(NEW YORK) Look no further than the Whitney Museum of American Art for a bunch that knows how to artfully turn a gala into an interactive evening. Last night the institution hosted their annual soiree at the spacious Moynihan Station with a little help from their friends at Louis Vuitton to honor artist du jour Ed Ruscha. Kicking off the eve with a bite of apps, dinner and dessert, the first part of the night was topped off with a surprise appearance by David Byrne, who took his performing duties rather seriously.
After dinner, guests streamed in for the studio party where they were warmly greeted by nude models, save for a silk scarf, striking a pose beside a stack of Louis Vuitton trunks. Stationed around the live artwork were a number of easels with charcoal, allowing brave artists and mortals alike to try their hand at a sketch. Kate Lanphear and Natalie Joos peered over the shoulder of a nearby artist, but neither of them put their artistic skills to the test. The room was like playing a game of spot the Louis Vuitton, as most of the artsy types, fashionistas and actresses that made up the crowd donned the designer duds. The likes of Michelle Williams, Alexa Chung, Sofia Coppola, Dianna Agron, Lauren Santo Domingo, Derek Blasberg, Stefano Tonchi, Stacey Bendet, Taylor Schilling and Rebecca Minkoff put in some time at the gala. For once, Hannah Bronfman wasn’t stationed behind the DJ booth, although her beau Brendan Fallis was in charge of the musical duties.
The greatest success of the evening was raising more than $2.75 million dollars, which will likely put a dent in the funds necessary for the museum to transition to their downtown locale in 2015. The only thing missing was Marc Jacobs and his mystery predecessor.
