Quest Magazine June 2024

7,000 acres, 5 decades,

Endless adventures for all ages,

1 perfect moment.

THE FINE ART OF EVERYDAY LIVING

FORTÉ INTRODUCES THE WEST PALM BEACH ART WALK

Striking architecture, impeccable interiors, and phenomenal views are just the beginning. Now Forté showcases the ne art of everyday living - the onsite art walk, created with the City of West Palm Beach providing a peaceful oasis where residents can enjoy distinctive sculptures.

The London Issue

92 ESTABLISHED IN LONDON Our annual roundup of movers and shakers across the pond, including Samantha Cameron, George Bamford, Debonnaire von Bismarck, and Kiki McDonough. Produced & Written By Brooke Kelly Murray, Photographed by Kirk Truman

100 CHEERS TO 45 YEARS OF HARRY’S BAR Toasting the anniversary of the private members club in London. By Brooke Kelly Murray 104 NEW & NOTABLE HOTELS IN LONDON The latest and most anticipated openings for travelers to the British capital. By Brooke Kelly Murray

108 CHANEL: FROM COUTURE TO CULTURE In honor of the legendary fashion house, Assouline recently released an updated edition of its best-selling Ultimate volume. By Brooke Kelly Murray

114 A GUIDE TO LONDON’S BEST SHOPPING From New Bond Street to Savile Row, these are the must-visit shops in London.

118 POLO JOURNAL In anticipation of Mashomack Polo Club’s 25th International Polo Challenge, Quest revisits decades of the sport.

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questmag.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DAVID PATRICK C O LUMBIA

DEPUTY EDITOR

ELIZABETH MEIGHER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

TYKISCHA JACOBS

MANAGING EDITOR

BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

DESIGN EDITOR

JAYNE CHASE

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

ROBERT BENDER

PHOTOGRAPHER-AT-LARGE

JULIE SKARRATT

SOCIETY EDITOR

HI LARY GEARY

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

HARRY BENSON

KATE GUBELMANN

TONY HALL

ALEX HITZ

ROBERT JANJIGIAN

RICHARD JOHNSON

KAREN KLOPP

JAMES MACGUIRE

HAVEN PELL

CHUCK PFEIFER

JANIE PIERREPONT

LIZ SMITH (R.I.P.)

TAKI THEODORACOPULOS

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

HARRY BENSON

CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY

BILLY FARRELL

MARY HILLIARD

CRISTINA MACAYA

CUTTY MCGILL

PATRICK MCMULLAN

NICK MELE

ANNIE WATT

PUBLISHER AND C.E.O. S. CHRISTOPHER MEIGHER III

ASSISTANT TO THE C.E.O. KATHLEEN SHERIDAN

ACCOUNTING MANAGER LUWAY LU

MARKETING SERVICES

ROXANNE UNRATH ext. 106

DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SALES JODY REISS 917.747.6431

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WILLIAM LIE ZECKENDORF

© QUEST MEDIA, LLC 2024. All rights reserved. Vol. 38, No 6.

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Peter Simon

WITH THE SUMMER Solstice just days away and the Palm Beach season winding down, Quest turns its attention to London, an evolving city-state that has reimagined itself while retaining (well ... most of it) the signature charm of its Britishness. As I’ve said to more than a few, London has emerged as an urban model of commercial success - a refreshing example of cultural decency not evident in other metropolitan communities. Avoiding the moral vanity of several American counterparts (who are happily leaving their hearts in San Francisco ... and the lawless decay of Chicago), London’s renewal is evidenced by a cosmopolitan spirit that encourages entrepreneurship in its younger and more diverse population. Like we Colonial Yanks, the Brits also face a pending national election, with a governing shift to the Labour Party all but certain. Yet, they’ve managed to steer clear of our polarizing woke wars - focusing more on economic prosperity than on the inane extremes of our lame political punditry.

Once again we sent our tireless Managing Editor, Brooke Murray, across The Pond to assess the re-energized environment of London’s bustling hospitality and accessory sectors. And once again, Quest leaned on the savvy counsel of our kind friend and legendary designer, Jane Churchill. On cue, Jane cleverly led us to our alluring and well traveled cover girl, Debonnaire “Debbie” von Bismark, whose eponymously named business is a delightful melange of leather goods, house accessories and eclectic fashion aimed at her chums and their coterie of posh pals. Lady Churchill also provided introductions to George Bamford, whose personalized alterations of vintage timepieces is the rage around Mayfair, and to Kiki McDonough, a fifth generation jeweler whose bespoke pieces radiate with color and inherent warmth. And don’t miss the article on pages 62-65 where Quest’s own Jayne Chase interviews Jane Churchill about her incomparable career, nor the highly amusing “Jayne & Jane Podcast” that can be easily found by visiting questmag.com

Further on in this issue, Brooke Murray walks us into London’s definitive club, Harry’s Bar. Originally a jewel among Mark Birley’s private haunts, Harry’s is celebrating its 45th anniversary, now under the wing of proprietor Richard Caring. And lest we forget our own “Colonies”, Quest meanders for a moment back to New York where our famed fashion contributor, Robert Janjigian, profiles the striking Claire Florence, a minimalist jewelry designer whose exquisitely sculptured pieces are inspired by her artistic background,

with a nod of homage to Elsa Peretti. Whilst in New York, we also salute Bruce Colley and the Mashomack Polo Club which is celebrating its 25th International Tournament later this month in Millbrook, where Quest’s polo team will again vye for honor and silver.

Our closing Snapshot column applauds the renowned Henley Royal Regatta, a fabled fixture in London’s “fortnight” social season. Now in its 185th year, Henley remains, hands down, the most competitive rowing regatta worldwide. Pictured above is this beaming publisher with his younger daughter, Amanda (née Meigher, now Mariner) whose St. Paul’s School crew competed for, and won the Ladies Plate in 1998 ... a proud moment for this old salt. And with pride most often comes “hope,” a human emotion too often overlooked in our national psyche. Despite the daily despair of our political malaise, our hope for future generations is real, and deserved. Hope is a decidedly American characteristic that has guided our Country’s natural path since inception. Wiser wags might decry “hope” as a poor and impractical strategy; yet it remains the Biblical pillar of human possibilities. Our great Nation is an economic titan ... our mortal resources are unmatched ... and our progeny will prevail; our collective mission, dear readers, is to “soldier on” - through this transitional unease with resolve and assurance. And hope. ◆

Chris Meigher ON THE COVER: Debonnaire von Bismarck at home in London, England. Photographed by Kirk Truman for “Established in London” (pages 92-99).

Clockwise from bottom left: Grateful Pub (right) with his younger daughter, Amanda Meigher Mariner, 1998; contributor Robert Janjigian; Jane Churchill on Quest’s June 2002 cover; Team Quest at Mashomack Polo Club’s International Polo Challenge, 2023; Budd London storefront; entrance of Harry’s Bar; Quest’s June 2013 cover; Managing Editor Brooke Murray in London.

David Patrick Columbia NEW YORK SO CIAL DIARY

ONE "NEWS STORY" I read only in the  Post  is the relationship between the  Princess, William  and  Harry. And the public’s judgment about Harry and his wife.

Theirs is a common family problem that occurs when there is a new major change in the life of lives of the young and upcoming adults. And with natural sibling rivalry. Such as the first stages of marriage.

You can blame it all on Meghan, which is what the press

and most people who discuss it do. The problem with this kind of publicity is it’s customized to fit an opinion based entirely on your eyesight. And not knowledge. What you think of that person whom you may know by their photo, is the result of your eyesight and your imagination.

on Harry’s “character” who before marrying Meghan was a hero of a Prince traveling the world representing his country and the Throne.

That visual smudging rubbed off

An ambassador like his now legendary mother. A great asset in the world to his country.

But now Harry’s reputation has been punched around to Forgotten. Imagine having that problem in

your (new) marriage: millions of people reading about how horrible you are (sez the gossip columnists).

Now of course, the Royal family is being touched with extremely serious medical matters. This is also happening when the 21st century has ongoing lessening interest in the Lives of Royals living high, wide and grand, making public appearances for the good of … someone.

I personally think it would be ideal if poor Charles were to abdi-

BFA

Daisy Geary, Mary Hood and Blaine Trump

Tory Burch

Jill Pytosh, Michele Heary and Nicole Noonan

Abby Milstein and Stephanie Miron

Katharine Rayner

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S LUNCHEON

Candice Bergen and Louise Grunwald

Johanna Collins-Wood

Prince Harry and Prince William

Martha’s Vineyard

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

cate and turn the throne to his sister Princess Anne, a no-nonsense, intelligent woman, very much her Mother’s Daughter who from the little I’ve seen could turn her family and maybe the country into shape.

This whole matter of the British Royal Family is not the fault of those princesses and princes, but rather the result of the way the world is going for everyone living in it.

William and Harry’s relationship mirrors the relationship of their mother and father who came before them. It is generational, just like your family. And their mother and father both individually grew up in difficult parental relations which was, of course, the result of  their  mother and father, the beloved Elizabeth and the father  Philip who also came from

“broken” family marriage/relationships but On High.

All of this is simply a “lifetime” for all of us, one that ends as irrelevant as when it was begun. The boys evidently had a good mother. One gets that impression from having watched her in public and knowing people who always knew her. Her death was a great loss for her boys.

was simply Heir and the Throne was still a long way off in his life, as it turned out, Waiting for his Mother to Die.

Her marriage to Charles was an early notable disaster, but not an accident, obviously proposed by others who arranged it while never considering anything about him or her as individuals. Charles

Diana came with the background. She was a direct descendant of   Gen. John Churchill, the first  Duke of Marlborough,  the hero whose armies defeated the armies of  Louis XIV in the  Battle of Blenheim. Which marked a century-long Decline in the power of France in the world.

When the first duke died his only son and male heir had pre-deceased him. His daughter,  Henrietta, then married to  Lord Spencer, became her

father’s heir, the  Duchess of Marlborough. Her Spencer heirs would obviously take on the Dukedom in the following generations. The family that she began were Spencers, as were her male heirs. It was that fact that obviously made Diana an Approved Object of marrying the heir to the Throne.

The name Churchill had been resumed in use replacing Spencer, taken on again by choice in the mid-19th century when John Churchill’s memory was good for the family financials, and assured England’s population of being more powerful than the Sun King whose throne by then had been gone for more than a century.

This re-naming move led to the family’s revival in the 20th century corridors of power with

8th Duke of Marlborough with Consuelo Vanderbilt

PALM BEACH

Ben and Susan Winter

Lenny Wilf, Steve Ross and Curtis Polk

Susan Ford Bales and Nancy Brinker

Cheryl Krongard and Priscilla Smith David and Donna Dodson

Ellen Levy and Nicki Harris

Thomas Peterffy and Lynne Wheat

the presence of  Winston Churchill restoring the family’s position of worldly prominence. This was enhanced when the  8th Duke of Marlborough married the teenage American railroad heiress, Consuelo Vanderbilt

The money provided in the arrangement repaired the two centuries-old crumbling of the palace roofs, enhancing the reputation in the fields of Power as well the family coffers. Consuelo’s dowry had been $90 million in railroad stock (900 million in today’s currency).

Life went on but rather unhappily until more than two decades later when the duke and the duchess of Marlborough divorced, with both remarrying to new partners.

None of this would have made it to the  Post's morning gossip/social page.

June marks the beginning of

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

the favorite season of most of us Americans. It is established when we are children in school. For the fortunate it translates into: vacation/freedom from the classroom. That notion stays with many of us right into adulthood: time for a vacation, get out of town, and off to our favorite locations for “leisure”-a break from all the razz-ma-tazz of metropolitan life.

schools, and fundraising, are especially important, and it looks it more than ever.

I know from personal experience that living outside the city is a kinder life for the individual, if for no other reason than it provides more space. And Nature’s Beauty is more apparent (when it is). But the days leading up to that time away from it, are always active in the city. However, this year’s calendar especially for the charities; the end of season for

The evening of May 6th was, of course, The Met Gala. This special evening was started originally by publicist Eleanor Lambert in 1948 as a fundraiser for their costume collection. The last one I attended was hosted by Diana Vreeland before Madame Wintour took over (years ago). The Guest of Honor was Diana, the Princess of Wales. It was the first and only time I ever saw (and met) the Princess and had a brief conversation with her. It remains totally as a complete scene in memory. And she was as accessible to this stranger as you might imagine she would be to anyone. Kind, and sensitive.

However, that was then, back when the Nan Kempners and Pat Buckleys were presiding and planning and exercising power for the still young Costume Institute section of The Met. It was strictly a “social event.” The Met Ball of today is a 21st century production and Madame Wintour is the Mrs. Astor of the 21st century. I know that sounds like I’m stretching it but it is so. Wintour is a brilliant editor, and with the Ball, she’s far ahead of even Vogue itself

I haven’t attended under Wintour’s regime, so I only know what I hear from friends who do attend. Firstly it’s a hugely financially successful evening, maybe without comparison. More than $22 million taken in from the Ball. That is astounding even in this town. You have to be rich just to buy a ticket. Although many of those “rich” have corporate funds that cover the costs; and glamour is a

Diana Vreeland

MORSELIFE GOLF CLASSIC IN PALM BEACH

Ed and Pam Pantzer

Bill and Phyllis Mack

Sondra and David Mack

Beverly and Dan Floersheimer

John and Andy Stark

Peter Farmer and Jack Whitman

Diane and Peter Meckler

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

business after all. And friends in all the right (promotion) places.

Some friends who attend every year, and have for several years, purchase tickets. They dress for the occasion, go at the appointed hour, congregate in the cocktail reception room while guests continue to arrive. From there they can observe the arrivals from above without being caught in the mob (yes) on the avenue taking it all in.

The highly sensationally dressed guests, the celebrities, arrive last after everyone else. Media dominates. After that, the entire guests move to dine. At that moment, my friends who attend (and dress appropriately for it) depart The Met with friends who also “attended,” for a nice dinner at a very nice restaurant on the

Upper East Side. Completely satisfied with the outcome of the production.

These friends who have attended for several years love it because it’s unlike any other amusement in New York. It’s all about looking and watching. And the funds raised are for the Costume Institute which is a collection of looking and watchings dating back centuries.

Meanwhile, outside the Met, the crowds thinned out after the guests entering, but far from entirely. Mme Wintour’s production last month remains thoroughly fascinating for the spectator even the outside on-

lookers, who are there to watch and wonder.

Meanwhile in the jumbo calendar for last month. Up at Columbia University, they celebrated the School of the Arts Spring Gala honoring celebrated artists, on a beautiful evening under the spectacular dome of Low Library at Columbia University. 250 guests, Alumni, artists, and art lovers et al came together, gathered to celebrate the School and recognize the stellar accomplishments of the night’s three honorees.

They were: visual artist Hugh Hayden, who received the Award for Excellence in the Creative

Arts; theatre producer Paul Libin; and documentary producer Sheila Nevins, both of whom received Lifetime Achievement Awards. Katharina Otto-Bernstein, Chair of the School of the Arts Dean’s Council, co-chaired the event with Barbara Whitman. Katharina opened the evening with these words:

“Art and artists preserve the history of our time. They record our present, and their creativity and imagination pave the path for the future. Art is perhaps the most important discipline.”

Also on another weeknight, Barnard College hosted its Annual Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street. This year’s theme was “A Celebration of Wellness,” given in honor of Helene Gayle ’76, MD, MPH

Nan Kempner and Pat Buckley

LADY IN RED GALA IN PALM BEACH

Gail Worth and Frank Orenstein

Steve and Andrea Wynn with Nelson Peltz

Lois Pope and Jay Leno

Paul Anka

Robin Ganzert and Brian O’Connor Davis McDuffie and Erika Rizzuto

Suzanne and Richard Youngman with Nancy Pontius

and Francine LeFrak

Co-Chairs and esteemed Board of Trustees, Amy Crate ’94 and Caroline Bliss Spencer ’09, set the tone for the evening with their heartfelt welcome remarks. More than 600 attended, and “the atmosphere was electrifying, filled with anticipation for the festivities to come.” The evening also featured a live auction by Lydia Fenet that raised a staggering $3.4M for student financial aid. Amazing!

Then it was all smiles and applause as the aforementioned Sheila Nevins ’60, who also attended to present the award to social entrepreneur and philanthropist Francine LeFrak. Barnard will open the Francine A. LeFrak Foundation Center for Well-Being later this Fall.

Dr. Gayle praised Barnard, “for giving me the determination and courage to try to be a changemaker throughout my career, and the opportunity I now have to serve as a President of a

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

sister school where I can help to shape visions for the next generation of women[…]”.

As the night drew to a close, guests departed with a sense of pride and purpose to continue supporting the mission of the power of wellness for women to lead and excel in a rapidly changing world.

While I can’t disagree with Dr. Gayle’s point of view, it has been my experience in life that women are by nature the leaders. The official title is MOTHER. It is so in the entire animaland creatures world in which we hold a major position.

of the Celeste Bartos Forum in The New York Public Library for the annual Library Lunch This is an annual fundraiser to support the Library’s mission to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and to strengthen communities

It used to be a Ladies Lunch(eon) and women still dress for it. The majority all looked great, smartly and comfortably attired, but also chic. Men were mainly in in suit and ties. It’s a moment of genuine retrospect.

the guests noting 2024 was the 42nd anniversary of this event. He spoke about the Library, the building which houses one of the world’s most extensive research collections for those to come together to read, learn and think. He also said that “New Yorkers come to the library in larger numbers than any other civic institution.”

In so-called civilized society, it has always been overlooked by the masculine element. The truth of it all is, we creatures are all required to exist. Just like the lions and the tigers. And the dogs and cats!

On a Thursday there was a luncheon under the great glass dome

It’s an elegant event too, because of that. And because of the architectural elegance of the room. The beautifully set tables were already laid with the main/ solo course-a Chinese vegetable salad. Elegant and alluring to one’s appetite too, (and more than enough for one’s lunch).

New York Public Library President Anthony Marx welcomed

Event Chair, Abby Milstein reminisced about the tradition of the lunch, tracing its origins back to 1981 when she served as a volunteer. She spoke of the Library’s mission, and the importance for critical library funding in today’s world.

It was a big crowd (tables of ten) followed by a discussion with the theme Food For Thought – a conversation about food and travel, and the connections to other places and cultures. The guest panel was Chinese cuisine cook and food writer, Fuchsia Dunlop, writer and bespoke travel curator, David Prior, and Editor in Chief of Bon

Francine LeFrak

J.MCLAUGHLIN'S POP-UP AND DINNER IN LONDON

Binky Felstead and Rebecca Boyce Charlie Stebbings and Juliet Jacques Blaire Donald McColl and Nathalie Clough

BEN HOPPEN

Veronique Glasgow Bridget Barton, Mary Ellen Coyne and Katie Stebbings Kate Freud

Louise Roe

Jordan Delane and Blair Beal

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

THE SOCIETY OF

Appétit and Epicurious, Jamila Robinson, moderated by The New Yorker editor David Remnick.   Jamila Robinson attributed her deep affection for food to her grandmother: “When we write about food, we’re essentially writing about our relationships and the expression of love, and there is nothing more beautiful than that.”   The conversation transitioned to food trends when David Prior noted, “Creativity has come back and chefs are looking to do exciting things, not generic things.”

This year’s Lunch was cochaired by Abigail Baratta, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos, Louise Grunwald, Zibby Owens, Daisy Prince, David Remnick, Deborah Goodrich Royce and Nanar Yoseloff. Asprey, a partner for more than 10 years, sponsored the event, which has once again been presented with Literary Partner The New Yorker

And Speaking of Luncheons:

On the first Wednesday of last month, the 42nd Annual Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon was held in the Park’s garden on 105th Street and Fifth Avenue. It is set behind entrance gates that originally were made for the Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s mansion in 1883 which covered the west side of the block (where Bergdorf Goodman and Van Cleef & Arpels are located today).

The luncheon, which is held under a white tent, is an important fundraiser because it finances the general upkeep of the Park as well as developing the various aspects of this beautiful center of the city. The woods right in the middle of town. And beautiful.

Before the Women’s Committee

was created by five women, back in the early 1960s, the Park had been in a long developing state of neglect and lack of interest. Now in the new century we have got used to seeing how impeccably the Park is maintained for everyone. We can even take it for granted because of the work the Committee maintains and even develops. All from the initial efforts of five women.

This annual luncheon is one of the great ones. Having covered this event for the past couple of decades and then some – it’s kind of a thrill to see this fundraising lunch attended by so much enthusiasm. This year had also the biggest turnout in its history, raising more than $4.5 million, a record.

And in my book, it’s the “hats”

(that the guests wear) that are the draw to amuse. Because a lot of the girls and ladies get into it with humor but seriously. It’s a bit silly from the sound of it but witnessing it is a pleasure. Amusing and sometimes even hilarious, but the owner is always the story and the personalities are defined by their choices.

All of this delivered is a very agreeable atmosphere to be in.

The same day as the Hat Lunch, more than three dozen women, many very prominent in the community, were having a gigantic lunch at Michael’s restaurant hosted by Patricia Duff I have known Patricia for years now. Not well, but well enough to describe her accurately. She is easily likeable and so is her presence in a room. I’ve always liked her and liked her company. For she is a girl, a woman, and a lady of distinction.

She’s also extremely alluring

Asprey's Madison Avenue Flagship

MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING’S OPENING NIGHT OF TEFAF

Emilie Sobel and Guilia Tacchini

Melanie Lazenby McLennan, Sherry Lee and Brooke Sinclair Jamie Tisch, Muffie Potter Aston and Renee Rockefeller

Claudia Cogut and Alessia Fendi

Carolina Doria Tory Burch

Martha Stewart

to meet for the first time. That is, a first-time, first-hand meeting. She’s also beautiful in an all-American blonde way, with a warm smile. And the beauty continues. And she’s intelligent and interested in what’s going on around us. And she’s nice. That takes the cake.

So I was impressed that she was hosting a ladies lunch at Michael’s for 40 New York women. I imagined that she was exercising the opportunity to discuss her political activities. She’s also the Founder of The Common Good And works at them. Since I didn’t know the reason for the lunch, I called Sharon Hoge, having seen her in the group photo.

And the reason for the luncheon: It was Patricia’s birthday.

So she’s a Taurus. This isn’t

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

the first time she’s had a birthday lunch for herself. When I think of it, knowing her and her politically-oriented and philanthropic pursuits, it’s a brilliant way of keeping the work moving out there. Because a lot of her guests, maybe all of them, are active and industrious in their lives.

However, a lunch for 40 guests, and a specific list because of that day’s major social activity on the calendar, is a “special” luncheon. Brilliant like the birthday girl.

Lavender is All the Rage (a World Premiere), Counterpoint and Rapid Oxidation (both revivals), the Company held its annual benefit dinner, which raised more than $116,000, at BLT Prime.

On a Thursday evening, the New York City-based Tom Gold Dance concluded its 2024 Spring season at The Kaye Playhouse. Following a performance of Tom G’s

Among this year’s benefit supporters were Katharine Rayner, Jill Kargman, Fe and Alessandro Fendi, and Gary Horowitz Appearing in the spring season were dancers Gabriella Domini, Savannah Durham, Brian Gephart, Allegra Inch, Noah McAuslin, Robert Mulvey, Demi Trezona, and Sage Wilson; as well as violinists Samuel Andonian and Katherine Liccardo, violist Matthew Consul,

and cellist Aaron Wolff, who provided live accompaniment of four movements from Ezio Bosso’s String Quartet No. 5 – Music for the Lodger to Lavender is all the Rage. Marlene Olson Hamm designed costumes for all three works. Longtime Wes Anderson set designer Carl Sprague conceived the background for Lavender is all the Rage

Meanwhile, winning news from abroad. Our friend Gillian Miniter returned recently from Cali, Colombia where she attended the annual South American Bridge Championship, along with partners Joe Grue, John Hurd, Brad Moss and Kevin Bathurst, where they became the Champions! Gillian and her partners played in the Transnational (open teams) where 46 teams competed from

Greg and Ali Kwiat

Patricia Duff

LENOX HILL NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE GALA IN NEW YORK

Elizabeth Munson, Karen McDonald and Anki Leeds

Emily Hodge

John and Anne Manice with Daisy Rutherfurd and Guy Rutherfurd Jr.

Andrea Stark

Lauren and Adam Soufleris with Margaret McSpadden and Saara Pritchard

Kristen Morgan, Christine Colley King and Kate Roush

The Perfect Mix

When it comes to designing a home, a common misconception is that the whole house must stick strictly to one style. However, mixing elements from contrasting design styles is currently trending - and how you choose to mix and match can be a wonderful way to make your home uniquely yours.

Mixing styles while still obtaining a cohesive finished product is a tricky balance, so here are three tips to get you started.

Utilize contrast. For style-mixing to work, it must look intentional. Take the trend of pairing modern with traditional as an example. Putting a modern sofa with sleek lines in a room with traditional millwork will bring an airy minimalism to a formal space, giving you the curated contrast you’re looking for.

Keep color consistent. In the example pictured here, color is used to mesh the contrasting styles of the living room and loggia in a home. The chartreuse and blush color palette, as well as the dark wood floors and other natural elements, bring continuity from one room to the next.

Repetition is key. To create a more cohesive look, look for ways to bring shapes and patterns from one room to another. In this example, the furniture in both the living room and loggia are arranged to create two separate sitting areas. Without a guest even noticing, elements like this tie the house together.

Design experts feel this mix-and-match trend is here to stay, so don’t be shy about trying it for yourself!

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

SPOONS

around the world. The format of the event consisted of three days of three shorter matches called a Swiss, which consists of 12 boards. Of the 46 teams, only the top eight qualify for the next stage. Then it’s on to the semi finals, quarter finals and the finals ... where our friend Gillian was victorious.

It’s not surprising if you know her. She is one who has the ability to be concise with matters of abundance. She’d worked on Wall Street as a young woman, which she loved, before she married, because she loved working with figures. She and her husband Sylvester have a daughter and a son, both now young adults out in the world making their own way.

Farmers Market-which is in the Open-was open, and so he took shelter under the first tent that caught his eye (it was purple).

Which speaking of women following their interests:

A friend of mine was down in Union Square one afternoon when the heavens opened up. Fortunately, the Union Square

When he looked up, there was Blaine Caravaggi! If you don’t know Blaine, she is not new to the culinary world. Her husband Robert, with a partner opened and operated Swifty’s restaurant and Swifty’s Events Catering in Manhattan for 17 years until 2016. Robert now, as every regular knows, headed up New York’s beloved former boîte. After it closed he headed South to Palm Beach where Swifty’s found a fabulous home around The Colony Hotel’s lively pool scene.

Ever since that time, Blaine has been operating a gluten-free baked-goods company called Off the Wheat Sweets and Eats located in the Hudson Valley. There she sells all of her sweet and savory treats (and they are treats!) baked using Hudson Valley farms’ ingredients, including eggs from pastured

ACROSS AMERICA BENEFIT IN NEW YORK

James Grosso and Andrew Zimmern Travis Hedemann

Marion Nestle and Julie Jordan

Daphne Oz

Katherine Boulud, Martha Stewart, Daniel Boulud and Vikas Khanna

Blaine and Robert Caravaggi

The Royal Treatment

From window treatments to chandeliers and everything in between, Gil Walsh Interiors makes every decision with our clients’ visions in mind. Designed by us, inspired by you.

chickens, grass fed butter, cheese that is Animal Welfare Approved. Even the cornmeal and oats are that local and non-GMO. And every week she sets up shop at the Union Square Farmer’s Market. If you live anywhere nearby, it’s a must-go for all.

I’ve known both Blaine and Robert since the New York days at Mortimer’s. But I did not know that baking and culinary arts are also a family tradition for Blaine. Her great, great aunt was Fannie Merritt Farmer, a famous American culinary expert in her day. (I think she was also from the family after whom the Merrit Parkway was named). In 1896, Fannie Farmer published her best known work The Boston Cooking School Cookbook also known as The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, which 125 years later is still available in print today!

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

One week we started off with an invitation from our friend Marc Rosen to attend a concert at 54 Below of two guys – Seth Sikes and Nicholas King with Billy Stritch conducting on grand piano. Stritch for a long time was Liza Minnelli’s accompanist. Their “program” was performing “Song’s from MGM” movies; all standard American popular songs from the films in mid-century. Brilliant under Stritch’s direction; funny, great voices and great material; the audience loved it.

Foundation which was held in a private club.

Back to the business of now. Every May, as the trees blossom and the days begin to grow longer, our friend Barbara de Portago, as President of The Versailles-Giverny Foundation, hosts the yearly Benefit Dinner for the

Barbara, inherited the Foundation from her late mother and stepfather Florence and Gerald Van der Kemp. He as Conservateur en Chef, and she as a great hostess who galvanized aristocratic Europeans and Francophile Americans in their dining room at Versailles. She spent her childhood living with them, in a 21room apartment in the left wing of The Château de Versailles. It was from there that she witnessed firsthand what it took to restore this fabled monument.

Van der Kemp was a French curator who spent almost 30 years of his life restoring the palace and grounds to their former stupendous glory. His greatest

talent was raising tens of millionss-much from rich Americans. The Versailles when they first undertook the project hadn’t been used for almost a century; ceiling falling in, bringing the rains with it; the interior worn and ruined by time and neglect.

The Court at Versailles had been disbanded during the French Revolution and King Louis XVI and his wife Queen Marie-Antoinette were murdered at the guillotine in the public square in Paris.

The royal court, having been disbanded, the contents of the palace were moved to Paris and sold at auctions in 1792 and '93. Napoleon, when he came to power, found the late emperors’ weekend retreat, and used it. But after Napoleon’s great fall, the palace began more than a century of neglect. Van der Kemp was a real hero to French culture with

MUSEUM OF ARTS & DESIGN'S LUNCHEON IN NEW YORK

Barbara de Portago

Tim Rodgers

Diana and Luisa Sosa

Jill Steinberg, Marsy Mittlemann and Michelle Cohen

Marilyn Kirschner

Elissa Auther and Lara Eurdolian

Anna Porcu and Edie Nadler

Barbara Regna and Tana Chung Busy Philipps and Lele Sadoughi

Expanding the voices represented in the Museum's permanent collection, OUT of the Jewelry Box considers the importance of queer perspectives in the world of studio and contemporary art jewelry. The exhibition showcases nearly 80 works given by gay collectors or made by queer artists, dating from the 1950s to the present.

Felieke van der Leest, Rainbow Moose (sculpture with necklace) (edition of 3), 2005.

© 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / BONO, Oslo.

Photo: Bruce M. White.

CENTRAL PARK

CONSERVANCY'S FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED AWARDS LUNCHEON IN NEW YORK

1. Kathy Hubbard and Patti Fast 2. Katherine Gage Boulud 3. Sarah Wetenhall and Elisabeth Munder 4. Susan Magrino and Deborah Norville 5. Muffie Potter Aston, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos and Gillian Miniter 6. Laurie Grauer 7. Casey Kohlberg, Laura Day Webb, Adrien Gardner Lesser and Lizzie Asher 8. Darice Fadeyi, Mimi Crawford and Dana Atkins

1. Susan Donoghue, Tom Kempner and Betsy Smith 2. Anne Harrison

3. Gillian Steel and Lisa Lalonde

4. Suzanne Cochran with Fiona and Eric Rudin 5. Stephanie March

6. Melanie Lazenby McLennan

7. Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley

DAVID

his bringing about its restoration.

It was after he and Mrs. Van der Kemp had finished their work on and at Versailles that he supervised the restoration of Claude Monet’s home in Giverny. That project took four years and cost $2.5 million (or $20 million in today’s dollars).

In the last three decades, since 1994, Barbara has invited many European Royal and Imperial individuals and couples to grace her evenings with their presence and recount to guests something about their lives as descendants of present and past monarchies.

Asked if she is ever going to run out of such gracious guests, she points to the fact that most every Royal House still exists and happily procreates! Only one Royal so far has attended the evening twice; and that is HRH Edward, Earl of Essex, now The Duke of Edinburgh

Many of the Foundation Pa-

trons travel to New York from all over the US to attend the evening, so it beca,e a three day affair. Special Out of Town Patrons are invited to lunch the day before the dinner at Gillian Spreckels Fuller’s elegant French Arts Décoratifs home. Gillian is a Director of the Foundation. The day after the Benefit, a small dinner was held again in the presence of the Royals at another private residence.

Dress code for the evening on the invitation: “Full Evening Gown & Dressed Hair,” which is accompanied by The Valley Forge Military Academy Cadets.

moved his father had been when he had come to speak for this Foundation some years ago, and he saw himself surrounded by the alma mater for he once himself had been a Valley Forge Cadet!

The Prince spoke about a most current subject which has finally surfaced from secret archives and which has not only lately made the news but is the subject of a play and podcast about his late grandfather King Boris III whom it is believed was poisoned by Hitler as he would surrender not one of Bulgaria’s Jews to the infamous transport trains.

er. Their success ironically bred the current forces and sources of power in the modern society that have replaced that form of government.

Listening to these Guests speak of their lives, their memories, their family heritage at this time-in the 21st century when that enormous political power was possessed and “dispossessed” – you often hear very intelligent level-headed and well informed individuals. They refer to their Family’s history as “royals” with an intelligence that could only have come from a clear understanding of political power. There’s a modesty in that self-expression that represents real wisdom.

The special royal guest this year was  HRH The Prince Konstantin of Bulgaria son of King Simeon Saxe-Coburg II of Bulgaria. In taking his place to speak to the guests, he commented on how

What is most interesting about all of Barbara’s guests over the years is their “place” in our history. The royals’ heritage today represents a past way of absolute governing with pow-

Barbara does not believe in large tables or music of any kind during dinner. “This is the only event in New York City where after a  Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Reception  you are seated at a table for six

AMERICAN RED CROSS BALL IN GREENWICH

Fire Chief Joe McHugh, Connie Anne Harris and Jerry Harris

Greenwich Police Department Honor Guard

Lauren Walsh, Police Chief James Heavey and Stephanie Dunn Ashley

Tyler and Michele Wolfram

Michael and Francesca Breheney

Jennifer Moross and Harry Moross

Andres Moreira, Spencer Walsh, Colin Bernard and Kyle Gambino

Gillian Spreckels Fuller

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

SCHWARZMAN ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER'S LUNCHEON IN NEW YORK

KIPS BAY DECORATOR SHOW HOUSE NEW YORK'S OPENING RECEPTION

JOY GLENN; BFA

Ann Pomp, Alix Lerman and Noa Marcus

Minnie and Kit Kemp

Kathy and Othon Prounis

Sunny Hostin

Nazira Handal and Jamie Drake

Nina Seirafi

Lucinda Loya

Emilia Fanjul and Gail Gilbert

Sherry Koplin and Bobby Liberman

Donna Acquavella and Emilia Saint Amand Krimendahl

Helen Irving

Pamela Butler and Ann Tisch Crow

Mariel Covo with Mingming

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

THE KING'S TRUST GALA IN NEW YORK

Margot McKinney

India Hicks, Tania Bryer and Helena Christensen

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend

Marc Jacobs and Kate Moss

Victoria Gore and Paul Britton

Kate Beckinsale

Emily Ratajkowski

Demetra Pinsent, Eileen Gu and Iris Law

André Arpad Busson, Charlotte Tilbury and Dominic West

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

ABASK'S LUNCHEON IN PALM BEACH

Gayfryd Steinberg, Heidi McWilliams and Nancy Goodes

Wendy Alexandra Naranjo and Wendy Bingham Cox

Deborah Norville

Zoe de Givenchy and Luke Chapman

Barbara Miller and Jayne Chase

Erin Juhl

Marisa Arredondo

Ruby Cowan

Lisa Pomerantz JAMES JACKMAN

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

PRESERVATION FOUNDATION OF PALM BEACH CELEBRATES PHIPPS OCEAN PARK RESTORATION PROJECT

Betsy and Paul Shiverick

Caroline Fitzgibbons, Tad Smith and Jeannie Rutherford

Julie Araskog and Billy Gilbane

Danielle Moore and Dan Ponton

Kit Pannill and Kate Gubelmann

Lew Crampton and Bobby Lindsay

Raymond Jungle and Ted Cooney

Chip DiPaula with Joan and Bud Duckett

Pauline Pitt and Jane Holzer

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

DR. BARBARA STURM'S DINNER IN NEW YORK

Elizabeth Kurpis and Micaela Erlanger

Lisa Aiken and Rickie De Sole

Bambi Northwood-Blyth

Barbara Sturm and Justin Theroux

Sophie Sumner and Keke Lindgard

Diane Kruger

Sofia Hublitz and Charly Sturm

Vanessa Fuchs and Pritika Swarup

Roopal Patel and Ava Dash

Katie Lee Biegel

DAVID PATRICK COLUMBIA

SAVE VENICE'S "UN BALLO IN MASCHERA" IN NEW YORK

Mercedes de Guardiola and Amanda Kahn

Maria Borges

Ivy Getty

Laura Day Webb, Migel Ferreyra De Bone, Ian Ferreyra De Bone and Casey Kohlberg

Lizzie Asher

Emily Ratajkowski

Alex Bolen, Bronson van Wyck and Al Uzielli

Laura Kim, Jordan Roth and Fernando Garcia

Olga Sorokina and Polina Proshkina

Prince Philip and Prince Charles at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, 1966.

Photographed by Harry Benson.

IT SEEMS LIKE

YESTERDAY

QUEEN ELIZABETH II and the Duke of Edinburgh had visited Jamaica in 1966 during their tour of the Caribbean. In early August the same year, Prince Philip, accompanied by their two older children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, returned to Jamaica for the Duke to open the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston. Jamaica was hosting the international sports competition for the first time. England, along with 33 Commonwealth teams, arrived to compete for the gold in events as diverse as boxing to badminton and swimming to fencing.

Charles, only 17 at the time, and Anne, who would turn 16 later that month, seemed relaxed and pleased to be there. They enjoyed the tropical weather, kayaking with their father, and touring the countryside. When the two princes were given the opportunity to play polo, the excitement level rose. They were very pleased to be playing their favorite sport. Charles has called the game, “My one great extravagance,” and he continued playing the game into his late 50s. Looking over my photographs recently, I came across this one. Both father and son were young and fit, yet their horses headed in opposite directions

made me stop and look again.

As a bit of background to being a photojournalist at that time: It was my job to transmit a photograph back to London each day. I had to develop and print in the bathroom of my hotel room, placing a towel under the closed door to prevent any light from entering the room. It was long and hard and it became extremely hot in the small closed room. I carried the darkroom and transmitting equipment on every assignment. The water temperature for developing had to be just right to saturate the negative…too hot or too cold and the film was ruined. It took hours to transmit each photograph by telephone from my hotel room…and if anyone called me I had to start over. Remember this was before modern technology… no computers or cell photos, but I digress.

Anyway, it was a fun time in my career… traveling all over the world for a story. Remember with nine competing morning newspapers in London, I had to take a photograph no one else had or manage an exclusive with the subject. I was on the road in America and I wanted to stay. That was my incentive to work harder than the competition. And it still is. u

HARRY BENSON

HARRY BENSON

TARGETING TRUMP

BACK IN THE GOOD old days when the Brits ruled the roost in the American colonies, the sneaky Brits used a system of their own to lord it over those who looked like them, spoke like them, and worshipped the same God as them, but called themselves American rather than British. It was very simple, really. Thåe bad old Brits recalled an old British law passed by those whose knowledge of democracy was equal to mine of homosexuality, called the Bills of Attainder. If someone had displeased you, and if you belonged to the right par-

ty, he or she would be attainted, and they’d never bother you for the duration. Bills of Attainder did wonders for those who were on the side of the state, such as landowners, the rich, members of parliament, aristocrats, females with connections to the landowning aristocracy, and prostitutes whose clients belonged to the Church of England, parliament, and the landowning aristocracy.

This kangaroo court system has now been revived right here in the good old US of A, and my friend and editor of The

New Criterion, Roger Kimball, was the first to write about it. As Roger pointed out, the Founders of this country, having managed to kick out the Brits, made sure Bills of Attainder became a no-no in the Land of the Free. Along with the hated

“bills” came the ex post facto law, which was pretty much the same thing. The Founders said no bills, no post facto, and added a statute of limitations to ensure that if you stole an apple when young, you would not be prosecuted after you were a success fifty years later. (I am simplifying all this for any of you who only read from your telephones.)

Needless to say, all the above are back with a vengeance, and the target is The Donald—who else?—with a ludicrous statute of limitations trampled by a woman who claims she was raped by The Donald at Bergdorf’s, an impossibility to

media—on their side.

What Uncle Joe did not do was advertise the fact he was going to get his rivals. New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, did. She campaigned on the promise “to get Trump.” It is unheard of. Even banana republics do not advertise they’re “gonna get their enemies,” but Noo Yawk does.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton went on cable news and said pretty much the same thing. But none of this compares with that guy Engoron, a New York state Supreme Court judge who would easily fit in with those German judges who oversaw the trial of those who tried to

those of us who know the dressing rooms, unless the rapist and the victim are tiny midgets no circus would employ because they’re simply too small.

Let’s face it: Trump might not be a gentleman of the old school, but that he’s a victim of the establishment and target of the judiciary under orders from the top is as true as the fact he dyes his hair. Just reading the headlines reminds me of those that appeared back in the ’30s in Moscow. That’s when Uncle Joe Stalin purged his rivals by having them admit under torture that they had plotted against the state and had them shot. This the Democrats have not yet done, and they don’t need to because they’ve got the useful idiots—the

and the governor has admitted as much. When other investors threatened to stop doing business in the state because of the extraordinary fine imposed on Trump, she admitted it was a one-off. Really!

The Biden regime is hell-bent on indicting, arresting, bankrupting, and imprisoning Trump. It is a strange universe for American politics. Not exactly Eisenhower versus Stevenson, or Kennedy versus Nixon. A crooked lawyer and a former porn star as a key witness against the 45th president, the legal system misused as

kill Hitler. Engoron used the charge that Trump overestimated his wealth to stick a fine on him that would bankrupt Elon Musk, ignoring the fact that all real estate is overvalued at all times by everyone selling it. If this is justice, I’m a banana.

Mind you, The Donald can be his own worst enemy. In a way, it illustrates he’s normal. He screams and insults and acts the way we would act if we had an old bag like Maureen Dowd calling him worse than a murderer in her pathetically hateful Times column, while she shows off her limited knowledge of  Macbeth by namedropping the latter ad nauseam.

Basically, the state of New York has issued a Bill of Attainder on The Donald,

never before in America, grotesque judgments issued by judges like Engoron that would lead to suicide by Oliver Wendell Holmes, and bloated penalties imposed that would make a South American banana republic judge blush in shame. Biden himself is no innocent bystander. He made it clear he wanted Trump prosecuted, and Attorney General Merrick Garland shamefully obeyed. When Trump first won in 2016, the powers that be were unprepared. Soon after they invented the Russian connection that took three years to prove false. This time they’re not taking any chances. u

From left: Donald Trump surrounded by media during his presidency; Joseph Stalin. Opposite page, clockwise from left: King George III; The New Criterion ; The Bill of Attainder.

LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY no designer who captures the English Country style more authentically than Jane Churchill. Nobody! And she comes by it organi cally. Jane is the former wife of Lord Charles Spencer Churchill, who was a cousin of Winston Churchill and grandson of Consuelo Vanderbilt Spencer Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough - a lofty pedigree, indeed. But it was her two aunts, Nancy Lancaster and Nancy Astor (often referred to as “the Two Nancys”), who Jane credits with significantly influencing her life as a woman, hostess and interior designer. Recalling her family upbringing, Jane says: “Spending my childhood at Clivenden House

where my great aunt, Nancy Astor lived ... and school holidays at Haseley Court which was the home of my great aunt, Nancy Lancaster, exposed me to design and good taste. Both women were famous for their wonderful personalities, hosting and style and although their houses were quite grand, they felt completely lived in. Dogs and loose flower arrangements filled the houses as well as interesting people of all generations. They, of course above all, were amusing and never took themselves too seriously.”

And living near the fabled family home, Mirador, near Charlottesville Virginia, her two aunts were comfortably infused with Southern hospitality. Mirador, an antebellum house filled with constant commotion and gaiety, was the place where family and friends gathered often. The “luxurious simplicity” - as they often referred to their Virginia lifestyle - followed both women to England and helped define their iconic style as exceptional hostesses. “They just lived well,” Jane smiles as if she is immediately transported back to those memorable holidays. “They loved to entertain the family. It was their reason to live.”

Following in the tradition of her great aunts, Jane eventually opened up her own gift shop on Pimlico Road. Friends and locals admired her taste and style, and began asking her to decorate their own houses. “This was a magical time,” she shares, and it led to her own interior design business, eponymously named Jane Churchill Interiors, which is still going strong to this day. “I had the great fortune of designing the most wonderful homes around the world. From the United States to Europe and as far away as Russia,” she says, amusedly surprised by that

From above: An Albert Court dining room designed by Jane Churchill; an Ebury bedroom designed by Churchill. Opposite page, from above: Jane Churchill and Nancy Lancaster; Cliveden House, the former residence of Nancy Astor in Berkshire, England.

commission. “You can ship anywhere in the world, you know and we made all the curtains in the UK. Design, however, has changed an awful lot since those years,” she continues. “At that time, there were a scant few resources; but now, we work with teams of experts, including architects and builders. And modern families are living much more differently than when I began my career.” Looking ahead, muses Jane: “Every time I start a project, I meet with the client and find out how they live. Not because I’m nosy,” she chuckles, “although I am quite fascinated by how people live. But now a days, families like to live with an open floor plan. Besides this “open trend,” Churchill adds with her signature enthusiasm: “my clients are asking for color more than ever before, and I love that.”

“What’s next?” I asked the ebullient designer. “Any plans to slow down?” “Why should I,” she giggles. “There are so many

houses and people yet to meet and I love what I do. Otherwise, I’m not sure I’d know what I’d do with myself!” She remains delightfully curious and reassuring, and we can look forward to continued Jane Churchill Interiors projects well into the future. ◆

For more information, visit janechurchillinteriors.co.uk or @janechurchillinteriors.

Clockwise from top left: A Knightsbridge hall designed by Churchill; Jane Churchill; a Rolls-Royce interior designed by Churchill. Opposite page, clockwise from above: A Coulson Steet drawing room designed by Jane Churchill; a Montevetro drawing room designed by Churchill; a Coulson drawing room designed by Churchill; Mirador House, Virginia, the childhood home of Nancy Astor.

CLAIRE FLORENCE’S ART APPRECIATION

BY ROBERT JANJIGIAN

AI abstract sketch/print for the Legacy Collection. Opposite page, clockwise from above: 18k Gold Cuffs with Tanzanite, $2,500; Solid 18k Gold Square Ring with Diamond, $9,500, and 18k Gold Chain with Mini Baguette Emerald Cute Blue Topaz, $1,200; 18k Gold Setting Ring with Radiant Cut Oval Blue Topaz, $3,800.

CLAIRE FLORENCE strives to put a fine art slant on the craft of jewelry design. Trained as a painter, the New Yorkbased Florence, who also worked in the fashion industry, sees her pieces, which are both contemporary and “timeless,” as intended not to be trendy, but as objects that tell a story and can be passed down through generations.

Her aesthetic is minimal, yet sculptural. Florence works primarily in 18 karat gold and with semiprecious stones, such as green amethyst and tourmalines as well as green and blue sapphires. “I love color,” she explains. The gold, she says, is very weighty, but recently she has ventured into working with gold wire as a suitable alternative. She has a mind for creative

integration of technology into her jewelry creation, adding AI to her process. “It’s a tool to take things beyond ‘normal’ thinking,” she says.

Florence cites Elsa Peretti as an inspiration. “She is the be all, end all, especially in terms of risk,” states Florence, who in acknowledgment of Peretti will be working in silver soon.

“People collect my pieces like they would art,” she says. “My customer is someone like me—a mature woman who dresses simply and loves ‘that’ piece, something that’s different from everyone else.”

While Florence describes herself as “of the high-end luxury world,” her jewelry is “reasonable for what they are.” Pieces

featuring more modest gems range in price from about $1,200 to $25,000. “Crazy” pieces go for about $100,000.

Florence’s pieces impressed Marissa Collections owner and CEO Jay Hartington, who will host her debut in the important Palm Beach market this November at Marissa’s Royal Poinciana Plaza gallery and penthouse. “Florence will design an exclusive Marissa Pink jewelry collection embodying her artistic foundation, while incorporating innovative techniques, intricate patterns, and radiant light,” he says. u

MIXOLOGY MASTERY

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

ALTHOUGH LONDON is home to many legendary hotels, The Connaught stands out as one of the city’s most iconic. Established in the early 19th century and situated in Mayfair, this storied hotel has long attracted distinguished guests like Edward VII, Charles de Gaulle, Princess Grace of Monaco, Cecil Beaton, and Ralph Lauren. It’s rumored that Lauren even installed a replica of the hotel’s six-story mahogany staircase in his flagship store.

The Connaught Bar: Recipes and Iconic Creations; the Connaught Martini; inside The Connaught Bar. Opposite page: Agostino “Ago” Perrone, Director of Mixology (center), and bartenders prepare cocktails.

Beyond its exceptional service, fine art, and rich history, The Connaught’s bars and restaurants are a significant draw. The award-winning Connaught Bar particularly stands out. Opened in 2008, the stylish watering hole is celebrated as one of the world’s premier mixology experiences. It exudes timeless luxury with its plush leather chaises, Art Deco-inspired design, and dim lighting that create a classic yet contemporary ambiance. Most importantly, its renowned cocktail menu is meticulously curated and served with exceptional attention to detail.

Phaidon’s newly published book, The Connaught Bar: Cocktail Recipes and Iconic Creations , gives readers a behind-

from contemporary innovations to timeless classics, along with 12 non-alcoholic drinks. Co-authored by Agostino “Ago” Perrone, the bar’s Director of Mixology, Maura Milla, Connaught Bar Manager, and Giorgio Bargiani, Assistant Director of Mixology, the book opens with the signature Connaught Martini. For Perrone, the Martini is “at once the simplest and most challenging of all cocktails,” revealing the mixer’s passion in every sip. “When I first came to London, I experienced Martini cocktails at the hands of the masters. Peter Dorelli at the Savoy, Salvatore Calabrese at 50 St. James, Alessandro Palazzi at Dukes, Giuliano Morandin at the Dorchester. These masters of effortless hospitality each had their own style. I wanted to create the same when I arrived at the Connaught Bar,” said Perrone. The book also features recipes for vibrant cocktails like the fruity Ristretto Manhattan and the Champagne cocktail Fleurissimo. It’s a perfect addition to any bar cart or a thoughtful gift for cocktail aficionados, transporting readers to one of the world’s most beloved bars. ◆

Clockwise from top left: Doormen at the entrance of The Connaught hotel; the cover of Phaidon’s

FORWARD APPROACH

BY ROBERT JANJIGIAN

LAUREN WALSH INHERITED the management of her family’s relatively modest family foundation about 20 years ago. In that time, she has become a force in the community, involved in supporting several causes that aid the needy and the underprivileged in one of America’s richest towns.

“Philanthropy can be intimidating,” says Walsh, “you have to do it because you really care.” She believes that giving back is a privilege and a responsibility. “You can’t be afraid to get involved, admitting that the charity circuit can be a closed and somewhat snobbish place. “Money counts, but fundraising strength is dependent not only on the super rich,” she explains.

“It comes from the middle, too.”

Walsh’s perception of Greenwich has evolved in the years she’s lived there. Misconceptions about the place abound; She came to realize that domestic violence is the number one violent crime in the town, with its population of about 66,000. “It’s a place of great wealth and large estates, but its also home to three or four public housing projects—a place of great need as well.”

Her devotion to the YWCA’s annual Old Bags Luncheon, which

supports the organization’s efforts to fight abuse of women and children in the local community, is a case in point. She is proud to be involved with the YWCA’s now prestige and very successful event, which she calls the crown jewel of Greenwich fundraisers.

Walsh also supports the local Red Cross, and various medical causes, as well as efforts to bring more affordable housing to the area.

At 58, Walsh is now considered one of the Old Guard among Greenwich Philanthropists.

“I feel that we all need to look ahead, teach the next generation how to do this. And I consider myself as a link between the present and the future of Greenwich philanthropy.”

A friend and mentor to Walsh, Connie Anne Harris, says, ”In the eight years I’ve lived in Greenwich, I have served on three boards with Lauren; the American Red Cross, the Greenwich YWCA, and the Greenwich Emergency Medical Services. I have had the honor and true pleasure of co-chairing galas and luncheons for all of them with Lauren. Lauren brings an unbridled passion, determination, and imagination to all of her philanthropic endeavors. She is the ultimate doer, with her sleeves

rolled up she goes into action always with the needs of others she is serving top of mind. Lauren is making a difference in so many lives of our community.”

Walsh feels that in order to maintain Greenwich’s status as a charitable community, there has to be a changing of the guard. “There are no schools that teach philanthropy. We need to grab the hands of younger people and encourage them to get involved. They have expertise and strengths that need to be tapped. This world needs to look forward, not back.” ◆

Clockwise from above: American Red Cross’s Red & White Ball in Greenwich, 2024; YWCA’s Greenwich Old Bags Luncheon, 2024; Cos Cobber fundraiser for Greenwich Emergency Medical Services (GEMS). Opposite page, from above: American Red Cross’s Greenwich Chapter board members Connie Anne Harris, Lauren Walsh, State Senator Ryan Fazio, Chapter CEO Stephanie Dunn Ashley, Board member Dr. Kim Nichols, Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo, and Board Chair Lisa Cooper at the 2024 Red & White Ball Patron Party; Christina Vanderlip and Deborah Royce, YWCA’s Greenwich Old Bags Luncheon founders.

FORGOTTEN TREASURES

Property from the Aline Elwes McDonnell Trust from the House of Copped Hall, Essex, United Kingdom.

BY GEMMA SUDLOW

IF T.S. ELIOT’S J. Alfred Prufrock measured his life in coffeespoons, then mine is surely measured in auctions: I’ve devoted 20 years of my life to bringing rich tapestries of collecting to sale and it still gives me a thrill to find the stories imbued in historic objects. And so it goes – a day in the life of an auctioneer: the 21st century bombardment of emails and zoom calls is intercepted by an old fashioned phone call – the opportunity to visit a private collection in Greenwich, Connecticut of “English Furniture” from the estate of Aline Elwes McDonnell. I volunteered immediately for the chance to bathe in memories of my youth (far too well-spent, I might add, in the Country House Collections department at Christie’s in London). The visit did not disappoint! In an unassuming home (much loved – the pink-walled kitchen bore the hallmarks of any loving family’s growth with tattered and refreshed lines denoting who grew tallest first) the cottage continued through the adjacent dining room to the library and beyond, by means of a modest passageway, to the extension built in the 1950s to house the extant collections long since removed from Copped Hall, Essex, United Kingdom. What lay before me was a glorious recreation of an 18th century English Country House drawing room: a finely woven Brussel’s tapestry circa 1680, a rare form of commode with the signature hallmark

marquetry inlay of Messrs. Mayhew & Ince, Regency period cockpen faux-bamboo armchairs, Fahua vases from the Ming Dynasty, all bound together by an illustrious group of portraits on the walls led by the tantalizing and unfinished depiction of a young woman with a fashionable late 18th century coiffure – ever the eternal optimist in me - Sir Joshua Reynolds? A precocious follower perhaps? Reverend Matthew William Peters? By the time, dear reader, this sits in your hands hopefully some of these riddles will be solved but for the moment I’m armed with stories passed down through the Elwes family, Country Life articles from 1910 and 1959 respectively, a flashlight and an insatiable curiosity as my only guide.

Aline Elwes McDonnell’s lineage is traceable back as far as King George II of England and Copped Hall in Essex was a site near the town of Epping that dates back to medieval times – originally home to the FitzAucher family who held the office of Foresters. The meaning of ‘Copped’ has its roots in the old English term for peak and denotes the vantage point of the site upon which the 18th century version of the house was built. No fewer than three grand country houses graced the site until the demise of the Wyatt aggrandized version (now thankfully undergoing restoration by a local trust) in a devastating fire of 1917.

From above: A set of six Regency Faux Bamboo Armchairs, circa 1820, $3,000-$5,000); An Important George III Harewood and Marquetry Commode, attributed to Ince and Mayhew, circa 1775, $15,000$30,000. Opposite page, from left: Portrait of a Young Man , attributed to Bartholomeus van der Helst, Dutch, 1613-1670, $6,000-$8,000; Portrait of a Young Woman, Unfinished, British, 1723-1792, $4,000-$6,000.

The story goes that the few household staff and gardeners that remained during the war years, armed with only a small handpump to quell the flames, dragged furniture, paintings and objects out onto the lawn to save them from destruction. Much was sold off or dispersed thereafter to offset the huge losses incurred at the time but what remained was rehoused at The Wood House (an 1898 confection in the high Tudor revivalist style on the estate grounds) where the family moved following the catastrophic event. A number of the objects in this auction are featured in imagery from aforementioned Country Life article on The Wood House in 1959. This time capsule of 100 or so items made the transatlantic journey following Aline Mary Margaret Elwes marriage to the well-heeled New Yorker, Hubert McDonnell Jr. (1919-2004), in the Brompton Oratory in 1948. The pair settled in Connecticut

“Houses live and die: there is a time for building

And a time for living and for generation

And a time for the wind to break the loosened pane

And to shake the wainscot where the field-mouse trots

And to shake the tattered arras woven with a silent motto.”

and shipped the extant portion of the collection, bequeathed to Aline, by slow boat in the early 1950s, where they have been lovingly preserved ever since. The family hopes a new generation of custodians will care for these heirlooms and Freeman’s I Hindman is honored to be the auction house of choice for this beautiful group of forgotten treasures. Please join me this June in New York and Philadelphia to be inspired and transported with what Disraeli described as that “soulsubduing sentiment, harshly called flirtation, which is the spell of a country house”. ◆

-T.S. Eliot, East Coker

Property from the Aline Elwes McDonnell Trust will be offered in a live auction in Philadelphia at 2400 Market Street, Philadelphia on June 21, 2024 at 10 a.m. A New York preview will be held at Freeman’s I Hindman New York Gallery located at 32 East 67 Street from June 3-11.

THE LAST GREAT LOCUST VALLEY WATERFRONT ESTATE

THIS LAST GREAT LOCUST VALLEY waterfront estate is comprised of 32 beautifully cultivated and preserved acres offering a country manor lifestyle on the Gold Coast of Long Island. Lands End Manor is a compound rich in history. Today, the sublime eight-bedroom Georgian-inspired Colonial manor celebrates both original architectural details yet is comfortable for today’s lifestyle. Resplendent principal rooms feature exquisite original moldings and millwork. They are beautifully scaled for entertaining and include a grand formal living room, a sunroom, an enclosed porch, a baronial formal dining room, a wood paneled library/ office, an expansive kitchen, sitting rooms, a bedroom suite, and a gym. The serene primary suite boasts sitting rooms, two en suite baths and dressing rooms, with fireplaces. The main residence is complemented by a picturesque pool house with bluestone patios overlooking the sparkling heated oval swimming pool, spa, ornamental garden, and open lawns that meet the water’s edge

at Frost Creek and the Long Island Sound beyond. A spacious six-bedroom, five-bathroom cottage features a fabulous lightfilled great room. An equestrian’s dream, a five-stall stable has two attached caretaker cottages and an attached four-bay garage. Paddocks provide ample room for pasture and riding. Captivating gardens, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, include a fragrant English garden, a walled rose garden and a sprawling flower, herb and vegetable garden. Grapevines, heavy with sun ripened fruit, are trained upon attractive arbors, and a greenhouse and cold frames provide ambient housing for plant propagation. With enduring beauty, Lands End Manor offers a rarified lifestyle in today’s world. u

The home is listed for $28,000,000. For more information, contact Nikki Field at Sotheby’s International Realty. Visit nikkifield.com, email nikki.field@sothebys.realty, or call 212.606.7669.

Clockwise from above: View of the Long Island Sound; living room; five-stall stable; outdoor swimming pool; master bedroom; ornamental garden. A rear view of the home and open lawns.

QUEST Fresh Finds

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY & ELIZABETH MEIGHER

SUMMER HAS arrived, and our favorite designers are offering the best products for a weekend getaway, from J.McLaughlin’s Bruce Swim Trunks to Stubb & Wootton’s linen slippers.

Oscar de la Renta’s Papercut Flower and Faille Draped Gown. Price upon request at oscardelarenta.com.

Part of Greenleaf & Crosby’s Estate Collection, the Diamonds-by-the-Yard Long Chain Necklace features fine pear-shaped and round brilliant-cut diamonds. $198,000 at greenleafcrosby.com.

Exclusively available at Asprey, the Riviera decanter, crafted in leadfree crystal, takes inspiration from the captivating nautical imagery of St. Tropez and the French Riviera. $1,150 at asprey.com.

Each of Camilla Webster’s Carry All Handbags are individually hand-painted by Webster. $575 at lovefrompalmbeach.com.

Enjoy never-ending possibilities to experience true Caribbean lifestyle, full of sun, beach fun, sports and more at a great price with Casa de Campo’s Summer Savings package. Valid for travel between June 22nd and September 30th. For more information, casadecampo.com.do.

Orin Swift Papillon Bordeaux Blend Wine. $90 at select liquor stores.

Get beach-ready in J.McLaughlin’s Ryan Tee in Navy/Off White Weston ($108), Russell Sweater in Navy ($198), and Bruce Swim Trunks in Navy Coral ($108). Visit jmclaughlin.com.

The bidirectional rotatable bezel of Rolex’s new 2024 GMT-Master II watches is equipped with a two-colour, 24-hour graduated Cerachrom insert in grey and black ceramic. Price upon request at rolex.com.

Ralph Lauren Home’s Garrett Crystal Barware. DOF Set ($125), Highball Set ($125), and Decanter ($195). Visit ralphlauren.com.

Sophisticated Force. Graceful Power. Poised With Elegance. The 2025 RollsRoyce Cullinan Series II is available to order now. Contact Braman Rolls-Royce Palm Beach to commission yours.

Zimmermann’s Tranquillity Scarf Shirt ($950) and Tranquillity Scarf Mini Skirt ($1,350). Visit zimmermann.com

Nestled in Via Mizner off of Worth Avenue, Renato’s a Palm Beach classic impresses in every way, making it the perfect restaurant for any special occasion. Visit renatospalmbeach.com.

Plan your next summer getaway with a trip to Ocean House, an iconic New England seaside resort, and the first and only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five-Star hotel in the state, perched high on the bluffs of Watch Hill, Rhode Island. For reservations, visit oceanhouseri.com.

Barton & Gray Mariners Club offers an assortment of membership options from “all-you-can-yacht” to “bite-sized-boating.” Members enjoy a lifetime of yachting with the ability to adjust their membership and take advantage of the ever expanding harbors and new yachts being added to the club. For more information, visit bartonandgray.com.

& Wootton’s Chestnut Linen Venetian Slippers. $575 at stubbsandwootton.com.

at thekembleshop.com.

Stubbs

The Kemble Shop’s Lucite Cain Clutch. $145

Elizabeth Gage’s Amethyst and Grey Pearl Kiss Pin in 18ct yellow gold. $28,380 at elizabeth-gage.com.

Roberto Coin’s 18k Yellow Gold and Diamond Cialoma Ring. $6,950 at robertocoin.com.

Tucked away on quiet South Summer Street in Edgartown village, The Charlotte Inn in Martha’s Vineyard is exquisitely appointed with fine art, English antiques, luxurious linens, and fresh flowers—a romantic reflection of a bygone era. Visit thecharotteinn.com.

Rizzoli’s de Gournay: Hand-Painted Interiors books celebrates the brand’s elegant hand-painted wallpapers, notably featured in The Colony Palm Beach’s Living Room. $75 at thecolonyedit.com.

Claire Florence Jewelry’s Solid 18k Gold Circle Ring with Diamond. $10,200 at claireflorence.com.

Silvia Tcherassi’s Ximena Blouse in Beige ($790) and Laurina Skirt in Orange Orchid Abstract Stripes ($1,290). Visit silviatcherassi.com.

Tommy Mitchell’s Double Hollyhock in garden greens and sculptural zinc. $2,100 at Gil Walsh Interiors. Visit gwifl.com.

Addie Smith & Liam McKillop

S eptember 9, 2023 j Q uogue , N ew Y ork j p hotographed b Y p hilip a N ema

Addie and Liam were married before 260 guests at the bride’s family home. Addie donned a gown by Carolina Herrera and her father, Max Smith, walked her down the aisle. She carried a bouquet of white and blue hydrangeas. After the ceremony, a reception was held at a nearby club with dinner, dancing, cake from local bakeshop Sugar Sugar, and doughnuts from North Fork Doughnut Company. The couple shared their first dance to “Be Mine” by David Gray. After the weekend, the newlyweds departed for their honeymoon in Bora Bora. The wedding festivities were planned by Arch Events.

Cara Jane Dealy & Emil William Henry III

O ctOber 6, 2023 j N ew Y Ork , N ew Y Ork P h OtO gra P hed b Y J ulie S karratt

Cara and Emil exchanged vows before 60 guests at St. James’ Church, desiring a wedding that felt like an intimate dinner party. The bride wore a Reem Acra gown and her mother’s pearls, which served as her wedding earrings in keeping with a Dealy family tradition. Her father, Patrick Dealy, walked her down the aisle, and she carried a bouquet of lilies of the valley.

Following the ceremony, a reception took place at The Links, where guests enjoyed dinner and cake by Charlotte Neuville. The newlyweds shared their first dance to “More” by Bobby Darin. The event planning and floral design was executed by Antony Todd. After the celebra tion, Cara and Emil retreated to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee for a mini-moon and are planning their honeymoon for 2024.

Aggy Barnowski & Andrew Kimball

S eptember 2, 2023 j N orthea S t h arbor , m ai N e j p hotographed by J acqui c ole

Aggy and Andrew were married before 210 guests at St. Mary’s-By-The-Sea. The bride wore an Oscar de la Renta gown and was escorted down the aisle by her father, Andrzej Barnowski. After the ceremony, cocktails were served in the gardens at The Asticou Inn. When it was time to transition to dinner, torches and the band’s horn section led attendees through the property to a tent overlooking the harbor on the lower lawn. Guests were treated to a cake by Bear Brook Bakery, and the couple shared their first dance to “26” by Caamp before the reception turned into a late-night disco party with a DJ playing into the early morning hours. The following day, everyone was invited to join a sailing excursion, allowing guests to experience Mount Desert Island from the water while sipping on rosé and taking in the beauty of the Maine coast. The newlyweds will travel to Italy for their honeymoon this summer.

Isabel Margot Keogh & Rhoads Walker MacGuire

J uly 9, 2023 j N ewport , r hode I sla N d j p hotographed by b eth l udwI g

Isabel and Rhoads were married in front of 170 guests at OceanCliff. The weekend kicked off with a rehearsal dinner at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. For the ceremony, the bride wore a Jenny Yoo gown, and her father, Bill Keogh, walked her down the aisle. After the service, guests enjoyed a reception with dinner, dancing, and a cake from Gingersnap Bakery. The couple shared their first dance to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. In memory of Rhoads’ late mother, Alane, he shared a dance with his childhood nanny, Bibi Moonsamy. The newlyweds traveled to Hawaii for their honeymoon.

Rajwa Al Saif & Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah

Rajwa Al Saif wed Al Hussein bin Abdullah, Crown Prince of Jordan and the son of King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, in the gardens of Zahran Palace in Amman, the same venue where King Abdullah II and Queen Rania married in 1993. The wedding procession made its way through the streets to Al Husseiniya Palace, where the newlyweds greeted 1,700 guests before the reception. Among the distinguished attendees were the Prince and Princess of Wales, First Lady Jill Biden, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.

Caroline Griswold & Grayden Kough

S eptember 30, 2023 j Q uogue , N ew Y ork j p hotographed b Y J ack p latN er

Caroline and Grayden tied the knot before 175 guests at a private club. The bride wore a Danielle Frankel dress and was escorted down the aisle by her parents, Roger Griswold and Stephanie Fairchild. Due to heavy rain, the couple opted for a “surprise ceremony” indoors after the rehearsal dinner during the welcome party. The move was a huge hit, easing nerves about the weather for the weekend. The following evening, a reception was held at the bride’s family home, where guests enjoyed dinner and cake prepared by Stone Creek Inn.

Caroline and Grayden shared their first dance to “More than a Woman” by the Bee Gees. The night culminated with a silent disco. After the festivities, the newlyweds traveled to Todos Santos, Mexico, for their honeymoon.

JUNE

On June 18th, Royal Ascot will take place at Ascot Racecourse in England through June 22nd. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ascot.com.

5

TASTE OF SUMMER

Central Park Conservancy will host its annual delectable kickoff to summer in New York City at Bethesda Terrace at 7 p.m. Taste of Summer features culinary tastings prepared by some of the city’s best restaurants, plus cocktails, music, and dancing. This annual benefit supports the Central Park Conservancy’s mission to restore, maintain, and enhance Central Park. For more information, visit centralparknyc.org.

9

GREENWICH POLO CLUB

Greenwich Polo Club will host its American Cup to kick off the season. Nestled in the beautiful backcountry of Connecticut, Greenwich Polo Club was established in 1981 and is recognized as one of the elite high-goal polo venues in the world. Known for its unmatched roster of legendary teams, professional players, and champion equine athletes, fondly known as polo ponies. Distinguished families,

young entrepreneurs, artists, and well-known personalities are all part of the international dynamic

which makes Greenwich Polo Club so unique. The club is home to the legendary White Birch polo

On June 5th, Central Park Conservancy will host its annual Taste of Summer event at Bethesda Terrace at 7 p.m. For more information, visit centralparknyc.org.

team, one of the most successful in history, having won the most high-goal polo tournaments of any team over the course of the past 25 years, including the US Open Polo Championship in 2005. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit greenwichpoloclub.com.

10

CHEFS’ TRIBUTE

Citymeals on Wheels will host its 37th Annual Chefs’ Tribute at Cipriani South Street. The beloved walk-around tasting event supports older New Yorkers in need. This year’s theme, Sauced!, is a playful homage to dining and mixology. All-star chefs — including Aliyyah Baylor, Daniel Boulud, Nando and Valerie Chang, Leah Cohen, Rocco DiSpirito, Marc Forgione, Alex Guarnaschelli, Antonia Lofaso, Charlie Palmer, and Alfred Portale — will showcase dishes highlighting a signature sauce. Guests will also enjoy craft cocktails from the city’s leading bars and abundant fine wines. A live band keeps the dance floor packed late into the evening. Festive attire is encouraged. For

On June 22nd, the 25th annual Mashomack International Polo Challenge will take place in Pine Plains, New York. For more information, visit mashomackpoloclub.com.

more information and to purchase tickets, visit citymeals.org.

18

ROYAL ASCOT

Through June 22nd, the Royal Ascot will take place at Ascot Racecourse in England. Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne who, when riding out from Windsor Castle, came across a piece of land “ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch.” In the 300 years since, we’ve seen champions crowned and legends made, and are delighted to now welcome hundreds of thousands of racegoers each year. There is no event in the social calendar quite as revered as Royal Ascot. After all, it’s reserved for the best; the best in racing, the best in hospitality – and, of course, the best in style. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ascot.com.

21

NEWPORT FLOWER SHOW

The Preservation Society of Newport County will hold its 28th annual edition of New England’s premier flower show at Rosecliff through June 23rd. The theme, “At Home,” will explore the beauty and inspiration that flowers and plants bring to the spaces in which we live. The Preservation Society of Newport County’s mission is to protect, preserve, and present the best of Newport County’s architectural

heritage. For more information, visit newportmansions.org.

22

MASHOMACK POLO

The 25th annual Mashomack International Polo Challenge & Luncheon will take place at Mashomack Polo Club in Pine Plains, New York. The event kicks off at

noon with an elegant Champagne Reception followed by a Tented FieldSide Luncheon. The excitement begins with great fanfare as the parade of international flags are led onto the field, followed by the dashing teams of mounted players. Following the match is the awards ceremony with presentations made by our sponsors and their representatives. This year,

ticket and table purchases for the Mashomack International Polo Challenge will benefit the Mashomack Community Fund, Inc., a 501(c) (3) private foundation. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit mashomackpoloclub.com.

26

EVENING AT THE WATER

The Greensward Circle, the Central Park Conservancy’s network of young professionals, will present its summer benefit, “Evening at the Water: A Night to Set Sail” at one of New York’s most recognizable venues, Central Park’s Conservatory Water at 6 p.m. Attendees will enjoy delectable food, refreshing libations, and lively entertainment! For more information, visit centralparknyc.org.

JULY 1

WIMBLEDON TENNIS

The Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon-the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is regarded by many as the most prestigious-will take place at the All England Lawn and Croquet Club in London through July 14th and the Wimbledon Public Ballot has now closed. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit wimbledon.com.

On June 21st, the Preservation Society of Newport County will hold its 28th annual edition of the Newport Flower Show at Rosecliff through June 23rd. For more information, visit newportmansions.org.

ESTABLISHED IN LONDON

PRODUCED & WRITTEN BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

PHOTOGRAPHED BY KIRK TRUMAN

Quest ’s annual roundup of movers & shakers across the pond.

SAMANTHA CAMERON

AS BOTH A mother and a career woman, Samantha Cameron is perpetually on the go. As the wife of Foreign Secretary and former Prime Minister David Cameron, she is no stranger to the public eye. While striving to balance work and family life, Cameron sought clothes that were not only practical for her active lifestyle but also flattering and spotlight-ready. In 2017, recognizing a gap in the market for quality, versatile hero pieces that could transition seamlessly from a busy day to an evening out, Cameron founded Cefinn, a clothing label offering chic designer fashion for the multitasking urban woman. Today, she serves as the Creative Director, working closely with a small team across marketing, finance, and print design. “I was struggling to find a wardrobe that was appropriate but not too formal or corporate,” said Cameron. “I wanted to create a designer brand that was modern, feminine, and beautifully finished without the luxury price tag.”

Each piece is crafted by a team of skilled artisans in the London Atelier, ensuring a perfect fit and flattering silhouette for all body shapes. A fashionista herself, Cameron was named to Tatler’s Best Dressed List in 2013 and, as the brand’s sole designer, creates each look for the Cefinn collection. To make life easier for women on the move, Cefinn utilizes innovative fabrics—most of which are machine washable and require no ironing.

Cefinn recently opened its first permanent store on Elizabeth Street in Belgravia, just a short stroll from Buckingham Palace and the Sloane Street shopping district. “It’s very exciting to have a physical home for the brand and create a beautiful environment for our customers to visit in person. We have an amazing team there to help with styling and advice on what to wear from the collection to all the summer season’s events, and it’s such a pretty street with a great community of boutiques and delicious cafés and restaurants,” said Cameron. She is currently designing the Summer 2025 collection, featuring occasion dresses for events like the races, weddings, and more.

Clockwise from top left: Cashmere knitwear; Samantha Cameron in the Stella Silk Midi Dress in Green Damask Print ($390) outside Cefinn’s pop-up on Elizabeth Street; looks from the collection. Opposite page: Samantha Cameron in Cefinn’s Ophelia

Bias Cut Maxi Dress in Black Multi Tropical Floral Print ($320).

GEORGE BAMFORD

AN AVID COLLECTOR of watches and vintage cars from a young age, George Bamford is the founder of Bamford London, a company known for creating original timepieces like the Bamford Mayfair Sport and collaborative models with brands such as Harrods and Peanuts Worldwide. He also established the Bamford Watch Department (BWD), a division that customizes designs from other watchmakers. BWD was born out of Bamford’s desire to make his Rolex Daytona, a gift for his 18th birthday, unique after noticing many others had the same watch. He applied a DLC coating to the steel, turning it black. While on vacation in the South of France, his customized Rolex garnered significant interest, leading to 25 orders upon his return to the UK. For Bamford, personalization is paramount. “I’ve always loved the idea of it. If you go back to the original Rolls-Royces, you could get a unique car designed just for you, and I thought that the option of personalization was really missing in the watch world,” said Bamford.

Initially seen as a “rebel” in the watch industry for personalizing timepieces without the brands’ approval, Bamford now collaborates with them. Under the guidance of Jean-Claude Biver, head of LVMH’s watchmaking division at the time, BWD became an official partner of the group in 2017 and has since been the authorized customizer for TAG Heuer. Additionally, BWD works with Bremont, Chopard, Franck Muller, Tag Heuer, Girard-Perragaux, and Zenith today. Watch manufacturers now send their timepieces directly to BWD for customization without voiding the warranty. All customizations are done at BWD’s headquarters in Mayfair, a townhouse known as ‘The Hive,’ which is elaborately decorated to reflect Bamford’s passions, featuring a beautiful collection of clocks, vintage chronographs, and automotive references. Bamford’s day-to-day role is multifaceted, encompassing creative director, CEO, legal, HR, and even postman. “We are a very small team based in The Hive in Mayfair, and so every role here is flexible,” said Bamford. “I love being on the ground and knowing that every watch delivered to a client has had that personal touch.” Bamford is excited about a new Bamford London watch launching in September and new brand partnerships coming on board this year.

George Bamford in ‘The Hive,’ Bamford London’s townhouse headquarters in the heart of Mayfair.

Debonnaire von Bismarck in the Vita Kin’s Shalimar Dress in Mango & Cream ($1,950). Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Debonnaire packaging; Giberto’s Blue Paperweight, $550 (left), BB Oggetti D’ Arte’s Blue Glass Bowl, $365 (front), and Giberto’s Red Glass Heart, $775 (right); von Bismarck in Vita Kin’s Shalimar Dress in Red & White ($1,950) with The City Farm Girl’s Rooster Foot Stool by her side (sizes and prices vary); Objet Luxe’s Monkey Madagascar Bowl ($510) and L’Objet’s Crocodile Letter Opener ($180).

DEBONNAIRE VON BISMARCK

DRIVEN BY A passion for sourcing rare and exquisitely crafted gifts from around the world, Debonnaire von Bismarck founded her eponymous company, Debonnaire, in 2014. Debonnaire offers a curated selection of men’s and women’s clothing, jewelry, small leather goods, home accessories, and embossed luggage tags, all embodying color and fun, essential to the art of gift-giving. Each purchase from Debonnaire is thoughtfully wrapped and adorned with brightly-colored pom-poms. The brand celebrates global designs, featuring embroidered shawls from Nepal, hand-painted leather boxes with personalized artwork from India, handengraved Murano glass, and even Cardinal’s socks from Rome. “When I travel, which I do often, I love finding unique presents for friends and family along the way. They are usually inspired by the places I visit and people I meet,” said von Bismarck. “I’m often asked about the things I wear, so it felt almost completely natural to embark on this journey and create Debonnaire with my business partner Judith Loof.”

Debonnaire began with a by-appointment showroom in Knightsbridge, a vibrant space designed by Jaipur-based interiors expert Marie-Anne Oudejans. The company has since transitioned to an ecommerce platform and hosts seasonal pop-ups. When asked about the future of the company, von Bismarck replied, “It’s such a changing world! We had a beautiful showroom for eight years, which was a wonderful experience, but we decided to go fully online and are doing fun pop-ups in various locations. This month, we are hosting a five-day event with some of our favorite brands in London. It’s great to catch up with our clients in person again.”

KIKI MCDONOUGH

KIKI MCDONOUGH IS A renowned British jewelry designer celebrated for her vibrant use of color and timeless, elegant designs. Founded over three decades ago, her eponymous brand has become synonymous with exquisite craftsmanship and innovative creativity.

McDonough’s journey into the industry was deeply influenced by her heritage; she is the fifth generation in her family to work with jewelry, ensuring a profound knowledge and appreciation for the craft. “My father owned an antique jewelry shop, so I grew up surrounded by jewelry and learning how to wear it. I was always drawn to the gemstones, especially citrines and amethysts, despite rubies and emeralds being most popular at the time,” McDonough recalled. This legacy is reflected in her meticulous attention to detail and commitment to using only responsibly sourced materials of the highest quality. Her pieces are designed to be both luxurious and wearable, suitable for all occasions. “I knew nobody else was incorporating gemstones into wearable everyday fine jewelry pieces, and I wanted to design more modern pieces, full of color, that women would love for years,” she explained.

As Creative Director, McDonough has garnered a loyal following, including royalty and celebrities, who are drawn to the brand’s unique blend of modernity and tradition. Looking ahead, McDonough plans to expand further into the United States. “America has always been our second biggest market, and we are focused on expansion there. I love working with Americans - they have always been consistently enthusiastic and they totally understand the brand,” she said. ◆

Kiki McDonough and her jewelry at her boutique in Sloane Square.

CHEERS TO 45 YEARS OF HARRY’S BAR

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

NESTLED IN THE heart of Mayfair at 26 South Audley Street, Harry’s Bar was established in 1979 by Mark Birley, widely known as the “King of Clubs.” Emblematic of Birley’s signature flair, Harry’s Bar swiftly ascended as a hub for the world’s elite, drawing icons from the Prince of Wales to Kate Moss and Beyoncé. The club’s history is filled with legendary moments that contribute its enduring allure and storied charm. Longstanding staff members fondly remember an evening in 1987 when Frank Sinatra flew in from New York for a show at Annabel’s. Ever the aficionado of fine dining, Sinatra couldn’t resist a stop to enjoy a meal at Harry’s Bar, before changing into his tuxedo in the Chef’s office so as not to miss the performance. Since 2007, under the stewardship of Richard and

Clockwise from top left: Richard and Patricia Caring; Fabio Angella, Executive Head Chef; Roberto Espoito, Head Bartender; main dining room.

Opposite page: Tim, the doorman.

Patricia Caring, Harry’s Bar has continued to thrive. This year marks its 45th anniversary.

Inspired by the original Venice establishment founded by Giuseppe Cipriani, Sr. in 1931, the club features a striking pink bar and a restaurant adorned with Peter Arno cartoons, 1930s Venetian chandeliers, Fortuny fabrics, and Murano glassware. Signature dishes like Carpaccio di Manzo and Zabaglione honor its Venetian roots, while the Bellini—created by Cipriani in Venice—remains a favorite. Throughout the globe, members toast to over four decades of Harry’s Bar in London, raising a glass to its unrivaled success. u

Notable visitors of Harry’s Bar over the years.

Clockwise from top left: Sir Elton John at Harry’s Bar, 1994; Joan Collins and Roger Moore, 1990; Aerin Lauder, 2023; Jay Z and Beyoncé, 2023. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Michele Costantini, a sommelier; al fresco dining; the bar area.

New & Notable Hotels in London

The latest and most anticipated openings for travelers to the British capital.

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

Broadwick Soho

Conceived by Noel Hayden, who spent his childhood at his family’s hotel, Mon Ami, Broadwick Soho is an independent luxury hotel that opened in November 2023 in the heart of London’s bustling West End. Designed to reflect the neighborhood’s storied past with a blend of grit and glamour, the contemporary hotel features 57 rooms, including nine suites and a penthouse, with flamboyant, disco-chic interiors by Martin Brudnizki, the designer behind the legendary private club Annabel’s in Mayfair.

Broadwick Soho offers a range of lively dining and drinking venues to suit every occasion. Dear Jackie, the basement restaurant, and Bar Jackie, the casual street-level café with al fresco dining, are both named in honor of Hayden’s mother. Guests can also enjoy Flute, the always-crowded rooftop bar known for its stunning views and live music, and The Nook, a cozy lounge exclusive to hotel guests, evoking the vibe of a private members club.

The Emory

Located in Knightsbridge and overlooking Hyde Park, the all-suite Emory hotel-opened just last month-is the latest addition to the prestigious Maybourne Hotel Group, which also operates three of London’s iconic hotels: Claridge’s, The Connaught, and The Berkeley. Emphasizing “quiet luxury,” The Emory’s private cobbled entrance is nestled in an off-street enclave on Old Barrack Yard.

With modern architecture led by the late Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour of RSHP, The Emory features a contemporary steelwork design that Harbour compares to “watchmaking on a grand scale,” likening the building to a Swiss timepiece. The public spaces, with interiors designed by Rémi Tessier, include the popular abc kitchens restaurant from renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and The Emory Bar on the ground floor. The rooftop, offering 360-degree views of the capital’s skyline, is home to Bar 33 and The Emory Cigar Merchants, both of which are open exclusively to hotel guests or for private events.

The Peninsula London

Opened in September 2023, The Peninsula London is centrally located at the intersection of Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Arch. This grand hotel boasts 190 guest rooms and suites, along with 25 private residences. Guests can indulge in world-class culinary experiences at the rooftop restaurant Brooklands, which serves British classics; Canton Blue and its adjacent bar Little Blue for exquisite Chinese cuisine and cocktails; The Lobby for traditional afternoon tea, often accompanied by live music; and Peninsula Boutique and Café for casual bites throughout the day. The hotel also features a spa and wellness center, offering a range of therapies—both ancient and modern—and access to a 25-meter swimming pool.

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair

On June 3rd, the renowned Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will expand its ever-growing presence with the highly anticipated opening of its Mayfair hotel in the heart of Hanover Square, just steps from Bond Street and Savile Row. Unlike its Hyde Park location, known for old-world glamour, the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair offers a discreet, sleek, and intimate atmosphere, featuring 50 guestrooms and 77 private residences.

Designed by acclaimed architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (the talents behind London’s Lloyd’s building and the ‘Cheesegrater’), the building’s interiors were envisioned by Curiosity, a Tokyo-based studio inspired by nature. Elegant green Ming marble, prominent throughout the hotel’s public spaces, reflects the greenery of Hanover Square, including on the sweeping spiral staircase leading from the lobby to the lower level.

The hotel proudly hosts the first namesake Akira Back restaurant in the UK, from Michelin-starred Chef Akira Back, along with his ABar Lounge and ABar rooftop bar. Additionally, guests can enjoy an urban spa with a 25-meter swimming pool, sauna, vitality pool, relaxation room, and a variety of bespoke wellness treatments. ◆

CHANEL: FROM COUTURE TO CULTURE

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

CAN ANYTHING rival the iconic status of the interlocking Cs logo in fashion? Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel—fashion designer and founder of her eponymous brand—epitomized the modern working woman during her lifetime. Unlike any other designer of her era, Chanel had an uncanny ability to foresee the evolution of contemporary fashion. She was credited with popularizing a sporty chic look as a feminine style in the post-World War I era.

Model Kristen McMenamy on the runway during the Chanel Spring 1993 ready-to-wear show. Opposite page, from above: The Chanel Spring 2019 Haute Couture show, presented in the Grand Palais, transported the audience to an Italianate villa; the cover of Assouline’s Chanel: The Legend of an Icon .

Most notably, as a working woman, she designed primarily for herself and her own lifestyle, creating clothes that suited an independent and active routine.

Chanel’s career began in 1910 when she opened her first shop in Paris, selling hats at the age of 27. Her initial foray into fashion was inspired by a dress she created from an old jersey, which garnered numerous compliments. She soon found herself making similar dresses for others, quickly establishing a reputation. Chanel became known for elevating humble fabrics like jersey and tweed to couture status, pioneering a new silhouette that was both sophisticated and understated.

In the 1920s, she launched her first perfume, Chanel No. 5, which remains a favorite to this day. Shortly after, she introduced the iconic Chanel suit with a collarless jacket. As women began to enter the workforce, she revolutionized their wardrobes, transitioning them out of corsets and into suits that were comfortable enough for work. Around the same time, she introduced the Little Black Dress, another timeless classic.

Following the onset of World War II, Chanel closed her

Clockwise from top left: Illustration of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld, by Donald Robertson; evening jacket, Haute Couture, Autumn 2007; leather and satin shoes. Opposite page: Coat, Haute Couture, Spring 2005.

The building blocks of classic Chanel chic; detail of day suit, Haute Couture, Autumn 2002 (inset). Opposite page, from above: The Chanel Spring 2008 Haute Couture show presented in the Grand Palais featured a 66-foot-tall replica of the classic tweed suit jacket, from which the parade of models emerged; sketch of the Classic handbag on quilted leather.

shops but made a triumphant return to the fashion world in the 1950s at age 70. In 1955, she debuted the first-ever luxury shoulder bag, forever changing the handbag market. Although she passed away in 1971, the legacy of Coco Chanel endures, celebrated as one of the most influential designers of the 20th century.

Twelve years after her death, Karl Lagerfeld assumed the role of artistic director, revitalizing Chanel’s designs while preserving the brand’s essence. Just as Chanel revolutionized contemporary fashion, Lagerfeld crafted the blueprint for the modern fashion house. She transformed women’s wardrobes; he redefined the fashion industry itself. “Making the timeless exist in the immediate and allowing the fleeting to be perpetually reborn: These are the deep secrets of the Chanel style,” once said Lagerfeld.

In tribute to this impactful house, Assouline has released an updated edition of its best-selling Ultimate volume, Chanel: The Impossible Collection. Chanel: The Legend of an Icon by fashion journalist Alexander Fury explores the brand’s rich history and showcases 100 images of Chanel’s most iconic looks, from the Little Black Dress to the two-tone pumps and strands of faux pearls. These pages offer just a glimpse into Chanel’s lasting allure. u

A GUIDE TO LONDON’S BEST SHOPPING

Clockwise from below: New Bond Street; northward up Savile Row from Vigo Street, 1955; Savile Row street sign; Burlington Arcade’s north entrance.

RALPH LAUREN

32-33 Sloane Square / ralphlauren.com

Situated on Sloane Square, Ralph Lauren’s flagship boutique houses the brand’s premium Purple Label, Polo men’s and women’s, and Ralph Lauren Home collections, as well as a unique edit of products curated for local shoppers. For over 50 years, the brand has been capturing the American spirit, re-imagining equestrian influences for today. Set behind an Edwardian façade, the bright, light-filled space runs over two floors, covering 4,251 square feet, and blends clean and traditional interior details. The brand’s recent introductions include this Garden Vine Teapot ($165), created in collaboration with Burleigh, the storied, 160-year-old English pottery maker.

ELIZABETH GAGE

5 West Halkin Street / elizabeth-gage.com

A celebrated British jewelry designer, Elizabeth Gage has long been known for her unique and eclectic designs that incorporate various materials and gemstones. Her work is characterized by its boldness, creativity, and attention to detail, and has earned her a loyal following among collectors and admirers alike across the globe. In 1964, she established her special brand, Elizabeth Gage, which quickly became a hallmark of creativity and innovation in the world of fine jewelry. Exquisite stones, ancient bronzes, beautiful carvings, and baroque pearls - all chosen for their individual beauty - are all present in the unique jewelry. The Diamond Collection, the brand’s newest, is chic, timeless, and symbolic.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

27 Old Bond Street / alexandermcqueen.com

Lee Alexander McQueen was a British fashion designer and couturier, and founded his eponymous label in 1992. The brand quickly become one of the most well known luxury fashion houses in the world. Part of the Kering Group since 2001, the house now offers runway and ready-to-wear collections for men and women, handbags, shoes, accessories, and jewelry. Since 2019, an experimental space has been positioned on the top floor of the Alexander McQueen flagship store on Old Bond Street. The space is dedicated to giving open access to the work in process, stories, teamwork, and materials that go into the collections, from the treasury of ideas and clothes by Lee Alexander McQueen through to the inspiration and creative processes developed organically by Seán McGirr.

BUDD LONDON

3 Piccadilly Arcade / buddshirts.co.uk

Budd has plied its trade as a quintessential gentlemen’s haberdashery and shirtmaker since its founding by Harold Budd in 1910. The shop and cutting room have been located in Mayfair’s Piccadilly Arcade since day one and are its oldest tenants. Like all of Mayfair’s traditional arcade boutiques, the shop is tiny, but its size belies the wealth of clothing and haberdashery housed inside. Budd is a veritable Pandora’s stocking the finest shirts, nightwear, dresswear, and accessories. It prides itself on its hard-to-source items.

THE DECK

32 Savile Row / thedecklondon.com

Daisy Knatchbull is on a mission to change tailored clothes for women, and to offer successful, style conscious women a compelling alternative to fast fashion. She founded The Deck in early 2019, and the brand has since received glowing reviews in the fashion press, dressed some of the most influential female actors, entrepreneurs, and creatives working today, and opened the first women’s-only shopfront on Savile Row. The Deck is determined to establish itself as the leading tailoring house for women internationally, and to stand alongside its neighbors on Savile Row as a respected and innovative tailoring house. “This brand is all about empowering women to feel confident, sexy and like they’re making the right wardrobe choices,” Knatchbull says.

JOHN LOBB

88 Jermyn Street / johnlobb.com

Since its inception over 150 years ago, Lobb has trodden an innovative path. Its founder, who traveled on foot from the Cornish coast to London in 1851 as a young apprentice bootmaker, also journeyed to Australia during the gold rush, creating hollow heeled boots, in which miners could stow contraband gold nuggets. On returning to London in 1863, Lobb was named as the bootmaker to the Prince of Wales, before opening the brand’s first bespoke boutique on Regent Street in 1866. Today, John Lobb designs still incorporate artisanal techniques and silhouettes discovered in the house’s extensive archive. The label’s ready-to-wear designs are made using a complex 190step manufacturing process in Northampton.

ASPREY

36 Bruton Street / asprey.com

Asprey is a British retailer of luxury goods. Founded in 1781, the House has historically been recognized as one of the world’s preeminent luxury goods brands and has a substantial client base of members of royalty, heads of state, and important actors on the world stage. The Bruton Street Flagship, ‘Asprey 240,’ offers a unique immersive experience of discovering the brand and its creations. The must-see London shop incorporates elements of inspiration from the British outdoors and a contemporary London mansion, showcasing the house’s distinct collections and hero products in a cinematic, exhibition-type format catering to all five senses.

JAMES J. FOX

19 St James’s Street / jjfox.co.uk

James J. “JJ” Fox been trading in fine tobacco and smokers’ accessories from 19 St James’s Street for over 235 years and its customers have included discriminating smokers from all walks of life-from commoners to kings. Among them have been Sir Winston Churchill, Oscar Wilde, British and Foreign Royalty, the officer’s mess of famous British regiments, and the leading lights of the stage, film, sport, TV, radio, music, and literature. This world-famous tobacco business started with Robert Lewis, who began trading fine tobacco in St James’s Street in 1787. James J. Fox was formed in Dublin in 1881 and opened its first tobacco shop in London in 1947. Fox acquired the business of Robert Lewis in 1992, uniting two of the most respected names in the cigar world.

SWAINE

127 New Bond Street / swaine.london

Since 1750, Swaine is the oldest name in luxury goods in London, providing handmade luxury leather goods, elegant Brigg umbrellas, and timeless Herbert Johnson headwear. Swaine’s craftsmanship is the legacy of centuries of observation and reflection on leather and its tanning. Swaine’s highly skilled artisans carry the age-old knowledge passed on from craftsman to craftsman. English Bridle Leather is pigmented using organic dyes, and then liberally fed with tallow and oils as part of the tanning process. Bridle leather has a natural and integral durability, so it will map its many years of use by your side with a beautiful rich patina. Once the Bridle leather has been prepared in Swaine’s tanneries, Swaine’s workshop precisely hand cut the leather patterns ready to be assembled by using a traditional saddlery technique of hand stitching. ◆

POLO JOURNAL

One of the draws of polo for spectators is the beauty of the game. And for players, there is the lure of the adrenaline, the thrill of a win. Quest revisits the sport in our annual Polo Journal.

This page, clockwise from top: The International Polo Cup at Meadowbrook, Long Island, on June 13, 1914; female polo players, April 1924; a young girl successfully mounts a wooden polo pony; a player about to strike. Opposite page: An army polo team, 1912.

MASHOMACK POLO

Mashomack Polo Club Hosts its 25th Annual International Polo Challenge

Located on a 1,900-acre preserve in Pine Plains, New York, just 90 minutes from New York City, the Mashomack Polo Club is a full-service club for polo players of all levels that features five tournament-class fields, one practice field, stick-and-ball areas, and an outdoor polo arena.

On Saturday, June 22, the Mashomack Polo Club will host the 25th Annual Mashomack International Polo Challenge and Luncheon. This year, Mashomack welcomes Team Philippines to its International Polo Challenge for the first time.

The event begins at noon with a Champagne reception, followed by a tented field-side luncheon and the exciting International Polo Challenge. The Patron high-goal tables offer the best views in the house, along with Champagne on ice and a dedicated wait staff assigned to your table, along with other amenities.

This prestigious event attracts over 1,000 patrons and spectators and marks the official start of the summer social season in Millbrook. The wonderful day brings guests from New York City, Westchester, and Fairfield County to spend the day in the countryside and experience the sport.

luncheon.

In June, the club hosts the eight-goal USPA Officers Cup (June 12-30) and the four- to six-goal Halcyon Cup (June 12-29); in July, the eight-goal USPA Eduardo Moore Invitational (July 3–28) and the four- to six-goal Briarcliff Cup (July 5-27); and, in August, the twelve-goal USPA Centennial Cup (August 2-24), the eightgoal USPA Tracey Mactaggart Challenge Cup (August 2-31), and the four- to six-goal Dan Daly Memorial (August 3-30); as well as the four- to six-goal Fall Classic (September 1-15) and the 3x3 Smithfield/Shekomeko Open (September 20-21) in September. Besides the exciting matches, private polo lessons are offered independently to both adults and children. Group clinics on Saturdays are also arranged from through August. u

For more information, visit mashomackpoloclub.com.

Courtesy of the Mashomack Polo Club

This page, clockwise from top left: Parker Gentry, Karen Klopp, and Bruce and Teresa Colley; an action shot from the 17th Annual International Polo Challenge; a Champagne toast always kicks off the match; guests enjoy Mashomack’s tented field-side

Clockwise from top left: MIPC 2015 welcomed Team Egypt; Bruce Colley of Team Hillrock and Carlos Mansur of Brazil during MIPC 2019; Teams Dreams Hotels and Gracious Homes battle during MIPC 2013; Blaine Trump and Kara Georgiopoulos, 2010; Alicia Adams, Deban Flexner, Karen Klopp, Libby Mavroleon, Nina Griscom, and Bonnie Pfeiffer during a match; Simone Mailman, Charles Wilson, Cece Cord, Kirk Henckels, Mary van Pelt, Mark Gilbertson, and Fernanda Kellogg seated during a luncheon, and Karen and John Klopp standing behind them.

Clockwise from top left: An action shot from the second annual Santa Ynez Valley Polo Classic, which took place in 2013; the American and English polo teams face off in 1913; the Rambagh Palace polo grounds in Jaipur, India; two polo cups, which were won by the U.S. Army polo team in 1923; snow polo in St. Moritz is particularly exciting to watch; wooden polo mallets are still used today.

THE YOUNG & THE GUEST LIST YGL

BY BROOKE KELLY MURRAY

Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth, both wearing Tom Ford.

THE ANNUAL MET GALA IN NEW YORK

ON THE FIRST Monday in May, celebrities gathered for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s highly anticipated Costume Institute Gala, famously known as the Met Gala. This year’s event, co-chaired by Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth alongside Anna Wintour, celebrated the opening of the Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion exhibition at The Met. Attendees embraced the “Garden of Time” theme with their stunning attire.

Clockwise from top left: Bad Bunny, wearing Maison Margiela; Gigi Hadid, wearing Thom Browne; Zendaya, wearing Maison Margiela; Kris Jenner, wearing Oscar de la Renta, with Corey Gamble; Sydney Sweeney, wearing Miu Miu; Kendall Jenner, wearing Givenchy; Jennifer Lopez, wearing Schiaparelli.

ON APRIL 25TH, the Cinema Society hosted a screening of Hulu’s Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, a docuseries chronicling the epic past and future of one of the most recognizable bands in the world and its front-man, at IPIC Theater in the Financial Disctrict. The premiere was followed by a Q&A and an afterparty at the nearby Fulton by Jean-Georges restaurant.

Dan Abrams, Jon Bon Jovi, and Gotham Chopra

Andrew Saffir and Sophie Sumner

Mariah Strongin

Jon Bon Jovi and Maye Musk

Chloe Melton and Katie Preston

AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE’S SPRING GALA IN NEW YORK

IN LATE MAY, American Ballet Theatre (ABT) hosted its annual Spring Gala, ‘Ballet Brilliance,’ at Cipriani 42nd Street. Guests enjoyed dinner while watching a live performance featuring a curated selection of excerpts from the upcoming 2024 Summer season, including a preview of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works ahead of the New York Premiere in June. The program was followed by dancing. The evening honored filmmaker Chai Vasarhelyi. ◆

Susan Jaffe and Elizabeth Segerstrom

Romilly Newman, Ivy Getty, and Eileen Kelly

Lilah Ramzi, Lizzie Asher, and Casey Kohlberg

Malcolm Carfrae and Katie Holmes Sharareh Siadat

185 YEARS OF A BRITISH TRADITION

THIS YEAR COMMEMORATES the 185th anniversary of the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta, a jewel in the crown of British sporting events. Since its inception in 1839, the event has been synonymous with tradition, elegance, and worldclass rowing. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the River Thames in England, Henley Royal Regatta draws global spectators to a six-day festival of thrilling races, sophisticated picnics with afternoon tea, and classic British charm. Next

month—kicking off on July 2nd—marks not just another year, but an exciting milestone for the timeless event. u

Clockwise from above: Rowing enthusiasts line the banks of the River Thames for the Henley Royal Regatta; former Prime Minister Theresa May in Argonaut on the River Thames at the Henley Royal Regatta, 2019; Queen Elizabeth (then Princess Elizabeth) visits Henley Royal Regatta to mark the introduction of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, 1946; spectators enjoy the regatta.

We look forward to welcoming you to Palm Beach’s pinkest hotel.