SOCIETY OF MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING
Preview Of Antique Show
Opens Hot Society Season

OCIETY of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s 16^th annual preview party for the International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show was the most glamorous ever. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg arrived in white tie with his decorator Jamie Drake; Princess Michael of Kent, in a white tie and French cuffed blouse under a perfectly tailored gray glen plaid skirt suit; the Duchess of Marlborough, in an elegant black Armani suit with a silver fox stole and an enormous crystal and diamond pin on her shoulder; Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia; the Countess Sondes; Lady Alexandra Spencer-Churchill; Joan Rivers, in a red tweed coat with a sable collar by Escada; Calvin Klein; Deborah Norville, in a light pink pant suit; Mario Buatta, and Marty Richards added star power.

It was the amazing ladies of the Society, so dazzlingly stylish, who made the party "the opening of the social season." This night is annually both a payoff and the biggest job of all.

In the receiving line were the three chairs: Jamee Gregory, in a white crêpe sleeveless sheath dress with silver and bronze beaded circles at the waist dress; Leslie Jones, in a knee-length tweed skirt with a ruffled border; and Lavinia Snyder, in a muted animal print with fur – all dressed by Bill Blass and dripping in Graff diamonds.

Also Coco Kopelman, the Society’s president; the legendary Nan Kempner, a connoisseur chair, in a black knit top over a sexy leopard print slit skirt; and Hilary Dick, the junior chair.

The men were integral to the event as well: Jamie Niven, also a longtime chair; Henri Barguirdjian, president of Graff who sponsored the event for the second year; and Michael Groveman and Michael Vollbracht representing the other sponsor, Bill Blass. 

Both companies donated $50,000 so that all $965,000 of the proceeds from the event will go to promote the wellbeing of patients and support research and public education on the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer.

There were 1,200 guests, who paid from $200 to $5,000 a ticket, to see each other and a half billion dollars worth of the world’s finest art and antiques, presented by 68 dealers from three continents.

Among those adding to the excitement were honorary chairmen Muffie Potter Aston in a black Gucci silk suit, Jessie Araskog, Susan Burke, Virginia Burke, Mary Davidson, Joanne de Guardiola, Julia and David Koch, she wrapped in an almost endless chain of diamonds around her throat, Karen LeFrak, Nicole Limbocker and Betty Sherrill.

The gorgeous guests included Cynthia and Dan Lufkin, she gorgeous in a brown Gianfranco Ferre skirt and cream silk blouse; Pat Altschul, Saks’ president Fred Wilson, Anne Bass, Sandy Warner, Mercedes Bass, Eva and Brendan Dillon, Karen Bjornson, ASPCA’s Edwin and Michelle Sayres, Muffy Miller, Samantha and Peter Gregory, Topsy Taylor, David Patrick Columbia, Pat Patterson, who donned Dame Edna glasses for a lark, Peter Jones, Hannah Pakula, Chappy Morris, Harriet Weintraub, Deb Hughes, Lars Bolander, Christine Cachot-Williams, Alexandra and Sheila Kotur.