We're in Venice, the city that inspired poets and novelists like Byron and Hemingway, and painters like Monet and Turner, not to mention the countless auteurs, artists, and romantics who have travelled to its overflowing banks for a glimpse of their muse. But it is not them but a 92-year-old woman named Patricia Eisenbeiss who figures prominently on my highlights reel of the trip.
We met at the Buccellati gala at Fortuny Factory, in a glamorous see-through marquee that has been erected specially for the evening. Under a clear Italian sky, I discover a host of interesting things about my distinguished seatmate. Originally from Pennsylvania, now residing in Monaco, Patricia has lived an eventful life on different continents. Though it has been four decades since she came to Singapore, her daughter (the statuesque woman sitting across from her, who like her mother, is decked out in Buccellati jewellery) has visited more recently, staying in the Armenian church compound for the two weeks she was there.
The conversation runs politely but in a sprightly manner.
She seems impressed that I'm a magazine editor, but I am obviously even more impressed with her, especially when I discover that she is a VIP who has generously loaned a diamond Opera bangle to the exhibition that I will be visiting the next day. "I've been collecting Buccellati for many, many years," she informs me matter-of-factly, before recounting how the bangle was a surprise gift from her husband who knew that she had been eyeing it for a long time.
The next day, as I embark on my three-minute walk to the exhibition from my hotel, I can't help but think about the
convivial atmosphere within the marquee. With VIPs rubbing shoulders with members of the media, and the Buccellati family playing host, the evening felt less formal than the usual soirees, and more like a big 300-guest wedding with extended family who have come together to celebrate.
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