It’s the glamorous Upper East Side hotel where fashion editors stay during New York Fashion Week and where the A-list get ready for the Met Gala (and party afterwards), and now The Mark is the chic location of the Duchess of Sussex’s baby shower.
According to a source, the baby shower is being hosted by Meghan's close friends, including Amal Clooney and Serena Williams. While some news outlets are reporting that it happened yesterday, an insider suggests that it is yet to take place and is planned for 12.30pm EST in the Penthouse Suite.
Williams reportedly chose the elegant, discreet spot after visiting several other properties in the area, clearly being a fan of its home from home aesthetic. She's a frequent visitor to Jean-Georges, the hotel’s in-house restaurant, but is not believed to have stayed at the hotel before.
The largest Penthouse in the US, the two-floor accommodation features five bedrooms, four fireplaces, six bathrooms and two powder rooms, with stellar views over Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is priced from $75,000 per night, with Williams reportedly picking up the bill.
The baby shower will kick off with a flower arranging lesson accompanied by a dessert table prepared by the restaurant’s head chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who will be there to greet them. His eponymous restaurant is a well-known hotspot in the city, where the international jet set adore his two Michelin-star cuisine.
Guests at the special gathering include Jessica Mulroney, Meghan’s unofficial stylist, whose daughter Ivy was a bridesmaid at her wedding, as well as fashion designer Misha Nonoo, who is often credited with setting up the royal couple. Also in attendance will be Serge Normant, the hairstylist credited with creating her wedding hair, publicist Celine Khavarani and NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group chairman Bonnie Hammer, who gave Meghan her job on Suits.
Two of Meghan’s closest confidantes, Markus Anderson and Lindsay Jordan, will also be there, it is thought, plus her Northwestern University sorority sister, Genevieve Hillis. Other friends from the acting world present will include Abigail Spencer and Janina Gavankar.
While the Duchess is not believed to have stayed at the hotel before, she is in good company: The Mark is the hotel of choice for fashion royalty, with the Hadids, Gisele Bündchen, Anna Wintour and François Pinault of Kering all staying before and after the Met Gala, which returns in May.
