The opening of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2004/2005 season was a brilliant night both musically and socially. Giuseppe Verdi’s “Otello” kicked off the season and, thanks to Maestro James Levine, the beautiful Barbara Frittoli as Desdemona, Carlo Guelfi as the evil Iago and Ben Heppner in the title role, it was a lyrically and dramatically enchanting evening.

After the several curtain calls, the Metropolitan Opera’s guiding light and angel Cecile Zilhka, looking as lovely as ever in an off-the-shoulder royal blue chiffon gown, presided over the gala dinner on the Grand Tier. Also present were such friends as Placido Domingo and his wife Marta Ornelas; Nancy Kissinger, in Chanel’s black quilted opera coat with a 16-inch stand up collar and bejeweled buttons, and her husband Henry Kissinger, in black tie with four towering security guards, two of whom sprouted ear pieces; also Henry and Marie Josee Kravis, in a whimsical black and white chiffon confection by Chanel, with a deep décolletage dripping in diamonds and a flouncy skirt with a fabric flower at her waist; Sid and Mercedes Bass, she in a drop dead chic black illusion top with embroidered flowers and a ruffled collar accented by white pearls the size gumballs, a black satin belt with a diamante buckle and a black sculpted tulip skirt, by Oscar de la Renta; Annette de la Renta, in a voluminous navy blue satin opera cape/dress, by Oscar -of course, with a long rope of art deco diamonds peaking out discreetly at the neck; John Richardson; Nan Kempner, in a rust and mustard colored velvet jacket with jeweled appliqués and a sable collar; Bebe Neuwirth wearing a black sheath with a beaded jacket; Elaine Sargent, in a gold column with a matching jacket by Marc Bouwer; Katharina Otto-Bernstein, in an elegant black dress with a flowered diamond pin; Barbra Cook and Dixie Carter also choosing black dresses -Dixie tossed a fur stole over her shoulder just for fun; and Beverly Sills, who donned a long dress with flowers in fall colors.

Last Monday, a week, Saks Fifth Avenue rolled out the red carpet for a fashion show and luncheon saluting the efforts of the dynamic women of the Society for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on behalf of the 16th Annual Preview Party for The International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show to benefit The SMSKCC.

Lavinia Snyder, Henri Barguirdjian, Leslie Jones and Jamee Gregory

Hosts Fred Wilson, President and CEO of Saks, and, representing the Preview’s two big sponsors, Michael Groveman, President and CEO of Bill Blass Ltd., and Henri Barguirdjian, President and CEO of Graff USA, toasted the Preview Party’s Co-Chairmen Jamee Gregory, Leslie Jones and Lavinia Snyder with Taittinger champagne and wine from the St. Francis Winery.

A big topic of conversation was this year’s event on October 21st at The Park Avenue Armory, which will give ticket buyers first crack at a half billion dollars worth of English, American and European furniture, objects and works of art. The Financial Times said, “(The show) is a reminder of the old days, with a glitzy display of costly Old Master paintings and items of French 18th-centruy furniture, alongside arms, jewelry, textiles, in fact the lot.”

Among the highlights are a Louis XIV period serpentine carved gilt-wood console table, which is very close to the design of a table in the Louvre and an extraordinarily important 18th-century English gilt-wood mirror, designed by Matthias Lock and carved by James Hill, both leading figures of the English Rococo period.

The Preview Party is and has been considered, for the past fifteen years, to be the opening of the fall social season in New York. Expect to see the likes of Pat Buckley, Julia and David Koch, Jamie Niven, Emilia and Pepe Fanjul, Nan Kempner, Hilary Geary and Wilbur Ross (who will be newlyweds), Mario Buatta, Muffie Potter and Sherrell Aston, Evelyn Lauder, Henry and Marie-Josee Kravis, Carroll Petrie, Anne Bass, Adolfo, Joanne and Roberto de Guardiola, Eva and Brendan Dillon, Chris and Grace Meigher, Jessie and Rand Araskog, Karen and Richard LeFrak, Daisy and Paul Soros, Allison and Leonard Stern, Adrienne and Gigi Vittadini, Helen Schifter, Hilary Dick, and Christine Schwarzman.

Eva Stern

At the luncheon: The Society’s president Coco Kopelman, Mary Davidson, Alexandra Lind Rose, Alexis Waller, Andrea Stark, Clelia Zacharias, Bettina Zilkha, Debbie Bancroft, Bambi de la Gueronniere, Courtney Arnot, Virginia Burke, Lisa McCarthy, Andi Davis, Susan Bodnar, Irene Roosevelt, SueAnn Newberg, Karen Bjornson, Linda Hoffman, Melanie Seymour Holland, Diana Hall and Christine Cachot-Williams. Everyone oohed and ahhed over the models wearing Bill Blass and dazzling diamonds from Graff, introduced by Michael Vollbracht, BB’s design director.

And to top it off, there was a raffle: Somers Farkas won a generous Saks gift certificate and Eva Stern won a $9,000 Graff diamond watch. Ms. Stern was speechless and later called Henri Barguirdjian, telling him how it had been the happiest moment in her life. She promised to buy a ticket to The Society’s October 21st party.

For Tickets call: 212-874-5457.

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