Friday Fête: Hudson Yards Opens, The Times Square EDITION Stuns, Audemars Piguet Presents “CODE 11.59,” and More

Last Monday, Art Production Fund (APF) held its 9^th annual gala—named PRINTZ AND THE REVOLUTION PARTY—at The Seagram Building, at The Grill and The Pool. The night honored Alice + Olivia CEO and Creative Director Stacey Bendet (a long-time supporter and friend of APF) and artist Adam Pendleton (who has participated in projects with APF for the past 12 years. Over 300 special attendees, like Derrick Adams, Zoë Buckman, Will Cotton, Raúl de Nieves, Shantell Martin, John Currin, Rachel Feinstein, Mike Myers, and Bettina Prentice, enjoyed delectable cake by Flour Shop, champagne by Ruinart, special performance by the Harlem Gospel Choir, DJed tunes by Mia Moretti, and special works on view throughout the night: portraits by Carlos Rolón; centerpieces by Adam Pendleton; and a large-scale work by Sadie Barnett. That night, the organization raised nearly $700,000.

That night, The School of American Ballet (SAB) also held a winter ball to celebrate its 85^th anniversary. Hosted at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, the annual benefit raised of $1 million for the school’s scholarship program. SAB’s program, providing need-based awards to over forty percent of its student body, allows for young dancers to get the finest ballet training available. There to support were guests like Wes Gordon, Paul Arnhold, and Dyllon Burnside—all who enjoyed a seated dinner and a performance choreographed by Emily Kikta and danced by the students.

On Tuesday, The Times Square EDITION opened in New York, making it the newest addition to Ian Schrager’s hotel portfolio. The night kicked off a series of week-long series of events, including dinners at The Terrace Restaurant, performances, and parties. At its new nightlife venue, Paradise Club, the hotel also welcomed “The Devouring: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” presented by House of Yes, performances by Charlie XCX, and a late-night dance party by L.A.’s A Club Called Rhonda with Seth Troxler.

On Thursday, we joined tens of thousands of special guests—like Andy Cohen, Anne Hathaway, Diane von Furstenberg, and Elie Tahari—to explore the long-awaited opening of Hudson Yards. Developed by Related Companies, the shopping and cultural destination is the largest private real estate development in the United States. There, we wandered through new spaces, like TAK Room by Thomas Keller, Neiman Marcus, Van Cleef & Arpels, Forty Five Ten, and Cartier. After traveling up and down escalators, around corners, and through shops and eateries, we enjoyed champagne and live performances by DJ Paul Sevigny, Waffle NYC, Syncopated Ladies, Caleb Teicher & Company, Industrial Rhythm, Marvillous Beats, Blackout, and Brooklyn United. On our way out, we took a stroll through Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel—a walkable sculpture with 154 interconnecting flights of stairs that acts as the project’s centerpiece.

On Friday night, we joined Snarkitecture partners Daniel Arsham, Ben Porto, and Alex Mustonen to welcome its newest venue at 20 Hudson Yards, Snark Park. After exploring its inaugural exhibition, “Lost and Found,” we walked to the nearby 15 Hudson Yards, a stunning residential project, to enjoy Moët & Chandon champagne before an intimate dinner. Throughout the night, special guests like Joe Jonas, Larry Warsh, and Dan Doyle, enjoyed tunes by DJ Vashtie and multi-course bites by Momofuku.

And this week, on Monday in California, the Palm Springs Art Museum welcomed their annual ARTrageous live auction to benefit the museum. In the Galen building and the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden, guests enjoyed cocktails and bidding on works by artists like Andrea Zittel, Philip K. Smith III, Gabriela Sanchez, John Divola, Nick Aguayo, Roy De Forest, Sandro Miller, and Hugo McCloud.

And on Wednesday night, Audemars Piguet held a soiree at The William Vale hotel in Brooklyn to celebrate the launch of its Swiss Haute Horlogerie Manufacture’s new collection, “CODE 11.59.” Throughout the night, guests like Trevor Noah, Luka Sabbat, and Johannes Huebl got a first look at the new collection while enjoying visual experiences, cocktails, and music by DJ MICK. Special for the evening, as well, was a one-of-a-king dance performance by an eight-member troop, presenting an original composition for the VIPs.