Fifty-second Street is the new 27th Street. While the A-list might have flocked to Bungalow 8, Spirit, and the rest back in the day, the new locale for heavy hitters is in Midtown. And after a two-and-a-half year renovation, Cartier’s Fifth Avenue mansion reopened last night to grand fanfare just a stone’s throw from Tom Ford’s epic and elegant dinner party and fashion show. The glittering attendees included Sienna Miller in a floating frock from Valentino, with friend and stylist Kate Young; Rooney Mara glamming up a gothic look from Givenchy with vintage jewels from Cartier; and actress Ruth Negga smoldering in a velvet dress. Keeping things in the family was Katie Holmes, also in Valentino, who brought her mother to the event. However, daughter Suri did have a say in the evening’s jewelry. “My daughter loves pink and I just thought these complemented [my dress],” said Holmes, adding, “what woman doesn’t love Cartier!” with a million-watt smile before heading inside to peruse additional options.
Inside, guests including Bianca Brandolini D’Adda, sporting a modern take on the famous María Félix crocodile necklace, Sofía Sanchez de Betak, and Laura Love joined haute chefs Daniel Boulud, David Chang, and Eric Ripert in sampling the night’s nibbles which included a crudo bar and freshly pressed grilled cheese paninis to complement the Cartier bubbly. However, singer Kacy Hill, fresh from taking her perch at Yeezy’s front row, was famished after her trip to Roosevelt Island and stopped off for a few slices of pizza prior to the party where she performed atop a swing. Others taking in the excitement were Orange Is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling dressed as a modern Halstonette, down to the pendant necklaces; Formula One’s Lewis Hamilton; and director Sofia Coppola who all sauntered up to the unofficial “club” level of the mansion where Paul Sevigny spun tracks getting everyone into the groove.
After Ed Norton and Shauna Robertson, Chuck Close and Eve Xanthopoulos, and Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl descended to the second floor, a troupe from the New York City Ballet delicately danced to close out the first part of the evening. Never to be outdone, the jewelry house organized an after-party directly opposite the mansion, which was decorated with bubbles on the bar and in the bath. But the best was yet to come—after a quiet arrival on the red carpet, pop sensation Ellie Goulding closed out the evening with a Grammy Award–worthy performance. Or in the case of last night, a strand of Cartier’s legendary pearls.
