By Drew Grant 6/15/12 3:30pm

galas

Maria Cornejo, Cindy Sherman, and Nicole Phelps at the WSC Gala (Patrick McMullan)

Sea Lions, Cindy Sherman, and Tinsley Mortimer at the Wildlife Conservation Society Gala

“Sea lions are covered by a fine layer of fur,” a woman announced over the loudspeaker as guests noshed on appetizers of smoked salmon and potato gratin at the Central Park Zoo Thursday evening.

“They are mammals and they eat mackerel,” The Observer exclaimed, having learned a similar speech by heart during a recent run-in with dolphins in Jamaica.

“Whoa, how did you know that?” A reporter from The Wall Street Journal asked us. We were just that good.

As part of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s 2012 gala–this year the theme was The Coasts of Patagonia, prompting more than one party-goer to ask where in the world that was–a pre-show involving the sea lions doing tricks was par the course. Read More

By Ted Gushue 4/03/12 3:05pm

Party Report

8 Photos

Save Venice's A Night On The Lido

The UES Saves Venice While Decimating a Cache Of Champagne

Midway through a Google chat at around 5 p.m. yesterday afternoon, The Observer caught wind of the Save Venice gala, and that it would be happening that very night – an illustrious masquerade that was “un-missable,” at least in the parlance of our chat companion.

Donning our tuxedo, we rushed out the door and picked up the cheapest harlequin mask we could find at Ricky’s – we had been told the event was mask-mandatory, a remarkable understatement considering the extravagance of the oceanic costumes seen strutting about the red carpet at 583 Park Avenue. Read More