Wag December 2016

BETTYE MULLER In step with fashion

LUMINARIES

Stellar neighbors give back

PETER KELLY

celebrate

A hunger for change

MARK BEZOS

Taking every opportunity

STEVE YOUNG

Still scoring

WILLIAM LOUIS-DREYFUS

An art collection shared JUDGED

BEST MAGAZINE

ROBERT ASTORINO

A balanced approach

IN NEW YORK STATE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE

DECEMBER 2016 | WAGMAG.COM

THE ESSENTIAL LOCKET COLLECTION from left to right: Prasiolite Guilloche with Diamonds, Teardrop Citrine Sugarloaf with Diamonds, RoseCut Diamond Initial, Round Diamond Gate, Diamond 4-Image.

#whatsinyourlocket

MONICA RICH KOSANN

facebook.com/WoodrowJewelers

HER

CROWD New Art by Women from Our Neighbors’ Private Collections

Nancy Dwyer (b. 1954) Food, 2012 Reconfigured galvanized metal trash cans 30 x105 x 21 in.

Edition of 2 Collection of Emily Fisher Landau, AMART LLC, FL 1290 Image courtesy the artist and Sandra Gering Inc.

Closing soon. Don’t miss!

Karin Davie (b. 1965) Interior Ghosts #12, 2001 Oil on linen 72 x 60 in.

Collection of Ann and Argyris Vassiliou

Supported by

Ellen Gallagher (b. 1965) Glister, 2010 Oil, pencil and paper on canvas 24 × 24 in.

Private Collection, Greenwich, CT Photo by Tom Powel Imaging Alessandra Expósito (b. 1970) Trixie, 2006 Mixed media on chicken skull 3 x 1 x 2 1/4 in.

Collection of David and Sandra Joys Photo by PaulMutino

BRUCE MUSEUM

| Greenwich, CT | www.brucemuseum.org

W H AT I F T H E H O L I D AY S WERE ALL TIED UP WITH A BOW? Manolo Blahnik • Shoe Salon

THE WESTCHESTER AT WHITE PLAINS 914.428.2000

Danielle Coleman Photography

COUTUREDossier, what’s your story?

Founded by Andrey and Yulia Omelich, COUTUREDossier has been offering its customers the highest echelon of designer brands for over six years. To understand the company’s business platform, one must get to know its sophisticated and chic founder. Many know Yulia as a loving mom, loyal friend and creative businesswoman, but most notable is her unforgettable style. Whether it is a creation of her own or a mélange of world class designers, her ensembles are always sure to impress. And with this ability to defy the plain and simple comes a truly unique business, capable of transforming the way we see high fashion.

Prior to founding COUTUREDossier, Yulia Omelich worked in both the diplomatic world and on Wall Street, managing a large portfolio of Fortune 500 retail companies. Omelich decided to leave the fast-paced world of Wall Street to take care of her two sons, and launch yet another career that would allow her to do so. “My passion was always the luxury fashion industry” So, with the support of her husband, she leveraged the lessons she learned from Wall Street and built COUTUREDossier, a business for

women who understand the concept of investing in luxury fashion.

“We brought to life the finest alternative to retail: the Wall Street-like model of buying and selling. At COUTUREDossier our customers learn how to manage their fashion portfolios successfully. They can always find the most valuable and appreciating authentic fashion pieces for less. Our motto is Sell It, Spot It, Swap It. Customers can not only buy items, but sell their designer pieces, or trade them in for something that catches their eye”, said Yulia Omelich. CODO’s irresistible collection of Chanel, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton has earned nationwide recognition and customer loyalty across the globe.

Yulia Omelich is a recognized designer herself. This winter season, her “Fairy Tale” collection by private label line CODO Fur is all about global heritage. “It is inspired by the world’s cultures, their folklore treasures and famous fairy tales. It is elegant, vibrant and completely unexpected. It will leave you speechless,” Omelich said. Her creations have already generated buzz, with celebrities purchasing them and high profile local clients placing private orders.

COUTUREDossier is located at 67 Bedford Road in Chappaqua, near the intersection of routes 117 and 120. Visit the store online at www.facebook.com/COUTUREDossier

CONTENTS

17 Celebrating the best gift of all 22 A family man 26 Why shoes – and all of life’s details – matter 30 QB or not QB 32 In China, charity begins at home 34 Healing horses – and people 36 Remembering his roots 38 America’s newest sweetheart 40 A remembrance of fashions past 44 The generous eye 46 Feeding those who have…

50 Sole man 54 Eyes on the (Pulitzer) Prize 56 The designer of inclusion 60 Monkey business 68 … Inspired by the refugee crisis 70 The unselfish selfishness of David Mallamud

64

COVER STORY

BETTYE MULLER, IN STEP WITH STYLE

This page It’s soon time for the Year of the Monkey to end. See page 60 for Audrey Ronning Topping’s story on “monkey business.”

Courtesy Dreamstime.com.

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WAGMAG.COM

DECEMBER 2016

Legendary Gift level:

For over 25 years we’ve been taking the spirit of the season into overdrive. Whether you want to seat 2 or 7, finding the perfect gift is pure joy. This holiday season, come see how quality, sophistication, and performance extend to your car buying experience at Audi Danbury.

audidanbury.com Coming soon

Audi Hawthorne OPENING 2017

FEATURES:

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Heller’s Shoes – 16 hellersshoes.com

John Rizzo Photography – 125 johnrizzophoto.com

AFTD – 49 theaftd.org/learnmore

Hyatt Regency Greenwich – 53 greenwich.hyatt.com

Royal Closet - 69 royalcloset.com

78 WANDERS Cultural quest

All About the Dress – 43 allabouththedress.com

LOL Kids Armonk - 71 littleragsandriches.com

Royal Regency Hotel – 21 royalregencyhotelny.com

84 WANDERS Where Mick Jagger slept

Arthritis Foundation – 58 jbr.org/westchester

m.Drattell – 86 mdratell.com

Sacred Heart University- 28 sacredheart.edu

Audi Danbury - 7 audiDanbury.com

Michael’s Limousines - 25 michaelslimo.com

Neil S. Berman - 42 bermanbuyscollectables.com

Miller Motor Cars – 3 millermotorcars.com

Skin Center – Advanced Medical Aesthetics – Back Cover, 105 bestskincenter.com

Blossom Florist - 121 blossomflower.com

The Mitchell Group – 103 ubs.com/team/themitchellgroup

Blue Buffalo – 111 bluebuffalo.com

Montefiore – 13 doingmoremontefiore.org

96 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? New collections with a sensuous flair

Blue Buffalo / Pet Rescue - 109 home4theholidays.org

Muscoot Tavern - 93 muscoottavern.com

98 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Leader of the pack

Bruce Museum – inside back cover, 119 brucemuseum.org

Neiman Marcus – 2 Neimanmarcus.com

72 WAY Seaworthy style on Rye’s Manursing Island

88 WONDERFUL DINING Savoring the sea 92 WINE & DINE The fortunate life of vintner Mike Grgich 94 WHETTING THE APPETITE Jackie Ruby’s No-bake holiday treat

100 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Still charming

Christopher Noland Salon & Beauty Spa - 10 christophernoland.com

102 WELL A home of their own

Churchills - 55 churchillsmountkisco.com Club Fit – 37 clubfit.com

104 WEAR The beautiful life

Couture Dossier – 4, 5 facebook.com/COUTUREDossier

106 WEAR … to heck with tech neck 108 PET OF THE MONTH Sammy, the senior

Crowne Plaza – 107 cpwestchester.com Custom Candle Company - 63 customcandleco.com

110 PET PORTRAITS Hello, kitties

Eager Beaver Tree Service - 123 eagerbeavertreeservice.com

112 WHEN & WHERE Upcoming events

Eklectico Café - 35 eklecticocafe.com

116 WATCH We’re out and about 128 WIT What is the best gift you have given and/or received?

In step with fashion

LUMINARIES

Stellar neighbors give back

PETER KELLY

A hunger for change

MARK BEZOS

Taking every opportunity

STEVE YOUNG

Still scoring

WILLIAM LOUIS-DREYFUS

An art collection shared JUDGED

BEST MAGAZINE

ROBERT ASTORINO

A balanced approach

IN NEW YORK STATE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

8

Oasis Day Spa - 31 oasisdayspanyc.com/oasis-westchester One Twenty One Restaurant - 91 121restaurant.com The Performing Arts Center - 115 artscenter.org Peridot Fine Jewelry – 101 peridotfinejewelry.com Penny Pincher – 59 pennypincherboutique.com Pepe Infiniti – 15 pepeinfiniti.com

Soundworks NY - 83 soundworksny.com Stepping Stones Museum for Children - 90 steppingstonesmuseum.org The Surf Club on the Sound – 87 thesurfclubonthesound.com Tru Grace - 39 @trugrace UK Gourmet – 48 ukgourmet.us Val’s Putnam Wines and Liquors - 127 valsputnamwines.com Vincent & Whittemore – 117 vinwhit.com The Water’s Edge at Giovanni’s – 76, 77 watersedgeatgiovannis.com Westchester Community Foundation – 124 wcf-ny.org Westchester Philharmonic – 52 westchesterphil.org

R&M Woodrow Jewelers – inside front cover, 1 woodrowjewelers.com

Westchester Medical Center- 29 westchestermedicalcenter.com

Euphoria Kitchen & Bath - 121 euphoriakitchens.com

Ritz-Carlton Residences Westchester II - 9 rcresidenceswestchester.com

White Plains Hospital – 11, 116, 118, 120, 122 wphospital.org

Gioia Productions – 14 gioiaprod.com

Ridgefield Playhouse - 113 ridgefieldplayhouse.org

World Class Parking – 121 wcparking.com

Greenwich Medical Skincare and Laser Spa – 33 greenwichmedicalspa.com

Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue (ROAR) - 110 roar-ridgefield.org/donate

COVER:

BETTYE MULLER

celebrate

NYU Stern School of Business - 97 stern.nyu.edu

Sothebys International Realty - 75 sothebyshomes.com/greenwich

WESTCHESTER & FAIRFIELD LIFE

DECEMBER 2016 | WAGMAG.COM

WAGMAG.COM

Shoe designer Bettye Muller, at home in Manhattan.

See story on page 64.

Photograph by Sebastian Flores.

DECEMBER 2016

SUSAN BARBASH

LISA CASH

ANNE JORDAN DUFFY

BARBARA HANLON

MARCIA PFLUG

PATRICE SULLIVAN

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EDITORIAL Georgette Gouveia EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ggouveia@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0761 Mary Shustack SENIOR WRITER

Audrey Ronning Topping FEATURES WRITER

ART Sebastian Flores ART DIRECTOR sflores@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0756 Alison Kattleman ART DIRECTOR akattleman@westfairinc.com | 914-358-0741

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PHOTOGRAPHY Anthony Carboni, Sebastian Flores, John Rizzo, Bob Rozycki

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Danielle Brody, Ryan Deffenbaugh, Jane K. Dove, Aleesia Forni, Bill Heltzel, Debbi K. Kickham Doug Paulding, Danielle Renda, Giovanni Roselli, Bob Rozycki, Brian Toohey, Seymour Topping, Jeremy Wayne

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WHAT IS WAG?

Some readers think WAG stands for “Westchester and Greenwich.”

We certainly cover both. But mostly, a WAG is a wit and that’s how we think of ourselves, serving up piquant stories and photos to set your own tongues wagging.

HEADQUARTERS A division of Westfair Communications Inc., 3 Westchester Park Drive, White Plains, NY 10604 Telephone: 914-358-0746 | Facsimile: 914-694-3699 Website: wagmag.com | Email: ggouveia@westfairinc.com All news, comments, opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations in WAG are those of the authors and do not constitute opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations of the publication, its publisher and its editorial staff. No portion of WAG may be reproduced without permission.WAG is distributed at select locations, mailed directly and is available at $24 a year for home or office delivery. To subscribe, call 914-694-3600, ext. 3020. All advertising inquiries should be directed to Anne Jordan at 914694-3600, ext. 3032 or email anne@westfairinc.com. Advertisements are subject to review by the publisher and acceptance for WAG does not constitute an endorsement of the product or service. WAG (Issn: 1931-6364) is published monthly and is owned and published by Westfair Communications Inc. Dee DelBello, CEO, dee@westfairinc.com

10

WAGMAG.COM

DECEMBER 2016

Yesterday, advanced genetic testing gave Caitlin the confidence to start a family Caitlin’s family had a history of cancer. So when she was ready to have kids of her own, her obstetrician recommended genetic testing. At the White Plains Hospital Center for Cancer Care, she found an experienced genetic counselor, Nicole Boxer, and a program designed around prevention and treatment, supported by all the cancer-fighting resources of Montefiore. Nicole guided her through difficult decisions and a life-changing surgery. Today, Caitlin can focus less on her cancer risks and more on her life as a new mom.

See if genetic counseling is right for you at exceptionaleveryday.org/genetics

WAGGERS

THE TALENT BEHIND THIS ISSUE

ANTHONY CARBONI

DANIELLE BRODY

JOHN RIZZO

ROBIN COSTELLO

RYAN DEFFENBAUGH

JANE DOVE

ALEESIA FORNI

BILL HELTZEL

GIOVANNI ROSELLI

BOB ROZYCKI

GREGG SHAPIRO

MARY SHUSTACK

SEYMOUR TOPPING

AUDREY TOPPING

JEREMY WAYNE

BRIAN TOOHEY

DOUG PAULDING

DANIELLE K. RENDA

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WAGMAG.COM

DECEMBER 2016

The story on Page 21 of November WAG misstated the name of the Axion Estin Foundation executive director. It is Angelo Lampousis. The captions for the two accompanying photographs were also flopped.

The story on Café La Fondita that appeared on Page 86 of November WAG misstated the design process for the exterior mural. The mural was designed by an artist based on the ideas, sketches and photographs of owner Val Morano Sagliocco. Muralist Suzanne Bellehumeur touched it up and created the portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the front door.

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EDITOR'S LETTER GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

The only thing I like more than receiving gifts is giving them, so much so that I sometimes give a gift, or two, to myself. (I’m sure I’m what Target’s advertising team had in mind when it created the holiday commercial, set to “Deck the Halls,” with the lyrics “One for you and one for me-ee.

You, you, you, you and one for me. Check out the price of this new flat screen. I’ll buy it for Bill, but it’s also for me….”)

Couple creates musical memories Accent your special event with an inspirational and versatile performance by internationally acclaimed and award-winning soprano and virtuoso accordionist Mary Mancini and Mario Tacca.

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14

WAGMAG.COM

DECEMBER 2016

We close our year of Celebrations with an issue devoted to the greatest gift of all — the gift of ourselves, not all puffed up but humbly, in service to others.

December WAG opens with 12 luminaries who’ve shed light on that spirit of giving, some of whom are profiled on these pages. They include Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino, philanthropist and Scarsdale volunteer firefighter Mark Bezos, Hudson Valley chef Peter X. Kelly and NFL legend Steve Young, whose gridiron dreams were nurtured in Greenwich.

For some, giving is a matter of profession. Aleesia’s profile of Mike Dowling tells the touching story of a poor Irish boy who rose to become CEO of multibillion-dollar Northwell Health. Bob dances with wolves as he visits Maggie Howell, the new executive director of the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem. Jane brings us a superb piece on Deanna Mancuso’s Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue in Dover Plains, which heals abused, abandoned and neglected horses as a way to heal equally challenged people, too. We also profile Rye art teacher Kim Tamalonis who with her students has sought to give refugee children an aesthetic respite.

But even if you are not in a service profession, you can still give to others.

Artists are selfish individuals, Katonah composer-lyricist David Mallamud tells Gregg. And yet, such artists go deep within to reach out and touch people’s

Fausto at Four Columns in Vermont in the room Mick Jagger once slept in. Photograph

by Gina Gouveia.

lives with their particular gifts.

Everyone has this capability. As Mary describes, cover subject Bettye Muller dazzles with shoes as breezily elegant as her South Salem home and personal style. John Rizzo, who shoots many of our covers and celebrity profiles, dramatically captures the Gerewol Festival in Niger, which brings new meaning to the phrase “the dating game.” Four Columns Inn in Newfane, Vermont, — sister property to the Delamar hotels in Fairfield County — offers relaxation, refreshment and reflection in a quietly beautiful setting that once captivated Mick Jagger, as my sister Gina and I discovered recently with our trusty sidekick, Fausto.

Christian Siriano’s inclusive fashions, William Louis-Dreyfus’ generously shared art collection, John Hardy’s Balinese-flavored jewelry, Saltaire Oyster Bar and Fish House’s sea-fare-ing ways, Mike Grgich’s vintages, Samantha Levine’s enameled charms, Susan Giordano’s skincare and beauty products — they all contribute to making the world a more enjoyable place.

And couldn’t we all use a little joy at this moment?

We at WAG wish you all the joys of the season — and joy of your lives.

Georgette Gouveia is the author of “Water Music” (Greenleaf Book Group) and “The Penalty for Holding” (Less Than Three Press, 2017). They’re part of her series of novels, “The Games Men Play,” also the name of the sports/ culture blog she writes at thegamesmenplay.com. Readers may find weekly installments of her novel “Seamless Sky” on wattpad.com.

A world of shoes in one shoe store, but we have two!

92 S. Moger Ave., Mount Kisco, NY 914.241.3777

4 Pleasantville Rd., Pleasantville, NY 914.769.9767

Monday–Saturday: 9:30–6:00 Thursday & Friday: 9:30–7:00 Sunday: 12:00–5:00 • www.hellersshoes.com

CELEBRATING THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

w

AG closes out a year of celebration with the greatest

gift of all – the gift of service to others.

In these pages, you’ll find 12 luminaries with connections to WAG country who spotlight the breadth of that gift. For some, service to others has in part grown out of a challenging personal experience. Such is the case of actress Glenn Close, who founded Bring Change 2 Mind in response to mental health issues within her own family. For others, service is born of a professional passion, as in former New York Yankee Mark Teixeira’s work with Harlem RBI, which uses baseball as a way into the lives of disadvantaged youth. Still others have seen service dovetail with a spiritual quest as with Richard Gere, whose commitment to Buddhism has led to activism on behalf of Tibet and in India.

Celebrities, of course, have the money, fame and other resources to create foundations and command dollars and attention. Most of us will never be a Paul Newman or an Elizabeth Taylor, who turned a devotion to children with cancer and AIDS research, respectively, into brilliant second acts.

(Some might say their movie stardom was but a springboard to their real life’s work.)

But as Edmund Burke, the great 18th-century, Irish-born member of the British Parliament, observed: “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” Last month, Elizabeth Hurley — spokesmodel for the Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign — told a group gathered for brunch at Bloomingdale’s White Plains that you might make a meal for someone in need. Or just be with that person.

Precisely. Sometimes service is a cupcake or a T-shirt. (See our entry on actress and lifestyle goddess Blake Lively.) But always it benefits us as much as others.

“Selflessness and joy are intertwined,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Arthur C. Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, wrote in a Nov. 4 New York Times op-ed piece. “The more we are one with the rest of humanity, the better we feel.”

Or as Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote, “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.”

WAGMAG.COM

DECEMBER 2016

17

ROBERT P. ASTORINO

MARK BEZOS

GLENN CLOSE

RICHARD GERE

Accomplishments: Westchester County Executive, serving his second four-year term. He was founding executive producer of 1050 AM ESPN Radio in New York City and a host on the MSG Network.

Local ties: Astorino lives in Mount Pleasant.

Charities of choice: Catholic Youth Organization. “I am active as a parent and a coach. It’s an opportunity to be a positive influence on young people as they learn about winning, losing and how to be a good teammate in both cases.”

Accomplishments: A customer experience professional, Bezos was the founder of the Bezos Nathanson Marketing Group.

Local ties: He lives in Scarsdale.

Causes of choice: Bezos is a director of the Bezos Family Foundation, which works to increase early education, strengthen the public school system and encourage young leaders. He’s also a member of the Leadership Council of the Robin Hood foundation, dedicated to ending poverty in New York City; a member of the board of directors of iMentor, matching high school students with college-educated mentors; and a captain with the Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Department.

Accomplishments: Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award-winning star of stage (“Sunset Boulevard,” returning to Broadway Feb. 2) and screens big and small (“Fatal Attraction,” “Sarah, Plain and Tall”) Local ties: Born and raised in Greenwich, Close now lives in Bedford Hills.

Causes of choice: In 2010, Close and her family founded Bring Change 2 Mind, to end the stigma associated with mental illness. She is chairman of the conservation council for Panthera, dedicated to the preservation of the world’s big cats (April WAG); a supporter of Puppies Behind Bars, which provides wounded war veterans with service dogs ( January WAG); and a member of the Bedford Playhouse’s cultural advisory council.

Accomplishments: Star of more than 40 films, including “Chicago,” for which he won a Golden Globe.

Local ties: Gere is co-owner (with Russell Hernandez) of the Bedford Post Inn and a Pound Ridge resident.

Causes of choice: A practicing Buddhist, Gere co-founded Tibet House in Manhattan and is board chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet, both dedicated to protecting the rights of the Tibetan people. His work on behalf of AIDS research and prevention has recently focused on the spread of the disease in India. There he has helped the Naz Foundation establish and expand the first AIDS Care Home in New Dehli.

See story on Page 22.

Photograph by John Rizzo.

See story on Page 26.

Photograph by John Rizzo.

For more, visit bezosfamilyfoundation.org

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WAGMAG.COM

DECEMBER 2016

For more, visit bringchange2mind.org.

For more, visit gerefoundation.org.

RON HOWARD

PETER X. KELLY

GAYLE KING

BLAKE LIVELY

Accomplishments: Oscar Award-winning director (“A Beautiful Mind”) who made a successful transition from child star (“The Andy Griffith Show,” “Happy Days”).

Local ties: A former Greenwich resident, Howard is a member of the board of directors of the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville.

Causes of choice: He directed the first PSA for his friend Glenn Close’s nonprofit Bring Change 2 Mind.

Among the many organizations he has supported are Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Communities in Schools, which addresses the dropout crisis; DonorsChoose.org, which lets you decide which public school project you’d like to help fund; Oceana, to protect and restore the world’s oceans; and “The Hollywood Cookbook: Cooking for Causes.”

Accomplishments: Chef and restaurateur, Kelly owns Restaurant X & The Bully Boy Bar in Congers and X20 Xaviars in his native Yonkers.

Local ties: He was born in Yonkers and raised there and in Croton-on-Hudson.

Causes of choice: Kelly’s nonprofit interests have ranged from the arts (Hudson River Museum, Rockland Center for the Arts, ArtsWestchester) to history (Putnam County Historical Society & Foundry School Museum) to children’s health (Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center, Make-A-Wish Foundation). Not surprisingly, much of his charitable work has revolved around food, including City Meals on Wheels, the Food Bank for Westchester and Nyack Hospital’s Dine Out for Kids.

Accomplishments: Co-anchor of “CBS This Morning,” editor-at-large of O, the Oprah Magazine.

Local ties: King is a former Greenwich resident.

Causes of choice: Among the nonprofits King has been involved in are Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Exploring the Arts, Feed the Children, March of Dimes, UNICEF and United Cerebral Palsy.

Accomplishments: Actress (“Gossip Girl,” “The Shallows”) and lifestyle goddess.

Local ties: She lives in Bedford.

Causes of choice: Lively is the face of Premiere, a fragrance by Gucci, whose Chime for Change initiative funds 300 charitable projects in the areas of education, health and justice. Last year, she appeared at Greenwich Country Day School for a discussion on “A Path Appears,” a documentary about gender-based oppression in which she participated. In 2012, the self-styled foodie and cook worked with Sprinkles founder Candace Nelson to develop a S’more cupcake that raised $35,000 for Oxfam and its fight to end poverty. The year before, she designed a T-shirt for Japanese retailer Uniqlo to benefit victims of the Japanese earthquake.

For more, see Page 46.

Photograph by John Rizzo.

Photograph by Bob Rozycki at Greenwich Polo Club, 2013.

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DECEMBER 2016

19

NIC ROLDAN

MARK TEIXEIRA

GRACE VANDERWAAL

STEVE YOUNG

Accomplishments: Argentine-born polo player and model. An eight-goaler (out of a maximum of 10), Roldan remains the youngest player to help capture the U.S. Open Polo Championship, which he did at just 15. He is now captain of the U.S. polo team.

Local ties: Roldan has starred for Team Audi in the East Coast Open at Greenwich Polo Club, scoring the winning goal last year.

Causes of choice: As Brooke USA ambassador, Roldan recently traveled to Guatemala to observe the organization’s role in improving the lives of the country’s working horses, donkeys and mules. Roldan will host the second Sunset Polo & White Party to benefit Brooke USA on March, 24 at The Wanderers Club in Wellington, Florida. The 2016 event raised more than $140,000 to benefit working equines around the world.

Accomplishments: Former Major League Baseball first baseman, playing most of his professional career with the New York Yankees. A powerful switch hitter, Teixeira was key to the team’s 2009 World Series title, leading the American League in home runs and runs batted in.

Local ties: He lives in Greenwich.

Causes of choice: In 2006, Mark and wife Leigh started a foundation that has funded high school scholarships across the United States. In 2010, he donated $100,000 and joined the board of directors of Harlem RBI, which uses softball and baseball as a way to prepare young people academically and professionally. As chair of its capital campaign to build a charter school and headquarters there, he helped raise $20 million, donating the first million. But Teixeira is also a patron of local arts, supporting the Bruce Museum and the Greenwich International Film Festival.

Accomplishments: Singer, ukeleleist and recent winner of “America’s Got Talent” Local ties: The tween lives in Suffern.

Causes of choice: Grace plans to donate part of her $1 million prize to a music charity.

Accomplishments: The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is a two-time NFL MVP and a Super Bowl MVP. He is a lawyer, an ESPN analyst for “Monday Night Football,” the cfounder of an equity fund and the author of the new autobiography “QB: My Life Behind the Spiral.”

Local ties: Young grew up in Greenwich where he starred in baseball, basketball and football and is now a member of the Greenwich High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Causes of choice: Young and wife Barb are co-chairs of the Forever Young Foundation. The foundation’s initiatives include Forever Young Zones and 8 to 80 Zones, equipping underserved students with technology and children’s hospitals with play areas; Sophie’s Place, creating music therapy spaces in children’s hospitals; and enhancing education and health for the youth of Ghana.

For more, visit BrookeUSA.org.

Photograph by ChiChi Ubiña.

Courtesy Greenwich Polo Club.

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DECEMBER 2016

Photograph courtesy of the Greenwich International Film Festival.

See story on Page 38

See story on Page 30.

For more, visit foreveryoung.org and Photograph by John Rizzo.

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r Westchester County Executive 22 DECEMBER 2016 Robert WAGMAG.COM P. Astorino.

r

A FAMILY MAN

BY BILL HELTZEL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN RIZZO

obert Astorino craves normalcy.

The Westchester County executive did not say so explicitly in an recent interview, but the conversation kept coming back to the idea of balancing the harshness of politics and governing with the simple pleasures of home and family.

His office in White Plains offers clues to his priorities. Elected officials typically display political party memorabilia and photographs of themselves with high-ranking politicians and dignitaries. Every wall in Astorino’s office is covered with family photos and artwork from his son and two daughters. Here and there are Miami Dolphins mementos, a Crucifix, a Westchester-Putnam Right to Life award that reproduces in statuary the Guido Reni painting of St. Michael and a small bookshelf with titles such as “Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms” and “Graveside Politics.”

His office is a gallery first and foremost to family and then to sports, religion and politics.

“I wish I could be home every night at 6 o’clock,” he said. “It’s impossible. But I clearly try to get balance, where I’m home enough times during the week to read a story to my little one or to help with homework or just to be home.”

Astorino traces his career ambitions back to Westlake High School in Thornwood. He said he was active in sports, but a case of mononucleosis sidelined him for six weeks. Two opportunities shaped his life. Both drew him to the spotlight.

A neighbor asked if he wanted to announce high school football games on public access TV. Classmates asked him to run for class president.

“I won, and I started doing the TV, and those were quickly my passions.”

He said his parents, Robert, a police officer and Theresa, a nurse, had no idea where his aptitude for media and politics came from. But he said they encouraged him.

They called him Alex P. Keaton, the young Republican portrayed by Michael J. Fox on the 1980s sitcom “Family Ties.”

Some days Astorino wore a suit to school, and, as he remembers it, classmates were delighted because they knew that meant there would be an assembly that would get them out of class.

He began to get an inkling that he could play a leadership role.

“What I liked was I was able to do things,” he said. “I was actually able to take an idea, work with people and get something done.”

He went on to study broadcasting at Fordham University. He was asked during his senior year to run for the Mount Pleasant school board, and he won.

He continued juggling his dual interests.

He worked for WFAS radio in White Plains. He helped launch ESPN Radio in New York – producing “The Michael Kay Show” and securing broadcasting rights for the Knicks and the Rangers. He became program director of the Catholic Chan-

A family portrait.

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Rob Astorino as coach.

nel on Sirius Satellite Radio and hosted a weekly program with Cardinal Edward Egan. (He also anchored MSG Network’s “Talk of Our Town.”)

Astorino weaved in politics, winning a seat on the Westchester County Board of Legislators, running unsuccessfully for county executive and coming back four years later to win. He was reelected in 2013 but turned his attention to running for governor against incumbent Andrew Cuomo. He lost, 54 to 40 percent.

In the early days, when he first discussed his ambitions with his wife, Sheila, he wasn’t sure which path he would take, media or politics.

“Whatever you want to do, I’ll back you 100 percent,” he recalls her saying. “Just don’t make me speak publicly.”

Political life does not mesh easily with home life.

Running for county executive can cost from $2 million to $5 million. The fundraising is never-ending.

Campaigning is exhausting. When he was in the thick of his 2009 contest for county executive, his youngest daughter, now 7, was born 30 days before the election.

Adversaries make harsh allegations, and children hear what’s being said.

Cuomo ran TV ads that said Astorino was being sued for racketeering and election fraud, on

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DECEMBER 2016

HIS OFFICE IS A GALLERY FIRST AND FOREMOST TO FAMILY AND THEN TO SPORTS, RELIGION AND POLITICS.

the basis of a lawsuit by a political foe. A judge eventually dismissed the case, but the allegations did their damage.

“Look, campaigns are not fun when your opponent and others are literally lying about you,” he said. “Now, I’m used to it. I know how to deal with it. For my wife, it’s a lot harder, and we try to shield the kids.”

His children are accustomed to seeing him on TV. But when campaigns turn nasty, “all of a sud-

den they’re seeing this monster being portrayed on television, and like, 'Who is that guy they’re talking about?' So we’d sit them down at the beginning of campaigns and just tell them what to expect.”

Another TV ad, showing a photo of Astorino at a Miami Dolphins game, was aired in western New York when the Buffalo Bills were playing the Dolphins.

“This is the absurdity of politics,” he said. “I swear, I dealt with it for three days. Dolphins-gate.

Three days. Are you effing kidding me?”

He laughs now, but political ambition takes a toll.

He does not want to be consumed by politics.

He wants to be grounded, to come home and take out the garbage and load the dishwasher and take the kids to their events.

From October to February, he blocks off his calendar for Friday nights and Saturday mornings to coach the children’s basketball teams.

“I’m getting in shorts and getting a whistle and going to Holy Rosary gym to coach. And I love it.”

When he campaigned for governor he worked in trips with the kids to Niagara Falls, the Finger Lakes and the state fair in Syracuse.

Had he won, he said, the family would not have moved into the governor’s mansion in Albany. His house in Hawthorne is “as normal as should be.”

He loves his neighborhood and he doesn’t want to uproot his children.

“This is where their friends are. This is their community. This is their school. Our church is right down the road.”

Astorino is 49. His term as county executive ends next year and term limits allow him to run one more time.

He still feels the tug of both paths – politics and communications.

Politics has a big downside, he said, and it has become worse than ever. It’s so personal now and so negative.

“There’s a part that says, ‘Just get out of this nonsense. Who needs this junk?’”

But he enjoys the challenges. He likes running a large government that is well-known nationally, because it is home to many titans of media, law, banking and entertainment.

“You know, this is not something I’m going to do forever. At some point, I’ll definitely go back to my career in broadcasting, or something else,” he said.

“I’m not there yet. As long as I can find a balance, I’m OK.” For more, visit robastorino.com

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Mark Bezos at a Scarsdale firehouse.

s

WHY SHOES – AND ALL LIFE’S DETAILS – MATTER: THE VOLUNTEERISM OF MARK BEZOS

BY RYAN DEFFENBAUGH PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN RIZZO

tanding on stage in full firefighter gear, Mark Bezos told a crowd gathered for a series of TED Talks in California in 2011 the story of his first fire with the Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Department.

He was assigned to race into a burning home and find its barefoot owner a pair of shoes, not quite the act of heroism he was hoping for, he said.

Another volunteer who arrived just before him got to save the family dog. The story is better told in full by Bezos himself, so we’ll skip straight to his message. Shortly after the fire, the woman wrote a thank you note to the fire department and singled out the shoes in particular. While Bezos said he has been a witness to acts of generosity on both global and individual scales, he’s learned one thing: “They all matter.”

“Not every day is going to offer us a chance to save somebody's life, but every day offers us an opportunity to affect one,” Bezos said in closing. “So get in the game. Save the shoes.”

The speech has been viewed close to two million times on the TED website. Its message, getting involved in ways big and small, appears to drive many of the choices Bezos makes. He spent a decade working for the Robin Hood Foundation, New York City’s leading anti-poverty group. Now a member of its Leadership Council, Bezos is also a member of the board of directors of iMentor, matching high school students with college-educated mentors; and a director for the Bezos Family Foundation. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because his brother, Jeff, is the founder and CEO of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post.

Mark Bezos landed in Scarsdale after living in New York City, where he met his wife, Lisa, who was raised in the Westchester County town. Originally a Texan, he said he bounced around a lot in his childhood as his father worked in the oil indus-

try. He graduated high school in Norway.

But New York City, he said, was where he knew he had to be to launch his career in advertising. He eventually ran his own firm, which he sold in 2006.

After that, he said, he was looking for something new.

“I had to figure out somewhere to go and I got a phone call from a guy named David Saltzman who was executive director at Robin Hood, and I guess through friends of friends, he heard I was looking for what’s next. Robin Hood was looking for someone to help with communications and marketing, so that began a 10-year adventure.”

That adventure has included helping to raise millions of dollars for the needy and for disaster relief. The Robin Hood Foundation hosts an annual gala at the Javits Center in Manhattan that often features a mix of big names from the business and entertainment worlds to support organizations and programs that fight poverty — hence the name. But the foundation has also stepped in to aid recovery efforts after catastrophes around the country. Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the foundation directed the massive “12/12/12: The Concert for Sandy Relief” at Madison Square Garden, featuring performances by Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Kanye West and The Who, among others. The Robin Hood Relief Fund allocated close to $75 million to people in the tristate area affected by the storm.

"It was incredibly moving, with just so many people there," Bezos said. He added he remembered especially the performance of Springsteen.

"Any time he mentioned New Jersey, the crowd would go crazy."

The Bezos Family Foundation, established by Mark's parents, Jackie and Mike, focuses mostly on education issues. Programs such as the Bezos Scholars Program, Mind in the Making, Students Rebuild and Vroom all concentrate in different ways on expanding access to education.

Mark is also president of the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation, which raises money to help supplement the Scarsdale School District budget.

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Mark Bezos as a Scarsdale volunteer firefighter.

The group has helped fund MakerSpaces at five Scarsdale elementary schools, which allow students to design, prototype and work with 3D printers; a gaming initiative at Scarsdale Middle School; and a HackScarsdale event at the high school that let students work with community leaders to try to build innovative apps to solve local problems. The foundation is also raising money to fund the construction of a design lab for Scarsdale High School.

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Bezos' two daughters attend the high school, while his younger sons are at private elementary schools.

Bezos is now a captain with the Scarsdale Volunteer Company #2. He said he first got started at his wife's suggestion, when he was looking for something to balance out his marketing career.

"I wanted to be able to give back in some way more meaningfully than just writing a check," Bezos said. "And this just really clicked. It was physically

challenging, which I appreciated. But it was also a way to be a bigger part of the community."

The volunteer force supplements Scarsdale’s full-time paid fire department, either responding to fires and large storms or manning the firehouse during mutual aid situations in which the Scarsdale Fire Department responds to emergencies in nearby communities.

As for the theme in his TED Talk, how to find that "Save the Shoes" moment, Bezos said it can be as easy as just looking around for a problem to solve.

One day his son commented on how much garbage he saw along the Hutchinson River Parkway on his way to hockey practice. Since then, the family has made it a tradition for the past four years to take a day and pick up trash along the side of the road.

"It's just a matter of deciding to do something," Bezos said. "And that's not profound. I don't know that we are saving the environment or anything as a result of that, but it's a very simple thing that you can do to get started."

Bezos recommended looking to food banks and soup kitchens for ways to volunteer for the holiday season.

"It's the most rewarding time you can spend," Bezos said. "Obviously, you want to be altruistic about this stuff, but you can't help but walk away feeling very good and very fulfilled."

For more, visit bezosfamilyfoundation.org.

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QB OR NOT QB: STEVE YOUNG’S AGE OF ANXIETY

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

s

teve Young’s new book “QB: My Life Behind the Spiral” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 389 pages, $30) is dedicated not only to wife Barb, “my soul-mate, my best friend, my everything,” but also to sons Braedon and Jackson and daughters Summer and Laila, “the most precious gifts in my life.”

But if Young’s children are gifts to him, the book is his gift to them — a memory of the gridiron glory he enjoyed as quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s and ’90s, before the children were born.

“One of my sons would come home from school and say, ‘I heard a story that you punched Joe Montana,’” Young says of the man he succeeded as the Niners’ signal caller. “And I said, ‘That’s not true.’

And then I realized my kids are not going to know what’s true or not true, so I hired (writer-producer) Jeff (Benedict) to put my recollections together

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Steve Young. Photograph by John Rizzo.

for family and friends. I never thought the book would be published.”

A book about an NFL quarterback who was twice league MVP and a Super Bowl MVP: What publisher wouldn’t be interested in that story?

Young isn’t being disingenuous or falsely modest, however. Rather, that remark is typical of his self-deprecation — a self-deprecation that his wife sometimes calls him out on and that would lead him to stash paychecks worth millions in a drawer, because he didn’t think he was worthy enough to cash them.

“The anxiety informs that a little bit,” he says.

The anxiety: Throughout his career, Young has appeared to be a kind of golden boy. A lawyer; a co-founder and managing director of the private equity firm HGGC; an ESPN analyst; and co-chair, with his wife, of the board of the Forever Young

Foundation, Young is intelligent, attractive, articulate, humorous and gracious. But there is a shadow side to each of us that gives form to our character and burnishes its luster. For much of his life, Young has been haunted by an anxiety that manifested itself when he was away from home or before he stepped onto the playing field. It would find him sleeping outside his parents’ bedroom as a child or sobbing, shaking, vomiting as an adult, wondering what was wrong with him. It is this anxiety and his Promethean response to it that is at the heart of “QB,” a visceral account of his life thus far that puts the reader on the playing field.

(It helps that Young’s memories of key games are beautifully written in the present tense.)

Fans think of Young as a product of the West — a native of Salt Lake City, a great-great-great grandson of Mormon leader Brigham Young, who

would give his name to the university from which Steve Young would later graduate and earn his law degree; a resident of the San Francisco Bay area, where he still roots for the Niners. But much of his character and gridiron dream were shaped by his years in Greenwich, to which his family moved when he was in third grade. In Greenwich public schools, he would be a straight-A student, a star in basketball, baseball and football. (In 2013, he was inducted into the Greenwich High School Sports Hall of Fame.)

But all the while, he was masking an anxiety that he could neither understand nor control.

Reading “QB,” you can’t help but wonder what roles family, faith and football played in it. Young’s father, Le-Grande “Grit” Young, was a football star at BYU who would go on to become a successful labor counsel lawyer, one who taught Steve, the oldest of four, to pay his own way and never quit.

He didn’t comprehend what his son was feeling.

His father’s toughness was balanced by his mother Sherry’s protectiveness. (She provides some of the amusing moments in the book — tramping across the field of a Pee Wee game in her high heels, making divots along the way, to

ball out a boy who had tackled her son too forcefully for her taste; and confronting heckling fans during Young’s early pro career, reminding them that her son was a “good boy.”)

His parents, however, never pressured him into that career. Rather they were his “North Star,” keeping him on course, he says.

“Even today, I think I take my parents for granted. It was only when I had kids that I realized how good they were.”

His faith, too, has been another North Star, despite its strictures, opening him up to the suffering of others in a way that put his anxiety in perspective. One of the most moving moments in the book comes when he makes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, walking in the footsteps of Jesus all the way to Calvary.

“The NFL seemed so far away,” he writes.

But not for long. The pilgrimage came after the Niners traded the legendary Montana — Young’s longtime rival — to the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving Young in sole possession of the quarterbacking job.

If ever there were a profession the anxiety-ridden should run from, it would appear to be football.

But it was a measure of Young’s talent, confidence, discipline and desire as a running quarterback that

he not only survived but thrived in it.

“I never wanted my sense of fear to lead the day,” he says. “I didn’t want to stop playing. I was having so much fun.”

On Sept. 27, 1999, a particularly brutal hit in a nationally televised game against the Arizona Cardinals resulted in a concussion — one of several he sustained in his career — and forced his hand. He never played again. But by then he was engaged to Barb and a rich second chapter was about to unfold, bringing with it a new balance and maturity and an understanding that finally alleviated his anxiety.

“I think once I realized that it had a genetic component, that helped, too.”

Today, Young and his wife try to help children understand themselves through the Forever Young Foundation, which won the Charity Navigator Award for best youth and family charity. Their work has embraced the LGBT community as well.

“We want our LGBT brothers and sisters to know the door is always open.”

Open, too, for the one person he once thought of as the least worthy — himself.

For more, visit foreveryoung.org.

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IN CHINA, CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME

BY AUDREY RONNING TOPPING

d

espite its legion of 569 billionaire titans now topping the U.S.’ 537 billionaires, China has comparatively few charity organizations or private philanthropic donors. One of the main reasons for this is because there is no tax incentive for giving to charity organizations in China; therefore, few people make regular donations.

The Chinese attitude toward giving money to charities is quite different than the West’s. Most Chinese contend that every worthy person or family should be responsible for their own standard of living unless they are survivors of a natural disaster.

When it comes to donations to help the poor with food, shelter and medicine, the Chinese generally feel that if a person is not physically ill or disabled, being poor because they are too lazy to fill their own rice bowl is not a valid reason to be helped by charity. But when a natural catastrophe occurs — such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, storms and other calamities considered a result of fate — the innocent victims are not to blame and therefore deserve all the help they can get. In times like this, the Chinese people rise to the occasion and exhibit tremendous courage in rescue operations, make large donations and volunteer for disaster relief to

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The ninth Beijing Terry Fox Run in 2007 – racing to give cancer sufferers hope. Courtesy dreamstime.com.

MOST CHINESE CONTEND THAT EVERY WORTHY PERSON OR FAMILY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN STANDARD OF LIVING UNLESS THEY ARE SURVIVORS OF A NATURAL DISASTER.

help those who have lost everything.

After the major, two-minute earthquake in Sichuan in 2008 that left 69,000 dead and 4.8 million homeless, thousands of volunteers, including my adopted Chinese son, Peter Ronning, rushed from Chongqing to the epicenter near Chengdu at the

risk of their lives, braving aftershocks to help rescue survivors and dig out bodies. Actually there were so many volunteers they had to be turned back to keep the roads clear for Caterpillar machinery and ambulances. The government spent $146.5 billion to rebuild ravaged areas.

Unfortunately, as with some Western countries, there are charities that acquire bad reputations, including the Red Cross in China, mainly because they cannot or will not provide proof of how the money is spent. All donations from charitable organizations must be combined with the government disaster relief fund and managed collectively by government agencies. Like a few other charities in both East and West countries, there is sometimes a lack of trust and a deep suspicion of corruption and fraud.

Many people fear that a large part of their donations will end up in the pocket of corrupt officials. And that fear can prevent help reaching those who need it most.

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HEALING HORSES – AND PEOPLE

"o

BY JANE K. DOVE

ur motto is ‘People Helping Horses Heal People,’” said Deanna Mancuso, founder and executive director of Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue in Dutchess County’s Dover Plains. “Over the years, we have found that interaction with horses grounds people with problems and helps to bring them peace.”

Founded in 2008, Lucky Orphans is dedicated to providing a safe haven for unwanted, abused, neglected horses and to improve the relationship between horses and people by using them as therapy animals under professional supervision.

“We are committed to a no-kill rescue operation that ‘pays it forward’ by helping children and adults in need of emotional healing,” Mancuso said. “Our horses, many of them senior citizens,

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DECEMBER 2016

Courtesy Jes Grey Photography.

are not ridden but instead interact with the children and adults we serve in a number of ‘on the ground’ ways.”

Mancuso cited the example of Casper, a former racehorse with a broken leg, who is now in her care.

“He came to us because his owner, unbelievably, still wanted to use him for riding, even though his leg had never healed properly and was badly misshapen. He is now a therapy horse for a child with a bilateral amputation. The child had attempted suicide before meeting Casper, whose very important mission became saving his life.”

Mancuso grew up as a “city girl” in the Bronx and later in southern Westchester.

“I was always interested in horses and somehow knew working with them would be the path I was going to take,” she said. “It was my grand-

father, a Korean War veteran who took care of horses during his tour of duty, who got me really interested by talking about his experiences with them. Unfortunately, he returned from the war with PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) and then moved to California where he lived for many years. The connection with our family was broken until he returned to New York decades later.”

But her father also had a love of horses. “He would take me riding on Pelham Parkway, something I had also done with my grandfather before he left.” Mancuso’s family later moved to New Rochelle, and her father bought her first horse. “He was an abused and neglected animal when we got him, but after a few months was transformed into a beautiful horse, a chestnut and white paint.

We named him Nitro.”

The family acquired a second horse, Snickers, a bit later, and Mancuso and her father went riding every day. “At this point, my path in life was pretty well set in my mind,” she said.

A move to Millbrook led Mancuso to work on a local horse farm and at The Millbrook Hunt. “I had multiple jobs at horse farms in the area,” she said. “Many of them belonged to the ‘rich and famous,’ who lived in the area, including Mary Tyler Moore, and I developed a reputation for providing excellent care.”

By now in her early 20s and a mother, Mancuso took the plunge and opened her own operation — Equine Escape Stables. “This was in 2003 and I started out with the standard boarding and training format. But about 2006, I begin getting requests for neglected horses to be placed at the stable for care and rehabilitation.”

Most of the neglected horses had been saved by the Dutchess County SPCA, which always needs to find places for them. “Although Dutchess County has a horse population of 10,000, there are no equine care facilities, which

is hard to believe,” Mancuso said.

After realizing the true scope of the abandoned and neglected horse crisis, Mancuso decided to found Lucky Orphans. “I cleared out all of my stalls to make room for the animals I had agreed to accept and rehabilitate,” she said. “At the moment, we have a total 57. I later bought my 42 acres of property in Dover Plains on Route 22.”

Mancuso obtained nonprofit status for Lucky Orphans in June 2008 and dedicated herself fully to her cause.

“We do not go to horse auctions and do not take horses being given up by their owners,” she said.

“We take in horses that are victims of serious neglect and abuse, usually resulting from abandonment and starvation. “ Today, Lucky Orphans is an accredited sanctuary and is recognized by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGLA). “The association is focused on equine assisted psychotherapy,” Mancuso said.

Mancuso’s human charges include veterans with PTSD, victims of domestic violence, abused

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foster children and individuals with serious mental health problems, including substance abuse.

“Most of our animals are too old to be safely ridden so we stay on the ground,” Mancuso said.

“The horses serve as a catalyst for healing. They are both metaphors and mirrors for our clients.

The average period of interaction, all closely supervised by professionals, is eight to 12 weeks, and we see wonderful results.”

Mancuso said the Native American tribes that once frequented the area believed firmly in the natural healing power of horses. “We work with some remaining members of these tribes in our programs and have peace poles planted on the farm,” she said.

Mancuso said she believed her grandfather, now deceased after his own struggles with PTSD and substance abuse, would be proud of what she has accomplished. “He put the ball in motion and the horses and people we care for owe him their gratitude.”

For more, call 845-416-8583 or visit luckyorphans.bravesites.com/.

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35

REMEMBERING HIS ROOTS

BY ALEESIA FORNI

h

Northwell Health president and CEO Michael Dowling, left, during a visit to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Courtesy Northwell Health.

e’s known to many as the innovative leader and CEO of Northwell Health, New York’s largest private employer with 61,000 employees. But Michael Dowling has a story not often heard among high-ranking executives.

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Before he sat at the helm of a company that draws in $9.5 billion annually, Dowling was just a kid growing up in Limerick, Ireland, a farming village that is home to a church, a post office and a pub — the pub typically being the busiest, Dowling quipped. He spent his childhood in a three-room house, with a thatched roof, mud floors and no electricity or plumbing.

Things were tough for Dowling and his siblings.

His father suffered from a severe case of arthritis that ended his working career at the age of 42, and his mother was hearing impaired.

“We were not a middle-class family,” he said. “We were a relatively poor family in the community.”

But even from his humble beginnings, Dowling dreamed of getting a higher education, even though he was mocked and ridiculed for entertaining that sentiment.

“People would tell me as a kid — it was great motivation — that somebody from my circumstances would never be able to go to college,” he said. “My attitude was, ‘I’m going to beat the odds.’”

Despite the naysayers, Dowling was undeterred.

After years of simultaneously studying and working in area farms to provide for his family, he was able to score high enough on his high school exams to be admitted to college.

But his hard work was far from over. During

his time at University College Cork in Ireland, he spent his summers working various jobs in the United States — from laboring on the docks to construction.

After graduation, Dowling settled permanently in the U.S., earnings a master's degree from Fordham University before becoming a professor of social policy and assistant dean at the college’s Graduate School of Social Services and director of its campus in Westchester County. He later moved into the public sector and worked in state government in New York for more than a decade, including seven years as director of Health, Education and Human Services.

Dowling said he was drawn to the field in particular because of his impoverished upbringing and his parents’ health problems.

“I’ve always had an inclination toward the area of health and human services. I always had an interest in it, and I always felt we should be doing more to help people, but also that people had a responsibility to help themselves.”

Both Dowling and Northwell place a strong focus on giving back to the community.

“We want to make sure that we provide the best care to everyone despite their circumstances,” he said.

The company runs a Medical Scholars Pipeline Program though its Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. The program provides health-care skills training and instruction to high-achieving students from economically disadvantaged areas.

“It’s important that we try to make sure that we’re incredibly responsive to the diversity around us,” he said. “You have to understand the culture, religion and background of people different from us so we can relate and provide services for those people.”

Dowling takes that message to heart with his Monday routine. Each week, he spends part of his mornings meeting all of Northwell’s roughly 200 new hires.

Dowling said he puts a focus on helping those that the rest of the world seems to have forgotten.

“That’s where I’m kind of naturally driven toward,” he said. “In many ways, I look for those areas where you seem to think a lot of other people

are not that interested.”

Dowling is also involved with Smile Train, a nonprofit that provides corrective surgery for children across the globe with facial deformities such as cleft lips and palates.

“Sometime when we look at what goes on around us here, we think people are in dire circumstances, but it’s nothing compared to what you see abroad.” he said. “It gives you perspective. You realize how fortunate those of us are (in America). We forget that so easily.”

But he hasn’t forgotten his roots. Each year, Dowling funds a trip for a group of Irish students, allowing them to live, work and study in the U.S. “The U.S. is a great place,” he said. “It has its failings but the wonderful core human aspect of the U.S. is a great source of opportunity.”

Dowling credits his success to a mixture of hard work, perseverance and plain old luck.

“It’s been a very interesting ride that I’ve had,” he said. “You never know where you will end up.”

For more, visit northwell.edu.

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DECEMBER 2016

37

AMERICA’S NEWEST SWEETHEART

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BY DANIELLE RENDA

race VanderWaal may not know her name, but everyone else does.

With a mature, folkie sound and original compositions that belie her 12 years on this planet, the self-taught ukuleleist won the 11th season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” — and the country’s heart as well.

She charmed the show’s judges, including model Heidi Klum, who described her as “a true gift to music”; record producer Simon Cowell, known for his brutal honesty, who compared her to the likes of Taylor Swift; and actor and rapper Nick Cannon, who predicated that she will become “bigger than” T-Swift.

She is an example to everyone that it’s never too early — or too late — to chase your dreams.

The show boasts a $1 million prize for the top spot and VanderWaal plans to pay some of it forward, perhaps by donating a portion to a music

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charity. But staying true to her youth, she also plans to build a treehouse for herself and her 15-year-old sister — and best friend — Olivia, akin to those impressive backyard hideaways seen on Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Masters.”

Aside from that, however, she remains dedicated to her music.

VanderWaal, who lives in Suffern, has been captivated by song ever since she picked up a wireless microphone at age 3 and began singing. Over time, she turned to songwriting for self-expression and while many of her fellow contestants performed covers of popular singles, she debuted originals. She wowed audiences with her audition song, “I Don’t Know My Name,” which she wrote about herself, followed by others, including “Beautiful Thing,” about her sister, and “Clay,” about bullying.

When VanderWaal entered her preteens, her interest grew to include instrumentals. Using money that she saved from her 11th birthday, she bought a ukulele and taught herself how to play, turning to YouTube as her unofficial teacher.

She has since headlined four sold-out concerts at the PH Showroom at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, as part of the “America’s Got Talent Live Tour”; been named to Billboard Magazine’s 2016 “21 Under 21” list of music’s hottest young stars; and signed a record deal with Cowell’s Syco Records, a division of Columbia Records.

Her first album, “Perfectly Imperfect,” will be available Dec. 2.

VanderWaal can be seen on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent Holiday Spectacular” Dec. 19.

For more, visit gracevanderwaalofficial.com.

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House of Worth, tea gown, circa 1897; from the collection of the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. Installation view of the exhibition “Proust’s Muse, The Countess Greffulhe” at The Museum at FIT. An exhibition developed by the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. Photograph © 2016 The Museum at FIT.

A REMEMBRANCE OF FASHIONS PAST

BY MARY SHUSTACK

uring the holiday season, when calendars tend to fill up with special occasions, we may look at our wardrobes with fresh eyes.

We want not only to feel but also to look our very best — and, yes, we want to impress. We even might dare to dream that our fashion choices might inspire others.

As one of the exhibitions at The Museum at FIT in Manhattan shows us in dazzling detail, that’s nothing new.

A walk through “Proust’s Muse, The Countess Greffulhe,” which continues through Jan. 7, offers plenty of proof of this timeless fascination — and that proof comes in velvet and silk, satin and taffeta, embroidery, pearls, sequins and so much more.

The evocatively lit show in the Special Exhibitions Gallery features some 40 fashions and accessories from the wardrobe of The Countess Greffulhe, Élisabeth de Caraman-Chimay (1860-1952).

It is based on “La Mode retrouvée: Les robes trésors de la comtesse Greffulhe,” an exhibition organized in Paris by Olivier Saillard, director of

the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, which today houses the Countess’ wardrobe.

Valerie Steele, director and chief curator at The Museum at FIT, organized the exhibition in New York in collaboration with Saillard.

In a video accompanying the show, Steele says, “I wanted New Yorkers to have a chance to see the really unique dresses that were part of her wardrobe.

I wanted people to ‘meet’ the Countess Greffulhe, who was really a fashion icon of Belle Epoque Paris.”

And meet we do.

A famous beauty known for her elegance and bold taste, she captivated her contemporaries.

Those included the famed French novelist Marcel Proust — so much that when he wrote his landmark “In Search of Lost Time (À la recherche du temps perdu),” the Countess was a primary inspiration for Oriane, the Duchess of Guermantes.

It’s said that Proust drew heavily from his own life in creating what is believed by many to be the greatest novel of the 20th century.

And, as Steele’s essay introducing the exhibi-

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Photograph by Otto, Countess Greffulhe in a ball gown, circa 1887. Galliera, musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. © Otto / Galliera / Roger-Viollet.

tion explains, “To create it, Proust drew on everything he had experienced and thought over the course of a lifetime — about art, love, society, time, … and fashion. Indeed fashion was one of the ways that he came to understand the mystery of time.”

The “audacious style” of The Countess Greffulhe — said to be the Daphne Guinness of her day — had his full attention.

In this proverbial walk through a most elegant closet, the highlights are many, starting with the exhibition’s centerpiece. The famous “Lily Dress” (1896), in black velvet with ivory silk accents and attributed to the House of Worth, is said to have been created with much input from the Countess, as was her way.

Visitors will delight, too, in what’s come to be known as the “Russian cape,” a sumptuous, dramatic affair; in a vivid peacock-blue velvet on green satin tea dress; and in a Byzantine empress gown attributed to Paul Poiret for Worth (a glittering creation the Countess wore to a 1904 wedding, handily upstaging the bride — who just happened to be

her own daughter).

Throughout, the fashions reflect the varied interests of the Countess. An arts patron who raised funds for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, she would begin to wear exotic designs from Fortuny and Babani inspired by the growing influence of Orientalism. And as she aged, the Countess lost none of her flair, evidenced by 1930s ensembles by Nina Ricci and Jeanne Lanvin.

The exhibition is rounded out by a collection of shoes (yes, Proust fans will delight in a certain red-velvet design), hats, fans, gloves and stockings; a contemporary outfit by Rick Owens created in homage to the Countess; a selection of period photographs; and rare 1903 film footage of the Countess herself.

As Steele concludes in the overview video, it’s all part of quite a picture — a memorable one.

“For Proust and the Countess Greffulhe, fashion was not only a social and cultural sign, it was also a mark of individuality, an expression of emotion and a type of art.”

For more, visit fitnyc.edu/museum.

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THE GENEROUS EYE –

William Louis-Dreyfus and Leonardo Cremonini

BY JANE K. DOVE

d

espite work across more than four decades, contemporary Italian painter Leonardo Cremonini (19252010) is mostly unknown outside of certain art circles.

His large, vibrant canvases portray human figures, household scenes, still lifes and landscapes and have a strong and immediate effect on the viewer.

Leonardo Cremonini’s “La nuit chaude” (1991-’92), oil on canvas. From the LouisDreyfus Family Collection, courtesy of The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation Inc.

The Fairfield University Art Museum, working with The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation Inc., is bringing his visions to the public with a new exhibit, “Leonardo Cremonini — Timeless Monumentality: Paintings from The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation” (through March 4).

William Louis-Dreyfus — the late French-born businessman who was the father of actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus — was a passionate collector and arts educator, particularly when it came to Cremonini’s works.

“William was interested in the work of contemporary artists who are ‘not your usual suspects,’” said Mary Anne Costello, manager of the foundation’s art collection, housed in a permanent space in Westchester County.

The collection contains the work of 200 artists and numbers 4,000 pieces. About 600 works are on display at any one time, many of them by Cremonini. The exhibit at Fairfield University features close to 40 of his works, from the 1950s through the ’90s.

Linda Wolk-Simon, the Frank and Clara Meditz director and chief curator of the Fairfield University Art Museum, described the origins of the exhibit.

“I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to Mr. Louis-Dreyfus on a personal level,” she said. “About a year and a half ago, he invited my husband and I to see his personal collection at the foundation gallery. Cremonini's work was very distinctive and instantly recognizable.”

Wolk-Simon said Louis-Dreyfus was excited about collecting Cremonini. “I had just started at Fairfield and the idea of a show featuring Cremonini was born in a kind of perfect storm. The works were just amazing and it was plain to see that Mr. Louis-Dreyfus was actively engaged in introducing the artist to more people.”

The Fairfield Univerity show is the first devoted to the artist in more than two decades and is being presented at a moment when modern and contemporary painting have eclipsed earlier art in terms of popularity. Wolk-Simon said she hopes the exhibit will serve to introduce Cremonini to a new audience and foster a critical reappraisal of his art. “(He) was a generous and enthusiastic supporter of this exhibition and was energetically involved in its planning until shortly before his death on Sept.

16. It is sad he did not live to see its realization.”

The exhibit is presented in tribute to Louis-Dreyfus, whose foundation supports the educational Harlem Children’s Zone Project — the subject of a recent film, “Generosity of Eye,” made by daughter Julia and her husband, Brad Hall.

Wolk-Simon said Cremonini’s canvases are striking for both their technical mastery and for their distinctive and haunting imagery. Primeval forms, dark, untamed beasts and luxuriant foliage dominate the artist’s early works. In the l960s, she said, his palette lightened and his figures become more ethereal. Psychologically remote, languid and detached, they are eternally frozen in train cars, bedrooms, bathing huts or on seaside terraces, embraced by a sultry Mediterranean light.

Even when the human figures themselves are absent, their presence lingers in carelessly opened drawers, doors left ajar, discarded clothing and overturned chairs, with vaguely sinister shadows belonging to unseen passers-by promising their imminent return.

“Cremonini, a native of Bologna, lived and worked for much of his career in Paris and experimented in a lot of different styles and genres,” Wolk-Simon said. “He was always a realist but flirted with abstraction. But the Mediterranean elements were always there.”

Added Costello, “Mr. Louis-Dreyfus travelled extensively and started purchasing Cremonini in Europe. He always said he liked to see the hand of the artist in his work and Cremonini’s style lived up to that. He started collecting him in the 1980s in Paris, sending the works home to America. He was very much attracted to their declarative style and vivid color.”

Costello said Cremonini offers “a lot to look at in each work and his subjects run an extensive gamut.

Louis-Dreyfus loved Cremonini and collected and supported him for more than 20 years, ultimately collecting more than 100 works.”

Louis-Dreyfus was more than a collector, she added.

“He participated in (the artists’) lives, knew them personally, and supported them throughout their careers,” Costello said. “He helped many artists that were unknown and struggling. In that sense, he was an unusual collector. His artists were engaged with him and there was a real connection.”

For more, visit fairfield.edu/museum and wldfoundation.org.

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a Peter X. Kelly.

a

FEEDING THOSE WHO HAVE – AND THOSE WHO HAVE NOT

BY RYAN DEFFENBAUGH PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN RIZZO

s one of the Hudson Valley’s most prominent celebrity chefs, Peter X. Kelly has a story that’s wellknown.

The self-taught chef has turned an operation that began in 1983 with a single restaurant in Garrison into The Xaviars Restaurant Group, comprising four (though soon to be two — more on that later) of the Hudson Valley’s most recognized fine dining establishments. Kelly’s restaurants have received The New York Times’ highest rating and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. He has been named New York State Restaurateur of the Year, won a James Beard Award and appeared on multiple television shows. Anthony Bourdain dined at his X2O Xaviars on the Hudson in Yonkers while shooting an episode of his show “No Reservations.” Kelly even beat Bobby Flay in grilling up a cowboy ribeye on “Iron Chef.”

Point is, if you’re into the food scene in the Hudson Valley, you probably know at least something about Kelly. But while Kelly’s accolades in the food business have piled up, he’s also known for his willingness to give back. He was recognized in April by Lifting Up Westchester, an organization that provides aid to families and individuals in need, and has contributed in some way to more than a dozen charities.

Kelly said he has felt a desire to help others in

part because of his own life story. He was born in Yonkers, the 10th of 12 children.

“Coming from a big family, what was instilled in us at a young age was what my mother often said: ‘I cried because I had no shoes, until I met the man who had no feet,’” Kelly said. “That’s sort of the way we try to look at things. So working in Westchester, where there is a lot of wealth and it’s one of the loveliest communities in the country, we don’t often think about how right here there’s a lot of people hungry every day.”

Kelly said that as an owner of high-end restaurants, it’s important to be aware of the fact that there are a lot of people who don’t have the option of eating at his restaurants and may struggle to find food at all.

That strikes at an issue he said is especially important to him — hunger. Along with Lifting Up Westchester, he’s worked with organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Table to Table and Westchester Coalition for Hungry and Homeless (which merged last year with the Food Bank of Westchester), and Part of the Solution, all organizations and programs that address hunger in some way.

Kelly also worked with NewYork-Presbyterian/ Hudson Valley Hospital to launch the Peter X. Kelly Teaching Kitchen in 2014. The kitchen is part of the hospital’s larger Harvest for Health initiative,

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which promotes healthy eating habits among patients and in the community. The program also works with the medical staff at the hospital to help patients improve eating habits. Chefs from the Westchester region come in and run dinners as part of the programs.

Kelly remembered shortly after 9/11 a large group of chefs came together to help keep the firefighters, police officers and other first responders on scene at Ground Zero well-fed. The Red Cross set up tents and small cooking areas, and Kelly was among dozens of chefs who volunteered time to make meals.

“Just because that’s what we knew how to do, so that’s what we did,” he said. “You’d get there and you’d find 200 pounds of rice, 10 cases of beans and you were just making whatever was there and cooking it in batches for thousands of people. And there were many, many people involved in that effort.”

In Kelly’s role as a mentor to young chefs and business owners, he said he has tried to push

them to involve themselves and their businesses in the community as much as possible.

“Their help is needed in solving the problems in their communities,” Kelly said. “They don’t have to do dinner for millions of people, but they should participate with the groups working in their communities.”

Kelly’s X2O restaurant — built in Yonkers’ downtown Getty Square, with views of the George Washington Bridge and the Manhattan skyline — has been a centerpiece of the city’s efforts to revitalize its waterfront.

“This is a city that has been struggling for many, many years to get back to the place of gracious living it once was,” Kelly said. “When I decided to come back to Yonkers, I wanted to see if a restaurant could make a difference in the community.”

Now Kelly is focusing even more on that mission in Yonkers and at X2O. In September, he confirmed reports that he would look to sell two of his restaurants, Xaviars at Piermont and The Freelance Cafe & Wine Bar, also in Piermont The move

leaves X2O and Restaurant X & Bully Boy Bar in Congers, along with a catering operation, as the whole of The Xaviars Restaurant Group. Paring down his restaurant portfolio will allow him to spend more time with each restaurant, Kelly said.

“Every time I’m at one restaurant, someone else is at another,” he added. “And people come and I want to be able to say ‘hello,’ because that’s how my restaurants were built, on interactions with guests. And as we grow, it’s harder for me to do that.”

Kelly said he’s in talks with more plans for initiatives in Yonkers but nothing developed enough yet to announce. Still, while leading from X2O in the center of the city’s downtown revitalization, he’s confident in Yonkers’ future, citing new development, its close proximity to Manhattan, diverse communities and urban feel.

“Yonkers has been coming back for the past 50 years,” Kelly said. “But I truly believe it’s at a tipping point now.”

For more, visit xaviars.com.

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I FEEL SO POWERLESS. WE HAVE TO WATCH HER EVERY MINUTE. FAMILY AND FRIENDS STOPPED COMING AROUND. HE KEEPS SAYING: “THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME.” IT’S DESTROYING OUR FAMILY. I FEEL SO GUILTY WE HAVE TO MOVE HER INTO A HOME. IT’S SO HARD TO CARE FOR SOMEONE WHO’S MEAN TO YOU. HE HIDES THINGS ALL THE TIME. I’M GRIEVING THE LOSS OF SOMEONE WHO’S STILL ALIVE. WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START.

LIVING WITH FTD IS HARD. LIVING WITHOUT HELP IS HARDER. THERE’S COMFORT IN FINDING OTHERS WHO UNDERSTAND. WE FINALLY FOUND A DOCTOR WHO GETS IT. I GOT SO MUCH ADVICE FROM OTHER CAREGIVERS. UNDERSTANDING MORE HELPS ME DEAL WITH HER SYMPTOMS. SEEING THAT OTHERS MADE IT THROUGH, I KNEW I COULD TOO. WE HONOR HIM BY ADVOCATING FOR A CURE. NOW I’M BETTER AT ASKING FOR HELP. NO MATTER HOW BAD IT GETS, WE KNOW WE’RE NOT ALONE. It can feel so isolating and confusing from the start: Just getting a diagnosis of FTD takes 3.6 years on average. But no family facing FTD should ever have to face it alone, and with your help, we’re working to make sure that no one does.

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Edgardo Ososrio 50 WAGMAG.COM

DECEMBER 2016

SOLE MAN

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY AQUAZZURA

dgardo Osorio is the kind of guy who always puts his best foot forward. And why not? A rising star in the fashion world — he is both the Fashion Footwear Association of New York’s and Marie Claire’s “Designer of the Year” — Edgardo is as impeccably stylish as the sexy yet ladylike shoes, boots and booties he creates as co-founder (with partner Ricardo D’Almeida Figueiredo) and creative director of Aquazzura.

He slipped into the opening of The Saks Shops Greenwich’s intimate yet edgy 10022-SHOE Greenwich, nattily attired in a three-piece blue suit accented by a blue-and-white checked tie and pocket square, black patent loafers sans socks and a signature silver pineapple pin, symbol of good fortune. Like all true stars, his is a quiet charisma.

Though he is a citizen of the world — born in Cartagena, Colombia, nurtured in Miami and Lon-

Aquazzura's Sexy Thing Tribal Tassel 105 Ink.

don and headquartered in his beloved Florence — the debut of Saks’ first standalone shoe store was Edgardo’s first foray into WAG country. But he had to be there, he told WAG, and not just for professional reasons. All the proceeds from the tickets sold to the opening party and 10 percent of sales at the event went to Sole Sisters, founded in 2005 as the Women’s Initiative for the Greenwich United Way to support everything from educational services to mental health.

“Saks has been a big supporter of mine since the beginning,” he said. “Whatever we can do to support the store, of course. But it’s so important to give back as well.”

When it comes to giving you a lift — literally and figuratively — “There’s something about shoes, isn’t there?” he mused. “It’s so emotional the connection.”

A pair of shoes may be your entrée to adventure. You might not want to wear a fuchsia dress, Edgardo said, but you can buy a pair of fuchsia shoes for a pop of color. (Note, for instance how British Prime Minister Theresa May uses leopard-print kitten heels to give her conservative suits a bit of playfulness.)

A pair of shoes can transport you without your leaving the sofa, dressing up a casual look and spicing up a prim one. Taking a nearby stiletto from its perch, Edgardo smiled as he noted how Marilyn Monroe would remove the heel cap from one of the pumps she was wearing to create the famed Marilyn jiggle.

You’ll have no trouble wiggling in Aquazzura’s Leather Pom-Pom Sandal or Fringed Sandal from the company’s Wild Things collection. But you can also stand securely and demurely in Aquazzura’s fabulous platform peep-toe pumps or chunk-heel pumps with their high back and thin strap at the ankle.

These are velvet, as are the thigh-high boots Edgardo is loving at the moment. He was inspired to create them by a visit to St. Petersburg — the WAGMAG.COM

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cultural capital of Russia that is home to the Hermitage Museum and Mariinsky Theatre, among many other artistic sites — and by the city’s patroness, Empress Catherine the Great.

“The Russians were the first big art collectors in the world.”

Edgardo’s love of all things beautiful, especially shoes, began with his mother and her four sis-

Aquazzura's Samba Sandal 105 Black.

ters, his aunts. That’s a lot of feet to keep happy.

After attending the London College of Fashion and Central St. Martins, Edgardo stepped into the footwear world, working for Salvatore Ferragamo, René Caovilla and Roberto Cavalli. In 2011, after a decade in the industry, Edgardo launched Aquazzura — at the ripe old age of 25.

Since then, business has tripled and the company has created three boutiques in addition to a strong brand presence in the top department stores. The flagship is in the 15th-century Palazzo Corsini overlooking the Arno River in Florence, where he also has a pied-à-terre. With its fresco ceilings, golden arabesques and emerald-green furnishings, the Aquazzura flagship is a shop fit for the Corsini Pope, Clement XII. In contrast, the boutique located in a vintage townhouse on Albemarle Street in London’s Mayfair section is a mod affair with a blue palette, more of Edgardo’s signature stripes and neon over the focal point, an altar. (Edgardo has spoken in the past about his shops as “churches of shoes.”)

Perhaps best of all to date is the Madison Avenue boutique, which opened in May and was inspired by the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. It’s a pink, black and white affair, with

“Best holiday event of the year!”

a backlit altar, marble striped columns and pink suede couches marrying the classic to the modern. A Miami boutique will open by the end of this year. Other boutiques are planned for Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow and Paris.

No doubt they will be as aesthetic as every other aspect of his life. His Florentine apartment is eclectic and art-filled. For a Spanish-flavored party for Paris Fashion Week, he dressed as a glittering matador. And for his 30th birthday, he threw a party that featured bird masks.

Edgardo acknowledges that he wears shoes more for aesthetics than for comfort. (Isn’t that often the way, ladies?) But he wants his fans — who include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Diane Kruger, Julianne Moore, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rihanna and Charlize Theron — to be able to dance in his dazzling designs. For spring, he’s set feet upon the jungles of Africa and South America, with flats and spiky- and chunk-heel sandals festooned with beads, feathers and coral.

The world of fashion is such that there is a variety of footwear so you can mix it up, pairing evening pumps with jeans or wearing flats for evening.

What matters is the individual, he said.

“If the shoe looks good on you,” he said, “wear it.”

For more, visit aquazzura.com.

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EYES

ON THE (PULITZER) PRIZE

BY SEYMOUR TOPPING

a

cross the United States, celebrations have been in progress this year under what is termed the Campfires Initiative, marking the centennial of the Pulitzer Prize awards in American journalism and the arts The Pulitzer Prize Board cites the initiative as intended to inspire "new generations to value high-quality arts, letters and journalism, to use Pulitzer Prize-winning work to explore questions and issues relevant to our times and to use the social media and other interactive technology to deepen the impact of Pulitzer Prize works on the cultural landscape." Forty-six state humanitarian councils are engaged under the initiative in Pulitzer-themed projects. Participants include media organizations, schools, historical societies, libraries and other groups as well as teachers. The origin of the Pulitzers contains a history lesson out of the workings of American democracy.

The Pulitzer Prizes program was established at Columbia University by a bequest in the 1904 will of Joseph Pulitzer, an American born in Mako, Hungary, in 1847, the son of a wealthy grain merchant of Magyar-Jewish origin and a German mother. He was educated as a teenager in Budapest in private schools and by tutors. Restive at age 17 and seeking adventure as a soldier, he traveled to Hamburg, Germany, where he met a bounty recruiter for the U.S. Union Army and contracted to enlist.

Eluding the bounty escort, he jumped ship in Boston Harbor and decided to enlist for a year in the Lincoln Cavalry. Thereafter, he made his way to

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Lin-Manuel Miranda, left, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer-lyricist of “Hamilton.” Courtesy dreamstime.com.

St. Louis, where after laboring at odd jobs — studying English and the law in a library in his free time — he got a job as a newspaper reporter. Enjoying extraordinary success in journalism mixed in with business dealings, he vaulted into the role of newspaper publisher at the age of 25. He eventually came into ownership of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the New York World. Pulitzer managed to maintain the closest editorial and business direction of his newspapers for years despite becoming severely ill and virtually blind. He died aboard his yacht, the Liberty, in 1911.

A year later, the Columbia Journalism School was founded, with the first Pulitzer Prizes awarded in 1917 under the supervision of an independent advisory board made up of distinguished journalists and academics as specified by the Pulitzer mandate. The president of Columbia and the dean of the J School serve on the board. The guiding Pulitzer creed is framed in bronze on the wall at the entrance of the school. It states: "Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together. An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and

a mockery. A cynical, mercenary, demogogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself. The power to mold the future of the Republic will be in the hands of the journalists of future generations."

Next April, the Pulitzer process will enter its second century as the board gathers in the Pulitzer Hall World Room of the Columbia J School to select winners in 14 journalism and seven arts categories.

Typically, more than 2,400 entries are made in the competitions. Under the supervision of the administrator, juries in each of the 21 categories make three nominations to the board. In prior weeks, the board would have read the texts of the journalism entries and the 15 nominated books, listened to recordings of the nominated music, read the scripts of the nominated plays and attended performances or seen videos where possible.

The winners are then notified secretly, prior to a press announcement and a subsequent formal award ceremony. The careers of the winners will thus have been transformed and their works become quality examples for the next generations.

Seymour Topping, former managing editor of The New York Times, served as administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes from 1993 to 2002.

w A textured crepe shawl collar dress56 paired WAGMAG.COM with a scarf.

DECEMBER 2016

w

THE DESIGNER OF INCLUSION

BY DANIELLE RENDA PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

hen Christian Siriano created a knockout red, off-the-shoulder, slit-to-there gown for Leslie Jones to wear to the “Ghostbusters” premiere, after the statuesque star tweeted that no designer would dress her for the event, he sent a powerful message: He would be the designer of inclusion.

It’s a message that resonated with first lady Michelle Obama, who wore a deep-blue dress by the fourth-season “Project Runway” winner when she gave her speech to the Democratic Party National Convention this past summer.

“You can wear whatever, be whatever, do whatever you want,” Siriano has said.

And he walks the talk. Partnering with Lane Bryant to offer an exclusive plus-size collection, Siriano creates clothing to complement all figures, from petite to curvy. Indeed, his clothes have flattered an array of celebrities from Emily Blunt to Lady Gaga, Christina Hendricks, Heidi Klum, Solange Knowles, Lea Michele, Lupita Nyong’o and Oprah Winfrey.

He even took body acceptance a step further and co-wrote “Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self” with Rennie Dyball ($10.99 eBook). (Words like “fierce,” “fabulous” and “ferocious” helped make him a distinctive winner during “Project Runway’s” 2008 season.)

Siriano’s latest collection — Fall/Winter 2016 — was inspired by textile artist Sheila Hicks. The result is a marriage of volume, texture, soft fibers and masculine undertones translated into menswear-inspired suits and tailored evening pieces, for a slightly androgy-

Christian Siriano

nous, but still characteristically feminine style.

“We looked at different ways to knit, twist and manipulate fabric into pieces that had structure, but were soft and elegant,” Siriano has said. “To modernize these techniques, we digitally printed knitted fibers onto silk jerseys, cottons and wool in order to capture the idea of a knit — without the process of knitting. Just as Hicks weaves textured narratives with yarn, we tried to create a collection with story progression.”

Siriano’s use of color takes center stage in this collection, with red and yellow popping out beside black and gray.

In the years since “Runway,” the Manhattan-based designer — who divides his time between Chelsea and a summer home in Danbury — has been multitasking.

He’s done shoes and handbags for Payless; partnered with Victoria’s Secret for “Christian Siriano

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From left: A silk wing-sleeve gown and a braided neck turtleneck and textured crepe wide-leg trouser.

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for VS Makeup”; created “Christian Siriano for Spiegel,” an edgy, 12-piece line; and designed “Striking by Christian Siriano,” a popularly priced line of blouses, skirts and accessories for the Home Shopping Network.

In 2012, he opened his first 1,000-square-foot store at 252 Elizabeth St. in Manhattan, and, a year later, he was inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Two years later, he launched his first fragrance, “Silhouette,” a youthful scent inspired by a blue tulle dress from his Spring 2013 collection.

Siriano has collaborated with LG Mobile Phones on the face of the LG Lotus (LX600), a cellular device with a scarf to match; and with Starbucks on a limited edition, wallet-friendly, mini store gift card.

He’s even collaborated with O-Cel-O, a cleaning products company, to design a series of fashionable sponges.

Because when it comes to design, Siriano demonstrates, no one should feel excluded.

Christian Siriano is available at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and other luxury department stores worldwide. For more about his collection, visit christiansiriano. com. For more about his fragrance, visit christiansirianofragrances.com.

MONKEY BUSINESS

BY AUDREY RONNING TOPPING

ccording to the Chinese Zodiac, this was The Year of the Monkey.

So we sing “Auld Lang Syne” to a time in which we have paid homage to these quick-witted, intelligent, curious and mischievous simians, immortalized in our arts, sciences and overall endeavor to have fun.

Almost everyone is familiar with The Three Wise Monkeys, sometimes called Three Mystical Apes, who together embody the principle, “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil.” They have been a motif in imagery, such as in Japanese woodblock paintings. One of Mahatma Gandhi’s few possessions was a statue of the three monkeys. As far back as the fourth century B.C. in China, a similar phrase appeared in “The Analects of Confucius,” which incorporated his Code of Conduct — using the monkeys to depict man’s life cycle and advising the wise man to “Look not, listen not, speak not what is contrary to propriety.” Monkeys have figured prominently in Chi-

nese mythology ever since.

Sun Wukong, The White Monkey King was a protagonist in the Chinese classic comic novel “Journey to the West,” while in America, monkeys have appeared in numerous books, movies and TV shows. (“Monkey Business” with Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe, anyone?) Curious George, in the PBS children’s program, is a favorite of my 5-year-old grandson, Ryan.

In India, Hanuman, a human-like monkey is a prominent Hindu deity who bestows courage and strength. In Buddhism — which also espouses the principle of the three monkeys — some believe a monkey is an early incarnation of the Buddha.

But monkeys also have their slippery connotation. In the West, they are sometimes used to represent a lack of moral responsibility, looking the other way or feigning ignorance — the shadow side of “monkey business” and “monkeying around.” The Three Wise Monkeys may also signify a code of silence in gangs or organized crime.

Still, monkeys have embodied a kind of Hanuman-like courage — whether they want to or not, poor things. The first sentient being to

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The many faces of monkeys.

fly into space was not a human but a monkey named Albert I, who was launched in a U.S. rocket on June 11, 1948.

There are about 260 known species of monkeys that have evolved over some 25 to 60 million years from two distinct lineages called New World and Old World Monkeys. Capuchin monkeys are generally considered the most intelligent of New World Monkeys. They have agile hands and can open doors and bottles, catch balls and use tools and thus can be trained to help disabled people.

They are loyal and bond for life.

Of the Old World Monkeys, Rhesus Macaques are the most creative, with a kind of Machiavellian cunning. They’ve even been known to mug people. On some islands in Japan, you’re warned to hold onto your purse lest a Rhesus Macaque monkey around with it.

You can see from these photos that each monkey has developed an individual personality conveyed by unique coloring, shapes and amusing expressions. Some bear a distinct resemblance to people we all know — but I leave that to you to figure out.

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Bettye Muller, at home in Manhattan, with some of her designs.

IN STEP WITH STYLE

BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPHS BY SEBASTIAN FLORES

he world is finally catching up to Bettye Muller.

Even a quick glance at the latest shoes and boots shows an explosion of brocades, of quirky details and all manner of luxurious accents.

New? Not to Muller, founder and creative director of her eponymous brand.

“I’ve been doing it forever,” she says with a wry smile. “Now, it’s all the thing. Whimsy. Now it’s all the rage.”

We don’t have to take Muller’s word for it. WAG has joined the Manhattan-based shoe designer in her South Salem weekend retreat, where she’s graciously brought dozens of examples that walk us through her history.

She points to an intricately brocaded bootie or, on other designs, a puff of fur, oversize buckle or sprinkling of sparkles.

“Now these things are all over the place and I’ve been like, ‘I did that,’” she adds with a knowing laugh.

For Muller, who has always followed her own path, it’s just another chapter in her story, one that includes plenty of shoe-shopping days when she was a student at White Plains High School. It was a time of haunting the local Thom McAn and Alexander’s, of trips into Manhattan searching out Pappagallo and Capezio shoes.

“I just feel like that was when everything kind of, even in cars, everything had their own personalities.”

That appreciation for singular style has never left Muller, whose designs have been called conversation starters.

THE WORLD AS CLASSROOM Muller studied fine arts at what was then the Silvermine College of Art in New Canaan. In the 1980s, she lived in London with her uncle, a professional photographer. As her love of fashion and design continued to grow during this period, she was spurred to create her very first collection and

began selling to local shops. An opportunity to go to Milan led to her having a few styles made for her in Italy — and she was on her way.

“I came back to New York and started to peddle my shoes,” she says. “I was very bold.”

Muller started working in the business, crediting shoe designer John Higdon as an early mentor.

In time, she was designing shoes for lines including Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis, L’Emporio and Henri Bendel, all leading up to 1998, when she officially launched her own label in New York.

There were, of course, pivotal moments.

“I was able to get into Bergdorf Goodman,” she says. “That was like my showcase. From there people saw me.”

Muller, whose styles are known for combining classic elements and a playful twist with unexpected comfort, has certainly made her mark. A testament to the onetime competitive ice skater’s balancing of grace and power, her designs have caught the eye of publications as diverse as Vogue and Glamour to Real Simple and Self.

IN STYLE Back in South Salem, Muller talks us through a few designs such as the Download. The longtime favorite, a suede wedge espadrille sandal, is suddenly of the moment.

“I can’t even tell you how many years I’ve been selling this,” she says of the signature design that she has made for her in Spain.

Travel, both business and personal, influences much of her work. In the span of time WAG was working with Muller on this story, she was first in Italy, then Spain, home in New York then off again to Italy, luckily escaping any ill effects of the earthquakes.

What she experiences influences her work. The collection on display on this day, she says, “shows you all the places I’ve been.”

An eye-catching fabric on a pointy-toed flat, she notes, recalls “a little Morocco.”

Muller gives us an impromptu demonstration of her process, sketching a quick style once she sets up on her dining room table.

“I have my little inspiration page, my tools,” she

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says. “I’m very old school.”

Muller does, as expected, wear her own designs — unless it’s something that really has caught her eye. That would include the style she has on at one point on this day — a shoe as quirky as it is luxurious.

“I bought these in Italy,” she says. “They’re mink.

Birkenstocks.”

ONE STEP AT A TIME Through many business twists and turns, Muller has continued to fine-tune her efforts, a sort of regrouping after national stores scaled back in the wake of the economic downturn.

“I would say it’s a very challenging time, a very challenging market.”

She’s not one to give, up, though, and has already seen an upswing.

“I’ve done it and now it’s like reinventing again,” she says, noting she wants to keep her prices moderate while not compromising on “beautiful quality.”

What sets her apart, she says, is that dedication to quality, “I do my own lasts and heels,” she says, key elements in the fabrication of footwear.

Production trips to ensure that quality also mean a welcome return to Europe, where she lived for many years and continues to fuel her creative spirit, in home décor as well as work.

“We have stuff from all over the world,” she says, glancing around the living room. “My husband and I love to travel.”

She and Michael Bruno, a prosthodontist, share a Manhattan apartment with a modern feel, while this 1790 historic home is a treasure trove of furniture, art and accents that create surroundings at once warm yet elegant, casual yet worldly.

“It tells you who I am and that’s how I’ve created the shoes that I do,” she says.

AROUND THE WORLD — AND BACK This is, it must be said, a woman who enjoys life, from dining to travel, interior design to art.

She summed it all up in a most artful way when publishing a “mini magazine” for her customers, small-scale publications that not only featured her latest collections but also fashion trends, travel and dining picks offered in a wonderfully playful spirit.

As she wrote in a 2013 edition, “There is always fun to be had in blurring the lines between art and fashion. It is my constant inspiration.”

She continues to share inspiration, an Instagram photo from fashion week in Paris here to a Facebook tribute to Audrey Hepburn there.

Muller fans find her designs at select boutiques that include Walin & Wolff in New Canaan, Rye and

THERE IS ALWAYS FUN TO BE HAD IN BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN ART AND FASHION. IT IS MY CONSTANT INSPIRATION. — Bettye Muller

Southport, and through department stores, including Bloomingdale’s in White Plains. Strong support comes from Richards in Greenwich and Mitchells in Westport, both part of the Mitchells family of stores.

When asked what comes to mind when you say “a Bettye Muller design,” Kristin Colasonno-Winans, women’s shoes and leather accessories buyer for Mitchells Stores, has a ready reply: “Chic designs with the right amount of fun.”

When it comes to selecting who to carry in their

stores, Colasonno-Winans says, “We look for designers with a catching look, great quality and a story to go with the shoes. Bettye has it all.”

And the customers at the Mitchells stores truly connect — perhaps most strongly, the buyer notes — with “their wearability. Her designs offer women beautifully chic shoes that feel great on.”

But that’s not the whole story, Colasonno-Winans says. “I would also like to just add that Bettye is such a warm, fun person and her positivity is infectious.”

Indeed, that enthusiasm and warm spirit seem ever-present, her dedication more than clear.

During our chat, Muller tells us about a comment she recently read — “I wish that were my quote, but I can’t take the credit” — later emailing it in full.

Fashion editor Jo Ellison in the Financial Times had written, “Nothing else can punctuate a look so efficiently — shoes are the semicolon, comma, exclamation mark and full stop of an outfit’s expression.”

That those words so connect with Muller, as she nears the 20th anniversary of designing under her own name, says a lot.

So much that we’re not a bit surprised when she tells us, “Seeing someone walking down the street in Manhattan, or anywhere, wearing my shoes, it’s still exciting.”

For more, visit bettyemuller.com.

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HOW A GREENWICH TEACHER WAS INSPIRED

BY THE REFUGEE CRISIS

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

w

Kim Tamalonis (back row, center) with refugee children at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Courtesy Kim Tamalonis.

e journalists sometimes despair that there’s anyone left out there heeding our words and paying attention to our reporting. But stories can still have a powerful effect on readers.

Witness Kim Tamalonis, a resident of Greenwich’s backcountry who teaches art to sixth, seventh and eighth graders at Rye Middle School. In the summer of last year, Tamalonis noticed a difference in the number of stories about Syrian refugees, from a few to what she aptly calls “an onslaught of headlines” — headlines that increasingly drew attention to the refugees’ life-and-death struggles to find freedom, peace and security.

“We knew it was happening. It wasn’t as if we didn’t know it,” she says. “The whole world was watching.

But it seems as if with the exception of a few brave reporters, the rest of us were bystanders for this reality TV. And I thought, What is happening to the world?

What is it coming to?”

Tamalonis is talking over lunch at Le Pain Quotidien on Rye’s Purchase Street, where the warm French country flavors and atmosphere contrast sharply

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with the subject of conversation. Few are more aware of the disparity between our fortunate circumstances here and those of the refugees than Tamalonis, who is young in spirit in the way many teachers are.

She decided to take up the refugees’ cause with 140 students and their parents.

“My students have the biggest hearts and they said, ‘Yes, we want to be part of this.’ And their parents were only too happy to help.”

The students collected 100 pounds of art supplies, which the Rye Post Office mailed — free of charge — to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan through the Seattle-based nonprofit Studio Syria.

The students created artwork that was exhibited at The Rye Arts Center, along with notecards that could also be purchased. (The notecards were sold at Rye’s Arcade Booksellers as well.) The result was more than $3,100 for the Blossom Hill Foundation in New Canaan, which creates programs for children in conflict zones.

But Tamalonis wanted to do more than this, so she got in touch with Hagar Hajjar Chemali, the founding CEO of Greenwich Media Strategies, LLC, whose many titles with the federal government included director for Syria and Lebanon at the National Security Council. Chemali led her to Church World Service,

the relief, development and refugee assistance arm of the National Council of the Churches of Christ, which in turn led her to the CWS’ Jersey City, New Jersey, refugee resettlement office and a group of Syrian, Ethiopian and Eritrean children. Although you may think that the refugees’ challenges are over once they pass the rigorous, yearlong screening process to get here, that is far from true, Tamalonis says. They must repay the loan for their transport to America. They have only eight months of medical care and three to six months of income. Tamalonis was determined to give 24 children and some mothers an artistic respite.

She would take them to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where her mother was a volunteer docent.

Getting The Met, which has a strong tradition of art education, on board was easy. Renting a bus was more of a hurdle, but through the GoFundMe link on Facebook, friends and supporters from as far as California came through. (The organization and business sponsors were J&R Tours, Inc., Mrs. Green’s in New Canaan, Pace Prints, The Rye Arts Center and Starbucks in Greenwich.)

On Aug. 31, the group set out for its art day, meeting up at the museum with a refugee family recently settled in Greenwich. In The Met’s Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, museum President Daniel H. Weiss addressed the group before the mothers got a whirlwind tour of The Met with curatorial assistant Harout Simonian and the children enjoyed sketching and interactive experiences in the Islamic galleries with artist Azi Amiri. At the end of the day, Ann Nicol, executive director of the United Nations Association of New York, presented each child with a backpack of school supplies. And Hadi Hajjar — a successful businessman of Lebanese descent who had accompanied the group — gave them bags filled with what Tamalonis calls “joyful and practical things” like games and clocks.

That day of art has inspired Tamalonis. She wants to start a nonprofit, buy a bus for future trips, publish a book of the refugee children’s experiences and start a speakers’ bureau so that the refugee families — whose stories are in demand — can get paid for their public appearances. She carries with her memories of that day — the children presenting her with Syrian food that the mothers had packed in Tupperware containers for the trip and the kids, who did not necessarily know one another, instantly bonding.

“They were singing Syrian folk songs. They were just so happy to be on the bus on a field trip.”

Her eyes brim with tears and darn if yours don’t too as you realize that this is one woman who will never be a bystander to history.

For more, visit roundhillcolormill.com and kimtamalonis.com or email Kim Tamalonis at globalrightbrain@gmail.com.

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THE UNSELFISH SELFISHNESS OF DAVID MALLAMUD

BY GREGG SHAPIRO PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHELLE MALLAMUD

c

omposer-lyricist David Mallamud says, “I think there’s something very selfish about being an artist.”

At the same time, his music is his gift to the world — a way to connect with others and offer them an escape from everyday cares.

Such is the case with his eclectic first album, the recently released “The Wild & Whimsical Worlds of David Mallamud” (Broadway Records). Featuring Dogs of Desire, a 16-piece ensemble made up primarily of classical musicians, and a host of Broadway performers, the recording of song cycles “runs the gamut from French chanson to Celtic folk to glam metal — and just about everything in-between.” The goal, he says, was to “capture the nuances of each style with care and respect, but also to make everything sound like it came from the same world.” His world.

“I’ve always loved and listened to all kinds of music and never really made much of a distinction between styles. So the music on the album embodies my kind of all-encompassing, no-borders relationship with music.”

That relationship has been going on for as long as he can remember. Mallamud credits his mother, who was very involved in the folk music scene, and says that music was always around him, although he didn’t really start studying it until age 9. Degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Juilliard and New York University’s Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program would follow.

The accolades keep coming for the Katonah resident. Already the recipient of a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a pair of Morton Gould Young Composer Awards from ASCAP, and the Leonard Bernstein Fellowship at Tanglewood, Mallamud was recently named a 2016—17 Dramatists Guild Fellow.

“Since I only compose and don’t perform,” he says, “I tend to spend a lot of time behind the scenes, so it’s definitely very nice to be recognized in this way. A lot of times recognition like this ends up being important in that it allows people to take you more seriously.”

He also values the fellowship’s ability to connect him with people such as Michael Korie, lyricist for

“Grey Gardens,” and “Legally Blonde’s” co-composer-lyricist Laurence O’Keefe. Other artists whose work he admires include the Irish group Planxty and Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid.”) After taking his 3½-year-old son to see “Aladdin” recently, he’s been on a Menken listening binge, describing the North Salem composer as “one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th (and now 21st) century.”

Mallamud is nourished by his northern Westchester home as well.

“We can see musicals and concerts and I can go in for meetings — even last minute — but I also get to come back and have a nice yard where my kids can play, great schools and a lot of really nice, interesting people.”

He says that he finds the beauty and serenity of the area really inspiring. When he’s stuck on a piece, or just needs to get out, he can walk from his house to trails in the woods. He adds that having spent 11 years in Manhattan before moving to Westchester County, “it’s really nice to be able to work anytime I want without having to worry

about getting screamed at by a neighbor.”

His real inspiration, however, is his wife, Michelle, an oncology nurse practitioner.

“If you ever want to feel selfish and whiney, talk to someone in oncology about how bad your day at work was. True giving is about being there when people need you most.”

For more, visit davidmallamud.com.

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SEAWORTHY STYLE ON RYE'S MANURSING ISLAND

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

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anursing Island – a private waterfront enclave in Rye – offers homeowners the gifts of history as well as the sea.

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William Paterson Van Rensselaer, son of New York Lt. Gov. and Congressman Stephen Van Rensselaer, owned the southern part of Manursing Island in 1840. Some 70 years later, Zeeland Realty purchased the 83-acre estate from the Van Rensselaer family, dividing the land into nine lots with seven homes, including the stately Colonial — with its gables and sweeping columned entrance — which is on the market for $6,750,000.

The original owners were Donald and Catherine McKesson of the international pharmaceuticals corporation that bears their family name. (Donald was the son of McKesson founder John.) The house remained in the family until 1940 and continued to have prominent owners throughout the years, most recently serving as home to close relatives of major political figures.

"The residence has always attracted great attention,” says Melissa Kaminsky of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, who holds the listing on the property with colleague Christy Murphy. “Former owners have hosted many political leaders.”

In 2013-14, the house was renovated with an eye to balancing its historic past with state-of-the-art amenities as well as creating an airy, maritime feel throughout the 6,135-square-foot space. Interior highlights include a plush media room with an adjoining wet bar; a cozy, well-lit, custom library; and a third-floor playroom and gym overlooking the Long Island Sound. Or residents can relax in the family room, which extends seamlessly from a sleek, well-equipped chef’s kitchen.

The six-bedroom residence also contains five fireplaces, all with original surrounds, wood flooring and custom detailing throughout, which is particularly evident in the crown moldings and elegant paneling. The master suite, which includes a study and a marble bath, exudes privacy and tranquility.

Neighboring the Manursing Island Club, with its private beach, the home boasts more than an acre of lush lawns complete with a newly built bluestone terrace, mature specimen trees and pristine landscaping in addition to its views of the Sound.

“This property really is a ‘new’ historic home in a one-of-a-kind waterfront enclave setting,” Murphy says. “Finding a home and lifestyle as wonderful as this is so incredibly rare.”

For more, contact Melissa Kaminsky at 917748-8880, Melissa.Kaminsky@juliabfee.com; or Christy Murphy at 914-262-7123, Christy.

Murphy@juliabfee.com.

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Leslie McElwreath presents NEW PRICE

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RICHMOND HILL ROAD | $3,995,000 | WEB: 0068244 New England Shingle-style home designed by noted architect Paul Marchese and sited on four private back country acres on Richmond Hill Road. Walk-out lower level is filled with natural light and features a home theater, gym, powder room a magnificent game room with bar and kitchenette. Visit www.43Richmond.com for more photographs and floor plans.

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PROMOTION PROMOTION

THE MODERN SIDE at GIOVANNI’S

JOANN AND SAL LATORRACA — BRINGING A BELOVED FAMILY BUSINESS INTO A NEW GENERATION

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALICIALEVY/JOOPASHOOTS PHOTOGRAPHY

WATERS EDGE

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estaurants come and go, but the great ones stick around for a reason. At The Waters Edge at Giovanni’s, the family has perfected the recipe for creating a venue with staying power for two generations. In their case, The Waters Edge has remained at the top of the restaurant and special events hierarchy for more than 37 years, which is no mean feat in a competitive market like Fairfield County, where discerning patrons set a high bar for food, wine and service.

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finest cuisine in the state, with generous cuts of prime meats, freshly caught oysters and seafood, Italian specialties, and Connecticut’s most addictive homemade garlic bread and gorgonzola salads.

Founded in 1977 by patriarch Giovanni

wonderful model that our father started, and we are forever grateful for the warm response from our guests, whom we view as part of our family.” n

Gabriele, the restaurant respects tradition, and the family are such sticklers for quality that they have onsite butchers who dryNonna’s Meatballs

JoAnn Latorraca, one of the owners along with husband, Sal, says, “The secret to why we’ve been making people happy for more than 37 years, is we’re a tight-knit Italian family, where everything revolves around food, and the service comes from the heart. We treat every guest as if he or she were family. Our loyal customers keep coming back because they know we do everything with love and care.”

age and hand-cut all their grass-fed, Prime Angus meats. But they are also quick to innovate and build upon what father Giovanni started. In fact, they keep things fresh by staying ahead of the curve. They hope to expand their outdoor patio space to take advantage of Long Island Sound views and will continue to build on their superior wine selection that has earned multiple Wine Spectator awards. In fact, they’ve even created an exquisite VIP wine room showcasing 3,000 regional wines

One of the Gold Coast’s premier special events venues, with a waterfront backdrop

where some of the biggest business deals in the state are done.

What’s next for The Waters Edge?

and spaces from both intimate dinners to grand affairs, The Waters Edge is also a top-rated restaurant, where a team of highly skilled chefs turn out some of the

Sal Latorraca says, “Our goal is to keep modernizing to keep things fresh, while continuing our long tradition of hospitality and delicious food. We are building on a

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Men practicing their singing and dancing for the Gerewol Festival competition.

CULTURAL QUEST A search for authentic experiences in Niger

O

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN RIZZO

ur group arrived unannounced, the only non-Wodaabe present. There were 1,000 of them and seven of us. Speaking French and without hesitation, they invited us into their inner circle to witness, participate in and photograph the Gerewol, a courtship ceremony in which men ornament themselves and perform to vie for nubile women. It was a mind-blowing experience.

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The dance, which is called the Yaake, takes place when the men form a large circle.

Some 150 miles north of Abalak, our driver suddenly veered off the road onto nothing but sand.

No hills, no paved tracks, nothing to indicate this route had been previously traversed. Just miles of flat sand. We were weaving in and out of scrubby vegetation and stunted trees at high speeds. This continued for more than an hour, with us sometimes crossing dry creek beds that are known trouble spots for getting stuck. Four-wheel drive is mandatory here. Finally, we arrived at the festival

site. While the crew set up our camp, we made our way to the biggest gathering.

The Gerewol is an annual contest of the nomadic Wodaabe people. It takes place in Niger and Chad when the rainy season ends in September. The Wodaabe, who belong to the Fulani tribe, are cattle herders who live on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert and know how to survive it.

Their festival is a weeklong event and began each day in the late afternoon. First, however, there

From left, Larry Lawson, John Rizzo and Katherine Carlos working inside the Gerewol Festival circle.

was morning practice. It’s a show of stamina, a desirable trait in a competition that is often aided by homemade, mind-altering bark beverages as it continues nonstop under a desert sun that exceeded 100 degrees.

The West African state of Niger was a French colonial possession from 1900 to 1960 and also included portions of neighboring Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad. Many of the hotels there were built by the French in the classic tradition of Eu-

ropean architecture.

As the large, orange ball of a sun rose on our campground surrounded by silhouetted camels in all sizes, camel races among suitors were taking place nearby, another tradition of the festival.

In late afternoon, the men stood shoulder to shoulder to form a large circle. None shorter than 6 feet and many taller, these thin, healthy beings began a series of songs and chants that continued until almost dawn. Directly behind the men and leaning against them were the women, shorter in stature, dressed in black shawls with necks craning to see. The Gerewol was being performed for them, to give them a chance to select the best men from the compe-

tition, with whom they hoped to spend the next year and possibly a lifetime. When a woman saw a man that attracted her, she gently tapped his shoulder. Gerewol affairs carry no social stigma or moral restriction, meaning that a married man can get picked and end up with a second wife.

Creative facial expressions that emphasized their good health, including bulging white eyeballs and brilliant white teeth, were normal as the Yaake dance was performed. Yellow face paint, scraped from a natural stone found in the desert, was the makeup.

Without access to electricity from wall outlets, we used portable recharging units that connected either to our Toyota Land Cruiser’s cigarette lighter or directly to the car battery using copper

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alligator clips, for 1000 watt seconds of power for our cameras and computers.

During midday, when the light was without shape and too harsh to shoot with, we set up a portable studio with battery packs, photo umbrellas and a 9-by-9-foot background. We invited the men to visit us and sit for portraits.

Late one evening, as we were sitting around our table and talking, a few visitors approached. Silhouetted against the moonlight, they were imposing figures. Word had gotten around that we were traveling with a medical doctor and they had come to ask us for medication. A burned foot, an injured hand and even breast cancer were mentioned. We had brought a supply of pain killers with us that we could give to them safely, so we obliged.

In turn they gave us an experience that brought new meaning to the phrase “mating ritual.�

John Rizzo is a WAG staff photographer who offers group photography tours to see the Gerewol, Turkana and other unique events in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. For more, visit johnrizzophoto.com.

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The yellow makeup being scraped from a stone found in the desert.

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Four Column's wall of fame.

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WAGMAG.COM

DECEMBER 2016

WHERE MICK JAGGER SLEPT

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY FOUR COLUMNS

’m playing The Rolling Stones since we’re going to the inn,” my sister Gina said, pumping up the volume as I got in the car.

The inn where Mick Jagger slept, not to mention Queen Latifah, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, John Kenneth Galbraith, Henry Kissinger, Paul Newman and Sting, among others. That would be Four Columns, nestled amid the village greens, shimmering rivers and kaleidoscopic, Klimt-colored hills of southeastern Vermont in the town of Newfane. About a three-hour drive from WAG country, Four Columns has a strong connection to it. Like the Delamar Greenwich Harbor and the Delamar Southport, Four Columns is owned by Charles H. Mallory – shipping magnate, hotelier, architectural preservationist and art collector. And like its sister properties, its menus are overseen by executive chef Frederic Kieffer, who appeared on the cover of WAG’s July “Celebrating Uncommon Delights” issue.

So after the usual drama on the work and home fronts – massive deadlines, a boiler switch malfunction, a power failure, don’t ask – we sallied forth in Gina’s SUV with her feisty Chihuahua mix, Fausto, along for the ride. Would we be able to decompress

quickly and get some much needed R and R, Fausto included? It’s a question with a foregone conclusion: Even as we immerse ourselves in these challenging interior seasons, Four Columns and Newfane are the kinds of warm, friendly, picturesque places that allow you to hibernate luxuriously while leading what fellow New Englander Ralph Waldo Emerson would call “the examined life.”

This is partly because Vermont is a delightfully paradoxical state. On the one hand, it’s a place where Anglo-American history lives. Chartered in 1753, Newfane was named for John Fane, the seventh Earl of Westmoreland. That British heritage threads the nearby Olde and New England Books, set in a kind of modern barn. But as that book shop demonstrates, the locals live with the past, not in it. Amid the Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian homes, Gina pointed out houses with the latest in roofing – colorful metal roofs to withstand the elements.

Just as the past happily marries the present in Vermont, so solitude joins intimacy. The region seems to be filled with transplants from other states, mainly New Yorkers, pursuing their passions as massage therapists, yoga instructors, cooks, book sellers, artists and artisans. Their strong individuality doesn’t preclude gregariousness. Rather, it fosters it. Everyone is instantly charming and chatty, like Greenwich residents Tony Besthoff and Gloria Chin-Besthoff, also visiting the inn. The impish Tony – who insisted that the couple lives in “Green witch” – was friends with the inn’s founder, the late Norwalk restaurateur René Chardain and his wife, Pierette. Chardain banked on authenticity, Tony said. The inn’s antiques didn’t have to be expensive, but they had to be genuine. And there were no TVs in the rooms.

Tony also recalled helping make the breakfast pancakes, grinding orange zest for the special powdered sugar topping, and some of the celebrity guests, including Jagger. Let’s just say that Mick did not go with the Four Columns’ program of socializing in the dining room. His meals had to be brought to his suite in what Tony called “the old chicken coop.”

How times have changed at the revamped, 18-

The cozy dining room at Four Columns.

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room Four Columns, which preserves the antique in a contemporary setting. The old chicken coop is now the former spa where Gina and Fausto stayed. (“You can tell everyone your sister slept in Mick Jagger’s bedroom,” Tony offered.) It contained a bath complete with steam room and a bed that, like the bath, was the size of most hotel rooms. My room was equally generous, with bedding as soft as a baby’s skin and a sitting area, offset by Doric columns, that overlooked a deck, a pond and a swimming pool. I turned it into a little yoga sanctuary for my stay.

But, as the French say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. No doubt Chardain would’ve approved of what executive chef Kieffer has done with the menus. Vermont embraced farmto-table long before it became fashionable, my foodie sister noted. Our superb meals featured a cheese board with locally sourced sheep’s milk cheeses, berries, figs and a drizzle of maple syrup; an irresistible herb bread; divinely textured goat-cheese salads and butternut squash and sweet potato soups; Florentine-stuffed flounder; a succulent Berkshire pork chop with Vermont Bourbon-mashed yams, roasted rutabaga, parsnip and ginger glaze; and a light, luscious apple-filled puff pastry worthy of the gods. “That is too good,” Gina said.

No need to worry about dietary restrictions: The

The elegant rooms at Four Columns.

excellent wait staff happily accommodated my sister’s food allergies. Brunch was equally sumptuous, but we decided to forego it for the complimentary light breakfast that fueled our explorations on foot with Fausto and by car. On our way up to Vermont on Interstate 91, we had stopped for spicy Indonesian butternut squash soup and a roasted broccoli one at the vegetarian Haymarket

Café in Northampton, Mass., home of Smith College. (If you have the time, visit the college’s Museum of Art, whose fine collection includes the frolicking nudes painted all over the restrooms, right down to the toilet bowls.)

Once in Vermont, we drove 22 miles north to Chester, whose storybook downtown includes DaVallia Artful Living, Misty Valley Books, the Polish Pottery Gift Shop, Sage Jewelry, Vintage Vermont and the Moon Dog Café, home of sublime salads, soups and pastries, including one heck of a pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting.

On getaway day, we stopped in neighboring Townshend for goat-milk caramels at Big Picture Farm’s warehouse before heading south to buy syrup, red pepper relish and sheep’s milk cheeses at the Grafton Village Cheese Co. in Brattleboro and some of the creamiest chocolates you’ll ever have at Tavernier Chocolates in nearby Guilford, Vermont's Cotton Mill artisan complex.

Gina and I agreed we’d love to go back, not just to see Big Picture Farm during spring’s kidding season but to spend more time at Four Columns.

It’s a place where you can savor the quiet, ever-changing beauty of nature alone or chat up the locals and other guests — whatever Mick might do.

For more, visit fourcolumnsvt.com or call 802365-7713.

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WAGMAG.COM WAGMAG.COM DECEMBER NOVEMBER2016 2016

SAVORING THE SEA STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALEESIA FORNI

eslie and Elizabeth Barnes have transformed an 18th-century granary (later home to the Willett House restaurant) into a virtual haven for seafood seekers along the banks of the Byram River in Port Chester.

Transcending the typical oyster bar motif, Saltaire Oyster Bar and Fish House features a spacious dining room with large industrial light fixtures, 30-foot vaulted ceilings and maps mounted along the exposed brick walls. The private dining room can host a party of 60, while the more casual bar area offers big-screen televisions, high-top tables and black-and-white photos of fishermen and their catches.

“We wanted to keep the raw bones of such a pretty space, yet give it an updated, urban-chic

vibe,” Elizabeth says of the Abendroth Avenue restaurant.

An offshoot of their popular Queens eatery, London Lennie’s, Saltaire is the product of the Rye couple’s ambition to provide a fresh seafood spot a little closer to home.

“We knew so many fish and food lovers that come to New York City and… London Lennie’s but don’t always want to travel to the city,” she says.

“We felt people would appreciate the good food right in their backyard.”

On a recent visit, I grab a seat at the Carrara marble bar, which is lined with raw selections such as little neck clams and sea scallops. A drink menu offers a selection of draft beers, wines and signature cocktails. Menus change daily and offer something for nearly everyone, from bucka-shuck oysters during happy hour to a heaping

plate of king crab or surf and turf. Whole-roasted fish is served on the bone and steamed lobster can be purchased in per-pound increments.

Those inclined to steer clear of from-the-sea items can enjoy salads, burgers or steak.

Both hot and cold small plates are offered, so we choose one of each. Florida red snapper ceviche is given a smoky flavor with a topping of chorizo amid a subtle hint of orange and a spicy kick. I find myself dipping my fork into the plate’s creamy sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke) purée even after I’ve finished the fish — it’s just that good. A superbly seasoned lump crab cake patty is served with a side of creamy guacamole — a highlight of the evening — pickled red onion, frisée and a delightfully fresh cherry tomato salad.

During our meal, we’re given another form of

From left: Snapper ceviche is served with chorizo and a sunchoke purée; East Coast swordfish joins a plate of fingerling potatoes and asparagus with a beurre blanc sauce; and a crab cake sits atop a spread of guacamole with a fresh tomato salad. Opposite page: New Zealand king salmon with a walnut-citrus vinaigrette tops a plate of ratatouille and Brussels sprouts.

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The Carrara marble bar.

entertainment besides the baseball games shown on the dual screens as a staffer expertly shucks oysters behind the raw bar. Unable to resist a sample of the restaurant’s namesake offering, we order a varied selection, which arrives over ice on a shell-shaped plate. Guests can choose from a list

of accompanying sauces, though a horseradish aioli proves to be a pleasant pairing.

Along with a number of house specialties, the menu also offers a “Top of the Catch” section that allows guests to choose either seared or grilled fish, a sauce from a trio of options and two side

dishes to pair with the meal.

East Coast swordfish is served with roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus, drizzled in a delicious beurre blanc sauce. The sides are excellent and the white sauce is our favorite part of the evening, though the swordfish proves a disappointment — overcooked and undersized for the price tag.

We fare exponentially better with the New Zealand king salmon, which is cooked to perfection and sits atop a plate of ratatouille and walnut-citrus vinaigrette. A chewy side of Brussels sprouts is the only hindrance to the dish, though crispy bits of bacon help mask any unpleasantness.

Our server has been exceptionally helpful throughout the evening, from demonstrating correct oyster-eating etiquette to assisting in our appetizer selections, so we put our dessert fate in her hands. She quickly delivers a key lime custard, artfully presented with a dollop of whipped cream and a large mint leaf. A pop rocks pie crust is a fizzy, unexpected treat to end our evening.

Elizabeth is correct in saying that the atmosphere at Saltaire is one that allows guests to have fun and indulge themselves — two sentiments with which I am always onboard.

For more, visit saltaireoysterbar.com.

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WINE & DINE

THE FORTUNATE LIFE

OF VINTNER MIKE GRGICH STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH

BY DOUG PAULDING

“i

don’t drink Chardonnay,” a smart lawyer- friend of mine told me not long ago. I asked her why and she told me, “It’s too oaky.”

I replied, “Oh, you don’t like oaky Chardonnay. Neither do I.” Most wine people today don’t like or drink oaky wines.

In the 1970s, a heavy and clumsy oak influence was employed, because there were many new wine drinkers who embraced the caramel and butterscotch flavors. That didn’t last long and soon winemakers were reducing the oak in all their oak aged wines to “Let the fruit speak for itself.” Indeed, oak became a seasoning like salt, to give mouthfeel and accent but not flavor. Once you get the taste, oak, like salt, is too much.

Violet Grgich, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich’s daughter, was in New York recently to show us Grgich Hills Estate’s current wine releases. Mike Grgich was born in Croatia, the youngest of 11 kids. He grew up in Croatian vineyards and learned to make wine.

He enrolled in oenology classes in Zagreb and then West Germany. Learning from a mentor and wine teacher that Napa Valley was paradise, the perfect place for growing grapes and making wine. Mike made his way to Canada and then to California and became acquainted with and/or employed by the Christian Brothers, Robert Mondavi, André Tchelistcheff and the Barrett family of Chateau Montelena Winery. It was here that Mike made the 1973 Montelena Chardonnay that turned the wine world upside down. In the now-famous 1976 book “Judgment of Paris,” this wine was chosen in a blind tasting using only French wine judges as the best 92

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DECEMBER 2016

Violet Grgich with some of the family’s vintages.

Chardonnay in the world, against several Burgundian and California producers.

When you’re voted best in the world, you get some serious street cred. In 1977, Mike partnered up with Austin Hills of Hills Bros. Coffee and started Grgich Hills Estate winery. I asked Violet if Mike Grgich’s wines ever led or followed the pendulum swing to heavily oaked wines. She said, “No, our wines have always been pure. They start simple, subtle and then grow in the glass. There was never a need for manipulation.” Grgich Hills was a frontier forger with organic and sustainable practices in the vineyard and in the winery. The winery owns all its own vineyards and doesn’t have to buy grapes, which gives it complete “vine to bottle” control of the product.

We tasted a series of wines against the backdrop of a wonderful meal prepared by Raoul Whitaker, owner and executive chef of David Burke Kitchen.

Grgich Hills Estate’s 2014 Fumé Blanc was crisp and tight with a lemon citrus dominance. It was also dry with a pronounced fruity presence, perfect with a root vegetable salad. The 2014 40th Anniversary Chardonnay was a rich, creamy, lovely balanced wine with subtle oak influence.

The 2012 Merlot and the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon each showed a dry dustiness with dark cher-

ry flavors and a full-bodied generous mouthfeel and finish. The Grgich Hills Violetta was a wonderful dessert wine experience. Of course, you could pair it with certain dishes like foie gras, but to me it is wonderfully paired with dessert, or being the featured dessert. It is made using grapes affected by botrytis, the same noble fungus that affects and is responsible for the flavors in a Sauterne. This wine showed deep, sweet, golden honey with an unctuous mouthfeel carried and balanced by a backbone of rich acidity.

Mike Grgich is a man blessed by hard work, dedication, knowledge and probably a bit of luck. His list of friends is a veritable Who’s Who in the California (and Croatia) wine industry. He came to this country with just a couple of dollars, a suitcase and some wine knowledge and experience, building a New World wine in the Old World style. Grgich Hills Estate’s signature wine style is food friendly, balanced and elegant. Today, Mike Grgich’s suitcase and his 1973 Montelena Chardonnay are in the Smithsonian Institution, and his wines have been served at White House state dinners. Pick up some for your next event. Grab a piece of history. They are easy to find and well worth the price. To Miljenko Grgich and his charmed life, "Cheers to You!" Write me at doug@dougpaulding.com.

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WHETTING THE APPETITE

NO-BAKE HOLIDAY TREAT

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ecember is a bustling month. Your ovens will be filled with cooking for the holidays, so here is a great recipe that requires no baking. This will be a hit for your seasonal entertaining.

HOLY CANNOLI NO-BAKE RECIPE Ingredients: 2 8-ounce bars softened cream cheese 1 ½ cups heavy cream 1 cup Ricotta 2/3 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon orange zest 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons grated nutmeg 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 store-bought graham cracker crust 1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips 1 cup crushed cannoli shells or cannoli crackers Directions: In a mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add cream and beat until fluffy. Then add Ricotta and powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Stir in orange zest, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix and then fold in 1 cup mini chocolate chips.

Pour into graham cracker crust. Top with remaining l/2 cup chocolate chips. Freeze until firm.

Let soften l5 minutes before serving. Add crushed cannoli shells or cannoli crackers before serving.

For more, contact the Saucy Realtor at jacquelineruby@ hotmail.com. Tableware courtesy Casafina.

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A bracelet from John Hardy’s new Modern Chain collection in woven sterling silver and gold.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

NEW COLLECTIONS WITH A SENSUOUS FLAIR

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STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

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wo years ago, WAG had the pleasure of interviewing Guy Bedarida — then creative director/head designer of John Hardy — at an event at Bloomingdale’s White Plains that featured raspberry Champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries and fashion illustrator Jennifer Lilya sketching customers with their Hardy jewelry purchases. In memory, the day bubbles like that Champagne.

So when Bloomie’s announced another Hardy trunk show to showcase the exquisite new Modern Chain collection, among others, WAG was front and center. While the charming Bedarida has retired — and was certainly missed — this event featured artisans from the Hardy complex just outside Ubud, Bali, dressed in ceremonial attire as they demonstrated the painstaking process that goes into each of the company’s sculpted designs.

How did the Canadian Hardy wind up establishing a jewelry company in Bali in 1975?

“He wanted to be a sculptor and he traveled the world looking at art,” said Shaun Rowan, the jeweler’s director of education and events. When Hardy arrived in Bali, the sensuous isle that is home to much of Indonesia’s Hindu population, he knew he had found what he was searching for. He fell in love, Rowan said, not just with the wood and stone animal carvings and the voluptuous Hindu figures but with the graceful, gracious Balinese people.

Today, some 700 artisans are employed at the workshop outside Ubud, while another 250 to 300 work at home, said Sang Ayu Pt Sri Utami, the company’s senior public relations manager.

About 400 work in John Hardy’s Bangkok location. At Bloomingdale’s, four were on hand to demonstrate the intricate processes involved in Hardy creations. First, artisans like Daniel Irawan sketch the designs — in pencil and then in watercolor. I Made Wisada is among those who make wax carvings of the designs. These are placed on a jewelry tree and fired in a gypsum mold. The wax melts and liquid sterling silver is poured in, leaving silver designs that are broken off and polished.

These can be painted or embellished with stones by gem setters like I Wayan Suarsa.

This process has been known throughout art history as lost wax casting. But there is another time-honored artistic tradition that is also used, Rowan said — that of hammered metal, or palu.

This is done by a husband-and-wife team with the wife wearing special gloves to make the metal malleable under high heat and the husband hammering the designs. Another technique is hand-weaving chains, which Sulis Irawati demonstrated. (The company uses 100 percent reclaimed silver and gold, Rowan said.)

The results are at once artistic and natural,

concrete and spiritual, playing out in different collections. The Bamboo Collection represents an essential Balinese building material. For every bamboo-style piece purchased, the company plants bamboo seedlings. The Dot Collection references the circle of life, infinite love and possibility. The Legends Collection features four animals — the scaly Naga (Dragon), symbol of protection; the fiery Macan Tiger, perseverance; the sinuous Cobra, rebirth; and the Eagle (exclusive to the men’s line), representing victory and freedom.

But there is another line, Cinta or Love, a couture collection inspired by Hardy’s relationship with his wife. These are one-of-a-kind pieces, Rowan said, including a hinged cuff with a central square amethyst flanked by blue topazes.

Artisans actually break the mold after each of these creations. But we think they broke the mold when they made the John Hardy company itself.

And we can’t wait to see what Bloomingdale’s offers when the first collection by new Hardy creative director Hollie Bonneville Barden bows in the fall of next year.

For more, visit johnhardy.com.

NYU Stern's Part-time MBA program in Westchester Congratulates students Lauren Chacho and Nalini Gupta and alumnus Adam Simon on their 2016 Milli Awards!

WAGMAG.COM

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

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LEADER OF THE PACK STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS

BY BOB ROZYCKI

here’s something truly magical about listening to the melodic three-part harmony of Alawa and her two brothers, Nikai and Zephyr.

The sound starts with a simple fluid movement. Nikai stretches his head skyward and closes his eyes. His neck is perpendicular to the ground. He lets out a high note, which cues his brother and sister to join in.

The sound is pure and beautiful and Zen-like, although cattle ranchers out west would beg to differ. You see, this family is made up of Canadian/Rocky Mountain gray wolves. And these creatures are pretty much hated by ranchers and cowboys who have the ears of politicians looking to delist wolves from the Endangered Species Act. (More on this later.)

As to what brought on this impromptu concert in the wilds of Westchester County, the answer is the vocal stylings of Maggie Howell, executive director of the Wolf Conservation Center. When Howell was last in these pages (November 2011), she was the center’s managing director, committed to educating the public about wolves and their reintroduction across sections of the nation.

Today, she is still afire in that mission.

Howell is keeping watch on Congress as attempts are made to weaken the Endangered Species Act via special legislation hidden in other bills. She cuts to the chase to explain the reasons for such actions.

“Annoyed by the fact that endangered species protection decisions are by federal law based on science rather than politics, some congressional leaders are trying to slip a legislative noose around some of the nation’s most imperiled species by loading the must-pass spending bills with dozens of anti-environmental riders, including some that eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for all gray wolves nationwide — including critically endangered Mexican gray wolves,” Howell says. “Hunting, trapping and poisoning caused the initial extinction of Mexican gray wolves. Now wild lobos may face extinction for a second time, but at the hands of Congress.”

Maggie Howell, at the Wolf Conservation Center.

In an abridged run through her life, Howell grew up far from wild animals in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, studied biology at Vassar College and did research and analytics for Reuters’ stock trading business Instinet (“money was great, but not what I wanted to do.”)

Taking what she called “a leap of faith,” Howell headed West, as in the state of Washington and then Arizona. At a wildlife park north of Phoenix, she found a natural calling in wolves. As luck would have it, she heard of an opening at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem. Wolves in Westchester? Who knew?

The center was founded in 1999 by pianist Hélène Grimaud. Her former home now serves as the offices for the nonprofit on 28 acres of hilly land off Route 35. Howell — who lives in Somers with her husband, operations manager Spencer Wilhelm, and their daughter — just marked 11 years with the center.

There’s something to be said about someone so dedicated who, along with a small staff and a team of volunteers, carries the weight of making sure an entire species isn’t wiped out from the face of the planet.

Howell is keeping track of Congress, a trait perhaps picked up from the wolves.

For more, visit nywolf.org.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

STILL CHARMING SAMANTHA LEVINE’S JEWELRY COLLECTION THRIVES

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BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB ROZYCKI

When WAG first visited with Samantha Levine back in 2013, the founder and creative director of Auburn Jewelry had put her law career on hold.

Levine told us she long worked to create a balance between academics and the arts, but it was finally time to take a creative leap of faith. She was devoting all her attention to designing and handcrafting jewelry, something that had captivated her — and a portion of her studies — since the age of 14.

“I’m going to take it day by day,” she told us. “I would absolutely love to do this forever.”

Well, three years may not be forever — but it’s certainly a solid start, as a recent stop by Levine’s Mount Kisco metals studio proved.

“A lot’s changed since then,” she said with a laugh.

For one, the stark cement-block space now sports a lovely pink-accented décor. An oversize map fills one wall, pins denoting places where Auburn Jewelry has been sold.

Jewelry lovers from Alaska to Australia — part of a mix that includes four continents, 14 countries and 43 states — have been scooping up Auburn Jewelry’s classic-with-a-twist designs that touch on everything from initials to athletics, luck, love, New York City (including a hot pretzel) and the ever-popular animal themes.

Known best for offering exclusive, customizable lines in sterling silver, 14-karat gold and enamel, the company has expanded from pendants to include cufflinks, bag charms and, most recently, delicate — and ideal for stocking stuffers — stud earrings that work as well on a sweet young lady as a funky older gal with multiple piercings.

“I still make every piece by hand — for now,”

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Samantha Levine, founder and creative director of Auburn Jewelry, in her Mount Kisco metals studio.

Levine said with a smile. Yes, she’s just given us a clue to her latest leap — working with a manufacturer.

“I feel like this happened pretty naturally,” she said of the collaboration that, she emphasized, is based in Brooklyn.

“That was very important for me, to keep everything local.”

With samples now in hand — “The quality is out of this world” — she expects to introduce the results early next year.

“They’re still going to have that artistic and handmade feel,” she assured, allowing us to see the early pieces. “It’s still me. It’s all Auburn Jewelry designs.”

It was a necessary step, as was expanding her team.

“From the beginning, I knew I wouldn’t be able to make the business as big as I wanted to without doing the manufacturing.”

She will continue to design every piece, working with clients on custom designs and continuing to promote the company at special events. These have included trunk shows at Bloomingdale’s in White Plains and at The Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey, with a pop-up event set for Dec. 10 at hip-kid in Chappaqua. She’s also been meeting with national department stores in hopes of establishing an ongoing presence.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s so cool to see the pieces in one of these big stores,” she said. “It’s amazing.”

And, as she has all along, Levine continues her philanthropy.

“It’s really important to me that Auburn Jewelry finds a way to give back to the community.”

In addition to a longstanding association with the SPCA of Westchester, Levine continues to donate to charitable causes. She has created designs in support of mental health and suicide prevention, working with the Mental Health Association of Westchester, and helped underprivileged children through The Birthday Box, a Mount Kisco-based social-action program.

Auburn also recently introduced the Love Each Other line, created in reaction to the terror attacks in Paris and Orlando, Florida. Buyers of its heartthemed designs can select which “nonviolent, peace-loving organization” will benefit.

It’s clear that Levine has crafted her own niche, and despite a schedule that includes 16-hour days during the holiday season, said, “It doesn’t feel like work. It definitely doesn’t feel like work.”

She added that anyone inspired by her story could take lessons with her, with students having ranged from age 10 through adults.

“I love teaching. That’s like another way to give back.”

Oh, and that law degree? It does come in handy.

As she said with quite a laugh, “I was able to file my own trademark.”

For more, visit auburn-jewelry.com.

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WELL

A HOME OF THEIR OWN

BY GIOVANNI ROSELLI

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he measure of your life will not be what you will accumulate but in what you give away.” —Wayne W. Dyer, American philosopher In 1982, an emergency shelter opened in the basement of The First Congregational Church of Stamford. Some 30 years later, Pacific House, formerly known as the Shelter for the Homeless, has grown exponentially, giving hope and help to those in need.

Pacific House is the only regional men’s shelter in lower Fairfield County, serving Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk and Stamford. Its mission is simply to end homelessness by helping clients become self-sufficient. This is not an emergency shelter but one with several buildings to keep as many homeless men off the streets as possible until permanent housing can be found.

Four years ago, the shelter contacted Andrew M. Reid, a well-known businessman who soon joined its board. A few months later, he became chairman of the annual gala. Andy has worked tirelessly, giving his time and putting his heart into making this fundraiser a success.

Each year Pacific House has raised the bar in terms of getting the community and neighboring towns involved to respond and help the shelter. At the most recent gala this past May, more than 400 people gathered at the Italian Center of Stamford.

Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine

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Giovanni Roselli, left, with Pacific House 2016 Gala MC Bobby Valentine. Courtesy Giovanni Roselli.

was the master of ceremonies, while Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, an honoree, spoke about the shelter. The event raised $500,000 to support housing, hot meals, job and life skills and health-care services that include treatment plans for recovery from substance abuse. Andy and the committee look forward to an even bigger fundraiser in 2017.

“Ending homelessness in lower Fairfield County is within our reach,” says Rafael Pagan Jr., Pacific House’s executive director. “We know it can be

done, and now we know how to do it. All that is now missing is our collective will.”

Stamford and Pacific House have chosen to undertake a big issue in our world today. Every day they are giving their time to those less fortunate and helping their community. Maybe this is a lesson that we all can learn from. Pacific House is an example of what giving back truly means.

For more, visit pacifichouse.org. Reach Giovanni on twitter @GiovanniRoselli and his website, GiovanniRoselli.com.

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THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE

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BY MARY SHUSTACK PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB ROZYCKI

he teal-hued walls of Giordano Beauty in Hastings-on-Hudson are filled with vintage cosmetic ads.

The glamorous women in exotic locales captivated a beauty-obsessed Susan Giordano when she was growing up in Manhattan.

“They spoke to me,” she says. “There was this whole lifestyle.”

Little did the girl who used her allowance to buy makeup at Bloomingdale’s know she would one day be a part of that world.

Doing makeup for others as a teen, her interest in beauty only grew stronger, but the practical Giordano began working on Wall Street.

“I had no idea — how do you go from reading a magazine to working on a magazine?”

Then, through a friend, she was asked to participate in a new-talent photo shoot with the Elite modeling agency.

“I did my first one, and I was hooked,” Giordano says, soon after quitting her job to move to Milan.

That leap of faith, plenty of hard work — and a big break working with photographer Patrick Demarchelier for Harper’s Bazaar — eventually

brought Giordano her dream career once she was back in New York.

For the next two decades, she was a successful celebrity makeup artist — think Pamela Anderson, Heidi Klum and Stephanie Seymour, among countless other bold-face names — whose work was regularly featured in the pages of Allure, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue.

Eventually, though, Giordano realized it was time to move on. Budget cuts eliminated days of going to “Bora Bora to do an eight-page shoot.”

But it was more than that.

“After awhile, there’s no challenge anymore,” she says with a laugh. “They’re genetic freaks. Come on! ... Any good model will tell you, ‘I got lucky.’”

Giordano was ready to bring her expertise to a new audience.

She wanted women tired of pushy salespeople focused on commissions and drawers filled with expensive mistakes to have an alternative.

“I saw that there was something missing in the landscape of beauty.”

Having moved to Yonkers, Giordano found a space nearby and set up shop some four years ago.

Here, in a serene setting filled with artisanal skincare, bath, beauty and fragrance products often made by or for her, Giordano holds glamorous court.

People stop by for eyebrow shapings and makeup applications or lessons, or to buy gifts and products, including her signature Satin Skin moisturizer.

As Giordano says, “Makeup is elective. Skincare is not negotiable.”

But there’s never a hard sell, she assures.

“No one walks out of here with something they don’t want, you don’t need or doesn’t work for you.”

It’s all about what she calls “easy glamour.”

Customers love her mix of honesty and experience — and way with words (False eyelashes, she says, are “what separates movie stars from mere mortals.”).

“If I had to describe the shop and what I do here: ‘One-stop beauty shopping,’” she says, where offerings constantly evolve.

“You never know what you’re going to find here.

I’m a bit of a mad scientist.”

And in this jewel box of a boutique, Giordano has created an oasis that draws customers, including Catherine Saraniti of Irvington.

On a recent afternoon, she tells us she visits the boutique not only for goods and services but sometimes, just to brighten her day.

“It really satisfies a lot of needs,” Saraniti says. “It feels good. It’s a feel-good place.”

For Giordano, it’s been rewarding to connect with real women.

“The average woman wants to look like herself, except the optimal version of herself,” she says. “My M.O. is I want you to trust me. I want you to see how great you can really look.”

For more, visit giordanobeauty.com.

Susan Giordano, right, with client Catherine Saraniti on a recent afternoon at Giordano Beauty in Hastings-onHudson.

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WEAR

SISLEY-PARIS’ NEW PRODUCT SAYS TO HECK WITH TECH NECK

a

BY GEORGETTE GOUVEIA

h, the neck – such a fragile part of the body as giraffes and the late Nora Ephron (author of “I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman”) discovered.

There’s gravity. There’s turkey neck. There’s the turtleneck to cover turkey neck. And now adding to the challenges there’s tech neck — the wrinkles and double chins resulting from the chin-to-collarbone position assumed by those who are always busy texting. (LOL.) Sisley-Paris, which pioneered antiaging for the neck with its first Neck Cream in 1981, has upped the ante with a new product designed not only to firm and smooth this most vulnerable body part but to refine and reshape it.

The immediate sensation of lift, says the company, with American headquarters in White Plains, comes from a formula that includes various extracts — of oat seed, rhatany, lady’s mantle, soy fiber, red algae and horse chestnut — along with vitamin E acetate, caffeine, shea butter, glycerin of vegetable origin, sunflower oil and D-Panthenol.

Sisley-Paris Neck Cream retails for $180 and is available in 95 luxury retailers nationwide, including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys New York, select locations of Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s — including Bloomindale’s White Plains, where it was part of the store’s latest fun “Makeup Date” emceed by Carson Kressley.

For more, visit sisley-paris.com. And while we’re at it, chin up.

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Book your Holiday Celebration with The Crowne Plaza White Plains And Pick Your Perks!

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Terms & Conditions: This offer is based on availability at the time of booking.

Offer cannot be applied to previously signed contracts, and cannot be combined with any other specials. Valid for Holiday events valued at $5,000 or more (prior to adding service charge and tax). Event must be booked and consumed by January 31, 2017.

PET OF THE MONTH

SAMMY THE SENIOR PHOTOGRAPH BY ROB ROZYCKI

ust ’cause there’s snow on the roof, doesn’t mean the fire has gone out in the furnace.

Meet Sammy, a beautiful senior Coonhound who’s still got the old spark. He’s a typical hound — a laid-back pooch that goes with the flow and gets along great with other dogs. But he’s also a fine companion for two-legged critters looking for a dog to snuggle up with on the sofa. All he needs is some yummy food, the occasional nap, lots of TLC and he’s good to go.

To meet Sammy, visit the SPCA of Westchester at 590 N. State Road in Briarcliff Manor.

Founded in 1883, the SPCA is a no-kill shelter and is not affiliated with the ASPCA. The SPCA is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. To learn more, call 914- 941-2896 or visit spca914.org.

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NOT-SO-JOLLY

FOODS

Pet safety tips for the holidays from BLUE BUFFALO® Sure, holidays can be joyous times filled with scrumptious meals, glittering lights and special shared moments with loved ones, including furry family members. But, consider the scene from your dog’s or cat’s perspective.

They’re usually peering up at a counter or table filled with the flavorful scents of food they shouldn’t eat, or pawing at tantalizing trinkets strung all over the house. Unfortunately, what’s festive for us can sometimes be dangerous for them.

As you entertain holiday guests, reinforce the “notable-scraps” rule. Remember, visitors may not be immune to your pet’s adorable beggar face. And as you prepare special meals keep these pet-toxic foods out of paw’s reach.

Foods that can harm dogs and cats: • Bread dough — Yeast expands in pets’ stomachs, causing pain.

• Chocolate —Pets can’t metabolize the theobromine in chocolate easily so it may build up to toxic levels. Chocolate also contains caffeine, another pet no-no.

• Ethanol/alcohol — Sorry, no toasting furry pals with bowls of eggnog!

• Moldy foods • Onions and garlic

Cats should avoid: • Milk and cheese — Most felines are lactose intolerant so only fill their bowls with water.

• Raw fish — Sorry, no holiday sushi. Bacteria in raw foods can make cats ill.

Toxicity levels from human foods vary depending upon the amount of food ingested and your pet’s size, but it’s not worth the risk. Avoid these foods altogether.

NOTE: If your pet ingests anything harmful, call your veterinarian immediately. Keep the pet poison hotline handy: 1-855-213-6680.

Happy, healthy holidays There are healthy ways to celebrate the season with furry loved ones.

Pet-safe toys and chews abound. Plus, your best pal can even enjoy their own holiday fare filled with wholesome, family-style dishes specially formulated for dogs or cats from Blue Buffalo. There are even real turkey and duck recipes!

Nutritious and delicious options like these make healthy stocking stuffers and give you a safer way to share this joyous season with your furry loved ones.

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• Grapes and raisins • Fat trimmings and bones — No wishbones about it, pets can choke on bones, which can easily splinter and block your pet’s digestive system.

Dogs should avoid: • Avocado —Varieties like the Guatemalan avocado contain persin, which is toxic to dogs.

• Hops —Sorry, no seasonal craft beer.

• Macadamia nuts • Xylitol — No sugar-free products or candy. Instead, stuff their stockings with pet-appropriate treats like wholesome, cinnamon Santa Snacks from BLUE.™

Open your heart and home.

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DECK THE HALLS, SAFELY. In addition to foods, there are holiday decorations that can harm our furry pals so petproof your home with the following tips: • Avoid dangling, shimmering decorations like tinsel, ribbons and low-hanging lights. Pets might think they’re toys or even edible treats.

• Don’t place lit candles or glass ornaments where pets can knock them over. Cats are notorious climbers who can easily scale high surfaces and topple or break decor, endangering themselves as well.

• Avoid toxic seasonal plants. They may make stunning centerpieces, but…

— Holly and mistletoe are more toxic than poinsettias, which are harmful if large amounts are ingested. Their irritating sap however often keeps pets from having seconds.

— Live holiday trees and wreaths can shed sharp pine needles so sweep them up. Pets may paw at or try to eat them.

HELLO, KITTIES

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AG designer Alison Kattleman's two pet kitties, Gilligan (for the hero of "Island" fame) and Loki (after the Norse god of mischief), are a true study in opposites. Gilligan, 16, is the most laid-back cat in the world, at ease in any situation. Like a cuddly stuffed animal come to life, he lives to give love to his humans, a purr-machine constantly at their sides. Loki, 6, a rescue cat, lives up to his name. A silly troublemaker — playful, skittish and full of frenetic energy — he gets on his older brother's nerves more often than not, inciting plenty of chases around the house. But the two set aside their differences often enough to coexist in peace and even share secrets with one another, as evidenced in this rare moment caught on camera. Sure, they may not always get along, but they remain each other's feline confidants. Deep down, it's brotherly love all the way.

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Gilligan and Loki

Tony and Jack

WAG writer Danielle Renda also has two pet kitties, Tony (the feline patriarch of her Italian household) and Jack (after Jack Skellington, the main character of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”) who define brotherly love through their complementary personalities.

Tony, 4, has a coat suggestive of a tortoise shell and a skittish but loveable demeanor. He’s often described as a “big softie,” though he’s always on high alert, patrolling within his kingdom. He strongly dislikes closed doors for this reason and has been seen attempting to turn door handles with his paws. Jack, 2, has a black-and-white coat with a blush-pink nose. Though he’s small, he’s a true rebel — with a sweet side. He still has the energy of a kitten, running to and fro and twirling about, though when he finally settles, he loves sleeping on his back for some well-deserved belly rubs. When the two brothers get together, it’s a toss-up: They’re either chasing each other (a sound reminiscent of horses galloping) or cuddling closely, as seen here. Both kitties were adopted from the SPCA of Westchester in Briarcliff Manor — where you can say, “Hello, Kitty” to other felines in need of a good home.

You love him like family, so feed him like family with BLUE.

Like all pet parents who think of their puppy as family, you want to feed him with the same care as family.

That’s why all BLUE puppy foods are made with the high-quality, natural ingredients he deserves.

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And your puppy can enjoy all of this naturally healthy goodness for only pennies a day more.

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Love them like family. Feed them like family.®

WHEN & WHERE

THROUGH DEC. 31 The holiday season in New York wouldn’t be the same without the New York City Ballet and George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker.” Highlights of this holiday chestnut include a one-ton Christmas tree that “grows” from 12 to 40 feet, swirling snowflakes and hundreds of elaborate costumes. The production’s grand finale involves 1 million watts of lighting, the most used in any City Ballet production. David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, Manhattan; 212-496-0600, davidhkochtheater.com

vvv Atelier 811 Gallery presents “Faces and Places: India and the Far East,” an exhibition that features the work of Augusto Salinas. Noon to 5 p.m., Atelier 811

SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS DEC. 8, RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE

Gallery, 811 N. Broadway, North White Plains; 914419-6252, mjellenbogen.com

THROUGH JAN. 2

terials — nuts, bark and other plant parts. The exhibit

DEC. 3

expansion continues with more trains and a finale

The Emelin Theatre presents Don McLean, the legend-

featuring a tribute to the Coney Island amusement

ary American folk singer-songwriter whose hundreds

“Westchester’s Winter Wonderland” – Take a stroll

park’s architecture and attractions. New York Bo-

of songs include the classic “American Pie.” 8 p.m., 153

through Kensico Dam Plaza on a beautiful crisp eve-

tanical Garden, Southern Boulevard, Bronx; 718-817-

Library Lane, Mamaroneck; 914-698-0098, emelin.org

ning with the illuminated spectacle of “Candy Cane

8700, nybg.org

Lane” and a musical light show. Meet with New York Rangers’ alumni and enjoy outdoor ice skating at the

vvv The Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra presents “Celebrate,” a holiday concert featuring Vivaldi’s “Winter”

“RangersTown” temporary rink or bring the kids to

THROUGH JAN. 29

visit with the “Big Man” at the Santa Experience. New

The Katonah Museum of Art presents “Matisse

siah” and more by Mozart and Brahms, conducted by

this year under the big top is the Hanneford Holiday

Drawings: Curated by Ellsworth Kelly,” an explo-

Kevin Fitzgerald. 8 p.m., Richardson Auditorium at

Circus. Shop the artisan craft village, then top it off

ration of Henri Matisse’s drawings through the eyes

Ridgefield High School, 80 E. Ridge Road, Ridgefield;

with a visit to the food court. Kensico Dam Plaza, Park

of the American minimalist. The drawings, from 1900

203-438-3889, ridgefieldsymphony.org

Drive West, Valhalla; wwinterwonderland.com

through 1950, reveal new insights into the French master’s work. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through

THROUGH JAN. 8

Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays, 134 Jay St.; 914232-9555, katonahmuseum.org

“Holiday Splendor at The Mansion: Christmas and New Year’s Celebrations,” a decorative exploration

from “The Four Seasons,” arias from Handel’s “Mes-

DEC. 3 AND 4 The Clocktower Players’ Kids Troupe presents “Mulan Jr.,” a musical based on the hit animated Disney film. This celebration of Chinese culture and girl pow-

of the holiday season during the Gilded Age, with

DEC. 2 THROUGH 17

trees adorned with historic decorations, a selection

Visit Boscobel House and Gardens during “Sparkle”

death, enters the army in his place and becomes a

of vintage toys and games and signs of elaborate

when the site will showcase lighting displays, setting

hero. 12:30 p.m., Irvington Town Hall Theater, 85 Main

celebrations in the dining and drawing rooms. Noon

the stage for holiday attractions. Returning this

St.; 914-591-6602, clocktowerplayers.com

to 4 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays, The Lock-

year will be Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus in the Sparkle

wood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Ave.,

Garden, the Sparkle Queen Stilt Walker, ice-carving

Norwalk; 203-838-9799, lockwoodmathewsman-

demonstrations, magician Margaret Steele, The

DEC. 4

sion.com.

Libby Richman Jazz Trio and “Puppet Power!” with

The Fairfield County Children’s Choir offers a winter

internationally renowned ventriloquist Jonathan

holiday concert, “One Voice — The Sound of All of Us.”

Geffner. Offered Fridays and Saturdays, with each

This is a diverse program of classic carols, favorite win-

evening’s attractions differing. Check the complete

ter selections and audience sing-alongs. 3 p.m., Klein

“The Holiday Train Show” features more than 150

schedule online. 1601 Route 9D, Garrison; 845-265-

Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport;

New York landmark replicas made of all natural ma-

3638, boscobel.org

203-424-0160, singfcc.org

THROUGH JAN. 16

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er tells the story of a girl who, to save her father from

203.438.5795 • RIDGEFIELDPLAYHOUSE.ORG THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE for movies and the performing arts

Rock the Holidays and 2017!

Non-profit 501 (c) (3)

DECember

8 Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings

Home for the Holidays Special Guest Saun and Starr

9 Christmas with The Celts

february

2 Constantine Maroulis Special Guest Brian Dunne

3 Women of Folk

Featuring Sloan Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright Roche and EVA

10 David Crosby & Friends

10 Get The Led Out

14 A Darlene Love Christmas: Love for the Holidays

16 The Steppin Stones

january 12 Leo Kottke & Keller Williams Shut the Folk Up and Listen Tour Partially underwritten by Casey Energy

13 Jefferson Starship 14 The Coasters 15 The Wall Live Extravaganza: A Floydian Spectacle 19 Buster Poindexter 20 An Evening with Pat Metheny With Antonio Sanchez, Linda Oh and Gwilym Simcock

21 Comedy Headliners from the RiotCast Network Ft. Rich Vos, Pete Correale & Robert Kelly

25 An Evening with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt

Tickets to shows make great gifts!

17 The Machine Performs Pink Floyd 18 An Evening with Rita Moreno 21 Beth Hart

Partially underwritten by Lisa andMichael Shinall

22 Steve Hackett

Genesis Revisited With Classic Hackett 2017 US Tour

23 Howie Mandel 25 Dancin’ Broadway

Dancers & vocalists re-create iconic dance moments from West Side Story and more!

march

1 Los Lobos 2 Marc Maron

The Too Real Tour

27 Phil Vassar

3 Shanghai Acrobats: The New Shanghai Circus

28 The Cast of Beatlemania

4 Jay and the Americans

Westchester Philharmonic presents “Winter Pops,” featuring vocalist Ashley Brown, pianist Ji Liu and conductor Ted Sperling. The program will include Broadway favorites and music by Bernstein, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. 3 p.m., Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road; 914-682-3707, westchesterphil.org

vvv Songcatchers Inc. presents its 22nd annual “Concert for Peace,” a holiday celebration filled with songs of peace and carols from around the world. 4:30 p.m., College of New Rochelle Chapel, 29 Castle Place; 914-6541178, songcatchers.org

vvv Darlene Love returns with her band and the DL Singers

“CHANGES” DEC. 4–JAN. 6, HARRISON PUBLIC LIBRARY

to perform classic hits and music of the season. 8 p.m., Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge Road; 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org

vvv

DEC. 4 THROUGH JAN. 6

bers who collaborate across arts, engineering and

Guitarist John Pizzarelli lends his voice to the Great

The Harrison Public Library presents “Changes,” a

medical fields in a pioneering graduate course to help

American Songbook and contemporary classics. 3 p.m.,

20-year retrospective of the work of award-winning

change the lives of people with physical disabilities.

Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University, 1073 N.

artist Sherri Paul, whose paintings focus on seasonal-

Noon, ArtsWestchester, 31 Mamaroneck Ave., White

Benson Road; 203- 254-4010, quickcenter.fairfield.edu

ly inspired landscapes. Times vary. 2 Bruce Ave.; 914-

Plains; 914-428-4220, artswestchester.org

vvv A perennial holiday classic, “White Christmas,” (1954)

835-0324, harrisonpl.org

DEC. 15

DEC. 8

The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College pres-

“Home for the Holidays” featuring Sharon Jones

ents “The Hip Hop Nutcracker,” a dance performance

and the Dap-Kings, who deliver their visceral rhythm

that brings the classic story of “The Nutcracker” to life in

and soul sounds for the season. 8 p.m., Ridgefield

contemporary New York City through explosive chore-

Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge Road; 203-438-5795, ridge-

ography. 8 p.m., 735 Anderson Hill Road; 914-251-6200,

fieldplayhouse.org

artscenter.org

will be shown in HD. 4 and 7 p.m., Edmond Town Hall Theatre, 45 Main St., Newtown; 203-270-4285, newtownartscommission.org

vvv

DEC. 9 THROUGH 18

The Marshall Tucker Band, one of the great Southern rock groups, performs hits like “Heard It in a Love Song”

The Moss Hart Memorial Award-winning production

and “Can’t You See.” 8 p.m., Fairfield Theatre Company,

of the holiday favorite “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live

70 Sanford St.; 203-256-1036, fairfieldtheatre.org

Radio Play” is recreated as a 1940s broadcast. 8 p.m.

Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Musical Theatre of Connecticut, 509 Westport Ave., Norwalk; 203-454-3883, musictheatreofct.com.

DEC. 16 Music on the Hill presents “Sounds of the Season,” a traditional Christmas concert of songs by classical

DEC. 11 AND 12

and contemporary composers, along with the Jubilate Ringers hand bell choir and Festival Chorus. 7:30 p.m.,

Rockland Center for the Arts holds an Affordable

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 36 New Canaan Road,

Art & Pottery Sale, just in time for holiday gift giving.

Wilton; 203-529-3133, musiconthehillCT.org

Items include functional pottery, ceramics, masks and jewelry. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Rockland Center for the Arts, 27 S. Greenbush Road, West Nyack; 845-3580877, rocklandartscenter.org

DEC. 18 Westchester Chamber Music Society presents The Chi-

JOHN PIZZARELLI DEC. 18, QUICK CENTER FOR THE ARTS, FAIRFIELD

ara String Quartet, known for performing from mem-

DEC. 12

ory. The ensemble will bring fresh interpretations to a traditional repertoire. 4 p.m., Congregation Emanu-El,

ArtsWestchester presents “Life in Motion: Collabo-

2125 Westchester Ave., Harrison; 914-967-7399, west-

rations in Arts, Engineering and Medicine,” a work-

chesterchambermusicsociety.com

shop led by two New York University faculty mem-

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Presented by ArtsWestchester and the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.

For more, visit artswestchester.org and culturalalliancefc.org.

DEC 1 PAUL TAYLOR CREATIVE DOMAIN

EXPERIENCE. SOMETHING. REAL. DECEMBER

DEC 4 FAZIL SAY SOLOIST ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

1

Paul Taylor: Creative Domain Documentary film + live performance

4

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra With pianist Fazil Say

15 The Hip Hop Nutcracker Holiday mash-up for the whole family 16 &17 The Rob Mathes Holiday Concert Rockin’ celebration of the season

JANUARY 28 Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Brahms and Fauré with pianist Alessio Bax

DEC 15 THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER

28 Paul Taylor Dance Company On the program: classic Taylor choroegraphies

DEC 16 & 17 THE ROB MATHES HOLIDAY CONCERT

JAN 28 PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY

THANK YOU

JAN 28 PIANST ALESSIO BAX CMS OF LINCOLN CENTER

For event details and tickets call 914-251-6200 or visit THE HANNAH & WALTER SHMERLER ENDOWED FUND

PAC_WAG_Dec2016.indd 1

WWW.ARTSCENTER.ORG 11/10/2016 2:26:34 PM

WOMEN OF INFLUENCE

The Women’s Business Development Council’s 15th annual Business Breakfast & Symposium, “Women With Impact,” was held recently at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. It was among the largest Connecticut events to focus on entrepreneurial women, their accomplishments and their economic effect on the world. More than 700 national and regional entrepreneurs, industry and community leaders and legislators were in attendance. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a longtime supporter of WBDC and women’s entrepreneurship in the state, addressed attendees. The WBDC raised more than $260,000, which will directly benefit the organization’s entrepreneurs and programs as well as Connecticut’s economy. Photographs by Mar-

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garet Fox for WBDC. 1. Gilda Bonanno 2. Varghese John 3.Seema Hongorani 4. Laura Hoydick and Renata Papadopoulus

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A ‘TASTE’-FUL EVENING

The Arc of Westchester Foundation held its annual food and wine fundraiser, “A Matter of Taste,” at The Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle. The event is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year, benefiting children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities supported by Arc of Westchester. More than 400 attendees dined on food from local restaurants, enjoyed a wide array of wines and craft beers and participated in live and silent auctions — raising more than $400,000 in the process.

5. Richard Swierat and Nancy Patota 6. Virginia Donovan and Elaine Masket 7. Peter and Bill Deutsch 8. Ruedi Laager

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TRÈS JOLIE

La Jolie Salon, Color Bar & Spa recently celebrated its latest expansion and renovations at its official grand reopening.

The event celebrated the history of La Jolie and the future of this family-owned business, located in the heart of downtown Stamford. Along with tours of the salon, attendees enjoyed several hair and beauty workshops led by La Jolie professionals. Photographs by David McClenny.

9. Cheryl Van Voorhies and Toni Ann Lupinacci 10. Lisa Bean, Kristen Young and Erin Golas 11. Stephanie Lamison, Julie Tunick and Lorraine Rosen

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Brook Farm, Ridgefield, CT Approached via a circular drive, stands the stately colonial home originally owned by playwright Eugene O'Neill. Thoughtfully renovated, this 7 bedroom, 3.4 bath home was the inspiration for O'Neills play "Desire under the Elms". Historic highlights include 9 foot ceilings, seven fireplaces, maple floors, a grand entry with double staircase, French doors, and large windows framing the property's bucolic setting. The recently added addition includes a mudroom, laundry room, and a bonus room over the two car attached garage. Sited on 16.35 acres park like acres of rolling lawns, open meadows, a fresh water pond, & specimen plantings. Close proximity to the North Salem Bridle trails is an equestrian enthusiasts dream. The barn has two stalls, 4 bay garage , and a 1,348 sq.ft. office. Completing the outdoor amenities include a salt water pool, large flagstone Terrace, and a covered side porch offering a variety of venues for the active family!! Subdivision possibilities! MLS 4642150 Price: $4,200,000

Katonah, NY

North Salem, NY

Sun-filled stone and shingle colonial with contemporary flair located at the end of a private cul-de sac. A welcoming front porch, a two story foyer with vaulted wood ceilings, and floor to ceiling stone fireplaces highlight this gracious home which is perfect for entertaining and casual family living. The gourmet eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances adjoins the family room with a stone fireplace showcasing the outdoors with large custom windows. The second floor has an en-suite master bedroom and three family bedrooms. There is a computer work station room. an office, and a loft with a third stone fireplace. The large backyard is private and has protected land buffering it. This home is walking distance from Fox Valley Park, where there are tennis courts, baseball fields, and open space. Two miles from schools. shopping, and Metro North. MLS#4642653 Price: $885,000

Elegant Colonial on charming back dirt road. 2007 & 2012- renovations with incredible attention to detail including a paneled hallway, DR w/double height floor to ceiling windows. LR w/fireplace & beamed ceiling has French doors that open to deck.

Cozy library. The new kitchen, that includes a new Mud Room, has dining nook and opens to the recently added DR. TheMB has built-ins plus ensuite bathroom & dressing room. 2 fam. BR's has one now being used as office w/two built-in desks.Hall bath completes the 2nd floor. Easily maintained property features old Stone Walls, mature trees & complimenting perennials plus a seasonal stream & pond. The original home site appears on a No. Salem 1846 Map. Directly across the road is 1000 acre Mountain Lakes Park w/beautifully marked hiking trails. 5 min. to Ridgefield, CT shopping & restaurants. 10 min. to Purdys Train & I684. MLS#4644349 Price: $995,000

North Salem, NY The D. D. Smith House. C.1760 colonial completely restored w/updated systems.

Well set back from road, across from the Titicus Reservoir, on 6+ ac. Long winding driveway. Living, Dining & Parlor rooms w/2 fireplaces. Eat-In cook’s kit. w/ adjoining sunporch overlooking brick terrace & pool. Wide floor boards, old wavy glass, original posts & beams. Large office. Attic space w/stair suitable for studio.3 Bedrooms & 3 Baths PLUS Legal attached 1 Bedroom, 1 bath, living room & Kit. rental cottage. Period barn & corn crib. Directly behind home are 10 acres.of conservation land w/walking paths. A brook plus beautiful ageold stone walls, trees & laneways traverse this special property. Carport for 2 cars.

Minutes drive to Purdys Metro North & I684. MLS#4637480 Price: 1,425,000

Cross River, NY This 3,079 sq.ft. contemporary deck house evokes the Prairie Style with knotty cedar vaulted ceilings, substantial douglas fir beams, and floor to ceiling walls of glass. The living room opens to the Dining Room and kitchen with a brick fireplace separating / defining the spaces. Sliding glass doors open from the living room and breakfast nook to a deck overlooking the pool area. A rec room with wet bar views the rear yard. The main floor master suite includes a bath and dressing area with closets. The lower level has a family room with fireplace opening to a stone patio, two bedrooms, two dens/bedrooms & full bath. Sited on 2+ acres at the end of a cul-de-sac. MLS# 4545376 Price: $699,999

ON THE GREEN • BEDFORD • NEW YORK • 914.234.3642 • VINWHIT.COM

WATCH 1

A HARDY AFFAIR

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Mini butternut squash ravioli, tortellini in martini glasses and Asian noodles in Chinese takeout cartons complemented John Hardy’s trunk show of fabulous Balinese designs at Bloomingdale’s White Plains. Guests at the evening cocktail party also enjoyed watching four artisans from the Hardy complex outside Ubud, Bali, demonstrate the painstaking creative process that goes into the jeweler’s various collections.

Photographs by Georgette Gouveia.

1. Kendra Bray models an amethyst and blue topaz cuff from John Hardy’s Cinta Collection 2. Elyssa and Amanda Hurlbut and Willard Allman 3. Mary Hanley and Maggie

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TO WESTCHESTER’S HEALTH

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Health-care innovation and a new golden age of medicine are within reach, according to speakers and panelists at “Health Tech ’16: Fueling Innovation in Westchester,” an annual conference organized by the Westchester County Association. Held recently in Tarrytown, the conference was designed to showcase the region’s $15 billion health care sector, and promote Westchester’s emergence as a health care innovation hub. Photographs by Lynda Shenkman Curtis.

4. Bill Mooney, Tom Coburn, Iya Khalil, Susan Fox and Rob Astorino 5. Thomas Schwartz and Max Paukner 6. Joe Simone and Randi Schwartz 7. Chris Dutra 8. Joel Seligman and Michael Divney 9. Michael Barakat and Nancy Keane 10. Sue Kelly, Bill Mooney Jr. and Bill Cuddy 11. Dan Lansen

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GUERRILLA GIRLS Take on Greenwich

WED., DEC. 7 @ BRUCE MUSEUM, GREENWICH, CT GET A TICKET NOW! VISIT BRUCEMUSEUM.ORG GO FULL GUERRILLA $95 ($80 Bruce members) 6-10pm GUERRILLA TOUGH TALK ONLY $50 ($40 Students over 21 with ID) 7:30-10pm

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TRIPLE PLAY AT THE NEUBERGER

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The Neuberger Museum of Art at Purchase College held a reception for its triple header of shows — “Ray Spillenger: Rediscovery of a Black Mountain Painter,” “Post No Bills: Public Walls as Studio and Source” and “Destination: Latin America.” More than 200 guests also enjoyed music and hors d’oeuvres. Photographs by Lynda Curtis for Harrison Edwards.

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1. Marianelly Neumann and Alvaro Sousa 2. Susan Bloom and Bonnie Klugman 3. Richard Chassin 4. Alan and Deborah Simon 5. Judith and David Fields and Cecile Rothschild 6. Scott and Avis Larson and Tracy Fitzpatrick 7. Paul Spillenger, Helen Stambler Neuberger, Jim Neuberger and Clyde Spillenger 8. Judith Riggs and Keisha PrioleauMartin 9. Winter and Zoe Larson

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HEALING HANDS

White Plains Hospital (WPH) joined forces with Montefiore Medical Center’s Healing Arts Program and ArtsWestchester for an afternoon designed to teach strategies to reduce stress, promote relaxation and enhance the quality of life. The event was held in White Plains Hospital’s new Center for Cancer Care and featured experts from Montefiore and ArtsWestchester.

Other event elements included touch therapy demonstrations by WPH staff, painting stations, music and aromatherapy samples.

10. Nancy Perseley, Tom Roach and Toyoko Yasui 11. Jami Bocchino, Dawn French, Jeanne Kenney, Kristen Corey and Terysia Browne

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Find your physician at White Plains Hospital Medical & Wellness Now in Armonk at 99 Business Park Drive To make an appointment call 914.849.7900 120

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“PRIVATE HOME PARTY SPECIALISTS” Call us for your next home event. We provide valet parking services to Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, memorial services, private home parties and more.

“We make your parking issues a non-issue.”

WATCH

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LUNCHEON LAUNCH

The Breast Cancer Alliance in Greenwich recently held a kickoff party for its 21st annual Luncheon & Fashion Show at the home of Ellen and Richard Richman. Guests had a sneak preview of the silent auction over cocktails throughout the evening, highlighted by a book talk and signing with author and Greenwich resident Jane Weitzman (“Art & Sole”).

Jane is the wife of shoe impresario Stuart Weitzman.

Photographs by Elaine Ubiña.

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1. John Pacificio and Anthony Trimarchi 2. Kelly Buchalter, Sharon Phillips and Xandy Duffy 3. Elisa Wilson, Mary Jeffery and Tami Berezuk 4. Anthony Daddino, Susan Beran, Pat McLaughlin and Pam Goergen 5. Stephanie and Gregory LaTrenta 6. Bran Berni, Carol Santora and Lisa Matthews 7. Ellen Richman and Yonni Wattenmaker 8. Susan and Andy Herr 9. Loren and Jeffrey Taufield 10. Randy and Kim Caravella 11. Richard Richman and Barnett Phillips 12. Jen Zulli and Debra O’Shea 13. Elizabeth and Derrick Antell

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wphospital.org/armonk

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Eager Beaver Tree Service INTELLIGENT TREE CARE ARTISTIC DESIGN DETAIL ORIENTED LONG TERM PLANNING-IMMEDIATE RESULTS SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!

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THAT’S SHOE BIZ

It was a particularly well-heeled crowd that made its way to Elm Street for the opening of The Saks Shops Greenwich’s first standalone shoe store — 10022-SHOE Greenwich. Shoe lovers shopped for stilettos, sandals, flats, booties, boots and more by designers ranging from Aquazzura to Valentino in a feminine-yet-contemporary setting created by the Saks Fifth Avenue Store Design and Planning Team in collaboration with the firm FRCH. The 14,000-square-foot store adds 400 percent more space. Best of all, proceeds from the opening-night tickets as well as 10 percent of sales at the event went to Sole Sisters, the Women’s Initiative for the Greenwich United Way. Next year will be a big one for The Saks Shops Greenwich as they unveil The Collective for modern designer fashion in February, The Vault for high and fine jewelry in May and a revamped main store later on.

WATCH

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Photographs by Elaine Ubiña.

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1. Justin Tarquinio, Liz Hodges, Paula Fortgang and Heather Rimsky 2. Joe Gambino, John Antonini and Betty Wang 3. Jane Batkin and David Rabin 4. Carrie Emery, Elizabeth Lake, Zoe Khayatt and Holly Cassin 5. Michael Atmor 6. Harley Viera-Newton 7. Edgardo Osorio 8. Cricket Lockhart, Sharon Phillips and Liz Lee 9. Marc Metrick, Tracy Margolies and Robbie Myers 10. Lorraine Slavin, Karen Keegan and Grace Kang 11. Elizabeth Leland, Allison Wolowitz and Emily D’Antonio

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INVESTING IN A BETTER WESTCHESTER

Let us be your philanthropic guide.

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To learn more, please contact Jennifer Hu Corriggio: 914-948-5166 x4 jcorriggio@wcf-ny.org www.wcf-ny.org

2016-2017 TOURS OF ETHIOPIA, KENYA & NIGER Just getting back to photography? Our clients come from all skill levels, including beginners. Lessons are tailored to help you progress, no matter how much experience you may have.

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UPCOMING TOURS KENYA 10 days Wildlife Safari Nov. 9-18, 2016

“OUR TRIP WAS ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE, ASTONISHING AND INCREDIBLE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES I’VE EVER HAD. THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS MAGICAL. I CAN’T WAIT TO JOIN JOHN ON ANOTHER TRIP.” Annie Chester, Los Angeles

ETHIOPIA 12 days Omo Valley Tribal Life Nov. 22 – Dec. 3, 2016 ETHIOPIA 15 days Northern Historical Route & Omo Valley Jan 4-18, 2017 ETHIOPIA 10 days Bahir Dar, Gondar, Axum & Lalibela Mar. 2-11, 2017 ETHIOPIA 10 days Danakil Depression, Erta Ale and Dallol Apr13-22, 2017 KENYA 10 days Great Migration Safari Aug 8-18, 2017 NIGER 13 days Gerewol Festival Sept 25-Oct 7, 2017

John Rizzo Photography | 405 Tarrytown Rd. Suite 1302, White Plains, NY 10607 | (646) 221-6186 worldwide mobile | www.johnrizzophoto.com

WATCH

RAININ’ ON CANCER’S PARADE

It was anything but business as usual as emcee Carson Kressley and guest speaker Billy Baldwin proved a dynamic duo at the Breast Cancer Alliance’s annual Luncheon & Fashion Show at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. Baldwin — vice president of the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund Inc., named for his mother, a breast cancer survivor — told saucy stories about the bets the Baldwin kids would make over the years on their tough-love mother’s survival. (She’s going strong at 87.) Kressley was saucy, period. The two worked the audience, kissing ladies for cash and helping to raise more than $1.4 million. Two dancers from Arthur Murray Greenwich floated to “Singin’ in the Rain,” part of the “Dance in the Rain” theme that included party favors of pink umbrellas. And lead sponsor Richards put on one heck of a fashion show with boldly colored, richly patterned creations from Oscar de la Renta. As always, though, the most moving moment was the fashion show featuring breast cancer survivors. Ladies — and a few good men — take a bow. Photographs by Elaine and ChiChi

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Ubiña.

1. Billy Baldwin and Carson Kressley 2. Nancy Smith, Sue Delepine, Mary Jeffery, Jaime Warner and Annie Amato 3. Elizabeth Rosen, Elexa Wilson, Sophie Pelletier-Martinelli and Elisa Wilson 4. Jieun Wax 5. Yonni Wattenmaker, Xandy Duffy and Kelly Buchalter 6. Pat and Marika McLaughlin 7. Jack Mitchell, Andrew Mitchell-Namdar and Scott Mitchell 8. Sarah de Menocal, Joan Whipple and Claire Ryan 9. Marsha and Ken Mifflin 10. Brooke and William Sinclair 11. Dale Pinto and Susan Bevan 12. Marcia O’Kane 13. Kathy Georgas and Sandra Caruso 14. Ryann Smith 15. Kathy Clark and Linda Profusek 16. Giulia Caltagirone and Eliza Bolen

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Providing Holiday and Corporate gifts to anywhere in the U.S. • International Wines, Spirits and Beers • Free Wine Tastings on Friday and Saturday • Daily Sales and Specials • Corporate and Client Gifting Programs • Event Planning Services • Classes, Seminars and Tutorials • Private In-Home Tastings and Classes • Free Delivery Service (inquire) • Wine Cellar and Collecting Consultation • We Buy Your Older Wines and Spirits

WE ARE OPEN EVERYDAY 203-869-2299

125 West Putnam Ave. Greenwich CT, 06830 (Next to Stop & Shop) New location added: 21 Glenville St., Greenwich, CT 06831 • 203-813-3477 www.ValsPutnamWines.com Valsputnam125@gmail.com

ned w O ly Fami e 1957 Sinc

WHAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU HAVE GIVEN AND/OR RECEIVED?*

WIT WONDERS:

VANESSA ABRAHAMS-JOHN

MATTHEW GARNETT

WILLARD ALLMAN

ANN MARIE FEKETE

DONNA FIORE

DAVID GARNETT

MARY HANLEY

BROOKE SINCLAIR

LEXY TANNER

WILLIE WARD

*Asked at the John Hardy trunk show at Bloomingdale’s White Plains and at the Breast Cancer Alliance’s annual Luncheon & Fashion Show at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich.

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