"Caliente! I'm feeling extremely caliente right now," Barney's window impresario and fashion writer Simon Doonan said at El Museo del Barrio's annual gala last night, after recommending a BBC show to designer Jason Wu.
RELATED: This year's party pix in the Out & About Gallery (and last year's) and a story about portraits on display at the gala
The gala was one of the hot tickets in town, perhaps because very soon, the city will be able to see where all the money raised will go: the museum is now just a few months away from reopening after renovation and revamping.
Here is some of what we saw and heard:
 Ruben and Isabel Toledo have infused the party with their artistic and fashion spirit. Mr. Toledo said he felt "warmth" at the party, "still on a high from working with the kids" (on a two day project to create portraits for sale at the gala). "I enjoy the unhibited spirit kids have." |
|
|
|
|
 Robert Couturier, an interior designer, said he felt "happier than at a typical North American party... certainly more joyous." But it wasn't just El Museo that took the credit: "I think the whole mood has gotten better. In December it was as if we were dead. Now I'm working hard, traveling all over, it feels very different." |
|
|
 Gaby Poler and Tony Bechara. "This party is spectacular. And I admit, I'm relieved. I was worried with the economy, but ticket sales picked up in the last three weeks," said Mr. Bechara, the chairman of the museum. |
|
|
|
|
 Michelle Harper in a dress by, and standing with, Victor de Souza. "I love that there's so much glamour here, that people are dressed up and having fun," Mr. de Souza said. He described his design as "making the classic modern." Many other designers had dressed guests or attended, such as Francisco Costa, Christian Cota, Brian Reyes, and Angel Sanchez. |
|
|
 Peter and Jamie Hort looked at the portraits by children from Amber Charter School during the cocktail hour. Their family's Rema Hort Mann Foundation, which supports artists, has a fund-raiser on June 24 featuring art for sale by LGBTQ artists. |
|
|
|
 This crowd was on a high after singing Happy Birthday to Governor Paterson: from left to right, Carmen Ana Unanue, Arthur Ainsberg, Michael Bruno, Yaz Hernandez, Andy Unanue, and Cristina Arsuaga. "It's a beautiful thing," Andy Unanue said of the party. "Times are tough, but there's a lot of grassroots giving that needs to be done." |
|
|
 Meredith Melling Burke, an editor at Vogue, certainly looked like she was having a good time! |
|
|
Print
Send
Comment
RSS
