A witty and slightly irreverent presentation by designer ― and Palm Beach resident ― Simon Doonan highlighted an evening for the supporters of the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum.
The lecture and donors dinner took place Dec. 2 at Whitehall.
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The evening began with a cocktail reception in the museum’s Mediterranean Courtyard and a leisurely look at its season-long exhibit “May I Help You, Madame? The Making of the Modern Department Store.”
The exhibit, which closed May 27, traced the history of department stores, from their beginnings in the mid-19th century to their transition into the infrastructure of 20th-century retail culture.
After cocktails, Doonan presented his “Creating Desire: The Changing Face of Window Dressing.”
Doonan, a CFDA award–winning visionary known for his decades-long tenure as Creative Director at Barneys New York, led guests on a freewheeling journey through the evolution of store window design, tracing its influence from the 19th century to today. With his signature wit and irreverent storytelling, he highlighted the artists, innovators, and larger-than-life personalities whose imaginative displays captivated crowds and shaped the culture of shopping.
Doonan contributed to the keynote exhibit where his “storefront” installation “Flagler à La Mode,” serves as a central feature. The installation reflects his humor, theatricality, and sharp cultural commentary.
Doonan, a CFDA award–winning visionary known for his decades-long tenure as Creative Director at Barneys New York, also shared personal anecdotes from his influential career — offering an insider’s view into the glamorous, chaotic, and often surprising world of visual merchandising.
“We are deeply grateful to Simon Doonan for his generous collaboration with the Flagler Museum’s Curatorial Department,” said Kelly M. Hopkins, Flagler Museum President. “His creative insight and distinctive point of view brought a fresh, contemporary lens to our interpretation of the Gilded Age, enriching the presentation of our collections while honoring the Museum’s historic legacy.”
Following the lecture, the Museum hosted an intimate private dinner for high-level donors in Whitehall’s historic library, the first time in more than 25 years that the space was opened for a seated dinner event.
“The Flagler Museum’s president, Kelly Hopkins, is a visionary leader who understands the Museum’s potential to make a meaningful impact on the community,” said Amanda Skier, director and CEO of the Flagler Museum. “Thanks to her dedication and determination, we are implementing transformative changes that expand the Museum’s capacity to fulfill its mission…By activating these historic spaces as they were originally intended and introducing dynamic new programming, we are just beginning to unlock the exciting future of Whitehall.”
More than 100 people attended the evening.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Simon Says: Flagler Museum in Palm Beach hosts designer Simon Doonan
Reporting by Shannon Donnelly, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Shannon Donnelly, Palm Beach Daily News | USA TODAY Network
