As children donned costumes for Halloween, art collectors, furniture dealers and philanthropists made their way to the Park Avenue Armory in New York, where the European Fine Art Fair (Tefaf) held a V.I.P. preview hosted by the Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering. The fair, which showcased art from antiquity to the modern era, has become a gilded stop on the global art fair circuit. Here’s what nine fairgoers wore.
Barbara Tober (with her husband, Donald Tober)
Age: 84
Occupation: arts patron and philanthropist; emeritus chair of the Museum of Arts and Design
What do you do for a living?
I was the editor in chief of Brides magazine for 35 years.
I love that you’ve accessorized with a puffer coat. It’s cold out.
I’m wearing skazz sneakers, the kind you wear for dancing. They happened to be black and silver. I figured that would be good for Halloween. I’m wearing a Gaultier top, and my skirt is Lafayette.
That choker. Totally original.
This is by a woman from Santa Fe by the name of Susan Green. I’ve been buying from her for 30 years. I have every color that she’s ever done. Every kind of stone. She is a wild talent.
You look like a million bucks. I’d better say 10 million, in this room.
Begum Yasar
Age: 35
Occupation: art dealer
Do you feel like a kid in a candy store at this fair?
I collect antiquities: Greek, Roman and Egyptian.
I like your men’s-wear-influenced suit.
It’s Vetements. When I see a well-cut suit I can’t resist it. The bottom is medium, and the jacket is extra small. If you did the whole thing medium …
You’d look like an orphan.
Yes. So I cheated a bit. It’s still deconstructed.
What’s underneath?
Just a T-shirt and a Céline necklace. Phoebe Philo Céline. The right Céline. The current Celine — bye, thank you, next.
What’s on your feet?
YSL men’s boots.
Fun.
And I have a little backpack from Comme des Garçons.
Gigi Vittadini
Age: “Over 70”
Occupation: “I am in different things: pharmaceuticals, fashion, real estate.”
Are you buying art?
No, I am looking at art.
The width of your tie is very traditional.
Armani.
Do you buy your suits?
No, I have them made, usually in Milano: Tincati.
When you have a jacket made, what are the details you like?
I don’t know.
And your shirts, same deal?
Custom made in Milano.
Adrienne Vittadini
Age: “I’m up there”
Occupation: fashion designer
Who made your coat?
A young designer, Rodolfo Paglialunga,who worked for both Jil Sander and Prada. He just opened a store on Via della Spiga in Milano.
Do you spend a lot of time in Milan?
We have a home there.
What drew you to the coat?
It’s boldness, it’s artsy-ness, the chinoiserie, which is like English tartan — it never goes out of fashion. It makes a statement. I’m so bored of fashion at the moment.
Those are major pearls in your ears.
I found them in a gallery in the Palais Royale in Paris: Ibu. They do sculpture as well as unique jewelry.
And that’s some serious wrist action.
From different friends who make jewelry. The Love Bracelet I actually got from Aldo Cipullo, who designed it for Cartier in the late ’60s. He was a close friend. Unfortunately, he was one of the early victims of AIDS.
Kate Allen
Age: 49
Occupation: president, the Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering
Is this how a president dresses?
I’m grateful to our sponsor, Etro.
How does that work? Do they send stuff over?
I went into the store and pulled what spoke to me. And I loved the color of the pants.
It can be difficult to find a fall floral.
It can. But with a black background, it can be multiseasonal.
What do you have on your feet?
Manolo Blahnik. It’s a tall heel, but they’re actually comfortable.
You are not fooling anyone by saying those are comfortable.
Well, it’s certainly not a sneaker, and hardly a Birkenstock, but for the next few hours they’re all right.
Dennis Basso
Age: 65, “but I feel 35”
Occupation: fashion designer
I noticed your suit from across the room, because it’s so perfectly cut.
I have all my suits made by Vahram, whose father is Mr. Ned. And I’ve been going to them for over 35 years. And they’ve been with me when I’ve been very slim, medium and more than medium.
What do you look for in a suit?
The fit. People don’t wear clothes that fit them. Even if you buy something off the rack, you need to go to the tailor. Ill-fitting clothes make you look sad, or too petite, or too big. Sometimes I’m fitting a suit five or six times to get it right,
Your cuff links are quite classic, like they’re out of “The Great Gatsby.”
These are vintage Schlumberger.
Are your shirts made as well?
I make all my shirts at Charvet.
They are the masters of color.
They’re fantastic. And they know my fit. And when I’m between sizes I can just tell them where we are.
Cindy Moross
Age: 53
Occupation: “I’m a housewife.”
Is this leopard print? Cheetah print? Giraffe print?
Animal print. That’s just my vibe. I’m an animal print girl.
There’s an architectural quality to your earrings.
My stepdaughter has a jewelry business, and she made these for me: the One I Love NYC.
Who makes your jacket?
Max Mara, but at least 15 years old.
And your sparkly top?
From Zara.
Wow. Was not expecting that.
A few years old. That’s the way I roll.
I’ve never seen a watch like that.
It’s a vintage Piaget watch. It has a necklace that attaches so you can wear it like a lariat as well. Supercool.
Pietro Cicognani
Age: 64
Occupation: principal, Cicognani Kalla Architect PLLC
Great jacket.
I chose the lining, and the phrasing under the collar.
It says: “Beware of false prophets.” That’s from Matthew 7:15.
Exactly. With a Loro Piana fabric.
Why do you like that quotation?
Because it can be interpreted in different ways.
The collar on your shirt has a nice wide spread.
It’s from Rome, Caleffi. I hate ties. I’m only wearing one because I have to go to La Grenouille for dinner later.
And the shade of orange in your pants — very fall.
They’re from Turnbull & Asser. The socks are from the Vatican store in Rome: Gammarelli. They sell the socks to the cardinals.
Roxanna Zarnegar
Age: 48
Occupation: operations director at Arcis, an art storage facility
Nice suit.
Thank you. It’s Escada. The shoes are Jil Sander, the bag is Chanel and so is the necklace.
How do you dress for something like this?
Well, you’re seeing the world’s most beautiful art, so you have to wear the world’s most beautiful art.
Well, that’s nice. What’s artful about what you’re wearing?
I think the Escada suit has been undervalued. Escada will be timeless. It was cut for my body.
It’s bespoke?
Yes.
This is a nervy question, but how many bespoke suits do you have?
Every one of my suits is bespoke.
I feel so poor right now.
It’s not about poor. You can buy a suit at the Gap and have it tailored. It doesn’t matter.
