Saturday afternoon, after a glorious morning of sleeping in, I met my Pi Beta Phi sorority sisters for a long overdue reunion at Revel in NYC’s Meatpacking District. Revel has long been one of my favorite brunch spots for it’s pitchers of bottomless mimosas and chic decor making it the perfect place for a Pi Phi reunion. It was wonderful to see my Pi Phi girls again and to hear what everyone has been up to since we formed ties of wine and silver blue so long ago at 210 Walnut Place under the veil of Syracuse Orange.
Being a socialite means always being on the scene. Last night I ventured over to 1OAK (short for One of a Kind) for a some pre-holiday festivities with my friend Amy. I must say that this year I’m thankful for table service. As Amy says, “We may be vegetarians, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a little pre-Thanksgiving table service in the Meatpacking District.” I couldn’t agree more! Let’s go back soon.
The House of Versace has merged with Swedish retailer H&M for another very exciting high/low collaboration that combines the bold visions of Versace with the accessibility of H&M. Did you know H&M stood for Hennes & Mauritz? Now everyone (even the bottom 99%) can strut their stuff in the crazy sexy looks of Versace in this Lady Gaga inspired collection. Versace for H&M is set to hit stores just in time for the holidays on November 19th. I’ve always had something Versace on my Christmas list, but this year I might actually get something from the most outlandish fashion house on the block.
As every fashionista knows, the House of Versace or “My House, My Rules,” as Donatella Versace likes to say, isn’t a place, but a state of mind. If you could actually live there no one would leave. This incredibly joyful collection is probably the most inspiring of the year. It’s boldness and out of this world bright colors make it almost feel as it’s from a different time. The time we’re living in is dark and turbulent so we must approach it boldly. That’s exactly what this collection does. According to Donatella, fashion had it wrong the last time the economy failed when they produced safe neutral quality clothes that they thought people would invest in. “That couldn’t be more wrong. The companies that survived the most were the ones that were recognizable, that stuck to their DNA, and our DNA is glamour,” said Versace. The blonde fashion prophet couldn’t be more right. The worse things get, the more people desire glamour.
Like thousands of other great fashionistas, I spent my Fashion’s Night Out 2011 cursing the shops of the Meatpacking District in search of free drinks and couture. It’s like one big free party where the guests of honor are the clothes. I started out the evening with a mixed drink at Hugo Boss. There, I got the urge to take a picture of myself in the mirror to show off both my outfit and the store as a whole. I kept doing this at every single store throughout the night.
My next stop was Matthew Williamson (pictured left) where the colors were vibrant as always. Due to some rambunctious fashion lovers last year, the House of Matthew Williamson had a strict two drink maximum. With lines around the block, Alexander McQueen was harder to get into than Will and Kate’s Royal Wedding. So I headed over to Diane von Furstenberg which had crowds of its own and some really awesome dresses. After stopping by Catherine Malandrino and Scoop, I hopped around some more and finished the evening with a mojito at Carlos Mieli. FNO is always a good time.
On Fashion’s Night Out, celebrities make appearances everywhere. I was secretly hoping to see a Kardashian. The girls from the new cast of America’s Next Top Model All Stars took over the Express store in SoHo.
The crazy shoes of FNO! Everyone was taking pictures of this girl’s shoes.
The streets of Meatpacking were transformed into a couture-driven Disney World. Can’t wait until next year.
