4 posts tagged "Melissa George"
The Cult Of Cavalli
“I love women and they love me,” Roberto Cavalli told Style.com last night, surrounded by a throng of female admirers at his newly renovated Madison Avenue flagship store. They had flocked uptown to the Italian couturier’s shop to kick off the annual Casita Maria gala honoring Cavalli this November.
The shop—outfitted in new crystal-dusted flooring, tufted python ottomans, and chocolate ponyhair rugs—quickly filled with the likes of China Machado, Hannah Bronfman, Melissa George, Denise Rich, and Michelle Harper. Never mind the Indian summer; when Mr. Cavalli throws a party, the dress code calls for two things: leopard and fur. “Russian women love to dress,” quipped soprano Anna Netrebko, the star of the Metropolitan Opera’s Anna Bolena, who arrived swathed in an aqua animal-print number and a matching mink bolero. “All that fur and bling, we love it.”
The designer, who recently celebrated 40 years in business, revealed no plans to hang his bedazzled coat (ahem, jeans) anytime soon. And why should he? His Spring ’12 gold sequined collection was jaw-dropping. “This is my life,” he said. “I started working in fashion because I love femininity, and to me the most important thing is to make women feel more beautiful.” Mr. Cavalli, mission accomplished.
Dead Can Dance
The evening might have been a tribute to the dead, but El Museo del Barrio’s annual Día de los Muertos party Thursday night was very much alive. The scene was like a high school reunion: Melissa George and her date, Bibhu Mohapatra (left), exchanged hugs with guests like model Liliana Dominguez, artist Gabriel Orozco, and makeup artist Alexa Rodulfo. It was the kickoff to what’s looking like a three-day Halloween weekend—and Mohapatra, for one, was excited. “My friend has a glass house that is very James Bond and there are a bunch of us going there,” he said. But for his costume, he’s channeling a slightly less suave film hero. “I am going to be Freddy Krueger going Bollywood.” (And George? She hadn’t planned on much—”I might go to Abracadabra tomorrow,” she conceded.)
The evening may have been Mexico-centric—Día de los Muertos is a Mexican tradition, after all—but there were two ambassadors from the wider world: Miss USA, Rima Fakih, and Miss Universe, Ximena Navarrete, representing their respective constituencies. They danced amid traditional day of the dead decor: skulls, candles, and framed photos of the dead, including one of our most-mourned recently departed—Michael Jackson.
Prime Real Estate
Who in New York wouldn’t be up for a bit more square footage? So when Jason Wu upgraded from a 2,000-square-foot workspace to a full-floor, 9,000-square-foot studio a couple blocks down in NYC’s Garment District, there was cause to celebrate. “I live at the studio. I mean not literally, but let’s just say I’m here a lot,” the designer said at his studio-warming last night. All that time on the clock had Wu thinking a home-away-from-home feel for his new space. The airy loft had cozy touches, including a staff dining room, low-lying chairs at the entryway, and Wu’s own personal nook featuring nineteenth-century doors, an outdoor balcony, and one very special work table. “It’s the only piece of furniture that I brought from the old studio,” Wu said of the rough-hewn slab of wood. “I believe in luck. We had Michelle Obama’s inaugural dress laid out on there when we were doing all the details by hand, so I had to bring it with me.”
Wu’s rising star may be part good fortune, but the Swarovski Award nominee had plenty of admirers who would set faith in his skill. A coterie of editors, models (like Karlie Kloss and rising star Tati Cotliar, pictured with Wu), and socials cooed over the designer’s attention to detail—many of whom took advantage of the spring weather and hung out on the balcony. “Oh, I’m definitely a fan. I was one of the first ones here,” actress Melissa George divulged. It being New York, George was in the midst of a real estate story herself. “I just closed on an apartment this morning, but I can’t move in officially until next Thursday,” the Australian native said. “But can you believe it? I’m officially a New York homeowner!”
From The Sales Floor To A Spot On The Racks
Attention, budding labels-to-be: For firsthand research, hit the sales floor. “We were all salespeople at Ron Herman,” designer Molly Coonan explained about meeting her muse, Alice Barlow, and Mike & Chris designer P.J. Faulstick (pictured). “I was the worst one, though. P.J. was amazing! He would outsell everybody, so he would ring some of his sales under my number because he didn’t want me to get fired.” The Silver Lake-based designer has come a long way since, but maybe the grunt work was worth the lasting friendships. Coonan tapped Barlow as the muse for her new line, Barlow, and threw a seven-course dinner and party with Shopbop.com last night to celebrate its official launch. Faulstick was also on hand at Los Feliz on the Lower East Side—the friends now find both their labels enviably backed by Cynthia Vincent’s company—and so, too, was Barlow’s budding fan base, which included Blake Lively, Metric’s Emily Haines, and Grey’s Anatomy‘s Melissa George.
Over ceviche and tuna burritos, George chatted happily about decamping to more fashionable terroir. “I’m so happy that I’m in New York now. When I arrived in L.A. eight years ago, I would wear high-waisted denim jeans with a smart striped top and nobody would get it,” the actress said. As after-partiers filled the basement space, fellow L.A.-to-NYC transplant Harley Viera-Newton (and her DJ partner, Cassie Coane) hopped on the decks. Turns out Harley also had a go at the salesgirl life early on but opted to pass. “Ugh, retail is the worst,” she said. “I met Molly way back when we were both working at Curve. But it’s funny. I deejayed Curve’s party last week and now Molly’s. It’s like I’ve come full circle.”