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| Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. 3:00 PM. Photo: JH. |
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| Monday, April 14, 2014. A beautiful Spring weekend in New York with buds budding and New Yorkers out to enjoy the good weather. Sunday in the Park with the neighbors shedding their winter garb and taking in the vitamin D of the Sun’s rays. |
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| The days. This is what it’s like now that the social season has begun: Last Thursday’s social calendar in New York looked something like this: The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children’s annual Spring Luncheon at the Pierre; the ASPCA’s annual Bergh Ball -- “House of Paws” -- at the Plaza; the 29th Annual rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Barclays Center, Creel & Gow’s book party for international interior designer Nina Campbell; Jay Jeffers Collection Cool Book launch at a private residence; the French Heritage Society’s benefit concert and champagne reception at the Consulate General of France; The Public Art Fund’s 2014 Spring Benefit. |
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| You still with me? OK, onward also that night: the Rockefeller University Parents & Science host program; the Warhol/Jackie opening at Blain DiDonna Gallery; the Youth American Grand Prix 15th Anniversary Gala at the David Koch Theater; the 4th Annual Public Prep Namesake Luncheon; Cocktails to Promote Entrepreneurship in America, hosted by Sam Hamadeh, Robert F, Kennedy III, James G. Brooks Jr. at Hamadeh’s loft; The A.C.E. (Association of Community Employment) Soiree at the Crosby Hotel; the New-York Historical Society’s cocktails and dinner to celebrate prize winner Andrew O'Shaugnessy’s book “The Men Who Lost America"; and Tiffany & Company’s cocktail reception featuring “The Diamond Sky” by Leo Kuelbs Collection at the Guggenheim. And these are only the ones I heard about through invitations. Thursday night I started out the East 72nd Street apartment ofLauren Lawrence (the Dream Analysis lady) who gave a cocktail reception for Sirio Maccioni marking his 80th. Sirio is a real legend in this town, starting out in the days of yore at the fabled Colony restaurant where all the swells and café society and visiting royalty lunched and dined. In the 1980s his La Cirque – located where Restaurant Daniel is today on 65th and Park – was a magnet for all the Nouvelle Society girls and their husbands, benefactors, pals and chums. Lunchtime was a line up of table after table of the Who’s Who in the social world of New York. Everybody wanted to lunch or dine at Le Cirque. And just about anybody who was anybody did. Today Sirio’s vision extends to both coasts (sort of: Las Vegas) and he’s a brand. There are currently three Maccioni restaurants and watering holes here in Manhattan: Le Cirque, Sirio’s and Circo. |
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| He’s lightened up on his workload somewhat with the assistance of his sons who are all in the family business and well tutored in the family business. They all also possess, their father’s finesse. Nevertheless, Sirio is still “thinking” about his business and always looking to approve. He had a big turnout at Lauren Lawrence’s including: Pamela Fiori, Carolyne Roehm, Susan Gutfreund, Iris Cantor, Carmen, Kalliope Karella Rena, Elizabeth Kabler, Larry Kaiser, Hormoz Sabet, Dennis Basso, Geoffrey Bradfield, Ann Rapp, Liliana Cavendish, Cole Rumbough, Alex Papachristidis and Scott Nelson, Leesa Rowland and Larry Wohl, Michele Gerber Klein, Cole Rumbough, Maggie Norris, Consuelo Costin, Lucia Hwong Gordon and Monique Van Vooren, and many more. They all came to pay tribute to The Man. |
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| Leaving Lauren Lawrence’s I headed up Fifth Avenue to the Guggenheim where Tiffany & Company had taken over the museum for the evening to celebrate the debut of its 2014 Tiffany & Company Blue Book collection. This was a first visit for me to this annual Tiffany & Company tradition presenting their Blue Book Collection of dazzling diamonds. Jessica Biel, Kate Bosworth and Katie Holmes were among those attending and wearing what Anita Loos dubbed “A girl’s best friend…” in her tale of Miss Lorelai Lee almost a century ago in New York -- sparkling in diamonds from the Blue Book. |
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| What lured me was the venue Thursday night (I love even looking at the Gugg) was the featured one-night only showing of “The Diamond Sky,” a custom projection mapping installation by the Leo Kuelbs Collection, “inspired,” I was told, “by the vibrancy and luminosity of Tiffany Diamonds and the 2014 Blue Book.” So I was told. I wanted to see what that inspiration turned out in a film projection on the walls of the museum’s central gallery. Everything about the evening had the Tiffany touch to it. I remember the days when you’d go into Tiffany only if you looked presentable and it was usually as quiet as your local village library, and were serious about being there. It never looked “busy” except at holiday time. It was a beautiful place but really only for people doing business. Young couples bought their wedding rings there and registered for the patterns and designs of their choice of china, crystal, silver and watches and jewelry. It has a luxurious hush to it all. And it was fun. A trip. |
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| Tiffany of the 21st century retains its platinum and diamond aura and reputation, but the Fifth Avenue main store always has a crowd viewing the display cases, and there are always people choosing their choices to take home, as well as people outside taking photos of each other in standing by the door or the window display cases. The costume of much of the clientele is different like the American costume is different from even twenty-five years ago. People dress very casually, looking like tourists, but not really. It’s the style. But the Tiffany charisma remains a certain hush. This, to me, is the genius of its leadership. I’ve written about Tiffany’s annual holiday luncheon where they invite the fashion press and treat everyone to an elegant luncheon and then sends them on their way with a very nice piece of Tiffany merchandise, be it silver, china, crystal (No, no diamonds, rubies and emeralds!), always elegant and thoughtful, and understated yet generous in spirit. |
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| Well, I get to the Gugg (it was called for 6:30) about 8 o’clock. It looks like a Tiffany production as their famous robins egg blue was cast on one exterior wall of the museum, and there was a bank of photographers getting pictures on the red carpet of beautiful young women dressed for the occasion, Dressed, as you can see in the photos. (Stiff-back or stiff knees, you stand straight at Tiff’ny’s). Tiffany’s chairman Michael J. Kowalski was standing with their head of public relations Linda Buckley both looking up at the balconies where the projection was showing. |
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| It was a very cool scene, as you can see from the best I could do with my camera. It wasn’t subdued yet there was an atmosphere visually that reminded me of Bertolucci or Visconti. It was a very cinematic atmosphere. There were some beautiful young women glamorously dressed, and while the champagne was flowing and canapés were being scooped up, the men were in suits, not a few looking like they’d come from the land of Visconti or Mastroanni. |
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| There were many very sophisticated Asians. The women especially were very chic in the classic sense, There was also a wall of four of five lighted portals displaying some of the Bluebook jewels. Jessica Biel was in an Oscar de la Renta and wearing a Diamond Drop necklace in platinum ($325,000) and Tiffany Diamond Legacy earrings in platinum ($165,000). Kate Bosworth was wearing a Cushion-cut Blue Elbaite Cuperian Tourmaline Ring with with Yellow and White Diamonds ($40,000) and a Tiffany Victoria necklace in platinum with diamonds ($55,000). Katie Holmes (in Balenciaga) was in a Sapphire and Diamond bracelet in platinum ($85,000) and an emerald cut 27.31 carat Esteemed Sapphire ring with diamonds in platinum. Only $425,000 at Tiffany. Just like the song: Square-cut or pear-shaped, those rocks don’t lose their shape: Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend. I don’t think it takes much convincing, just from watching the crowd Thursday night at the Gugg. |
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