21 Photos
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
STEVEN STOLMAN
Those d’un certain âge may recall the days when there were a handful of summer galas in the Hamptons that would inspire the ladies in attendance to wear the latest in high-voltage fashions.
One in particular was always the Parrish Art Museum’s Midsummer Gala, back when it was held at the museum’s original location on Jobs Lane (now the Southampton Arts Center). In a soaring tent with a hole cut into the top to accommodate a massive oak tree that still stands, one would see gal after gal in gowns from Bill Blass, Arnold Scaasi and their ilk, along with jewels given an airing from their usual homes in local safety deposit boxes.
It was a heady, magical time, well before the advent of social media, and exquisitely documented by the late New York Times photojournalist Bill Cunningham, who is clearly the angel on the shoulder of this column.
This year’s Midsummer Gala 2.0 recalled that very same buzz of decades ago, albeit with a far more modern and decidedly youthful twist. Pandemic notwithstanding, there hasn’t been a more sartorially spectacular gathering in these parts in a very long time, with looks ranging from the curious (transparent plastic boots!) to the sensational: sinuous charmeuse slip dresses, simply accessorized by dazzling diamonds. Being an artful crowd, there were the usual nods to the visual via boldly printed graphic turnouts, along with the rambunctious florals that remain the current vogue.
While most of the men were equally well-dressed, many quite nattily indeed, this was one event where men were, from a fashion point of view, breathtakingly irrelevant.
And for good reason.
