Jet-Stetting, New Orleans Style
There may be a smaller “footprint” in this city, but people are making tracks all over the place. I don’t see any shortage of planes—I counted six nonstops to NYC in November—and by car, Houston is a hop and a skip away with a good book on tape, though it’s a quicker hop/skip via plane.
It’s such an easy hop to Houston, some folks did it on back-to-back weekends. Let’s start with the Order of St. Lazarus, which does such good work and has a good time doing it. Many gathered to see honors given to
Dr. George Schneider, Mrs. Teddy Borgman, Julie Brietmeyer, Ann Fuselier and the Fritz Dahlbergs, Jimmy Giberts, Kenny Newburgers, among others. After the ceremony, they celebrated at Houston’s Junior League building, which rivals our New Orleans Country Club in size and grandeur. The next weekend was a major benefit for the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, which attracted New Orleanians Carlo and Rosamonde Capomazza di Campolattaro, Courtney-Anne Sarpy and Walker Ronaldson, who were also at the St. Lazarus fête. Kevin and Haydee Mackey also attended the St. Lazarus event, but headed to Louisville, Ky., for Breeder’s Cup festivities.
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning at the Colony Club in New York City.
Others took off to New York City, taking in the “American in Paris” show at the Met or “Madame Butterfly” at the other Met. About 100 gathered on Oct. 16 at the Colony Club as the Garden Conservancy and the New York Botanical Garden hosted a benefit for New Orleans Botanical Garden and Longue Vue House and Gardens. Olivia Manning was there with son, N.Y. Giants quarterback Eli Manning, and others in the crowd included Donna Rosen, Miles and Mary Pollard, Peggy Laborde, Sandy and Paul Haygood, Michael Moffitt, and Prescott and Sarah Dunbar, who came down from their gardens in Chatham, Mass. (Sarah is the Garden Conservancy’s regional representative for Cape Cod.) The Dunbars later joined sons Lander Dunbar and Hayden Dunbar, who with fiancée Paula Ramko are making wedding plans—perhaps in a garden. Former Orleanians Geoffrey and Hope Platt, he now of Boscobel on the Hudson, were there as was Douglas Thomas. Tom Armstrong, formerly of the Whitney and Andy Warhol museums, was enraptured by Gen Trimble, who quoted Shakespeare and spoke of the devastation in City Park. “My God, I hope someone puts that woman on tape,” he said. “She’s totally
captivating.” So are her gardens, I replied, referring to Afton Villa.
Sarah Dunbar at New Orleans Botanical Garden/Longue Vue House and Garden benefit at the Colony Club.
The garden at Marsh House is a customary spot for brides of the Avery Island clans.
And as the sun set the first Saturday of November, Mary d’Aquin and Andy Lovell said their “I dos” in front of friends and family who gathered under the ancient oaks. The bridesmaids wore truffle brown. The flowers were variations of greens with bamboo and masses of orchids. Stephen Murray and John Alden Meade, Andy’s sailing buddies, were groomsman. Their wives, Fran Murray and Charlotte Meade, were on hand to explain to Mary the joys and trials of being a world-class sailor’s wife. When folks weren’t talking about sailing, the flowers or the perfectly grilled lamb chops, they danced to ELS. Among them were neighbors Matt and Ginja Moseley, Davis and Picksley Jahncke, Ellis and Tatine Frater, Aline Walshe, and Bobby and Judy Whann. Later, Avery Simmons tossed an impromptu après wedding party at parents Tony and Jeannie Simmons’ house where Journey and Asia had Michael and Nancy Walshe, Liz Ferguson, Peter Maddox and others energetically dancing ‘til dawn.
Darling, everyone started sounding terribly like the Queen in early November when the Daughters of the British Empire in Louisiana and the English Speaking Union hosted events. The Daughters held a lively dinner on Nov. 4 at a home along St. Charles Avenue with the music by the Palm Court Jazz Orchestra with Thais Clark. It was lovely and a tad nostalgic—the party’s theme was “The Way We Were.” Our dashing Honorary Consul to Great Britain Jimmy Coleman Jr., who is also an OBE, was the event’s honorary chairman. Doing the hard work were Esther Coy, Maggie Penfold-Scalise, Kathy Edegram, Penny Thompson and Hazel Tulington.
The ESU held a symposium about British homes, gardens and families featuring Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, Lady Shaw Stewart and her sister Caroline Knight. These three know more stately homes, rolling lawns and skeletons-in-the-closets than most would care to admit. The three-day event started with a luncheon and lecture at the Audubon Tea Room, then moved onto a drinks party (that’s British for cocktails) at the Garden District home of Drs. Jimmy Mains and Dian Sanders, and ended with a lecture and tea at Longue Vue House and Gardens.
Fr. Val McInnes and Carlo E. Capomazza di Campolattaro at the St. Lazarus event in Houston.
Some of the same people who attended those very British affairs headed to Covington for the christening of the son of Robert Suggs and Eugenie Duvic Suggs. Named for his father, little Bobby was a very good boy at Christ Episcopal Church when his godparents, Ruffy Suggs and Susan James, received candles and other items on his behalf. In attendance: Carlo and Rosamonde Capomazza di Campolattaro, Karolyn Westervelt, Tommy Westervelt, Muffin and Luis Balart, Susan and Chris Bradley, Bert and Marguerite Duvic, and Lauren and Avery Kessler, Eugenie’s cousin who has a baby boy, Riley, born about a month ago.
Let the Carnival Begin
The Captain of the Mystic Krewe of Barkus held a party in November at One River Place honoring Angela Hill and Margaret Orr. There may be an announcement about who will be king and queen, but you know about Carnival … royalty and keeping mum. The Mardi Gras spirit continued at the New Orleans Museum of Art’s “Odyssey Ball” on Nov. 11, with its “Carnaval” theme. Some came in costume à la Marie Antoinette, whose beloved portrait by Mme. Vigée LeBrun, which hangs in NOMA, will be off traveling to New York and Palm Beach—even our NOMA paintings travel in the best circles. Our Marie will be the centerpiece of the International Fine Arts & Antique shows in those respective cities. You can’t imagine how many people are paying $1,000 per person just to see our gal at the Vernissage on Feb. 1, then have dinner at Club Colette!
And let’s not forget, there’s a deb season well underway … didn’t you notice?
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