RSVIP: Starry Karl Lagerfeld Relaunch of the Chanel Boutique in Soho

by Jeffrey Slonim (RSS feed)
Sep 11th 2010 at 8:02AM

The economy didn't appear to be an issue when Chanel reopened their boutique at 98 Wooster Street in Soho on Thursday night with an effervescent Euro budget. Champagne and trays brimming with bits of foie gras just kept coming on the wide black walkway built around the side of the building with louvered walls open to the cobbled street.

Also served to celebrities on trays were black cans marked Chanel that looked as if they held spray paint. Instead, the device shot infrared to create graffiti on slick black wall monitors. "All right," said Claire Danes, aiming her can. "We need to do some graffiti!"

Graffiti has never looked quite so elegant.

With a bejeweled, shimmering black jacket over her shoulders, Sarah Jessica Parker mentioned that only her shoes and the bag were not Chanel.

Peter Marino, in head-to-toe black-leather, said that he had designed the new Chanel Boutique with Karl Lagerfeld. He described the interior as "only black-and-white, no beige."

"Beige is the color of Chanel," said Marino. "But this is strikingly youthful. And there is a lot of artwork by up-and-coming artists: works by Robert Green, Gregor Hildebrandt-- he melted old 45 records into cake pans. Richard Woods did the black-and-white faux-brick columns." Up high, fluorescent lights wrapped in rubber were also art.

Luxist asked Marino if Lagerfeld's superb taste made working with him special. "That and the fact that he has about 11 gajillion ideas a nanosecond," said Marino.

The windows of the store displayed winter fantasy scenes. Mannequins with their hair wrapped in big white braids wore furry ski boots and lacy, frilly sweaters. Little dolls dressed up like Coco Chanel in tiny Chanel suits were holding hands.

On a wall screen in the VIP area in back of the boutique ran Chanel's last show, hills of polar ice on the runway with the models wearing much white fur. The store, too, was filled with furry boots and purses, long fur coats, and fluffy sweaters.

On her way into the party, Rachel Bilson, who had on a deconstructed wintry white dress with serious fringe in the front, called Chanel "timeless, classic."

Did Mr. Lagerfeld, who had Blake Lively, left, on his arm much of the night, dress the famous women who flocked to support him? "I like them to make their own choice," he said. "We vote, but we don't influence."

Lively had a thunderbolt cuff on one arm that matched her sparkling blue dress. And on the way to dinner, a member of Lagerfeld's entourage grabbed a purse that matched her dress, and she brought it with.

I danced until 2:00 a.m.," noted Diane Kruger the next day. "I feel a little fuzzy."

"I swayed a little to the music," said Lagerfeld, who mentioned that they had flown in a singer from Paris.

Rachel Zoe's pronouncement about the reopened store? "Beautiful . . . heaven," she said.

"I had a blast last night," Houston social Lynn Wyatt told Luxist the next day at FIT's Couture Council lunch honoring the Lagerfeld at Lincoln Center. "Karl was so happy. I was near him at the table. We ate dinner there. And then the music started. It's the spirit of Mademoiselle Coco. . ."

"He's an architect of the body," added London social Daphne Guinness high atop Lucite platform heels.

Tags: blake lively, chanel, Diane Kruger, karl lagerfeld, peter marino, rsvip

Filed under: Apparel, Events, Architecture & Design, Luxury Shopping

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