Open the Gates!

The young art lovers who turned out to support GenArt at last night's big benefit decamped to Chelsea nightclub The Gates for an after-party that lasted well into the early morning hours.

GenArt, the organization that supports emerging fashion designers, musicians and visual artists, celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a night whose mission was to raise money for the struggling organization. (A cruel irony, given that GenArt itself was founded to help struggling artists.) But times are tough and GenArt decided to hold its first benefit in more than ten years to help bring in some much-needed funds. Among the supporters in attendance were Miss USA Kristen Dalton, Real Housewife Alex McCord, Gossip Girl Laura Breckenridge and Project Runway victor Christian Siriano.

To help fill the coffers, seventy artists donated pieces that were put up for sale, at prices from $300 to $5,000. One of the earliest sellers of the evening was a large portrait of Robert DeNiro, by photographer Paul Gerben.

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And They Partied Like It Was 1899

The costumery was straight out of an Edith Wharton novel, but last night's party at The Box was anything but a dainty homage to the age of innocence. Sponsored by nerve.com and Hendrick's Gin, the invitation-only burlesque event welcomed a packed house of party-goers, all of whom impressed in their nineteenth-century finery. They sipped vintage-inspired cocktails while taking in the bawdy theatrics unfolding on stage and in the air. If this is what life was like in the nineteenth century, put us on the waiting list for a time machine. From hats to corsets, gowns to morning coats, the only things not period-accurate last night were the ever-present BlackBerrys. A small price to pay for a glimpse of life in an age that revealed less but foretold so much more.

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