“Holy crap, it’s Martha Stewart!” gasped Precious star Gabourey Sidibe at the premiere of the The Big C hosted by The Cinema Society & Showtime at Donna Karan’s East Hampton cove-front home on Saturday, Aug. 7. “I like knowing how to make things out of pine cones,” she said, explaining her awe.
Ms. Sidibe, who a plays a disgruntled teenage student on the show, had not yet acclimated to her surroundings. “I’m in some inn,” she said.
The hulking craft queen, meanwhile, was attired in a silk, sand-colored blouse. “There’s Donna!” she hollered, bulldozing forth.
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here,” said Ms. Karan, whose Urban Zen Foundation co-hosted the event.
“Hi, Martha,” designer Calvin Klein said kindly, but with slightly less enthusiasm than the hostess.
“I can’t wait to see the house. I’ve never been here before,”
“You’re kidding!” Ms. Karan said, “Oh, I’m gonna take you all around, honey!”
The wafting scent of citronella led guests up a curling path from the driveway to a wide teak deck covered in freshly mown grass (concealing a pool, it turned out).
Caftan-clad IMG Fashion honcho Fern Mallis greeted Halston creative director Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband, Matthew Broderick, as they sucked down soba noodles on a divan.
What does the couple, parents of three, usually do while at their Sag Harbor home?
“We wake up at the crack of dawn with our children and we never, ever, ever, ever go out,” Ms. Parker said. “Never. And literally, it’s Fawlty Towers, we have endless houseguests. It’s been great, it’s been a good summer.”
At around 9:30 p.m., Ms. Karan was crouching at Mr. Klein’s feet, back propped against the designer’s knees. On the balcony of the house’s second floor, Ms. Stewart photographed the scene below with her iPhone.
“A day,” Ms. Karan said jadedly, when asked how long the party setup took.
All the upholstery and rugs were white; wasn’t she concerned about spills?
“We don’t think about it!”
