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

More Legal Woes For Hermes' Boss

Gary Baker

Karin

They were financially devastated by the economic meltdown when their property empire went bust.
Now Sydney's high profile socialites Karin Upton Baker, the Managing Director of the fashion label Hermes and her husband Gary Baker have been summonsed to appear in court.

Troubles began for the pair when they failed to purchase every apartment in a Bondi block with spectacular views over the beach. They had planned to turn the 1920's style flats into luxury condominiums. As property values rocketed,  the remaining tenants demanded multi-million dollar prices for their unconverted flats directly opposite the uber smart Bondi Icebergs restaurant, favourite watering hole of the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Paris Hilton.

Elizabeth Bay Duplex

 The liquidator of Baker's company Montpelier seized the block to re-pay finance companies but some of the flats have been selling for up to two million dollars less than the Bakers paid for them. Now that liquidator has summonsed both to appear in the Supreme Court in February 2011.

Karin is battling to remain in her sumptuous Elizabeth Bay duplex that has hosted some of Sydney smartest parties for celebrities like Giorgio Armani and Elle McPherson. The pair owe $18M to the finance company Perpetual and Challenger Managed Investments who are trying to evict them from the house before it is sold by private treaty.

gone!

The pair have already auctioned  their fleet of sleek black cars that were housed in the heated garage of the duplex that boasts a turntable and an elevator into the living area.

Amongst them was Karin's favourite  vintage Pagoda style Mercedes along with a Bentley Continental and a Rolls Royce Phantom all with distinctive XXX number plates.

exclusive-Mel's fire sale

Mel & Bruce Davey

What is behind Mel Gibson's disposal of so many properties ?.

He has sold off his New York house and a beach house in Malibu is on the market.

Now there is a rumour from a reliable source that Mel's partner in Icon Films, Bruce Davey may be putting Craigend  up for sale. Craigend in Point Piper is one of the elite suburb's most iconic properties with a commanding view of the harbour.

Davey and Gibson purchased Craigend  in 2001 for $16M and announced it was to be the headquarters of their burgeoning film production company Icon which has produced 3 box office success- Apocaypto, The Passion of Christ and. Braveheart. These 3 films pushed Mel into billionaire status and has made him one of the richest of Hollywood stars. The 2 producers announced last year that Icon was going into a production hiatus.

Craigend

Tales of the demise of Mel's career are of course greatly exaggerated. As an actor/director who has total control over his career, Mel calls the shots. But he has taken a thumping on property prices as he sells up just at the wrong time. The Sydney market has also gone quiet for high end properties.

As we exclusively reported earlier actor Russell Crowe and wife Danielle Spencer viewed Altona, on the market for $45.5M but owners Deke & Eve Miskin have rejected an offer from Crowe  of $36M. It's doubtful the Miskins will get their asking price in today's market.

It's a buyer's market. What has spooked Mel ?

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While Gibson and Crowe can play the property market with ease, things go from bad to worse for budding property developer Gary Baker and his wife, Chanel boss Karin Upton Baker as their property empire collapses under a sea of debt.

The Bakers are heavy duty social scene members but have gone quiet recently with a Supreme Court battle over money lenders and loans on their sumptuous pride of joy, an Elizabeth Bay duplex that has been the locale of many parties for visiting celebrities.
The duplex has a 3 car garage with a turntable that housed their series of black autos with XXX number plates- a Rolls Phantom, a Bentley Continental and a vintage pagoda style Mercedes. The Merc is regularly put up for sale and withdrawn-it's Karin's favourite car and she is finding it hard to part with.

Now it seems Gary is finding it hard to part with some of the properties that have been his financial downfall. After a finance company took hold of 3 Bondi Beach apartments that were once owned by the late singer Peter Allen, an auction on the weekend of one of his Bellevue Hill apartments saw Baker hovering around the auction, pulling funny faces at prospective buyers and generally acting slightly odd.

Gary is also said to have photographed a member of the press who had been "stalking him for 20 years".

Karin's woes

Managing Director of French luxury goods brand, Hemmes in Australia, Karin Upton Baker is battling to keep possession of her luxurious Elizabeth Bay duplex apartment where she has hosted glamorous parties for the likes of Elle McPherson and recently model Miranda Kerr and boyfriend actor Orlando Bloom.

Complicated property deals have soured with the international property collapse and after husband Gary Baker took out an $18M mortgage on their home in 2006 to finance a number of developments, he is now fighting to prevent Perpetual Trustee and Challenger Managed Investments from gaining control over their home.

Karin and Gary are well known for their collection of sleek black autos with XXX number plates-the latest Rolls Phantom, a stylish Bentley Continental, a 'pagoda style' vintage Mercedes sports car, and for Gary in his day job as one of the only qualified installers of piers along the harbour side, a huge pantechnicon with the distinctive colour and plates.

Considered one of Sydney's most stylish couples, the Baker's pride and joy is the beautifully designed apartment in one of the most sought after blocks overlooking the harbour, with it's ground floor garage to house their luxury fleet and a private elevator.