Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/934095
20 Margot & Darin Rubel Anthony Sonnenberg Jorg Grimm, Kirsten Zwignenburg Elizabeth Lancaster, Nish de Gruiter Thomas Keller, Ryan Tedder Quinn Tivey, Cyrus Hadjesmaili Gary Tigges Emilia Wickstead, Nasiba Adilova D ana and I started the evening with a meet-up of our party posse consisting of Brooke Davenport, Crystal Lourd, Eric Buterbaugh, Margot and Darin Ruebel, Wendy and Bill Payne, Ashley Tatum, and Alexis Karavas at Bistro 31. It was kind of like a high-school caravan before the Sadie Hawkins Dance — although a lot of gay boys were the ones asking pretty girls to be their escorts. Chez Rachofsky, an enormous cutout of Howard in head-to-toe cowboy gear greeted guests at the gates. The theme called for dressed-up denim, and I saw every variation of jeans imaginable. The highlight was the midway of carnival games created by committee members Rosie Assoulin, Donald Robertson, Adam Shulman, Greg Chait and Buterbaugh. I didn't make it to the State Fair this year, but I got my fill at First Look. Throngs lined up in their Vince denim skirts and Stuart Weitzman white boots (the shoe of the season) to try their luck. Go Fish and Donut Hole had prizes from Forty Five Ten, ranging from Harvey Faircloth jackets and a Gabriela Hearst crocodile Nina bag to an Adam Lippes brocade opera coat. You can imagine the crowd at these games! A supersized version of frat-boy classic Beer Pong offered gift cards from Sassetta, CDB, Americano, and Wheelhouse. I've learned over time that it doesn't matter how much money you have, you will always clamor for free stuff. Even the wealthiest, private-jet-owning couples were lined up for swag that night! Dearest Brookey Davenport went fishing, and her rod reeled in a gorgeous Veronica Beard coat that she had spied recently at Forty Five Ten. DJ Lucy Wrubel, who wore a denim romper inspired by Tom Petty, spun the best tunes. In the crowd: Nancy Rogers, Ceron, Suzanne and David Droese, Taylor Tomasi-Hill, Deborah and John Scott, Christen and Derek Wilson, Megan and Brady Wood, Lisa and John Runyon, Laura and Walter Elcock, Marguerite Hoffman, Joyce Goss (wearing some bad-ass boots), Kenny Goss, Logan Waller, Meghan Looney, Catherine Rose, Emilia Wickstead, Georgina Hartland-Mackie, and TWO x TWO's intrepid chairs Nasiba Adilova and Thomas Hartland-Mackie. The whole gang returned on Saturday night, trading denim and carnival games for black-tie gowns, tuxedos, Dom Pérignon, and caviar. This year, the TWO x TWO Gala packed an extra dose of A-listers, largely due to chairmen Nasiba Adilova and husband Thomas Hartland-Mackie, who boast an internationally known group of pals in high places. (See: Kevin Robert Frost, Federica Boido, Michael Patrick, Andrew Lipman, Peggy Lanigan, Melissa Ireland, Dr. Agustin Arteaga, Nish de Gruiter, Thomas Keller and Laura Cunningham, Natalie and Simon Fuller, Claire Distenfeld Olshan, Mary Katrantzou, and Moll Anderson.) Hollywood hottie Armie Hammer — he and wife Elizabeth Chambers are close friends of Adilova and Hartland-Mackie — served as emcee, while OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder was this year's musical act. (Ask anyone who has attended several TWO x TWO Galas, and they'll tell you that Tedder was one of the event's most memorable performers.) Of course, this night is all about the live auction: Oliver Baker — chair- man, Sotheby's Europe and senior international specialist, contemporary art — had auctioneer duties, with honoree Jonas Wood's Pink Plant Patio Landscape Pot, 2017, the focal point of the bidding. The work sold for a stunning $1.2 million, helping to tip TWO x TWO over the $75 million mark in total funds raised. With TWO x TWO's 20th anniversary year on the horizon, we can only imagine the artistic, philanthropic star-power being cooked up. MILLIONAIRE MILE (continued from page 18) T he week of TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art — with its swirl of lunches, dinners, parties, cocktails, and brunches — isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. That said, the morning hangovers often get progressively worse and worse. With that in mind, I asked my party pals: What is your go-to food fix for a cloudy head? "Katy Trail burgers and ice-cold beers or mimosas." — Wendy and Bill Payne "Since I'm an aesthetician, I get a lot of clients requesting oxygen facials to remedy alcohol's havoc. Me, personally I prefer Greek coffee, a couple shots of collagen and liquid vitamins, icing my face down, and a five-mile walk to sweat out the demons." — Alexis Karavas "Tough, since I don't get hangovers at all! Maybe it's my Kiwi constitution. I would say we probably head to Mi Cocina after a night of drinking, since we missed good Mexican fare in London. For this Sunday [the morning after TWO x TWO], we'll end-up at Le Bilboquet." — Deborah Scott "For a light hangover, a screwdriver and breakfast tacos from Katy Trail Ice House. For a more serious one, a Bloody Mary and brisket tacos from Bandito's." — Ashley Tatum "Food is not necessarily our thing, but orange flavored Emergen-C mixed with Glacier Cherry-flavored Gatorade makes a great morning cocktail. And for extra insurance, I add peppermint essential oil to my Tom Ford fragrance, which typically calms my nerves. As for David [Martin], his only morning-after headache is driving this drunk around, since he doesn't drink." — Gregg Asher "Anything greasy — and it's generally a burger!" — Brooke Davenport