CITY Issue 53

CITY TH E D E STI N ATI O N FO R ST Y LE Editorial Director & Publisher John McDonald Energizer-in-Chief & Creative Director Fabrice G. Frere Executive Editor Alex Garinger Art Director Adriana Jacoud Photo Editor Anthony Cross Senior Fashion Editor Beverley Hyde Market Editor Leilin Lopez Production Editor & Assistant Designer Alexander Wolf Contributing Editors Jean-Georges Vongerichten Piera Gelardi, Kristen Wolfe-Bieler Editorial Intern Erin Bremer BELUGA DAYS My first taste of some form of Luxury was when I was about 11 years old, and I was way too young to appreciate it. I spent a summer with my father in Turkey, near Istanbul, where we stayed in a house right on the Bosphorus. In the morning, the fishermen would come up right to the house, selling their catch of the day, which often included copious amounts of caviar. The sight of the stuff at that age was a real turn-off: you know, tiny fish eggs and all. The fishermen would serve it right out of a bucket with a large ladle at such an insanely inexpensive price that you would have thought you were actually buying couscous. Today, when you think of luxury, a thimble of the stuff can fetch a pretty penny and is considered by most to be a rare delicacy. Many, many years later, as I reflect again on what luxury is, I can’t help to think how times have changed. I’ve often thought that Liberace and Mr. T (what a combo!) helped redefine luxury. In some way, they are the grandfathers of what today’s younger generation considers to be luxurious, or its mutation: “bling.” Be it the diamond capes, the candelabras, or the gold chains, these guys were “money.” Picking up on their cue was none other than the iconic Robin Leach, whose Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous first debuted in the mid-’80s. For those who recall the show, the average Joe was a guest inside the homes, the yachts, and the private jets of the elite. The genre snowballed into what is today the cornerstone of retail and entertainment, consumerism in abundance. A five-star hotel just wont cut it anymore. It now needs to be a six-star hotel. What’s interesting, though, and what has become evident to us here at CITY over the past few years of doing Luxury issues, is that when we ask people to define luxury, the answer always seems to be “time.” Perhaps it’s the growing feeling in all of us that all of our fancy toys, expensive jewels, and high-tech devices aren’t quite enough to fulfill our lives, and that maybe a little peace of mind, a little quiet would be the best prescription of all. Perhaps it’s time to consider your surroundings, to appreciate the simple things, like the turning of the leaves in the fall, the sound that water makes when it flows down a stream. It’s all there. If you can get past the chatter, you will see it, hear it. So take a deep breath, tell Wolf Blitzer that you’re tired of his silly situation room, and turn off CNN. Silence your CrackBerry and tell TMZ that you’re tired of Britney and Lindsay. Instead, go for a walk, and talk to a real person—not just to one of your 200 friends on Facebook. And if that doesn’t work for you, we’ve got you covered with tons of fancy-shmancy stuff that is sure to make a huge hole in your wallet. Enjoy, Writers Elyssa Dimant, Carole Dixon, Pameladevi Govinda, Eva Hagberg Kelly McMasters, Laura Neilson, Emily Rotberg, Patrick J. Sauer Photographers and Illustrators Juan Algarin, Bassam Al-Sarraj, William Brinson, Jamie Chung Anthony Cotsifas, Paul Cruz, Roberto D’Addona, Fabrice Fouillet, Troy House Plamen Petkov, Julia Rothman, Martyn Thompson, Carlo Van De Roer Associate Publisher Steven McLoughlin (646) 419-4011 Marketing & Circulation Director Ann Jhun ext. 36 Sales & Marketing Coordinator Emily Gunsberger Consumer Marketing Consultant David Renard (MU Inc.) Production & Distribution Consultant Rose Sullivan (201) 447-0847 Office Manager Clement Collado ext 10 Corporate Counsel Anthony A. LoPresti, Esq. (212) 425-0551 Distribution CMG Special Ops Abdel Kachtiene Business Director & CFO Joseph T. McDonald CITY Magazine—New York Office P.O. Box 242 Prince Street Station, New York, NY 10012 Tel (212) 965-9484 Fax (212) 966-3329 www.city-magazine.com Extra Credit Mom & Dad, Josh Capon, Josh Taekman, Michelle Keller, Stéphane Dehais, the boys from Lone Panther, Robert Collins, Tom Forrest, Dan Del Vecchio, Greg Brainin, Matt Dino everyone at the MercBar and Lure, Dr. Barry Cohen, Reid Mihalko, Ernesto Vega Christine Cummings and Meghan Bird, Jason Bellmont and Colin Rasor Copyright 2007 by Spark Media All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or part, without permission is prohibited. The publisher is not responsible for return of unsolicited material. Fabrice Frere, Creative Director PHOTO: JOAN VIC ENT CANTÓ ROIG. http://www.city-magazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CITY Issue 53

CITY Issue 53 Contents Letter from CITY Our Friends Action Wanted City Moment In Rogue Fast Food The Amused Bouche Fit Unnatural Wonders Paradise Found Gold Standard Parc Yourself Get Wet Naughty or Nice Raise the Roof Luxury Is... Bird of Prey Hardwear To Die For Twisted Sisters Basic Instinct Where To Buy It Socials Icon

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