Making a Racquet
“[Prince] is an artist I feel a connection with on a primitive level,” said Jacobs. London's posh set fetes Richard Prince; Wimbledon whirl.
The Serpentine Gallery always hosts some of London’s biggest summer parties. The posh set recently came out for Richard Prince, whose line of bags for Louis Vuitton, the evening’s sponsor, has made him fashion’s latest It boy. “It looks fantastic,” gushed Jeanne Marine as she wandered through the artist’s show, “Continuation.” The exhibition featured work from Prince’s “Cowboys” and “Nurses” series and an Eighties muscle car printed with a female model’s image. The artist deconstructed his oeuvre for guests including Lily Cole, Claudia Schiffer, Juergen Teller and Rufus Sewell during an offbeat Q&A. Asked about his personal life, he cracked, “My parents kept me in the closet, and for the first 15 years I thought I was a suit.”
Later, partygoers had dinner in a marquee made from panels of Prince’s “After Dark” prints. “I’d seen a few of the pieces before, but not all together,” said Marc Jacobs, who lingered outside with a cigarette. “He’s an artist I feel a connection with on a primitive level.”
A few days earlier, tennis buffs celebrated the start of Wimbledon at a garden party hosted by Ralph Lauren (Polo Ralph Lauren has been the tournament’s official outfitter for three years). The picnic benefited CLIC Sargent and Kids at Heart, and included face painters, carnival games and a miniature train that chugged around the grounds of Froebel House, a handsome 18th-century estate.
Retired British tennis star Tim Henman rallied on the kids’ court with Boris Becker. “That was out,” Becker protested jokingly after one of Henman’s volleys. But the children in attendance seemed to take the game more seriously—Becker’s son Elias was spotted furiously whacking foam balls out of bounds.
Meanwhile, Kim Sears, girlfriend of British tennis champ Andy Murray, looked longingly at the trampoline, saying she would have tried it if it weren’t for her ruffled chiffon cocktail dress. “We’ll have to get someone to lend us their trousers,” she said to a friend.
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- Eye,
- Serpentine Gallery,
- London,
- parties
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