Five Festive Events/One Wonderous Night

Last Thursday Rod, Lucy McIntyre and I hit the holiday party circuit hard. How did so many parties fall on one night? Maybe because New York Magazine said Thursday's are the best nights to go out. Maybe because it was the week before Christmas and people were getting into the frenzy. But basically I felt like I was back at Art Basel.

Rod and I met up at 6pm at the castle dressed to the nines. I was excited that my tailor hemmed my new Brooks Brothers holiday pants with two hours notice that morning. Going to so many events deemed a new pair of pants totally necessary. We both had a small dinner before hand. Who knew what kind of food lay in our future...

First stop was Hamish Bowles book launch, The World In Vogue. He held the book party at Carlton Hobbs home and showroom. What kind of antiques does Carlton show? "Only the best" as Rod said whilst sipping champagne. His home is one of the last great Upper East Side mansions. If I had been on reporter duty that night I would remember who used to own the house. But Hamish was ecstatic, "Oh you know Mrs. X used to live here and she was a great collector of Dior. I can just see her now descending that amazing spiral staircase in a nip-waisted couture gown!"

Indeed the staircase and everything else was amazing. We chatted with Amy Fine Collins, ran into Stephanie La Cava and had a good giggle and the entire 1stdibs.com crew was there rolling deep. Lucy arrived and we whisked her upstairs to check out some of the stunning objects. We ran into Carlton and James Reginato from W and Carlton exclaims, "Cator Sparks! The one and only!"
We have never actually met but he is a great friend of Philips. Apparently he inherited a chicken and PHJ told him of my love of the animal and we were planning a trip to the house to see said chicken until a hawk swooped down and took the poor chicken away. Alas.

After several more bubblies we depart down to Melanie Brandman's annual Christmas bash on Park Avenue. She owns my favorite travel PR firmand she is one of my favorite people as well. Her home is like Auntie Mame's brought to life. Packed to the gills with amusing people, Hi Horacio! Hey Colin Cowie! Greetings Bill Keith! and there is always so much champers the apartment could explode if they were all popped at once. We spent a good hour there before heading further downtown to Anthony Haden Guest's bash on the top of some building on Park. It was quite amusing! Loads of people I haven't seen for ages and lots of purple neon. Who is that over there in the glittering kimono? It's Daphne Guinness! I give her a light tap on the shoulder and she turns to me, eyes wide and purrs, "Darling, Cator!" We have a good catch up about Art Basel and then Lucy and I invite her to come downtown with us to Lorenzo's party at Chandelier Creative. She is all for it and we follow her out and pile into her car.
"Daphne can I hold your train? I hate to see that vintage kimono get scrubby on the floor"
"Cator, clothes are to be worn, not to be kept in boxes!"

And there you go. How I adore her thinking.
We arrive at Chandelier and it's like New Years Eve at Studio 54. There are at least 1,000 balloons of pink and gold floating about with ribbons cascading down to eye level. The help are all gym bunnies in saucy Santa outfits and the music goes between a gospel choir clapping and shouting and my handsome Alex Malgouyres DJ'ing.
Rod finds drinks, Lucy finds friends and Daphne and I take a tour admiring the 30-foot tree and the Jeff Koons like balloon animals behind Santa's throne.
Lorenzo is well pleased to see us. YAY! We miss him. A whole week with LM in Miami was delightful so we all had a proper squeeze and catch up. After chatting up Rudolph (yes, well not really, co-owner of the agency Anthony Keegan dressed up as him) and stealing his head for a shot I escort Daphne out to her car. She's being so good! We still have one more event to hit!

I find Rod, I round up Lucy and Claire and we bring Miguel from Interview and pile into a car for the final destination- Boom Boom.
We arrive and the place is popping. GQ had just finished their holiday dinner and loads of other editors, assorted gays, and saucy ladies were zizzing about in a holiday tizzy. Hey Justin and crew! Hey Adam 'Grawl' Shapiro! Marc Kroop is that you?
Rod has never been so I gave him a tour, and then we order drinks (ouch $40 for two drinks!) and mill about catching up with kids.

At 2am Rod and I decide it's time to turn into pumpkins. We sneak away and when our elevator hits the lobby and opens Lorenzo is staring back at me and bellows, "Oh no you don't! Get back upstairs!"
Balderdash, foiled again.
We get back in the lift with his posse including Terence Koh and head up for a nightcap. They all pile out of the elevator and charge the main room. Rod and I look at each other, wink and close the doors again. We just can't do it! Lolo I owe you a drink!

And that's how we got through one very long, exciting, eventful holiday party twirl.