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03/28/2007 04:33 PMSF Social Diary | New York Social Diary

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SF Social Diary

The crowd at the 25th annual San Francisco Fall Antiques Show

The 25th Anniversary of the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show – The SilverJubilee

By Jeanne Lawrence

Preview Party night of the prestigious San Francisco Fall Antiques Show is one ofthe most popular and fun charitable events in the city and one I try never to miss.

The show’s home is Fort Mason the historic pier and one-time military base, whichfunctions much like Manhattan’s 7th Regiment Amory on 67th Street.

On that night, the weather was perfect unusually balmy even for San Francisco,allowing fun loving Don and Trish Stephens (D.R. Stephens Wine) to arrive in theirMercedes convertible with the top down.

Gail Glasser (the late Nan Kempner’s stepmother) quipped, “Speaking of globalwarming - we used to wear rain boots and heavy clothes it was so cold and now, butnow with temperature in the 70’s, we’re wearing spring clothes.”

I couldn’t help but notice Urannia and Brunno Ristow (a prominent plastic surgeonand lover of vintage cars) checking out the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren, withsticker price around $450,000. Unbelievably, it can reach top speed of 208 mph in3.8 seconds – but still no match for the Bugatti Veyron, the fastest street-legal car inthe world. I think Bruno is still making up his mind.



Ristow family eyes the McLaren for $450K

New York-based interior designer Ed Lobrano flew in for the occasion. “If you canspend only one night in SF, this is the night…everyone comes, even those who nevergo out,” he remarked.

Jeanne Lawrence, NYer Helen Fioratti, and former NYer Denise Fitch Boris and Axel Vervoordt of Axel Vervoordt Gallery in Belgium

I chatted with entrepreneur Ken Rainin, who said, “I come for the beautiful people. It’s the best party of the year and I almost always buy something.” Now that’s musicto dealers’ ears.

The big news of the night, for me at least, was that Trevor and AlexisSwansonTraina, who married last summer, are expecting. By the way, his mother isDede Wilsey.

Beside him stood his friend, polo player J.P. Thieriot, (son of Dick and AngieThieriot) part of the de Young family that founded The San Francisco Chronicle andthe de Young Museum.

“The de Young descendants had to “re-up” their contributions to the de Young,otherwise, it might have become the Dede Wilsey museum,” J.P. jested, sporting thesame tie he wore at the Traina/Swanson wedding, as one of 16 groomsman. Youmight recall that the Wilsey family donated over $10 mil to the museum.

Chilled Champagne andVodka flowed accompaniedwith mounds of caviar andScottish Smoked Salmon. Ifthat didn’t suit your fancy,you could ‘amuse-bouche’with Sushi Balls inTeaspoons, Torchon of FoieGras, Petite Filet MignonCheese Burgers or anincredible variety of PetitSushi – all catered by DanMcCall. Worth the ticketprice alone, but there’s more!



Silver Mercedes McLaren with distinctive gullwing doors

The glittering crowd jostledpast lavish buffets stackedwith Racks of Lamb Karsky(my favorite), Gulf Shrimp,Pacific Oysters on the HalfShell, hand carved RoastSirloin of Beef, cornucopiasof crudities, Ricotta filledAgnolloti with Lobster Sauce – and an open bar.

Of course, the piece deresistance was the mammothdessert table topped with gigantic floral displays. The

desserts were lavish enough to compete with the visual delights of the food scenesfrom Napa native SophiaCoppola’s latestfilm, Marie Antoinette.

Just a sample of the mouthwatering desserts: Ancho Chili Little Chocolate Pot auCrème, Earl Grey Tea Crème Brulee, Tapioca Pudding with Kirsh Cherries,Napoleons, Pecan Bars, Profiteroles, Fruit Tartlettes, Chocolate Glazed MascarponeCannoli, Truffles, Brownies, Gelato Bon Bons, Mascarpone stuffed Figs and Dates,Fruit Martinis, and every variety of cookie, cake and every torte imaginable - SacherTorte, Opera Torte, Tiramisu, Clafoutti, Cassis Miroire, and Apple Strudel withWhipped Cream. How’s a gal supposed to keep her figure, anyway?

Toby Rose founded the benefit event 25 years ago as a fundraiser for Enterprise forHigh School Students. This non-profit job referral and career development agencycurrently assists over 2,000 local students annually, serving more than 50,000 to date.She credited her colleague Show Director Terry Grant for her 25-year support inthis venture.

This year Rose passed the baton to Lisa Podos, a New Yorker, whose last position inNYC was with the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design,and Culture, founded by SusanSoros. It was Lisa’s recent marriage to Michael Wais– after meeting at Princeton years ago - that brought her to the West Coast.

The gala committee included Lonna Wais, Michele Goss, Marie and GeorgeHecksher, Kendall Wilkinson Robinson and Gardner Robinson, and Kathrynand Bo Lasater.

Members of the Young Collectors Committee counted Christine Aylward,Christopher Bass, Brendan Dyson, Deborah Lee Minor, Kathryn Retzer andWheeler Simmons.

Oh, and there are the antiques. This year, over 70 international dealers showed theirbest, artistically displayed and all vetted by the Antique Dealers Association ofCalifornia.



Champagne View - East

Among the NY dealers: Helen Fioratti of L’Antiquaire & The Connoisseur, AmyPerlin Antiques, Kentshire Galleries, Mallet (of London, too), and Dillingham &Company. Jewelry designer Pamela Johananoff, a former NYer, flew in from herParis home to help fellow designer David Morris of Palm Beach and London.

I bumped into John Loring at the John Berggruen Gallery. We both admired the1946 Picasso drawing, Portrait de Femme, of our mutual friend – the thriving artistFrançoise Gilot who is also mother of Tiffany’sjewelry designer Paloma Picasso.

Loring, Design Director of Tiffany & Company, flew in to lecture about his bookTiffany Flora & Fauna at Filoli, the 654-acre estate in Woodside (30 miles south ofSan Francisco) that was the Carrington Mansion in that 80’s TV-series Dynastystarring John Forsythe, Linda Evans, and Joan Collins.

Sotheby’s Auction House underwrote a lecture series that included NYcurator/advisor Derek Ostergard (my favorite lecturer when I attended Sotheby’sInstitute), speaking about “The Triumph of Elitism: Modernism and Luxury Tradesin Paris, 1914-1939.”

Other lecturers included John Ward, from Sotheby’s Silver Department; MartinChapman, curator of European decorative arts at SF Palace Legion of Honor; andUlrich Leben of the Rothschild Collection at Waddeson Manor in England.

The Designers Circle included Suzanne Tucker (Chair), Ann Getty andAssociates, Shelby and Jorge De Quesada, Douglas Durkin Design, DavidKensington, Jean Larette Design, Kendal Wilkinson Design, the WisemanGroup, Steven Volpe, and NY’s Peter Pennoyer Architects.

What’s great about this party is that it attracts a mix of ages, lots of young collectors,and creates so much energy and excitement that no one wants to leave. Promises of “See you next October” were on everyone’s lips when they begrudgingly headedhome.



Joy Venturini Bianchi visits Mallet's experts Andre de Baubigny, Jr., Randi and Robert Fisher, and Juliet deBaubigny

Alexis and Trevor Traina - new announcement Decorator Paul Wiseman and dealer Collier Gwin

Collector Ann Getty Jet-Set Collector DodieRosecrans

Nan Tucker McEvoy and Andrew Fisher



Barbara and Chief Justice Ronald George Italian-born MariaManetti Farrow

Kathryn Lasater - Co-chairof Young Collectors with

husband Bo

Kendall and Gardner Robinson-Preview Party Chair

Therese Post, bi-costal designer Ed Lobrano, and OJ Shansby LA couple Laurie and Paul MacCaskill

Gallery owner John Berggruen of the famed art family Ghislain d'Humieres, Sybille Watel, Wheeler Simmons, and Millen GriffithAlso in Across the World



Silver Anniversary NY's Derek Ostergard lectures

Bonhams & Butterfield's Patrick Meade and wife Jennifer Gail and Dr. Harvey Glasser

Lucy Jewett and son George Jewett Auction house chiefs Laura King Pfaffand Jennifer Beiderbeck

Paul Pelosi Jr. and Allison Speer

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Brunno and Urannia Ristow Lindsay Bolton -Connoisseur Circle Co-

chair '06

Founder Toby Rose and ShowDirector Terry Grant

New director Lisa Podos withhusband Michael Wais

Georgie Keller, Bruce Tremayer, and Karen Caufield at Therien -French terra-cotta sphinxes

Colorado's Bill Evans with Judy Long, back home after Palm Beach

Roth Martin of Hedge Gallery Obsolete



Eliza Cash, Lisa Goldman, Mary White, and Patsy Lurie Miles of aisles of antiques

A quick look around at the merchandise

Dede Wilsey tests the merchandise Former Mayor of San Francisco Frank Jordan



Barbara Brown Ned and Kathy Topham Gerry Grodsky and Roberta Sherman

Gail de Martini and Tom Kravis Dorothy and Ken Paige Joe Tiffany with NYer John Loring lecturesat Filoli Mansion

Jane and Dean Woodman Heading home happy

San Francisco Antiquarian

For such a vibrant young city, San Franciscans love their antiques. They browse,read, buy and even party ‘antiques.’ Here are just two events that prove whereantiques are concerned; you can never be too rich or too hungry.

Book Party of Style



Best selling author Diane Dorrans Saeks signed her latest book, California CountryStyle (Chronicle Books) at Urban Chateau, the antique store founded by Dr. TerryGross and her daughter Lisa Gross Erikson.

Located in the San Francisco Design Center, a sort of designer super mall, UrbanChateau imports 17th, 18th, and 19th Century fine antiques and works of art fromFrance, Italy, and throughout Europe.

“It’s an exciting time in San Francisco. Withthe investment and hi-tech fortunes, there isgreat interest in interior design andarchitecture,” Diane explains. “It’s a goldenage for design.”

Diane certainly has made her impact in thedesign world. She lectures on design, is editorto magazines such as C (for California)magazine, Garden Design, and MetropolitanHome, as well as writing features focusing oninterior design, architecture, style, gardens,travel and fashion.

I’m sure you’ve seen her books; she’spublished 19 so far. There’s San Francisco: ACertain Style, California Cottages, CaliforniaWine Country, San Francisco Style, MichaelS. Smith: Elements of StyleHollywood

Style,Seaside Style and Country Interiors.

Many are published by Chronicle Books, owned by Nion McEvoy of the family whoonce owned The San Francisco Chronicle, now owned by Hearst Communications.Others are from Rizzoli and Taschen, who recently re-opened a bookstore on GreenStreet in Soho in Manhattan.

“I love to observe interior design in California, it’s one of my greatest pleasures tosee and write about talent,” Diane noted. That said, I imagine there are many morebooks on the way.

All the antiques here reminded me of the opening night of the Fall Antiques Showsome months back. Since every body’s been asking about it, I dug out my notes andwent to work.

Author Diane Dorrans Saeks signs latestbook, California

HGTV designer Grant Gibson with Sarah Fraser and Jane Resnick



Diane Dorrans Saeks with Terry Gross and Lisa GrossErick

Designer Jean Larette with KatherinePearson, contributing editor for House

Beautiful

Dorrans Saeks latest - California Country Style (Chronicle Books) Leaving the SF Design Center

Photographs by Tom Gibbons and Jeanne Lawrence

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