The most interesting part about the annual Two x Two First Look — besides what’s on the walls, of course — is how the theme, vibe, and crowd change from year to year. Après last year’s deluge, the mood for the gala and contemporary auction’s preview party was more toned down, in a good way.
Gone were the costumed revelers cutting a rug on a damp dance floor. In their place were slightly more demure partygoers who interpreted the “Chic. Clever. Cool.” as a lot of well-tailored black and a smattering of sequins.
As DJ Lucy Wrubel spun, a well-heeled gathering milled around on the paved lawn of the Rachofsky House sipping Belvedere cocktails and sampling sashimi, lamp chops, and risotto from Lombardi Catering. But the real event was clearly inside the Richard Meier-designed showplace.
Even more so than in the past, patrons seemed to be seriously contemplating what they wanted to purchase for their walls. Works such as Lee Ufan’s watercolor Dialogue, Mika Tajima’s sound wave-loomed Negative Entropy, and Katharine Bernhardt’s playful Three Sharpies: Orange, Turquoise, Purple were already snapped up in the silent auction, boding well for a healthy addition to the more than $60 million raised for amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art.
For local artists and gallerists, having work shown alongside boldface names like John Currin and Robert Mapplethorpe makes participating in the evening a no-brainer.
Said painter Francisco Moreno upon spying his Slate Scribble Painting (Brilliance) in the hallway, “It’s an honor to be here. There’s such amazing work. It’s a nice combination to have David Altmejd and Kehinde Wiley within a few feet of my painting!”
Fossil’s Jill Elliott and 4510’s Taylor Tomasi-Hill and Brian Bolke served as chairmen, joining event hosts Cindy and Howard Rachofsky. For Bolke, the evening was a full-circle reunion, as he made his Two x Two debut way back in 2004 alongside designers Proenza Schouler.
“It’s About Time,” was the theme of the night, and the party’s collectible favor was a stylish watch co-created by 4510 and sponsor Fossil that guests could tailor by swapping straps and cases at an interactive station.
“It’s been about two years in the making,” Bolke says. “It was timed to go with the new store [opening downtown November 11], and I loved the idea of something that people could really make their own.”
Among those customizing and celebrating were Elaine Agather, Rosie Assoulin, Ceron, Erin Cluley, Gavin Delahunty, Dan and Joseph, Suzanne Droese, Todd Fiscus, Thomas Keller, Nancy Rogers, Lynn McBee, Muriel Quancard, Cris Worley, and Christen Wilson.
Picture-perfect partygoers at Two x Two First Look 2016.
Ice skaters showed off their moves in the "Central Park" rink.Photo by Ashley Gongora
The Kilgore Rangerettes channeled the Radio City Rockettes.Photo by Ashley Gongora
Dessert included a cake that looked like a blue Tiffany box.Photo by Michael Merry