PARTY IN THE PARK
The worlds of art, architecture and fashion collided in a glorious celebration of creativity at the Serpentine’s summer gathering
The stars come out for the Serpentine’s annual evening of socialising, music and creative brilliance. Plus, the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition gala; and two scintillating film-world ceremonies in the South of France
Forming the ultimate partnership between art and fashion, the Serpentine Galleries joined forces with Chanel to host a summer party that saw the cream of Britain’s creative talent come together with London’s style set for a night of music, food, laughter and artistic adventure. Yana Peel and Hans Ulrich Obrist invited guests to mingle inside Francis Kéré’s Pavilion, whose design was inspired by a tree used as a village meeting-place in the architect’s native Burkina Faso.
While Alice Temperley, Charlotte Dellal and Ellie Bamber braved the chilly weather in off-the-shoulder pieces, the all-black look proved the most popular sartorial choice, as seen on Alice Naylor-Leyland, Laura Bailey, Ella Purnell and Shirley Bassey. Princess Eugenie sported a colourfully patterned shift dress, Erin O’Connor was pretty in pink and Claudia Schiffer stole the show in an elegantly pleated ankle-grazing Chanel gown. A dapper Damian Lewis spent most of the evening deep in conversation with his wife Helen McCrory, stopping briefly to chat to Sadiq Khan, who was defiantly off-duty for one night only. Sam Rollinson and Charlotte Wiggins were inseparable, finishing each other’s sentences and even covertly swapping shoes in the bathroom when late-night heel fatigue set in.
As dusk fell, guests who had been sustaining themselves on glasses of Laurent-Perrier Champagne, Casamigos cocktails and smoked salmon on rye decamped en masse to the pop-up Coco’s brasserie, where they enjoyed an alfresco supper. Grayson Perry, resplendent in shades of neon, led friends inside the gallery for a private tour of his aptly titled ‘The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!’, emerging in time for a superb live set by Rita Ora, who powered through her hits before welcoming Charli XCX on stage for a surprise collaboration. Brooklyn Beckham was spotted at the front of the crowd, though what he made of the singer’s take on classic Spice Girls tunes is anybody’s guess… frances hedges