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Jean Shafiroff, Robert
Oxnam, Vishakha.N. Desai, President, Asia Society, Hesh
Sarmalkar
Asia Society
Celebration Of Asia Week
Photos:
Blacktiemagazine/GMK
Asia Society
Celebrates Asia Week in Style at its Fourth Annual
Celebration of Asia Week
Dinner and
Dance Gala
The Asia Society celebrated
Asia Week New York in style at its fourth annual Celebration
of Asia Week benefit gala, held at The Plaza Hotel and
attended by close to 400 guests.
The
evening began with a chic 1930's Shanghai nights-themed
cocktail reception featuring music by the Le Zhang
Quartet, Asian-inspired tastings and exclusive couture.
Guests at the event—which presents art, fashion, cuisine,
music and design from across Asia—turned out in
spectacularly elegant gowns and cheongsams, and ‘Shanghai
nightclub 30’s inspired/black-tie attire’ as suggested on
the invitations.
Following
the reception, guests enjoyed dinner in the candle-lit Grand
Ballroom, which featured stunning and unique table top décor
customized by well-known designers. Everything from a tented
dining salon, to glazed porcelain, to hand-painted linens,
to live tropical fish, to jeweled candelabras and fresh
flowers, adorned the tables. Tabletop décor
was graciously designed by: Rachel Cho, Tana Chung, Donna
D'Cruz- Rasa Living, Lee Jean-Gilles ~
Pierre Paul Interior Design,
Robert Kuo, Lotus Arts de Vivre, Campion Platt, Nina Seirafi,
Jean Shafiroff, Scott Snyder, Tracy Stern, Ni Ni Than, Jim
Thompson-Thai Silk Co., Antony Todd, and Toujours Magazine.
The meal was curated by Danielle Chang of
LUCKYRICE.
Betsy
and Edward Cohen
and Stephanie and John Foster were the Benefit
Chairs. New
York-based artist Michael Joo was the Honorary
Chair. Joo uses sculpture, performance and installation to
create thoughtful and provocative artworks that touch upon
identity and our perceptions of the world. He has exhibited
extensively worldwide and is currently part Transforming
Minds: Buddhism in Art at
Asia Society’s Hong Kong Center.
A
highlight of the evening was the presentation by Special
Guest Paul Goldberger, the Pulitzer prize winning
writer and
architecture critic for The New Yorker, of Asia
Society’s Global Arts Award to architects Tod Williams
and Billie Tsien, who designed Asia Society’s newly
opened Hong Kong Center. “They’ve designed…many of the
buildings I’ve most admired over the years,” Goldberger
commented.
Following
dinner, guests enjoyed dancing to the music of performer/DJ
Donna D’Cruz and a silent auction.
Guests
in attendance included: Carolyn Hsu-Balcer
and Rene Balcer, Tally Beck,
Sharon Bush, Richard Chai, Pat Cleveland, Betsy Cohen, Ann
and Stephen Curley, Barbara Hoffman,
Henrietta H. Fore, Chiu-Ti
Jansen, Phillip Lim, Helen and William Little, Susan Lynch,
Bibhu Mohapatra, Maggie Norris, Cynthia Hazen Polsky and
Leon Polsky, Susan Shin, Jean Shafiroff, Susan and Dirk
Standen, Anna Sui, Yeohlee Teng, Barbara and Donald Tober,
Tommy Ton, Anita Yavich and celebrity models in couture.
Asia
Society’s Celebration of Asia Week gala brings
together leading Asian and Asian American designers and
artists, as well as Asian art dealers, collectors and
enthusiasts, in a benefit to support Asia Society’s museum
and
cultural activities and its
mission of connecting Asians and Americans. Asia Week New
York, March 16–24, is a collaboration of museums, galleries,
auction houses and Asian art specialists hosting
exhibitions, previews and special programs throughout the
city geared toward a discerning audience from around the
world. During Asia Week New York, Asia Society celebrates
the opening of its new multimillion dollar cultural centers
in Hong Kong and Houston.
For more information, visit
www.AsiaSociety.org |