Mangling the Met

Whispers has been to three Metropolitan Museum Gala Balls. It was before Vogue's Anna Wintour took over. We once accompanied artist Andy Warhol who at the time was probably the most outrageous guest. But that was a different era in New York City were we once lived and have visited many times.
The heady days of New York in the 70s and 80s have long past as the city has picked up an homogenized "Westfield" shopping centre feel to it much like most of the Mediterranean resorts including the once exotic Morocco where fascinating cities like Tangier and Marrakesh are almost indistinguishable from Manchester or Melbourne. Every bit of local 'colour' now has a forced tourist attraction feel to it especially when you see billboards advertising Gucci or Fendi near the old souks. The days when Whispers sat alone at a tiny Marrakesh coffee shop and within an hour found ourselves invited for drinks at Yves St Laurent's magnificent house and dinner with Madame De Gaulle are long past. Now St Laurent's house is a museum.
When designer Jasper Conran opens a hotel in the old city you know the good days have finally passed.

The Greek writer Taki Theodoracopulos, an admitted snob, has ripped into the Met's Gala Ball in only the way he can. But he's spot on.

"Once upon a time, the Metropolitan Museum’s gala ball was fun. Serious social-climbing multimillionaires competed openly for the best tables and for proximity to blue-blooded socialites like C.Z. Guest and her ilk. Pat Buckley, wife of William F., ran the show with military precision, allotting the best seats to those who had paid a fortune for them, but also to those who were young and handsome and whose pockets were not as deep. I used to be a regular. Then something happened. Anna Wintour took over after Pat’s death and the party turned into a freak show no self-respecting circus would allow on its premises.

Last week the uglies were out in force, the newspapers and glossies revealing themselves as fake-news purveyors by calling the show exclusive and impossible to get an invitation to. Do the people who write such crap take the rest of us for total idiots? The Met Gala is reserved for a few D-list celebrities, fashionistas, and advertisers. Proper souls wouldn’t be caught dead on the premises, especially near the Kardashian table. The ugliness of some of the attendants assaulted one’s frontal cortex, and I only saw the photos; imagine the horrors of seeing it live. Clinging like a barnacle to the Met’s hull, Anna Wintour’s horror show diminishes a great American institution. The freak show should be staged in Times Square, in the exact spot where the peep shows of old used to be."

Ouch !

You can read the rest here.

'Aussie' Champagne Great Dies

Nicholas Feuillatte the man behind France's top selling champagne has passed away at the age of 88.

Born in Paris, Feuillatte divided his time between a Parisian townhouse, a Rushcutters Bay penthouse in Sydney and a grand villa in Morocco.  He first made a fortune selling coffee in the USA and in 1976 he took command of his family’s 12-hectare Champagne vineyard at Domaine de Bouleuse, in the Ardre Valley and began to produce the Champagne bearing his own name.

 

It is the number one selling Champagne brand in France and the third biggest-selling Champagne brand in the world. Due to his well known connections with this country in Paris Nicholas Feuillatte Champagne is dubbed "the Aussie champagne".

                                                    And he partied with the jet-set including Princess Diana, Lauren Bacall and Jackie Onassis who were all good friends. One close friend from New York found Nicholas' Moroccan villa to be the perfect holiday hideaway where she could hang out in peace-Great Garbo. In Sydney his close friend was the late Lady Sonia McMahon.

Packer or Branson for Byron Bay?

It's the talk of Byron Bay : the star's hide-away Rae's on Wategos has been put on the market by owner Vincent Rae and the word is that entrepreneur Richard Branson is interested in adding the boutique hotel to his chain of luxury inns that include a small palace in Morocco , two islands and the magnificent Roof Gardens atop a department store in London which features 1.5 acres of English countryside complete with flamingos.

Vincent Rae

James Packer

 Rae's is situated on Wategos Beach which is just around the corner from the main part of Byron Bay and features sweeping views of the ocean, lush gardens - part designed by Salvador Dali- 8 penthouses and a clientele to die for : Russell Crowe, Tom Cruise, Kate Winslet, Keith Richards and Elle McPherson all stay there.

Byron locals say a Virgin big-wig was spotted in town last week and Richard Branson is a regular guest. It's the sort of hotel that would fit in perfectly with the Branson stable and the local council has approved plans for an underground car park, new terrace, spa and cocktail bar. But does the Virgin boss have a rival?

Branson's Necker Island

Branson's Kasbah Tamadot in Morroco

Rae's is also one of billionaire James Packer's favourite holiday spots in Australia and a local in the know has told us that a Packer associate has made discreet enquiries about the sale. And the price?. Only very interested parties are being told but earlier this year a duplex opposite the beach and near Rae's went for $9M. A fraction of what Rae's would be worth.

More From Morocco

Following our story on the visiting hotelier Prince Fabrizio Ruspoli  from Morocco, a missive arrives in the form of a card and some snaps of Sydney party girl Sharon Sargeant who is currently holidaying in Marrakesh.

Ms Sargeant says she has been to Prince Fabrizio's hotel, La Maison Arabe for lunch and it truly is splendid :
"if I wasn't staying with friends in their villa I would certainly stay at La Maison. It's quite gorgeous".

Sharon says she and her fiancee, the 'world's most famous' private eye Frank Monte spent a week in Tangier before driving to Marrakesh via Casablanca which she says she was slightly disappointed by :
"I was really expecting something out of the movie of the same name, you know with Humphrey Bogart and Rick's Cafe but it's quite a modern city. But Marrakesh is wonderful"

Ms Sargeant assures us that the two snaps taken at the front door and inside her friend's villa are definitely not how she appears in the streets :
"I cover myself from head to toe in caftans which are perfect for the climate and I certainly don't want to cause a commotion when I am in the local market"
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Prince Fabrizio Ruspoli

  Although Prince Fabrizio Ruspoli has now left Sydney it  was a successful visit in more ways than one. Visiting Sydney's top Thai restaurant Spice I Am in Darlinghurst which specialises in Issan food (from Northern Thailand ) he was so taken with the food he has invited the chef Sujet Saenkhan to visit La Maison Arabe for a few weeks to holiday and oversee some banquets.