History Lesson
History Lesson
Jenné Lombardo
20 Questions for a Fashion Mastermind
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Global Issue
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Global Issue: Editor’s Letter
Editor’s Letter
John Fraser
The Michelin-starred chef has a story to tell you through his cooking
Pundy’s Picks for Conscious Travel
Six tips for considered and conscious travel
Genmaicha Martini Recipe
The classic martini plus the health benefits of green tea
The Spread Love Project by Nicholas Konert
How Nicholas Konert’s rainbow heart design became an international icon
Wade Davis
Anthropology is the antidote to today’s nativism says the scholar and author
Carla Sozzani
The future of retail according to the founder of legendary concept store 10 Corso Como
The Art of Migration
The power of art to inspire empathy and social action
John Pawson
Zen Buddhism and minimalist purity drive the celebrated architect
Amy Duncan
As the CBD line Mowellens expands into skincare, its founder shares the personal story behind her company
Sila Sveta
Moscow’s favorite media studio finds the perfect balance between art and commerce
David de Rothschild
In his calls for environmental awareness, the modern explorer finds harmony between man and nature
Can Fashion Be Sustainable?
Shaping a better world through what you buy – or don’t
Brendon Babenzian
Supreme’s former creative director wants to end the cycle of consumption with his new brand Noah
Lily Kwong
Nature invades the urban jungle in the landscape designer’s expansive projects
House of Yes
Behind the scenes with the Bushwick nightlife collective promoting inclusivity and consent culture
Vivie-Ann Bakos
DJ Extraordinaire
Chez Dede
A medium in which two world-traveling, adventurous spirits absorb the globe’s vast curiosities and share them freely
Jesse Israel
A meditation guide for extraordinarily large groups
Liya Kebede
The Ethopian model, activist, and entrepreneur uses her label Lemlem as a force for change
Surprise
History Lesson
Metropolitan Life Building, NYC, 1911. Photo: Irving Underhill
F YOU’RE STANDING AT 5 MADISON AVE staring straight up, it’s easy to see why New York City is the place to dream big. When it was built in 1909 as the Metropolitan Life Building, 5 Madison Ave eclipsed the city’s skyline as the tallest building and the highest timepiece in the world—a glory that lasted four years until the Woolworth Building wiggled its way upwards with seven more floors. Architect Napoleon LeBrun looked to Venice, Italy when envisioning this striking piece of Renaissance revival architecture, taking cues from the iconic Campanile building. And just like the Campanile is capped with gold, 5 Madison Ave has a gilded cupola at its top: an “eternal light” that stays illuminated even when the building’s other lights have gone to sleep for the night.
Unlike its Italian counterpart, however, the landmarked tower watches over mid-
Manhattan with a timepiece so extraordinary that novels have been written about it. e four-sided clock’s faces are a whopping 26.5 feet in diameter, and each of its numbers are an impressive four feet high.
Unusual for NYC, the skyscraper has only changed owners three times in its long life. As the new home to the New York EDITION Hotel, it’s as brilliant as ever with 273 guest rooms and a “gold bar” (where you’ll find us). It’s buildings like this that make New York City grand, and—just like LeBrun did—remind us to dream big.
1 → Best people-watching spot:
In front of my house on Lafayette between Spring and Kenmare.
2 → Favorite NYC slang or saying:
Ha ha – these change by the day.
3 → Best time of day:
7 am and midnight.
4 → Brooklyn or Manhattan:
Both.
5 → Best thing about NYC:
The people. The energy. The access.
6 → Best thing about leaving NYC:
Getting to come back.
7 → What does NYC need more of:
Affordable living for the creative class.
8 → Less of:
Selfie Sticks.
9 → Best place to bring the kids:
LES Skatepark.
10 → Favorite NYC spa:
Spazio on Mott St. and the Russian baths on Wall St.
11 → Deli coffee or anything but:
Anything but. I am not laid back when it comes to good coffee.
12 → Favorite NYC food:
Sant Ambroeus on Lafayette, The Smile, Takahachi, Lovely Day…any place within walking distance.
13 → Best place to workout:
NW STUDIO with Nicole Winhoffer.
14 → Favorite fashion week activity:
Finishing!
15 → Favorite NYC-centric website:
Hypebeast and Complex.
16 → Train, cab, Uber, or other:
All except for train.
17 → NYC vice:
Uber, Nails, 24-hour delivery, puppy watching, and riding my bike.
18 → Favorite NYC legend:
Lyor Cohen. A legend in every way.
19 → Best outside-of- the-city escape:
Upstate and Montauk.
20 → Favorite DJ:
Just one? Jesse Marco,Venus X,Chelsea Leyland,Virgil Abloh,Chances with Wolves.
Art & Culture,
Personalities
Issue 3
