In this week’s Friday Fête, we’re looking at happenings like a celebratory cocktail and dinner with Chanel in East Hampton, the inaugural Evening of Discovery with the AURORA Institute in St. Tropez, the opening of Toteme’s New York City flagship, and more.
Photo by BFA.com, courtesy of Chanel.
Last Saturday in East Hampton, Chanel launched its new popup boutique with a celebratory cocktail reception and dinner. First, guests—like Isolde Brielmaier, Athena Calderone, Destiny Joseph, Rachel Zoe, Selby Drummond, and Yan Yan Chan—gathered for a preview of the 2,500-square-foot boutique, open through September 5. Across two floors, the house’s latest goods are seen in an elegant retail environment. After, attendees headed to the nearby luxury bed and breakfast The Baker House, where they were treated to an intimate seated dinner and a surprise musical performance by Gracie Abrams.
Courtesy of the AURORA Institute.
Meanwhile, in St. Tropez, the AURORA Institute held the inaugural rendition of its Evening of Discovery. Raising more than $8M in funds for the mental health-focused non-profit incubator, around 500 attendees from across the globe—including noteworthy names like Queen Latifah, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Love, Kate Bock, and Cameron Winklevoss—joined for an intimate night of entertainment and recognition. With speeches, live presentations, performances, and installations by the likes of Kook & The Gang, BLOND:ISH, Jeppe Hein, and Rafik Anadol, the night was complete after the first-ever AURORA Institute Prize was awarded to those advocating for mental health across four categories. The Olympian and NBA All-Star Kevin Love was chosen for the athlete’s prize; Dr. Adam Gazzaley, M.D., PhD was selected for the science sector; representing the non-profits sector, the institute selected The Klitschko Foundation; and chosen for the Sports and Entertainment prize was the documentary The Weight of Gold.
Courtesy of Toteme.
The Stockholm-based fashion label Toteme opened the doors of its first New York City flagship on Monday at 49 Mercer Street. The opening revealed a retail space combining the iconic architectural tells of the city’s SoHo neighborhood (like high ceilings and tall windows allowing for plenty of natural light) with elements of Modern Swedish design. Designed by the firm Svenskt Tenn,the boutique’s white interiors served as a backdrop for accents of bold furniture and fabrics, specially created by Josef Frank.
Courtesy of Tiffany & Co.
On Wednesday morning, Tiffany & Co. announced the debut of its new social impact platform, Tiffany Atrium, by launching a special project with the artist Derrick Adams and Artsy. To kick off the program’s mission of diversifying the world of jewelry through serving historically underrepresented communities, the artist Adams donated his work I Shine, You Shine, We Shine—which is the artwork that informed the Tiffany Atrium logo. The piece is up for auction on Artsy through August 10, with all proceeds from the sale going to Adams’s The Last Resort Artist Retreat in Baltimore.
Courtesy of Malfy and Eataly.
Also that evening in Manhattan, La Pizza & Pasta in Eataly NYC Downtown hosted the opening of its new bar, Malfy Giardino. Inspired by the paradisal locale of the Amalfi Coast, the spot invited guests to experience its photo-worthy décor (outfitted with a gorgeous mural and lush lemon trees) and try its menu of gin-centric cocktails, made exclusively with the Italian gin label, Malfy.
Courtesy of diptyque.
On Thursday in Montauk at Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa, the on-site restaurant Scarpetta Beach hosted a dinner for diptyque. In celebration of its summer essentials collection, which features a special collaboration with the artist Matthieu Cossé, the intimate night hosted guests to a seated dinner within the eatery’s elegant space. Over conversation, attendees enjoyed a menu of modern Italian fare like crudo, simple spaghetti (the restaurant’s specialty), branzino, and espresso budino.
Photo by Sansho Scott for BFA.com, courtesy of UNICEF.
Also that night but in Brooklyn, Elsewhere’s rooftop was the venue of choice for UNICEF NextGen’s Sun Setsbenefit party, raising funds for the organization’s critical missions worldwide. Headlined by DJ Questlove with additional entertainment from Ty Sunderland, the lively evening—organized at the hand of the emerging leaders of UNICEF Next Generation—saw partygoers dancing and enjoying drinks from the Diageo-sponsored open bar as the sun set behind the New York skyline.
Performance by Marianna Kavallieratos at The Watermill Center, 2017, photo copyright Chloé Bellemère, courtesy of The Watermill Center.
And tomorrow evening, The Watermill Center in Watermill, NY will host its annual STAND benefit with support from Van Cleef & Arpels. With funds benefitting the arts center, the night will include bites by Estia’s Little Kitchen’s Chef Colin Ambrose, a special opening of solo shows by Christopher Knowles and Robert Nava, as well as performances and presentations like Tsubasa Kato’s installation, Pull and Raise, work by Adam Parker Smith, and a series of bronze sculptures, part of Liz Glynn’s project The Myth of Singularity.
