There was a dusting of snow on the streets, and last night Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli dusted the former Whitney Museum of American Art with their grand vision, presenting a couture collection that is exclusive to New York. The celebration, Sala Bianca 945, was in honor of the house’s newly opened flagship store on Fifth Avenue. Braving the weather to catch a glimpse of the designs were Katie Holmes, Olivia Munn, Emma Roberts, and Sofia Coppola all dressed in the house’s fanciful frocks.
Before the show began, guests wandered throughout the Marcel Breuer building sipping cocktails and taking in a Fornasetti exhibition, “The Five Senses.” A maze of black box rooms were filled with whimsical hologram butterflies (mimicking the house’s butterfly motif from earlier this year) that fluttered atop a baby grand piano and illuminated moving image projections.
The main event was of course the runway show, though. Lauren Santo Domingo, Jaime King, and Ivanka Trump took their seats, and the scene went from black to white. Sofía Sanchez Barrenechea, wearing a white lace dress by the house, looked right at home amongst the 2001: A Space Odyssey decor. “I am in celebration mode because it’s my wedding month,” said the soon-to-be-bride, who plans to wear Valentino Haute Couture when she weds Alexandre de Betak in Patagonia. “White only seemed fitting!” And then, a better-than-bridal showcase made its way down the runway to the galactic Hans Zimmer score from the film Interstellar.
Recently married and engaged onlookers including Olivia Palermo, Nicky Hilton, and Vogue’s Chloe Malle looked on as the all-white mod collection (a nod to the dress the house designed for Jacqueline Kennedy’s marriage to Aristotle Onassis in 1968) accented with gilded sole loafers marched down the runway. From frothy confections to caped creations, the collection was replete with looks for every kind of bride, prompting some guests including Misha Nonoo, Dr. Lisa Airan, and Indre Rockefeller to dream of doing it all over again.
As the night came to an elegant close, the soulful sounds of Etta James wafted upstairs, prompting guests to descend several flights to a club-like environment for a reception of sorts. Munn, whose final episode of The Newsroom airs this Sunday, was feeling festive and said, “I’m planning to cut my own Christmas tree with my boyfriend—Griswold Christmas Vacation–style.” However, others like Katie Holmes prefer the comforts of home. “We get two Santa Claus visits,” beamed the actress, who will travel to Ohio to be with her family, adding, “the first one is for all the cousins to enjoy, and the second is when we’re all asleep.” Let’s hope Saint Nick comes bearing Valentino.
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