Quest May 2015

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THE JEWELRY ISSUE

VINTAGE HARRY WINSTON

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Seamlessly joined strands of 18k rose gold combine to form the Helioro ring. The rings range from classically simple to full pavé set diamonds, from $1,865. Also available are the Helioro Pendants on La Catena necklace or on a silk cord, from $3,745.

In our hands, a jewel becomes something unique.

Eternity, for instance.

Helioro BY KIM

The perfect symbiosis of artistry and skill.

At the Wempe studio in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Kim-Eva Wempe has worked on a shared vision with creative director, Catherine Plouchard, and a top-ranking team since 1999.

The results speak for themselves: magical jewels that keep pace with the spirit of the times to become established international modern classics.

The finishing touch: perfection is in the detail

Valuable assets, precious emotions.

Fine gold is transformed into heart-stirring jewellery that looks good and feels good – jewellery that is striking without being loud. This jewellery is freshly conceived, yet so familiar that it seems to have existed forever. Jewellery BY KIM epitomises a universal and unmistakable design language that is understood by women all over the world.

Ready for casting: 18-carat rose gold

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Helioro owes its name to ‘Helios,’ the Greek sun god, and ‘oro,’ the Italian word for gold – and as an embodiment of innovation, it cannot fail to impress. Manufactured by a technically sophisticated process, Helioro BY KIM represents perfection of the goldsmith’s art. Its complex structure unites nine gold strands, apparently infinite sunbeams creating a unique symbol of eternity.

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CONTENTS 100

The Jewelry I ssue 100 HIGH TIME FOR HIGH JEWELRY Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but this season, don’t forget sapphires, emeralds, gold, or pearls. by DanIel Cappello

108 CARTIER’S ROYAL AFFAIR Cartier continues its relationship with the aristocracy, offering a catalog of jewelry with thousands of carats of sparkle. by elIzabeTh QuInn brown

112

AURÉLIE BIDERMANN’S MANY CHARMS

Jet-setter Aurélie Bidermann travels the

world and offers beautiful jewelry, inspired and whimsical. by lIly hoaglanD

116 ALIGHIERI JEWELLERY’S GOLDEN ODYSSEY A British-based designer turns her lit

120

studies at Oxford into crafted studies in gold. by DanIel Cappello

120 JEWELRY WITH CHARACTER As a self-taught designer, Alexis Bittar saw potential for his jewelry, but admitted that he “often felt like an outsider.” by alex r. Travers

126 THE ART OF TIME Sometimes elegant, other times sporty, always timeless: Discover the latest men’s watches that will never go out of style. by alex r. Travers

132 SMARTWATCH IS THE BUZZ OF BASELWORLD Most brands at Baswelworld aren’t worried, but some heed the hype about smartwatches. by alex r. Travers

136

MAGNIFICENCE: NOW UP FOR BIDS Jewels of royal proportions go on the block at

this month’s Christie’s Geneva sale. by DanIel Cappello

126

68 58

CONTENTS C olumns 20

SOCIAL DIARY

58

HARRY BENSON

60

DROPPING THE BALL

62

THE SWEET SOUND OF BROOKLYN

66

FOOD & LIFESTYLE

68

FRESH FINDS

72

AUDAX

74

CANTEENS

Chevalier at the Baccarat Hotel ushers in a new French elegance. by DanIel Cappello

78

MUSEUMS

After a $91-million restoration, Cooper Hewitt re-opens its doors. by a lex r. T ravers

82

BOOKS

84

WEDDINGS

88

ART

92

AWARDS

94

REAL ESTATE

Sotheby’s International Realty offers a property with charm in Greenwich, Connecticut.

96

OPEN HOUSE

A seaside estate in Newport, Rhode Island—from Lila Delman Real Estate International.

98

SOCIAL CALENDAR

On Elizabeth Taylor’s “La Peregrina” pearl and more. by DavID paTrICk ColumbIa The clever John Loring, design director of Tiffany & Co., in his office in 1984.

Rolling Stone magazine and the failure of journalism. by TakI TheoDoraCopulos The brilliant Brooklyn Academy of Music. by mIChael Thomas

The buzzwords of seasonality, and the season for perfect asparagus. by alex hITz

Finding jewels for the Jewelry Issue. by DanIel Cappello anD e lIzabeTh m eIgher

Colonel Matt Winn, James Butler, and the founding of the Kentucky Derby. by auDax

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The Impossible Collection of Watches (Assouline) tells history through the hands of time.

Tying the knot with the sweetest couples of the season. by e lIzabeTh Q uInn b rown

A close look at the beloved painter Theodore Colebrook and his work. by kaTe gubelmann The inaugural High Jewelry and Timepieces Awards ceremony will be held on July 5, 2015.

Our guide to the most exciting events and galas in New York City this season.

140 YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST Bopping around town, with a gala or two. by e lIzabeTh Q uInn b rown 144 SNAPSHOT Reviewing the Apple Watch: You have to see it to believe it—or judge it. by T eD g ushue

68

G re a t J e w e l s H a v e a S t or y 8.20 Carat Colombian Emerald Ring, by Van Cleef & Arpels

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Clockwise from left: A model wearing pieces from Rosh Mahtani’s Aligheri brand; designer Alexis Bittar; Aristotle and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, wearing earrings currently on auction by Christie’s.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON said, “Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.” This month, our spare moments were not just like an uncut diamond, but occasionally filled with them. Our Jewelry Issue gave us the material to polish those brightest gems of time well-spent to a blinding shine.

Among the eye-catching pieces were the Van Cleef & Arpels ruby and diamond earrings of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, going up for auction this month at a Christie’s Geneva sale. Ron Gallela famously captured her wearing them coming out of La Côte Basque in 1970. (The restaurant has recently been transformed into Ralph Lauren’s uber-popular Polo Bar, the hottest spot in the city right now with a two-month wait list.) The glittery red drop earrings perfectly framed the face of America’s favorite former First Lady as she exited what was then the “high society temple of French cuisine,” according to the New York Times. With a background like that, the jewelry is not only valuable for its aesthetic beauty, but for its historical context, and will surely be picked up by someone who wants to enjoy a piece of this glamorous past.

We take a look at how high jewelry has not only been a part of the past, but also how its permutations have evolved through the years. From diamonds to pearls, from gold cuffs to animal charms, from dazzling sapphires to hypnotizing 18 QUEST

emeralds—we trace how, when it comes to the best, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

Whether examining timeless classics or meeting the new guard of designers, jewelry ends up being as fun a subject to cover as playing with the baubles themselves. Go ahead and drape yourself in the best from your jewelry box; remember, life won’t sparkle unless you do. u

Lily Hoagland

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A

David Patrick Columbia

NEW YORK SO CIAL DIARY THE MERRY MONTH of May.

When I was a kid, growing up in a small New England town, there was a state teacher’s college that was affiliated with the grade school I attended.

Every year, on a warm, sunny afternoon, the young women who were “student” teachers (assisting our teachers) did

a traditional dance around a Maypole, which was set up on the lawn behind our school.

All the little girls and boys, kindergarten through fourth grade, were brought out to watch the ritual.

The young women were all dressed in white and wore thin crowns of fresh flowers

on their heads. I never understood quite why they were doing this little dance, each holding a colorful ribbon that was attached to a pole, but I liked the spectacle. The young women all looked very pretty to this little boy, and their dancing looked like fun.

Still, right to the moment of

this writing, I remain ignorant of the background of that tradition.

Which brings me to another “tradition” of this time of year—one extraordinary in presentation and far more colorful (and one that I have found fascinating since I was a young man, first living in New

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York in the 1960s). It’s actually not an annual tradition but, rather, a year-round tradition.

But this time of the year, it’s heralded in New York—and London and Paris. It’s the stuff of history, of novels, and of legendary commerce: it’s the tradition of acquiring precious jewelry.

Last month and this month, all the auction houses hold their jewelry sales. Sotheby’s, for example, had one sale that totaled $65 million in one afternoon. One item was a 100-carat, emerald-cut diamond ring that fetched $22 million. Last year, Christie’s sales totaled more than three quarters of a billion 22 QUEST

Bronson van Wyck, Trisha Gregory, Alexandra Lind Rose and Alex Gobo

Gherardo Guarducci and Lauren Remington Platt

dollars, internationally.

I don’t know where this tradition of spring jewelry sales got started, but it makes sense.

And although I still know very little about it—like the kid watching the young women dancing around the Maypole—it’s fun and, as I said, fascinating to look at and to imagine. Sometimes, you learn about the lives of the owners.

My first exposure to major jewelry was when I was first living in the city, just out of college. There was a girl from college who lived with her obviously wealthy family in a sprawling full-floor Park Avenue apartment. It was swathed in paintings by the French Im-

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pressionists and filled with chinoiserie and French antiques.

One night, when I was invited to dinner, my friend told me we would be dining with her mother, who had been hospitalized with a serious illness and was now convalescing that home. While I had known my friend for about a year, and had been to the apartment a bunch of times, I had never met her mother (nor did I know about the state of her mother’s health).

On this night, I was told, we’d be dining in her mother’s room.

It was a master bedroom, a very large and authentically luxurious room with a fire-

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place and chandeliers. My friend’s mother was sitting up in a king-sized bed, covered with what looked like satin sheets. She was dressed for the occasion in a shiny, dark green silk blouse. She was a very beautiful woman, in full makeup for receiving visitors, and wearing—matter-of-factly, even casually—a pair of very large, emerald drop earrings.

I had never actually seen such glimmering, glamorous gems, which moved with and matched the sheen of the silken blouse. They were worn as if they were as ordinary to her as a simple watch or a gold ring. Yet I instinctively knew they were the Real McCoy: too

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A large and sensational to look at to be imitation.

The dinner itself was memorable, not because of my friend’s mother’s emeralds, but because her whole persona defined charisma. I saw her again several times after that first meeting, and always at home.

Greens, bright or dark, were obviously her favorite colors, and she frequently wore the very large emeralds, always as casually as one might wear a pair of slippers. Although I was unaware of it at the time, my friend’s mother had been

seriously ill and, a couple of years later, she died, still a young woman of 40.

Later, I learned that her jewel collection was as impressive as was to be expected. Most of it had been inherited from her mother, my friend’s grandmother, who was said to have had a collection that was the envy of even the Duchess of Windsor (who was a friend).

Having lived all these years since in the two great American metropolises—New York and Los Angeles—and having spent a good portion of that

time in environments that are conducive to observing great jewels and their proud possessors, my knowledge about such items (albeit still paltry) has been somewhat educated by the people I’ve known and the stories that great jewels inspire or contract.

Jewels are always news: Late last month on the weekend of Easter, over in London at the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit, a group of thieves entered the building dressed like construction workers and drilled huge holes—big

enough for a man to move through—in a two-foot-thick concrete wall that was protecting a room full of safety deposit boxes. They departed with more than $300 million worth of jewels from private collections.

Coincidentally, after reading that story, during some research, I happened upon another London jewel robbery. It occurred in October 1969, when three masked gunmen burst into the bedroom of Kitty Miller, widow of Gilbert Miller (the London

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A and New York theatrical producer), while she was having breakfast in bed. Miller, née Katherine Bache, was the very rich daughter of Jules Bache, the early 20th-century international investment banker.

According to the story, which was reported in the New York Daily News, the robbers gained access to Miller’s townhouse in fashionable Mayfair by posing as interior decorators. Once inside, they forced the butler, a housemaid, and the pantry boy to lie face down on the floor, and made for the master bedroom.

Miller described the scene: “I was having breakfast in bed when two of them came in.

They both had guns in their

hands and one of them kept pointing his gun at my French maid and threatening her […]

They held a gun at my ribs and asked my maid where the jewelry was kept. The trouble is that she can’t understand any English and I explained this to the robbers […] One said he could speak a some French.”

Mrs. Miller finally gave the key to the safe to the robbers.

“I didn’t know whether the guns were fake or not but I couldn’t take the risk. When they finished taking my jewelry, one of them bent over and kissed me.”

She said the gunman— whom she described as “tall, dark, and rather attractive”— said to her: “You’re a bit of a

darling.”

“I told him I would have to go wash my face and he answered, ‘Don’t be wicked.’”

The men got away with jewels valued at $250,000 (or millions, in today’s currency).

As Miller was getting her kiss, however, she pressed a secret alarm that connected to the police, who were immediately on the scene.

Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress who came into a fortune when she turned 21 in 1933 that would be worth $1 billion in 2015, was another who was well-known to have a great collection of jewels. She had been taken under wing as a very young woman, tutored on the art of fine jewelry by a man

named Jules Glaenzer (who was a vice-president of Cartier). Glaenzer was a debonair, man-about-town in the 1920s and 1930s, famous for his parties. He hosted about 200 a year: dinner, cocktail, and opening-night parties populated by the tycoons, heiresses, stars of stage and screen, and members of café society. He was also New York’s leading jewelry salesman.

Over the years, Hutton, who died at 67 in 1979, spent tens of millions acquiring jewels, many of which she had a hand in designing. (She would casually give pieces away to those who happened to admire her collection.) A cousin of hers once recounted visiting

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Dustin and Lisa Hoffman 26 QUEST

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A the “poor little rich girl”— as Hutton was known in the press—when she was living in a suite at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. Very often, Hutton amused herself perusing and admiring her jewels with many pieces spread before her on her bed.

This one particular day, while the heiress was playing with her pieces on the bed, the cousin admired a major emerald necklace. “Oh Barbara, that’s so beautiful!” the cousin thrilled.

“Here, put it on!” Hutton said, while passing it to her.

The cousin did. “It looks so wonderful on you!” Hutton enthused about her own necklace, adding: “Take it!”

“Oh, Barbara, I couldn’t take it!” the cousin protested, later recounting that it must have been worth a fortune.

Hutton continued to urge her cousin to take it, the cousin kept refusing, and finally left without it.

Not long after her visit, the cousin was with Marjorie Merriweather Post (her grandmother and Hutton’s aunt) in Palm Beach. She recounted her experience in Beverly Hills.

“Did you take it?” the grandmother asked her granddaughter, who reported that she didn’t feel right accepting such a costly, precious necklace.

“You should have,” the grandmother retorted. “She’ll only give it to someone else.”

Barbara Hutton was famous among her friends for what one of them—Johnny Galliher—referred to as “inconsequential generosity.”

When she died in 1979, the press reported (true or false) that she only had $3,000 in the bank. Almost her entire fortune was gone, having been spent on husbands, houses, 28 QUEST

jewels, and that stupendous “inconsequential generosity.”

She also had a lawyer named Graham Mattison, whose glamorous wife Perla Mattison was said to have acquired several of Barbara’s fabulous gems at these moments of “inconsequential generosity.”

The fascination with jewels for anyone is said to be even more intense for those

wife. However, he was only one of several men who showered her with precious gems.

Early in her life, between divorces, she was romanced by a well-known movie director who caught her attention with several passing, precious gestures. However, it came to pass that, in his fervor to please, the director got carried away and started writing bad

Elizabeth Taylor, wearing the “La Peregrina” pearl gifted to her by Richard Burton

who possess them. The world knows of Elizabeth Taylor’s collection, the bulk of which was sold by her estate at Christie’s in December 2011, earning a total of $156,756,576.

Taylor developed her eye and attraction to gems as a very young woman. Men romancing her soon learned that the special way to her heart was the gift of a bauble or two.

It is known that Richard Burton spent millions on jewels for his beautiful and famous

checks to some local Beverly Hills jewelers.

When the truth emerged, the jewelers wanted either their money or their jewels.

But the studio had a new problem. They didn’t want the publicity attached to their star. They certainly couldn’t ask Taylor to give the rings and bracelets back. So they covered the checks and no one was ever worse for it. Nor did it harm the director’s career.

Some of those pieces were in

the Christie’s sales.

Taylor, like Hutton and many others, loved “playing” with her jewelry. This is a not uncommon pleasure among those girls who love baubles, bangles, and beads and have lots of them. Michael Vollbracht, the artist and illustrator who had a long intense friendship with Taylor, often was in her company when she’d get her jewels out to display. It was during one of those visits that he learned of the backstory of the legendary La Peregrina pearl that Richard Burton had purchased at auction in 1969.

La Peregrina, the history of which spans five centuries, was found in the 1500s by an African slave in the Gulf of Panama. Weighing 55.95 carats, it was the largest pearl ever found at its time of discovery. It remains the 15th largest, perfectly symmetrical, pear-shaped saltwater pearl in the world. The administrator of what was, at the time, a Spanish colony took the pearl back to Spain and gave it to the future King Philip II, who presented it to his betrothed Mary Tudor, the only child of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon who was referred to by her enemies as “Bloody Mary” after her execution.

After Mary’s death, the pearl—worn as a pendant to a brooch—was returned to the Spanish crown and was passed down as part of the Spanish crown jewels until the 19th century, when Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother, Joseph Bonaparte, was made King of Spain. Bonaparte’s reign lasted all of five years but, when he was forced to leave, he took some of those crown jewels with him (including the La Peregrina).

Circa 1848, the Duke of Abercorn would come to

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Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A purchase it for his wife, the Duchess of Abercorn.

La Peregrina’s weight was heavy enough that it literally fell out of its necklace setting more than once. The first time, it got lost in a sofa at Windsor Castle. The second time was at a ball at Buckingham Palace.

Always recovered, it remained in the house of Abercorn until Burton bought it at auction for $37,000 at Sotheby’s and Parke-Bernet in 1969.

Ward Landrigan, who is now the owner of Verdura, was working for Sotheby’s and Parke-Bernet at the time of the auction. After the sale, Landrigan was charged with

delivering the pearl to Taylor—in person. Burton and Taylor were then staying in the Presidential Suite of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

The day after the sale, Landrigan boarded an early flight to deliver the pearl.

When he arrived at the door of the Burtons’ suite and knocked, Burton, in his pajamas and bathrobe, answered the door. “Oh, it’s you again,” he remarked, then calling to Taylor to tell her that her what had arrived.

Taylor came running out of the bedroom (also in a bathrobe) very excited. When she saw Landrigan holding the

pearl up before Richard, she came up from behind and threw her arms around Burton and dragged him over to the sofa where they fell on top of each other and began moving around playfully.

Within minutes, Landrigan was being entertained by Burton while Taylor went into the bedroom to try it on. (It had arrived without its earlier jeweled embellishment but with just a simple chain attached to it.) A few minutes later, Taylor came out of the bedroom, upset that she’d lost the pearl.

She said that it had fallen off its necklace and she couldn’t find it anywhere.

Landrigan later described the carpet in the suite as being 5-inch-thick pink shag. Soon the three of them—Burton, Landrigan, and Taylor—were on their hands and knees, combing the bedroom rug for Bloody Mary’s famous pearl.

During the search, Landrigan came upon Taylor’s pet Maltese under a chair. It growled at him as he approached.

Landrigan noticed the dog had something in its mouth and was chewing on it. He could hear the crunch and quickly realized it was La Peregrina. He got hold of the dog and opened its mouth. Out fell La Peregrina. Everyone

J OY TO A ST E D T H E M U S E U M O F T H E C I T Y O F N E W YO R K AT B E R G D O R F G O O D M A N

Sharon Bush 30 QUEST

Cassandra Seidenfeld and Charles Manger

Nikita Mehta and Thomas Fontaine

Douglas Asch and Barbara Bogart

Maggie Norris and Somers Farkas

Gail Simmonete and Patty Buttacavoli

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

Lise Arliss and Mark Gilbertson

Portrait by renowned illustrator Joseph Adolphe.

WILMINGTON TRUST RENOWNED INSIGHT

“Families are evolving.

Is your estate plan?”

Sharon Klein Managing Director of Family Office Services and Wealth Strategies Sharon uses her vast knowledge of complex estate planning and trust laws to help clients address even the most complex subjects and to create solid strategies.

She is part of a seasoned team of professionals who exemplify Wilmington Trust’s 112-year heritage of successfully advising families. To learn more about our collaborative and creative approach to managing wealth, contact Sharon or Larry Gore at 212-415-0547.

Most laws regarding how estates are handled are designed with a traditional nuclear family in mind – a husband, wife, and biological children. Today, however, fewer than half of all U.S. households meet this traditional definition. And that trend is likely to continue as same-sex marriage becomes legal in more and more states, and as divorce and remarriage remain common.

New inheritance questions. It’s not simply about traditional versus non-traditional families. Rapid advances in reproductive technology are creating once unimaginable questions regarding inheritance rights. And this issue has given rise to a new legal territory: posthumous birth laws. How should children conceived with stored genetic material after the death of one or both of the genetic parents be treated regarding inheritance? A complicated topic, indeed.

Consideration for pets. Furthermore, the concept of family for some extends to pets as well. A few states have even enacted estate planning laws regarding these four-legged family members.

For instance, the growing demand of pet owners to be buried with their pets has caused two states to permit this

practice. While many states do not currently address this issue, that’s likely to change.

LESS THAN

50%

OF HOUSEHOLDS IN T H E U . S . T O D AY C O N TA I N A HUSBAND AND WIFE Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Staying ahead of change. This is the new reality of estate planning, as changes are occurring more rapidly than ever before. It’s clear that the planning solutions of yesterday will not be applicable tomorrow for such unique and complex scenarios. How do you keep up? That’s where Wilmington Trust comes in. Our experts have helped shape key legislation for decades, working diligently to anticipate new trends and be out in front of changes.

We are well-equipped to address wealth complexities in an ever-changing world, and will customize a strategy that meets your unique needs.

For more insight on how to successfully plan for your individual situation, read “Are you prepared for the unexpected?” found at wilmingtontrust.com/estateplanning.

F I D U C I A R Y S E R V I C E S | W E A LT H P L A N N I N G | I N V E S T M E N T M A N A G E M E N T | P R I VAT E B A N K I N G

A N M &T B A N K A F F I L I AT E

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the sale of any financial product or service. This article is not designed or intended to provide financial, tax, legal, accounting, or other professional advice since such advice always requires consideration of individual circumstances. If professional advice is needed, the services of your professional advisor should be sought.

Investments: • Are NOT FDIC-Insured • Have NO Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value Wilmington Trust is a registered service mark. Wilmington Trust Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of M&T Bank Corporation (M&T). Investment management and fiduciary services are provided by Wilmington Trust Company, operating in Delaware only, and Wilmington Trust, N.A., a national bank. Loans, retail and business deposits, and other personal and business banking services and products are offered by M&T Bank, member FDIC. ©2015 Wilmington Trust Corporation and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A L U N C H EO N FO R T H E C O U T U R E C O U N C I L AT T H E FA S H I O N I N ST I T U T E O F T EC H N O L O G Y

Kate Davidson Hudson

was relieved and happy. No doubt, Taylor rewarded her pup with a treat.

The pearl was later set as a pendant to a necklace of diamonds and rubies, designed

by Taylor and Cartier’s designer, Al Durante. The pearl with its necklace was sold at auction on December 13, 2011, for $11 million—complete with the tiny teeth marks of Taylor’s adored and devoted pup. (According to legend provided by Vollbracht, Burton never knew about the dog’s teeth marks on the pearl.

Taylor was not about to jeopardize her dog’s future over a saltwater pearl, no matter its cost or provenance.)

32 QUEST

Karen Sherry and Sharon Jacob

Suzie Aijala and Tracey Huff

Get That Ice Or Else No Dice. If that line is unfamiliar, it’s a lyric from a song called “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” which was written

by Leo Robin with music composed by Jule Styne. It was from the 1949 hit Broadway show Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (which was adapted from the 1925 novel by Anita Loos—and later made into a film starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell). Carol Channing introduced it in the show and it made her a star.

The French are glad to die for love They delight in fighting duels But I prefer a man who lives

Valerie Steele

Claudia Overstrom

And gives expensive jewels.

A kiss on the hand May be quite continental, But diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

A kiss may be grand But it won’t pay the rental On your humble flat Or help you at the automat.

The stories that accompany the great jewels and their possessors are often as unusual and spectacular as the gems and their designs. Robin’s amusing and witty lyrics struck a chord and still do, 66 years later in the world of big money, big deals, and beau-

Kate Hemphill

Lily Hoagland and Berdie Brady

tiful women. That is not to say that those three categories are always linked quite so materialistically, but they do apply to a reality that has always existed in the relationships between men—often married—and single women.

I am reminded of a famous woman here in New York who made her way quite successfully bearing that “advice” in mind. She was a Southern belle who, as a very young woman, arrived in Manhattan after a tour of South American and European capitals.

She had experienced wealthy beaux and a marriage to a titled European, who was young and dashing—and had

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Senior Global Real Estate Advisor, Associate Broker 212.606.4109 | stan.ponte@sothebyshomes.com EAST SIDE MANHATTAN BROKERAGE | 38 East 61st Street, New York, NY 10065 | sothebyshomes.com/nyc Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully.

Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A

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Sharon Walsh, Anne Akers and Ingrid Connolly

an always wandering eye for the ladies (in addition to his beautiful American wife).

When he died in the arms of an inamorata who wasn’t his wife, the maturing Southern belle was left high and dry with two small children and little resources to keep the wolves from the door.

Nevertheless, despite what looked like trouble-ahead-trouble-behind for the young widow, her charm, beauty, and her married name gave her some cachet that made her an attractive addition to any chic dinner party on the avenues of Park and Fifth. One night at one such dinner, she was fortuitously placed next to a very enthusiastic tycoon who, though much married to a very fashionable (and beautiful and charming) wife, was taken by storm.

(Or was it by hurricane?) Shortly thereafter, said tycoon, predictably charmed, maybe even bowled over, began an inti-

Jeanette and Anthony Senerchia with John K. Castle

mate, not-for-publication adventure with the young widow.

The mutual interest of the dinner partners soon led to frequent meetings in out-of-the-way places, like the lady’s East Side apartment for which she was always struggling to pay the rent. The increasing frequency of their rendezvous confirmed her suspicions that the tycoon was smitten and, eventually, admittedly madly in love.

The only problem for the lady was that, despite her man’s millions, as well as his charm and enthusiasm, she was still sweating the rent and food on the table for her kiddies. Aside from his enthusiastic carnal attention, there was nothing forthcoming that hinted at reality, a.k.a. the rent.

So she began dropping hints about how nice it would be to possess a token of his gargantuan affection and esteem.

Something nice, and shiny, and glitter-

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A DINNER CHEZ MARTINA MONDADORI IN MILAN

Clementina Montezemolo and Letizia Herion

ing. Something rock solid and indestructible. Eventually, exercising a patience for which she would soon become famous, the lady convinced her Big Boy that a piece of jewelry from one of the most famous emporiums of big ice was the most honorable way to show his appreciation.

His nod gave her the impetus to go window shopping at a famous emporium, where she chose a substantial diamond bracelet which (practically speaking) would take care of her rent and other bills (e.g. clothes, food, manicures, 36 QUEST

Joan and Tony Freund

Ginevra Elkann and Robert Rabensteiner

Charlotte Rey and Duncan Campbell

and hairdressers) for the rest of the year and maybe then some. Soon after, her extraordinary bracelet paved with diamonds was delivered to her “surprised” and “thrilled” and “delighted” wrist.

Shortly after, however, she sadly returned with the bracelet to the famous emporium, admitting that it wasn’t quite what she preferred, asking for a refund. A refund was delivered as per her wishes, and without her tycoon hearing a word about it.

All remained passionately copasetic between the tycoon

and the young widow until the man’s wife (who also had a refined aptitude for beautiful and expensive jewels) stopped by the famous emporium one day—just to look. When the salesman who always guided her led her to a case with some diamond bracelets, there was one in particular that he assured the wife that her husband “liked” very much.

Wink, wink.

The wife—well-schooled in the art of acquiring and possessing, as well as sensitive as all good wives are to their husbands’ moods and behavior—

Karla Otto

acknowledged the salesman’s “assurance.”

A few days later, said wife and tycoon showed up at the famous emporium to “look” for a little token of his affection for her. She led her husband to the display case where the returned bracelet was resting. This, she explained to her husband, was her favorite.

What his reaction was, we’ll never know except that it was the beginning of the end of the relationship between the tycoon and our Southern belle with the European title and the empty bank account. The

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A marriage to the wife was back on track, which is where it stayed until the end of his life a few years later.

Our Southern belle weathered that storm and later remarried an international businessman (whom she eventually divorced) before marrying another tycoon (who was much older than she, and eventually died). She was left a very, very rich woman who could buy her own jewels—which she did, whenever she felt like it.

There is a misconception among us members of the unknowing that precious gems are mainly the interest

of women, not men. This, I am told, is untrue. Aside from their gift giving, many men of wealth are major collectors of precious gems and fine jewelry for their material value, transportability, and size of the cache. It makes it easy to conceal, disguise, and bury sizeable portions of substantial wealth in a box in a tiny corner of a closet—far from the probing eyes of the taxman. That said, incidents such as the Hatton Garden raid no doubt confirm the suspicion of many possessors that they should keep their jewels close by and closely watched, away from

the prying eyes and knowledge of anybody but themselves.

My friend Joe Pacetti, a native and fulltime resident of the great state of Texas, is a purveyor of exquisite high-end jewelry and precious gems (he buys and sells). He almost always wears some of the goods he is selling—a brooch or two, as well as bracelets and necklaces—in public places and at private parties.

He’s a burly looking guy with the kind of physical heft that looks like he might sell steel vaults, which he could physically deliver himself. He often sports the creations from

Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston, Cartier, Bulgari, et al. on his dinner jacket lapels, on the shoulder of a cashmere pullover, on his Harris Tweed, and on his thick, hairy wrists. He saves on overhead that way, and keeps the merchandise moving. It’s spring again: May time and high sparkle.

Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, on a recent Tuesday night, the Whitney Museum of American Art hosted its Inaugural Dinner and First Look, a black-tie gala for 400 of the museum’s top donors and permanent collection artists to

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Danielle and Jeff Hirsch 38 QUEST

Suzanne Santry and Nick Stern

Denise LeFrak Calicchio and Peter Lyden

Christina Davis and Courtney Stern

Sam and Elizabeth White

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

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D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A fête its new home, designed by architect Renzo Piano, in the Meatpacking District. The evening heralded the museum’s public opening on May 1.

Upon arrival to this historic event, which was sponsored

by Sotheby’s and designed by Bronson van Wyck, guests were treated to wines and spirits by Dom Pérignon and Moët Hennessy as well as a special preview of the museum’s first exhibition in its new home: “America Is Hard to See.” With over 600 works by some 400 artists spanning from 1900s to present day, the exhibition presents an unprec-

edented selection of works from the museum’s renowned permanent collection.

Bob Hurst, Brooke Garber Neidich, and Neil Bluhm gave welcoming remarks as guests were seated to dinner in the museum’s lobby, which Van Wyck had adorned with Piano’s blueprints. After the first course was served, dinner guests enjoyed remarks by Michael Bloomberg, Adam Weinberg, and chief curator Donna De Salvo. Following the main course, Neidich returned to the podium to introduce a special surprise musical performance by Ru-

fus Wainwright.

After the live concert, Weinberg led dinner guests in a Dom Pérignon toast to Piano before inviting everyone to dessert in the museum’s restaurant and galleries.

Guests left with specialized gift bags containing the exhibition handbook. Plus, transportation to and from the evening was provided by Audi.

Adam D. Weinberg, the Alice Pratt Brown Director, was joined by guests Michael R. Bloomberg and Diana Taylor, Renzo and Milly Piano, Lisa and Max Anderson, Francesca Amfitheatrof, Richard

Armstrong, Flora Miller Biddle, J. Darius and Jill Bikoff, Neil ans Barbara BluhmKaul, Thomas and Stevie Campbell, Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo, Paula Cooper, Donna De Salvo, Dan and Pamella DeVos, Fairfax Dorn, Stefan Edlis, Robert Speyer and Anne-Cecilie Engel Speyer, Lise and Michael Evans, Tom Finkelpearl, William T. Georgis, Barbara Gladstone, Arnold and Milly Glimcher, Marc Glimcher, Thelma Golden, Christine and Andrew Hall, Patricia E. Harris, Jane Holzer, Bob Hurst, Warren and Allison

G O L D G A L A B E N E F I T E D ST . J U D E AT T H E B O W E R Y H OT E L

Julia Gordon and Quintin Grandstaff

Committee for the Gold Gala 40 QUEST

Ryan Ashayeri and Erin O’Toole

Vietor Evans, Wiggs Civitillo and Charlie Tricomi

STEVE SMITH

Blair Eadie and Andrew Powell

by Castle Connolly Top Doctors Q: Since the birth of my children I have had an unattractive bulge in the center of my tummy. My doctor said that I have diastasis of my abdominal muscles. Will exercise correct this? Are there any surgical procedures that can be done to correct this?

A: It is extremely common for women to develop a separation of the abdominal muscles after pregnancy, known as diastasis recti. This muscle separation results in a bulge of the anterior abdomen and occasionally hernias as well.

While healthy diet and lifestyle, exercise and core strengthening are always recommended, the separation of the midline muscle groups and resulting bulge often require correction.

An abdominoplasty or “tummy tuck” is a procedure that approximates the muscles in the midline in a corset-like fashion, restoring a more youthful, natural and attractive shape to the midsection. Any excess skin and fat are concurrently addressed with the muscle repair, resulting in improved core stability and a beautifully sculpted abdomen. This procedure is best performed when no further pregnancies are planned, and when one is at or close to their ideal body weight. For further information, be sure to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon for to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure.

D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A Kanders, Dodie Kazanjian, Leonard and Judith Lauder, Mark Lebow, Arnold & Pam Lehman, Jack Macrae, Maria Giulia Maramotti, Martin Marguilies, Elizabeth Margulies, Matthew Marks, Danny Meyer, Robert Mnuchin, Gael Neeson, Daniel and Brooke Garber Neidich, Peter and Gwen Norton, John and Amy Phelan, Allen and Kelly Questrom, Emily K. Rafferty, Scott and Kimberly Resnick, Charlie Rose, David A. Ross, Sandy Rower, Fern and Lenard Tessler, Laurie Tisch, Calvin Tomkins, Zoe Weinberg, and Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner.

Among the artists attending, there were Jasper Johns, Michele Abeles, Lynda Benglis, Carol Bove, Paul Chan, Chuck Close, George Condo, John Currin, Mark di Suvero, Carroll Dunham, Nicole Eisenman, Rachel Feinstein, Wade Guyton, Mary Heilmann, Roni Horn,

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The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded in 1930 by Flora Biddle’s grandmother, the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875−1942). It houses the foremost collection of American art from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Whitney, who was an accomplished sculptor, was an early and ardent supporter of modern American art and nurtured groundbreaking artists at a time when audiences were still largely preoccupied with the Old Masters. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for more than 80 years. u

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Tiffany & Co.’s design director John Loring in his office, 1984.

IT SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY 58 QUEST

H A R RY B E N S O N

IT WAS 1984—not George Orwell’s 1984, but Tiffany & Co.’s utopian 1984.

The legendary American luxury retail emporium had taken back its luster in a leveraged buyout from Avon, who had owned it since 1979. Tiffany’s celebrated design director John Loring was

beginning to shoot for Tiffany Taste, his second book with his famous editor, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

He and Jackie O. would go on to produce four more Tiffany books together over the next eight years. Their list of possible titles was so long that she

quipped, “I suppose at eighty we’ll be writing our fiftieth with a title something like Tiffany Mushrooms.”

While compiling photos for Tiffany Taste, which included everyone from Estée Lauder to Mary Martin, they were also working on Tiffany’s “150 Years” celebration in order to have it coincide with the upcoming Tiffany exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. John Loring’s “Atlas” designs, introduced the year before, were taking the world by storm. Star designer Elsa Peretti was celebrating her tenth year at Tiffany’s. His lifelong friend (whom he brought to Tiffany’s in 1980) Paloma Picasso’s amply-scaled and colorful jewelry collections were making their considerable impact on fashion.

I photographed the then-45-year-old Loring sitting on top of the world in his teak-paneled office with its sweeping views of Central Park, where he and Jackie often had working picnics sitting on the floor surrounded by photos and Styrofoam containers of deli food. The mess led Jackie to comment, “I wish Robin Leach could film this for ‘The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.’” u M AY 2 0 1 5 5 9

TA K I

DROPPING THE BALL

This page: The rotunda at the University of Virginia, which was the setting for a Rolling Stone story of an alleged rape, which was later proven to be incorrectly reported. A Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism review declared the story to have “basic, even routine” failures of journalism.

TALK ABOUT FAILURE of fundamental

journalism. In any other profession— medical, legal, financial—the guilty party would be struck off. In journalism, the guilty party (Rolling Stone magazine) continues on its merry way of disinformation and downright fabrication. Some Duke University lacrosse players must be 60 QUEST

nodding their heads, as in we’ve seen it all before. Let’s start with Duke in 2006.

Three lacrosse players, white and top students, are accused and convicted by the media—T.V., internet, newspapers such as the New York Times, race hustlers, and other such busybodies—long before they had an opportunity to defend themselves.

The charge was the rape of an exotic dancer, hired to perform at an off-campus party following a lacrosse game. The exotic dancer was a stripper and worked at an escort service, a euphemism for a prostitute. Nevertheless, the accused was a woman, and those who believe every man to be a rapist went to town. Well,

TA K I after they had their say and the boys’ characters—and that of their coach—had been assassinated, justice was served. The boys went free after it was proved that the charges were totally bogus. The media, however, never apologized, nor was there an investigation of how it got the facts so wrong to begin with. The men were white, the woman was black, it was normal to believe her. The woman, Crystal Mangum, is at present doing 14 to 18 years for second degree murder. End of story, but not quite.

Enter an agenda-driven “journalist” by the name of Sabrina Rubin Erdely (even sounds like a made-up name) whose opus toward fame and fortune for Rolling Stone was “A Rape On Campus.” This is where I come in. Young Taki went to University of Virginia in 1955 and

smelled a rat. No, I am not smarter than the rest, but I had gone to UVA, joined a fraternity, and knew well its highly regarded and adhered-to honor system. A frat brother does not lie or cheat, and if he’s aware of someone doing so, he’s obliged to report him. Rape is far worse than lying or cheating, so the idea that seven frat brothers participated and no one cried foul was impossible for me to swallow.

But, like the Duke case, this is by now an old story. What is not is the fact that Jann Wenner, owner and editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone, has refused to fire the people responsible. This makes the kind of dishonesty shown by Erdely almost incidental in reporting, and ditto for inventing facts, lying to colleagues, and plagiarism.

Rolling Stone has a long history of

white military officers poking fun at a black president was a story everyone would take at face value. In its desperate quest to be relevant, Rolling Stone then put Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover, calling him a “normal American kid” and other such horrid drivel. It did not for a moment think that some of the victims might not agree. To hell with Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu, three-yearold Martin Richard, and about 250 others who lost limbs. Profits and publicity come first.

Now the magazine is facing a lawsuit by those fraternity boys who had their lives almost ruined by an unscrupulous reporter fabricating a story that she knew an unscrupulous magazine would run. Their crime was to be males, white, and members of a fraternity. Worse, even

This page, from left: Jann Wenner, co-founder and publisher of Rolling Stone magazine; the incendiary cover featuring the bomber of the Boston marathon; General Stanley McChrystal, whose military career ended after speaking too candidly with a Rolling Stone reporter.

pledged St. Elmo, the top fraternity on campus, but also received a bid from Phi Kappa Psi, the house where the alleged gang rape of one “Jackie” took place.

When I read the story (and while the usual suspects I named above were having a field day excoriating frats, white males, and privileged students) I immediately

making up facts. It ruined the career of General Stanley McChrystal, the senior commander in Afghanistan, by having its reporter pose as a friend and picking up after-hours chatter, some of it unkind, about President Obama’s understanding of the war. Although many of the quotes attributed were questionable at best,

after the story had begun to fall apart, still the magazine insisted printing it. It could have killed it but refused. Stephen Glass, Janet Cooke, Jayson Blair, rejoice.

You are now joined by Rubin Erdely and Rolling Stone. u For more Taki, visit www.takimag.com.

M AY 2 0 1 5 6 1

C U LT U R E

THE SWEET SOUND OF BROOKLYN

BY MICHAEL M. THOMAS

THE PILLARS UPON which communities build a vibrant cultural life are the museums and performance spaces, the schools and libraries, but beyond the bricks and mortar are the people who run them. That’s where the art and artistry are on display.

But these miracles of content couldn’t happen without leaders who build programs, constituencies, and loyalties both inside and outside their particular institutions; who can manage the fight for survival, summon the necessary resources to put on the show, and build on the fruits of artistic prosperity.

In the 15 years I’ve lived in Brooklyn, I’ve been lucky enough to get know three such amazing individuals: Arnold Lehman of the Brooklyn Museum (about whom I wrote in the October 2014 issue); Susan Feldman of St. Ann’s Warehouse (about whom I hope to write in the near future); and, perhaps the most knock-’em-dead cultural leader of all and the greatest arts administrator I know, Karen Brooks Hopkins, the retiring head of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, known by its thousands of adherents as “BAM” (pronounced the way it looks).

Brooklyn is currently experiencing a multi-faceted boom as dynamic as any modern city ever has. The rush for living spaces hasn’t yet come to dueling pistols at 20 paces, but that can’t be far off. Indeed, Brooklyn could fairly be said to be experiencing three booms simultaneously. The first is whatever’s going on in Williamsburg—the flowering of a certain kind of attitude expressed in a lifestyle that emphasizes what some call “hipness” and is seen in the restaurants and clubs of the moment. Next, off to the right on the map, are neighborhoods like Crown Heights, Bushwick, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, names once identified with drugs and gang violence, but are now positively sublime as eastward the course of gentrification takes its way. They’ve become swathed in an agreeable bohemian glow fringed with the insistent glitter of breathlessly increasing real estate prices.

Finally, grandest and most diverse of all, there’s the area that begins in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and sweeps southward, encompassing Fort Greene and the world of Pratt and BAM, DUMBO (where I live), Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn 62 QUEST

and the new Barclay’s Center, the genteel precincts bounded by Atlantic Avenue, Prospect Park (I had to fit Park Slope in here somehow, although it is a societal enigma I am nowhere close to solving), and ending under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) at Red Hook and the upper reaches of New York Harbor.

BAM sits right in the middle of this, at the southern edge of

This spread: The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a multi-arts center that has been a home to adventurous artists, audiences, and ideas for more than 150 years.

Fort Greene. It has been in business since 1861, which makes it the nation’s oldest continuously operating performing arts venue. For the past 36 years, it has been led by Karen Brooks Hopkins, although she will tell you the equal credit is due to her producing partner, Joseph V. Melillo. Actually Karen’s one of the few people outside of a sheikdom who can claim two life

partners: Joe Melillo and Ron Feiner, with whom she shares her offstage life.

In 1987, BAM made its first significant physical expansion outside their capacious Peter Jay Sharp building, their café, and the Howard Gilman Opera House, where four movie theaters whose 300,000 annual ticket-buyers help substantially to keep M AY 2 0 1 5 6 3

the BAM lights shining. That year, a decrepit movie palace a block or so away was acquired and rehabilitated into about the best place in which to watch theater that I know of. This is the Harvey, named after Harvey Lichtenstein, the inspired, inventive, quarrelsome, often exasperating visionary who kissed the sleeping BAM princess awake after a long period of dormition.

Karen spent 20 years being mentored by, partnering with, and, I dare say, being yelled at by Lichtenstein. But such personalities often make the best leadership models in the arts, and Karen absorbed those lessons totally and then some (although not the yelling).

Opening the Harvey was a giant leap forward in providing BAM with a really remarkable versatility, an asset (there’s no other word for it) that few if any other venues in the country can match. The Hopkins regime—she took over from Harvey Lichtenstein in 1999—has taken full advantage of these. I have seen Hamlet, starring Simon Russell Beale, on the stage of the enormous Gilman Opera House, and I have seen Hamlet, directed by Peter Brook, in the Harvey. Both were terrific. I have heard David Byrne and Paul Simon at the Gilman, and Jonathan Miller’s staging of Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion in the Harvey.

Both worked wonderfully.

Since then, a number of other important cultural venues have been added in and around BAM. Its own Fisher Building provides space for experimental work, with emphasis on Brooklyn artists. Mark Morris, whose dance, vocal, and orchestral piece L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato is one of the truly towering 64 QUEST

artistic accomplishments of our time, has his own studio building. Across the way, the Theater for a New Audience, a nonBAM company, has a new theater. More will follow.

But here’s the thing. The spirit that moved across the waters in all this was Karen Brooks Hopkins, who understood that if a real cultural complex was in place when the developers arrived (as arrive they would), then any development would have to build around and above the theaters and arts spaces. Culture both high and popular would not be displaced to make room for apartments, but would live in harmony with the newcomers.

And so it has turned out. In the next few years, enough new units will be built in the cultural district to add 12,500 residents.

BAM will surely snag its fair share of these, whether their taste is for theater, film, dance, or music. Culture has a nice way of becoming resurgent when it’s only a few steps away. And this is true whether it’s high-, middle- or lowbrow; whether it’s aimed at graybeards like yours truly dozing sweetly to the threnodies of Bach or the Bard, or at younger, more energetic types who want to dance in the aisles and feast on what’s new and venturesome.

This is what we call foresight. But then foresight might be Karen’s middle name. She came, she saw, she learned, she conquered. She and Joe Melillo are by turns traditional and experimental. As long as it’s good, it deserves to be seen. Brooklyn is a place both polyglot and polymath. The BAM cultural district contains multitudes.

In the fall, during its Next Wave Festival, BAM devotes its spaces and its energies to the cutting-edge stuff; right now,

C U LT U R E

This page: The academy has historically been a great cultural boon to the surrounding borough. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: BAM President Karen Brooks Hopkins; the Harvey Theater, named after producer Harvey Lichtenstein; the Peter Jay Sharp building’s main façade with a Beaux-Arts style; BAM is now seen as an urban arts center that focuses on both international arts presentation and local community needs.

there’s a good deal of dance in the programming, because that’s where it’s at. This past fall, you could have heard Shakespeare’s sonnets in German, orchestrated by Rufus Wainwright and directed by Robert Wilson, whose five-hour Einstein on the Beach had the chatterati wetting their pants with excitement three seasons ago. Two years before that, the more conventionally-preferenced among us reveled in a delicious staging of Cimarosa’s Matrimonio Segreto, directed by Jonathan Miller.

This past March, my wife and I heard a killer production of Handel’s Semele, into which were interpolated whatever they call a Minnesinger in Lhasa as well as an interlude of Sumo wrestling. It worked. And by the bye, this adventurous production was underwritten by my generous friend Mercedes Bass, a longtime pillar of the Metropolitan Opera. She sat across the aisle from us and enjoyed every note. When pedigreed Manhattan money crosses the river to support Brooklyn-based cultural enterprise, that tells you something.

These have been incredible years for Brooklyn. When I came to live here, there was no real wealth in the borough. Now there is, in real estate mainly, but also in technology, finance, and hives of activity like the Navy Yard. Hard to imagine a future brighter than the immediate past, but I suspect that’s the way it’ll turn out. There’s kind of a sad irony, though.

Brooklyn’s enjoying the beginning of what promises to be a hyper-Warholian decade of fame and fortune, and two of the people who have most made that possible, Arnold Lehman and Karen Brooks Hopkins, are taking their curtain calls. Karen

will retire, she says, but she has a book to write about arts administration with examples and advice drawn from actual passages in her BAM life. She also wants to be available to her successor, Katy Clark, a young woman who’s made a fine, fine institution of the St. Luke’s Orchestra.

If it were my call, I’d say Karen’s proudest accomplishment, reflective both of her genius and the Brooklyn Renaissance, is a simple demographic fact. Five years ago, I recall asking her how BAM’s overall audience broke down between the home borough and the rest of the city. It was around 50-50. When I called on her the other day and asked the same question, the answer was that BAM’s Brooklyn-based audience now greatly outnumbers its Manhattan constituency, possibly by as much as 65% to 35% of its audience.

Of course, you don’t do all this by yourself. Karen will be the first to tell you she’s had a great and supportive board, a loyal and super-competent staff, and that’s certainly true, but in my judgment the key factor has been that creative, innovative artists want to appear at BAM. They prosper artistically when working with kindred spirits like Karen and Joe, who “get” what they do.

The great performers and the great ensembles aren’t at BAM because of the architecture and acoustics and the Brooklyn vibe, it’s the cultural hospitality of the place that seduces them.

What’s Karen’s secret, then? “Good manners and common sense,” is what she told me. To which I can only say, “Amen,” and then, joining the thousands upon thousands of her fans, to add: You done good, honey. So thanks, and happy trails. u M AY 2 0 1 5 6 5

LI F OFO ES DT& Y LLEI F&ESTY F OOD LE

IN SEARCH OF PERFECT ASPARAGUS

BY ALEX HITZ

66 QUEST

HOLLAND

AISE SAUC

SPARAGUS PERFECT A

you will have d I guarantee an s, on ti ec ir excellent ese easy d thing less—an no Just follow th e, or m ng or to serve agus. Nothi ndaise sauce, la ol Perfect Aspar H a or e ith vinaigrett first course w y main dish. animent to an as an accomp ings Yield: 4–6 serv Ingredients: asparagus salt, divided • 2 bunches s ½ teaspoon lu p ns oo p as • 2 te utter oons salted b • 2 tablesp ck pepper n ground bla • ¼ teaspoo Preparation: eat, bring over a high h ot kp oc st ed salt. With a ium-siz teaspoons of • In a med o tw d ad d us stems a boil an of the asparag f the water to al h l ee p y ler, lightl vegetable pee p of des. combine 1 cu on all four si a large bowl, In h. at b e ic an • Prepare ice cubes. r d two cups of d boil them fo an er at cold w oiling water an b to in us ag aspar • Drop the actly. as not to ex s e ice bath so 30 second th to in us ag nder. the aspar them in a cola • Remove d then drain an r, e butter he th rt t fu m heat, mel cook them iu ed m a er epper. l skillet ov ound black p gr e • In a smal th d an lt aspoon of sa er you desire, and add ½ te r serving platt ve te ha w on us Place asparag us, and serve. er the asparag ov r te ut b e th pour

Yield: 1 cup, 16

E

tablespoons

Ingredients: • 4 egg yo lks • 1 tablesp oon water • 8 tablesp oons butter (o ne stick) • 2 tablesp oons lemon juice • ½ teaspoo n salt • 1 pinch ground whit e pepper P re paration: • Combin e all of the in gredients ex in the bowl of cept the butt a food proce er ssor fitted w blade. Proce ith the metal ss the ingred ients until th sticky, appro ey are pale an ximately 3–4 d minutes.

• Melt th e butter in a h ea vy saucepan is bubbling, . When it pour it into a measuring it easier to p cup to make our, and then immediately bubbling bu pour the tter through the top slee food process ve o f the or slowly, d roplet by dro it is running. plet, while • When th e butter is fu lly incorpora sauce is finis ted, the hed. Turn o ff the processo serve the sa r, and uce immedia tely.

This page: Alex Hitz’s recipes to guide you to guaranteed Perfect Asparagus. Opposite page: The proof is in the pudding (or the Hollandaise).

D E B O R A H W H I T L A W LLE W E LLY N

THESE DAYS, it’s hard to imagine true

seasonality in food, even though you may read about it every day. While everything seems to be available always, corn on the cob isn’t right for December, blueberries won’t cut it in March, and root vegetables, even if they’re made into a salad, are verboten in July. You get it—but here’s another ploy: there’s a huge difference between organic and seasonal, and most people just don’t know the difference. You may be able to buy organic tomatoes year-round, but that doesn’t mean they’re good, and if we’re going to split hairs, let’s talk about local. I see that directional claimed on lots of menus, but just let’s not forget that local can mean as far as seven hours away.

These are all buzzwords for today and their importance is paramount— never to be diminished—but, gosh, are they misused. And misconstrued. Not to preach, but if you care, you’ve just got to learn the difference. Nothing’s always great. That’s life!

Growing up, I had a foodie mother who also happened to be a complete, zillion-percent Francophile. We had a house in Southwest France, and every time we had more than three days off from school she would haul us there.

My best memories of France—unlike America in the ’70s and ’80s—are about what foods were best at what time of the year. Let’s just say I fell in love with flavor: those succulent summer melons from Cavaillon, the heirloom tomatoes from a nearby farmer in late August, the delicate sweet pea and lettuce salads in the spring, the pureness of the fall’s figs. Fig Newtons back home in Atlanta didn’t taste like that. At Christmas there was a fat duck to cook, and baby lamb or rabbit in April, although nobody could ever convince me on that one.

Trust me: asparagus season is now.

Spring. Don’t miss it. I’m not saying you can’t enjoy it at other times, but the year-round stringy sticks just don’t hold a candle to the scrumptious majesty of those jumbo spears in May. Even the

white ones—which I normally don’t eat because they’re tasteless—are redeemed a bit in season, if only fleetingly.

Here’s my secret for what I consider to be Perfect Asparagus. Nothing more, nothing less. Perfect every time—I guarantee it. Do it in the spring for maximum results. And, as a bonus, here’s the easiest, best Hollandaise sauce in the world, which you can whip up in the Cuisinart or in the blender. Such a snap. And let’s face it—everything, even aspirin, is better with Hollandaise sauce.

A confession: Pollyanna I am not. I do serve asparagus at other times of the year, so don’t shoot yourself if you’re guilty. But the message is clear: there’s a right time for everything. Stay confident: don’t be shy about shying away from ingredients or trendy menu items if you don’t think the season is now. It’s easy, and you’ll appreciate the real glory of true seasonality in its essence. And, most of all, remember: don’t believe everything you read. Happy cooking! u M AY 2 0 1 5 6 7

QUEST

Fresh Finds

BY DA N I E L C A P P E L LO A N D E L I Z A B E T H M E I G H E R

ROUGH WINDS MIGHT SHAKE the darling buds of May in

Now this is how to tell time:

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, but we’ve never been more eager for summer’s temperate days to come. To prep for sunnier times, we’ve picked some seasonally breezy fashions, scents, and flavors to carry us through. And, to kick things off for our annual Jewelry Issue, we just had to drop by Harry Winston for a taste of drop-necklace diamonds.

Wempe’s Helioro BY KIM jeweled watch in 18-kt. rose

Talk to us, Harry— with the 81.85-ct.

Secret Cluster diamond necklace set in platinum.

Price upon request.

Harry Winston: 718 Fifth Ave., 800.988.4110, or harrywinston.com.

Keep it cropped in Dennis Basso’s bamboo-printed scuba dress ($2,700) and white leather cropped jacket ($2,800),

With a two-tone twist, Stuart Weitzman updates a classic staple borrowed from men’s wear in the form of the School Days loafer in sea vecchio nappa leather. $398 at stuartweitzman.com.

both available at the Dennis Basso Flagship: 825 Madison Ave., 212.794.4500.

The Betteridge Collection 18-kt. white gold and diamond chandelier earrings are one special way to light up her life. $10,500. Betteridge: 117 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich, Conn., 203.869.0124.

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gold, diamonds, and white mother of pearl on a full-cut crocodile strap. $39,650 at Wempe: 700 Fifth Ave.

Pick up any—or all—of Roberto Coin’s Garden cocktail rings set in yellow gold with amethyst ($7,980), “London Fog” blue topaz ($9,140), or rock

The hunt for

quartz ($6,700), at Neiman Marcus

the perfect

stores nationwide.

summer bag is over with Hunter Boot’s Original Silicone Tote Bag, pictured here in dusty lavender (other colors available). $95 at us.hunterboots.com.

Nicole Romano’s individualistic take on hand-crafted jewelry is on full display in this pair of mixed-media earrings, which show off Romano’s signature extreme proportions. $225 at nicoleromano.com.

With hints of sea breeze, apple blossom, and coffee, diptyque’s latest eau de toilette—Florabellio—is a veritable walk of nature, from woods to shore. $90 for 50 ml. at diptyque: 971 Madison Ave.

The brigade de cuisine at La Rocca di Castelfalfi, the Tuscan bistro at Toscana Resort Castelfalfi, is headed

by Michelin-starred chef Michele Rinaldi, making your stay in Tuscany even more of a dream. To book a stay, visit castelfalfi.it.

Keep things breezy chic in pleated silkcottons from everyone’s favorite brand Band of Outsiders, now with a SoHo shop at 70 Wooster St.,

P H OTO C R E D I T G O E S H E R E

212.965.1313.

Scully & Scully elevates the elegance of pearls with its Three String Pearl Bracelet with a clasp of sapphires, diamonds, and 18-kt. white gold. $4,950.

Scully & Scully: 504 Park Ave., 212.755.2590.

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AUDAX

MATT WINN: FATHER OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY

THE FIRST SATURDAY in May is fast

approaching, and with it, the 141st renewal of the Kentucky Derby at Louisville’s storied Churchill Downs. The “Run for the Roses,” as the Derby is known, was founded by Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., a grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition. He organized the Louisville Jockey Club, and on May 17, 1875, in front of a crowd of 10,000 people, a colt named Aristides defeated fourteen other three-year-olds to win the first Derby.

The track encountered financial difficulties, and its success was not secured until 1902, when Colonel Matt J. Winn put together a syndicate of local businessman to acquire Churchill Downs. Under Matt Winn’s management, Churchill Downs broke away from the Western Turf Association, prospered, and the Kentucky Derby became the preeminent stakes race for three-year-olds in North America throughout Winn’s long life (he died in 1949, having attended the Derby for three-quarters of a century).

There is a New York connection between Col. Winn and horseracing that bears recalling at this time of year. Once Matt Winn had put the Kentucky Derby on its path to preeminence, he was asked by grocery magnate James Butler to do the same with Butler’s recently acquired track, Empire City, in Yonkers. Empire had been a trotting track originally, but with the closing of Jerome (named for Leonard Jerome, the American grandfather of Winston Churchill) and Morris (named for Chappy’s great-grandfather) Parks in The Bronx, Butler wanted to provide a venue for racing fans to enjoy 72 QUEST

This page: The author’s great-grandfather, James Butler, with Colonel Matt Winn.

the sport in Westchester County.

The problem was that racing in New York State was controlled by the Jockey Club, organized by August Belmont, Leonard Jerome, Harry Knapp, and other WASP grandees. When an upstart Irishman like James Butler applied for racing dates in competition with Saratoga, they wasted no time in turning him down.

A Chicago horseman, Big Ed Corrigan, introduced Butler to Winn. “You’re a fighter,” Butler said, “And I’m a fighter. I want you to join with me.” Winn answered, “So you want to race at Empire City, Belmont or no Belmont, Jockey Club dates or no Jockey Club dates?”

“That’s right,” Butler answered. “Fact is, I started to put on a meeting, but the horsemen, jockeys, bookmakers, the whole kaboodle, turned me down. They said if they operated at Empire without a Jockey Club OK, they would be blacklisted at all the other New York tracks.”

Winn suggested Butler go to court and get an order from a judge directing the Jockey Club to give him a license to operate a race track. A license wouldn’t get him dates from the Jockey Club, but before he could run a race track, he must have a track owner’s operating license.

Butler accepted Winn’s suggestion and went to court. After a long and bitter

battle with the Jockey Club, he won the right to a license. But he still had to get dates for a race meeting from the Jockey Club, which meant another fight. Years later Winn recalled, “I knew that August Belmont and the Jockey Club gang would put up a fight to stop us, and why not?

They had enjoyed a monopoly in New York State for 35 or 40 years. Jim Butler and I, on the other hand, had the right to break into New York racing, if we could.”

Winn devised an ingenious strategy. “I rounded up the operators of the tracks in New Orleans and the tracks other than Churchill Downs in Kentucky. I talked to owners and bookmakers too. I proposed a circuit: Empire City in August, then to Kentucky, then to New Orleans for

overturn the Appellate Court’s decision to grant racing dates.”

To the Jockey Club’s surprise, however, the Supreme Court did not overturn the lower court’s ruling giving Empire City racing dates. In August 1907, “The Little Track That Could” opened in direct competition to Saratoga with 76 entries on a card of six races, and more than 10,000 downstate racing fans thronged through the gates. The meeting went on to be a rip-roaring success, and finally the Jockey Club conceded defeat.

The Empire City race meeting went on for another four decades, though not without an interruption in 1910–13, when anti-gambling reformers succeeded in banning racing from New York. Winn

characteristically blunt, “Then what the hell are we waiting for?”

The Juarez Jockey Club was formed, and the track was named Terrazas Park.

Harry M. Stevens, the hot dog king, took the restaurant concession. “In those days El Paso was the last frontier of the old West, full of gambling houses. The houses in the red light district were like palaces.

There was boxing, bull fights, aristocrats and brigands, the 400 and ladies of the night, all together.”

Pancho Villa and his men rode into town one day. “Villa bet $50 on a tip and watched the race from the judges’ stand.

Two horses crossed the finish line closer than a frugal Scotsman’s pocketbook. The other horse won the race, and Villa’s side-

This page, clockwise from top left: Winn; Churchill Downs clubhouse, 1875; Churchill Downs grandstand; Winn, Pancho Villa, Butler, and more, 1915; Juarez grandstand, 1911; first Derby winner Aristedes.

winter racing, back to Kentucky for the spring of the year, and north in August to Empire City. That way they knew that even being blacklisted by the Jockey Club couldn’t stop them from racing all the year ’round.” The fight was covered gleefully in the newspapers of the day. Butler and Winn won a lower court ruling, and the starchy August Belmont made the Jockey Club’s opposition crystal clear in a formal announcement: “We have great solicitude that the holding of the Empire City meeting will not be in the best interests of racing, and we believe that the Supreme Court of New York will

and Butler’s response was to buy Laurel Racecourse outside of Washington and to race there. But Winn recognized that to save the sport, they needed a southern circuit as well and came up with an idea.

“I talked to Jack Follansbee, who runs the Hearst mining interests in Mexico, and Albert Terrazas, whose father is the cattle king of the entire country,” Winn told Butler. “They have some property near the center of Juarez we could use.

There are no signs of any anti-racing laws in Mexico. We could have winter racing there far beyond the reach of the reformers.” James Butler’s answer was

kick, the butcher seethed. ‘It is wrong,’ he said, and drew his pistol. There was an awful moment of silence. Then Villa twirled his own revolver and said, ‘My horse did not win. The other one won.’”

The 2015 Derby will be colorful but not as dangerous as Juarez! This year’s leading contenders include Tampa Bay Derby winner Carpe Diem, Gotham winner El Kabeir and, representing the left coast, San Felipe winner Dortmund. They say that Colonel Matt Winn still watches the Derby—though from a seat with a better view than he had in the infield in 1875. Will you? u M AY 2 0 1 5 7 3

CANTEENS

A TASTE OF NEW FRENCH CHIVALRY

BY DANIEL CAPPELLO PHOTOGRAPHED BY JULIE SKARRATT

IF YOU’VE EVER enjoyed wine from a heavy-stemmed, hexagonally footed Baccarat crystal glass, like the iconic Harcourt 1841, then you’ve had a taste of royalty. Baccarat—synonymous with ne plus ultra luxury in its every element, dimension, and design—is the famous manufacturer of fine crystal objets located in Baccarat, France. Founded as a glassworks company in 1764 by order of King Louis XV, the house originally created glass windowpanes, mirrors, and stemware until 1816, when the first crystal oven went into production. Royal commissions for crystal quickly followed, and a legend of French quality and craft was born. Today, some of the producer’s most polished and gleaming chandeliers continue to wield a radiant, regal glow of a bygone era in Dolmabahçe Palace, the onetime seat of the Ottoman Empire on the Bosporus Strait, while the French president and his guests at the Élysée Palace continue to enjoy St.-Émilion sipped from the beveled geometry of the Harcourt 1841.

Whether private or presidential, households have long been able to boast of Baccarat collections of varying degrees, but only recently has the Baccarat experience been brought to an absolute order. This spring, with the opening of the Baccarat Hotel and Residences New York, just steps from Fifth Avenue and across from the Museum of Modern Art, for the very first time we’ve been invited to experience a Baccarat hotel, where every corner seems carved in crystal. “I wanted to celebrate light,” says Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, the parent of the hotel brand management company This spread: Chevalier’s restaurant director, Charles Masson, who personally arranges all the flowers and greets each guest, is a familiar face in the New York restaurant world, having previously managed his family’s landmark gastronomic institution, La Grenouille, for almost four decades.

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responsible for the Baccarat, “and to produce a hotel that glowed, and was shimmering, sensual, elegant—but still functional, fun, comfortable, and not overly formal.” And shimmer it does, both inside and out, from palace-worthy chandeliers to the 125-foot-wide corrugated crystal “curtain” that veils the exterior. And even though you might be one to set your own dining table with a Baccarat glass and decanter or two, never have you dined in such sweeping Baccarat style as in Chevalier, the in-house brasserie de luxe designed by Stephen Sills and helmed by the fabled face of haute midtown dining, Charles Masson, who for almost four decades was the courteous head and lifeblood of Manhattan’s celebrated La Grenouille.

Masson, who is serving as restaurant director for Chevalier, is as affable and accommodating as ever, personally greeting patrons and walking them to their tables. He is quick with a handshake or a kiss on the cheek, and always ready with a recommendation (you’d be wise to follow his lead on the white asparagus salad accompanied by plenty of bubbles to wash it down—Ruinart Champagne, we found, works

M E N U S CO U RTE S Y O F C H E VA L I E R

CANTEENS

quite fine). Masson, like the color palette and materials used throughout Chevalier, is both light and luminous, lending an air of relaxed formality. His gray and blue suits fit in well against the amber and mica colors in the space; the flowers, arranged by his own hand, continue to impress in both their voluminous public displays and tasteful tabletop adornments. That asparagus salad, with the rest of executive chef Shea Gallante’s modern interpretations of classic French cuisine, captures the best flavors of the season and celebrates the finest of ingredients (speaking of fine, the fines herbes–laced risotto with Cantal cheese and balsamic butter is another starter sure to melt your taste buds). If you care to be carried away to Marseille, albeit with a Provençal twist, go for the main-course bouillabaisse, the classic Mediterranean seafood stew flavored here with saffron rouille.

Though the restaurant’s name might invoke a French order of chivalry or order of merit (which it might very well claim), it is actually an homage to the longtime Baccarat creative director Georges Chevalier, who carried the house to great repute in the 20th century. One wonders what his interpretation of a Baccaratinspired restaurant might have looked like, but sitting on hexagonal-topped stools at the bar (a subtle nod to the brand’s heritage) and staring out on a sea of Baccarat water glasses and tabletop torchieres, you’re just glad to be here. u

This page: The main dining room (above); a banquette in the back (below).

Opposite page: Executive chef Shea Gallante (above); the modern French menu (below). Chevalier: 20 West 53rd Street (at the Baccarat Hotel); Monday–Saturday, 5–10:30 p.m.; 212.790.8869 or chevaliernyc.com.

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A PHYSICAL RENOVATION SPAWNS INVENTIVE IDEAS

BY ALEX R. TRAVERS

SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM

M AT T F LY N N © CO O P E R H E W I T T,

MUSEUMS

BACK IN 2008, the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum began a $91 million restoration.

During the construction, the curators and directors began to think about what it means to be a museum in the age of the Internet. So when they re-opened the museum—which was once Andrew Carnegie’s 91st Street mansion—in December 2014, visitors encountered something entirely new.

Active participation at museums has continued to evolve in recent years. At the new Cooper Hewitt (seems they’ve dropped the hyphen), there is a space

An installation view of Immersion Room at the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

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on the second floor that uses digital projections to highlight the museum’s impressive collection of wallcoverings. Using a stylus pen that you are given once you purchase your admission ticket, you can select patterns on a computer screen and project them onto large floor-to-ceiling walls. There are a few ways to experience this particular installation: you can stand back and watch the archival designs dance across the walls or sketch out your own creations and witness them come to life. I observed a woman quickly draw out lenticular lines on the computer in the center of the room. Right away, her movements translated into streaky wisp-like patterns on the walls—sometimes with colors and shapes so psychedelic I became entranced. The Immersion Room they call it; all should engage.

But in a way, even an experience of that kind lasts only for a few moments. Often, I found myself rushing through the rooms, distracted by others’ participation with the many computers. In my case, I assessed my trip by ticking off what I did against what the website suggested was new and exciting, or even against the digital Collection Browser, a series of computers installed on seven tables throughout the museum, which give you access to what you can see while you are there. While the Collection Browser can be informative, it’s not really entertaining. Much better to let your eyes lead you to other corners of the museum.

The pen, I found, was useful for its ability to vividly interact with many of the installations—to watch your ideas instantly come to life on a larger screen. If on your visit, you see something that you particularly like, you can take the eraser side of your stylus, hold it for a moment to a “+” icon, and wait for it to vibrate. Once you’ve done this, you’ve now saved that object, meaning that you can access it from home. The technology is noteworthy, though even the press release seems to know that the “object saved” function is not vital to the museum-going process. “Cooper Hewitt remain[s] true to the vision of its founders, Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt,” it reads, “who intended it as ‘a practical working laboratory,’ where students and designers could be inspired by actual objects.” Shouldn’t the thrill, then, come from seeing—or re-seeing—those objects in person?

Another reason to go visit Copper Hewitt, I suppose, is what you will discover architecturally. Judging by their website, there appears to be two main interest groups—the modern design aficionados and the history buffs. The history buffs tend to be drawn to the original 1902 Babb, Cook and Willard mansion details, especially the Gilded Age oak. Much of it has been restored and the museum claims to have included 60 percent more gallery space, which is used for public exhibitions. As we know from the Whitney’s clever move downtown, more space means more room to show permanent collections. And that’s always a boon for visitors. u This spread, clockwise from top left: The museum’s southwest signage; the Spoon gallery (above); Abraham Lincoln’s watch (below); Cooper Hewitt’s Campus, captured by Elizabeth Felicella; “Zig-Zag Chair” (2014)

by Maira Kalman; mold-blown muslin glass, circa 1926; the SHOP at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

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M AT T F LY N N ; E L I Z A B E T H F E L I C E LL A © 2 0 1 4 CO O P E R H E W I T T, S M I T H S O N I A N D E S I G N M U S E U M

MUSEUMS

BOOKS

TALE AS OLD AS TIME THIS SEASON, HISTORIAN Nicholas Foulkes presents The Impossible Collection of Watches (Assouline), a record of the 100 watches that he considers to be representative of the 20th century. The pieces were selected for their costliness and innovation, among other virtues, providing a narrative of the

era. “In essence I have approached the job of selecting the pieces for this imaginary collection in much the same way that I have approached buying watches over the last 30-something years: choosing the ones I would like to own,” explains Foulkes in the introduction. “I have tried to select watches that mean something, whether they are, like the ones Andrew Grima designed for Omega, an expression of the prevailing tastes of time in which they were made, or an example of the highes evolution of horological science at a given time. As examples of the latter, no survey of portable mechanical timepieces would be complete without the fabled Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication or that company’s Calibre 89: two of 20thcentury watchmaking’s greatest masterpieces.”

The pages of The Impossible Collection of Watches are rife with history, starting with the advent of World War I (which spurred the shift from pocketwatches to wristwatches). In the mid-1940s, makers were competing to determine the best chronometers. But by 1966, with the introduction of quartz technology, the digital watch seemed prepared to outdo the mechanical watch. (“Even men who owned expensive watches can’t wait to get their hands on this one[, the digital watch]. But then men are so gadget-minded,” said an employee of Tiffany & Co. to The New York Times.)

And so it goes in The Impossible Collection of Watches, through to 2000, with the arrival of the Internet and the availability of time on our many, many screens. This tale is told through the ticks and tocks of Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, JaegerLeCoultre, Patek Philippe, and Rolex—a tale of our times, with a wealth of imagery to illustrate. u This page: The Impossible Collection of Watches by Nicholas Foulkes (Assouline) documents the evolution of watches, providing a narrative of our culture.

CO U RTE S Y O F A S S O U L I N E

Watches can chronicle the 20th century, an era that was eventful for a host of reasons—especially in terms of advances in technology. Nicholas Foulkes, through The Impossible Collection of Watches, selects the ones that punctuated the period.

This page, from top to bottom: Three images of the Patek Philippe “Star Caliber,” which employs 1,100 components to replicate the movements of the heavens and more; this Vacheron Constantin cost $5 million in 1979, as purchased by a mystery buyer who concealed his identity—with legal protection; at 11 centimeters in diameter, this Heuer (which was designed to record the time of trips in automobiles and planes) is less of a watch and more of a clock.

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MARRIAGES

BY ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN

Sarah Hayward & Philip Negus OctOber 25, 2014 • charlestOn, sOuth carOlina

Guests were gathered at Lowndes Grove Plantation for the wedding, which included Andrew Chatzky as best man and Andi Dorfman as maid of honor. Sarah wore a dress by Anne Barge and carried a bouquet of white roses with ranunculus.

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V I R G I L B U N AO P H OTO G R A P H Y

The couple danced to “Crazy Love” by Van Morrison.

Later, Philip would seranade Sarah with “You Shook Me All Night Long” by ACDC. at the after-party.

Philip proposed to Sarah with the help of their Golden Retriever, who played a part in the ceremony. Following the wedding, the couple traveled to St. Barths and Nevis.

WEDDINGS

MARRIAGES Cub Barrett & Chris Rovzar september 20, 2014 • bOOthbay harbOr, maine

L I WA R D O F FAT O R A N G E C AT S T U D I O

The couple was married at the Spruce Point Inn, where they danced to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” performed by Soul of Boston.

The best man was Chris’s brother, Leigh Rovzar, and the matron of honor was Cub’s sister, Heather Barrett Bankoff.

Cub proposed to Chris with Tiffany & Co. cuff links in the shape of tiny planes, a nod to the joining of families. (Cub’s great grandather, William T. Piper, was a leader in American aviation.)

Bob Barrett, Susan Rovzar, Betsy Barrett, and Thomas Sitzmann celebrated Chris and Cub’s nuptials and happy day.

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MARRIAGES Nicole Fusaro & Brendan O’Reilly January 2, 2015 • Palm Beach, Florida

The Palm Beach Pipe & Drums announced the couple at the reception, which took place at the Flagler Museum. Later, the groom’s neice performed an Irish stepdance for the guests.

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The bride and groom hail from Westport, Connecticut, and Mullahoran Parish, County Cavan, Ireland, respectively.

N AT U R A L E X P R E S S I O N S

The bride wore a dress by Alvina Valenta, carrying a bouquet of hydrangeas, hypericum berries, ranunculus, roses, and sweet pea.

C A P E H A RT P H OTO G R A P H Y

The couple said “I do” at Saint Ann Church in West Palm Beach, Florida, before dancing to “Home” by Phillip Phillips at the reception.

WEDDINGS

A MY S TA H U L A K ( N O O R A A N D RYA N ) ; LU C Y B RO W N A R M S T RO N G ( F R A N C E S C A A N D C H A R LE S )

ENGAGEMENTS

Noora Raj & Ryan Brown

Hilary Jordan & Dack Patriarca

Francesca Fay & Charles Darling

Noora Raj and Ryan Brown will be married on July 2, 2016, at Il Riccio in Capri, Italy. At the wedding, Nisha Mannath and Olga Viner will serve as maids of honor and Kevin Brown will serve as best man.

The bride (a graduate of the University of California, San Diego from Palo Alto, California) and the groom (a graduate of California Polytechnic State University from Los Angeles, California) met in college through mutual friends.

However, they didn’t date until after college, when they bumped into each other on the West Coast.

Ryan proposed to Noora on the morning of Christmas Eve at The Getty in Los Angeles, California— the location of their first date. “This place brought us together four years ago,” said Ryan, presenting a ring on one knee, “I hope this brings us together for the rest of our lives.”

Family and friends joined the celebration at brunch at The St. Regis Monarch Beach.

The couple lives in the West Village, where they’re renovating their home on Hudson Street.

Hilary Jordan and Dack Patriarca will be married within the year at a destination that will ask the guests to travel—which makes sense, given the fact that the bride and groom are pilots. “We want to give our close friends and immediate family a great adventure,” says Hilary.

The couple met in 2007 in Providence, Rhode Island, and were set up on a date to go flying by the groom’s father, the late Dirk Patriarca.

Hilary (a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design from Concord, North Carolina) and Dack (a graduate of the Wentworth Institute of Technology from Providence, Rhode Island) endeavor to live a busy, unique, and well-traveled life while keeping happiness as their core, striving for self-improvement, and contributing to their community. They love their little black Schnauzer named Nero and enjoy art, design, and contemporary and modern architecture.

They couple became engaged while piloting a helicopter from Rhode Island to Florida.

Francesca Finn Fay and Charles Melvin Darling V will be married in September 2015 at the Burlingame Country Club in Hillsborough, California. The wedding will be “bohemian chic,” set beneath the redwood trees and the sparkle of stringed lights. For the occasion, the couple has asked Alexandra Fay Baker to serve as matron of honor and Christopher Brogan Darling and Ainar James Dalton Aijala III to serve as best men.

The bride (a graduate of Unversity of Colorado, Boulder from San Francisco, California) and the groom (a graduate of Columbia University from Houston, Texas, and Washington, D.C.) met at a philanthropic event in New York City, when they lived on the East Coast.

Charles proposed to Francesca at their home in San Francisco, California, with the help of their Jack Russell, Lola. To celebrate, their friends joined them for brunch at the famous Balboa Café.

Francesca is a recruiter for Alain J. Blair and Charles is the C.E.O. of West Avenue Group. u

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ART

A SLICE OF LIFE: THEODORE COLEBROOK

BY KATE GUBELMANN 88 QUEST

This page: An example of Theodore Colebrook’s ability to capture intimate moments in his subjects’ lives. Oil on linen, 24 x 32 inches (above); the artist at work, who currently lives in San Francisco (below). Opposite page: Donald Ross, Chairman of The Preservation Society of

CO U RTE S Y O F T H E O D O R E CO LE B RO O K

Newport County, is a great supporter of Colebrook’s work, including the one seen here. Oil on paper, 12 x 9 inches.

FEW OF US DISCOVER our passion, much less our profession, in second grade. Theodore "Ted" Colebrook is one of those few. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ted took his art seriously from a very early age. Sixty years later, he is still passionate about painting and has become a highly successful and a well-regarded artist. Although Colebrook is as adept at seascapes as he is with portraiture, he has spent this past winter in Florida painting interiors.

The tradition of depicting interiors is long-standing in an artist’s oeuvre. The 17th-century painters gave us glimpses of royal households, as did the Dutch with their wealthy merchants. This trend continues with the 19th-century interiors of the Biedermeier, showing us their unmistakable style. Walter Gay (1856–1937), an important influence in Colebrook’s work, brought modernity to the genre, as he depicted the society of his day.

In more recent times, Julian Barrow comes to mind. A peripatetic Englishman, he was equally at home on the banks of the Ganges as he was in the most opulent living room.

With both Barrow and Colebrook, the client often becomes a life-long friend, giving the artist an even better underM AY 2 0 1 5 8 9

ART

standing of how to best construct a composition to reflect the patron’s personality and interests. Whether or not the client occupies the interior of his or her domain, these are not virtual catalogues of spaces, but an artistic expression of how people live.

The recent works of Colebrook’s interiors reflect this slice of a person’s life. Generally, his works are verticals of oil on linen or prepared paper, which become windows on an intimate environment. He believes his work is a combination of “color, prospective, anatomy and composition,” but it is the composition “without which there is no staying power.” Once he has determined his point of view, Colebrook devotes himself to capturing what has intrigued him. Often the client is surprised by what has caught his fancy. In fact, most clients find their space has obtained a sense of grandeur; their eye has taken for granted something that Colebrook has found compelling.

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As Colebrook continues the tradition of the interior genre, he can claim also a fellowship with the itinerant painter. As peripatetic as Julian Barrow, Colebrook travels extensively, mostly from job site to job site, earning his way by word of mouth. Society has kept him very busy, and a year’s work could produce 150 pieces. His popularity is not relegated to his talent as a painter: he is an engaging conversationalist, and his enthusiasm for a multitude of subjects is infectious.

However, his discretion on the topic of his clients is remarkable. Although he shares his version of one’s personal space, he does not share any of the confidences from within. With his interiors, Ted is continuing an art of a long tradition, yet he is contemporary in his style: his composition makes the eye wander, and the mind wonders what could be behind that door. brook.com. Get in touch so he can show you how grandly you live! u

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The recent works of Colebrook’s interiors reflect this slice of a person’s life. Generally, his works are verticals of oil on linen or prepared paper, which become windows on an intimate environment.

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This page: Colebrook’s painting style is reminiscent of Walter Gay and Julian Barrow, able to reflect owners’ personalities in their interiors. Opposite page: One of the details in this particular composition is a work by Pablo Picasso, which Colebrook was able to capture in the artist’s own style. Oil on linen, 16 x 20 inches.

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NAME

AWA R D S

THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST BRINGING TOGETHER glamorous people and beautiful piec-

This spread, clockwise from top left: Parsons the New School for Design; Prince and Princess Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark; National Jewelry Institute President Judith Price and Parsons Executive Dean Joel Towers; the Louvre Museum; Parsons’ façade.

es, the National Jewelry Institute (NJI) and Parsons the New School of Design are proud to announce the inaugural High Jewelry and Timepieces Awards ceremony. The event will take place at Hôtel Le Bristol in Paris on the evening of July 5, 2015.

NJI President Judith Prince explains, “We will recognize the best single piece of every fine jewelry and timepiece collection from all the leading brands. Hence, it is not a competition so much as the first effort to elevate haute joaillerie and timepieces in the way current events have always recognized haute couture.”

The awards will be celebrated the following evening at a gala dinner at the Musée du Louvre on July 6. Their debut coincides with Haute Couture Week in order to highlight the importance of jewelry and fine timepieces as essential elements of style and elegance.

The awards are for the most exceptional designs of the new season and will be conferred by a jury comprised of renowned experts including: Price; Joel Towers, Executive Dean of Parsons the New School of Design; Beatrix Saule, Curator of Versailles; Aymeric Zublena, President of the Académie des Beaux Arts; Vincent Meylan, noted author and historian; and Ben Clymer, founder of the influential watch publication Hodinkee.

The following evening at Le Louvre, their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Nikolaos of Greece will host a glamorous gala as honorary chairs. Guests will be invited to tour the Louvre’s latest exhibition before a dinner prepared by renowned chef Eric Frechon of Le Bristol.

The event is a joint venture between NJI and Parsons, which maintains campuses in both New York City and Paris. The school offers one-week intensive courses, entitled “The Fine Art of High Jewelry and Timepieces.” The mission of the venture is to elevate the art of fine jewelry and timepieces for study at the university level. Price believes that learning the history and trends of the jewelry industry is vital: “You might not be buying it, but find out about them!” u For more information, visit www.nationaljewelryinstitute.org.

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OPEN HOUSE

11 BRYNWOOD LANE beckons from Greenwich, Connecticut—

has elegant formal rooms, which are great for entertaining, and architectural details that are reminiscent of a pre-war property.”

Designed by Alisberg Parker Architects, the Georgian Colonial boasts six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and two half-bathrooms to measure 8,338 square feet. The interior is airy and elegant, and is decorated with millwork throughout the space. The master bedroom is en suite, including a balcony, two bathrooms, two fireplaces, and a sitting area. The library features a fireplace, opening to a terrace, and the living room features bay windows.

Outside, 11 Brynwood Lane is situated on three acres for a setting that is relaxing and verdant. A heated pool adds to the allure of the property.

“The perfect buyer could be looking for a weekend house, or the buyer could be looking for a family home,” says Joseph Barbieri. “Due to its great layout, which features a level three acres with a pool and room for a tennis court, it fits the bill for both.” u

a property that embodies the charm and values of the town.

Located on a cul-de-sac off Round Hill Road, the home is perfect for those who appreciate elegance and refinement.

“It offers a charming exterior with a beautifully detailed interior,” says Joseph Barbieri of Sotheby’s International Realty. “It

For more information on 11 Brynwood Lane in Greenwich, Connecticut—which is on the market for $5.695 million— contact Joseph Barbieri of Sotheby’s International Realty at 203.618.3112 or Joseph.Barbieri@sothebyshomes.com.

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THE VERDANCE OF GREENWICH

R E AN L AEM ST EAT E

This page, clockwise from above: 11 Brynwood Lane in Greenwich, Connecticut, offers 8,338 square feet of interiors that open to views of the outdoors; the façade of the home is Georgian Colonial, as designed by Alisberg Parker Architects; the heated pool, with customized features, can be used for exercising or for relaxing. Opposite page: The property is listed by Joseph Barbieri of Sotheby’s International Realty for $5.695 million (above); the home is

P H OTO C R E D I T G O E S H E R E

the epitome of elegance, on a cul-de-sac off Round Hill Road (below).

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PROVENANCE IN RHODE ISLAND Q: Please tell us about Fairholme.

A: Fairholme achieves the triple-play of location, beauty, and history. It is perfectly sited on the Atlantic Ocean with south-facing ocean and coastline views.

The impressive 425 feet of ocean frontage maximizes enjoyment of the surf. It offers state-of-the-art systems, is fully air-conditioned, and has an on-demand generator.

From the lap of its original details along with its modern comforts, one can look back in time to the property’s exceptional history and its role at the center of Newport’s Gilded Age. Q: What details nod to the Gilded Age? A: The Drexels enjoyed summers in this seaside villa, where Alice Drexel was known for entertaining on an elaborate scale. A Horace Trumbauer–designed 96 QUEST

ballroom was added and the interior was transformed into European period–style rooms to entertain Vanderbilts, Astors, Van Beurens, and Belmonts.

Q: How has the property been updated for the 21st-century owner?

A: The mechanicals have all been updated and an elevator has been installed to serve all four levels of the main house. The stunning 40-foot-by-70-foot swimming pool received a $1 million remodeling, which included handcrafted tiling.

Q: Please tell us about the history. Who has owned the property?

A: The social history of the property is rich in detail. Fairholme was first created as a “summer cottage” for Fairman Rogers, a wealthy arts patron and engineer from Philadelphia. Twenty years later, the Drexels—also of Philadelphia— purchased the property and promptly enlarged and updated it. The Drexels were very much a part of the Newport summer colony’s social scene, and

Fairholme was the setting for any number of lavish entertainments attended by friends and neighbors. Slightly later, the estate was acquired by the Count and Countess Alphonso Villa. They were followed by industrialist railroad magnate Robert Young. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were close friends of the Youngs and were frequent guests at the estate, as was John F. Kennedy.

Q: Who would be perfect for the property?

A: The sophisticated buyer who can appreciate life within a work of art. With every glance, Fairholme delights. There are spaces both intimate and grand. The access to Newport makes Fairholme a convenient destination as well as an ideal getaway or base for families with children studying in the Northeast. u For more information, contact Melanie Delman of Lila Delman Real Estate International at 401.284.4820 or melanie.delman@liladelman.com.

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FAIRHOLME IN Newport, Rhode Island, is perfect for those who appreciate the Gilded Age. Here, Melanie Delman of Lila Delman Real Estate International speaks on the property:

O P EN NAH MO EU S E

This page: Exteriors and interiors of Fairholme at 237 Ruggles Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, which is on the market for $16.9 million. At the heart of the estate is a beautifully detailed manor house (above right); the pool boasts views of the Atlantic Ocean through a retractable glass door (below); the carriage house (not pictured) offers living quarters and, for the car enthusiast, multiple garage spaces. Opposite page: Fairholme rests on 4.3 acres with 425 feet of coastal frontage.

CALENDAR

MAY

On May 1, the 18th Sailors Ball will take place at the Down Town Association (60 Pine Street) at 9 p.m. The black-tie event will help raise money for a scholarship program which makes it possible for inner-city children to learn to sail. For more information, call 212.422.1982.

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Animal Care and Control’s spring gala will take place at the National Arts Club (15 Gramercy Park South) at 7 p.m. For more information, call 212.475.3424.

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SPRING FLING

The Collegiate Chorale will perform at Carnegie Hall. For more information, call 212.247.7800.

to as the “Hat Luncheon”) will take place at the Central Park Conservatory Garden at 11 a.m. For more information, call 212.310.6675.

Pierre at 6 p.m. The Distinguished Service award will be presented to Frank Bisignano, CEO of First Data. For more information, call 212.841.5206.

HAT TIP

INSPIRED PHILANTHROPY

The Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon (often referred

CASAColumbia will celebrate its 23rd Awards dinner at The

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THE ROAD OF PROMISE

COME MAKE ART

The Children’s Museum of the Arts will celebrate its spring benefit at the museum at noon. For more information, call 917.409.1211.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award will hold its Adventurous Journey dinner and auction at the JW Marriott Essex House at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 917.294.8832.

IMPROVING LIVES

Fountain House will hold a symposium and luncheon at The Pierre at 11:15 a.m. For more information, call 212.8745457.

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A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW

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NYU Langone Medical Center will host its gala at Cipriani 42nd Street at 6 p.m. For more information, call 646.723.0826.

A DUKE’S DINNER

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The American Cancer Society will host a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at the Hudson Theater at the Millennium Broadway Hotel at 6 p.m. For more information, call 212.755.2590.

VIOLET BALL

LUXURIOUS RESIDENCES

On May 18, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston will host a gala honoring American artist John Baldessari at the Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard. For more information, call 617.369.3591.

The New York Junior League will host its 20th Spring House Tour, showcasing some of New York City’s most opulent homes, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 212.288.6220.

CALENDAR

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FAMILY FUN

The Central Park Conservancy’s Family Party will be held at Heckscher Playground at 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 212.310.6675.

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KEEP ON ROCKING

Rock the Room, a benefit concert celebrating PENCIL’s 20th anniversary, will take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center at 6 p.m. For more information, call 212.524,2399.

PROTECT AND NURTURE

On June 2, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will celebrate its spring gala at 7 p.m. This year’s event will mark the opening of the Discovery Garden. For more information, call 212.254.6677.

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The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will celebrate its 2105 gala at the New York Palace Hotel at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 212.997.0100.

The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation will hold its gala at the Metropolitan Club at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 800.457.6676.

A WOMAN’S WORK

ROOFTOP PARTY

The Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York will host its benefit luncheon at the St. Regis Hotel at noon. For more information, call 212.463.0684.

The New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund will host its Kick-Off to Summer event at the Empire Rooftop Bar at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 646.728.4425.

HISTORY BUFFS

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BAL DU PRINTEMPS

The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York will host a gala at the Waldorf=Astoria at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, call 212.524,2399.

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A GOOD START

The SCO Family of Services will hold its benefit at Nassau Country Club. For more information, call 516.671.1253.

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A TOAST TO POLO

The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic will take place at Liberty State Park at 11 a.m. For more information, visit vcpoloclassic.com.

JUNE 2

GARDENS OF BROOKLYN

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden will host its spring gala at 7 p.m. This year’s event will celebrate the opening of the Discovery Garden, a “please touch” garden meant to inspire visitors of all ages. For more information, call 212.254.6677.

DINE AND BID

The Gordon Park Foundation Awards dinner and auction will take place at Cipriani Wall Street at 6:30 p.m. Honorees include: Laurent Claquin, Thornton Dial, Jr., Usher Raymond IV, Robert De Niro, and Grace Hightower De Niro. For more information, call 914.579.1000.

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CARING FOR OUR KIDS

The Partnership with Children will host its 2015 spring gala at Three Sixty Degrees (10 Desbrosses Street). For more information, call 212.689.0500.

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HOT TOWN

Central Park Conservancy’s Taste of Summer event will take place at Bethesda Terrace and Fountain at 7 p.m. For more information, call 212.446.2242.

A GLITTERING BALL

The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Michael Kors will host the 8th annual Spring Ball at the Pierre at 7 p.m. For more information, call 212.639.2103.

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CELEBRATING SUCCESS

Stand Up Against Domestic Violence will honor John Miscione at the Helen Mills Theater at 6 p.m. For more information, call 718.254.9134.

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ART ACCOLADES

PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston will host a gala and award John Baldessari with its SMFA Medal. For more information, call 617.369.3591.

ON BROADWAY

Symphony Space’s 2015 gala will honor Broadway legend Hal Prince at Capitale at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 212.864.1414.

On May 14, The Rockefeller University will host its Women and Science lecture and luncheon at the University at noon. For more information, call 212.327.7728.

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HIGH TIME FOR HIGH JEWELRY

BY DANIEL CAPPELLO

A KISS ON THE HAND may be quite continental, but

CO U RTE S Y O F H A R RY W I N S TO N

diamonds, at least according to the song, are a girl’s best friend. Carol Channing sang it so in the 1949 Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Marilyn Monroe made it a widespread cultural catchphrase in the 1953 film version, especially with the spoken interjection: “Talk to me, Harry Winston, tell me all about it!” A year later, in 1954, Harry Winston would release an ad in which the house’s diamonds seem to tip the scales even for Lady Justice, whose supposed “blind” impartiality is momentarily suspended. Justice, after all, is a lady—and

even this girl seems swayed by an affection for all that ice.

Indeed, the mere mention of diamonds brings the storied house of Harry Winston immediately to mind. As usual, Winston’s diamond offerings this spring don’t fall short, but we’ve also selected some high-jewelry finds from other houses to satisfy any girl. Whether you fancy sapphires or emeralds, golden cuffs or pearls, there’s a little something for everyone from the likes of Verdura, Cartier, Wempe, and Fabergé. For added inspiration, we look to some of the ladies who’ve always shown us—just as Marilyn did—how to wear high jewelry and infuse it with style. u

This page: Harry Winston’s Cluster Diamond Pendant with 155 total diamonds, including a 31-ct. colorless and flawless square emerald-cut diamond. Opposite page: A Harry Winston advertisement from 1954 speaks to the power of the house’s diamonds.

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Channel your inner Jacqueline Kennedy with a pair of elegant evening gloves and the best accessory of all: diamonds. This page, from top right: Wempe’s Papillon Diamond Brooch BY KIM; Verdura’s platinum and diamond Wing earclips; the Folie des Prés diamond necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels; Cento Couture Fiore diamond ring and earrings by Roberto Coin; Buckle Hoop diamond earrings by Seaman Schepps.

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Elizabeth Taylor knew a thing or two about white ice; her husband Richard Burton once gifted her with a 68-ct. diamond that, having become so recognizable around her neck alone, was eventually renamed the Taylor-Burton Diamond. The actress also built a fragrance empire based on her favorite inspiration—White Diamonds. This page, from lower left: Fabergé’s diamond Zhivago ring; the Folie des Prés diamond necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels; Extra Large Winston Cluster diamond earrings by Harry Winston; diamond ring from Chopard’s Green Carpet Collection.

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As if her blue eyes weren’t enchanting enough, Princess Diana knew that a little sapphire goes a long way in lighting up a room. This page, from top: Aquamarine ring with tourmalines and sapphires from Chopard’s Temptations Collection; Cartier’s parrot motif ring in platinum, sapphires, emerald, mother of pearl, and diamonds; Tiffany & Co.’s sapphire tassel necklace with diamonds; Fabergé’s Devotion sapphire ring; Estate Betteridge Collection sapphire and diamond cluster earclips from Betteridge.

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It’s easy to get swept up in a sea of green stones (or one big cluster of them around your neck), especially if you’re a May baby and emerald happens to be your birthstone. This page, from top left: Estate Betteridge Collection emerald and diamond drop earrings from Betteridge; emerald, diamond, and gold snake by David Webb; Panthère de Cartier necklace in white gold, emeralds, onyx, and diamonds; Fabergé’s Emotion green ring features diamonds, emeralds, demantoids, and peridots; Roberto Coin’s Art Deco cocktail ring in green garnet, aquamarine, and diamonds.

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Lauren Bacall was equal parts class and cool no matter what she was wearing. Still, there’s something especially alluring about her with some gold and diamonds (not to mention a drink) in hand. This page, from top: Perlée cuff bracelet in yellow gold and diamonds by Van Cleef & Arpels; Paloma Picasso Olive Leaf cuff from Tiffany & Co.; Honeywood cuff in yellow gold and diamond pavé from MISH; Wempe’s Sensual Slim

BY KIM ring in rose gold and diamonds (bottom left); gold and diamond Kensington cuff by Verdura (bottom right).

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Grace Kelly was living proof that “nothing gives the luxury of pearls,” as one of the 20th century’s most famous fashion icons, editor Diana Vreeland, once observed. This page, from bottom left: Betteridge Collection “Endless” necklace in multicolored South Sea pearls from Betteridge; multicolored pearl rings from the Tiffany Blue Book 2015 “Art of the Sea” collection, from Tiffany & Co.; Hueb’s Romance Multi-Band ring with pearl; strand of multicolor South Sea pearls by Mikimoto; Cartier’s Paris Nouvelle Vague ring in rose gold, diamonds, and pearl; Sputnik bracelet in yellow gold and pearls by Seaman Schepps.

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CARTIER’S ROYAL AFFAIR

CO U RTE S Y O F R I Z Z O L I

BY ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN

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THE ART OF CARTIER is exemplified in its

treatment of the greatest of gems—a skill that emphasizes the effervescence of diamonds like the Hope and the Jubilee. Cartier Royal: High Jewelry and Precious Objects by François Chaille (Flammarion) chronicles the history of the house through a narrative of its patrons, ranging from the royalty of the 19th century to the artistocracy of the 20th and 21st centuries (e.g. Mona Bismarck and Grace Vanderbilt, who were followed by Barbara Hutton and Elizabeth Taylor).

François Chaille, through the gem that is Cartier Royal: High Jewelry and Precious Objects, invites readers into the spectacle of Cartier: “Feast your eyes on sublime gems handled in a spirit almost of veneration. Let your mind travel to magic realms created by designers inspired by the lavish landscapes in which these stones This page: clockwise from above left: Crafting the Reine Makéda necklace; Scroll tiara, sold to the Countess of Essex, 1902; Kokoshnik tiara, with 15 pear-shaped diamonds for a total of 19 carats, 1908; Kokoshnik tiara, 1911; Headband, with attachments that can be removed to form two bracelets, 1923. Opposite page, The Reine Makéda necklace features a 15.29-carat ruby from Mozambique.

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This page: Queen Marie of Romania, wearing a sautoir with her sapphire as a pendant, weighing 478 carats, 1921. Opposite page: Cartier Royal: High Jewelry and Precious Objects (Flammarion) offers a peek into the iconic, red box of Cartier.

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were mined. Admire the meticulous craft of carvers and mosaicists able to reach the soul of these minerals, fashioning them into artworks.

Let yourself be enchanted by the rhythm, resonance, and harmony magically cast by these designs.”

Established in 1847, Cartier has long led the industry in both design and innovation. For example, the house was revolutionary with its use of platinum when Louis Cartier discovered that it encouraged a range of settings and offered a luminosity that complemented gems. Because of its reputation, Cartier boasts having handled somed of the most “perfect” gems with history, including De Beers diamonds as well as the Hope and the Polar Star.

Included in Cartier Royal: High Jewelry and Precious Objects is a catalog of the collection that the brand showed at the

27th Biennale des Antiquaires in September 2014—a selection of one hundred creations that exemplify the transcendence of Cartier: There’s the PUR ABSOLU necklace, which features a 30.21-carat diamond with a grade of type IIa (a standard reserved for one percent of diamonds, including the Cullinan and the Koh-i-noor). And there’s the BLUE-BLUET ring, which features at 29.06-carat sapphire that was mined at an altitutde of 12,000 feet in India. And then there’s the “royal” pearl, which is documented in pictures on the neck of Queen Mary of England, grandmother to Queen Elizabeth II. Cartier proves to be as accomplished and skilled as it is admired and iconic. To browse Cartier Royal: High Jewelry and Precious Objects is to understand the awe and regalness that the house is known to inspire. u

“Feast your eyes on sublime gems handled in a spirit almost of veneration... Let yourself be enchanged by the rhythm, resonance, and harmony magically cast by these designs.” —François Chaille

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CO U RTE S Y O F AU R É L I E B I D E R M A N N

AURÉLIE BIDERMANN’S MANY CHARMS B Y L I LY H O A G L A N D

“A JEWEL DOESN’T need to be anything other than itself… It doesn’t bother with the superfluous, and, alone, imposes its presence, its character, and its charisma.”

Had Aurélie Bidermann chosen not to design jewelry, she might have had some success at writing poetry about it. Instead, she uses her poet’s soul to create gold necklaces crafted to resemble lace, or ruby-and-diamondencrusted apple core earrings (a favorite of the also-accented Beyoncé Knowles).

After high school, the jet-set Bidermann

This page: The Sautoir Elephant PM necklace in gold. Opposite page: Aurélie Bidermann, the French jewelry designer whose new store in Soho is attracting some chic clientele stateside.

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This page: Some of Bidermann’s (literal) charms (above); the Collier Dentelle in yellow gold and the Manc hette Dentelle in white gold with sapphires (below). Opposite page: Detail of the Manchette cuff bracelet.

More than 10 years later, the wrists, knuckles, lobes, and collarbones of women who like a little whimsy in their style have been decorated with Bidermann’s pieces. Thanks to a new store in SoHo, her work is branching out in the U.S. and more readily recognized. Case in point: I’ve had a ring of hers (three gold strands of wheat, the grain that was also inspirational to Van Gogh) for years, and people used to ask me about the designer; recently, when accessories maven Alison Minton took a picture of it for New York Social Diary, she knew immediately whose it was. The discreet elegance and sophisticated fantasy of Bidermann’s jewelry made her the darling of Parisians, and she has now landed in New York—though, knowing her, she probably has another flight to catch tomorrow. u

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was splitting her time between Paris and New York, getting a degree in art history and working for Sotheby’s contemporary art department. But suddenly, she decided to pursue her passion for jewelry—a passion she attributes to her mother and grandmother, both avid collectors who would come to jewelers with their own designs. Bidermann threw herself into gemology studies. In Antwerp, the center of the diamond trade, she received a thorough education, then created her first collection at the Gem Palace, the oldest jeweler in Jaipur (the woman’s passport has more ink than Ray Bradbury’s illustrated man). Upon her return to Paris, she showed her friends what she’d made, and they promptly bought the lot.

Flattered, she found herself with nothing left to show the stores, and had to begin anew.

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ALIGHIERI JEWELLERY’S GOLDEN ODYSSEY

BY DANIEL CAPPELLO

This page: Designer Rosh Mahtani’s Chiaro Scuro collection, part of her Alighieri Jewellery line, includes the Whole World necklace (partial view, left) and the Three Days necklace (center). Opposite page: Model Monica Ainley wears the Odyssey necklace from Alighieri’s Chiaro D E S I G N VA LE N T I N H E N N E Q U I N / CO U RTE S Y O F A L I G H I E R I J E W E LLE RY

Scuro collection.

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women everywhere to discover. Named “Chiaro Scuro,” the collection explores the dynamic between darkness and light in The Divine Comedy. Some pieces are as battered as Dante’s infernal souls, or as jagged as the perilous landscapes. Others are lighter and simpler in their clarity, reflecting the kinder waves and recaptured friendships found on Mount Purgatory. They have a symbiotic relationship, for Dante can only reach the crisp luster of the mountain by voyaging through the darkest of woods. Quest recently caught up with the designer to hear some thoughts about her ongoing odyssey: Daniel Cappello: Have you always loved jewelry?

Rosh Mahtani: I’ve always been fascinated by the sentimental nature of jewelry. For as long as I can remember, I have been collecting stones, rocks, and vintage bits along my travels. I enjoy the way these become pieces of somebody’s history.

DC: What is your first jewelry memory?

RM: My mother wears two golden bangles, which were given to her by her mother. As a child, when she came home from work, I would hear those two bangles clink together

P H OTO C R E D I T G O E S H E R E

WHILE HERS might not follow your typical jeweler’s path, it serves as a reminder that every creative mind embarks on a unique odyssey all its own. London-based designer Rosh Mahtani studied French and Italian at Oxford University.

Upon graduating in 2012, she was inspired to create jewelry based on the literature she had studied—in particular, Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. With a mastery of the Italian poet under her belt, she headed off for an internship at Harper’s Bazaar then a turn at Avenue32.com, the luxury shopping site for women. What she lacked in training she made up for in persistence, and, in 2013, Alighieri Jewellery was born.

Rooted in literature and travel, Alighieri tells a story of whirlwind adventures, battered creatures, and passionate mistakes. Each piece corresponds to one of Dante’s 100 poems and—like Dante’s realms of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise—is fashioned in gold to wrap around the neck and weave through the fingers. Like Dante’s subjects, each piece is battered, imperfect, and pensive. Alighieri, in short, is Mahtani’s ongoing anthology—crafted in gold—at the intersection of literature, art, and fashion.

The latest part of that anthology, for Fall-Winter 2015, is just beginning to hit shelves (and Avenue32.com) for

as she reached to open the door. It’s such a comforting sound—the sound of my mum coming home.

DC: How did you come to be a jewelry designer?

RM: I never set out to become a jewelry designer. I knew I wanted to do something creative that involved writing and conveying a story. I studied French and Italian at university, and was really inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.

It’s a story about a poet, lost in the underworld, unsure about which path to take. It felt pertinent to me at the time, so I started to make one piece of jewelry for every one of the 100 canti. That’s how my brand was born.

DC: What inspired “Chiaro Scuro,” and how is it special?

RM: As Dante voyages through the afterworld, there is a distinct contrast between darkness, obscurity, and uncertainty in the Inferno and beams of light and clarity on Mount Purgatory. I loved this contrast—it resonated with me in the way that every journey has moments of fearful, scraggy, imperfect landscapes that are accompanied by elusive glimpses of lightness. I think that one cannot exist without the other, at least not for me. u

This spread: The Il Duca necklace from Alighieri’s Chiaro Scuro collection (above); a model shows off a Kira bangle (each Kira is made to order and crafted in Alighieri’s London studios through the process of wax casting); the Slow Stars bracelet (middle) and the Dark Waters bracelet

P H OTO C R E D I T G O E S H E R E

(below), both from Alighieri’s Chiaro Scuro collection.

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JEWELRY WITH CHARACTER

BY ALEX R. TRAVERS

CO U RTE S Y O F A LE X I S B I T TA R

IT WAS 1982 when Alexis Bittar, a 13-year-old from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, headed to Saint Mark’s Place to sell secondhand clothing and antique jewelry. What an exciting time to be there. Dressed in a tassel jacket and blue suede Dr. Martens boots, he stumbled right into the heart of the punk rock scene, the place “where all the cool, older teenagers wanted to hang out.” How lucky he must have felt.

“There weren’t any other 13-year-olds selling in the streets,” he recalls. “People were intrigued but I also blended in because I used to really dress up. If I saw it now, I would think, Oh, that’s crazy. But it didn’t seem like it at the time.

There was no concern.”

Bittar maintains that he successfully sold antique jewelry on the streets as a teenager, though he admits that he often felt like an outsider. “It was a tough time to be young and gay,” he concedes. “People weren’t talking. My friends weren’t talking. I look back at what was going on in all of our lives— and there were complicated things that we were all dealing This page: Alexis Bittar’s 25th anniversary Lucite necklace. Opposite page: Pieces from the Alexis Bittar Fall 2015 Miss Havisham collection.

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1968

Born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Alexis Bittar was born on August 25 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, to parents Helen and Bob Bittar, who both work as professors and antique collectors.

1976

Flower Stand At eight years old, Alexis sets out on his first entrepreneurial venture: selling flowers from a cart his parents fashioned, stationed across the street from his family’s Bay Ridge home.

1982

Selling On St. Mark’s On his 13th birthday, Alexis’ parents give their son an entangled lot of antique jewelry. The gift sparks a long-standing curiosity and fascination with craftsmanship.

He begins to sell the jewelry

1990

Discovers Lucite Alexis decides to put his partying days behind him in order to focus on designing his own line of costume jewelry, influenced by the antiques he grew up around.

He begins carving Lucite from within the confines of his apartment.

2002

Collaborations Alexis collaborates with costume designer Patricia Field, creating custom designs for the cast of HBO’s “Sex and the City.” “Alexis is a true visionary,” says Field.

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CO U RTE S Y O F A LE X I S B I T TA R ; PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N ; D O M I N I C K R E C I N E

on St. Mark’s Place.

2014

Launches Fine Collection With price points from around $295 to $14,000, Bittar launches a collection made from semi-precious diamonds, 18-kt. gold, and sterling silver.

2004

Opens His First Boutique In 2004, Bittar celebrates the grand opening of his first boutique on Broome Street, just a few blocks from where he first began selling his wares over a decade before. Many more will follow, including one at 1100 Madison Avenue.

2015

25 Years Of Lucite “The brand is growing and becoming a more vertical model,” says Bittar. “We have a wider footprint and we’re navigating the ever-changing retail scene.” Right now, he’s working on a watch. “Handbags are next. I want to keep pushing the boundaries.”

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didn’t have the gumption to go up to someone I admired and say, ‘I wanted to show this to you.’”

And yet it’s the peculiar beauty of his designs that makes them unforgettable, so he never had to aggressively promote his products. When he first showed a Lucite carrot pin to Sandra Wilson, then the fashion director of Neiman Marcus, he remembers her saying, “You’re super talented and you need to call me in two years.” She immediately recognized his potential and eventually ended up buying his jewelry.

But in recent times a change has been signaled, and Bittar is no longer directly exposed to the buyers as much as he once was. Now, with the TSG Consumer partnership, he can focus on being a creative director, a design veteran who leads by example. (He’s also about to have twins, a boy and a girl, via a surrogate mother in the next few weeks.) Today, he oversees an entire design team. That means there’s more time for something many designers despise but he thoroughly enjoys: personal appearances.

One day, for example, Bittar was doing a meet-and-greet at Nordstrom in the King of Prussia Mall. In the long line of people who arrived early, he spotted a heavyset woman in a wheelchair. She was wearing his jewelry and kept making eye contact with him. He was curious. He even became a little distracted. The minute she introduced herself, he felt the need to ask about her life. He didn’t quite understand why, but he wanted to know her story.

According to Bittar, her parents were both migrant workers.

She was the first in her family to attend college. Once she got her diploma, she handed it to her father and said, “Dad, this is for you.” After college, she went to work at a university and spent her life giving back to people. Her words, her humility, brought him to tears.

“It was such a powerful story,” he remembers. “I think what I’m always amazed by is that people are generally more complicated than they may seem.” This is why he often places older women, like Iris Apfel and Joan Collins, in his ads.

He’s blown away by what he learns about their lives and experiences.

“I find it very inspiring,” he’ll say when I return for our final meeting.

“It’s not about the vision of an editorial magazine. It’s about true reality.” u

CO U RTE S Y O F A LE X I S B I T TA R

with—but no one talked about them. It was more like, ‘What are you doing tonight?’ Everything was slightly an escape of what was actually going on.”

It’s undeniable that, as the former club kid matured into a savvy, self-taught designer and businessman, he’s experienced an upward career path. In 1990, he ditched the party scene and started to experiment with jewelry design. His first pieces were made from Lucite, a type of transparent silica-based glass that is not as hard as stone but tougher than wood. To shape the jewelry, Bittar cut the peripheral outlines with a band saw.

After that, he sculpted the material with a Dremel, a small power-tool that looks a bit like a dentist’s drill. Then he sold the finished products on the street.

Just two years into his foray as a designer, Bittar’s pieces attracted the attention of Dawn Mello, then the fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman. Shortly after that relationship was forged, Saks Fifth Avenue and the Museum of Modern Art followed suit and purchased his collections. Then came his first boutique in New York City, in 2004, just footsteps away from where he once sold those original Lucite pieces on SoHo street corners. Since 1999, there have been dozens of designer collaborations for runway shows. A 2012 partnership with TSG Consumer Partners expanded the Alexis Bittar team from around 160 to 400 employees today. In February, the designer celebrated 25 years of working with Lucite, and his four distinct lines—Lucite, Elements, Miss Havisham, and Fine—now sell in over 50 countries around the world.

From an early age, even before he was peddling flowers and jewelry on the streets, Bittar found his childhood to be atypical. When he was three years old, his parents, both college professors, wanted a water tower. They bought one for $300 in nearby Westchester County, disassembled it, drove the parts up to Maine, and converted it into a second home. Once it was completed, Alexis, along with his parents and older brother, would eat breakfast in a spot of the house that overlooked the road. Passing cars would slow to a stop and shoot odd glances in their direction. Something was different about the Bittar residence. Unlike most of the homes in Maine, it wasn’t square or rectangular. It was round.

For many years, Bittar has openly talked about his past and how it relates to his ethos as a designer.

“I think my background was so unconventional it made me…a combination of fearless but also I

This page: Designs from Spring 2015 shown on a model. Opposite page: The Lovebird cuff from the Spring 2015 Elements collection.

THE ART OF TIME A watch may be the only piece of jewelry a man wears (except, perhaps, a wedding ring). Therefore, Quest has considered thousands of the latest timepieces to help you find the best of the best.

BY ALEX R. TRAVERS

CALATRAVA 6000G / Patek Philippe has been making fine watches since 1839. Today, the company’s passion for watch-making remains unmatched. There’s even a Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva where many of Patek’s treasures are displayed on four levels.

One of the brand’s latest and greatest watches, the men’s Calatrava 6000G—in white gold with blue sunburst and silver gray dial with shiny navy blue alligator strap—features mechanical, self-winding movement. As you can see, it’s both functional and handsome, two trademarks of the Patek Philippe brand. So whether you’re looking to add to your collection or buy your first Patek, be sure to keep this model in mind; $27,900.

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Patek Philippe

This page, clockwise from top left: Wempe’s Chronometerwerke in 18-kt. gold with Arabic numerals offers manual manufacture movement with subsidiary seconds dial ($19,950); lovers of high-precision watches are sure to fall under the spell of the Grande Seconde Deadbeat by Jaquet Droz with 18-kt. red gold case (price upon request); the Monaco V4 Phantom by Tag Heuer offers extra shock resistance as well as a sleek style (price upon request); a powerhouse of a watch that took over four years to develop: Hublot’s Big Bang Ferrari Speciale Ceramic ($29,800); the Audemars Piguet Milenary Quadriennium in 18-kt. pink gold case with glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback and hand-stitched “large square scale” brown alligator strap ($106,800).

RL67 SAFARI 45-MM. CHRONOMETER / As with all timepieces in the RL67 Safari collection, the RL67 Safari Chronometer in “Black Aged” steel with camouflage dial mixes the spirit of an intrepid sporting adventure with a sense of global refinement. This unique timepiece upholds outstanding watchmaking standards and celebrates the Ralph Lauren safari lifestyle and the thrill-seeking world traveler. The model pictured here is offered in a 45-mm. case size on a dark olive green alligator strap; $3,800.

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RALPH LAUREN

This page, clockwise from top left: The Seiko Solar Diver— featuring a one-way-rotating elapsed timing bezel—is powered by light energy ($375); inspired by the self-tuning Gibson SG Standard, Raymond Weil’s special-edition Nabucco is pure rock and roll ($4,950); with a gray and cream nylon nato strap, white dial, and 36-mm. stainless steel case, the Runwell by Shinola is slowly becoming a new classic ($500); Breitling’s Galactic collection welcomes a new model that is innovating on all fronts (price upon request); Chopard’s Mille Miglia GTS Power Control in stainless steel is a resolutely masculine timepiece expertly showcasing the brand’s proficiency ($6,640). Opposite page: The Longines HydroConquest with unidirectional rotating bezel, screw-in crown, and blue dial in stainless steel ($1,000).

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This page, clockwise from top left: Tiffany & Co.’s CT60 Chronograph in stainless steel with 42-mm. self-winding mechanical movement and white soleil dial on a black alligator strap ($6,750); Gucci’s “g-timeless” stainless steel automatic watch features a transparent case-back and three-link bracelet with three-blade deployment buckle ($2,095); the new Marine Chronograph Manufacture by Ulysse Nardin bears all the hallmarks of marine instruments: a generously sized case with a 43-mm. diameter for excellent readability, a fluted bezel, a screw-locked crown guaranteeing complete water resistance, and solid lugs to ensure excellent stability on the wrist (price upon request); Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Thin Tourbillon ($74,000); F.P. Journe’s Nouvelle Octa Lune ($47,900). Opposite page: Glashütte’s Senator Cosmopolite in red gold (price upon request).

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ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL SUBMARINER / The Oyster Per-

CO U RTE S Y O F R E S P E C T I V E B R A N D S

petual Submariner is the quintessential diver’s watch.

Introduced in 1953 during the pioneering era for scuba diving, it was the first watch to be water resistant to 100 meters (330 feet). This iconic timepiece has since evolved with a series of patented Rolex technical innovations, guaranteeing its reliability and precision down to depths of 300 meters (1,000 feet). At home in the oceans, where it remains an indispensable instrument for every diver, the Submariner has also conquered terra firma as the watch of action with a rugged elegance of its own; $7,500.

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BY ALEX R. TRAVERS 132 QUEST

watch enthusiasts. Dominick wants to own a smartwatch. An Apple Watch would be good. My other friend, Mike, a serious collector, prefers traditional Swiss timepieces. He’s not interested in the Apple Watch or other smart watches, such as Frederique Constant’s Swiss Horological Smartwatch, which is capable of bi-directional communication with iPhone and Android apps.

He likes Rolex, Panerai, Audemars Piguet—pieces he believes hold their values. Dominick agrees wholeheartedly with Mike, but he’s also allured by the new technology, well aware that his Apple Watch may depreciate faster than a new Fiat driven

CO U RTE S Y O F B A S E LWO R L D

SMARTWATCH IS THE BUZZ OF BASELWORLD

I HAVE TWO FRIENDS: Dominick and Mike. They’re both

This page, clockwise from top left: Set against an austere white enamel dial with an abundance of negative space, Georg Jensen’s Koppel Grande Date Annual Calendar with white enamel dial is consistent with the brand’s contemporary design language 2015, which was held in Basel, Switzerland, in March; GirardPerregaux’s Vintage 1945 Tourbillon with three gold bridges is CO U RTE S Y O F B A S E LWO R L D

CO U RTE S Y O F R E S P E C T I V E B R A N D S ;

(price upon request); members of the press check in to Baselworld

water resistant to 30 meters; powered by MotionX®, the Swiss Horological Smartwatch by Frederique Constant is capable of bi-directional communication with iPhone and Android apps (price upon request); the Slim d’Hermès Koma Kurabe features a porcelain dial and matte Havana alligator strap (price upon request). Opposite page: Outtakes from Baselworld 2015.

CO U RTE S Y F O B A S E LWO R L D

off a dealer’s lot. And that’s been a big question at Baselworld this year: Will Apple Watches, no matter the materials they are crafted from, hold their value over time?

The answer seems to be a firm, unequivocal no.

“You could hang onto your $650 first-gen Apple Watch for 30 or 40 or 50 years,” wrote Business Insider transportation editor Matthew DeBord, “and it might retain some historic value, but its actual value will be effectively zero. Heck, its actual value will pretty much be zero when the next gen appears in a year or so.”

Many are not even worried about smartwatches affecting their businesses. “I don’t believe [the Apple Watch] will affect the Hublots and Breitlings and Pateks,” LVMH president JeanClaude Biver told the Wall Street Journal. “You don’t buy a $20,000 watch to tell you what time it is. Time is everywhere.

You buy it because it is a piece of art. And art is eternity.”

Thierry Stern, Patek Philippe’s president, told Women’s Wear Daily, “We survived quartz, we will survive Apple.”

Still, it’s interesting to see how several watchmakers are heeding the smartwatch revolution. TAG Heuer, Google, and Intel have announced a partnership to launch a Swiss smartwatch powered

by Intel technology and Android Wear. Gucci is teaming up with will.i.am for its own version. And Bulgari plans to enter the category next year.

Overall, buzz seemed to be the buzzword at Basel (especially over Graff Diamond’s $40 million watch). Sylvie Ritter, managing director of Baselworld, reported that buyer attendance was down three percent but media attendance grew by over seven percent. This year, Baselworld proved that there will always been room for innovation, no matter the watch. u

This page, clockwise from top left: The square steel case of the Louis Vuitton Emprise watch is inspired by the design of the brand’s famous trunk (price upon request); on March 19, Hublot celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Big Bang model, a handcrafted watch with several supplementary functions; Tudor’s North Flag, one of the brand’s highlights at Baselworld 2015, offers a Monobloc middle case in an open back with sapphire crystal and screw-down winding crown (price upon request); the Disco Butterfly Watch by Graff Diamonds features the silhouette of a butterfly mid-flight and is comprised of marquiseand pear-shape gemstones hovering above diamonds (price upon request); a scene from Baselworld 2015.

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MAGNIFICENCE: NOW UP FOR BIDS

BY DANIEL CAPPELLO

This page: A large single-strand natural saltwater pearl necklace estimated at up to $3,500,000 at the May 13 sale at Christie’s Geneva. Opposite page: Also on the lot for May 13 is an early work by JAR, a circa-1985 pair of tourmaline and agate camellia brooches.

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CO U RTE S Y O F C H R I S T I E ’ S

CONSIDER, FOR A MOMENT, you’re the Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria, about to marry the Spanish king in 1879.

What, besides a seat on the throne (and eventual ascendency as both Queen consort and Queen regent), will your wedding engender? Among the more spectacular (and personal) prizes will be a diamond-encrusted devant-de-corsage brooch, a wedding gift from King Alfonso XII himself.

Men, it’s true, have always loved gifting their women jewelry, especially on their wedding day. When the man is a king, the jewelry tends to be of royal proportions. Witness the historically important Maria Christina Royal Devant-de-Corsage brooch, about the go up for auction on May 13 at the “Magnificent

Jewels” sale at Christie’s Geneva. The brooch, estimated to fetch from $1.5–2 million, isn’t the only wedding gift of regal posture on the block: also in the lot is a pair of ruby and diamond ear pendants and matching ring by Van Cleef & Arpels, which had been given to Jacqueline Kennedy by Aristotle Onassis on the occasion of their 1968 nuptials. Mrs. Onassis would famously bring the earrings to life (and prominence) two years later, while being photographed by paparazzi as she ducked into and out of New York’s La Côte Basque restaurant. This month, Mrs. Onassis’s former property is predicted to fetch anywhere from $250,000–350,000 at the Christie’s Geneva sale.

With such pieces in the fold, the sale promises to be just what

This page: A sugarloaf cabochon emerald ring of 17.02 carats by Black Starr and Frost will be up for bid at the May 13 Christie’s auction “Magnificent Jewels,” in Geneva. The ring is estimated at $500,000–700,000. Opposite page: Also in the Christie’s lot is a pair of antique emerald

its name implies—magnificent. It comes on the heels of the April 14 Christie’s New York sale of the same title, which earned the auction house a staggering $42 million (among the more captivating items was a fancy intense purplish-pink diamond ring of 5.29 carats that realized $5,765,000). As a whole, Christie’s has been reaching astonishing sales in jewelry. For 2014, the house announced a record-breaking jewelry report totaling $754.7 million, the highest annual result ever achieved for jewelry at any auction house. The tally represented a year-on-year increase of 11 percent over Christie’s 2013 total of $678 million. The 2014 numbers were helped by the famous Winston Blue, a pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue Flawless Diamond of 13.22 carats that garnered $23,795,372, and the so-called Blue Belle of Asia, a cushion-shaped Ceylon sapphire that sold for $17,305,996—the most valuable sapphire ever sold auction.

Though the Winston Blue might have been in a league of its own, the house of Winston will be on appropriately handsome 138 QUEST

display at this month’s Geneva sale. A circa-1962 diamond Holly Wreath necklace by Harry Winston is estimated to draw $1,500,000–2,500,000. The house of JAR will be represented by a pair of tourmaline and agate camellia brooches estimated between $140,000–170,000. Also up for grabs will be a selection of important colored and colorless diamonds and rare gemstones of true magnificence and rarity, including a pear-shaped D-color Flawless diamond of 55.52 carats and an exceptional cushion-shaped Kashmir sapphire of 35.09 carats. A pair of antique emerald Indian bangles—believed to be descended from one of the more prominent Indian royal families that was known to have a superb treasury of emeralds—is a rare example of old Indian jewels that haven’t been dismantled for their gem content. Each is accompanied by a fitted red leather case.

With these, one lucky bidder will walk away with the claim to a unique piece of history in its original condition, which should serve as fair warning to all you soon-to-be grooms: there’s still time to edge out King Alfonso XII and Ari O. u

CO U RTE S Y O F C H R I S T I E ’ S

Indian bangles believed to have descended from one of the more prominent Indian royal families famous for its superb treasury of emeralds.

Up for sale on May 13 at Christie’s Geneva is a pair of antique emerald Indian bangles, some of the very few old Indian jewels that haven’t been dismantled for their gem content—a rare opportunity to own a piece of history in its original condition.

BROWN

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THE YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST

BY ELIZABETH QUINN BROWN

Sarah and John Richardson, at the Frick Collection on March 26.

This page, clockwise from left: Olivia Sandelman and Maggy Frances Schultz; Kylie Gattinella and Chloe Wynne; Heidi Rosenau, of the Frick Collection, with photographer Bill Cunningham; Andrew Fenet and Lydia Fenet Delaney, who serves as a chairmen of the event; Justin de La Chapelle, Liz DuBois, Robert Blumenthal, Saranna Biel-Cohen, and Maria Teresa.

J U L I E S K A R R AT T; PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

▲ THE YOUNG FELLOWS BALL AT THE FRICK COLLECTION “COYPEL’S DON QUIXOTE Tapestries: Illustrating A Spanish Novel in Eighteenth-Century France” was presented to attendees of the Young Fellows Ball at the Frick Collection.

The theme? A Dance at the Spanish Court, so the event was aswirl with the dramatic—a sea of black and red. Lanvin, the sponsor, contributed fans decorated with “LANVIN LOVES THE FRICK COLLECTION,” which were fluttering from gallery to gallery. The committee—comprised of Lydia Fenet Delaney, Sarah Flint, Elizabeth Kurpis, Lucy Jane Lang, Amo-

ry McAndrew, Joann Pailey, Lauren Remington Platt, and Jennifer Wright—welcomed guests to the museum, which features works by Degas, Fragonard, Goya, Manet, Rembrandt, Turner, Vermeer, and Whistler (among others) as well as Renaissance bronzes, Limoges enamels, Sevres porcelain, and French and Italian furniture. Spotted dancing to DJ Jason Fioto: Edward Barsamian, Alex Chunn, Martin Dawson, Hilary Fenet, and Taylor Roach. There’s art for the sake of art, and then there’s art for the sake of a party...

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Pally; Rose Byrne and Jane Krakowski; Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde; Bobby Moynihan and Nick Kroll, at the screening of Adult Beginners, which was hosted by Radius with

▲ CINEMA SOCIETY PREMIERED ADULT BEGINNERS

▼ NEW YORKERS FOR CHILDREN'S "A FOOL'S FÊTE"

FANS OF “HAPPY ENDINGS”—the T.V. show that's “amahzing” and “sah cute”—were thrilled when Adam Pally and Damon Wayans, Jr., showed to support the cast of Adult Beginners on April 21. The premiere, which was hosted by Radius with Brooks Brothers and the Cinema Society, transitioned to the Jimmy at the James Hotel. There, members of the cast (Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Jane Krakowski, Nick Kroll, and Bobby Moynihan) were spotted, mixing with Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde over Svedka cocktails. Basically, the stars were out because, you know, actors but also because of the view from Jimmy at the James Hotel.

NEW YORKERS FOR CHILDREN hosted “A Fool's Fête” at the

From left: Hailey Clauson; Roopal Patel and Waris Ahluwalia; Linda Fargo; Rebecca Regan and Lacary Sharpe, at "A Fool's Fête," which was hosted by New Yorkers for Children.

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Mandarin Oriental on April 16—a tribute to designer Oscar de la Renta, who served on the board of directors from 1998– 2014. There, the models for the Philanthropy Issue of Quest (members of the friends committee: Allison Aston, Lydia Fenet, Elisabeth Jones-Hennessy, and Susan Shin) supported the cause, which was established in partnership with the Administration for Children’s Services to benefit youth in foster care. Among the PYTs who dined and didn’t dash but, rather, danced through the evening: Hailey Clauson, Arizona Muse, and Valentina Zelyaeva.

J U L I E S K A R R AT T; PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

Brooks Brothers and the Cinema Society.

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From left: Damon Wayans, Jr., Jason Mantzoukas, and Adam

This page, clockwise from left: Lauren Remington Platt; Samuel Leeds, Martin Ambrose, and Arielle Patrick; James Rothschild and Nicky Hilton; Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl; Atlanta de Cadenet; Emilie Grimaldi and Elizabeth Kurpis.

© A M N H / R . M I C K E N S ; PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N

PAT © AM RN I CHKM / C .C C MHUELL S EAKN;. CO © AM MNH/D. FINNIN;

▲ DANCE AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY THE CHAIRMEN OF THE Museum Dance—comprised of

Kristen Edgreen and Michael Kaufman, Elizabeth Kurpis and Jonathan Kurpis, Alexandra and Gregory Kwiat, Nina and Mike Patterson, and Elizabeth and Michael Reiss—were dressed by sponsor Valentino to greet their guests at the American Museum of Natural History on April 17. The evening was themed “Masquerade Retrograde”—a Roaring Twenties–inspired masked event with cocktails and dinner followed by an after-party, deejayed by DJ JUS SKE. Spotted, though dis-

guised by their masks: Martin Ambrose, Cody Baird, Atlanta de Cadenet, Nicky Hilton, Johannes Huebel, Harley Viera Newton, Dalia Oberlander, Olivia Palermo, Lauren Remington Platt, Eric Richman, James Rothschild, and Zach Weiss.

The Museum Dance has the honor of being the oldest junior benefit in the city, connecting young philanthropists who are interested in what the American Museum of Natural History has to offer—which, as any card-carrying New Yorker knows, is everything. u M AY 2 0 1 5 1 4 3

SNAPSHOT Clockwise from left: The Apple Watch, with a stainless-steel case and Milanese Loop band ($649–699); the Apple Watch Sport, with a silver-alunimum case and white fluoroelastomer band ($349–399); the author recommends the Apple Watch Edition with the 18-kt. gold case and black leather band ($15,000).

FORGET EVERYTHING YOU THINK you know about the Apple Watch. Forget what your nephew has told you, forget what your nerdy colleague has told you, and forget what you overheard from your barista this morning. Until you see the Apple Watch in person—until you feel its weight in your hands and watch the silky smooth animation light up the screen—you won’t understand just how magical it is.

It’s not the first contender for smartwatch supremacy, to be sure, but it is the first contender that made us say “Woah!” when we put it on our wrist. Not in a “Hey, this is neat!” way, but more in a “Wow, how the heck does this even work?” way.

We could list off a bunch of specs about the watch (processor speed, materials, storage capacity, etc.) but they’re all essentially meaningless. You, quite literally, have nothing to compare the Apple Watch to. All we can ask is that you take a few minutes to pop into an Apple store after you read this and give it a test drive. You won’t be sorry you did. Oh, and you definitely want the gold one.

—Ted Gushue

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