Social Diary 1/3/05 - Action in Aspen

Action in Aspen

Street scene in Aspen

Way out West in the snowy Rockies over the holidays, The Aspen Art Museum completed its 25th anniversary celebration with a blockbuster of a benefit, far outpacing any previous fundraiser, the Dennis Basso Freestyle presented by Pierre/Famille. They brought in $337,000 in auction sales alone and the total for the evening was close to $500,000.

Katie Couric with a forest nymph

Katie Couric, Jill St. John, Robert Wagner, and Lauralee Bell Martin were among more than 600 guests who gathered in the elegant ballroom of The St. Regis Aspen to support the art museum. Dominico de Sole, former CEO of Gucci, and designer Nicole Miller were also on hand to see Dennis’ most recent fashion line and jewels by Pierre/Famille at Aspen’s fashion show of the year.

Scantily clad water nymphs greeted guests as they arrived to sip champagne and savor caviar, underwritten this year by WestStar Bank. There was an impressive array of nearly 200 silent auction items. Aspen entrepreneurs, restaurants, and artists generously donated a wide variety of fashion items, artwork, dinners, passes to Aspen activities, and much more such as trips to Vietnam, Acapulco, and Art Basel in Switzerland.

Pierre/Famille kicked off the fashion show with an astounding display of diamonds illuminating the models in black dresses. Andrea Fiuczynski of Christie’s Beverly Hills conducted the exciting live auction of jewels, vacations, and fashions. Dennis Basso’s appearance on the runway upped the price on his Russian sweded sable, which he designed especially for this event and which sold for $100,000, the highest bid of the evening.

Thanks to the generosity of all involved, this benefit event was the museum’s most successful ever.

The Aspen Art Museum’s festive annual fundraisers provide the support that allows the museum to offer internationally recognized exhibitions, art workshops for all ages, school art programs throughout the valley, free public lectures, and tours.

Nancy Magoon, Julie Nini, Dennis Basso, and Marty Sprinzen

Susan Clair Burston, Dean Sobel, Andrea Fiuczynski, and Will Paice

L. to r.: Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond Learsy; Katie Couric, Dennis Basso, Jill St. John, and Robert Wagner.

L. to r.: Dennis Basso and Katie Couric; Rickie De Sole (whose father Domenico De Sole bought her the Porsche Cayenne S upon which she sits!)

Maria and Bill Bell and friends

Domenico De Sole with his daugher Rickie and wife Eleanore

Donald Stone, Susan Marx, Dick Osur, and friend

Janet O'Grady, Denise Rich, and Pamela Levy

Judy Coben, Stan Coben, and Lisa Stephen

Albert Sanford, Stefan Edlis, and Gael Neeson with a friend

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Chopard was in Aspen, is in Aspen. Last Wednesday night and hosted a party for themselves at their new boutique on South Galena Street. The party was called “Happy Snowflakes” and there were gorgeous models wearing Chopard’s “happy snowflake” earrings, pendants and timepieces with diamond snowflakes floating between layers of sapphire crystals. And then there was the Ice Cube necklace which is made up of 1608 diamonds set in white gold. It could have been yours for the holiday season for a cool half million. Don’t let the calendar cause anxiety: it can still be yours.

Thierry Chaunu and Nicole Miller

They also had the Elton John Watch Collection for the first time in the Rockies. The chronographs, designed with the Rocket Man’s input, sparkle with rare brilliant-cut diamonds in natural, fancy pink, yellow, white or black and cognac colors.

They have matching hand-stitched crocodile leather bands. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Elton John Watches go to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Which speaking of, Chopard was also featuring The Prince Foundation Watches – tonneau-shaped timepieces.

A portion of the sale of these benefit the Prince of Wales Foundation which focuses on fields that are near and dear to His Royal Highness including art, architecture and the environment.