Three personal portraits of New York, shaped by the places and moments through which each person has made the city their own. Together, these fragments of lives and perspectives reveal the many ways a place becomes personal, whether it has always been home or has become one over time.
Elly McGaw is an Australian fashion stylist and creative consultant living in Greenwich Village. Her background in architecture shapes her eye for form, proportion and the details that make something last. Drawn to enduring wardrobe staples, she finds expression in pieces that become more personal with time.
What is your relationship with the city?
“I feel like I’ve had nine lives, truly. I think New York does that to you. It really kind of breaks you and then reshapes you in its own way.”
Marine Hartogs is an independent design consultant living in Tribeca. More than sixteen years working with art, auctions and collections have shaped her eye for historical and contemporary design. Drawn to objects from different periods and styles, she finds beauty in the balance they create together.
“I absolutely love art, and I love to see it hanging on the walls in my clients’ homes, but I love the history that comes with a piece of furniture, a chair, a table, a light. Having it be used and worn in every day, it’s a little bit like clothes for me. It’s the functionality of it. I think that’s what draws me to it.”
How do you see New York today?
“I see the young people moving to New York, and I see the stars in their eyes. I think there’s a point where you step aside a little bit and let the young people take over the city.”
Constance Tsang is an American filmmaker and director with Chinese roots, living in Greenpoint. Her debut feature, Blue Sun Palace, premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week in 2024 and won the French Touch Prize. Drawn to the quiet details of people’s lives, she brings a close and considered gaze to the stories she tells.
How has the city shaped you?
“As a kid, being exposed to so much culture, to different people and food, brought out an enduring sense of curiosity in me.”