Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Party Obama

Ted and I ponied up some change and attended an Obama fundraiser last night. It was held at the studio of fashion designer Charles Nolan; his partner is Andy Tobias, the financial writer and Democratic Party Treasurer, who we know from Fire Island. Special guests were Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Charles' studio is at the end of West 27th Street, near the Hudson River. We walked and walked, hadn't been down that far before. Old brick buildings and cobblestone streets with a view of the river reminded me of Dumbo, in Brooklyn. Outside, a chic crowd waited in line. Town cars rolled down the cobblestones and stopped and the car door would open and some glamorous thing would emerge. We had to cool our heels in line for about twenty minutes waiting for the freight elevator (unsmiley face) but we finally made it up just as Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker were moving toward the microphone.

Anna Wintour welcomed the crowd and thanked the people who organized the event. She was wearing a beautiful red and white print dress with a sparkling necklace, or was it part of the dress? Hard to tell, but dazzling. SJP, with long wavy hair, had on a grey blazer with big shoulders, a white tee shirt, a tiny black skirt, black leggings and black high heels. She spoke eloquently about Obama and the upcoming election. Then Obama's campaign manager talked for a bit about how close the election is and how everyone needs to do what they can.

We need to make this happen, people. I feel like this country has been hijacked by the religious right wing, and we need to get it back to where it is based on humane ideas and civilized values. This current administration, which was never properly elected in the first place, has bullied and brutalized the world and ignored its own citizens. These last eight years have been a nightmare on every possible front, and it needs to end. I've said this before, below, but I think Obama offers a breathtaking opportunity for hope and change.

Well, then. At the party there were a lot of attractive people, a lot of beautiful girls tottering around, going on to other Fashion Week parties not doubt (Prada and Yves Saint Laurent parties were also scheduled last night). The look is a very short skirt or dress, very long legs and very high shoes, and on these girls it is fantastic. Lauren Santo Domingo, formerly Lauren Davis, was there. She's married to Andres Santo Domingo, a Bolivian heir, and she's tall, thin, blonde hair cut bluntly at the chin, cheekbones for days. This is what she had on: a little shrunken cotton khaki trench coat like from the Gap but probably not, a grey tee shirt, a skirt that looked like it was made out of navy blue feathers, and towering high shoes. I love that look of a plain top and a crazy bottom. Miuccia Prada favors the look too. It's like, "I threw on this simple tee shirt or sweater and then threw on a crazy feather skirt and major shoes to jazz things up." It's like, "It looks like I don't care, but I really do," which I think is a good way to go. Here is Miuccia at the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Party. The top half -- the blouse, the hair, the makeup -- is plain, while the bottom half, the skirt and shoes, is over the top. If she was sitting in a restaurant, from the table up she would look simple, but then when she got up it would be, "Wow!" I like the contrast.

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