Oceana New York Launch

Posted by Carolyn

on October 23, 2009

Tuesday night, I grabbed two of my chicest friends and hopped in a cab to the 10065- or 61st St, right off Madison Avenue, where the social set had gathered to celebrate the New York launch of Oceana. The organization, a favorite of many activists and celebrities, focuses on maritime preservation working on everything from sustainable fishing to pollution management.This particular event was generously hosted in the private residence of Alexander & Brenda von Schweickhard, with a long list of supporters, socialites and influentials in attendance including John and Joyce Varvatos, Tommy and Dee Hilfiger, Ted Danson, Philip Glass, and actor Sam Waterson.

The second we stepped into the bi-level penthouse, we were transformed into the elusive, mythical Upper East Side world, where one could almost expect to see Eleanor Waldorf (not even Blair) mingling amongst the Ralph Rucci and Balmain clad ladies. Yours truly, just coming from the office, was unfortunately dressed in J.Crew Minnie pants, which may be the “It” pant of the season- but felt grossly sloppy next to the ladies dripping in Chanel and Tiffany’s.

Luckily, I forgot about my Minnie blooper after a couple glasses of champagne and we chatted up everyone from a New York Magazine reporter to John Varvatos. While one could easily dismiss the event as just another society charity party, I will say that many of the party-goers are passionate supporters of the cause. Sam Waterson, the Varvatos, Sting, and Trudie Styler, for example, are frequently seen at Oceana events and spreading the message of the non-profit’s work. During one speech, some people even threw out names of restaurants one should not dine at, due to the unsustainable way they source their seafood.

For me, the event was just as much a learning experience about Oceana and their work as it was about having fun meeting new people. A couple atmosphere shots of the party are provided below: