Welcome to The Group Chat with Lucy Manly, where Australia's most trusted society insider shares the hottest gossip before it makes the news.
Prada upstaged
It speaks volumes about the state of 's socialite set that last week's much-hyped Prada party - billed as an unmissable event - drew barely any A‑listers.
Despite Silver Party chair Maree Andrews (née Tzaneros) meticulously curating the soirée's guest list, the turnout was decidedly underwhelming.
There was a mixed bag of B-list fixtures: tracksuit queen , nude artist Dina Broadhurst, WA-based model Rebecca Jobson and chicken heiress Jessica Ingham all made an appearance, but those with the most social clout were elsewhere.
Across town in Centennial Park, the real main event unfurled: Aussie Home Loans heiress Deb Symond O'Neil - the daughter of John Symond - and her husband, Addenbrooke managing director Ned O'Neil, hosted a lavish Wuthering Heights–themed soirée for her 38th birthday at their jaw-dropping $20.5million residence.
'It' girl Deborah Symond O'Neil threw a lavish birthday party that trumped the Prada party
Deb's socialite sisters-in-law Lou O'Neil (right) and interior designer Poppy Tzaneros (nee O'Neil) were also spotted enjoying the festivities
No expense was spared for the OTT party, with guests including Pilates queen Bernadette Sukkar, PR guru Montarna McDonald and designer Michael Lo Sordo
Now this guest list was the real Who's Who of the eastern suburbs circuit: Pilates queen Bernadette Sukkar, PR guru Montarna McDonald, entrepreneur Alyce Tran, designer Michael Lo Sordo, plus Four Seasons Condoms heir Michael Porter and his fashion publicist husband Billy Mitchell all turned out.
Perhaps most tellingly, even Maree's sister Barbara Coombes (née Tzaneros) spent a hot minute at the Prada party before skipping off in favour of Deb's knees-up.
Still, one thing the Prada party did have going for it was a few new romances.
Three high-profile guests rocked up with new men on their gym-honed arms.
Dina, 50, fresh from her split from appliances heir John 'Herman' Winning Jr after an exhausting on-again-off-again courtship, arrived with dashing German entrepreneur Danny Tchalaby, who can't be much older than 30.
Rebecca was seen getting cosy with Sydney man-about-town Charles 'Chugga' Hinckfuss after her split from retired professional surfer Taj Burrow.
And of course, Pip of P.E Nation fame arrived with her flavour of the month, business consultant Nicholas Nogarotto.
In the end, Prada had the label - but Deb had the guest list.
Chicken heiress Jessica Ingham (left, with friend) was among the guests at the Prada opening
Barbara Coombes made a cameo at the Prada soiree thrown together by her sister Maree, before hot-footing it to Deb's Wuthering Heights party
An argument broke out between 'Big Jim' Byrnes and nightclub boss Julian Tobias (pictured)
Footage showed Byrnes being restrained by two men while Tobias appeared to get involved in the scuffle. Byrnes then allegedly fired back with a headbutt
As security swooped, the situation escalated and Byrnes found himself tangled up with Tobias and his crew.
