850 members of the fashion industry gathered at the Empire Ballroom to honor Ronald Frasch, Glenda Bailey, and Josie Natori for their contributions to fashion and their dedication to the Phoenix House Foundation.

Last Thursday night Gucci hosted a kick-off party for The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s annual Fall Party at the Fifth Avenue Gucci store on 58th Street. The Fall Party Co-Chairmen Allison Aston, Veronica Swanson Beard, Ferebee Taube, and Eleanor Ylvisaker were in attendance, sporting Gucci’s latest collection. At this exclusive shopping event, guests were able to browse and mingle, with 10% of all proceeds from sales donated to The Society of MSKCC to support The Pediatric Housing Endowment.

Heather Leeds, Laura Lendrum, Lisa Errico, Ferebee Taube, Allison Aston, Eleanor Ylvisaker, and Veronica Swanson Beard

The SMSKCC’s Fall Part will be held at The Four Season’s Restaurant, a week from tomorrow – November 16th. It will be hosted by Camilla Belle, Amber Heard, Dree Hemingway, Evan Rachel Wood, and Kerry Washington. Guests include at Gucci that night: Heather Leeds, Laura Lendrum, Lisa Errico, Kate Allen, Lisa Selby, Leslie Stevens, Annie Churchill, Emma Snowdon-Jones, Michael and Eleanora Kennedy, Melanie Holland, Eugenie Goodman, Mark Gilbertson, Blair Husain, Chiara Edmands, Elizabeth Pyne, Betty Sherrill, Catherine Carey, Kathy and Othon Prounis.

Event Co-Chairs Veronica Swanson Beard, Ferebee Taube, Eleanor Ylvisaker, and Allison Aston

President of The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Heather Leeds, with Dr. Annette Rickel

Alexandra Fritz, Emma Snowdon-Jones, and Allison Aston

Elizabeth Pyne and Betty Sherrill

Allison Aston, Bronson Van Wyck, and Andrew Frye

Kathy Prounis and Othon Prounis shopping

Lisa Errico, Veronica Swanson Beard, and Dara O'hara

Michael and Eleanora Kennedy

Sarah Smith, Max Jones, and Cynthia Smith

Liz Walker and Cena Jackson

Blair Husain, Libi Gerson, Dara O'Hara, and Chiara Edmands

Dalia Oberlander and Annie Churchill

Melanie Holland and Eugenie Goodman

Kate Allen and Lisa Errico

Also last Tuesday night in New York, 850 members of the fashion industry gathered to honor Ronald Frasch, Glenda Bailey, and Josie Natori for their contributions to fashion and their dedication to the Phoenix House Foundation. Mr. Frasch is President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Saks Fifth Avenue, Ms. Bailey is the Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar, and Ms. Natori is President and CEO of the Natori Company. The event was a tremendous success, raising $1.2 million for the Phoenix House Foundation and its initiatives for individuals and families affected by substance abuse. Before the presentation of awards, two young Phoenix House clients, Matthew and Onieka, shared their powerful stories of addiction and recovery. Joseph Abboud, Francisco Costa, Tommy Hilfiger, and Vera Wang were among the guests who witnessed their testimonies of struggle and triumph.

Howard Meitiner, Mitchell Rosenthal, Ronald Frasch, Josie Natori, and Glenda Bailey

“Like all of you, I was so moved by Matthew and Onieka’s stories,” said honoree Glenda Bailey in accepting her award. “I am humbled to be honored tonight by an organization I admire so much. Phoenix House is an angel to those who are battling their demons.” “All of us would like to think that substance abuse and its cruel effects happen to other people,” added honoree Josie Natori, “but I sincerely doubt that there is anyone here tonight who not been affected. The work Phoenix House does to help the whole person—not only to beat the addiction, but also to get their lives together—is so vital.” Honoree Ronald Frasch praised Phoenix House’s “counselors and support staff who make recovery a reality.” He also thanked fellow members of the fashion industry for their “compassion and concern” for those battling addiction.

Tommy Hilfiger, Glenda Bailey, Susie Hilfiger, and Rose Marie

Ronald Frasch, Jenny Dyer, Andrew Rosen, Vera Wang, Josephine Becker, and Howard Meitiner

The event included a reception and dinner, with musical entertainment provided by DJ Donna D’Cruz. Designer Alber Elbaz presented the award to Ms. Bailey, Cardinal Edward Egan to Ms. Notori, and retired Neiman Marcus Group CEO Burton Tansky (via video) to Mr. Frasch. Dinner Co-Chairs were Joseph Boitano, Rose Marie Bravo CBE, Tina Brown, Frank Doroff, Brendan L. Hoffman, Cody Kondo, Laurence C. Leeds, Jr., Ashley and Jeff McDermott, Thomas Ott, Richard L. Plepler, Andrew Rosen, Shirley Lord Rosenthal, Burton M. Tansky, Annette Tapert, and Deborah Walters. The event’s Dinner Committee included George Friedman, Jeff Leatham, Stanley Tucker, Phoenix House President and CEO Howard P. Meitiner, and Phoenix House Founder, Mitchell S. Rosenthal, M.D. For more information, visit www.phoenixhouse.org [1].

Donna D'Cruz

Andrew Rosen, Vera Wang, and Arthur Becker

Rebecca Minkoff

Andrew Saffir and Daisy de Kanovos

Stacey Bendet

Derek Lam and Francisco Costa

Sadove, G. Frasch, Glenda Bailey, and M. Gubelman

Nancy Jarecki and A. McDermott

Carolina Herrera

Steve Gan

Amy Astley

T. Shaffer and Carolina Herrera

Joseph Altuzarra and Prabal Gurung

Edward Cardinal Egan

Glenda Bailey and Elie Tahari

Annette Tapert

Shirley Lord Rosenthal, Mitchell Rosenthal, and Larry Leeds

Gene and Christine Pressman, Andy Spellman, and Amy Singer

Howard Meitiner, Edward Cardinal Egan, Josie Natori, and Mitchell Rosenthal

Lisa Ellis

Howard Meitiner, Rose Marie Bravo, Ron Frasch, and Mitchell Rosenthal

As you may have noticed, Halloween has morphed over the past few decades from a trick-or-treat night for kids in the neighborhood to a signature national celebration day for the adults. Or, those who are above the age of 21. Or even 61. It’s becoming more popular than Christmas, which makes me think that it is only this far from becoming a major staple for retailers and fashion manufacturers. Looking to the future, it may mean people dressing in costume year round. We’re almost there with some people already, as you may have noticed. A friend of mine in Los Angeles told me that their West Hollywood Halloween Parade brought out 500,000 people. That sounds a little bit of a “hype,” but then it is Hollywood. I do know that in the past twenty years it’s become a vacation destination for people from all over the world, and a major tourist attraction for the city. So this is good. For business. And monkey business. Los Angeles also has the advantage of being the center of the huge industry of entertainment. Halloween let’s those fertile visual imaginations run wild. Eventually it may even become a Reality TV show. However, here in sedate, little ole Manhattan, there were a variety of parties, lots and lots of parties, not to mention the parade in the Village which is the political version of Halloween.

Invites for R. Couri Hay's Le Bal Vampire II and New York Restoration Project's Hulaween 2010.

What’s interesting to me about all of these party pictures are not so much the innovativeness of the costumes but the sheer delight expressed by just about everybody but the very small children who still look like they’re new to this world and haven’t quite figured out what we’re all about. Alas, of course, they may never. Meanwhile, tour ... Wendy Carduner over at Doubles, festooned the club with cobwebs, skeletons, spiders, jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, bats, and witches. And out came many wee ghosties and big goblins for the annual Doubles Ghosties and Goodies party for children in the afternoon and the Goblin Gala for the “adults” in the evening.

Pretty young goblins

Watching Magic Al do his tricks

Among those doing the Flying Purple People Eater were: Tony Award winning Costume Designer William Ivey Long; Hudson Heinemann celebrating his birthday with Michelle Marie and Jon Heineman; Kamie Lightburn; Catherine Carey and twins; Mary Van Pelt and twins; Barbara de Portago; Janna Bullock and family Nicola, Zoe and Towson Remmel; Barbara and Hugh McLaughlin; Douglas Steinbrech; Sheri Babbio; Martha and John Glass; Amy Hoadley and Bob Gianos; Webb Egerton; Arlene Dahl and Marc Rosen, Kristina Stewart and Arthur Ward; Lisa Selby; Barbara and Peter Regna; Alison Minton; R. Couri Hay; Katlean de Monchy and Emily Post; Blair Clarke; Christine and Stephen Schwarzman; and Kathryn and Gentry Beach and family.

Barbara de Portago, Michelle Marie Heinemann, and William Ivey Long

Hugh McLaughlin

Kamie Lightburn and Wendy Carduner

Sheri Babbio

Jon and Hudson Heinemann

Catherine Carey

Kathryn Beach

Mary Van Pelt

Darren Henault

Barbara and Peter Regna

Damen and Herren

Doug Steinbrech

Janna Bullock

Bob Gianos and Amy Hoadley with the Bed Bugs

Webb Egerton and Lisa Selby

Kristina and Arthur Ward

Webb Egerton and Arthur Ward

Pontiac and Pocahontas

Bed Bugs

Princes Verde

Weird Artists

Arlene Dahl

John Glass and Lisa Selby

Costumed revelers

Herr Moustaché

Cave Woman

Revelers

Cowgirl and Astronaut

John and Martha Glass

Meanwhile, the Divine Miss M’s New York Restoration Project (NYRP) invited “the ghoulish glam to the green scene on the Friday night before Halloween to the “Hulaween” at the Waldorf. This is some party. The invitation says it all. And Ms. Hulaween Herself does not disappoint. She knows how to get what she wants. And what she wants is to make this a better city to live in and also throw a party that will loosen up those deep pockets and get you in a give-it-away mood. Everybody loves this party.

“Hulaween” at the Waldorf.

Dia de los Muertos

Bette serenades

Costume Winner, A Few Of My Favoite Things

Then, after the party there’s an After-Party hosted by The Buds (“junior ambassadors”) for NYRP. DJ Jay McElfresh kept the night alive and screaming and they had a costume contest and they had fun. You can see it in the pictures. However, what the formerly outrageous-herself Divine Miss M is doing, besides entertaining the troops with a good time under the Halloween umbrella, is recruiting volunteers and financial sources to carry out her objective.

Carole and Roger Maxfield, Charles Baker, and Cheryl Eisen

Nancy Armstrong, Marlo Thomas, Bette Midler, and Gloria Steinem

Tim Armstrong, Marlo Thomas, Bette Midler, and Phil Donahue

Each volunteer not only gets to party but more than that, they get to participate in a major ecological event, The After-Party, for example, is a potential cauldron for getting people who want to become involved, to meet people, to know the city, can do it. They don’t call her Divine for nuthin’ I’m telling ya.

Suzan and Jerry Kramer

Suzannah Drake and Paul Cassidy

Jeffrey and Nancy Halis

Judy Gold and Elysa Halpern

Michael Clinton, Liz Smith, and Ellen and Dick Levine

Bette Midler and Gilles Marini

Emily Jaffe and Paulette Bogdanoff

John McEnroe, Patty Smyth, and Bette Midler

John Sulpy and Tom Conroy

Larry Gluck and Seth Mille

Tommy Motola and Thalia

Javier Avila and Lan Cheung

Camy and Joseph W. Sprouls

Jon Recor and Daniel Stuart

Elaine May

David Vincent

Joy Behar

Roberta Green and Liz smith

Bette Midler look-alike

Mike Milano and Greg Raby

Christine and Steve Schwarzman

Mad Hatter

Jimmy Nederlander and Margo McNabb Nederlander

Clancy McArty, Max Neuman, and Sophie Frederica Von Haselberg

John Demsey and Jennifer Creel

Emily Conner

Ron Egozi

Mary Rohrer and Lance Le Pere

Randy Travis

Eric Cruz and Milta Sano

Robert Diamond

Laura Roth and Florence Zagruzny

Sandra and Laurence Cluck, and Jennifer Miller

Aaron Samuel Breslow and Daniella Pined

Douglas Little

Roger Altman and Juiate Kazickas

Michael Kors and Lance Le Pere

Julien Sardaru, Tanya Chalupa, and Andrea Chalupa

Ernesto Hernandez and Maria Santoro

Senator John Kerry

Randi and Eric Sellinger

Chris Sims and Bosede Opetubo

Alexis Braxton

Andrew Douglas

Dr. Tim Cordes and Vicky Cordes

Alex Kerry

R. Couri Hay's private Halloween Party at his Central Park West townhouse.

Alice and Paul Judelson

Andrea Correale

Baroness De Cabrol, Roger Webster, and Campion Platt

Svetlana Kaliniskaya, Angelica Ronson, and Olga Krutaya

Sharon Sondes and Whitney Schott

Charles and Janice Cecil

Katharina Otto-Bernstein, Nathan Bernstein, and Paul Bernstein

Heath Bizin, R Couri Hay, and Bill Tew

Dina, Andre, and Michelle Divickont

Campion and Tatiana Platt

Douglas Hannant and Frederick Anderson

Hunt Slonim and Geoffrey Bradfield

Christina Oxenberg and Gefilte Fishman

Gillian Hearst Simonds and Christian Simonds

Janna Bullock, Stuart Sundland, and Olga Krutaya

Paul Katz

Dr Howard Sobel, Gayle Sobel, and Jake Sobel

R Couri Hay, Ralph Destino, and Henry Destino

Steven Schott, Meredith Schott, Whitney Schott, and Christine Schott

Finbar Slonim, Jeff Slonim, and R Couri Hay

Jackie Shafiroff, Jean Shafiroff, and Sharon Bush

Michele Gerber Klein and Davis Braunschvig

Natale Piro

Dr Howard Sobel and R Couri Hay

Rose Hartman

While over at the National Arts Club Jill Lynne captured the ghosts, goblins, gals, and pals ...

     

Photographs by Ann Watt (Hulaween); PatrickMcMullan.com [2] (Couri); Cutty McGill (Doubles)

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