Q And A

A Conversation With Renny Reynolds

This St. Louisan grew up to become a major player on the N.Y.C. party scene.

By Christy Marshall

Renny Reynolds grew up in St. Louis, graduated from John Burroughs and went off to New York City to apply his college degree in landscape design.

One day, his neighbor, Grace Mirabella, then editor of Vogue, asked Reynolds to help decorate for a surprise party for Bill Blass. “I did this ‘wow’ thing in her garden,” Reynolds recalls. “It was a surprise to her too.”

Before long, Reynolds was off on a new career planning parties for the very rich, very social and very connected in Manhattan. He has done parties for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Diana Ross, Giorgio Armani and Mrs. Vincent Astor, among others. Tom Wolfe used Reynolds as the model for his party-planner character in The Bonfire of the Vanities. Along the way, Reynolds authored The Art of the Party, documenting some of his more glorious galas. Now, Reynolds has completed the circle and is spending more of his time on landscape design. He owns homes in Manhattan and Bucks County, Pa., where he oversees his nursery, Hortulus Farm Nursery & Gardens. His retail flower shop and event design and landscaping business, located on Park Avenue, is now called Renny and Reed, reflecting the addition of his nephew (Reed McIlvaine). When I called, Reynolds answered the phone, “Mom?” Ah, the power of caller ID and area code 314.

Do you ever get back to St. Louis? All the time. My parents still live in St. Louis at the Gatesworth Manor. Who are your best clients? The Newhouses [publishing magnates] have been the most lovely clients. Betty Ford was wonderful to work with. Gerald Ford was very nice. You know, Richard Nixon was terrific. He could not have been nicer. [Reynolds’ opinion of Pat was, shall we say, not as lofty]. I’ve worked for all these Republicans but I’m not a Republican.

Funniest thing that ever happened at a party? We did a New Year’s party at Studio 54 [Reynolds did all the Studio 54 parties in its and Steve Rubbell’s heyday] and we lined 8- foot walls with blocks of ice backed with blue and black lights. The next day, it was almost impossible to break down.

Give me your best party-giving advice. Plan ahead. Research the vendors to be sure their taste is the same as yours.

What is the crucial element to a great party that most people overlook? The lighting is absolutely key. You can blow a fortune on flowers and then it’s lost if the lighting is wrong.

What element do people fuss over too much? Themes. I like themes but they don’t have to be so complicated. We just did a party at the Philadelphia Museum of Art opening of the Elsa Schiaparelli collection. We took miles of shocking pink satin and hung it everywhere. We carried it throughout and it was wonderful.