Devon 
New York. Elle UK October 2002
| Sure,
she skips about the world, leading the life of a big-shot model. But
Devon Aoki is happiest when she's home in New York City. She gives
Esther Haynes a personal tour of her town. Elle UK October 2002 Photographer: Chris Heads Article by: Esther Haynes 'What is that?' asks 20-year-old model Devon Aoki, pointing her fork in the direction of a piece of chocolate cake on the table in front of her. 'Oh, my God, it's a worm!' She's sitting outside Park View Restaurant at the Boathouse in New York's Central Park, and, sure enough, in her dessert there appears to be a tiny worm: hanging, segmented, gruesome, but, fortunately, not wriggling. The waiter immediately whisks the food away, then returns, swearing that the worm was actually just a 'piece of clingfilm' and offering her more cake. Devon wrinkles her nose in disgust and opts for plain ice cream. Then she glances across the pond, where people are happily rowing boats, and gets back to the topic at hand. New York. 'I love this city,' she says, relaxing. 'I feel more comfortable here than anywhere else.' Devon knows Central Park well. This is where she walks her schnauzer dog, Beni, in the mornings. And where, she says, her parents would take her for strolls on warm summer days when she was little. Devon's mother is a half-British, half-German model turned-jewellery designer, and her father is a former Japanese Olympic wrestler who moved to the US in the 6Os and started the Benihana restaurant chain. In 1981, her dad became the first person to fly across the Pacific in a hot-air balloon. Basically, her parents sound like the kind of people you'd want to invite to all your parties to spice things up a bit. When Devon was nine, she and her mother moved to Malibu, and there she stayed until her modelling career took off. She went on to juggle modelling and school in London, and this past year she returned to New York to live with her father in his art-filled apartment on East 63rd Street. Back at the Boathouse, Devon's ice cream arrives, wormless. She comments that she's been a little nauseated by the thought of cow's milk lately. '1 sometimes think, would I drink the milk from the breast of a woman I don't know? No. So then I thinkwhywould I drink it from a cow?' Despite this, Devon digs in. With her quirky charm, enchanting big eyes and striking racial mix, it's no surprise that a lot of people seem to have been credited with 'discovering' Devon: Jeremy Scott, Kate Moss, Karl Lagerfeld, Donatella Versace. . . 'I've heard so many things, I'm not sure who is responsible for me,' Devon says, sounding like she doesn't want to hurt anybody's feelings. But here's her version of how it started. One day, when Devon was 13, a photographer friend of the family asked her to do a photo shoot with him. Kate Moss - a good friend of one of Devon's godmothers, party girl Fran Cutler-loved the photos and showed them to Storm modelling agency. Storm signed Devon up. The next thing she knew, Jeremy Scott took a fancy to her ('I guess he liked the fact I'm totallyweird-looking'), then, bingo, she landed the Chanel account with Karl Lagerfeld. Devon is still close to Karl now. 'We've developed a strong bond. I'm discovering the person he is in his heart.' In the early days, Kate Moss took Devon under her wing. 'Itwas cool because when I got to know Kate, I realised that she was not only incredibly beautiful, but smart, too,' she says. The two ended up together on the cover of Interview magazine. Devon also hit it off with the other models. 'When I got the Chanel show, it was crazy. All these really big-name girls were doing it. I was just this tiny (5ft 5in), kind of annoying little 14 year old. They were all looking at me like, "What?". Butallthegirlsweresosweet to me. Especially Karen [Eison] and Erin [O'Connor]. During my first season in London, they ran up to me and said, "If you ever need anything, just ask."' These days, Devon lives in New York for about six months out of the year. The rest of the time, she's away on modelling assignments, taking holidays and tending to business. Or rather, businesses. Devon is currently developing her own denim line and her own fragrance company - because, she says, she lives injeans and herfavouriteway to spend a day off is to take a lingering bath with oils, so why not make them herself? Devon seems unfazed by the fact that she rubs elbows with the fashion glitterati, and she has dealt amazingly well with her insta-fame at such a young age. She even has a sense of humour about having her body scrutinised in print. 'One time I read an article about me that said, "She's odd, she's an alien, she's a freckled-faced, strange-Iooking thing from Outer Space". I was like, "Wow! This person has put a lot of thought into how I look and how strange I am! "' So would Devon want to look any different? 'Not really,' she says, smiling. 'I think it's important to celebrate your individuality instead of fantasising about something that's not yours and may never be yours. I'm confident in who I am and who I'm becoming. I've never felt like afreak.' DEVON'S NEW YORK'I spend much of my time wandering the streets of NYC, in search of the new and the familiar,' says Devon. 'Ultimately, I like to be in sync with the city I live in - to have an insider's view, to dodge the standard rate- so that I can say, guiltlessly, that the city and I belong to each other.' Here, Devon shares some of her favourite hotspots in the city that never sleeps. . . RESTAURANTS Benihana Le Bilboquet Blue Ribbon Butter Cipriani Primavera Ristorante Sylvia's Restaurant CLUBS AND BARS Myfavourite nightclubs are Bungalow 8 (575 West 27th Street; no phone) on Mondays and Suite 16 (727 Eighth Avenue; enq 007 272 627 7680) on Thursdays. And don't forget to catch a drink with friends at the Submercer (99 Prince Street; enq 007 272 9666060), where the atmosphere is cool and the downtown kids are hot. SKINCARE AND SPAS Haven Spa 750 Mercer Street; enq (007272) 343357 5 Check out the unbelievable Sonya Dakar skin products. Dr Orentreich Medical Group 909 Fifth Avenue; enq (007272) 7940800 Dr Orentreich is a great pit stop after travelling. It will have you looking good in no time. After a work-out with New York trainer Radu (24 West 57th Street; enq 0072725807995), I unwind with a great massage. Try Bliss (568 Broadway; enq 0072722798970); or Helena Rubinstein Spa (735Spring Street; enq 007272 3439963) for rejuvenating therapy. SHOPS Shopaholics muststop by Barneys (660 Madison Avenue; enq 007272 8268900); Chanel (75 East 57th Street; enq 007 2723555050); Coop (236 West 78th Street; enq 007 272 593 7800) and Language (238 MulberryStreet; enq 007272 4375566). Don't forget Alife (778 Orchard Street; enq 007 646654 0628) for sneakers ! HOTELS Prices are room only, exc taxes. The Carlyle 35 East 76th Street; enq (007272) 7447600 This Upper East Side hotel is very intimate, decorated in traditional English country style and has views over Central Park. Everyone from Princess Diana to the Beatles has stayed here. I used to catch the Eartha Kitt show at Cafe Carlyle with my mother. Doubles from £315. 60Thompson HOT SPOTS Apollo Theatre David Mamet's Atlantic Theater Company Lincoln Plaza Cinema In the mood to wander? Stroll by the Flatiron Building (on the intersection of 23rd Street, Broadway and Fifth Avenue) and the Empire State Building (350 Fifth Avenue; enq 001212 7363100). Uptown, checkout the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street; enq 0012125357710), then head into Central Park to see the Alice in Wonderland statue and run around the reservoir. Ogle the Dakota Building (72nd Street), the San Remo (74th Street) and the Beresford Building (81 st Street), all on Central Park West. Then make your way to Barney Greengrass (541 Amsterdam Avenue; enq 0012127244707) and fill up on a very New York snack. a bagel and white fish . |
