The Return of Paul Johnson-Calderon
A couple of months ago, social scenester Paul Johnson-Calderon got caught up in a messy little scandal when he was accused of stealing a woman's handbag at the Eldridge. Calderon retreated from the scene to lick his wounds and mourn over his empty mailbox. But he's back, apparently. The party-hopping "writer" made his "official reappearance" at a benefit last week for Operation Smile. Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned, at least according to fellow 'mocialite Kristian Laliberte who says that while Calderon has promised to show up with Tinsley Mortimer on his arm, she was a no-show and he had to settle for conversation with "less prominent friends." More details on this tragic turn of events below.
There was a certain "je ne sais quoi" in the air, as the event marked the first "official" reappearance by copycat Winona Ryder and Op Smile committee member Paul Johnson Calderon. The striking former stylist and Paper editor (and friend), who had repeatedly referred to the event on Facebook as his triumphant reentry into New York, also publicly claimed to be arriving to the gala on the arms of socialite heavyweights Tinsley Mortimer, (a no-show) and her sister, Dabney Mercer (stunning in Amand Uprichard and David Yurman). Instead, the self proclaimed "Moorish" playboy boogied down with less prominent friends who continue to support him despite the alleged criminal investigation into his over-publicized grand larceny.
Though I admired his poker face (it takes a tough cookie to act natural despite negative press- I should know), guests whispered about his ability to recover from a scandal that shocked even the jaded Beatrice crowd, who at one point flocked to his old West Village apartment for raucous, all night after parties. Indeed, the self-proclaimed belt designer had a hard time striking up conversations despite his overeager air kisses and permanent position by the main bar. Clearly he purchased his ticket before a certain waitress's purse went missing.
