MAD PAPERBALL: Old Bitches Buy Up Downtown Cool

Lady in Red…. Rose McGowan strikes a pose  in red vintage Bill Blass (**All text and photos by Susan M. Kirschbaum)

Beyond the statue of St. George slaying the dragon — all in cardboard — or the technicolor naked male artist made of paper (his doctor measured every inch of him before construction), it was the lady in fire tones who caught my eye  at last night’s  Mad Paperball. In this case, I am talking about Julie Ragolia, co-chair of the event, who, in her Christian Dior hot pink number,  outshone  actress Rose McGowan in a vintage Bill Blass with big fat bow.

In between these fiery beacons, we all converged — deejays Leo Fitzpatrick and Paul Sevigny, Purple Mag’s Gavin Doyle, jewelry designer Genevieve Jones (with her date, Marc Jacobs’ hubby Lorenzo Martone), and artist Terence Koh in a fake monkey fur jacket. Koh — known to construct pieces from semen and sugar with buyers legally agreeing to the ultimate  decay of his art — seemed bemused by the concept of paper art. “It’s nice.” He laughed shyly.

To mark the first  “paper” anniversary of the Museum of Arts and Design on Columbus Circle,  exhibits featured paper models; and designers like Frank Tell and ThreeASFOUR and artists like Greg Lauren and James Rosenquist created clothing for auction to benefit the museum’s children education programs. Lauren’s paper jacket was up for $15000 and ThreeASFOUR’s golden eggshell dress already had a SOLD sign posted by shortly after 8 pm.

Performer Adam Dugas (once, one half of Fischerspooner) gave me a paper rose on his way out the door. The party planners explained to us how the uptown biddies, then dining on a lavish feast by chefs Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Kyotofu on another floor (the $350 tickets)  seemed ripe to buy a bit of “downtown cool.”  I can’t think of a better human example of uptown meets downtown than Ms. Ragolia (also the Editor of City Magazine), below. Uptown frock: a jewel from Dior; Downtown girl: creative roam the streets spirit.

Julie Ragolia… “I never wear hot pink!” She told me…. Time to do so, girl, just like Elsa Schiaparelli

St. George slays dragon… all in cardboard (CLICK MORE LINE FOR MORE PIX!!!! BELOW)

ThreeASFOUR surround their paper creation

New York Times’ legendary style photographer Bill Cunningham with Adi from ThreeASFOUR

Uptown social gal Fabiola Beracasa in YSL skirt, American Apparel shirt, and paper flowers!!!! WOW.

Part of Paper Playground, curated by Julie Ragolia

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