Party like it’s 1989
Brown’s blowout has flashback to glory days
IT was
a star-studded night at Michael’s to celebrate the launch of Tina Brown’s latest book, “The Vanity Fair Diaries” — and they were partying like it was 1989, our Keith J. Kelly reports.
“It was a great moment when Alec Baldwin, Anna Wintour and Tom Wolfe all arrived at once, like an old issue of VF in its ’80s heyday,” said Brown, who edited the magazine from 1984 until 1992. “All it needed was Donald Trump!”
Trump has only been known to step into Michael’s once, in 2004. Michael’s GM Steve Millington recalled that Trump and Melania were actually booked there for a quiet lunch on Election Day 2016 — only to discover that Hillary Clinton and entourage had taken up residence down the street at the Peninsula Hotel. He ate elsewhere so as not to create a nightmare for the Secret Service.
Wintour and The New Yorker Editor David Remnick could easily have picked the future editor of Vanity Fair from among the attendees. Joanna Coles, the chief content officer of Hearst — whose name had bubbled up early on — was on hand, and so was Lucy Danziger, the former editor of Self.
Diane von Furstenberg recalled that Harry Evans told her that when he first met Brown — then a miniskirted, 20-something writer — she was wearing one of von Furstenberg’s dresses. Von Furstenberg added, “If you want to age and stay relevant, the best way is to continue to be friends with Tina.”
Brown described the memoir as “a love story about a career” that captures the “sheer fun” of “the roaring ’80s,” when magazines mattered more and the industry was respected, profitable and glamorous.
“I want to make a toast to those wonderful days,” she said “before the digital disruption f**ked it all up.”
Don’t cry for them
The next investing hotspot is way south of the border, according to a hedge fund manager.
Despite effectively being shut out of global markets for the past 15 years, Argentinargentina is rap-rapidly emerging as one of the more intriguing locations for return-hungry investors — thanks largely to President Mauricio Macri being elected in 2015.
“There’s a lot of opportunityy inin Argen-Argentina, and there aren’t a lot of placeslaces in the world with a similar return profile and with a big tailwind,” David Tawil awil Maglan Capital told our Carleton eton English over coffee at a recentlyntly opened posh Buenos Aires hotel.otel.
Tawil’s remarks mark a stark contrast to how Argentina was perceived just a few years ago, when the country — led by former President Cristina na Kirchner — was em-broiled in a bitter 15year-long battle with hedge fund Elliott Management over defaulted bonds. “Argentina has been locked out of international markets for years, so there aren’t necessarily the professionals here who can do all that can or must be done,” Tawil said
“Everyone is putting their hopes on Macri, and so far, that hope has been vindicated,” Tawil said.id.
NFL vets
As if NFL Commissioner Goodell didn’t have enough on his plate, the league is facing yet another boycott.
This one centers around seasonticket holders as well as viewers.ers.
A Facebook group called “Boycott the NFL” is asking ticket holders to stay home and viewers to tune out the league’s gamesthis Veterans Dayweekend, our Richard Morganreports. orts.
“Boycott the NFL,” which has 220,000 followers going into the weekend, added that its members plan to resist watching as long as “millionaire football players” protest the national anthem.
ComedyCo heros
TopcomediansTopco Jon Stewart, ConanO’BrianandTrevorNoah performed last weekat the 11th annual Stand Upfor Heroes event — and although the showraises moneytohelp woundedveterans, the butt of all jokes wasthe commander-in-chief, President Trump, according to Jennifer GouldKeil. Theannual event, which has raised $46 million for the BobWoodruff Foundation since its launch, kicks off the NewYorkComedy FFestival, nowinits 14th year. Caroline Hirsch (pictutured), of Caroline’s comeedy club, founded Stand Up fofor Heroes because she is passionate about veterans. She also founded the comededy festival with her partnner, Andrew Fox. “The boys I grew up with dididn’t go to college,” said HiHirsch, who was raised in an IrIrish-Italian community in BrBrooklyn. “They became firefiremen and policemen. ManyMany of the young men I knew served in Vietnam.” WhenWhen wounded vets began coming homeho from Iraq and Afghanistan,ghanistan, HHirsch felt compelled to help. O’Brien hostedhoste the first Stand Up for Heroes event, anand he’s back this year to do it again. BruceBruce SSpringsteen usually appears, but this year he’s doing his own BroadwayBroadway showshow nearby, so the Red Hot ChiliChili PeppersPeppers performedpe instead.