MarieBelle New York is the quintessential chocolatier. The world renowned artisan chocolates have a delectable reputation for their exquisite tasting ganache, truffles and hot chocolates, bestowed in eloquent packaging, evoking a sweet nostalgia that lasts a lifetime. The beloved house of sweets held a celebration party at their flagship Broome street location for the launch of HULU Original documentary “QueenMaker: The Making of an It Girl.” Directed by Zackary Drucker, and Produced by Emmet McDermott with Executive Producer Scott Kaplan.
The pinnacle of artistic expression of both the culinary and cinematography arts was showcased for guests to appreciate and adore. Notable attendees at the party included; Zackary Drucker (Director), Ben Widdicombe (Executive Producer), Emmet McDermott (Producer), Scott Kaplan (Executive Producer), R. Couri Hay (Film Subject), Maribel Lieberman, Noah Levy, Kelly Brady, Scott Kaplan, Irina Liss, Urszula Makowska, Thania Peck, Marval Rex, Sydney Scotia, Lauren Servideo, Ianne Fields Stewart, Clifford Streit, Emma Snowden Jones, Varsha Thapa, Tourmaline, Julia Tricarico, Natalia Cestti, Raquel Gerlani, Valentine Huovski, Olga, George Rush, Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, and Jose Castelo Branco.
Director Zackary Drucker is far from a novice in the film industry. Drucker, who identifies as a trans woman, is an independent maker and cultural producer, who challenges societal nomenclatures about gender, sexuality and relationships. She is an Emmy-nominated Producer for the docu-series, This Is Me , as well as a Producer on Golden Globe and Emmy- winning Transparent. Her newest project, Queenmaker: The Making of an It Girl, debuted on May 17th as a HULU Original.
Initially, the documentary is a whimsical take on the early aughts, pop culture, and the socialites that shaped it. The “it-girl” of the time dawned sky-scraping platforms, bedazzled jeans, mid-drift tops, short skirts and larger than life oversized bags to compliment. A new era was dawning. The once hidden heiress of America’s tycoon families were now dominating mainstream media. These young, blue-blood beauties showed off their fortunes and gave the world a glimpse of their affluence.
The New York social scene laid the very foundation for current reality tv and the influencers of today’s social media. The sought after world of Paris Hilton, Tinsley Mortimer and Olivia Palermo reigned over actors and models. Suddenly, socialites were celebrities. Everyone aimed to one-up each other on nightly red carpets and philanthropic galas. Gossip blogs like Gawker and Socialite Rank went viral, sowing chaos and paranoia among the mega-wealthy. The who’s who of the heiress-era was drama-filled, and often cruel, as tabloid media aimed to produce the jewel in the crown content for their readers.
At the eye of the storm emerged a mysterious website called Park Avenue Peerage. The debut held nuanced insight and praise for these women of fortitude that were being destroyed by tabloid gossip. The blogger was anonymous until a once in a lifetime opportunity brought them face-to-face with society.
QueenMaker: The Making of an It Girl is streaming now on Hulu Original. Click link here to preview https://www.hulu.com/movie/queenmaker-the-making-of-an-it-girl-
Editor-In-Chief: Derek Warburton
Photo Credits: Obinna Nwofor / AFMW Pictures