Today Steve Lewis wraps up his talk with Karim Amatullah, onetime operator of Save the Robots, Hue, Wax, and currently an owner of No. 1 Chinese and the director of Downtown Cipriani’s private club (he’s planning a members-only Cipriani House in the Hamptons this summer). For someone who, according to Lewis, has turned the upstairs into something that’s about more than just rich guys meeting models (Kyky and Unik hold a Tuesday-night karaoke party there that’s apparently celeb filled), the self-described “only real Upper East Side boy” (actually, he’s from Miami) seems very into making money and hanging with models. He even keeps them around during business meetings: “Everyone wants to sit outside with the guy who is the man in town, and lunch for eight hours, and look good.”
Modest, right?
In Paris, I’m a superstar, Miami…superstar, Vegas…superstar, all these major cities all around the world. I had a problem with my ex-girlfriend, she said let’s go away because I can’t stand walking around with you, because everyone wants to say hello. See she was hugely successful as a model and she thought there was a competition going on between us.
So who is he luring to Cipriani? “Upper East Side people, rich people, and now my crowd, as well.” And now you know what you’re missing.
Karim of the Crop, (Part One), (Part Two), (Part Three) [Goodnight Mr. Lewis]
