Jill Zarin’s Luxury Lunch is coming Saturday, July 29, to benefit the Bobby Zarin Memorial Fund. Invitees are what New York magazine calls “Bravolebrities.” Produced by celebrity event planner Sean Koski and Brian Kelly, co-founder of Ticket2Events , the Southampton event is going to have a VIP entrance, a red carpet and a showcase of fashions, spirits, home decor, beauty, technology, and tourism.
So instead we talked to Zarin about important things, like shoes, earrings and rain. First, is it true that the secret of wearing Manolo’s and other super-high heels, even in hot weather, is to buy them a size too big?
“I just take my shoes off,” the ever-practical Zarin says. “I always wear cork wedges. Or I go barefoot, or wear flats.”
She must be thinking of the time she spends at her townhouse on the water in Sag Harbor.
“It’s only three bedrooms,” she notes, “so I can’t really entertain.”
When she travels out East, how does she get there? “I fly into Islip, or East Hampton. Or, if I’m coming from New York, by car,” she says.
And what does she do if she is headed to an event in the Hamptons and, as has been the case on many recent weekends, it starts raining?
“I turn around,” she says. “Is that terrible?”
Don’t those big earrings bother her? “What? No, I don’t usually wear earrings. I’m so ADD. I have long hair, and putting on earrings would just slow me down. But if I did wear earrings, they would have to be big.”
So the place in Sag Harbor, what’s to enjoy? “I just close the door and say ‘Goodbye!’”
After her work on “Real Housewives” and the Bravo universe, Jill Zarin has busied herself as an entrepreneur. There is Jill Zarin Beauty, winner of the New You awards for … many things. It offers mid-price creams, powders and facial care kits.
Then there are products she sells with her daughter Ally, Ally being Allyson Shapiro, subject of her own Bravo-verse world of obsession, most of it fueled on Instagram and on entertainment television. She has been a known commodity since she was on RHONY at age 14.
Together Jill & Ally market pickleball paddles with covers that say “Miami Beach Pickleball Club” and “Beverly Hills Pickleball Club” and they sell Crystal Manifestation scented candles in pretty colors along with plastic totes and other goods.
As to the Luxury Lunch on Saturday, it is a charity event, to raise money on behalf of thyroid cancer. Zarin’s husband, Bobby Zarin, died of thyroid cancer in 2018.
There was another way to attend, and that was to bid on Charity Buzz. Tatum’s Mom” kept bidding right up to the last minute for a chance to be there. Bidding closed on Wednesday.
What is the draw you say? It’s those Bravolebrities. If you don’t watch Reality television, you would not know them. If you do watch, they are gods who walk among us. You know their back stories. Their love lives. Their sorrows. Their joys. Their physiques, white smiles and flowing locks.
Here is who has been invited: Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Sutton Stracke, Real Housewives of New Jersey Margaret Josephs, Real Housewives of Atlanta Cynthia Bailey, Real Housewives of Miami Marysol Patton, Real Housewives of Potomac Gizelle Bryant, Real Housewives of Dallas LeeAnne Locken, Real Housewives of Dubai Caroline Brooks, Real Housewives of Toronto Kara Alloway, Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Phaedra Parks as well as Ally Shapiro, Joey Sasso (The Circle), and Kristen Doute (Vanderpump Rules). Also invited are Wendell Holland (Survivor), Patti Stanger (Millionaire Matchmaker), Carl Radke (Summer House) and Tayshia Adams (The Bachelorette).
And then there are the gift bags. Into them will go the aforementioned Jill & Ally Pickleball paddles. (Not clear if just one or two.) But not the Crystal Manifestation candles.
“Too heavy,” Jill Zarin told us. Got to think of the giftees.
The doggie wipes are light, so they will go in, and lots of makeup items.
All of the luxury goodies will be given to selected guests in a Jill & Ally red quilted nylon tote with chain.