Over the weekend, on Saturday, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago hosted a celebration for its “Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech” exhibition with the ArtEdge 2019 gala. Over 650 invitees joined Abloh—like his wife, Shannon Abloh; co-chairs Dr. Julius Few, D’Rita and Robbie Robinson, and Mary Ann and Ben Weprin; and friends like Chancelor Bennett (Chance the Rapper), Nick Cave, and Takashi Murakami.
Upon arrival at the loading dock, guests chose whether they were a “Fashion Purist” or “Fashion Tourist”—a theme for Abloh’s exhibition—and posted in front of urban ruin-inspired décor. After riding in the freight elevator, they enjoyed a cocktail reception in the Kovler Atrium, a walkthrough of the exhibition, and an unforgettable dinner in the museum’s reimagined parking garage. An afterparty followed, featuring a performance by Abloh’s friend (and previous Louis Vuitton fashion show performer) Dev Hynes. That night, the museum raised $2 million to benefit its platforms, workshops, and performance spaces.
On Tuesday night in Houston, Montblanc gathered with special guests at the Lone Star Museum to welcome its newly designed StarWalker writing instrument, available next month. The design, featuring former astronaut Leroy Chiao, is a testament to the wonder of one of humankind’s most powerful adventures—space exploration.
Guests like ambassador Hugh Jackman, Diane Kruger, and Winne Harlow joined the brand’s CEO Nicolas Baretzki for a panel discussion with Chiao for a talk about his 229 days in space over four missions. Then, a preview of the campaign was followed by dancing to the tunes of DJ Brendan Fallis.
On Wednesday night, The Surrey hosted an intimate cocktail reception on its rooftop. A private rosé garden with Dom Pérignon, the space is outfitted with a faux lawn and flower beds, and welcomed guests to enjoy sips of the brand’s new Rosé Vintage 2006.
In celebration of this partnership, Dom Pérignon and Café Boulud at The Surrey have created a special menu of snack, including: foie gras terrine with pickled celery and rhubarb; a fresh Hamachi tartare featuring “tonnato verde” sauce; radishes and celtuce; and a shrimp toast. In addition, the brands are offering two special packages throughout the summer for guests to enjoy private reservations and guided tastings: The #PrivatelyRosé Package and the Dom Pérignon Guided Tasting.
Also Wednesday evening, Gramercy Park Hotel‘s Rose Bar hosted one of its exclusive Rose Bar Sessions, this month featuring a performance by Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind. Jenkins performed an acoustic set as the audience cheered and sang along to favorites like Jumper in an intimate setting, while other band members in attendance sat nearby in the crowd. The evening also commemorated the launch of Jenkins’ new tequila brand, Summergods, which was served in signature cocktails throughout the night.
And last night in New York, we joined Hennessy to welcome an anticipated product and a new ambassador to the brand. The “Future of Tradition” dinner was hosted inside Studio 525 in Chelsea, first welcoming guests to a sight of the stunning new crystal decanter for Paradis Imperial by artist Arik Levy. As attendees made their way into the space, they were greeted to cognac cocktails, passed hors d’oeuvres, and a first look at the brand’s Hennessy Paradis Imperial Trunk by Louis Vuitton—a travel case for a single magnum bottle. From there, we made our way to our dinner seats, toasting to the new bottle. Shortly after, a silk dancer dropped from the ceiling, winding her way to the floor to mystic tunes. Roch Hennessy—an eighth generation Hennessy family member and business developer at the brand—also guided us through a toast, then announcing an exciting bit of news.
Actor Henry Golding—seen recently in movies like Crazy Rich Asians, but also gallivanting all over the world with Hennessy—stood to be announced, then named the official ambassador for the brand’s prestige range of cognacs, including Hennessy X.O and the Rare Cognac Collection. “I am honored to join Hennessy as their first official Prestige ambassador,” said Golding. “Similar to Hennessy, I have a passion for global exploration and an inherent curiosity to discover the rich diversity of the world. I look forward to the many exciting projects to come and taking my fans on this journey with me.”
