It’s that time of year. The worlds of art and fashion have converged in New York for the dual draws of fashion week and the September art fair rush. It’s the kind of deluge that results in bumper-to-bumper traffic and back-to-back lunch dates. To kick off the marathon, CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson and Jason and Michelle Rubell invited guests to the couple’s Upper East Side abode for a celebratory cocktail.
“Art is an amazing way to open your eyes to other people’s points of view,” Jason told CULTURED earlier this year. “In times like this, art is so vital. It’s one of the few mediums we can use to communicate with each other in a meaningful way.” At home, the pair are surrounded by pieces from Rashid Johnson, Sayre Gomez, Kim Dingle, Hernan Bas, and more.
Joining them last night were the likes of Bastide co-founder Shirin von Wulffen, MoMA Board President Sarah Arison, writer Annie Armstrong, writer and musician Johanna Fateman, gallerist Anton Kern, Gucci's Terrence Charles, Object & Thing founder Abby Bangser, interior designer Alyssa Kapito, Cartier’s Christine Goppel, advisor Rob Teeters, Kasmin’s Molly Jean Taylor, architect and designer Adam Charlap Hyman, angel investor Debra Peltz, and Sophia Cohen.
Guests were treated to assorted hors d'oeuvres catered by chef Chris Kronner of Mayday, a seafood and produce market based in Los Angeles. The light bites were accompanied by sipping tequila from female-founded Casa del Sol, as well as Moët & Chandon’s iconic champagne and an assortment of options from all-organic Dry Farm Wines. Both Dry Farm Wines founder Todd White and his partner Cameron Carani were on hand to join in on the festivities and walk attendees through the plethora of artisan bottles, including A Time For White Flowers, Fidora Lorenzo Viti Doro, and Domaine Rouge Bleu Rosé.
As conversation thrummed, attendees could be seen flipping through CULTURED's Provocateur issue, covered by Travis Scott and Rachel Sennott, and discussing the slate of programming promised at the Armory. Hosted at the Javits Center, the 30th edition of the fair boasts more than 235 galleries from over 30 countries. “For the past 30 years, The Armory Show has been an anchor of the city’s cultural landscape,” Kristell Chadé, executive director of fairs at Frieze, said in a statement. “It has been a pleasure working with the team to build on the strengths of the fair and expand its reach.”
As the Rubells helped raise a toast to the week ahead, one thing was certain: Anyone hoping to beat this power couple to the fair’s best picks better move fast.
