The Palm Beach Social Diary

April 4, 2008

Mario Buatta gave a talk at the Palm Beach Preservation Foundation dinner, showing slides of some of his work, such as the one above.

Palm Beach• BY: Augustus Mayhew

The Palm Beach Social Diary. Raced back down to Palm Beach from New York, but this time not such an easy trip as I had to hop on and off the plane, like a bunny. Just before take off, Delta called us back to the terminal and dragged all the passengers off to “inspect” the plane.

Anyway, it did not matter as I had a pal, Pemmy Frick to commiserate with. I was anxious to get down there in time to hear the gifted, award winning, designer Mario Buatta speak at the Palm Beach Preservation Foundation dinner.

We all know Mario is one of the World’s Greatest Decorators as his beautiful work has been documented on zillions of magazine covers, in newspapers and in books. He decorated Blair house, the official White House guest house in Washington, the Winterthur Museum galleries in Wilmington, and so much more. His star-studded client list includes Mariah Carey, Barbara Walters, Donald and Sue Newhouse, Malcolm Forbes, Nelson Doubleday, Henry and Nancy Kissinger, Charlotte Ford, Billy Joel, Henry Ford II and more.

At the Palm Beach Preservation Foundation dinner: Jean Tailer and Mario Buatta; Tom McCarter, Frannie Scaife, and Nancy Corzine; Hilary Geary Ross and John Mashek.

Some of Mario’s masterpieces shown during his (always animated) talk.

Not only is he adorable and an extraordinary talent but he is also a hysterically funny man! So there was no way I was going to miss his talk. His unique combination of wit plus talent makes for a wildly entertaining speech, plus you get to see slides of his dazzling works (such as the ones pictured above).

Next day was the luncheon benefiting “Hope for Depression” a charity recently started by Audrey Gruss whose late mother, Hope Butvay suffered from that terrible affliction. The lunch was hardly depressing, however; actually it was fascinating with a wonderful group of speakers in the sunny ballroom at Mar-A-Lago. We were all mesmerized by brilliant writer Nick Dunne’s very moving talk about his very own experiences with depression.

Next stop was Mariana and George Kaufman’s dinner at everyone’s fav private spot in PB: Club Colette. All the gals put on their dancing dresses as there is always a great band at Dan Ponton’s hot spot.

Our hostess Mariana was a star in Michael Kors burnt orange “zipper “dress and Pauline Pitt looked beautiful in red Oscar de la Renta. Also there were David and Jill Gilmour, Jerry Seag, Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, Dan Ponton, Freddie and Virginia Melhado, Chris and Grace Meigher, Lucy Musso (who took the photos of the party), Alberto and Peggy Meija, Yanna and Stanley Rumbough, Lesly Smith, Anna and Bill Mann, Bob Nederlander and Pat Cook, Howard Cox, Felicia Taylor, Darcy and George Gould, Susan and Philip Warner,Tom Quick, Nick Dunne, Randy and Barbara Smith and more.

— Hilary Geary Ross

*L. to r.*: Jill Gilmour and Leonard Lauder; Pat Cook and Dominick Dunne; Audrey and Martin Gruss

*L. to r.:* Lucy Musso and Chris Meigher; Philip Warner and Lucy Musso

*L. to r.:* Hostess Mariana Kaufman and Tom Quick; Peggy Meija with Philip and Susan Warner; Hilary and Wilbur Ross

*L. to r.:* George Gould and Lis Waterman; Lis Waterman and Philip Warner

*L. to r.:* Grace Meigher with host George Kaufmann; Lis Waterman; Susan Warner and Dan Ponton

*L. to r.:* Bob Nederlander and Peggy Meija; Howard Cox and Felicia Taylor

The Saturday before last, David and Julia Koch hosted a private cocktail reception and candlelit dinner and performance at their Villa el Sarmiento featuring American Ballet Theatre’s new production of Swan Lake, White Swan Pas de Deux, Slave variation from Le Corsaire, Sinatra Suite, and Don Quixote Pas de Deux.

Guests included: The Duke of Marlborough, Christine and Stephen Schwarzman, Countess Christina de Caraman, Princess Maria Pia di Savoia, Lydia and Robert Forbes, Carol and Earle Mack, Hilary and Wilbur Ross, Prince Michel of Yugoslavia, Mr. and Mrs. Winston Churchill II, Karen and Richard LeFrak, Tom Quick, Anka Palitz, Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, Grace and Chris Meigher, Rachel Moore, Richard and Sally Phelps, Hillary and Peter Pulitzer, John Damgard, Muffy and Donald Miller, Josephine and Peter Kairis, Craig Miller, Tara and John Milne, Ashley Schiff and Michael Ramos.

During the dinner, Graff’s white round diamond swirl earrings were auctioned off for $45,000 with proceeds benefiting ABT. The evening raised a total of $500,000 for American Ballet Theatre.

*L. to r.:* Peter Lyden, Maria Bockmann, and John Damgard; Anka Palitz with Sandy and Gregory Kriser

*L. to r.:* Kevin McKenzie and Adrienne Arsht; Alexandra and Arnaud de Borchgrave with Katie and Hashem Khosrovani

*L. to r.:* Chris Meigher, Christine and Steve Schwartzman, and Grace Meigher; Hayden Hosford and Dr. Herbert Gould

*L. to r.:* Rachel Moore and Karen LeFrak; Anka Palitz and Craig Salstein; Gillian and Sylvester Miniter

*L. to r.:* Karen LeFrak and Yuriko Kajiya; Hermione Joye, Bruce Bockmann, Maria Bockmann, and Peggy Flesher

*L. to r.:* Hermione Joye, Julia Koch, and Bruce Bockmann; Ashley Schiff and Mike Ramos

*L. to r.:* Arnold and Paola Rosenheim; James Boyrnack, Tara Vonstrasdas, and Adolfo Zaralegui

The prior evening, Henri Barguirdjian, Graff President and CEO, hosted a cocktail reception at Graff’s Worth Avenue boutique in celebration of ABT and its dancers with hundreds of carats of dazzling diamonds on display for the event. Graff is the official sponsor of ABT’s spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House.

*L. to r.:* Judy Grubman and Anka Paltiz; Kay Lyons, Rachel Moore, and Peter Lyons

*L. to r.:*Alexis and Veronica Mersentes; Catherine Cahill and Bill Bernard; Gillian Miniter and Peter Lyden

*L. to r.:* Susan Pullin, Perrin Blank, and Gerti Kleclamp; Peggy Flesher, Howard Cox, and Talbott Maxey

*L. to r.:* Jasmine Horowitz and John Banta; Peter Karis, Julia and David Koch, and Craig Miller

*L. to r.:* Muffy and Donald Miller; Lisa Walker with Carl and Sabrina Forsythe

Some friends of Robert Redd – Piper Quinn and Sara Groff, Lily Holt Dillon, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Quinn, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Gilbane, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gilbane III, and Mrs. and Mrs. Blakely Page held a cocktail reception for the man two weeks ago at Bice in Palm Beach.

*L. to r.:* Blakely and Lindsay Page with Merrill DeVito; Robert Matheson with Susan and Tyler James

*L. to r.:* Laetitia Stanfield and Mary Brittain Cudlip; Nick Goodman, Eugenia Niven, and Susan and John Wanamaker Leas

*L. to r.:* Piper Quinn, Lindsay Page, Merrill DeVito, Robert Matheson, Merrilyn, and Blakely Page; Jackie and Beau Breckenridge

*L. to r.:* John Sietz and Binkie Orthwein; Binkie Orthwein, John Sietz, and Andrew Quinn

*L. to r.:* Piper Quinn, Robert R. Matheson, and Andrew Quinn; Lily Holt Dillon and Eleanor Gilbane

Truism: who doesn’t love a bargain? So it was no surprise to see the feeding frenzy for designer and decorator-donated furniture, accessories and artwork at the gala preview in Palm Beach of FOUND TREASURES: Ultimate Tag Sale 2008, to benefit FoundCare, the organization building Palm Beach County’s new non-profit community health center for uninsured children and adults that is currently under construction.

Honorary chairmen Carolyn Buckley and decorator William Eubanks and benefit chairmen Barnette Druskin and Alan Salomon welcomed hundreds into the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts’ cavernous rehearsal hall- artfully laid out in stylish vignettes by Ralph Lauren display whiz Sean Brivak. The “plum” of the sale- fashion legend Iris Apfel and husband Carl’s classic Ford Country Squire station wagon. “It needs a little work,” she said. “But who doesn’t these days?”