Moda Operandi knows a thing or two about crafting a chic crowd—this was on full display during last night’s cocktail hour at Casa Cipriani to celebrate New York Fashion Week. “When I was younger, I wanted to work in fashion for all the parties. It’s important to have goals in life,” joked Lauren Santo Domingo, co-founder and chief brand officer of Moda Operandi. Better yet? To work in fashion and host the parties.
Entering the Jazz Cafe at Casa Cipriani, guests were greeted by floor-to-ceiling window views of the East River, specifically, the body of water more fashionably named the “Diamond Reef.” Porthole windows, gold leaf ceilings, and velvet benches instilled the feeling of a vintage 1930s supper club, perhaps even a version of the Titanic where all the stylish passengers had a more fortunate ending. Highboy tables held tiny silver cups of Castelvetrano olives and cubed parmesan, as well as an impressive guest list of luxury handbags and pocketbooks. Guests sipped on Social Bird’s 2022 Côtes de Provence Rosé, which kept flowing, while they waltzed about the room to find the next round of arancini trays being passed around. Casa Cipriani’s in-house jazz band set the tone for guests dressed for the occasion, wearing beaded vintage head caps, swanky feathered pants, and lacy rosette two-piece sets.
One after another, guests sauntered in outfits more elegant than the next, matching the ambiance of the room with a level of vintage glamour. On the decolletage of select guests, stunning crystals looped on velvet pendants wowed by Brazilian jeweler Sauer.
Santo Domingo held court alongside CEO Jim Gold & chief merchant April Hennig. A myriad of designers in attendance included Joseph Altuzarra, Trish Westcoat Pound of TWP, Aisling Camps, The Frankie Shops’ Gaëlle Drevet, and Kingsley Gbadegesin.
Rounding out the night, singer and actor Charlotte Lawrence took the stage in 8-inch Alaïa wedges, no less. Crooning some of her originals mixed in with familiar favorites “Dreams” and “Somewhere Only We Know,” Lawrence encouraged the crowd to show off their own pipes, “Whoever’s singing the loudest is the coolest in the room.” Sure enough, the attendees obliged, careful not to spill their martinis while swaying and singing along. Attendees showed up with one purse and left with two, as 111Skin provided goody bags filled with luxe products sure to keep everyone glowing throughout the rest of the weekend.