In the final days of summer, as New Yorkers hold on to their last al fresco dinners and natural tans, cloudy skies are the most unwelcome sight. But last week at a Camp-themed party in Montauk hosted by Beth Hutchens, founder and creative director of jewelry label FoundRae, all they did was make for a more dramatic sunset.
Camp FoundRae, a fete filled with kite-decorating, bracelet-making, and embroidery by Lingua Franca, popped up right at the lip of Lake Montauk, at The Crows Nest restaurant and inn. As guests trickled in, there were whispers of rain coming up behind them from Southampton. Ultimately, the clouds held tight and guests stayed dry—save for some rogue children who, after having their fill of s’mores, swam out to the dock.
Back on land, watermelon coolers, wine, snow crab claws, oysters, local beets, and charcuterie were served while a crowd including Julianne Moore, Ashlyn Harris, Sophia Bush, Tamron Hall, Katie Couric, Mickey Sumner, Margarita Levieva, Delfina Blaquier, Nacho Figueras, and Hannah Fallis Bronfman mingled. Many wore the brand’s signature medallions and customizable pendants representing sentimental dates, ideas, and spiritual themes, all designed by avowed symbolist Hutchens. Pillows featuring brand motifs, such as the horseshoe and butterfly, all lined the benches, too.
Hutchens came up with the idea for the event when shooting FoundRae’s latest campaign, for The Limitless Expansion collection. “There was something nostalgic I wanted to capture. The simple moments of summer when you feel like time has no end,” said Hutchens, who wore a homemade Camp FoundRae t-shirt. For the imagery, model Kirsty Hume is shown flying a kite, closing her eyes as the wind blows her hair.
“Anytime we are shooting, it becomes a real experience for us. We were making kites, ripping fabric for our own kite tails—and I wanted to share the same experience with more people closer to home,” said Hutchens.
Guests took to the crafts assiduously. Many congregated around the bracelet-making station, where they braided shells and FoundRae’s “heart beats”—symbolic beads meant to represent a part of life the wearer wants to hold close—between strands of patterned fabric. One person broke her focus only when another walked in with a crab-shaped handbag. “When’s your birthday?” she asked. And the two jumped into spirited conversation.
