Relive TEFAF New York’s Chicest After-Party with Jeff Magid & Vacheron Constantin

Last Thursday, Whitewall, Vacheron Constantin, and Jeff Magid came together to host an evening of cocktails and conversation at The Twenty Two in celebration of the opening of TEFAF New York. 

TEFAF New York 2025 Stuns at the Park Avenue Armory

The city’s spring fair week, anchored by Frieze, NADA, Independent, and TEFAF played host to that perfect moment of spring weather, when everyone feels excited to get outside, connect with friends, and see and do things after a long, prickly winter. With Frieze and NADA’s robust openings on Wednesday, Thursday was all about TEFAF, held once again at the stunning Park Avenue Armory.

We arrived just before the preview began at 1pm and there was already a line of collectors, advisors, and art lovers starting to snake its way around Park Avenue. Entering the fair, we were greeted with the signature stunning floral arrangements we’ve come to expect from the annual fair, as well as breathtaking works from some of the booths we first encountered—Anna Weyant at Gagosian and Ruth Asawa at David Zwirner. 

Champagne flowed and oysters were freshly shucked for the collector’s early look, and the crowd only grew thicker, as we wound our way through booths presenting priceless treasures from contemporary and modern art, and rare objects from antiquity to today. 

Jeff Magid Describes TEFAF as Grown and Sexy

Present at the fair’s opening event was New York-based collector Jeff Magid, whose interests range from 17th-century Dutch Masters to brand new paintings by Sanya Kantarovsky. You may know him from Instagram, where in any given day, he’ll talk about what’s going up on the walls at his home (recently Diego Singh), what caught his eye at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, or what his friend’s are buying on opening day at Frieze New York. 

“The crowd is so fabulous, you think you’re in Europe,”

—Jeff Magid

TEFAF, he described as the grown and sexy art fair of New York Art Week. He pointed out that a long-lost Klimt painting of an African Prince is the kind of museum-quality work that makes you want to make the trip uptown where “the crowd is so fabulous, you think you’re in Europe,” he said. Other works and booths of note were Eric Fischl’s solo presentation of new paintings at Skarstedt, Kristi Cavataro’s stained-glass sculpture, a tiny Giacometti at Kamel Mennour, and a Dubuffet chair. 

An Evening with Vacheron Constantin and Whitewall at The Twenty Two

After the opening event, Magid joined Whitewall and Vacheron Constantin at one of New York’s newest private clubs, The Twenty Two on 16th Street just off Union Square. Part hotel, private club, and public restaurant, it is set within the landmarked Margaret Louisa Home, inspired by its sister property in London. 

Joining friends, collectors, artists like Dominique Fung, gallerists, filmmakers, dealers, and other collectors, we gathered in a lush private room—where warm drapery, soft seating, and dimmed lights offered a short respite amid a week of running from fairs to openings. The crowd was engaged, enjoying music from “The Muses,” Jack James Busa & Daniel Walters, and seasonal drinks like Negronis and Yuzu Spritzes. A balcony on one end offered quintessential views of New York City—and the rain held off to our delight.

Vacheron Constantin Celebrates 270 Years of Art and Innovation

Watchmaker Vacheron Constantin provided a seamless partnership for the night, its appreciation for the art of craftsmanship blended with contemporary innovation, followed the thread of TEFAF’s approach of showcasing art and design across centuries.

Alexander Schmiedt, Vacheron Constantin Brand President Americas, provided a toast for the evening, noting the watchmaker’s celebration of 270 years driven by passion and perseverance, constantly pushing the boundaries of technical and aesthetic mastery.

Whitewall Editor in Chief Katy Dooghue also greeted the group, thrilled to bring together a cross-section of New York, Europe, Los Angeles, and everywhere in between. She invited guests to bring home a copy of the latest issue of Whitewall, the Spring 2025 Artist Issue, focused on Indian contemporary art, design, and lifestyle. 

The evening buzzed with intimacy and reverie, a chance to connect with someone new, slow down time, and bask in the possibility of culture and the magic work of artists.