DIAMONDS, AND BEST FRIENDS: Art lover Jessica McCormack was always going to celebrate Frieze week in London, and on Wednesday night she teamed with her new brand ambassador, Zoë Kravitz, to host a dinner with friends, clients and colleagues at her town house showroom in Mayfair.
Guests, including Naomi Ackie, Sabrina Dhowre Elba, Vick Hope, Catriona Balfe and Abbey Lee, feasted on burrata, zucchini risotto and tiramisu, and took occasional cigarette breaks in the little garden downstairs.
Zoë Kravitz and Jessica McCormack, who cohosted a dinner in Mayfair on Oct. 9.
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Downstairs there were wooden boxes filled with cigarettes, while colorful matchbooks were strewn across the long, candlelit dinner table, adding a touch of old school Hollywood glamour.
The menu featured McCormack’s quirky illustrations of a barefoot, Wife of Bath-style character riding a donkey — and smoking a cigarette — and a menagerie of fish, fowl and other animals.
The mood was very much in keeping with the McCormack aesthetic. Her “day diamond” jewelry has an antique feel, and her customers cannot seem to get enough. Kravitz, whose ears, neck and fingers were glittering with diamonds, said she first saw McCormack’s jewelry on a friend, and assumed it was vintage.
“I feel like her pieces are treasures that you find. They feel old, but they’re also modern — and timeless. There’s this incredible juxtaposition,” said Kravitz, adding that McCormack shows restraint with her designs, too.
Naomi Ackie at the dinner cohosted by Jessica McCormack and Zoë Kravitz in London.
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“Sometimes people can do too much, but she really holds back, and I think that’s interesting. But it’s not just the jewelry I like. It’s a feeling, an environment, a community. I’m also inspired by the fact that this company is run by a woman, and feels so human — and not corporate.”
Kravitz tunes in easily to creativity. The actress, director and writer is currently shooting “Caught Stealing,” which is directed by Darren Aronofsky and stars Austin Butler and Regina King.
“It’s the first time I’ve acted in four years because I’ve been directing and writing. It’s been scary, but being on the other side of things has also given me a whole new understanding of filmmaking. I have more information, compassion and awareness of what it really takes to direct and to make a film,” she said.
Sabrina Dhowre Elba at the Jessica McCormack town house in London, where Zoë Kravitz and McCormack hosted a dinner.
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Kravitz will also be starring in the upcoming film “The Alpha Gang,” directed by brothers Nathan and David Zellner, and plans to continue writing and directing. She said writing is a lot like acting.
“It comes from the same place — you’re curious and interested in behavior, and humanity. You’re given something — and then you delve into it,” she said.
It was a big night for McCormack in more ways than one. The brand, which is growing quickly and has sales of 30 million pounds, unveiled a new campaign billboard — featuring Kravitz — just before the dinner began.
The billboard, at the junction of Brompton Road and Knightsbridge is not far from the jeweler’s second store and showroom, which recently opened near Sloane Square.
