The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Central Park, 3:30 PM. Photo: JH.

11/13. Yesterday in New York: sunny and mild, temperatures in the 50s. The Michael’s lunch. Topic A: the financial markets. Topic B (among a certain set): the breakup of the thirty-three year marriage of the Henry and Nancy Silverman.

Another woman is said to be the cause, first rumored to be a Russian lassie, later determined to be a 28-year-old lady from Cleveland or thereabouts, whom said tycoon met in a Starbucks. You see, you never know what you’re gonna find when you got looking for a cuppa java. The wives in their set, reported one very socially prominent businesswoman (now divorced and fine with it), “are terrified” it might happen to them.

Also in the speculating “split” category, as “reported” in a couple of online gossip columns, are Alex Kuczynski and Charles Stevenson. This rumor is based (and baseless) on the fact that Mrs. Kuczynski-Stevenson backed out of an annual Spelling Bee benefit last week and has been “noticeably absent from the pages of the Times lately.”

The story: Mrs. K-S has been “noticeably absent” devoting her time to the couple’s first-born, now six months old, and is officially anticipating their second little one due in February.


	The sartorial splender of Mario Buatta appearing headless at last night 's Lighthouse kick-off.

Last night’s merry-go-round. At ASTRA, the restaurant atop the D&D Building on 59th and Third, Clo and Charles Cohen (owner of the D&D) were hosting a cocktail reception, honoring Architectural Digest’s Paige Rense, and kicking-off Lighthouse International’s annual 2008 POSH Interiors Sale benefit, which opens tonight with a cocktail reception at Lighthouse headquarters at 110 East 60th Street.

Tickets for tonight’s reception and sale are $125. The sale opens to the public on Friday (11/14) from 11 am to 7 pm and runs through Saturday. For tickets call 212-821-9300 or visit www.poshsale.org to purchase online.

Among the POSH Interiors bargains are:

• A De Majo Stilo light that retails at $450; POSH price $150.
• Decorative silk pillows ONE DOLLAR each.
• A brand new Bulova clock that retails for $175 – only $25 at POSH.
• Majolica Early Italian Ewers (pitchers), value $1000, POSH price $150. Each.
• Personal stock donated by designers such as David Kleinberg, Juan Montoya, Juan Pablo Molyneux, and Sandra Nunnerly, among others.
• Hundreds of lighting fixutres from major design houses such as Modiss and Foscarini, on sale in the BuyLight showroom.

Last night’s reception for Paige brought out the interior design community and friends including Mario Buatta, Iris Apfel, Mica Ertegun, Campion Platt, Carlton Varney, Stephanie Stokes, Juan Montoya, David Kleinberg, Susan Zises Green, Matthew White, Ellie Cullman, architect Allen Greenberg, Sasha Newley, Geoffrey Bradfield, Jamie Drake, Thom Filicia, Ann Rapp, Alexa Hampton, Tom Britt and Pilar Viladas.

The POSH design sale is known to be the “hottest design sale in town.” Thom Filicia said that “In a tight economy, you’ll get great bargains that you can use creatively and effectly to make your home reflect your personality and style.” See for yourself.

Susan Zises Green

Stephanie Stokes

Juan Montoya and Urban Karlsson

Geoffrey Bradfield and Ann Rapp

Dr. Tara Cortes

Paige Rense

Allen Greenberg and Ellie Cullman

Harry Shnapper

Alexa Hampton and Tom Britt

Sasha Newley and Luc Cortes

Clo and Charles Cohen

Catherine Saxton and Pilar Viladas

Also last night over at Verdura’s salon at 745 Fifth Avenue, Ward Landrigan, chairman of Verdura, along with Charlotte Assaf, Danielle Ganek, Michaela Keszler, Pam Michaelcheck, Kimberly Putzer, Sarah Senbahar and Barbara Stovall Smith a holiday exhibition and sale of Verdura’s Wearable Treasures as well as a Special Viewing of important pieces from Verdura’s Museum Collection.

Leila Heller, Ward Landrigan, and Caroline Dean

Leila Heller and mom

The evening was organized in honor of the Southampton Fresh Air Home which makes life a little easier every summer for scores of physically challenged kids. 10% of all related sales through December 31st will go to the Southampton Fresh Air Home.

Verdura's Wearable Treasures and some important pieces from Verdura's Museum Collection.

Same time, same station: farther up the Avenue at the Council on Foreign Relations, the former Harold Pratt Mansion on 68th and Park, Mr. and Mrs. M Shafik Gabr held a private cocktail reception to celebrate the launch of The Shafik Gabr Collection, a published tribute to one of the most exclusive Orientalist Art Collections in the world.

The Shafik Gabr Collection

Nathan Bernstein and Katharina Otto-Bernstein

And just a short stroll away Nathan Bernstein and Katharina Otto-Bernstein opened their newly renovated house to friends and supporters of the International Directors Council of the Guggenheim for a cocktail and buffet.

The dinner guests at the Bernstein's.

Mr. Bernstein is the New York art dealer and his wife, the Crate-and-Barrel heiress is a documentary filmmaker of the recent award winning “Absolute Wilson” about artist/entrepreneur Robert Wilson.