FashionsNightOut

The Shops at The Plaza

Filed under: Apparel, Handbags, Jewelry, Services, Spas, Cosmetics and Fragrance, Men's Style, Wealth

Like my colleagues Annie and Alison, I braved Fashion Week, in particular, Fashion's Night Out on September 10. But I was fortunate to be in one serene place, The Shops at The Plaza. Entering at One East 58th Street, right near Central Park, The Shops at The Plaza immediately gives you a feeling of luxury shopping, but in a much more open environment than a small boutique because The Shops is 160,000 square feet on six levels.

The Shops features a unique gathering of one-of-a-kind jewelry designers and coveted boutique brands, many of which have chosen to open their first U.S. outpost exclusively here. Examples of the stores you'll find are Krigler, a fifth-generation fragrance house with Russian roots and French savoir-faire; Anna Hu, a Christie's New York and Van Cleef & Arpels veteran who specializes in creating stunning, one-of-a-kind pieces; Qiviuk, which offers unusual, high-quality clothing for men and women made of the cashmere-like Qiviuk fiber; and a new store to The Shops, the flagship location of New York fashion designer Douglas Hannant. I had the chance to chat with representatives from each of these stores, so watch Luxist for more on these brands.

Other stores at The Shops are MCM, Ghurka, Vertu, Morgenthal Frederics, Seize Sur Vingt, LTJ Arthur, GOODFORTUNE TENTHOUSANDTHINGS, Kenneth Jay Lane, Iradj Moini, Maurice Fine Jewelry, Helen Yarmak, Peter Lik Fine Photography, and Francesco Fino. Plus, now reopened is The Plaza Boutique, the hotel's own store, which offers high-end leather goods, porcelain glasses, fashionable men's shirts, and luxurious gift items.

As for beauty, The Shops has that area covered as well. The Plaza Beauty by Warren-Tricomi is a beauty destination and contemporary boutique divided by category, offering a brow bar, men's bar, fragrance bar, and skincare. (See photo.) Drawing from the worlds of hair care, skincare, and fragrance, The Plaza Beauty provides a sampling of the most luxurious, internationally-renowned brands, as well as rare, emerging lines, all hand-picked by Joel Warren and Edward Tricomi.

All that shopping and beautification may make you in need of a respite, or at least a snack. Stop by the Demel café, Parisian bookseller Assouline, the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, Warren-Tricomi Salon, or the Fitness Center by Radu Physical Culture to refuel and recharge.

The Plaza has undergone a $400 million, three-year, lobby-to-roof renovation and restoration, and it's amazing. Designated a New York City Landmark in 1969, it is also the only New York City hotel to be designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Tags: Fashions Night Out, FashionsNightOut, hotel, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, shopping, The Plaza, ThePlaza

Fashion's Night Out - And Fashion's Morning After

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Charity

Fashion's Night Out, the largest shopping event in NYC history (brainchild of none other that Anna Wintour herself), took place on Thursday, September 10, and for those of us in the media (who try to be everywhere), it was a wild ride!

Over 700 shops participated in Fashion's Night Out; some selling Fashion's Night Out t-shirts to benefit the September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, some collecting clothing for the NYC AIDS Fund, some with special sales, deals, and live music, and most with free-flowing champagne.

Armed with an extra pair of stilettos for alternating, this Luxist writer managed to get to David Yurman, Prada (above, this DJ played until The Rapture went on), D&G, Tahari, Pucci, and Lord & Taylor, just to name a few. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the night of shopping, celebrity sightings, drinking, and celebrating. If they ever do it again, I suggest you all head for the Upper East Side where the parties were a little calmer and lots of fun -- Soho was a madhouse; in parts you couldn't even walk down the street, and it was unusually rampant with underage drinkers (capitalizing on the free alcohol). I saw them carding at D&G ... but that was the only place I saw. I'd imagine there were a lot of tearful explanations in the wee hours in homes across the tri-state area, and Fashion's Morning After was probably pretty rough for some. But that's not what the night was about. The night was about charity, celebrating fashion, and helping kickstart the economy. I think on the whole, New York City had a lot of fun!

If you weren't able to get to NYC, check out the gallery below for some photos of the festivities!

Gallery: Fashion's Night Out

Tags: fashions night out, FashionsNightOut, NYC, shopping

The Fashion Statement: A Subdued Fashion Week?

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

Day two at New York fashion week and, already, the trends we'll be wearing next spring are starting to emerge. But the recession continues to cast a bigger cloud over Bryant Park than the pouring rain outside.

There are fewer shows-about 10 fewer than in February-because designers have moved to less expensive venues or have chosen not to show at all. Other designers pooled their funds (and models) and showed together on one runway.

"It's not as wild as I thought it was going to be," said Damon Webster, a commercial producer who was at the shows for the first time. "It's fairly tame."

Elizabeth Fisch, an intern at Vogue, said the decor of the lobby looks like it's been toned down and there is less intense promotion by sponsors.

Most surprisingly, though, some attendees insist they've seen fewer celebrities. Russell Simmons, Monet Mazur and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have all been spotted as well as an endless supply of TV reality show stars. But without a parade of A-listers, fashion week is not the media circus it's been in the past.

"There was a big line to get a glimpse of Kid Cudi last night," said Webster. Who's Kid Cudi? "Exactly!" Kid Cudi is a well-known hip-hop artist, but you get the point-not exactly a household name.

Then again celeb gawkers would have been very pleased with Fashion's Night Out (a shopping event) on Thursday night, where bumping into big names (Charlize Theron, Hate Hudson, Gwen Stefani, Victoria Beckham) was about as common as running into freaky dressers at the tents.

Tags: Bryant Park, BryantPark, Charlize Theron, CharlizeTheron, Fashions Night Out, FashionsNightOut, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Mercedes-benzFashionWeek, Monet Mazur, MonetMazur

Mackage Opens First Retail Store, Chooses NYC

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

Mackage Opens First Retail Store, Chooses NYC

Known for its leather-trimmed, fitted outerwear, Canadian coat designer Mackage on September 1 opened its first stand-alone store, and chose NYC's hip Meatpacking District. I stopped by the store to check it out. The full Fall/Winter 2009 lines for men and women were on display in the small but classy store. Mirrors here and there make it easy (and tempting) to slip on a leather coat, puffy jacket, trench, or packable anorak. I commented to the rep helping me that the line looked familiar -- she said that certain styles were in Bloomingdale's and other high-end stores, but never the whole line, which is why Mackage decided to open its own store.

The coats are beautiful -- from wools to leathers to styles with fur trim, all are designed to be warm and fashionable, a rare combo. Even the packable anoraks are upscale. Rather than try to describe all here, check out the gallery for a few representative styles.

The store is a pop-up boutique, aka a limited-run, just for September, so Mackage can gauge interest and see if it wants to continue in this retail venue. So don't hesitate if you want to see the new line. There even will be special promotions this month with the chance to win a free coat or a free blow-out. Or ...

To see Mackage's Fall 2009 line, stop by the store (829 Washington St, NYC, 212-255-3807) on Thursday, September 10, as part of Fashion's Night Out, a worldwide event that coincides with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Fashion authority Phillip Bloch will be on hand offering free tips and consultations from 7 - 9 p.m., Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon will be doing blowouts from 6 - 9 pm, and model Irina Lazareanu will DJ from 9 - 11 pm.

Gallery: Mackage Coats, Fall/Winter 2009