No one could ever accuse certain designers of being boring or predictable. Take Alexander Wang, for example – the wunderkind whose apparel has come to epitomize downtown chic.
Several seasons ago, Mr. Wang stole the scene by throwing a rather unlikely Fashion Week fete. While other designers opted to throw afterparties at sleek lofts with designed lighting, Mr. Wang settled on a decidedly different bit of real estate in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District:
Mr. Wang’s crew frolicked until the wee hours, dancing on the petrol-doused pavement and raiding the shelves of the station’s convenience store. Irreverence reigned; headlines were made.
With Fashion Week getting underway in just a few days, we thought we’d suggest a few amusing venues to Mr. Wang for this season’s afterparty. The theme: integral-yet-often-overlooked New York City institutions.
Revelers, get ready for some good times.
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You are Cordially Invited to Mr. Wang’s Fashion Week After-party at …
1. The Circle Line. These rickety-yet-iconic Manhattan-circling tourist cruise boats would make a perfectly wonderful alternative to the clichéd sunset yacht tour. Perhaps Wang could design a matching shoe-and-life-jacket ensemble for his invitees: very nautical-chic.
2. The Carnegie Deli. The 70s are back; everyone in the fashion set says so. No place is more Annie Hall-esque than the Carnegie Deli. Why should tourists get to have all the fun? Plus, their to-die-for dill pickles are perfect for glamouristas on low-carbs diets.
3. Drago’s Shoe-shine Parlor at Penn Station, with its famous sign declaring: “We Do Save Soles.” The good news: any stilettos worn down by dancing could be fixed on the spot.
4. Wollman Ice-Skating Rink at Central Park. Swap out your Louboutins for a pair of blue hockey skates; rough it out on the ice. On tap at the on-site coffee shop: popcorn and hot chocolate – with marshmallows.
5. Ottomanelli Brothers. Move the party into a literal meat market. The establishment got a mention in Mad Men recently, which means that it truly has reached a certain cultural significance.
Shop Alexander Wang at Barneys here.
- Lesley M. M. Blume
The particularly gorgeous Alexander Wang portrait above was taken by Sebastian Kim.
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