March 2014 - R. Couri Hay

social safari
by
R. COURI HAY
High Society
Doings
Queens, Princesses, Tiaras, Elephants,
Horses, Handel and Fabergé
Jewelry Designer
Lisa Jackson and
Vera Wang at
Phoenix Roze
Cindy Jo Taylor, Anna
Carter, Maggie Norris,
Kristen Sokac and Bettina
Bennett at Selima Optique
The Year of the Horse
Composer Karen LeFrak, who sits on the board of the New York Philharmonic, and her husband, Richard LeFrak, the real estate mogul, hosted
a fun dinner at Avery Fisher Hall following the Phil’s concert celebrating
the Chinese New Year. Dominating the gala’s stunning décor was a pair of
two-story-high golden horses symbolizing the 35th anniversary of U.S.China diplomatic relations. Guests included Consul General Sun Guoxiang,
Francine LeFrak and her husband Richard Friedberg, Geoffrey Bradfield,
Chiu-Ti Jansen and the Gala’s chairs, Gary Parr, Shirley Young, Ming
Liu and Angela Chen. Angela was decked out in a brilliant red confection with an embroidered train that clung (and clanged) in all the
right places. The inspiring evening, a fusion of classical Western and
Chinese music, was conducted by Long Yu, whose animated conducting reminded many cognoscenti of the late Leonard Bernstein. China Philharmonic maestro Long Yu sagely said, “Music should not be separated into ‘Eastern’ or ‘Western.’ It either
touches your heart or it doesn’t.’” The breathtaking program
featured three of the world’s top musicians: the brilliant and
beautiful 26-year-old pianist Yuja Wang, who changed her gown
three times; violinist Cho-Liang Lin; cellist Jian Wang; and the
dazzling singer Song Zuying, who appeared in a visually arresting traditional costume topped with a sterling silver headdress that
became the talk of the town. The night, sponsored by Credit Suisse,
raised over a million dollars for the orchestra’s programs, including
ones that serve Chinese American students. nyphil.org
Princess
Eugenie of
York at the
Big Fabergé
Egg Hunt
Cocktail
Countdown
Carter
Coleman
and Whitney
Larkin at
the African
Rainforest
Conservancy
Gala
Devon Windsor, Morgan O’Connor
and Olivia Greenfield at the African
Rainforest Conservancy Gala
Misty Copeland, Heather
Georges and Marcelo
Gomes at YAGP Kickoff
Frederick Anderson and Michelle
Gerber Klein at home
104 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MARCH 2014
Sonatas and Champagne
Michèle Gerber Klein had a musicale in her art-filled home for
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor Laureate of the Seattle Symphony
Orchestra. Schwarz is also the music director of the All Star Orchestra featured on a new PBS series. Leading the applause for the
Handel-Halvorsen Sonata in Champagne were Janis and Charles
Cecil, Christie Ferrer, Didi and Beatrice Pei, Will Ryman, Tatiana and Campion Platt, Melissa and Chappy Morris, Michael
Strauss and Alice and Paul Judelson. pbs.org
Diamond Jubilee
The Winter Antiques Show’s 60th Year Diamond Jubilee attracted
former mayor Michael Bloomberg, who pursued 18th century garden
sculptures; Tara and Michael Rockefeller; Irene Roosevelt Aitken; interior designers to the rich and richer, Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper; Bunny Williams and John Rosselli; Martha Stewart; Philippe
de Montebello; Sharon and John Loeb; Anne Cox Chambers; Jamee Gregory, who eyed Queen Victoria’s diamond-and-sapphire tiara; CeCe Black; Mark Gilbertson; Anne Bass; Jill Kargman; Coco
and Arie Kopelman; and Adrienne and Gianluigi Vittadini. Sponsors included JPMorgan Chase, Chubb and 1stdibs. The evening
raised a tidy bundle for the East Side House Settlement, which was
founded in 1891 to help the needy. eastsidehouse.org At Bibi Mohamed’s Imperial Fine Books booth, an important 12-volume set
of the complete works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by his personal
secretaries John Hay and John Nicolay, received a lot of attention
because it included a rare letter signed by Hay. Imperial’s devotees
include Hugh Grant, who was in the company’s gallery on Madison
Avenue looking for a first edition of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita; Dick
Wolf, the producer of Law & Order; Whoopi Goldberg, David Bowie’s
wife and model Iman and Leonardo DiCaprio, who has pored over the
gallery’s highly collectible volumes. imperialfinebooks.com
social safari
National Museum of Dance
President
Michele Riggi
at New York
Philharmonic
Chinese New
Year Gala
Karen LeFrak and Gala co-chair
Angela Chen at Avery Fisher Hall
Nicole Noonan, Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin,
Michelle-Marie Heinemann and Leesa Rowland at
The Pierre hotel
Honorees Jean
Shafiroff and
Valentino Carlotti
at NYC Mission
Society Kickoff
LJ Cross, Pearls, Diamonds and Dietrich
Tori Burch and Vera Wang joined hosts Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Marcia Mishaan
and Marisa Noel Brown for a drinks party for interior designer Lisa Jackson at Phoenix
Roze on Madison Avenue. The soirée showcased LJ Cross, Jackson’s new line of fashionforward crosses, many of which are encrusted with diamonds. Lisa explained, “The inspiration for the launch of LJ Cross came directly from my brother. He used different
crosses at the same time as accessories, and [they] always looked great. When I lost him,
creating a line of jewelry that directly reflected his sense of style and spirit was a natural
for me.” The night served as a toast to Harboring Hearts, which aids families of heart
patients. ljcrossny.com Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, whose family built Grand Central
Station, announced the launch of her pearl-and-diamond jewelry line at a party at The
Pierre hotel. The capsule collection is being made by Michel Piranesi, whose company
Sintessi produces all of its handmade jewels in Italy. Swathed in a royal blue gown by
Douglas Hannant, Consuelo revealed, “The line was inspired by a pearl-and-diamond
ring I inherited from my great, great, great aunt Consuelo Vanderbilt, who was the ninth
Duchess of Marlborough.” sintessi.com The haute courtier Maggie Norris unveiled a line
of retro sunglasses at Selima Optique. “They were inspired by the timeless elegance of
Marlene Dietrich,” the designer told Daniel Boulud, Somers Farkas and Anna and Pat
Cleveland, who were all nibbling on the yummy Black River Caviar. It’s the only way,
really. maggienorriscouture.com
The Princess and the Egg
HRH Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie of York greeted Carolina Herrera, Joan Rivers, Naeem Khan, Mary McFadden and Agnes Gund at a fête to announce the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. Two hundred-fifty giant eggs created by artists such as
William Wegman, Bruce Weber, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Peter
Max, Zaha Hadid, Peter Beard and Michelle-Marie Heinemann will be hidden around
the city on April 1. After three weeks, they will be auctioned off to support Studio in a
School and Elephant Family, which works to save endangered wildlife. thebigegghunt.org
Out of Africa
Hunt Slonem, Spencer Tunick and Lola Schnabel were among the two dozen artists
who donated pieces to the African Rainforest Conservancy’s 23rd Annual Artists for
Africa Benefit. The organization’s president, Carter Coleman, and its executive director, Whitney Larkin, welcomed Ralph Lauren model Morgan O’Connor, Cassandra Seidenfeld, Sal Strazzullo and Alison Cronin and 200 other committed conservationists to the Bowery Hotel. The evening was dedicated to the organization’s
late Advisory Board member James Gandolfini, while Thomas Kaplan and Sarah
Collins were honored for their environmental work. africanrainforest.org
Tony Ingrao and
Randy Kemper at
Winter Antiques
Show
Honoree Dan Lufkin
at the Audubon
Society Benefit
Elaine Sargent at
the Pierre Hotel
106 | AVENUE MAGAZINE • MARCH 2014
Everything is Beautiful at YAGP
The world’s preeminent ballet competition Youth America Grand Prix kicked off its upcoming benefit at co-chair Heather Graham’s far-flung Park Avenue apartment. YAGP
will present its program “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” on April 10, followed by another performance celebrating the organization’s 15th anniversary, on April
11. Both evenings will take place at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center. Among
those gracing the stage will be YAGP alumni and American Ballet Theatre stars Skylar
Brandt, who won the prestigious Princess Grace Award this year; Isabella Boylston;
Cory Stearns; Sarah Lane; and Misty Copeland. ABT’s international dance sensation
and emerging choreographer Marcelo Gomes will be the evening’s emcee. The gala, organized by the company’s founder Larissa Saveliev, is also co-chaired by Stephanie Foster and Kamie Lightburn. yagp.org
Society on a Mission
Dina Merrill’s son Stanley Rumbough, Lloyd Brown and John Moorhead gave a cocktail party at the Forbes Galleries to introduce the honorees of the New York City Mission
Society’s Champion for Children Spring Gala. The evening, which will be held at The
Plaza Hotel on March 12, will honor Valentino Carlotti, Jean Shafiroff and the founders of the Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem. The Society was founded in 1812 to
help families in the city’s most underserved communities. Bravo! nycmissionsociety.org ✦