Few galas are as glamorous as Save Venice’s annual fête. The charity event led by maestra Lauren Santo Domingo aims to protect the art, architecture, and heritage of Italy’s famed city of love. Each year its attendees raise millions to preserve paintings by old masters, Venetian churches, and the legacy of one of the world’s cultural capitals. The celebrations also make for a star-studded evening out, and this weekend New York’s society set took over Casa Cipriani for a night on the town. There, alongside names like Sienna Miller, Alex Rodriguez, and Nicky Hilton, Gossip Girl star Anna Van Patten attended for the first time.
Joined by her mother, Wendy Rossmeyer Van Patten, the pair enjoyed an incredibly chic family night. Dressed in sleek minimalist pieces created for them by Lafayette 148 designer Emily Smith, they offered a multi-generational perspective on gala dressing. More than that, they had a fun mother-daughter moment at one of the most elegant events on the social calendar.
Below, Anna shares a diary of her and her mom’s Save Venice experience, from getting ready at their uptown abode to posing on the night’s key set-piece, a larger-than-life The Birth of Venus inspired, crystal-covered clamshell.
Photo: Andres Burgos1/8I based my beauty regimen and choices on the color and composition that Emily created for my look. After getting input from hair and makeup artists David Cotteblanche and Hiroshi Yonemoto, we decided a loose messy updo would complement the sharp lines of the pantsuit and soften the look. For makeup, we were inspired by the masks that were created in Venice for masquerades. We went for a fresh face and opted for a dramatic emphasis around the eyes and a neutral lip.
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Every day is a new opportunity to express a different side of myself. Sometimes I like to think of myself as a blank canvas and play around with my outfit with colors and shapes. I like playing pretend, and the possibilities are endless when it comes to fashion.
Photo: Andres Burgos3/8“Emily and her dream team at Lafayette 148 were open to my ideas and wishes, which made the creative process so exciting! Their detailed, open approach created a gown that made me feel elegant, comfortable, and festive. I felt beautiful and still felt like the real me!!!!” - Wendy Rossmeyer Van Patten
Photo: Andres Burgos4/8Art—whether it's a painting, poem, film, architecture, or song—inspires me to be creative. Even people and places can be inspiring [because] staying curious is what keeps me creative.
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Growing up in New York means endless inspiration; I try to see and learn something new about the city every day. My ten-year-old sister keeps my family young; we're reminded to look at life imaginatively.
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My mom is very playful and doesn’t take herself too seriously. She’s confident and inspires me to speak my truth and always embrace individuality.
Photo: Andres Burgos7/8Multi-generational fashion is borrowing my mother’s vintage clothes and learning something new about her through her old clothes.
My mom and I are very different when it comes to style, but she is my biggest cheerleader when I take a “risk” and ask her advice. I have learned a lot, especially recently, from my mom prioritizing comfort in everyday style. Comfort can still look put together.
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The giant shell, the soft smoke machine filling the floors, the delicious food, and the gorgeous clothes glistening under the turquoise spotlights felt like a dream when attending the Save Venice Gala.In the fall of 2019, my mom, little sister, and I went to the Venice Biennale. I will never forget the trip, not only because of the inspiring artwork but also because of the record-breaking flood. We walked around Venice knee-deep in water. Preserving history is so important, and being able to support a cause so close to my mom’s and my heart feels incredible. I want to show my children and grandchildren the city that has inspired me in so many ways.
