MEET THE MR TEAM

Shae Marcus, publisher

A mom of two amazing kids who keep her running in her “o­” time. She LOVES what she does so it never feels like work, and absolutely loves menswear and the people in it. She has been with Wainscot 15 years where she spearheaded the luxury division. In an era of technology, she prefers real conversation talking to great people. She is a self-proclaimed early morning fitness addict. She’s obsessed with obstacle course races like Spartan or Tough Mudder. She loves to travel to new places. Animal lover. Wine drinker. “The beach is my sanctuary.”

Karen Alberg Grossman, editor in chief

A Type A workaholic who drinks about 8 cups of coff­ee a day, she’s up at 4:30 a.m. and on her computer by 5:00. She hates gyms and refuses to exercise. Her passion is meeting with interesting people in the industry and discovering what makes them tick. She would be a much better interviewer if she learned to keep her mouth shut and let the other person talk. She doesn’t like change: she’s had the same husband for 45 years, the same house, the same job, the same hairstyle, the same color lipstick… She hates technology! She loves the ocean and swears she was a mermaid in a former life. She loves yoga (but not in a studio, only on the beach). Her favorite meal is a swiss cheeseburger and fries, accompanied by her favorite drink—Jack Daniels and ginger ale. She lived in Paris for two years right after college, where she learned to speak French, drink wine and savor life. She apologizes for all the Facebook photos of Victoria, Max, JJ, Benjamin and Emma, her five beautiful and brilliant grandchildren. She loves hanging out with her 95-year-old mom and all the seniors at Sunrise Senior Living: with age comes wisdom!

Stephen Garner, fashion director

He originally started working with MR as a fashion intern and somehow managed to stick around for a while. He loves to travel but really hates flying. He worked in retail for six years before moving to NYC. He moved back to Manhattan last year after a five-year stint in Brooklyn. He actually doesn’t mind going to Vegas. He has a weird affinity for palm trees and finds them both calming and inspiring. It may be his somewhat “southern roots”, but he loves a cup of sweet tea. Oh, and also a glass of wine or a great cocktail. His favorite part of the job is getting to know all of the diff­erent characters in this industry, from iconic designers to brand sales reps, (mostly) everyone has a great story. He will always provide his unsolicited opinion when it comes to style choices. He also maintains that Millennials are not ruining the world.

Monica DelliSanti, director of sales

Lover of all things pop-culture and true crime documentaries. Her favorite vacation spots are Aruba and the Amalfi Coast. She is a huge fan of music from the Mamas and Papas, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, and Lizzo. Loves to travel, especially to Italy where she met her husband almost 10 years ago and fell in love…first with Aperol Spritz and then with her husband. She studied abroad for a summer in Italy and then lived in Milan as an au pair for a year after college…picked up the Italian language along the way. She took a job with Wainscot Media on a whim after living in Italy for a year, and 9 years later she’s still going strong! She never wanted to work in sales but it’s in her blood: she’s sold everything from bagels, jewelry, and handbags to advertising! She and her husband adopted their nephew Dominic this past summer so when she’s not working, you can find her being the loudest soccer mom on the field! Her favorite time of day is Apertivo time! If she wasn’t working in sales, she’d be doing something in the music/PR industry or working on her childhood dream of becoming famous…maybe a Real Housewife of N.J. She’s most grateful for her large and loud Italian/Russian family, 7 nephews, 1 niece, and many lifelong friends.

Karen Azzarello, national account executive

She’s been married most of her life and has had ­five beautiful children and two grandsons (so far…) She lives for her family and works for her soul. She was in the jewelry business for over 40 years and learned that the customer is always right and that service is the key to any relationship, along with good listening skills and a great memory for the details and highlights. She was getting ready to relax and retire when Shae asked if she might want to try advertising sales for a bit. Almost four years later, she’s found a renewed fervor for selling and loves her work. Some might call her a persistent, aggressive, dog-with-a-bone type of seller; she calls it passion. “It’s been a delight to work with the Dowden/Wainscot family but most of all to work with my daughter and my niece. I think I trained them well.”

Kristin Dauss, account executive

A Michigan native, Kristin slowly migrated and landed herself in sunny South Florida ten years ago, making a stop for college along the way in Charlotte, NC where she became an avid Carolina Panthers fan. She can’t live without tacos, Reese’s cups, and ranch dressing. When she’s not traveling for work or fun, she spends most of her free time with her family and is an amazing aunt to her two beautiful nieces and one puppy niece. Her adult beverage of choice is a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, but she doesn’t discriminate against any varietal (or more adventurous choices). Seeking a career change, Kristin joined Wainscot Media in early 2018 after an adventurous ride with her family, owning their own restaurant in Delray Beach, FL. Don’t let her initial shyness fool you: with over a decade of hospitality and guest services experience, she can chat it up with the best of them.

Jessica Salerno, account executive

Born and raised in Bergen County New Jersey, Jessica grew up as a competitive dancer. She worked with the Radio City Rockettes, danced in the World Cup half time show in 2000, started teaching dance after graduating from high school, and still teaches competitive jazz once a week to girls ages 10-13. Growing up, she accompanied her dad to his job as a producer in NYC, attending Broadway shows, always wanting to be a “Star.” She worked on a few small projects, including a short ­film that played on a Disney ride in the ’90s. She earned a full-page feature in the national magazine, Teen People, when she was chosen out of thousands of girls at an open call. She loves the color pink and is super girly. She loves clothing, (and won best dressed in both 8th and 12th grades). She has a degree in fashion marketing. She’s afraid to fly but her dream is to travel the world. “I’m a free spirit, as free as they come, a dreamer, a lover, and always smiling.”

Mehr Singh, assistant editor

She thought she’d be a clinical psychologist–she’s always loved science and questions everything. She considers moving to NYC and pursuing fashion the scariest yet best decision she ever made. The daughter of an art collector, Mehr has always had an eye for art and fashion: as a child, she loved the works of Monet and Degas and custom-made outfi­ts for her dolls. She apologizes for apologizing too much. She stops on the street to pet dogs and reads every issue of Vogue from cover to cover. She hopes to be Audrey Hepburn when she grows up. On a Saturday night, she’s most likely at home watching Jean-Luc Godard ­films, trying a new face mask, or perfecting her father’s korma recipe. Her most prized possessions are her label maker, her collection of high-heels, and a signed copy of Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth. Her style icons are David Bowie, Jacqueline Kennedy, and her mom.

PHOTOS BY ZACH ALSTON; MAKEUP AND HAIR BY NATASHA LEIBEL