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Art, Alcohol and Celebs
By Kris Conesa
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A bare-chested Iggy Pop entertained Baselites at
Collins Park last Wednesday. Photo by Jorge G.
Goya/focusfl.com |
Well
folks, we survived another
Basel extravaganza and I have to say this year was
bigger and better than ever. Right from the get-go,
the kickoff event at
Collins
Park featuring a concert on the sand by the
irrepressible Iggy Pop proved a sign of great
things to come.
The Concrete Waves exhibit — featuring the baddest
thrashers in the 305 catching air and groovin’ to
the sounds of boombastic
Miami bass — was definitely something to write home
about.
The main highlight of
Basel, though, had to be the über-opulent bash at
the estate of
J.R.
and Loren Ridinger, where a barrage of
celebrities and VIPs, including
Lucy
Liu, Pharrell Williams, Paulina Rubio
and Michael Bay made appearances, among a
host of others. After the party, select VIPs and
friends boarded the Utopia III and were
treated to champagne and a screening of the
Mayweather
vs. Hatton fight aboard the 157-foot floating
mansion.
The
Ocean Drive
Paint the Town Green environmental bash was also one
for the record books. The entire Biltmore lit up
with green lights and featured a private performance
by piano woman Vanessa Carlton. Oh, and if
you made it to the F.A.M.E. Collective and saw works
by Stash, Dave White, Futura, Ron English, Sam
Flores, Chris Garver, Chris Nunez, Blaine Fontana,
Kris Kuksi and Amy Sol, you no
doubt witnessed an amazing amalgamation of fashion,
art, music and entertainment colliding with Pop and
graffiti art that was seriously off the chain.
Still, aside from the music, the free booze and, of
course, the art,
Basel
also presented us with the opportunity to mingle
with characters we wouldn’t normally socialize with.
I’m not just talking about the people and galleries
on the wrong side of the tracks, though walking
through the seedier parts of the Design and Fashion
Districts in an inebriated state does have its
attraction. I am referring to people with
extraordinary talents and inspirational lives.
People like Jessica Walsh.
Standing at a mere five-feet-nothing, the petite
blond is a mother to twins and owner of a private
consulting firm in the telecommunications industry.
More fascinating still, this tiny vixen can ride a
horse at upwards of 40 miles an hour on the polo
field, make the goal and take a fall like it’s
nobody’s business.
The 411 couldn’t get enough of this feisty filly and
asked her to keep Baseling with us till the wee
hours of the morning. Her response? “I’d love to,
but I’m playing polo in the morning and, well,
you’ve seen what it looks like when I fall,” joked
the polo princess, referring to a photo of her
making a goal and then taking a bone-crushing
tumble. Ouchy. But that hasn’t stopped the
mallet-toting Walsh from playing her game and going
head to head with more aggressive male opponents. A
member of the Land Rover team, Walsh often finds
herself in the male-dominated locker room before a
match. “You know, sometimes I’ll be in the locker
room with the men and I’ll say something like, ‘See
you guys on the field,’ and they just assume I’m
another polo groupie vying for their attention. Then
they’ll see me on my horse and the look on their
faces is just priceless. They all want to hook up
with me after that,” she laughed. That is a
sentiment I wholeheartedly share. So how does the
mother of two, CEO and polo player get it all done?
“With my iPhone,” she jokes, hoping that Steve
Jobs reads this and decides to sponsor her and
her team.
Spotted Baseling:
Brooke Hogan
and at least three of her favorite outfits at the
Vogue Magazine/Alberta
Ferretti
fashion
show Saturday night.
Owen Wilson
at the farewell party for outgoing Art Basel
Director
Sam Keller at
The Shore Club.
Tommy Hilfiger,
Shakira,
Calvin
Klein
and Irene
Marie
at Paul
Wilmot’s
house.
Lucy Liu
at the Sagamore Hotel for
Spencer Tunick’s
Art Brunch.
Owen Wilson
with
Woody Harrelson at the
Visionaire party at the
newly opened Florida Room.
Tommy Hilfiger,
Dennis
Hopper and Queer Eye Guy Thom
Filicia on Saturday at
SoHo Beach.
Calvin Klein
and
Mandy Moore
at the AIPAD Photography Show.
Russell Simmons, Allison Weiss Brady
and Chip Brady hosting a fabulous
shopping event at Intermix. Creed’s Scott Strap,
Julian Chang, Erin Neuberg and Lana
Bernstein were also there.
Lucy Liu, Pharrell Williams, Paulina Rubio, Tommy
Hilfiger, Cliff Floyd, Scottie and Larisa Pippen,
Veronica Webb, Michael Bay, Robert Verdi, Shareef
Malnik,
President of Victoria’s Secret Monica Mitro
and Juan Bacardi of the Bacardi family, on
Saturday at the estate of J.R. and Loren Ridinger.
Sharam Dubai
of Deep Dish behind the ones and twos at Cameo/Vice
along with Marky Ramone, and then later with
pupils the size of Frisbees at Space spinning well
into the afternoon on Sunday.
Got the 411? E-mail
the411@miamisunpost.com. |
