MAXSTUDIO.COM / LEON MAX Easton Neston Inauguration Party

It was the last party of the summer before England emptied and went on holiday but as guests wandered the lawns of stately pile Easton Neston, its lights twinkling down on the Long Water on an early evening in late July, thinking about the beach wasn’t even on the agenda. Guests had been greeted by footmen in livery, the bar was in full swing, the air alive with chatter and laughter, and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot. Northamptonshire was having a Great Gatsby moment as Leon Max had decided to throw open his house for a dance. “Pixie Geldof’s performance was the highlight for me,” he said, “she looked amazing in that orange dress. She was almost better than I thought she’d be.” Pixie’s band, Violet, played as model of the moment Edie Campbell partied with jewellery designer Lara Bohinc and the shoe designer Nick Kirkwood and writer, Plum Sykes.