“And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy.”
? F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
They had their cake and they ate it too. More than 400 Fisher Island Club members and guests celebrated the island’s 100th birthday with an epic party held in the historic Vanderbilt Mansionin collaboration with some of the world’s finest yacht, automobile, jewelry and private global aviation companies.
Thelavish “Roaring 20’s” themed party sponsored by Bentley Motors, Graff, VistaJet and Azimut BenettiGroup,commemorated the island’s rich history dating from its original sale in 1919 by Dana Dorsey to Carl Fisher.
A ten-piece band serenaded the guests while champagne flowed endlessly. Ladies put on the Ritz, dressed as flappers, flaunting boas and cigar holders with dapper Gatsby-like tycoons donning pinstripe suits while everyone dined on adecadent buffet of stonecrabs and lobsters, succulent tenderloin, and an assortment of sushi and seafood paella,all set against amagnificent backdrop of gorgeous gals in scintillatingGraff Jewelry, a 1927 Vintage Bentley and a 2020 Flying Spur and GTC, a sleekAzimut Grande 27Metri, VistaJetmodel aircraft and the most experienced Cabin Hostesses in private aviation.
"This was no doubt among the greatest parties ever held on the Island,” said Bernard Lackner, President & CEO of Fisher Island Club. “Members danced the night away and then partied until the wee hours in the ‘speak easy’ after-party held in the Snooker Club.”
After 100 years, Fisher Island has proudly withstood the tests of time, and today is home to one of the most exclusive private resort communities and hotels in the world, the Fisher Island Club — which is recognized as the epitome of ultra-luxury travel and hospitality. The tropical paradise, among the most private communities in the world, remains only accessible by motor yacht and ferry. Its award winning boutique hotel and historic Vanderbilt Mansion have long been favored by business leaders, royalty, heads of state, professional athletes and celebrities.
Gatherings both intimate and grand throughout the month of December paid tribute to the Island’s unique and storied history including a series of lectures on the island’s history by noted historian, Dr. Paul George and its architectural legacy by Beth Dunlop.
A Century of Fisher Island
A little over 15 years after Carl Fisher first traded his yacht for Fisher Island, William K. Vanderbilt debuted his $1.5 million private island retreat in 1936. At its center is a Mediterranean-style mansion designed by famed architect Maurice Fatio – a Swiss-born talent renowned for creating storied Manhattan and South Florida residences for moguls like Edward Hutton and David Rockefeller, along with luxurious landmarks like Palm Beach’s famed Brazilian Court Hotel.
Along with his wife, Vanderbilt spent many years lavishly entertaining the luminaries of that era within his Fatio compound, which featured lush, verdant landscaping, gracious guest homes, an opulent entertainment theater, a seaplane hangar, tennis courts and swimming pools. After Vanderbilt's death in 1944, ownership of the island passed to a number of notable buyers including U.S. Steel heir Edward Moore. Two years later, Garfield Wood – who famously invented the hydraulic lift in 1911 at the age of 31 – purchased Fisher Island. Wood was an avid speedboat enthusiast who retained the island’s Vanderbilt-era design to use as a single-family retreat.
Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, Fisher Island passed through additional ownership structures until the turn of the millennium, when Fisher Island Club Equity members took control of the club and its properties.
Through the years, its caretakers have meticulously safeguarded the history and splendor of Fisher Island. In 2013, the property underwent a comprehensive six-year/$60 million renovation project. The massive overhaul included a thoughtful restoration and updating of the island’s historic Vanderbilt Mansion, new luxury hotel accommodations in the original guest cottages and staff rooms, and improvements to the golf course, tennis center, spa & fitness center, beach club and private marinas, as well as other key facilities. The Vanderbilt Mansion has also become a premier culinary destination with four separate restaurants that provide delectable creations and unsurpassed service.
We think Willie would approve…
About Fisher Island Club
Located off the tip of South Beach, Fisher Island Club is a private luxury community made up of 216 acres and approximately 650 residences representing 37 countries. Accessible only by ferryboat or private yacht, Fisher Island Club is consistently ranked as one of the most expensive zip codes in the U.S. The private membership-only club boasts a Beach Club with one of the country’s only truly private beaches; a 15-room all suite luxury hotel; a 9-hole, award-winning P.B. Dye championship golf course; two deep-water marinas; a variety of casual and formal dining venues offering distinct culinary experiences; a full-service spa, salon and fitness center; the Vanderbilt Theater; an aviary with over a dozen exotic birds; and an observatory for stargazing. The Island is also home to the Fisher Island Day School, a K — Grade 8 private school, a UHealth private medical clinic, its own fire rescue team, and a post office.
