Suzannah Wainhouse, a former jewelry designer whose work was carried by Barneys New York and celebrated by a cult fashion following, left her New York City studio in 2017 to become a farmer in the Hamptons. She now manages over 200 acres at Marilee’s Farmstand and Sagaponack Farm Distillery, while also painting in a home studio. This summer, her paintings are featured in a collaboration with designer Sean McNanney’s cashmere studio Saved, as part of a pop-up at Il Buco al Mare.
This story matters because it highlights a growing trend of artists and designers leaving urban centers to pursue more sustainable, hands-on lifestyles, blending creative practice with agriculture. Wainhouse’s reinvention underscores the tension between commercial success and personal fulfillment, and her dual life as farmer and painter offers a compelling example of how art can emerge from a deep connection to the land and seasonal cycles.