Party Pictures 6/29/05 - The Group for the South Fork's annual benefit; CDCH Foundation for Special Children’s kick-off party for The Orchid Ball; The opening of first American De Beers LV store on Fifth Avenue; Summer White Night at Doubles

The Group for the South Fork's annual benefit

Nicole Miller

Chappy Morris and Melissa Stanley

Lauren Ezersky

The Group for the South Fork (GSF) held their annual benefit and auction on Saturday, June 18 at the Wölffer Estate Vineyard on Sagg Road in Sagaponack, Long Island and nearly 500 nature-lovers turned out raising over $515,000 for GFS’s current projects including advocating for the preservation of the natural beach shoreline. GSF is the Hamptons only local environmental advocacy and educational organization. It is committed to preserving and protecting the natural resources in East Hampton, Southampton and Shelter Island for over 30 years.

Kristen Krusen and Heather Henriksen

Dick Cavett chaired the event and helped with the live auction which brought in $92,000. Among the attendees were Nicole Miller, Ellin and Ron Delsener, Ann Colley, Somers White, Cynthia and Dan Lufkin, Debbie Bancroft, Jonathan Farkas, WB11 News Anchor Jim Watkins and his wife Lauren Thierry, designer Douglas Hannant and Frederick Anderson, Chappy Morris and Melissa Stanley, Congressman Tim Bishop, Cindy Adams and Robert Zimmerman, Alix Michel and Van Cushny, attorney Sal Strazzullo and Jodi Fanelli, Madame Paulette’s John Mahdessian and Beata Borowska; pop artist Michael Perez of Southampton’s Job’s Lane Pop Art Gallery, Lauren Ezersky, Charlie and Kristen Krusen, Amy and John Griffin, Lizzie Mitchell, Brandon Pracht, Heather Henricksen, Melissa DeMouche and Scott Lamb, Hayley and Stuart Boesky, Roy and Mary Judelson, President Robert DeLuca and Christian Wölffer who hosted. Other Chairs were Carrie Nye and Richard Mohlere.

Over 100 silent auction items were on display and included items from David Yurman, Ralph Lauren, Alvin Alley Dance Theatre, Kevin Maple Salon, a three night stay at the HRH Resort’s Hampton Baby Beach Club, a shopping outing with style guru Barbara Sussberg, Michael Perez’ hand painted designer jeans, hand-crafted outdoor garden fountain designed in Bali, Indonesia courtesy of The Furniture Garden, and a 27” Panasonic color television with VCR and DVD courtesy of Sebonack Golf Club.

The hors d’oeurves for the always-hungry: Pan seared Scallops, Wild Mushroom and cheese Quesadillas with mango Salsa and local Long Island Potatoes piped with crème fraiche and caviar. Dinner included a Lobster salad and Chicken Breast stuffed with Ricotta and Wild Mushroom stuffing all catered by Janet O’Brien Caterers.

“Bulkheads and sea walls shorten the beach, limit public access, and destroy habitats,” Robert DeLuca said. This is a hard lesson to learn for many of our more affluent new beachfront property owners. For some it requires years of instruction by Mother Nature. And often by the time the lesson could be learned, they’ve sold the property out of exasperation at not having triumphed over dear old Ma.

In addition to advocacy and education, the GSF gets down to earth. This spring it planted 8,000 plugs of beach grass. The Group also led a paddle ride to the ocean beach through Sagg Pond the day after the event.

Later, dancing continued at the after-party held at the hot club Cain at Cabana in Southampton. A great time was had by all!

Sessa von Richthofen and Richard Johnson

Jodi Fanelli and Sal Strazzullo

Dick Cavett

Beata Browska and John Mahdessian

Christian Wolffer and Ann Colley

Cindy Adams and Robert Zimmerman

Jim Watkins, Ann Colley, and Chappy Morris

Jackie Schellbach and Bob DeLuca

Roy Judelson and Michelle Russell

Ann Colley and Ron Delsener

Cynthia and Dan Lufkin

Nicole Miller, John Griffin, and Ann Colley

Ellin Delsener and Heather Henriksen

Jade Benovich, Michael Perez, and Shannon Appotive

Photographs by Joe Schildhorn/PMc

CDCH Foundation for Special Children’s Junior Benefit Committee hosted a cocktail reception to kick-off The Orchid Ball

Anna Cosslett, Krista Schulz, and Marisa Arredondo

Jackie Troy, Dawn Zimmerman Hummel, and Megan Schmidt

Erin Forbes, Antonella Bertello, and Dawn Zimmerman Hummel

Last Saturday night at the Baker House 1650 in East Hampton, the CDCH Foundation for Special Children’s Junior Benefit Committee hosted a cocktail reception to kick-off the CDCH’s upcoming 9th annual summer benefit, The Orchid Ball.

The Orchid Ball will be held on July 16th at the Siena Spirituality Center at Villa Maria in Water Mill. To learn more about it or purchase tickets go to: www.cdch.org.

Meanwhile, back at the cocktail reception there were Junior Committee chairs Kirsten Hummel and Joanna Pashby along with committee co-directors, Megan Curren Schmidt and Jacki Troy. Also among the guests were Alle and BJ Vargas, Alana Visco, Patrick Brew, Mark Pinho, Louis-David Mangin, Marc Schmidt, Telly Karoussos, John Hummel Jr., Brendan Brew, Seth Campbell, Jim Troy, Antonella and Robert Rosen, Maria Pashby, Melissa Cohn and CDCH Founder, Dawn Zimmerman Hummel.

Committee for the CDCH Orchid Ball includes Meredith Bowen and Justin Waterman, Patrick Brew, Martha Ryan Carlton, Elaine Constantine, Caroline Costin, Christopher Gugelmann, Annie Hildenbiddle, Alex Karoussos, Katie Karoussos and Dave Zapata, Telly Karrousos, Rachel and Drew Kelley, Harrison LeFrak, Louis-David Magin, Eraina McDonald, Mark Pinho, Charlotte Richardson and Doug Snyder, Megan and Marc Schmidt, Krista Schulz, Jacquelyn Troy and Brendan Brew, Jim Troy, Christina Trujillo, Alle and BJ Vargas and Alana Visco.

Clockwise from above: Caswey Fennell, Patrick Brew, and Max Bonbrest; Suzanna Edelbaum, Stephanie White, Marisa Kutner, Kristen Hummel, Ryan Carlton, Elle Molchan, and Chaz Hinz; Elle Molchan, John Hummel, Matt Colban, Casey Fennell, Eric Flaherty, Mike Asselin, and Phil Cangiolosi.

Alle Vargas, Joanna Pashby, Alana Visco, and Annie Hildenbiddle

Louis David Mangin, BJ Vargas, Marc Schmidt, and Mark Pinho

Antonella Bertello, Bruce Glasser, Bob Rosen, and Melissa Cohn

Joanna Pashby, Megan Schmidt, and Jackie Troy

BJ and Alle Vargas

Jackie Troy and Brendan Brew

Charlie Burge, Charly Burge, and Jeanine Burge

L. to r.: Jim and Jackie Troy; On the grounds of the Baker House.

Kerri Meagher

Matt Colban, Casey Fennell, and Greg Burns

Dawn Zimmerman Hummel, Kristen Hummel, John Hummel, and John Hummel Jr.

Seth Campbell, Ali Jurist, and Mike Spielfogel

Photographs by Rob Rich/516-676-3939

Summer White Night at Doubles

Laura Remington-Platt and Sophocles Papanicolaou

Lauren Muzinich and Ryan Renicker

Anne Rabbino, Joanna Leathers, and Katie Gage

The Night In White party at Doubles dazzled ‘em at Doubles, the private club in the Sherry-Netherland two weeks ago. It was a very hot night here in New York, as you may or may not recall and so the stylish guests, progeny of the rich, the chic and the shameless were in the mood to escape the tropics of Fifth Avenue and the Grand Army Square for the cools reds of Doubles festooning with white balloons.

In the hip and stylish crowd: Marisa Arredondo, Philip Alden Thomas, Tom Trowbridge, Joanna Baker, Nat Fogg, Elena Sapienza, Sophocles Papanicolau, Conor Heffernan, Walter Coles, Melissa Berkelhammer, Amanda Meigher, Dana Vachon, Ryan Renicker, Laura Remington-Platt, Katie Gage, Craig Nowell, Allison and Jay Aston, Elizabeth Meigher, Nick Coleman, Miguel Duenas, Nicole Hanley, John Royall, Tatiana Papanicolau, Georgina Schaeffer, Donna Simonelli with Brian Johnson, Melanie Shanley, Warfield Price, Ashley Gedron, Caterina Hausmann, Alix Pietrafesa, Taylor Spellman, Becky Kellam, Hattie Gruber, Anne Rabbino, Joanna Leathers, Kerith Davies, Molly Fahner, Lindsay Kiernan, Abby Keeler, Kelley Chapoton, Lauren Muzinich, Kendall Morrison, Dani Skollar, Jessica Zaganczyk and Susie Slattery.

The menu from the fabulous Doubles buffet: Cuban grilled chicken, mini hamburgers with onion rings, pasta, salads and mozzarella, along with chocolate mousse, strawberries and cookies for dessert. Doubles’ Wendy Carduner decorated the tables with pink and white rose centerpieces and topped them off with sparkling silver star confetti.

The event committee included Anne and George Baker IV, Belinda Bellas, Sarah Boardman, Win Burke, Daria de Koning, Ashley Dodd, Kate Earls, Justin Farley, Kristen Fisher, Jonathan Ganutt, Adelaide Goldfrank, Will Holligan, Leslie Hull, Liz Jeffries, Bryan Johnson, Samantha Leas, Sasha Leviant, Lily Maddock, Lara and Lisa Meiland, Eliza Nordeman, Nolan Olson, Nick Papanicolaou, Marcie and Jordan Pantzer, Allyson Ross, Doug Snyder, Ware Sykes, Walter Tomenson, Liz Walker, Andra Winokur and Donny Young.

Warfield Price, Georgina Schaeffer, Melanie Shanley, and Dana Vachon

Brian Johnson and Donna Simonelli

Susie Slattery and Melissa Berkelhammer

Tom Trowbridge, Kelley Chapoton, and Nat Fogg

Allison Aston and Kelley Chapoton

Elizabeth Meigher, Wendy Carduner, and Abby Keeler

Roger Webster, Caterina Hausmann, and Phillip Alden Thomas

Georgina Schaeffer and Warfield Price

Samantha Leas and Liz Walker

Kendall Morrison, Elena Sapienza, and Dani Skollar

Joanna Baker, Kerith Davies, and Amanda Meigher

Alix Pietrafesa and Edward Barsamian

Taylor Spellman and Lindsay Kiernan

Kendall Morrison and Leah Jacobson

Philip Hillier and Marissa Arredondo

Photographs by Cutty McGill

The opening of first American De Beers LV store on Fifth Avenue

L. to r.: Lindsay Lohan with CEO of De Beers Guy Leymarie and CEO of De Beers USA Alyce Alston; Kelly Killoren Bensimon; Cece Cord.

The first American De Beers LV store opened on Fifth Avenue last Wednesday night. The opening of the company's flagship store in the United States is seen as a significant step for the world's largest diamond producer, which has directly returned to the American market after an absence of half a century.

The company went all out in their launch of the flagship store with a private party the night before in a 79th floor penthouse in the Time-Warner building at Columbus Circle and 60th Street with a supper especially prepared by Thomas Keller and a stellar batch of New York’s boldfaced social names.

De Beers, which controls about two thirds of the world's uncut diamond supply, made its initial leap into diamond retailing in London in 2002 that saw a joint venture with De Beers and Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH).

Nicholas Scoppetta, Sarah Bailey, and Eric Meers

This was not done without some controversy at the time and which also was present when DeBeers opened the Fifth Avenue store. Here in New York there was a red carpet (and a big crowd walking it to have a look-see of the luxurious new store), as well as about 30 protesters who heckled guests first arriving. I arrived an hour into the party and missed that.

The issue with DeBeers now has to do with their agreement with the Botswana government which has been evicting Gana and Swi bushmen from land on which DeBeers has arranged with the government to mine for diamonds.

A De Beers statement handed out at the New York store's opening said it was unfair to target De Beers LV, as it was an "independently managed retail venture" and separate from the diamond mining company. It added the De Beers Group, which is a shareholder in De Beers LV, had not sought the removal of anyone from the reserve where the bushmen lived.

The diamond business across the world has grown by leaps and bounds. The market for diamonds is booming in China and India, as well as here in the West. China’s market is growing at double-digit rates. India is now one of the top five consumer markets in the world. India is traditionally a country with a jewelry culture and now with its growing number of citizens with disposable income, the diamond business grows stronger with each year.

DeBeers, which is the world’s largest producer of uncut diamonds is famous for its conservative marketing policies, so this step into retailing with LVMH is a major move.

Supply cannot keep up with demand and analysts are predicting decades of growth for the $75 billion a year industry. Growth in the US is moderate comparatively but the US market is massive, with a 53% share of the world market, and sales remain brisk. The age of the customer has also lowered notably as mothers and fathers are often buying diamond jewelry for their teenage daughters, and diamond accessories have become more popular among men of all ages. DeBeers once huge stockpile of diamonds has been depleted to the point where they are down to working stock, selling diamonds that came out of the ground only three months before.

Africa remains the world’s largest source for the gem. Last year $6.8 billion worth of rough diamonds were produced there. Botswana is the largest producer, and its mines which are owned jointly by DeBeers and the Botswana government have a lifespan of about 30 years. Market analysts see the price and value of diamonds heading in only one direction: north.