Photo Coverage: National Arts Club Celebrates Opening of CHARLES JAMES: BENEATH THE DRESS

On Monday, September 29th, Cornelia Guest, Amanda Hearst, Anne Hearst McInerney, Patricia Hearst Shaw, Gillian Hearst Simonds and Kimberly Rockefellerhosted a reception for 400 and a dinner for 104 guests at The National Arts Club to celebrate the opening of 'Charles James: Beneath the Dress.' The exhibition of 100 fashion and erotic drawings from the private collection of R. Couri Hay, photographs by Anton Perich and a screening of the Charles James documentary by Angela Bernhard Thomas will run until October 5th.

Guests included: Harvey Weinstein, Georgina Chapman, Jay McInerney, Edward Chapman, Nicole Miller, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia,Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas Diandra Douglas, Audrey Gruss, William Ivey Long, Janna Bullock, Terrie Sultan, Jean Shafiroff, Cece Cord who wore Charles James, Sharon Bush Campion Platt, Morgan O'Connor, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, Ramona Singer and Sonja Morgan.

The women wore Haute Couture and Bijou and the men dressed in blue jeans and dinner jackets, as James wore when he accepted the Neiman Marcus Award in 1953, which forced a horrified Mr. Marcus to declare blue jeans fashionable.

Dianne B. Bernhard, Director, Office of Fine Arts at The National Arts Club, greeted: Charles and Janis Cecil, Kipton Cronkite, Nicole DiCocco, Cheri Kauffman, Christine Schott-Ledes and George Ledes, Herb Karlitz, Shawn Kolodny, Dr. Kenneth Mark, David Noto, Dale Noelle, Pamela O'Connor, Jan Reeder, Leesa Rowland, Cassandra Seidenfield, Valerie Steel, Dr. Nicholas Toscano, and Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin.

Before the dinner, the evening's host, R. Couri Hay announced he had given 5,000 meals to Lauren Bush Lauren's FEED Supper initiative, whose goal is to provide one million meals for the needy by World Hunger Day on October 16th.

Society bandleader, Alex Donner's orchestra played music from the 1920's through to the 1950's - James' peak design period. The World Champion male tango team of Antón Gazenbeek and Jody P. Person performed a sensual tango, before a screening of the short film.

Cornelia Guest Events styled the dining table, with Bentley Meeker Lighting Staging, Inc. providing lighting for the dinner and table. Delphine Blanchot of Clarence Dillon Wines selected Clarendelle Blanc 2012, Grand Vin De Bordeaux and Clarendelle Rouge 2006, Grand Vin De Bordeaux, which were served throughout the dinner along with David Noto's Altaneve Prosecco.

Ladies received Patou gift bags with JOY perfume, and gentleman took home bottles of Mercedes-Benz's fragrance.

Photo Credit: Owen Hoffmann/PatrickMcMullan.com