Dan Aykroyd and Donna Dixon Aykroyd

WHITNEY MUSEUM
Sea Of Red Washes Over
To Tint Kelly’s 80-Year Face

Story by Edward T. Callaghan
Photos by Rob Rich

O celebrate world-famed artist Ellsworth Kelly on his 80^th birthday, the Whitney Museum of American Art was awash in a sea of red.

Evening’s chairmen Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, Susan and John Hess and Sir Evelyn and Lady de Rothschild had decreed the theme as fitting for the prolific and amazingly colorful artist.

Eventeur extraordinaire Colin Cowie tricked out the rooms in a gray on gray palette with big splashes of sexy red patent leather. The ladies and some gents complied with vibrant red splashes.

Sponsor Veronica Hearst dazzled as did Oscar winner Hilary Swank in a slinky red Donna Karan.  Ditto Alexandre von Furstenberg in a sexy Rita Hayworth-like number.  New beau Brit Tim Jeffries (who’s dated such gorgeous gals as Elle MacPherson and Claudia Schiffer) couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Laura Wells, Margot Streeters and Carrie Cloud

The always remarkable Dionne Warwick thrilled the crowd with vintage Burt Bacharach tunes and even more so when she asked the red-faced Kelly to join her on stage.

Dancing the night away at the Robert J. Hirst Gallery were Clarissa and Edgar Bronfman Jr., Stephanie Seymour and Peter Brandt, David and Julia Koch, Henry and Marie Josee Kravis, Vera Wang, Max and Jacqueline Anderson, Carolina Herrera, Dan Akroyd and Donna Dixon, Pamela Dennis (who made some of those sexy red numbers) and about 500 more.

[ Back to Top ]