November is the ultimate peak of gala season, for several reasons. It’s officially the season of giving. Fashion Month is over and Art Basel hasn’t started yet. We’re still a few weeks out from the holiday party circuit dominating everyone’s calendar.
My favorite thing about gala season is the dress code, and each week I try to outdo myself with my selection of black-tie gowns and diamonds. This week I’m working with two new designers to make it happen: Elgrissy Diamonds and Jessie Renée.
Designer Feature: Elgrissy Diamonds
Elgrissy Diamonds is right in the middle of the Diamond District in an office space absolutely filled with the most exquisite glimmering pieces. It feels like a candy shop, but instead of gummies and chocolates, it’s full of exquisite diamonds and rubies. President and CEO Lior Elgrissy tells me, “I grew up in the diamond industry. My father manufactures loose diamonds, so diamonds have always been a big part of my life. I spent many years working in the wholesale diamond business, where I developed my knowledge and appreciation for diamonds.
“But I always had a passion for creating jewelry. I loved the idea of taking beautiful diamonds and turning them into something meaningful, something that could become part of someone’s most important moments. That passion eventually led me to create Elgrissy Diamonds, specializing in fine jewelry and custom engagement rings.”
Lior also tells me about the inspiration behind his designs:
“My inspiration comes from the diamonds themselves and the people who wear them. I love creating pieces that are timeless and elegant but still have something unique about them.”
Lior Elgrissy, Elgrissy Diamonds
I show him my dresses for the evening and we select the perfect pieces to match. What I love about Elgrissy Diamonds is that they have your classic diamond jewelry silhouettes, but the statement pieces are exquisite and unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Designer Feature: Jessie Renée
For my gala looks this week, I pull some pieces from designer Jessie Renée. Named in honor of her grandmother, Renée, Jessie draws inspiration from her independence, grace, and enduring sense of self. Jessie began her career at Hervé Léger under the mentorship of Christian Juul Nielsen, who later invited her to join AKNVAS as a designer. There, she played a key role in building a contemporary fashion brand from the ground up, deepening her appreciation for exceptional materials, thoughtful construction, and refined design. Jessie Renée embodies a modern expression of femininity, rooted in independence, strength, and understated elegance. I select two stunning dresses for the week ahead.
Delivering Good Gala
Delivering Good holds its annual gala on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Gotham Hall, celebrating its mission of helping individuals and families rebuild with dignity after hardship or disaster. The evening brings together leaders from across fashion, retail, entertainment and philanthropy and, according to the organization, raises a record-breaking $2.7 million to provide new essential products to people affected by poverty and disaster.
The gala honors two influential leaders in retail and fashion: Michael O’Sullivan, CEO of Burlington Stores, whose company has partnered with Delivering Good for more than two decades, and Libby Wadle, CEO of J.Crew Group and a longtime champion of giving back.
The evening is hosted by Lindsey Coffey, the model and environmental activist who in 2020 became the first American to win the Miss Earth title. Daiane Sodré, fashion model and Delivering Good brand ambassador, helps set the tone with a moving video about providing confidence, hope and opportunity to those facing hardship.
I’m wearing a dazzling deep red gown by Jessie Renée and matching rubies from Elgrissy Diamonds.
Sant Ambroeus Tea Party With Designer Luisa Beccaria
In between galas, I pop by an event uptown hosted by designer Luisa Beccaria. It starts with a tea party at Sant Ambroeus, where I chat with a group of very chic women about our favorite Italian vacation spots and European ski resorts. Luisa then brings us up to her suite at The Carlyle hotel to examine the new collection in person and drool over the stunning feminine prints and rich, Italian-made fabrics.
Thursday evening I have two events on opposite ends of the city, with no time to change in between. I pick up an absolutely darling black coat with oversized faux fur trim from Claudia Amaya, to wear over my dress at the first event. The coat is the outfit, and Claudia’s designs live up to the title.
Silverstein Dream Foundation’s Cocktail for a Cure
I head to the World Trade Center for the Silverstein Dream Foundation’s Cocktail for a Cure. This event brings together a passionate community of friends, supporters, and advocates. The evening is filled with vibrant energy, excitement, and an unmistakable sense of love, all in support of continued funding for the Eledon clinical trial. The trial has shown encouraging results in research toward a cure for type 1 diabetes, with the goal of expanding access to treatment for more people living with the disease.
I’m excited to meet the host of the evening, Patricia Silverstein, founder and CEO of the Silverstein Dream Foundation. She looks fabulous dressed in a glittering business suit.
After making my rounds, snapping a few photos and complimenting Patricia on her outfit, I head uptown for the BalletCollective gala.
My dress feels delightfully feminine and extremely glamorous, with layers of delicate fabric and beaded floral adornments. My favorite part is the neckpiece, with its intricate floral embellishments and dramatic flowing fabric. I adore added drama, and the neckpiece gives this look a satisfying oomph.
The finishing touch, however, is the jewelry from Elgrissy Diamonds: a strand of pale yellow, emerald-cut sapphires, each one sitting in a bed of sparkling diamonds. Elgrissy Diamonds works with only F color grade diamonds, meaning they are selected for bright, near-colorless appearance, and VS1 clarity. In other words, my jewelry for the evening has a mesmerizing sparkle from every angle. I picked a pair of earrings to match the floral motifs on my dress: each a cascade of 150 diamonds set in the shape of delicate, glimmering flowers. In total, I’m wearing 53.7 carats. 1,207 diamonds. I’ve never felt more fabulous.
BalletCollective Gala
Fifteen years ago this fall, BalletCollective made its New York debut. The company has since made a name for being bold and taking chances and, as an early New York Times review put it, for addressing “central questions” about the genre of ballet. Its guiding idea is that ballet is a collaborative art form, not a style. Tonight’s gala celebrates the 15th anniversary at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, an extraordinary setting for an evening honoring two longtime supporters, Claire and Chris Mann. Claire Mann has been part of BalletCollective from the beginning as a founding board member.
The gala opens with a pre-performance celebration created with immersive theater director Hope Youngblood Heck, then moves into an intimate performance drawn from this season’s theme, Opposites Attract. The company describes the idea as one that began with how it makes its work, bringing artists from different forms and backgrounds into the same room, and grew into an exploration of the competing impulses inside a single mind. The pieces are danced by artists from New York City Ballet and beyond and set to live, original scores.
To the Rescue! Gala Red Carpet
The annual To the Rescue! gala, benefiting Humane World for Animals and its mission to protect animals, takes place on Friday, Nov. 6, in New York City. Award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris hosts, with a special performance by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, whose career includes the global hit “A Thousand Miles,” and an appearance by actress, author, producer and devoted rabbit enthusiast Amy Sedaris.
Proceeds from the live auction support the organization’s global efforts to protect animals. This year’s gala also celebrates its work to move science away from animal testing and toward human-relevant methods.
Through advocacy, litigation, scientific collaboration and public policy work, the organization says, it has helped secure landmark reforms at the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health, end invasive chimpanzee research in the United States and expand acceptance of non-animal testing methods.
This Week’s Best Dressed
Photography: BFA; Vital New York Magazine; Getty Images; Juanes Ayerbe; Zach Hilty; Troy Schumacher.
