Musée d’Orsay Gala Draws Christian Louboutin, Betty Catroux and More

IT’S RAINING MEN: It was a man’s world in Paris on Monday night, as the Société des Amis du Musée d’Orsay held its annual fundraising gala around an exhibition of Gustave Caillebotte’s work titled “Painting Men.”

The Impressionist artist depicted masculine figures ranging from workers to members of his family and inner circle, and the concentration of these paintings came as a revelation to many guests.

“There is a virile strength that I had never really noticed in Caillebotte,” mused Mathilde Favier, public relations director at Dior Couture. 

She singled out the rower who is the subject of “The Boating Party,” a masterpiece that joined the museum’s permanent collection last year thanks to a 43-million-euro donation from luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, parent company of Dior. 

“There’s something very sensual here tonight. So, for once, long live men!” Favier said jokingly.

Stéphane Rolland thought Caillebotte’s self-portrait, which opens the display, set the tone for the rest of the exhibition.

“His paintings are like a window. They feel so modern, and the light and framing is really unusual for the artists of that time. It’s captivating,” he said. “There’s nothing posed. They’re slices of life that he’s managed to capture in painting, which is exceedingly difficult.”

The couturier was gearing up for the Nov. 13 release of Claude Lellouch’s film “Finalement,” which includes scenes filmed during Rolland’s fall 2023 haute couture show at the Paris Opera, and teased a charity project with First Lady Brigitte Macron. 

Joining them were art world heavy hitters, industry titans and politicians, including former president François Hollande.

The fashion contingent included Christian Louboutin, wearing his namesake sneakers, who posed alongside Setsuko Klossowska de Rola, dressed in her signature kimono. 

Perfumer Frédéric Malle, Numéro editor in chief Babeth Djian and L’Oréal board member Jean-Victor Meyers were also on hand, but the event’s mistress of ceremonies, Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, was too unwell to attend — though the society doyenne left a copy of her prepared speech for each guest to peruse. 

Yves Saint Laurent muse Betty Catroux is something of a regular at the soirée. “Everything they do here is very beautiful. This museum is a marvel, anyway,” she said as she took in the opulent decor of the ballroom where dinner was served.

While part of the exhibition focused on menswear, with a display case showing original 19th-century garments, Catroux pronounced “The Floor Scrapers,” with its depiction of shirtless working class men, as her favorite. “That’s almost everyone’s favorite,” she demurred.