ART DIRECTOR
DAVID GARGIULO
PHOTOGRAPHY
KEVIN SINCLAIR
It's heating up, and New Yorkers have packed away their winter assembles to don summer's latest trends.
While Manhattan remains the city's epicenter, Brooklyn has seen an explosion in popularity in the last decade with the rapid rise of areas like Williamsburgh and Bushwick. Following suit, Prospect Heights, with Vanderbilt Avenue at its center, pullulates with craft cocktail bars and hip eateries.
The penthouse at 550 Vanderbilt, the tallest tower in the neighborhood with a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and historical Brooklyn, was the perfect location for a party to celebrate the publication of Vestal's eighth Collector's Edition. The party was born as a collaboration between property developer Gene DuBrovin, art dealer Suhayb Zarroug, and Vestal. The goal was to create an unexpected, unique, and memorable experience for our guests, so invites were intentionally vague in the details. Little did the invitees know that they'd find themselves as the subjects of Vestal's latest editorial piece. Contemporary paintings by Ricky Silverspoon decorated the walls, and club music radiated the atmosphere for guests to let go. Others took in the gorgeous view overlooking Brooklyn and the Manhattan skyline on the luxury-designed balcony sipping cocktails. At times, the room would light up as photographer Kevin Sinclair captured an engaging group dynamic, a jaunty burst of personality, or a solo pensive moment on his white seamless backdrop paper. The crowd had plenty of energy and character, transforming the experimental event into a surprising moment we had to publish!
Location space provided by GREENLAND USA 550 Vanderbilt listing by Ryan Serhant.
Peter Stack, Andrew Puopolo, and Jamin Jamming
Gene Dubrovin (Vice President at Greeland USA)
How did you get into building development?
It was a natural progression for me. I spent ten years doing leasing, sales, and marketing as a third-party to developers in NYC in the early 2000s right into and post-Lehman Bro’s collapse. What we know today in marketing didn’t exist back then; neither did portals like StreetEasy nor social outlets! After Lehman, it felt like a punch in the face because development accounts pulled back significantly, and there was a severe lull in getting jobs with developers. So I slowly began making my way into the development end of the business. Development as a whole was changing, and I wanted to be a part of that. Coming from a family of real estate investors, I began to dabble in investing to offset income during the financial crisis. In that process, I have owned probably dozens of properties over the years, buying, moving, then selling in less than a year, living in all areas of Manhattan, UES, Chelsea, Midtown, and NoMad. Living through those processes in various new developments taught me much about what to look for in new buildings. Seven years ago, I joined Greenland US Holdings as VP of Pacific Park Brooklyn development and never looked back.
Why did you host the event?
A good friend of mine, Suhayb Zarroug, introduced me to Vestal. Suh earned legend status with me about four years ago when I met him at one of his events on Crosby Street in SOHO. I’m not even kidding you; this thing was insane in the best way possible! It had the most eclectic crowd, music, vibe, art, ambiance, and catering, and I’ve been to some parties in my day! [laughs]. So when he came to me, I was an immediate yes before he even opened his mouth! Suh looped in the publishers, Kevin and David of Vestal Magazine, to see if we could collaborate on something at our last available and unsold Penthouse unit at 550 Vanderbilt. My CEO at Greenland and I have always supported the arts and wanted to do something art-related. And so here we are, and it was amazing! This particular Penthouse lends itself naturally to exhibiting wall art due to the abundance of natural indirect light, high ceilings, and open views. I was impressed with Vestal and the publishers when we started the conversation on the planning - really top shelf people!
What was your favorite part of the event?
Gene Dubrovin
My favorite part of the event was seeing the smiles on people’s faces; the guests seemed to really enjoy themselves! We have all gone through some challenging times in the past two-plus years. Sadly, many have not emerged on the other side of this, and that’s heartbreaking. But for those who have, we all need to reflect, remember the great many who have sacrificed a lot, and hopefully, as a society, we can come together, love one another, and support those closest to us. For me, this event reflected these values. We all came together to share laughs, drinks, and have a good time!
Peter Stack, Andrew Puopolo, and Jamin Jamming. Left: Nicolina Delgadillo
Trey Reynolds
Trey Reynolds
Francis Delacroix
Peter Stack
Lexie Fries and Nicolette Weinbaum
Lexie Fries
Lexie Fries and Kevin Sinclair
Lucas Lovejoy and Karren Atakora
Suhayb Ibn Zarroug and Gene Dubrovin
Spencer Allyn
Kelly Carcich
Francis Delacroix and Abigail Luther
Karren Atakora and Clara Atakora
Clara Atakora
Peter Stack and Andrew Puopolo
Peter Stack
Catherine Grace
Ed Carl Clark-Ayers, Catherine Grace, and Freddie Leiba
Karren Atakora, Gene Dubrovin, and Clara Atakora
Lauren Ascher
(above) Feryel Cheroot (right) Francis Delacroix and Abigail Luther
Piotr Williams
Piotr Williams and Suhayb Ibn Zarroug
Suhayb Zarroug (Art Dealer)
How is the life of an art dealer?
No two days are the same. At the age of 20, I sold my first artwork by Yonia Fain, that now hangs in the Rockefellers guest house. Throughout my career, I have sold countless private bluechip contemporary works. It’s exciting to work with amazing artists, photographers, and collectors. When I am in a collector’s home viewing a Basquiat, Miro, Rothko, or Haring, I listen to the collector talk about the artist. It is a rare and humbling experience that makes you feel like you are part of the history of the work. So I get off on creating those same moments for the collectors. There are many unsavory dealers out there, and I pride myself on being transparent and focusing on the long-term relationship with collectors and artists.
Who are your favorite artists?
Robert Rauschenberg, Dustin Yellin, Schiele, Francis Bacon, Michael Hafftka, Ed Ruscha, Amoako Boafo
What projects are you currently working on?
I’ve been working on a historic photography NFT project with my partners Randy Friedberg and Franco Valentino. Randy is a well-known intellectual property and entertainment lawyer, whereas Franco is the CEO of Narrative SEO. The project is based on photos Hank O’Neal took of Warhol in his studio. I will also be doing a photography pop-up during Art Basel 2022.
Why did you decide to partner with Vestal for this event?
I’ve always loved doing unique collaborations with creative friends. Kevin and I worked together previously, and it was always fun. David, Kevin, and I fleshed out the concept for this event. We wanted to do something different, creative, and fun. That's how we thought about dropping the guests into a photoshoot where they become the subjects of an editorial.
Andrew Puopolo, Tara Taghizadeh, and Anna Goudis
Anna Goudis
Photography Kevin Sinclair, Creative Director David Gargiulo, Host Anna Goudis, Production Suhayb Ibn M Zarroug