Everyone Wore 18th-Century Wigs to a Dinner Celebrating the Frick Collection’s New Meissen Porcelain Show 

Everyone wigged out last night at the Frick Collection. For starters, there was a new exhibition opening, Henry Arnhold’s Meissen Palace: Celebrating a Collector—and who doesn’t love antique porcelain—but also, guests were presented with actual 18th-century-esque faux powdered wigs to wear during dinner.

Hosting the evening was Paul Arnhold (artisan of glass) and Wes Gordon (designer of Carolina Herrera), the former’s grandfather having amassed a resplendent collection of Meissen porcelain over the course of his illustrious life. A selection of that collection (which was thankfully smuggled out of Germany so as to not fall prey to the Nazis) now calls the Frick Collection home and was revealed last night in an intimate exhibition with a dinner to follow.

Most wore Carolina Herrera; “I’m a Bavarian princess,” remarked Sarah Hoover, in a high-necked, smocked white gown. Nearby stood actual Princess Ekaterina of Hanover, in a yellow-printed frock. Also in attendance was Martha Stewart, the divine Deeda Blair, Seth and Alexi Ashe Meyers, Nell Diamond, Indre Rockefeller, Jessica Joffe, Peter Marino, and more.

The night started off with attendees swanning throughout the Fifth Avenue museum, taking in the porcelain and getting delightful tidbits from Arnhold. “That’s the beguiling pot,” he pointed to an early-18th-century, fish-laden pot. It looks like a teapot because it has a handle and spout, but it’s actually functionless as it has no lid!” Another favorite of his being the Great Bustard, which was made for Augustus II the Strong, King of Saxony. “It’s 300 years old but it looks so modern,” he mused.

After the viewing hour, it was time for dinner. A beautiful dinner laid with a damask tablecloth, amber glassware, tassel name cards, and the aforementioned wigs, which were slung on the backs of each chair. Hairpieces in place, rounds of selfies and comparisons ensued. (Some envied their neighbor’s cotton candy pink wings; others prompted, “How do I look?”) And then for a dinner of a seasonal harvest salad, seared halibut, and a modern rendition of black forest cake.

Sometime between courses, Arnhold cleared his throat to address the crowd, explaining that some pieces of the collection were also auctioned off to fuel the porcelain craze for a whole new batch of antiquarian collectors. “My father grew up surrounded by porcelain, playing soccer in the house, and not once did he break a piece…I hope the next owners have the same luck!”