Bespoke Men’s Apparel
“Off the rack” just isn’t in the vocabulary of deep-pocketed gentlemen of refined taste and style. Hedge-funders, celebs, sports figures, and the like turn to Italian-trained master tailor Tony Mancino to design their bespoke men’s apparel. Mancino’s elegant custom suits are of the finest wools, cashmeres, and linens, and feature details to preference, silk linings, and working sleeve buttons. Custom shirts are made of the highest thread-count cotton from Testa and Loro Piana and boast pearl buttons. Price: Suits start at $1,100; shirts, $350 each
Mancino Custom Tailors & Clothiers, Larchmont
(914) 834-9373
www.mancinocustomtailors.com
Party Planner
Boldface names, high-profile charities, and money-is-rarely-a-concern hostesses looking to make big splashes with their important bashes turn to red-hot, uber-creative Westchester-based party planner Elissa Held of Elissa Held Events & Florals to work her magic. Her background in giftware and fashion design helps inform a smashing style she describes as “tastefully extravagant.” Held, who planned Katie Couric’s wedding, has worked with such special entertainment as the E Street Band; Chris Cuomo and TV journalist Harry Smith as MCs for charity events; and such celeb chefs as Daniel Boulud, Donatella Arpaia, and Brent Newsome. From 500-person museum galas to an intimate soiree at one’s own Westchester manse, Held does it all, including out-of-the-envelope “save the dates” and invites (she’ll even accept your RSVPs) and fun take-home swag bags. Her services can include developing an event theme; décor, floral, and menu design; venue selection; photography and entertainment; and even arranging for the hostess’s personal shopping, hair and makeup, and day-of massage services. No wonder her work has received accolades galore, including nods from The Knot for Best Event Planning and Florals, and a coveted “Editors Pick” for Best Wedding. Price: Typical events range from $150,000 to $500,000 or more
Elissa Held Events & Floral Design, Port Chester
(914) 420-4136
www.elissaheld.com
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Posh Party Tips Want to throw your own they’ll-be-talking-about-it-for-years bash? – Elissa Held shares her best suggestions. - Partner Content -
1. Remember, the party starts with the invitation—it sets the theme and ambience for the celebration, whether fun, elegant, or sophisticated. Think truly one-of-a-kind and be sure to send out eight weeks in advance of the event. All of Held’s invites are custom-designed and feature such unique printing techniques as diecuts, foldouts, and foil. For a pair of art collectors, she designed an invitation that was placed inside a plexiglass box with an easel back so that it was presented as a piece of art. |
House Management
If you’re one of the idle rich, you know you are actually very seldom idle—or in one place. Between sunning in Palm Beach, skiing in Aspen, and summering on Nantucket, you may rarely be at any one of your many homes. Concierge Greenwich, specializing in “luxury lifestyle management,” tackles the task of how to keep your local abodes running smoothly in your absence with its Minding Your Manors services. Regular visits by its experts manage house, pool, landscape, generator, security, and other maintenance issues. Price: $500 a month for weekly visits plus $125 to $150 an hour for additional visits
Concierge Greenwich, Greenwich
(203) 883-1490
www.conciergegreenwich.com
Personal Hypnotherapist
Stressed out from jet setting, yacht hopping, swilling Champagne, and savoring all that rich food? Professional hypnotist Bob Pargament of Westchester Hypnosis Center will bring his soothing voice and manner to your home or office to help you deal with such luxe lifestyle downsides as insomnia, anxiety, smoking, and weight gain. If all those fancy hors d’oeuvres have made it hard to fit into your designer gown or tux, check out his nonsurgical “virtual gastric band” program. Price: $400 to $500 per off-site session with a minimum of three sessions
Westchester Hypnosis Center, Harrison
(914) 488-4766
www.westchesterhypnosis.com
Custom Yachts
Yacht-hopping with friends in the south of France is a fun way to vacay but nothing beats cruising on one’s own Ari O-worthy home on the sea. Since 1947, deep-pocketed folks seeking superior design, the highest craftsmanship, and the finest attention to detail have turned to family-owned business Derecktor Shipyards to custom design their motor yachts, super-yachts, and mega-yachts. Shouldn’t you? Price: Custom luxury yachts average $100,000 per foot
Derecktor Shipyards, Mamaroneck
(914) 698-5020
www.derecktor.com
Bespoke Facial
The brilliant British aesthetician/beauty therapist Amanda Birch has received, acclaim from Vogue, Harpers, and Tatler for her ministrations to such elite clients as British aristocrats and even royals. Fortunately, Birch now offers her flawless-skin-creating facial on this side of the pond, in a charming old cottage on her picturesque Chappaqua property. Her bespoke facial features a proprietary massage technique, in which she targets one’s own facial muscles and connective tissues to help slow down the appearance of aging. It also includes dermabrasion, red-light therapy, extractions, and deep cleansing. Price: $200 (2 hours for new clients; 90 minutes for subsequent visits)
Beauty By Amanda Birch
Chappaqua (914) 218-8782
www.beautybyamandabirch.com
Dog Training
His well-heeled devoted clients (which include local veterinarians) call dog behavioral specialist Kevin Frohm a miracle worker, when it comes to training new pups, acclimating rescues to new homes, and working with dogs—and their families—facing difficult issues. (Indeed, many ask if he could work with their bipedal offspring, too.) With more than 30 years’ experience and training, Frohm has seen and done it all, from competing in canine disc events, to breeding and handling confirmation show dogs, and working with canine talent for TV commercials. His “white paw” in-camp or “boarding school” training program (some dogs stay in his own custom-designed home) takes place on a 43-acre property featuring indoor/outdoor kennels, a 1,000-square-foot indoor-training area, and large fenced-in play fields. Price: Training in your own home starts at $150 per hour with an eight-hour minimum; in-camp training or “boarding school” starts at $2,500 for a three-week minimum, plus $150 per day beyond that; transportation is available for an additional $45 each way
Dog Woods Camp, Mahopac
(845) 621-9495
Fine Art Consulting
It’ll come as no surprise to learn that the very rich are definitely not like us when it comes to putting something on their walls. While we may be content to pick up a painting at the Armonk Art Show or (heaven forbid) Home Goods, serious collectors engage expert consultant Kenise Barnes to acquire fine art. A former specialist in charge of contemporary art at Christie’s East, she focuses on emerging and midcareer investment-quality artists. Her white-glove service starts with a home visit and client visits to New York galleries and artists’ studios, and continues through custom framing, appraisal, and installation. Price: Artwork ranges from $25,000 to $45,000 (exclusive of framing cost), and Barnes receives 10 percent of the purchase price.
Kenise Barnes Fine Art & Consulting, Larchmont
(914) 834-8077
www.kbfa.com
Butler Service
And now, we solve a most vexing one-percenter problem: how to find good help. Yes, it is indeed hard to find, but upper-crust types don’t have to worry themselves about little things like this. Their house managers turn to LifeWorx to secure a superbly trained and experienced personal butler. And like Downton Abbey’s Mr. Carson, the butler will do it all with aplomb and polish, including greeting guests, making sure the family silver is polished properly, and maintaining the home’s Lord and Lady Grantham-like standards. Price: Annual compensation ranges from $70,000 to $100,000, plus an 18 percent fee to LifeWorx.
LifeWorx, Chappaqua
(914) 458-9933
www.lifeworx.com
Fine-Art Portraiture
Don’t have any museum-quality portraits of your illustrious ancestors hanging around the manse? Commission a future heirloom of your current family instead, from the accomplished artist Anne Bobroff-Hajal of White Plains. Unlike dark, somber Old Master-type paintings that show stiff, unsmiling subjects, Bobroff-Hajal’s acrylic-paint portraiture—which she does in person with subjects and/or from photos—is colorful, delightfully detailed and shows natural, spontaneous-looking people in real-life settings. The great-grandkids will thank you one day. Price: Starts at $3,000 for a single subject; $1,500 for each additional person in the portrait
Anne Bobroff-Hajal, White Plains
(914) 761-8353
www.annebobroffhajal.com
Makeup Artistry
People who have to look fab in real life, in photos, and on film—think Meryl Streep, Lorraine Bracco, and Chelsea Clinton—have all put their well-known faces in the talented hands of Thornwood professional makeup artist Rosemarie Pomilla of ProStyle. An FIT grad certified in advanced makeup application by the prestigious Il-Makiage brand, Pomilla has also worked with Frederick Fekkai and done fashion shows for designers like Chanel and Nicole Miller. And whether you’re the hostess, guest, or on-camera talent, she’ll work her airbrushing magic on your own VIP visage in your home or office—and even stay however long you need her for touch-ups. Price: Starts at $195 per session, plus $100 per hour to remain at the event/shoot
NY Prostyle, Thornwood
(914) 478-2684
www.nyprostyle.com
Luxe Spa Experience
Unwind from the stress of managing multiple homes, traveling the globe, and a whirlwind social calendar with a romantic spa getaway at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester. For the ultimate private experience, have its talented massage therapists come to you in your posh Presidential Suite ($5,000-plus per night). You can each indulge in a 90-minute Deep Muscle Massage with warm volcanic stones and foot and hair/scalp treatments ($310). A $50 surcharge for each therapist, plus a 20 percent gratuity brings the total for a side-by-side couple’s massage to $864. Price: $5,864 (plus hotel taxes and parking)
The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Westchester, White Plains
(914) 467-5885
www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/new-york/westchester
Personal Stylist
Look red-carpet glitterati-chic by indulging in a Top Shelf Premium Day with White Plains’ Deborah Weinberger of Silent Partner Image, who brings 25 years of fashion and marketing know-how to the task. After a one-on-one pre-shop, you’ll be greeted by mimosas and whisked away by limo for a customized six-hour fashion tour featuring carefully curated shops, designers, and styles, as well as designer dressmaker alterations (she even carries all your packages). The adventure ends with a 30-minute professional massage and hair or makeup styling, a photographic journal of your purchases, and your own goody bag. Price: Starts at $1,500, excluding fashion purchases and alteration costs.
Silent Partner Image,White Plains
(914) 774-2995; www.silentpartnerimage.com
Personal Training
When Mick Jagger’s baby mama, Brazilian supermodel Luciana Morad, couldn’t get no satisfaction trying to get back into her stunning pre-bump shape, she turned to local certified fitness trainer Mike Pernice. To keep his elite clientele (including top execs, newscasters, and others who wouldn’t dream of wiping anyone else’s sweat off a fitness club StairMaster) in tip-top shape, he books as early as 4:30 am. The personal trainer, who has appeared on TV’s Extra and in the New York Times, will come to your local residence or office—even your weekend home—as well. Price: $135 to $250 per hour, depending upon frequency; $1,500 for a weekend away
Mike Pernice, Greenwich
(203) 629-9397
www.miperfitness.com
