Last night, the kids went Uptown. It was Young Collectors Night at The Winter Show, an annual fête powered by youthful patrons of the art and antique fair and benefiting the East Side House Settlement, a community-based organization serving 14,000 people annually in the Bronx and northern Manhattan.
Perhaps it was because the honorees of the evening were so fashionable: glass artist Paul Arnhold and Carolina Herrera’s creative director Wes Gordon. Or perhaps the Park Avenue Armory put people in a frisky mood. Regardless, everyone came dressed to the nines. The New Antiquarians Michael Diaz-Griffith and Camille Okhio’s ensembles were especially inspired, fitting seamlessly into the night’s “jewel box” theme.
The shared trait among guests, who included Irene Neuwirth, Indré Rockefeller, Di Mondo, Adam Charlap Hyman, Alexander Hankin, Laurence Milstein, and Jamie Singer Soros, was an eye for connoisseurship and the way it can be applied across disciplines to create an omnivorous home collection. Some of them developed this passion over time, others were born into it, as Arnhold explained: “A passion for decorative art and antiques was instilled in me by my grandfather, Henry Arnhold, who had a beautiful collection of Meissen porcelain. For Wes, he is an aesthetically driven person. His love of designing and creating extends to an appreciation and reverence for beautiful objects.”
With aisles and aisles of treasures to comb through champagne in hand, it was hard for desire not to crystallize into purchases. I asked Arnhold if he had any suggestions for those shopping (tipsy or not). “Focus on quality over quantity,” he said. “Learn to differentiate between something that is nice from something that is great. A focused collection is always the most interesting. Find a point of view and stick to it.”
I took what Arnhold said to heart. I committed to an espresso martini (they were brought around by the tray) and from over the darkened rim, I really could make out the beginnings of a very rich future.
