A Purple

By Lilah Ramzi

This past Sunday evening, as a purple-pink sunset painted the skies overhead Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa, Beth Hutchens, co-founder and creative director of jewelry label FoundRae, and Tata Harper of Tata Harper Skincare gathered a group for a dinner. The night’s vibe (relaxed and unpretentious) not only befitted the Montauk setting, but it reflected the spirit of the FoundRae launch being celebrated that night.

Named Bird's Eye Pause, after a musical notation signaling when a note should be prolonged, the new FoundRae motif, which adorns one of the label’s beloved medallion pendants, is meant to serve as a reminder. To the wearer, it’s a piece that encourages them to stop and smell the roses. And Sunday night’s dinner did a bit of the same.

"Working with our newest symbol, the Birds Eye Pause, that is launching this September encouraged me to create opportunities 'to pause' because, otherwise, the world can move too fast," Hutchens told Vogue. "Watching the waves roll in as the sun went down was one of those beautiful moments that inspire us to pause to live in the moment."

Fashionable guests and, more importantly, friends of Hutchens and Harper like Tommy Dorfman, Cass Bird, Jenna Lyons, Rebecca Minkoff, Ulla Johnson, and more, arrived to a cocktail hour on the deck. After rosé and non-alcoholic cocktails were passed, guests made their way down to the beach. Shoes came off as dinner goers walked through the sand to find a beautifully set table sprinkled with Tarot cards and shadow boxes filled with FoundRae’s bohemian baubles. There were no seating assignments (or seats! guests sat cross-legged on pillows), and a summery buffet-style dinner offered clam chowder, cornbread, lobster, and more.

There was a familial feeling as guests settled in and not just because family plus ones were encouraged—Minkoff brought her new baby; Johnson’s children could be seen running around the beach at sunset. The bond between Harper and Hutchen was on full display. The beauty founder would jet off to Korea the next day, but she made the time to celebrate her friend’s latest collection. “We decided to keep it casual,” said Harper, who lent her beauty products to the evening via goodie bags and sprinkles of products on the tables.

After dinner, it was time for dessert—s’mores via a beach bonfire. For many in attendance, this was a final party before the New York Fashion Week rush of early September. What a perfect moment indeed to enjoy a pause.

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