What It’s Really Like at a New York Fashion Week Party
Madonna! Models! Martinis! But only if you can make it inside...
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On the Friday morning of Fashion Week, a publicist watched in real time as his inbox climbed from 380 emails to 18,000. His info had been released via TikTok, and—thanks to some all-too-true rumors of Doja Cat and Madonna and Charlie XCX all converging at a Marc Jacobs bash in Brooklyn—he had been, effectively, doxxed. “I’ve never felt so popular before,” he deadpanned the next day. (And begged me not to use his name, because again: doxxed.)
By now, that story—or at least some version of it—has already turned into an urban legend, fueling the usual bump-and-groan of “Fashion Week is over”—a complaint voiced by people who were (to kinda quote Friends) never really under it to begin with. The reality is a little tougher to explain, but much easier to swallow: Fashion Week parties are indeed really fun, but like all nightlife scenes, they’re pretty lonely if you don’t have your friends in tow.
Fortunately, there’s a style tribe for everyone—that’s part of what makes the industry so magical, after all—which means during NYFW, there are more than enough party wins to go around. Here are some of our favorites from the week, along with intimate details I’ll probably get in trouble for sharing. (Just not by blasting any names and addresses on social media...)
Givenchy’s Party to Fête Its Soho Store
Where: The rooftop bar at gilded-age-bank-turned-hotspot-hotel Nine Orchard.
Who: The nicotine poets of Paris (Givenchy creative director Matthew Williams, models Amber Valetta and Vittoria Ceretti, French crushes like Rebecca Dayan).
What: A rock-n-roll throwback to NYC’s Beatrice Inn, with endless streams of tequila and Paul Sevigny behind the DJ booth. There were Givenchy logos on the ice cubes—a fun touch—and even more on the guests, who arrived in the brand’s coveted Shark Lock boots that I will absolutely continue to stalk on The RealReal. The full moon was huge, and red, and a great excuse to cancel all bedtimes in hopes of chasing the dawn with cottagecore singer and Givenchy face Ethel Cain. (“I have a concert tomorrow night, actually!” she said. Alas.)
Fotografiska’s Party to Celebrate David LaChapelle
Where: A six-story warehouse of David LaChapelle’s art, anchored by a champagne bar in the lobby.
Who: Limelight rave legends like LaChapelle muses Amanda Lepore and Daphne Guinness, along with newer American icons like Gigi Hadid.
What: A fizzy nostalgia for ’80s club nights and Yo! MTV Raps, along with a swelling pride that the downtown subculture of yore is now an epicenter of contemporary art. The portrait of Andy Warhol on the third floor, taken by LaChapelle himself, definitely helped. “I remember when he helped unload my car,” said one guy in a graffiti leather jacket as he walked by the piece. For those who couldn’t make it: the exhibit runs through January, and it’s open to the public!
Opening Ceremony’s 20th Anniversary Party
Where: Schimanski, a cement-floor disco in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Who: Celebs you actually want to be friends with (think: Bowen Yang, Rowan Blanchard, that guy in all the Moschino ads...)
What: More of a family reunion than a rager, with L.A. actors and musicians hugging their New York counterparts on the dance floor for the first time since summer, and a lot of, “Hi, we’re actually friends on Instagram!” The vibe was very fun and friendly, kind of like stepping into an Ugg boot IRL—but Cafe Mogador is around the corner, and I probably would have just bailed and gotten food, especially since there was none on-site.
Saks Fifth Avenue’s NYFW Party
Where: L’Avenue, the gilded rooftop bistro on top of the famed Manhattan department store.
Who: Basically a moving Saks catalog, complete with fashion designers, music stars, and waiters wearing T-shirts that said “Want a bump?” (They were referring to the trays of Petrossian caviar being passed across the room.)
What: Fashion with a capital F, as everyone took turns posing next to Saks mannequins and a literal tower of champagne cascading from the restaurant entrance. Chlöe Bailey performed three songs from inside, and then—if you were on the roof—you could watch an arial view of Gwen Stefani across the street taping the Rockefeller Center Christmas special. Also, the bartenders were making fresh martinis every 10 minutes—heaven! Did we mention the free trays of fries?
Jonathan Simkhai’s After-Party
Where: Primo’s, the Tribeca cocktail bar with a quietly famous clientele and amazing Aperol spritzes.
Who: A party-ready squad of musicians (Bapari, Memphy), models (Heather Marks and Kelsey Merritt), and people who seem really fun on Instagram, even though they’re secretly introverts.
What: If you follow Simkhai’s designs, you know his recent runway dresses are all sparkle, all the time. That meant there was a strong possibility of being blinded by flashbulbs, paillettes, and the smooth strength of a Casa del Sol tequila shot, all at once. Could I have crashed without an invite? Probably, but only if I tracked down one of Simkhai’s sold-out Vivienne skirts first.
The Karl Lagerfeld x Cara Delevingne Launch Party
Where: Saga, a rooftop art deco restaurant in Tribeca with killer views.
Who: Game recognize game, and supermodels love each other. How else to explain the arrival of Shalom Harlow, Amber Valetta, Stella Maxwell, and more to celebrate Cara Loves Karl, the new capsule collection (and metaverse graphics) created by the actress and model.
What: It’s strange to have a party without its host, but this bash somehow made it work, thanks to its digital installations that showed, in a more tactile way than usual, how a brand can build its own Web3 world without looking completely bananas. (It certainly helps that Delevingne, with her oversized eyes and her force-of-nature personality, seems to already come from another universe, or perhaps multiverse.)
"Her beauty and her brain go not together." —William Shakespeare
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