// LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Recently I was scrolling through Instagram and stopped on an image that gave me an immediate jolt of confusion: Jeffrey Koons’s larger-than-life “Seated Ballerina” at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Could it be? I remember this past Art Basel, going to the reception for Mr. Koons at Oceana Bal Harbour where his “Seated Ballerina” sculpture (worth several million dollars, by the way) would be permanently moved as part of the residences’ ownership. I even took a selfie in front of it! Certainly, New York didn’t one-up us.
But there it was in the middle of Rockefeller Center, Jeff Koons’s 45-foot-high inflatable, nylon sculpture…wait—inflatable? Nylon? That explains it. The NYC version— scaled up from the original in the artist’s “Antiquity” series—was only temporary (the installation seeks to raise awareness for organizations like the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children) and was full of air. A balloon! The real version, made of mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating, still sits front and center at the entrance to the new Bal Harbour luxury residence on the water. Phew!
The Nyc-versus-miami conversation is always heated when it comes to arts, culture, sports, food, real estate, and even weather. As a former New Yorker, I know very well that both cities have winning and losing arguments. But in this specific case, with the original piece of work by Jeffrey Koons permanently in the 305, Miami comes out on top.
South Florida also gets the win in September, when the hot and steamy summer days start to give way to fall and light breezes. (It’s still beach weather, though—another point for Miami!) And as families return from summer trips to Aspen, South America, Europe, and even the Hamptons, the exciting buzz of the Miami “season” returns, and it doesn’t die down until the following summer.
Adding to that buzz, no doubt, is this year’s September cover star Nina Dobrev, who’s transitioned into postVampire Diaries life quite nicely with her film Flatliners, in theaters September 29. Her grace and beauty are a perfect fit for any fashion issue, but it’s her support of the oceans and saving sharks that makes her the ultimate fit for Ocean Drive.
As you can see, there’s much to celebrate in Miami besides just art and our celebrity covers, though I can’t believe we are about 90 days away from Art Basel Miami Beach already! So get ready, Miamians. September is just the beginning of the action in the Magic City!