From left: Russell Simmons, Lennox Lewis, Diddy, LL Cool J and the Rev. Al Sharpton in the Hamptons.
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Bragman Nyman Cafarelli
In 1998, Sean Combs — aka Diddy — announced his arrival in the tony enclave of East Hampton by throwing a Labor Day party at his new house on Hedges Banks Drive. What the hip-hop mogul delivered was the inaugural installment of a series of summer White Parties that eventually moved to St. Tropez and Beverly Hills. “I remember the first party he threw in the Hamptons,” Paris Hilton tells THR. “It was iconic and everyone was there.”
Hilton likens Diddy (now 48 and a judge on Fox’s The Four) to a “modern-day Gatsby” for how he pulled together a 1,000-person guest list and successfully imposed a strict head-to-toe white dress code. “Having an entire party all dressed in white was a stunning sight,” says Martha Stewart, a guest at the first party. “And it helps that Diddy looked very handsome in white.” (Director Catherine Hardwicke recalls wannabes being turned away for beige or black shoes.)
“The people in the Hamptons thought the first party was the end of the world,” explains Steven Gaines, author of Philistines at the Hedgerow: Passion and Property in the Hamptons. “They were afraid of a noisy showbiz crowd and thought it was going to be an invasion, and it turned out not to be.” The last White Party went down in Beverly Hills in 2009, and despite Diddy talking late last year about a return, no 2018 date has been announced.
A view of the Beverly Hills estate (with models swinging over the pool) where Diddy teamed with Ashton Kutcher to make the party a fundraiser for Malaria No More. Marla Maples, who brought daughter Tiffany Trump that year, recalls being struck by “all these beautiful people in white. It made you feel like you kind of stepped into another dimension.” Jason Merritt/Getty Images/Getty Images for Blueflame
Diddy with his sons (from left), Christian Combs, Justin Combs and Quincy Brown. Shane Gritzinger/FilmMagic
Kutcher partying in Beverly Hills. Jason Merritt/Getty Images/Getty Images for Blueflame
The 2003 bash, attended by Jay Z (left) and Andre Harrell, was dubbed the Absolut White Party. Later, Diddy incorporated his Ciroc vodka into the mix. “Puffy was always walking around with a bottle in his hands. It was Cristal, now it’s Ciroc. He doesn’t miss an opportunity for serious good promotion,” says Stewart. Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage for Bad Boy Entertainment
Mariah Carey with then-husband Nick Cannon. Jason Merritt/Getty Images/Getty Images for Blueflame
This article originally appeared on THR.com.