Social Safari
Jump Into Labor Day
By R Couri Hay | Photo Contributions by Patrick McMullan
The original column appeared in the Labor Day issue of Social Life Magazine. Click here to view.
Met Gala, Angel Ball, Watermill, SOFO, Gallery House, Luv Michael, Central Park Conservancy, Aspen Art Fair, Galerie Gmurzynska
Reminiscence
Hugh Jackman stars with Rebecca Ferguson and Thandiwe Newton in the exciting sci-fi thriller Reminiscence, directed by Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy. Jackman said, “I’ve been married for 25 years, so clearly I like being directed by women.” In theatres and on HBO Max.
Suicide Squad 2
Pete Davidson made his movie debut in Suicide Squad 2 as the villain Blackguard. Sadly, his comical character dies 10 minutes in. Davidson was so hopped up about his role he even rented out a movie theater in Staten Island so fans could watch for free. The film also stars Margot Robbie and John Cena. “Bring a change of pants. Because you’re not ready,” said Cena. In theatres and on HBO Max.
Met Gala | In America: A Lexicon of Fashion
Billie Eilish, Timothée Chalamet, Amanda Gorman, and Naomi Osaka co-chair this year’s Met Gala. Tom Ford, Adam Mosseri, and Anna Wintour are the event’s Honorary Chairs. Eleanor Lambert, the legendary fashion publicist, started the Met Gala in 1948 to raise funds for the department. The Gala, New York’s answer to the Oscars, has raised over $186 million since Wintour took over from Diana Vreeland in 1995. The Costume Institute will present a two-part exhibition titled In America: A Lexicon of Fashion and In America: An Anthology of Fashion. These shows celebrate the 75th Anniversary of The Costume Institute, a collection of over 33,000 items sampling fashion from the 15th century to the present.
Anna Wintour Costume Center
The Met Gala on September 13th marks the opening of part one of the exhibition, which features 80 individual ensembles that define American fashion, on display in the Anna Wintour Costume Center. Part two is a collaboration of The Costume Institute and the American Wing, which explores the development of fashion throughout history in the United States, opening May 5th, 2022. metmuseum.org
Intersect Aspen, The Art Fair
Coming back to Aspen is like visiting a cherished friend albeit several of my favorite spots and people are no longer there. First, I miss the late Harley Baldwin, aka “The Mayor of Aspen,” who for decades was one of the prime reasons Aspen became a jet-set destination because of the private Caribou Club he founded in 1990. The ’Bou is still going strong 31 years later. Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn’s daughter, even got married here. Harley, an accomplished skier, dancer, and bon vivant also opened the Baldwin Gallery, still the town’s top art space. On my visit to Aspen’s Intersect Art Fair Harley’s partner Richard Edwards opened a stunning show at the gallery by Will Cotton featuring pink horses and cowboys. Who else would tell you these things? Over at the fair, Isabelle Bscher’s Galerie Gmurzynska won pride of place and sold works by Picasso and Miró for seven figures. She also had works by Louise Nevelson, Yves Klein, Wifredo Lam, and Zaha Hadid. Isabel and her mother Krystyna Gmurzynska hosted a chic dinner at Casa Tua for the crème de la crème of the art world. Also in town were Chase Bank’s Jamie Dimon, Hampton habitues Andrea and John Stark and entrepreneur Chris Brown, among others too rich and too private to mention. N’est-ce pas? gmurzynska.com. Check out my Aspen travel story in this issue.
Angel Ball
A rocking Flo Rida raised the roof at Denise Rich’s sizzling Angel Ball for cancer research. Brock Pierce was the benefit’s Honorary Chair along with Mary J. Blige and Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch. The gala’s honorees were Elon Musk’s mother model Maye Musk and designer Simone I. Smith. Supporters
included Star Jones, Daniella Rich Kilstock, Henry Buhl, Ilona Rich Schachter, Alan Cumming, Michele and Frank Rella, Mark Leder, Janna Bullock and Lambay Irish Whiskey’s CEO Kevin Richards. Twenty-two-year-old Swedish socialite Sofie Mahlkvist flew in from London to make her New York debut at the ball. The event was a tribute to the memory of Denise’s daughter Gabrielle Rich Aouad who tragically passed away from leukemia at the age of 27. The organization has raised $37 million over the last 20 years. gabriellesangels.org
SOFO
Susan and David Rockefeller, John Paulson and Jean Shafiroff were among the supporters of the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center’s (SOFO) 32nd Anniversary Benefit, The Journey Forward: Reconnecting Through Nature, in Bridgehampton. The event was hosted by Andrew Sabin aka “Salamander Commander,” who founded the organization in 1988 to protect and educate people on the state of the ecosystem. The event honored Kim and Greg Lippmann, Dr. Indy Burke, Michael B. Gerrard and Chef Kerry Heffernan. Hosts included Carole Crist, Dottie Herman, Chef Alex Guarnaschelli and Diana Aceti. Also in the mix were Dick Grasso, Trammell Crow, Anke and Jürgen Friedrich and Jason Belkin of Hampton Coffee Company. The fun party was catered by Andrea Correlia’s Elegant Affairs. sofo.org
Watermill Center
Nona Hendryx performed at CROSSROADS: The Watermill Center Summer Festival. The event included installations, spiritual practices, and performances throughout the 10-acre grounds to radiate ritual, healing and hope. The festival began with a “drone-based sonic” performance titled A Hole in the Sky by Laurie Anderson and Shane Weeks. Avant-garde theater director Robert Wilson founded Watermill in 1992, a campus that offers artists year-round residencies. Wilson said, “One of the few things that will remain of this time is what artists are doing. They are the journal and the diary of our time.” watermillcenter.org
Gallery House
Anne Heche and skincare mogul Peter Thomas Roth toured the Galerie House of Art and Design in Sag Harbour. Lisa Fayne Cohen the founder and editor of the magazine hosted the stellar opening party which benefited the construction of the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s East Hampton Emergency Department. www.galeriemagazine.com
LUV Michael
Boyz II Men artists Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris partied at Michael Pitsinos’ NAIA at the Capri Southampton where the crowd serenaded the singers with their hit “One Sweet Day.” Stockman launched Micah’s Voice to benefit children with autism after his son Micah was diagnosed with the condition. He discussed partnering with LUV Michael, a charity the NAIA’s owner supports by employing young adults with autism in the kitchen and as service staff helping the hot spot overcome labor shortages on the East End. Pitsinos said, “The chance to partner with Shawn on our shared mission to bring awareness to autism spectrum disorder and bring aid to the families impacted is a dream come true.” luvmichael.com
Central Park Conservancy
The Central Park Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring and maintaining NYC’s beloved Central Park, will celebrate its 40th Anniversary on September 27th in the Conservatory Garden. Honorees will include Kate & Andrew Davis, Judy & Russ Carson, Kitty Patterson, Tom Kempner and Alice Gottesman. The event will focus on The Harlem Meer Outdoor Center, the capstone project of their 40-year operation to restore the park. The goal is to accommodate swimming, skating and hockey programs. The facility, which will be built into the natural surroundings of the park, will hopefully be open in 2024, just in time for pool season. centralparknyc.org