French Heritage Society’s Hamptons Summer Soirée

On Friday, July 17, French Heritage Society welcomed nearly 240 guests to its fourth annual Summer Soirée at the Bridgehampton home of Maria and Kenneth Fishel. Inspired by the elegance of Provence in Summer, the evening brought together philanthropists, preservationists, and friends of France in support of FHS’s mission to preserve French architectural and cultural heritage. The evening was the most successful Summer Soirée, raising significant funds to support French Heritage Society’s restoration grants, student internships, and educational programming. A portion of the proceeds will also benefit FHS’s New York Chapter, supporting three preservation grants in 2026: Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, and Villa Albertine and St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City.

The soirée was chaired by CeCe Black, Maria Fishel, Rosann Gutman, and Ann Van Ness. Guests included FHS Trustees Jennifer Farrell, Kenneth Hausman, Brenda Howard, and Jean Shafiroff, as well as Benefactor supporters Patricia Cossutta Arostegui and Puly Rincon, Elena Ayot, Nelly Azar Lumia, Elizabeth Belfer, Bettina Bennett, Lee Black, Melanie Boude, Dr. Garry and Cindy Boxer, Geoffrey Brooke and Margaret Kurtz, Gale Brophy, Sharon Bush and Bob Murray, Yann Coatanlem and James G. Brooks, Laura Codman and John Terwilliger, Bonnie Comley and Stewart F. Lane, Francine Crocker, Noreen Donovan, Ella Dunphy, Galina Fendikevich, Kenneth Fishel, Rodrigo Gamboa, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Nurit Kahane Haase, Michele Heary, Catherine and Kenneth Higgins, Bruce Horten, James D. Howard, Franklin Lane, Leonard Lane, Marcela Margo Moore, Janice and Thomas Pecora, Brandon Pena, Julissa Perez, Kathy Prounis, Michael Gregson Reinert-Sessions, Leesa Rowland and Larry Wohl, Renata Sanfilippo, Martin Shafiroff, Elizabeth Steimberg and David Weiner, Lauren Summa, Amanda Taylor, Bill Van Ness, Suzie and Pierre Villere, and Carole Bellidora Westfall and David Hayes.

Additional guests included Jacques Acoca and Ruth Miller, Chris Arlotta, Candace Bushnell, Talia Carner, Alexandra and Bradley Fishel, Veronique Gabai, Sylvia Hemingway, Laya Indukuri and Aravind Srinivasan, Becky Bayless and Frédéric de Joybert, Cheri Kaufman, Suzan Kremer, Karen Murray, Christine Miller Martin, Aryan Nair and Solome Sommer, Alberto Mariaca, Pamela Morgan, Lauren and Bob Roberts, Paula and Robert Smalley, Stephanie Smart, Alexandra Staton, Julie Wald, Andrea Wernick, Preston Wilson, Josette Winograd, and Pamela Wright.