Love Louis San Francisco!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at 6:37PM 
There is nothing like ending a tough work week with a hugely glamorous party that offers the best in people-watching, hors d’oeuvres, and champagne…oh, and Louis Vuitton. (Especially when attendance is part and parcel of the tough work week!) Yes, the newly-expanded Louis Vuitton San Francisco re-opened its Geary Street doors on Friday to an elegant, bright, and vast new space. If you had ever been in the old store you would see at a glance that this upgrade was desperately needed and boldly executed. Modeled on the terraced floors of the Champs-Elysées store, short staircases lead to open-plan retail spaces that then flow into the next section and then the next. (To be honest, IKEA has mastered this kind of concept, but here it is in the luxury space – it works even better!)
A sweater with built-in bling...The former low-ceilinged back room that used to house women’s ready-to-wear is now entirely devoted to menswear and shoes, and features a new “formalwear” section just for suits and ties. A new stairway hooks up to the left, taking you to a jewelry lounge, and an immense women’s ready-to-wear section. If this room doesn’t make you want to try on expensive cashmere, nothing will! This section continues down a short stairway on the right, where you will also find a huge new women’s shoe section. Another short stairway, and you’re at the new “bag bar” and sunglasses…The entire tour leads you back to the front door after yet another short flight of stairs. Overall the plan is dramatic, opulent, and incites that feeling of wanting to pet the animals – except here they’re handbags, jewelry, shoes, accessories, and clothes.
A party-goer looks into Olafur Eliasson's "Eye See You" sculptureThe opening night party was incredible, offering guests wine and champagne and delicious tid-bits to stave off the stomach rumblings as they slapped down the AmEx. (My favorite treat was the carpaccio canapé with a little drizzle of truffle oil – I couldn’t get enough.) From the moment I got past the velvet rope, the bass was bumpin’ and the girlies was hot – especially since store director Janet Walzer had her own husband Shane spinning jazzy-soulful grooves, keeping the mood lively. And get a load of those party-goers! This spring’s Velvet Chains bag, with Fall 04’s Trompe L’Oeil bag, Spring 04’s draped clutch, and lots and lots of Fall 2006. The mink bum bag, the embossed Stephen, the Adele, the Squichy – and these were not simply set onto the many mannequins everywhere, but were being carried like well-loved children by many of LV’s adoring fans. But the Italians put in an appearance too: Prada, Fendi, Gucci, and oh yes, a Birkin bag or two. New LV ready-to-wear was mixed with vintage finds, and the entire luscious parade was hats, shoes, bags, and bling… And fur - lots of fur... I was very excited about this; my hometown is far too politically correct about fur and fashion - it's a marriage made in luxury heaven kids, wear it!
There were the usual hangers-on, those nondescript gals that seem to show up at every party. How does it work? Paper City is under obligation to photograph party girls with fake boobs and bad skin? Who are these cheap knockoffs of Paris Hilton? (The original is cheap enough…) Yet this is the kind of thing that’s par for the course at any fashion party – especially in San Francisco. You have to take the bad with the good - and even the bad is great entertainment! After all, we even had a girl in a hand-painted dress bring along not only her coordinated gay boyfriend, but also her coordinated chihuahua - how NY/LA is that? SF has arrived at the big time, apparently.
My Bentley waits curbside at the Redwood RoomAfterwards, friends reconvened for champagne at the Redwood Room, thoroughly enjoying the post-party of Veuve Cliquot Grande Dame...and I don’t even like champagne! Our post-party continued to Lori’s Diner for bacon-cheeseburgers at around 11PM – the best part of the night.
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