Every summer, the Whitney hosts its Art Party, a youthful fundraising bash that features a silent auction of contemporary artwork donated by artists and dealers. This year, the museum has given the event a 21st century twist, putting the auction online a few weeks before the actual party. The most coveted works even have a "buy now" button—just like Ebay!—which lets buyers snag those pieces instantly. Flummoxed by the breadth of the 69 available works--which run the gamut from sculptures to collages, from both rising stars and firmly established artists—we asked the highly regarded art advisor Candace Worth of Worth Art Advisory to give us her expert take. 
Worth's first pick was the FedEx box by Walead Beshty. "It's just a wonderful piece and it's small enough to put anywhere" she said. (The current bid on the work, constructed from FedEx supplies and safety glass and related to Beshty's lauded installation in this year's Whitney Biennial, is $2,000.) "Very often his pieces are offered in groups—it's not as easy to get a single work." Worth also pointed out Melanie Schiff's dimly-lit color photograph of herself on a beer-bottle surrounded couch, Self-Portrait After John's Party (bidding is currently at $600). "She's a great up-and-coming photographer from Chicago. That's also a really good price," said Worth. Also catching Worth's eye are Mika Rottenberg's drawing P24 (currently at $400), Aaron Morse's watercolor Berlin (Kennedy) (currently at $1,000) and Matthew Brannon's gracefully composed letterpress print, Unfinished Business (currently at $2600).
Online bidding will continue until June 16 (the party is on the 17th) and right now the floor is pretty wide open—none of the items have been sold.
From top: Walead Beshty, SSCC 139751 REV 10/05 "FedEx® Large Box", Priority Overnight (Los Angeles-Chicago trk#837549197959, Chicago-New York trk#865651051269), 2007
Courtesy the artist and China Art Objects Galleries and Wallspace Gallery
Melanie Schiff, Self-Portrait After John's Party, 2008
Courtesy of Kavi Gupta Gallery
The Art Party Goes Digital
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One-Stop Shopping
We love a good layer around here, but when the dog days of summer hit, we'll happily shed a few. And thanks to the ever-expanding range of tops and frocks with built-in shapewear, it's getting easier than ever to leave the Agent Provocateur in the lingerie drawer for a spell. L.A.-based Ardy Raminfar is doing his bit to help women lighten up. As the owner and creative director of Bordeaux, a peppy contemporary collection loved by Hollywood hotties Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Bilson and Hayden Panettiere, he's not only incorporating his figure-flattering Seamless technology into many of the Bordeaux styles, he's also tossing acrylic stones and Swarovski crystals into the mix. In other words, on a real scorcher, gals can skip the jewelry too.
An equal-opportunity designer, Raminfar covers the waterfront, age-and body type-wise. To that end, he's made sure that the Bordeaux Seamless pieces can accommodate undergarments if necessary. "If you break down our customer base, we have the younger girls whose bodies are a little bit more toned, and they're confident without a bra," he says. "And then we have the older customer, who may have little bulges. They could wear their own bra for lift and support, and then the rest of the Seamless would do the work around the stomach. We've engineered it with pretty much everyone in mind." Apparently, Raminfar's egalitarian approach is working; Oprah's also a big fan.
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Love Beads
For someone whose work is so bold and statement-y, Nasimiyu Wekesa couldn't be happier, peppier or more bursting with love. The charming jewelry designer, a native of Kenya who has hung her hat in Marin County for the last 12 years, was in town yesterday for a trunk show and cocktail party at Urban Zen. There, draped across rough-hewn tables and sprinkled among the store's rich-hippie duds were Wekesa's wares—multi-strand beauties pieced together by hand from African trade and ceremonial beads. Though her sales have been largely word of mouth—and she rarely makes the trek to New York—Wekesa has a sizeable following in the area. In fact, several collectors were milling about the store just waiting for a chance to chat with the crafty lady. Also the founder of Born to Aid, a five-year-old foundation that aids needy children in the villages of the Bugoma district of western Kenya, Wekesa finds beading relaxing. "It's like therapy for me," she says.
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Some Like It (Not So) Hot
I still craved heat during yoga to keep my body limber and my heart rate up, but I needed some sort of Bikram compromise. Luckily, I just found two new studios that fit the bill.
Big Apple Power Yoga in midtown Manhattan is devoted to Baron Baptiste's popular "flowing" practice and is done in a challenging but manageable 95 degrees. And while visiting my family in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I discovered Jai! in Narberth, PA, where students have it both ways. One side of Jai's upstairs studio remains at 74 degrees while the other is heated to the balmy range of 85 to 95 degrees, letting Vinyasa and Ashtanga devotees choose just how much they want to sweat.
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Gossip Girl Get-Up
Spotted: The handiwork of the real-life designer behind Eleanor Waldorf's fictional TV frocks.
At the Pink Agenda spring gala, held at 24 Fifth Avenue last week, a dress designed by Abigail Lorick fetched $1000 during a silent auction. In addition to the Gossip Girl designer's minimalist sheath (above), other items up for grabs included an autographed Brett Favre jersey, a 10-person vacation package to Vermont and a Saks beauty basket. In total, the event raised in excess of $50,000, the proceeds earmarked for raising awareness about breast cancer.
After losing her mother to the disease, Marisa Renee Lee founded the Pink Agenda three years ago with her roommate and best friend Liana Guzmán. Since then, they've allied with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to host "the new generation of philanthropists" at a series of glam cocktail parties. 
Abigail Lorick flanked by Pink Agenda co-founders Marisa Renee Lee and Liana Guzmán.
Toast to a cure with these girls on May 29th, when the Pink Agenda co-sponsors the Grand Re-Opening of the Hudson River's party barge The Frying Pan. That night, they'll be partnering with the Hudson River Peers, a group of advocates for the welfare and development of the Hudson River Park. For more information, visit fohrp.org.Categories:
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River Rising
As a long-time resident of upper Battery Park City, I've watched the neighborhood morph into a massive construction site. (Seriously, with the incessant jack-hammering, it's like modern-day Beijing.) But happily for the environment, it's a battleground of eco-correctness, with each new residential building besting its predecessor on such forward-thinking design details as solar panels, low-VOC wall paints, recycled flooring and H20-filtration systems. First it was the Solaire, the five-year-old granddaddy
of the bunch, followed in rapid succession by Tribeca Green (chez moi) and the
Verdesian.
All have been overshadowed of late—literally and
figuratively—by Riverhouse. The first condo development in the area, it's been a buzz magnet since it broke ground two years ago, a phenomenon only heightened with the recent news that both Leo and Tyra have purchased apartments in the 31-story, 264-unit property. No doubt they were attracted by the stunning views of the Hudson and bells and whistles that include an indoor lap pool, City Bakery and Poet's House, a poetry library stocked with some
50,000 titles. And if Mr. Dicaprio and Ms. Banks ever decide to go the kids route, they'll have Rockefeller Park in their backyard—a frequent haunt of parents Jon Stewart, Ed and Christy, Beastie Boy Mike D, director Tamra Davis and a constellation of Nineties supermodels.
So I was of course intrigued when an invitation crossed my desk for the opening bash, held last night in two adjacent model pads. One,
where I hung out, was a three-bedroom eco-luxe spread designed by Thom Filicia,
open to the public through Tuesday. Though I had to sign a waiver before
entering just in case the still-under-construction edifice came crashing down,
it was worth the trip. Let's just say I was green with envy.
Riverhouse
One Rockefeller Park
Thom Filicia model apartment viewing:
May 17 & 18, noon to 4 p.m.
May 19 & 20, noon to 7 p.m.
Photo: An eco-correct bedroom in the Thom Filicia model apartment at Riverhouse.
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A Green Hoedown
Women's Health magazine hosted a "Down to Earth" fête at Eyebeam on Tuesday with the official mission of raising "eco-awareness"—evidently via partying. And the evening did have, in fact, a fairly down-to-earth feel: the scene on the green carpet ("green," not red, get it?) was relatively orderly as hosts Chloe Sevigny and model Jessica Stam showed up unfashionably right on time. The space was decked out with cutesy touches like wooden picnic tables, mini ice-cream cones and lemongrass cocktails served in orange halves.
Sevigny, whose latest project is the low-budget horror flick The Killing Room, was channeling a nerd-glam look in oversized glasses and a Proenza Schouler frock. She told me that the only thing actually frightening about shooting the film was the food on location in Shreveport, Louisiana. "We were working with this hairdresser and he was like 'I ordered crudites and I got fried vegetables!' she joked.
I also spotted socialite Byrdie Bell, who was sitting atop one of the picnic tables surrounded by a bevy of friends. Bell was sporting a cotton candy-colored jacket that looked suspiciously like fur—a bit of a faux pas at a green soiree—so I approached her to investigate. "This is from a costume shop in Connecticut," she said hastily, claiming her fur was definitely faux.
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Tales of Hoffman
Last week, I found myself in the audience at Carnegie Hall, watching Sting perform a number accompanied on the piano by--yes--Dustin Hoffman. Sting, looking dashing in a silvery gray suit, sang a charming little love song called "Shoot the Breeze" which, he explained, had been written by the actor. Hoffman's performance was impressive--who knew he was so musically talented? "They needed five minutes to fill, so Sting and Trudie asked me to do it," Hoffman explained later over dinner. The unlikely pairing was part of a benefit for the Rainforest Foundation. I was there as a guest of Dustin's wife of 32 years, Lisa Hoffman of Lisa Hoffman Skincare. At 53, Lisa still has Ivory Girl looks: gleaming eyes, minimal makeup and long, wavy hair. The couple are longtime supporters of the Rainforest Foundation, and the rainforest was the inspiration behind Lisa's two newest scents, Japanese Agarwood and Madagascar Orchid. The fragrances hit Bergdorf's in September and Lisa is donating a portion of the proceeds to the foundation. More…
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Old Glory
A thrift shop isn't a typical first stop when visiting, say, Istanbul, but that's exactly where you'll find Funmi Odulate whenever she finds herself in a new city. The British journalist has now put all that trekking to good use with her first book, Shopping for Vintage, The Definitive Guide to Fashion (St. Martin's Press). The tome, which made its U.S.-release today, lists nearly 1,000 vintage and second-hand stores across the world, provides tips on the art of buying and selling, and includes a glossary of famous designers throughout the ages. Here, Odulate shares some of her vintage highs and lows with Wmagazine.com.What are the best cities for vintage shopping?
"St. Louis and Paris--great prices and lots of undiscovered gems."
Your all-time favorite store?
"The Way We Wore in L.A. It goes from good-quality cheap pieces right up to amazing Charles James pieces that Doris Raymond, who runs the store, hides in back."
Is there a vintage item that you will never part with?
"Yes. This amazing YSL shift dress from the Seventies that I bought at a vintage fair for 50 pounds. It's so heavily sequined that it can't even hang--you have to roll it. I think I'm going to base my wedding dress on it."
What's your biggest bargain?
"I picked up a dress quite a few years ago on the floor somewhere at a flea market in Paris. I paid one euro for it. It's like what YSL and Stella have done with watercolor prints, and it's trimmed with gold rope."
Anything still on your wish list?
"A Balenciaga coat from the Fifties and an original Vionnet or Madame Gres."
Do you have any vintage-related regrets?
"There's an old Balenciaga dress that cost 40 pounds that I kick myself for. I didn't know if I'd wear it, so I left it. Time after time, I think, 'Gosh, was I drunk?' Even if I never wore it, it would have been a great thing to have and pass on, or sell."
What tip would you give a newbie vintage shopper?
"I call that girl the vintage virgin. One of the things I mention in my book is to shop not with your wallet but with an open mind. Think about your style. If you're a classic Calvin Klein kind of girl, there's no use in looking at a Victorian lace dress. It won't work for you. So be open, but be you."
Wedding World
Though the soft opening happened in March—just in time for a wee bit of last-minute gown shopping—Barcelona-based Pronovias waited until last week to officially unveil its gleaming new Manhattan digs—its first outpost in the States. Tastefully massive (somehow that's not an oxymoron in this case), the 21,000 square-foot, five-story space is located just off Fifth Avenue at 52 Street and is a veritable wonderland of white. And trust that it offers an altogether different experience from pawing the packed racks at Kleinfeld's. Bubbly awaits the betrothed, who are assigned their own "stylist" and personally escorted through the store's multiple collections, including the Pronovias and Manuel Mota lines and select styles from Elie Saab and Valentino Sposa. When they've narrowed the field, brides can camp out in the gorge dressing rooms, which are roughly the size of a Gotham studio and equipped with ottomans and banquets in case Mom or a beloved BFF is in tow to aid the crucial decision-making process.
