Social Safari
LongHouse Reserve Luminosity
LongHouse Reserve, founded by the much loved and late Jack Lenor Larsen,
will host its highly anticipated Summer Benefit and Art Auction, titled “Luminosity”, on Saturday, July 12th. Set amidst the stunning gardens of the East Hampton cultural institution, the evening will celebrate art, design, and nature in radiant harmony. Guests can expect a dazzling night of cocktails, dinner, live entertainment, and an exclusive art auction featuring works by renowned contemporary artists. The benefit supports LongHouse’s mission to inspire and educate through its dynamic exhibitions. This signature summer event draws celebrities, collectors, creatives, and community leaders for an unforgettable and not to be missed night under the stars. The honorees of the evening are artist Vija Celmins, who is known for her meticulous renderings of natural imagery, and Mary Jane and Charles Brock for their contributions to the cultural centers of the East End, including Guild Hall, LVIS and the East Hampton Historical Society.
The Opening of La Piazza
Mayor Eric Adams came to help this columnist celebrate his birthday at the opening of La Piazza at 20 East 49th St. Also in the mix were Muffie Potter Aston, Anne Dexter Jones, the wife of Foreigner’s Mick Jones, Lady Liliana Cavendish, designers Julia Haart and Nicole Miller, media mavens Adrian Leeser, Monica Elias, and Liz and Todd Shapiro, the artist Colette Lumiere, lighting guru Bentley Meeker, Judy and George Couri, Janna Bullock and my godchildren, attorney Eugenia Bullock and filmmaker and actor James Ginty. Master gardener Rob Urban festooned the staircase to the dinner with flowering plants in the hotspot’s private room, and topped the tables with fragrant white hyacinths in woven baskets. In a nod to the restaurant’s roots in Venice and their wall of elaborate Venetian carnival masks, the tables were decked out with white linen tablecloths, stenciled carnival masks in black, silver and gold, and matching confetti. Who else would tell you these things?
His Honor told Couri he was sticking to his “plant-based” diet, so the hotspot’s critically acclaimed chef Fabrizio Barretta, who was flown over by owners Juljan and Ledjo Musabelliu from their flagship restaurant in Venice, Italy, made sure Mayor Adams got the right dishes. N’est ce pas? Ledjo, who was flying off to Greece to open a new outpost of La Piazza in Mykonos, was also celebrating his birthday with a group of seventy-five friends on the restaurant’s main floor. Adams was also overheard complimenting Couri on his white jacket with a border of blue poppies inspired by the host’s flower painting, a gift from his friend and mentor Andy Warhol. It’s the only way really. lapiazza.com
God’s Love We Deliver
Others in the room nibbling on pasta with lobster, a white truffle risotto, branzino, and fresh slices of pizza from the restaurant’s gold-domed wood-burning oven were Michael Gross, who said his new tell-all will be about St. Barts and the stars and billionaires that frequent its beaches; New York Daily News columnist Richard Johnson; travel writer Joe Alexander; NY Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright; Jean Shafiroff; Park magazine publisher Christopher Pape; private art dealers Janis Gardener and Tom Knapp; Herb Karlitz; Broadway babies Lily Tobin, Becca Gotlieb, and Michael Witkes; AD100 designer TC Chou; wealth manager Sergio Nicolosi; attorneys Arthur Aidala and Dan Stock; top divorce lawyers Martha Cohen Stine and Harriet Newman Cohen; beauty editor Beth Landman and Lester Davis; dermatologist Howard Sobel; Forbes fashion editor Nadja Sayej; and buzzed-about plastic surgeon Dr. Tony Berlet and his podcaster wife Kerry Berlet, whose popular show “Once Upon a Surgery” features in-depth interviews with her husband’s patients; celebrity chef Andrew Molen and Vika Costa; and others of that ilk and stripe.Society’s favorite photographer Patrick McMullan and his assistant Anton Andrieiev were kept busy all night snapping the good and great. After the cake was served, Couri announced to the assembled that a donation had been made in their honor to God’s Love We Deliver to feed their clients with life-threatening illnesses. glwd.org
Holiday House Hamptons
Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Drew Barrymore, Vera Wang, and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”’s Thom Filicia are just a few of the celebrities who have, over the years, checked out Iris Dankner’s Holiday House Hamptons Designer Showcase, which will open with a festive White Party on July 12th. “Project Runway”’s Christian Siriano, Andrea Stark, Campion Platt, and Jean Shafiroff will serve as the Design Chairs of the benefit. The luxury estate will feature the work of over 15 top designers, including Brianna Scott, Marina Hanisch, KA Murphy, Fish Row Designs, Ciuffo Cabinetry, and The Up Studio. Fine art photographer Adriane Stark will also showcase her stunning black-and-white flower pieces, and Nevil Dwek will feature his romantic mixed media works that contain images of beautiful women hidden in the landscape viewed from a car window in one of the 16 rooms and outdoor spaces. The $13 million dollar house, built by East End Building Co., is located at 392 Seven Ponds Towd Road in Water Mill and will be open to the public through August 17th. Ticket sales benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. holidayhousenyc.com
HDRF’s Teen Race of Hope
Brooke Shields and her 19-year-old daughter Grier Henchy are both supporters of Audrey Gruss’s Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF) The organization’s Annual Teen Race of Hope to Defeat Depression honored Mental Health Awareness Month this year Nearly 500 young adults and supporters of all ages gathered at Pier 76 at Hudson River Park for the 5k walk/race. Soul Cycle master instructor Stacey Griffith served as the emcee and deejay for the event. Shields, a depression advocate, said , “I was forced to suffer silently, which is what a majority of people do. That’s where the real human tragedy comes from.” HDRF’s annual Race of Hope in Southampton will take place on August 3rd. hopefordepression.org
Cannes Film Festival
Bella Hadid turned heads on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival when she wore the same sexy metallic dress Milla Jovovich wore in 1997 for the premiere of her film “The Fifth Element”, which co-starred Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman. Bella was staying at the Hotel Le Martinez alongside her father, Mohamed Hadid, and his longtime girlfriend, model Keni Silva. Mohamed and Keni attended the Children’s Oncology Support Fund (COSF) party at the Ritzy Hotel. The couple, who have been dating for over three years, are passionate supporters of the charity, which enhances the lives of children battling cancer. Silva sits on the board of the organization, which was founded by film producer Thomas Pierce, whose film “The Brutialist” took home three Oscars this year. Other stars at the benefit included actor William Abadie who co-stars with Lily Collins in Emily in Paris, “Selling Sunset”’s Emma Hernan, and Hunter Doohan, who co-stars in “Wednesday” with Jenna Ortega. Silva was later honored at the Better World Gala for her work with COSF. Kevin Spacey was also at the gala where he received an award for his work in film. cosffoundation.org
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