bolster agents’ claim that the bottom is about to fall. Thus, real estate brokers suggest, owners who regard their property as their most valuable investments should think about cashing in before prices go down even further.

“The sales market over the past 16 months has seen a 9% decline in pricing from its all-time high. Inventory has increased to approx. 5,400 available apartments up from 4,200 just 14 months ago. Mortgages are more difficult to obtain with new bank regulations and rates are rising. A percentage of prospective purchasers have taken a seat on the sideline with no rhyme or reason....The rental market over the past 18 months has almost come to a halt...see a huge correction, decrease, in rental pricing in May into June and that will last for another year.”

(continued next page)

In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where the main subway “L-line” is scheduled to be shut down by the MTA in April 2019, some sales agents are towing an even more dangerous line. Due to much needed repairs of damage to the East River tunnel caused by Hurricane Sandy, the transit authority and the community have come together to develop alternative plans to facilitate the commute into and out of Manhattan during construction. The result is the proliferation of emails and direct mail by agents that are meant to scare the entire neighborhood, which may very well lead to a self-fulfilling market destabilization.

ALL our EXCLUSIVE LISTINGS can now be experienced anywhere in the world at anytime through our VIRTUAL REALITY and 3-D tours (Scan QR Code for a sample.) It’s IN-HOUSE TECHNOLOGY, not subcontracted. We assess everything onsite and consider all factors from a marketing, broker, and purchaser perspective. We also have the ability to limit access, should you require more privacy. No other firm has this flexibility to make individual listing or marketing customizations.

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And then there is this. It has been reported recently that brokers have coined a new term, an “era of price discovery,” a euphemism for “I have no clue what your property is worth or whether it’s sellable, but let’s put it on and find out.” It’s a strategy that sets such a level of unprofessional behavior and chutzpah, it is difficult to believe any seller/developer in his/ her right mind would hire such an agent to represent them.

How do we know things are getting tough? Real estate brokerage firms launched a war with StreetEasy, a publicly available property listing site. They complained about the site’s “new” feature that allow names of agents, who pay to be featured, to appear on another agent’s exclusive listing. Why is this bizarre? This feature has been in place for several years in other websites like Zillow and Trulia–the company that owns StreetEasy–sites in which their same listings have been appearing in automatically, simultaneously with StreetEasy. On the basis of representation, the real estate companies have solid footing. But why did it take the large brokerage firms and the Real Estate Board of New York four years to notice it?

So what is the true state of the market? The New York real estate market has had a long roaring, formidable streak. But absent any new emerging industries that could propel higher employment and productivity, any experienced industry insider would have expected the overall market to undergo a period of adjustment.

Brokers got used to pricing properties high and getting them. But buyers today are more cautious and discerning. They are well-informed and are more likely to shop around and weigh things more carefully. Still unlike conventional wisdom, it isn’t always with the intent to get a great deal, but certainly a reasonable one.

Political uncertainties are also a fact of life. Fortunately, in most countries like the United States, they come in predictable cycles. Degrees of wariness or confidence vary, but it happens in every turnover of administration. And whether you like Mr. Trump or not, one thing is certain: he is very unlikely to do anything to harm an industry that holds almost all of his net worth. Improbable, but–admittedly–not altogether impossible.

Yes, there may be times when situations look bleak. That said, there are things businesses can do to manage and address consumer concerns. There are a multitude of strategies real estate developers and brokers can employ to ensure the success of any marketing project. Panic is not one of them.

Increasing price reductions are often used to bolster agents’ claim that the bottom is about to fall. DOOMSDAY

SKY BLUE FARM ESTATE

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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

LUXURY & PERFORMANCE

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THE GATSBY

PETER MICHAEL BIONDOLILLO appeared on the first issue of Faces, a page that asked people from various backgrounds, ages, and professions to define what ‘beauty’ means to them. Peter was also our very first actor/male model, appearing in several editorials. Shot on the same blistering hot summer day as this, Peter’s editorial photo in a Ralph Lauren camel suit remains the most shared and repinned Classiques Modernes photo.

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Beauty & a handful Chris far of the coolest

BEAUTY & ESSEX LAS VEGAS Winter Issue 2017

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eating outfamily

BRASSERIE

by Elizabeth Darwen

Brasserie 8 ½ Solow Building Corporation

9 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019

Sunday: 11:00AM-9:00 PM

Monday-Friday: 11:30AM-10:00 PM

Saturday: 5:00PM-10:00 PM

Brasserie 8 ½’s grand, spiral staircase leads to an elegant dining room, and a sleek restaurant bar where one can enjoy a predinner cocktail. This upscale French bistro is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan just steps from Fifth Avenue on 57th Street and features an exquisite selection of original artworks. Executive Chef Franck Deletrain,

noted for his sophisticated French cuisine, has crafted the menu which shows a light and refined take on classic French dishes.

Chef Deletrain has extensive experience working in Manhattan restaurants, including The Four Seasons, The Sea Grill, Tropica, Café Centro, and Patroon, where he earned three stars from The New York Times. Parisian-born, Italian-raised Chef Deletrain and his skilled team prepare specialty dishes including appetizers such as Grilled Octopus with Brussels Sprouts, Grapes, Butter Beans, Espelette Pepper; Lobster Risotto with Sweet Peas, Tomatoes, Black Truffle Essence; and Onion Soup Gratinée with Emmenthaler and Gruyère Cheese. Delicious entrees include the Duck Two Ways, served Roasted and Confit, Poached Quince, Braised Red Cabbage, Cranberries, Apple Cider Gastrique; Black Angus/Dry Aged Sirloin Steak Frites, served with Herb Butter, Au Poivre Sauce, or Béarnaise; and Yellowfin Tuna with Whipped Pars-nips, Brussels Sprouts, Oyster Mushrooms and Burgundy Matelotte.

Some of the expertly prepared desserts include the creamy Classic Crème Brûlée, the velvety Valrhona Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake, and the flavorful Black Plum Tartelette with Almond Frangipane, Vanilla Ice cream and Ginger Syrup. The restaurant also offers a selection of French, Italian and American cheeses, including Tomme De Savoie from Rhone-Alpes, France; Robiola Bosina from Piemonte, Italy; and Cave Aged Humboldt Fog from Humboldt County, California.

The restaurant also features a hand-crafted cocktail program with a focus on French libations. Specialty cocktails include the 8 1/2 Cosmopolitan, featuring Absolut Citron, Cointreau, Aperol, Lime, Splash of White Cranberry; the La Mode Ancienne, featuring Rye Whiskey, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, Angostura; and the Berry Gin & Tonic, featuring Pinnacle Gin, Blueberry & Raspberry Purées, St. Germain and Tonic. The restaurant also offers an extensive wine list with wines from all over the world.

Aspiring home cooks can sign up for one of the L’Atelier de 8 ½ cooking classes. In this new cooking series, Chef Deletrain teaches attendees how to whisk, toss, sauté, and glaze their way through the dishes that make French food so delicious. After having mastered a menu of French classics, these are enjoyed over lunch together with a selection of French wines. Classes are limited to 12 people in order to keep it an easy, fun, and hands-on workshop.

Original artwork by artists such as Matisse, Marco Del Re and Léger furnish Brasserie 8 ½. The restaurant is a stylish embodiment of a bustling French brasserie, offering a sophisticated dining room fit with ivory tablecloths.

The curved bar and lounge serve as a popular after-work spot for business locals and destination diners alike. The restaurant also includes a number of private dining rooms, which can be configured for dinner parties as well as standing cocktail receptions. Original artworks decorate the walls of the rooms, among them an original Marco Del Re painting.

On the weekends, try Brasserie 8 ½’s Sunday Brunch Buffet, featuring a range of delectable favorites, including crêpes, omelets, salads, as well as carving and pastry stations – all priced at just $34 per person ($17 for children under 10).

Diners can opt to add Endless Mimosas during brunch for just $14 extra. Sunday and Monday are BYOB Nights, and diners are welcome to sip their own wine with no corkage fee, while enjoying supper. For weeknights and after-work gatherings, stop by for Oyster Happy Hour at 4:30pm - 7:30pm, Monday –Friday, when the restaurant offers raw oysters on the half-shell for just $1 per oyster.

STEAKHOUSE

CENTRAL PARK SOUTH

by Elizabeth Darwen

Bobby Van’s Steakhouse has earned its place as a venerable New York institution, thanks in part to a continued commitment to cooking techniques perfected years ago by the founding fathers of New York steakhouse cuisine. Celebrating its 48th Anniversary this 2017, Bobby Van’s has grown from its original home in Bridgehampton, NY, and now includes a repertoire of ten fine restaurants that offer the refined style of a classic New York City steakhouse.

The newest addition is Bobby Van’s on 40 Central Park South, a highly coveted location just steps away from the Plaza Hotel, and overlooking Central Park. The new restaurant officially opened its doors in late March 2017, inviting diners to the same exquisitely prepared dining experience as its sister restaurants, in addition to a special Saturday and Sunday brunch.

The new restaurant is proud to announce Executive Chef Ted Rozzi who has crafted a menu of delectable dishes such as Crispy Calamari, Lemon Pepper Shrimp and Maxie’s Meatballs for Starter and Veal Milanese, Chilean Seabass and N.Y. Sirloin Steak for Entrée. The restaurant also offers a wide variety of dining options outside of prime beef and seafood, including supremely prepared pastas, wood-fired pizzas and freshly tossed salads. To accompany the meal, diners have a choice of delicious sides, which include Cauliflower Carbonara, Thick Cut Applewood Bacon and Sautéed Mushrooms.

A quintessential steakhouse, Bobby Van’s is at the roots of the New York steakhouse family tree, with strong employee connections to original famed eateries. It is restaurants like Bobby Van’s that have inspired a legion of imitators, but Bobby Van’s still shines as a premier authentic steakhouse. When restaurateur and Chef Robert Dickert - the great-nephew of steakhouse legend Peter Luger - joined the Bobby Van’s team in 1996, he brought with him a wealth of family knowledge and tradition. These traditions of quality food and superior customer service are still the hallmark of Bobby Van’s dining experience today. Dickert remains at Bobby Van’s where he helps to oversee the all-important process of selecting and dry aging the kitchen’s quality prime beef.

The process of dry aging its USDA prime quality beef is key to developing the superior flavor of Bobby Van’s’ steaks, which they do “the old fashioned way.” Once the team has carefully selected well-raised and well-marbled steak, it is aged in a especially designed, humiditycontrolled room for up to 28 days, which tenderizes it and enriches the flavor. Prime beef aside, the kitchen imports the majority of their seafood from overseas, selecting only the best. The tuna is sourced from the Maldives, the Branzino from Spain, and the salmon from Scotland. Locally, Bobby Van’s seafood supplier has a fleet of 30 fishing boats providing the kitchen with the freshest fish and shellfish daily.

Bobby Van’s décor is elegant yet warm with white table cloths and wood accents. It is the ideal dining destination for an intimate dinner as well as for larger groups or special occasions. The Central Park location offers beautiful views in a convenient and central location.

Upper East Side hotspot T-Bar Steak & Lounge, which has been warmly embraced by New Yorkers since it first opened its doors in 2007, is noted for its perfect execution of classic dishes. The restaurant’s Executive Chef Ben Zwicker, previously of the Four Seasons, Aureole and Petrossian, makes T-Bar’s classic steakhouse fare relevant and exciting, while also putting his unique twist onto other classic dishes.

Owner Tony Fortuna celebrated 20 years of owning the space on the corner of 73rd and 3rd Avenue in April 2015, previously known as The Lenox Room. T-Bar is a well-loved mainstay, still buzzing with its loyal following night after night. Fortuna says there is no magic formula to achieve this sort of long-running success. “I think guests trust our kitchen and love our relaxed but vibrant atmosphere.”

Diners are able to begin a meal at T-Bar with its unique spin on chicken wings Angel Chicken Wings with a Tamarind Glaze, or enjoy its classic take on Guacamole to split with the table. T-Bar also redefines the classic Kale Salad by including apple and sesame into it while drizzling it in a sumptuous chili-lime vinaigrette. Also available from its delectable appetizer menu are the popular Seared Spanish Octopus, Yellowfin Tuna Tartar, and Vietnamese Shrimp Roll.

A meal at T-Bar Steak & Lounge would not be complete without ordering a favorite from The Steak Bar, which features an impressive range of superbly-cooked Certified Black Angus Cuts of beef including its Black Angus Porterhouse for two served with your choice of Steak Sauce, Béarnaise Sauce or Poivre Sauce. T-Bar offers wealth of additional American classics including its signature Crusted Tuna served with Soy, Wasabi Rémoulade and Seaweed Salad or its Roast Free Range Chicken with truffle jus.

Cap the evening off with irresistible desserts like the must-have Banana Parfait Mille Feuilles, with coconut and caramel sauce or the decadent Chocolate Sundae served with brownie, chocolate sauce and cream.

www.tbarnyc.com

1278 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021

THE OTHER GREAT ITALIAN TRILOGY

by Elizabeth Darwen

The Godfather movies are considered by many to be the greatest Italian trilogy of all time. However, over the past few years, there is only one Italian trilogy that stands above the rest in New York City’s dining scene; Il Gattopardo, The Leopard at des Artistes, and Mozzarella & Vino. These three restaurants set the standard in fine Italian dining, with the only debate being whose everyone’s favorite of the three is. For certain, all three are sure to satiate your appetite with their delectable dishes – especially this Thanksgiving holiday.

The Il Gattopardo family of restaurants is owned by husbandand-wife team of Gianfranco and Paula Bolla Sorrentino, and Partner Chef Vito Gnazzo. Originally from Naples, Italy, Gianfranco Sorrentino carries over 40 years of experience in restaurant management from the Quisitana Hotel in Capri, Dorchester Hotel in London, Four Seasons Hotel in Tokyo, Bice restaurant in New York, Sette MoMA restaurant at the Museum of Modern Art of New York, and Union Bar & Grill in Great Barrington, MA. In September 2001 he opened Il Gattopardo, just across from MoMA, along with his wife Paula Bolla-Sorrentino, and his talented Executive Chef Vito Gnazzo. Most recently the Sorrentinos embraced in one of the most rewarding journeys of their careers, the rebirth of the New York landmarked des Artistes restaurant.

PART I: IL GATTOPARDO

Fine dining icon Il Gattopardo opened in 2001, and still attracts a loyal clientele who come for both the authentic southern Italian cuisine and the warm, Italian hospitality. Il Gattopardo is located in the historically landmarked Rockefeller Townhouses at 13-15 West 54th Street.

Aside from the sleek, modern main dining room, the restaurant also boasts a beautiful, lushly-planted 6-story Atrium, in which weekend brunch is served (with live jazz on Saturdays), and a wide range of private events are held.

Il Gattopardo serves traditional Southern Italian comfort food that has been adapted for the contemporary palate without compromising the authenticity of the cuisine, which became a must to its loyal upscale New Yorker clientele.

This Thanksgiving Il Gattopardo will also feature the Chef’s mouthwatering holiday favorites, including Homemade Ravioli filled with butternut squash, sheep’s milk ricotta, and parmesan cheese, served with walnut and cinnamon sauce, Sautéed Sicilian Shrimp with braised artichokes, organic frisee, and ovendried cherry tomatoes, and tasty desserts such as Pumpkin Pie with maple gelato and caramel sauce.

For more information: call 212-246-0412 or visit www.ilgattopardonyc.com

PART II: THE LEOPARD AT DES ARTISTES

Five years ago, in the historically landmarked Hotel des Artistes at 1 West 67th Street, on a beautiful, tree-lined block between Central Park and Lincoln Center, Gianfranco Sorrentino and his wife Paula Bolla Sorrentino, along with Partner Chef Vito Gnazzo, opened The Leopard at des Artistes. The opening included a floor-to-ceiling renovation of the existing space, and a complete restoration of the original, famed Howard Chandler Christy murals that adorn its walls.

The Leopard at des Artistes boasts a diverse menu that finds its roots in the area once known as The Kingdom of Two Sicilies of the mid-1800s, and the culinary traditions of Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Apulia, Sardinia, and of course, Sicily. The menu also features dishes traditionally found in regions outside of southern Italy, such as Lazio and Umbria.

At the Leopard at des Artistes, Chef Vito’s culinary signature of authentic southern Italian comfort food is what visitors and locals alike flock to the restaurant for. This Thanksgiving his menu holds true to that core philosophy, and will include such dishes as his Thanksgiving Crab Cake with arrabiata sauce and wild greens, a Wild Mushroom and Italian Hazelnut Risotto, and Broiled Dover Sole, braised escarole, Gaeta olives and raisins.

For more information, please call 212-787-8767 or visit www.theleopardnyc.com

THE LEOPARD at DES ARTISTES

PART III: MOZZARELLA & VINO

Mozzarella & Vino, located at the former Il Gattopardo space, at 33 West 54th Street -- as you may know, Il Gattopardo moved to the new location, on the same block at number 13 West. Their talented Chef Vito Gnazzo is responsible for the mouthwatering menu that reflects the simplicity of authentic Italian ingredients, with a heavy emphasis on the Mozzarella di bufala Campana, Italian cheeses and affettati. Based mostly on classic Italian antipasti, such as arancini, panzarotti, and mozzarella rolls, they also serve a wonderful selection of panini , soups, salads, and of course mozzarella on all shapes and combinations … even on desserts.

Their enoteca style bar focuses on showcasing rather smaller family estates and independent Italian winemakers. They proudly share beloved wines, definitely not mainstream, wines that translates history, quality and good value. A variety of by the glass is offered, as well as by the bottle. Their selection greatly varies due to constant new discoveries. Mozzarella & Vino is located on 33 West 54th Street.

For more information, please call 646-692-8849 or visit www. mozzarellaevino.com

MOZZARELLA & VINO

UPPER STORY

Exquisite Cuisine by Charlie Palmer

The best-kept-secret lunch spot for New York City’s designers and their discerning clients, Upper Story by Charlie Palmer sits 14 stories above 3rd Avenue at 59th Street in the prestigious Decoration & Design Building (DDB), a Cohen Design Centers property, owned by Charles S. Cohen. Upper Story, with cuisine by world renowned chef Charlie Palmer, features an American café menu by day and progressive American, seasonally-driven special events menus by night, featuring local ingredients expertly crafted into delectable dishes by Executive Chef Jennifer Day. With over 15 years’ experience in upscale events, Chef Day combines her life-long passion for food with her incredible attention to detail at Upper Story’s large-scale events.

Café menu favorites include Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Arugula and Oven Dried Tomatoes and Scottish Salmon with Wheat Berries and Roasted Artichokes. Enjoy spectacular views of Manhattan for lunch, Monday through Friday 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM or for social or corporate functions in the 300 person event space (180 seated) and 1000 sq. ft. terrace.

With a modern yet classic design approach, Upper Story offsets a soft color palette with dark nuances that complement both the daytime and nighttime views from the restaurant’s oversized windows, creating an elegant backdrop for uniquely themed private events, fundraisers, weddings, and more. The easily accessible midtown location is ideal for customized events.

Upper Story Decoration & Design Building 979 3rd Avenue, 14th Floor New York, NY 10022

Monday-Friday: 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM Available for private events every day of the week.

The restaurant is located in midtown Manhattan’s Design District, home to the DDB, which is an invaluable resource to industry professionals who seek to design and decorate luxurious residential and commercial installations. Owner Charles S. Cohen’s umbrella company, Cohen Design Centers owns and manages the DDB; the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California; Design Center of the Americas in Dania Beach, Florida; and the Decorative Center Houston in Texas.

The DDB is open exclusively to the trade and welcomes design industry professionals from all over the world, who can find inspiration in anything from the bespoke furnishings, ornamental wallcoverings and luxurious fabrics to unique decorative accessories and dramatic lighting, featuring styles ranging from the richly ornate to the sleek and modern. Celebrating 50+ years, the DDB is known nationally and internationally as the world’s most prestigious home to over 130 showrooms, and represents over 3,000 leading manufacturers dedicated to the very best in residential and business interior furnishings, and resource information.

For more information about Upper Story, please visit www.upperstoryny.com

For more information about the DDB, please visit www.ddbuilding.com

The Decoration & Design Building

umbox

Do as Elsa Pataky, wife of Home and Away star Chris Hemsworth, and add a dash of chicness and convenience to your lunch, picnic or snack time with the colorful bento-style lunchbox from Yumbox. The stylish container is designed for convenient lunching on the go and is made with high quality, super durable, BPA-free, food-safe materials. While Yumbox is fun to use and a pleasure to pack, it is also an educational tool that helps children develop healthy eating habits.

Yumbox not only cleans easily and saves money, it also helps reduce waste. Its original design features a bento-like tray with one lid that seals all compartments, designated food groups to encourage and assist in packing a balanced meal, for built-in portion control. Founders, Maia Neumann & Daniela Devitt, are both proponents of the Mediterranean diet which reinforces moderation and balance. Their hope is that Yumbox will be a great tool to easily integrate those concepts into your life-style.

Inspiration came from the French school lunches served to Maia’s children daily. The emphasis in France is on balance, variety, taste and nutrition. Yumbox was dreamed up to allow everyone to replicate that same balance and nutrition, regardless of where they live. Yumbox comes in 4 variations, with an option for every occasion: Yumbox Original contains 6 compartments (five ½ cup portions + dip), Yumbox Panino contains 4 compartments (one 2 cup + two ½ cup portions + dip, Yumbox Tapas contains 4 & 5 compartments (larger portions, 3.5 cups), and Yumbox MiniSnack contains 3 compartments (one ¾ cup + 1/3 cup portions + dip).

eatsMODERN

No longer are the days of white picket fences, roses, and apple pies. Farzana Sohail is living a different kind of American dream. When she decided to open her first restaurant in 2015, she had no idea she would be awarded in the same year the title of the top “10 best restaurants of Long Island.” Like most culinary gems, Masalah Grill is operated and owned by someone who can provide us with an authentic view to a faraway destination that we otherwise would not experience.

“When I opened in 2015, I had limited experience in restaurant. Masalah Grill means ‘spicy grill.’ I was thinking that the menu will have a lot of grilled items. I realized people liked the more authentic dishes than the grilled dishes. When I realized their feedback, I changed the menu. I introduced curry to my menu, and it was a big hit.”

The restaurant is located across from the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington (the poet’s hometown) on the North Shore of Long Island. And like the name suggests, Farzana isn’t weaving a modern tale using traditional ink and pen, but with homespun recipes and an exotic spice arsenal directly imported from India using ingredients that she ate as a child: cardamom, cumin, and capsicum to name a few. “I make my own spice. I get the raw spices, and in the restaurant, I make a special touch. The flavors help enhance.”

Her recipes are handed down from generation to generation in her family, and it shows in the menu. There are dishes that hint of unteachable technique from the texture of flaky potato and pea samosa to succulent lamb biryani. When you order a plate of her biryani, you are met with a bed of perfectly cooked rice that “prizes each individualized grain to maximize a subtle firework of spiced and herby mouth feel.”

And wait till you try the naan, hints of smoke, doughy canvases you can hold in your hand to sop up each sauce decadent enough to be a family secret or to accompany varying levels of heat in your creamy, curry plates. The variations are reminiscent of her memories eating in Pakistan. There’s garlic naan, there’s onion naan, there’s potato naan, traditional flavors of Pakistan. And there are naans that pop inside of Farzana’s head, “what if there was a sweet naan?”

Translation? Smatters of coconut, cashews, and almonds. Big hit.

Masalah Grill

195 Walt Whitman Road Huntington Station, NY (631) 271 - 1700

by Sam Gabel

Masalah Grill

Her earlier business model prized convenient, home cooked meals. “There are a lot of businesses around my restaurant, and they don’t have time to eat. They only have one hour. So I had to create something for them that would be quick, affordable, and tasty. It’s very easy to eat while you’re driving or taking into work.” She expanded to accommodate a dine in experience due to the popularity of her food and word of mouth. Now, she is also thinking of opening another location.

According to her, starting a new business is difficult, epsecially in the restaurant industry where the majority close within a year. Masalah Grill’s path had an extra complication. Farzana’s husband who was initially running the business had a heart attack just as the restaurant was building business, and after Farzana had already quit her previous job in finance. The doctor advised bedrest for him, which meant Farzana had no choice but to take the helm. Without a safety net, she relied on hardwork, determination, and a little bit of luck.

A TASTE OF PAKISTAN: It’s just Homemade Business

“This food critic (Newsday) found me, and he told me that we’ve been liking your food and I want to get a writer for you. She came in twice and tried all my stuff, and all my dishes, and I don’t know who she was. She took some pictures. It was an amazing, amazing experience. I was jam packed. I ran out of my food twice. The next day, in two to three hours, I ran out of food again! I had no money to advertise. Everyday, new people are coming. People were coming 30 miles away.

I had no place to give them. I cannot invite more than 18 people in right now. They loved my food; they said ‘it was extraordinary, phenomenal, unlike any other. So we are trying to expand right now.’”

So what’s the secret to her success? She says, “With technology now, you can get all the ingredients, you can get the recipe. But you should get a taste of the real cooking. In Pakistan, balance and ratio is very important. How much do you have to take the flour, how much sugar you add? Every food dish has a ratio and a balance of spice. So, in other places, if you find out there’s too little spice level and not balancing, or the ratio is not good, the onions and tomatoes, the spices, they can’t make a good dish! And it cannot be an impressive dish. What is really important is the balance and ratio of your ingredients-and the timing. If you burn out your onions, your dish is gone. Now all the people are asking, ‘you have to open classes, you need to open a class, we want to learn from you!’”

Does balance really determine what’s authentic and what’s not? You have to taste it to believe it.

MIAMI THE BEST OF

On the last five acres of Aventura waterfront lies Echo, an intimate luxury retreat redefining the city’s lifestyle. Echo Aventura’s sophisticated and remarkable conceptual design by Carlos Ott, as well as stunning interiors by Yabu Pushelberg, set an imaginative destination for the most cutting-edge living experience. Echo Aventura residences are delivered fullyfinished and offer unparalleled home technology, amenities and services available to residents 24 hours a day.

MUSE

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 3635 338 Views from $6.85 mil US

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.

LOEWS HOTEL MIAMI BEACH

ART AND CULTURE

MvVO ART, an innovative art venture dedicated to Creating Opportunities for Artists, launched its newest art venture, AD ART SHOW, which will debut in spring 2018. The goal of AD ART SHOW is to showcase and celebrate contemporary artists in advertising and those who have evolved out of an advertising heritage.

“So many luminaries – including Warhol, Magritte, Rosenquist, Lautrec, and Rockwell - worked in advertising before becoming the acclaimed artists we revere today. These artists’ success confirms that the advertising industry is home to tremendous creative talent, and I can’t wait to bring that talent to the spotlight at AD ART SHOW next spring in New York city,” said Maria van Vlodrop, Founder and CEO, MvVO ART.

MvVO ART will launch AD ART SHOW in Spring 2018. The show will exhibit artists currently working in or with roots in advertising in New York, the United States, and internationally. Artist submissions (including paintings, sculpture, photography, and mixed media) will be selected by a jury of prominent art collectors.

Panelists included Patricia Corrigan as Moderator (writer and Editor, CBS Radio Network). Speakers included Ron Burkhardt (contemporary Artist and Award-Winning Creative Director), Giancarlo Impiglia (Prominent contemporary artist and Lecturer in Art History), Brenda von Schweickhardt Exline (Luxury brand advisor and former Ad Agency Founder & CEO), and Judith Schultz (Art dealer, advisor, collector, and former gallerist).

The panelists shared experiences specific to their respective areas of the art and advertising industries as gallerists, collectors, art lecturers, advertisers, and artists and discussed the countless contributions that artists with advertising backgrounds have made to art. The panelists addressed the fact that despite these contributions, artists with advertising backgrounds remain underrepresented in the art world.

“After hearing this year’s panelists reaffirm that artists with advertising backgrounds are untapped resources in the art world, I am more confident than ever that MvVO ART can discover the next big name in art through AD ART SHOW,” said van Vlodrop.

After the presentation and discussion, guests mingled in the gardens of the Southampton Arts Center and enjoyed delicious wine from Lieb Cellars, refreshing beverages courtesy of Belvoir Fruit Farms, and enticing bites provided by Buoy One. Hampton Cigar Company provided a premium giveaway package at the conclusion of the event.

About MvVO ART:

MvVO ART is a New York based art venture dedicated to creating opportunities for artists, art lovers and brands to form powerful partnerships. Founder and CEO, Maria van Vlodrop is a global business development executive with a track record in establishing new advertising, technology and art ventures.

Judith Schultz, Giancarlo Impiglia, Ron Burkhardt photo by Rob Rich

Summer Read

Laurie Gelman’s, debut novel, Class Mom: A Novel, is a clever take on a year in the life of kindergarten class mom, Jen Dixon. Jen is not your typical Kansas City kindergarten class mom—or a mom in general. Jen already has two college-age daughters by two different men (probably musicians), and it’s her second time around the class mom block with five-year-old Max—this time with a husband and father by her side. Though her best friend and PTA President sees her as the “wisest” candidate for the job (or oldest), not all of the other parents agree.

From recording parents’ response times to her emails about helping in the classroom, to requesting contributions of “special” brownies for curriculum night, not all of Jen’s methods win approval from the other parents. Throw in an old flame from Jen’s past, a hyper-sensitive “allergy mom,” a surprisingly sexy kindergarten teacher, and an impossible-toplease Real Housewife-wannabe, causing problems at every turn, and the job really becomes much more than she signed up for.

Relatable, irreverent, and hilarious in the spirit of Maria Semple, Class Mom is a fresh, welcome voice in fiction—the kind of novel that real moms clamor for, and a vicarious thrill-read for all parents, who will be laughing as they are liberated by Gelman’s acerbic truths.

Class Mom: A Novel is available August 1st, 2017, wherever books are sold.

ABOUT LAURIE GELMAN

Laurie Gelman was born in Ottawa, Canada and realized her lifelong ambition to be an author at the ripe old age of 52. Before that she spent 25 years as a broadcaster, a wife and a mother. Class Mom is her first book. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters.

CLASS MOM: A Novel by Laurie Gelman $26 hardcover; 304 pages $12.99 ebook

Published by Henry Holt and Co. Distributed through Macmillan. Available wherever books are sold.

DALIBOR DAVIDOVIC

FEATURED ARTIST

ABOUT THE ARTIST

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.

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Singing for Harmony

“Before

you can become a choir, first you must learn to listen to each other.”

That’s the sage advice of Sister Mary Clarence–the status quo-changing, Reno-headlining choir director–famously played by Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act. While this is literally true for all choirs, even a movie version of one, nowhere is this more applicable, critical and one might even say “sacred” than in the YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus, a choral and dialogue program for Israeli and Palestinian high school students in Jerusalem.

Its mission is to provide a space for young people from East and West Jerusalem to grow together in song and dialogue. Through the co-creation of music and the sharing of stories, the program empowers youth in Jerusalem to become leaders in their communities and inspire singers and listeners around the world to work for peace.

Hailing from various socio-economic backgrounds, the YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus is comprised of around 30 singers from the Jerusalem area with an equal balance of Arab and Jewish membership. At present the breakdown among its Arab participants is: 1/3 Christians and 2/3 Muslims. The goal of the chorus is to go beyond just singing together. It encourages members to “delve deeper into one another’s identities, life experiences, communal narratives, religious traditions, and national histories through dialogue, all within the safe space of the musical ensemble and the strong personal bonds and community it creates.”

Does it work?

Samia from East Jerusalem states, “I live in Israel, I’m an Arab, there’s Jewish people, like that’s what I know. But I never talked to them, I never knew them, I never knew their opinion. After joining this choir it changed my life. It made me know what they think. It made them know what I think.”

Her counterpart, Shifra, an Israeli singer concurs. “I only knew Israelis; I had never met any Arabs before I came here. I didn’t know what I was going to see when I came here. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but what I realized was that we’re all the same.”

A choir with a multicultural repertoire also means multilingual performances that incorporate diverse musical traditions. Although JYC runs primarily in English, it translates to Arabic for those Palestinian singers who only speak Arabic, and Hebrew for those Israeli singers who only speak Hebrew. Inevitably what transpires is some collateral understanding of other languages.

Why is this relevant? As professor Lera Boroditsky, an assistant professor of psychology, neuroscience, and symbolic systems at Stanford University noted in a study about how language changes the brain, “when you’re learning a new language, you’re not simply learning a new way of talking, you are also inadvertently learning a new way of thinking” or perhaps more accurately, a different way of thinking.

Additionally, singing isn’t the only way students learn from each other. According to JYC, “half of each three and a half hour rehearsal is devoted to dialogue” where the kids “openly discuss, with trained Palestinian and Israeli facilitators and translators guiding them, what’s going on between their peoples and in their communities.”

These dialogue sessions, chorus members say, can be difficult at times. But they enable the youths to air opinions and complaints on subjects ranging from mundane issues such as who sang off key at the last performance or got an extra solo, to existential ones about their fundamental rights in a war-torn place.

Michal Levin, who supervises the dialogue program for the choir, says, “When they come to deal with conflict, they don’t come just spilling out their opinions. Now they have to think and see the consequences of their opinions vis-à-vis the people they are sitting in the room with.”

CLASSIQUES SOUND

Hili from West Jerusalem says the choir has taught her how to listen through such dialogues. “I used to always stand for my opinion and everyone stood for their opinion, (and) everyone thought they were always right, “she admits. “And then … people started to listen. People started to respect the other, which is so important,” the student concludes.

The first step in creating dialogue is always to create a safe space and an open forum for students to be open and honest with each other. Only then can they proceed to build a foundation by focusing on universal values such as equality, justice, and mutual respect, and issues like majority and minority rights, or conflict resolution. Singers are taught to have a “common foundational vocabulary, which they can use to discuss and understand their differences, rather than being armed only with slogans that even they may not understand, or that are designed to leave no room for compromise or for other perspectives.”

Two students recount a couple of instances when intense discussions deeply affected them. Shifra from West Jerusalem recalls, “People kept speaking about jihad and talking about things that I love and care about in a really horrible way. At first I was upset, but then I realized over time that I appreciated that they had said these things… I was able to see their perspective. I saw them for who they are and I was able to understand their side. They weren’t insulting me, it was just how they feel.”

For Avital, it was regarding a dialogue discussion on Holocaust Remembrance Day when a breakthrough occurred. “Somebody said something that really hurt my feelings. I told myself that I would never be able to forgive them for what they had said. For a while, I didn’t talk to them. But as the year went on and the next year started, things moved on. I care deeply about this person and love them very much but nothing was ever resolved. It wasn’t forgotten but I explored how to forgive. Four years later, we revisited the original topic in a dialogue session. Afterwards, this person came up to me and said, ‘Wow, I realize now what I said in our first year. I’m so sorry.’ It was an amazing moment.”

Notwithstanding its geographic and cultural backdrop, it may surprise us to hear that the chorus never sings about peace. Michael Hendler, JYC Founder and director explains, “Peace” as a term here has become cliché - it’s easy to sing about peace and have no idea what you mean, and a lot of people do. Rather than sing directly about peace in the abstract, we sing about the building blocks that ultimately lead to it: love, community, overcoming loss, and connection to home.”

The one song that JYC does sing that mentions peace is the Christian song, Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. Make me an instrument of Thy Peace. “What makes that song so powerful, is not just that it’s a gorgeous musical setting, but that the rest of the text essentially says what it means to be an instrument of peace. Peace means spreading love where there is hatred, it means spreading hope where there is despair, it means having faith in times of great crisis. When our singers sing the Prayer of St. Francis, they know exactly what they mean, and so does the audience.”

It seems key to the successful program of JYC is finding that universal thread that binds its members together. When Hendler came to Jerusalem in July 2012, he said he would have been happy with ten singers. By October of the same year, they had 80 auditionees, a majority of whom surprisingly came from East Jerusalem. He attributes this phenomenon to relating with teens as teens first, Israeli or Palestinian second. “When you look at people as people, a lot more becomes possible,” the founder deduced. Mutual respect is always the first step in forming lasting bonds that can weather any storm.

“We meet through wars and cycles of violence, because in some ways, the chorus is actually the place our singers feel safest, no matter what is going on outside.”

During the summer of 2014, for instance, despite rocket launches and airstrikes in the Gaza War, the chorus rehearsed several times a week preparing for its first international singing tour in Japan. Asked by Hendler how she was able to make it to rehearsal, a student replied, “Well, I woke up to gunshots this morning and it was pretty awful,” she responded. “But being in my house kind of made me crazy because there was so much violence, so I just left my house and walked down the street and out of Shu’afat. Soldiers tried to stop me, but I just ran away. I’m so glad I’m here now, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

This past April, YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus released their first full length studio album بيت Home בית Through global pop and Arabic classical renditions, hip-hop and chant, listeners throughout the world are challenged by the chorus to build inclusive communities everywhere.

Recorded in-house at the Jerusalem International YMCA and produced professionally by a team including the mixer for Pentatonix, بيت Home בית features, in a studio context, the best of their diverse repertoire that brings out the most expressive solos, driving rhythms, and perfect harmonies in their music.

The YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus has performed on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. It has toured internationally to Japan, the UK, and the US, and performed in venues as celebrated as the Kennedy Center in Washington. Its music video, “Home,” with YouTube superstar Sam Tsui, has amassed over 400,000 views. Most recently, the chorus founder and director Micah Hendler was selected as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 for his groundbreaking work with the chorus in the field of musical conflict transformation.

The Chorus kicked off its album launch campaign with a music video called “A Mashup for Change,” combining pop songs “Some Nights” by Fun, “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith, “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson, and “I’ll be There for You” (the theme song from Friends). The mashup focuses on the power of being there for those who are different. Most importantly, it challenges the listener, inspired by the lyrics in “Some Nights”… “What do you stand for?”

JAYNELLE CLARKE ,

One of the things we’re truly proud of is our emphasis on diversity in our coverage. Jaynelle Clarke was our first female model, and we’re so thankful for it.

Since then we’ve had every race represented, varying age and body shape... diversity in interest and profession, political and religious affiliation, sexual orientation, socio-economic backgrounds, etc. We’ve even had a male model who was hearing impaired! In the Classiques Modernes world, all are welcomed with open arms and open hearts.

P.S. A note of advice, when you’re shooting someone who is deaf, don’t scream, “Hold that!” or “Smile” behind the camera and expect to get a reaction.

Bridgefest 2017, now in its second year under the auspices of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. will present A Bridge Together, a special concert and Newport Jazz Festival® “extra” that connects Jazz, African Beats and Indian Carnatic music, on Thursday, August 3, at 6:30 pm on the Quad Stage at Fort Adams State Park. Admission is free.

This pre-Newport Jazz Festival event will showcase the multicultural connections between music and movement. The two-part concert features dance segments by 17year old twins, Riya and Sara Kapoor, accompanied by a Carnatic music orchestra featuring musicians from India. Guru Swati Bhise is the Conductor and Choreographer for the music and orchestra arrangement for this dance segment. The jazz quartet will be led by award-winning guitarist Rez Abbasi and West African compositions, directed by the noted West African choreographer and dancer, Maguette Camara, will round out the evening.

Fusing Indian, African and American dance and music while demonstrating the shared cultural roots that these traditions have in common, A Bridge Together raises the question: “Are we so different after all?” The answer is up to the audience after seeing and hearing this upbeat, visually exciting melding of cultures.

Part I is an exploration of music from West Africa, India and the US. To start, there is “The First Beat,” blending Indian Classical and traditional West African genres with instruments such as the mridangam and tabla played interactively with the West African djembe. Western musical traditions eventually get a turn with familiar sounds from guitar and saxophone. The result is a harmonious, unexpected cohesion, which makes the point that together we can choose to thrive.

Part II introduces the expressive, athletic Kapoor sisters, whose intense study of Bharatanatyam has continued for more than a decade in New York City. The IndianAmerican sisters first appeared on stage at age 15 at their debut event at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Newport Festivals Foundation CEO/founder George Wein was in the audience when Riya and Sara made their debut and was determined to bring some of the magic he saw on stage to Newport.

“These young women are tremendous,” said Wein. “The dances are very intricate and beautiful, but what I loved is how they brought jazz into these very traditional art forms. They’ve modernized the dances in a wonderful way while adding a delightfully different perspective to jazz music.”

The first element, “The Invocation,” will amaze audiences with heavy percussion created by multiple drums, while dancers clad in traditional costumes in shades of saffron and eggplant dance in the Bharatanatyam style, a challenging series of steps performed in accordance with ancient rules. Here every muscle, every facial expression, every bell trilling from the dancers’ ankles, become part of the performance. “The First Foils” and “The Ten Apostles of Peace” rev up the sound and excitement with a full Eastern orchestra, vocal chanting and jazzy beats. The songs and dances celebrate Shiva, the Hindu god known as the “cosmic dancer.” The evening reaches a crescendo with “Bridge Together,” which focuses on the dancers with slow, easy movements to begin and progressively rises to leaps, pirouettes and bold percussive beats. The choreography is enhanced with improvisation by the jazz artists and African drummers.

paK o o r Sisters

A Bridge Together, like many of the Newport Festivals’ events, aims to educate and entertain audiences by introducing them to cultures from distant places and celebrating what unites us all here in Newport: the love of music and movement, the inspiration it provides and sharing the experience.

A Bridge Together caps off Bridgefest, which runs from July 31 to August 3, between the iconic Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. Bridgefest was founded in 2009 by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Newport County to celebrate Newport’s musical community. Other Bridgefest events will be announced in the coming weeks.

The sold-out Newport Folk Festival (www.newportfolk.org) takes place at Fort Adams State Park July 28-30 followed by Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management (www.newportjazz.org) August 4-6 at Fort Adams and the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino.

Newport Festivals Foundation was founded by George Wein in 2010 to build and continue the legacies of the famed Newport Jazz Festival® and Newport Folk Festival®. Under the auspices of the Foundation, the Festivals present performers who respect and honor jazz and folk music traditions, and at the same time reflect the changes in today’s musical trends. The Educational Initiatives of the Foundation aim to foster opportunity, inspire through exposure and facilitate the collection of resources needed for musicians, emerging and established, to celebrate and innovate.

C or w Nto the Fucking grocerystor .e ”MADEME X

A VERY MODERN CONVERSATION O O

ehtraEWI“

by Sam Gabel

I took a sabbatical from the fashion industry and here we are today.”

You

So, what is Mademe X?

“It’s a woman of mystery. When you look it up, there’s paintings. This image—this woman, was always seen at parties, but nobody ever know who she was, but they all wanted to know who she really is. I found it interesting. My name is Christina, and people call me X, and so it worked.”

Mademe X is the winner of the 2016 IMSTA FESTA International Songwriting Competition where the winner wins a free trip to Black Rock Studios in Santorini, Greece (the grand prize). She describes her experience at the competition as, “I didn’t expect to win. I just wanted him to critique me, and he didn’t critique me. The judge was like, ‘who did this?’ ‘Me.’ He’s tapping the pen, and he’s not looking at me anymore. He’s just looking at the floor. I don’t know what you’re doing here. You already know what you’re doing.’”

And that’s exactly how Canadian musician Mademe X starts her EP, “The Villains,” with the single “Q.U.E.E.N.” The video focuses on the journey of X who traverses through the bustling noise of everyday life in the city followed by a mysterious steel-masked, caped woman wearing a crown nonchalantly fanning herself. The chorus of the video is a modern, haunting confession: “I know just what I’m doing. I know just where I’m supposed to be.”

see, there’s one thing you first have to know. I’m not like a 10 year old music prodigy. I went to a karaoke bar in Spain and everything just fell into place...

“

“It’s a fun, young and personal growth idea. I don’t want to be forceful with the way I project my messaging. The person in the mask is me. The reasoning behind it all is that it’s the future you. I wanted it to be faceless because I wanted it to be anybody. It’s your conscience that tells you that everything’s going to be all right that even though it might look really rough right now, you just need to keep doing what you’re doing. The crown is for refining herself so she can finally see, not in black and white, but in color so she can finally understand what she needs to do. And life is clear. That’s the truth about why I’m wearing a crown. It’s not coming from a monarchy point of view. I wear the crown to the fucking grocery store. It makes me feel good. I’m gonna wear it. It’s a concept. It’s a coronation. The crown is whatever it represents for you.”

Musical inspirations, artists you want to work with?

She quickly quips, “The three B’s! Kate Bush, Bryan Ferry, and Bowie. That’s my holy trinity of music right there. They constantly evolved, always very strange production, visual and sound. There’s so many good music right now: Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey. They all have a strong visual identity. I like to hear the master of every genre. The artists that hit people in the face like Tina Turner have always been my favorite. We live in a playlist era now so when you buy something, it’s an extension of who you are. You should know what you want dammit.”

Okay, final question X. One line that sums up the Mademe.

“Oh, fuck. You’re going to do that to me? I don’t know. Jesus. Life is dull. Circle. Done.”

mademexmusic.com facebook.com/officialmademex instagram.com/mymademex twitter.com/mymademex

The rest of the EP follows around the same character—X. “I’m a one woman show. I only show my producer, my engineer, and the outside world hasn’t really heard it yet. I don’t want to spill the beans. I have enough stuff for the next three albums. It’s all sorted out. It’s still that character, she’s going to be going through ups and downs. It’s going to be a rollercoaster.”

So X, why “Villains?”

“There’s just way too many heroes. The villains: they get the best lines and the best wardrobes. There’s no denying that. I was like, ‘fuck it.’ I think the villain gets a bad rap. But their storylines are so interesting. Something always happens to them that leads them to their demise. They’re like real people. We’re truly sinners. We’re truly villains.”

Out of wild beasts I was chosen I’m here to save your soul I wonder if my views have offended you Or made you more self aware I wonder if you knew that all of this Was to show you just how much I could care Mademe X Wild Beasts

“You wish there was a book out there: 10 simple rules of how you need to find out what you’re supposed to do--where you need to be.”

STAR WARS:

RESURGENCE

The production of the first Star Wars movie is as much a story about overcoming insurmountable odds as the tales told in the film. George Lucas who had previously directed the films American Graffiti and THX 1138, had the idea for what he called a “space western” inspired by the Flash Gordon serials he’d become fond of as a kid. After having the project rejected by both United Artists and Paramount, Lucas turned to Alan Ladd Jr., the head of 20th Century Fox, to finance the production of the film. The two struck a deal, and Lucas was given $150,000 to write and direct the project that, at the time, was called The Star Wars.

by Chris Gramuglia

Afterseveral drafts, title changes and character modifications Lucas finished the script for Star Wars, drawing on inspiration from world mythology, samurai lore and suggestions from other directors. Principal photography began on March 22, 1976 and was anything but an easy ordeal. Friction between Lucas and the crew slowed production, abnormal radio frequencies in the Tunisian desert caused remote-controlled props to malfunction and after moving shooting to London, strict union guidelines meant that filming had to stop at 5:30pm every day. The cast and crew, at times, didn’t take the film seriously, and Kenny Baker who portrayed R2-D2, admitted he felt the film would be a failure. Actors Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, often felt that Lucas didn’t give them enough direction and wondered exactly what it was that they were meant to do in their roles as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia, respectively. Lucas himself even ended up hospitalized during filming due to high-blood pressure caused by the stress that came with working on the film.

Post-production was equally tumultuous and early cuts of the film were not well-received during private screenings for friends of Lucas like directors Brian DePalma and John Milius. Several compromises had to be made with regards to special effects in order for the film to be completed, and production went $2,000,000 over budget.

Luckily, the movie was completed and changed the film industry as well as the science-fiction genre for good. Lucas went on to make five more Star Wars films and the story continues with Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012.

The unpredictable beginnings of this franchise are a true parallel to Luke Skywalker’s heroic efforts at overcoming evil despite the odds being stacked against him.

The most recent films in the Star Wars universe, The Force Awakens and Rogue One, of which Lucas did not serve as director, seek to continue the franchise and expose it to a new, younger audience. But the question remains: without Lucas in the director’s chair and with a major corporation like Disney behind the wheel, are we still watching Star Wars? Or are these new films appealing only because they tap into a craving for nostalgia. They’ve both given us Tie Fighters, lightsabers, a battle between good and evil and even another planet-destroying space station, but is it really the same?

Part of the charm of Star Wars is that, yes, at times it’s a little hokey. It’s meant to be campy, just bordering on the edge of what we view as cheesy, but for a series of films that is fueled mainly by a compelling story, that’s totally okay.

While visually stunning at times, the battle between the Resistance and the Empire and how it intermingles with the saga of the Skywalker family is really the driving energy behind these epics. Die-hard fans have to wonder if handing over the story and characters to a company like Disney, who has already employed Storm Troopers to march through its amusement parks, is really a good idea.

The Force Awakens and Rogue One both performed well at the box office—no surprise there. They were both wellmade, fun science-fiction adventures, but something felt like it was missing. In some ways each of these films felt like they were waving goodbye to their earlier counterparts, or were overproduced copies of them, rather than true continuations of the Skywalker story. JJ Abrams, Rian Johnson and Gareth Edwards can dazzle us by way of beautifully rendered X-Wings and gorgeous costumes with silhouettes of the originals, but one can’t help but wonder if things really are the same.

The choice to recreate actor Peter Cushing’s face with CGI in Rogue One was possibly the best illustration of how the new films are not finishing what the old ones started, but have become something different entirely. Cushing passed away in 1994 and audiences know they aren’t looking at the face of a real actor, but instead are given what Kathleen Kennedy must have deemed “close enough.” The choice to use a CGI to recreate Grand Moff Tarkin had moviegoers split down the middle, which seems like a more realistic reaction to Disney’s attempts at rebooting the franchise.

Director Gareth Edwards himself has said that the Death Star and Star Destroyers in his film are not exact replicas of the originals, but instead newer versions that were essentially inspired by the old models. There are other examples—the new soundtrack to Rogue One, Starkiller Base, the plot to The Force Awakens— that point to the idea that Disney isn’t picking up where George Lucas left off. They’ve invented something else and just slapped the Lucasfilm logo on it. The only thing, it seems, that hasn’t changed very much, is good old Chewbacca.

Star Wars is one franchise that has attracted a cult following since its inception, and those who were fans of the original films can’t help but feel a little bit of ambivalence toward what Disney has done with their beloved space heroes. Creating new, younger fans with a more contemporary kind of film is a good thing for the franchise, but there is no guarantee that the old films will continue to get the respect that they deserve. In some ways the higher production value and bigger budget clouds the real meaning of what Star Wars is all about: cosmic order, friendship, love, war and an underdog overcoming insurmountable odds to defeat evil.

As Lucas himself said before selling Lucasfilm to Disney: “My advice to anyone making a Star Wars film is there’s more to it than just spaceships.”

TRUST

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JOY

We know your me-time is valuable, and we’re here to make sure you have a wonderful Zeel Massage experience. If you ever have any questions, special needs, or comments, don’t hesitate to contact us.

FAIRNESS

Massage therapists work hard to ease your pain and stress. That’s why, at Zeel, we take care of our Zeel Massage Therapists. We pay them more than comparable spas and salons, allow them to set their own schedules, and provide other benefits. A happy massage therapist means a better massage for you.

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We bring you same-day, in-home massages with the best licensed therapists.

The RALLYE AICHA DES GAZELLES du Maroc is the only women-only off-road Rallye in the world. Created in 1990, this unique event brings women between the ages of 18 and 71 from more than 30 different countries together in the Moroccan desert. Since its inception, the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles has been creating a new vision of automobile competition: no speed and no GPS, just old fashioned navigation, completely off-road: a return to the roots of Adventure. The only requirement is determination. The women who take part in this Rallye—known as Gazelles—are of all ages, social backgrounds, nationalities and levels of off-road experience. Whether in a 4x4, Crossover, Quad, truck or motorbike, they all come to take part in a unique competition: whose competitors share the values of tolerance, solidarity and determination, that respects the host country and its people through the actions of the Rallye’s non-profit, Cœur de Gazelles, and that cares about the environment: the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is the only motor Rallye in the world with ISO 14001 certification.

While the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles marks a return to the roots of adventure, it is also on the cutting edge of technology, with a satellite tracking system for optimal safety. A new vision for the world of motor sports! We have been putting forward a new vision of motor sport for years, with the development of an event where the pleasure lies in driving without excessive speed, and where the goal of driving the shortest possible distance is in line with our environmental commitment.

www.Rallyeaichadesgazelles.com Rallyeaichadesgazelles Instagram: @Rallye_Gazelles

2017 RALLYE AICHA DES GAZELLES DU MAROC

More than 1000 people gathered in the marquee tent in Essaouira on Saturday, April 1, 2017 to ring out the 27th Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles in style. A total of 158 teams, including one electric vehicle, participated in the 27th edition of this one-of-a-kind adventure. It is the only international off-road Rallye race for women only. Since 1990, it has been bringing together women between the ages of 18 and 71, from more than 30 different countries, who embark on an adventure of a lifetime from the French city of Nice and onward to the start of the Rallye in the Moroccan desert. Participants of the 2017 rally included model Kiera Chaplin and her teammate, Miss France 2005 Cindy Fabre, who came in 6th place out of 137 teams in their vehicle category.

For the closing Gala, and to celebrate the women being honored, the room was decorated under the theme “Garden of Roses”. The Gazelles and their guests were received in a magical garden with birds singing, music and live entertainment with extravagant floral arrangements hanging from the ceiling. Beauty brand Maison Bronzini supported the event by offering all of the women present a product from their new line of olive-oil based cosmetics.

The evening was kicked off by Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles founder Dominique Serra and Philippe Baijot, CEO of Lanson, to the sound of popping corks of Tsarine champagne. In addition to a sumptuous gourmet menu, the Gazelles were also given the chance to discover the work of the Rallye’s cameramen and photographers through a succession of photos and videos of the Rallye, taking them back to the magic of the Moroccan desert where they just lived an incredible 10-day adventure.

CINDY FABRE, KIERA CHAPLIN

Bruno Vandestick, the host of the world's oldest active sports car race in endurance racing, 24h du Mans, was the Emcee of the evening. The Governor of Essaouira, Mr. Djamal Mokhtatar took the floor to applaud the Gazelles' commitment, followed by the Interim Minister of Youth and Sport, Mr. Khalid Berjaoui, whose ministry shares the Rallye's values of daring and pushing one's limits. Mrs. Nada Roudies, Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism, emphasized Morocco's commitment to promoting its magnificent cultural and natural heritage through sustainable development.

After dancing the night away, the Gazelles said goodbye or, in some cases, “see you next time”... as they are already looking forward to next year’s rally. After all, the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc is an unforgettable human experience!

THE 2017 RALLYE AICHA DES GAZELLESWINNERS AND RUNNERS UP WERE

Expert Class: 1st place: Team 403 - Jeanette James & Anne Marie Borg, 2nd place: Team 438 - Hélène Grand Eury & Charlotte Zucconi, 3rd place: Team 420 - Delphine Bichoffe & Christine Hunka.

4x4/Truck Class: 1st place: Team 213 - Régine Zbinden & Lydia Christen, 2nd place: Team 169 - Véronique De Sybourg-Siffert & Laurence Brasey, 3rd place: Team 107 - Stéphanie Perusse & Céline Vega-Roïatti.

Crossover Class: 1st Place: Team 312 - Daphnee Stalport & Marjorie Demonceaux, 2nd Place: Team 311 - Aurore Ministrot & Civenty Abdallah, 3rd Place: Team 322 - Dominique Ferrero & Sophie Buclin.

Quad/Motorbike/SSV Class: 1st Place: Team 22Betty (Elisabeth) Kraft & Sonia Baudoin-Guerard, 2nd Place: Team 20 - Cath Keramidas & Maria Victoria Giraldo, 3rd Place: Team 23 - Prune Salti & Nathalie Peer.

First Participation Class (“First Participation” Class rewards teams who are participating in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles du Maroc for the first time.): 4x4 / Truck Class: Team 195 - Cécile Berthoud & Fanny Delaplanche, Crossover Class: Team 312 - Daphnee Stalport & Marjorie Demonceaux, Quad Class: Team 24 - Frédérique Risser & Caroline Bugatti.

Team 500 (E-Gazelles Nezha Larhrissi and Pilar Cabellos) was the only team competing in the new electric vehicle category and as a result of their efforts, was rewarded a 3 night stay for 2 adults at luxury hotel Kasbah Tamadot in Asni, Morocco. The stay includes 3 nights’ accommodation, a Moroccan breakfast each day, a fully stocked mini bar and a tour of the Eve Branson Foundation workshops.

The Eve Branson Foundation is a charity dedicated to enhancing living standards in some of the most impoverished rural communities in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

ANNE MARIE BORG,

JEANETTE

JAMES

COEUR DE GAZELLES is a group of highly motivated volunteers working daily to provide people with the help they need. A registered non-profit organization since 2001, Coeur de Gazelles is committed to providing sustainable aid through concrete actions. Our cross-border efforts must remain strong to allow us to uphold our values and continue to help those who are the most in need.

Coeur de Gazelles works on projects that meet the needs of Morocco’s remote populations: medical care, education, the environment and sustainable development, job training for women, improving living conditions and a desire to spread joy by distributing donations. Our actions are established on a “human scale”: we work with the local population to address the source of the problem. We work with and for the most disadvantaged: our actions enable people to become agents of their own development. We work in a spirit of partnership: we do not create alternative structures; we strengthen and develop existing local ones. We work with low operating costs: all donations are used for the direct benefit of the population. Our actions are recognized by the Moroccan government: we work on legitimate projects in collaboration with local authorities.

www.coeurdegazelles.org

MARJORIE DEMONCEAUX,

DAPHNEE STALPORT

KASBAH TAMADOT is a private and secluded retreat located in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. Just under one hour’s drive from Marrakech, the hotel has 28 rooms and suites decorated in a unique style with artefacts from around the world. The hotel boasts an outdoor infinity edge pool with magnificent views, an indoor pool, spa treatment rooms, large hot tub, two tennis courts and beautiful gardens.

Kasbah Tamadot is home to the Eve Branson Foundation, a charity dedicated to enhancing living standards in some of the most impoverished rural communities in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It aims to help local people in the long term by setting up sustainable enterprises which include a carpet workshop and a craft house run and managed by local women. Guests can visit the projects and purchase a selection of handmade items in the Berber Boutique which supports the Foundation, with 30% of the sales revenue directly funding further projects.

www.virginlimitededition.com/en/kasbah-tamadot

Facebook: KasbahTamadot

Summer of Giving

When we hear “Hamptons House Hunting,” we likely imagine majestic multi-room houses, sprawling land with sumptuous landscaping, swimming pools, tennis courts, guest cottages sought by the world’s most affluent and influential people. But on the evening of July 8th, 300 of the Hamptons’ residents and guests gathered to support the search for homes, not for themselves, but for our best friends who are lovingly cared for by Southampton Animal Shelter.

The mission of the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is to provide for the welfare of homeless animals and find them loving homes. As the only open admissions animal welfare organization in the area, they are dedicated to promoting and nurturing the bond between people and animals through adoption, medical care, behavior training and education.

The Foundation’s Board of Directors, led by Board President Jonathan McCann, hosted this year’s event held at a private waterfront residence on Gin Lane in Southampton. Themed around a whimsical walk in the park, the evening honored SASF Cofounder Sony Schotland and Honorary Board Member Jean Shafiroff, who has chaired the Gala for the previous five years. Philanthropist and author Mrs. Shafiroff has been instrumental in helping the shelter raise nearly $4 million, while Mrs. Schotland has dedicated more than 50 years to saving homeless pets, and was instrumental in making the Southampton Animal Shelter private, with a no-kill policy.

This year’s Unconditional Love Gala exceeded its fundraising goal through donations, pet sponsorships and silent and live auctions conducted by Katie Jacobs. All proceeds went towards SASF’s crucial initiatives, such as their low-cost spay/neuter mobile van granted by the ASPCA, efforts to rescue animals enslaved in puppy mills, and the daily care of the rescues within the shelter.

Proceeds also benefit the shelter’s programs that help special needs children, along with educating, mentoring and implementing SASF’s “Playing for Life” program, which is currently in more than 40 shelters and recognized at major animal conferences throughout the U.S.

Master of ceremonies Chuck Scarborough welcomed the enthusiastic guests, including: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, John Catsimatidis, Beth Stern, Jill Rappaport, Jean Remmel Little, Deborah Hearst, Southampton Village Mayor Michael Irving and his wife Ellen, Leesa Rowland, Larry Wohl, former Southampton Village Mayor Mark Epley and his wife Marianne, Martin Shafiroff, Sandra McConnell, Steve Bernstein, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, June Jaffee – Executive Director of the Muriel F. Siebert Foundation, State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and Julie Ratner. The event was also supported by Georgina Bloomberg, Anne Hearst and Beth Shak.

Event chairman Andrea & Alex Douzet, Missy Hargraves, Antonella Bertello, Marcy Warren, Ellen Ward Scarborough, Mollie Ruprecht Acquavella and Michael Katz were joined by Junior co-chairs Katie McEntee, Elizabeth Shafiroff, Kingsley Crawford, Pamela Suskind, Sarah Vacchino and Merritt Piro.

About the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation:

Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing for the welfare of homeless pets in our community and, in turn, placing them in permanent caring homes. The SASF’s mission is to provide for the welfare of animals and to reduce the number of homeless pets. The Shelter’s goal is to promote and nourish the bond between people and animals through adoption, education and community outreach. SASF recently won an award as the finest shelter on Long Island and rated in the top 10% of the country for their live release rates. The Shelter leads the country with its "live release rate", which means that of all animals brought to the shelter, 94% are adopted into loving homes. SASF is an open intake shelter that welcomes stray pets regardless of age, breed, or health providing them with the finest care, food, training, and medical attention. No adoptable animal is left behind!

southamptonanimalshelter.com

Facebook @southamptonanimalshelter.

Congressowman Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Rosenthal,Rosalie Brinton, both photos by Jared Siskin, Patrick McMullan Co.

Southampton Village Mayor Michael Irving & wife Ellen with honoree Jean Shafiroff

Jean Van Damme, Alana Cowan, honoree & founder Sony Schotland, Dr. Ronald Hoffman, Victoria von Schantz

by Norah Bradford

WHERE TO PLAY

HAMPTON HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

Get ready for the U.S. Open 2018 at Shinnecock Hills right down the road from the Hampton Hills Country Club. Hampton Hills Country Club is one of New York’s best kept secrets–and members like it that way. Hampton Hills is located in the middle of a 2,000 acre pine and oak tree preserve in Westhampton Beach. The wooded setting allows members to escape the rush of the city in favor of peaceful competition against a challenging golf course.

www.hamptonhills.com

SOUTHAMPTON SOCIAL CLUB

As the pre-eminent fine dining supper club in the Hamptons, Southampton Social Club continues to set the standard for hospitality. The entertainment will reach a crescendo with Live Music and DJ’s performing together creating an undeniably brilliant sound and vibe to set your summer to Boasting an exquisite interior dining room, “South Beach” style cabanas and beautifully manicured out-door gardens, Southampton Social Club continues to put the capital ‘S’ in Social.

The Hamptons season 2017 is officially in full swing. It is time to make the annual trip out to the Eastern end of Long Island’s South Fork to one of the exclusive and scenic villages including Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Westhampton Beach, Sag Harbor or Montauk to enjoy urban life and socializing in an oh-so-chic beach setting. Southampton Inn

256 Elm Street, Southampton, New York T: 631-287-1400 www.southamptonsocialclub.com

HAMPTONS SALT - TOP GIFT PICK

Peter Pierce founded Hamptons Salt Company upon discovering the abundance of chemical-laden table salt varieties and wanted to find a safe, delicious alternative to serve to his two children. Hamptons Salt Company is the preeminent provider of all natural sea salt. Hamptons Salt’s merchants scour the world to offer you the best selection of raw salts, flavored salts or smoked salts. All of its salts are unrefined and have no unhealthy additives. Hamptons Salt currently offers 29 salt varieties from around the world.

www.hamptonssalt.com

Hampton Hills Country Club

SOUTHAMPTON INN

Plan your next getaway on beautiful Long Island, New York. With the most magnificent beaches, elegant estates, fabulous shops, and über recreational opportunities (swim, surf, boat, golf, tennis, bike and horseback riding), Southampton Inn is the perfect getaway for all. Great for couples, corporate outings, honeymooners, and also kid-friendly, Southampton Inn is walking distance to the beach, village, culture, and shopping, and right next door to spas, salons, and exercise studios.

91 Hill Street, Southampton, New York T: 631-283-6500

www.southamptoninn.com

WHERE TO STAY

HOTEL ZE

Hotel ZE, owned by restaurateur and nightclub owner Zach Erdem of 75 Main Group, is a Parisian-inspired boutique hotel with a total of 9 rooms: 5 suites and 4 standard rooms. The hotel and rooms are designed by world renowned architect Costas Kondylis, in a modern European style, and is open year round. The hotel is adjacent to T-Bar @ KOZU restaurant.

136 Main Street, Southampton, NY 11968 T: 631-619-6660

75maingroup.com

Southampton Inn

New for Summer 2017 is The Southampton Inn’s latest restaurant, Claude’s, opening May 13th, 2017 from 7:00am-7:00pm, 7 days a week. Claude’s features all the delicious home cooked menu selections of its “Best” breakfast, lunch and light bites. Situated outside in the beautifully planted courtyards and pool patios, as well of course “Inn-side.” What‘s new for 2017 is that nothing on the menu is priced over $20. This is definitely the prettiest outdoor dining in Southampton.

91 Hill Street, Southampton, NY 11968

T: 631.283.6500

KOZU, SOUTHAMPTON

Zach Erdem of the 75 Main Group, returns with another exciting season at the Japanese Fusion restaurant Kozu. The menu features signature dishes such as the Kozu Jalapeño Yellowtail with Smoked Tomato Ponzu. Celebrities who have frequented this hot new restaurant include Nicky Hilton, 50 Cent, Amber Rose, O.T. Genasis and Hugh Jackman. Aside from the delectable dishes, the chic décor also attracts diners to the restaurant’s elegant atmosphere, featuring dark wooden floors and white walls covered in colorful artwork by Raphael Mazzucco.

136 Main Street, Southampton NY 11968

T: 631.619.6660 75maingroup.com

CLASSIC AMERICAN AT 75 MAIN, SOUTHAMPTON

Restaurateur Zach Erdem has transformed the Hamptons summer dining staple 75 Main into a year-round hotspot under his stewardship. Erdem reinvented his Southampton eatery, combining the classic style of the Hamptons with the enticing elements of New York City nightlife. Some celebrity guests include Leonardo di Caprio, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Scott Disick, 50 Cent, French Montana and Sarah Jessica Parker.

MODERN MEXICAN AT UNION CANTINA, SOUTHAMPTON

Do not miss the exciting new menu specials and entertainment at Long Island’s most vibrant, social and delicious destinationsUnion Cantina, the Hamptons only authentic modern Mexican restaurant. This popular eatery, designed by Southampton Social Club owners Ian Duke and David Hilty, sits in the iconic Bowden Square and is open all year-round. The restaurant sits behind the 400 Rabbits Tequila Bar, which is reminiscent of a prohibition-era speakeasy. The tequila bar carries 100+ types of tequila.

40 Bowden Square, Southampton NY 11968

T: 631.377.3500

75 Main Street, Southampton, NY 11968 T: 631.283.7575 www.75main.com DINE

Claude’s

Kozu

Union Cantina

SPOTLIGHT

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

Must Visit Destination Cities for 2017

by Norah Bradford

If you have not had the chance to book your summer vacation yet because you are unsure where to go, do not worry. We’ve gathered some of the best Summertime destinations –both above and below the radar – that will certainly satisfy any Jetsetters traveling desires.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN MEXICO

Recognized as the best hotel in Mexico by the prestigious Travel + Leisure magazine in the publication’s recent World’s Best Awards, Rosewood Mayakoba Residences sits in the heart of a 1,600-acre resort en-clave in the Riviera Maya. Built along winding lagoons and a mile-long arc of pristine beach, this oasis of indulgence offers suites with private plunge pools, rooftop sundecks, garden showers, individual docks and the finest in-room design and details.

Resort amenities include a signature Greg Norman championship golf course, fine dining at Casa del Lago and Punta Bonita, Rose Buds® for children, and Sense® spa, which is designed around a cenote, one of the sacred water wells of the ancient Mayans which sits on its own private island. The resort is built to abide by the highest of eco-standards, offering indulgence with awareness, and has recently been award-ed the Rainforest Alliance Certification.

Additionally, Sense, a Rosewood Spa®, recently launched the Kuxtal Sensory Garden Journey, a unique treatment inspired by the Mayan’s deep respect for nature and the belief in the connection between humans and their natural surroundings. More recently the development of luxury Residencies at the resort offers visitors a chance to call Mayakoba home. Rosewood Mayakoba Residences is blessed with an incredible selection of ownership options, each offering an individual vision to experience. These limited collection of unique residences are designed specifically of the utmost in privacy with breathtaking tropical settings and excellence in every detail. rosewoodresidencesmkb.com

www.rosewoodresidencesmkb.com

BELFAST, UNITED KINGDOM

Belfast is the under-the-radar Capital of Northern Ireland located around 90 minutes driving time north of Dublin. The time of the ‘troubles’ has largely receded following the Good Friday agreement of the late 1990s. That said taking a black cab tour of some of the more infamous roads to see the street art and walls dividing the capital along sectarian lines have an edgy feel to them. A star attraction of Belfast is Titanic Belfast – a recently opened museum dedicated to telling the tale of the Ocean liner Titanic, the people who built it and sailed on her doomed maiden voyage, which was awarded Europe’s best visitor attraction at the World Travel Awards. Another big tourist draw is to tour the locations used in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. Make the most of your stay at the Fitzwilliam Hotel – an award winning boutique hotel with locations both in Belfast and Dublin. For more information please visit www.Ireland.com, www. fitzwilliamhotelbelfast.com and www.titanicbelfast.com

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

A City over a 1,000 years old but to a new visitor representing a global kaleidoscope of cultures and experiences mixed in amongst globally recognizable buildings and monuments. London has everything from history to culture and cutting-edge arts, to night life and even internationally renowned restaurants. If you like your weather a little warmer, Summer 2017 sees the City play host to the IAAF World Championship athletics. Stay at the award winning Corinthia Hotel London or the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London. www.visitbritain. com www.corinthia.com www.mandarinoriental.com/ london

YOUNTVILLE, CALIFORNIA

MICHELIN: FRENCH the french laundry

Home to a brace of Michelin rated establishments the small town of Yountville nestled in the Napa Valley wine region is a gastronomic powerhouse. Chef Thomas Keller has both the French Laundry – three star rated and twice winner of “best restaurant in the World” as well as Ad Hoc and Bouchon (one Star). Bistro Jeanty received the Bib Gourmand as does Redd Wood. Sleep off your gastronomic hangover at chic Bardessono www.yountville.com www.thomaskeller.com/tfl

bo u c h on

bist roJeAnTy

OTTAWA CANADA

2017 Sees the 150th anniversary of the settlement of the Capital of Canada and a spectacular all-out effort to celebrate the success of Canada’s center. On July 1st sees the 150th Canada Day celebration to be held in Downtown Ottawa at the Shaw Center – arrive early to get a spot on Parliament Hill. In honor of Canada’s 150th birthday, all of Canada’s national parks will offer free Discovery Passes for all visitors. www.ottawa2017.ca

LIVE SOHO

THREE BEDROOMS, TWO FULL BATHS.

AUTHENTIC NEW YORK LOFT.