Fashion, Fame and Fun Reign during Art Basel Miami 2012

Posted by Maryanne Salvat On December - 13 - 2012

By:  Dr. Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Arguably the best week of the year in South Florida, what began as a four-day extension of the Basel, Switzerland fair, Art Basel Miami has grown in scope, style and fashion in its 11 year history.  The festivities surrounding the most important art show in the world have expanded to include celebrations extending to magnificent proportions filling the dance cards of internationally renowned art collectors, enthusiasts, celebrities, fashion stalwarts and socialites for a 10-day weekend second-to-none in the Magic City.  While we proudly wear our Swarovski Crystal encrusted “I survived Art Basel” badges we share a few of our favorite events and experiences below.  Be sure to check back next week for more of the celebrations, celebrity sightings and sheer joy of this, most wonderful time of the year.

Moncler’s High Altitude Affair

Luxury, French fashion house, Moncler celebrated its 60th anniversary in a winter wonderland of “high altitude” atmosphere last Friday evening, at 1111 Lincoln Road at a private dinner and after-party, featuring the ethereal sounds of French DJ Jerry Bouthier.  Social icons from the art, fashion, design and music worlds joined Moncler President, Remo Ruffini in one of the grandest fetes in Art Basel Miami history.  Guests felt as if they were floating in an ice cloud above the French Alps on the upper deck of the Herzog   & De Meuron designed structure, where the floors were covered with carpets of white yarns and silvery metallic threads, mounds of winter white Hydrangeas resembled snow capped mountains on the low-lying guest tables surrounded by soft sofas deep enough for a long winter nights sleep.  White-gloved butlers roamed the room, inundated with soft white spotlights from every corner, filled with celebrated people from around the globe: London, Milan, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, and of course New York and Miami!

Uma Thurman, Karolina Kurkova and Mr. Ruffini snuggled aptly in Moncler white quilted and hooded capes, (which had been gifted to the guests), while Harry Brant & Peter Brant Jr. looked as if they should be making snow angels. Fashion royalty Glenda Bailey, Hamish Bowles, Delfina and Silvia Fendi, Riccardo Ferragamo were all en situ along with HRH Princess Firyal of Jordan. Miami doyenne Iran Issa-Khan table-hopped with Michael Leondas Kirkland & Santiago Yñigo while Nan Bush and Bruce Weber’s warm smiles filled the white air.  Other guests included Maria Buccellati, China Chow, Barbara Becker, Alessandro Possati, Pharrell Williams, Owen Wilson, Craig Robins, Sarah & Ugo Colombo, Criselda & Jonathan Breen, among others.  Dinner guests were treated to Mykita & Moncler ‘Lionel’ sunglasses, in addition to the capes. 

After dinner guests included Vikram Chatwal, Ricardo Anguita, Dori Cooperman, Kristian Laliberte, Kipton Cronkite, Tara Solomon & Nick D’Annunzio, Paris & Nicky Hilton, among others.

photo courtesy: Bill Farrell Agency

The evening resumed at a special Moncler Edition of Le Baron at Nikki Beach Club where revelers danced until dawn with free-flowing magnums of  Veuve Clicquot Champagne and a host of other libations, all suited for a long snowy perfect white-winter après–ski party!

 

CHANEL and Art.sy Host an Unforgettable Bash

Even Founding Members of the posh, überexclusive Soho Beach House, SBH, couldn’t get near the front door on Wednesday, December 5thas CHANEL along with Carter Cleveland, Wendi Murdoch, Peter Thiel and Dasha Zhukova hosted a beachside barbecue for Art.sy, (the Pandora for the art world), at the Club’s swank, seaside tent, which became THE place to be at all hours during the 10-day weekend otherwise known as Art Basel Miami.  After clearing four check points, undergoing a retina scan and a cavity search, lucky invitees were treated to the frontrunner for most fun party of the year. Guests including Brian Atwood, Will Ferrell (wearing his Anchorman moustache), Martha Stewart, Stephen Dorff, Russell Simmons, Pharrell Williams, Naomi Campbell, KAWS-Brian Donnelly, Dylan Brant, Katie Lee, Isabelle Bscher, Bianca Brandolini, Juwan Howard, Lisa Marie Fernandez, Daniel Arsham, Johan Lindeberg, Marg Helgenberger, Justin “jusSke” Ske, Casey Neistat, Nur Khan, Peter Brant, Bill Powers, Jean Pigozzi, Jeremy Piven, Adriana Lima, Damien Hirst, Lorenzo Martone, Mia Moretti, Jay Jopling, Tony Shafrazi, Jared Najjar, Anne Pasternak, Vladislav Doronin, Nicole Miller, Lorenzo Martone, Joe Nahmad, Kellan Lutz, Mickalene Thomas, converged in the gorgeous tent, which was outfitted with designer furnishings, surrounded by bonfires, with the ocean just a few steps away.  Partygoers danced into the wee hours of the morning to music by DJ Nick Cohen, who provided one of the best soundtracks of the week, mashing up songs from the Grease soundtrack and Dolly Parton (random, but it worked!) with Calvin Harris and modern dance mixes.  The dancing only stopped in brief spurts for some delicious noshes of Soho Beach House’s signature paella, grilled shrimp and gourmet burgers. Overheard time and time again, “This is my kind of camping.”

Earlier in the evening CHANEL and donating artists Dan Colen, Ryan McGinley and Spencer Sweeney hosted a private dinner and auction that raised over $1 million to benefit the Dash Snow Initiative for the Henry Street Settlement.  Dinner guests, many of whom were decked-out in Chanel, included:  Demi Moore, Jen Brill, Lenny Kravitz, Stacy Keibler, Aby Rosen and Samantha Boardman, Robbie Antonio, Klaus Biesenbach, Derek Blasberg, China Chow, Frederic Fekkai, Harry Brant, Peter Brant Jr., Amalia Dayan & Adam Lindemann, Rosa de la Cruz, Gavin Brown, Laura de Grunzburg, Urs Fischer, Liz Goldwyn, Karlie Kloss, Olga Kurylenko and Danny Huston, Renee Rockefeller, Mark Fletcher, Lori Loughlin, Inga Rubenstein, Leigh Lezark, Xin Li, Brooke Garber Neidich, Alberto Mugrabi, Eugenio Lopez, Leo Villareal  &Yvonne Force, Diana Widmaier-Picasso, Stavros Niarchos, Lauren and Andres Santo Domingo, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, Pat Tenore, Laure Heriard Dubreuil & Aaron Young, Jamie Tisch, PC Valmorbida, Andy Valmobida among others enjoyed cocktails by the pool and a live auction conducted by Tobias Meyer at SBH’s private second floor Club Bar.  In addition, an online auction hosted by Paddle 8 included works by Rita Ackermann, Matthew Barney, Lizzy Bougatsos, Carol Bove, Joe Bradley, Cecily Brown, Brian DeGraw, Gardar Edie Einarsson, Alex Hubbard, Jeff Koons, Hanna Liden, Klara Liden, Nate Lowman, Adam McEwen, Barry McGee, Jack Pierson, Rob Pruitt, Emily Sundblad, Richard Prince, Julian Schnabel, Agathe Snow, Banks Violette and Christopher Wool.

photo courtesy: Bill Farrell Agency/Getty Images

 

 

 

Charlie Siem, Dior Homme Creative Director Kris Van Assche, Bruce Weber and Sergei Polunin attend the World Premiere of Bruce Weber’s Film ‘CAN I MAKE THE MUSIC FLY’ hosted by DIOR Homme’s Kris Van Assche, Bruce Weber, & W Magazine’s Stefano Tonchi in Celebration of The New Dior Homme Miami Boutique at The Moore Building

Bruce Weber Makes the Music Fly for Dior Homme

Earning high marks for complete sensory rapture, was the fabulous fete hosted by Dior Homme’s Kris Van Assche, Bruce Weber and W’s Stefano Tonchi at the Moore Building in the Design District, for the world premiere of Bruce Weber’s latest film,  Can I Make the Music Fly?, created exclusively for Dior Homme, for which Weber shot three gorgeous, talented, young performing artists, including Sergei Polunin, the Ukranian ballet dancer; Claudius Agrippa, a 10-year-old violin prodigy; and the 26-year-old classical violinist Charlie Siem.  The visually stunning cocktail party, wherein most of the guests were dressed in black, in stark contrast to the all-white surroundings, was the perfect setting for the screening of the equally striking, black and white film, which heralded the arrival of the Dior Homme Miami boutique to the Design District.   The humble, Weber, made a short speech following the screening, introducing and thanking Nan Bush and the stars of the film.  Friends and fans of Weber, such as Martha Stewart, Pharrell Williams, Calvin Klein, Kelly Klein, Bianca Brandolini, Joseph Altuzarra, Sandra Brant, Timo Weiland, Mia Moretti, Delfina Delettrez Fendi, Rebecca de Ravenel,Iran Issa-Khan, Michael Leondas Kirkland, Tara Solomon and Ingrid Sichy cheered on the gifted photographer and stayed to enjoy a live performance by Canadian electro-pop group, Azari & III and DJ Bradley SoileauCan I Make the Music Fly? will be playing on a continuous loop in the new Dior Homme Miami Boutique (161 NE 40 Street).

photo courtesy: Getty Images.

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