I’ve attended some of the most wonderful parties. It’s what I do best – and I do it almost every night. But for every fun-filled fete there seem to be at least two painful duds where the host should likely be banned from all future entertaining for crimes of bad timing, lighting, food and, the most displeasing of all, a ghastly guest list. But I wouldn’t dream of boring you with all that. It’s far more exciting to talk about the great ones, legendary parties that shared three things: imagination, the desire to delight and a transcendent guest list. These three events are teeming with ideas to inspire your festive entertaining over the next few weeks.
The Surrealist Ball
Hosted by Marie-Hélène and Guy de Rothschild
Marie-Hélène de Rothschild, a member of the Rothschild banking family, was known for her lavish hospitality and magnificent parties held throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The ball was held on Dec. 12, 1972; guests ranged from actress Audrey Hepburn, who wore a wicker cage over her head, to Baroness Thyssen-Bornemisza, who turned up with a prosthetic head on top of her own. The place: Château Ferrière, a family estate outside of Paris. At the time, it was an invite so coveted among Parisian society and the international jet set that attendee and legendary host in his own right Baron Alexis de Redé (who wore a Salvador Dalí-designed Mona Lisa hat inset with portraits of Marie-Hélène) later said that one social figure threatened to commit suicide unless she was invited. The evening was all about absurd juxtaposition, inspired by the surrealist movement that began in the 1920s, driven by artists like André Breton, photographer Man Ray, and later Dalí, the poster boy for the movement. Guests received their first dose of what was to come upon entering the château’s grounds: The main house looked as though it was going up in flames. Floodlights with amber-hued bulbs fluttered creating a burning effect, a sign that no detail in the forthcoming festivities would be overlooked. Inside, Marie-Hélène greeted her guests in a stag mask with antlers that surged many feet above her head, its eyes crying tears of diamonds.
The theme began with that coveted invitation, the details printed on clouds in reverse, which forced guests to use a mirror to read it. For your holiday do, why not channel your inner surrealist and set the theme from the start by making invitations that read “This is not a holiday party” in reference to René Magritte’s The Treachery of Images? To create a surreal theme for your dinner table, add a tabletop sandbox, living plants (extra points for Venus flytraps that guests can feed between courses), or dinner rolls shaped like eggs and dyed joyful festive hues then placed in nests instead of baskets. Keen on Christmas trees? Hang one from the ceiling; it will save you floor space and, if lit from below, cast spectacular shadows.
Le Bal Oriental
Hosted by Don Carlos de Beistegui
Le Bal Oriental or The Beistegui Ball, as it’s sometimes referred to, was a masked costume ball and it’s thought of as the greatest social event of the 20th century. Held on Sept. 3, 1951, in the Palazzo Labia on Campo San Geremia, the event was about escaping gloomy postwar realities. Decadence and naughtiness was at the core of this bash; the Venetian mask that each guest was required to wear was invented, after all, for protecting the wearer’s identity during promiscuous activities. De Beistegui, dressed in long scarlet robes, a wig of cascading curls and platform shoes that elevated his 5-foot-6 height a soaring 16 inches, invited guests to turn their backs on the modern world by recreating the 18th century for one night, an époque he longed to be part of. The ball was a magnet for everyone that mattered, Brazilian socialite and super-dresser Aimée de Heeren, Singer sewing machine heiress Daisy Fellowes, Aga Khan III and countless princes and princesses; couturiers of the moment like Christian Dior, and a new design name, Pierre Cardin, created costumes for more than 30 guests.
This ball was one of the first to mix aristocracy with the nouveau moneyed and the Hollywood set: Orson Welles attended, as did Gene Tierney, who spent $15 on her costume. In contrast, Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton was rumoured to have spent more than $15,000 on hers, excluding jewels.
In the event that you do not own a palazzo with gilded rooms, ask your neighbour if you can put all your furniture in their home for the night (extending an invitation to said neighbour is imperative), so that you have a blank canvas to work with. Round tables that seat eight or 10 are great – even better if each is decorated differently. Master the art of a cross-sectioned guest list: There is nothing worse than too many rich people at one party. It’s far more interesting to throw in some up-and-comers from walks of life outside those of your core guests, like budding artists, poets or the new kid at your firm – anything to shake things up and get people talking.
The Historical Fancy Dress Ball
Hosted by John Campbell Hamilton Gordon, 7th Earl of Aberdeen, and Lady Aberdeen
Lady Aberdeen chose Canadian history as the theme for a vice-regal costume ball on Feb. 17, 1896 in the Senate chamber of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. It was a fancy-dress party of grand proportions that ignited great anticipation and excitement in the city. Guests were encouraged to dive into the country’s past and attend not only dressed in period clothes but prepared to perform for the 800 in attendance a dance appropriate to their set time period. Eight prominent Ottawa women were tasked with organizing the group of guests with help from Dr. John Bourinot, the clerk of the House of Commons and a prominent historian of the day. Groups went as participants in the Fall of Port Royal (Annapolis), the Second Taking of Louisbourg, and the Expatriation of the Acadians, 1710-1758 – this last group, dressed as Acadian peasants, performed a maypole dance so popular an encore was requested by the hosts. Lady Marjorie Gordon, the Aberdeens’ daughter, was dressed as a Norsemen; Jessie Ross Robertson, a socialite, came as the Baroness of Longueuil, while George Burn attended as Jacques Cartier. Post performances, the dance floor was opened and buttoned-up Victorians quite literally let their hair down – one of the draws of a fancy-dress ball for women at this time was the rare opportunity to let their hair cascade around their shoulders, a style suggestive of the bedroom. Dancing and drinking continued until 5 a.m. This very newspaper reported on the party, declaring “the brilliant spectacle was beyond comparison” and commended the Aberdeens’ efforts to bring English and French together in harmony for one smashing evening. In an effort to leave their post with a bang, for their final fancy-dress ball during their term, the Aberdeens resurrected the event and theme two years later in Montreal. Another fabulous night was had by all.
A fancy-dress party is rather camp to begin with, so why not just go for it? If you want guests to dress up, tell them! However, if you are hosting a masked holiday soiree or something inspired by historical events, it’s a nice idea to suggest black tie and long dress, with the addition of a mask or hat, as the full regalia of 18th-century Venice or that of Jacques Cartier might scare guests off. Also, keep a few extra masks, cloaks or hats handy – that way your guests will have no excuse not to join in on the fun. A great party should be about transporting your guests into an atmosphere of beauty, perfection and, most importantly, surprise. Your guests will hopefully leave in a state of joy and happiness after spending an evening in a different world created just for them.
With that I must leave you: I’m late for a very important date, you see, I’m off to a marvellous party. Maybe I’ll see you there!