Knowing many make the most of summer Fridays by spending them near the shore, Fashion Group International is heading to the Hamptons.
For the organization’s inaugural “Hamptons Summer Series” event, “Camp-o-Rama in the Hamptons” will take place on July 26 in Sag Harbor. Hosted by the interior designer Jonathan Adler, the gathering will feature a book signing and talk with the “The Camp 100: Glorious Flamboyance from Louis XIV to Lil Nas X” author Simon Doonan. Many know Doonan from his former role as the window dresser at Barneys New York, as well as his current one as Adler’s husband. With illustrations by Kenzo Hamazaki, Doonan’s latest book will be out in early September and it will celebrate 100 people, objects, art movements and more that personify camp. That refers to the kitsch version, not the lakefront kind.
Making a case for the undefinable quality of camp, Doonan asks what do Grace Jones, Benjamin Disraeli, Salvador Dalí, K-pop and a giant art nouveau vase covered in fairies and stuffed with peacock feathers have in common. Meant “to turn down the temperature dial and take the world a bit less seriously,” the page-turner encourages seeing camp in the most unlikely places. Doonan and Adler will talk about the upsides of camp and there will be a “Camp or Not” speed round for the audience.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute helped to hurl camp into the popular vernacular in 2019 with its exhibition “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” Currently, Adler has his own show, “The Mad Mad World of Jonathan Adler” on view at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City through April.
Seventy-five guests including Nicole Miller, Donna Karan and Fern Mallis are expected at this weekend’s event in the Hamptons, which will be at the Love Binetti store in Sag Harbor. Its owner is the Argentinean-born designer Diego Binetti, who got his start in the industry as an assistant stylist to Antonio Bordonaro and Brana Wolf. He was among FGI’s 2025 “Rising Star” finalists for the ready-to-wear award. The stylish crowd can sip cocktails from the fashion photographer Nigel Barker’s espresso martini brand, The Barker Company. There will also be libations from Gem x and Sparkling Pointe Vineyards & Winery.
All of the proceeds from the event will benefit the FGI Foundation. Another event for the “Hamptons Summer Series” is being planned for East Hampton next month.
