Rob Southern | Contributing Design Editor
The bustling office of ROB SOUTHERN INCORPORATED is located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. In May, 2004 Rob Southern opened his doors after formally working as Senior Associate for fifteen years at GREG JORDAN INCORPORATED. During those years Southern worked on a series of high-end residential and commercial projects, including the decoration of Le Colonial restaurant on East 57th Street which turned the town upside down and set the standard for many more to come. Always polite and ever charming, Southern has acquired quite a following. His work spans the globe: Napa Valley, Palm Beach, Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, East Hampton, Savannah, London, Paris and of course Manhattan. An editorial darling, Southern’s work has been published in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, House & Garden, In Style, and Veranda.
Caroline Dean | Editor-at-Large
Though born and raised in Southern California, Caroline Dean has been calling Manhattan home since landing here as a Smith College graduate. A keen observer and natural writer at heart, Caroline’s work has been widely published. Years of hopping between her local haunts which include London, Southampton, Aspen, the Bahamas, Los Angeles, and Locust Valley, NY mixed with an insatiable curiosity for the exotic have made her an eagle-eyed chronicler on design, art, fashion, and culture.
Photo: Margaret Gibbons
Amanda Hayes-Valentine | Creative Director
A West Coast girl living in New York, Amanda Hayes-Valentine was turning heads for her award-winning campaigns for VH1, ESPN International, USA Networks, Buick, and Coppertone. Mix in stints with Nickelodeon and Oxygen networks and she had the perfect foundation for launching her own boutique operation. Factor in a move to Houston, Texas where she and business partner Chris Promecene opened a retail front called ph Design Shop and design/marketing firm: Promecene Hayes Design. She is the first and last stop in a city that thrives on being at the forefront of great design, art, fashion, and culture.
Photo: Robbie Valentine
Blair Voltz Clarke | Contributing Editor
Blair Clark is the go to consultant for sophisticates, galleries and alternative spaces looking for access to the world of emerging contemporary art. The Columbus, Georgia native’s vernissages have the feeling of a perfect dinner party – the right mix of uptown sophistication and downtown verve. “Perhaps it’s her unique sense of southern charm and New York savvy that has led to Blair’s success,” comments collector Beth DeWoody. “She excels at connecting identities and ideas that wouldn’t have otherwise come together.” The perfect day off: gallery hopping with daughters Poppy and Georgina along with husband Alistair Clark who is Sotheby’s European Furniture Head.
Photo: Jennifer Thomas