Lighthouse International 2014 POSH Gala

Lighthouse International’s POSH gala was a decadent affair that brought out both fashion and society's elite. This year the gala was held at the historic and lavish Metropolitan Club on 5th ave. 

Posh Gala hosts included: Hamish Bowles, Amy Fine Collins, Alex Hitz and Lorry Newhouse.

This year’s honorees were: 

Jonathan Adler, Founder & CEO of Jonathan Adler Enterprises-POSH® Lifestyle Visionary

Thom Browne, Designer, POSH® Fashion Visionary 

Sheila Nevins, President, HBO Documentary Films- POSH® Artistic Visionary  

POSH® Vice Chairmen: Muffie Potter Aston, Andrew Bolton, Michael Bruno, Mario Buatta, Margo & John Catsimatidis, Chele Upton Chiavacci & Richard Farley, H.R.H. Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Simon Doonan, Somers Farkas, Cornelia Guest, Sharon Handler-Loeb, Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD & Jean Denoyer, Carolina Herrera, Grace & Chris Meigher, Richard Plepler, Marc Rosen, Remo Ruffino, Chairman/Moncler, Allison Sarofim, Julie Wainwright.

Lighthouse Guild is the leading not-for-profit vision + healthcare organization with a longstanding heritage of serving the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired, as well as those with multiple disabilities or chronic medical conditions.

Visit lighthouse.org to learn more and donate. 

I arrived a little before the 7pm cocktail hour to the Metropolitan Club for the POSH Gala. I couldn’t imagine a more befitting gown for the evening than the above sparking silver THEIA gown which made me feel every inch an Old Hollywood goddess. It was a perfect sunny day in the city and I couldn’t resist taking a picture by the majestic gates of the Metropolitan Club. The tall castle like gates with elaborate golden designs opened into the club's private courtyard. 

My Old Hollywood makeup and hair was done by Valerie Starr from Caravan Stylist Studios. Valerie masterfully turned me into an Old Hollywood bombshell using Sexy Hair, Kryolan makeup, MD Complete Skincare and iKonic Styling tools. Thank you so much to Valerie and the Caravan team for this brilliant makeover for the POSH Gala. There was absolutely no way I could have pulled off the Old Hollywood look I wanted without your magic beauty touch! 

David, my handsome friend and date was also my photographer for the evening. He looked so dapper in his fitted suit and silk blue tie. There’s no greater feeling than dressing up and spending a glamorous evening with an equally stylish date. ;)

David and I were one of first guests to arrive. Shortly after, the palatial Metropolitan Club room started to fill up with many more glamorous souls which included both fashion and society's most noted figures. 

A tray of steak hors d'oeuvre looked absolutely heavenly as it went by. I made a mental note to serve a similar dish for future occasions. 

I was thrilled to see the lovely Jean Shafiroff who look as glamorous as ever in a peachy Summer dress. Mrs. Shafiroff is one of NYC's most known socialites and philanthropists who diligently champions her favorite causes. In our conversation she mentioned that she was a member of the Lighthouse Advisory Board. 

Next, I saw Francine Leinhardt, another active member of the Lighthouse board. I had the pleasure of meeting Francine just a few days earlier at the Magaschoni private shopping party which she hosted. Mrs. Leinhardt looked fabulous in her Monique Lhuillier dress for the POSH gala that evening. 

At 7:45 guests were asked to enter the dining room for dinner and presentations. I was completely mesmerized by the beauty and sheer decadence of the room. I felt like I was walking into a palace in Rome with Michaelangelo-esque ceilings and golden décor. 

The Metropolitan Club was created in 1891 by J. P. Morgan, who served as its first president. Other original members of this private social club included William Kissam Vanderbilt and James A. Roosevelt.   

It was thrilling to know that I was dining in the same room as these great American icons once did a little over a century ago. 

Dinner included a delicious eggplant topped with a mozzarella cheese appetizer, fresh fish and veggies entree and a sweet ice cream topped dessert. 

One of the most memorable moments was Jonathan’s speech while receiving the POSH® Lifestyle Visionary award. 

Adler said, “I am so lucky that I get to make a living doing what I love. I am grateful to my parents who 20 years ago, when I was unemployed, said, ‘You know, I think I want to be a potter,’ and they said, ‘That’s great, you can do whatever you like!’”

 

After dinner I had a chance to mingle with Yung Hee Kim and Di Mondo, who by far were two of the best dressed guests at the POSH Gala.

One of my favorite people to see at the POSH Gala was Hamish Bowles, the International Editor at Large of Vogue. I met Hamish at the FIT cocktail party for the first time last year. He was just as charming and sweet as I remembered and of course even more dabber! I predict his outfits will be featured in a museum exhibition one day just as Daphne Guinness's were at the FIT museum. 

I couldn’t resist to get a picture on the Metropolitan Club’s grand marble staircase which was lined with the most luxuriously red carpet. In that moment I imagined myself as a debutante in Paris, walking down during the Cotillion Ball. A girl can dream... ;)

Before leaving I had the pleasure of saying hello to fashion icon Amy Fine Collins. Amy Fine Collins is a Special Correspondent to Vanity Fair, where for the past two decades she has written about design, art, fashion, vintage Hollywood, and society. She's also an acclaimed author of American Impressionism (Smithmark, 1990), Hair Style (HarperCollins, 1997), Simple Isn’t Easy (HarperCollins, 1997), and The God of Driving (Simon & Schuster, 2004).

Thank you so much Lighthouse International for including me in such a special and unforgettable evening fundraiser. The whole experience was a complete dream that I'm honored to have a chance to document in this article.