John McEnroe

Classic '70s Country Club Polos by Boast Reborn

Filed under: Apparel, Sports, Men's Style

Boast, the iconic, exclusive polo shirt brand founded in 1973 by Bill St. John, the tennis pro at Greenwich, Connecticut's famed Field Club, is being relaunched this month with a modern spin. Boast polos, featuring the notorious Japanese Maple leaf logo which many assumed to be a pot leaf, were originally sold only by Saint John from the back of his station wagon at country clubs across the Northeast. He designed the shirts in homage to the rebellious tennis stars of the day like John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, the intentional pot leaf confusion adding a subversive touch.

Now John Dowling and Alexander Tiger, major racquet sports devotees and longtime fans of Boast, have revived the brand and updated the fabric and fit of the shirts, and are making them available outside country club pro shops for the first time. Dowling and Tiger have brought in Jack Spade designer Andy Spade's creative studio Partners & Spade to help breathe new life into the brand. The super soft and durable Boast pique cotton polo, offered in a range of colors in a classic ﬁt, is now available for $68 via BoastUSA.com. There's also a beautifully hand-tailored navy blazer with eye-catching details for $1,200.

Gallery: Boast Reborn

Tags: Andy Spade, Connecticut, country club, Field Club, Greenwich, Jack Spade, John McEnroe, mens style, Partners Spade, polo, polo shirt, shirts, sports, tennis

Bette Midler Helps Restore New York

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Charity, Big Givers

Bette Midler is more than a woman -- she's like an army. We're not just talking about the power of her singing voice; she's also a dancer, an actress, a comedienne, and a well-known humanitarian, and a champion of both the arts and the Earth.

Since 1995, she's been working on her New York Restoration Project (NYRP -- she founded it), which has been helping NYC get greener and cleaner. Just recently, Bette herself planted the 250,000th NYRP tree in a Queens neighborhood and unveiled a new garden near Yankee Stadium. Now, she's auctioning off some very unique experiences with celebrities on CharityFolks.com, experiences which would make unbeatable holiday gifts.

Among the current gifts available are:

Meet John Stamos Backstage at Bye Bye Birdie & Enjoy 2 VIP House Seats - $1,500.00
Private Lesson with Tennis Great John McEnroe & Roundtrip Travel on JetBlue Airways! - $2,750.00
Meet Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Steve Winwood, One of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time According to Rolling Stone, with 2 VIP Tix to a 2010 European Show Date - $1,500.00

Those are current bid prices; buyouts are available at higher numbers. All the proceeds will benefit NYRP, which plans to plant 1 million trees by 2017 (and totally will). Other items include a chance to meet Cher, a walk-on role with Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd, a getaway to Richard Branson's Necker Island, and more. She's convinced nearly 100 of her celebrity friends to contribute, so keep your eye on the NYRP CharityFolks page to see what's up for auction next.

"We've turned 55 vacant lots into beautiful community gardens and planted more than 250,000 trees, and we're just getting started, so I hope you'll join in the merriment by placing a bid today!" says Midler.

Tags: bette midler, BetteMidler, John McEnroe, John Stamos, JohnMcenroe, JohnStamos, New York Restoration Project, NewYorkRestorationProject, NYC, NYRP, Steve Winwood, SteveWinwood

$88 Million Art Investment Scam Revealed in NYC

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Reuters reported a few days ago that a sophisticated $88 million art investment scam was revealed in New York on March 26. Art dealer Lawrence Salander, 59 (at right), was arrested at his New York home on March 26, when he and his gallery were charged with 100 counts, including grand larceny and securities fraud. Salander pleaded not guilty in New York's Supreme Court and his bail was set at $1 million. He faces up to 25 years in prison on the most serious charge.

Former tennis champion John McEnroe was duped along with Bank of America, investment firms, art owners and collectors. So far, authorities have identified 26 victims of Salander's scheme, including McEnroe, who lost $2 million after investing a half share in two paintings, Arshile Gorky's Pirate I and II. The share in the paintings was sold at the same time to another collector, and McEnroe never recouped the money, authorities said.

Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau said the scheme, which lasted from 1994 - 2007, included luring investors who paid cash in exchange for shares of ownership of works of art. "He sold artwork not owned by him and kept the money and lured investment money in fraudulent investment opportunities," Morgenthau said. Salander used the money to fund "an extravagant lifestyle" of lavish parties and private jets, he said.

The investigation of Salander, the former owner of Salander-O'Reilly Galleries (shuttered in 2007), continues. Other estates he looked after included paintings of the late father of actor Robert De Niro.

Most of the artworks, which are yet to be valued, are being held in the custody of a bankruptcy court in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Many of the investors have filed civil claims against Salander and his gallery, which filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2007.

Source

Tags: art, criminal, John McEnroe, Lawrence Salander, LawrenceSalander, Robert De Niro, Salander, scam, theft

Bacon, Basquiat, Prince and Warhol Star in Sotheby's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

Not to be outdone by archrival Christie's, Sotheby's is staging its own major Contemporary Art auction in London on July 1st. With total pre-sale estimates topping $130 million, the event is being billed as "the highest value summer sale of contemporary art ever held by Sotheby's in Europe." The untitled Jean-Michel Basquiat painting belonging to Irish rockers U2 that my colleague Deidre Woollard mentioned earlier this month is a top draw in the auction, with an estimate of $8 - $12 million.

Other highlights include two important works by Francis Bacon: Figure Turning, painted 1962, est. $20 - $30 million, and Study for Head of George Dyer, painted in 1967, est. at over $16 million. Rounding out the other notable big-ticket items are Richard Prince's Overseas Nurse, 2002, est. at $8 - $12 million - more than the current Prince auction record; and Andy Warhol's 1964 Large Campbell's Soup Can (pictured right), est. $5 - $7 million. Also of interest: tennis great John McEnroe is selling his 1986 Warhol portrait with ex Tatum O'Neal, est. only $500,000 - $700,000. See the gallery for images.

Gallery: Sotheby's Summer Sale