D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A “ E V E N I N G O F T R A D I T I O N A N D C H A N G E I N PA R A D I S E ” AT PA L M B E AC H D AY AC A D E MY
Maura Christu and Adele Merck
to exist in a little more than a month after a lifetime in New York) was fun for everyone. It also drew some of the guests who were eager to have a last chance to appreciate what New Yorkers once had and will have no more. Dinner chairs were this writer and Margo and James Nederlander. Honorary chair was Arlene Dahl. Honorary dinner hosts were Hamish Bowles, Amy Fine Collins, Alex Hitz, and Lorry Newhouse. Vice–dinner chairs were Mark-Anthony Edwards, Susan Fales-Hill, Joanna and Brian Fisher, Somers Farkas, Charlie Ha30 QUEST
Jean and William Matthews
roche, Risteard Keating and Charles Van Campenhout, Sharon and John L. Loeb, Jr., Tina and Terry Lundgren, Amelia Quist-Ogunlesi, and Karen and Charles Phillips. Except for the welcoming introduction to the evening by James Dubin (chairman of Lighthouse Guild NYC) and Alan Morse (president and CEO of Lighthouse Guild NYC), it was a relaxed evening of many friends enjoying the great menu followed by the Four Seasons’ signature cotton candy—which was presented at all tables after the dessert. Some of the more talented guests (actors) impro-
Jeffrey and Frances Fisher
Lyanne Azqueta and Christina Macfarland
Nick and Caroline Rafferty
vised to the delight of everyone else. The following Wednesday was a good day at Michael’s. At a glance, it looked something like this: Katherine Farley (who is the chair of Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts as well as the senior managing director at Tishman Speyer) and husband Jerry Speyer; Lisa Linden (public relations extraordinaire) with George Lentz; Jack Abernathy; Jeffrey Beers; Brant Cryder; Beth Comstock; Ivan Delgado Gonzalez; and Jonathan Estreich. At table one was Star Jones with Denise Rich, Bonnie Ev-
Helene and Matthew Lorentzen
ans, Michelle Rella, Pamela Johanoff, Vivian Diamont, Felicia Taylor, and Patricia Gucci. I don’t know what they were talking about but I do know the story around the table was about Gucci, who has written a family memoir mainly about her father, Aldo Gucci, and her mother (who for many years was Gucci’s inamorata while he was otherwise engaged). After Patricia was born, things changed. Gucci has written a book about the whole matter, and surely about the life of her father who was a genius retailer and at the forefront of Italian retailers and manufacturers.
C A P E H A RT
Kevin Ferro and Thomas with Edwin Gordon