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Five minutes with P. Diddy's party planner

If you haven't heard, P. Diddy is celebrating his 40th birthday tonight at the Plaza Hotel. The bash—which he's been hyping as "the party of the century"—is in the hands of Bronson van Wyck, an event planner who handles A-list affairs for socialites and entertainment moguls alike. (His first job out of Yale was working for Pamela Harriman at the American Embassy in Paris.) Earlier this season, van Wyck organized Richard Meier's 75th birthday party on the plaza of the Seagram Building and the Whitney Museum Gala hosted by Donatella Versace. We caught up with him to talk P. Diddy, Thanksgiving and White House entertaining.

What is it like to plan a party for P. Diddy?
He'll have a vision and then we'll sit down and hash through the flow of how that's going to be experienced by the guests. He likes to push the intersection of design and thought and expression in pretty much everything that he does.

What elements of party giving does he focus on?
He focuses on age-old notions of hospitality that have to do with graciousness, taking care of his guests and seeing to their every need. The staff to guest ratio for tonight is what you'd have at a very formal multiple course dinner—three to four times the ratio of staff that you'd normally have at this kind of party.

Is there a theme for tonight?
For his 40th we really focused on the sensual over the overtly sexual, the experiential not the spectacle—though it will be pretty spectacular, too. This was a conscious choice—it's a different note in his entertaining.

You've thrown parties for the Clintons and you're friendly with Obama's chief of protocol, Capricia Penavic Marshall. In terms of entertaining, how do you think the Obamas compare to the Clintons?
I think that both the Clintons and the Obamas have an incredible understanding of the social power of the presidency. How you make that a visitor feel—whether a king or a general or a president-for-life —has a direct impact on how they deal with the issues that day. If you can treat them in a way that creates a bridge of understanding, you're already closer to yes.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?
I grew up in a farm in Arkansas, so all the people on the farm come over. We all cook and have a huge duck hunt. We also take my parents' Christmas card picture over Thanksgiving—there's usually some insane trek to the site. This year I think we're taking canoes to some little spot in the swampy wetlands of the Cache river.

Do you have any Thanksgiving pet peeves?
Thanksgiving is like a wedding in the sense that there are traditions, but they're traditions that we can change together. I think it's fun to have turkey and stuffing and yams, all of it, but do it your way. We've had traditional roasted turkey, deep fried turkey and once I did a turkey stuffed with oranges and a citrus Asian hoisin sauce—it was fantastic.

Photo: WWD

By Haven Thompson

November 19, 2009

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Five minutes with Dallas grande dame Deedie Rose

A true grande dame of the Texas social scene, Deedie Rose has been a major force in the push to create an arts district in downtown Dallas for almost three decades. Last month, with the openings of the Wyly Theater and Winspear Opera House, the efforts of Rose and her fellow boosters finally paid off. Rose—whose daughter, by the way, is the fashion designer Lela Rose—chatted with us about the triumphs and challenges involved in making the district a reality and, for those planning a visit, shared a few of her Dallas must-dos.

Deedie and Lela Rose

What was the highlight of the opening for you?
At the end of the week of opening events, the museums and venues had a day of free admission. I went down thinking, "Well, I'll park at the Dallas Museum of Art because everyone is going to be at the other end of the district where the new buildings are." But when I arrived the museum was jammed and when I walked out onto the street I saw that people were also jammed into the Nasher Sculpture Center trying to see the architectural models—and not that many people generally go to see architectural models! This was a weekend that was the closing of the State Fair of Texas and I think there was also a Cowboys game. It was the most thrilling day I've about ever had!

How does Dallas's arts community compare to the art world in other places, like New York?
I don't want to sound like a stereotypical Texan going on about how everything is better here than anywhere else but we're maybe a little more collaborative down here. As you probably know, a group of us collectors have gotten together and bequested our collections jointly to the museum and now we've involved other people in that. It's not just the original three families anymore but other people who realized this is really a fun thing to do.

Aerial view of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas.

Was it your goal to make Dallas an arts destination for people from other cities?
Yes. I would say that was a goal—we want our city to be noticed for good things. But what I really care about is that we're successful in building a center for the people who live in this community. All kinds of people, not just people who can afford to buy the most expensive tickets.

And that must be a challenge in this economy?
Of course it's a challenge, but you know, what's new? Life is a challenge. I say all the time, "We're the arts people! So we're the ones who should be able to think more creatively about how to serve the public."

Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons Park at the AT&T Performing Arts Center

Aside from the museums and performances, what else would you recommend in Dallas?
For shopping, a store called Forty Five Ten not far from downtown. Brian Bolke owns that and it's a unique boutique with lovely things. In terms of hotels, you could stay close to downtown at the Mansion or the Crescent or the Fairmont or the Ritz Cartlon. Fearing's at the Ritz Carlton is a divine restaurant. The arts district also has some great restaurants—there are six in the bottom of One Arts Plaza alone. And Charlie Palmer is also downtown. Of course, don't miss the downtown Neiman Marcus, which has always been a special, special place. But for me it's really about the visual arts. There is so much here that you could stay a week and not see it all.

Photos: AT&T Arts Center: Nigel Young/ Foster + Partners

By Jenny Comita

November 19, 2009

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Last night's fabulousness

Last night, the opening of the "The Martus Maw," an exhibition of paintings by not-very-well-known French artist Nicolas Pol on the Lower East Side was the "it" destination for New York's chic set. (The fact that the show was curated by Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld probably had something to do with it.) Afterwards, the VIPs -- think Tom Sachs, Aby Rosen and the Roitfelds -- headed to Indochine.

Daphne Guinness

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Carine Roitfeld, Olivier Bialobos, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld

Tom Sachs and Aby Rosen

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Genevieve Jones and Carlos Mota

From left: Adam Lippes; Fabiola Beracasa

Byrdie Bell (right) and friend.

Photo of Tom Sachs & Aby Rosen by Patrick McMullan, all other images by Meghan McElheny

By Meghan McElheny

November 10, 2009

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Daphne Guinness

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Les Deux Cafes, redux

Leave it to Michele Lamy and her partner, designer Rick Owens, to draw one of Paris' motliest—and wildest—party crowds to Paris' straitlaced 7th arrondissement. Designers, tattoo artists, drag queens, socialites, goth kids and even a pro rugby player or two packed Chez Francoise on Friday for Lamy's one-night revival of Les Deux Cafes, the famed L.A. nightclub she launched in the Nineties (click HERE for last week's interview with Lamy). As Greek artist Konstantin Kakanias watched Lamy take the stage to croon a few moody cabaret numbers, backed by Bobby Woods' band, he enthused, "This is just like the old Les Deux. Only better."

Michelle Lamy and Rick Owens

Art installation by Scarlett Rouge

Bobby Woods

Bobby Woods, left, and Konstantin Kakanias

Christopher and Jessica Wonder

DJ Benjamin Moreau and friends

Jane Mosley and Lisa Ticknor

Louis-Marie de Castelbajac, left, and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

Maxime Buchi

Moco, left, Dianne Pernet and Armand Hadida

Terence Koh

Photos: Francois Goize

By Christopher Bagley

October 27, 2009

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Five minutes with opera it-girl Isabel Leonard

One of the brightest young stars at the Metropolitan Opera this season is mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, a Manhattan native who is singing the part of Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro this season. Leonard, 27, has been steadily on the rise since she made her Met debut two years ago in Romeo et Juliette. One of those lucky souls who seem to have talent down to their fingertips, Leonard danced ballet at the Joffrey Ballet School until she was about 12, and at one point almost chose to pursue visual arts instead of music. Her voice is pure and agile, she's totally gorgeous, and she's married to Teddy Tahu Rhodes, a hunky baritone who's known as the Brad Pitt of the opera world.

Do you ever get stage fright?
You know, I've never been nervous to an inhibiting point, even when I was a kid dancing The Nutcracker. For me, it's not nerves as much as adrenaline. If I'm prepared, I shouldn't be nervous.

Leonard, left, as Cherubino, with Emma Bell as the Countess

Even at your Met debut?
Well, I think I was prepared for it, so I wasn't really nervous. Those horrible dreams singers have are usually about being unprepared -- like you're being thrust onstage and you don't even know what opera you're singing. I've had those dreams!

What are some of the other common opera singer nightmares?
Oh, there are several. There's also the one where you're handed a score and for some reason you can't read it and the conductor is looking at you, like, "Sing!"

Being married to an opera singer and being one yourself, do you guys listen to a lot of opera at home?
Oh god, no. After singing it all day that's usually the last thing I want to hear. It drives me crazy when I go visit my mom and she's playing opera -- I have to say, "Mom, please!" I listen to a lot of jazz. I still prefer listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Etta James and Sarah Vaughn than anything else.

Tell us about Teddy.
We met the summer before last in Santa Fe and just got married last December. I think cupid had it out for us. He was singing Billy Budd and I was singing Cherubino. We were sort of avoiding each other, like high school kids with a crush. Finally, his director who must have seen me lurking around at rehearsals told him, "You have a fan -- she's been here every day." In any case, we met and sort of fell into each other immediately.

Are you going to sing together sometime?
Well, we'd be happy just being on the same continent, or the same state, maybe. This summer I was in Salzburg and he was in Australia, it was wretched!

It sounds like you had a really bohemian, artistic upbringing.
Yeah, well, I grew up in Chelsea in a walkup apartment. My dad was an artist and my mom, who's from Buenos Aires, is an intellectual with a huge artistic passion. I've always been very happy painting, singing, dancing. I'm thinking of finding a pottery class now because I'm dying to do something with my hands.

Leonard's next performance in Figaro is Friday, October 9. The production runs through December 12.

Previously on the blog: A W staffer goes gaga for maestro Gustavo Dudamel

Production shot: courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera; Tahu: Gaye Gerard/Getty Images

By Catherine Hong

October 8, 2009

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Bravo, Gustavo

The One finally arrived in Los Angeles. After a months-long build-up, 28-year-old Venezuelan conducting sensation Gustavo Dudamel gave his first performance as the new musical director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic on Saturday night. I haven't enjoyed anything so much in years.

Since Dudamel exploded on the classical scene a few years back, he has been hailed in the music press as the next Leonard Bernstein. When I attended a press conference at Disney Hall earlier this year to officially introduce Gustavo -- everyone calls him by his first name -- I thought of another comparison. With his youth, unexpected heritage, commitment to community-based music education and irresistible public charisma, Dudamel is something like the Barack Obama of the performing arts world. And just as Obama had his rallying cries of Hope and Change, Gustavo swept into town amidst a well-calibrated marketing campaign with tag-line like Pasión Gustavo! and Eléctrico Gustavo! On Saturday, 18,000 rapturous fans attended the L.A. Phil's free performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony at the Hollywood Bowl. Seemingly every color, class and culture from across the city was there.

It was the first time I've seen Gustavo conduct -- and now I understand what all the fuss is about. Classical music critics have attested to Gustavo's extraordinary musical acumen. What I'd add is that Gustavo is also a brilliant actor in the podium. He doesn't just manage the orchestra; he uses his entire body to articulate an astonishing range of musical moods as ably as a silent-screen star. It's no wonder fans love Gustavo: he is a performance in and of himself.

For example, during the booming cataclysms of Beethoven's first movement, Gustavo's used his expressive left hand to define the orchestra's volume and scale as precisely as a mime might delineate the shape of a teacup -- or an elephant. In the third movement, the beautiful adagio, Gustavo's face was that an old roué reliving the memory of a long-ago seduction, and the music accordingly evoked the wistful lyricism of private happiness.

The encore, a repeat of the Ode to Joy accompanied by fireworks, showed Gustavo as relaxed and celebratory as an Olympic sprinter after taking the gold, and by then, 18,000 Angelenos were on their feet laughing joyously, weeping and cheering.

Gustavo is surely the only arts celebrity in Los Angeles with the star power and passion to bring together the entire city in such a public celebration. He more than lived up to the hype. On the way out, I could help but indulge a whimsical thought -- Presidente Gustavo!

By Kevin West

October 6, 2009

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Madeleine Albright on diplomacy, her pins & Vegas

In matters of diplomacy, a little bling—and a quick wink at social and sexual politics—can be quite the ice breaker. So says Madeleine Albright, the U.S. Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001, whose new book chronicling her love of buying (and, occasionally, her controversial penchant for wearing) brooches in all manner of color, shape and, yes, quality—she is a major costume proponent—hits shelves this week. Read My Pins, underwritten by St. John Knits, offers a glossy glimpse into the treasure trove of pins Secretary Albright has collected over the years, from the slinking snake she wore near her shoulder after being deemed an “unparalleled serpent” by the Iraqi press to the elegant peach-hued Chinese dragon she donned when testifying before Congress on U.S.-China relations. Now running The Albright Group and Albright Capital Management, the globetrotter spoke with W about her decidedly nonpartisan hobby.

In Read My Pins, you write that you first began wearing the accoutrements prominently in the mid-Nineties, after you criticized Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi press subsequently called you a “serpent.” I understand the symbolism of wearing a snake thereafter, but were you concerned about how it might be perceived?
I actually wasn’t at the time. And I think that having been called a serpent I thought I was entitled to wear what I wanted to and they saw a message received and that I had to respond.

Katie's Heart, Katie Albright (USA), 1972.

Very quickly your pins became an expected part of your wardrobe. Did you ever arrive at a state event without one?
It wasn’t true when I was Secretary of State but after I left office, I was out in Las Vegas giving a speech and the organizer said ‘So, what pin are you wearing tonight?’ And I said, ‘I’m not, because I’m wearing a necklace.’ And they said, ‘That’s impossible, you have to wear a pin! It’s part of who you are.’ So since I was in Las Vegas where you can shop endlessly, I went out and bought a pin—an eagle.

You write that you don’t spend a lot of money on these pins, and you mention a place in D.C. where you buy many of them, The Tiny Jewel Box. Where else do you shop for them? And do you have a price cap?
I mostly buy costume jewelry and so [price] is not a particular issue. There’s a great store called Keith Lippert in Georgetown and it’s really terrific. Mostly what happens is, this is all serendipity. I have a farm and so I poke around antique stores in Virginia or flea markets. Or when I’m traveling, I like to go to the souks, the bazaars.

Liberty Eagle, Ann Hand (USA), 1992.

Did the many dignitaries you met ever ask you to explain the logic behind the pin you were wearing, or is small talk off the table?
No, they did ask about the logic. And the reason I really wanted to write the book was in order to use the pins as vehicles for telling foreign policy stories. So for instance, one [pin] that’s in there, it’s actually an arrow. But I wore it when I was dealing with the Russian foreign minister [Ivanov] on renegotiating the anti-ballistic missile treaty. And he looked at it and he said, ‘Is that one of your interceptors?’ And I said, ‘Yes, we make them very small and we need to renegotiate.’ So they did pay attention to them.

When you teach foreign policy courses, do you ever talk about the ways in which accessories—ie your pins—can be tools of diplomacy?
Nobody’s ever said that pins are a tool of diplomacy. But I’ll tell you what I do think people don’t quite get: Even when heads of state meet or foreign ministers meet, you have to begin the conversation in some way. I have been in meetings where a head of state will say, ‘I like your tie,’ to a man...or, ‘I like your country because the weather’s good,’ or whatever. So for me, the pins in some ways were openers.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Designer unknown (USA), circa 1997.

My favorite in your book is the shattered glass pin—clear cracked glass attached to a gold “ceiling.” What’s the story behind it?
It came early on after I became Secretary of State. I got it from a women’s group. It all seems kind of strange now, but [the glass ceiling] was shattering when I became Secretary of State. I have to tell you, my seven-year-old granddaughter said to my daughter, her mother, ‘So what’s the big deal about Grandma Maddy having been Secretary of State? Only girls are Secretaries of State.’ Most of her lifetime, it’s true. But at the time it really was a big deal. So, I think it delivered the message that we had arrived.

By Sarah Haight

September 30, 2009

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Now, Ping-Pong is King

Located discreetly between an H&R Block and a Time Warner Office on 23rd Street is a surprising new social club where, of all things, table tennis is king. Last night, socialites, actors, models, and assorted creatures of the night convened at the opening party for Spin New York, which is owned by none other than Susan Sarandon.

Jaime Johnson, Eva Amurri, Veronica Webb, 30 Rock's Judah Friedlander and Brad Goreski (of Rachel Zoe fame) were all grabbing paddles and having a go. There were even ball chasers on hand who scurried around with tiny nets to collect the stray balls.

The theatrically lit, cavernous basement club is designed by Todd Oldham and an hotbed of sensory stimulation. Think: bright purple Olympic regulation tables, orange ping pong balls flying around in every direction, video monitors blasting. (Just don't expect to concentrate on an actual match.)

Photos by Hanuk

By Stephen Watson

September 18, 2009

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Amanda Brooks on pearl earrings, musehood, Rachel Zoe & more

Blessed with socialite status, a wardrobe to die for and a whippet-thin physique, Amanda Brooks is, as one W writer once put it, "a girl girls love to hate." But in her first book, I Love Your Style: How to Define and Refine Your Personal Style (HarperCollins/ItBooks) out September 15, the former Tuleh creative director and muse and argues that her seemingly preternatural style is actually the result of hard work. "My greatest belief about clothes is that style does not come to you unless you pay attention to it," she writes. The Vogue contributor also recommends studying magazine tear sheets, recording one's "style history" and finding fashion icons (hers are Brigitte Bardot, Marlene Dietrich and Marchesa Casati). We caught up with the new author to talk—what else?—fashion.

Whose idea was it to write a book?
It was actually two people. Diane von Furstenberg [who wrote the book's foreward] invited me over for lunch and said that she thought it was time that I did my own thing, because I've always worked for other people and she wanted to see what kind of creativity I had inside of me. Another friend of mine just said, "I think you should write a book."

Did you know that you wanted it to be a how-to kind of thing?
I wanted it to be very commercial. I wanted it to be a manual. I wanted it to be soft cover at a very accessible price point. I always knew that I wanted to sell it in Urban Outfitters and Anthropology and not just Barneys or Bergdorf's book department. I didn't want it to be a precious book—I have so many beautiful coffee table books and I can't say that I ever read.

You dissect six distinct styles—classic, bohemian, minimal, high fashion, street and eclectic—in the book. Are you in a particular fashion frame of mind right now?
I think I am always in combination of all of them. In my twenties I was just so turned off by classic clothes—I didn't have a lot of respect for things that weren't of the moment. I was always really paranoid that I grew up very preppy and that my physical features are kind of that. For instance, I would never wear pearl earrings. But after I turned 30 I became more attracted to classic clothes again. I became more confident that just because I was wearing classic clothes didn't mean that I looked preppy.

Do you have a favorite designer right now?
I really love Thakoon, I really love Proenza, I really, really love Phillip Lim. I've always been interested in young designers and watching them grow.

Are they on your fashion week agenda? And which other shows are you planning on?
Definitely. I am going to my first Alexander Wang show and I am really excited about it. I love DVF. I am going to Michael Kors, and Rag & Bone.

Is there a current trend that you kind of wish would go away?
I feel like the same proportions have been around for a while—in everyday life, not in fashion life. The loose baggy blouse with skinny jeans and ballet flats, I wear that all the time but I'm kind of ready for a new proportion.

You were a muse and creative director at Tuleh. What do you think about the term and title "muse"?
People propose me to kind of work as muse for other people and it just hasn't ever really worked since [Tuleh] and I haven't ever really wanted to do it because it's so much about the relationship between two people. You can't tell someone you don't like something unless you really love them. It is very hard to criticize someone that you don't love. To inspire them they have to trust you, so it really is really trusting each other and loving each other as people—and you can't force that.

What do you think about celebrity stylists today and their influence?
My gut says that you can't have real personal style if you have a stylist because it is someone else always telling you what to wear. But I also don't think that is true necessarily. Sofia Coppola absolutely has a fantastic sense of personal style. Same with Kirsten Dunst and Diane Kruger. I don't know if they work with personal stylists, but I can tell by the way that they dress that they have great style.

What about someone like Nicole Richie?
I think Nicole Richie is a really good example of someone who hugely benefited from a celebrity stylist because clearly she didn't have style before she met Rachel Zoe. Now that she doesn't work with Rachel Zoe I don't know if she works with any stylist at all, but I think her style is more herself.

Now that you've written your first book, would you write another?
I'm just seeing what happens, doing publicity and a book tour and seeing if another book comes out of it. Certainly the title lends itself to other books. It could be I Love Your Style: Men, I Love Your Style: Beauty, I Love Your Style: Home...

Photos: Steve Eichner.

By Jessica Iredale

September 8, 2009

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Who is Paris's poshest florist?

The son of a farmer, 37-year-old Eric Chauvin is the most sought-after florist in Paris. He opened his first shop, Un Jour de Fleurs, in 2000 on posh rue Jean Nicot in the 7th arrondissement, and last year expanded to the chic suburb of Neuilly. A modern-day romantic with long black hair, a deep tan and a half dozen bracelets on his left arm, Chauvin is the go-to guy for luxury brands like Dior and Boucheron; and, thanks to social fixture Betty Lagardère, who introduced him to all of her friends, he’s also developed an exclusive private clientele.

What have been your favorite projects so far?
There have been a lot of nice events. A beautiful dinner at Karl Lagerfeld’s home years ago and more recently, a wonderful party for the opening of the “Christian Dior and Chinese Artists” exhibit in Beijing. It took place in a magical place, all red flowers. And in June, we did the wedding of Adrien de Ganay at Courrances.

Are there any flowers you can’t stand?
I’m not into yellow flowers. They’re nice in the fields, in the gardens, but not in a house. I don’t use chrysanthemums either. I love garden flowers – irises, roses, peonies, all in large quantities because the volumes are nice.

Two of Chauvin's arrangements.

What’s the main drawback of your job?
Getting up early every morning. I work late, go to bed late, and I go to [the flower market] Rungis almost every day at 4 or 5am.

Do get a lot of irrational requests?
Sometimes I’ll get an order at 10am to be delivered before noon. Not always easy, especially if it’s a bouquet of lily of the valley in August! But most of the time, we meet the challenge.

What’s your favorite place in Paris?
I like the Bagatelle rose garden, and I enjoy walking on the quai at night. When I can get away I love to go to Venice.

Are you a romantic?
You can say that. I’m not in love though. Work is so important for me, I don’t have much time. There is too much to do.

That’s a lot of bracelets on one wrist.
I like abundance and generosity. Some are Hermes, some Gucci, Chrome Hearts and Nicolas Robert. I never take them off.

See our related blog: "The man to know in Paris—and what he knows"

By Chantal Goupil

September 3, 2009