For more than 30 years, Sam Shahid has been masterminding the images of smart and successful brands. (Versace, Asprey, and Banana Republic were only some of the clients handled by Shahid & Company, his full-service agency. ) Shahid’s creative curiosity also extends to literary endeavors: In 2007, he launched Antinous Press, his own imprint. And he has served as the art director of more than 100 books, including Herb Ritts’s Africa, and Snaps, by Ellen von Unwerth and Ingrid Sischy. These days, Shahid is working on a feature-length documentary concerning the life and work of photographer George Platt Lynes, but he took a few moments to share the key components to his version of the good life. —Ashley Baker
AIRLINE: Emirates, in first class.
APP: Instagram.
BEACH: Gibson Beach, in Sagaponack, New York.
BEDTIME ROUTINE: Watching Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN at eight p.m., followed by reading. Presently, it’s Mike Nichols: A Life, by Mark Harris.
BIRTHDAY: April 14. This year, the “kids” at the office surprised me and a few friends with a private screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s at the Angelika Film Center.
BREAKFAST, weekday: Double espresso, toast with cream cheese or honey, and a protein banana shake, consumed while reading a hard copy of The New York Times cover to cover … while listening to WQXR. Heavenly.
BROADWAY SHOW: A Chorus Line. There is a part of us all in this musical.
CAR: Porsche 911 convertible, my dream car. But this past summer, I drove a Cadillac CT6 sedan and loved it.
COCKTAIL: A vodka martini on Saturday night at six p.m., with my best friends, Hy and David.
DINNER: Always at Il Cantinori. It’s my kitchen.
EXPRESSION: “Love!”
HOTEL: The Chiltern Firehouse, in London.
LAST MEAL: I have such great memories of eating with my dad in the summer while traveling. We would stop on the side of the road and have a picnic of sardines with lemon, a can of pork and beans, and saltine crackers on a paper plate as we would bask in the sun and talk about the future.
OUTFIT:
White shirt, khakis, and white Converse sneakers.
MENTOR: Calvin Klein.
MOVIE: Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
MOVIE HOUSE: The new Sag Harbor Cinema. I bought two seats. One plaque reads, Carol Lee Shahid, sister, and the other plaque reads, Sam Shahid, brother. They are next to each other because, as a friend reminded me, my sister never would have liked to sit next to a stranger.
MOVIE STAR, FEMALE: Audrey Hepburn.
MOVIE STAR, MALE: James Dean.
MUSE: Carol Lee, my sister.
NONFICTION BOOK: Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson.
NOVEL: Anything by Truman Capote.
PETS: Scooter, Kappie, and Summer.
PIECE OF ADVICE: “Be curious.”
PODCAST: S-Town. Being from the South, I understood it well. I just wish my sister were still here—she would have loved it.
PRESIDENT: J.F.K., who gave the youth of this country a voice. We mattered.
SHOES: Converse.
SINGER: Fairuz.
TELEVISION SERIES: The Crown, Downton Abbey, The Queen’s Gambit, Unorthodox, Tiger King, It’s a Sin, The Politician, Call My Agent!, and Fleabag.
Theme song to your life: “Unchained Melody.”
TIMEPIECE: Apple Watch Hermès. I left the house once without it, but I’ll never do that again.
VACATION: One day, I will see Beirut and plant a tree in my sister’s honor.
WAKE-UP TIME: First sign of light.
WEEKEND BAG: Asprey. It was a present from the client, and I would like to believe it is one of a kind.
WORK OF ART: A piece by either Cy Twombly or Balthus would make me happy.
Sam’s Essentials
