What Hundreds of Art-World VIPs Wore to TEFAF New York
Sometimes, a place that draws a specific kind of crowd — from a sample sale to an office lunch spot — can yield a wealth of shopping intel. What are these like-minded people all into right now? What sneakers are they wearing? What is that pants brand? For this edition of “People Watching,” we talked to dozens of people at the collectors’ preview for TEFAF New York, the European Fine Art Foundation’s annual art fair held at the Park Avenue Armory.
Of all the New York art fairs overlapping in May, TEFAF New York is considered the most high-end, with 88 galleries and dealers from 14 countries showing some of the most well-known and sought-after works of art and design in the world. The fair, which is happening at the same time as the Independent Art Fair, Frieze, and NADA, is open to the public from May 15 to May 19. But most of the buying and selling was done beforehand at the collectors’ preview on May 14, where art-world VIPs got a chance to admire hundreds of masterpieces by blue-chip artists in a relatively intimate setting with Champagne, passed hors d’oeuvres, and, as I found out upon arriving, fresh raw oysters shucked by hand and dressed to order.
I spent a little over four hours watching gallerists, artists, collectors, and art advisers circulate the two floors of the Armory, stopping people whenever I noticed a cool bag, an interesting pair of sneakers, an expensive-looking suit, a sculptural skirt, or a flash of brightly colored silk. Here’s what I saw:
Like the art, the fashion was a high-end smorgasbord
There is a huge variety of artwork and design objects from all different eras on view at TEFAF, including furniture made by both Le Corbusier and Tom Sachs; paintings by Delacroix, Andy Warhol, Helen Frankenthaler, and Cecily Brown; and a mix of fine jewelry made by artists (Keith Haring, Alexander Calder, and Niki De Saint Phalle) as well as newer pieces, like a necklace made by designer Ana Khouri featuring a 30-carat natural diamond. Unsurprisingly, the fashion on view was equally ecletic; there were as many people wearing sneakers as there were guests in designer heels.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Issey Miyake was a favorite for men and women
I saw two different men wearing matching Issey Miyake pants and blazers. Max Dolgicer is an art collector and an avid Issey Miyake collector who told me he keeps in constant communication with the stores around the world on WhatsApp. “I haven’t been to Japan in a while, but I’m told that it’s half the price there; I’m also told it sells instantly,” he says.
“My wife has a closet full of Issey Miyake, and I always buy a few pieces when I’m with her,” Lincoln told me. “We travel a great deal, and the Issey stuff works really beautifully everywhere we go,” he says.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
I noticed at least four different women wearing either Issey Miyake tops or dresses, like this burgundy robe-style coat/dress with fluttery wrist details.
And I clocked two different women carrying white geometric Issey Miyake Bao Bao bags: the tote version and a drawstring one that just became available in New York at the newly opened Issey Miyake Soho store.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Thom Browne was almost as popular
Several people were wearing head-to-toe Thom Browne, like the visitor on the left, and I spotted two different women carrying the designer’s leather dog-shaped purse.
New! You can now save this product for later.
I kept seeing bubblegum pink
Barbie’s favorite color kept popping up, from this hot-pink suede Chanel purse to a Dior houndstooth suit paired with Miu Miu heeled loafers.
I spent a lot of time eyeing designer heels
My favorite outfit of the night was all red with bits of orange and purple worn by a collector named Cathy Paul. I especially loved Paul’s red patent-leather Prada kitten heels and red stockings she says she got at Zitomer. “I work at a shop on Madison Avenue, and I like to go to all the shows. I’m not an artist, but I buy as much art as I can. The first night here is amazing, because you don’t know whether to look at the people or the art,” Paul says.
And got a kick out of all the colorful sneakers paired with suits
I saw a ton of men wearing bright sneakers with suits, but Paris-based art adviser Sacha Zerbib’s combination was particularly fun. “I was thinking it was gonna rain today, and I like to do the opposite of wearing dark colors when it rains. I like to be bright. So I decided to go for some kind of a summer style,” he says. His suit jacket is Ralph Lauren. His pants are Officine Générale. His shoes are Nike paired with our Best in Class socks pick from Uniqlo.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Nike Zoom Vomero 5
New! You can now save this product for later.
The canvas tote bags were cheeky
In addition to the Tracey Emin exhibition tote carried by Dolgicer above, I saw lots of fun and funny canvas tote bags, including this one that stopped me in my tracks. It turned out to be well-placed merch for a podcast. “You can’t split art down the middle in your divorce,” says host Lilli Donahue. “This bag is my greatest advertising, especially when I fly into Palm Beach. Every single time, I get asked, ‘Are you a lawyer?’ No, but I have a bunch of great lawyers to connect you to.”
Artists kept it casual
Painter Federico de Francesco came to the fair straight from his studio wearing a salmon-pink Champion sweatshirt that I thought was vintage but he says he got recently on clearance.
Gallerists and dealers dressed up but let the art stand out
The folks at British gallery Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert were dressed in standard but elevated art-fair fare. “I’m wearing a Paul Smith suit and belt and Grant Stone loafers. My socks are … I can never remember the name of the company, the ones Wes Anderson and the Pope wear from Rome,” says sales director Louis Kasmin.
“I’m wearing a velvet suit that’s a little bit warm. But I thought the weather was gonna be cold today. And I’ve got a Simone Rocha hair clip, which is green to match,” Olivia Patteson-Knight says.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Gallerist Ginger Wang, of AWL Gallery, wore mostly black but kept it interesting with an oversize men’s All Saints moto jacket and a sheer dress she got at Bloomingdale’s that she layered over Zara jeans. “It’s a long day, and I’m out all day going to fairs, then going to a sit-down dinner, so it had to check all the boxes,” she said of her outfit.
New! You can now save this product for later.
While others matched it
Gallery director Trang Tran chose her Maison Margiela Tabis for comfort because “they’re low enough to withstand a 12-hour day,” and a Comme des Garçons skirt with holes in it to match the holes in the Tom Sachs furniture she is showing at Salon 94’s booth. Art adviser Spring McManus flew up from Miami with her assistant Juliet Lloyd for the fair. She chose this yellow fringed Simon Miller skirt because it worked well when she was recently visiting the Venice Biennale and is fun to walk in.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
When I talked to AV Marc about her mostly vintage ensemble, she had a handful of other admirers taking her picture too. “I just looked in my closet and put something together,” she said.
More From The Strategist
- Ask a Picky Guy: Stain-Hiding Duds for Dads
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
- Hark, the Advent Calendars Arrived (Very) Early This Year
- 63 Things You Should Never Buy Full Price
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
