Bettina Prentice in 24 Hours
Harpers Bazaar Malaysia
Amy YasmineThe art world's go-to consultant and founder of Prentice Cultural shares her day, from the heart of New York City.
5:56 AM: My children crawl into bed with us a few minutes before 6am. My lovely husband makes me a cup of coffee and brings it to me in bed while I check e-mails that have come in from Asia overnight. 6:15AM: I listen to music with my little ones and get dressed for the day. I usually start with the shoes and build up. Am I going to be on my feet all day? Then I opt for my Fendi sneakers or Louboutin flat boots. Am I doing a presentation to a table of executives? Then I go for a chunky high heel from Brother Vellies of Miu Miu so we are talking on eye level. I wear a long dress or midi skirt most days. I use YSL Beaute's under-eye concealer to cover my tiredness, a swipe of black liquid liner from Kat Von D, and a thick swipe of mascara. Maybe a tinted moisturizer with SPF in the summer, but never any foundation. I like my freckles to be visible! Still, I'd never leave the house without lipstick. The women in my family believe you are just naked without lipstick–I even walk our dog, Harry, with lipstick on! Harry is a 10-year-old poodle mix, who has no idea he's a dog. 7AM: Most days I have breakfast meetings–whether that is a studio visit with an artist, or a meeting with a client or editor, so I only have coffee while I am at home and maybe a handful of blueberries. I take a shower while my husband cooks up an enviable feast for the kids. We are out the door and on the way to school by 7:45am. 9AM: The first thing that happens when I get into work is my assistant handing me the day's to-do list. My meetings are over breakfast or at the very end of the day so I have as much productive time as possible. Then I check in with my co-curator Isolde Brielmaier, and all the artists on the global art programme for The Peninsula. 12:30PM: Lunches are sometimes spent with clients as well, but living in New York's Gramercy Park has given me easy access to some of the best restaurants in the country, which are just within a few blocks. There is Maialino, Simon & The Whale, Cosme, Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Café, and Eleven Madison Park. Sometimes I find myself wandering about the Fort Gansevoort gallery in the Meatpacking District. It's my favorite gallery. I also love the programs at Luhring Augustine, Barbara Gladstone, Paula Cooper, Lehmann Maupin, and The New Museum of Contemporary Art, where I serve on the Artemis Council with Agnes Gund, Maria Baibakova, Nazy Nazhand, and Princess Eugenie. 3PM: As co-curator of the Peninsula Hotels 'Art in Resonance' programme with Isolde Brielmaier, I spend a lot of time traveling to The Peninsula Hotels around the world. Considering that they are the only hotel in the world to receive five stars across every platform, we are two very lucky people indeed. I just might live at the Peninsula Hong Kong's spa if I could! For personal travel, I love spending time with friends–it's a tie between Soniat House in New Orleans and Hotel Escencia in Playa del Carmen, my two favorite boutique hotels on Earth. Sometimes, things can get quite stressful at work, so if I'm in New York I like to sit in Gramercy Park and meditate just for a few minutes. 5:40PM: Other times, if I'm not in New York or traveling around the world, I like to head up to Easton, Connecticut, as a quick getaway from the city. We have a house there, which has been in my family for three generations and weekends up there are just heaven. 7PM: Living in New York Means you're never short of exciting events in town. We see a lot of live music– could be at the historic Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan, or a little jazz club in the West Village. There are also tons of galleries and museums around– I must have visited Hilma af Klint's show at the Guggenheim Museum a dozen times now. As a family, we also travel to see live music or do road trips to see land art– it is a great way for friends from across the world to get together. I recommend Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels, Or Ugo Rondinone's Seven Magic Mountains. 8:30PM: On Friday nights, we like to throw a dance party at home with the kids. It's when they get to stay up a bit later. At the moment our playlist revolves around Poolside, Sharon Jones, LCD sound system, and the whole Con Todo El Mundo album by Khruangbin. We also listen to a lot of blue and soul in our house–mostly live recordings. Dinners are usually lovingly prepared by my husband–although he works in finance, he really is a chef at heart! But at times when he isn't cooking, we go somewhere amazing nearby. The restaurants know we are neighbors, and always seem to find room for us. 10:25PM: I always like to end the day with a hot bath and Epsom Salt, after applying the True Botanical's Stress Relief essential oils blend. It really helps me unwind form the day, although it takes me a long time to decompress after my bath, after which I spend about an hour or two reading. I've just finished The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. My guilty pleasures? Great restaurants, great wine, and of course, expensive chocolate.