This week we'd like to shine the light on the people that make the magic happen at Magnusson: our devoted team members. Our staff is comprised of incredibly talented humans with unique interests.

That said, we'd like to introduce one of our newest members, Amy Gharibian, our Client and Realtor Liaison, and an invaluable member of the Estate Sales Team. Amy comes to us with over 20 years of experience in Operations, Project Management and Business Administration. She began her career as a Wardrobe Supervisor on Broadway, followed by 10 years of working for several non-profit arts organizations including The National Dance Institute, Young Concert Artists, and the Cartegena International Music Festival.  She has served as the Treasurer for the Wayne Council of PTOs and the Wayne Education Foundation, which became a springboard for her becoming a Financial Coach, assisting families in finding creative and practical solutions for managing their finances. She holds a BFA in Theatrical Production Design from Ithaca College and remains passionate about the arts, instilling a love of theatre and dance in her children who are both active onstage and behind the scenes. During the Covid pandemic, she and her daughter started their own dance costume design business, ACG Custom, which provides custom dancewear for Competition dancers in the North Jersey area.  When not gluing rhinestones, Amy loves to read and spend time with her family in Wayne.

Our Marketing Director Heather Zises was able to find Amy amongst sequins and paperwork at her desk to ask a few q's...

HZ: How do you spend your extra time?  

AG: I have two teenagers so I spend a lot of time driving and waiting–I read a lot while I’m waiting, and I like finding new podcasts and music to listen to. I also make dance costumes – with a daughter in competition dance we started embellishing some of her costumes during Covid times, which has blossomed into a bit of a business and now we’re knee deep in rhinestones and feathers for a good portion of the year! This time of year is a fun time for us because competition season is just getting under way, so our designs are making their debuts and it’s very exciting to see our costumes onstage. It is so great to be able to be the fun and flashy part of a dancer’s performance –to be able to give them a costume that allows them to dance with confidence and passion because they are wearing something made especially for them is pretty fantastic.

HZ: What are your hobbies or passions?

AG: I am passionate about theatre and the performing arts – from local high-school theatre to Broadway, Off-Broadway, Dance, Concerts.  I love the energy of an audience and being a part of a shared experience of live performances.  This year I splurged on a New York City Ballet season subscription and have been able to see the best of the best and it has been amazing! 

HZ: What is something no one would ever guess about you? 

AG: Despite all of the costumes I make, I hate Halloween and I have never made any of my kids costumes from scratch.

HZ: What are three things you cannot live without?  

AG: My Kindle, a cozy blanket, and coffee.

HZ: What was your favorite vacation spot or trip?

AG: One of my favorite trips was a tour that my husband I took to, of all places, Detroit. It really had everything – music, cars, history, food, architecture, and amazing, unexpected art. The street art - graffiti and murals are everywhere and such an incredibly, important voice of the people of Detroit.  It was a 5-day trip, every single day was focused on one or two aspects of the city, with tours and lectures and guest speakers. Every day we just soaked in knowledge and learned so much about a city that is truly underrated - quite the contrary, Detroit is such a vibrant city! I love a trip where I am flooded with knowledge and surrounded by unexpected fulfilling experiences.

HZ: What is your favorite movie, show or museum and why?  

AG: My current favorite Broadway show – Hadestown. It’s a love story with a tragic ending - but it’s a show about hope, with an awesome jazzy, New Orleans vibe.  My favorite museum – hands down, above all others, the Victoria & Albert in London. I spent 4 years as a teenager and then a semester in college in London and the V&A will always be my favorite place to get lost. Their Costume Collection, the vast textiles and endless historical garments – and wedding dresses – probably one of the most influential and inspirational museums to me. However, a little closer to home, in NY, I love the Cooper Hewitt. And truly, my favorite way to spend a day: a museum followed by a show!

HZ: Are you a dog or cat person?

AG: I’m a cat person. They are very independent, going through life on their own terms. I respect that.

HZ: Who would be guests at your party/soiree/dinner (dead or alive)?

AG: Amelia Earhart, Elsa Schiaparelli, Edith Head, my sister, and Betty White. (that’s an interesting girls’ night!)

HZ: What is your favorite restaurant or food? 

AG: There used to be a fantastic, tiny little restaurant on 9th Avenue and 44th – Rachel’s. It closed several years ago but they made the best chicken with garlic and herbs and butter served over mashed potatoes. So simple, but it is a meal that comes to me in my dreams. I also have a wicked sweet tooth, so any kind of cookie or cake makes me happy!

HZ: What was your path to your current home/job?

AG: I graduated from Ithaca College with A BFA in Theatrical Production Design, with a concentration in Costume Design. Two days after graduation I was on a bus to New York City with a suitcase and a list of phone numbers. I was fortunate to land an interview for a job as the Wardrobe Supervisor for Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly, which was a huge show with huge costumes in a tiny off-Broadway theatre. That show, and that job, was my first most favorite job and I worked as a Dresser and Wardrobe Supervisor for several Broadway shows and TV, and a few Costume Houses as a shopper for extra cash. Eventually I left the Theatre District and began a career with various non-profit Arts organizations, focusing on Production and Operations at The National Dance Institute, Young Concert Artists, and The Cartagena International Music Festival. I have always loved the process of bringing a project to fruition, whether it’s a show, or putting together a tour, or making an organization function cohesively. I also truly am inspired by the places I have worked and people that I work with. Every job I have had has focused on collaboration and a shared mission to bring something of value to the community. It’s a very important idea to me, the idea that we are better and do better when we can work together to create something– The Magnusson Group is no exception, and brings together so many elements of things that are important and special to me – art, history, beauty, and a glimpse into the stories of the families we work with.

-Edited by Heather Zises, Marketing Director

Know. Like. Trust.

www.TheMagnussonGroup.com