All photographs by Dean Bradshaw.
MONDAY 9:03 PM, SEPTEMBER 9 UPTOWN
In this week’s installment of Smoke Break, editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg broke bread with visitors of Villa Zegna, the Italian Alps-inspired private club and uptown where Zegna hosted an exclusive screening and supper party on Monday night. After a showing of Born in Oasi, the new short that reunites its star Roman Coppola and the luxury menswear label after he appeared in their SS2003 campaign two decades ago, partygoers like Chloe Fineman, The Dare, Josh Brolin, and Evan Peters reconvened over plates of pasta and exchanged fashion week gossip in true Upper East Side fashion. Bouncing among tables, Ottenberg grabbed a spare moment between superstar siblings and cinema scions Roman and Sofia Coppola to talk about being a good host and keeping up Italian appearances.
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ROMAN COPPOLA
MEL OTTENBERG: Thank you for finding me.
ROMAN COPPOLA: Should we get Sofia [Coppola]?
OTTENBERG: Yeah, please bring Sofia! Your film made me really excited to go to Italy next week.
COPPOLA: Nice.
OTTENBERG: Where’s your favorite place in Italy?
COPPOLA: I love Rome. I have friends there. In fact, the DJ tonight, Alessandro [TK], is a friend. He has a nightclub there. So I lived in Rome. But I also love going to the south, which is where we have a family home. It’s a hotel in Bernalda. Have you been there before?
OTTENBERG: I have not. What is the quote you said in the film about how it’s your responsibility and everyone’s responsibility to continue the traditions in Italy? ‘Cause you seem like you really have some good, classic style.
COPPOLA: Thank you. I was dressed tonight by Zegna, but I do appreciate beautiful clothes and style. I’m a big Marcello Mastroianni buff, so anything that he’s ever worn. There’s this shirtmaker in Rome. He passed away, but that’s something I love: the tradition of making things. I do believe in that sentiment of creative endeavor. In my family, we have multi-generational parties, and I value that a lot. My daughter’s thirteen, she’s loves theater and she goes to the movies with her pals, so I love seeing that continue.
MEL OTTENBERG: I love that.
COPPOLA: And the tradition in art is the sort of master-apprentice relationship. So, some renaissance painter that has an apprentice come and clean his brushes or whatever, that process of doing menial things. Interestingly, the master gets an incredible boost from the being exposed to youth. So I may be digressing from your question, but that tradition in art, filmmaking, painting, whatever it may be, of the older generations and the younger generations feeding off each other.
OTTENBERG: I mean, that works with Zegna too, ’cause it’s about tradition and beauty.
COPPOLA: Totally.
OTTENBERG: Are your glasses Italian?
COPPOLA: These are Ray-Ban, actually.
MEL OTTENBERG: Oh, they’re so good. Do you live in New York?
COPPOLA: I live in San Francisco.
OTTENBERG: Everything you’re wearing in that Zegna film inspired me to go shop at Zegna.
COPPOLA: Well, I appreciate that.
OTTENBERG: Thank you for having me.
COPPOLA: Do you know Sofia?
OTTENBERG: I met her with Marc [Jacobs] a few times.
COPPOLA: And how long have you been with Interview?
OTTENBERG: I became the creative director six years ago, and editor-in-chief three years ago.
COPPOLA: Relatively recent.
OTTENBERG: Pretty recent, yeah.
COPPOLA: There was a guy named Chris Makos. Is he still around?
OTTENBERG: Yeah. We’re sort of pals now.
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SOFIA COPPOLA
OTTENBERG: I’m here with Sofia. Wow, the opera singer was so incredible. And it’s from Prizzi’s Honor. I think it might have been in Fatal Attraction too.
SOFIA COPPOLA: I think he was in a lot of movies. I remember as a kid hearing it in Prizzi’s Honor. I really thought it was romantic, and I felt this charisma and style in that. It played in my mind as very personal.
OTTENBERG: It’s incredible. This party’s really fun. Has your brother always been a good host?
SOFIA COPPOLA: Yeah, he knows how to have a fun time. He always comes up with fun parties and things for our family and finds interesting locations. So he’s always fun, party time.
OTTENBERG: This is definitely more fun than the usual fashion party.
CHLOE FINEMAN
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MEL OTTENBERG: Okay, I’m here with Chloe. Chloe, you look great in black.
CHLOE FINEMAN: Thank you. All black.
OTTENBERG: You look so stun.
FINEMAN: Well, I wanted to look rich.
OTTENBERG: In reality, are you into wearing this sickening, rich lady outfit?
FINEMAN: I am. Actually, I’m hoping to keep the belt. The belt is over $4,000, not to be that girl. I realize that, for men, a belt is a purse, right?
OTTENBERG: It’s another watch.
THE DARE
THE DARE: You want to interview me for Interview right now?
OTTENBERG: I do, but I can’t because I have to leave. So I’m just going to ask you a question about your shoes.
DARE: Cup or cone?
PARTYGOER: No, ask him your real question.
THE DARE: Cup or cone?
OTTENBERG: I don’t eat ice cream. I don’t smoke cigarettes, and I don’t eat ice cream.
THE DARE: Oh my god, no!
PARTYGOER: What do you do for fun?
THE DARE: Well, he has fun.
OTTENBERG: This interview is over.
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