Metropolitan Magazine Summer 2021

METROPOLITAN

LUXURY MAGAZINE

GOES FOR THE WIN AT OCEAN Photographed by Jason Konrad

SUMMER 2021

METROPOLITANMAGAZINENY.COM

XEN SAMS

$20.00 USD

Fashion | Luxury | Profiles | Features | Shopping | Travel | Art | Design | Auto | Food | Health

M

CONTENTS SUMMER 2021 COVER XEN SAMS

FASHION 118 MARANE PLAZA 26 TIFFANY DE LISIO 33 MIAMI SWIMWEAR 40 EMILIE HEATHE: HAPPENING AROUND THE HAMPTONS 54 MIE IWATSUKI

ENTERTAINMENT 40 JACK NICKLAUS BOOK 52 THE BALLERINAS 56 WHITE SMOKE 64 FRIES THE MOVIE 81 CRITIC'S CORNER 84 BEST OF TIK TOK 2021 102 DESIGN SPOTLIGHT: THE KALEIDOSCOPE PROJECT 106 MCKENNA CAMILLE 108 PUPPETS OF NEW YORK

TASTE 96 CHEF RYAN RONDENO 92 IAN DUKE 94 CHEF OMAKASE

JET SET 68 MYKONOS: CAVO TAGOO 94 AFRICAN HERITAGE HOUSE

2

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

©2021 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated. CT HIC #0657205. Photos: Monica Wang.

Home office custom designed

by California Closets

Working from home needs to work well for you.

Every solution we custom design with you makes the place you work the place you love.

Find yourself at home with

Complimentary In-Home or Virtual Design Consultation californiaclosets.com

@caliclosetsnyc

GREENVALE 25 Northern Blvd, Greenvale 516.334.0077 CONNECTICUT 565 Westport Ave, Norwalk 203.924.8444 Summer 2021

3

M

CONTENTS SUMMER 2021 PROFILE 44 58 60 70 78 80 82 98 112 118

JOE NAMATH ERIC ROBERTS RICHARD EDSON XEN SAMS PJ TAEI JOSEPH GLAZER: CASTANGIA SUITS WILL HEAD PETE HAMILL MICHAEL BEDNAR DR. DIANE HILAL-CAMPO

ART FORM 11 ROBIN KOFFLER 16: MATT LICARI 86 BHARAT DALAL EXHIBIT 87 KELLY STYNE 88 MARK SEIDENFELD 90 WALTER STERNLEIB 92 EVAN TAWIL 100 THE POWER OF PURPOSE: BARBARA ROSE 110 GEORGE SCHULMAN 114 NICK GHAFARI: AFGHANI ARTIST FROM KABUL 116 REV. JEN MILLER

SOCIAL 120 ANGEL BALL

Cover Model: Xen Sams@xensams Location: Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City @theoceanac Photography by: Jason Konrad @jasonkonradproductions Creative Director: Brian Brennan @bbrennan88 Makeup: Emmy nominated makeup artist: Vincenza Carovillano @makeupvincenza Styled by: Celebrity stylist : Melissa Polo Landau @melissa_polo @melissa_polo_portfolioh Skin prepped by : Sari Katz, PA-C /Cofounder Velour Medical @skinbysari @velourmedical Hairstylist: Jazmen Rogers @hairbykrown Hair Color By: Bob Press Artistic Hair Director @ChangingHeads Special thanks to Darren Yellin of (iHeartMedia) and Brian Brennan of Ocean Casino Resort All Bathing Suits: Ramy Brook@ramybrook RamyBrook.com All Jewelry By Helen Yarmak International @helenyarmak

4

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

5

PUBLISHER’S NOT PUBLISHER’S NOTE PUBLISHER’S NOTE

M

belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes five years. - Tom Wolfe

“You set a goal to be the best and then you work hard every hour of every day, “We become brave by doing brave acts.” - Aristotle ork City has always been a city striving of heroes. to reach that goal.” - Don Shula

n’t take a pandemic or a terrorist attack September there 11, 2001is to this iswail a city of heroes Every day on in Manhattan therealize haunting of the ambulance siren announcing another Greetings and welcome to our inaugural issue of Metropolitan Palm Beach. A magazine that’s been many years in the making. I’m ghters. Our fire department, ourcovid-19 police, our doctors and nurses, our small business owners, andNYC hospitals patient being rushed by first responders to overworked brave healthcare Chase Backer, the publisher of Metropolitan Palm Beach and as a native New Yorker and I’ve gotwhere to admit something.

I really like it here ations even our cultural institutions will not be kept down no matter what the crisis.

This city is workers risk their lives to try to save other New Yorkers.

Right now humanity is engaged in an epic in Palm Beach. The sunshine, beaches, restaurants, stores, boats, and cars but most of all, the people. The people of Palm Beach have ly the epicenter of the world it isstruggle melting and great American in action. to survive a merciless enemy.

Right there is fear ofcity theHamptons unknownorand fear ofBut what wemuch do action and athe certain aura ofpot contentment.

There is a moreexperiment relaxednow feel here than sayA —in the Manhattan. just as people from all corners of the globe have come together to live together, work together, speak know.

But as the pressure mounts and the current reality forces the world to shelter-in there are still excitement. Where else but Palm Beach can someone spend a morning at a boat show or polo match or an afternoon with the recent worship freely and say to the rest of the can beand done.

President ofworld-the United States a five-star is thriving.

TheThe Governor is working hard to help rebuild the those among us itwho feel thedinner pull toatbe brave restaurant? for others.Florida To provide hope. heroes, the parents, economy and there is renewed hope days. new ways to adapt and help carry the load, to check the families, the workers—all of for usbetter are finding ust go on. As a city, as a countryinas world. and neighbors and to engage in small acts of kindness to let everyone we come into onafriends Our cover with, star, Mara Martin is a distancing, Palm Beach resident not only beautiful andall bright also a staunch advocate for mother’s rights. contact while social knowwho thatis somehow we will getbut through this. This unique We arestrength honored bringMagazine you her story and some other local insiders and personalities who a aredifference fascinatinglike in their ust find our collective and individual totopersevere during this those global pandemic and to trying issue ofsoMetropolitan focuses onofsome folks who are hard to make Dr.own right.

People here in Palm Beach might seem more relaxed but still waters run deep.

Here you will find the best of the best.

Bill Gates ogether as a global communityJanette to combat and conquer Covid-19.and At Metropolitan Nesheiwat, an emergency family doctorMagazine who offers tips to follow CDC Guidelines and stay to Tiger Woods and beyond. Some of the smartest, most successful and self-actualized individuals on the planet. Here you will find thought trying to do our part to informsafe andduring inspirethis during these difficulttime. days.

We will this the soul of an artist who has turned unprecedented Cover girlget Juliethrough Mintz shares leaders, business titans, captains of industry, all hanging out at the pool, the tennis court, golf course, or in shiny automobiles cruising er. her struggles with isolation into beautiful music while photographer Jill Lotenberg offers us newour hard-working along Worth Avenue.launch Palm of Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, the surrounding residents inspire meaand With the recent Metropolitan Palm Beachand magazine, I now findareas myselfand traveling quite frequently between New York perspective on New York City during our most difficult challenge. staffCity, to tellThe their stories, explore, make That new friends and do what weartdofairs, best—arguably better than any other luxury magazine in the Hamptons, and Florida. also means attending charity events, polo matches, yacht parties, and business ver star is Paul Teutul Sr. The popular patriarch of American Chopper.

What aground. terrific guy! world, entertain, Ourmy readers arethe what matter the most to us. We want your experience with our magazines to be meetings on inform privateand jets.delight.

Still, I keep feet on out our social media platform New where Paulenjoyable, Sr. willstaying share BTS video and thebut secrets creating Yorkers are inside these days that to doesn’t mean we giving up.stories We know thewant resttoofbe told and worthwhile, unpredictable, thrilling, thought-provoking, and resonant.

Weare want to tell the that you ng motorcycles and discuss thethe challenges of being a good dad.

Paul Sr.’s relationship with his the ones you aren’t expecting. country and the world are watching and rooting for us as we listen to New York Governor Andrew Life is precious and the most precious gifts in this life are not material things but family and friends. I am so blessed to be the father as always been one of the mostCuomo fascinating aspects of updates his TV show. thebattlefront. worlds of beauty and provide regular fromInthe of three wonderful daughters.

Every with month we’lltechniques give you luxury and fashion, beauty and her health, art and culture, travel and fine dining —and the types of profiles, Dorota Wallace is leading the way new and procedures to help guests look features and cover stories that have Metropolitan and 25A renowned magazine as one of theonmost beautiful, 25A Cover EricaRoberts talksmade withheard Senior Entertainment Correspondent Bill Tush circles onand his globally unparalleled career the big and small ng and enjoy the very best in post-operative care.

Every night atStar 7pm noise can be from open windows in inskyscrapers apartment buildings trend-setting, elegant, inspirational coffee-table magazines in the world. screen. actor Richard Edson, who has starred in such classic films as Platoon and Do thehonking...

Right Thing,a provides Editor Adam across the While island ofedgy, Manhattan - wild cheers, pots being banged, whistles and cars Kluger with some fun anecdotes about lifecity in Hollywood.

Eric Roberts is joined byand Metropolitan Cover Star Xen Sams, a media Venice, Italy to Argentina to Orange County, York we have sought out artists, designers, cacophony ofNew appreciation across our to serenade our healthcare first responder heroes We love our and readers andambassador we endeavorextraordinaire. to be the best at what do.atJust like you. Take it from a New&Yorker, in City, Palm Beach! We maven brand We shotwe Xen the luxurious Ocean Casino Resortit’s in better Atlantic jewel personalities, and everyday heroes sharing their efforts to cope with the pandemic and bring a battling in the trenches... telling them thank you for being brave and thank you for giving all of usstories hopeaofshining are so to have this opportunity to celebrate your special community while also providing national and global interest. onhappy the Atlantic Ocean. o others. From the world of art,for contributing Rachel keeps asafe, better tomorrow.

Stay wear aeditor mask, extraordinaire social distance and let’s allVancelette look after each other.us Weallare all in this together —and together we will get through date on trends in art and jewelry.

Another artist in the spotlight is Robin Koffler with her amazing theseCreative challenging times! heDirector terrible global Covid-19 pandemic has made realize that to provide all our magazines with amazing stories. of Metropolitan Palm Beach, Magaret Bastickus Luce, continues pes of the greatest city in the world.

Her painting the Reservoir is simply sublime.

StayAnd safe and stay strong! the entire magazine teamfor is clicking on all cylinders.

AJust thing ofNew beauty.

Features Editor Jadan Horyn and photographer Lilly solidarity isof essential our survival.

This state oflike affairs is not ty in the fall.

Thank youlimited for letting usainto your world and for joining us in ours.

Gabriel had thetotough assignment of covering Miami Swim Wear.

A good warm-up for New York Fashion Week...but for now let's country or a continent, and we are today living in celebrate Summer.

There's a lot of fun to be found in the Summer issues of Metropolitan & 25A. a new global reality. Funds are desperately needed for those in We are thrilled to make your acquaintance and welcome you to Metropolitan Palm Beach. communities who have been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.

Enjoy!

These include friends, creatives in the art and design communities, e and watch out for each other. medical workers and COVID-19 first responders and many more who day-in and Chase Backer day-out are fighting this global pandemic. V&C have joined forces for a joint Publisher, Metropolitan/25A storytelling initiative between VANCELETTE SIGNATURE® and CHÉRUBINE ® brands to raise both awareness and needed funds for those in communities who have Chase Chase Backer Backer been impacted by the horrific COVID-19 pandemic.

Publisher, Metropolitan/25, Publisher, Metropolitan/25A

“Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson Drink in the wild air.”

T

CE E

Metropolitan Palm Beach

12| Metropolitan Magazine Palm Beach | Metmagny.com

NY1

20 Page Issue.indd 12

6

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

4/14/21 10:44 AM

Wealth.

It’s complicated.

We don’t think your goal in life is to live in constant anxiety over how to preserve and grow your wealth.

Yet for many wealthy individuals and families, it’s an all-too common fate.

Because with your wealth comes complexity.

Perhaps never more so than in today’s market conditions and political realities.

At First Long Island Investors, we understand this better than most. For over 35 years, with us in their corner, some of Long Island’s wealthiest individuals and families have been able to better enjoy what all wealthy people are really striving for.

A wealth of life. Not of worry.

To put First Long Island in your corner, it’s not complicated.

Just give us a call or visit our website.

516-935-1200 w fliinvestors.com

Summer 2021

7

EDITOR’S NOTE EDITOR’S NOTE

M

This ain’t no Mudd Club or CBGB I ain’t got time for that now -Talking Heads, “Life During Wartime”

Morning found us calmly unaware Noon burn gold into our hair At night, we swim the laughin' sea It’s September and the Yankees and Mets are playing ball and giving New Yorkers and sports fans aWhen much-neededsummer's sense of normalcy. School is back in session and our City continues to show signs gone that we are tough and smart and kind.

Where will we be?

We wear our masks and social distance and continue on with our lives cautiously optimistic that

The Doors we will eventually make it through this pandemic- thanks in large part to the endless courage of our frontline heroes.

Summer is almost gone but before we wish the season adieu and embrace the magic that is Autumn in New York City let's talk

New York lost some legendary figures recently with the passing of New York Mets Hall of Fame summer. pitcher Tom Seaver and respected journalist and writer Pete Hamill. They now belong to the annals of New York’sissue rich history.

Our summer has something for everybody. New York Sports fans will delight to catch up with New York Sports Icon, Broadway Joe Namath who still has a twinkle in his eyes that says winning in and for New York is unbeatable.

The current issue has a little bit of everything from American Chopper star Paul Teutul Sr. who invited ourbe publisher Chase Backer intoamazing his garage at Orange about It wouldn't the summer issue without fashion.

From theCounty latest inChoppers swimweartointalk Miami to exotic looks from the motorcycles and suits life tofrom a new player in luxuryinbeauty business the form Dorota Philippines, men's Castangia in Manhattan’s Italy, to the coolest men's casual wearinfrom risingof star Tiffany de Lisio.

Wallace Berry Blonde Spa.ofTalking Drummer Chrisand Frantz takes readers on a trip Our coverand star,her Xen Sams is a force nature. Heads So smart, so talented, yes oh so beautiful.

It's no wonder that IHeartRadio down memory lane to the Bowery section of NewCity Yorkare where littleonclub called CBGB be more. Yet another and the luxurious Ocean Resort & Casino in Atlantic both aall-in a moment of Xenwould and much home to Thefriend Ramones, Talking Heads, Television, New York Dolls and remarkable of our publisher Chase Backer, whoBlondie, adorns The our cover.

Spectacular.

Patti Smith to name just a few. The Drummer’s new autobiography offers incredible anecdotes and memories of the New York Kelly City music scene that eventually across pond England to artists inspirewho offer inspiration, Robin Koffler, Styne, Reverend Jenwould Miller and Georgetravel Schulman arethe joined by to other talented the birth of Punk Music.

A full, no-holds-barred interview with Frantz about former band members whimsy, and genius.

David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison will be something to look forward to in October.

Fall is the best of thelate year in New York City.

Thereand is excitement and City change and him hope.

We honor New time York City's literary light, Pete Hamill, so did New York by giving hisWishing own street. Not bad for a that New Yorkers continue to us show the rest of the world that no city crisisinisthe too big for the fighters and legendary journalist who gave all poetic insight into the greatest world. heroes that make up our Metropolis. That together we shall overcome. Together we shall heal.

Together shall rise again.

Stay safe,we be strong.

Stay Safe. Be strong. Be kind.

Adam Kluger Adam Kluger Editor in Chief Editor in Chief, Metropolitan Metropolitan/25A Magazine/25A Metropolitan Palm Beach

8

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

BLAZING WOOD.

BRILLIANT FLAMES.

AND A PRIMAL SENSE

THE GAUCHO GRILL

+1.866.781.3129

OF

CONNECTION.

K A L A M A ZO O G O U R M E T.CO M

Summer 2021

9

M Publisher Chase Backer Editor-in-Chief Adam Kluger Assistant Publisher Jaime Backer Art Director Jeffrey Saks Associate Editor Margaret Bastick Luce Assistant Editor Willy Nichter Copy Editor Sean Buttimer Special Projects Editor Norah Bradford Lifestyle Editor Elizabeth Langevin Cover Editor Adam Kluger Features Editor Jadan Horyn Luxury Editor Stephanie L. Howitt Editor at Large | Art, Culture & Fashion Rachel Vancelette Fashion Photographer Matt Licari Profiles Editor Alexandra Appino-Tabone Social Editor Clara Morgan Food Editor Andrea Correale Nutrition Editor Lindsay Brustein Rosen, M.S., R.D., CDN Gold Coast Writer Monica Randall Digital Media Director Nancy Molina Make-up Peggy Mackey Interns Jolie Hudson, Lonee Telemaque Contributors Rachel Vancelette, D.D. Rice, Paul Prince, Peter Elston, Johnny Angel, Harry White, Victoria Crosby Contributing Photographers Matt Licari, Rene Bernal, tama66, pixel2013, Michael Gaida, Benno Klandt, Michael Paniccia, Jay Mathews, Filip Shobot, Chris Carroll, Lenny Stucker, Patrick McMullan, MA , Tom Fitzgerald and Pam Deutchman, Sandy Ramirez, Jan Klier, Mitchel Gray, Paul Prince, Kristiina Wilson For advertisement info: 646-300-1852 Info@metmagny.com | metmagny.com Facebook.com/metropolitanmagazinepb | Twitter.com/metmagny Writers, models, musicians and photographers, please inquire. © Copyright 2021 by Metropolitan Magazine, All rights reserved. Metropolitan is published eleven times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material and it will be treated as such and unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Metropolitan magazine’s right to edit.

10

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

ROBIN KOFFLER ART

The Reservoir.

30x30, oil on canvas

Shinnecock Bay. 36x51, oil on canvas, 2021.

Summer 2021

11

M

FOR SHORE

12

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

13

M

14

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

SUITS & BOOTS

June 2021

15

M

MATT LICARI PHOTOGRAPHS 16

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

17

M

FASHION FROM THE PHILIPPINES

It’s all About Textures THIS SEASON, PLAY UP YOUR STYLE WITH BOLD, IDIOSYNCRATIC TEXTURES. On model Venus: Woven Leather Ensemble

By Triple A By Angeli Abelo From the Crossroads 2019 Archive Collection Instagram Page: @triplea.label Brown Heeled Boots

By Czech shoe brand Bata Instagram Page: @batashoes Photography & Creative Direction: Seven Barretto Concept, Text & Styling: Marane Plaza Makeup: Guillano Valenzuela Hair: Jeff Valenzuela Model: Venus Perol of Farah Models

18

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Indigenous Weaves THIS TOP USED HAND-WOVEN HABLON FABRIC FROM CENTRAL PHILIPPINES, TOGETHER WITH JUSI AND RAMI. INDIGENOUS FABRICS ARE HOT THIS SEASON. On model Riona: Hand-Woven Top

By Fred Telarma From the Lot 01-12 2019 Archive Collection Instagram Page: @fredtelarma Slim Cut Quilted Pants with Hand-Stitching Details Antonina by Nina Amoncio From the Gunita 2019 Archive Collection

Instagram Page: @ninaamoncio Red Peep-Toe T-Strap Pumps

By Czech shoe brand Bata Instagram Page: @batashoes Photography: Niel Santiago Concept, Text & Styling: Marane Plaza Makeup: Jezziekha Alviz Hair: Jean Aliviado of Helena’s Beauty Salon Model: Riona of Farah Models

Woven & Quilted On model Reins: Brown Woven Armor Triple A by Angeli Abelo From the Crossroads 2019 Archive Collection Instagram Page: @triplea.label Slim Cut Quilted Pants with Hand-Stitching Details Antonina by Nina Amoncio From the Gunita 2019 Archive Collection Instagram Page: @ninaamoncio

Instagram Page: @chilliatelier Embellished Platform Sneakers Keds x Kate Spade Collection Instagram Page: @keds Photography & Creative Direction: Seven Barretto Concept, Text & Styling: Marane Plaza Makeup: Guillano Valenzuela Hair: Jeff Valenzuela Model: Reins Mika of Farah Models

Sparkle Top Chilli Atelier

Summer 2021

19

M

Space Age Fashion PACO RABANNE’S 1960S CHAINMAIL DRESSES ARE STILL FUTURISTIC IN THIS MODERN AGE. AND BRILLIANT FASHION DESIGNER THIAN RODRIGUEZ KNOWS EXACTLY HOW TO INTERPRET CHAINMAIL FIERCENESS INTO HIS METAL MASTERPIECE.

Sci-Fi Chic SHOW OFF YOUR BOD WITH LEATHER AND LATEX BODYSUITS INSPIRED BY THE ‘60S FUTURISTIC MOVEMENT, AND BE FEARLESS AND ROCK A CRUELLA-INSPIRED HAIRSTYLE. On model Renee: Latex Bodysuit

By Mara Chua Instagram Page: @maraxchua Thigh High Caged Stilettos

By Thian Rodriguez Instagram Page: @thianrodriguezmnl Half-Brunette, Half-Silver Wig

By Lynelle House of Hair Fashion Instagram Page: @lynellehair Photography: Niel Santiago Concept, Text & Styling: Marane Plaza Makeup: Jezziekha Alviz Hair: Jean Aliviado of Helena’s Beauty Salon Model: Renee of Farah Models

20

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

On model Renee: Latex Bodysuit

By Mara Chua Instagram Page: @maraxchua Thigh High Caged Stilettos

By Thian Rodriguez Instagram Page: @thianrodriguezmnl Half-Brunette, Half-Silver Wig

By Lynelle House of Hair Fashion Instagram Page: @lynellehair Photography: Niel Santiago Concept, Text & Styling: Marane Plaza Makeup: Jezziekha Alviz Hair: Jean Aliviado of Helena’s Beauty Salon Model: Renee of Farah Models

Retrofuturistic & Sexy THIS COSMOS-INSPIRED LATEX BODYSUIT BY FASHION DESIGNER MARA CHUA IS REMINISCENT OF THE RETROFUTURISTIC FASHION OF CIRCA 1960S. On model Reins: Patent Corset Bodysuit

By Mara Chua Instagram Page: @maraxchua Black Velvet Stilettos Czech shoe brand Bata Instagram Page: @batashoes Photography & Creative Direction: Seven Barretto Concept, Text & Styling: Marane Plaza Makeup: Guillano Valenzuela Hair: Jeff Valenzuela Model: Reins Mika of Farah Models

Summer 2021

21

M

RESORT WEAR

22

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Left: A chic, minimalist summer look can be achieved with a classic white two-piece swimwear. And if you want to spice it up a little, go for a set with a venus-cut bikini top like this one by resortwear ensemble from CHILLI Couture.

Model: Eli Bet Photography: Richard Caponpon Styling & Creative Direction: Marane Plaza Hair & Makeup: Helena Beauty

Right: Sizzle up your summer fashion sense with a statement jumpsuit, just like this floral couture by fashion designer Job Dacon.

Model: Eli Bet Photography: Richard Caponpon Styling & Creative Direction: Marane Plaza Hair & Makeup: Helena Beauty

June 2021

23

M

Left: Maillot swimsuits in fun prints, like this one

by CHILLI Couture, are always a nice way to steal the show. Cutout details of maillot swimwear give a sexier illusion to all body types, while animal or floral prints are never boring.

Model: Eli Bet Photography: Richard Caponpon Styling & Creative Direction:

Right: Inject some sunny fashion vibe into your OOTDs with quirky blazers with ruffles, like these ones from Dominique Atelier.

On Renee: Metallic Dress by H&M, Ruffled Blazer by Dominique Atelier & Bedazzled Sneakers from Keds x Kate Spade Collection On Riona: Animal-Printed Bikini Top by CHILLI Couture, Ruffled Blazer by Dominique Atelier & Bedazzled Platforms Keds x Kate Spade Collection Shot at I Am Abi Studio Model: Riona & Renee of Farah Models Photographer: Niel Santiago Styling & Creative Direction:

24

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

June 2021

25

M

WEEKEND AT THE LAKEHOUSE Rome, Maine

Fashion by Tiffany de Lisio

26

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

27

M

28

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

THE RECIPE FOR A RELAXING WEEKEND

GREAT FRIENDS, GREAT FOOD AND GREAT SCENERY

Summer 2021

29

M

30

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

FASHION BY TIFFANY DE LISIO

Summer 2021

31

M

32

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

MIAMI SWIMWEAR

D I V E I N

By Jadan Horyn and Lilly Gabriel Summer 2021

33

M

34

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

35

M

36

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

37

M

38

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

39

M

THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

A CONVERSATION WITH JACK NICKLAUS II

By Jadan Hoyrn & Margaret Luce

Jack (Jackie) Nicklaus II had a unique childhood. As the son of arguably the world’s greatest golfer, the expectations for his own success were and are immense, and yet that same famous father taught him how to bear the burden of fame while also being a loving husband and father. Jack Nicklaus II sat down with Metropolitan Magazine’s Features Editor Jadan Horyn and Creative Director Margaret Luce to share the accumulated wisdom of “The Golden Bear” in Jackie’s recently published memoir Best Seat in the House.

40

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

What do you think this book says about your Dad? It’s more a profound appreciation for both of my parents. My mother Barbara truly needs to be mentioned each time I talk about my father and their parenting. As a father I am still learning so this was my way of sharing the wisdom both of my parents passed to me. To show them I didn’t always appear to pay attention, but I was listening. That I did learn some things along the

way. And I hope to pass a lot of those lessons on to my children.

What have you learned from your Dad about being a father?

(Laugh) Well when you take your children home from the hospital, they don’t come with an instruction manual. As a father I am still learning; I think all fathers are. Each child is different. That is something my father taught me. We all have different makeup and components,

Summer 2021

41

M

Barbara and Jack

and one child’s going to react differently than another. My brother Gary and I both learned how to play golf from Dad. Yet Gary was able to take instruction while I was more defensive for some reason to take instruction from Dad. But again, I think that’s not unusual or unnatural.

It’s just that everybody processes things differently.

living. My dad taught us the golden rule. He is fair and believes in fair business deals; that no deal is a good deal if it’s not good for both sides. He’s lived a Godly life with a solid foundation of good ethics. My dad has always had this ability to see things from 30,000 feet, to see the big picture and that is essential for understanding how to act.

Family is critical; clearly your dad instilled that in you. What is your advice to those parents who struggle?

My parents never said “here is a lesson you must learn.” Rather, they lived their lives as examples of right

The Nicklaus family has always been very active in giving back to the community. Why is that so important?

Our foundation of faith provides a base for our love for others. Mom and Dad have always been involved

42

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

with helping people. As they have been increasingly blessed they have felt the need to give back. As a result of a near-miss with my sister Nan, they formed the Nicklaus Children’s Heathcare Foundation. It’s not just money, it’s about time. You give of yourself and hopefully even more important is the time and the love that you give back. I would encourage anyone to just see it as love they can give to others.

Best Seat in the House offers a number of important lessons that fathers can pass on to their children either through word or

deed. The biggest take-away from this book, the perfect Father’s Day Gift, is the abiding love and devotion that Jack Nicklaus has for his family, and how that is the greatest lesson of all in how to be a father. Covering eighteen themes, Best Seat in the House is part parenting advice, part memoir. Its life lessons and personal reflections are rich wisdom for fathers and would-be fathers alike, and it offers insight into the personal character of the beloved Golden Bear, a man who has left a lasting imprint not only on America and golf, but also on his son and family.

Summer 2021

43

M

44

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

LEGENDARY FOOTBALL HERO

JOE NAMATH

THE BIG GAME

By Margaret Bastick-Luce

L

egendary NFL quarterback Joe Namath defines charisma. Not only is he responsible for leading the 1969 New York Jets to an upset victory over the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl, but he has a unique and rare quality of being able to truly engage with the people around him and make them feel seen in his presence. When I knew I’d be talking with Joe, I couldn’t help but smile.

Joe Namath is positive. He is gifted.

He’s had an amazing career with so many accomplishments, within and outside the realm of sports.

Nicknamed “Broadway Joe,” he was also a well recognized actor in

his day. I couldn’t wait to catch his energy even for a few minutes.

Joe attributes his success to more than just his talent. “Lady luck played a major role!” he told me with a laugh. It almost seems he was destined to be a superstar with his skill and his allure, but he shared with me that he started out simply wanting to excel and gain the admiration of his family. “Sports is what I could do best and had the most fun with. And if your big brother said ‘Nice going,’ man, that was something. If your sister said, ‘Hey, that’s good, buddy.’ Wow.” I could hear the smile on his face as

he reflected. It was obvious he came from a positive home environment and values it greatly.

Joe Namath had a religious upbringing. “God’s always been in my family and in my heart.” He admits he’s had experiences in his life where he’s felt alone. “Even when the bright lights were on, there were times when I didn’t have anyone to talk to, and I got closer to God then.”

One thing that is especially apparent when speaking with Joe is the inner light he has and the gratitude he carries with him. “I’m thankful every day; every day I thank God several times.”

Summer 2021

45

M Once when he was a young man, his instructor in an acting class left a great impression on him with one particular lesson. “She spoke about our instrument, meaning the body and the mind. No one can take care of it for you on a daily basis. I had never thought of it that way. We are responsible individually to pay more attention to the instrument that we are. You’re the only one who can really take care of your instrument.”

Joe Namath took matters of his health into his own hands years ago when he began using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to reverse some effects his football career had had on his brain. Overall, he underwent 140 HBOT treatments, effectively reversing the damage detected when his brain was first scanned. Joe explained, “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, pure oxygen under pressure, is healthy for every cell in the body. I wish someday that the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy will be recognized for more illnesses. It was a tremendous help for me.”

Joe continues to care for his instrument. At age 78, he looks fantastic, and it’s obvious that his health and wellness are priorities in his life. When he retired from pro football in 1977, he took a proactive approach and sat down with his doctor to make a plan for his health.

To this day, he trains using a low impact cardiovascular program and breathing work. “I’ve maintained close to 70% of my days working out. I mark it in my calendar so I can look at it and count the days and see what I’ve done.” This kind of dedicated approach to wellness would be a benefit to everyone. “I try to be thankful everyday that there is a today. Too many people take good health for granted. Don’t do that. You need to take care of the instrument.”

People recognize Joe every day and want to talk to him and just be around him for a few minutes. I asked him if it was tiring to be approached so often, and he was quick to answer no. He truly enjoys the encounters and believes we can have meaningful

46

and positive interactions with those around us. It’s all about respect. Joe’s respect for other people began, like most things, at home. “My father and mother were respectful of other people. When I was a kid walking with my mother uptown, people would pass by and say, ‘Hello Rose.’ And she’d spend a few minutes talking. I learned that you should treat people the way you want them to treat your family, your children, your friends: with respect. It started at home and it’s the way I am today.”

It’s always been important to Joe to leave people better than when he first meets them, an ideology I absolutely relate to. He recalled an incident that happened over 50 years ago at an airport. He came upon a group of boy scouts who recognized him and wanted to stop and ask him questions. He stayed and talked with them for as long as he could, but he couldn’t take the time to answer all of their questions; he had to get to his gate. “I felt awful. The kids’ faces dropped. It wasn’t a good separation.

I felt like I let them down somehow.” I could hear the regret in his voice as he shared the experience with me. It left him with a resolve to make positive interactions a priority. “So everytime— whether at the gas station, a restaurant here in town, a corridor in the airport—if we make contact, I want it to feel good for both of us.

I don’t like the idea of having met someone and not leaving a positive vibe.” That resolve has truly impacted him and the lives of those who have encountered him. He has a charm like none other that leaves those who interact with him feeling warm and uplifted. Imagine what our lives would be like if everyone we came in contact with thought the way Joe does.

Joe’s love of philanthropy was also instilled at an early age. As a boy, he helped to collect dimes for the March of Dimes, which funded Dr. Jonas Salk’s Polio vaccine. “That was the beginning,” he said. During his pro football career, he met many family members of teammates that had physical challenges, and this left an

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Joe Namath

Summer 2021

47

M Charlie Modica and Joe Namath at Topisde at the Beacon

48

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

49

M impression on him and helped him realize his capacity to help others. “I was in my early to mid 20s, and I was asked to help out during those years, and I’ve stayed with it all my life.”

Joe Namath and his famous fur coat on the field with Phil Simms

“Helping people is in the heart, it’s from the heart. It’s the spirituality of it, knowing that I was lucky personally, being dealt what I call a full deck. I’m in a humble position to help, and I’m fortunate to be able to.”

The Joe Namath foundation has benefitted so many worthy causes. It is led by an incredible group of people.

Joe shared, “It’s humbling to hear ‘Oh look what you’ve done, Joe.’ But it’s not me. I’m part of a team that’s working to help other people. I’m a part of a group, and we give our individual effort together and reach out to help where we can.”

A longtime resident of Jupiter, Florida, Joe keeps busy with his new waterfront restaurant venture, an array of restaurants and bars including Lucky Shuck, Beacon, and Topside. The idyllic Jupiter Lighthouse and Loxahatchee River are the backdrop for the dining spot, which is now, like Joe, a delightful gem in the community.

When he’s not occupied with the restaurant business, Joe spends much of his time with his family. “I’m on my feet a lot at the playground!” he shared. Joe has two daughters and six beloved grandchildren. I could hear in his voice how much he cherishes them as he told me a little about each of them. When I asked him if there were any athletes in the family, he responded, “I hope so. I know that sports are a great education. You learn the peaks and valleys. You learn the valleys first, I believe; at least I did,” he added with a charming laugh. “You learn what’s important, especially teamwork.” Joe is quick to convey the value of a team, in all aspects of life.

“Sports teaches us that you don’t do much on your own. It’s not about the individual. It’s not about old Joe. It’s about us. Life is a team effort. Life’s the big game. People are always talking about the big game coming up. And I say, ‘Man, the big game is life!’”

50

Hair and Makeup: Peggy Mackey Photos: Ian Jacob Photography

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

JOE NAMATH’S CHARISMA, DISCIPLINE, AND GRIT HAVE LED HIM TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE BIG GAME OF LIFE. HE HAS HUMILITY, GRATITUDE, AND A GREAT LOVE FOR HIS FAMILY. THESE VALUES HAVE CERTAINLY SERVED HIM WELL THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, AND HE HAS MADE A LASTING AND POSITIVE IMPRESSION ON THOSE WHO HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE TO KNOW HIM.

Summer 2021

51

M

THE BALLERINAS

F

orrest Academy of Ballet New York Artistic Director, Erin Forrest, feels passionately about being a contributor to bring back the arts in post-pandemic New York City. During the 2020 pandemic she founded Empire Ballet, the performing company for Forrest Academy of Ballet New York, to give her current and graduating students a place to continue performing their art until the world opened back up again. While still quarantined at their individual homes around the country, the dancers trained daily online and even performed a modified Nutcracker for assisted living facilities in New York City. Once the studio was cleared to re-open, classes began again in-person with masks and distancing. The dancers were able to perform together once again this spring in New York City for young patients at Children’s Hospital of Orange County as it streamed online throughout the hospital in California by Seacrest Studios. A dance photography workshop was recently held in Central Park where students learned how to work with a

52

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

dance photographer while taking advantage of the beautiful places that the park has to offer. Founded in 2017, Forrest Academy of Ballet New York - a yearround, professional training program- was established to train determined, disciplined, and devoted students in the art of classical ballet. The natural talent and abilities is drawn out of each student in a positive and nurturing environment, yet they are also pushed beyond what they are capable of to attain the highest level of training, so that they may become successful, professional ballet dancers in companies worldwide. Ms. Forrest has coached students and ensembles who have won gold and silver medals in classical and contemporary divisions at National Ballet Competition, Indianapolis International Ballet Competition, and Youth America Grand Prix. Her graduates have gone on to dance internationally in Germany, Russia, South Korea, Austria, the Philippines, and in the US at Joffrey Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet West and more. For further information please visit: www.fabny2017.com

Photos: Viktoria Maley @soleilphoto Dancers: Left, Lily Hagan; Right, Eliza Jones

Summer 2021

53

M

54

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

MIE IWATSUKI PHOTOS BY THOMAS CONCORDIA

Summer 2021

55

M

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

INTERVIEW WITH ITAMAR SN, WHITE SMOKE

by W.A. Muller

White Smoke by author and Middle East scholar Itamar SN is a new Tel-Avivian-based family love story that appeals to a number of different audiences because of its expertly written account of politics, women's rights, and modern-day relationships between Israelis and Palestinians.

Itamar, why do you think Jewish readers are responding so strongly to the Yonatan character and his relationship with his powerful father in White Smoke

“I tried desperately to appear in any newspaper report or television news channel footage of the “delusional lefties,” to cause him to be a little aggravated, a little embarrassed.”-Yonatan Yonatan never had a functioning father. He had Israel’s Chief of staff and then the Prime Minister as an absent 56

father. He tried all his life to become the apple farthest from the tree, but he’s about to find out himself that it is not easy to choose between the love for your family and the love for your country. His husband (Meir) and their adopted young Palestinian, acid attack victim woman (Amal), becomes both his compass and his greatest challenge. Welcome to the world of Yonatan, Meir, and Amal.

LGBTQ readers have also expressed great appreciation for your realistic portrayal of a gay married couple in modern-day Israel.

“I had met Meir only a few months ago, but this rich, capitalist, motherf*cker had turned my world and its old comfortable order upside down, and without warning.” -Yonatan Yonatan Green is an intellectual playboy, who will do anything to provoke his right-wing father, the

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Prime Minister of Israel. When he meets Meir, he falls in love for the first time. The bi-sexual, ‘Don Juan’ who has never been able to commit, is becoming the head of an unorthodox family of six. The Powerful gay couple adopts and rescues Amal, a young Palestinian woman who suffered an acid attack, from a blind alley future. It will not take long for her to become the pillar of the family. Welcome to the world of Yonatan, Meir, and Amal.

This book also addresses the continuing brutalization of women in the Middle East, including acid attacks. Which gives the book its name, White Smoke “I miss you more than anything in the world.” Said her mother...” “I feel like my heart was taken from me when you left. I am a woman with no heart.” “And I am a woman with no face,” Amal responded, instantly

bringing down a bitter cold silence over the room.”-Excerpt from White Smoke Unimaginably, many of the yearly acid attack crimes in the world are executed by women against women, mostly by the mother-in-law who believes her daughter-in-law is not good enough as a wife for her son. Lineages of oppressed women pass the wrongdoing from mother to daughter. It’s time to wake up.

Despite her facial deformity due to a horrific acid attack, Amal is an incredibly strong woman, and inspiration, who with the help of Yonathan and Meir becomes a profile in courage.

It wasn’t a surprise that it was a powerful gay couple who came for the rescue of an acid attack victim young woman. It was also not a surprise that Amal, the alpha lioness took charge of her new family when everything collapsed.

Actor Matt Rife from The Elevator

Summer 2021

57

M

ACTOR SPOTLIGHT ERIC ROBERTS With 600+ Movie & Television Credits Eric Roberts is a Hollywood legend

by Senior Entertainment Correspondent Bill Tush

58

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

W

hen word came out of the upcoming interview with Eric Roberts, I decided to watch the first movie that made him a star, 1985’s Runaway Train. A thriller about two escaped convicts that hijack a freight train in the snow-covered Canadian Rockies. The other convict is played by Jon Voight, who makes Charles Manson seem like Shirley Temple. Roberts on the other hand is the nicer of the two. (Speaking of hands, I don’t want to forget Robert’s memorable 1984 role as a small-time hood Paulie, in The Pope of Greenwich Village opposite Mickey Rourke, “They took my thumb Charlie, They took my thumb!”).

Back to Runaway Train, even though the film is almost 40 years old, it’s still a thriller. Especially if you remember that back in those days, way back when there were much fewer computer effects and green screens.

That was a real train! How did they do that?. That’s a story for another day (or just Google it!). As for Eric Roberts and his convict with a soft side, that snatched him an Oscar nomination and his acting career was on the fast track. Now, over 600 films later, Roberts once again finds himself trapped in another out-ofcontrol vehicle. Although this one isn’t moving. It’s The Elevator.

Roberts plays a happy family man who gets called into the office on a Saturday. Well, as you might have guessed, he gets caught in a stuck elevator. “That’s a fear we all have,” says Roberts, and it certainly is one of his. “My biggest fear about that is having to go to the bathroom.” Much of the film was shot in a real elevator, according to the actor, and it was

a publicist’s dream when the real elevator did get stuck during filming, trapping the actor and the crew inside for a suffocating 4 minutes.

“That can be a long time,” admitted Roberts.

The Elevator is just one of the latest films this actor adds to his incredibly long resume. From some hits like The Pope in Greenwich Village, King of the Gypsies, and Star 80, to others with titles like, Chicks Dig Gay Guys, Headshots and Handcuffs, and A Talking Cat. Roberts laughs, “I can be anywhere in the world and turn on the TV and there I am.” So, I mention a country tune called Mailbox Money, about a singer-songwriter who has penned so many tunes that every day there is another residual check in his mailbox. Again Roberts laughs, “I have a very happy mailbox!”

While he was piling up the TV and movie credits, his little sister was back in Smyrna, Georgia, packing her bag for Hollywood. Julia Roberts made quite an impression with a little independent feature called Mystic Pizza. Then the same year she became a superstar and Oscar Nominee with Pretty Woman. Not quite the Barrymores but the Roberts acting dynasty added another member with Eric’s daughter Emma.

She would spend time on the sets of her Aunt Julia’s movies and at a very early age decided an actor’s life was for her. Then, in what seems to be a Roberts family acting tradition, she debuted in a hit and minor classic, Blow, playing Johnny Depp’s daughter. Emma, like her dad Eric and her Aunt Julia, has already piled up the big films, the little films, TV roles, and too many awards to mention. One can only imagine the conversation at family get-togethers.

That is if there is even time for family dinners?

Eric has just completed work on the HBO series, The Righteous Gemstones, Headful of Honey with Matt Dillon, and he joins an All-Star cast led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Jean Smart in Babylon. His latest, The Elevator, is on the way.

Summer 2021

59

M

A CONVERSATION WITH ACTOR RICHARD EDSON ON HOLLYWOOD AND AMERICA Richard Edson is one of those actors who you see in a film who always seems to make a lasting impression with his look, his way of speaking or the humanity of his characters.

By Adam Kluger

E

dson’s movie roles have been memorable.

He was a small-time gambler in director Jim Jarmusch’s brilliant,”Stranger Than Paradise,” starring opposite fellow musician John Lurie (Edson played drums in Sonic Youth, Lurie played saxophone in the Lounge Lizards). Edson was part of an

60

ensemble cast in Oliver Stone’s war film, “Platoon” where he shared foxholes with Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe and Johnny Depp. Edson also shares some stories about playing opposite John Turturro in Spike Lee’s masterpiece “Do the Right Thing.”Not only a talented musician, actor and writer, Edson is an accomplished photographer who spent much of the pandemic biking around Los Angeles to capture

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

America’s civil unrest and dystopian landscape of the past year in a forthcoming book.

Stranger Than Paradise is such a beloved, cult film. When you were shooting it did you know you were part of something special?

The experience of making a film is much different than watching the same film. It's not your film but it is your film. You are so deeply immersed

in the film. I have more affection for the making of the film. For example, the Grandmother in the film couldn't remember her lines. We had to work around her and just make her comfortable. We had a card game. and we tried to play a card game that she understood like Gin Rummy and she couldn't do it. So I made up a game I said ok you take this card and I take that card I say something you say something I take a card, you take

he has a very strong personality.

He is what he is. He brings a kind of charisma and his presence to a role and because he played such a downbeat kind of character that I realized that I had to do something complementary to that. So, I decided to play an upbeat, happy-go-lucky curious kind of guy that was contrary to the character that he brought and I think that was part of the chemistry and why it worked so well.

He's an interesting character and he demands a lot of people.

You, John, and Ester Balint are all musicians, did that help with the chemistry and timing?

Maybe. John is a very serious kind of guy. I mean he's a funny guy but he has a downbeat quality to him, right?

So I was like I have to create something that's an optimistic guy in order to create this tension between us.

a card and you say, "I am the winner."

That's one of the great things about doing low-budget independent films is that you can take those chances and have fun with it which you would never be able to do with big-budget movies.

John Lurie is such a talented musician, actor and artist. What was it like playing opposite him?

Working with John was great because

Spike Lee's 1989 classic film Do The Right Thing paired you with John Turturro as two brothers, Vito and Pino.

Originally Spike wanted Matt Dillon to play my part, Vito, my character.

He wanted Robert De Niro to play Sal. Both of them said no. So Danny (Aiello) and John (Turturro) were cast and I didn't know what John was going to play and Pino was a little better part and had more scenes and I wanted to play something that wasn't the nice guy. So Spike takes us out to the set on the set in Brooklyn. It was one block in BedStuy and he built the whole set on this one block. He showed us the Pizza Parlor he showed us the Korean Grocery Store and the different parts of what he had in mind but I didn't know which part I was playing so I took John aside and I said "what part are you playing?" and he goes, "Pino, of course, it's the bigger part and I'm the bigger actor." So that's how I found out that I was going to be Vito. What's interesting is that John and I were really tight on the set and it was really great he's a really interesting guy he's cool in movies and acting and he was really challenging playing against somebody who is that strong and I really loved it. In the scene in the back room where we have our little fight, he is accusing me of being more loyal to Spike's character Mookie than he was to the family and I had to defend myself and Spike was like, " it's just you two guys you work it out yourself and improvise," And I was like cool, I like to improvise and I thought I'll just let John do his thing and I'll do my thing. Spike took a lamp and made it move a little, to cast light on both characters, thinking Cinema and then he called Action and John went from zero to 100 in a split second and totally overwhelmed me and I had no idea what I was going to do.

I was completely lost. I was thinking if I don't react I could just see John Summer 2021

61

M fucking jumping all over me and it would be terrible but I couldn't. He was so strong and so in my face, I couldn't think and I couldn't react and then 35 seconds in the DP goes, "cut cut cut...we ran out of film" We had been using short-ends instead of a fresh roll of film. John flips out and I was thinking thank god, thank you..because now I had a chance to

figure out how to react so I realized if he comes at me that hard I have to come back, so that's how that scene played out.

What are some of your memories of starting in another classic film, Platoon?

What Oliver (Stone) did that was really incredible is that he hired these Army guys who had been in Vietnam and we had training as soldiers and we all started to bond from that. We got there and they gave us a shovel and they pointed to an empty field and said ok that's your hotel...dig a hole

62

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

and that's where we slept for 2 weeks.

Everyone had their own foxhole and you went to bed with your rifle. The training had them attacking us in the middle of the night and you had to scramble and then they had Filipino soldiers. When Oliver came to set we saw him like a visiting General looking over the troops. There were some Hollywood guys like Charlie (Sheen).

How was Charlie Sheen?

Charlie as an actor? He's not bad. I really liked Charlie when he was there.

He was kind of like an innocent kid. He was really nervous when it came to

contemporary guys? Daniel Day-Lewis is a great actor. Christian Bale. He's a great actor but he plays characters with not a lot of humanity.

How did you train as an actor?

I had no background in acting. It came naturally to me but I really didn't have any technique. So I asked the director Jim Jarmusch maybe I should learn a little bit about acting and so I went to this woman named Penny Allen who was a pretty well-known acting teacher she was involved with Al Pacino and the Actor's Studio and method acting. I went to one of her classes and she told me," look man don't take any classes, don't ruin what you have." Not sure it was the best advice cause I took it but the one thing I realized about acting at a certain point was that it's much more doing the stuff we had to do. He was kind of a wuss. We had to rappel down a tower. A thirty-foot tower it was up there.

What about Johnny Depp?

Johnny Depp was cool. I remember there was one night where we were out on the perimeter you know and every night they would send guys out on the perimeter to be sure you had the radio and we were together.

He's very kind of aloof but not in a pretentious way and we were talking about comics and girls and I was thinking you know this is exactly the kind of shit that real soldiers were talking about.

Actors you really admire?

Brando was great. Of the

of a verbal-based medium than acting in films. That's why there are so many close-ups. People talk to each other. And so I just sort of realized that's all I do in acting is talk and I love the physical aspect of acting that's why I love European movies and the American movies of the 1970s. You look at The French Connection. It's not even what they are saying it's how they are saying it. It is the way they physically interact with each other and the environment and that's what makes it so strong. Hackman is drinking this coffee that isn't hot and he's standing outside in the cold and it's all this physical acting.

So you took a break from acting?

So, I've been concentrating on music and photography and writing but I think I'm a better actor than I've ever been. I really like acting.

Cool recent photos of you A friend of mine who is a photographer took those and I just kind of improvised and went with my feelings. I wasn't really thinking about anything. I was just feeling it.

Tell us about your Pandemic “Year Zero” photo journal? The photos show various types of civil unrest and street protests. The images are powerful and poetic. They resonate with a sense of desperation and fury.

Really, some of the best photos ever shot of America during Covid.

I started it the first day of lockdown in LA, March 20, 2020 and ended it March 19th, 2021. I’m turning it into a 150 page book. It’s broken down in seasons.

Summer 2021

63

M

FRIES! THE MOVIE TEMPTS OUR TASTEBUDS AT THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2021 The 20th year of Tribeca Film Festival breaks out with a new outdoor worldwide premiere and a very special online experience for film lovers around the world.

Quickfire Interview Series by Rachel D. Vancelette

A

very special outdoor premiere screening of the Fries! The Movie took place in New York produced

by Zero Point Zero, who also produced the multi-Emmy and Peabody Award winning CNN series “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.” For the food lover in all of us, this spirited and engaging documentary includes appearances

by New York Times bestselling-author and TV and social media personality Chrissy Teigen, best-selling author, contributor of The New Yorker, and host of the hit podcast “Revisionist History” Malcolm Gladwell, world-renowned Michelin Star chef Eric Ripert, founder and president of the Museum of Food and Drink Dave Arnold, and co-founder of Sir Kensington Scott Norton. Each is providing their own insight and thoughts on the food we all love so dearly - “the french-fry.” Some may recall the French Fry exhibition with Sir Kensington years ago with some fabulous resin French fries on display, and/or perhaps the last time you tasted a great ketchup and/or condiment from our favorite Sir Kensington choices which certainly have taken

64

over households worldwide over the last few years.

From the “crinkle fry” to the “string fry”, to one’s last memory at a favorite fast-food restaurant to at a top restaurant like Balthazar in NYC, the film entices viewers to enjoy an indepth journey of discovery. This new documentary tackles the debates and discussions of who discovered the very first French Fry and perhaps even French Fry Nirvana! Fries takes viewers around the world on a travel discovery in search of the best fries from countries such as Belgium, France, United Kingdom, United States, Japan to even Peru!

Dave Arnold, founder and president of the Museum of Food and Drink debuted a new fries recipe at the Fry Food Truck right next to the premiere’s red carpet and the founder of Sir Kensington founder Scott Norton was there to present his stellar Kensington’s brand. Michelin Star chef Eric Ripert, and director Mike Steed, who also directed and produced “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, sat down with moderator, the great American restaurateur Will Guidara (owner of several restaurants including Michelin star Eleven

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Madison Park and NoMad New York.

Guests, VIPS, celebrities and more munched their way down the red carpet to celebrate their favorite fries and condiments. Be prepared when watching Fries… the mouth-watering craving will come alive for your favorite fry!

Having the pleasure to sit down with two important self-proclaimed French Fry lovers Scott Norton and Dave Arnold of the “Fries” film for in-depth interviews certainly brought a true feeling of nostalgia and love to all of those many French Fries one has experienced over the years… and for all of the ones yet to come!” Rachel Vancelette SCOTT NORTON: CO-FOUNDER OF SIR KENSINGTON’S Celebrating Ketchup’s ideal pairing with French Fries, the film Fries presents a segment of your NYC pop-up

exhibition “Fries of New York” from 2014. The exhibition presented 85 different styles of cut and dried potatoes on display to both educate and present a scientific breakdown on ketchup and french fries. Can you tell us if this was the beginning of your search for the ultimate French fry around the world? Have you been on this French Fry journey since the founding of your company? Do you have plans for other pop-ups in the future?

Fries of New York in 2014 was absolutely the first time we really opened our eyes to the variety and craft of french fries. Of course, french fries are ketchup’s closest friend, though before this exhibition, we never had a strong interest or knowledge of them. After that, understanding and creating fries of our own because a dream. Today, we’re hosting a pop up french fry truck at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere with a fry recipe by the talented Dave Arnold - so if that’s

a hit, maybe there will be more popups to come.

The “Fries” from multiple NY restaurants were presented as an art exhibition and specially presented in resin and displayed in vitrines.

Could you tell us ultimately where the resin French Fries ended up? Museum? Collections? Sold? Displayed?

Archived?

It’s now been nearly seven years since the Fries of New York Exhibit, and the preserved fries have stayed in surprisingly good condition. We worked with specialists to preserve them and covered them in resin so that they would last three days through the exhibit - and now in 2021 many of them are still in good condition. Most of the fries we returned as trophies to the restaurants who participated, some of the fries went in our archives at Sir Kensington’s, and a few now grace the living rooms of the creatives that worked on the exhibit with us.

After all of your in-depth research and tastings around the world for the ultimate French Fry, did you determine your favorite?

As a company that loves variety and loves experimenting with new flavors, we naturally tried many high-concept fries. We experimented with tubers like taro, cassava, heirloom purple potatoes, and oils that had fallen out of public favor like beef fat. However, what we kept coming back to was a classic french fry, well salted, from a white flesh potato.

Memory and comfort plays such a big role in how we as humans enjoy food, and it was hard to beat this gold standard.

What advice can you give someone searching for the ultimate French Fry? Pace yourself.

French Fries are considered a global comfort food, what do you hope people remember after watching the film “Fries”?

People certainly don’t need any encouragement to eat french fries, so I don’t feel the need to evangelize a fry-forward diet. Especially if you watch the film, I can almost guarantee you’ll experience a powerful craving - so I hope you have a food delivery app handy. However, the one hope I have is that people actually try to make fries at home. It’s a wonderful creative process, and the nuanced challenges of cutting and cooking fries from scratch will give you a brand new appreciation for the dish every time it hits your table at a restaurant.

As a successful entrepreneur, what advice would you give to others in their search for the ultimate condiment and French Fry? Entrepreneurship is a process of making bets, doing the best you can to build something people want, and then reassessing what bets you should double down on. As Kenny Rogers says, to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.

We’re no doubt a leader in condiments, though with fries, we folded that hand because we didn’t think we could truly deliver a worthy experience to customers. So my advice is Summer 2021

65

M to give up on the bets you don’t think will work, but make many bets so you stay in the game.

Anything else you would like to share?

A huge THANK YOU to the team at Zero Point Zero productions, Malcolm Gladwell, Chrissy Teigen, Eric Ripert, Dave Arnold and the team at Sir Kensington’s for making this film a reality.

DAVE ARNOLD: FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE MUSEUM OF FOOD AND DRINK Can you tell us your short definition of “Fry Nirvana”?

A fry that is crispy on the outside --not too hard but with good crunch-- with a fluffy baked potato like interior, well salted throughout, that maintains its excellence even when it cools down. Usually achieved by cutting the fries between 10-12 mm wide. Your desires may vary. That’s the beauty of food.

The Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) is noted as an educational non-profit and museum that seeks to change the way people

think about food and drink. What do you hope people remember from visiting MOFAD? Can you tell us re COVID19 constraints, if the museum is back open in NYC for visitors in 2021? Do you want to share with us future plans for the museum?

The museum doesn’t currently have its own brick and mortar space, but we have an exhibition called African/American: Making the Nation’s Table which was scheduled to open at the Africa Center at Aliko Dangote Hall (1280 Fifth Avenue, NYC 10029) right before the pandemic hit. African/American is curated by Dr. Jessica Harris, world renowned historian of the foods of Africa and the African diaspora. We are working on scheduling an opening date for it as we come out of the pandemic.

In general, the goal of any of our exhibits is to use food as a way to better understand ourselves, each other, and the world around us. Food is culture, MOFAD shows why.

Is there is one thing you hope the audience remembers from Fries, what would it be?

The joy of the French fry and how something so ubiquitous can be

66

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

such a rich topic of exploration and thought. Really, Proust should have used French Fries instead of madeleines.

Who do you personally think discovered the French fry?

Any group of people given the potato and the technology of deep frying would develop a fry like food --the potato, after all, just screams to be made into a French fry --so the notion of “discovery” always seems a bit strange to me. What I think you get from the movie is that there are all of these different forces and streams of history that have led to today’s worldwide French fry hegemony. A few things are clear: 1.The potato originated in Peru, and even today the variety of potatoes and potato products in Peru is mind boggling. They forget more in a day than I will know in a lifetime.

2: The Belgians are the world’s French fry champs --for sure. The average fry there will kick the crap out of most stuff elsewhere and the great stuff is life changing. Why? great fries are built into their culture --like Americans and basketball.

3: People in France were frying potatoes in the 18th century when

James Hemmings, who was enslaved

by Thomas Jefferson, went there, became America’s first classically trained chef, and brought back the technique, as well as many others.

4: American fast food and the American industrial food complex has increased worldwide fry consumption exponentially.

French Fries are noted in the film as feel-good comfort food for many around the world, what advice would you give to someone in search of the ultimate French Fry? 1. Travel to Belgium.

2. If you are going to make your own you must fry at least twice. If you want to go bonkers follow my French Fry recipe number 27.

Anything else you would like to note or share?

There are no perfect Fries, only the quest to make better Fries--and the quest is a worthy one.

For more Quickfire Tips: Fries: The Movie https://tribecafilm.com/films/fries-themovie-2021 For more Rachel Vancelette: Instagram @rvancelette

Manhattan, NYC, Milan, Sardinia 28

Metropolitan Magazine Palm Beach | Metmagny.com

Summer 2021

67

M

A GLAMOROUS REFUGE OF SUN AND SEA CAVO TAGOO MYKONOS

By Karina Y. Sotelo

G

littering against the cerulean waters of the Aegean, Cavo Tagoo is an escapist’s dream carved into a sprinkled-white cliffside on the western coast of the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos. An ultra-exotic and boho-chic blend of the Greek traditional and the modern: sensuous, whitewashed curves of classic Cycladic architecture and sophisticated minimalistic design, stylish furnishings and eccentric artwork with splashes of bright color and exuberant golden

68

accents. This sexy five-star boutique features only top-notch amenities, including a commodious exhibition-style lobby, an intimate spa, a gift shop and gymnasium, but above all, an unrivaled glamorous pool scene. Guestrooms propose an otherworldly and revolutionary pool experience, each appointed with a combination of plunge pools, private heated-whirlpools, glasswalled infinity-pools and the island’s most legendary cave pools. The star attraction, though, is the main pool area: a classy and cutting-edge

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

display of a 100-foot aquarium bar and an open-face seafront restaurant that partly rests upon a fresh saltwater infinity pool modernly topped with plush sunbeds that, at first sight, looks as if supernaturally floating above water and gently sailing off into the boundless velvety-blue Greek sea.

Designed to awaken the soul and stimulate the senses, the accommodations—a collection of 80 classic rooms, premium suites, and private villas—are architectural masterpieces

brimming with euphoric experiences, luxurious comforts and stunning views of the sea and beyond. From the exterior, the rooms seamlessly blend into the organic aesthetic, dramatically clinging onto the edge of a jagged rock formation and cascading down the hills in resemblance of stacked sugar-cubes or melting marshmallow-like structures. Inside, each space is a modish expression of the free-spirited island that it surrounds, ingeniously infusing the raw elements of stone, bamboo, wood and water. Reflective-gold fixtures

extravagantly juxtapose the monochromatic walls, ceilings and floors; the gemstone-blue hues of the Aegean act as a resplendent contrast and kaleidoscopic panorama.

In addition to the breathtaking sea views, guestrooms are enhanced with an insanely exotic feature: pools (but not just any pools, really cool ones). Private villas are multi-pooled treasures, singly with a lottery of en-suite and outdoor heated tubs, plunge pools and infinity-edge pools. Honeymoon rooms are made extra-romantic with intimate Jacuzzis positioned precisely to gaze out at the endless horizon. Provocative gestures are also found throughout the suite intended to spice up the mood. The most obvious, are the matching bathrobes explicitly embroidered with the words “after-sex” on them. Unearthly encounters will manifest in the cave pool rooms, too.

In these creatively designed rooms, guests will get lost in the splendor of serpentine-shaped pools that are concealed by mind-blowing white rock tunneled archways; and will spend all their days fixated on sparkling waters (both of the pool and of the Aegean Sea) and bathing in the sun, forgetting the existence of everything else.

Guests are greeted by a handsome staff fashionably dressed in crispwhite attire and primed to serve.

Service is superb and deeply rooted in ancient Greek traditions of hospi-

tality, where every guest is treated with the highest honor and generosity. Should guests decide to venture out to the charming streets of Chora (located only a short walk away from the property) or even sail out to sea, a well-seasoned concierge team will curate personalized activities and excursions, by land and sea. But here, guests do not need to go far to be

transported to a different place, the hotel’s on-site spa will grant access to an ultra-relaxing journey. Drawing inspiration from ancient and new world wellness practices, therapies and rituals, the temple-like spa uses sea minerals and Mediterranean ingredients to relax, heal and even beautify the mind, body, and soul.

Breakfasts are glorious. Every

morning, a team of culinary geniuses prepare an exquisite and ultra-lavish spread of freshly baked pastries, cakes, baguettes, fruits, cheeses, smoked salmon, cured meats, and the most velvety Greek yogurt imaginable. Eggs are made to guests’ liking, coffees and natural juices are pressed to order. An Asian-influenced menu is offered for lunch and dinner and is served poolside or at the hotel’s open-air restaurant—Zuma.

Room service is also available (and recommended), fizzy drinks and cocktails are delivered to your suite on a tray that floats on water. The fruit platter—a showcase of vibrant and sweet tropical fruits—is, quite literally, the cherry on top to a true Mykonian escape.

No matter where guests find themselves at this glamorous refuge, whether indulging in a transformative treatment, taking a dip or worshipping the sun—they will be summoned to fully surrender to island living—unleash all inhibitions and deepen their connection to the sun and sea.

Summer 2021

69

M

70

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Xen

Sams MEDIA MAVEN Revolutionizing Radio, TV, & Podcasts

By Jadan Horyn

Location: Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City @theoceanac Photography by: Jason Konrad @jasonkonradproductions Creative Director: Brian Brennan @bbrennan88 Makeup: Emmy nominated makeup artist: Vincenza Carovillano @makeupvincenza Styled by: Celebrity stylist : Melissa Polo Landau @melissa_polo @melissa_polo_portfolioh Skin prepped by : Sari Katz, PA-C / Cofounder Velour Medical @skinbysari @velourmedical Hairstylist: Jazmen Rogers @hairbykrown Hair Color By: Bob Press Artistic Hair Director @ChangingHeads Special thanks to Darren Yellin of (iHeartMedia) and Brian Brennan of Ocean Casino Resort All Bathing Suits: Ramy Brook @ramybrook RamyBrook.com All Jewelry By Helen Yarmak International @helenyarmak

Summer 2021

71

M

72

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

W

e’d met many times before, but always in passing, never for an in-depth conversation or let alone for an interview. Our rendezvous was set for BICE, a Midtown staple of the three-martini lunch and al fresco dining. This choice of venue was admittedly self-serving as I live across the street. An easy commute is one of the luxuries of New York living that I’ve been wanting to take advantage of more often now that Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted - so I didn’t hesitate to avail myself of the opportunity.

I spotted her walking in just as I was coming back from another interview.

She was at once striking with deep-set eyes of piercing blue topaz and a sharp face honed by years of modeling that burst in a warm and friendly smile upon seeing me. She floated into the restaurant - clearly a woman at ease with herself and her surroundings. The servers know her. We choose a table half inside and half outside to enjoy the late May NYC weather, and yet to hopefully find shelter from some of the street noise. This indeed is an old nuisance that these days doubled as a welcome return to normalcy that we both made note of during our convo.

I’ve sat with many interviewees and rarely do they dive right into the meat of things the way Xen Sams does.

Her media career is ripping through a growth spurt and still struggling to keep pace with her. She has the Summer 2021

73

M

74

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

natural gift of gab one expects from a professional in the podcast and radio world. Her quick-witted banter is not only humorous but littered with specific details effortlessly recalled from a mind that trained for years in memorization as an actress. Granted, the model-actor career path is something an industry cliche, but it remains an ideal towards which many strive but few reach. Yet Xen has met with success in both arenas and by fortuitous happenstance walked into a career revolutionizing radio, TV, and podcasts in the process.

The name and part of the idea behind her rapidly rising dual-format show she readily credits to one of her friends and media mentors; Frank Morano - the former longtime executive producer of the Heavy Hundred rated Joe Piscopo Show on AM970.

Morano now hosts his own show at 77 WABC, a station recently acquired

by Grocery Magnet John Catsimatidis, whose daughter Andrea I interviewed for a previous Metropolitan Magazine Cover. The Morano connection is crucial to Xen’s process of self-discovery in the media space. Unlike most radio/podcast format hosts who, as they say in the industry, “have a face for radio,” Xen has a face for TV and got her to start on Liquid Lunch - the financial news program hosted by John Tabacco and Frank Morano another previous subject I covered when Liquid Lunch was on NewsMax. It was on that program where I first got to see Xen in action at the height of her considerable powers. She and I were frequent guests on both Liquid Lunch and the Joe Piscopo Show and I had no idea she was a novice to either format. She was so self-assured and approached the camera with the tenured ease of a seasoned professional.

I assumed that she had hosted TV as an entertainment correspondent many times before.

But that was then, and now we come to her own show, the Moment of Xen. The premise of which is simple, yet revolutionary for the staid industry of radio and podcasts. It is produced as if it is a live TV show with radio components such as a mic and headphones for solid audio fidelity.

This allows it to be repackaged for

each format, TV, Radio, and podcast, while also being live-streamed to a multi-platform online audience. It is as I say, simple but profound because in actuality it is exceedingly difficult to pull off. TV, radio, and podcasts are all very different mediums with entirely different performance requirements in terms of vocal cadences, body language, gesticulations, segment length, and listener topic digestion.

This makes what Xen does all the more amazing.

In talking with her, I hit on something that Xen herself said could be a crucial component. She has incredible facial control - honed from years of modeling. Anyone who has been around radio hosts (my first job out of school was as executive producer for a Top 5 Radio and TV show also hosted by a woman) knows that to pull off TV you need facial control and controlled reaction - whereas radio hosts generally can move all around as long as they don’t pull too far away from the mic while speaking. They can make faces, they can mute the mic Summer 2021

75

M and swear, they can look pretty much a mess or completely put together, but because that is generally immaterial to their craft, they seldom give it a second thought. However, if you stop to watch the Moment of Xen, you realize that Xen has the facial control and reactions of a veteran tv host.

And while that is the part that makes it work for TV, it is her ability to control cadence and pack in words to keep the conversation moving that allows the content to be effective and engaging on both TV and Audio.

Xen told me she pitched her show to all the regulars in NYC, but none thought it could be pulled off no matter how confident she was in the talent she possessed and the skills she’d spent years mastering. That is until Bernie Weiss, the President of iHeartMedia New York heard a demo and said that he had to meet this Xen woman. iHeartMedia is the nation’s largest radio station group owner and the attention of a national media player set the entire project in motion.

Xen pitched her dual-format idea and Bernie was an immediate believer.

“There are excellent radio personalities and excellent TV presenters, but very few hosts of shows that can do both well. Xen is one of them. She is a natural, who – helped also by her business and marketing savvy – will go places.” - iHeartMedia New York President Bernie Weiss.

Enter the Moment of Xen on iHeartRadio heard locally on 710WOR. It isn’t just radio execs who love the Moment of Xen, it’s advertisers as well.

With Xen’s business-first approach to building her entire brand and data-first approach to building each episode, she had more advertisers than she could fit into her show. As we sat there in what was our third hour of lunch together, she told me about an advertiser who so desperately wanted to get on her program but couldn’t make a call to action for their product.

Ever quick to coach from her time volunteering to train actors, she gave some helpful advice before saying that once they had their “why” they could move forward but that time wasn’t now.

76

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

From there, our conversation at BICE turned to what makes shows work in the marketplace- metrics and analytics. These are the bread and butter of the networks and their advertisers.

Xen approaches both scientifically and methodically. She looks at potential guests’ audience sizes and who will rate with various demos, on top of whether they are a good interview or will make a good segment. Not the kind of analytical mind-at-work one expects from most on-camera talent these days.

Xen’s strategic approach to this aspect of the show continues to pay enormous dividends and her show is currently fully funded via advertisers.

BICE, our lunch locale, signed on from the outset, joining them with original

sponsorship was Romulus Entertainment, Helen Yarmak International, and Velour Medical. Since then each month another sponsor has signed on. In May Revere Securities, in June Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City - the Cover shoot location, and in July TEMPUS. All have been brought in by the focus on in the old days of radio they called Arbitron ratings or televisions Nielson’s ratings or in the digital world we call analytics. Whichever way you look at it, the Moment of Xen draws a sizable audience in each of its formats.

lems. We spoke at length about her background and trials, traumas, and triumphs of her life, pre-kids, and post.

Xen is innately vulnerable yet steely in her resolve; unapproachable to all but the confident, yet she happily approaches people all on her own. Another asset that assists in the media jungle. Fearlessness but distance - you want to own the conversation on your own show - not be walked on.

Firm yet feminine, Xen offers something entirely new but familiar to an industry that is built on formulaic function. The Moment of Xen works because Xen is a unique talent in a world of talent. She has single-handedly created a formula for dual-format media, revolutionizing radio, tv, and podcasts. It is only a matter of time before others emulate the new format only Xen could have mastered.

Only a fool would think they could walk on Xen.

As we finish lunch, I am struck by how she is able to sit with such poise, at once relaxed and entirely animated.

She’s striking a balance between many worlds that few would have believed possible if she were not there to do it with such ease.

A truck horn blares. Repeatedly.

It’s a lot.

I am annoyed - Xen is unfazed.

Yet as a wife and mother, she is accustomed to processing information quickly and solving prob-

Singular focus - Discipline.

Here it is New York: your Moment of Xen. Summer 2021

77

M

THE FUTURE OF VIDEO MONETIZATION FOR BUSINESS GROWTH nterview with PJ Taei, Founder of Uscreen, a video monetization platform

By Sarah Peppel

O

n-demand video grew exponentially before COVID hit, as much as 155% year-over-year, according to a 2019 Conviva report.

When the 2020 pandemic shuttered live events, gyms and educational facilities, consumers turned to the Internet for answers.

Enter celebrity YouTuber Adriene Mischer, Founder of “Yoga with Adriene,” the biggest yoga channel on YouTube. Even before the pandemic, she offered a product and expertise people needed: a way to de-stress and exercise in the comfort of their home.

Instead of using video to simply advertise her business, Mischer realized the potential of using digital technology to generate income through video subscription services, offering virtual classes delivered directly to laptops & smartphones. Through PJ Taei’s Uscreen service, Adriene was able to offer her video series to a global audience. Taei reports that Adriene’s brand and channel “Find What Feels Good” have absolutely skyrocketed.

Smartphones transformed the world into instant videographers but for business owners, there are still a few things to consider. Where will you house your content? How can you organize and charge for valuable 78

expertise? Who is your audience and where are they? Does video work for your business?

According to PJ Taei, founder of Uscreen, a video monetization platform, business owners can and should use video to grow their business.

To the business owners paralyzed by perfectionism, Taei advises “Get started now! Too often we overthink the things we want to do, when instead, we could be out there getting them done.

As for his own beginnings, Taei states, “Video has always been personal for me. I got my first glimpse into the world of video the summer that I graduated from high school. I got an internship with a small video crew that captured wedding content, and it was at that moment that I knew I found something special.”

“Fast forward 15 years, I was browsing the Internet looking for an easy way to help a customer at my previous company to sell their fitness DVD’s online.

“That’s when I had an epiphany--if I couldn’t find an all-in-one solution, what if I were to create one? It was then when I knew I had come up with an idea that would take my business and my customer’s content to the next level.”

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

At this point in time, business owners in the education, health & wellness and entertainment sectors have been the most successful in monetizing their videos but anyone with a loyal following or dedicated audience can gain traction very quickly.

When asked what the busy entrepreneur does to de-stress, Taei shares.

“Fitness is a big one for me! It helps me think, work smarter and stay happier

overall. Spending time with family is also incredibly important. Work is important, but my family is everything.”

PJ Taei has worked directly with influencers, small businesses, enterprises, and creators located all around the world. Brands such as Soul Cycle, Opera of Australia, NBC Sports, BBC, Miss America Pageants, and 10,000 other businesses work with him to build their video monetization strategy.

Summer 2021

79

M

FINE MEN'S CLOTHING A conversation with Joseph Glazer of Castangia

by W.A. Muller

"I'm passionate about what I do. I love what I do and I've been doing it a very long time."

-Joseph Glazer

Mr. Glazer, how did you become one of the world's leading experts on men's suits?

I've been in the fashion industry for over 30 years. Started in retail. I developed relationships. As a young man I used to look at the clothes in the window of a clothing store. Back then it was Pierre Cardin. The manager came out one day and said. "Why do you come here on your lunch break every day? What are you looking at?" and I'm like "I don't know it's the colors it's the ties it's the shoes." So, he said," well do you want a job?", " I said," absolutely."

I had a good taste level I was able to put beautiful shirts and ties together and it was second nature to me. That was my first start in the fashion industry. " For the last six years, Glazer has been running a company called Castangia and it's the oldest suit and jacket maker in Italy the company is over 160 years old.

"The owner is the seventh generation and everything is made by hand. If you come in and buy a suit you make it custom and made to measure and all the patterns are cut by scissors. We have sixty tailors. The customer picks a fabric and it's a six-week process.

It's like buying a Ferrari. You pick out the interior, it's like building a car.

"We have global clients and we were in 15 of the top retail stores in the country and we attract people that love quality and they love putting something on that almost feels like a second skin. The best part of clothing is comfortability.

The heritage goes back so far that the workmanship and the artisans, what goes on behind the scenes is like when you make a movie. When you are buying a custom suit it's the detailed work and the workmanship that people don't see to have that finished product. We have a clientele that's within their forties to their 60's they appreciate beautiful clothing. They are well-to-do and they just want to wear beautiful things. I think the next level of what's coming up in fashion is you have the 20-somethings the 30-somethings who are starting to appreciate what it is to dress well."

What is your philosophy when it comes to choosing the right suit?

"You are as good as your first impression and I think that a beautifully tailored suit that fits you well with the right shirt the right tie, goes a long way."

Why is Castangia so special?

"The factory is in Sardinia. It's a beautiful island separate from Italy. I've been to Italy 153 times. I've worked with the top fashion people in the industry I've learned a lot. The owner said to me, "what makes me happy is to see people wearing my clothes," and that's where the gratification comes in."

80

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

CRITIC’S CORNER

By Robert Massimi, Member Dramatists Guild and Drama League

AUDIENCE “Audience” written by Vaclav Havel is an absurdist comedy that focuses on a time in Havel’s life when he was remanded to work at a brewery as punishment for writing critical articles about the communist Czechoslovakian government. “Audience” follows his fictional alter ego Ferdinand Vanek and his dialogue between he and the Brewmaster (Teresa Linnihan). Havel would eventually go from a prison cell to the presidential palace: from 1989 till 2003 and through the overseeing of the newly formed Czech Republic, Havel would lead his people toward democracy throughout his long presidency. With the infusion of the CAMT Marionette’s, The Bohemian Theater put forth what is billed as Havel’s funniest, most absurdist play.

In a unique staging, the audience members have two big screens to look at with four different cams covering the action. While the set and stage are ample enough to see the performance as is, the big screens add a superb affect of the puppets who are very much part of the plays essence. The two actors are deft in bringing the puppets to lifelike form from the outset.

In a right from wrong standpoint, Vanek (Vit Horejs) refuses to help the Brewmaster write weekly reports about himself which offends his boss; Vanek will stand by his principals even if it means that he will not get the cushy position running the warehouse. What appears at first is that the Brewmaster holds all the cards, however, as the play moves forward, Vanek, the man who is an acclaimed writer, a man who was once celebrated by many writers and actors has all the power and strength. The Brewmaster needs him, his drinking has turned him into a weaker boss at the brewery; he is a man who relishes in the old days when things ran better. In

a feeble attempt, the Brewmaster tries psychological warfare with pointless chat, clumsy interrogations, flattery and alcohol consumption to try to make Vanek see things his way.

While the two actors were very good, the Marionettes enjoyable, the story was very repetitive and at times boring.

The plot is a good one, it just doesn’t have enough consistent dialogue

during the 60 minute performance.

Rather than the repetition of questions this play would be better served with deeper dialogue that leaves the audience with more to chew on.

TENNESEE RISING “Tennessee Rising” is a warm play that goes through the early years of Thomas Lanier Williams (Tennessee Williams). Writer/actor Jacob Storms has Williams moving through life with such grace and ease. Williams, a Southern gentleman with all the breath and depth of a great writer; Storms captures the cadence of Williams brilliantly. Listening to Storms brought the recollection of eloquent speakers of many past performances, particularly movies such as “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and Clay Shaw in the movie “JFK”.

In Seventy minutes, Storms takes us through the early years of the man many consider to be the greatest American writer of all time; his many vast relationships with other writers, how he was inspired by the Group Theater, his relationship with his family and the many lovers that were in his lifetime.

“Tennessee Rising” is as inspirational as it is informative; the show is not short of poignant and comical moments. The master of Southern Gothic writing is as common as Corn Pone and yet he forged ahead to get out from under the mayhem of having a drunk for a father and a schizophrenic for a sister. The one-man play informs us how Williams came about writing his early plays: “Rose tattoo”, “The Glass Menagerie” and “Battle of Angels”.

With deft direction by Alan Cumming, “Tennessee Rising” takes the audience from Mississippi to St. Louis, The French Quarter in New Orleans, Provincetown, Boston and New York. Throughout Williams journey in his young life, Storms makes it an eventful evening at The Cell Theater/ the back patio. in a small outdoor setting, it makes us feel that we are invited into Williams’s life for a short time where he shares stories just for us. Although Storms was difficult to hear at times, the show was entertaining and informative.

Summer 2021

81

M SPOTLIGHT WITH JULIANNE MICHELLE

WILL HEAD: THE CONSUMMATE BUSINESS GENTLEMAN CHANGING THE WORLD HIS WAY I had the pleasure of chatting with serial entrepreneur Will Head to discuss the launch of his new media platform, how he got his start in business, family life, politics, and fond memories of President Ronald Reagan.

Will was born and raised in Wilmington, NC. His childhood summer home, in fact, was the same house featured in the famed TV series Dawson’s Creek. Both mother and father descended from a long lineage of Americans dating back to English merchant adventures, who journeyed here on the Mayflower, and the French Huguenots, who fled religious persecution.

At age 7, Will and his father started growing Camellia seedlings in their backyard, and Will sold them to Sears. As a teenager, Will started his own successful bike rental.

These early business developmental experiences would pave the way to a long and prosperous career.

Will confides that he had a midlife crisis about 10 years ago, so instead of buying a Harley Davidson, he founded a 20,000 member tea party group, Wake Up America of North Carolina, which was a credited impetus for flipping the NC General Assembly from Democrat to Republican in 2010. The Tea Party group inspired the creation of an online media platform by the same name, which produced 1,000 minutes of 5-minute shows on multiple topics,

82

viewable on a cell phone. However, producing shows in a studio was very expensive, so why not just provide the platform and let the viewers submit the content? This was how Will came up with the concept for NOOZ. NOOZ is an innovative media platform, which delivers local coverage of community businesses, events, and issues by leveraging its network of social media and cable television outlets. NOOZ trains and deploys NOOZ Correspondents as Brand Ambassadors to cover and promote these local businesses and community events on the NOOZ Media Network.

Will’s passion for politics burgeoned at a young age with the opportunity of a lifetime working for President Ronald Reagan. “I absolutely loved Ronald Reagan. He was a gentleman full of common sense, and he had a way with words like no other.” While attending the Ravenscroft school and volunteering with the local teenage Republicans group, Will accepted the Reagan campaign’s invitation to stay out of high school his senior year and travel with them on the road. “At the Kansas City convention, I was 1 of 800 Youthful Reagan staff members.

We made all the signs and greeted everyone at the airport, trying to outshout all the Ford people. Ton of fun. However, Reagan lost on the third night of voting. It came right down to the wire, and Clarke Reed, who ran the Mississippi delegation and loved Reagan, flipped the whole delegation on the third night of

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

voting after Ford promised him a job or something. That’s how Ford won.

I’m so depressed. I had stayed up 72 hours without sleeping, drinking Coors beers out of trash cans and making signs. We are at the Alameda Plaza Hotel ballroom in Kansas City, and Reagan has two aids with him.

I have my coat and tie on. I’m the little high school guy, who has to get on a plane the next day and miss spending the fall with Reagan. I met him five times, but he didn’t really know me. I figured I’ll just walk over there and join them and they can ask me to leave. So I walked over there to Reagan and his two aids. Reagan looked at me and at his two aids, and the aids looked at him. They did not ask me to leave. They are talking strategy. Then it got so quiet, I could hear a pin drop on the carpet. Clarke Reed, who sold him out, walks across the ballroom floor to see Reagan in the corner. He walks right up beside me, looks over at Reagan, and says, “I’m so sorry.” Reagan extends his hand, shakes his hand, and says, “That’s ok. I understand.” Clarke Reed broke down crying, realizing he made the biggest mistake of his life. Reagan proceeded to give his concession speech. It was an emotional moment.”

While Reagan eventually lost the election in 1976, there was a paradigm shift in voting that contributed to Reagan’s broad appeal and eventual victory in 1980. President Lyndon Johnson had implemented huge spending

programs with unintended consequences that further split families apart. Government payouts to single mothers financially enabled fathers to leave and incentivized women to monetize their children in lieu of employment.

Additionally, single mothers in subsidized housing were prohibited from allowing fathers to spend the night, which is a policy still in effect.

“Many people were disappointed with big government and started to vote for Republicans state wide and nationally. However, they didn’t start changing their registrations until the late 1970s, because if you lived in a little town in my state, the candidates for local judge or dog catcher were all Democrats. This precluded registered Republicans from voting in the primaries. It took a while, but now most people I know are Republicans.

This shift kicked off with Reagan in 1976 and then when he was president in 1980.”

When Will is not working, developing new businesses, Will is a proud father to his beautiful daughter, Lily Head (@ lily_winston), who is a successful model.

What are the most important life values/lessons you learned that you try to impart to your daughter? Set goals, follow through on what you tell others, be on time, be authentic, don’t gossip about others, appreciate life, be thankful, know history, respect the sacrifices of our Founding Fathers and our military, and love God.

Will Head with his daughter Lily. @_will_head www.NOOZ.tv Fb: @NOOZusa will@NOOZ.tv (for NOOZ inquiries)

Julianne Michelle is an award-winning actress whose career began at the age of 5. She is currently playing Ms. Taylor in the Amazon series, Little Cupid. She is a graduate of Columbia University.

Instagram: @realjuliannemichelle, Twitter: @julmichelle

Summer 2021

83

M

BEST OF TIK TOK 2021

84

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Most popular person on TikTok Charli D'amelio, 100M +followers

Most Effervescent Kat Stickler @katstickler

Best daily rants Actor Michael Rapaport @michaelrapaport

Best Cake on TikTok Claire Gerhardstein @claire.gerhardstein.fp

Weird Celebrity sighting on TikTok Tom Cruise A married couple that is a modern take on Stiller & Meara Moontellthat Best old TV Clips on TikTok The Sopranos Best TikTok Music Mash-Up The BeeGees' stayin' alive and 50 Cent's It's your birthday cool dance moves- Steezy @steezytour Best Dating advice Dana Kuritzkes @the_d_spot Coolest Alien @Ishean.alien

Best dating coach for Cougars Patsy Mennuti @hellacougar Best family garage cover band The Nightowls @nightowlsband Biggest breakout talent on TikTok Singer-Songwriter Natalie Burdick @natsingssongs Celebrity we are always happy to see on TikTok Alicia Silverstone Hilarious comedic actress Delaney Rowe @delaneysayshello Best coffeehouse skit comedian Lorena Jusino @lorenazoejt

Funny Girl Shannon Fiedler @shannonfiedler.com

Best smile/same oft-repeated (yet strangely mesmerizing) old school dance moves Katie Prentiss @katieprentiss

Best old friends having fun on TikTok Cheech & Chong @cheechandchong

popular sex educator on TikTok Kinky Kitten Heather @definitelynotchippy

Fun Popstar on TikTok Miley Cyrus @mileycyruseu

Must have item TikTok Leggings

Music Legend who keeps on truckin' in the gym Bob Weir @bobbyweir

Cute but corny couple Hailee and Kendra @haileeandkendra

Funniest impersonations Comedian J-L Cauvin @jlcauvin Hottest Health Influencer on TikTok Jen Selter @jenselter Most colorful MMA fighter on TikTok Suga Sean O'Malley @suga_show

Top agent for TikTok chefs Evan Morgenstein, CEO, The Digital & Food Renegades Celebs on TikTok Will Smith, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Selena Gomez

Summer 2021

85

M

BHARAT DALAL EXHIBIT

S

alomon Arts Gallery and Anna Rothschild PR host artist Bharat Dalal's Fossilized Passions of da Vinci painting exhibit at the Consulate General of India in New York in honor of the 75th anniversary of India's independence. Curated

by Dr. Bernadette Escalona-Cooper and produced by Erika Bogner of NYC Event Pro, influencers from the New York and international art, fashion, and society worlds came together to celebrate the unique collection of large-scale, immersive works. Some notable guests in attendance were: Stacy Engman, Chance Spiessbach, Tabber Benedict, Natalie Merkle, KJ Freeman, Baseera Khan, Kemi Kayode, Abhishek Dalal, Nikhil Dalal, Malav Dalal, tMaggie Norris, Pamela Dove, Robin Cofer, Mira Aldridge, Regina Kravitz, Marina Dojchinov, Jerry Lopez, Aika Iskakova, Anna Zaiachkivska, Ezequiel De La Rosa, Charlii Sebunya, Mo De Pena, Diana Beshara, Ronald Marte, Gigi Salomon, Michael Arguello, Liana Pirralia, Anthony Haden Guest, Nate Gwynne, Robert Morris, Bernd Naber, and Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian Consulate General.

PHOTOS BY YULIYA SKYA

86

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

ARTWORK BY KELLY STYNE

Summer 2021

87

M

MARK SEIDENFELD

88

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

M

ark had an established international law practice when he met Elisa Breton in Paris in 1992. They attended exhibitions of surrealist art, which Mark was collecting. Ms. Breton, in her late 80’s and the widow of Andre Breton, who founded the Surrealist Movement, challenged Mark to paint. She dared him to direct his passion for artistic voices into attempting to find his own.

Mark accepted and, in his own words, ‘unlocked an inner volcano that has never stopped erupting.’

Mark is a self taught painter and photographer, who stages, directs, shoots, and prints dark fantasy, cinematic photo images.

His work has been shown in galleries

in New York and around the world, including Japan, Korea, Belgium, Haiti, and the United Kingdom. He is working on an upcoming solo exhibition, for a gallery in Rome, Italy.

Mark seeks depth and an expression of inner truths in his painting. Like every artist whose goal is to develop the uniqueness of their own voice, his work changes and mutates, constantly breaking prior boundaries. With 29 years of experience, Mark’s work brims with the emotional vision and intelligence that come from experience and understanding.

Instagram: @markseidenfeld www.markseidenfeld.com For Commissions: mob 917 843-3211 baronvonmarko@gmail.com

Summer 2021

89

M

ARTIST AND DESIGNER WALTER STERNLIEB’S MODERN 3-DIMENSIONAL PAINTINGS COME TO LIFE AT ‘A IS FOR ART’ IN SOUTHAMPTON

By Ann Grenier

S

outhampton is now home to A is for Art. Modern American artist and designer, Walter Sternlieb, has opened the Hampton’s hottest new gallery, and it is part of the village’s strong legacy with backing of curated collaborations in the community.

Located at 60 Jobs Lane, A is for Art brings to life the prolific vision of Walter, who is known out east as a respected designer, builder, woodworker, and master craftsman. Now his latest title as indus-

90

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

trial artist will only further plant his applaudable achievements.

His charismatic work on display was brought forth by ingenuity and creativity.

“I woke up one morning with this idea of a 3-dimensional flag, made a prototype of it, then built it, painted it and hung it,” states Walter.

The specific vision of the then novice artist led to a

series that includes his iconic pieces “The Staircase,” and “5 Hearts.” Eventually he established a professional portfolio that was so large it took up all of his wall space in his home where he displayed pieces. The colorful collection impressed visiting friends and fans and eventually led to thoughts of opening up a gallery to showcase his work.

“I knew there was a run-down property on Jobs Lane. I called the landlord and decided to rent it,” he goes on about the inspiration to open his

own place. “The interior was very run down, and I thought I could have a shabby-chic art gallery, but shabby chic just isn’t me, so we went in and cleaned it up a little bit. We started hanging my work, and work of some of my friends. In a very short period, I was getting a very good response to my work.”

Walter’s expressive 3-dimensional paintings encompass powerful expressions full of rich color and bold design. The bright shapes are pops of color

that bring bliss to anyone who uses them as part of the design of a home or office space.

The dazzling and virtuosic collection comes from a special place in Walter’s personal history that many can relate to and why his artwork stands out as a popular choice to art collectors.

“As a child, my parents dragged me to museums, and historic sites. I didn’t understand the purpose of all of it. I was very fortunate that they took me to all these places. It helped me in what I do today. All

the things that I saw, and I have done in the past, have made me what I am today.”

For more information, please call (516) 356-1191 or visit the gallery in Southampton at 60 Jobs Lane. aisforart.us LOCATION: A is for Art 60 Jobs Lane Southampton, New York 11968

Summer 2021

91

M

ART WORLD SPOTLIGHT: EVAN TAWIL

Mega Dealer-Advisor is the Art World Insider’s Secret Weapon

by W.A. Muller

W

hen Metropolitan Magazine listed Evan Tawil among the Top Art Advisors in 2020 alongside the likes of hedge fund art advisor Sandy Heller, Tawil was humbly surprised.

Having been an avid collector since the age of twenty-one and listed in ARTnews Magazine at the age of 26 as one of the top collectors under 30, Tawil’s roots in the art world run deep. Early memories such as long conversations with Annina Nosei who discovered Jean Michel-Basquiat as they toured her basement stacks of Basquiat inventory. Then, the idea of a Basquiat canvas fetching $150,000 was a fantasy. Now they can sell for $10 million to $100 million. Tawil is a third-generation American though he shares the same Syrian heritage as other great art collectors/dealer families like the Nahmads and the Mugrabis. Tawil was approached by MOMA in his twenties to sell them a canvas he owned by a prominent African artist. He struck a deal with then curator Robert Storr for a promised gift of the painting. He shared the work with MOMA for the next 20 years.

Genesis Tramaine

92

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Having grown up in Manhattan in a multi-lingual school and household, Tawil joined his father’s apparel firm at the age of twenty-three. Evan Tawil quickly built an impressive portfolio of relationships with major brands. Manufacturing children’s apparel under a dozen different licenses (Baby Dior, Juicy Couture, Kate Spade, VINCE, UGG, 7 for All Mankind, Marimekko & Disney among others).

Evan Tawil also filled his showrooms with art of all mediums and periods and developed a community-wide reputation as an aficionado of high art. When the firm was sold in 2016, Tawil decided to pursue his passion for art dealing and advising. Evan still maintains a strong foothold in consumer products, and brands

& acquisition deals, thanks to his enormous Rolodex and an ability to connect and transact honorably and graciously with nearly anybody on the planet. For Tawil, it is all about maintaining focus. What does this kind of intense focus entail?

“Trying to remain transactional and transparent with a phalanx of collectors, gallerists, dealers, private sales auction specialists, and art advisors throughout the global art world, “ Says Tawil, “It takes a village. What’s more, you need to meet with those villagers periodically. If not, it’s out of sight, out of mind.

Email, text, and Whatsapp are insufficient. The more face-to-face time and collaboration, the more deals come up.” Tawil has gained the trust of many of the top players in the art and business community.

Many of them call Tawil to source material for them or to offer him material that will be handled sensibly and with care. While his average transaction size is around $600,000, his transactions range from $50,000 to $40 million. “I’m hyper-focused on what’s most actionable at any given time. What is someone ready to buy and what’s the amount they are comfortable deploying. It’s a transactional model which has also propelled the auction houses and galleries to break private sales records consistently” Tawil’s artworld colleagues agree that one of Evan Tawil’s greatest talents is his ability to communicate quickly and effectively with immediacy, a strong business acumen, sense of confidence, attention to detail, humility, and sense of humor.

“Evan was as kind to me when I was an entry-level cataloger as he is to me now,” says Christie’s Chairman Alexander Rotter. “We see him as one of the hardest working, people in the industry.”

Miety Heiden, Phillips, Deputy Chairman & Head of Private sales says: “Evan’s a fast learner. Very easy and transparent when needed. One of the people I’m dealing with on a regular basis and happy granting access to.”

Photo by Eli Tawil

Amy Cappellazzo, Chairman of Sotheby’s, “Evan is a passionate player in the New York contemporary art world and has been for more than 25 years. Literally, everyone knows him! His enthusiasm for both art and deals is a huge part of his success in the field.” website: www.9musesart.com

Keith Haring Untitled, 1988 Acrylic on canvas 36 1/8 x 36 1/8 inches © Keith Haring Foundation

Summer 2021

93

M

AUTHENTIC AFRICAN FEEL IN KENYA DESPITE THE CHANGING TIMES AND PREFERENCES Here is the African Heritage House that provides authentic African feel in Nairobi

By Charles Akoth

T

he wind is blowing keenly as I negotiate a final stretch through traffic to African Heritage House, whereupon I am received by Alan Donovan at the facility he owns and built from 1989 to 1994.

“Nairobi has been my home for about five decades now”, says Alan, an American native who came to Nairobi in 1970 from Nigeria where he had been posted by the state department during the Nigerian- Biafran war as a relief officer. In 1969, he left his job and decided to traverse Africa. He fell in love with a country located south of the Sahara and north of the Limpopo River, together with its flora.

The pre-colonial architectures including the mud palaces and soaring spires of mud mosques that inspired the African Heritage House transfigures its tangibility. The authentic African décor is transfixing and will most assuredly leave the mind of any visitor tingling with light, love and life.

“This house has cultural artefacts from Kenya and beyond,” says Alan.

From the rugs made from Maasai cow hides, the Baobab trees of

94

Zimbabwe and the long haired goats of Southern Madagascar, to papyrus chairs from a western Kenya community, the feel of the house is heartwarming and intriguing. The cultural artifacts in the house are various and sundry and each has its own meanings.

There are quantum of musical instruments dating back to pre-colonial period. They include a bamboo guitar from Madagascar with strings plucked from the bamboo, East African thumb pianos, a drum from the Tutsi of Rwanda and many more,

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

all of which were used to belt out African music renditions to entertain audience. “This was done by the famous artist and photographer Carol Beckwith,” says my guide Joseph Mutisya 50, as he points at a paper art work in a corridor. The paper work represents the hand woven palm fiber mats of the Pokomo people of Kenya, and another is based on African drum rhythms that was a big part of African music repertoire.

In the Bakuba suite, there are large sized gourds that Joseph says are from the Kamba community in

Eastern Kenya. The gourds have some of the oldest designs representing Mount Kilimanjaro with Kamba ancestral creatures around the mountain. “They were used to buy brides when they were full of beer,” says Joseph.

African textiles include Kenyan Kanga with embroidery, hand woven palm fiber tapestries from the Kuba in Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as raw silk from Madagascar.

The raw silk, Alan says, was used for burying the dead in Madagascar.

Textile is however a recent phenom-

late maestro Expedito Kibbula from Uganda. There is also a carved, painted door from Morocco. Other than the furniture, there are metal sculptures from Benin, soap stone sculptures from western Kenya, Maasai shields and paintings representing aspects of culture in Kenya and Africa. “The pool house was designed by a female architect.” Says Alan. The architectural design of the pool was inspired by the coastal tradition and has a thatched roof.

Sculptures and various cultural artifacts surround the stone clad pool.

Bead work and jewelry have a significant representation in the house.

There are beads made from crocodile teeth and backbone, heirloom glass trade beads as well as Yoruba beads used for divination. Says Joseph, “the Yoruba people in Nigeria

exist in the Nairobi central business district and suburbs. The works of art are not only worn by the locals to express identity, much less utility, but also as a means of economic activity to enable the sellers generate income from their handiwork. Alan, who holds a degree in journalism and political science, was the only in house designer for jewelry and accessories for the original Banana Republic stores in the United States of America.

WILDLIFE UTILITY IN THE PRE-COLONIAL CONTEXT African Heritage House is adjacent to Nairobi National Park. The rooftop of the house provides a panoramic view of the park where nearly all wild animals can be seen. “All wild animals are in the park except elephants,” says one of the house chefs,

enon in Kenya and many parts of Africa. In Kenya, stories abound on how individuals ran away from clothes when they were introduced by the colonial masters.

There are also pieces of furniture from Kenya and Africa. In the Moroccan suite, there is a bed which is two hundred years old with secret storage compartments that were used to store gold and another with its headboard sculptured by the

HERITAGE AND PERSONALITIES African Heritage House has a significant value hypothesis. Not only do the art collections in the house span more than 50 years, the architectural design of the house is described by the prestigious Architectural Digest magazine as “rising from the sere Kenyan plain like an outcropping of earth.” It is inspired by the mud mosques in Mali as well as the palaces of Northern Nigeria. “I saw these designs when I was traversing West Africa to Kenya and Zanzibar and I was enamored by them,” Alan says.

The house has its own railway stop and travelers can easily reach the house by rail. The railway line was built in 1898 and is one of the relics of the British occupation in Kenya.

A recent cross marble discovered underground in a city market and which has a striking resemblance to London’s Royal Horticultural Lawrence Hall is perhaps one of the most imperishable reminders of colonial historicity.

At the corridor near the Lamu suite where I spent a night, there is a photograph by Carol Beckwith of a Fulani male beauty contest winner.

Alan says the photo represents weeks of the contestant putting on his makeup and jewelry and if he can roll his eyes in two different directions, eventually one of the female judges will faint and that is when he is said to win the contest.

Other photographs hang beautifully in different places in the building that are unique in their own ways. For example, there is a photo of a palace made entirely of mud from southern Morocco, while another shows photos from the film Out of Africa.

Alan says that he did local casting and sets and that many people from African Heritage worked in the film.

lonial period. The animal skins were used for drum making, to decorate kings palaces and as clothing items.

Other animals were used primarily as food and there are still restaurants in Nairobi that prepares game meet such as The Carnivore Restaurant.

“Ostrich eggs were used as food by Kenyans in particular and Africans in general,” says Joseph.

relied on beads for telling the future.”

There are other stunning jewelry designs by Alan which he exported from Africa to the rest of the world during the last half century.

“I closed African Heritage in 2003 with 511 employees” Alan says. The famous Maasai Markets were an outgrowth of African Heritage and still

Zadock. “The environment in the park does not support the existence of elephants because they need taller trees and muddy soil that they can use to cover their bodies when the sun is hot,” Allan says.

Hunting wild animals for food was a major preoccupation for many Kenyan communities in the pre-co-

The house has hosted many world renowned personalities such as Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Airlines, the Walt Disney Families, actresses from the TV series Desperate Housewives, Indian Maharajas, diplomats and many other visitors from all walks of life who are keen to savor authentic African style. As I leave African Heritage House, I have no reason to doubt its moniker as “the most photographed house in Africa” as it has appeared on covers and in features of the world’s leading décor magazines.

Charles Akoth is a student of political science and psychology at the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

Twitter handle:@charleseworld Summer 2021

95

M

SUMMER SIPPING & SNACKING

WITH CHEF RONDENO’S SAVORY RECIPES As you spend the Summer poolside, feasting with family or testing out new recipes, Chef to the Stars Ryan Rondeno shares some of his culinary Summer sensations in this recipe sampler. Simple, delicious and a repeat must-have for any occasion, check out these mouth-watering menu items straight from Chef Rondeno’s “FoodCulture” App!

Redfish, CitrusFennel Salad, Roasted Tomato This recipe presents a new preparation to cook redfish!

The Louisiana classic is an easy and fast way to prepare this dish. The fennel salad and citrus brightens up the flavors and Prep Time: 30 minutes Serves 4 Ingredients 4 filets of redfish, snapper, or trout 1/4 c. olive oil 2-3 Tbs. Nola Creole Rub 1 pt. cherry tomatoes, cut in half 2 cara cara oranges or navel oranges, segmented 1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced 1 bunch of parsley 1 cup dill leaves, packed 2 garlic cloves 1/2 cup lemon juice 1 cup of mint, chopped salt and pepper to taste Instruction Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the herb vinaigrette: In a blender, combine parsley, dill, garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and 1 cup of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. For the Citrus-Fennel Salad: In a stainless steel bowl, shave fennel until paper 96

thin. Toss with olive oil salt and pepper. Cut segments of orange free of membranes, and set in bowl with fennel. Squeeze juice from orange into a bowl. For the Roasted Tomato: Slice tomatoes in half. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Line the

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

tomatoes evenly on a sheet pan and roast for 15-20 minutes. Set aside and cool. For the Redfish: Season redfish with olive oil and creole seasoning.

In a 12 inch saute pan, Add oil in the pan. Cook fish skin side down at medium high heat. . Cook for

1 minute then add 2-3 tbs. butter, 2 cloves garlic smashed, and 2-3 sprigs of thyme. Cook for another minute. Turn the fish over and cook for another 30 seconds. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over fish. Assemble: Place fish in center of plate. Arrange

Mango Blanc Spritzer This is a great twist to drinking a glass of Sauvignon Blanc!

Prep Time: 10 minutes Serves 6

Ingredients 2 cups Sauvignon Blanc ( your favorite Sauvignon Blanc) 1 mango, pureed 1 oz. agave or simple syrup 1 oz. lime juice 2 cups club soda Garnish with mint and black-

berries Instruction In a blender, combine sauvignon blanc, mango, agave, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Add club soda to mixture. Mix until blended. Pour into 6 wine glasses. Garnish with mint and blackberries.

Serve!

Coconut Custard, Pineapple Compote, Almond Praline Coconut custard is great when paired with fruit such as pineapple. This recipe is paired with pineapple, cinnamon, star anise, and almond. The collaboration of black salt with this Prep Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes Serves 8 Ingredients 1 15oz. coconut milk 1 can of coconut cream 1/2 cup heavy cream 6 egg yolks 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tbs. vanilla paste, plus 1 tsp.

2 cups pineapple, small diced 1 tbs. olive oil 1 tbs. butter 2 star anise 1 cinnamon stick 1 cup sliced almonds 1-2 tbs. lemon juice pinch of salt black salt to garnish

Instruction For the Coconut Custard: In a 4 qt. saucepan, add coconut milk, coconut cream, and heavy cream.

Add a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a light simmer. In a bowl, add egg yolks, flour, and sugar. Whisk until combined. Temper egg mixture with 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Whisk.

FoodCulture offers simple recipes that will bring unique and tasty experiences to the kitchen table. “FoodCulture was created to embody a personal and unique approach of food and flavor in the kitchen. We wanted to create cost-effective and flavorful scratch recipesthat didn’t break the bank. The App was also designed to have a one-on-one feel,as if I’m cooking

Add remaining milk mixture and vanilla paste. Whisk until combined.

Return mixture into saucepan. Over medium heat, whisk constantly until thickened. Taste. Pour into individual 2 ounce ramekins. Cover with plastic wraps. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.For the Pineapple Compote: In a 10 inch saute pan,

with you every step of the way,” says Chef Rondeno.

Find a sweet and savory collection of recipes, such as: brunch, salads, healthy dinners, easy snacks, comfort food, cocktails, plus many more added every month!

Download the FoodCulture App Today! Save & Access Recipes Anywhere * Premium Video Recipes * Integrated Shopping

add 1 tbs. butter and 1 tbs. olive oil at medium heat. Saute pineapple for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 15 minutes or until mixture slightly thickens. Add 1 tsp. vanilla paste. Cook for another 5 minute. Taste. Set aside and allow to cool.

List * Shop Our Store * Download the Free App Today Visit https://www.rondenoculinarydesigns.com for a Weekly Delivery Menu & to Purchase Spices & Rubs Join the conversation with the “FoodCulture Community” Page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/310086614010323

Summer 2021

97

M

PETE HAMILL WAY

Memory of her uncle by Cara Hamill

It was a beautiful day honoring my Uncle Pete.

My family has always been proud of their Park Slope roots and working class beginnings and this was such a touching tribute to how much Pete cared for Brooklyn and the plethora of people from all walks of life. It seems Brooklyn loves him back. I’ve heard so many people say how Pete changed their life or helped them in some way. My own family and strangers included.

My Aunt Fukiko and Uncle Denis spoke about how much it meant to him to spend his final days in Brooklyn. Pete and Fukiko moved back in 2016. The last time I saw him was last summer for his birthday. We all visited their old apartment on the top floor of 378 7th ave and had lunch around the corner.

Pete is such a reminder of how humans can really have an impact on each other. How reading and knowledge can bring someone from poverty to seeing the world. I think he wanted to share that. He wrote about real people and real hardships. And he cared about them.

98

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

THE POETIC MIND

THE EASY PASTURE

By John Matthew Gillen @gangsterpriest There is an easy pasture Beyond the boiling tempest Of Right and Wrong Where Fear’s Greedy shadow Cannot fall Where the tender Earth Keeps secret Her valley of peace And dew from kind grass Anoints the bellies Of chewing beasts Where homegrown clouds Turn Golden light Silver And tigers Clean lambswool With their tongues It is that land Which our land Becomes For the miracle Was You All along

Photo by Sherry Dean Curreri

Summer 2021

99

M

THE POWER OF PURPOSE Jigsaw Puzzling for a cause transforms the process into an act of kindness. ARTXPUZZLES presents a dedication to noted art historian and critic Barbara Rose.

By Stephanie Abrams

M

any people are reflecting on the last year, and with new initiatives the artists are finding artistic inspiration, creativity and we are discovering our true spirit in the love of art. Many contemporary artists from across the world have been called to action uncovering a new sense of unity through the health benefits and the act of jigsaw puzzling!

International curator and writer Rachel Vancelette states “The act of creativity through art and memory is in and of itself a dedication to all of those we have lost in the last year. Art can certainly be a powerful tool for future generations to learn and understand these current times through the eyes of our ARTXPUZZLES international artists. Creating these unique investment quality Collector Edition Jigsaw Puzzles helped many coalesce a small dedication and/or an ‘artistic message in bottle’, not only for history books but for future generations. We continue to redefine the act of puzzling with storytelling and the uniting of contemporary artists on an international platform, while they support social causes and charitable initiatives which can impact our world today.”

100

ARTXPUZZLES launched their first Summer Capsule Collection last month with a series of artists who wanted to pay tribute to the loss in December 2020 to noted art critic/art historian Barbara Rose. The impact she had on conversations of both art critics, historians, and contemporary artists for decades has

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

been an important one and was a significant influence on the careers of so many artists. We sat down with each contemporary artist who is part of the AXP Collection to get a bird’s eye view of the relationship with this notorious art critic who mingled among the artworld’s elite, such as Andy Warhol,

Frank Stella and more for decades. She forged a career that would bring both controversy and fresh narratives to the contemporary art world globally, from Spain to Italy to the United States. The following artists give their perspective and thoughts as a heartfelt tribute to Barbara Rose.

Artist

Artist

Artist

Nino Longobardi

Don Kimes

Juan Garazibal

Do you have any thoughts on her legacy and how it has impacted artists?

To answer this question Barbara needs to be studied, analyzed, I am not an intellectual ... In my life she certainly had a great impact especially coming from a distant world from mine…

Do you have any thoughts on her legacy and how it has impacted artists?

There were many art worlds swirling around Barbara. She was the connector, the believer, the touchstone, the vortex.

Do you have any thoughts on her legacy and how it has impacted artists?

A true revolutionary, loyal to her principles and focused on art itself.

Italy

United States

Spain

Artist

Carolyn Marks Blackwood United States

Do you have any thoughts on her legacy and how it has impacted artists?

Her writings and films are so thoughtful and original and she just lived and breathed art and loved and encouraged artists.

Artist

Arturo Casanova Italy

How did Barbara help inspire you and/or your art studio practice?

Surely Barbara highly convinced me of the great power of monochrome, on the possibility of a single color in painting -in its most mystical connotation- to be still viable, capable of raising questions despite its centenary origins. Basically, she encouraged me to continue.

Artist

Paul Manes United States

Do you have any thoughts on her legacy and how it has impacted artists?

She is part of art History and touch many lives with her brilliance and charm

Artist

Rosella Vasta Italy

Do you have any thoughts on her legacy and how it has impacted artists?

Her impact in the art-world is huge based on real experience, she knew how important it was to build an artistic community (she belonged to one when living in NY as a young art historian) which was never provincial.

Artist

Bruno Ceccobelli Italy

How did Barbara help inspire you and/or your art studio practice?

The balance between her vast culture and deep sensitivity for the arts of the past as well as her innate search for transcendence and Beauty, have strengthened my faith in art.

For more of the full length interviews with all eight ARTXPUZZLES contemporary artists, please visit Metropolitan Magazine website directly. To learn more on the Summer Capsule Collection: www.artxpuzzles.com Summer 2021

101

M

Designer David Santiago of Casa Santi Interior Design knows a thing or two about glamour

C

urrently David is living a life of artistic duality and is also a professional opera singer performing with Teatro Grattacielo in NYC. For the transformation of the Cornell Inn’s cocktail lounge, he brought in the theatricality of the Metropolitan Opera House with a bar covered in gold Akdo tiles (described by David as an “absolute tile-gasm”), red silk wall covering from The House of Scalamandré, flame-

102

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

like sconces from Currey & Co., and an illuminated niche stocked with Möet Hennessy, Whispering Angel Rosé, and Chandon Brut Champagne. Santiago was also excited to celebrate his Spanish heritage through the project: “As an advocate and influencer of the industry, I feel a responsibility to take on the conversation about diversity and topics that are not always comfortable to discuss, especially skin color,” he told us. David’s room also showcases exquisite artwork by his partner, artist Ricardo Monge.

David Santiago, Principal of Casa Santi, created this over the top Metropolitan Opera inspired Accento Bar. So appropo to have this gem nestled in Lenox Ma, The home of Tanglewood and an area rich With its love of music.Accento, does not disappoint with the details and surprise elements, including custom mural Art by Ricardo Monge.“I feel transported when in Accento!

Martini up with Olives please!”, says The Kaleidoscope Project co-founder, Amy Lynn Schwartzbard casasanti.com tenordavidsantiago.com @strictlysanti @tenorsanti Photo by Scott Gabriel Morris.

Summer 2021

103

M

DESIGN SPOTLIGHT:

THE KALEIDOSCOPE PROJECT PROVIDES SUMMER SIZZLE

MEET DESIGNERS DAVID SANTIAGO, VIRGINIA TOLEDO & JOHANNA HOWARD

T

by W. A. Muller with Elle Decor

he hottest design industry story of the summer is a new showhouse initiative called the Kaleidoscope Project created

by Amy Lynn Schwartzbard and Patti Carpenter, who enlisted 23 BIPOC designers to permanently overhaul the 18th Century Cornell Inn in the Berkshires. 18 of the inn’s guest rooms, plus a lobby, a dining room, and the bar were all magically transformed from old and frumpy to fabulous and forward -thinking by some of the world's top designers.

The proceeds from the project will provide scholarship opportunities for young people of color interested in pursuing careers in creative fields.

“It was time our industry showcased diverse talents of designers with unique points of view,” Schwartzbard shared. The participating designers were given a theme and a corresponding color palette to work with: rest (neutrals), reflection (cool colors), or rejuvenate (warm hues).

The resulting rooms have their own distinct ambience while still feeling part of a cozy, cohesive whole, from a Mediterranean Teal themed bedroom by Johanna Howard, to a show-stopping dining room by Virginia Toledo to a glitzy gold-andvelvet barroom by David Santiago.

“All the designers knocked it out of the park!” Schwartzbard said. “And each of their rooms really reflect who they are.”

104

VIRGINAL TOLEDO

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

JOHANNA HOWARD

Johanna Howard’s use of textiles, textures and soothing blues created tranquility and a sense of relaxation that stayed with me long after I left her room. ~Liz Nightingale, Marketing for The Kaleidoscope Project

Virginia Toledo’s Dining Room gives a nod to Americana with the soft reds and blues of the modern Suzanni/Ikat wallcovering. Her fabric selections and the design of the window treatments, by The Shade Store, give clear definition to the space and are a simply stunning! The one of a kind fireplace completes the space and offers guests a perfect Instagram background -Amy Lynn Schwartzbard Co-Founder of The Kaleidoscope Project, Principal of Life Designs and LD Hospitality.

Summer 2021

105

M

MUSIC, MODELING, & MENTAL WELLNESS WITH MCKENNA CAMILLE

McKenna dives in deep with relatable lyrics to inspire and heal

By Adam Kluger

A

ctress, Singer, Model, and Mental Wellness Advocate McKenna Camille finds inspirationand healing through her craft. Writing and singing about personal topics from friendships, breakups, bullying, depression, anxiety, and even Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are perhaps what make her lyrics so empowering and relatable.

I am a very passionate person, which might be why I am so loud. I am definitely an oddball and have many interests, ranging from Greek mythology to fashion, so it’s really hard to sum up a little about me.

What was it like growing up in the entertainment industry?

I wouldn’t say I grew up in the entertainment industry really, maybe

Born and raised in Oregon, she found many creative outlets in theater, music and fashion. Growing up on a lake, McKenna took an interest in slalom water skiing as well as show/ trick skiing, which she does in her free time. While being a student at NYU Tisch, McKenna uses her social media and music to advocate for mental health awareness and antibullying.

Dive into this personal one-on-one interview with McKenna and her journey as an artist and role model.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am 18 years old and a student at the Atlantic Acting School at NYU Tisch. I am very loud. Aside from that, I pour myself into everything I do, whether that is acting, music or whatever.

106

no idea what it was for—but when I walked into the audition room, Matt was sitting at a table. Turns out I was auditioning for him, and he is now one of my wonderful acting coaches.

a little bit, but I didn’t get serious about acting until high school.

Since then, it has been a very odd experience, and you definitely learn who your friends are.

Who was the first celebrity you met?

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

I see many basketball players out and about where I live, but the first entertainment industry celebrity I met was Matt Timmons who played Woody on “Suite Life” on deck. I had an audition the Summer before junior year of high school, and I had

When did you first fall in love with music, and how long have you been actively pursuing your dreams in music?

The moment I knew that I wanted to pursue music was when I heard the theme song to Hannah Montana’s “The Best of Both Worlds.” I think I was 4 or 5 years old, and I remember jumping on my bed singing. I wanted to be just like her, I was obsessed!

Eventually, that carried over to piano lessons and singing lessons, and finding a huge appreciation for the music industry.

What differentiates you from other artists?

I think what differentiates me from other artists is that I talk about things in my music that aren’t really being talked about.

I love songs that are about really personal topics to the artist, but can be something totally different to the listener. A lot of the music that I am writing right now is about friendships ending, bullying, OCD, and dealing with the part in a breakup where you know you shouldn’t go back but want to so bad.

Are there any artists currently or before you that musically inspire you? If so, who and why?

I am really loving so many female artists right now. Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo Bea Miller and Tate McRae are all on replay on my phone. Aside from them, I really pull inspiration from artists of the 50s -70s like Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, the Bee Gees, Chuck Berry, etc. I am obsessed with adding 70s flair to my music in any way that I can.

What motivates you in and out of the booth?

I just have so many ideas and so many things I want to try, and I really think that is it.

What are three things about you that would shock the public?

I have said this before on my Instagram, but I hate chocolate. I really do. I’ll eat it if I have to, but if it’s not in the form of a Reese’s candy, I do not like it. Another thing that I am obsessed with is the first “Deadpool” movie that is one of my favorites that I’ll still laugh at everything even though I know all the lines. A third thing is that I can carry people on my shoulders on water skis!

What do you feel you contribute to the culture as an artist?

I will only put out music that I can relate to, and with that comes the fact that not every song is going to be about a breakup, a guy or whatever.

I want to normalize writing songs about other sucky stuff that happens in life like bullying, having anxiety or a friendship ending. Though it might come off this way, my debut single “Bad One” isn’t about a guy or a broken heart, it’s about dealing with bullying and depression, while losing friends.

If you can pick one artist to collaborate with, who would it be and why?

This is such a hard question, honestly anyone I mentioned before. Right now, I would have to pick Olivia Rodrigo because we have very similar writing styles and I really appreciate how specific, but at the same time obscure her lyrics are.

What advice would you give to someone looking to be in the music space?

Don’t listen to the people telling you not to, they are not your friends and you just have to go for it!

What’s next for you musically?

Well, my debut single “Bad One” is coming out on May 31st, and after that I am planning on releasing my first EP, which I’m super excited about!

How can those looking to book you make contact?

All of my contact information is on my Website mckennacamille.com.

How can we keep up with you?

I post the most on my Instagram (@mckenalee) and Snapchat (@ mckenna027), but I frequently update my Website and plan on posting more on YouTube (mckenna camille) and TikTok @mckenalee as well! www.mckennacamille.com Summer 2021

107

M

PUPPETS OF NEW YORK

By Adam Kluger

M

useum of the City of New York announces the opening of the exhibition Puppets of New York, examining how puppetry has impacted New York City and scanning the tremendous influence the city has had on this artform all over the world. The exhibition features more than 100 puppets spanning New York City history, from theater, television, and street life, including Lamb Chop, Sesame Street, Avenue Q and Lion King on Broadway, avantgarde theater, parades, and more.

“New York City is a global capital of puppetry, where diverse communities and traditions intersect and collaborate, and where new innovations to the art form are born,” said Whitney Donhauser, Ronay Menschel Director and President of the Museum of the City of New York. “Our exhibition showcases the long history of puppetry in New York City and the influence of the city on this whimsical and adventurous art form.”

Above: Sunday in New York at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Courtesy of the photographer, Richard Termine

Whitney Donhauser, Ronay Menschel Director and President of the Museum of the City of New York

Left: Julie Taymor's production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) at the Metropolitan Opera Courtesy of the photographer, Richard Termine

108

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

May 2021

15

May 2021 Summer 2021

55 109

M

GEORGE SCHULMAN EXHIBITION IN THE HAMPTONS

110

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

111

M It’s time to get out and have fun again!

SKYDIVE!

HOUSTON ✦ DALLAS ✦ MIAMI ✦ ATLANTA SAN MARCOS ✦ AUSTIN ✦ SAN ANTONIO LifestyleFit22 halfpage.indd 1

"I was at the precipice of fighting alcoholism and depression and I got the help I needed. Fitness is a major part of my life now. I'm thankful to be sober and I want to give back. So fitness was a part of the way I thought we could support our veterans. I gave up alcohol for adrenaline and adrenaline is working a whole lot better for me. I have 15 jumps under my belt as a skydiver and I thought this could be a great way to help our veterans. Pocono Skydive said they wanted to join our mission as well as Spaceline Houston."

-Michael Bednar, Founder, Lifestylesfit22.org

112

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

SKYDIVE SOLO in a week!

6/14/2021 6:21:31 PM

lifestylesfit22.org Lifestyle22Fit was founded by Michael Bednar in June of 2017 after learning about the staggering numbers of veterans who die each year due to PTSD-related suicide. With a proud military family background and a passion for helping others, this idea was born into reality out of Michael’s own struggles.

Recovering from his own battles with depression and for sobriety- he found himself on the precipice; and though he did not share a foxhole, he found himself struggling with the very same idea of not going on. He dug down deep to find that one thing to keep him going – fitness. Michael’s level of commitment to himself and to his family is what he brings to Lifestyle22Fit . It is that level of care, empathy, and drive to survive that he wants to share with all of us; especially our heroes who put their lives on the line for us every single day. If just one person is impacted, then it is worth it.

From the producers of ArtHamptons

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 2-5, 2021 Labor Day Weekend

Benefiting and Located at Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane

■

Featuring 40+ select galleries from around the world ■ Showcasing important 20th/20st century art ■ From respected emerging artists to the blue chip masters ■ $100+ million in art for acquisition

HamptonsFineArtFair.com Media Sponsor

LUXURY MAGAZINE

METROPOLITAN LUXURY MAGAZINE

Summer 2021 113 September 2021

15

M

NICK GHAFARI

114

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

115

M

REV. JEN MILLER

116

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Summer 2021

117

M DR. DIANE HILAL-CAMPO

TOP OPTHAMOLOGIST LAUNCHES NEW BEAUTY LINE

by Adam Kluger

118

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

Why did you decide to start twenty/twenty beauty?

As a board-certified ophthalmologist, I’ve spent over 25 years treating patients struggling with dry eye and other painful conditions caused by makeup. I wanted to make a difference in their everyday lives without forcing them to give up makeup, so I developed my own brand of eye-friendly formulas, twenty/twenty beauty.

What makes twenty/twenty beauty special?

It’s the world’s first collection of beauty and wellness treatments designed specifically to enhance your eyes’ natural beauty without causing irritation or sensitivity. Many people don’t realize how many harmful ingredients are in their eye makeup — they can damage the ocular surface, have carcinogenic properties, and even literally kill tiny organs in the eye that are crucial to healthy vision. We’ve banned these notorious ingredients from all of our formulations, including glitter, loose mica, loose mineral powders, prostaglandins, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, retinoids, carbon black, benzalkonium chloride, and many more.

What are some eye-safe ingredients highlighted in twenty/twenty beauty products?

One ingredient I love is castor oil, which has actually been used by ophthalmologists for decades as a topical treatment for dry eye.

It also has the added benefit of supporting healthy hair growth, which is why castor oil is the star ingredient of my Get Growing Lash and Brow Serum. I’m also a huge fan of hypochlorous acid — it’s a time-honored and doctor-recommended ingredient that naturally occurs in the body. In addition to being a powerful (but gentle) disinfectant that kills bacteria, it helps soothe irritation and redness. You can find it in my Easy on the Eyes Daily Hygiene Facial Spray, a refreshing mist you spray on your face twice a day to cleanse your skin, lids, and lashes. It’s great for fighting maskne!

What else can we expect from twenty/twenty beauty?

In addition to ophthalmologist-tested eye makeup specially formulated to be safe for contact lens wearers and sensitive eyes, I’m deeply passionate about educating people about eye health. We only get one set of eyes!

You’d be surprised how many daily behaviors can damage them, including using eyeliner on the waterline and not taking off your makeup every day. I’m so grateful to use my brand’s platform on social media @trytwentytwenty, as well as opportunities like these, to share tips for happier, healthier eyes.

WWW.TRYTWENTYTWENTY.COM

Summer 2021

119

M

GABRIELLE’S ANGEL FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH RAISES $2.3 MILLION AT ANGEL BALL SUMMER GALA

G

abrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research raised over $2.3 million, for blood cancer research at the Angel Ball Summer Gala, in Southampton, NY. Denise Rich and her daughters Daniella Rich Kilstock and Ilona Rich Schachter hosted the event in memory of Gabrielle Rich Aouad, to benefit Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research, which funds the best and brightest early career scientists whose research focuses on finding less toxic treatments for patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other related blood cancers.

120

Jill Martin, host of Shop TODAY with Jill Martin and Lifestyle Contributor to the TODAY Show served as the emcee for the event, which honored Simone I. Smith, Designer & Co-Founder Simone I. Smith jewelry, and legendary model Maye Musk. Dinner chairs included Mary J. Blige and Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch along with Honorary Chair, Brock Pierce Foundation.

The evening began with a circusthemed cocktail reception with music

by DJ Mad Marj, and DJ Kyle Kxtz.

Guests then moved into the dinner and reception under the Big Top –

Metropolitan Magazine | 25AMagazine.com

where they danced the night away to music by DJ Cassidy and an unforgettable performance by Flo Rida.

Other highlights from the evening included remarks from cancer survivor Danielle Merollo who spoke about the life-saving impact that cancer research had on her treatment and recovery. It was announced that Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research will fund seven new research scientists. An investment by the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research will fund two of these research projects, one at the University of Chicago and

another at the Fox Chase Cancer Center, in Philadelphia. Additionally, the evening’s honorary chair, Brock Pierce made a $100,000 contribution via cryptocurrency, the first crypto donation in the Foundation’s history.

Later in the evening, Star Jones led a paddle raise to help raise funds and Melyora de Koning, Senior Special Phillips Auction, led the event’s highly anticipated live auction which featured exclusive opportunities and items - including an original Peter Tunney; a luxury vacation to Discover Albany, Bahamas; Lorraine Schwartz

Photos courtesy of Getty Images, and Rob Rich Society Allureg

THE EVENING HONORED SIMONE I. SMITH & MAYE MUSK

earrings and a one-of-a-kind digital NFT artwork by Marcel Van Luit and Cutting Edge Apollo.

Notable guests who were in attendance included: LL Cool J, Isaac Boots, Lorraine Schwartz, Dr. Stephen Nimer, Pritika Swarup, Fer da Silva, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Blosette Kitson, Jean Shafiroff, Ronny Kobo, Stalking Gia, Dottie Herman, Cuba Gooding, Jr. Russell Simmons, Jonathan Tisch, Frank Rella, Michele Rella, Jean Shafiroff, Maribel Lieberman, Lizzie Asher, Casey Kohlberg, Nitin Gambhir and Elena Ulansky of Tethys Art, and many others.

CharityBuzz is hosting an online auction until August 31st, which includes incredible celebrity experiences from Bryan Adams, Isaac Calipto, and luxury items and experiences from Porsche Designs, Heliflite, di Modolo, Haute Living, Americana Manhasset, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Nesso and Simone I. Smith jewelry.

Artsy.net is hosting an online auction featuring exclusive art from artists including Aerosyn-Lex Meštrović, Brandon Ralph, Charlotte Colbert, Donald Baechler, Fernando Allende, Gilda Garza, Henry Hudson, Irvin Pascal, John Newsom, Jonathan Schofield, Johan Wahlstrom, Jordan Betten, Keelin Montzingo, Kenny Schachter, Mr. Brainwash, Nick Moss, Philip Colbert, Romero Britto, Ross Pino, Unit Gallery and Vaughn Davis, through August 31st.

About Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research:

Porsche, Flow Water and Nourishe were the Presenting Sponsors of the evening. Additional sponsors include Apollo Digital Art, Belvedere Vodka, Douglas Ellman Real Estate, Haute Living and Hampton Water Rosé.

Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research funds the best and brightest early career scientists whose research focuses on finding less toxic treatments for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and related blood cancers.

Guests also had the opportunity to bring home a fabulous gift bag, which included items from: Apollo Digital Art, Fabletics, Grande Cosmetics, Heliflite, Ivan Wilzig, KOKOSTAR USA, Le Metier De Beaute, MAC Cosmetics, Nate, Nesso, Nourishe, Peter Thomas Roth, Porsche Cars North America, Inc., Quotable Cards, Inc., Rare Bird, S.I.S. Luxe Lacquer, Skin + CO, Smashmallow, Sound, Tech Candy, Vita Liberata and Wen by Chaz Dean.

Since its inception in 1996, the Foundation has funded more than $38 million dollars in grants making it one of the largest non-governmental sources of grant support to blood cancer research in the nation. On average, ninety-two cents of every dollar raised directly funds research.

For more than two decades, the Foundation has honored Gabrielle’s legacy by funding the boldest, most cutting-edge ideas in cancer research.

On Twitter @CureCancerNow On Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo @GabriellesAngels Summer 2021

121

ENJOY THE SAFETY AND CERTAINTY

OF A PURELY

PRIVATE EXPERIENCE

Challenger 300/350 Jet Card

Jet Card is part of the Jet Card Ownership portfolio at Magellan Jets. *Image credit: Bombardier Aerospace

PURELY PRIVATE EXPERIENCE Jet Card Ownership

Öäêèïïäñ ö íè÷¡öóèæìĤæ óõòêõäð æòðèö úì÷ë ä choice of one of 10 most popular aircraft on the market. With a convenience of booking your ĥìêë÷ö úì÷ë íøö÷ ( ëòøõö ñò÷ìæè ĥü ïìîè äñ òúñèõ without headaches of aircraft ownership.

Membership

Jet membership provides guaranteed access to òñè òé $ æä÷èêòõìèö òé äìõæõäé÷ Îñíòü æòñùèñìèñæè ĥèûìåìïì÷ü äñç ĥü äö ðøæë òõ äö ïì÷÷ïè äö üòø ñèèç with the freedom to schedule on just 12 hours’ notice.

+1 866-257-3488

www.MagellanJets.com

The Magellan Jets Memberships are programs of Magellan Jets, LLC (Magellan Jets®). Magellan Jets (the Air Charter Broker) acting as an “Authorized Agent” for the Member (Charterer) shall; maintain non-owned aircraft liability insurance, and personal injury coverage, contract for transportation services with only FAR Part 135 Direct Air Carriers proprietary Magellan Jets Preferred Network of Direct Air Carriers that meet all FAA or CAA safety standards and additional safety standards established by Magellan Jets.

THE NEW ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC, P.O. Box 1227, Westwood, NJ 07675-1227 Tel: 1-877-877-3735 www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com © Copyright Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The Rolls-Royce name and logo are registered trademarks.