Last Wednesday evening, March 9, New York School of Interior Design held a benefit cocktail and dinner honoring renowned interior designer Mario Buatta.
A cocktail reception at the Park Avenue Armory was followed by a gala dinner at a private club on Fifth Avenue that benefitted the School. A highlight of the dinner was NYSID’s president Christopher Cypher’s recognition of Buatta whom the school honored by renaming its materials library and primary student work space, The Mario Buatta Atelier.
Dinner co-chairs were Hilary and Wilbur Ross, Anne Eisenhower, and Bunny Williams and John Rosselli. Buatta, Eisenhower and Williams have enjoyed a 20-year affiliation with NYSID as members of the school’s international advisory board.
Guests included Patricia Altschul, Barbara Bancroft, Lady Jane Churchill and Lord Charles Spencer Churchill, Prince Dmitri of Yugoslavia, Jackie Weld Drake Jamee and Peter Gregory, George and Marina Kaufman, and Stephanie Krieger along with leaders of the interior design world including Michael Boodro, Michael Bruno, Ellie Cullman, Charlotte Moss, Alex Papachristidis, Ann Pyne, Margaret Russell, Stephen Sills, and Vincente Wolf.
Interior designer Richard Mishaan led a committee of 30 designers including Eric Cohler, Victoria Hagen, Campion Platt, Scott Salvator and David Scott, who created innovative tablescapes inspired by “The Prince of Chintz”, a moniker fondly used to refer to Mr. Buatta’s unique style. There were many 'Marioisms' on the tables such as plastic cockroaches, a reference to Harold, a well-known fake roach Buatta has carried for years as a practical joke.
Buatta followed up the event with a special thank you note to the designers which read:
Dear Chintz Lovers,
Belated but not forgotten merci, grazie, dankeshon, and more for creating and being a part of such a wonderful evening. My first impression brought tears to my ears over and over again. If I had cried anymore, I would have killed all of the water-bugs with my salty tears. I am sorry to know that you all have a talent for using chintz and hope that it was just a one night stand.
Long live neutral colors and great success.
Watch out for bed bugs!
Mario Bugatta
