Party Planners Extraordinaire: Maria Bell, Peter Baconovic and LIane Weintraub at the YSL Pool Party

MAKING A SPLASH FOR CHARITY

- Liane Weintraub, Editor-in-Chief

 
It’s amazing how gratifying it is to see an idea come to fruition, especially in the unpredictable realm of fundraising events.  First one comes up with a notion – really, a conceit – and spins all sorts of dreams and ambitions for what the event could become, if every element were to fall into place.  The vision seems real enough, but there are so many tricky components that have to materialize that it’s usually nearly impossible to fully realize it. 

The happy couple: Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin at the YSL Pool Party

Allow me to go back to the beginning: like many great ideas, it all started over lunch at the Polo Lounge, the Beverly Hills Hotel’s chic lunch spot.  Maria Bell, Peter Bacanovic and I were enjoying our Macarthy Salads, as usual, and musing (also, as usual) about what we could do to raise the profile of the arts in Los Angeles.  We are all committed to Center Dance Arts, LA’s premier dance support group, which raises money to bring world-class dance companies to perform at the Music Center, as well as to fund dance programs for disadvantaged children.  In a moment which seemed off-topic, Maria sang the praises of our salads and the hotel in which we were eating.  We all chimed in about our favorite aspects of the BHH – the Fountain Shop, the bungalows, the pool.  And then it hit us … the pool was the answer!

Nicole Richie looking fabulous at the YSL Pool Party

In a rush of excitement we came up with a plan to hold CDA’s annual fundraising event, not in its usual location, downtown at the Music Center (Angelinos have a true fear of the freeway – but that, as Peter would say, is another story), but poolside at the BHH.  What could be better than a chic pool party?  We would find a generous sponsor who would share our vision and underwrite the event, sell hundreds of high-priced tickets to the Who’s Who of LA, NY and SF, pull in a dozen or so big-name celebrities, and then set about capturing the glow of old-time Hollywood glamour that always lingered over that famed pool.  We would make it the social event of the summer for LA!  Needless to say, we were ambitious on behalf of our “dream event.”
Somehow, along with the help of our friends Florence Sloan, Danica Perez, Kimberly Emerson and many others, we managed to pull it off!  The first challenge was persuading the Hotel that it was a good idea – no easy feat.  Next, we lined up an underwriting sponsor, Yves Saint Laurent.  As it turns out, the fashion house’s founder, Monsieur Saint Laurent himself, had a great passion for ballet, and in the old days, YSL always supported the arts.  Then there was the challenge of incorporating a “dance element” into the evening so that our mission and message would be front and center.  We agreed that the answer was water ballet (how else to combine dance with a pool party?!), but the performance would have to be of high artistic caliber.  We found Aquartistes, an incredible water dance troupe; Max Chipchase, a world-class DJ; video artist David Michalek whose Slow Dancing installation was mesmerizing; LA’s favorite party planner, Marianne Weiman-Nelson who, at 7-months pregnant, told us she was more nervous about our event than about giving birth!  And on and on.

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore stylin' for the YSL Pool Party

The night of the Pool Party was a dream – we all kept looking at each other in disbelief that our fanciful notion had come to life.  Even now, images of our guests – glamorous socialites and celebrities – keep popping up in every conceivable publication.  And what’s more, we raised a lot of money for CDA!  Certainly, many things could have been done a little bit differently and a little bit better.  And next year, they will.  Yes, the CDA Pool Party is now slated to become an annual event, so soon we will have to hunker down in our favorite Polo Lounge booth and start day-dreaming again.

Kristen Davis and Kerry Washington smile for the camera at the YSL Pool Party