Social Life Magazine: Society Column August 2016 by Christopher London featuring profiles on Valery Joseph, Annie Falk, Julianna Melamed Freid & Dr. Aris Rotsos

1. JULIANNA MELAMED FREID AT THE HAVEN ROOFTOP IN THE SANCTUARY HOTEL
AT 132 WEST 47TH
STREET IN TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK CITY
COPYRIGHT©2016MANHATTANSOCIETY.COMBYGREGORYPARTANIO S O C I E T Y — P A R T Y B E S T O F — E V E N T S
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2. One of the benefits of privilege or success in a capitalistic soci-
ety is the means to seek out those who are the very best, the
most skillfully and creatively adept at their chosen craft to perform
services, create experiences, or build things of unrivaled quality and
character for us. Whether we are flush with superfluous currency or
operate on a much tighter budget, it is no doubt one of the finer
pleasures in life to have the opportunity to treat oneself to the very
best there is in life.
The work of artisans can seemingly flow so easily from their
fingertips; yet, they can often leave one baffled, mesmerized,
and beyond appreciative of the sheer human talent that exists in
this universe.
It’s often been said that the average man or woman simply wants
to be understood and appreciated for who they are. The artisan
goes beyond giving us what we ordered; he or she routinely eclipses
our expectations by creating a memory, experience, or a look that in
essence gives their patrons a piece of that artistan to take with them,
and thereby, in effect, showing the greatest level of understanding
for us, giving us more than what we simply need.
When we take our work up to artisan level, regardless of what the
going rate is for said service or piece of work, it is up to the recipi-
ent to reward the character and quality of what has been delivered
or being received above the price being charged. Tipping is one way
to illustrate that sometimes we simply just ought to pay more for
what we get. Consider playing it forward and being an angel investor
in supporting the flourishing of artisanry. And maybe that level of
quality and character will grow and expand. Yes, we ought all to take
greater pride in our work but sometimes, too, folks who take greater
pride in the work and execute consistently are undercompensated.
There is nothing like getting a great haircut or having an imper-
fect smile fixed. You know the kind: the kind that makes you feel
like a rock star when you are sitting in that chair imagining you are
even finer than you truly are. And, yes, the kind which week after
week seems to grow in artfully and strategically.
Vidal Sassoon famously stated that “If you don’t look good, we
don’t look good.” While attending Boston University on scholar-
ship, financial aid, and work study, the last place I ever expected to
be getting haircuts was at Vidal Sassoon from anyone associated
with that guy on television. But there I was one summer vacation
on Fifth Avenue in the GM Building Plaza courtesy of my then
girlfriend Lisa Weinstein’s mother, who in effect treated me for all
the time I spent treating her daughter on my work study budget.
Or maybe they just knew I could look better than I actually did.
Anyway, I did not resist and in my early 20s I experienced the magic.
Years later another girlfriend took me away from my local barber-
shop to Frederic Fekkai, perhaps for the very same reasons. There
are worse things than doting girlfriends who wanted me to look
better than I did.
The confidence of a great haircut is transformative. You damn
well know you look good when you leave that chair and walk out
of the salon.
VALERY JOSEPH: THE ARCHITECTURE OF STYLE
A few years ago, in the midst of taking
photos of some female socialites who hap-
pened to have rather spectacular looking
hairstyles, I rather conveniently met Revi
Joseph, the wife of Valery Joseph, the styl-
ist who created all their styles. At the time,
I was In the midst of my own mid-life cri-
sis, having had some disturbing news on
the health front. Yet, I still had this head
of hair that would grow. I wanted to have
that youthful feel of longer hair, the way I did in the 1970s and early
’80s. Society had become more flexible and it was increasingly less
required to have short hair in the professional world.
Valery Joseph has become Manhattan society’s stylist to the
bold and the beautiful, the uber-elite, and those aspiring to be.
While Valery has been in New York for more than 20 years, with
a significant presence that started in the heart of the Upper East
Side on Madison Avenue, his business has expanded organically
by the sheer force of his salon’s reputation for consistently pro-
viding a high level of quality, hospitality, customer care, and a
unique beautifying style that incorporates Valery Joseph’s never
ending learning curve from traversing the world of fashion and
media throughout the globe.
Valery and his team of extraordinarily talented stylists succeed
everywhere there is a demanding and discerning clientele. He has
By Christopher London
with photos by Gregory Partanio and ManhattanSociety.com
SOCIETY ARTISANS & CRAFTSMAN
ReviandValeryJoseph
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Social Life

3. S O C I E T Y
three salons on the Upper East Side, one on Central Park West,
and one in Bridgehampton. It is not just Val’s salon presence that
is expanding, so are his products. His line of Long by Valery Jo-
seph shampoos and conditioners are in his salons and online at
valeryjoseph.com and net-a-porter.com
Valery Joseph Salon is a salon like no other that I have ever vis-
ited in my life time. It is exceedingly well run, meticulously clean,
and the customer service is beyond impeccable. At Valery Joseph,
they anticipate your every need, routinely provide excellent cus-
tomer service without being annoying. The environment is suitably
upscale yet comfortable. It never shocks me whose hair might be
getting cut before or after mine, including women from the most
prominent New York families to newsmakers, business moguls, and
the fashionable elite.
Valery Joseph’s success would seem to emanate from several fac-
tors. The tall, athletic, model-like Russian-born hairstylist got his
start after he emigrated with his family to Israel. Valery grew up in a
loving home that taught him the value of education and the impor-
tance of listening, respect, caring for others, and friendship. It was
in Israel where he first got a degree in architecture. When he was
a soldier in the tank division of the Israeli Army, an injury forced
him to attend hairdressing school. He started cutting hair for male
and female soldiers at an army base salon. Valery learned a valuable
lesson at the army base salon: “The army thought me the value of
building relationships based on trust, responsibility and loyalty.” It
is this type of relationship that Val forged with his clients early in
his career. Many of his clients have become his friends.
Valery’s sources of inspiration are Vidal Sassoon, Frank Gehry,
and Tom Ford:
I believe in free-style haircuts and looks. I cut very soft-
ly. My inspiration drives from street fashion of the ’70s
and ’80s bohemian chic, in part which I still incorporate
in my haircuts today. Tom Ford with Gucci late ’80s to
mid ’90s created this beautiful sexy elegant bohemian chic
with his fashion. He inspired the whole industry and me
personally. Given my background in architecture, when I
was learning my trade and establishing my professional
reputation, Vidal Sassoon inspired me when he created
geometric angles for the structured bob haircut. From that
I began to think differently and creatively, drawing upon
my architectural background, it really drew my attention
to create the right foundation for my clients regardless of
their hair length — the rest is soft layers with soft finishes
and touches. When I think of movements, I think of the
architect Frank Gehry and the 76-story skyscraper known
as 8 Spruce Street, originally known as the Beekman
Tower that gives a look of movement even at rest.
Valery Joseph’s artisanry not only emanates from his family, the
Israeli military, the highest levels of international fashion and style
but also from creating in his work environment a loving, family at-
mosphere where the learning curve and passion for learning how to
serve his clientele never ends.
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4. ANNIE FALK: HUMANIST & LIFE STYLIST
Annie Falk is so many
things, including someone
I have had the pleasure to
get to know and observe
over the last decade. It is
hard to pick one adjective
or superlative to describe
this renaissance woman,
entrepreneur, wife, mother,
hostess, philanthropist, and author of Hamptons Entertaining and
Palm Beach Entertaining. But if she is someone you get used to
encountering in life, she will undoubtedly be someone you come to
miss if you do not see her for too long.
From a lifetime of entertaining at the highest levels of society
among discerning and influential people in Palm Beach, the Hamp-
tons, and New York, Annie shares her curated collection of perfect
party recipes, entertaining tips, and portraits of exquisite table settings,
lush floral arrangements, dreamy gardens, and elaborately decorated
homes. While the book focus has been on tabletops, recipes, and
some of the bold-faced names featured in the book, the author Mau-
reen Sherry, said it most eloquently: “It’s a book about entertaining
with the key ingredients really being friends, family, and sustainability.”
True to form, Annie Falk has donated all of the net proceeds
from Palm Beach Entertaining to the Children’s Home Society of
Florida and her new book, Hamptons Entertaining, benefits the
PeconicBaykeeper, whose conservation and management initiatives
not only help preserve the vitality and health of our waterways but
also address the question of how we can all help heal the damage
we’ve done. Now more than ever, the challenges from pollution and
over population on the East End are being felt in symbolic and sig-
nificant ways that can no longer be ignored.
Founded to solidify a strong multi-generational commitment to
community service and philanthropy, The Michael and Annie Falk
Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children and to
preserving our environment by protecting animals and conserving
natural resources. The foundation also supports and funds non-
profit organizations responding to environmental emergencies that
adversely affect families and negatively impact the environment.
The woman I consider a comfortable perfectionist, with a knack
for creating a Zen-like atmosphere in all that she does, gives a rather
straightforward and earnest rationale for entertaining: “I entertain
to spend time with people I care about and find interesting; I want
my guests to enjoy a memorable, enriching visit so that they’ll return
when I invite them again.”
Annie’s love and commitment to the success of a project is un-
wavering and is reflected in every prescription that she offers to en-
hance the mood, vibrancy, and glorious nature of any type of event,
big or small. Her attention to detail enhances intimacy and gives the
feeling to your guests that you have truly concerned yourself with
their fulfillment at your gathering.
But Annie offers some qualification:
I wasn’t always a comfortable perfectionis,t and like so
many hostesses I’d work myself into a tizzy trying to get it
all right. I quickly realized that the more relaxed I was, the
more relaxed and at home my guests felt. Meticulous plan-
ning behind the scenes is a must and while anticipating every
circumstance may not be possible (I’ve seen some very un-
predictable things happen), keeping things in perspective is.
Learn to laugh at yourself! What is within your control is to
anticipate your guests’ needs and to do your best to insure
they feel well taken care of. Being mindful of dietary prefer-
ences, offer a wrap on a cold evening, or a foot bath and
fresh towels after a beach party. These extra efforts will put
your guests at ease and assure them you have given thought-
ful consideration to their comfort and value their presence.
Annie believes that “having balance in life, no matter what you
do, will most certainly carry over to all you do. I meditate often,
practice yoga a couple of times per week and recently returned to
SoulCycle, among other things.”
Very few people can teach you a whole lot in the character and
integrity of how they carry themselves and how they choose to love
and be a source of inspiration for their family, friends, community,
and country. Annie Falk is one of those quietly heroic people who
remind you of those of the greatest generation: people who were so
frankly better than they would ever tell you they were but who nev-
ertheless illustrated regularly a commitment to being a better version
of themselves tomorrow than they were yesterday. Annie’s gift is at
how to express and
illustrate love in all
that you do by tying
together her passion
for entertaining and
philanthropy. Her
books, charitable
giving, and commit-
ment to her com-
munity and this
country make her a
model citizen as well
as a thoughtful re-
source on entertaining
and sustainable living.
For more informa-
tion visit anniefalk.com
or thefalkfoundation.org
“Giving of one-
self is the great-
est gift you can
offer humanity.”
S O C I E T Y
AnnieFalkPhotosby©2014LilaPhoto
©JerryRabinowitzandChristopherLondon
Social Life
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5. JULIANNA MELAMED-FREID: CREATING MAGIC &
FACILITATING DREAMS
Julianna Melamed-Fried — a Fort Lee, New Jersey–born, Eng-
lish–literature major at Montclair State University — had initially
been considering a legal career after graduating from college when a
chance meeting resulted in her starting as the P.A. to Hank Fried, the
CEO of Impulsive Group and one of the more intuitive and creative
entrepreneurs in the New York hospitality industry. The boutique
luxury hotelier had his famed Sanctuary Hotel in the heart of Times
Square named International Hotel of the Year at the European Hos-
pitality Awards in 2011, only six months after it opened.
Once Julianna recognized her passion and that her future was
in the hospitality industry, she left Sanctuary and went to work at
Luxury Attaché, a high-end concierge service. After a great learning
experience honing a passion for providing an elite global clientele
world class service, Hank, her then boyfriend and now husband, of-
fered her what she calls, “the opportunity of a lifetime” to create the
events and marketing department at the Sanctuary Hotel. Julianna
thrived in that role, fully capitalizing on the Hotel’s elegant and ur-
bane atmosphere and the burgeoning renaissance of Times Square.
As the director of events and marketing at the Sanctuary Hotel,
Julianna’s passion for creating and organizing successful events flour-
ished. She came to love all aspects of event production:
I realized that this is what I was meant to do. I love all
aspects of throwing an event from the beginning stages of
site-tours and contracting to event production and break-
down, and I’ve even been known to dive into the kitchen
as a line cook or server when needed! I realized that as the
volume and depth of the events grew, so did my passion
for planning them.
After six years, proud of her accomplishments, she was ready for
a new challenge. Julianna was given an amazing opportunity by John
McDonald, the CEO of Mercer Street Hospitality Group, to cen-
tralize the events and marketing department at his company. In the
summer of 2016, with this extraordinary experience under her belt,
Julianna felt ready to go out on her own so that she can use her inge-
nuity, creativity and experience to manifest her own dream: the art of
planning the perfect event.
I approach a challenge as an exciting opportunity to use
my creativity and problem solving skills to create magic.
The success of an event is greatly measured by the mem-
ories it creates for both the host and their guests. I am
driven to produce unique and personalized parties that
leave a lasting impression and capture a moment in time
for everyone in attendance.
Julianna’s artisanry as an event planner is in part that she under-
stands her role is to create magic. It is also, however, part and parcel
of the life that she has come to lead. “I love this work so much that
today, I consider my role as an event planner part of my identity.”
It is truly rare to get someone with the combination of skills, work
ethic, experience, creativity, discipline. and discerning taste of Mrs.
Melamed-Freid. You see, Julianna is not just a bon vivant herself, but
she is a student of and immersed in the lifestyle. Julianna lives the life
that you want to lead but she also has a fabulously strong work ethic
from years in the hospitality industry and is thus indubitably aware
of the relatively high expectations of those who have a multitude
of choices and the disposable income to indulge. What she brings is
overwhelming ability, relentless drive, and a passion to execute.
I am confident that I can deliver the perfect party
no matter the circumstances. I am highly skilled and
experienced in the art of throwing a successful event for
people with discerning taste. I understand the jet-setter’s
expectations because I have the same ones for my own
events. I have been extremely fortunate to have traveled to
some of the most beautiful and exclusive destinations in
the world and, therefore, I have learned and experienced
firsthand the level of service and quality of goods from
the most elite hotels and restaurants that exist. From lavish
parties in the South of France to the exotic jungle of Rich-
ard Branson’s Necker Island, I am constantly inspired by
my travels and experiences and this inspiration always ends
up in my work. If a client were to tell me they wanted to
throw a wedding on a private island, or a birthday in Ibiza,
I would have a plethora of choices for them based on my
own experiences rather than that of a travel guide.
If you meet Julianna, you will find someone poised, charming,
S O C I E T Y
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6. earnest and incredibly real, but you will also get someone who has
likely already seen your dream, perhaps even helped style some of
the magical cocktails served in your dream, or that she served you
herself behind the bar in Heaven or the Haven Rooftop (at the Sanc-
tuary Hotel) with a twitch of her nose or in the blink of an eye. If
that is not artisanry, I do not know what is.
Julianna Melamed-Freid is the founder and president of Impulsive
Events. julianna@impulsiveevents.com 201.674.0670
DR. ARISTIDES ROTSOS: DENTAL ARTISTRY
Aristides Rotsos, DDS, the founder of New York Dental, cos-
metic and implant dentistry located in Astoria, Queens, is one of the
true finds in advanced cosmetic dentistry in the New York tri-state
area. Dr. Rotsos is a graduate of Tufts University Dental School, in
Massachusetts.
New York Dental is a state-of-the-art dental practice established in
January of 2003 with cosmetic and implant dentistry as two of its fo-
cal points. The practice is at the forefront of new technology and of-
fers a wide range of non-metal restorative options for patients who
shun dental amalgam fillings or the use of any metal in their mouth.
While Dr. Rotsos and New York Dental employ the most modern
methods in dentistry, as a patient one has the sense that he embodies
the deliberate process and meticulousness of Old World European
craftsmanship and there is a passion and love of his profession or
craft that transcends simply wanting to do a good job, but to change
the life of the patient. After all, a smile is a powerful thing and many
folks with and less than perfect teeth are not always keen to show
them. Dr. Rotsos describe his defining moment as follows:
I was born in Athens, Greece. My family emigrated
to South Africa when I was at the age of three. I was 11
years old when we returned back to Greece and after high
school, I opted to come to the States for college. Till this
day, it has proven to be one of the best decisions I’ve made.
In 1987, I came to the United States with one of my child-
hood friends who always wanted to be a dentist. I was more
interested in computers at the time, as Microsoft was start-
ing to become popular with its Windows operating system.
One day during our sophomore year, we happened to look
at some dental magazines my friend had borrowed from
a pre-dent student. The images were impressive and I im-
mediately realized the positive impact a dentist can have in
people’s lives. That was my defining moment. I knew then
that I wanted to become a cosmetic dentist.”
Dr. Rotsos is still mesmerized by the teachings of Aristotle and
Plato. Likewise cornerstone values of ethicality, morality, and honesty,
which formed the foundation of his youth, have helped in the evolu-
tion of his personal and professional life in the United States.
He remains undaunted by new challenges. Instead, he sees them as
exciting developments that are taking place in the dental profession,
and have the potential to impact every restorative- based dental prac-
tice now and into the future.
Today, newly developed materials and techniques allow
for minimally invasive dental treatments while optimiz-
ing long-term results. From new FDA-cleared lasers, to
CAD/CAM systems providing same-day restorations and
some of the most life-like materials I’ve seen in my 20
years of practicing, we have reached the pinnacle of ef-
ficiency and patient comfort.
Dr. Rotsos reminds us of the critical importance of preventative care.
The mouth is a precursor to many chronic cardiovas-
cular circulatory and other ailments. Many studies have
concluded that early stages of gum and bone disease can
put you at risk elsewhere in the body. The same bacteria
that overtake the mouth causing inflammation and disease,
travel in the bloodstream causing damage in other tissues
like the blood vessels and the heart. Oral health is indeed a
window to your overall health.
Dr. Rotsos holistic outlook on the maintenance of dental health
as a key to greater overall health is likely, in part, a result of his life
partnership with wife, Mary Zotos, MS, RD, who has a Masters from
Columbia University and is a registered dietitian. She has been a great
source of input on formulating proper dietary prescriptions to for-
tify dental health.
What many outside of Manhattan may not know is that Astoria,
with its own burgeoning middle and upper middle class and a rather
discerning citizenry, is not just a haven for great Greek cuisine. but is
also increasingly a locale for some of New York City’s top physicians
and dentists. In that realm Dr. Aristides Rotsos is a standout.
Dr. Aristides Rotsos
23-02 29th
Street
Astoria
newyorkdentalastoria.com
718.932.6666
S O C I E T Y
Social Life
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7. Does your (married) boss
sexually harass you at work?
Law Offices
of
Rosemarie Arnold
825 Third Avenue
New York, NY
(212) 883-8833
www.suethesleazebag.com