A well-heeled crew gathered at Rizzoli Bookstore in New York’s NoMad district Tuesday night to raise a glass to Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis’ new book, aptly dubbed “The House of Thurn und Taxis.”
The princess, who rode to the event on her motorcycle, eagerly posed for photos with guests next to a custom maroon and cream motorcycle with a Gucci-logoed seat, while waiting for the event’s host, Town & Country editor in chief Jay Fielden. He had been set to make an entrance with the princess on her bike, but he had some transportation problems.
“On the way down here, the car that I was in got pulled over by a policeman,” Fielden said. “This guy [the driver] had a meltdown on top of it [and got a ticket]. He got so carried away that he forgot where we were going.”
Alas, Fielden missed his chance to ride with German royalty, but he did have the chance to mingle with her and other friends of T&C. They included Jeff Koons, Harry Brant, Cornelia Guest, Vicky Ward, Ahn Duong, Glenn O’Brien, Bill Cunningham, Anne McNally and Kenneth Jay Lane.
The book’s contributors — Sir John Richardson, André Leon Talley and photographer Todd Eberle — were also at the event. Talley, who held court at the front of the store near the display motorcycle, chatted with the princess, who would later thank her friends — “artists and “aristocrats” — for coming to support her.