For this year’s Greek-chic party on Feb. 5, wearable art team Spathose — Scott Durfee and George Medeiros — decked out models in ancient-meets-sci-fi looks, aided by local hair and makeup artists Kristine Marcum of VLVT Salon, Samantha Smith of Cutting Loose Salon and Chris Kiss of Chris Kiss Hair. At 6:30 p.m., the crowd was escorted into the conservatory, where Dr. Robert Steven Bianchi, chief curator of the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art/Geneva, spoke on “The Cult of Aphrodite and Greek Erotic Representation.†Some familiar party guests included K.Hendrix fashion designer Kimberly Hendrix, Art Taco founder Luis Gottardi, and former Beauville John Barker with lovely girlfriend Megan Fernandez — who just returned to the Bay area after living in the Big Apple. The event promoted local independent retail with displays by chocolatier Viktoria Richards, organic skin care and cosmetic retailer Rande James Spa, tarot card reader Michael Wells, fiber artist Marlene Glickman’s dye-your-own scarves, Exotic Wood Furnishings by Funktion House Urban Lumber & Furnishing, Kendra Zronik, massage therapist Rick Faucett, Zen Glass Studio and others.
