When former editor in chief of WSJ Magazine Kristina O’Neill departed her position in April 2023, the luxury fashion and style world knew she was going somewhere important.

Kristina O’Neill has been named editor in chief of the new Sotheby’s Magazine, starting Jan. 8. She will report directly to Gareth Jones, Sotheby’s chief marketing officer.

The evolving world of Sotheby’s is an exciting one for O’Neill to narrate in words, photography, film, interviews and more. Planning the launch issue is exciting — and Sotheby’s promises a liftoff with fireworks.

A Paradise of Content Possibilities

What a paradise of content possibilities! Presumably, O’Neill’s Sotheby’s Magazine will be ahead of these events, not behind them. In a quick search, these recent auctions grabbed AOC’s attention.

Record-Setting Fancy Yellow Diamond

Last week a 133.03-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond sold for more than $5.5 million at Sotheby’s, claiming the crown as the largest fancy vivid yellow diamond to sell at auction. We’ll be tracking down its story and pedigree.

Picasso’s ‘Femme à la montre’ Painting

In mid-November, Sotheby’s New York sold Pablo Picasso’s Femme à la montre [Woman with a Watch] for $139.4 million. The 1932 painting was part of a $400 million sale from the Emily Fisher Landau collection and the second most expensive Picasso sale on record.

American Whisky at Sotheby’s

In perhaps the best story of all, Sotheby’s recent American whisky auction set new records with two big blockbusters. LeNell’s Red Hook Rye 23 Year and Rathskeller Rye, each sold far beyond their highest initial estimate ranges. The LRHR 23 year scoring $56,250 (est range $20,000 – $30,000) and RR grabbing $37,500 ($18,000 – $24,000).

Why are you writing about American whisky, Anne? I don’t care about American whisky.

This blockbuster whisky’s lineage is traced directly to the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, known to most of fashion and style’s models, stylists, photographers and artists living in America — and home to a majority of them.

LeNell Santa Ana Camacho owned a specialty liquor store in the 2000s — in Red Hook. The gutsy woman entrepreneur carried brands like Pappy Van Winkle in her shop, and she traveled to Kentucky to see how she could source more exceptional American whiskey.

Not to go all political on AOC readers, but any modern-day story that unites Brooklyn, New York and the state of Kentucky is high on our priority list of American stories worth telling.

Furthermore, LeNell Santa Ana Camacho is back in Birmimgham, Alabama, where AOC just met up with her on Create Birhimgham.org.

We’re pretty deep in Birmingham, Alabama content on AOC.

As you can tell, we’re thrilled with the appointment of Kristina O’Neill to launch Sotheby’s Magazine. It’s a beautiful thing — and I’ll leave the commentary at that. ~ Anne