Victoria's Secrets: The spider web of life

By Victoria Schneps

6 minute 02/06/2022

My life sometimes feels like a spider web, weaving from one person to another, and that is exactly what happened in Palm Beach.

Jane Hanson is someone I admire from her Emmy Award-winning days on TV with NBC News to being a media trainer now. It was a treat to meet her at Dockers in the Hamptons last summer and find out that she also lives in Palm Beach, so when I came to Florida to open Dan’s Papers Palm Beach, I called on Jane!

I suggested that we launch a TV show that would be streamed on our media’s websites, which generate millions of page views. That’s how Dan’s Papers Palm Beach Roundtable with Jane and Vicki was born, focusing and highlighting people here.

We have been taping the show at the beautiful Colony Hotel in Palm Beach where I’m staying.

Our first show featured people from the Hamptons who have “pop-up” locations at that hotel.

The show — not yet released — featured celebrity trainer to the stars Isaac Boots, who gave us tips on training, as well as Maria Danca, the stylist for Michael Kors, who shared with us “looks” that are in style this season (everything in Florida is pastel pinks and pastel blues). She runs the company’s Southampton store, too!

We also interviewed Devon Nagelberg, the co-owner of JECT, who has locations in Manhattan and the Hamptons, and now a pop-up location here.

Our second roundtable featured a discussion of real estate with icon Dottie Herman and the witty, Elliman Hamptons realtor Palmer Gaget. Joining us was Caryna Nina, an outstanding designer who uses fabulous fabrics that can be customized to your body.

Jane Hanson and I record our show with guests Dottie Herman, Palmer Gaget and Caryna Nina.

How great it was to be talking to such powerful women who make a difference in people’s lives!

Then Jane’s old friends from the Hamptons, Bill Evans, his wife Sandra and radio partner Jessica Ambrose, who are also in Florida, invited us onto their 12-2 Saturday radio show on WLNG 92.1 FM that is heard up and down the East Coast!

Recording a radio show with Bill Evans AND radio partner Jessica Ambrose.

Adding to my spider web of connections, Donna Schneier introduced me to the great philanthropist David Genser, the chairman of the Palm Beach Opera’s board of directors, who invited me to the Kravis Center (like our Lincoln Center) for a performance of the classic opera “Carmen.”

I was happy they required ID, proof of vaccination and masks — I actually wore two!

We took a few minutes at a cocktail table and to my delight, there was my new friend, art dealer Ted Vassilev and his wife Simona Petrova-Vassileva, who is an economist for the Secretary General of the United Nations — what a formidable, interesting woman!

Ted Vassilev and his wife Simona Petrova-Vassileva at the opera.

As the curtain rose and the opera began, the cast’s performance was mesmerizing. In the starring role of Carmen was the high-profile J’nai Bridges, who is known as the “Beyoncé of Opera.” Along with her talented castmates, they provided a powerful powerformance of the tragic story.

My “spider web” continued to grow as dear Sotheby’s Easthampton friends Keith and Ann introduced me to their friend in Palm Beach, Douglas Elliman real estate agent extraordinaire Burt Minkoff.

He took me under his wing and introduced me to multiple art gallery owners who feature various art forms. What fun!

Gallery owner Sarah Gavlak with Burt Minkoff.

Later in the week, Donna Schneier and I had lunch with Irvin Lippmann, the executive director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art. It gave me the opportunity to visit the museum’s remarkable exhibition of art from Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru.

Donna Schneier (c.) introduced me to Roberta Kjelgaard (l.) and Irvin Lipmann, the leaders at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

A stunning piece of art from the Machu Picchu exhibition at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

It includes an immersive experience that allows patrons to see the gold treasure of the Amazon rainforest, all while sitting in a chair with goggles!

To end my day in Boca Raton, Southampton’s Dr. Peter Micholas had introduced me to his dear Floridian friend, attorney Howard Weiss, who has lived in Boca for 40 years. He took me to the Boca Raton Hotel that Michael Dell bought and is extensively renovating and expects it to compete with The Breakers in Palm Beach.

Howard and I shared a tower of caviar and pancakes to celebrate my being in Boca!