T-shirt: Nordstrom. Jeans: J. Crew. Shoes: Aldo. Belt: Louis Vuitton.

What’s your brand of smoke?

Marlboro Lights, the gold box.

What do you do in the city?

I will be going to grad school for art history at Hunter College.

What period are you going to study?

Late 19th century French painting, so the Academics, like Bouguereau, Cabanel, Gerome.

What draws you to their work?

I like that it’s almost overly dramatic, and it is at times very contrived. That’s what I find interesting, because it shows a period of time when there was still aristocracy, and people had unbelievable amounts of money. It goes along with French history, and I’m also very into history.

Have you spent time in France?

Yes. I went to Paris, and then Normandy and Brittany.

Do you paint as well?

No, not really. I did in high school, but I haven’t picked it up again.

Where are you from?

Rochester, New York.

Did you always want to come to New York City? Was that always on the agenda?

No, not really. I went to Prague, and I went to Vietnam, and it’s just sort of where I ended up.

Are you reading anything good right now?

I’m reading Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman, by Stefan Zweig.

How is it?

Very good. I love Marie Antoinette also.

Did you like Sofia Coppola’s film about her?

I loved it, actually.

I loved it too, I thought it was great. So beautiful.

A lot of people said it was kind of boring, and I can sort of see that, but the point is looking at it.

Exactly. It’s not about a story, it’s about what their wearing, the set design the costume design…yeah, it’s spectacular.

I’m also very excited for the new Marie Antoinette movie, Farewell My Queen. Diane Kruger is in it, and she plays Marie Antoinette. I’m very excited for that.

Okay. One last question: What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?

Just breathe, because sometimes that’s all you can do.