THE STYLE SCHIFTERS

 

Tim Schifter, Helen Schifter

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The chic Manhattan couple show off their Hamptons home

Text from Harpers Bazaar 11/2008

Text by Anamaria Wilson
Photographs by Douglas Friedman

Helen Schifter jumps for joy in front of her Sagaponack beach house. Gown, $9000, Michael Kors. 212-452-4685.

 Necklace, $1,500, House of Lavande Vintage.

Henri Bendel; 800-H-BENDEL. Fashion editor: Amanda Ross

Caption: An antique hospital gurney in the living room

Caption: The sitting room—a study in white

Caption: Charming keepsakes

Caption: Tim Schifter poses in front of an oil painting in the library. Menswear
throughout, Tim’s own. Flowers throughout, L’Olivier Floral Atelier, NYC.

Caption: The Schifters with their daughter, Storey. Minidress, BCBG Max Azria. Bracelets, Cartier. Gown, Carolina Herrera. Earrings, Lisa Sheldon. See Where to Buy for details.

Caption: The Schifters’ dog, Daisy Peanut, asleep in the kitchen

Caption: The bountiful dining-room table

Caption: A country picnic. On Storey: Cardigan, L.A.M.B. Shirt, Jacadi. Pants, Ralph Lauren Childrenswear. On Helen: Gown, Vera Wang. Bracelet, Roxanne Assoulin for Lee Angel. Ring, James de Givenchy for Taffin. Shoes, Roger Vivier.

Caption: Helen and Tim in traditional shooting kit. Vest, Carolina Herrera.

Caption: On target: Helen aims for the bull’s-eye. Dress, $2498, and bet, $275, Ralph Lauren Collection. ralphlauren.com. Hat, price upon request, Carolina Herrera. 212-469-6552. Earrings, $520, Bottega Veneta. 877-362-1715. Cuff, $43,000, H. Stern. 800-7-HSTERN. Barneys New York; 888-8-BARNEYS. Hair and makeup: Vincent Da Silva at the Gil Ferrer Salon; prop styling: Matthew Betmaleck.


Helen Schifter routinely steps out into the Manhattan social swirl in billowing couture gowns, stopping only to pose for photographers and serve up pithy bons mots to society reporters. Yet when greeting guests at her plantation-style home in Sagaponack, New York, during the dog days of summer, she can often be found in a tiny tank top and even tinier shorts.

“I spent all summer with her, and she’s always in tiny shorts and a T-shirt,” says pal Aerin Lauder. “My God, I wish I could do that. She’s like, ‘Go to Abercrombie. They’ve got the best shorts.’ So I went in there, and I was the oldest by like 20 years. But she just looks so good in them.”

Indeed, Helen’s slender form can be attributed to good genes and routine jogs. “She’s very disciplined,” says Tim, her husband of 20 years. The pair first met on the Hampton Jitney in 1987. “It was the last seat on the bus, so I had to sit next to him,” recalls Helen. “At the end of the ride, he asked for my number, and I said, ‘No, let me take yours.’” It took her 14 days to call. “I had actually been casually dating Jean-Michel Basquiat, so I was slightly occupied.”

No matter. In the end, Tim charmed Helen right down the aisle. At the time, she was an editor at a glossy fashion magazine and he was working at LeSportsac, his family’s zippy-nylon-handbag business. Since then, the couple have made their mark on New York society and had a daughter, Storey, 13. They are known among the gilded set for their sassy spirits—Helen for her love of mischief, Tim for his affable demeanor.

When the Schifters are looking to get out of the city, they decamp from their Park Avenue penthouse apartment to Sagaponack. Tucked behind a row of privet hedges, their two-story beach house, with its simple French-country décor, rolling lawn, and charming pool house, serves as base camp for the summer. The close-knit family of three whiles away the days swimming, playing tennis, and even camping in the backyard.

Although the house was built in the ‘90s, the wide-plank wood floors, wainscoting, and mélange of antiques lend the space an Old world feel. It’s also peppered with mementos like a framed mid-‘80s picture of Helen sandwiched between Jay McInerney and Bret Easton Ellis.

Yet their favorite pastime is shooting. “I like the feeling of being comfortable with a firearm,” says Helen. “I enjoy that confidence it instills; the psychological and physical mastery of that is something I’m very proud of.” The Maidstone Gun Club in East Hampton serves as the site of their practice sessions. However, jaunts to mogul Lawrence Stroll’s vast Canadian estate, where he hosts English-style hunting weekends, are an annual highlight. Michael Kors, a fellow Stroll guest (his company is owned by Stroll and his business partner, Silas Chou), says, “Tim and Helen love to laugh and have such a curiosity about everything, which makes them the perfect addition to any party or dinner, from the East Village to Park Avenue.”

They make equally entertaining hosts. One of their famed fetes in Sagaponack involved Gwen Stefani and hubby Gavin Rossdale, Ping-Pong, and a lot of tequila.

These good-time gadflies also share a love of fashion. She’s a voracious clotheshorse with a magpie-chic sensibility. “When it comes to fashion, life is too short, so one time out of 30 it’s fun just to be bizarre,” says Helen. “The other 29 days I’m out in my Prada sunglasses and J. Mendel fur coat. Of course, it’s always that one kooky outfit that gets memorialized, but that’s okay, too.” Take the snow-bunny outfit with moon boots and white fur hat she wore to a movie screening in New York last winter, or the bike shorts that were a wardrobe staple two seasons ago.

“Helen is an individual through and through,” says Lazaro Hernandez, one half of the Proenza Schouler duo. “We are always happily surprised when we see her wearing our clothes. She interprets the pieces in her own way and makes them look completely her own. She’s not afraid of taking risks.”

Tim, for his part, is a bona fide dandy. He has a penchant for bespoke Dunhill suits, John Lobb shoes, Levi’s jeans, and Lacoste shirts, all topped off with an artful Woody Woodpecker ‘do. But his fashion reach extends beyond personal style. After more than 25 years with LeSportsac, he sold the business and began Schifter + Partners, an accessories company that includes brands like L.A.M.B. and Jill Stuart and where Stefani is also a partner. She is a big fan of his. “I’ve always loved working with Tim,” she says. “He really allows the creative team to do their thing.” Indeed, Tim relies on his troika of muses—Stefani, Storey, and Helen—for insight: “Gwen’s the ultimate cool test. You know, it’s like, ‘Gwen, is this cool?’ And if it’s cool to her, then it’s cool.” Storey is his sounding board for the hard-to-impress teen sector. And Helen? “Well, she’s the ultimate chic test,” he says. “She’s all of the above.”