Fashionable fundraising
First time’s the charm at 2024 de Young Museum Gala
The annual soirée mixed San Francisco high society with outrageous nightlife fashion, making for a truly memorable evening.
I never know what vibe to expect when stepping inside a San Francisco society party, and I’ll admit the de Young’s intimidated me at first. In prior years, the museum hosted celebrities like Emilia Clarke, Kata Mara and Kate Bosworth. Add on top of that some very recognizable names in art, local charity and politics; everyone’s dressed to the nines and exuding nothing but sophistication and confidence.
Thursday’s soirée raised nearly $1.5 million for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which encompasses both the de Young and Legion of Honor. This is good news for anyone who enjoys a wide offering from artifacts to contemporary masterpieces, and of course the fashion exhibits. The annual gala’s itinerary divided into three segments — cocktails, dinner, and after party — drawing notables like artist Lee Mingwei, Mayor London Breed, and talked-about philanthropist Dede Wilsey.
I loved all the touches of classic San Francisco during cocktail hour, featuring a trolley photobooth and larger-than-life sculptures of the Transamerica Building alongside one of Fisherman’s Wharf. Waiters stood by in white blazers handing out wine and classic vodka martinis with olives, and a jazz band completed the aesthetic of eleganza in the City by the Bay.
Many attendees said this was their first time at the de Young gala; several ladies came from Sonoma and the Sacramento suburbs, while one model and her fiancé flew in from Los Angeles. The night felt like a chance to bathe in beauty and culture while viewing works that inspire, provoke, and move the soul. And naturally: to hobnob while showing off some amazing frocks.
I probably glimpsed the most designer fashion I’ve seen in one room in San Francisco — save for the Fashioning San Francisco exhibit just upstairs. You have to understand a lot of these fancier affairs still attract some Forever 21 dresses, but at the de Young I talked to women in Badgley Mischka, Roberto Cavalli, Bronx and Banco, and one jaw-dropping Zac Posen in peacock blue — Posen himself appeared down the street that night at the Cal Performances gala.
The museum after party is where the night really popped off, not least because it brought an estimated 1,300 people through the door. Late nights really run the gamut for these galas because of their lower price point; some feel straight out of a junior high dance, while others like de Young’s serve us the right kind of fancy San Francisco nightlife. The breadth of exhibits, pop-up experiences and performances paired beautifully with great conversation and insanely expressive fashion — from drag to denim, sparkly and casual, everything felt like a feast for the eyes and ears.
Dressed in a spiral bra and beaded headpiece, Anna-Alexia Bastile approached me early on to let me know her Polaroid camera had exactly one shot left in it reserved with my name on it. I came to learn later she had this whole photo studio upstairs with curtains and props for glam, one-of-a-kind memories.
All around the studio showcased ReLove, a vintage seller with locations in San Francisco and Oakland. At first I thought this was part of the Fashioning San Francisco exhibit I missed, but the pop-up apparently set up only for the gala and left shortly afterward. I pawed so many pieces on the rack and mannequins, turning to my boyfriend and saying, “Now this is San Francisco fashion.”
Downstairs, I spotted Navid Armstrong tearing up the dancefloor to a great set by DJ Christie, who announced that you can never have too much Dua Lipa, and then played two Dua Lipa tracks back-to-back. Navid is someone I run into at pretty much all the classy events, and we’re always too distracted to dive deep in our backstories, but somehow that makes the interaction better. We probably sported 200 yards of fabric between us, and the moment I saw her I was like why not — let’s shimmy in corsets.
I took a breather up at the tower only to discover a totally different party; out of thumpa-thumpa brought us into a jazz lounge, complete with live music and views of the San Francisco cityscape. My apartment sits in walking distance of this museum but I’ve never been up here — a place I’ll have to return again and again. Generally speaking I’m only pretending to be an extrovert, so I love that these guys provided a chill place to escape the melee going on downstairs.
This night gave me so many meet-cute conversations filled with happiness, which seems like such a simple ask but it’s often elusive in an era filled with serious concerns; escapism is not a mental state I’ve allowed myself in San Francisco since perhaps the post-Recession early 2010s. To wit: I finally gave a hi to Stuart Schuffman, whose orbit I’ve been in since our days at S.F. Media Co. Schuffman alongside entourage Kayla Brittingham, Vita Hewitt and others all had nice words to give about my dress and The Bold Italic — and you never know how those conversations will go because we’re all seeking the same eyeballs.
As I began to make my goodbyes, I descended the staircase only to encounter a woman bowing down to my dress. A smart photographer told me recently to consider wearing something less outrageous, lest I appear to event organizers that I am there to party and not to do my job. There’s a harsh truth to this, but equally so that I’m an introvert who finds wearing these gowns is the perfect spark of conversation with sources. Unfortunately though, the conversation then tends toward the gown.
Just guessing this woman hit up the bar a tad much, and then insisted — insisted — I take her fabulous feathered opera gloves. A little souvenir for an unforgettable evening:
And although my new accessory would certainly not zip up around my biceps, the gesture of giving it along with the rest of my night at the de Young Museum’s annual gala fit like a glove.
Saul Sugarman is editor in chief of The Bold Italic.
The Bold Italic is a non-profit media organization that’s brought to you by GrowSF, and we publish first-person perspectives about San Francisco and the Bay Area. Donate to us today.
FAMSF and de Young party details
I genuinely appreciated all of the conversations with these museum and event hosts, and I look forward to future collaborations with The Bold Italic.
- Danielle St.Germain, FAMSF Chief Philanthropy Officer
- Gala co-chair Mary Beth Shimmon
- Laura Camerlengo, FAMSF Curator-in-Charge of Costume and Textile Arts
- Helena Nordström, FAMSF Director of Communications
- Greta Gordon, FAMSF Communications Manager
Decor by Ideas Events & Rentals; Catering by McCalls Catering and Events; In-kind donations from The Caviar Co. and Bryant Imports.
Late-night presentations included She Bends, featured in a neon bar. Performances by Nkechi Njaka and headliner Sudan Archives; also Mellow Sessions at the NightLife Lounge in Hamon Observation Tower, the official Cal Academy event after-set.
More photos of de Young 2024 gala by Drew Altizer Photography
More photos of de Young 2024 gala by Dinner Party
