Party Pictures 9/30/05 - A private dinner was held at the New-York Historical Society in honor of the upcoming exhibit, "Slavery in New York"; Andrea and John Stark entertain in their new penthouse as featured in October House & Garden

A private dinner was held at the New-York Historical Society in honor of the upcoming exhibit, "Slavery in New York"

Ernest Tollerson and Walter Shay

Richard Rabinowitz, Nina Nazionale, and Margi Hofer

Avoline Simon and Richard Gilder

Frances Resheske, Gail Mazin, and Marie Smith

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Louise Mirrer

Lynda Kaplan, Richard Rabinowitz, and Eric Foner

Howard Dodson, Walton, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Kenneth Jackson

Lynda Kaplan, Natatia Griffith, and Avoline Simon

Howard Dodson and Ira Berlin

Andrea and John Stark entertain in their new penthouse as featured in October House & Garden

Dominique Browning with John and Andrea Stark

Ann Liguori, Bob Pittman, and Mary Skillern

John and Andrea Stark invited a few friends in to see their new penthouse in the Excelsior on East 57th Street. The magnificent apartment designed by Jeffrey Bilhuber graces the cover of House & Garden’s October issue and the cocktail party was co-hosted by the magazine’s Editor Dominique Browning.

The over 150 “few” friends included Law & Order: SVU’s gorgeous Mariska Hargitay; Susan and John Gutfreund; the D&D Buildings’ Charles and Clo Cohen; Amy Fine Collins; Cynthia and Dan Lufkin; society band leader Alex Donner; Francine LeFrak; Rick Friedberg; Diana Quasha; Dennis Basso and Michael Cominotto; Rachel Hovnanian; art consultant Michel Witmer; Barbara De Portago; MTV’s Robert and Veronique Pittman; Debbie Bancroft; Tatiana and Campion Platt; Tim Landi; Susan Burke; Dana and Patrick Stubgen; Mark Gilbertson; Lucia Hwong Gordon; couturiers Maggie Norris and Zang Toi, with muse Deborah Fenker; director Andrew Le-Pera; Llyn Bank; Kevin Sprague; Debra Kanabis; Iris Barrel and Carl Apfel; Melissa Barrett Rhodes; sports newscaster Ann Liguori; Dr. Howard Sobel with Alexandra Tscherne; Mary Skillern; Annette Tapert; interior designers Robert Rufino, Carlos Souza, Philip Gorrivan, and Robert Lindgren; and Cynthia Frank, Joseph Lagani and Susan Egan from H & G. They enjoyed the 360-degree views from the stunning redesigned East Side duplex.

The view from the Stark's

The guests looked stylish, the hors d'oeuvres and peach vodka drinks were delicious and plentiful and everyone was happy to be back in the social swirl, but the star of the night was most definitely the apartment itself. Bilhuber referenced iconic rooms by 20th century visionaries such as Billy Baldwin, Hubert de Givenchy, William Haines and Pauline de Rothschild.

Upon entering the foyer, a white lacquered sweeping banister wowed the crowd and in the same eyeful was an antique gilt console originally made for a baroque castle. The living room features a Louis XVI fauteuil from Todd Romano and two vintage Grosfeld House Chairs meticulously restored by Jane Henry. On the second floor landing, a significant 18th century French, blue enameled clock is displayed above Study for an Angel’s Wing, a painting by New Yorker cartoon artist Boris Drucker. The dining room, literally dances with light from the Swarovski crystal chandelier by Tord Boontjie. The converted greenhouse on the second floor is a moon-drenched urban aerie, and one of the standouts is the south-facing dressing room where a French Regency mirror floats in the view with a large piece of crystal.

“I feel so lucky,” says Andrea of the apartment and all of her friends say, “Deservedly so.”