The Hamptons’ Best Dressed 2026, the annual fundraiser that doubles as the eastern Long Island social calendar’s anchor, has named Dr. Macrene Alexiades as its co-host for this August’s edition. The appointment places the dermatologist, entrepreneur, and founder of the fashion-adjacent skincare line Macrene Actives at the center of a gathering that traditionally draws a cross-section of New York fashion publishing, real estate, and philanthropic capital.
Alexiades’s co-host role is significant for the fashion audience her presence attracts. Her practice counts several magazine editors and brand founders among its patients, and her own wardrobe — a disciplined rotation of white lab coats by day and sculptural Rick Owens separates by night — has made her a quiet fixture of style-watch columns. The event’s co-chair structure typically pairs a medical or philanthropic figure with a fashion insider, and Alexiades’s counterpart this year is expected to be announced within the fortnight.
The event, now in its eleventh year, has carved a distinct niche in the summer benefit circuit by merging a seated dinner with what organizers call a “living style editorial” — guests are encouraged to interpret the evening’s theme through personal dress rather than a formal runway presentation. Last year’s edition raised $2.4 million for Hamptons-based arts education, a figure the 2026 committee aims to exceed with Alexiades’s clinical-entertainment crossover appeal.
The broader trend is the increasing convergence of beauty, wellness, and fashion philanthropy in the seasonal Hamptons circuit. Where previous decades drew clean lines between a medical lecture benefit and a style-centric gala, the 2026 calendar shows events increasingly borrowing from adjacent categories. Alexiades’s appointment signals that the best-dressed list now considers skin health as integral to personal style as the cut of a jacket.
