SUMMER night HAMPTONS castle decadence goes La La

At any other location, the crowd would have garnered triple-takes as it filtered down the driveway. Wrapped in feather boas, disguised in Venetian masks, scantily clad and ornamented in head-to-toe body paint: this was not your average set of partygoers. As the guests approached Sir Ivan’s castle, they paused to pick up drinks at the bar, marvelling meanwhile at the color-changing, ladybug-shaped golf carts festooning the property.  Armed with their beverages of choice, they were now ready to fete the release of Sir Ivan’s latest single and music video, “La La Land.” a perfect HAMPTONS summer close to remember…

the almost end of  Hamptons summer night party 2012 may have been officially jungle-themed, but decadence was the true motif of the night. Guests gathered around Sir Ivan’s backyard infinity pool, snacking on crostinis with caviar; a few beautiful couples in capes looked out on the crowd from the poolside canopy bed. As the sun set, two giant torches sprang to life alongside the pool, illuminating women and men in lingerie, several pairs of elaborate fairy wings and bunny ears, and an entire group of men in leopard-print loincloths — everything, really, but the electro-pop recording artist himself. 

The night whirled on, becoming more and more of a Great Gatsby-an fantasy as the hours ticked by. The carousel showcased an array of eerily beautiful revelers: peacock flumes, light-up skirts, fox masks and gorilla suits spun by as onlookers’ cameras flashed. Flutes of rosé champagne emptied and refilled almost magically. And only then — when the party was truly roaring — only then did Sir Ivan make his first appearance onstage, toting glowsticks and a gleaming, hot-pink suit. Guests flooded the dance floor, entranced as Sir Ivan built up a beat as slowly, deliberately and intensely as he had built up his party.

As the clock struck twelve, Cinderella Manhattanites were forced to bid the party adieu for charter buses back to the island. As the city-bound travelers drove off into the night, the lights continued to flicker at Sir Ivan’s and bizarre creatures still roamed the grounds. There’s no easy way to tame a party like that. Written by Rebecca Santiago.

Night  photos: malia griggs