Haute Living Los Angeles Jan/Feb 2012
Haute 100 New York Update: Alex Rodriguez
by Margo Richardson

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. Alex Rodriguez’s baseball season may have ended for the year but his party season has just begun.

Alex Rodriguez

Category: Athletes

Company: New York Yankees

Industry: Sports

What Made Him Haute: The highest paid Yankee is also the highest paid professional baseball player in history.

What Makes Him Haute Now: When you are paid as much as A-Rod is for his athleticism, you party the right way. A-Rod attended the opening of Miami’s newest nightclub, Arkadia, located in the Fountainbleau Hotel on Miami Beach. The club opened last Saturday night and Rodriguez partied until 1 a.m.  LeBron James and La Poire Grey Goose Vodka kept A-Rod company for the night.

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Oct 29, 2010 12:00 PM
Haute Secrets Las Vegas: Amazing Johnathan

Haute Secrets Las Vegas

Amazing Johnathan

The stats: Born in Detroit; in Vegas for 10 years; currently lives in The Fountains in Green Valley.

Occupation: Comedy God

Best aspect of Las Vegas: I drive to work instead of fly. Everything’s open late. Houses are cheap and lovely.

Halloween is the perfect time of year to find out a little more about Amazing Johnathan, the comedic magician who puts together a private haunted house every year around this time. And he claims this one will be his last.

Amazing Johnathan is known as the Freddy Krueger of Comedy and has appeared on Comedy Central, “The Aristocrats” and “The Late Show with David Letterman.” He appears five nights a week at the Harmon Theater at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort.

Find out Amazing Johnathan’s favorite places in Las Vegas in our favorite Haute Secrets.

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Oct 29, 2010 12:00 PM
Haute 100 San Francisco Update: George Roberts

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—MiamiNew YorkLos Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. Check back daily for more info on the most powerful people in your city. With more than $54 billion in assets under management, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., co-founded by George Roberts, is bolstering its firm with new hires and partnerships.

George Roberts

Category: Billionaires

Company: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Industry: Finance

What Made Him Haute: Roberts is one of the three original partners of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., where he amassed a net worth that ranks him among the wealthiest in the world. In 1989, Roberts led one of the most famous leverage buyouts in the takeover of RJR Nabisco. His involvement in the deal was profiled in the novel and movie Barbarians at the Gate.

What Makes Him Haute Now: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. has hired nine proprietary traders set to begin in January 2011, from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) for an equities unit, led by Bob Howard, that will invest client capital. In launching the group’s first long-short equity hedge fund, KKR is further immersed in stock trading and expanding its asset-management arm.

“This is part of a strategic build out of our asset management platform,” Roberts and Henry Kravis, KKR co-founders, said. “Our goal has been to add new capabilities and exceptional talent that allow us to strengthen our product offering and better service our clients. Bob and his team will be an ideal fit for that objective as we’ve been impressed with their investment experience and performance as well as their ability to manage risk.”

This is Robert’s second connection to Goldman Sachs this year, following the KKR co-founder’s marriage to Goldman Sachs investment banker Linnea Conrad in May.

The private equity firm is also extending its oil and gas strategy, marked by a recently formed partnership with RPM Energy LLC, a privately owned oil and gas exploration and development company, to invest in energy exploration and production. Earlier this month, KKR acquired Chevron’s 23.44 percent minority stake in the Colonial Pipeline Company in partnership with the National Pension Service of Korea. As KKR diversifies its holdings, news has it that KKR is planning an offer for ING Groep NV’s global real estate investment unit. KKR began trading publicly on the New York Stock Exchange in July.

Roberts’ private charity, Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF), that he started in 1990 and opened to outside funders nearly a decade ago, received a $3 million, two-year grant from the federal government in July, and will inaugurate its first capital campaign in 2011 to fund a national expansion.

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Oct 29, 2010 12:00 PM
Hillsboro Beach Oceanfront Estate Listed for $39.95 Million
by HauteLiving

Innovative design elevates a sophisticated living environment to a work of art in this sensational Ocean-to-Intracoastal domain on the Hillsboro Mile. Utterly unique and lyrically compelling, this sublime residence reigns in a tropical haven sweeping from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway, contrasting its pure white forms in profound harmony with verdant foliage and cerulean water and sky. This tour de force featured in Architectural Digest (May, 2005) was designed by internationally renowned Legoretta + Legoretta with interiors by Chicago-based Gregga Jordan Smieszny, complemented by masterful layered gardens by landscape architect Fernando Caruncho.

Offered @ $39,950,000

Contact Gerard Ligouri, Carmen D’Angelo Jr., and Joseph Liguori @ 561.394.7700. Or visit www.premierestateproperties.com.

Oct 29, 2010 11:00 AM
Halloween Club Haunts

If sexy witches and naughty nurses are your type of Halloween haunt, clubbing your way through Halloween may be just the thing for you.  Here are your best bets for an unforgettable Halloween weekend.

Saint

Saint has every Halloween club cliché covered all under one roof for Friday, October 29th: Take your pick from the Cops & Robbers Room, the Nurses & Doctors Room or the Pimps and Ho’s Room to get your fill of any excuse to be sexy club thumping action.

Location: 90 Exeter St., Back Bay Boston saintboston.com Get your tickets at 781.962.6217

Gypsy Bar

Gypsy Bar is offering up two nights of Halloween revelry. On the heels of having Bob Sinclar, arguably one of the best DJs in the world, in for their 6th Anniversary two weeks ago Gypsy doesn’t take a break with the greatest mash-up DJ in the states – DJ Vice on Friday, October 29th for their Halloween Bash.  They follow this up on Saturday, October 31st with a Costume Contest for $500 cash.

Location: 116 Boylston St., Theater District, Boston 617.482.7799 gypsybarboston.com Get your DJ Vice advanced tickets at djvice.eventbrite.com. Saturday night tickets are available at the door on the night of the event.

Umbria

How can you turn down an event called the Zombie Rockstars Halloween?  Umbria asks guests to dress to kill for this night of the living dead horror scene complete with a costume contest that could award you will a Brazilian Keratin treatment or a haircut from celebrity hairstylist Sandy Poirier of Shag Salon. The event takes place Sunday, October 30th and features a Svedka VIP area for ticket holders. Despite the name, this place will be anything but dead.

Location: 295 Franklin St., Financial District, Boston 617.338.1000 umbriaprime.com. Get your advanced tickets at zombierockstars.eventbrite.com.

M Bar

Get stunned by the complimentary Hpnotiq Halloween themed drink at the lush M Bar inside the Mandarin Oriental this Saturday night from 9 to midnight. Dj Backspin will provide the tunes, Wicked Sweet Bakery will bring in the treats and costumed revelers are welcome.  Or, if you just don’t roll that way, come as your swanky self and they will still let you party with the ghouls and fools.

Location: 776 Boylston St. at the Mandarin Oriental, Back Bay, Boston 617.535.8800 mandarinoriental.com/boston. No cover charge.

Oct 29, 2010 10:21 AM
Sophisticated East Hampton Estate Listed for $8.5 Million by Beate Moore
by HauteLiving

Sleek and sophisticated, cutting edge modernist home with 5,800 +/- sf of living space on private, mature 1+/- acre property in the heart of the Georgica Estate Area of East Hampton Village. Recently renovated and expanded with new great room, master bedroom wing and new guest quarters designed by Manhattan-based Form Architecture + Interiors. Floor to ceiling windows throughout that bring the outdoors in, double-height living room, formal dining, professional kitchen with sitting area with fireplace, office, den, 6 bedrooms including stylish master suite plus staff bedroom. Multiple decks and balconies, broad lawns and mature trees, 47′ gunite pool.

Offered @ $8,500,000

Contact Beate Moore @ 631.537.6000 or Beate.Moore@sothebyshomes.com. Or visit www.sothebyshomes.com.

Oct 29, 2010 10:00 AM
Beate Moore Presents Luxurious Hampton Estate for $7,995,000
by HauteLiving

On premiere lane, beautifully executed new 8,000 +/- sf. 6 bedroom traditional blends highest quality construction with superb interior and landscape design to produce a magnificent estate with every amenity thoughtfully integrated. Six bedrooms, 7 full/2 half baths, gracious living room with one of five masonry fireplaces, formal dining room, exceptional professional eat-in kitchen with full seating area, den, sunroom, gym and spa facilities, state-of-the-art home theater and audio visual systems. Magnificently landscaped 1.1 +/- acre with gunite pool.

Offered @ $7,995,000

Contact Beate Moore @ 516.527.7868 or Beate.Moore@sothebyshomes.com. Or visit www.sothebyshomes.com.

Oct 29, 2010 10:00 AM
Michael Douglas on the Cover of Haute Living New York – The Full Issue Now Online!

As the star of blockbuster films like Wall Street and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, it is only natural that we would ask Michael Douglas to be the face of this month’s Wall Street issue. Click here to read our feature article, “Hollywood’s Wall Street Icon” to learn about Douglas’ recent films, his current health situation, and what he has planned for the future.

You can also find the article “Hope Floats,” an exclusive interview with Denise Rich, who discusses the Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research and its annual benefit, the Angel Ball.

Feeling fashionable? You can view this month’s new fashion spread, “Across the Universe” or our new Haute Living Trend Reports, which give you the latest in the worlds of men’s and women’s fashion, jewelry, beauty, and interior design, providing a journey through the most relevant trends across all boundaries.

Also in this issue:

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Oct 29, 2010 9:52 AM
Conversation Piece
by Chan Tran Huth

People have great conversations about books, music, poetry, and art, but seldom does a dialogue about a piece of jewelry last very long. That is unless you’ve seen what Alex Sepkus can do. A piece from the Alex Sepkus jewelry collection speaks volumes of his intricate craftsmanship and novelty.

“In the jewelry industry, there is always someone who comes along every 30 to 40 years to dynamically change the category,” says Jeffrey Feero, Spekus’ business partner and a veteran in the industry. “Alex is the one.”

Up until 1988, Sepkus lived in the harsh economic climate of Soviet Communist-reigning Lithuania. The lack of availability of raw materials obliged the jewelry maker to work in steel, agate, silver, copper, ivory, and enamel. Without the opportunity to work in traditional gold, Sepkus never learned traditional jewelry-making techniques.

However, using what he had, Sepkus learned how to manipulate the metals and work with very small pieces. His techniques are simple—few tools and carving wax or metal. But his execution is complex. He carves, engraves, and hammers with utmost precision and design under a microscope.

After gaining recognition in his home country with pieces displayed in museums in Vilnius and Moscow, Sepkus immigrated to the United States. In 1991, he met Feero, started a small workshop, and thus the Alex Sepkus collection was born. His signature metals are now 18 karat gold and platinum.

Sepkus’ style of jewelry making is often referred to as being “half painting” and “half sculpture.” He creates delicate details and meticulous lines that wrap, twist, dot, and circle around tiny gems and statement stones to shape a pendant necklace, hard metal bracelet, earring, or epic cocktail ring. Unlike the too-basic, modernized hardware of today’s jewelry, the Alex Sepkus collection is sophisticated with an antique feeling. His pieces epitomize the expression, “labor of love.” In fact, Sepkus is even known to spend several days carving a square inch of surface until it becomes a perfect mosaic.

“Alex Sepkus offers people a chance to buy a level of jewelry that other jewelers can’t make,” says Feero, who predicts that Sepkus’ timeless collection will be fought over at art houses long past his time. “His work has lasting strength. It’s the fine estate jewelry of the future.”

The great craftsman equates designing a piece of jewelry to writing a book. Study the stones, grooves, irregularities, circles, and squares, and you’ll agree. There’s a story in every piece.

All Alex Sepkus jewelry is handcrafted in his New York City studio. His work is carried AT Bergdorf Goodman, Fragments, DVVS Fine Jewelry, and The Clay Pot. For more information, go to www.alexsepkus.com.

Oct 29, 2010 9:35 AM
Calvisius Caviar
by Haute Living

There is no question that Italy’s traditions surrounding food and wine are countless—but historically, caviar has been left to the Russians. Little do most people know that Italy is rich with “black gold”; the Ticino River is a secret source of top-grade sturgeon caviar. But the secret is spreading as Europe’s most recognized and voluminous producer, Calvisius, proves that Italy’s sustainably farmed caviar is a true royal experience.

Most easily found at their ultra-chic lounge in the ground floor of New York City’s Four Seasons hotel, Calvisius is the top choice caviar for acclaimed chefs like Eric Ripert and Michael White. Its taste and quality are unlike any other, as Calvisus is both farmer and producer—not like your typical merchant who must go through several middlemen. With a sustainable aquaculture farm called Agroittica Lombarda, located in the Brescian lowlands of Calvisano, Italy, Calvisius has direct control over every aspect of its fish and their eventual product.

From the natural spring water they swim in to the optimized, exclusive feed they’re given, every aspect of Calvisius caviar is controlled for their utmost wellbeing. The roe they yield is the purest, most clean-flavored product on the market, free of contaminants or water pollution. Agroittica’s perfect conditions allow the caviar harvest to extend through most of the year, resulting in a smaller shelf life and, therefore, a true malossol (low-salt) product with a more delicate, true flavor. Furthermore, each tin of caviar is properly labeled so that it can be traced to the exact sturgeon it hails from, giving Calvisius a comprehensive understanding of each batch’s freshness, provenance, species type, and so on.

With over 25 years of caviar production under their belt, Calvisius is still a young company—their sturgeon are allowed to mature for at least 12 years before harvesting—but already, their caviar has been hailed as Europe’s best and most sustainable by a variety of culinary and environmental organizations. In addition, Agroittica has garnered the top accolades and certifications in the field, including the ISO 9001, the IFS, and the BRC.

The proof is in the tin: Calvisius’ white sturgeon malossol, their best seller, features large dark gray pearls whose unmistakably mild, nutty taste reveals the purity and delicacy associated with only the best. It pops and melts on the tongue, hardly salty at all—a surprise for those unfamiliar with caviar of this quality. Even more prized, perhaps, is their classic oscietra, almost clear with an amber-like translucence. Its aroma is more intense, the texture taut and firm, literally exploding on the tongue and yielding the unadulterated flavors that caviar enthusiasts seek out almost religiously.  In a side-by-side comparison with wild caviar, there’s no doubt that the pristine waters and feed of the farmed variety make it the cleaner tasting, more esteemed choice across the board.

To experience these ocean gems, there’s nothing quite like the swanky year-old Calvisius lounge at the Four Seasons—the first and only of its kind. The space, designed by renowned architect James D’Auria, is anchored by a beautiful backlit display of Calvisius’ signature items—any of which can be enjoyed at the white onyx bar with a glass of champagne or, just as easily, taken to go.

For novices developing their caviar palates, Calvisius offers tasting flights called “solamente,” seven-gram portions with all the necessary accoutrements for extensive tasting. The beverage list—a comprehensive menu with the most high-end names in Champagne and vodka—gives ample choices for diners to find the perfect pairing for their chic culinary experience. Calvisius also sells their caviar worldwide through their e-commerce site, www.calvisiuscaviar.com. Its direct-to-farmer relationship ensures freshness and quality control.

Calvisius Caviar Lounge is located at 58 East 58 St., New York, in the ground level of the Four Seasons Hotel. It is open from 12-9 p.m. daily, with availability for private gatherings and parties.

Oct 29, 2010 9:33 AM
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