Peter Davis on Style, New York and his new SCENE

First Edition of SCENE Magazine, cover Elettra Wiedermann

MM: What are three words to describe your new glossy?
PD: Stylish, smart and fun.

MM: What have been the biggest challenges so far? Greatest rewards?
PD: The biggest challenge was launching a magazine from the ground up in less than two months. But when I drove up to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania to the printing press and oversaw the first issue being printed, it was all worth it. I learned so much from this whole process and every issue will be better than the one before it. Holding the freshly printed cover in my hand in the middle of an enormous and loud printing factory was the biggest thrill.

MM: How did you select your first edition’s cover girl and why Elettra Wiedermann?
PD: When I couldn’t deal with pushy, controlling celebrity PR agents any longer, I decided to go with supermodels and Elettra and I have many friends in common and she is a New York girl who isn’t just a famous beauty but a philanthropist and a business woman. She is someone making the scene in New York more interesting and stylish, pun intended.

MM: Since you’ve been a part of it for some time now, we want deets on the scene! How has it changed over the years?
PD: New York doesn’t have any boundaries any more. When I was a kid, I grew up on the Upper East Side. I was a bit of a yin yang-er and would skateboard from Dorrian’s (fake ID in pocket) and then downtown to hang out with my punk rock friends and go to hardcore shows or watch reggae bands in Central Park. You were really either “downtown” or “uptown.” I felt more downtown, but liked my school friends, so I also spent time uptown too. Now the city is one big neighborhood and everyone mixes together. At night, socialites are hanging with hip hop stars and fashion designers and media moguls and football players. It’s really more of a mix. My only complaint about my beloved hometown is that they keep closing the classic spots like Gino’s (which is now a Sprinkles!) and Florent, which I lament every time I am on Gansevoort Street. I can’t take another Duane Reade sprouting up or I will scream.