FROSTY FROLIC: “My ankles are hurting! But, this is amazing, it’s such a beautiful, beautiful courtyard,” said designer Sid Bryan on the opening night of Skate at Somerset House in London on Monday.
A band played holiday tunes and later that evening Neneh Cherry took to the decks with a DJ set. Acrobatic pixies, elves, a juggling Jack Frost, and an ice queen and king on stilts welcomed guests into the 18th century courtyard.
A 40-foot Christmas tree was decorated in gold and white and dotted with hampers courtesy of Fortnum & Mason, this year’s sponsor.
Guests including Juergen Teller and Amber Le Bon, who mingled around the grand tree grazing on cocktails and canapés such as welsh rarebit and scotch eggs, all served in giant wicker baskets.
Servers decked in the store’s traditional red tailcoats lined up the cobblestone path to the rink with trays of cocktails, lemonade and hot chocolate for guests.