Alexandra Fairweather

I find it interesting when I come across features talking about the growing tribe of people whose career definitions involve a backslash. The general narrative suggests a) that this is something new, but also that it’s a reflection of this generation’s indecision or fear of commitment. While it might be true for some, there’s also something about this city – and our generation – that seems to cultivate this lifestyle, and it’s inspiring.

Alexandra Fairweather is the queen of slash-y. While studying at Columbia, she created an independent documentary, which premiered at the Guggenheim focusing on the art and life of her step-father, world-renowned sculptor, the late John Chamberlin. She also runs and produces a successful art and lifestyle magazine, Fairweather. And when Mariah Carey’s ex-husband, former head of Sony, Tommy Mottola, decided to open a gallery in the Hamptons, he called on her to join as gallery director. Here she talks about juggling it all and her latest project, Hottie Tottie.  


Alexandra FairweatherPREMIERING A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HER LATE STEPFATHER AT THE GUGGENHEIM (YOU KNOW, CASUAL): Growing up surrounded by artists, one sees the world through their lens It truly is a unique vantage point considering artists are not limited by social constructions, conventions or norms. So, it seemed only normal to me at the time to pick up a camera at the age of 14 to start working on a feature length documentary about my late stepfather, John Chamberlain’s art and life. For 7 years, I filmed Chamberlain as we traveled around the world to different exhibitions of his work, interviewing his friends, art experts & curators along the way. Upon Chamberlain’s death in 2011 (I was 20 at the time), I had hundreds of hours of footage, showing not only Chamberlain’s art, but also his life as a father, a husband, and a friend. I wanted to create a film that showed Chamberlain’s artistic process and intent as well as Chamberlain as a person – a side that few people got to see. Following Chamberlain’s passing, I edited the film for hours each day. The film in many respects represents my own journey of losing a parent —it was a therapeutic process for me. The process allowed me to realize that at the end of the day even though he is no longer alive, I get to see his art all around me wherever I go in the world.

ON RUNNING A GALLERY WHILE IN COLLEGE: I remember being in the library at Columbia University, studying for exams, and I received a voicemail from Tommy Mottola [Mariah Carey’s first husband], asking me to call him. Once I heard the plans for the new gallery, I knew it would be an incredible experience. And it really was. I loved that it was going to be a new company — one with a small team with a tremendous amount of responsibility. Everything moved so quickly – after the decision to start the gallery, we had 3 weeks to get it ready to open. I learned so much from that experience, from leadership skills, the value of team culture, how to launch a new company and a brand, the importance of strategic partnerships and how to organize VIP events. Juggling that with being in school full-time was extremely challenging, but it was the best thing I could have done.

HOW SHE GOT INTO THE MAGAZINE WORLD: When I graduated from Columbia, I remember reflecting on how many amazing people I was encountering and I wanted to tell their stories, so my then-boyfriend, now fiancé, Eric, and I decided to launch Fairweather, a luxury lifestyle magazine. I like telling stories, whether it be through film or a magazine. It’s all about living life to the fullest and following your dreams. Fairweather’s mission is to take you to the place of those dreams with unique stories on art, film, fashion, design, travel, business, philanthropy and politics. I wanted to create a magazine of substance, one where you discover inspiring people and inspiration.

ON WHY YOU DON’T NEED CORPORATE EXPERIENCE TO RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS: When I was still in college, I remember preparing for an interview at a top consultancy firm, and a family friend said to me, “What are you doing?” And I remember saying, “I want to see what it’s like to have a boss, so that I can learn to be one.” I naively thought I needed that corporate experience to learn some magic skills that I was unaware of but would learn in that kind of environment. He promptly told me how silly I was being and that I should go and be my own boss — that I already had the personality and the skills to do so. In retrospect, I’m really glad I listened, because I now realize that I probably would have picked up some bad corporate boss traits along the way. After graduation, I heard horror stories from my friends working at banking and consultancy firms, where inefficiency reigns and office politics dominate. And my team and I have too much work to do for that kind of nonsense.

My upbringing definitely laid a foundation for start-up life. My parents were entrepreneurs and my stepfather was an artist, so I wasn’t exposed to what traditional jobs look like. They didn’t go to the office. As a child, I didn’t see a clear distinction between work time and play time — rather, in many respects work was play — it was something that you love doing in an obsessive kind of way.


Alexandra FairweatherHOW HOTTIE TOTTIE GOT STARTED: Growing up surrounded by local farms on eastern Long Island, NY, I learned at an early age the importance of eating organic. While attending the Ross School in East Hampton, NY, I enjoyed working on the school farm, where the students had a chance to plant and harvest organic fruits and vegetables, which would later be served to the school’s faculty and students in the organic-only cafe. Through these experiences, I realized that organic food and beverages were not only beneficial to our health but also to the environment. As a freshman at Columbia, I was surprised to discover that organic food and beverages were not the norm and were not readily available in NYC or nationwide. Recognizing the importance of organics and non-GMOs, I began to work rigorously to promote education and awareness about these topics. Two years ago, in my country kitchen on Shelter Island, NY, my family and I started to experiment with creating various organic drinks using the best ingredients. We loved trying the new concoctions, which we called “Hottie Totties.” We loved them so much that we decided to start an organic beverage company so we could share the drinks with everyone. For our original recipes, we were inspired by a Traditional Hot Toddy for our green tea lemon honey and a French Martini for our raspberry pineapple cranberry.

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T FOCUS ON WHAT YOUR COMPEITITORS ARE DOING: If you are constantly looking at a new competitor or product innovation, you end up switching tracks and then you end up seeing everyone making the same product (like how everybody started making cold brew and now matcha products). I believe in our products and view the brand with a long-term lens, so I don’t get distracted by what other people are doing. That said, I do like to see what people are doing in other industries — it’s always good to learn as much as you can, and to study consumer behavior.

ON TUNING INTO YOUR INSTINCT: It is so important. I trust my instinct most of the time. And whenever I don’t listen to it, I usually make a mistake. Sometimes when you are in a new industry, you don’t know whether to listen to your instinct. You think you should listen to consultants or experts, but my experiences have shown me that while you should always listen to other peoples’ advice (and truly listen), you should consider that information and then ultimately go with your instinct. And the nice thing about instinct is it’s free.