July 6, 2013 . Capri .
As you might know, Faraone Mennella is "all about Capri", in its inspiration and philosophy. So, every year we celebrate Capri, the Summer and the Italian Style with a glamorous and unique event for all the friends of our brand.
This year, the festivities started on Friday with a welcome cocktail party at the boutique, followed by an after party at the Capri Tiberio Palace Hotel's Jackie Bar: all our friends and guests, arrived from all over the world to celebrate Faraone Mennella, had a chance to mingle, meet each other, admire the new collections and have fun until late while sipping bellinis and "sgroppino" ( the local lemon sorbet and vodka drink).
Saturday's event though , "The Sirens' Ball", was still a mystery as to its location: Roberto and Amedeo in fact decided to surprise everyone about the venue, requesting them only to gather at 8pm sharp at the Piazza. No questions asked.
The oblivious group, though entertained by the secrecy of the plan, was driven in mini buses to Marina Piccola; escorted to the "Scoglio delle Sirene" (the mythological birthplace of the Sirens, as per Homer) and finally off on boats, sailing towards the legendary Faraglioni!
La Fontelina, the most chic and exclusive beach-club of the world, was the impossible-to-guess venue of the 2014 Faraone Mennella "Viva Capri" Event: a Sirens' Ball, between a Rock and the Stars! For the record, La Fontelina is only open for lunch, and never for private parties. Hence, the most special place to party in style!
You should have seen the look on everyone's faces when the little boats docked at Fontelina's: from the sea, all they could see was like a dream, or the set of a 1950s movie starring Sophia Loren and Clarke Gable! Roberto and Amedeo surrounded by a 20-people group of Scialapopolo, the Caprese folk band in traditional colorful costumes from the 1800s, welcomed everyone signing and dancing Neapolitan old songs, leading their way on the first terrace where cocktails and Capri-style appetizers were being served.
At that point, they were all ecstatic with big smiles on their faces, like children in a candy store!
After a live Neapolitan "musical" show by Scialapopolo, the 100 international guests walked up to the open-air restaurant area, overlooking the Faraglioni and Marina Piccola, where three beautiful candle lit tables under the traditional "pagliarelle" (bamboo sticks), were decorated with simple local giant lemons and leaves, in the purest spirit of Capri. The 4 course Fontelina-style dinner went by through laughter and new friendships, with 1970s Italian music as the perfect soundtrack of a magical evening.
At midnight, desserts were served down by the rocks, where the terrace was transformed into a 1950s Italian "balera" (disco), set up under strings of village-festival small lights and the Moon!
But before the dancing could even start, the most romantic fireworks show sparked above the Faraglioni, on the tunes of Pharrell's "Get Lucky"! The rest is already history and it might stay so, under the Faraglioni ! :-)
Among the international crowd of guests and friends attending, by Country:
From Italy: Princess Alessandra Borghese, italian actor and blogger Paolo Stella, italian Vogue's editor at large Cesare Cunaccia, Francesco Palazzi, Marco and Daniela Boroli (who didn't have to be surprised, anchored on their two-sails vintage veliero just in front of Fontelina), Annalia Venezia of Panorama magazine, Federico Guiscardo Remondini, Enrico dal Buono, the Faraone Mennella family, Amedeo's brother Giovanni Scognamiglio and his wife, Emanuele Parisi, spanish model Alejandro Corzo, art gallerist Memno Grilli, fashion photographer Sergio Goglia,
From USA: Gary and Rachel Sumers, Shelley Brown (Mrs Larry Brown), with her beautiful daughter Madison; financiers Reza Raein and Karan Trehan, artist Bahman Avakian, Kirna Zabete's Beth Buccini with her husband Rob; Robert Burke, George Sotelo, Roopal Patel, Brooks Thomas, CNN's Alina Cho, Kristin Jones, Donna and Joe Muscari, Lindsey Love, Elisabeth Petersen, fashion blogger and Hollywood celebrity stylist Cameron Silver with his friend Jeff Snyder; fashion entrepreneur and tv personality Corri McFadden with her fiancé Spiro Tsaparas ( who proposed to her a year ago at the Faraone Mennella's opening in Capri)
From Amman, Jordan: Sharif and Ghadeer Said with their joyful children (Talal, 12yo, danced like.a 21yo heart breaker).
From Beijing: The beautiful Victoria Xu, Faraone Mennella's Muse in China!
From Moscow: Gulya Kerimova, Sasha Pod'yelskaya and Alexey Sokolov.
From London: the gorgeous and loving Goli Zarbafi
From Baku, Azerbaijan: the bubbly and beautiful Faraone Mennella's Muse Leyla Ahmadova and her hunky husband Fouad; with fashion maven and author Fidan Bagirova.
And just like in a dream, everyone went home by boat, in the middle of the night, bringing back with them the most beautiful memory of the Faraglioni under the moon.
Until next year!
Viva Capri
