Better Together

Tiffany Marks Isaacs and Cori Lee Seaberg are close friends who share core values and have cultivated a wide variety of pals in Palm Beach, New York City, and the Hamptons. The ladies frequently choreograph the good life with their husbands, Simon Isaacs and Jeffrey Berman, by engaging—over a glass of fine wine or Champagne—a circle of peers with diverse interests and common goals that encompass a fondness for sumptuous food, healthy living, and invigorating discussion.

“I love bringing different people together for interesting conversations,” says Tiffany, CEO of Lana Marks, the fashionable handbag and accessories company founded by her mother, Lana Marks, the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa. “We are all busy with work and family, but we like to lead a balanced life.”

Cori is a cofounder and partner of Out East, a New York–based wine and lifestyle company with operations in Provence and Champagne, France, and a name inspired by the vernacular reference to the Hamptons. Despite leading demanding professional lives, Cori and her husband, Jeffrey, general partner at the real estate technology venture capital firm Camber Creek, prioritize carving out time for
revelry and relaxation, exemplifying Out East’s state-of-mind motto: “You can be ‘Out East’ anywhere.”

In the same vein, Tiffany and Cori recently hosted a festive cocktail party with the goal of sampling Out East’s Côtes de Provence rosé and introducing the brand’s first Champagne, À L’Est, a brut produced in Épernay, France. Together with their husbands, the women welcomed an eclectic group of 20 guests into the Isaacses’ art-filled West Palm Beach home, which had been decorated to evoke a Provençal theme.

“We like to share wine with different people, enjoy their company, and explore new situations,” says Cori, who has formed Out East partnerships with environmental and animal-welfare organizations such as the Surfrider Foundation, Project Zero, and Animal Rescue Fund. “It’s all about community and meeting new friends to mix with our general Out East–minded family.”

Cori and her business partner, Out East cofounder Patrick Mitchell, travel to France annually to meet with their winemakers and participate in harvest and bottling activities. They launched the Champagne in September, more than a year after the release of the rosé. The Out East brand is now available in several states, including Florida, New York, and Texas, as well as in Dubai. “I love having our own wines and learning the history and heritage,” says Cori. “We aim to continue being socially responsible as we grow.”

To illustrate the party’s theme, Tiffany and Cori worked with Robin Bergland of Renny & Reed on the lovely floral arrangements. The displays featured olive branches, hydrangeas, garden roses, Italian ranunculus, vegetables, and berries. “I used hues of pinks and reds to match the colors of the house and to coordinate with the French-hillside-winery vibe where rosé wine originates,” says Bergland.

Even though the hostesses are originally from different areas, they both have backgrounds in luxury fashion and practice an entertaining philosophy steeped in extensive preplanning. Tiffany was raised in Palm Beach and has previously lived in Atlanta, Miami, New York, and London, while Cori is a Southern belle from Little Rock, Arkansas.

“We come from different parts of the world yet have similar taste and styles,” says Tiffany. “We are both detail-oriented and plan ahead so that our entertaining is effortless and we can spend time with our guests.”

When she was growing up, Tiffany’s parents often threw dinner parties for friends and business associates. “Mom and I differ in style,” says Tiffany. “She is more formal than I am, yet I learned a lot from her elegant, tasteful, and thoughtful presentations.”

Cori’s former career in high-end retail—
including wholesale roles with Christian Dior Couture, Chloé, and Gucci—informed her acumen for quality, aesthetics, and presentation, which she handily translates to entertaining. She, too, absorbed cues from her mother’s attentive hospitality. “Tiffany is welcoming and inviting, and I grew up with that in my own home,” she says. “My mother always displayed freshly cut flowers and made sure guests had what they needed [to feel] comfortable. I also remember her beautiful presentations, like matching china and linens, and monogrammed towels. And in great Southern style, she made me write thank-you notes.”

As guests arrived at the Isaacs home, they were able to view pieces from Simon’s modern art collection, which includes a pink sculpture by Italian artist Fidia Falaschetti, Nathan Coe photography, and a blue and yellow Roy Lichtenstein. “Tiffany does about 95 percent of everything when we entertain,” says London-bred Simon, owner of Simon Isaacs Real Estate. “I do the alcohol. Did I mention that I love the Out East rosé because it is light, non-acidic, and goes down well?”

  Jeffrey agrees that a party is only as good as its Champagne, and that he, too, refers to his wife when it comes to fetes. “I am a support system for Cori in everything we do, including entertaining, which we enjoy a great deal in Manhattan and in the Hamptons, where we pack our homes to the gills,” he says.

Attendees chatted with the hosting couples and met new friends while sipping their Out East beverages. “I love the taste of the rosé, which is dry, light, and refreshing,” says Carling Pinckney, who grew up in Palm Beach and now serves as business development manager for Gunster, a corporate law firm. “Coming to Tiffany and Simon’s house is great because they make me feel like I am part of the family.”

Pinckney, her husband, Tom, a private wealth manager, and the rest of the crowd discussed work, charity functions, travel plans, and family while munching on appetizers crafted to emulate an evening in Provence. Nosh Catering displayed some goodies atop a tempting grazing table, a mix-and-match of charcuterie and cheeses such as St. André triple crème from France, Port Salut, Morbier, aged Manchego, Tillamook extra sharp cheddar, and Rogue Creamery’s Smokey Blue. The array was augmented with fruit, crudités, and assorted Italian breads, crostini, and crisps. Passed hors d’oeuvres included caviar and crème fraîche atop kettle-cooked potato chips; panko-crusted chicken with a ginger-scallion sauce; tuna in a wonton cup with pickled cabbage and wasabi pearls; Belgian endive petals with apricot and peach salsa; grilled lamb lollipops with mint chimichurri; and beef tenderloin on a French baguette with a Port wine demi-glace.

“The rosé complements the assortment of hors d’oeuvres beautifully,” notes Tara DeBie, who recently moved to Palm Beach with her husband, Alex.

For serving, Tiffany and Cori selected Bernardaud Elysée china, Saint-Louis Tommy crystal, silver tableware from Christofle—party trays and platters, three-tier dessert stands, and serving tongs—and custom Out East cocktail napkins and bottle scarves from Pioneer Linens.

“Everything is so beautiful, and the wine is wonderful,” says Kristen Vila, who cofounded Grandview Public Market in West Palm Beach with her husband, Chris.

After connecting with friends old and new, and drinking in the art, food, and fine wine, the crowd began saying their goodbyes—fully sated by friendships within a distinguished community of young couples who share in each other’s success and generosity.

“This spectacular evening together with the divine dining centerpiece is a fitting reflection of Tiffany and Simon’s ‘wow’ factor,” says Christina Macfarland, a great-great-granddaughter of Henry Morrison Flagler and a board member of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. “They are overflowing and sparkling with imagination, beauty, and joy. As a couple, they are a perfect pairing with Cori and Jeffrey and all that Out East aims to conjure up and celebrate.”

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