Stateside, true royal moments are few and far between. And while the King of England wasn’t physically in the room at Cipriani South Street on Thursday night, his presence — via a prerecorded video message and the broader legacy of his philanthropic King’s Trust — was widely felt at the southern tip of Manhattan.
Global Ambassador and gala cochair Lionel Richie has been a longtime supporter of the King’s Trust, formerly the Prince’s Trust, stretching back to the early ’80s. “I just love making dreams come true. That’s really where I am now in my life, just giving back, and I’m so proud of everyone that’s involved with the King’s Trust — including the king, who’s been doing this from the beginning, and I’m so sorry he’s not here,” said Richie, who’s cochaired the global gala with Edward Enninful since its New York debut several years ago. “One day we’re going to get him here, but in the meantime, we will be the ambassadors to carry it forward.”
“Darling! Lionel!” Charlotte Tilbury called out on the carpet, joining Richie and Enninful for a photo. Tilbury’s pack — “Charlotte’s Angels,” as the group was dubbed while posing for photos — waited at the other end of the carpet as they meandered toward cocktail hour.
“Being an entrepreneur and being able to give back is really important to me,” said Tilbury, an ambassador for the Trust’s “Enterprise” mentorship program, which helps young entrepreneurs launch businesses. “ I’ve been doing it for three years, and I’ve just signed up for another three years.”
Meredith Duxbury, attending as part of the Charlotte Tilbury crew, was wearing a blue floral dress by British designer Emilia Wickstead. “I wanted a pop of color tonight. I feel like it’s spring, the weather’s been amazing, so I’m like, why not?” she said.
Natasha Poonawalla paid homage to the British monarchy through a voluminous gold cape, accented with a blue, red, and white bow, by designer Thom Browne — “it’s kind of royal, in a way,” she said of the look.
Natasha Poonawalla, Edward Enninful, Madison Headrick and Charlotte Tilbury.
Lexie Moreland/WWD
“King Charles has a massive heart and has always been a philanthropist,” said Karen Elson, standing with daughter Scarlett Teresa White, who stars in the new Valentino campaign. Both were dressed head-to-toe in Valentino. “Being a part of something like the King’s Trust, or even just showing up tonight, it’s a way of showing my support for King Charles, but also for my friend Edward [Enninful] and the greater cause at large.”
Dinner opened with a performance by the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and closed out with a musical performance by Nile Rodgers. Throughout the evening, guests heard from several people who have benefited from various King’s Trust programs — and had an opportunity to contribute through a silent and live auction.
The evening also served as a kickoff event for the weekend of Met Gala pre-parties and prep. Designers in the crowd included Daniel Lee of Burberry, Christopher John Rogers, Guram Gvasalia, Georgina Chapman of Marchesa and LaQuan Smith.
“It’s just gonna be a great week,” said Smith. “I’m looking forward to all the looks that I’m gonna be able to witness. I’m looking forward to being a part of the Met exhibit. I’m looking forward to just creating history,” he added. “This for me hits home, because I was once upon a time a 13-year-old boy sewing on my grandmother’s sewing machine. So this is just a dream come true.”
“I’ve been calling it ‘dandy and daddies,’ because I feel like this is the night that the women are going to be the daddies,” said Teyana Taylor, who will be one of the Met Gala red carpet hosts this year. “I’m excited to see the suits and that type of energy.”
The actress had made it out to Cipriani South Street with less than an hour to get ready, after her flight to New York was delayed.
“I started to get a little discouraged. I was like, you know what? I’m gonna make it,” she said. “I didn’t even really get to wear what I wanted to wear, but the cause is much more important. I’m just really happy for everybody who put this together, to see everything come to life and it actually happening. It takes a lot to put on these kinds of events, you know?”
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