Vanity Fair UK - 11.2019

Hired at the artist’s studio days

before his death, one writer

captured a unique snapshot of

“the Sargent of the jet set”,

Andy Warhol

ndy Warhol’s memorial was my rst New

York Society event. I knew the guest list

in advance because I was working at the

Warhol Studio. Hired four days before the

Pop artist died, I became the last person

to be employed during Andy’s reign. His

memorial, held six weeks later, took place at St Patrick’s

Cathedral on April 1, 1987. The New York Times described

the attendees as “glittering” and some of “the world’s most

droppable” names in “art, fashion, society and entertain-

ment”. However, they forgot to mention that many such as

Halston, Debbie Harry, Liza Minnelli, David Hockney and

Roy Lichtenstein had actually posed for one of Warhol’s

iconic portraits. After the service, as everyone poured out

onto Fifth Avenue, I recognised socialites São Schlumberger

and Lynn Wyatt and designer Diane von Furstenberg from

their Warhol portraits. That morning, Schlumberger appeared

buttoned-up and stately—the artist had caught her looking

seductive and relaxed—whereas Wyatt remained an

ever-smiling Texan rose with her signature cloud of blonde

curls, and von Furstenberg summed up dynamic and

determined—both on and o’ the canvas.

The King ofPop

A

ByNATASHA FRASERCAVASSONI

ALAN DAVIDSON/SHUTTERSTOCK

THROUGH THE LENS

Andy Warhol and Natasha

Fraser-Cavassoni at a

party held in Warhol’s

honour at Regine’s

nightclub, London, in 1980

NOVEMBER 2019 VANITY FAIR ON ART 51

11-19-Warhol-Portraits-Fraser.indd 51 20/09/2019 13:14