The Veuve Cliquot Polo Classic Turns 10 With Kendall Jenner And Lots of Champagne

Things change quite a bit when you invite Kendall Jenner to your party. Such was the case at the Veuve Cliquot Polo Match, held on Saturday afternoon at Liberty State Park. It became almost immediately apparent to guests when, before boarding the ferry taking them to Jersey City where the match was held, they were asked to extend their arms and frisked with metal detecting wands. Female guests had their purses rummaged through and inspected. Upon arriving to the actual grounds, VIP guests could only gain entry to the VIP tent by presenting a wristband to one of the many burly security guards dotting its periphery. There was also a small NYPD presence. No matter—logistical security measures in place, Jenner was on her way.

Before that, a wave of other celebrities arrived, all in their best polo-themed looks. “I need it so I can see what’s going on on the field,” Frieda Pinto said of the wide-brimmed hat she paired with her Elie Saab jumpsuit. Pinto is one of the few attendees who actually intently watches the match, and noted that she’s learned quite a bit about the sport from attending the annual event. “I do know quite a bit about polo; I do because I always sit with someone who knows what’s going on and can explain to me, a narrator almost. I think I’m somewhat well-versed at this point.” Keri Russell was more in the dark. “I have no idea what’s going on. I know that there are handsome players and horses involved, but I look the part!” She laughed, working a sculptural Joanna Ortiz skirt and a crisp white blouse. “It’s a time you can have fun with it and dress over the top a little bit.” A veteran of the event, Delfina Blaquier, whose husband Nacho Figueras played in the game, went less theme-y with a breezy pink Fendi dress and some very field-friendly footwear. “Of course, very necessary,” she said of her Fendi flats. She would soon change though as she would be joining her husband on the field for the first time (she even scored a goal). “I’m getting nervous,” she said before the game started. “I need some Champagne to calm my nerves.”

Jenner arrived fifteen minutes before the game started. She emerged in an ultra-short, leaf-motifed dress, Balenciaga white patent booties and hoop earrings comparable in size to a small dinner plate. She was whisked to a table overlooking the field where she and her clique, including Jen Atkin, stayed insulated by security.

Far less influential influencers made up the rest of the tent’s population. Insta-models posted with Insta-bait and iPhone photo shoots abounded. To be fair, the backdrop was quite lovely: lush greenery, galloping horses, Veuve-yellow umbrellas and, of course, clinking champagne flutes. Partygoers sipped their beverages – one of the four Veuve-tinged varietals being proffered at the bar and by handsome waitstaff circulating throughout the tent – and hashtagged away. “How many Instastories is too many?” one guest asked her friends after Boomeranging herself divot-stomping. “I don’t want to be not on brand.”

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