12.3.09: Warm-ish like early May | New York Social Diary

Warm-ish like early May

Rain-soaked sidewalk. 11:45 PM. Photo: JH.

December 3. Yesterday in New York it looked like snow with those pearly grey skies that spike nostalgia. But it was warm-ish like early May so I knew there wouldn’t be any of the white stuff. Then with nightfall, it started to rain, steady and sometimes heavy at times.

At lunchtime I went down to Michael’s to have lunch with Caroline Weber, the author of Queen of Fashion; What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution. Caroline and I are new fast friends and quickly found that our mutual interest in history -- contemporary and past -- led to multiple conversations at once.

Michael’s was its busy Wednesday self and while I didn’t make a list (which I should have), there were a number of interesting guests including the Mayor of Michael’s Joe Armstrong with Bob Zimmerman and Joan Gelman; around the room: Leonard Lauder and guest, ditto Stan Shuman and guest; the Kramer/della Femina/Greenfield/Imber/ Bergman bi-monthly pow-wow; the Sol Kerzner impresario Jerry Inzerillo with Jermaine Jackson; Lally Weymouth and Kerry Kennedy, Fredi Friedman, Barbara Cirkva; Joan Jakobson, Betsy Gotbaum et al; Jane Rosenthal, Diane Clehane, Serena Boardman, Cheri Kaufman and Mika Brxezinski; Linda Wachner and friend, Marie-Josee (Mrs. Henry) Kravis, and at a table nearby Jesse Kornbluth with Carolyne (the previous Mrs. Henry Kravis) Roehm. Did they see each other? Do they speak? Do I know; never saw either in proximity to each other. Although nowadays it is not so unusual (in my experience to see people in the company of ex-spouses and the new spouse(s), which is a better way).

Meanwhile, Carolyne (whose NYSD HOUSE interview we re-ran last week) has been spending time in Florence studying the Renaissance and taking drawing lessons several mornings a week. Soon she is off to Aspen for the holidays and then back to Florence for the glory that was the Renaissance, and all that great Italian cuisine and vino. Having just re-read the HOUSE interview with her, I wasn’t surprised by her interest or enthusiasm.

The Ballroom of the former Earl Blackwell penthouse apartment, now the New York residence of Hilary and Wilbur Ross (see Wednesday's Diary). Mr. Blackwell, who died at 85 in 1995, used this room strictly for his parties and dances, which were frequent.

Backing up a day. I got an email yesterday morning from Diane Oliver who for six years edited the Celebrity Service bulletin for Earl Blackwell after which she bought the UK Celebrity Service and ran that in London for years. Diane corrected me on the photograph we used of Earl Blackwell’s apartment.

“In his time it was a formal ballroom with a mural on one wall and a grand piano but no other furniture (obviously giltwood chairs were brought in when he entertained). The current décor is a lot closer to his taste than the previous one. And Eugenia Shepperd, although they were very close friends and collaborators, did not live with him. She had her own apartment in the building.”

And from that, I went back to look for an image of the original Earl Blackwell penthouse ballroom which is now the drawing room for Hilary and Wilbur Ross.

Two interesting ones including a magazine ad for Vat 69 scotch. On far left is Joel Key Rise, Phyllis Newman Robert Goulet (3rd from left) next to Arlene Dahl, followed by host Blackwell; next to him is the legendary fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, Vala Byfield Hermoine Gingold who was a character actress of immense pleasure to watch and listen to, and the guy on the end is Paul Blackman. The kid at the piano is still tickling the ivories in ballrooms across the land. Can you guess?


	MS Rau Antiques (New Orleans) at the Avenue Art and Antiques Show at the Park Avenue Armory.

Rain and all last night was a busy one in New York. Over at the Park Avenue Armory AVENUE Shows presented Antiques & Art at the Armory, hosting the Opening Night Preview with The American Cancer Society. The evening benefited the Jerome L. Greene Family Center HOPE LODGE (NYC).

Benefit Chairs were Cricket Burns, Julie Dannenberg, Richard and Diana Feldman, Pamela Gross and Richard and Marcia Mishaan.

More than 50 dealers are exhibiting through Sunday. It opens this morning at 11 and runs through 8 pm. On Friday there is a Designer Breakfast discussion “Decorating With Antiques" from 10 to 11 am and then the show opens at 11 through 7:30 pm. Same times for Saturday and Sunday, 11 through 5:30.

Hope Lodge NYC you might have read about and seen advertised on these pages. They provide cancer patients and their families a free, temporary place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment requires them to stay in New York City. It is funded entirely by the ACS and is worth your consideration to assist with a contribution. Last night’s opening benefit did just that.

Eric Messenger and Rebecca Tayme

Howard and Gayle Sobel

Jimmy Nederlander and Margo MacNabb Nederlander

Guy Regal and Cricket burns

Kelly Rutherford and Julie Dannenberg

Jean and Martin Shafiroff

Stephanie Krieger and Brian Stewart

Delphine Barguirdjian and Marie Palmeri

Cricket Burns, Barbara Ucci, and Marilyn Vecchiopti

Francis Lord with Wendy and Larry Levy

Alison Minton and Chris Leasure

Michelle Hawkins, Amanda Haddon-Cave, Cornelia Bregman, and Sue Bloomberg

Meanwhile, over at Graff on 710 Madison, purveyors of the most extraordinary diamonds in the world (don’t worry, they’ve got the emeralds and rubies and sapphires) held a holiday celebration in honor of Melania Trump and Petra Levin and the American Heart Association for which they are chairing the 2010 Palm Beach Heart Ball.

A few blocks up at the Alexander Gallery at 942 Madison Avenue (between 74th and 75th), there was a champagne reception for Tamsen Ann Ziff and her beautiful jewelry made from her designs with the rarest gemstones. The evening benefited Smile Train, an international charity that provides cleft lip and cleft palate surgery to children in need, as well as providing cleft-related training to doctors.

Ann Ziff

Dr. Douglas Steinbrecht and Jeff Sharp

Christopher Flach and Dovanna Pagowski

Hermes Mallea and Carey Maloney

Ann, as she is known to friends, will open a spectacular store for her designs on the avenue next year. Readers may recall a piece I did on Mrs. Ziff and her spectacular jewels awhile ago, maybe last year.

I took several pictures of her pieces although the casement lighting which highlights the jewels perfectly was almost too much for my digital in getting the right color quality. But I’m going to run them anyway so you can get idea of Mrs. Ziff’s amazing work.

Then down at Cipriani 42nd Street UNICEF was holding its annual Snowflake Ball. Project co-chairs were Pamela Fiori and Charlotte Moss. Gala co-chairs were Claudia Lebenthal and Christine Stonbely. Junior co-chairs were Maggie Betts and Barbara Bush. Honorary co-chairs were former presidents George H.W. Bush, William J. Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

The black tie affair honored Antonio “LA” Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group.

Over at Asprey’s there was a cocktail party for the benefit of the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. Although the drizzle outside was freezing for those girls in bare-shouldered dresses, guests who attended were treated to a warm and friendly reminder of the impending holiday season. Asprey was lovingly decorated with bouquets of candy canes, ribbons, and bows in Asprey's signature purple shade, while the martinis and Champagne served throughout the evening contained clusters of Cranberries.

Shoes that say it all.

Assembled multitudes in the Asprey entrance.

As the Asprey necklaces and brooches glimmered, Barbara Regna remarked, "Oh!" Time for some holiday shopping!” turning to her date upon seeing Asprey's sparkling selection of jewelry. Diana Quasha, Gala Chair and active member of Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, was wearing green and white sequins. "It's Pucci. It doesn't immediately strike you as traditional Pucci. It's like Pucci on crack."

Someone else remarked, "Isn't Diana's dress beautiful? It's like an Cubist snow-covered-tree!"

The same seasonal sentiments seemed to linger over all of the guests, many of whom (after removing their furs at the door) sought out old friends for cheek kisses. Many of the dresses -- De La Renta and Herrera were labels overheard -- were white, black, or, in the case of Kathleen Giordano and Allison Minton, bright holiday red. Others chose bolder colors: Ramsey Neale was sporting a cheerful orange Lanvin dress. Marisa Tomenson wore a black and white checkered dress with pink and yellow accents by Bill Blass.

The Board for Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Mark Gilbertson announces raffle winners.

In keeping with the holiday theme, two of the “older” women were sharing the glory of years past. "We used to really get boys to pick up our tabs and everything!" they giggled. "This show 'Gossip Girl?' They don't know what they are talking about. We were really there!"

"El Morocco every night!" The other woman agreed. "Sean Flynn, Erroll's son, was my date!"

Dinner at a private club only a block or two away.

Talk was never far from the purpose of the evening. "They have nearly 600 volunteers," a guest told me, "and they help incredible numbers of people on the East Side. This is the most important time of the year to remember to do this kind of good."

Around nine-ish, with the gathering of the coats, furs, and umbrellas, guests moved over to a private club only a block or two away for dinner. The warm, rich woods of the clubs dining rooms on this early December night conjured up images of The Stahlbaum House from the Nutcracker -- all perfectly complimented the classic red and green trimmings of the room -- while the sublime, bewitching smell of fresh Paperwhites (set at each table) conjured the fond memories of holidays past. — TS for NYSD.

The Marquess of Linlithgow and Diana Quasha

Kristen and Stephen Fealy

Dianne Passage

Ladies in Holiday Scarlet, Kathleen Giordano and Alison Minton

Christopher Spitzmiller

Clo and Charles Cohen

Bruce Glickman and Pat Moran

Tiffany Moller, Mark Gilbertson, and Vanessa Willett

Guy and Mary Van Pelt

Margo Takian

Ramsey Neale

Clo Cohen, Diana Quasha, and Kathy Angele

Meg and Doug Braff

Rachel Neff and Warren Scharf

Ala Isham and Grace Meigher

Robert Shumaker and Bianca Kawecki

Lara Glazier, Melissa Berkelhammer, and Kelly Mallon

Whitney and Robert Douglas

Kathleen Giordano and Bianca Kawecki

Barbara Regna

Ellen Niven and Mary Snow

Christopher Heath and Lisa Selby

Kristen Fealy, Stewart Manger, and Webb Egerton

Jennifer Garabedian, Marisa Tomenson, Lily Maddock, and Robyn Brooks

Brendan Dillon

Lindsey Harper and Kate Bradbury

Angele Parlange and Hamish Bowles

Meanwhile, last long holiday weekend, Hilary Geary Ross writing for the Palm Beach Social Diary checks in:

As they say "let the games begin." Thanksgiving is the big kickoff weekend for the Palm Beach season and there were nonstop events starting with the traditional family gatherings. It was even a little chilly down there -- say 55 degrees at night, freezing for PB -- so the mood was just right for my favorite family holiday.

It is always especially fun as kids of all ages are included in the usual round of festivities. Marjorie Fisher entertained about 40 for a 7 PM seated Thanksgiving meal, while Terry Kramer and Nick Simunek welcomed a big group for a buffet dinner with live music to their grand fabulous palazzo. Their direct ocean front house was brilliantly designed by Jeff Smith and beautifully decorated by Pauline Pitt.

Full Moon on Worth Avenue, Palm Beach. December 2, 2009, 8 PM. Photo: Augustus Mayhew.

And of course there were cocktail parties including one at Cartier honoring Mary Freitas who is chairman of the Palm Beach Opera Ball. Considering the dismal economy, everyone was thrilled to see some new stores on Worth Avenue, especially famed designers Badgley Mischka. I am a big fan of their heavenly evening clothes which are both glamorous and feminine.

Speaking of drinks parties, Wilbur and I gave a book party for our beautiful and talented pal Deborah Norville, who has just written “The Power of Respect.”

Carol Mack, Joanna de Guardiola, Deborah Norville, Hilary Ross, and Muffy Miller

Deb and her divine husband Karl Wellner were staying with us along with their three enchanting children. Everybody adores Deb so we had a big turnout. Amongst the guests were Bruce and Maria Bockmann, KC and Johnny Pickett, Michelle and Howard Kessler, Kate Ford, Dame Celia Lipton Farris, Bill Finneran, Hillie Mahoney, Mario Buatta, Mai Harrison, Jack Taylor, John and Carol Moran, Ted Geary, Amanda Ross, Alex Ross and Christopher Murphy, Cornelia Ercklantz with her dad Enno, Howard Cox, Pat Wood and Ed Ney plus Hilary Ney, John Mashek, Joanne and Roberto de Guardiola, Liz Ward and Charles Morey, Robert Janjigian, Muffy and Don Miller, Jackie and Rod Drake, Maria and Raymond Floyd, Steven Stolman, Jaye Keith, Scott Snyder, John Loring, Mary Hilliard, Jean Tailor, Britty Cudlip and Johnny Damgard, Dixon and Arriana Boardman with Amalia Keramitsis, Tom and Carole Kirchoff, Christina Murphy, Tina Fanjul, Jerry Goldsmith, Liz Polsterer, Diana and Billy Wister, Tom Quick, Bob Leidy, Allie and Lee Hanley, Carol and Earl Mack, John and Carol Moran, and more. Afterwards we headed to Pauline Pitt’s for a dinner toasting her darling pal Liz Ward who had flown across the pond for a little sun and a lot of fun in this festive town.

Next day was my darling husband’s birthday so we gathered up a bunch of friends and family to celebrate. The highlight was Deborah and Karl’s hysterical singing toast to Wilbur. Sunday night we headed to the ever popular Palm Beach Grill to dine with Michelle and Howard Kessler where we spotted Chris and Grace Meigher with their two daughters Amanda and Elizabeth, and at another table Bob and Joyce Sterling, also famed handbag designer Lana Marks with her family in tow and more. Monday morning, back to rainy NYC to collapse.