Editor and writer James Reginato has for years worked with Watson and calls him both friend and colleague. He describes those joint assignments for magazines as “among the most rewarding experiences” of his career, not just because of the calibre of the shoot they would deliver for the magazine, but for the sense of adventure and discovery each shoot would bring. “In those pre-digital and gloriously glossy days when our careers were new, landing with Simon at Fiumicino, or whatever airport it might be, was always the start of a great adventure,” says Reginato. “Long before Google Maps, I’m sure I got us lost countless times. We sometimes drove in circles around half of Tuscany before we found that castello or villa."
After being forced to close due to Covid-19 restrictions, Casa Magazines in the West Village, owned by Mohammed Ahmed, was allowed to reopen due to the work of some loyal residents. "The sudden go-ahead from the city was the result of some frantic maneuvering by two West Village residents, James Reginato, a writer-at-large for Vanity Fair, and George Capsis, the CEO of the neighborhood’s monthly paper, WestView News, who lobbied Corey Johnson, the speaker of the New York City Council, and Freddi Goldstein, the mayor’s press secretary, for help. 'Mohammed was distraught after the cops barged in, and I was outraged for them,' Reginato said."
