Attendees at last night’s Young Fellows Ball spared no expense when it came to attire: Feathered headpieces, trailing gowns, tiaras, and more flitted about the Frick Collection. But, the showstopper of the evening was undoubtedly the museum itself. Every warmly lit room of the just-renovated mansion stunned, packed with the kind of cosmopolitan guests such an architectural marvel was originally designed to house.
The evening’s theme, Porcelain Garden, nodded to the current exhibition of porcelain flowers scattered throughout the institution, designed by Ukrainian sculptor Vladimir Kanevsky as a nod to the florals procured for the Frick Collection’s original 1935 opening. Bunches of peonies sat on tables, and on the newly accessible second floor, black poppies sprouted in the room where the institution’s benefactor, Henry Clay Frick, lived and died.
The Frick’s Young Fellows, between ages 21 to 45, were out in full force until night’s end, with the crowd hardly waning as hours passed. Attendees at the Bucherer Fine Jewellery-sponsored event took the opportunity to tour the art, moving through the labyrinthine turns of Vermeers and Rembrandts. Guests included ballet dancer Misty Copeland, actor Lola Tung (both wearing Bucherer, of course), artist Paul Arnhold, and collectors Laurence Ross Milstein and Arielle Patrick—all of whom served as benefit chairs and enjoyed the set by DJ duo Angel + Dren.
When the crowd was pushed out to the street, over $500,000 had been raised for the Frick to continue its programming, including the Art Research Library serving students across the five boroughs. If the enthusiasm on display last night was any measure, this crowd will be back many times before next year’s bash.
