FashionEtc.com April 20th, 2024

My London adventure continues. So far I've avoided the area around Buckingham Palace. I heard they'd started building the bleachers for the wedding and traffic could be messy. So when the Queen asked me over for tea and Hobnobs, I politely said no.

Just kidding.

I did, however, go to the Beauchamp Club, the chic, happening private club owned by Farhad Farman-Farmaian. Farhad is a descendant of the last Persian Qajar king, and his club reflects a centuries-old knowledge of how one should receive. Impeccably decorated by Adam Bray, with fabrics reminiscent of Farhad's heritage, the cozy townhouse is filled with elegant furniture and a sophisticated dining area overlooking a garden and a typical Persian fountain.

The occasion was a reading and discussion by Annie Cohen-Solal of her latest book, Leo and His Circle: The Life of Leo Castelli.

Annie, a magnetic, charismatic speaker, had her audience completely mesmerized—and no one wanted her to stop. She is currently a visiting fellow at NYU's Tisch School for the Arts, and I envy her students.

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Fifty-seven degrees and sunny: Is this really London? I've never seen such a stretch of spring; the city looks completely different. I want to walk for miles and discover "England's green and pleasant land," as the song goes.

As a "welcome to London," Joana and Henrik Schliemann gave the most wonderful dinner. The dynamic and creative Joana is the director of the Intelligence Squared London/Berlin festival and a children's book author. Her brilliant and charming husband, Henrik, is a successful businessman.

Their chic Belgravia townhouse, filled with an eclectic collection of contemporary art, was buzzing with a mixture of artistic and financial people, intellectuals, collectors, moguls, and dealers—some were old friends; some, just meeting for the first time. An entire ex–New York contingent was there in full force too, and it was thrilling to be able to catch up with them in person.

Rena Sindi is finishing up her advanced business school degree at Cambridge, and she told me she has a plan in place for a business (sorry, no scoops here—that's all she would share).

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March 25 will mark 100 years since the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which resulted in the death of 146 garment workers and led to workplace safety legislation reform and the growth of the labor union movement.

HBO has produced an unusual documentary, Triangle: Remembering the Fire, which features actual descendants of the workers and focuses on the personal stories of victims, survivors, employees and management.

The network held a fittingly unusual première on Wednesday at NYU’s Silver Center overlooking Washington Square Park—only yards from the actual site of the fire. An installation called “Remembering Their Prayers," which consisted of Edwardian shirtwaist fabrics knitted together and embroidered with each victim’s name, was created by Susan Harris, granddaughter of the Triangle factory’s owner.

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Pisces: What a great sign! It is said that Pisceans are extremely restless and have a constant urge to move. Luckily, Alina Cho, John Demsey, and Marilyn Gauthier stayed still long enough to celebrate their Pisces birthdays at John's lovely townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

It has become an annual affair, one their multitude of friends look forward to with great anticipation. The hosts set the tone with their energy, and this year was no exception: Every room was packed with fascinating guests from the worlds of beauty and fashion, entertainment and art, business and more. It's the kind of party where deals are made, ideas are exchanged, jobs are created, and romance blossoms.

"Every night in New York, there is a fabulous party. What we wanted to do was bring together all of the people we love at a HOME. And what better home than John's?" said birthday girl Alina, stunning in a red Prabal Gurung dress, as Thom Filicia, Michael Boodro, Hunt Slonem, and Claiborne Swanson Frank congratulated her on her big day.

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