The Gagosian Gallery is opening its Asian outpost this weekend at the Pedder Building in Hong Kong. The contemporary artist Damien Hirst is its big-ticket draw. He will show his latest paintings and sculptures with an exhibition entitled Forgotten Promises.
Intriguing as it might be to view Hirst's pieces, what has Hong Kong buzzing are the string of parties connected to the opening and the chance to meet the artist himself. There's the intimate and exclusive dinner this Saturday at the China Club followed by a larger after party at a chic restaurant called Sevva, and a rumored after-after party. But many of Hong Kong's socials and wannabe socials are all clamoring to get an invite to the dinner that has morphed into this secret-society-member's-only event that many party circuit regulars have not been invited to.
In the past two weeks, I have seen women go through the contact lists on their iPhones and BBMs in the hopes of finding someone invited to the dinner so they can force themselves as their plus ones. There are also women who have wined and dined members of the event and pr company in charge of the party in exchange for a golden invite. To no avail, I've been told. This is a shock to the women who are used to getting what they want because it's bizarre to come across something that cannot be bought in a city that is run by money. I've also witnessed a spat between an invited and an un-invited not unlike a scene from the Real Housewives franchise.
But for the chosen few of will be dining with Hirst and Larry Gagosian -- collectors or plus ones of collectors from Hong Kong and other parts of Asia--the most pressing matter on the women's lips is what to wear. Should they accessorize with the gold chain skull Garrard necklace by Jade Jagger? Perhaps an Alexander McQueen scarf with skull prints all over it? If a woman calls herself a true Hong Kong socialite, then she should already have her spring wardrobe. This means that she should be able to layer the vivid colors from Jil Sander and Prada in homage to Hirst's spin canvas of exploding bright hues. And if one or two of these women is a true collector of fashion and art, Saturday night would be the perfect opportunity to bust out those Manolo Blahnik/ Damien Hirst dot boots and to rock the Levi's/Hirst Spin Jeans.
A friend of mine who flew in from Manila for the event showed me the skull themed accessories she will wear to the dinner. I told her that for her to really stand out from the rest of the guests, she should pull a Lady Gaga and show up holding a gilt frame and introduce herself as a living work of art or to arrive in wheeled glass box as though she were suspended in formaldehyde like Hirst's shark. That should catch Damien Hirst's attention.