Business mogul Shelley Sullivan once again proved why she’s Sydney’s ultimate hostess, pulling off what’s already being whispered about as ‘the party of the year’.
What began as a private lunch for 20 – co-hosted with talent agent supremo Toby Borg of Creative Artists Agency – evolved into something far more eventful when Sullivan revealed the true occasion: a 50th birthday bash for artist Daimon Downey.
By nightfall, the ‘intimate’ lunch had morphed into a glittering soirée featuring a Who’s Who of Sydney’s high society, from creative elites to models and moguls.
In true Shelley fashion, the spotlight was never far from the MCoBeauty founder.
Fresh from a recent split that might’ve sent a lesser woman into retreat, she emerged triumphant, dazzling in back-to-back designer looks: a custom Alex Perry gown, followed by a sleek David Koma number.
Guests marvelled not just at her style, but at her overall glow. Friends insist her weight loss isn’t down to the usual suspects – stress, Ozempic, crash dieting – but rather a ‘health-focused transformation’ centred on well-being, vitality and balance.
Shelley Sullivan at her afternoon garden party alongside birthday boy Daimon Downey
A tanned Julian Tobias carried an Ibiza man-bag as he arrived at Shelley’s afternoon party
Tracksuit queen Pip Edwards rocked up in head-to-toe designer
Actress Georgia Gorman (pictured left) attended the party with her sister
A party-goer is seen wielding a magnum of Veuve Clicquot
Cupcakes decorated with high-profile lawyer Rebekah Giles’ face were shared with guests
Meanwhile, sources tell me Sullivan already has her next business move underway – described by one hype-man as ‘unexpected, bold and guaranteed to stun’.Â
‘She isn’t retiring after selling MCoBeauty. Far from it,’ they said. ‘She’s just getting started.’
Of course, the guest list provided plenty of chatter. Among the after-hours arrivals was controversial restaurateur Alan Yazbek –Â owner of hatted establishments Nomad in Sydney and Melbourne’s Reine & La Rue – who attended with his wife.
Last December, Yazbek escaped conviction after pleading guilty to knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol.
He had attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Hyde Park two months earlier, carrying a placard bearing the Israeli flag but with the Star of David replaced by a blue swastika.
His clumsy critique of the Israeli military not only got him in trouble with the law, but also landed him in the doghouse with his wife and business partner Rebecca, who was said to be ‘furious’.
For his part, Yazbek was ‘profoundly apologetic’, telling reporters outside court: ‘I hope the Jewish community can forgive me over time. All I’ve ever wanted was peace in the region.’
It’s understood he attended as Downey’s guest; however, his appearance raised more than a few eyebrows, with one notable attendee overheard saying, ‘Turning up to a Point Piper party at this time of year – the definition of chutzpah.’
Downey sang a karaoke duet with Pip Edwards
Restaurateur Alan Yazbek, owner of Nomad and Reine & La Rue, was at Downey’s party with wife Rebecca, marking his return to high society after his arrest at a protest a year ago
Shelley Sullivan – in one of her four outfits – is pictured on the right with model Montana Cox. She is seen on the left before her recent weight loss
Meanwhile, Potts Point jeweller Chrissi James was spotted in full cat-and-mouse mode with her on-again, off-again beau, Tony ‘Mr Sexy Time’ Benjamin.
The pair – known for their hot-and-cold romance – were seen canoodling one moment, then darting to opposite sides of the room the next.
As one guest quipped: ‘It’s exhausting just watching them, but you can’t look away.’
Elsewhere, tracksuit mogul Pip Edwards, statuesque model Montana Cox and yachting heir Bobby Oatley – grandson of the late Bob – rubbed shoulders with an eclectic guest list that read like Sydney’s own celebrity Rolodex.
Olympic legend Ian Thorpe was spotted deep in conversation with high-powered lawyer Rebekah Giles, while former AFL star Adam Goodes made a low-key appearance.
Property mogul Theo Onisforou – the man behind Paddington’s famous fashion district – and nightlife kingpin Julian Tobias kept the champagne flowing as Daimon jumped on stage for an impromptu set with Sneaky Sound System, fuelling chatter that the electro-pop darlings are plotting a 20-year reunion tour.
Downey, now firmly in creative comeback mode, has a new album titled Bondi Boys on the way with Michael Delaney of Honky Tonks, plus a major exhibition slated for Saint Cloche next year.
Tony ‘Mr Sexy Time’ Benjamin was among the guests at Downey’s 50th bash
Sydney socialites Grant Schaffer and Alyce Tran
He recently unveiled a monumental ceramic piece at Hotel Ravesis on Campbell Parade in Bondi Beach, cementing his place once again in the city’s cultural scene.
But for all the star power, the evening ultimately belonged to Sullivan.
Ever generous, ever polished, she pulled off a celebration that was both glamorous and intimate, spontaneous yet flawlessly executed.
Or as one insider put it on the way out: ‘It could only have been Shelley.’
READ THE LATEST FROM DAILYMAIL+
Here are some great stories you may have missed:
