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Education & Philanthropy

Local Luminaries Gathered To Spread the Word About an Upcoming Reimagined Design Museum

At a modernist palace on Hibiscus Island owned by Paul Vogele, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos—one of the developers of the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach—talked up the plan for Miami Beach’s Art Deco Museum.

| Drew Limsky

An invitation to a private sunset cocktail party on Hibiscus Island—hosted by Paul Vogele, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos and the Ben-Josef and Lowenstein families to benefit the Miami Design Preservation League—is no small matter.  

First there was the setting: Vogele’s double-tiered white-and-glass modernist home was the backdrop as guests milled around the full bar positioned at the end of the waterside swimming pool. If the 10,780-square-foot house on North Hibiscus Drive seemed familiar, that’s because Vogele’s then-new home was featured in the Wall Street Journal’s Mansion Global section a few years ago, when the luxury home builder was thinking of selling it for $29 million.

As for the other venerable hosts, the names of the Kanavos, Ben-Josef and Lowenstein families appear together with some regularity, as the three high-powered families came together in 2021 to strike a deal to share ownership of the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach; the arty Sagamore hotel, next door; and the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour. Previous to this eyebrow-raising hospitality arrangement, New York-based Flag Luxury Group (led by Paul and Dayssi Kanavos) and Lionstone Development (the Lowensteins) had been known as the joint developers of the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, while the Sagamore was helmed by the Ben-Josef Group.

The fact that this rarefied trio of powerful families are throwing their weight behind the Miami Design Preservation League—and the planned revitalized Art Deco Museum, debuting in 2024—is a big deal. That show of support reflects on the vital mission of the Miami Design Preservation League, which has been a force in Miami Beach for more than 45 years (it is the oldest art deco society in the world), ensuring that the community maintains its globally renowned architectural heritage and its unprecedented art deco and midcentury design legacy.

Guests enjoyed a curated menu courtesy of James Beard Award-winning chef Jeff McGinnis and Janine Booth (both Top Chef alumni and owners of Miami Beach’s Stiltsville Fish Bar) and exclusive first pours of vintages from the vault of celebrated winemaker David Phinney of Napa Valley’s Orin Swift Cellars.

Photos by World Red Eye

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Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.