Gordana Wears Her Faith to the Hermes Beach Party

 Hermes was throwing a no-shoes beach bash at Nielsen Park and the conditions were perfect as the overbearing and humid weather held off for the day. Party starved Sydney socialites were out in force as dozens arrived in a stream of black limousines.

Natalie Imbruglia & Nickey Joye

Tucked into a roped off section of the beach at the David Grant designed party set : 6 giant Hermes bracelets, a barbecue and several bars serving champagne and cocktails.

Noticeably absent were Sydney's social media who for some unknown reason gave the do a  miss.

Gordana & Mary

Perhaps It was something to do with Hermes boss Karin Upton Baker's on-going dramas. Financially embattled husband Gary Baker looking stressfully slim, arrived  in a humble Toyota albeit with his signature  XXX number plates. The Rolls and Bentley went months ago. And how she did it is a mystery but Karin would have made Houdini proud when she seemingly materialised in the middle of the party crowd thus avoiding the paparazzi.

Lara Bingle & pal

Guests were still arriving at 7.30pm while some who had come earlier were already leaving including designer Trent Nathan who declared 'that's enough' after 30 minutes, Gracie Otto who sped of in a Mercedes on an urgent errand and film producer Margaret Fink who said the sand was playing havoc with her calves.

Gordana Willesee was happy to show off the new tattoo snaking up her arm. A Mother Mary perfectly executed for the committed Catholic who along with husband Mike Willesee had a private meeting with Pope Benedict XV1 during his Aussie visit in 2008.

Erica Heynatz & Andrew Kingston

 Natalie Imbruglia slipped in with a pal.. She'd been spotted earlier that day zipping around town with Justin Hemmes in his 1960's Porsche.

Lara Bingle , Rebel Penfold Russell, Di Hamill, James Gordon, Jonathon Ward, Mandy Quinn, Greg Daniels Gary & Susie Rothwell and restaurateurs Michael & Judy McMahon and almost anyone connected to the fashion industry were amongst the 250 guests.

And we loved  Miss Teen Age International & water skiing champ cum boxer Lauryn Eagle's  'pimp-mobile'- a huge Chevy bearing silver letters on the boot saying MORE MONEY. She roared up to the entrance with South African born boxing champ LoveMore N'dou.

Eventually fleets of luxury buses arrived to transport guests to a mystery destination as guest Pam Murray observed they were part of her husband's 2000 strong fleet.

And the fashion hit of summer (apart from the Hermes accessories worn by most ) featured by at least 8 guests: Camilla Frank's caftans.

Collette Dinigan & Bradley Cocks

James Gordon

Lauryn Eagle & LoveMore N'dou

Julie Schaeffer & friend

Mark Cavanagh, Penny McCarthy, Rebel Russell, Warren Fahey

Guilleume Sadourny & Terry Schwamberg

Hollywood appointment

                                                                                                Marie Sutton & Gordy Willesee

Jetting out to LA today is Gordana Willesee, wife of former TV presenter turned media mogul and more recently, re-confirmed Catholic Mike Willesee.

Gordana, a make-up artist who fell for Willesee while working at the Channel Nine studios, will be checking out the latest make-up techniques at various Hollywood studios and hopes to put them into practical use back in Sydney.

Gordana's the top favourite to touch-up major celebrities before they walk the red carpet at film premieres and has worked with some of the world's major movie stars.

  She took time off for a quick lunch at Ottos at Woolloomooloo Wharf with tSS and society maven Marie Sutton and brought us up to date on some of her husband's latest projects. Following the success of his Signs From God documentary in the USA in which Willesee explores various incidents of stigmata around the world, he is busy writing a book on the same subject.

Willesee is also pushing for further research on the Shroud of Turin and is backing a scientific analysis to see if  the artifact contains the blood of Jesus Christ. The Shroud goes on public display next year for six weeks at Chapel of the Shroud in the Turin Cathedral.

The Willesee's have impecable Catholic credentials with Mike re-discovering his faith in recent years. Gordana showed us the tiny Rosary beads that bear the Papal seal given to her when she and her husband had a private audience with Pope Benedict on his recent Australian visit. Recently at an exhibition opened by Cardinal Pell, Mike snapped up all 12 life size decorated statues of Christ which now decorate the large garden of his Centenniel Park's mansion, forming a pathway to his private chapel.

And when Gordana returns with her new skills she has her first client lined up-Hugh Grant when he attends the premiere of his latest flick Did You Hear About the Morgans?. But not before she is joined by Mike in LA who intends to whisk her off for a week at the Waldorf Astoria for Gordana's first visit to New York.