The Best Parties at Miami Art Basel 2022

Dancers from the New York City Ballet started pirouetting across a makeshift stage set up in from of Miami Beach’s Bass Museum while musician James Blake was performing with a small band, and after a long, long week of hitting up Art Basel Miami Beach party circuit I finally felt like I had come across something that was worth it.

North America’s most important art fair marked its 20th edition this year, which also meant the 20th anniversary of the infamous party circuit surrounding it. Yet, this year it felt like too much of the party chatter this week was about how all the other parties people had attended had fallen flat. There was an overrun of messy door situation, photo backdrops, and impromptu influencer photoshoots. Sometimes it felt like events were too concerned about coming across as fun through the lens of social media content than they were for providing much fun in real life.

Notable, was the dearth of events in the traditional Art Basel mold: claiming a the pool deck of a hotel for the evening, serving attendees free drinks, and providing them with a mini-concert from some Pitchfork-friendly buzz musician.

At least Macallan carried on the tradition, swapping out a pool deck for the museum lawn.

The night was in celebration of the launch of the brand’s newest single malt whisky offering, M Copper (part of their elite M Collection, each bottle comes in distinctive Lalique glass and retails in the four figures if not more. A six liter decnteur once sold for over $600,000 and holds the reord for most expensive whiskey ever sold). For select guests, the night had begun earlier inside the museum with an exclusive pairing dinner matching the three editions of the M Collection with a plant-based meal. Blake himself held court, notably in a pair of surgery room blue-colored gloves. Bally creative director Rhuigi Villaseñor was also seated at the circular table, around which waiters engaged in service that could only be described as elegantly choreographed.

Outside, Macallan had transformed the Bass’s front lawn into an elegant playpen for the night, with a brass sculpture meant to recall Scotland’s River Spey on display. While it all made for great personal content creation, by the end of it the only content that mattered was what Blake was making on stage. Well, that and what Macallan’s bartenders had to offer.

Kim Kardashian only hit a select few public parties throughout the week, but after hitting up W’s party on Thursday, she showed up to Nylon’s event the following night at the Goodtimes Hotel (the Instagram-friendly inn co-owned by Pharrell Williams). While, at this point, one shouldn’t be surprised by anything Kim wears, few people would have probably ever imagined the Queen of Reality in a Björk t-shirt.

As Fatman Scoop once said, “Ciara in the house!” Indeed she was, wearing a daring asymmetrical gown.

Hailey Bieber was also in attendance, where she hung with Justine Skye and Isabela Grutman.

On Friday, Valeninto took over Do Not Sit On The Furniture, an out-of-the-way intimate Miami Beach mainstay where the DJs are usually more important than bottle service. In that spirit, guests danced the night away to tunes provided by DJs Mona Matsuoka and Pedro Cavaliere. Shay Mitchel, Dixie, D’Amelio, Camila Coelho, Tina Leung, Quincy Brown and Dorothy Wang, amongst others, all came out.

Tiffany & Co. has found a temporary home in Miami’s Design District. A two-story pop-up store will operate in the neighborhood until the end of January, so of course a party was in order to celebrate. Hailey Bieber, a Tiffany campaign star and collaborator, mingled with J. Balvin at the step and repeat. Though, when Balvin greeted Pharrell, wearing his favorite pair of bejewled sunglasses, the camera’ caught the Batman symbol shaved into the back of his head.

Your typical Miami dresscode involves a bit of “body-ody-ody,” and Lori Harvey showed up in a top that put her Tiffany hardwear necklace on full display.

Victoria’s Secret alum Vita Sidorkina and Martha Graeff, wife of Miami Heat legend turned House DJ Ronny Seikaly, put the space’s mirrored hall to good use.

Prada’s co-Creative Director Raf Simons has spent his career mixing the worlds of fashion and underground electronic music. So that the brand decided to throw a Basel party that took cues from a warehouse rave was no surprise. The Italian house took over Midbeach’s Faena Forum and invited techno legend Richie Hawtin to curate a night of sights and sounds. It marked the third edition of their joint Prada Extends series after events in London and Tokyo.

Hailee Steinfeld may have a side career as a pop princess, but perhaps she got some techno inspiration during the night. Actress Eiza González, meanwhile, excelled at nailing the Miami club dress code in a midriff baring paillette outfit.

Taylour Paige, in a sparkly Prada ensemble, held court with new beau Rivington Starchild.

Maya Hawke and Damson Idris buddied up in black.

Underneath a seaside tent behind the Soho Beach House on Wednesday night, multiple Oscar winners, a smattering of Real Housewives, an actual Indian prince, and Diplo gathered to raise funds for Sean Penn’s direct action non-profit CORE (notably, Penn himself couldn’t make it, but did send his regards via a letter). Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey McGuire managed to evade official photographers, but both were present, dressed casually in head-to-toe black. Jared Leto, hair as long as ever, wasn’t afraid to stand out. Still loyal to Alessandro Michele, Leto wore an elaborate white lace Gucci shirt (one he’s actually been spotted in before). He’s also still loyal to fellow ’90s teen star, Soleil Moon Frye, a CORE board member.

Penn started CORE back in 2010 following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Both the evening’s host, Garcelle Beauvais, and main entertainment, Wyclef Jean, are natives of the Caribbean country, and praised the group’s efforts.

Jean played a selection of his greatest hits, while Beauvais danced along near the front of the stage with her Housewives bff Sutton Stracke.

DJs Diplo and Mia Moretti posed on the sand.

If you’re not familiar, Esteban Cortázar is South Beach’s hometown fashion pride and joy. The designer first gained notoriety while he was a teenager living in the city—and fittingly, Farfetch chose Miami Beach’s Faena Theater to celebrate their rerelease of his debut collection.

Honey Dijon helmed the decks, while guests (including a number of Drag Race alumni like Symone, Gigi Goode, and Gottmik) mingled.

Candice Swanepoel and Bravin, clad in Gualtier, were clearly having a good time.

Inside the party.