By Kelly Carter
Badgley Mischka continue to light up New York. The dynamic designing duo that recently unveiled a dazzling boutique on Madison Avenue, co-sponsored the American Ballet Theatre Opening Night Fall Gala that drew Sigourney Weaver, Star Jones, Nicky Hilton, Bryant Gumbel, Bebe Neuwirth, Taye Diggs, Jessica Stam, Thom Browne, Crystal Renn and Olympic soccer player Kelley O’Hara to the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
I attended as guests of Mark Badgley and James Mischka, wearing Badgley Mischka couture of course. The evening’s performances included two world premieres: “Piece d’Occasion,” choreographed by ABT principal dancer Marcelo Gomes, who later performed the role of Prospero in Alexei Ratmansky’s highly anticipated “The Tempest.” I had the pleasure of joining socialite Cornelia Guest as the bookend to Mark Badgley at dinner, which took place in a dramatic setting. Bronson Van Wyck transformed the promenade into a dark and tempestuous playground with an 180-foot mural of the sea, floor-to-ceiling cyclones and audiovisual effects like fog and lightning. After dinner, guests kicked up their heels to tunes courtesy of DJ “Mad Marg” Gubelmann.