Above: Me (right) with hair salon guru Stephen Knoll at Patrick McDonald's cufflink launch at Verdura. Red suede, Yves Klein blue, and prickly pear martinis.
I have to admit: despite the fact I wrote an entire book about late-night haunts guarded by fearsome velvet ropes-clutching stormtroopers, the into-the-wee-hours club scene is not where you'll usually find me these days (unless I'm in Barcelona, which is a different story). I'm more an after-work cocktail party kind of guy.This is mostly due to my obligation to be up early on weekdays and sparkle, Neely, sparkle.
The spring social season in Manhattan got off to a sparkling, sparkly start at a gem-encrusted party at the Verdura Salon on Fifth Avenue, hosted by the incomparable Patrick McDonald. Coco Chanel famously wore Verdura's jewel-encrusted cross motif cuffs which were on display. A minor commotion erupted when a Jocelyn Wildenstein look-a-like made her entrance. "Wow, Jocelyn is finally letting herself age naturally," I commented. I must have had too many prickly-pear martinis because we ALL know that would never happen. It's a scientific impossibility. Her face would slide off her head before it aged. The woman in question turned out to be a wealthy Italian marchesa.
For more coverage of the event, check out my friend Joselle's site, Josie's House of Style.
Of course the Verdura event was only the beginning. My social calendar for the rest of the month is full. This Tuesday I will attend a special performance by divine diva and current It girl Dita Von Teese at the Angel Orensanz Foundation (invite-only, sorry dolls) and next Friday is the premiere of the Squeezebox! movie at the Tribeca Film Festival. My close friend and Squeezebox creator, Michael Schmidt, was kind enough to snag an extra ticket for me. After the screening, Mr. Schmidt has put together an extravaganza celebrating the 14th anniversary of the first Squeezebox, which will be held at the Gramercy Theater. Expect performances by Misstress Formika, Sherry Vine, The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, Theo, and D Generation (who used to live in the apartment right next to mine! Those were the days...)
For those attending, you might want to buck up on your Squeezebox history by picking up a copy of my book, Confessions from the Velvet Ropes--Chapter 3 is dedicated to the legendary nightspot.
Somewhere in between these events I'll be having dinner with Marc Benecke of Studio 54 fame (also featured in my book) and fashion designer Sylvia Heisel. The following week is also booked up: I'll be attending a private dinner for luxury shoe designer Gordon Rush at the Carlyle Hotel (will Eartha Kitt join us for cocktails?), an Andy Warhol art event at, I think, Christie's Auction House (need to sort through my invites), and the opening of the Ron Galella Andy Warhol photo exhibit, from his new book on Andy which I worked on (Ron and I wrote the essay together).
But will I score a press ticket to Madonna's show at Roseland on April 30th? Will I be invited back to the Life Ball in Vienna this year, taking place on May 17th? Probably not, but I can dream, can't I?
Stay tuned.
Love,
Glenn Belverio
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