Stacey Bendet founded New York fashion label ALICE + OLIVIA in 2002, initially in pursuit of the perfect pair of pants.
More than two decades later, the brand is synonymous with exuberant femininity: lace, florals, and bold patterns. Bendet serves as founder, CEO, and creative director, and her instinct for color and personal storytelling does not stop at the runway.
She lives in the iconic Dakota Building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with her husband, film producer Eric Eisner, and their three daughters. Her home is every bit as considered as her collections.
Renovated under the creative direction of Swedish designer Louise Kugelberg Schnabel, the apartment reads as a living art installation. A monumental fresco by Italian artist Francesco Clemente anchors the living room; Bendet’s daughters sleep in hand-painted beds; and a 12-foot table made of hand-painted tiles by Lola Montes Schnabel (Julian Schnabel’s daughter) commands the dining room. A portrait of the three girls, painted by Julian himself, is the first thing visitors see at the door.
For Bendet, collecting isn’t about investment or status. It is about friendship and preserving memories through stories that make a house a home. Here, she shares her approach to living with art.
Tell us a bit about where you live.
Since 2022, I have lived at the Dakota on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Every inch of the apartment was renovated with extraordinary attention to detail and a vision to maintain the building’s authenticity.
The art and furniture were mostly custom-made. The portrait of my three daughters was painted by my friend Julian Schnabel and is the first piece of art you see when you enter my home!
What role does art play in your home?
My entire home is a giant art installation!
My daughters’ beds are hand-painted works of art; the dining room table is 12 feet long and made of hand-painted tiles by Lola Montes Schnabel. I curated the art to feel personal. This is my family's home, and I wanted it to invoke a sense of being a family space.
Do you have different philosophies about art in different rooms?
Certain spaces just feel right to you. You just kind of feel the energy, and that guides you to what type of art makes the most sense for the space.
In the bedroom spaces, the art is more tailored to the individual, while family rooms are a little more grandiose and meant for a wider audience. For example, the living room has a giant fresco by Francesco Clemente, while the bedrooms have artwork that is more personal to each girl, like the colorful painting by Lola Montes Schnabel hanging in my daughter Eloise’s room.
Can you share a favorite piece in your collection right now?
It’s so hard to pick one…I could answer differently on any given day! My collection is about my family and my life. So much of it has been created by friends, and most of our pieces have meaning, so it’s impossible to choose! The tree of life painting from Clemente definitely holds a special place in my heart.
Any meaningful stories or rituals around how you’ve acquired pieces?
Many pieces that I have in my collection come with stories.
Close friends like the Schnabels or Clemente have created pieces specially for my family and me, full of color and texture. Art is really something that brings people together. It’s a story, a memory—and that’s what I love about it.
How has your taste evolved over time?
My taste has broadened. I used to favor decorative pieces, but now I’m more adventurous. I like younger artists, different mediums, even sculptures like the giant Haas Brothers’ sculpture that is in my office at work!
I’ve learned to make interiors that are more about the whole. Where is the space? What is the space? How do we lean into that location?
Do you approach collecting art similarly to how you approach your own creative work?
Ever since I started asking some friends in the art crowd to paint jeans for ALICE + OLIVIA, I realized the powerful synergy between art and fashion.
Over the years, we have collaborated with numerous artists like the estates of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, bringing their artwork to life through a different medium.
We are all artists. We just create ours at a faster pace than someone who is creating a painting.
What’s your process when choosing a new piece for your space?
Choosing art for a family home is deeply personal. Sometimes it’s bought on a whim; other times it’s slow and intentional. It was really important for the art in the rooms not to just reflect what I like.
I wanted it to feel like it reflects the tastes of my family.
Are there any artists or artworks you’re currently excited about?
I would love to collect older artwork, Old Masters, and even antique tapestries. I would like to collect Rashid Johnson’s amazing ceramic work, and I am a huge fan of collecting and framing antique dresses. Anything original Zac Posen is true art!
What advice would you give to someone looking to start buying art?
Buy something that you love, not that someone else tells you to love! There are no mistakes in choosing art. Just start with something that moves you, and you can’t go wrong.
Visit galleries, art fairs, and artist studios. Follow artists whose work excites you, and consider supporting emerging artists!
What are some of your favorite works on Artsy right now?
Ethidium Bromide Aqueous Solution, 2005
Damien Hirst
Fine Art Mia
Air, 2007
Francesco Clemente
Pace Prints
Charles the First, 1982/2005
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Taglialatella Galleries
