As New Yorkers headed to their Hamptons retreats for a summer spent in the sun and surf this year, the Cultured team followed suit, gearing up for a season of events and parties out East in celebration of the magazine’s inaugural Hamptons edition. On July 15, these festivities began with an intimate evening of cocktails, dinner and a beach bonfire put on in partnership with female-led sustainable fashion brand Another Tomorrow and held at the Sagaponack, New York home of its founder Vanessa Barboni Hallik. A spirited group of women leading the arts, culture, fashion and technology attended the beach chic affair, cohosted by Cultured founder and editor-in-chief Sarah Harrelson alongside artist Sheree Hovsepian, New Museum deputy director and International Center for Photography guest curator Isolde Brielmaier and Barboni Hallik.
Upon arrival at Barboni Hallik’s summer abode, guests were treated to handcrafted cocktails made with Casa Dragones Blanco tequila and wines from RGNY, two female-owned companies with sustainable practices. Attendees including Glori Cohen, Kelly Behun, Alexis Hoag, Enuma Okoro, Kyle DeWoody, Lindsay Peoples Wagner, Jessica Willis, Bertha González Nieves, Cynthia Rowley and Kelly Taxter engaged in lively conversations while admiring the beautiful outdoor dinner setup where a long table decorated with florals and calligraphed place cards was lit by glittering lights in the trees above. A three-course dinner crafted by caterers Hamptons Aristocrat followed the welcome drinks, indulging diners with plates that included a cucumber panna cotta with smoked watermelon and whipped feta, ricotta gnocchi with mushrooms and shaved black truffle. Several of the dishes were paired with Casa Dragones sipping tequila, including the dessert, a delicious lemon tart with meringue.
The group then walked down to the adjacent beach for a summer bonfire where the light of the fire reflected onto the ocean’s waves. Admiring the starry sky and the moon that shone near Saturn overhead, guests enjoyed fire-roasted s'mores. When they departed, they left with gifts to commemorate an evening spent in the company of friends old and new: a dress from Another Tomorrow, Dr. Barbara Sturm facial products, a Cultured hat and copy of the Hamptons edition, an essential guide to art and culture on the East End this summer.
