Art Parties

Frieze Los Angeles Kicks Off with Kelly Wearstler and CULTURED at the Santa Monica Proper

sarah-harrelson
Sarah Harrleson and Kelly Wearstler.

On Wednesday, CULTURED partnered with the Proper Hotel in Santa Monica and Maison Ruinart for an evening of music and bubbly after the inaugural day of Frieze Los Angeles. A sampling of A-list guests from the art, fashion, and design worlds beelined from the fair's new location at the Santa Monica Airport to the luxury hotel on Wilshire, joining co-hosts Sarah Harrelson, editor-in-chief of CULTURED, and interior designer Kelly Wearstler for a champagne-filled reprieve from hours of art scouting.

Ruinart, the LVMH champagne giant and longtime stalwart of international art fairs, offered tastings of Blanc de Blancs champagne, wine, and a selection of cocktails. In between top-ups, tastemakers among the likes of Logan Lerman, Hannah Traore, and Ana Corrigan, grooved to beats by DJ Dana Boulos while admiring the exquisite decor—the handiwork of Wearstler herself, of course—in Santa Monica’s first and only luxury hotel.

Hand-blown glass pendants and local artwork bring the beach-side chic hotel a contemporary edge while neutral palettes and vintage rugs remind visitors of the building's nearly 100-year-long history. When the dancing and schmoozing was done, guests parted into the night, scattering across LA into a frenzied blur of afterparties and late-night events.