Tracy Stern

Tracy Stern is one of New York’s most multifaceted and eclectic socialites. She is not here just to sit and look pretty for the camera in her Jerry Hall inspired outfit, she means business. In fact, she has about six businesses: two tea collections called SalonTea and T&Co; a travel guide called GypChic; a skateboard deck designing studio; an interior design company; a real estate firm; and a closet on VillageLuxe. She is all about style, yet has an uncanny ability to infuse this passion into all of her projects. One could say she is a modern Renaissance woman when referring to her extremely diverse taste in fashion and decor.

As an entrepreneur, one must have their fingers in myriad pies at any given time and that’s exactly what Tracy has chosen to do. A broad-based personal style has lead to a rather interesting amalgamation of lifestyle brands under her name. An associate’s degree from the New York School of Design has served her well and certainly allowed her talents to bloom. Not only is she an artist herself, but she has a fantastic collection of killer artists’ work such as John Giorno, Tracey Emin, Peter Max, Salvador Dali and Keith Haring.

Tracy’s premier tea collection SalonTea, which once earned a spot in Oprah’s “Favorite Things,” shows her flair for the art of design in a way that is relentless. Who knew tea could be an accent to one’s personal style? Tracy certainly did. Blends like The Dancer, a mixture of honeybush and rooibos tea with flavorful fruit accents and floral notes, contrasts delightfully with stronger brews like The Fashionable Dandy, her house earl grey. If you can trust anyone to blend your teas with an artist’s palette, Tracy is your woman.

From her origins in Miami, Florida, she has always been obsessed with the rituals behind tea, especially those of the European aristocracy in the 18th century. She displayed that to a fashionable extreme when she had the crew of Bravo’s Mad Fashion made her a Marie Antoinette-inspired dress to become a living advertisement for SalonTea. To this day she is organizing and creating beautiful themed tea parties. For those who are inclined to do so themselves, Tracy has written two incredible DIY books: Tea Party and Tea For You.

Out of all the endeavors she’s immersed herself in, her love for tea seems to have had a lasting impression. It’s taken her all around the world, even to Dubai to open a SalonTea location at the prestigious Dubai Mall. The Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates shared in cherishing Tracy’s blends with her in the great city of Abu Dhabi where she was a guest of honor. She insists that tea is what brings people together, and that sharing and mutual trust are integral ingredients to good business and strong friendships. Royal rendezvous in the Middle East don’t stop there for Tracy Stern. In the space of a month, she was able to design and decorate a Plaza residence for a prince. She’s been flown to Monaco, France to host a VIP afternoon tea at the Hotel de Paris for the Grand Prix Monte Carlo. Along with canapés created by Alain Ducaisse, SalonTea was featured in Taste of Monte Carlo magazine. People all around the world recognize Tracy’s brilliance when it comes to blending and brewing teas.

But Tracy wasn’t going to just stop at tea, something she professes is her first and foremost passion since she was a child. I think she realized that she has a lot more to give. After all, her lifestyle is all-encompassing. From the books she reads, to the meals she cooks, to the businesses she maintains, and the outfits she pulls together, she is a force of “artful living” on the Upper East Side.

Even GypChic is geared towards a certain wanderluxe demographic, one that appreciates mid-century design with a hint of bohemian flair, new and old. Let her guide you through Greenpoint, Brooklyn or Joshua Tree, California and you’re bound to be delighted by the shops, restaurants, and attractions she has handpicked for an experience that is pure Tracy. If you follow her lead, vintage furniture, boho boutiques, juice bars, restaurants, and cafés are all waiting for you. Every stop reflects Tracy’s unwavering dedication to her particular lifestyle: chic and free spirited, something embodied in the name of the guide itself.
And if walking around and shopping in Tracy’s favorite haunts are not enough for you, you could literally take a walk in her shoes via her closet on VillageLuxe! Gain access to her extravagant style from Gucci dresses to vintage jewelry, not to mention her more hippy-chic pieces. When asked by VillageLuxe’s Ashleigh Puyol what she liked about the closets available in New York, she answered: “The variety. Visit an uptown or downtown closet and you will see completely different choices. As an eclectic person, I like to pick and choose. I don’t have one style. My fashion choices are usually based on books that I’ve read, movies I’ve watched, or places I’ve traveled. My closet is a soundtrack of my traveling lifestyle and that translates to my fashion.”

And it truly does, even to her decor. A few years ago if you had walked into her apartment you’d find golden mock-crocodile lining her furniture with vintage French design everywhere. This new yet old-world feel meshed with a 1920s diva setting. Now, she’s gone full 1970’s skater babe with neon lights, psychedelic patterns, and fuzzy fabrics. Any fashion-forward flower child would feel right at home. Her color palette are vibrant oranges, greens, reds, and pinks contrasted with classic accents of black and white here and there. Reflecting this eclectic style, she has mentioned in “Sibylle’s Style Diary” for the Epoch Times, she is a “double agent in style.” She mixes haute couture with a bohemian style that would make any Coachella-goer fall to their knees. Her skills in interior design, party planning, and personal style excel beyond expectation.

Aside from her professional life and many achievements within the world of lifestyle branding, art, and decor, she is also a kind and caring person. With the status she has worked so hard for, she has a lot to give back as well. She’s chaired the American Heart Association as well as supported causes such as New Yorkers for Children and even started a charity of her own called Cuffs for a Cause. Always one to get back to the arts, she also contributed to Save Venice Inc, a group that preserves Venetian art and culture.

But the end of the day, save a few nights out, Tracy is in yoga pants being a mother to her beautiful teens Hunter and Chloe to whom she attributes her happiness and inspiration. As a strong-headed businesswoman, a social butterfly, and a loving person, she’d take you out to dinner and enjoy some intriguing conversation as readily as she would let you step in her lovely home and whip you up something delicious. A New York Delight.