Surely, a white winter is in full effect somewhere. Over in Miami, however, ’tis the season for Art Basel—the weeklong event merging the art world with the fashion and entertainment industry’s who’s who (think of it as fashion week for art, with a side of fashion, even still). And, like fashion week, it’s a week that’s as much about seeing art as it is being seen. After touring the galleries at the Miami Beach Convention Center or the Scope Art Fair hosted for the 9th time at Loews Miami Beach Hotel, come the after-parties. And this year, fashion is heavily represented with the likes of Cartier, Gucci, Miu Miu, and Miami’s own The Webster among a slew of brands pouring cocktails and setting up dancefloors. The result? Back-to-back parties, overflowing champagne, and a bevy of traffic worth enduring in the name of a good time. There are far too many to count, let alone attend, they seem always know exactly which ones to hit. Ahead, here’s a look inside among the most exclusive stops of the week.
Monday
Xerjoff Welcomed 100 Life-Size Elephant Sculptures (and Gloria Estefan!) to South Beach
To kick off the festivities, three public artworks curated by Dodie Kazanjian and Ximena Caminos were fêted, including Art&Newport’s Daniel Buren sailboat regatta, Miami’s forthcoming ReefLine, and The Great Elephant Migration. Guests arrived in statement sunglasses and colored suiting to view a herd of 100 life-sized elephant sculptures gracefully marching down the sandy shores of South Beach, sponsored by niche perfumery Xerjoff. Masterfully crafted from lantana reeds by artisans of the Coexistence Collective, these epic elephants are already one of Art Week’s most talked about activations, promoting the fragile relationship between nature and humans. The cocktail party in the sand was set against Miami Beach’s crashing waves, Art Deco lifeguard towers, and scents of damask rose from Xerjoff’s CoExistence perfume created for The Great Elephant Migration. Following cocktails at the beach, guests made their way to dinner at the beguiling Casa Faena, where flora and fauna-inspired décor was maximalist and roseate. Party guests included superstar Gloria Estefan, Sergio Momo, and Ruth Ganesh. “There is a depth to these elephants, and they do have a place among all of this incredible art. It’s emotionally moving people,” Ganesh told Vogue. -Zachary Schwartz
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