On
Monday April 27, 2009, El Museo's Gala chairman Yaz and Valentin
Hernandez
and Isabel Toledo and Ruben Toledo hosted El Museo's Pre Gala
cocktail party at Mauboussin to announce plans
for the upcoming El Museo Gala ‘09. From six o'clock
until eight o'clock guests were invited to cocktails and Mother's
day shopping at the renowned French jeweler Mauboussin, which recently
opened its first flagship store in the United States. Designed
by the Rockwell Group, guests mingled, and sipped on cocktails as
they shopped throughout the five floors of the boutique showcasing
Mauboussin's full range of jewelry, watches and accessories.
As guests arrived they were greeted on the fourth floor at the "salon
des gourmandises" with a selection of cocktails, pastries and
other delectables made by Bouchon Bakery. El Museo's chairman
Tony Bechara mingled with designers Reem Acra, Christian Cota, Gemma
Khang, Kai Kuhne, Angel Sanchez. Guests included Harper's
Bazaar editor-in-chief Glenda Bailey, Mexican
super model Liliana Dominguez, Yanna Avis, Melissa
Berkelhammer, Geoffrey Bradfield, Christine Cachot,
Marjorie Reed Gordon, Ann Rapp, Samantha Thompson, Richard Turley,
Carmen Ana and Joe Unanue, and George Wayne.
El Museo's Gala '09 is planned for Wednesday, May 20,
2009 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. In a first-time collaboration,
artist Ruben Toledo, together with children from El Museo's Classroom
Connections program, will create a whimsical gallery of 68 portraits,
including some of the most famous faces in Latin American history and
culture, as well as leading Latino New Yorkers. The portraits
as well as El Museo's limited edition cigars also designed by
Ruben Toledo will be sold at the gala to benefit the museum.