Avenue Insider Alexander Hankin on the 20th anniversary gala
Lately, I’ve fully embraced the urban cowboy aesthetic. So imagine my excitement over Ballroom Marfa’s 20th Anniversary gala, where the dress code is “Texas Formal.” I’ve been many times to Ballroom Marfa – a beacon of art and culture in West Texas – and it holds a special place in my heart. So saddle up for a tale of high-style and Texas flair!
In Hermes cowboy boots, a Chrome Hearts belt buckle and a Louis Vuitton blazer with turquoise buttons (natch!), I hit the high road to Harlem with Polina Proshkina, my partner in style out on the party range. Polina turns heads in an off-the-shoulder Beare Park dress and black boots, her own (kinda) twist on the cowboy theme.
Entering the behemoth that is St. John the Divine, it is impossible not to be awestruck by the grandeur. The contrast from the dusty desert-scape of Marfa to this colossal, gilded cathedral (the largest Anglican cathedral in the world) is surreal. Casa Dragones tequila flows like water, and I happily hit the Petrossian Caviar bar, going back for seconds and thirds. Cowboys and caviar: count me in!
The fashion is off-the-charts. Cynthia Rowley embodies the spirit of Annie Oakley with a fringed suede jacket. Joe Jonas dons an almost full cowboy getup, replete with bolo tie and a mustache that would be perfect for the set of “Yellowstone.” Paul Arnhold wears Givenchy and husband Wes Gordon rocks Prada. I also spot Lauren Santo Domingo in vintage Azzedine Alaïa and Fairfax Dorn, Ballroom Marfa’s co-founder, in a gold-rush Brunello Cucinelli dress.
The celebration kicks its heels, and we are led to dinner by The Marching Cobras Drumline. Comedic genius John Early serves as our MC and Broadway stars Matt Hinkley, Fernell Hogan, Tiffany Mann, and Samantha Williams bring the house down with Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em.” But the real showstopper is the breathtaking overhead light installation by Leo Villareal, who also receives the Off the Grid Award that evening, alongside Allison Sarofim who is also honored. The auction raises jaw-dropping bids, with a Marina Perez Simão piece selling for $100,000! And the evening raises over $1.5 Million. Hee-haw!
