Last night in New York, Chloe Wise, Ben Bronfman, and Kate Foley celebrated with model-turned-landscape artist, Lily Kwong, to kick off the first day of summer at the VIP Opening ofMaison St-Germain. In celebration of the thousands of delicate elderflowers harvested once a year to create St-Germain French liqueur, Lily Kwong created a geometric hedge maze and canopy of fresh flora and fauna with Dan Flavin-inspired luminosity for the exclusive private event which took place on the High Line.
The bohemian-chic crowd mingled throughout the immersive installation, sipping on St-Germain cocktail pairings by St-Germain Global Ambassador Camille Ralph Vidal, with beats by DJ Mia Moretti, while fabulous French hors d’oeuvres were served throughout. The evening was layered with performances by Artistic director Mafalda Millies and choreographer Nathan Mitchell, who teamed up to present the The-Solar-Do-Nothing-Dance. In honor of the longest day of the year when the earth’s axis is most aligned with the sun, their spinning and sparkling performance-take-over, paid homage to one of the first devices to convert solar energy to electricity: Charles and Ray Eames’ Solar-Do-Nothing Machine (1957).
Notable guests included: Jenné Lombardo (entrepreneur), Cleo Wade (artist), Ben Bronfman (musician), Rushka Bergman (stylist), Timo Weiland (designer), Sabine Heller (entrepreneur),Kate Greer (entrepreneur), Margot (violinist), Kate Foley (stylist), Ben Pundhole (hotelier), Eddie Granger (artist), Rachelle Hruska (entrepreneur), Martha Hunt (model), Jacquelyn Jablonski(model), Georgia Fowler (model), Brianna Lance (DJ/musician), Britt Maren (model), Mariah Strongin (model), Mari Malek (model), Aurora James (designer), Browne Andrews (creative director), Cara Santana (actress), Garrett Neff (model), and socials, TK and Cipriana Quann, Kelly Framel, Jenny Albright, and Julia Loomis. Following the VIP opening, the installation will be up for select consumers the next day before florals and foliage are donated to non-profit organization, Roots of Peace, which is led by model-turned philanthropist Kyleigh Kuhn.
Landscape Artist Lily Kwong Hosts Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Landscape Artist Lily Kwong Hosts Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
St-Germain Brand Ambassador Camille Ralph Vidal and Lily Kwong Hosts Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
St-Germain Brand Ambassador Camille Ralph Vidal Hosts Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
St-Germain Global VP Chloe Lloyd-Jones, Lily Kwong, and Mia Moretti Celebrates Summer Solstice at Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Chloe Wise attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Britt Maren attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
DJ Mia Moretti with Ben Bronfman at the Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Margot on the right attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Kate Foley attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Mafalda Millies and Nathan Mitchell at Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
TK Wonder, Cipriana Quann attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Lily Kwong and Cleo Wade at Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Kelly Framel attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Rushka Bergman attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Jacquelyn Jablonski, Brianna Lance, Jenné Lombardo attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Britt Maren attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Timo Weiland attends Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Mafalda Millies, Nathan Mitchell & performers at Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Lily Kwong and Cleo Wade at Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
The Solar Do Nothing Dance during Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
The Solar Do Nothing Dance during Maison St-Germain Debut in NYC
Lily Kwong’s geometric maze installation
Lily Kwong’s geometric maze installation
The canopy of flora and fauna
The scene inside the Maison St-Germain canopy
Maison St-Germain Atmosphere
The bar scene
Abeille Cocktail
2 oz Beeswax DEWARS 12 Blended Scotch Whiskey
1/2 oz St-Germain
2 dashes angostura bitters
Orange twist discard
Nasturtium flowers
“Bees are essential in the ecosystem and I wanted to create a cocktail to celebrate that. The Abeille is a modern twist on the classic old fashioned recipe, with notes from whisky, St-Germain and beeswax blending together to create something both rich with flavor and so delicious.” – Camille Ralph Vidal, St-Germain Global Ambassador
Labyrinthe
*Lily’s signature cocktail for Maison St-Germain in collaboration with St-Germain Global Brand Ambassador Camille Ralph Vidal
1 oz Cazadores Blanco Tequila
1 oz Kaffir lime infused St-Germain French elderflower liqueur
3/4 oz Noilly Dry
1/4 oz of fresh lime juice
5 dashes chartreuse
Shaken – coupette – garnish with kaffir lime leaf
“I wanted something green inspired by the French maze entrance leading into the Maison, as that was Lily’s vision for Maison St-Germain. Lily loves tequila with a sour drink’s composition. With my interpretation of her work, I wanted to create something structured with her taste profile in mind, a cocktail with both elegance and character. Kaffir lime is such a beautiful bright flavor that goes so well with the fruity notes of the fresh elderflower blossoms of St-Germain. The dry vermouth adds some interesting wine notes, complemented by the French herbal flavor from the chartreuse verte.” – Camille Ralph Vidal, St-Germain Global Ambassador
Printemps
1 oz Oxley gin
3/4 oz St-Germain French elderflower liqueur
3/4 oz Martini Ambratto
2 dashes orange blossom salive solution
Rock glass – basil flower (or just basil)
“The Printemps cocktail is fresh like spring – incorporating basil, orange blossom, and of course St-Germain. There is an interesting blend of botanical and floral notes with a slight bitterness.” – Camille Ralph Vidal, St-Germain Global Ambassador
St-Germain Cocktail
2 parts Brut Champagne
1½ parts St-Germain French elderflower liqueur
2 parts sparkling Water
Method: Fill a tall Collins glass with ice. Add Champagne first, then St-Germain, then Club Soda (the order is essential). Stir completely and garnish with a lemon twist.
“An elegant, light and refreshing aperitif. A great introduction to St-Germain as you get all the flavors of our elderflower liqueur in a very balanced cocktail.” – Camille Ralph Vidal, St-Germain Global Ambassador
