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    Liaisons au Louvre Day Two

    Party in Paris: Gypsy Queens rock Luxembourg Palace but Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes won't sing

    Clifford Pugh
    Jun 17, 2013 | 11:54 pm

    PARIS — The Palais du Luxembourg, the home of the French Senate, is a sedate— dare we say, stuffy? — place. But on Monday night, the stately building that Maria de Medici commissioned in the 17th century rocked with 20th-century tunes as ​Liaisons au Louvre Trois entered its second phase.

    A glam dinner at the palace, the latest installment of three days of social activities organized by Houston's Becca Cason Thrash to raise funds for the American Friends of the Louvre, was transformed into a raucous sing-a-long when the Gypsy Queens appeared after the first course. The band, which has become a favorite at exclusive private parties in Europe and around the world, materialized seemingly from nowhere around a table of guests in the middle of the room and burst into a robust rendition of "California Dreamin'," the '60s classic by the Mamas & the Papas.

    I was only slightly embarrassed when I noticed that Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes didn't join in the chorus.

    Led by lead singer and guitarist Didier Castani, the five-member band visited each table, with covers of such songs as "Country Road," Sweet Caroline," "Twist and Shout," "Satisfaction," "La Bamba" and "All My Lovin'" as guests sang nearly every word.

    When the band stopped at our table, my seatmates and I loudly sang along to The Eagles' classic "Take it Easy." I was only slightly embarrassed when I noticed that Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes, who was at the table with his stunning girlfriend, Italian stylistNefer Suvio, didn't join in the chorus. (Would it have been different if the band had sung "Hungry Like the Wolf" or "Rio?")

    But he did tap his fingers to the music.

    Rhodes, 51, literally met Suvio, 32, across a crowded room two years ago and the couple recently moved in together into his London home. She looked stunning in a sequined minidress adorned with leather halter by Roberto Cavalli.

    By the time dessert was served, the large Houston contingent, including Diane Lokey Farb, Fady Armanious, Sara Dodd, Henry Richardson, Monsour Tagdishi, Melissa Mithoff, Tami Dias, Andrew Echols, Hallie Vanderhilder, Joyce Echols, Mark Sullivan and Thrash turned the room into one big dance floor, along with many of the 150 guests.

    Also joining in the fun were Vogue's Hamish Bowles, Harper's Bazaar contributor Derek Blasberg, vbeauté founderJulie Macklowe, in a tomato-red Tom Ford dress with a plunging back, Philo Ebata, the wife of Forbes Afrique magazine founder and Orion Oil Company CEO Lucien Ebata, one of the evening's sponsors, Hoyt Richards, who gained fame as one of the first male supermodels in the '80s and '90s, and Bulgari's Stephane Gerschel.

    Because the Italian jewelry and luxury goods company sponsored the dinner, each table was named for a precious stone (tourmaline, topaz, pearl, etc.). Thrash changed outfits at the last minute, wearing a Prabal Gurung gown with an open neckline to showcase a glittering Bulgari necklace.

    "It goes back at 10 in the morning," she quipped.

    No one could recall the Luxembourg Palace ever hosting a dinner like this. It came about after Thrash was seated next to Alberic de Montgolfier, a member of the French Senate representing the Eur-et-Loir region in northern France, at at luncheon in Paris hosted by American Friends of the Louvre supporter Max Blumberg. Thrash explained her idea and Montgolfier was so taken with it that later that afternoon they went to the palace to check it out.

    "Maria de Medici was one of the great early supporters of the Louvre, so tonight this (dinner) makes total sense," de Montgolfier told the audience.

    Prior to cocktails in the Luxembourg Gardens and dinner in the Salons de Boffrand, guests took a private tour of the Senate chamber, the library adorned with Delacroix's cycle of paintings representing Dante's Inferno and other rooms adored with gilded-gold walls and priceless artwork.

    Nefer Suvio and Nick Rhodes

      
    Photo by © Michelle Watson CatchLightGroup.com
    Nefer Suvio and Nick Rhodes
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    series/htx-france-2013
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    American in Paris

    Personal Paris: Houston frequent flyer reveals fave things to do in her favorite city

    Clifford Pugh
    By Clifford Pugh
    Jul 22, 2013 | 9:11 pm
    Personal Paris: Houston frequent flyer reveals fave things to do in her favorite city
    Photo by Eric Pouhier Wikipedia
    The Grand Palais is on Iannarelli's must-see list.

    Paris is almost like a second home for aircraft broker Janine Iannarelli. The founder of Houston-based Par Avion Ltd., Iannarelli travels regularly to the City of Light to buy and sell private jets to her international clientele. Last month, she was at the Paris Air Show, where she attended a lavish party in a chalet at the end of the runway hosted by Dassault Aviation, which introduced two new Falcon business jets, and a big party hosted by Breitling, which sponsors the largest aerobatic jet team in Europe.

    She also attended the Prix de Diane (France's answer to Ascot) at the Hippodrome de Chantilly, where the parade of hats was truly amazing. Iannarelli wore a design by Houstonian Gabriella Dror. And then she did what just about every stylish tourist does in the world's fashion capital: She went shopping.

    So we thought what better way to close out our Vive la France special editorial series, by asking Iannarelli for some of her favorite things to do in her favorite city.

    1. Go for a ride on a Bateaux Mouche

    Sure it may seem a little cheesy, but there's nothing like gliding down the Seine at night in one of the fabled excursion boats that passes by many of the city's most famous tourist attractions, Iannarelli says. "I don't care how much you know Paris or don't, it's something you won't forget." (Rent the 1963 movie, Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant, to get an idea of how romantic it can be.) A ride last around 75 minutes if you're not on a dinner cruise.

    2. Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral

    Widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world, "it's a monument you need to see," says Iannarelli. "And it's even better if you've read Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth."

    3. Stop by the Grand Palais

    While the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay are on everyone's list, Iannarelli loves the Grand Palais, the grand palace with an enormous glass roof built for the World Fair of 1900. The best time to go is on a Sunday afternoon when there's a special exhibit. "It's so quintessential Paris," she says.

    4. Shop at Le Bon Marché

    Sure, there are plenty of great luxury shops on the Avenue Montaigne and Rue Saint-Honoré, but Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche is in a class by itself. Founded in 1852, the store has one of the world's best-edited luxury selections, from the latest Chanel handbag, which Iannarelli purchased on this trip, to a wide variety of brightly colored socks that George W. Bush would love.

    5. Watch the world go by at the Jardin des Tuileries

    With a prime location between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, the top garden in Paris is a perfect place for people watching.

    6. Have a drink at the Plaza Athénée

    With the Ritz Paris closed until December 2014 for renovation, there's no opportunity to grab a drink at Harry's Bar. So try the next best thing: The downstairs bar at the Plaza Athénée, on the Avenue Montaigne, is a popular late-night gathering spot as musicians, singers and guests launch into impromptu performances around the piano.

    7. Shop at Hervé Leroux

    The designer who invented the bandage dress has his own boutique with designs you won't see everywhere else. "He's a little bit under the radar," Iannarelli says.

    8. Dine at Le Goutillon in Chantilly

    Its location an hour outside Paris isn't convenient, but ​Iannarelli loves the classic French cuisine and the great people watching. "It's very famous among the horsey set," she says. "Anyone who is anyone in the equestrian world is there."

    Enjoy a boat ride down the Seine on a Bateau Mouche. Notre-Dame Cathedral, a must-see in itself, is in the background.

    Paris boat ride down the Seine on a Bateau Mouche tourist boat
      
    Photo by Attila Terbócs Wikipedia
    Enjoy a boat ride down the Seine on a Bateau Mouche. Notre-Dame Cathedral, a must-see in itself, is in the background.
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