Having a Tribeca Ball

On Monday night, a chic crowd including Calvin Klein, Brooke Shields, and Robert De Niro gathered at Van Cleef & Arpels‘s annual Tribeca Ball to celebrate the New York Academy of Art. “This night is like a fairy tale,” said Van Cleef & Arpels CEO of the Americas Alain Bernard as he walked in with the brand’s CEO Nicolas Bos. And an artistic fairy tale it was–the Franklin Street school’s three floors of studio space were filled with young artists and their work, which guests explored while sipping champagne and eating canapés. “It’s fascinating to see how younger generations see the world,” said designer and art collector Jean Pigozzi as he wandered through the maze of booths.

As cocktail hour came to a close, guests made their way to the dining room, where columns were covered in ivy and purple lights were ablaze. Mary-Kate Olsen, dressed in a black and gold jacket from New York Vintage, shared a moment with boyfriend Olivier Sarkozy before catching up with artist Dustin Yellin, who came over to greet the duo from a nearby table. On the other side of the room, photographer Rachel Chandler Guinness, who was dressed in a yellow military jacket, shared a laugh with tablemate Stuart Vevers.

When the first course concluded, director and producer Vincent Freemont, NYAA director David Kratz, and writer Bob Colacello took the stage to introduce Peter M. Brant, the night’s honoree. “You can’t be in today’s art world and not have heard of him,” said Kratz of Brant, as his wife Stephanie Seymour and son Harry Brant beamed nearby. Colacello and Fremont proceeded to regale the crowd with tales of Brant in the ‘70s. “He was even a bespoke dresser back then,” said Freemont of the publishing tycoon. “We were all very young when we met at the factory,” added in Colacello. “I remember walking into his first show in 1980—to Schnabel, Fischl, Basquiat, Herring. I realized that a new generation existed that really wanted to paint. To see painting and sculpture, which is valued by this school and his foundation, captured 30 years later is really something.”