FYI this is post #24 in ZandlSlant’s reopening series. CRAZY that I’ve been doing this for over six months!! This week the focus is on trends impacting moms, travel, and the upcoming pumpkin holiday, i.e., Halloween.

Scroll down for these trends – and much more – from this week’s Top 10 List.

1. ART MAMAS ALLIANCE

I first heard about #ArtMamas from my friend Alex Gilbert through Instagram. I wanted to write about it because I know so many women in the arts (and in other fields as well) who are juggling full-time jobs with the responsibility of raising – and now often, homeschooling – their children.

Here’s some background from Alex on how #artmamas got its start:

• Helen Toomer (of Stoneleaf Retreat) and Katy Donaghue (of Whitewall) planted the seed last December. I attended a panel talk event in Miami during the (art) fairs and was overjoyed to run into colleagues, one of whom had two boys at school with mine.
• During the lockdown, they started hosting some very nourishing Monday night calls. They both have young ones, but moms with older kids also take part, so there is a real opportunity for advice and frank conversation. They recently decided to professionalize it with membership.

And a summary of the alliance from the founders:

We invite Art Mamas Members to participate however serves them best in the moment. We know you may not always want to speak or have the energy to share—but we promise that in showing up, logging on, and listening, you’ll feel less alone and part of a community.

This is why we created Art Mamas. In April, as the reality of the global pandemic set in, we started a Monday night call among a small group of women. We showed up every week, hardly ever happy and bright in the beginning, but always in the end walking away feeling seen, heard, and stronger. We want to share that experience with you and reiterate that this membership is open to everyone with an interest in listening to and supporting Art Mamas.  

Absolutely brilliant idea! Highly recommend for community building in other fields and industries. I know my regularly scheduled bi-weekly FaceTimes with friends got me through the darkest days of the pandemic.

2. CEOs are so over Zoom Calls (Source: NPR)

Amazing how quickly Zoom Calls went from “awesome” to “awful.

In March, all we were hearing was how productive video meetings were turning out to be. Company execs were routinely interviewed saying they no longer needed office space. Now, eight months later, CEOs are questioning how much those meetings really achieve:

• JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says there’s no vital “creative combustion” happening in virtual settings.
• American Airlines CEO Doug Parker finds Zoom meetings awful.
• And Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella calls them transactional, where “30 minutes into your first video meeting in the morning … you’re fatigued.”
• Many employees are also starting to describe the experience as “draining.”

A survey by virtual tech firm Lucid found that as many as 1 in 4 younger workers are breaking company pandemic protocols and meeting with colleagues in-person to discuss work projects.

• The same survey found workers don’t feel the need to behave during virtual meetings when no one is looking.
• Most admitted to “questionable behavior” during virtual brainstorm meetings, including 1 in 10 who admitted using the bathroom while on a call.

Which brings us to the Zoom scandal du jour

“Consider avoiding having your junk out in the first place.”

Gizmodo, Oct 18, 2020

YES INDEED. Jeffrey Toobin did “accidentally” expose his genitals while on a Zoom call. He’s currently on leave from both the New Yorker and CNN while he works out “personal problems” and figures out how to wear pants!

3. Trending in China: Tailor-Made Luxury Experiences (Source: Jing Daily, South China Morning Post)

China is roaring back but American luxury has fallen by the wayside

Notable differences between Chinese teens, who are into overt status, versus Chinese millennials, who have moved onto refined luxury experiences.

The millennial demographic boosted strong spending growth in the “experience” market. And this burgeoning passion for experiences has cultural associations.

• Until very recently, China was associated with knock-offs and counterfeit luxury goods rather than superior craftsmanship and quality. As a result, millennial consumers have now fetishized authenticity and connoisseurship.
• Social media platforms have exponentially boosted the experience economy, e.g., trips to unique destinations now generate more engagement on Weibo and WeChat than luxury products.
• As a result, millennial luxury lovers eager to attract attention and communicate attitudes typical of affluent consumers are keen on investing in refined experiences.

Smart heritage brands and luxury conglomerates out of Europe are driving this trend.

For example:

1. IC Bellagio partnered with Altagamma Foundation “to offer exclusive behind-the-scenes access to major Italian brands.” Their exclusive offer includes visits to ateliers, design houses, workshops, company headquarters, wine-tastings at world-renowned vineyards, and meetings with entrepreneurs and owners to better understand their projects and growth.
2. Louis Vuitton is co-creating experiences and involving its customers in the creative process. From attracting the wealthy through made-to-order shoes and bags to inviting a selective few to visit its atelier at Asnières, Louis Vuitton is well aware of the significance of tailor-made experiences for today’s luxury lovers.
3. Sotheby has invited the affluent class to “go behind the scenes of the luxury business and explore the connection between luxury and art” via their online course, valued at £6,550.

American luxury fashion in China, on the other hand, is struggling because of its ‘ordinary’ image, weak marketing, and few social media influencers.

To improve, Americans need to adapt to the widespread popularity of mobile platforms and live-streaming.

According to Parklu – a Shanghai-based KOL (key opinion leader) management and analytics firm – Prada, Chanel, Dior, Valentino, and Burberry were the five most-watched collections in China during the recent fashion month. Notably, not one American brand hit the top 20.

South China Morning Post, 10/20/20

So what can American brands do to win back customers in the hugely lucrative China market?

“American brands need to be on mobile platforms using KOLs, taking part in [shopping festival] 11/11 and all the other shopping holidays, and familiarizing themselves with local habits, like the fact, the Chinese skipped the computer era and went straight to mobile. American brands who don’t have a local team in China really need to catch up. As an example, Amazon just started testing live-streaming this month, whereas this is such a common practice in China already.”

Wendy Choi, COO of Hong Kong-based retail firm Chain of Demand

4. LASIK surgery is once again booming thanks to face masks and foggy glasses (Source: AZ Family, Daily Herald)

Lasik eye surgery is making a comeback because as those of us who wear glasses can attest, wearing a mask fogs up your lenses.

I’m sticking with my glasses but ophthalmologists around the country are reporting that people are forking over $4500+ to get Lasiked.

In Los Angeles, Dr. Neda Shamie, has seen a 30% jump in Lasik procedures.

• It’s driven by younger adults, the average age of a patient is now 34 years old, a seven-year drop from the early 2000s.
• An informal survey of other big eye-care practices around the country reported similar gains.

5. Strong Demand For 2021 Travel (Sources: Travel Pulse/ travel week/ NPR)

There’s a lot of contradictory and inconsistent info floating around about travel but here’s some data (plus sources) that I find reliable:

• Among the most eager to travel again are frequent-traveler Americans and Canadians with 99% stating their intention to do so. 70% plan to take a holiday in 2021 according to a survey from Travel Leaders Group conducted in conjunction with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
• Topping the list of preferred domestic destinations for US travelers was “anywhere uncrowded” such as the outdoors, beaches, and national parks. Florida, Hawaii, Alaska, and California were also high on the list while traditionally popular places like New York and Nevada ranked lower than usual. (Source: Web In Travel)
• Travel agents around the country have also seen strong bookings for destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.
• More reservations have been made for the second quarter of 2021 than for 1Q.
• Private groups are turning into big business with families and friends looking to stay within their social bubble, e.g., The “Book Your Bubble” collection. (Source: Travel Week)
• “Small Group” travel is also a popular option from Disney, e.g., Adventures by Disney offers five unique Private Adventures with your own group of up to 12 fellow travelers.
• On a personal note, I am booked for a major Nat Geo trip, “The Future of Everything” scheduled for August 2021 departure. However, I am not 100% convinced this will happen. But should that trip be postponed, I have a backup. Just got a notification from Nat Geo about several upcoming small ship expedition cruises to Alaska and the Bering Sea. I’m sure I’ll know by early next year whether I’ll be private jetting or cruising.

And one final, positive piece of news: the TSA just reported more than one million people were screened at airport security checkpoints this past Sunday (Oct 18). It’s the first time the TSA’s daily traveler count has topped the one million mark since March 16. And this wasn’t just a one-day surge in air travel. The TSA’s daily throughput figure has topped 900,000 eight times already this month, and the TSA reports that the 6.1 million people passing through U.S. airport checkpoints between Oct. 12 and Oct. 18 was the greatest weekly traveler volume measured since the start of the pandemic (however still down 60% versus last year). But going in the right direction. (Source: NPR)

6. MY TOP 3 RESTAURANT DISCOVERIES of the Pandemic

I haven’t been traveling but I have taken many gourmand journeys at these fabulous restaurants that re-opened in NYC starting in June.

I have 3 favorites that I’ve dined at weekly for the last few months.

All 3 are in my neighborhood (so walkable), all have amazing food and all have a warm, welcoming staff and vibe.

Peasant, 194 Elizabeth Street (Nolita)

Peasant has been a neighborhood fixture for over 20 years. The original chef/owner, Frank DeCarlo, retired at the end of last year (nope, not an evil, greedy landlord story).

The restaurant, much beloved by chefs from all over NYC, was bought by Marc Forgione (see #7 below) who has given it a new lease on life and dare I say, made it even better.

It’s on the pricey side (or I would be here even more often). Marc serves great Italian food that’s on the robust side and mostly cooked on an open fire. Peasant always has daily specials worth checking out but I would say my favorite dishes are the baked oysters with bone marrow, the charcuterie plate, any of the pastas, and any of the pizzas. To drink, they make a killer Italian Manhattan and an excellent Mezcal Negroni.

Fish Cheeks, 55 Bond Street (Nolita)

Fish Cheeks was only vaguely on my radar before the pandemic. My favorite Thai restaurant was Uncle Boon’s and although my friends raved about the food at Fish Cheeks, they also regularly complained that the dining room was too loud if you wanted any kind of conversation that didn’t include shouting.

Come the pandemic, however, they set up for outdoor dining which looked colorful, festive, and very charming – and was quiet. Initially, I did takeout but then I discovered their Butterfly Effect cocktail. I now dine there at least once a week. I was there last night checking out the pumpkin dessert. Awesome!

Recommended dishes include coconut crab curry (my absolute favorite), manila clams with basil, the corn salad, grilled pork cheeks. But there are so many delicious things being delivered to tables around me. I’m looking forward to working my way through the menu.

Cafe Standard @ the Standard Hotel, 25 Cooper Square, East Village

Cafe Standard, along with the Garden at the Standard, are excellent options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Come the winter, I suspect they will bring back their yurts which are so festive and where I am hoping to enjoy Thanksgiving this year.

What’s especially great about the Standard is it’s under a covered, (somewhat) heated patio. The indoors is also well-spaced and airy. Those who are nervous about dining inside, seem to feel comfortable here.

I love their salmon and based on what my friends order, the Steak Frites and the hamburger are both excellent choices.

7. MEET THE CHEF/OWNER: MARC FORGIONE, PEASANT

Marc Forgione’s Peasant has turned into one of my favorite restaurants. The food is amazing and the vibe that he and his sister, Cara (pic below, right) have created for their guests is outstanding. Whenever I go there, I feel like I am at home with friends and family.

Although I have only recently gotten to know Marc, I am so grateful that he is the new chef/owner of this much-beloved restaurant in the neighborhood (see #6 above).

Mr. Forgione said that when he first ate at Peasant as a young chef, he thought: “This is the sexiest restaurant I’ve ever seen in my life.” When he opened Marc Forgione in 2008, he aimed for a dark, cozy look like Peasant’s. (Mr. Forgione won the Next Iron Chef in 2010.)

NYT, 12/3/2019

8. This year’s Pumpkin Season offers amazing Selfie-moments

Halloween (or “Coronaween” as some are calling it) is playing out a bit differently this year but stores, malls, and restaurants are stepping up their game to feed the Selfie-monster in all of us.

Examples:

• The beautiful, Instagram-perfect pumpkin arch (above) at NYC’s South Street Seaport is a huge hit. People of all ages were lined up for photo ops when I checked it out last weekend.
• The Maoam Mischief Manor (pics below) at Westfield shopping centers in the UK, allows one household group at a time to experience a haunted house style journey with zombie hands and ghostly animations. I’m especially impressed by the “Don’t Forget To Slime Your Hands” installation. Very clever. The activation was designed, built, and delivered by experiential agency ENERGY. (Source: NetImperative)

• Brookfield Place, the mall in Battery Park City, is hosting a Digital Halloween Bash on 10/31. They commissioned artists Tin&Ed to create a gigantic new inflatable sculpture titled, Monster. And they’ve developed a specially designed AR filter that allows visitors to snap selfies and become part of the sculpture (“bringing out the monster in all of us”)!

• Time Out Markets (in NYC and elsewhere) are creating Halloween celebrations for families and friend groups. They’re taking reservations for socially-distant seatings throughout the day on Oct 31 and encouraging people to come in costume for photo ops, prizes, and “responsibly packed” candy.

9. “Citizen Scientists” Asked to Help Solve the mass die-off of birds (Source: The Guardian)

This year, as hundreds of thousands of birds dropped out of the sky in the Western parts of the country, ornithologists are calling on “citizen scientists” to help them solve this mystery.

“There are many more citizen scientists than there are professional scientists or wildlife rehabilitators. The power of eyes in many places is huge.”

Andrew Farnsworth, Sr. Research Associate, Cornell Lab of Ornithology/ E-Bird

The mass die-off has been tentatively attributed to the historic wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington which may have forced birds to rush their migration. But scientists do not know for sure – in part because nobody knows precisely how wildfire smoke affects birds.

• iNaturalist, a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society, invited users to crowd-source information about the die-off. It has become a critical tool for scientists trying to unravel the mysteries at the intersection of birds, wildfires, and climate change.
• A leading theory behind the south-west die-off is that widespread smoke pollution led to difficulties for birds in finding food. It wasn’t the physiological effects of smoke that killed the birds, instead, scientists believe they starved to death.
• FYI: Not all fire is bad for birds. Some like the lazuli bunting, known as a “fire-following” species, have even evolved to thrive in the aftermath of fire events.

For anyone interested in birds and solving mysteries, one of the most popular apps to crowdsource data on the locations and numbers of bird populations globally is eBird (created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society). It has recorded as many as 100m bird observations per year. I use it all the time!

10. What’s with all the spammy/scammy emails, phone calls, and SOCIAL media come-ons?

What is going on? Anyone else being deluged with this BS? Whoever is doing this is also scamming legit companies, e.g., CVS, Chase, etc.

Here’s what I’ve uncovered:

• Spammers can send out a billion messages a month. But who’s behind it?
• I’ve also heard from numerous reliable sources that unsubscribing from these emails, validates your address and you get MORE SPAM – it’s a FAKE  unsubscribe link. So just send those emails to junk and g-mail will automatically route them there, sooner or later.
• My Instagram stories are also filled with scammy offers to add 10,000 or 50,000 followers. Hate that!!!
• Even LinkedIn has gotten scammy with so many people who have no link to me whatsoever, asking “to connect” and then immediately hitting me up to do business with them for things they’d know I’d never be interested in if they had taken just one moment to review my profile. And then they don’t take the hint. They get belligerent when you don’t respond and keep following up endlessly. Stop it already!

And, on that note, it’s a wrap.

Spammy emails aside, this past week was fabulous. I love having Brad back and I also especially appreciated a random street run-in with a friend who I hadn’t seen in years. I had just sent her an email the week before and then, serendipitously, on Monday, while walking home from a wonderful lunch at La Mercerie, I saw this person on a Citibike who looked so familiar. She also did a double-take and we spent 30 minutes on the sidewalk catching up. Our goodbyes came with dinner plans for this coming week. Great to reconnect Adriana Marianella!!

And that, my friends, is why I LOVE NYC.

Have a great weekend everyone!