The Momofuku Milk Bar Lemon Tree Hugger cookie was one shade blonder than Anna Wintour’s convex bob. A gradient difference that was exaggerated when Ms. Wintour lifted a torn off edge of the cookie to her bob-parallel lips. The individually wrapped cookies delineated each assigned seat at the Band of Outsiders runway show on Saturday evening. Seated with daughter Bee Shaffer and across from fellow Vogue helmswoman, Grace Coddington, the editrix waited patiently while the show delayed it’s start time.
Band of Outsiders’ designer Scott Sternberg has always shunned runway shows, opting instead for theatrically staged happening type displays of the next season’s designs, so for his inaugural show the designer created a unique catwalk experience in the concrete floored event space on West 37th Street. There were, in effect, three runways bordered by three back to back rows of aluminum benches better suited to second string high school football players than Linda Fargo. This ensured that almost everyone got a front row seat, though demanded a more rigorous workout for models who were forced to snake through the three aisles.
Donald Glover arrived to find his seat, and cookie, next to Anna Wintour. However minutes later the Community star was asked to scoot down the bench when Tavi Gevinson, wearing a leopard print coat and a Cosby sweater that looked like a box of crayons exploded, was escorted to the seat directly next to Ms. Wintour. Ms. Gevinson put her hand up and smiled meekly at Ms. Wintour before being seated and then when smoothing her skirt once seated Ms. Wintour turned to the 15 year-old and said with non-commital obligation and little joy, “Hi, how are you? Nice to see you again.”
Across the aisle Stefano Tonchi munched on his cookie pensively as Aziz Ansari, seated next to Mr. Tonchi, gesticulated while talking to his neighbor. Kanye West, Simon Doonan and Kid Cudi were also in attendance though not sighted by The Observer.
Several seats down from Ms. Wintour and Ms. Gevinson, Derek Blasberg and architect Rafael Cardenas, seated next to each other, were back to back with Kirsten Dunst, a longtime Band of Outsiders fan and the new face of the brand, and Opening Ceremony’s dynamic duo Humberto Leon and Carol Lim. Mr. Blasberg swiveled his torso to chat with Ms. Lim and Mr. Leon confiding his appepite for a certain men’s leopard print cardigan which is part of Chloe Sevigny’s most recent collection for Opening Ceremony. The lights finally dimmed and Mr. Blasberg had to swivel back around. The show began, and quite a show it was.
-Chloe Malle
