How to Spend It Right with the Woman behind MASTERPIECE
Chief Executive of Masterpiece London, London
Masterpiece London’s chief executive Nazy Vassegh was at Sotheby’s for 19 years but left in 2009 to set up her own art consulting business. Working for her own projects was the goal when leaving the corporate environment for her own creative path. Another few years later she joined Masterpiece London , a very exciting multidisciplinary art fair that takes place in London at the end of June.
Being featured for Telegraph Style or How to Spend it in the past, this woman knows exactly how to dress for a working day between the Sloane Street office, casual studio visits or a clients dinner – and gives us some Style AND Art Advice. Voila!
My ideal working outfit looks like…
A dress that can take me from day to early evening. My world is all about relationships and it’s very important to be able to navigate say from a Board Meeting to a gallery and so on. I also have many events in the evenings and travel frequently so I need flexible, elegant clothes.
Heels or flats… Which brand or style…
Both. Flats for the day as I can easily cover ten miles per day at the fair. Prada is my favourite. Kitten heels for the evening. My current obsession is with Givenchy ankle boots.
My favourite art-related blog/app is…
Smartify is amazing, just point your camera at an artwork and a text or audio description appears on screen! They’ve just launched, so are rolling it out slowly, but you can download the app and try it out at the City of London’s Sculpture in the City exhibition.
The last thing I bought and loved was…
A Ben Nicholson still life from 1953. Only now are British artists of the period gaining their rightful position on the world stage. I also love my new Miu Miu evening bag. It has restricted the amount of stuff I carry around in a positive way.
Most ridiculous thing I ever bought…
A twenty-foot abstract oil painting that would not fit through the door of my flat!
My necessary extravagance is…
Good jewellery. I prefer to buy better and buy less. My latest extravagance is a chunky gold bracelet from the 50’s that was a present from my husband.
Three things/products I always need to have in my purse…
Lip gloss, Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream and my grandmother taught me to always carry some cash in case of an emergency.
My ultimate beauty secret after long working hours…
Charlotte Tilbury’s concealer and if I have time, a relaxing deep tissue massage but this happens very rarely.
My favourite merge of the art- and fashion world…
MANUS X MACHINA, which recently came to a close at The Met, was excellent. Curated by Andrew Bolton, it explored the dialogue between fashion and technology, from sewing machines to 3D printers.
My most admired art world influencer…
I am fortunate to meet so many admirable people in my line of work. The art world is full of them, from private collectors to museum directors.
In the art world currently I find most exciting that…
Through Masterpiece I am learning more about antiquities, Old Master paintings and modern design.
Art makes me…
Curious and excited – there is always so much to learn!
What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
I love the sea and the huge skies by the coast.
The most arty city is…
London of course! The reigning capital of the art world and the place I call home.
The perfect art-world gentlemen is…
Philip Hewat-Jaboor, our learned Chairman of Masterpiece London who combines great knowledge with old world charm.
Artist(s) we should have on our watchlist is/are…
I loved seeing the young American performance artist Donna Huanca’s first UK solo exhibition, commissioned by the Zabludowicz Collection.
Photos from Interviewee
Webpage: www.masterpiecefair.com
Instagram: @NazyVassegh
