Chanel hosted a fashionable crowd Monday night in New York for its 19th annual Tribeca Festival artists dinner with plenty of reasons to raise a glass. But unfortunately for all the Knicks fans in attendance, a game three NBA Finals win over the San Antonio Spurs across town at Madison Square Garden was not one of them.
The luxury fashion house, a longtime supporter of cinema as well and Tribeca Festival, welcomed A-listers (many of whom were clad in Chanel) to celebrate the milestone 25th anniversary of Tribeca Festival and catch a surprise toast from Robert De Niro as he praised “perfect leader” and longtime production company partner Jane Rosenthal.
“I really didn’t need her for that first one,” De Niro explained. “I could have done it by myself, of course … but one thing is certain: If Jane Rosenthal hadn’t run the first Tribeca Festival, there would never have been a second or a third or fourth or this 25th.” The iconic actor said Rosenthal is that “rare visionary who turns visions into reality,” adding, “We tease that she’s my work wife, except there’s no messy prenup.”
On that note, De Niro said that the two share a “strikingly non-confrontational relationship” and they almost never disagree. “Jane is a tough business leader, but she’s also a patron of the arts. It comes so naturally to her because she appreciates what artists do. Jane understands the soul of the artist because she has the soul of an artist,” he said during the brief tribute, which also included video messages from notable friends like Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, Kathryn Bigelow, Spike Lee, Lesli Linka Glatter and Darren Aronofsky.
