JOURNAL

One Afternoon in Brooklyn with Anna Polonsky

Anna Polonsky wears the Jane Blouse, photographed by Jessica Antola

For French-born, New York-based creative director Anna Polonsky—who’s just as well-known for her distinctive aesthetic as she is for the lively dinner parties she and her husband Fefo host at the Brooklyn brownstone they renovated and designed together—food is always a part of the conversation. Whether it’s Polonsky and Friends, the strategy and design agency she founded, or The Deligram, the bimonthly newsletter she created with photographer Teddy Wolff, Anna’s passion for telling stories comes through in everything she touches.

We spent an afternoon at home in Brooklyn with Anna, who lent her unique sensibility to mixing and matching pieces from our Summer collection with vintage favorites from her own closet—and shared a few of her go-to’s for eating out in NYC and entertaining at home.

How did growing up in France influence the way you think about food—and by extension, entertain?

In France, food is so ingrained in the culture—and food quality is so much more approachable, geographically and economically speaking—that it's a lot less status-driven. This is a huge part of the way I approach food. Yes, I'm here to know what's trending in hospitality and food; yes we try to create "cool” and attractive concepts—but I never want us to use food or design in ways that divide and exclude rather than gather and welcome. It's the same with entertaining; I'm often asked about what I think are the “best” tips for hosting, to which I often respond that there are none—as long as it feels generous and personal, chances are your dinner party will be a success!

Is there an interview or piece of content from The Deligram that stands out in your mind as especially memorable or surprising?

Recently, I loved hearing about activist and artist Tunde Wey's new political liquor project. In terms of maker features, I'll forever remember our shoot and interview at Borgatti's, a third-generation pasta maker in the Bronx. The media doesn't really have space for topics or people that are not new on the block, but when it comes to food, age definitely means quality.

Can you share three of your favorite places to eat in NYC—and a favorite dish or drink from each?

- Little Mo's vegan vermicelli bowl and shrimp rolls, which I have for lunch every week. It's right by my studio.

- Nasrin's Kitchen saffron chicken and jewel rice (we featured her in The Deligram and she now just opened her own restaurant, go!)

- Saint Julivert's fish salad - Alex Raij and Eder Montero are hands down some of the best chefs in New York, in my humble opinion.

“I'm often asked about what I think are the ‘best’ tips for hosting. There are none—as long as it feels generous and personal, chances are your dinner party will be a success!”

- ANNA POLONSKY

Do you have a go-to meal that you cook when you're having friends over? Or something you always serve?

Anything braised or roasted, really. I’m simply terrible at salads but count on me for a comforting roasted chicken with Jerusalem artichokes, a roasted bacalao & tomato couscous, or a slow cooked coq au vin or lapin à la moutarde.

What are some of your earliest memories of fashion? Have those memories influenced the way you think about getting dressed now?

My Agnès B. Breton striped T-shirts, and elastic pants and t-shirt dresses from the iconic, now defunct brand Claude Well, when I was a toddler! I used to hate my parents for not dressing me like a girly-girl but in retrospect, they made the best style decisions for me—and I still dress more or less the same.

Nowadays, I never go for the most obvious or classic sense of femininity. If I do show my legs, I’ll most likely wear an ample top, and the other way around. I might pair pearls with plastic beach shoes or a tighter dress with a boy blazer.

“I don't know that I have one signature style; rather, said style keeps evolving with how I feel, what I am inspired by, who and what I believe in.”

- ANNA POLONSKY

Tell us a little about the design of your home—what elements were most important to you? Do you take a similar approach to interior design and getting dressed?

I try to bring the same kind of balance to interior design—high and low, affordable materials mixed with fancier ones, hand-built elements mixed with upcycled pieces, artwork and objects made by friends. An appreciation of color pops within a cleaner framework, an obsession with texture and textiles.

I designed the house hand in hand with my husband Fefo, who's a ceramicist and made a lot of the house's tiles, lighting and decor. We lived onsite through two years of renovation, so we kept reassessing, tweaking, and evolving the design as we lived in it. This is how I think about fashion as well—I don't know that I have one signature style; rather, said style keeps evolving with how I feel, what I am inspired by, who and what I believe in.