Quest Magazine March 2024

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CONTENTS The Spring Style Issue

102 THE TERRIBLE TRUTH OF TRUMAN AND HIS SWANS Looking back on Truman Capote and his close-knit circle of female friends, whom he colloquially referred to as his ‘Swans.’ by David Patrick Columbia

110 UPTOWN GIRL Upper East Sider Brooke Block Kennan models spring looks for our annual March fashion shoot. Produced & Styled by Brooke Kelly Murray, Photographed by Julie Skarratt

122 A BALMY BEACH GETAWAY PACKING LIST As the chatter of spring break begins, we rounded up the best brands to turn to before your next tropical vacation. by Janie Pierrepont

128 THE GENIUS OF YVES SAINT LAURENT’S FASHION FORMS Flammarion’s latest book, Yves Saint Laurent: Form and Fashion, explores some of the designer’s most iconic creations and showcases his perpetual innovation. by Brooke Kelly Murray

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DAVID PATRICK C O LUMBIA

DEPUTY EDITOR

ELIZABETH MEIGHER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

TYKISCHA JACOBS

MANAGING EDITOR

BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

DESIGN EDITOR

JAYNE CHASE

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

ROBERT BENDER

PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE

JULIE SKARRATT

SOCIETY EDITOR

HI LARY GEARY

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

HARRY BENSON

KATE GUBELMANN

TONY HALL

ALEX HITZ

ROBERT JANJIGIAN

RICHARD JOHNSON

KAREN KLOPP

JAMES MACGUIRE

HAVEN PELL

CHUCK PFEIFER

JANIE PIERREPONT

LIZ SMITH (R.I.P.)

TAKI THEODORACOPULOS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

HARRY BENSON

CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY

BILLY FARRELL

MARY HILLIARD

CRISTINA MACAYA

CUTTY MCGILL

PATRICK MCMULLAN

NICK MELE

ANNIE WATT

PUBLISHER AND C.E.O.

S. CHRISTOPHER MEIGHER III

ASSISTANT TO THE C.E.O.

KATHLEEN SHERIDAN

ACCOUNTING MANAGER

LUWAY LU

MARKETING SERVICES

ROXANNE UNRATH ext. 106

DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SALES

JODY REISS 917.747.6431

PALM BEACH & MIAMI

LINDA LANE SOPER 612.308.4159

CHICAGO

TIMOTHY DERR 847.615.1921

HONG KONG

BINA GUPTA 852.2868.1555

MILAN

EMILIO ZERBONI 011.39.031.267.797

BOARD OF ADVISORS

CRISTINA CONDON

JED H. GARFIELD

KIRK HENCKELS

PAM LIEBMAN

DANA KOCH

HOWARD LORBER

LIZA PULITZER

WILLIAM LIE ZECKENDORF

of March back upon us, Quest confronts the World’s disarray with a Spring Style Issue that’s stuffed with fancy frocks and matching accessories - sporting shorter hemlines (and pricier baubles) that challenge the continued ascent of America’s capital markets. If only our political authorities could soar as high as the securities exchanges - a sad reflection, dear readers, of their lack of purpose beyond blind ambition for the increasingly lucrative after-lives of elected office. Nor is this an uncommon happenstance throughout the Western world, where system failures and structural paralysis occur more frequently than our own, with strangling bureaucracies and even less adequate governance. The short term solution? ... well, let’s go shopping!

Quest’s stylish dynamic duo of Managing Editor Brooke Kelly Murray and Photographer-at-Large Julie Skarratt has assembled a fashion layout-supreme, accentuated by the design chops of our gifted Creative Director, Tykischa “TJ” Jacobs. Their Manhattan muse is the fresh faced and fashionable Brooke Block Kennan, of whom I’m certain we’ll be seeing more of in our issues ahead. Equally alluring in the pages forthcoming is the return of Quest’s Palm Beach contributing insider, Richard Johnson - the fabled columnist whose dart-like prose dominated New York Post’s “Page Six” for over a dozen years. Richard will be covering the Palm Beach scene from his regular table, poolside at Swifty’s in The Colony Hotel which in itself has become the coolest club in all of Palm Beach ... minus the stratospheric initiation fees.

Elsewhere in this fully paged issue is coverage of a tribute honoring Sir Harry Benson, whose photo journalism journey began with the four longhaired lads from Liverpool arriving at Idlewild Airport (now JFK) exactly 60 years ago. Harry’s well deserved Beatles celebration was hosted by the always elegant Barbara Tober (a veteran journo herself!), our venerated Editor-in-Chief, David Patrick Columbia, and yours truly; adding to the glam was a legendary guest list that made for a stroll down media’s Memory Lane. Speaking of our beloved DPC, he himself has penned the last word on Truman Capote’s obsession with those original lunching

ladies whom he serenaded as “Swans”. Said DPC to this grateful pub: “Truman was their child - always listening, always looking, always wondering; and what he told us about those ‘girls’ was that they played for keeps ... and became the stars of their generation” (Spoiler Alert: in Quest’s April edition we will anoint the next generation of American Working Swans).

Final word: Fashion can be faddish; the fractured world order is not. It desperately needs our Nation to be more of what we’ve always been - a protective force that’s prepared for heightened danger, now evidenced in three geopolitical theaters. But our systems are strained and our leadership is wavering, at a time when threats of conflict grow by the moment. Since the end of WWII, American leadership has built, nurtured, financed and enforced an international system that now begs for us to reimagine. Maintaining an insular strategy is a fools errand. Who better understands that freedom is fragile; as such, we have no choice but to muster the moral courage to engineer and maintain a humanitarian process for international order. More than ever, we remain our brother’s keeper; and our sister’s too. ◆

Chris Meigher

ON THE COVER:

Brooke Block Kennan

hails a cab wearing Dolce & Gabbana and Valentino shoes while holding an Hermès Kelly Bag on Manhattan’s Upper East Side during our fashion shoot. Photographed by Julie Skarratt.

David Patrick Columbia NEW YORK SO CIAL DIARY

WELL THE WINTER of ’24 finally came with some snow for us New Yorkers as a Valentine’s present. It had been predicted several times before since the season began, but this was the first one that actually came through. In the beginning there were some spectacu -

lar snowflakes blowing in the wind and covering the cars, the sidewalks, and the roads.

The huge storm had been predicted and it snowed through night. But by mid-morning it had stopped and disappeared first on the roads, and then

on the sidewalks by midday. It’s been cold enough so that the parked cars remained covered.

Although there has been social activity, this time of year is always the quietest except for annually scheduled events. The annual Winter Show held its Open -

ing Night Party at the Park Avenue Armory, sponsored by Bank of America.

This is one of New York’s highly anticipated winter social events, more than 1,000 guests from the worlds of art, antiques, design, business, and philanthropy, kicked off the fair’s 70th edition.

Proceeds from the Opening Night, as well as all net proceeds from The Winter Show, provide unrestrictive funding to East Side House Settlement, a community-based organization serving more than 14,000 individuals and families in the Bronx and northern Manhattan annually.

It’s a glamorous evening with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for guests to preview the fair’s exhibitors as well as peruse and purchase highly coveted fine and decorative arts before it opens to the public. This year’s show featured 76 exhibitors from around the globe.

Among those attending the opening night were East Side House Settlement Executive Director Daniel Diaz, President Thaddeus Gray, The Winter Show Co-Chairs

Lucinda Ballard and Michael Lynch, Executive Director

Helen Allen, Design Council Co-Chairs Billy Cotton, Ellen Hamilton, Alexa Hampton, Corey Damen Jenkins, and Peter Pennoyer; Design Council Honorary Co-Chair Wendy Goodman, East Side House Settlement

Committee Members Lorri Ahl, Stephanie B. Clark, Michael Diaz-Griffith, Lucinda May, Thomas H. Remien, and Philip L. Yang, Jr., as well as Bank of America Market Executive Connie Verducci, and notable guests, including Michael Bloomberg, Nicky Hilton, and Martha Stewart, and Chairman Emeritus Arie L. Kopelman, among others. This particular annual show is the leading art, antiques, and design fair in

America. It maintains the highest standards of quality in the art market, and each object is vetted for authenticity, date, and condition by a committee of 150 experts from the United States and Europe.

Recognizing education as the key to economic and civic opportunity, East Side House works with schools, community centers, and other partners to bring quality education and resources to individuals in need.

Early last month, I was invited by a friend to lunch at the Core Club, a private, members-only club with

its brand new headquarters located at 711 Fifth Avenue and East 55th Street.

The actual lunch was on the top floor of the newly completed headquarters. I was particularly interested in our destination because the last time I was in the building was many years ago when the building held the East Coast offices of Columbia Pictures and later Paramount Pictures.

The Fifth Avenue office building itself was built in 1927. It was acquired in the 1950s by two brothers, Jack and Harry Cohn , and a business partner Joe Brandt who had started the studio in 1924. Harry was the most famous of the three because he ran the studio, chose the

material, staffs/director/ producer; and chose the stars. One of his most famous and popular choices was a little girl from a Brooklyn-residing Spanish family of dancers.

Her name was Margarita Carmen Cansino

Harry Cohn improved on the message and changed it to Rita Hayworth

The last time I’d been in that building was in 1970 when I had what turned out to be a brief career as a stockbroker – or “registered rep” as they’d begun to call them. One of my clients was Otto

Preminger , the very famous famous Austro-Hungarian film director, enormously successful with films like Anatomy of a Murder, Exodus, In Harm’s Way, Advise & Consent, The Man with the Golden Arm, The Moon Is Blue, Hurry Sundown, and Such Good Friends.

Otto had the largest, most spacious private office I’d ever seen to this day. It was located in the penthouse of the building and although I don’t know exact measurements, his actual office is now the vast and comfortably inviting dining room

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of the club with the exterior rooftop by a vast terrace for lunching and dining outside (in nice weather of course).

When it was Otto’s office (with an entire suite of other small offices for staff), it was a vast space, carpeted and with no furniture except his desk which was a wide slab of polished marble, eight or ten feet wide and four feet deep, with nothing on it except a single telephone, and Otto seated behind; suited and distinguished-looking movie mogul, awaiting our entrance, as we sat down in the two black leather chairs on the visitor’s side of the desk.

The walls surrounding were hung with large canvases of Otto’s huge and distinctive modern art col-

IN PALM BEACH

lection which also filled the public rooms of his East Side townhouse. With black leather Charles Eames swivel chairs, we were surrounded by paintings by Picasso, Kandinsky, Sam Francis, and Diego Rivera on the white walls, that of course, resembled Preminger’s town house.

I had been introduced to Otto by his son — by Gypsy Rose Lee — Erik . Although Otto had a reputation on the set of being difficult and highly insulting to performers if he didn’t like what they were giving him in a performance, in the office with me, the stockbroker, and the man from a major financial firm which took care of his financial matters, Otto was formal and very pleasant. He had a bit of an

Austro-Hungarian accent –but was totally attentive and pleasant with us.

At one point, however, our meeting was interrupted suddenly by his secretary’s voice over the speakerphone telling him that he had a call waiting from a man who was creating the art for advertising Otto’s latest film, which was just being completed.

Otto politely excused himself and turned to the phone, without putting it to his ear, keeping it on speaker. Evidently the artist was returning a call Otto had made to him.

Otto began “explaining” to the artist in a very formal voice, that he, Otto, had quite a large of knowledge of art and what was needed to draw attention to the film, and that he found some aspects of the artist’s work thus far needing some of Otto’s advice. The artist’s response at the other end of the line (which we all could hear since the call was on speaker) was clear-spoken but almost indifferent in response, beginning by saying: “Well Otto, all I can tell you is I make my living as an artist and if you don’t like it, you can go fuck yourself.”

Oscar suddenly picked up the phone and holding it to his face, away from our ears now, he told the artist, he was just making some suggestions, that he didn’t have to be so upset.

The phone call changed the mood of our meeting immediately, however, and Otto was in no mood to continue that day, so a new appointment had to be made to meet him.

Otto’s main residence during those years was New York although he generally spent the Spring and Summer months in Los Angeles. I had the privilege of getting to know him a little more. I actually got to know him in more familiar circumstances when I and Sheila, my wife at the time, were invited to visit Erik and his

wife (at the time) Barbara at the house Erik had inherited from his mother Gypsy Rose Lee . The entire experience had a beneficial effect on my further professional choices.

The dining room of the presently redesigned penthouse has a commanding presence in the Core Club, very inviting and comfortable, smart and chic, with an excellent staff, great food, and a view of a core part of Manhattan just a couple of blocks south of Central Park, and right across the street from the elegant St. Regis — built in 1904 by John Jacob Astor IV (who went down on the

Titanic , which 120 years later remains one of the top rated luxury hotels in New York.

In closing about our interesting and fascinating visit to the Core Club this afternoon, we left with a sense of something new and modern luxury elegant and comforting in the center of busy Manhattan on a weekday, and enhancing this prominent business and residential area.

Social life in mid-winter Manhattan. One weekday I went down to Doubles, the private club in The Sherry-Netherland, where Melanie Holland was hosting a birthday luncheon for her friend Mark Gilbertson. Mark was not excited by his new birthday number. Having been there myself, I advised him that it was youth, compared to the numbers 10 years out, and

furthermore I’ve known him for about 30 years and he doesn’t seem older. I reminded him that he’s still a kid, probably in his own mind – as aren’t we all.

Mark has a unique role in New York. His business is public relations. He’s the guy NYSD-readers have read about his annual cocktail party inviting several hundred of his closest friends —sort of an exaggeration but not really—every Spring at a private club here in New York. Several hundred seems like a big number for a cocktail party but Mark being the classic host knows so many people and every one of his guests knows a lot of people

The Enduring Chic of Palm Beach Style

During the winter months, those looking to escape the gray doldrums descend on Palm Beach. Known for its blue skies, sea breezes, and verdant hedges, the resort town is beloved for its manicured perfection and civilized charm. When it comes to design, there is a distinctive Palm Beach style that defines the interiors of this coastal enclave. With our interiors, we strive to design with a sense of place.

What, exactly, does tropical decor entail? Everyone wants to feel at ease and comfortable, and often we infuse rooms with print and pattern. It’s just happy. Think airy and bright spaces punctuated by vibrant color, and flora and fauna motifs on printed fabrics and wallpapers. Lattice, another distinctive design detail, has a dimensional trellis pattern that can add an architectural element to walls. Verdant palm leaf prints and zingy florals bring the outdoors in, instantly adding whimsy and flair to any space. Color, specifically pink and green, has become Palm Beach camouflage.

The iconic color pairing is reminiscent of the 1960s when Lilly Pulitzer shift dresses were the rage. And here, nostalgia is all part of the charm. To imbue a space with a breezy feel, we often use natural textures and organic materials. From rattan furniture to caning and grasscloth wallpaper, lighter woven materials lend a casual air. Whether using these various elements together or individually, the Palm Beach aesthetic can be subtle or bold and is sure to make every day feel like a perfect day in paradise.

thanks to his social connections—and so everyone always look forward to it. It’s one of those parties where the crowd is so large it doesn’t matter if you don’t know many because it’s interesting just people watching.

Cocktail parties for me is people-watching. That’s why Mark’s are the best kind of parties especially for those of us who turn shy in a crowd. With such a big crowd it’s always interesting just to WATCH everyone meeting and greeting. When Mark is the host he keeps moving through the crowds making sure everyone’s enjoying themselves with old friends and maybe new. The events he publicizes, fundraising, are always interesting because of it.

were all longtime friends of the birthday boy; and the food from the fabulous Doubles buffet which always! has an enormous selection of fresh and delicious items, followed by a dessert table that is so varied you feel like you can’t resist all of it.

Meanwhile, down in Miami, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, our friend, Composer Karen LeFrak premiered her piece, Miami Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra to critical acclaim.

The birthday luncheon guests – there were about 16 of us at a long table who

The glamorous night attracted a stellar crowd, including Blaine Trump and Steve Simon, Hilary and Wilbur Ross, Kimberly and Neil Bluhm, Laura and Lloyd Blankfein, Meryl and Jimmy Tisch, Donna and William Acquavella, John Hess, and Ann and Andrew Tisch

The concert, under the brilliant ba-

ton of Maestro Eduardo Marturet and featuring multi-Grammy Winning guitarist Sharon Isbin, received a standing ovation.

A gala post-concert dinner was given by Karen’s husband, real estate mogul Richard LeFrak, at Contessa. In addition, the MSO enchanted audiences with a piece dubbed Glimpses of a Living Culture, also conducted by Maestro Marturet.

Marturet is renowned for his visionary approach delving into the richness and diversity of cultural expressions. His leadership added profound depth and insight, creating an unforgettable experience for all attending.

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

Then, a few miles down the road in Palm Beach, Honorary Chairs Jeff and Nicola Marcus, Event Chairs

John and Amy Phelan, and this year’s Palm Tree Award recipients Linda Gary and Michael Bellisle led the perfumed pack at the 18th Annual Palm Beach Police & Fire Rescue Ball at Mar-a-Lago.

and Marianne Powers, Jean and Martin Shafiroff and the Foundation’s CEO John Scarpa were all on the dance floor at the black-tie dinner, which was themed “La Dolce Vita.”

Suzanne and Woody Johnson, the ever-glamorous Kimberly Paige Bluhm and her real estate and casino magnate husband Neil Bluhm, Bill

The evening began with guests gathering poolside for cocktails, while a DJ and saxophonist entertained and performers encased in clear plastic spheres created an aquatic spectacle in the pool. The club’s ballroom evoked the coastal glamor of Capri

with elaborate arrangements of lemons, lush greens, crisp blue and white linens, and a faux cobblestone dance floor. More than 700 guests were treated to a dinner of arugula salad, lasagna, and tiramisu.

Jennifer and Sylvester Stallone and Andrea and Steve Wynn contributed to the live auction, conducted by Sebastian Clarke of Heritage Auctions.

Other guests included the Foundation’s VP David Mack and his wife Sondra. All proceeds from the ball remain in Palm Beach and benefit the Palm Beach Police and Fire Rescue Departments.

Event sponsors included Lugano Diamonds, Devon

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and Tom Roush, and Mark and Janet Levy. The ball raised over $3.3 million.

I spent a good part of my weekend days reading a new book, A Fascinating Life, a memoir by Anne Ford with a very sweet and innocent face of the little one, a cutie pie with an enormous presence on the cover thanks to her baby blonde coiffure naturally curly.

It so happens that I know Anne whom I met through her sister Charlotte, and I have been a guest on some of the sisters’ Mediterranean summer voyages – which unquestionably for me were the greatest holidays I’ve ever experienced – on an enormous yacht looking at the world out before (but out there!).

The sisters chartered it several times over the years, and invited a half-dozen or

so friends to join the luxury voyages. The real luxury of course was being in physical position to comfortably look out and over there at the land that we humans occupy; when for a long moment, everything is beautiful.

The back of the book with navy blue binding and its white print cover: A Memoir by Anne Ford, daughter of Henry Ford II and Anne McDonnell Ford, and great-granddaughter of Henry Ford (the one who started it all).

their lives. They have very different personalities and Anne, by nature likes to kid; and Charlotte tends to takes things the way she sees them.

I met Anne through her sister Charlotte maybe 30 years ago. The sisters are very close and have been all

Before I sat down with the book I naturally was reminded of the sisters and my relationship with both. At this stage in our lives — all over Eight-Oh — the world we came from has changed dramatically in every way. Opening Anne’s book reviewing her life in print, I could only wonder what she will make of her experience. I was about to learn.

When I started reading it, as she laid out her premise of

life, she spoke of herself with certainty and her natural modesty, and referred to her sister Charlotte, and to her parents, in a way that told you something private: It was a gentle childhood that came firstly from her mother and father, and thereafter forever, her sister.

I kind of knew that about her, but as I was reading about her growing up, and life with that mother and father, there was an all-Americanness to them and their relationship with each other despite the great fortune that came with the name. Her mother was a very nice woman. I only knew her father through his public life (including his marriages). In this book he was a man with a natural big sense of humor, and a respect and kindness

toward his children as they began to move through life following that sensibility.

Anne has had a life surrounded by abundance and plenty, not to mention a “famous last name” possibly the most of all across the world. And she grew up in a good life with it. All of which she appreciated and never let it take her away.

At first her voice in print is conversational and her descriptions are honest and aware of her largesse and kindness toward her own and others as well. You begin to see how extraordinary an ordinary life granted by Fate or God or Mother Nature. And how successfully

she partook and accepted and celebrated it, and moved on to the reality.

The Henry Ford (The First) story has always fascinated me how the influence of his personal curiosity, out of Common Sense, the farmer’s son – who changed the world forever. What comes out of that in Anne’s memoir is a Common Sense Kindness, the result of an environment of hope that the first Henry and his wife imparted to their own. This book reflects all that but it is also about Anne’s own parents. That was Fate’s prize for her and her brother and sister. And it’s fascinating in the end.

After finishing the book what was most interesting was The Mother and The Father and their relationship with their children. They were strict, Anne and Henry II. They had married when she was 19 and he was 21. 13 months later came Charlotte; and 18 months later, Anne; and five years after that, Edsel.

Theirs was a classic 20th century midwestern farm family fable in the growing culture of the automobile in the world. Both parents had been brought up in the “strict middle – American sense of self and behavior.” Strict was a common word to describe what the parents considered

positive future results.

Women will love this book. Anne was married thrice. All are remembered with the pleasure of the outset of their relationships. Humor and laughter are included. However, her two children, son Alessandro and daughter Allegra of her first marriage to Mr. Uzielli brought a complete change of priorities in her life, which she handled with much of what she learned from her conscientious parents.

And what I can’t describe adequately is how her experiences of living her laughout-loud experience of life cracked me up. ◆

CLOSING SOON!

Taylor Swift: Storyteller

On view through March 24, more than 50 selections from Taylor Swift’s personal archives of concert attire, costumes, and red-carpet couture in a multimedia exhibition dedicated to the artistic reinventions of the fourteen-time, GRAMMY Award–winning music icon. Shop The Store at MAD, your source for official merchandise.

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SOCIETY OF MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING'S WINTER LUNCH IN NEW YORK

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SAVE VENICE'S CELEBRATION IN LOS ANGELES

HARRY BENSON “SHOOT FIRST”

ON A TUESDAY in February, the Museum of Arts and Design hosted a screening of the documentary Harry Benson: Shoot First to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Fab Four’s arrival in New York, followed by dinner upstairs. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were the idea of Barbara Tober, who with her late husband Donald are great supporters of the museum from its founding. Barbara along with Chris and Grace Meigher and I were “hosts,” although that seemed like Barbara’s personal message.

Screenings and dinners and openings and charity affairs are everyday in the city. But this one carried some sentiment from a wide variety of types — politicians, actors, artists, kings, prin-cesses, presidents, and some monsters too — not for a term or a special occasion but for an entire lifetime.

The event was ultimately a social portrait. The 200 or so guests (all captured by Patrick McMullan) were many who’ve worked with Harry in his vast array of subjects both here and there and everywhere. So there was the energy of a reunion

and reminder of something important, even historical at times, and ultimately the result of this man’s extraordinary talent in capturing a moment significant no matter how common. The truth of it is: he actually saw it and caught for the camera and your eye. Every picture tells a story.

That was the vibe both from the audience at the screening, and then at the table in the museum’s restaurant (Robert) with its fabulous views of Columbus Circle, Broadway, and Central Park West at night with all the lights of city life. It brought out a very good vibe in the guests. People were very comfortable with their table partners and the entire room, almost like a family affair. And the main reaction was a warm pleasure of something good and worthwhile in the air. u

HARRY BENSON

DOSTOYEVSKY’S DEMONS

THE MASSACRE IN GAZA has shoved the Ukraine war aside, which is just as well for Zelensky, who canceled the election he was about to lose and has outlawed rival political parties for the duration. I recently watched an interview the ex-comedian gave, and I must admit he comes through as a charming, honest, and warm person. Was I fooled by his act? Probably, but compared with his archenemy Putin’s thespian abilities, Volodymyr beats Vladimir hands down.

The Ukrainian leader’s life is a public melodrama, whereas Putin’s inner thoughts are a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma—Churchill’s description of Russia. The late Dr. Henry Kissinger, a great American statesman who cannot be compared to the morons running the US of A nowadays, got it right when he said that in order to understand Putin, “one must read Dostoyevsky, not  Mein Kampf.” I knew Dr. Hank, as I once boldly

dared to call him, only slightly, but I know Srdja Trifkovic, an all-knowing geopolitical expert, much better, as we both write for  Chronicles, a conservative monthly. Both Dr. Hank and Srdja agreed that Russia’s soul has a hell of a lot to do with her wars, and no one better understood the Russian soul than Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky. No nation takes its literature more seriously than Russia, and I thought of that tortured land when I recently walked into

an American bookstore that contained mostly ghostwritten autobiographies of illiterate celebrities. “How can you not root for Russia?” I asked an appalled friend of mine whose father, Norman Mailer, was known to write the odd book or two.

Never mind. Russians still read Turgenev, Tolstoy, Chekhov, and Dostoyevsky, whereas Americans are busy canceling Hemingway, Mailer, Fitzgerald, and O’Hara. Russians can withstand wars and deprivations until victory is achieved, whereas Americans— according to my own father—were complaining that Coca-Cola was hard to find during World War II. According to Kissinger, Putin is “a character out of Dostoyevsky,” and as everyone but a Hollywood ignoramus type knows, Dostoyevsky’s life and writing were one long struggle with the demons.

doms—as Americans enjoy their porn and drugs today, while accusing Putin of making Russia less free and other such crimes. The devil also guides Uncle Sam in his pursuit to reshape the world into a collective utopia and ideological conformity, and into blurring the sexes because the old devil is a trickster like no other. The devil says that an American cannot discriminate in favor of his own brother or sister, father or mother; he must love them less than abstract humanity. See what I mean by how tricky Satan is?

killed in the process, so did the old hag’s innocent half sister, Lizveta, become collateral damage of Raskolnikov’s crime. And do you now see why Dr. Hank was correct in advising us to read Fyodor in order to understand Vladimir?

The demons, needless to say, were both his own and those of Mother Russia. Dostoyevsky was transformed by having faced a firing squad—as close as one can get to death—before being reprieved and exiled, turning to God as a result. For the next 40 years his characters—mostly bad, tortured souls—all found Christ toward the end. He saw the Russian soul as being divided between the greatest evil and the greatest good, with both God and the devil ruling the world. The latter grants us great free-

The American affectation of denied rights for newly minted oppressed groups I see as the devil’s work, because it annuls freedom in the name of collective happiness. These denied rights also include the legitimacy of the nation in the name of a global utopia. The ever-encroaching E.U. is a perfect example. Putin’s Russia, with its nationalist theme and opposition to the global vision of our Western political establishment, is seen as the great enemy, the one that needs to be canceled and eradicated.

Do any of you remember when everything Russian was hunky-dory? When Yeltsin was in power and every crook in every corner of this earth was eager to do business with him? Well, what followed Boris was chaos, inflation, unemployment, crime, and, most likely, erectile dysfunction. It was only natural for Putin to emerge as a leader and hard

man. We, the West, in our unlimited greed, had egged, enabled, and lionized the robber-baron crooks of the Yeltsin era. Putin put a stop to it and will never allow Russian lackeys to genuflect to Western robber barons and banks.

What does all this have to do with  Crime and Punishment? Well, as Srdja Trifkovic wrote, Putin going after Zelensky and NATO enlargement reminded him of Raskolnikov going after that horrid old woman. And just as hundreds of thousands of innocent Ukrainians and Russians have been

Russia has always been held in a certain antipathy by Western elites for reasons unknown, although I suspect they have a lot to do with the Russian deep belief in Christianity. What America should do is force Ukraine to sit down and talk. Just as it should force Netanyahu to never show his face again in any public forum. But Uncle Sam is greedy and scared and can only pick on midgets like the Syrians and Iraqis.u

For more Taki, visit takimag.com.

TOM WATSON, JR.: THE GREATEST CAPITALIST WHO EVER LIVED

FOR TWO DECADES, one of New York’s greatest treasures was Books and Company, the delightful shop next to the Whitney Museum on Madison Avenue overseen lovingly by Jeannette Watson Sanger, who has called our attention to a new biography of her father, longtime IBM CEO Tom Watson, Jr. No American business was more iconic than “Big Blue.” As the 1990s came to a close, Fortune magazine designated Watson as one of the four greatest businessmen of the 20th century. “Watson virtually wrote the book on managing fast, sustained, hugely prof-

itable growth,” the magazine wrote. A new biography, The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived, by Ralph Watson McElvenny and Marc Wortman, details how IBM under Watson grew the company and in so doing “created the Digital Age.”

Founded by his father, T.J. Watson, after a bitter departure from Dayton’s National Cash Registers (NCR), Tom Watson, Jr. rose above a youthful wild streak and significant learning disability to become a decorated pilot in World War II. He entered IBM’s executive ranks in the post-War era and within a few

years had been tapped to succeed his father. Under his leadership in the 1950s, IBM became the most admired company in the world, compensating successful executives handsomely and guaranteeing lifetime employment. With focused research and enhanced sales techniques, he wrestled a stodgy company into the new age of electronics. Soon IBM owned every market in which it operated and had a commanding 70% share of the nascent computer industry.

Watson then bet the company’s future on IBM System 360,

the first mainframe computer, which experienced design and production delays but ultimately revolutionized the entire world. The book engagingly tells this epic story of the company and the driven, complex, often depressed man who led it, his many philanthropies, public services and pastimes, which culminated in his appointment by President Carter as U.S. Ambassador to the U.S.S.R.

The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived is a worthy addition to any reader’s business library.

RICHARD JOHNSON has settled in at Palm Beach’s Pink Paradise (otherwise known as the legendary Colony Hotel). He is penning a column from his table at Swifty's on questmag.com.

SEAN HANNITY MOVES TO PALM BEACH

IT DOESN’T TAKE LONG after deplaning from up north to realize that Palm Beach has changed. It is wealthier and younger and even more crowded.

In decades past, vacationing New Yorkers went to Miami. They were drawn by the nightlife. Palm Beach was dismissed as a giant nursing home.

The change didn’t happen overnight. It was incremental. Every year, more high rises went up, more mansions were renovated, more Bentleys pulled up and more nightclubs opened. Restaurant prices are suddenly higher than Manhattan's.

Sean Hannity just moved here from New York. Among the billionaires around town are Ken Griffin, Leonard Lauder, and the widowed Julia Koch. And the list would be incomplete without mentioning former President Donald Trump, still ensconced at Mar-a-Lago. Many came from high-tax states up north and out west to enjoy Florida’s lack of a state (and Estate) income tax, even if they won’t admit that finances had an impact on their move. Seems they just "like the weather."

But whatever their reasons, they are here now, each one changing the landscape — and much for the better.

MISH TWORKOWSKI’S COCKTAIL PARTY

Tuesday night when Mish Tworkowski hosted a cocktail party for Pauline Pitt and Electra Toub, chairs of the upcoming Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach's dinner dance.

Pauline, besides being an interior designer, is a prolific philanthropist and Chairman Emeritus of  "Preservation" Mish's roomy studio on South Country Road was large enough for a crowd of 100+ guests who mingled comfortably. UK-based Peter Soros, nephew of George Soros, introduced me to Electra Toub, a former Oscar de la Renta exec who has deep roots in Palm Beach. The preparty hit bodes well for the Foundation’s dinner dance on March 3rd in Bradley Park, where guests will journey to the 1920s “Golden Age of Palm Beach.”

NIGHTS AT THE COLONY

THE COLONY HOTEL never seems too busy, but the place is always packed and there are unexpected events going on every night.

One of the surprises was the big crowd at the bar on a Thursday night. It took me awhile to notice that not too many of the partying people were female. I was then informed that every Thursday evening is gay night - a long-standing tradition. The crowd was jubilant and mannerly, blending right into the other guests and dinners. On Monday nights @ The Colony, Swifty's tables are full of teams who gather to compete at Trivia Night. When I attended, 45 teams wracked their brains (looking at cell phones is forbidden). Questions included: How do you

COCKTAILS AT GREENLEAF & CROSBY

GREENLEAF & CROSBY, the venerable and oldest of Worth Avenue jewelry stores (they introduced Van Cleef & Arpels and Patek Philippe to America!), has expanded its scope to Africa.

Win Betteridge, the fourth generation scion from Greenwich, Connecticut, and his wife Natalie — who met a decade ago at the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel — hosted a party to showcase the creations of world-renowned silver sculptor Patrick Mavros who, with his four talented sons, create and mold their unique wildlife pieces  at a game sanctuary and studio in the untamed hills of Harare, Zimbabwe.

spell Lynyrd Skynyrd? Which president was TIME’s Man of the Year three times? (FDR). I'm happy to report that The Royal Yachtsmen crew, lead by Tom D’Agostino, squeaked to victory behind a team that included Chris Leavitt, Webb Egerton, Susan Duffy, and Judith Guiliani. On a Wednesday night, Sarah Wetenhall, the hotel’s owner and CEO, hosted a party with Joey Wölffer for the vineyard's Hamptons-born rosé.

It brought back memories of partying with Joey’s father Christian at his 55-acre estate in Sagaponack with hundreds of guests, including Mick Jagger.

As guests sipped Champagne and nibbled on hors d’oeuvres, they inspected the Mavros' silver animal masterpieces, plus candelabras cleverly shaped into palm trees, elephants, turtles, and starfish. Mavros got his start decades ago by designing a pair of earrings for his future wife, Catja. Of course, her hairdresser wanted a pair, and quickly other women were asking for same. The Mavros flagship store is in London, with additional locations in Nairobi, Kenya, and Cape Town, South Africa. Also representing the Mavros family were his eldest sons Alexander and Forbes, who design jewelry for their firm in Mauritius.

CANDACE BUSHNELL AT KRAVIS CENTER

I THOUGHT I KNEW Candace Bushnell, having written about her for decades and  having watched “Sex and the City" plus reading her bestselling books. So I was surprised at her one-woman show at the Kravis Center, where she talked about dropping out of Rice University at the age of 18 and moving into the Manhattan apartment of legendary photographer and film director (“Shaft”) Gordon Parks. Parks was 55 then, but told her he was 10 years younger. “When Gordon suggests a threesome, I say ‘Why not.’” But Bushnell soon realized she wasn’t cut out for orgies when she was asked to fondle the other woman's boob. Bushnell soon moved out. “I was really quite a prude,” Bushnell confessed. Her lesson learned was: “If you won’t do it, someone else will,” and “men lie about everything.” Soon after, Bushnell began writing her “Sex and the City” column for the New York Observer ,which ran of photo of her on the front page wearing just a towel, sunglasses and Manolo Blahnik boots.

Soon she was detailing her affair with a magazine publisher. Though she didn’t name him, she showed her audience a photo of Vanity Fair’s ad honcho, Ron Galotti. “I decided to call him Mr. Big. Why? No man minds being called Big,” Bushnell said. But after he took too many “mysterious trips to Aspen,” she broke up with him. The lesson learned: “Guys like Mister Big come and go, but your girlfriends are there forever.”

Bushnell, after a marriage with a ballet dancer, replaces her husband with two dogs and moves to Sag Harbor in the Hamptons where she is surrounded by other divorced friends. “Other people’s marriages are not as good as you think they are,” she said.

Amid the cheering throng were band leader Alex Donner and Harry Dubin, the latter who bedded a few of the ladies on the “Real Housewives of New York,” plus George Hamilton and Bob Morris, the gifted journalist who is writing the eternally tanned Hamilton’s memoirs. ◆

Clockwise from left: The fabulous foursome during the Sex and the City movie; flyer for Candace Bushnell’s talk at the Kravis Center; Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Opposite page, above, from left: Guests drinking Wölffer rosé; Sarah Wetenhall and Joey Wölffer. Opposite page, below, clockwise from left: Mavros’ silver masterpieces on display at Greenleaf & Crosby; Natalie Betteridge; Alexander Mavros, Win Betteridge, and Forbes Mavros.

UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS

IF LE CORBUSIER, the SwissFrench architect referred to one’s home as “the treasure chest of living,” then this year’s Kips Bay Show House is indeed the proverbial pot of gold! Located at 230 Miramar Way in the highly desirable section of “SoSo” in West Palm Beach, known for its close proximity to schools, restaurants, and retail stores along South Dixie Highway, this stunning 8,589 square-foot proper-

ty boasting 5 bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms, and a 4,500 square-foot rooftop entertainment space, is surely one of the most beautiful homes to host the 2024 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach.

Now in its 7th year, the show house is one of the most anticipated events annually. Along with its sister groups, Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York, running 49 years and Kips Bay Decorator

Show House Dallas, going on eight years, these events raise much needed funds for after school and enrich ments programs for inner city children. Since its incep tion in 1973, the show houses have generated millions of dollars and launched the careers of countless interior designers worldwide.

This season, 23 designers and architects participated, converting each room to reflect their vision and style. Quest@Home caught up with several of them to discuss their design process in transforming the house.

For Jacksonville, Florida based interior designer and re tail store owner, Phoebe Howard, who has worked on sev eral design projects in Palm Beach, the primary bedroom is always one of the most important rooms in any house. “Pri mary bedrooms need to induce the ultimate feeling of relax ation and provide everything necessary to receive the best restorative sleep possible,” the designer begins to explain. “I always make the primary focus the bed first,” she smiles. “It’s no secret that I love a canopy or four poster bed with bed hangings. They not only make a statement in the room, but also create a cocoon like feeling of coziness and warmth that is so desirable. I tend to decorate bedrooms a little on the feminine side and I have found most men secretly enjoy a feminine bedroom. In the show house, I knew I wanted to do something large scale and graphic to the room. To tone down the drama, I chose a crisp blue and white palette, with luxurious linens along with soft rugs, curtains and then, of course added an-

tiques and modern silhouettes. My hope is that the primary bedroom becomes a peaceful and calm retreat from the stresses of everyday life.”

The dining room and front loggia are also important rooms in the house. As people continue to entertain at home and enjoy the beauty of Palm Beach, loggias have become an exten-

sion of their entertaining space. Nadia Watts, an award-winning interior designer based in Denver, Colorado, but with a worldwide client base, is no stranger to exceptional design. Her great, great, grandfather, Louis C. Tiffany, left behind a legacy that exposed Nadia to art and design of all kinds. The loggia “is the gateway to the home and sets the tone for the entire house,” the designer begins. “It’s meant to awaken your senses and prepare you for the magic to come upon entering the rest of the home. Just because we are outside doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice on the design. We wanted to use lots of color and mixed old with new, working with fabulous teams from Brown Jordan, Circa Who and Mario Lopez Torres. Art, performance fabrics, velvets and colorful rugs bring the inside out, making the loggia feel luxurious and welcoming for all kinds of entertaining and enjoyment.”

Tristan Harstan, an Atlanta based designer, who designed the dining room, agrees people are spending more time at home entertaining. “We design our clients’ dining rooms with the mindset that these rooms need to be elegant and filled with details that add warmth and visual interest. Good lighting is

important and I love to incorporate de Gournay wall covering to add an elegant layer to walls. A good comfortable dining room chair is paramount to encourage people to spend their time lounging over dinner, but most important are the details,” the designer smiles. I love to add interest to the ceiling and create reflective surfaces, adding a magical dimension.”

Another feature of this spacious villa is its expansive upper floor where a second primary suite and enormous outdoor terrace exists. Cindy Rinfret and her team created a bedroom that reflects shell work from the late 1800s in England to embellish dark and ordinary spaces. Working with de Gournay and local

shell artist, Robin Grubman, Rinfret was able to create a seaside sanctuary bedroom retreat. “Your bedroom is the first place you wake up and the last place you close your eyes so we wanted to make the bedroom as serene as possible. Our clients ask for good lighting, a place for books and collections, throws to cuddle up with, remote shades that close at one touch of a button, layers of black out curtains and elegant accessories. Function, convenience, and beauty are all keys to a successfully designed bedroom.”

New York full-service designer, Ariel Orkin and her team had the pleasure of designing the largest outdoor space in the house, located on the second floor, to reflect the classic indoor/outdoor ethos of Palm Beach. “This house was a particular challenge because it was so stark and modern and the terrace is so vast, we wanted to warm it up and give it our signature layered, collected, and intentional approach. We designed several areas to enjoy and recharge so the pergola area functions as the indoor space since its covered and the outdoor space was modeled after a European courtyard. Adding performance fabrics and materials that are durable like aluminum, rattan and wicker, create an outdoor space that is polished, detailed and intentional as the rest of the home.”

Pittsburgh based designer, Betsy Wentz played off the Orkin team’s large outdoor terrace in designing the adjacent hallway. “No matter the space, I always lay out the traffic pattern first. Function is the priority and then, I add lighting, rugs, furniture and accessories. I wanted to make this space a destination you can stop and spend time in. A wet bar and seating add a playful vibe and encourages one to linger.” We can all agree on that. ◆

FREEMAN’S | HINDMAN: THE MERGE OF TWO LEADING AUCTION HOUSES

AS PART OF ITS ongoing expansion, renowned auction house Hindman recently announced its merger with venerable, 200-year-old Philadelphia-based Freeman’s.

With a combined six salerooms and 18 regional offices across the country, Freeman’s and Hindman stand to have the largest, coast-to-coast presence of any auction house in the United States, with plans to tackle international markets. Under the name Freeman’s | Hindman, the company is combining its online presence.

To kick off the partnership, Freeman’s | Hindman opened a new permanent New York saleroom in January. Located at 32 East 67th Street in the heart of the Upper East Side’s Art District in response to the strong demand they have established in this vibrant area. “I’m truly excited to bring together these two esteemed auction houses under one roof,” asserts Executive Chairman, Jay Frederick Krehbiel. “The merger strengthens our advantage in an increasingly competitive auction market and sets us up for continued growth across the United States and globally.”

Driven by a client-first approach and dedication to excellence, the two houses blend naturally. As America’s oldest auction house, Freeman’s adds more than two centuries of achieving market-setting results to Hindman’s 40-year record of realizing stellar prices while providing outstanding service, particularly to trusts and estates professionals nationwide. A strength also lies in both firms’ specialist teams, whose unrivaled expertise span all fine art and luxury collecting categories.

The new company enjoys an extensive network and continues to offer a full suite of services including auctions, appraisals, private sales, and art advisory. By combining knowledge, Freeman’s | Hindman will be better able to meet the evolving needs of their global clientele.

Freeman’s | Hindman will continue to operate its longstanding Palm Beach saleroom at 1608 South Dixie Highway. Located just across the middle bridge, the saleroom is steps from local arts institutions such as the Norton Museum of Art, Armory Art Center, and well-known galleries. Specialists

await to serve clients interested in buying and selling both at auction and privately. The location hosts sale previews, special events, and live auctions across categories during the height of the Palm Beach winter season from October through April. Just last month saw an important jewelry auction and a single-owner sale of The Estate of

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BAKED BY BLAINE

THE GLUTEN-FREE fad continues to gain momentum as demand for nutritious (and delicious) options surges. Despite the buzz, locating top-notch gluten-free treats can still be a challenge. Based in the Hudson Valley, Off the Wheat founder Blaine Caravaggi is a leader in the market, on a mission to redefine this indulgence.

With a heritage deeply rooted in gastronomy, Blaine is no stranger to the culinary world. Her lineage includes the iconic Fannie Merritt Farmer, renowned for penning The Fannie Farmer Cookbook in 1896, which continues to grace modern kitchens. Furthermore, her great-grandmother, Mary B. Merritt, founded the Merritt Beaten Biscuit Company in Montgomery, Alabama, and she’s married to Robert Caravaggi, with whom she co-owned and operated the legendary Swifty’s on Manhattan’s Upper East Side for 17 years.

The closure of the restau rant in 2016 marked not an end, but a new chapter for Blaine, who launched Off the Wheat that same year. Recognizing a void in the mar ket for gluten-free options that didn’t compromise on taste or nutritional value, Blaine set out to transform the art of baking. Today, Off the Wheat offers an enticing array of sweet and savory delights crafted from locally sourced, farm-to-table ingredi ents in the Hudson Valley. From Flourless Coconut Cake adorned with Chocolate Ganache to tantalizing Cheese Bombs, clients can purchase on the website, offthewheat.com, and have homemade goods baked by Blaine shipped out to them or visit her purple tent at Union Square’s Greenmarket in the city.

Her treats are also offered at the iconic Colony Hotel in Palm

Beach, which has been home to the new poolside Swifty’s location since 2019. In 2023, the hotel started purchasing her batter, which they use to bake goods sold at the Pink Paradise Café and menu items at Swifty’s, such as the delicious Organic Citrus Olive Oil Cake with Tangerine Glaze and assorted muffins. Here, you may also catch Blaine herself, who splits her time between New York and Palm Beach. Her warm and bubbly persona, coupled with her commitment to sustainability and community support, is infused into every aspect of her business. “I am very focused on sustainability and supporting local farmers. That is basically the foundation of this business. Ethical sourcing, animal welfare, and the best baked goods anywhere, gluten-free or not,” said Blaine. She continued, “Our commercial kitchen is up in Kingston, New York. In that facility, we employ people with developmental disabilities, working with the ARC of Mid-Hudson. This is a winwin on every level. It makes us an intricate and supportive part of the Kingston community, and results in employees that are incredibly talented, focused, and dedicated.”

Off the Wheat is poised to expand even further by transitioning to wholesale distribution of its signature batter, in addition to the longtime model of selling direct artisanal homemade goods. Blaine Caravaggi remains a staple in the gluten-free scene, seamlessly blending tradition with taste— one batch at a time. u

QUEST Fresh Finds

OUR SPRING STYLE Issue is designed to inspire your next shopping spree. As March heralds a change in seasons, we’ve curated a vibrant selection of clothing and accessories perfect for the warmer days ahead.

These elegant 18ct yellow gold Persian Queen earrings by Elizabeth Gage showcase a round faceted blue topaz in each, set within a gold surround. Price upon request at elizabeth-gage.com.

Verdura’s 18k yellow gold and diamond Criss Cross Bangle. $25,500 at verdura.com.

Using lead-free crystal, Asprey’s Crystal Box in Citrine was mouthblown, then cut and polished by hand. $1,180 at asprey.com.

Casa de Campo Resort & Villas’ Work From Paradise package allows you to work from your home away from home right in the middle of paradise in La Romana, the Dominican Republic, where you will have everything you need to recharge, relax, and ultimately be more productive. For more information, visit casadecampo.com.do or call 855.429.5424.

Brunello Cucinelli’s Suede Trench Coat ($9,950), Cotton Ribbed Knit Sweater ($1,150), Belt ($965), Garment-dyed Comfort Lightweight Denim Traditional Fit Five-Pocket Trousers ($750), and Suede Brogue Longwing Derby Shoes ($995). Visit shop.brunellocucinelli.com.

Rolex’s Perpetual 1908, 39 mm, 18kt yellow gold, polished finish. $22,000 at rolex.com.

Stubbs & Wootton’s Apex Ink Men’s Slippers feature a rich Spanish Cotton Ink-Blue Velvet with a coordinating Grosgrain trim. $575 at stubbsandwotton.com.

A well-suited man is sure to make a splash in The Colony Hotel’s Vineyard Vines Tie, crafted from 100% silk. $95 at thecolonyedit.com.

Barton & Gray Mariners Club offers an assortment of membership options from “allyou-can-yacht” to “bite-sized-boating.” Members enjoy a lifetime of yachting with the ability to adjust their membership and take advantage of the ever expanding harbors and new yachts being added to the club. For more information, visit bartonandgray.com.

Bentley Continental GTC W12. The venerable Bentley W12 engine ceases production in April ’24. There will be but a few vehicles remaining world-wide to purchase new with this legendary powerhouse.

Braman Bentley Palm Beach has a handful to choose from, but they won’t last long. bramanbentleypalmbeach.com.

Fresh Finds

Ralph Lauren Collection’s Purple Silk Habotai Jacket, Green Silk Twill Top, Blue Stretch Silk Charmeuse Pant, Gold Metallic Calfskin Belt with RL Stacked Logo, and Bronze Leather Sandals. Visit ralphlauren.com.

J.McLaughlin’s Avenue Handbag in Brown/Natural ($298), Gricie Sunglasses in Dark Honey/Tortoise ($128), and Fleur Wedges ($238). Visit jmclaughlin.com.

Clase Azul México recently released the Clase Azul Mezcal San Luis Potosí. The brand’s newest icon joins their two existing mezcals, Clase Azul Mezcal Durango and Clase Azul Mezcal Guerrero. Clase Azul Mezcal San Luis Potosí is available in a one-liter decanter for $370.

Wempe Lucky Sun Earrings BY KIM in 18k Rose gold with 14 brilliant-cut diamonds. $6,795 at wempe.com.

Charlotte Kellogg’s Cashmere Scarf with Ball Fringe in grey. $350 at charlottekellogg.com.

Gil Walsh Collection’s Montmarte in Peacoat Fabric. Visit gwifl.com.

Greenleaf & Crosby’s Verdura Wing Earclips, diamond and platinum. $34,500 at the Worth Avenue boutique or greenleafcrosby.com.

Tucked away on quiet South Summer Street in Edgartown village, The Charlotte Inn in Martha’s Vineyard is exquisitely appointed with fine art, English antiques, luxurious linens, and fresh flowers—a romantic reflection of a bygone era. Visit thecharotteinn.com.

Treat yourself to a trip to Ocean House, an iconic New England seaside resort, and the first and only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes FiveStar hotel in the state, perched high on the bluffs of Watch Hill, Rhode Island. For reservations, visit oceanhouseri.com.

Oscar de la Renta’s Off Shoulder Oversized Poppies Sweater ($1,990) and Degrade Paillette Flared Skirt ($4,990). Visit oscardelarenta.com.

255 EL PUEBLO WAY IN PALM BEACH

THE FOUR-BEDROOM, four-bath home at 255 El Pueblo Way in Palm Beach, Florida, is a residence that blends historical significance with modern luxury. Built in 1939, this property is a work of the renowned architect Belford Shoumate, known for his influence on Palm Beach design and his acclaimed work showcased at the 1939 World’s Fair.

In 2021, Gigi and Avi Mortimer acquired this property, attracted by its Bermudian-style elements reminiscent of Gigi’s native Bermuda. The home includes features such as beamed cathedral ceilings and a spacious outdoor courtyard that invites natural light into its interior. A two-year renovation under their direction updated the residence with essential elements, including a new AC unit, roof, wiring, and impact glass, while also adding modern touches like a motorized pergola and

a contemporary kitchen. The house is situated on what’s known as one of Palm Beach’s ‘cabana streets,’ which are prized for their proximity to the ocean and encapsulate the laid-back luxury of the North End of Palm Beach.

This area is recognized as one of Palm Beach’s most desirable communities, where grace and beauty are at the forefront of the seaside barrier island living experience. The property at 255 El Pueblo Way celebrates this ethos, offering a combination of Shoumate’s signature traditional style and the comfort and demands of contemporary living. u

For more information, contact John and Lisa Cregan of The Cregan Team at Sotheby’s International Realty at 847.651.7210 (call or text) or john.cregan@Sothebys.Realty.

BLANK , A NOVEL BY ZIBBY OWENS

“WHEN BUSINESS-PEOPLE say something isn’t personal, it means it isn’t personal to them… Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal,” says Meg Ryan as independent, small bookstore owner, Kathleen Kelly, in Nora Ephron’s 1998 romantic comedy, You’ve Got Mail.

This is a favorite quote of Pippa Jones, protagonist of Blank: A Novel by Zibby Owens. She references it when responding to a big publishing executive who says that moving book publication dates “isn’t personal” to authors.

Pippa Jones is an author. She is also wife, a mother, and a woman embracing her forties. Whatever else any of these things may be, they are all very personal to her.

At the start of Blank, Pippa is struggling to come up with ideas for her second book. With a major deadline rapidly approaching, Pippa makes a career-making (or breaking) move that not only challenges her publishing house, but also the entire book publishing industry—all inspired by a prank she learned about from her 12-year-old son. In seeing this adventure through, Pippa experiences a series of events ranging from hilarious to heart-breaking, that ultimately reveals more about herself, her family, and her friends—than she ever could have possibly imagined.

From the moment you open the book, Pippa is a real person. And it is from her inner monologue that you experience this story. In Blank, Owens shares a first-person look into the writer’s experience: Pippa struggles with the creative process while simultaneously tackling the looming pressure of making good on that advance. What’s more, she must appear relevant to her publisher, agent, and publicist—not to mention her readers. And in the era of Kindles and saturated book markets, she discovers what it really takes to stand out.

The book also navigates Pippa’s 17-year marriage while she grapples with the ubiquitous lack of time it takes to get everything (or really anything) done, and what a relationship

looks like when the initial spark has long since snuffed out. This is on top of raising two children to be kind, capable adults while reflecting on what to adopt and what to leave behind from her own complex childhood. And finally, honoring her Jewish faith, while also passing those values on to her son and daughter.

Pippa has maintained close friendships with a handful of women among whom nothing is off limits. But over time, as their paths have diverged both professionally and personally, finding commonality has grown harder. Blank is a reminder that the best friendships—the ones worth holding onto—arise when we are willing to refrain from judgement and accept each other for our differences.

In exploring these very common but deeply personal subjects, Owens distinguishes Blank as something special. While they are, of course, different—Pippa Jones is a work of fiction and Zibby Owens is very much an established author and a real person—it cannot be missed that Pippa and Zibby share much in common. While reading Blank you will laugh, you may cry, but at the end of the book, you’ve undeniably made a friend with valuable life lessons in Pippa Jones… and I’d like to think, in Zibby Owens as well. ◆

Zibby Owens is the book publisher of Zibby Books, as well as an author. To learn more, visit @zibbyowens on Instagram and join the @zibbyreaders community of book lovers.

J.MCLAUGHLIN’S SUNNY STYLES

IT ALL BEGAN in 1977 with two brothers, Kevin and Jay McLaughlin—a timeless lifestyle brand with a legacy of style and a spirit of connection.

Forty-seven years later, and J.McLaughlin is thriving with women’s and men’s clothing and accessories that are effortless and enduring with a modern twist. With stores that feel like home on some of the most picturesque Main Streets in America, J.McLaughlin is passionate

about their Local & Loyal events which support causes that are important to its communities.

Enter the March collection—inspired by sunny days and spring escapes. J.McLaughlin’s new styles embody an upbeat outlook with sophisticated ease. The collection was photographed in the Gulf Coast’s epicenter of Mid Century Modern, Sarasota, which served as the perfect backdrop to the statement pattern of the season—a viv id technicolor floral. Printed on shirts, maxi dresses, and wide-leg trousers—the vibrant blooms will enliven your look for a modern take on color. When the first spring RSVP pops up on your calendar, we have our eye on the orange and pink Foley dress, and for men, J.McLaughlin’s Lisbon blazer and soft tailored styles are bound to make him best dressed. For active days, hibiscus sportswear and tri-colored stripe skorts will add a pep to your step (and your top spin). As for those finishing touch es, elevate every look with the brand’s iconic wicker and bamboo handbags. u

Aida

FASHION

MARCH

On March 22nd, the 30th Annual Fort Ticonderoga Ball will take place at the Union League Club in New York. For more information, call 518.585.2821 or email chenty@fort-ticonderoga.org.

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PRESERVATION DANCE

Marking its forty-second year this season, the Preservation Foundation’s Dinner Dance brings together Palm Beach society to celebrate the island’s iconic architecture and natural beauty. This year’s event will highlight the organization’s Phipps Ocean Park project and feature landscape architect Raymond Jungles as the honorary chairman. For more information, call 561.832.0731 x107.

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AMFAR PALM BEACH

The third annual amFAR Palm Beach, presented by Tom Ford, will honor the legendary Dionne Warwick and feature a special performance by Sting. Hosted by James and Lisa Cohen. For more information, visit amfar.org.

JUPITER MEDICAL BALL

Jupiter Medical Center will host its Black-Tie Ball at The Breakers Palm Beach. For more information, visit jmcfoundation.org.

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WOMEN’S DAY

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social,

economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Annabel’s in London will host its annual panel and luncheon event.

On March 2nd, the Third Annual amFAR Palm Beach, presented by Tom Ford, will honor the legendary Dionne Warwick and feature a special performance by Sting. For more information, visit amfar.org.

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MAJOR DONOR DINNER

The Promise Fund of Florida will hold its Annual Major Donor and Awards Dinner at Club Colette, chaired by Julie Fisher Cummings, Paulette Koch, Diane Sculley and Laurie Silvers. The mission of the Promise Fund of Florida is to help women overcome financial and cultural barriers to improve health equity and reduce deaths from latestage breast and cervical cancer throughout South Florida. For more information, call 561.307.8000.

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HOPE ON THE HORIZON

The Alzherimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) will host its Seventh Annual Hope on the Horizon Palm Beach Dinner at The Beach Club. On that occasion, ADDF will honor Nancy Goodes, Board member and longtime friend of the ADDF, for her leadership and unwavering support of the ADDF’s mission to accelerate the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease. For more information, visit alzdiscovery.org.

On March 13th, the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) will host its Seventh Annual Hope on the Horizon Palm Beach Dinner at The Beach Club. For more information, visit alzdiscovery.org.

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DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Dress for Success Palm Beaches will hold its annual Style for Hope Fundraising Luncheon, chaired by Mark Badgley and James Mischka, at Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The event will feature a presentation of the 2024 Style Icon Award to Tommy Hilfiger & Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger. Dress for Success Palm Beaches is part of a worldwide movement for change that seeks to provide long-lasting solutions to help women break the cycle of poverty. Join their efforts to help women affected by the COVID-19 pandemic regain economic stability and financial independence. For more information, visit dressforsuccesspb.org.

22

TICONDEROGA BALL

The 30th Annual Fort Ticonderoga Ball will take place at the Union League Club of New York City and feature a seated dinner, live auction, and dancing to the Lester Lanin Orchestra. This stunning black tie affair supports Fort Ticonderoga’s mission to preserve, educate, and provoke an active discussion about the past and its importance to present and future generations. For more information,

call 518.585.2821 or email chenty@fort-ticonderoga.org.

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HAS HAITI DINNER DANCE

Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti will host its annual White Hot Night dinner dance at the Sailfish Club in Palm Beach. Louise H. Stephaich,

chairwoman. By invitation. A public health pioneer in Haiti, the first of its kind, HAS quickly became a trusted, respected resource. A widespread public health campaign early in its history, for example, helped to nearly eliminate instances of death from tetanus in newborns in the service area—and

became a model for public health efforts around the world. For more information, visit hashaiti.org.

APRIL 4

GAY POLO TOURNAMENT

The Lexus International Gay Polo Tournament will return to Wellington through April 6th at a new venue, Patagones Polo Club at 4669 120th Avenue South. The event will benefit the Elton John AIDs Foundation. For more information, visit gaypolo.com.

6

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

Cancer Alliance of Help & Hope will hold its Dance the Night Away event at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. Cancer Alliance of Help & Hope emerged because of the immense devastation cancer diagnoses were having on Palm Beach County residents. This grassroots nonprofit organization now serves over 1,200 clients and family members per year, disbursing financial assistance to cancer patients in extraordinary need, as well as providing comfort and help through vibrant programs for generous care baskets, food and fuel gift cards, wigs and caps, children’s school supplies, and care for beloved pets. For more information, visit cahh.org.

On March 23rd, Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti will host its annual White Hot Night at The Sailfish Club in Palm Beach. For more information, visit hashaiti.org.

THE TERRIBLE TRUTH OF TRUMAN AND HIS SWANS

IN THE SUMMER of 1947 at Kiluna Farm, the estate of William Paley on Manhasset, Long Island, there was a photograph taken of the wedding day of William and Barbara Cushing Mortimer. The bride would become known forever after as Babe Paley. The wedding occurred immediately after the divorce between Bill Paley and his first wife, Dorothy Hirshon, had been made official.

It was a beautiful portrait of the bride and groom on a summer day outdoors, surrounded by three generations of the Cushing family. The property was adjacent to the enormous John Hay

Whitney estate, which included additional dwellings as guest houses for other family members and friends—one of which was occupied by Betsy Cushing Whitney’s younger sister, Barbara (“Babe”), who was divorced from her first husband, Stanley Mortimer.

So when Bill Paley met Betsy Whitney’s younger sister, Babe, she no doubt

made an impression. That same summer Babe began frequently going over—uninvited—to the Paley estate to sun herself by the pool. Paley’s wife of fifteen years, Dorothy, found it odd since the Whitney estate had more than one pool … and everything else.

Paley was very impressed with his neighbors who were socially high level WASPs; while he, despite his prominent success with CBS, remained an outsider (Jewish). That “social” issue of religion has since all but evaporated from what mattered much a century or so ago.

It is not known when Mr. Paley and Mrs. Mortimer started seeing each oth-

er “privately”, but it had became obvious by the time she’d begun sunning herself by the Paley pool while the first Mrs. Paley was present in the house – then very much Dorothy Paley’s house. By the following Summer, however, Bill and Dorothy Paley were divorced,  and then Bill and Babe were married, surrounded by her family. It turned out that she was already pregnant and in need of a legal commitment, in an age that required a marriage license to verify the paternity … as well as the wife’s reputation. From the outside looking in, it appeared the perfect merger for the couple. The photograph of the bride and groom

surrounded by Babe’s sisters and their husbands—Minnie (Mrs. Vincent) Astor  and  Betsey (Mrs. John Hay) Whitney—would raise the public image of the groom. This was a notable and noticeable move up the social ladder for the radio tycoon.

And it would bring the ultimate financial security into Babe’s life.  She was 32 and he was 46. The world around them was fresh with the technology of radio and television, still brand new in the mid-20th century. Paley was at the source, controlling it, as his wife pursued her interests, which had much to do with Fashion—making them one of the “beautiful couples” of their time.

The marriage lasted until her death from cancer at the age of 63 in 1978. Ultimately, it had been a very unhappy marriage for Babe Paley. But in its union it provided fame and fortune for the new bride.

This was a period that came into fashion at the end of the Second World War. It was a new world. America’s involvement with the War afforded greater

employment opportunities for women, who often took jobs in factories and on assembly lines—jobs that woud have otherwise been filled by men who had enlisted with the U.S. Army. With the War over, the sense of victory played out in business enterprises all over the world. Women just coming of age were taking on new roles, especially women who had access to financial power; so the age-old matrimonial urge was taken very seriously.

It was also the time of the beginning of young Truman Capote’s public image. He was born in 1924 in New Orleans, Louisiana and having been abandoned by his parents (who divorced when he was two years old), he was brought up in Monroeville, Alabama by three old maid cousins and their bachelor brother.

Capote was in his late teens when he came onto the post-War social scene in New York via his connection to publishing. His diminutive physical presence was highlighted by his enthusiasm, wit and amusement, and most importantly his work as an author.

He was 18 and living in New York when Phyllis Cerf invited him to her book club’s meeting, as suggested by her husband  Bennett Cerf, who was the publisher of Random House. He had described Truman to her as looking like he’s too young to be in the room with adults, but very amusing and interesting in conversation.

On the day of the meeting everyone was already seated, including  John O’Hara and Minnie Astor, when the Cerfs’ butler told the hostess that there was “a child at the front door who said he was invited to this meeting,” Phyllis Cerf said to herself: that must be Truman. And so it was.

Very small bodied and naturally skinny, he looked even younger than his lateteens. In the course of the meeting, however, the new boy amused and fascinated all with his anecdotes and descriptions of his experiences.

His voice was that of a child, sissy-fied, although when he finished an anecdote in that tone, he might burst out into bass-oriented laughter. He’d obviously

made a habit of his high-pitched, baby-talkish, conversational tone. Truman was busy developing what would become a highly regarded reputation in the publishing world in those early years, his first great success being the novella, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, published in 1958 when he was 34. It was a huge success, especially among women readers. Then it was made into a film that made a star of  Audrey Hepburn.

It was also about that time when Truman, then in his mid-thirties,  had become the kind of celebrity that other celebrities wanted to meet, especially the socially celebrated. These were the women whom Truman naturally referred to as his “Swans.” The reference was a high compliment made with an admiring eye—one that was impressed by their being impressed by him. It gave him a special social power in New York and elsewhere, which always appealed and seemed quite natural.

It was Babe Paley who, upon their meeting, later brought Truman into the social fold. They were mainly wealthy women, either heiresses or multi-married, or carrying Euro-aristocratic attitudes often acquired by imagination. Many were also American and famous, or famously

known for their connections.

They were the modern women of their time (mid-20th century), pre women’s lib, although quite naturally liberated. They were born in the first two decades of the 20th century when technology and automation were profoundly changing human society.

These were women who were naturally independent, self-reliant, and from varied backgrounds. Babe Paley’s father,  Dr. Harvey Cushing, was the foremost brain surgeon at the turn of the 20th century.  Pamela Harriman’s father was a titled, British Baron Digby;  Betsy Bloomingdale’s father was a dentist in Pasadena;  C.Z. Guest’s father was a Boston banker;  Dolores Guinness  was born  Baroness von Fürstenberg-Hedrigen in 1930s Berlin. Sometimes she joined her mother, the fashion icon Gloria Guinness, to make regular appearances in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Marriage was still the primary choice for a woman’s future in those days.  Gloria Vanderbilt married for the first time when she was 17. Happy Rockefeller was far from happy after divorcing her alcoholic husband to marry  Nelson.  Lee Radziwill, always second to her older sister, married for the first time for the

classic reason: to get out of the house and her mother’s rules.

Slim Hawks Hayward/Lady Keith, was born in Salina, California, where farming was the major industry. She first married film director  Howard Hawks and gave birth to a daughter (Kitty) in whom her Hawks father showed no interest whatsoever. Kitty grew up to be a talented and personable beauty. Her mother later married talent agent and producer  Leland Hayward, who suddenly left Slim and Kitty ten years later after he’d met and was seduced by Pamela Churchill.

These women were living at the center of their world, and ours too. Most were not young—in their late 20s and sliding into middle-age; some married, some divorced, some re-married and wellconnected socially in a world moving faster and wider, thanks to technology.  Born into modest circumstances and abandoned in childhood by his birth parents (with whom he later developed relationships), it's clear that the author of Breakfast at Tiffany’s was fascinated by a certain kind of female. One who moved on up—no matter where she came from—and appeared to be independent and alluring and rich, whether she may have been an heiresses or well-married.

These were the author’s ideals.

Pamela Digby Churchill, an earl’s daughter, properly married  Winston Churchill’s only son Randolph when she was 19 years old, just as World War II was beginning. When Randolph was away in the Service, Pamela moved into 10 Downing Street with her infant son (Winston II), to live with her in-laws, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine. In the midst of the developing war with Germany, she was surrounded by rich and prominent Americans and Europeans such as Averill Harriman, Prince Aly Khan, Gianni Agnelli, Baron Eli de Rothschild, Stavros Niarchos, Jock Whitney, Bill Paley and others—all of whom found her alluring—and with some of whom she became more intimate.

That was when Pamela Digby Churchill first met Harriman. Before long he was paying her bills. Leaving her infant son with her in-laws, she moved in with Harriman, and at the same time began an affair with  Edward R. Murrow who had originally planned to divorce his wife when the war was over (Mrs. Murrow got pregnant and that changed Murrow’s plan).

Her Churchill marriage did not interrupt her allure, nor her activity with several certain men, which was not a secret to her Prime Minister father-in-law who was quite charmed by her as well. After the war, she had multiple affairs; with the very married Guy de Rothschild who provided her with expensive jewels and a Paris apartment—everything but a wedding ring. After several affairs with comparably rich and powerful men, Pamela moved to New York where she met and married producer Leland Hayward – who ultimately left his third wife, the aforementioned “Slim” Hawks … for Pamela.

Hayward’s eldest daughter, Brooke, met Pamela for the first time when her father and Pamela were renting a house in Bedford, New York in the summer of 1959. Brooke and a boyfriend went over to the house to meet her. A member of the house staff directed them to go out to the swimming pool on another part of the property. When Brooke arrived at the pool, her father was on a chaise lounge reading the paper, while standing on the tip of diving board was an entirely naked

red-haired woman about to dive in— which she did once Brooke saw her.

Later when Brooke commented to her father about his girlfriend’s nakedness, he added that “she liked walking around without any clothes, and often did it when a guest on a yacht, where everyone showed up for lunch fully dressed except for Pamela, who preferred her birthday suit for everyone to admire.

Hayward had divorced “Slim” and married Pamela in 1960. They remained married until March 1971 when Hayward died of a stroke. The day Leland died, Pamela called Averill Harriman on the phone and went to see him. He was now widowed. Pamela converted to Catholicism and married him.

The book was a huge bestseller and made him rich. Once it was out and made into a motion picture, Truman’s name was household famous. And being very much aware of his sensational prominence, he decided to celebrate his great publishing success  with a party.

After much planning and publicity, Truman gave the Party of the Year in 1966, a “Masked Ball” in honor of  Kay Graham (owner of The Washington Post) and held in the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel. Guy Trebay in the New York Times wrote: “Before the Black and White Ball, no one had ever imagined, let alone attended, a formal party with a guest list so wildly catholic that it brought

All the while, Truman was working on In Cold Blood, which was not exactly Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I first read it through four weekly installments in  The New Yorker. Even in quarters, the story was so powerfully told and described that its grimness left you with an uneasy feeling, and compelled you to find out what happened. Powerful. Later I read about Capote’s relationship with the two killers, one of whom he obviously felt strongly attracted to. And then they were executed.

into one room the poet  Marianne Moore and  Frank Sinatra,  Gloria Vanderbilt and  Lionel Trilling, Lynda Bird Johnson and  the Maharani of Jaipur, the Italian princess  Luciana Pignatelli (wearing a 60-carat diamond borrowed from Harry Winston) and the documentary filmmaker  Albert Maysles”.

Truman’s party made him more famous, especially to all those non-readers who only knew him and his squeaky voice and his guttural laughter as a

not-infrequent guest on syndicated television talk shows.

Now known worldwide, Truman’s fame and fortune had moved into another category; yet it wasn’t totally in his favor. His prominence led him into the world of sex-drugs-and-rock-’n-roll, especially the world of Studio 54 and the clique of fashion designer Halston.

After all of the publicity and fame from In Cold Blood , the writer in him continued—publicly declaring that his “next” work was about the personal lives around him. It was to be a memoir. Of sorts. With the title Answered Prayers . In 1975  Esquire  published the first chapter, La Côte Basque 1965 .

One incident in this chapter was the famous shooting that took the life of  William Woodward. In real life, the original explanation of the death was that  Ann Woodward had accidentally shot her husband one night in their house on Long Island, after a very social dinner party.

When it occurred, Mrs. Woodward called the police, claiming that she had accidentally shot her husband in the hallway after hearing footsteps of someone walking on the roof. The “footsteps” were never identified and Mrs. Woodward’s story was never verified even after it was learned that Mr. Woodward had told his wife that he was leaving her for another woman.

Ann’s mother-in-law, the elder Mrs. Woodward, chose to accept the story because her two young grandsons would be left without a parent if her daughterin-law were convicted of a crime.

Almost ten years later, Truman published the chapter that takes place in La Côte Basque, a chic French restaurant in Manhattan during the 1960s The room is full of his “Swans” at their tables, with references to their subjects at hand.

When the magazine was published and the younger Mrs. Woodward read about her crime—stating that she actually murdered her husband because he

was leaving her for another woman—she committed suicide.

The reality, as known by many of the Woodward friends who were aware of Mr. Woodward’s plan to leave his wife, was that she murdered him in outrage. Although it was generally believed by most to be so, when Capote published it in his short story, Truman was blamed for Mrs. Woodward’s suicide.

The fact that he had exposed Mrs. Woodward’s crime now—more than twenty years after she had committed it—was ironically held against Truman for mentioning it. True or not, the other story in the Côte Basque chapter about William Paley having sex with Averill Harriman’s wife, who was menstruating at the time and left the evidence behind on the sheets (thereby proving Paley’s sexual activity outside of his marriage), was the final blow to Truman’s reputation.

All he was doing was writing stories that people told about each other—but didn’t write down. ◆

UPTOWN GIRL

PRODUCED & STYLED BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JULIE SKARRATT

HAIR BY HANAN SOBHY, VALERY JOSEPH SALON

MAKEUP BY JOHN EDINGTON

FOR OUR annual March photo shoot, we spent the day with Brooke Block Kennan, a born and raised city girl who modeled spring looks from some of our favorite designers. Still an Upper East Sider, we used Kennan’s charming home, designed by Brittany Bromley, as our base as we navigated the neighborhood. The mother of two is in the process of launching her own firm, Kinderbrook Home, inspired by and named after her farm in Dutchess County. The company will debut in Fall 2024 and will offer home accents, starting with porcelain vases. ◆

Brooke on an Upper East Side rooftop wearing Carolina Herrera’s Sleeveless Scoop Neck Dress in Racing Green ($3,790) and shoes by Aquazzura. For jewelry, she wears Belperron’s Vintage Spiral Earclips in diamond, platinum, and gold ($172,500) and Belperron’s Vintage Torsade Cuff featuring old-mine cut diamond and platinum ($650,000).

Brooke crosses the street wearing J.McLaughlin’s Finn Shirt ($178), Jaydan Pants in Cabana Gingham ($168), Manolo Blahnik slides, and holds a Loro Piana purse. For jewelry, she wears Belperron’s Roof Bangle in 22k virgin gold ($17,500), top, on her right wrist, stacked with Belperron’s Saddle Bangle in 22k virgin gold ($18,750). On her right hand, she wears Belperron’s Twin Ring in old European-cut diamond and 22k gold ($56,500). On her left wrist, she wears Verdura’s Criss Cross Cuff in 18k gold ($22,500).

Brooke sets her dining room table wearing Oscar de la Renta’s Hollyhock Faille Appliqué Dress ($5,990). For jewelry, she wears Belperron’s Roof Earclips in 22k virgin gold ($18,500) and a BVLGARI bracelet on her right wrist. On her left wrist, she wears Asprey’s Woodland Oakleaf Bangle with pavé diamonds set in 18k yellow gold ($11,995), above, and Asprey’s bracelet featuring 10.74cts pavé diamonds set in 18k yellow gold ($56,000), below.

Brooke stands in her living room wearing Veronica Beard’s Forman Bustier Top ($378) and Carson Kick-Flare Jeans with Feather Trim ($398) with Manolo Blahnik’s Hangisi 105MM Embellished Satin Pumps ($1,195). For jewelry, she wears Belperron’s Roof Earclips in 22k virgin gold ($18,500), a vintage BVLGARI bracelet on her left wrist, Verdura’s Criss Cross Cuff in 18k gold ($22,500) on her right wrist, her own vintage gold ring on her right hand (left) and Belperron’s Twin Ring in 22k gold and old European-cut diamond ($56,500).

Brooke ends the day in her canopy bed wearing D. Porthault’s Hélène Robe in Coeurs Pink ($675), Charlotte Kellogg’s velvet Espadrilles in red ($225), and Asprey’s Maxi Chaos Collection Earrings in Amethyst with citrine stones set in 18k yellow gold ($10,500).

A BALMY BEACH GETAWAY PACKING LIST

Peacocks, prints, and petal skirts are some of the fabulous themes of this season’s Spring 2024 Collections. As the chatter of spring break and island getaways are heard, the packing list for the dreamy tropical vacation should happily include fresh silhouettes and jet-setting pieces.

This year, designers collectively were influenced by concepts of nature and escapism leaning into textured floral embroidery and abstract hues. Blending modern art and vintage visuals, these garments confidently exude a flair carrying you through the remaining days of winter into spring.

CARA CARA

CARA CARA, a coastal and tropical brand perfect for a winter getaway was founded in 2019 by Julia Brown, Sasha Martin, and Katie Hobbs. Using vintage textiles, they developed versatile wardrobe pieces for not only warm weathered vacations but also a variety of climates. “We are always popping down to Palm Beach for work and play and are really into our new pink bouclé blazer which can go from the chilly NYC plane to lunch at Swiftys,” said Brown. The Spring 2024 Collection features fresh silhouettes and bursts of floral prints. This season was inspired by the theme of “escapism” or fleeing the harsh realities of winter into a complete opposite world of sunshine and bliss. With inspiring designs of nautical stripes and lavish florals, destination travel is a key influence for the inspiration behind the design. “A few themes for this season include navy and white striped lurex knits with gold statement buttons for cocktail hour at the Cheval Blanc,” Martin added.

SILVIA TCHERASSI

BORN IN COLUMBIA, designer Silvia Tcherassi has always been deeply inspired by travel, storytelling, and historical icons. With her current Spring 2024 Collection, she was influenced by vintage photographs of Jackie Kennedy and her sister Princess Lee Radziwill frolicking on the island of Capri. The timeless elegance and sophisticated nature of these icons is what inspired Tcherassi, along with other famous figures, including C.Z. Guest and Gloria Guinness. Tcherassi captures the spirit of these ladies throughout her collection, embracing Lee Radziwill’s passion for the arts and Gloria Guiness’ latin heritage. “From this moment, I decided that the aesthetic codes that would influence my Spring 2024 collection would stem from Truman Capote’s aptly named Swans,” said Tcherassi. She blends elements of elegance and playfulness while revealing a modern day woman who seeks confidence and expression in her individuality through fashion. The collection features smooth silks with delicate lace chiffons and oversized belts.

ZIMMERMANN

ELEMENTS OF TEXTURED florals are the theme of Zimmermann’s Spring 2024 Readyto-Wear Collection. Known for it’s feminine silhouettes, tiered skirts, and flower embroidery detail, this new collection was inspired by the natural world. Highlighting texture, colors, and key collection prints, the pieces embody a sleek and dramatic shape. Among the collection are faint yellows and notes of blue surrounded by elegant yet vibrant reds and pinks. “The collection direction is clean and fresh, with a strong expression of color, sculptural silhouettes, and a variety of textures,” mentioned founder Nicky Zimmermann. The collection includes the exquisite backless organza gowns featuring an off-shoulder exaggerated sleeve with ruched panels, and the Natura Draped Mini - made of a strutted bodice and a draped skirt. Perfect for evening parties or a candlelit dinner on the beach, these intricate silhouettes move with elegance.

Co-founders Nicky and Simone Zimmermann (bottom left) and looks from the Spring 2024 Collection.

AGUA BY AGUA BENDITA

COLOMBIA-BASED DESIGNERS Catalina Álvarez and Mariana Hinestroza founded Agua by Agua Bendita in 2003, offering ready-to-wear cocktail dresses, formal gowns, and swimwear. The founders truly take pride in the detailed crafts manship of local female artisans admiring strong, powerful women with inspiring stories. The elevated garments honor the beauty of Latin America, where the source of inspiration for each collection is nature. The Spring/Summer 2024 Alma Collection, inspired by a cultural adventurer at heart, features a range of prints and colors based on the beauty of desert land scapes. Among the collection are a variety of unique and el egant silhouettes with feminine swimsuits and detailed pare os. Several pieces display hand-drawn prints of gems, silver adornments and jewels. “I love the ‘Lima Relicario’ maxi linen dress, one of our unique and top-selling pieces. Colombian ar tisans fully embroider it, and it has a pretty A-line silhouette,” Álvarez mentioned.

Co-founders Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza (above) and a look from the Spring/Summer 2024 Collection.

JOHANNA ORTIZ

BORN IN COLOMBIA, Johanna Ortiz has always been inspired by the beauty of her country with its rich greenery, picturesque mountain ranges, and lush palm trees. Today, she is one of the top Latin designers creating elegant yet tropical ready-to-wear pieces with refined silhouettes and lively prints. For the Spring/Summer 2024 collection, she was deeply influenced by the theme of “western,” incorporating woven raffia and neutral tones. The Ikate Jungle dress is a favorite, featuring the classic “JO palm tree” with it’s open neck design and fitting shape. ◆

THE GENIUS OF YVES SAINT LAURENT’S FASHION FORMS

BORN IN 1936 , Yves Saint Laurent was raised in a villa with stunning views of the Mediterranean, a setting that nurtured his early interest in design and fashion. His initial foray into the industry began with crafting intricate paper dolls, a childhood hobby that quickly transitioned into designing garments for his mother and siblings. At the age of 17, he moved to Paris to enroll at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, marking the commencement of his illustrious career. While living in the City of Light, he met Michel de Brunhoff, then Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue , who introduced him to Christian Dior. Under Dior, he quickly rose from an assistant to Head Designer after Dior’s death in 1957, at the remarkably young age of 21.

In 1960, Saint Laurent’s burgeoning career was briefly interrupted when he was drafted into the French Army during the Algerian War of Independence. This challenging period, however, serendipitously paved the way for the establish-

ment of his own label with his partner, Pierre Bergé, in 1961. The launch of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion house was met with immediate success, solidifying Saint Laurent’s position as a seminal figure in 20th-century fashion.

Throughout his career, Saint Laurent was celebrated for his innovative approach to fashion, continually pushing the boundaries of traditional design. His work was heavily influenced by the artistic movements of his time, as evidenced

Jacket and hat from the Autumn/Winter 1988 Collection. Opposite page: Mondrian suit worn by Mounia Orosemane during the Spring/Summer 1980 Haute Couture show.

by his revolutionary “Trapeze” dress for Dior in 1958 and his adoption of pop art prints. Flammarion’s recent publication, Yves Saint Laurent: Form and Fashion , pays tribute to his enduring legacy, exploring some of the designer’s most iconic pieces and showcasing his relentless innovation. Characterized by his distinctive use of geometric patterns, monochromatic schemes, and bold colors, Saint Laurent’s influence on fashion is both profound and lasting. u

THE YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST YGL

YOUNG COLLECTORS NIGHT IN NEW YORK

ON JANUARY 25TH, The Winter Show held its annual Young Collectors Night for more than 700 guests at Park Avenue Armory. The event honored Paul Arnhold and Wes Gordon , and featured hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, and music by DJ Jade Croo . Proceeds from the evening directly supported East Side House Settlement.

YGL

GALENTINE’S DAY EVENT IN PALM BEACH

LAST MONTH, Stacey Bendet , Bettina Anderson , Devon McCready , and Ashley Brown hosted a Galentine’s Day event at the Alice + Olivia boutique benefiting the Selfless Love Foundation, an organization that leverages resources to improve the child welfare system. The evening featured Casamigos cocktails, custom charm bracelets by Electric Picks, Botox by Hass, and music by DJ Juliana Mejia

WÖLFFER ESTATE VINEYARD’S COCKTAIL PARTY IN PALM BEACH

IN LATE JANUARY, Joey Wölffer brought a taste of the Hamptons to Palm Beach with a Wine Stand pop-up and cocktail party at The Colony Hotel. The poolside event, which was co-hosted by Sarah Wetenhall , featured an assortment of hors d’oeuvres that paired perfectly with the rosé and a live band, reminiscent of Wölffer Estate’s weekly summer Sunset Music Series. ◆

FRIENDS IN FASHION

“A WOMAN IS AS YOUNG as her knees,” decreed Mary Quant as she introduced the mini-skirt to the world in the 1960s. The era was anti-establishment, and fashion was being forged by contemporaries of the designers who had reigned in the 1940s and 1950s.

Mary Quant was 21 in 1955 when she opened her store, Bazaar, on the King’s Road in London, England, explaining, “Snobbery has gone out of fashion, and in our shops you will find duchesses jostling with typists to buy the same dresses.” The clothes were bold—in color and style—and were designed to be girlish, with details like collars and pleats. The hemlines were as short as seven inches above the knee, causing the market of 16- to 25-year-olds (which was coming into existence) to scramble.

Mary Quant was influenced by the creatives of the move -

ment, including stylist (and friend) Vidal Sassoon. Grace Coddington describes, “Vidal came along and liberated hair after Mary Quant liberated clothes. He cut my hair in a bowl cut and totally changed hair—everything before then was lacquered and stiff. Suddenly you could shake your head—it was a defining moment of the Sixties.” The revolution was inspired, and these were the players who collaborated to define the era.

On December 31, 2014, the designer—and the mini-skirt— were immortalized when Mary Quant was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or DBE, for services to fashion in the U.K. —Elizabeth Quinn Brown

We look forward to welcoming you to Palm Beach’s pinkest hotel.

50 Shades of Sun

e Greenleaf & Crosby Diamond Collection