David LaChapelle Exhibit Debuts At Fotografiska And More In NYC This Fall

From debut culinary ventures from the city’s top talents to groundbreaking exhibits, here’s what has NYC buzzing this season.

David LaChapelle, “Doja Cat: Gone With the Wind” (2021)

CAMERA READY

Photographer David LaChapelle debuts his largest U.S. exhibition, Make Believe, taking over all six floors of Fotografiska in the museum’s first buildingwide show. “I feel the responsibility to bring light into the world and make imagery that can elevate and serve humanity, even while sometimes employing drama and humor,” LaChapelle says. Make Believe features more than 150 photographs, including rare and never-before-seen shots and the last portraits of Andy Warhol, as well as more contemporary portraits of celebrities such as Lizzo and Kim Kardashian. Through Jan. 8, 281 Park Ave. S.

Restaurant and wine bar Claud has made a splash in the East Village.

DYNAMIC DUO

Claud is the new culinary venture from chef Joshua Pinsky and wine director Chase Sinzer, who met working at Michelin-starred Momofuku Ko. The new 48-seat, European-style restaurant and wine bar offers a simple, honest style of cooking with dishes like chicken liver agnolotti and desserts influenced by Pinsky’s family, including his mother’s pistachio Bundt cake and an improved version of his grandfather’s rice pudding. And of course, Claud’s vino program is impressive: Sinzer has cultivated a rotating list of 200 offerings prudently divided into “France” and “Not France” sections, and houses over 2,000 bottles at any time. 90 E. 10th St.

Inside the luxe Valmont Spa

HIT REFRESH

Swiss-born cosmetics brand Valmont is challenging the effects of time with its latest offering: the Firmness of the Hills treatment. This 60-minute, deep-tissue massage involves kneading, rolling and smoothing the skin with Valmont’s professional massage serum FIRM-C Boost, resulting in heightened skin elasticity and firmness. The facial is on offer at four Valmont spa locations across the country, including at the Carlyle Hotel. Valmont complements the treatment with its new collection, V-FIRM. “V-FIRM achieves the challenge of technicality in voluptuousness, combining visible efficiency and prolonged pleasure,” says CEO Sophie Vann Guillon. 35 E. 76th St.

Fergus Greer, “Leigh Bowery” (1964) from The Masks We Wear

GALLERY VIEW

An eclectic ensemble of art, books, manuscripts, music and more by contemporary and established artists alike bring forthcoming Crown Heights gallery “B” Dry Goods to life. The Brooklyn institution comes from respected rare book and art dealer Gabriel Boyers. Boyers’ first exhibit, titled The Masks We Wear, explores the plethora of reasons people hide their faces—for performances, anonymity, beauty—while acknowledging COVID’s influence. “We have grown accustomed to wearing masks, transforming our faces and, in meaningful ways, transforming ourselves,” Boyers says. “This show explores the masked and transformed face, asking what a mask can mean and what is behind the mask.” Opens Dec. 9, 679 Franklin Ave., Brooklyn

The inviting Deux Chats bar

BON APPETIT

Golden Age Hospitality chief executive Jon Neidich recently debuted Deux Chats, a buzzy bar with spirit-forward cocktails and a grand raw bar with a nod to Paris’ art nouveau movement. “I envision Deux Chats as a place to escape and unwind,” Neidich shares. “I hope it functions as both a neighborhood bar and a culinary destination.” Behind the bar, a handpainted tile mural depicting cats underneath the Williamsburg Bridge and the Manhattan skyline adds a touch of NYC to the surrounding French design elements like antique chandeliers and velvet-upholstered Thonet chairs. The menu, featuring seafood towers with whole lobster, oysters and salmon crudo, pairs with a drink menu complete with sparkling, white and skin-contact heavy wines and the brasserie’s signature ice-cold martinis. 27 Broadway

The Blushington flagship will exclusively offer luxury skincare brand 111SKIN’s illuminating, anti-inflammatory 24K Golden Glow facial for one year.

BEAUTY BUZZ

Female-led beauty company Blushington opened the doors to its new Columbus Circle flagship, where an expanded service repertoire includes blowouts and styling of all hair textures alongside the brand’s acclaimed makeup and skincare services. The brand begins this new chapter with recently appointed celebrity hairstylist Monaè Everett and celebrity makeup artist Jessica Payne as artistic directors at the helm. “Monaè and Jessica bring a depth of experience to Blushington and offer incredible expertise across a range of inclusive hair, makeup and skincare treatments,” says CEO Natasha Cornstein. “Together, we are creating a blueprint for our flagship location and for all future Blushington franchise store owners.” 315 W. 57th St.