SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary

SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary
03/28/2007 04:33 PM
SF Social Diary
The crowd at the 25th annual San Francisco Fall Antiques Show
The 25th Anniversary of the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show – The Silver
Jubilee
By Jeanne Lawrence
Preview Party night of the prestigious San Francisco Fall Antiques Show is one of
the most popular and fun charitable events in the city and one I try never to miss.
The show’s home is Fort Mason the historic pier and one-time military base, which
functions much like Manhattan’s 7th Regiment Amory on 67th Street.
On that night, the weather was perfect unusually balmy even for San Francisco,
allowing fun loving Don and Trish Stephens (D.R. Stephens Wine) to arrive in their
Mercedes convertible with the top down.
Gail Glasser (the late Nan Kempner’s stepmother) quipped, “Speaking of global
warming - we used to wear rain boots and heavy clothes it was so cold and now, but
now with temperature in the 70’s, we’re wearing spring clothes.”
I couldn’t help but notice Urannia and Brunno Ristow (a prominent plastic surgeon
and lover of vintage cars) checking out the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren, with
sticker price around $450,000. Unbelievably, it can reach top speed of 208 mph in
3.8 seconds – but still no match for the Bugatti Veyron, the fastest street-legal car in
the world. I think Bruno is still making up his mind.
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SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary
03/28/2007 04:33 PM
New York-based interior designer Ed Lobrano flew in for the occasion. “If you can
spend only one night in SF, this is the night…everyone comes, even those who never
go out,” he remarked.
Jeanne Lawrence, NYer Helen Fioratti, and former NYer Denise Fitch
Boris and Axel Vervoordt of Axel Vervoordt Gallery in Belgium
I chatted with entrepreneur Ken Rainin, who said, “I come for the beautiful people.
It’s the best party of the year and I almost always buy something.” Now that’s music
to dealers’ ears.
The big news of the night, for me at least, was that Trevor and Alexis
SwansonTraina, who married last summer, are expecting. By the way, his mother is
Dede Wilsey.
Beside him stood his friend, polo player J.P. Thieriot, (son of Dick and Angie
Thieriot) part of the de Young family that founded The San Francisco Chronicle and
the de Young Museum.
“The de Young descendants had to “re-up” their contributions to the de Young,
otherwise, it might have become the Dede Wilsey museum,” J.P. jested, sporting the
same tie he wore at the Traina/Swanson wedding, as one of 16 groomsman. You
might recall that the Wilsey family donated over $10 mil to the museum.
Chilled Champagne and
Vodka flowed accompanied
with mounds of caviar and
Scottish Smoked Salmon. If
that didn’t suit your fancy,
you could ‘amuse-bouche’
with Sushi Balls in
Teaspoons, Torchon of Foie
Gras, Petite Filet Mignon
Cheese Burgers or an
incredible variety of Petit
Sushi – all catered by Dan
McCall. Worth the ticket
price alone, but there’s more!
Ristow family eyes the McLaren for $450K
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SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary
03/28/2007 04:33 PM
The glittering crowd jostled
past lavish buffets stacked
with Racks of Lamb Karsky
(my favorite), Gulf Shrimp,
Pacific Oysters on the Half
Shell, hand carved Roast
Sirloin of Beef, cornucopias
of crudities, Ricotta filled
Agnolloti with Lobster Sauce
– and an open bar.
Of course, the piece de
resistance was the mammoth
dessert table topped with
Silver Mercedes McLaren with distinctive gullwing doors
gigantic floral displays. The
desserts were lavish enough to compete with the visual delights of the food scenes
from Napa native SophiaCoppola’s latestfilm, Marie Antoinette.
Just a sample of the mouthwatering desserts: Ancho Chili Little Chocolate Pot au
Crème, Earl Grey Tea Crème Brulee, Tapioca Pudding with Kirsh Cherries,
Napoleons, Pecan Bars, Profiteroles, Fruit Tartlettes, Chocolate Glazed Mascarpone
Cannoli, Truffles, Brownies, Gelato Bon Bons, Mascarpone stuffed Figs and Dates,
Fruit Martinis, and every variety of cookie, cake and every torte imaginable - Sacher
Torte, Opera Torte, Tiramisu, Clafoutti, Cassis Miroire, and Apple Strudel with
Whipped Cream. How’s a gal supposed to keep her figure, anyway?
Toby Rose founded the benefit event 25 years ago as a fundraiser for Enterprise for
High School Students. This non-profit job referral and career development agency
currently assists over 2,000 local students annually, serving more than 50,000 to date.
She credited her colleague Show Director Terry Grant for her 25-year support in
this venture.
This year Rose passed the baton to Lisa Podos, a New Yorker, whose last position in
NYC was with the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design,
and Culture, founded by SusanSoros. It was Lisa’s recent marriage to Michael Wais
– after meeting at Princeton years ago - that brought her to the West Coast.
The gala committee included Lonna Wais, Michele Goss, Marie and George
Hecksher, Kendall Wilkinson Robinson and Gardner Robinson, and Kathryn
and Bo Lasater.
Members of the Young Collectors Committee counted Christine Aylward,
Christopher Bass, Brendan Dyson, Deborah Lee Minor, Kathryn Retzer and
Wheeler Simmons.
Oh, and there are the antiques. This year, over 70 international dealers showed their
best, artistically displayed and all vetted by the Antique Dealers Association of
California.
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SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary
03/28/2007 04:33 PM
Champagne View - East
Among the NY dealers: Helen Fioratti of L’Antiquaire & The Connoisseur, Amy
Perlin Antiques, Kentshire Galleries, Mallet (of London, too), and Dillingham &
Company. Jewelry designer Pamela Johananoff, a former NYer, flew in from her
Paris home to help fellow designer David Morris of Palm Beach and London.
I bumped into John Loring at the John Berggruen Gallery. We both admired the
1946 Picasso drawing, Portrait de Femme, of our mutual friend – the thriving artist
Françoise Gilot who is also mother of Tiffany’sjewelry designer Paloma Picasso.
Loring, Design Director of Tiffany & Company, flew in to lecture about his book
Tiffany Flora & Fauna at Filoli, the 654-acre estate in Woodside (30 miles south of
San Francisco) that was the Carrington Mansion in that 80’s TV-series Dynasty
starring John Forsythe, Linda Evans, and Joan Collins.
Sotheby’s Auction House underwrote a lecture series that included NY
curator/advisor Derek Ostergard (my favorite lecturer when I attended Sotheby’s
Institute), speaking about “The Triumph of Elitism: Modernism and Luxury Trades
in Paris, 1914-1939.”
Other lecturers included John Ward, from Sotheby’s Silver Department; Martin
Chapman, curator of European decorative arts at SF Palace Legion of Honor; and
Ulrich Leben of the Rothschild Collection at Waddeson Manor in England.
The Designers Circle included Suzanne Tucker (Chair), Ann Getty and
Associates, Shelby and Jorge De Quesada, Douglas Durkin Design, David
Kensington, Jean Larette Design, Kendal Wilkinson Design, the Wiseman
Group, Steven Volpe, and NY’s Peter Pennoyer Architects.
What’s great about this party is that it attracts a mix of ages, lots of young collectors,
and creates so much energy and excitement that no one wants to leave. Promises of
“See you next October” were on everyone’s lips when they begrudgingly headed
home.
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SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary
Joy Venturini Bianchi visits Mallet's experts
Alexis and Trevor Traina - new announcement
Collector Ann Getty
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03/28/2007 04:33 PM
Andre de Baubigny, Jr., Randi and Robert Fisher, and Juliet de
Baubigny
Decorator Paul Wiseman and dealer Collier Gwin
Jet-Set Collector Dodie
Rosecrans
Nan Tucker McEvoy and Andrew Fisher
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SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary
Barbara and Chief Justice Ronald George
03/28/2007 04:33 PM
Italian-born Maria
Manetti Farrow
Therese Post, bi-costal designer Ed Lobrano, and OJ Shansby
Gallery owner John Berggruen of the famed art family
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Kathryn Lasater - Co-chair
of Young Collectors with
husband Bo
Kendall and Gardner RobinsonPreview Party Chair
LA couple Laurie and Paul MacCaskill
Ghislain d'Humieres, Sybille Watel, Wheeler Simmons, and Millen Griffith
Also in Across the World
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SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary
03/28/2007 04:33 PM
Silver Anniversary
NY's Derek Ostergard lectures
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3.28.07: Moscow,
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Lucy Jewett and son George Jewett
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Auction house chiefs Laura King Pfaff
and Jennifer Beiderbeck
Paul Pelosi Jr. and Allison Speer
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SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary
Brunno and Urannia Ristow
03/28/2007 04:33 PM
Lindsay Bolton Connoisseur Circle Cochair '06
Founder Toby Rose and Show
Director Terry Grant
Georgie Keller, Bruce Tremayer, and Karen Caufield at Therien French terra-cotta sphinxes
Roth Martin of Hedge Gallery
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New director Lisa Podos with
husband Michael Wais
Colorado's Bill Evans with Judy Long, back home after Palm Beach
Obsolete
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03/28/2007 04:33 PM
Eliza Cash, Lisa Goldman, Mary White, and Patsy Lurie
Miles of aisles of antiques
A quick look around at the merchandise
Dede Wilsey tests the merchandise
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Former Mayor of San Francisco Frank Jordan
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Barbara Brown
Gail de Martini and Tom Kravis
Jane and Dean Woodman
03/28/2007 04:33 PM
Ned and Kathy Topham
Dorothy and Ken Paige
Gerry Grodsky and Roberta Sherman
Joe Tiffany with NYer John Loring lectures
at Filoli Mansion
Heading home happy
San Francisco Antiquarian
For such a vibrant young city, San Franciscans love their antiques. They browse,
read, buy and even party ‘antiques.’ Here are just two events that prove where
antiques are concerned; you can never be too rich or too hungry.
Book Party of Style
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SF Social Diary | New York Social Diary
03/28/2007 04:34 PM
Best selling author Diane Dorrans Saeks signed her latest book, California Country
Style (Chronicle Books) at Urban Chateau, the antique store founded by Dr. Terry
Gross and her daughter Lisa Gross Erikson.
Located in the San Francisco Design Center, a sort of designer super mall, Urban
Chateau imports 17th, 18th, and 19th Century fine antiques and works of art from
France, Italy, and throughout Europe.
“It’s an exciting time in San Francisco. With
the investment and hi-tech fortunes, there is
great interest in interior design and
architecture,” Diane explains. “It’s a golden
age for design.”
Diane certainly has made her impact in the
design world. She lectures on design, is editor
to magazines such as C (for California)
magazine, Garden Design, and Metropolitan
Home, as well as writing features focusing on
interior design, architecture, style, gardens,
travel and fashion.
I’m sure you’ve seen her books; she’s
published 19 so far. There’s San Francisco: A
Certain Style, California Cottages, California
Wine Country, San Francisco Style, Michael
S. Smith: Elements of StyleHollywood
Style,Seaside Style and Country Interiors.
Many are published by Chronicle Books, owned by Nion McEvoy of the family who
once owned The San Francisco Chronicle, now owned by Hearst Communications.
Others are from Rizzoli and Taschen, who recently re-opened a bookstore on Green
Street in Soho in Manhattan.
“I love to observe interior design in California, it’s one of my greatest pleasures to
see and write about talent,” Diane noted. That said, I imagine there are many more
books on the way.
All the antiques here reminded me of the opening night of the Fall Antiques Show
some months back. Since every body’s been asking about it, I dug out my notes and
went to work.
Author Diane Dorrans Saeks signs latest
book, California
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HGTV designer Grant Gibson with Sarah Fraser and Jane Resnick
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03/28/2007 04:34 PM
Diane Dorrans Saeks with Terry Gross and Lisa Gross
Erick
Dorrans Saeks latest - California Country Style (Chronicle Books)
Designer Jean Larette with Katherine
Pearson, contributing editor for House
Beautiful
Leaving the SF Design Center
Photographs by Tom Gibbons and Jeanne Lawrence
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© 2007 David Patrick Columbia & Jeffrey Hirsch / NewYorkSocialDiary.com
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