A Night Fit for Cleopatra: Save Venice Brings Venetian Splendor to The Plaza

Saving the floating city of Venice is no easy task. Yes, the rising tides—or acqua alta, as the locals call it—may now be partly held at bay thanks to a major floodgate system, but the city's trove of artistic treasures continues to weather the test of time and the encroachments of dampness. That’s where Save Venice steps in, funding the meticulous restoration of artworks throughout the city's many museums and palazzi.

To support these efforts, the organization hosts a grand tour of fantastical masquerade balls in New York, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, and, of course, Venice itself. Last night’s New York gala at The Plaza Hotel—a treasured relic in its own right—was a glittering reminder of the cause. In a scene reminiscent of Truman Capote’s famed Black and White Ball (minus the chicken hash), guests donned masks of all shapes, sizes, and materials.

Oscar de la Renta and Monse creative director Laura Kim, who wore a metallic silver mask adorned with dangling diamond tears, had ironically just returned from Venice earlier that day. “My incredible embroidery designer, Zachary Fernandez, made this mask to match my dress,” Kim told Vogue. “It also matches how I’m feeling with my jet lag!”

This year's theme drew from the world of Giambattista Tiepolo, whose frescoes depicting Antony and Cleopatra’s decadent banquets once adorned the ballrooms of Venetian palazzi. Alexandra O’Neill, designer of Markarian, borrowed a pink silk gown from her own collectsion that bore a striking resemblance to Cleopatra’s, accessorized with pink diamonds by Pasquale Bruni and a strand of pearls wound into her hair—sourced, last minute, in Manhattan’s Garment District.

The fresco was also a lodestar for event visionary Bronson van Wyck, who devised a lavish setting of pearls, peonies, roses, and pali di casada—the unmistakable candy-striped poles that spring from Venice’s canals.

"Jean Harlow may have claimed that ‘no one expects a great lay to pay the bill,’ but Cleopatra, in addition to her legendary erotic expertise, happened to be the richest person in the world,” van Wyck told Vogue. “She’s rumored to have removed a gigantic pearl earring, dropped it into a glass of vinegar, and, after watching it dissolve, drank it. I can’t claim we served vinegar or dissolved pearls—or even nonchalance.”

No, nonchalance was not on the menu in any way; rather, the evening was a study in unabashed merrymaking and the celebration of art in all its forms. Lauren Kulchinsky Levinson and Casey Kohlberg rallied a cohort of CFDA designers, including Bach Mai, Kate Barton, Jackson Wiederhoeft, Presley Oldham, Andrew Kwon, and Alejandra Alonso Rojas, each arriving dressed in their own creations, often accompanied by their muses. Milliner Gigi Burris, too, joined the festivities—her jeweled veil headbands having become the gala’s unofficial accessory. Jenna Lyons, presiding over the evening’s mask contest, wore one herself, praising its practicality.

“I remember the first year I came to Save Venice, I picked a mask up on my way to the gala and didn’t know how to get it off, so I ended up wearing it the entire night,” Lyons joked to the crowd. “Which was terrible because no one recognized me!”

The mask awards—prizes generously provided by Oscar de la Renta, Pasquale Bruni, and Casa Tua—set the tone for the evening’s spirited atmosphere. The night also marked a family affair for the Kanavos clan: Ball Chair Dayssi Kanavos presided over the festivities, her daughter-in-law Natalia Kanavos served as Ball Junior Chair, and her daughter Sophia Kanavos gathered a lively table of young friends in support of the cause.

Special thanks also went to sponsors Oscar de la Renta, Pasquale Bruni, Casa Tua, and Tilt Beauty, whose support helped the event raise more than $1.2 million.

Following dinner, 80 Young Friends supporters—those aged 39 and younger—joined for Drinks, Dessert, and Dancing, as violinists ceded the stage to a DJ and espresso martinis flowed. As masks slipped off and high heels were discreetly abandoned under chairs, the spirit of the evening endured—a fleeting moment of beauty that, thanks to the night's success, ensures the enduring beauty of Venice for generations to come.