With the pop of a Champagne cork, the summer season in New York began on Saturday afternoon at Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. After a four-year hiatus, the yearly polo match (or, as some might regard it, a party with a side of polo) serves as the informal kickoff to the warmer months and is often the final weekend during which the majority of revelrous New Yorkers can be found in town and not escaping the heat.
As the sun poked through the clouds, some 7,000 guests found their way to Liberty State Park by all modes of transport. For those lucky to be luxuriating in one of the nine newly constructed La Grand Dame cabanas, designed by acclaimed architect Stephanie Goto and inspired by La Grande Dame 2015 and the work of Italian céramist Paola Paronetto, departures from Fouquet’s New York in Tribeca made the journey quick and easy, many with breakfast croissants in-hand. Others set sail on privatized ferries hailing from several ports on Manhattan’s west side, docking at the nearby Hudson Point Marina.
With sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island, the park, technically located in Jersey City, is a hidden gem of sorts for New Yorkers. “This view is unbeatable,” remarked photographer Gray Malin, known to his cult followers for his irreverent scenes with striking pops of color. “I wish I brought my camera.” Color was indeed in no short supply, although the signature shade of Veuve Clicquot yellow and its complimentary hues clearly informed the dress code throughout. Danai Guirara opted for a burnt orange minidress by Off-White and accessorized with a black woven fascinator, while Emma Stone, in Louis Vuitton, borrowed from the world of prep, wrapping a sweater over her shoulders. Simone Ashley and Jeremy Pope, both in green, appeared to have coordinated their looks, though they insisted it was just a coincidence.
The corks continued to fly as Karen Gillan, with her dramatic bell sleeves, took to the pitch for the ceremonial ball toss, kicking off a match that saw the two teams—Team Veuve Clicquot, captained by Nacho Figueras, and Team Liberty Comets, led by Gaston Lisioli—face off in a nail-biting finish, but as fate would have it, Team Veuve Clicquot emerged victorious. Figueras’ wife, Delfina Blaquier, was crowned the match’s MVP, and, following a geyser of Champagne bubbles raining down on the spectators who gathered during the trophy ceremony, sipped her bubbles from the trophy itself; the mark of a true winner. It was just one of an estimated 8,000 bottles opened throughout the day, meaning the true winner of the day was Veuve Clicquot, and, perhaps the next morning, ibuprofen.
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