Naked Launch

On Thursday night, the guest list at Sotheby’s much-anticipated annual Take Home a Nude auction, which raises money for scholarships for the New York Academy of Arts, read like a who’s who of the fashion and art worlds: Public School designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, wearing their namesake brand, had a laugh with Rochambeau’s Laurence Chandler; actor John Krasinski took a meditative lap to admire the artworks before they went to their new homes; and Mary-Kate Olsen and beau Olivier Sarkozy chatted with the Academy’s President, David Kratz. But the highlight was the selection of nudes themselves, which included pieces inspired by the nude form by artists like Laurie Simmons, Andres Serrano, and Vito Acconci.

“I love Acconci, I just bid on one of his works and got it!” exclaimed an enthusiastic Dustin Yellin, as he watched his purchase, which he plans to hang in his Red Hook studio, get wrapped. “I love NYAA and I find myself always snooping around the school. All the souls that have moved through that school over the years are very inspiring—I always try to support them whenever I can.”

Also in support of the evening was the night’s “Honorary Muse,” Brooke Shields. Kratz introduced the model/actress at the dinner, which took place following the auction in an elaborately decorated dining hall. “You guys don’t know this but about three weeks ago Brooke spent three hours in a cold room posing with little else besides a cupcake on her head for a drawing party organized by Will Cotton—and it was all in support of the school just so we would have original drawings and a body of print work to exhibit at this event tonight,” he said. Sheilds, who sat beside him in a striking red A-line frock added: “It’s such a great organization. If I knew it would give me the opportunity to be surrounded by such talented artists I would have gotten naked sooner!”