Southampton Arts Center benefit – photos by Lieba Nesis
The Hamptons continues its winning streak with twelve events every weekend and celebrities galore packing restaurants and nightclubs such as Ketchy Shuby, Common Ground, and The Surf Lodge. Thursday night, the festivities began with Amy and Gary Green’s Second annual “Footprint of Life Gala,” held at their palatial Bridgehampton home.
Cristina Cuomo and Consuelo Vanderbilt at Footprint of Life Gala
The evening saluted The Green Vision Foundation, which aims to effectuate tangible change in conservation while tackling the most pressing environmental problems. More than 300 notables, including Cristina Cuomo, Charlie Walk, Jared Epstein, Jean Shafiroff, Rebecca Seawright, Maria Fishel, Consuelo Vanderbilt, and Julia Haart, paid $1,500 a ticket for a wildly entertaining evening.
Cristina Cuomo and Norah Lawlor at Footprint of Life Gala
Safeguarding nature was the theme as publicity guru Norah Lawlor monitored the red carpet and the Greens’ palatial Hamptons home, which contained stuffed giraffes, tennis courts, and a lavish pool. The highlight was three-time Grammy award winner Ludacris performing over a dozen hits as guests danced and took photos with abandon.
At 10:30 PM, guests headed to the afterparty a few steps away as DJs, drinks, and pizza kept the crowd occupied until 2 AM. Tim Waltz also waltzed through the Hamptons Thursday night at a $150,000 per head fundraiser containing the likes of Joy Behar and Chris Rock at the home of Slack CEO Stuart Butterfield. Mumford & Sons provided third-rate entertainment as even lower-rate food, such as lobster rolls and chicken sammies, greeted starving Democrats.
Jean Shafiroff and Rebecca Seawright celebrating Jean’s Social Life magazine cover – photo by Rob Rich
Saturday was another celebrity-packed day. Musician Jelly Roll gave a private concert at Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett for Jimmy Fallon, Bradley Cooper, Howard Stern, and Jon Hamm. Jelly Roll had loads of competition, as Jean Shafiroff held a house party celebrating her cover of Social Life magazine.
In contrast, Maria and Ken Fishel held a shindig for the Haiti Air Ambulance featuring guest speakers Pat Dolan and renowned author Mitch Albom. The Fishels and Shafiroffs continue to dominate Hampton’s social season with glamorous attire and generous donations as they host cocktail parties, dinners, and VIP soirees.
My Friday and Saturday were occupied hosting the heroic Shabbos Kestenbaum, the sole named plaintiff suing Harvard for antisemitism, who gathered a packed house at esteemed Rabbi Rafe Konikov’s Southampton Chabad. Kestenbaum’s graphic detailing of the harassment and death threats he received at Harvard with zero action from the university left attendees disgusted and dismayed.
Dr. Christina Rahm and Amy Green at Footprint of Life Gala
Next, Southampton Arts Center’s annual Summerfest honoring Jamee and Peter Gregory at 25 Jobs Lane was a must. With food from Hampton’s staples Bamboo, Clamman, and Golden Pear, along with entertainment from Adrienne Warren and Jessica Vosk, well-heeled Hamptonites danced the night away under the starry skies.
Sponsored by Bulgari, Balmain, and Bloomberg, this $1,000 per-person evening always gathers the who’s who of the South Fork to support the Arts Center, which hosts exhibitions, lectures, and films throughout the year.
R Couri Hay and Janna Bullock at Southampton Arts Center Benefit
As summer comes to a close, a few additions have made this season more enjoyable than in the past. The number one improvement for me has been the extended hours of Citarella, from the previous three COVID-ridden years of 7 PM to the current more reasonable hour of 9 PM, allowing hungry Hamptonites to grab that pivotal sushi roll and coffee after nightfall.
Karen Murray, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Pamela Morgan, Nicole Salmasi and Robin Leacock at Southampton Arts Center Benefit
Moreover, dozens of new restaurants, stores, and skin and beauty spas have appeared, including Barryville General Southampton, Uno Mas Tacos Southampton, Buddha Berry Southampton, Blue Water Spa, and SkinSpirit Southampton, leading me to believe all Hamptonites spend money on food and beauty.
Bradford Rand, Charlie Walk, Julia Haart and Elena Gibbs at Footprint of Life Gala
Sunday concluded a busy yet meaningful weekend with Sag Harbor’s Center for Jewish Life benefit joining chairs Ken and Maria Fishel and Ruth Miller, and Jacques Acoca to salute honorees Jean Shafiroff, Harley Lippman, and Joel Mesler at the palatial home of Jared and Mindy Epstein.
As the rain poured down, the sturdy tent kept the glitterati dry as guests heard from Nova survivor Avi Medina, singer Yoel Sharabi and Rabbi Berel Lerman. The upcoming Hamptons finale weekends include the Polo classic and the Prostate Foundation Gala – an unfortunate ending to an epic Hamptons party season
Latest Comments:
Fashion changes with the times, and ways to present it must change creatively too.
Let his name live on for what HE designed so he can rest in peace.
Marilyn! What a wonderful and informative article you have written. I so loved Bendels, although (in my opinion) it was…
Merci beaucoup for the article!
Thank you for featuring me and my designs in your article! What a lovely event and how many gorgeous ensembles!
How interesting! Bendel’s was always a favorite store of mine. Miss those days…Thanks for another great article.
All so individually creative and entertaining! Marilyn, I want your skirt!