Susan
and David Rockefeller, Jr. celebrated World Oceans Day in New York City on June
5 at The Museum of Modern Art, in partnership with iconic, luxury Swiss watch
brand Girard-Perregaux. Avid
environmental conservationists, Susan and David created this event to raise
public awareness to the plight of ocean health and the need for its protection.
 |
| Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux |
The
evening featured a special screening, and the New York City premiere, of
Susan’s most recent documentary, Mission
of Mermaids. A 15-minute call to action viewing the ocean through the eyes of
the mythical mermaid, it explores ocean acidification, overfishing and
pollution.
Presented
by Girard-Perregaux and emceed and moderated by Italian actress Jo Champa, the event’s
sentiment “Protect what is Precious” relates to both the state of the world’s
oceans and the rare art of fine watchmaking. Following the screening, Michele Sofisti,
CEO of Sowind (Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard) presented Susan and David with
their own Girard-Perregaux SeaHawk “Big Blue” watches, which were created to
honor their environmental efforts.
 |
| Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux |
“People
like Susan and David work as our guardian angels, always reminding us of the
importance of protecting our planet,” said Sofisti. “We are honored to be
working with them and hope that together we will shed more light on the issue
of ocean health and its protection.”
“Girard-Perregaux timepieces remind us of how
precious time is,” said Susan Rockefeller. “We have very limited time to save
our oceans. My hope is that Mission of
Mermaids will help everyone better understand why we need to do our part to
protect our waters. The film is dedicated to supporting the work of Oceana, the only global nonprofit solely
focused on ocean protection.”
After
the presentation, guests were welcomed into a new environment inspired by
Susan’s film. Mythical mermaids dressed in gorgeous gowns, Girard-Perregaux
watches and Susan Rockefeller jewelry greeted guests amid a sea of light and
projections of Ricardo Cisnero’s ocean-inspired work. Mermaids passed Susan
Rockefeller stainless steel straws, engraved with the night’s “Protect what is
Precious” theme, to discourage single-use plastic. This call-to-action is also
engraved in both the Girard-Perregaux limited edition “Big Blue” and Susan’s
new jewelry collection which launches on June 8th at www.susanrockefeller.com.
Guests
attending included Nile Rodgers, Gayle King, Almudena Fernandez, Anna
Carter, Rich Gelfond, Peggy Bonapace, Sydney Davis, Andy Sharpless,
Vin Cipolla, Judith Rodin, Julie Gilhart,
Nina Manuel, Janet Wallach, and more. At the end of the evening, they all parted
with unique gifts including an OPI nail polish kit with limited edition colors Mermalade, Sand Castle and Beaty and the
Beach created specifically for the occasion.
