Sasha Barrese

Sasha Barrese

The stunning and down-to-earth model and actress, Sasha Barrese, recently graced our TV screens as a guest on the CW Network’s ‘Supernatural’. She’s a rising star with a passion for theatre. Here she tells ASW about her upcoming TV projects and her obsession with music and… well… chess!

Q. How and when did you become a member of ASW?
Sasha Barrese : I became a member around three years ago. I’ve known Erik, the founder, since I was little. ASW was much smaller at the time. I thought it was a really great idea.

Q. How do you use ASW and what’s your favorite site feature?
SB: I use it to stay in touch with friends from out of town. I also look up cities I am traveling to for work; recommendations for hotels, restaurants and art shows.

Q. Tell us about your latest role on ‘Supernatural’.
SB: The episode [called ‘Sin City’] aired on the CW network on October 25th at 9pm. The part of Casey was written for me so it was really great. We shot the show in Vancouver, Canada – a very beautiful city. The reviews just came in and they were amazing. I won’t be back on that show but I will be working with the producer, Robert Singer, and the director, Charles Beeson, again soon.

Q. Your first acting role was an appearance on American Pie. What was it like to be a part of a cult American comedy film?
SB: I was very surprised it became such a huge hit. I was a junior in high school when I shot it. I was home on a break from boarding school. The movie was released just after I graduated. Doing that part opened a lot of doors for me, work-wise. I still get stopped by people all the time for it! I guess some people have seen it a hundred times. As for a funny American Pie story… right after it came out I was at an audition. I was looking down in the waiting room reading my lines to myself. This guy next to me says "Hey, weren't you in American Pie?" It was the first time I'd been recognized by someone I didn't know. I looked up beaming and said, "Yes! Wow you must be a big fan of the movie!" (My part is small in it.) And then I realized who he was. It was Sean William Scott – one of the stars of American Pie! He played Stiffler. I blushed the deepest shade of red I could go and said, "But you would be because you’re in it. Arghhhh." Stuff like that happens to me a lot.

Q. You lived in Paris until you were four. What do you remember of growing up there?
SB: Paris is a fantastic place for a child. I go back all the time. When I have a job lined up in the fall, I go to the south of France in the summer.

Sasha Barrese and her mother, Katherine Barrese

Q. What has been your favorite role and why?
SB: I did two plays in Los Angeles that have been my favorite roles: ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ and ‘The Dutchman’. The characters are so well written. A good play feels like swimming down to the deepest part of the ocean. I also loved my character on ‘Supernatural’. It reminds me of my role in ‘The Dutchman’.

Q. What’s your next big project going to be?
SB: I will probably go back on ‘Carpoolers’, a new comedy on ABC, sometime soon. Pilot season is starting early this year because of the writers strike coming up. There are some amazing pilot scripts out there. Brett Ratner is doing a fantastic show called ‘Blue Blood’. I am waiting to hear on that part. I am also trying to secure the rights to a favorite book of mine for adaptation into a screenplay.

Q. Are there any actresses or models from which you would say you draw inspiration?
SB: Yes. For me it’s more about the specific parts they played. Joan Allen – she was in The Contender, which I think is a perfect film; Jane Fonda in Klute; Eva Green in The Dreamers; Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Naomi Watts in Mulholland Drive.

Q. What makes you happiest?
SB: Seeing a great film. I just saw Michael Clayton in the theatres. I went back the next day and saw it again! I cried because it was so perfect.

Q. Where is your favorite travel destination?
SB: New York. I love to go see plays there.

Q. What is your greatest vice?
SB: Playing chess. I play two hours a day. I should cut back but I’m hooked.

Q. What is your favorite restaurant?
SB: I like the little diner underground at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The food is simple and the waitresses are cool.

Q. What is your favorite museum or gallery?
SB: The New Image Art Gallery on Santa Monica Boulevard. Marcia, the owner, has a great eye for new talent. I also love the Moca in downtown Los Angeles.

Q. What is your favorite beach?
SB: In the movie Contact, Jodi Foster’s character goes to a beach in her mind. The sand is made up of all the stars in the universe. I want to go to that beach.

Sasha Barrese

Q. What film has had the greatest effect on you? Why?
SB: I am really into a director named Michael Haneke right now. He has a new movie coming out called Funny Games. It’s an American version of his original movie with the same title. I can’t wait.

Q. What cause is closest to your heart? Why?
SB: There are two:
‘The Brent Shapiro Foundation’
A friend of mine, Brent Shapiro, passed away from taking half an ecstasy pill two years ago. He was a magical person. He brought people together. He was so full of love. He was so loved. His parents Bob and Linelle Shapiro started the Foundation to raise drug and alcohol abuse awareness. Many people still don’t know that alcoholism is a disease. Everyone I know has been touched by alcoholism in some way. Please go to their website: www.brentshapiro.org

In Downtown Los Angeles we have a homeless population of 100,000 people. ‘The Downtown LA Women’s Shelter’ is a fantastic place for women to stay. The facilities are bright and clean. Whenever I go down there, there is always a meeting or class going on. It feels like a warm home, rather then a shelter. There is a large open kitchen in the center of it all. I can’t imagine something worse then being a woman and being homeless on the street. I love to see women helping women get back on track. Their web site is: www.dwcweb.org

Q. What’s one thing you would like to change about yourself?
SB: I wish I could sleep better.

Q. Which artist do you admire most?
SB: I go through phases. For art right now I really love Aya Takano.

Q. What upsets you the most?
SB: Many issues; I hate the fact that many public schools don’t have enough textbooks or teachers for the children. Money is being spent in the wrong places right now.

Q. What is your favorite bar?
SB: Anywhere where the music is good, the couches are comfortable and I’m with my friends.

Q. What gadget can’t you live without?
SB: My BlackBerry. I have work emails all day long.

Q. What are you most afraid of?
SB: Falling from great heights.

Q. Were do you love to shop?
SB: Milk, on West Third Street in Los Angeles. Also, in Saint Tropez and Monte Carlo they have some great stores.

Q. What’s your favorite drink?
SB: Coffee

Q. What are your top 3 songs?
SB: I am a huge music fan! I love Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails and tons of Indy Rock. I was learning ‘Moonlight Mile’ by the Rolling Stones on my guitar just before I started this interview… anything by the Beatles or Fleetwood Mac… Dylan.

— Laura Jakobovits

Le Freak, C'est Chic! A Roundup of NYC's Halloween Bashes

A 'too cool for school' crowd danced to the hipster music sensation Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Gramercy Park Hotel for the Vmagazine.com party, which was hosted by Nur Khan and Gemma Ward. Fashion royalty Julia Restoin Roitfeld-- looking beautiful even with fangs-- partied with boyfriend Magnus Berger, friends Genevieve Jones and new ‘it gal about town' Pamela Love, who was hoping to "catch a glimpse of Josh Hartnett even for two seconds." Across the room Lauren Davis, dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein (in vintage Christian Doir, bien sur!), held court with Derek Blasberg, and leader of the art kid-eratti Carlo von Zeitsel. Other guests included Chloë Sevigny, Lisa Cant, Mandie Erickson, Fabiola Beracasa, and Yeshwant Holkar who, as Hunter S. Thompson, was donning “the clever man’s costume” remarked Lauren Goodman.

Meanwhile uptown at the Roberto Cavalli and Cavalli Vodka Halloween Party at Cipriani, a ninja mingled with Snow White as half-naked men and women danced with cowboys, spacemen and pirates.

A select crowd – including Petra Nemcova (a.k.a. Cleopatra), Sarah Ferguson, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Marcus Schenkenberg, and John Legend – enjoyed a private dinner reminiscent of a medieval feast, where wine was flowing out of giant goblets. But the party really kicked off when Roberto Cavalli, surrounded by models in silver catsuits, danced on sofas to a musical performance by Eve. Of the evening, member Sabine Roemer said, "Great costumes, great drinks, fun people!" Other party- goers included Celine Assimom, Thierry Chaunu, Kristen Knapp, Rachel Chan, Neal Gorevic, and Oliver Jacquez

Late-night, the scenesters migrated to The Box for the Sagatiba Cashaca party. The notoriously hip club, famous for outrageous burlesque shows, put on a spectacle with scantily-clad dancing women and a mini-Michael Jackson who performed 'Thriller' with a dancing zombie. Arden Wohl, Leelee Sobiesksi, Ashley Olsen, Andre Balazs, Lance Armstrong and Alexander McQueen enjoyed the show and sipped deadly blood orange Sagatiba Cachaca cocktails.

— Sabine Heller and Laura Jakobovits

Alexander Kølpin

Alexander Kølpin

Alexander Kølpin is a Danish star of film, the stage, and the ballet. He danced with the Royal Danish Ballet, in Bournonville Ballets, and guest starred with several other ballet companies. While injury forced Kølpin into an early retirement from dance, his life still revolves around the art and he is currently the artistic director of the Copenhagen International Ballet. Here he tells ASW about his many passions and his next big project.

Q. How do you use ASW and what’s your favorite site feature?
Alexander Kølpin : I use it when I have to travel, especially for restaurants and hotels. I like the rating system and I mostly look at the individual comments.

Q. At what age did you know you wanted to dance?
AK: When I was 10. I came straight from a soccer match to see my sister do a ballet class. And I believe it moved me right away because all the things that I was interested in were represented in this one room; movement, music, physicality, grace and drama, all embodied in one vocabulary.

Q. What has been the greatest moment of your career thus far?
AK: Dancing ‘James,’ the lead in La Sylphide; first in Copenhagen and again later at the Sydney Opera House.

Q. Is dance in your blood?
AK: No, my mother is a designer for cloth, my father an architect.

Q. You’re in the Danish stage production of the Full Monty. Do you get your gear off?
AK: Not completely (Full Monty-style) but it was a great experience to be a stripper and do a ten minute solo strip to open the show.

Q. You performed in several Bournonville Ballets. For the ballet-ignorant among us, what is unique about Bournonville?
AK: That his ballets are always about people and the characters. It’s demanding in the technique, but first and foremost it is a portrait of personalities.

Q. What are you doing in the way of TV and film these days?
AK: I did a short film last year and am now shooting a documentary on my father-in-law, Peter Zobel (a retired business tycoon in the insurance industry).

Q. An injury forced you into early retirement from dance. How did you cope with that disappointment?
AK: I have been injured many times in my career – it is a part of being professional and working hard. I had to stop for a year, but recovered and left the Royal Danish Ballet to work with Maurice Bejart in Lausanne. After that I moved to New York and worked with Twyla Tharp. Then moved back to Denmark and stopped dancing.

Q. Tell us about your next big project?
AK: My documentary and planning next summer’s dance performances.

Q. What makes you happiest?
AK: To travel, eat, listen to music, the ocean, friends and my kids. And work when I am with cool people.

Q. Where is your favorite travel destination?
AK: Paris and Mallorca

Q. What is your favorite hotel?
AK: Plaza Athénée, Paris

Q. What is your favorite restaurant?
AK: Le Stresa (Paris), Oubaek (Copenhagen),

Q. What is your favorite museum or gallery?
AK: Moma (NY), Whitney (NY), Rodin (Paris)

Q. What is your favorite beach?
AK: Blacks Beach (La Jolla, California), 7 Mile Beach (Byron Bay, Australia), Hornbaek (Denmark)

Q. What is your favorite restaurant?
AK: Le Stresa (Paris), Oubaek (Copenhagen)

Q. What is your favorite museum or gallery?
AK: The MOMA in Paris

Q. What film has had the greatest effect on you? Why?
AK: Girl on the Bridge (touching and honest acting; great story about human relationships)

Q. What is your favorite ski resort?
AK: Verbier (Swizerland)

Q. What cause is closest to your heart? Why?
AK: Children in need, because they are vulnerable and bear no responsibility for what we are doing to the world around them.

Q. What’s one thing you would like to change about yourself?
AK: To be less self-aware and more patient.

Q. Which artist do you admire most?
AK: Whoa… Picasso or Igor Stravinsky. My favorite living artist has to be choreographer Jiri Kylian.

Q. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
AK: Not a good idea to share it.

Q. Who is your favorite historical figure?
AK: Not historical as such, but the Dalai Lama

Q. What upsets you the most?
AK: Stupid and lazy people who do not take action but expect respect without contributing.

Q. What is your favorite bar?
AK: Plaza Athénée (Paris)

Q. What gadget can’t you live without?
AK: My iPhone and my Mac.

Q. What are you most afraid of?
AK: Not being healthy and lose my loved ones.

Q. What’s your favorite drink?
AK: Beer

Q. What are your top 3 songs?
AK: 'Love Me or Leave Me’ by Nina Simone, ‘Adagietto,’ Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ sung by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

— Laura Jakobovits

Tara Agace

Tara Agace

Tara Agace’s jewelry can be seen adorning celebrities and all over the pages of women’s fashion magazines. But this hugely successful designer has even more strings to her bow – including acting and producing credits – as well as a burning desire to play a tough-girl part like Linda Hamilton’s in ‘The Terminator’.

Q. You attended the London Academy of Performing Arts. Was acting always your first passion?
Tara Agace: Acting, painting, singing, anything with an ‘ing’ that involved art.

Q. What drew you to Hollywood?
TA: A movie I worked on called The Big Empty.

Q. How did your jewelry business evolve from being a hobby to a global success?
TA: Vogue magazine borrowed a piece which landed on the neck of the beautiful Bridget Hall. Following that the magazine wrote a story on me, so thanks still to Vogue and my jewelry being to their liking.

Q. What makes your jewelry different to other jewelry labels?
TA: I trained learning the ancient hand-made jewelry technique with Ralph Goldstein from UCLA and studied at the Gemological Institute of America. I have had an obsession with collecting antique jewelry since I was nine years old. My designs have been influenced and inspired by the old techniques all along. I have a permanent collection of different handmade chains and everyday jewelry, along with a constant change of bespoke designs that are all made here in London now. After having lived in Los Angeles for ten years, I have now moved my workshop to London along with a new family of craftsmen.

Q. I read that Madonna was one of the first to buy one of your jewelry pieces. What other celebrities are wearing Tara Agace?
TA: Cher, Shakira, Dixie Chicks

Tara Agace Stack Rings

Q. To what extent do you think having a celebrity wear your label affects sales?
TA: I think we all have very individual taste but when there is so much to choose from, it becomes difficult to make a choice on what designer to buy. When a celebrity is wearing a piece it can have an incredible effect on sales. In a style conscious world people look towards them for fashion approval. Celebrities are walking endorsements, so admirers look to them to help them make that choice. A team of people – photographers, fashion directors, stylists, make-up artists etc – complete the picture.

Q. In terms of your jewelry, where to from here?
TA: I am very excited to be making some larger one-off pieces that have been taking some time and money to develop. I will tell you when they are finished including some home interior items.

Q. In terms of acting/producing, where to from here?
TA: That has been on the back burner since I started making jewelry; I have always had a fantasy to play a part, like Linda Hamilton from Terminator. Perhaps I will keep my ears to the ground for that and keep training for it in the mean time!

Q. What do you think is the most exciting thing happening in the world of jewelry design at the moment?
TA: I think the most positive thing happening in the jewelry industry is that businesses are becoming more aware and ethically conscious about the sourcing of stones and materials.

Q. What makes you happiest?
TA: Turning the phones off, sitting in my studio at night, starting a new piece and playing around with all my tools and bits of metal shapes. And having some quality time with my friends.

Q. Where is your favorite travel destination?
TA: Mexico

Q. What is your greatest vice?
TA: Smoking

Q. What are your top 5 hotels?
TA: Cuixmala (Mexico), Hacienda de San Antonio (Mexico), The Ritz (Paris), The Chateau Marmont (LA), The Mercer (NYC)

Tara Agace Tear Drop Necklace

Q. What is your favorite restaurant?
TA: E&O in Notting Hill and Yauatcha in Soho, London, which has the most exquisitely presented desserts. They are almost too beautiful to eat.

Q. What is your favorite museum or gallery?
TA: Serpentine Gallery, Victoria & Albert, Tate Modern, Natural History Museum

Q. What is your favorite beach?
TA: A white sandy one with no one in sight. Cuixmala has one tucked away from the world in a protected bay.

Q. What film has had the greatest effect on you? Why?
TA: Blade Runner is one of many. I first watched it when I was 14 years old. It was moody, dark, had amazing costumes and characters. I lost myself in it. It gave me a perspective on time and how little we have of it. Sean Young’s character, even though she was a man-made machine, represented the same vulnerability as a human. I loved the tagline, “Man has made his match... now it’s his problem.”

Q. What is your favorite book?
TA: I just bought a beautiful inspirational book, The Maharaja’s Jewels, by Katherine Prior and John Adamson.

Q. What cause is closest to your heart? Why?
TA: Drop 4 Drop, an independent charity set up by the founders of Life Water. It acts as a vehicle for other drink companies to act responsibly on behalf of their consumers. It helps alleviate the world water crisis. This organization donates the same amount of water you buy to help the developing world’s sanitation programs, water pumps, in-home filtration systems, wells etc.

Q. What’s one thing you would like to change about yourself?
TA: I would like to stop being such a perfectionist.

Q. Which artist do you admire most?
TA: Bjork, who has children with Matthew Barney, an artist who I admire also. What a cool couple.

Q. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
TA:Racing vintage cars.

Q. Who is your favorite historical figure?
TA: Harriet Taylor Mill

Q. What upsets you the most?
TA: That I still smoke cigarettes.

Q. What is your favorite bar?
TA: Gold bar!

Q. What gadget can’t you live without?
TA: My Apple Power Book and all the tools I use to make jewelry; the polishing machine, hammers, files, drills etc.

Q. What are you most afraid of?
TA: Sharks – the human kind!

Q. Were do you love to shop?
TA: Antique markets. And every time I travel I always check out the local markets.

Q. What are your top 3 songs?
TA: ‘Living Darfur’ by Mattafix, ‘When I Get You Alone’ by Robin Thicke, ‘Don’t Explain’ by Nina Simone

— Laura Jakobovits

Kristina Tjader

Kristina Tjäder

Kristina Tjäder is one of three sisters who make up the Swedish women’s fashion label, House of Dagmar. Here she tells ASW what a pleasure it is to mix family with business and how House of Dagmar breaks the Swedish fashion mould.

Q. How do you use ASW and what is your favorite site feature?
Kristina Tjäder : I use it to get in contact with people I haven’t met for a long time. Also, if you go on a weekend somewhere it’s really useful to get the information you’re looking for from people you trust.

Q. When and how did you become a member?
KT: I got invited through a friend quite recently.

Q. How did you come up with your label? Was it something you all dreamed up together?
KT: We talked about it for ages. We used to be colleagues at H&M and always talked about starting our own label. In fact, we’ve talked about it since we were small. Our grandmother, Dagmar, taught me how to sew. I always made my own clothes and it was a natural outcome for me to eventually design my own label. I started out making a lot of gowns and wedding dresses. I went to a design school in Paris, ESMOD.

Q. What is it like to be working together as three sisters? Are there any issues with mixing family and business?
KT: I think it can be either perfect or a catastrophe, but for us it’s super good. We know each other so well so it’s easy to take fast decisions. You don’t have to be too politically correct with each other. It’s very easy and fun. I trust my sisters better than anyone else.

Q. What roles do each of you play in the business?
KT: I’m in charge of design and production, Karin manages marketing and PR, Sofia manages sales and Ebba just started as CEO.

Q. Many conflicts?
KT: Not so many – we discuss everything all the time and sometimes we disagree. But as the conversation continues we forget that we have disagreed. We never found any conflicts we couldn’t get through. We work together, we go on holiday together, we meet with families, see each other a lot, have the same friends. It’s wonderful.

Karin Söderlind, Sofia Malm and Kristina Tjäder

Q. What three words would you use to describe Swedish fashion?
KT: Swedish fashion focuses a lot on quality. I’d say: clean, tailored, rich of details.

Q. It’s no secret that Sweden is known for high design. How does that influence the way you design?
KT: I don’t think from a Swedish perspective when I design. I think internationally. I was educated in Paris. Most Swedish designs are androgynous, but we are more international and more feminine.

Q. Do you have a signature design feature?
KT: A lot of knitted cocktail dresses.

Q. What kind of woman are you designing for?
KT: A stylish strong woman. We don’t put an age on her because we have customers of every age. In general our fashion is for very strong women who believe in having their own style, who are a bit arty; from stylish fashionable business women to actresses to stylists.

Q. What makes your line different?
KT: We do a lot in knitwear that other brands don’t do. Then we have a special mind for colors. We take inspiration from the Art Deco era. We mix colors a lot and take a lot of inspiration from art. We don’t follow trends – we go our own way. Sometimes we go in the opposite direction from everyone else. Our clothes are airy and comfortable to wear – light-weight. Our style is more stylish feminine artist than rock ‘n’ roll, which is the style of other Swedish designers of the moment.

House of Dagmar at Gen Art NY, 2007

Q. What were your inspirations for your current line?
KT: The red thread through our collection is ‘work in progress’ – we take inspiration from artists or painters – Jackson Pollock, for example, with prints and colors. Our clothes also reflect various aspects of art – the painter’s coat, oversized pockets, how they dressed, lived, painted, mood…

Q. Who is your favorite style icon?
KT: My grandmother, Dagmar.

Q. What is your ultimate goal?
KT: To grow internationally and become an international brand. We’re looking for more agents and distributors around the world.

Q. Tell us about your involvement in the Gen Art show at New York Fashion Week this year?
KT: Gen Art is a foundation that keeps an eye on interesting brands. They’ve been watching us for a while and chose us to appear at the Gen Art fashion show, along with 11 other labels. It’s not a competition you apply for. It is one where you are selected.

Q. What awards has House of Dagmar won?
KT: Rookie of the Year in Sweden (2005)
The Best New Brand from Elle, Sweden (2006)
Appearing in Gen Art Fashion Show at NY Fashion Week (2007)

Q. What makes you happiest?
KT: That we can work so well together as sisters and still be such close friends.

Q. What is your greatest vice?
KT: I work too much and need more time with my family.

Q. What is your favorite museum or gallery?
KT: The Metropolitan in NY and a lot of small galleries that are not so well-known where you can discover lots about artists you don’t know much about.

Q. What cause is closest to your heart? Why?
KT: I worry a lot about the environment – people don’t worry about the impact. We try to think about being environmental all the time at Dagmar. We try to look for organic environmental options with our fabrics, our factories, transport etc…

House of Dagmar at Gen Art NY, 2007

Q. What's one thing you would like to change about yourself?
KT: There are so many things I could change but one of them could be to be less stubborn.

Q. Who is your favorite artist?
KT: There are really so many that I like; Jackson Pollock and Vladimir Dubko. They both have a very specific style of expression.

Q. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?
KT: When I was a ski bum I was bungy jumping. I would never do that again today.

Q. Who do you admire most?
KT: My grandmother, Dagmar. She was a fantastic person – the person I’d like to be like.

Q. What upsets you the most?
KT: People with the wrong attitude.

Q. What is your favorite bar or club?
KT: Socialista in NYC is really nice.

Q. What are you most afraid of?
KT: Not having time to do all the fun and interesting things I’d like to do.

Q. What are your 3 favorite restaurants?
KT: PA & Co. in Stockholm, Le Pétrelle in Paris, Trattoria ZàZà in Florence

Q. What are your 5 favorite hotels?
KT: Fjällnäs Högfjällshotell in Sweden, Gullmarstrands Hotell in Sweden, Pita Maha Hotel in Bali, Grotta Giusti in Italy, Hotel Riffelalp inZermatt, Switzerland.

Q. What are the top songs on your iPod right now?
KT: ‘Frequent Flyer’ by Nina Persson, ‘Dog Days’ by Soundtrack of Our Lives, ‘Guilty’ by Barbra Streisand and Andy Gibb, ‘Rehab’ by Amy Winehouse

— Laura Jakobovits

Carlo Von Zeitschel

Carlo von Zeitschel

Carlo von Zeitschel talks to ASW about supporting emerging artists and making art accessible to the masses.

Q. How and when did you become a member of ASW?

Carlo von Zeitschel: A friend in London sent me an invitation in the summer of 2004, recommending it as an 'improved Friendster.'

Q. How do you use ASW and what’s your favorite site feature?

CVZ: I use it mainly to stay connected with old friends who I may not see that often or to keep in touch with people I meet. It’s also great for letting people know about my gallery’s exhibitions and for a seemingly endless source of interns.

Q. What lured you away from Europe to move to New York City in 2004?

CVZ: I started spending more and more time there during my university years and fell in love with the city. After I graduated I spent a year living between Paris and Milan, but by the end of it I was already having New York withdrawal symptoms. In today’s world, New York has also become a modern day Rome. What better place to be based?

Q. How did you get into the art business?

CVZ: I've always been very passionate about art since I was a child, but never studied it formally nor thought I would make a profession out of it. I almost stumbled into it, after a brief spell working at Morgan Stanley in Milan. I moved back to New York and whilst job hunting and looking for something to do, I started helping out a private art advisor who a friend had introduced me to. I didn't really do a whole lot with him because I didn’t like the idea of trying to sell works by artists who were already super-established, for astronomic sums, to an older generation of family friends.

At that point though, I discovered I wanted to be an art dealer and thought it would be much more interesting and relevant to me to find my own artists and help launch and shape their careers; not to just sell contemporary art, but make it accessible and try and get my actual contemporaries more involved in the art world. I started looking around for my own artists to represent and before I knew it wound up with a small army, at which point I was going to organize a group show for them. I figured I might as well settle down and start an alternative kind of gallery, so I did.

Q. Are you an artist yourself?

CVZ: No, but I always get asked that question. Are all gallery owners closet-case artists? I'm very creative, but I haven't devoted much time to making works of art of my own, although I have many friends who really feel I should. I guess so far I've been too busy concentrating on the careers of my artists and mine as a gallerist. Let's see what the future has in store.

Q. What do you feel sets your gallery, and your approach to art, apart from the rest?

CVZ: A lot of it has to do with my personality and taste, as well as my general way of going about things with all its eccentricities. The exhibition space in Soho is itself breathtaking. It feels more like a factory or a cavernous artist studio than a gallery or museum. In a way, I'm trying to take the edge off the presumptuous air that many galleries project and make it into a more friendly and dynamic arena in which art can be discovered, cherished and lived.

Carlo von Zeitschel

Q. What were your views on the 2003 documentary, 'Born Rich', about heirs and heiresses, a series in which you took part? Do you think it affected the way people saw you?

CVZ: I'm not a fan. I never wanted to take part in it; when I was interviewed I was a freshman in college and had just moved to the States. I had no idea what it would be about and was under the impression it was a project for school. Little did I know it would wind up on national television. In any case, it’s water under the bridge. My friends and those I care for know me for who I am and that is all that matters. A couple of sound bites out of context don’t make for an accurate portrait of a person.

Q. What makes you happiest?

CVZ: Discovering new things and places.

Q. Tell us about the current show at your New York gallery.

CVZ: The artist is Patrick Smith and the show is called Configurations. Smith’s background is in film and animation. He directed the pop culture success show, ‘Daria,' and the Emmy nominated MTV series, ‘Downtown.' He’s also an indie film maker with five award winning films under his belt. See www.cvzcontemporary.com for more information.

Q. Where is your favorite travel destination?

CVZ: India

Q. What is your greatest vice?

CVZ: Late nights

Q. What are your top 5 hotels?

CVZ: All Aman hotels and The Peninsula in Hong Kong

Q. What is your favorite restaurant?

CVZ: Coco Lezzone in Florence

Q. What is your favorite museum or gallery?

CVZ: The Met

Q. What is your favorite beach?

CVZ: The playa in the Black Rock Desert

Q. What film has had the greatest effect on you? Why?

CVZ: Dr Strangelove, because it never fails to put me in a good mood.

Q. What is your favorite book?

CVZ: The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham

Q. What is your favorite ski resort?

CVZ: St Moritz

Carlo von Zeitschel

Q. What cause is closest to your heart? Why?

CVZ: Stem cell research: it could be the key to curing so many afflictions and I find it nothing short of criminal that it’s not receiving the support it merits because of popular bigotry.

Q. What's one thing you would like to change about yourself?

CVZ: It probably wouldn’t hurt me to be slightly more calm.

Q. Which artist do you admire most?

CVZ: Francis Bacon

Q. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

CVZ: I don't even know where to begin to answer that question.

Q. Who is your favorite historical figure?

CVZ: Mahatma Gandhi and Freud

Q. What upsets you the most?

CVZ: Stupidity

Q. What is your favorite bar?

CVZ: The one in my living room

Q. What gadget can't you live without?

CVZ: My iPhone

Q. What are you most afraid of?

CVZ: Being helpless in the face of adversity, although that's probably when I'm at my best.

Q. Were do you love to shop?

CVZ: Everywhere, especially random little markets I come across in my travels.

Q. What's your favorite drink?

CVZ: Ice cold Moskovskaya vodka

Q. What are your top 3 songs?

CVZ: There are way too many! Off the top of my head: 'Along the Watchtower'
by Hendrix, 'Sinner Man' by Nina Simone and 'The Passenger' by Iggy Pop.

— Laura Jakobovits

Models and Celebs Take to the Catwalk for UK Food Relief

Naomi Campbell is planning to give fashion-faithfuls some bang for their buck when she presents Fashion for Relief, a benefit fashion show to be held in London later this week.

Clothing from world renowned fashion houses, including Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana will be paraded by celebrities and legendary models alike, including Elle Macpherson, Leah Wood, Daphne Guinness, David Furnish, Jodie Kidd, Lily Cole, Elizabeth Jagger, Yasmin Le Bon, Rosario Dawson and others.

And with tickets available to the public at prices ranging from 100 pounds to 750 pounds (for front row VVIP tickets), attendees can be sure their money is supporting more than just their passion for fashion. One hundred per cent of the proceeds from the show will go towards the Rotary Flood Disaster Appeal, which assists communities in the affected flood districts of the UK where flood damage is currently estimated at 3 billion pounds.

As if that weren’t reason enough to secure your seat at this fashion extravaganza, VVIP ticket holders will also walk away with goodie bags featuring such covetable items as a Garrard pendant, a Mulberry wallet and a Missoni and Naomi Campbell fragrance.

The show will take place at the Natural History Museum in London on September 20, at the end of London Fashion Week. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling +44 08702434455.

— Laura Jakobovits

Max Lugavere and Jason Silva

Max Lugavere and Jason Silva

Max Lugavere and Jason Silva went from being a couple of film school graduates from the University of Miami to being on-air hosts and producers on Al Gore's latest media project – Current TV.

ASW talks to this progressive network's presenters about their artistic aspirations, becoming public figures and the future of user-generated content in media.

Q. How and when did you two become members of ASW?

Jason Silva: We both got invited by our good friend Mike Staininger.

Max Lugavere: We joined about a year and a half ago.

Q. How do you use ASW and what’s your favorite site feature?

JS: I use ASW to connect with long-time friends scattered across the globe and for the infinitely great forums. I am constantly surprised by the quality of trusted information and help found there – the way people extend themselves.

ML: At first, everybody embraced all of the big social networking sites because of the random, anonymous interaction that they allowed, but I think people are starting to crave genuine connection again. What you gain in the big bloated popular networking sites you lose in trust, accountability and meeting genuine friends that share similar ideals. I think ASW is the much-needed phoenix to rise from those ashes.

Q. Tell us how you wound up on Current TV?

ML: We co-created a short documentary, about 12 minutes long, during our graduating semester at the University of Miami. The film was about hedonism and spirituality – how we were able to reconcile lifestyles of indulgence with the fact that we’re both ultimately seekers at the end of the day. It was called Textures of Selfhood.

JS: The name of the film was taken from The Hedonistic Imperative, an online futuristic philosophical manifesto about ending all forms of suffering. We completed our short and sent it to the (then unnamed) television network that Al Gore was co-launching – they were looking for “passionate storytellers to help transform television.” We figured it was a long shot, but felt that our film definitely had an irreverent visceral quality to it and that perhaps it would shine through. A few weeks later we got a call from Current’s wonderful President of Programming, David Neuman, who subsequently flew us out and offered us full time positions as on-air hosts as well as producers.

Q. What is different about Current TV from other networks/shows?

JS: Current is a short-form network. We don’t ascribe to antiquated paradigms of half-hour or hour-long shows. Current is tailored to a media-grazing generation, consuming content from multiple sources such as BlackBerries, the Internet and so on. For this reason, Current is like a tapas bar, full of varied 3-7 minute informational segments of information that we call ‘pods,’ playing at random, 24/7.

ML: Current’s hallmark is what we call VC2 or Viewer Created Content. It’s taking what has made ‘user-generated content’ sites like YouTube so easy to embrace for our generation and bringing it to television, full time. Current creates its content with the audience as a conversation, whereas traditional television has long been a sort of one-way diatribe from big network conglomerates. On Current, audience members submit their own ‘pods’ via the website (www.current.tv) where the most compelling of which – as judged by the online community – are chosen to go on air, making Current a legitimate reflection of its audience.

Max Lugavere and Jason Silva

Q. How have your lives changed since you became public figures? Are you recognized in the street?

JS: We get recognized all the time here in LA and even more so when we are in New York. NYC is literally where we actually get stopped in the street. It’s also nice to be escorted into any lounge or club with minimal fuss.

ML: It’s great meeting people for the first time who already know all about you from reading an article or watching Current and not having to convince them that you really work for Al Gore.

Q. What is it like to work for Al Gore? Do you deal directly with him?

ML: He’s a rock star – a totally charming, funny and warm guy. We always get the ‘double hug’ when we see him … “Da boys!” is the usual greeting, followed by a huge hug.

JS: He is the coolest guy – so smart and generous with his time and down to earth. He is the chairman and co-founder of Current. We see him every once in a while, as he travels a lot. The parties are great, though. The wildest part is being on a first name basis with the guy.

Q. What does the future hold for Current TV?

JS: Current is the fastest growing network in TV history, more than tripling its US coverage in barely two years. We have also launched in the UK. Against all odds we are a success story. The future holds more expansion, international reach, etc.

ML: Yeah, I would say just further growth and notoriety. Current rocks and many more will soon find out. We’re just stoked to have been there since the company had only a handful of employees.

Q. Where is your favorite travel destination?

JS: Europe in the summer. Also, I grew up in Venezuela, so Morrocoy and Los Roques were favorite beach destinations for me.

ML: I grew up between Manhattan and Westhampton, so the Hamptons in the summer has always been fun.

Max Lugavere and Jason Silva

Q. What is your greatest vice?

JS: We don’t smoke and only drink casually. Not really any vices.

Q. What are your favorite hotels?

ML: The Standard in Miami is gorgeous.

JS: Have to agree, The Standard is amazing; the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills; Old San Juan Hotel and Casino in Puerto Rico; The Ocean Club Key Biscayne; and Hotel Palomar in San Francisco.

Q. What is your favorite restaurant?

JS: I love Bossa Nova in LA (great Brazilian food) and Cut Steakhouse in Beverly Hills.

ML: Dan Tana’s for Italian in West Hollywood and Katana for sushi.

Q. What is your favorite museum or gallery?

JS: I’ve always loved the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

ML: For me, it was always the Museum of Natural History in NYC with the relatively new planetarium. I went there so many times growing up – I love it.

Q. What is your favorite beach?

ML: Third Street in South Beach and Quogue, NY.

JS: Cayo Pescador in Morrocoy, Venezuela. Also, Third and Ocean in South Beach and the beaches of San Sebastian, Spain.

Q. What film has had the greatest effect on you? Why?

JS: While people have polarizing opinions of this film, Vanilla Sky had a profound effect on me when I first saw it. I found it to have nuances and insights into the human condition that spoke to me on a visceral level. Not to mention Cameron Crowe’s musical and aesthetic sensibilities covering the film with his signature touch.

ML: I can’t really pick one. I’d say there are a few films that have affected me. Just a few that come to mind are: Mulholland Drive, The Fountain, Rules of Attraction, Fight Club, The Beach and Vanilla Sky, as well.

Q. What is your favorite book?

ML: The book that affected me the most profoundly was probably Freedom From the Known by Jiddu Krishnamurti. He’s the sage on whom I cut my spiritual teeth, so to speak. “Truth is a pathless land,” is his most famous and probably most concise summary of his ideas, which you can easily find online.

JS: I have to say The Immortalist by Alan Harrington. It’s out of print now, but you can find it online. It’s a profound philosophical manifesto rejecting all forms of “Death accepting belief systems,” and instead advocating for science to engineer biological immortality. It’s heavy, but speaks a lot to the current issues facing those in the biotech revolution. I also adore Alain De Botton’s On Love and The Art of Travel.

Q. What cause is closest to your heart? Why?

JS: At the moment I would have to say I support the biotechnology and nanotechnology revolutions to improve and expand human life. I am against irrational restrictions being imposed by those of faith on scientific advancement. I support people like Ray Kurzweil and Aubrey de Grey for their work in life extension and technology.

ML: I agree with Jason on that end. Religion-based morality interfering with scientific progress has irked me for as long as I can remember. Moral relativism, whereby one abandons a code of ‘right and wrong’ when assessing things like female genital mutilation, for example, is deplorable. Animal rights is a cause that I have always stood for, as well.

Q. What’s one thing you would like to change about yourself?

JS: I would love to be a little more patient when things don’t go exactly as planned. Also, I would love to get over my fear of turbulence on airplanes.

ML: I’d like to be better at rock climbing.

Q. Which artist do you admire most?

Max Lugavere and Jason Silva

JS: I love the author Alain De Botton. He is unbelievably erudite and articulate. I also like filmmakers Danny Boyle, Cameron Crowe, the Wachowski Brothers and Darren Aronofsky.

ML: I love the directors that Jason mentioned, but I also adore David Lynch, Martin Scorsese and Alejandro González Iñárritu – can’t get enough of their films. Musically, I admire rock bands like U2 and Live for staying true to their spiritual roots despite their success.

Q. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

JS: Probably making a film about hedonism and spirituality with Max and somehow ending up sipping champagne with Al Gore on a yacht.

ML: Yep, that’s pretty crazy.

Q. Who is your favorite historical figure?

ML: Oscar Wilde for his witty and memorable insights of clarity into a world that ultimately offers none.

JS: Freud, for making us think about sex a lot, and Einstein, for being a bohemian bon vivant but also a genius.

Q. What upsets you the most?

JS: Political tyranny, genocide, racism, religious fundamentalism and killing people in the name of religion.

ML: Hypocrisy in the government, religious fundamentalism, conformity, apathy, neglecting the tools of empowerment so freely available to us (i.e. Current) and white rice.

Q. What is your favorite bar?

ML: Hyde Lounge, in LA. I used to really love Mynt Ultra Lounge in Miami, when we lived there.

JS: Hyde Lounge. Period.

Q. What gadget can’t you live without?

JS: BlackBerry

ML: iPod

Q. What are you most afraid of?

ML: Not having a positive impact on the world.

JS: The passing of time. Death.

Q. Where do you love to shop?

JS: Diesel, Zara, Dior, Prada and Puma

ML: Same as Jason for clothing. The Apple Store, Guitar Center, Amazon.com for everything else.

Q. What’s your favorite drink?

ML: Patron and pineapple.

JS: A good rum is always nice; good scotch for a Venezuelan-style dinner; wine is good all the time; champagne to mark the moment.

Q. What are your top 3 songs?

JS: ‘Voices’ by Dario G, ‘Is This Love’ by Bob Marley and ‘Njosnavelin’ (the Nothing Song) by Sigur Ros

ML: ‘They Stood Up for Love’ by Live, ‘Avalanche’ by Matthew Good and ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ by U2.

-Laura Jakobovits

Ben Saunders

Ben Saunders

Q. How and when did you become a member of ASW?

Ben Saunders : A friend introduced me to ASW at the end of 2005.

Q. How do you use ASW and what’s your favorite site feature?
BS:I travel an awful lot (58 flights last year) and I’m usually in places for just a few days at a time, so the travel forum has been invaluable in identifying the best local spots to visit and indeed the most interesting people to hang out with!

Q. What draws you to places like the North Pole and the Nepalese Himalayas?

I think it’s the scale of the places – the majesty of nature at its grandest and most imposing. The high Arctic, particularly, is an awesome place. I remember being dropped by helicopter in 2004; the sun was low over the ice and the whole place was bathed in this amazing orange and blue light. It was like landing on Mars. I’ve never been blown away like that by anything manmade.

Q. How do you cope with the solitude when you are on a solo expedition?
BS: I’ve learnt there’s a big difference between being lonely and being alone. I was very much alone at the geographic North Pole in May ’04 – I was the only human being in 5.4 million square miles. Yet, I never felt lonely. I had a purpose and I had a lot of people back home that cared about me. I’m sure there are lonelier people on the streets of London. I also took a tiny book, ‘Courage from Piglet.’ That was my secret weapon.

Q. What do your next polar expeditions involve?
BS: In March ‘08 I’m setting out to ski solo from Canada to the North Pole and I’m hoping to set a speed record by beating the 37 days it took Robert Peary to get there using dog sleds in 1909. In the 98 years since, no one’s come close.

Then, in October ‘08, I’m setting out on a 1,800 mile (2,900 km) journey on foot from Berkner Island at the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back – the first return journey to the South Pole on foot and the longest unsupported polar journey in history.

Q. You have run several marathons and two ultra-marathons. What is an ultra-marathon and how much do you think finishing one of those is about mind over matter?

Ben Saunders

BS: An ultra-marathon is a race that’s longer than 26.2 miles. I’ve run 40 and 58 mile races – both are definitely about mind over matter. Part of your mind starts looking for reasons to slow down or stop. You switch between feeling sorry for yourself, feeling proud of yourself and telling yourself off for being a wimp because you’re even thinking of quitting.

Q. As a motivational speaker, what is your favorite motivational quote?
BS: Probably Helen Keller’s wonderful words: “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Q. Having achieved so many great feats at just 30 years of age, what’s left for you to conquer?
BS: I’m a terrible dancer, so maybe salsa lessons.

Q. What makes you happiest?
BS: So many things. I love the adrenaline of getting a big expedition off the ground. I love getting back home again – a decent steak, decent red wine, decent company. You really appreciate simple pleasures after these kinds of expeditions. And the people that are close to you. I never miss material things when I’m on the ice. I don’t miss my car, my TV or my wood floor. And yet so many of us waste time stuck on the treadmill of materialism at the expense of relationships, family and friends. But before you write me off as a raving hippie, I should probably own up to having a semi-secret passion for fast cars. Aston Martin, Maserati, Noble, that kind of thing.

Q.Where is your favorite travel destination?
BS: I always love arriving in NYC. There’s so much energy there. It feels like anything’s possible in New York, which is pretty much true, of course.

Q. What is your greatest vice?
BS: Caffeine and bikes (the kind that involve lycra, not leather). My current bike collection is worth nearly as much as my car.

Q. What are your top 5 hotels?
BS: The Whitepod in the Swiss Alps, The Clift in San Francisco, The Bowery in New York, Lake O’Hara Lodge in the Canadian Rockies and The Lugger Hotel in Cornwall (UK)

Q. What is your favorite restaurant?
BS: I had my last pre-expedition farewell at Nobu London, but I spend far more time in my local curry house, Nayab, on New Kings Road.

Q. What is your favorite museum or gallery?
BS: Frammuseet, in Oslo: the only museum that’s given me goose bumps. www.fram.museum.no

Q. What is your favorite beach?
BS: Sandwood Bay in the Scottish Highlands is spectacular (and usually deserted); either that or South Beach Miami (rather different to the North Pole).

Q. What film has had the greatest effect on you? Why?
BS: I absolutely loved Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others). I’m a bit of a libertarian at heart and the film is a pretty stark warning about the dangers of an all-powerful state and the lack of respect for individuals and their liberties. It was spooky getting on the tube afterwards and seeing posters saying: ‘Seen anything suspicious? Report it now.’

Ben Saunders

Q. What is your favorite book?
BS: The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard – it’s epic. Everyone should read it.

Q. What is your favorite ski resort?
BS: The old Winter Olympics course in Lillehammer, Norway. There are miles of cross-country tracks out there as well and the place is completely unpretentious, unlike many of the alpine resorts. I’ve mentioned Whitepod already but they do have their own private ski slope and lift, which is pretty cool.

Q. What cause is closest to your heart? Why?
BS: My plan is to start an organization that encourages and enables kids from disadvantaged backgrounds to get into the great outdoors. My brother’s a teacher in London and many of the teenagers he teaches have never left the city. They’ve never seen a hill or a valley. I don’t see how we can inspire this upcoming generation to take better care of the environment if they don’t really know what it is.

Q. What’s one thing you would like to change about yourself?
BS: I’d like to learn to type properly. I’m a two-finger-typer.

Q. Which artist do you admire most?
BS: Andy Goldsworthy

Q. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
BS: Either 1) reaching the geographic North Pole alone and on foot (a challenge Reinhold Messner called “ten times as dangerous as Everest”), 2) posing naked for a Nike ad campaign or 3) writing a note to the gorgeous girl who sat next to me on the tube a few months ago – it was packed and we both had iPods on, so there was no way I could strike up a conversation. So I wrote her a note on the spur of the moment and handed it to her. All three challenges involved that heart-in-mouth, there’s-no-turning-back-now feeling.

Ben Saunders starring in an advertisement for Nike

Q. Who is your favorite historical figure?
BS: Fridtjof Nansen

Q. What upsets you the most?
BS: A lack of aspiration in many of today’s young people. And people who litter.

Q. What is your favorite bar?
BS: I’m pretty clean-living, so I don’t spend much time in bars. But I thought Angel's Share in the East Village in Manhattan was great.

Q. What gadget can’t you live without?
BS: In the Arctic, my stove; anywhere else, my iPod Nano.

Q. What are you most afraid of?
BS: Not much, which sounds horribly macho. I’ve been attacked by a polar bear, I’ve had frostbite in a toe and I’ve fallen through pack ice into the Arctic Ocean on a solo expedition; and none were as bad as I’d imagined. My biggest fear is probably looking back, aged 90, and realizing that I could have done more with my life.

Q. Where do you love to shop?
BS: I’m going to have a suit made at Norton & Sons on Savile Row. It’s not exactly shopping, but they’ve been outfitting explorers for centuries and going in and looking at clothes and patterns was a magical experience. I love second-hand bookshops, and outdoor gear shops, obviously.

Q. What’s your favorite drink?
BS: Yorkshire tea, Guinness, good mojitos, freshly made smoothies and chocolate protein shakes (though probably not all in the same evening).

Q. What are your top 3 songs on your iPod? What’s your most motivational song
BS: ‘Pushin‘ On’ by The Quantic Soul Orchestra featuring Alice Russell,
‘All That You Give’ by The Cinematic Orchestra featuring Fontella Bass and
‘Gold in the Air of Summer’ by Kings of Convenience.

And my ultimate motivational tune, for those tough days of solo trekking, has to be Whitesnake’s ‘Here I Go Again.’

— Laura Jakobovits