L'Officiel · 2004
Private lives
Translated from the French. Original: L'Officiel, November 1, 2004 · French version
November 2004
“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” When Andy Warhol uttered those words, reality TV did not yet exist, the press was not yet a scandal press, and only some twenty channels were broadcasting programmes in the United States. The ladies of New York high society are also entitled to their fifteen minutes of fame. It is all a question of measure. Some minutes last longer than others.
PRIVATE LIVES
By David Benaym -
Photo Roger Moenks / Laurent Alfieri
Most of them come from prominent, wealthy families, and they make the most of it, in every sense of the word. Far from the clichés of the Parisian jet set, Manhattan’s upper crust embraces its status with disconcerting simplicity. Local magazines love to recount society parties, and the presence of this or that personality spices up the people pages with very dressed-up photos. It is all in the style, the attitude, the walk. “Casual chic” wins over overly ostentatious frills. They are the darlings of designers. “Being worn by these ladies allows ordinary people to identify with them,” notes Alvin Valley, one of the sought-after couturiers of the moment. “Neither models nor movie stars, they wear the clothes in the best possible way,” he adds. Often with very eclectic pasts, from different countries and continents, they all share the pleasure of fashion, of coveted parties, and their love for Manhattan. Here they are known and recognised. Not just prestige clothes horses, they are above all businesswomen. The triple zeros in their bank accounts certainly give them a degree of comfort, but as true businesswomen, they do not rest on their laurels, and fight to be appreciated for their professional efforts rather than for their inheritance or their marriage. Public relations agents, writers, interior decorators, fashion designers: they all stay in artistic fields, often far from the family business, as if to break away from the cliché of wealthy heiresses. Their status? A springboard to launch a career of their own. Often married, independent, modern women, technologically at the cutting edge, they are feminine, stunning and enterprising. Easy to approach, they reject all the negatively connoted adjectives attributed to them. Socialites, in English, is certainly the term most used here. Socialites: those women who, surrounded by their court, do nothing with their days and go out to see and be seen. If the connotation were not so negative here, it would be convenient to call them that, yet it is more of an anti-definition than an appropriate description. They are not spendthrifts; they live their lifestyle. They are not superficial; the paparazzi make grasshoppers of them. They have not arrived; every day they begin a new adventure.
The lively evenings often begin at Spice Market. Right in the heart of the Meatpacking District, in the south-west of the island. In a gigantic setting where it is good to be seen among friends, this French-Vietnamese-inspired restaurant is fully booked every night. Yet the coveted ladies keep repeating that it is the perfect place to gather at a big table, phoning at the last minute to savour a chicken curry, a good glass of Merlot and a parade of exotic desserts. Another delight of high society, Asiate, at the top of the Mandarin Oriental hotel on Columbus Circle, with a unique view of Central Park and its surrounding buildings. The hours go by, and the evening often continues in the
lounge atmosphere of Bungalow 8 in Chelsea, or at the much sought-after Marquee, a trendy nightclub whose door is all but impossible to get through.
Between two premieres, the stars of the easy life host dinners among friends. Rena Sindi’s art of entertaining is catching on. Theme nights, wine tastings, fashion shows: they are at every public event, in the front row of local happenings or in the best boxes of Broadway shows. Yet they asked for nothing. The invitations pour in by email or into their mailboxes. So, so as not to waste anything and to keep up their personal and professional address books, they show up, play along with the photographers, wear the finest jewellery and embrace the elegance of international haute couture, for their own pleasure and that of their fellow guests. For 15 minutes, 15 months or 15 years, fame cannot be controlled; it is to be enjoyed. And the young ladies of New York high society have understood that well.
Emila Fanjul, the sweet-and-savoury communicator
Personal environment - Background
The Cuban granddaughter of a family of wealthy sugar producers, Emila Fanjul broke away from the family business long ago. Originally from Palm Beach, Florida, she spent her childhood lulled by the sound of the waves in a small, very sheltered neighbourhood. The atmosphere of her New York apartment is quite different. In her loft in the heart of SoHo, she lives in a setting that recalls industrial refineries more than the refinement and gentleness of her personality. A huge brushed-metal door, “an emergency exit imported from a factory”, as she puts it, is displayed like a painting on bright red bricks. Helmut Newton’s enormous book sits in pride of place in the middle of the living room, near the portraits of her “best friend”, her basset hound, Pantoufle.
Professional path
Since arriving in New York in 1997, Emilia has pursued a career in communications. Moving from internship to internship in various fashion magazine newsrooms, she quickly fitted into the local upper class while keeping a certain distance. Very stoic about this world, she decided to throw herself into it fully by creating her own public relations firm, so as to keep a certain independence while stepping squarely into this coveted milieu.
Level-headed, Emilia likes to party. But she specifies: “I have fun as long as it is part of my work; otherwise I prefer to stay at home, in my pyjamas, with my husband.” He, by the way, does not much like society events, but from restaurants to outings, she is invited to every premiere, VIP party or media event. He then dutifully accompanies the lady of honour. She smiles while looking at her projector fixed to the ceiling of the loft: “I can hardly do this job by watching TV.”
Lifestyle
Between Tribeca
and the very trendy Meatpacking District, Emilia Fanjul’s mouth waters at the thought of going back to Spice Market, currently the ladies’ favourite restaurant. As for nightclubs, she prefers lounge atmospheres. When she cooks for her guests, nothing like a little Cuban music or a Buddha Bar CD for atmosphere, as at Bungalow 8, in Chelsea, where she meets her friends on certain weeknights. “Just because I am photographed in a few magazines does not mean I go out all the time,” she adds, “but as soon as I am relaxed, I like to go dancing or have a martini with friends.”
Fashion as a way of life
Her taste in clothes is fairly simple. Always in trousers or jeans, she favours tops to feel dressed up. In a Gucci blouse to stay casual, a timeless Yves Saint Laurent suit jacket: Emilia does not like frills. A cool beauty hiding a heart of sugar.
Rena Sindi, the Scheherazade of theme parties
Personal environment: Background
Is it difficult to live in the United States these days when you come from the Middle East? Not necessarily. Rena Sindi is the best example. She herself says it is hard for her to choose between “the music and spices of [her] childhood and the Western culture” she has adopted. Born in Baghdad, Rena Sindi spent her youth in the Persian Gulf before flying off to London and then New York, where she settled in 1991. For her, “the beauty of life is creating your own culture”. The daughter of Nemir Kirdar, founder of Investcorp, known for having bought and then sold Gucci and Saks Fifth Avenue, Rena remains discreet, or modest, about her family background. Married to a Saudi investor, she lives her American dream surrounded by her two daughters and their dog, Pfluffy, who never misses a chance to get noticed.
Professional path and Lifestyle
Rena Sindi has made her lifestyle a profession. The TV room has an astonishing feature. It is overflowing with books that are marked, dog-eared, worn. A pile of copies of the same book catches the eye. “Be my guest”: you are welcome. That is exactly the feeling you get on entering Rena’s home. Coffee, soft drinks, little cakes: this lady knows how to entertain, and she has made a profession of it. In more than ten years in Manhattan, she has become the queen of organised parties. From the choice of theme to the guest list, from the invitation to the decor, from the menu to the band, everything comes together to make the party a success. “Be My Guest” by Rena Sindi is the photo album, the synthesis, the credits of 14 parties carefully prepared by the hostess most celebrated by high society. The ideas vary enormously, from the Arabian Nights to the South American hacienda; the cultures, tastes and scents of each party are described so that readers can savour them and consider reproducing, with less pomp, the dishes and atmospheres presented.
Fashion as a way of life
Up for every party she is invited to, Rena Sindi plays a great deal with the contents of her wardrobe before going out. In jeans or very dressed up, she puts together her outfits in bold, cheerful colours, far from the respectable classicism. Always elegant, in carefully chosen jewellery and dresses, she believes that to be photographed by the press, you need a mix of taste, presence, energy and generosity. Honest about her charitable activities, she believes she has not yet found the cause that suits her completely. Rather than play the Good Samaritan, she prefers “to wait rather than pretend”. In the end, Rena Sindi sees herself in New York society as “a woman who knows how to do things and how to let it be known”, and that is what sets her apart.
Marissa Noël-Brown, pure joie de vivre
Personal environment: Background
Polyglot, multicultural, and simply polite. Marissa Noël Brown overflows with joy and good humour. Tall, slender, radiant, she plays the card of 100% naturalness. Or rather no, she is not playing; she is entirely natural, aware but pure. Her father comes from a family of financiers from Nashville, Tennessee, while her mother, of Swiss origin, was born in Brazil. Marissa herself has the rhythm of Rio and the fairness of the Midwest. In English, Spanish, Portuguese or French, she knows she is a lucky, wealthy girl on whom life smiles. A very new mother, she enjoys every moment of her new role. She grew up between the Connecticut countryside and the sirens of the Big Apple, but she has simply made the rhythm of life of high-society girls her own.
Professional path
The youngest in the family, surrounded by her three older sisters, she works with her mother importing children’s clothing. Between choosing the designs and manufacturing in Brazil, the years before her marriage and the birth of her son gave her a real professional apprenticeship. Still very young, Marissa now enjoys motherhood while keeping an eye on the business of the family’s women. The talent lies in knowing that this business is also one of her privileges: “This business is a bit like our bouquet of shrimp,” she says, “we don’t really need it, but it is what makes us fulfilled.” As soon as her son has grown up a little, she plans to dive back fully into the growth of this company.
Lifestyle/Fashion as a way of life
Marissa recently moved with her husband, Matt Brown, into their apartment/villa in the heart of TriBeCa. The contrast between the front door and the interior is astonishing. The transformation of this former factory into a family home is exemplary. On two levels, with a terrace worthy of the finest Californian houses, the villa gives off a warmth that is rare for a New York loft. As for holidays, they are rather complicated to organise. The four Noël sisters are scattered to the four corners of the globe. So, to get together for Thanksgiving or New Year, the tribe meets on the island of Mustique, in the Caribbean, or in Courchevel, to fit in with the school holidays of her nephews and nieces who live in Europe. “I am an epicurean; I enjoy every moment I am given to live,” she says wisely. She knows full well that what is happening to her cannot last, yet she starts to dream of one thing: “I would love to go to the Oscars ceremony once”, if her notoriety allowed it.
Marissa herself admits to being doubtful about what is happening to her: “All these designers, the attention, the photographers, it is only temporary; I am a girl of the moment, but I don’t know for how long.” Such lucidity is very refreshing.
Olivia Chantecaille, from the vineyard to mascara
Personal environment: Background
Her first and last names are very French, which is natural: Olivia Chantecaille takes after her family. Her parents, from Paris and Bordeaux, met in Manhattan. But having been born and raised here, Olivia is nevertheless the most New York of the women we portray. On her father’s side, the family owns a vineyard in Pessac, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, a Graves wine dating back to the 16th century. But it was far from the vineyard that Olivia grew up, in the urban atmosphere of the Big Apple. With her mother working at Estée Lauder, Olivia spent 20 years steeped in foundation and grape varieties. In perfect French, with a slight American accent, Olivia explains why she “feels privileged all the time”. She is the only one to have entered this world through the back door. “Neither daddy’s girl nor rich heiress, I created my own world all by myself,” she says with a broad, knowing smile.
Professional path
Her professional direction became clear when she decided with her mother to create their own cosmetics brand. She creates her products with particular attention to the choice of plants used. Her baby is her beauty line. Devoted body and soul to her company, she is delighted to set up her new offices on Broadway, south of Houston Street. Chantecaille the brand often uses Chantecaille the daughter to name its products. “Olivia in Bangkok, Olivia’s Palette…”: many palette collections are named this way, her little share of ego amid so much simplicity.
Lifestyle
“The world of beauty brings a glamorous side; that is no doubt what attracted the media.” Olivia does not explain the celebrity press’s sudden attention to her. She hopes it is her products that people like, but it is obvious that her beauty and elegance make the difference. From her studies in art history, she retains a strong interest in preserving the world’s heritage. Very involved in “Save Venice”, an organisation dedicated to safeguarding and restoring Venice, Olivia got noticed at events that were both charitable and social. Her success has not gone to her head: in her apartment east of SoHo, nothing ostentatious, furniture that is both modern and minimalist, shades of white dotted with floral colours. Her favourite restaurants are around her neighbourhood: the very trendy “Café Gitane” or the famous “Mercer Kitchen” frequently delight Miss Chantecaille’s palate.
Fashion as a way of life
In fashion, Olivia is very classic. In Dolce & Gabbana or Chanel, she feels very much at ease. Suits, evening gowns: everything suits her. Her model figure helps her choices, and she admits a particular fondness for Valentino’s coats and evening gowns. Her latest crush is Lars Nilsson for Nina Ricci. “I love everything he does,” she enthuses. A high-society girl with modest success. Refreshing.
Celerie Kemble, a decorator on political ground
Personal environment: Background
“Nothing like being able to grow up on a beach, running barefoot on the sand of Palm Beach.” It is from the top of her building south of Central Park that Celerie Kemble describes her family background. She seems to miss her childhood in Florida, without the stress and noise of Manhattan. Yet her terrace literally gives the impression of having the vast greenery of Central Park as a garden. Up here, scraping the sky, you hear the helicopters of the various TV channels and the police more than the traffic of Manhattan’s yellow cabs. “I love New York, the energy, the fashion, the culture, the people, but I also love the absence of all that”; that is why Celerie Kemble does not consider herself a local. “The day you become a New Yorker, you lose all the appetite this city can give you.” It is a real lesson in appreciating the city she adores.
Professional path
From her 100% American parents, from the worlds of finance and interior design, Celerie has kept both a precise business sense and a keen artistic touch. A true blend of grace and professional balance. An interior designer, she illustrates her profession as a culinary requirement: “It is as if someone told me they want a dish with tomatoes but hate cumin; it is up to me to cook them the best dish possible.” A rather simplistic metaphor for a Harvard graduate. But it works, and recently she created the “Celerie” label, a brand of designer fabrics and furniture for Lane Venture, a famous furniture brand in the United States.
Lifestyle
Her whims are not whims. It is a whole art. Above all, she loves to travel. A trip around the world could be within her reach, but she devours places. “My mother, my sister and I made a pact: to go away every summer, the three of us, just us girls, to a part of the world we know absolutely nothing about. Dining in the greatest restaurants, discovering new landscapes, just us girls...” Celerie’s eyes sparkle in anticipation at the idea of leaving very soon for Peru, after Ireland, Croatia or France, a return to Latin America, already discovered through Argentina a few years back. “You had better have only girls if you want to go on holiday with your children,” her mother told her, to preserve their summer escapes. Celerie smiles; she is already on holiday.
Fashion as a way of life
Celerie always finds an apt phrase. “My clothing style reflects, as for every woman, a personality, an individualism.” She feels as much at ease in Chanel as in Alvin Valley, in Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino as in Tuleh. But her guilty pleasure clearly leans towards Manolo Blahnik, the god of shoes in New York for all very “Sex and the City” girls…
Kathy Hilton, as seen on TV
Personal environment: Background
Certainly the most famous of the guests, Kathy Hilton is first and foremost from Los Angeles. The West Coast state of mind is very different, but her love for New York City “is eternal”. In 1979 she married her teenage sweetheart, Rick, heir to the Hilton empire. The young couple then decided to move to New York, where they stayed 6 years, long enough to bring into the world their two famous daughters, Paris and Nicky. Back in Los Angeles, two boys followed, Barron and Conrad. For a few years now, the whole family has divided its time between New York and Los Angeles. Kathy loves to highlight her role as a mother. She keeps a close protective watch over them, but does not judge her daughters’ professional choices. “They are both very intelligent. I am very proud of what they have done, even if I think it is a shame that the media do not highlight their work with charitable organisations more,” she stresses.
Professional path
Since the phenomenal success of Paris’s Simple Life, Kathy has been increasingly in demand. She has just signed a golden contract with NBC.
After the
daughter, the mother. Each with her own reality TV show. For Kathy, the focus will be on class and her talent as a career adviser. “We are going to be mentors to young men and women to help them transform their lives by opening doors for them, giving them the means to succeed.” For Paris it was “The Simple Life”; Kathy, for her part, will champion “a good life”. The show will be a sort of Apprentice,
launched last year by Donald Trump, with the art of living and the taste of a high-society lady on top. Her
outspokenness
will make
the difference. With the help of experts, Kathy Hilton will guide today’s youth towards “paths full of opportunities”. An expert eye on the careers of young newcomers.
Lifestyle
The Hiltons entertain in their apartments at the Waldorf-Astoria in the heart of Manhattan. The residential side, adjoining the hotel of the same name, is striking for its scale. In a very cosy setting, but far from the fashionable design of the new New York hotels, Kathy receives with professional distance within a warm welcome. The feeling is strange, but understandable given the status of the future star of American prime-time TV. Going from personality to celebrity is not always easy to handle. But she likes to put her popularity at the service of foundations such as the one dedicated to Rita Hayworth to fight Alzheimer’s disease.
Fashion as a way of life
Fashion is often at the centre of conversations and concerns in the family. Two top models on the front pages of the press: you couldn’t make it up. “Fashion is an exceptional form of personal expression,” Kathy Hilton likes to say. In Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana or Gucci, “many designers inspire me”. Michael Kors and Versace are also among her favourites. But Kathy does not see herself as materialistic; for her, beyond possessions, “at the end of the journey, fame is more important than all the goods in the world”. Nothing like a TV show to get there.