On the evening of Thursday, Dec. 12, Fisher Island Club—one of the world’s most exclusive private island communities located off the tip of Miami Beach—celebrated the completion of its six-year, $60 million renovation to the historic Vanderbilt Mansion and club amenities with a splendid, vintage-themed gala. With the support of the famed French jewelry maison, Van Cleef & Arpels, as the title sponsor, the event transported more than 400 Fisher Island Club Equity Members back to the Vanderbilts’ glory days, when the family would lavishly entertain luminaries of the era.
CEO Bernard Lackner welcomed Club Equity Members and a select group of V.I.P.s to the event, which brought the grandeur of the Golden Era back to life. From a vintage car showcase featuring restored collectible Rolls Royce motor cars from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s, to models bedecked in the finest Van Cleef & Arpels jewels, no detail was forgotten to make this grand affair possible. Other party highlights included passed fine hors d’oeuvres, Prohibition-era cocktails, an etched ice table featuring an array of caviar, a Christofle sterling-silver display, and a scotch tasting station. Moreover, the night offered an array of entertainment that captured the charm of the era, including a 13-piece big band performance, authentic synchronized swimming numbers in the Vanderbilt Mansion pool, a 1940s billiard pool shark and a strolling magician.
“It was a pleasure to celebrate the magnificent history of Fisher Island Club and the renovations that have returned it to its legendary glory,” said Bernard Lackner. “We hope that the evening allowed Equity Members to escape into the luxury of the past, while enjoying all of the modern improvements that make Fisher Island an unparalleled home, destination and Club.”
Seeking to restore Fisher Island Club to its Vanderbilt-era grandeur, the Island’s Club Members financed a two-phase rejuvenation project that began in 2007 and included a restoration to the historic Vanderbilt Mansion, its original sea plane hangar (now Spa Internazionale), hotel and other impressive amenities.
For more information on Fisher Island Club visit www.fisherislandclub.com.