Haute Event: Folk Couture Gala With Valentino, Tim Gunn and Daphne Guinness

Last week the American Folk Art Museum celebrated fashion’s finest with their Folk Couture Benefit Gala. The event heralded the Museum’s January 2014 exhibition Folk Couture: Fashion and Folk Art. Tim Gunn of Bravo’s “Project Runway” hosted an awards ceremony which honored fashion luminaries Dr. Valerie Steele, Director and Chief Curator of the Museum at FIT & Lucy Sykes, Fashion Consultant, Rent the Runway, and Brand Ambassador.

Mr. Gunn introduced the Gala Benefit Chairs, Yaz Hernández and Laura Parsons. Ms. Parsons, the Museum’s Chairman of the Board, spoke about the importance of the American Folk Art Museum within the global cultural landscape, as well as the interplay between art and fashion. Mr. Gunn presented awards to Dr. Valerie Steele and Lucy Sykes for their leadership roles in fostering fashion and education.

John Hays, Deputy Chairman of Christie’s Auction House, volunteered his services to lead a live auction, featuring a stay in the Tuscany villa of Laura and Richard Parsons. The 300 Gala guests were the first to get a sneak peek of the exhibition’s stunning and provocative designs, via a video presentation during cocktail hour. Afterwards, the guests enjoyed a dinner created by Apogee events.

Guests included Berry Bloomingdale, Hayley Bloomingdale, Amy Fine Collins, Dr. Maria Ann Connelli, Francisco Costa, Louise Hirschfield Cullman and Lewis B. Cullman, Jane Bloomingdale de Cisneros, Simon Doonan, Nancy Druckman, Valentino Garavani, Daphne Guinness, Betsey Johnson, Penny and Allan Katz, Steven Kolb, Coco and Arie Kopelman, Phyllis Kossoff, Jerry Lauren, Ida Liu, The Honorable Iris Love, Jonelle Procope, Laudomia Pucci, Peter and Elisa Rapaport, Peter G. Scotese, André Leon Talley, Diana L. Taylor, Judy Francis Zankel, and others

Photo credit: Patrick McMullan.