Before you even reach the bright yellow front door of podcaster and DJ Arman Naféei’s Los Angeles home, the mood is set by an exquisitely restored 1980 Fiat 124 Spider 2000, in a grey-green metallic Grigio Fumo. It feels on brand for the “directeur d’ambiance” for clients including Giorgio Armani and Moncler. Inside, Naféei is at the sunny yellow La Marzocco machine making an espresso. He pours water from cult wellness destination and grocery store Erewhon into Svenskt Tenn glasses. “I wanted a mid-century home, with light and space — and beautiful, expansive sunrises,” he says of the one-bedroom, one-bathroom home just off Mulholland Drive, at the edge of the Santa Monica Mountains. Its panoramic views take in the Hollywood Sign, the Griffith Observatory — and the chaotic 101 freeway. Was that the ambience he was after? “I get a sense of the city’s energy,” he smiles.
I grew up outside of Toronto and came to Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, in 2001 to study architecture – and fell in love with the place. There’s something very special about historic cities like this one, with a scale that you can hold in your hand, surrounded by nature. At the same time, Halifax is very dynamic, with a population of 500,000 and multiple universities. There is always a buzz in the air.
My personal style is eclectic and imaginative. Depending on my mood and the occasion, I might wear contemporary, vintage, masculine or very feminine clothes. If I’m on the rostrum, jackets are everything. My go-to is a navy wool double-breasted YSL jacket with gold buttons – very military-style – and I also love the silver Armani jacket that I wore for the sale of Apex, an 11ft-tall stegosaurus skeleton, in 2024. I always want to be sensitive to the items in the sale – the clothes I wear for a Modern & Contemporary auction are different to those I’ll wear for fossil or manuscript sales. One exception is my hair, which I always wear in a ponytail. When I was auditioning to be an auctioneer at Sotheby’s in 2016, Hugh Hildesley, who was then a senior auctioneer, advised that my hair was hitting the microphone and was a distraction. I’ve tied it up ever since and never have to think about it during a heated auction.
The Sotheby’s star on stage presence, the San Francisco Giants and selling a $45mn stegosaurus.
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My personal style is eclectic and imaginative. Depending on my mood and the occasion, I might wear contemporary, vintage, masculine or very feminine clothes. If I’m on the rostrum, jackets are everything. My go-to is a navy wool double-breasted YSL jacket with gold buttons – very military-style – and I also love the silver Armani jacket that I wore for the sale of Apex, an 11ft-tall stegosaurus skeleton, in 2024. I always want to be sensitive to the items in the sale – the clothes I wear for a Modern & Contemporary auction are different to those I’ll wear for fossil or manuscript sales. One exception is my hair, which I always wear in a ponytail. When I was auditioning to be an auctioneer at Sotheby’s in 2016, Hugh Hildesley, who was then a senior auctioneer, advised that my hair was hitting the microphone and was a distraction. I’ve tied it up ever since and never have to think about it during a heated auction.
I was born and raised in the East Village, not far from the home of Track Star, the online game show I play with people on the street. It stars strangers as well as musicians: I’ve had Lily Allen, Charli XCX and FKA Twigs on. Basically, I play a song and the contestant has to identify the artist who recorded it. The prize money starts at $5 for the first song and doubles with every correct answer until my guest either gets one wrong and loses it all or decides to stop playing. (The cash “prize” is often donated to charity.) Our office is on Great Jones Street, in NoHo, because this area is perfect for casting creative, willing participants who love music trivia.
I was introduced to Park City, home to the Sundance Institute, in 2016 by Darren Walker, the former president of the Ford Foundation. I had studied film and theatre at Northwestern University and was on the board of the Steppenwolf Theatre, so with his encouragement I joined Sundance’s board of directors in 2017. I became the chair in 2021 and it has been a magical experience ever since.
My personal style signifiers are well-worn Birkenstock Arizona sandals, Joe’s Jeans and black Lululemon 5 Year T-shirts. I am perhaps the least stylish person ever, but I do have a distinct uniform. My bald head has also been a signifier for some time now. The last thing I bought and loved was a Mammut Trift long-sleeve shirt in dark navy. It’s light, packable and warm. I love visiting the area surrounding Banner Peak and Mount Ritter in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where I go backcountry running, hike the Thousand Island Lake Loop and camp out in the solitude. A base layer is a key wardrobe item.
The founder of the clothes brand loves Ruinart champagne, loathes minimalism and ‘lives for Christmas’
My personal style signifier is my jewellery. I possibly wear too much, but I change it all the time and have an ever-evolving group of favourites. I collect antique Belperron, Verdura, Cartier, Hermès, Edwardian rose-cut diamonds, angel skin coral, snake rings, tennis bracelets and anything in the shape of a heart or a shell. I like to mix fine jewellery with pieces from my costume collection that features baroque pearls, sea creatures, turquoise, carved wood and gemstones. I wear my jewellery all the time and don’t consider anything “special occasion” or precious. I joke with my family that I want to be buried with all of it.
What: A scene-y club with a sexier atmosphere than its rivals. It is set in the former Spice Market space, and the decor is all 1930s Parisian glamour courtesy of designer Lauren Mishaan, the grand staircase welcoming members into subterranean splendour lined with crimson banquettes and gilded private nooks. Roam through the big-cat-themed Lounge; enjoy chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s inventive takes on sashimi. But Gaux Gaux – the caviar-and-cocktail bar/after-hours nightclub with its solid glass Sogni di Cristallo bar and chandeliers – is really the spot to see and be seen.
My personal style signifier is denim on denim. I wear a mix of the brands I work across: Gap jeans, Old Navy T-shirts and heavy denim shirts from Banana Republic. I always wear my Rolex Daytona, a silver bracelet I got at the iconic Hi Ho Silver in San Francisco and my silver and jet W Hammond engagement ring. I’m also loving my woven leather Timberland boots that look just like Bottega Veneta. But, really, my style signifier is my smile.
The head curator of The Met’s Costume Institute loves dachshunds, The Vicar of Dibley and Villa d’Este
My personal style signifiers are pretty casual and consistent: my tortoiseshell glasses – I’ve worn various brands over the past 20 years – and a navy cashmere four-bar cardigan, chino trousers, white cotton Oxford shirts, a rep tie and classic wingtip brogues, all by my partner Thom Browne. The last thing I bought and loved was a painting by Ewa Juszkiewicz, the Surrealist Polish artist. She recreates paintings from the renaissance to the 19th century, but obscures their faces with fabrics or phantasmagoric wigs. Ours references the 17th-century portrait of Maria van Strijp by Dutch golden age artist Johannes Cornelisz Verspronck, which belongs to Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. We’d been looking for one of her paintings for a long time and were lucky to get it in a Sotheby’s evening auction.
My personal style signifiers are custom Caraceni slim-cut suits – very English – in classic colours such as navy and grey. My shirts are custom E Marinella. I’m a typical Milanese man and I like to work so I’m very comfortable in a suit, though my style has changed over the years. In my previous career I worked with Gianni Versace as managing director to help build the brand, and I only wore his clothes. Today’s dress is more traditional.
I moved to Fort Worth when I was two years old, so I’m Texan through and through. I love the slower pace here and that the people are so salt-of-the-earth. I’m always on the move – to Los Angeles, to New York, on tour – and I sometimes find people a little superficial or pretentious. There is a simplicity to life here. My parents still live in Fort Worth and my inner circle – people I met on the cusp of fame, including my security – are all based here too.
The industrial designer on finding peace – and pizza – in his adopted home.
I grew up in LA and went to Singapore after school to learn about the worlds of luxury and watches. I had always wanted to see Switzerland, so in 2014 I applied for a luxury programme in Lausanne and I fell in love with the country from that very first trip. I took the train everywhere – to school, to other cities, to the lakes – and experienced my first real winter. I love the orderliness, cleanliness and the natural beauty here.
For years women have given time and money to create non-profit organisations, promote social and legislative changes, build communities, educate and support a variety of arts institutions all over the world. Nowhere is this more felt than in New York City – a cultural, diplomatic, financial and scientific hub of 7.8 million people, where shortfalls in government spending have long prompted the city’s most powerful women to rally others. And while the tuxedos and taffeta that marked the 1980s heyday of New York’s gala scene have given way to more modest events, the city’s philanthropic zeal is unlike any other.
The Korean-American author on her love for the Neue Galerie, Thom Browne and Kerrygold
My personal style signifier is a vest, or a jacket over a white dress shirt and jeans. Sometimes, I wear both a vest and a jacket. Like a lot of women, I have mild body dysmorphia. Like most writers, I live in my head, and I try to forget my body by padding it with layers. I also wear Gabriella Kiss earrings or a pair of Ted Muehling hoops.
The chairman and chief executive of Moncler on motocross, brutalist architecture and always wearing navy.
My personal style signifier is navy, navy and more navy clothing, though with different fabrics, fitting and stitching depending on whether I’m at the office or it’s the weekend. My bespoke double-breasted jackets by Umit Benan hide those extra kilos and never need to be ironed. I am also a fan of long-sleeved James Perse T-shirts.
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Lauren Ridloff, the first deaf Marvel superhero, talks personal taste
The actress loves her Makkari figurines, the late Anthony Bourdain – and her kettlebells
The New York native has lived in a six-block radius his whole life – and that’s just the way he likes it
Mikaela Shiffrin’s guide to Colorado
The skier and two-time Olympic gold medallist shares the charms of her mountain home in the Vail Valley
The director of The Studio Museum loves the view from her window, her Kara Walker pitcher and the Harlem Chocolate Factory.
My peronsal style signifiers are bold, colourful dresses and skirts, made possible by the amazing designs of my husband, Duro Olowu. He has a masterful use of colour, pattern and form and his graphic dresses allow me to make a full statement. duroolowu.com
Gary Tinterow, director of Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, on the pioneering spirit of America’s third-largest city
The Pritzker Prize-winning architect cherishes his Ettore Sottsass typewriter, English Breakfast tea — and uncertainty
I came to the Berkshires in the most millennial-Gen Z way possible. Today’s CV is an Instagram account, and the managing director of Williamstown Theatre Festival DM’d me to ask if I’d like to get involved. I’ve been working in theatre for 15 years and have never been approached by a festival, let alone Williamstown, which is legendary. Fast forward a year or so and I am spending the summer in Williamstown as the festival’s creative director, and my latest play, Spirit of the People, has its world premiere here in July.