The REAL "High Society" Of New York Gather For Winter Ball

[All photos by Nick Hunt for PMc]

Roosevelt and Rockefeller were two of the Old New York families represented at last night's 25th Annual Winter Ball at the Museum Of The City Of New York. The guest list was a practical Who's Who of New York Socialites; the REAL "High Society".-

While some people, ahem, were downtown at SL peddling their reality shows with someone who calls himself Malik So Chic (which won't even air on Bravo but on the CW, for pete's sake!), the creme de la creme of the Upper East Side were air kissing each other hello, graciously agreeing to "alright, just one picture, but no more, please, I'm here to support The Museum", and feeling satisfied that, yet again, they'd managed to fulfill their family legacy of supporting arts and culture. If Andrew Carnegie came back from the dead to sign copies of "Gospel of Wealth", each and every one of these people would be in line at Barnes and Noble.

Real New York High Society would be loathe to appear on a reality show, hate to find their names in Page Six, and quietly go about their philanthropic endeavors without bothering to "brand" themselves. They've never been arrested, or poured champagne out of a limo, or gotten in screaming cat-fights at parties...or if they have, they're discreet about it.

Of course, if "High Society" the reality show was about New York's real "High Society", it would probably be stiff and boring, so we'll take the Tinsley Mortimer version any day. That's entertainment, and the reality is....not. But boy, have they got elegance.

Guests at the Ball included Dan Abrams, Lauren Remington Platt, Nanette Lepore, Melissa George, Amy Fine Collins, Stephanie La Cava, Alina Cho, Lydia Fenet, Badgley and Mischka, Sharon Bush, Imogen Lloyd Webber, Peter Davis (who yes, does appear in the show, but has maintained a relatively low profile about it) and Nicole Miller.