If a party can be judged by its parties, then the Conservatives are heading for office. Last night’s Black and White party, masterminded by the brilliant Anya Hindmarch, was a triumph. Michael Spencer, the Tory treasurer, looked understandably pleased with the money flowing into the party’s coffers (all legit: the auction programme included stern extracts from the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000). But the deeper significance of the event was its sheer stunning style, wit and aesthetic touch.
Traditionally, the Black and White party is a chore for the party’s senior figures, a drab affair that resembles an explosion in a cummerbund factory with lots of talk of “Rhodesia” and Enoch. This year, Anya – Designer of the Year – had transformed the venue in Battersea Park into a series of gardens, all beautifully illuminated, each with a theme (I was in the Quinlan English Country Garden on a table with Sam Cameron, Helen Taylor and others).
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