11.11.09: Fair weather, half-moon rising. A lot going on.

Fair weather, half-moon rising. A lot going on.

Bicycle in the West Village. 2:00 PM. Photo: JH.

November 11, 2009. Last night in New York; fair weather, half-moon rising. A lot going on.

I started out down at the Lotos Club where Dr. Stan Cohen was giving a cocktail reception to celebrate the birthday of his vivacious wife Jean on the piano nobile of the mansion. Dr. Cohen attended the Fete de Swifty this past September and put in the winning bid to have David Patrick Columbia cover and photograph a party for the NYSD and Quest magazine.

I don’t know what Dr. Cohen paid for this “special coverage” but I hope it was a pretty penny only because the Mayor’s Fund needs every dollar it can gather for its work in assisting families in Domestic Abuse situations.

The Lotos Club is a “gentleman’s club” that now admits women, and is known mainly as a literary oriented club. It was founded in 1870 by a group of young writers and critics. Among them was Mark Twain who called the Lotos “the Ace of Clubs.”

It has always had a literary and artistic membership. It issues a Medal of Merit. Its state dinners were legendary conventions of scholars, artists and sculptors, collectors and connoisseurs, writers and journalists.

Its clubhouse is located on East 66th Street just off Fifth Avenue in a house that was built as a gift to a Vanderbilt granddaughter.

The house was acquired by the club in 1946 for whom it was built in 1900 for Louise and William Jay Schieffelin by Richard Howland Hunt, the son of Richard Morris Hunt (who designed many Vanderbilt mansions including The Breakers in Newport).

Mrs. Schieffelin was born Marie Louise Shepard, the daughter of William H. Vanderbilt’s eldest daughter Margaret (Mrs. Eliot) Shepard. Although the Vanderbilts at that time were the richest family in America and maybe the world, the Schieffelins were very old New York and Mr. Schieffelin was the grandson of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Scheiffelin family had also been in the drug business in New York since the end of the 18th century.

The couple married in 1891 and had first moved to a house on 35 West 57th Street which was a gift from her mother. Several years later, Mother decided they needed something more (the couple eventually had nine children). She purchased two properties at 5 and 7 East 66th Street, tore them down and had Mr. Hunt put up this mansion in 1900.

It was a style that had evolved from the historical French architecture that came into vogue when Alva and William Vanderbilt built their mansion Petit Chateau on 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue seventeen years before. The Schieffelins’ new house was grand but known as the “modern” French or the cartouche style Parisian townhouse.

The Schieffelins lived there until 1925 when they moved to an apartment, no doubt a very large one on Park Avenue. Louise Schieffelin died in 1948. Her husband outlived her by seven years, dying in 1955 at age 89.

I had never met the Cohens prior to last night but I was looking forward to the “assignment” if only because the Lotos is always fun to visit. It’s 109 years old, built as a “Vanderbilt” mansion and still retaining much of its Gilded Age comme il faut glory.

The occasion, I learned, was a “big” birthday. Mrs. Cohen, who is an interior designer, is a vivacious lady who looked like she was really enjoying what I believe was planned as a surprise for her. The Lotos’ rooms – the library and the ballroom of the old house were grand, warm and confortable. There were buffets set up in both rooms and a bar in the gallery connecting them. The guestlist were all friends. I emphasis the word because Ms. Cohen’s party was different from a similar reception that is essentially “social.” These were all friends of the couple. There was camaraderie and sheer joy in being their guest.

Laura Di Stefano, a friend, the host, Dr. Stan Cohen, the birthday girl, Jean Cohen, and Loredana Di Stefano.

The library with the seafood buffet (on the right), abandoned for the Ballroom and desserts and the toast. A photograph of the birthday girl leans against the back of a chair.

Jean and Dr. Stan Cohen.

Ken Waissman and Annabel Clark.

The group gathering in the ballroom before the birthday toast (in the form of a song specially written for Mrs. Cohen by songwriter Paul Evins who sang it with the guests as chorus).

Laura Di Stefano, Jean Cohen, a friend, and Loredana Di Stefano.

The birthday girl hugs arriving guest Robert Rufino.

Annabel Clark, Tina Radziwill, Natasha Stanboli, and Debbie Jaffe Ellis.

Paul Evins and the host of the evening.

Last night in New York; there were Art Auctions. Christie’s New York held its Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale which totaled $74,151,500 or 49,766,107 euros or 44,669,578 pounds. Works by Peter Doig, Jeff Koons, and Joan Mitchell commanded top prices. In addition, new world record prices were set for works on paper by Philip Guston, and Brice Marden and a drawing by Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The Collection of John Cage and Merce Cunningham was sold to benefit the Cunningham Trust. It totaled $7.1 million and was 100% sold by lot.

Meanwhile, over at the Plaza, Lighthouse International was holding its Lightyears Gala, The Lighthouse Salutes the Arts. honoring Mica Ertegun, Marvin Hamlisch, and Arlene Dahl and Marc Rosen. Fox 5’s Ernie Anastos was emcee and Joan Rivers was auctioneer which was worth the price of admission in and of itself.

Last night at the Plaza: Lightyears Gala, The Lighthouse Salutes the Arts.

Marc Rosen, Ernie Anastos, Arlene Dahl, Marvin Hamlisch, and Mark Ackermann

The evening’s Chairs included Commissioner of New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting Katherine Oliver, the Interior Design world’s answer to Milton Berle (you had to be there), Mario Buatta; Stephanie Goldman-Pittel, Charles and Clo Cohen. Also among the guests, TCM’s Robert Osborne; Lesley Gore, Yanna Avis. Ben Gazzara, William Ivey Long; Broadway producers Marty Richards, Fran and Barry Weissler; Linda Wachner, CNN’s Robert Zimmerman; international interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield; Douglas Hannant and Joanna Mastroianni; playwright Charlotte St. Martin, and the glitz gang of glad: Muffie Potter Aston, Somers Farkas, Stephanie Krieger, Aileen Mehle, Debbie Bancroft, Amy Fine Collins,Wendy Vanderbilt Lehman, Barbara Tober, Hope Gimbel Solinger; Red Apple Group and Gristedes CEO, John Catsimatidis and many more. You had to be there; you wudda had fun. And, the Lighthouse makes a big difference in the lives and sight of more people than you might imagine. This is one of those organizations that articulates the better side of the human spirit and holds out hope and purpose. Despite the obvious diversity of interests, the honorees last night all have done their work for the Lighthouse; of that you can be sure.

Clo and Charles Cohen

Muffie Potter Aston

Amy Fine Collins

Jean Shafiroff and Ann Rapp

Marvin Hamlisch, Lesley Gore, Arlene Dahl, and Marty Richards

Stephanie Goldman Pittel and Andrew A. Pittel

Brian Stewart and Stephanie Krieger

Roger O. Goldman, Marvin Hamlisch, Ben Foss, and Mark Ackermann

Jamie Figg and Margo Langenberg

Joan Jedell

Donald and Barbara Tober

Elke and Ben Gazzara

Suzanne Mados and Robert Osborne

Wendy Diamond and Kim McCall

Kate Golden, Lindsay Rebille, Marianna Tu, Ed Aris, and Meghan Reilly

Geoffrey Bradfield and Helena Lehane

Jackie Weld Drake and Mario Buatta

Enid Nemy

Joy Ingham

Somers and Jonathan Farkas

William Ivy Long

Marc Rosen and Joan Rivers

Sharon Bush and Roger Webster

Jackie Weld Drake and Carol McFadden

Connie Jones and Donald Tober

Gayle Atkins

Douglas Hannant

Nazee Moinian, Barry Weissler, and Jennifer Noban

Dorothy Philips and Roger O. Goldman

Prince Dimitri and Grace Meigher

The Martha Stewart Center for Living threw its second annual gala last night in Chelsea. Liz Smith hosted the event, which honored journalist and author Sir Harold Evans, at the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia headquarters on West 26th Street.

Before dinner, there was a cocktail hour while guests bid on silent auction items such as photographs taken and signed by Martha, a yoga class with her personal trainer, and a teeth bleaching session with her dentist.

Susan Magrino and Liz Smith.

Ed Victor, Florence Boggs, and Martha Stewart.

Lisa Detweiler and Jim Cramer.

Tina Brown and Martha Stewart.

The proceeds from the night go toward funding the Center for Living at Mount Sinai Medical Center, which Martha founded in 2007 in honor of her mother Martha Kostyra. The Center for Living promotes access to health care resources for older adults and works to enhance the public perception of aging.

It helps people like literary agent Ed Victor's 105-year-old mother-in-law Florence Boggs, whom Stewart singled out in the crowd and praised for her sprightliness.

Martha Stewart addresses the crowd.

Sir Harold Evans.

Liz Smith always draws applause.

Stewart presented Sir Harold Evans with the 2009 Living Award, and he delivered a humorously self-deprecating acceptance speech. George McNeely of Christie's ran the live auction, which consisted of just three items: lunch for four at Le Caprice with Martha Stewart, Liz Smith, and Sir Harold Evans; an on-camera experience in a segment on The Martha Stewart Show; and a dinner party catered by Chef Pierre Schaedelin and hosted by Martha at her farm in Bedford.

The dinner party was a big hit, and went to Jim Cramer, host of CNBC's Mad Money, for $12,000. Besides those already mentioned, among the crowd were Tina Brown, Eva Lorenzotti, Darcy Miller, Susan Magrino, and Chef Alain Ducasse. – SD for NYSD

Marsha Kafko, Martha Stewart Weddings Publisher Amy Wilkins, Dr. Steven Kafko, and Mark Ingram.

Dr. Brent Ridge.

Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue celebrated the launch of the 2010 Louis Vuitton Cruise Collection last night on the newly renovated 3rd floor of Saks Fifth Avenue. The theme of the evening was Le Jardin Louis Vuitton, a walking tour through the newly renovated space which was transformed last night into a magical garden.

A progression of storybook vignettes explored, through the motif of a garden growing jewels instead of juniper, the history of Louis Vuitton's luxury craftsmanship. The first scene was of Louis Vuitton craftspeople carefully painting designs on leather; the second was a garden party dining table (complete with Louis-Vuitton-clad models) which led to a hedge with the Louis Vuitton insignia and then to a fantastical "Wishing Tree"-- which invited visitors with the inquiry: "where will your journey take you?"

Some of the answers will be used in the holiday display windows of the Louis Vuitton store on Fifth, beginning on December 1st.

The Louis Vuitton signature hedge.

The launch was thrown by Daniel Lalonde (CEO of Louis Vuitton North America), Steve Sadove (CEO of Saks), and actress Maggie Gyllenhaal (most notably of The Dark Knight). The guest list included Muffie Potter Aston, Nina Griscom, Beth DeWoody, and Jamee and Peter Gregory. Andrew Saffir, founder of The Cinema Society, and Daniel Benedict were present, as were Eric Villency, Erin Heatherton, and Kimberly Guilfoyle. Erin Lucas (friend and costar of Whitney Port from The Hills) of The City was also enjoying the champagne and steak tartare hors d'oeuvres. Also, Gillian Hearst Simonds, Hayley Bloomingdale, Lauren Remington Platt, Amy Sacco, Ann Caruso, Genevieve Jones, and Arlenis Sosa, who counts herself among People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People. It was clear as the white-jacketed waitstaff moved discreetly among the guests to retro beats (Blondie's Heart of Glass) that, although the Louis Vuitton boutique at Saks Fifth Avenue was just beginning, other untold adventures on the New York social scene were just beginning also. – TS for NYSD.