With giants like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein absent from New York Fashion Week, it was up to tech brands like Samsung to bring what little buzz there was to this season’s runway.
That is how a clutch of models and actors came to be at Sotheby’s on the Upper East Side last Wednesday, for the unveiling of a cellphone. The Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung’s latest attempt at a bendable smartphone, and this edition was styled by Thom Browne, the designer better known for high-water pants and slim-fitting silhouettes.
Among those sampling trays of champagne and caviar canapés were the actors Nicholas Braun (universally known as “Cousin Greg” from “Succession”), Nick Robinson, Ella Hunt, Jessica Williams, Eliza Scanlen and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. They were joined by Xiao Wen Ju, the Chinese model; Cameron Dallas, the YouTube persona; and Jordan Roth, the Broadway producer.
“This tech activation is surprising to me,” said Aminatou Sow, a podcaster and digital consultant. “But I love that Thom Browne is at the forefront of so many interesting things.”
This collaboration is a three-piece set: flip phone, smart watch and wireless buds that resemble cuff links for the ears. All are styled in steely gray with the designer’s trademark tricolor stripes. The set sells for $2,500.
The unveiling began with a brief set piece during which models, seated at midcentury office desks, banged out “I’m not ready yet” on manual typewriters, before interacting with the phone.
Mr. Browne, perhaps more fluent in fashion speak than technology, said that the phrase signified “creating something timeless that you could take into the future.”
He added that he had taken delivery of his phone only the day before. Had he played with it yet?
“I have to be walked through,” Mr. Browne said. “I’m the older generation, so I need a little bit of guidance.”
French Chic at the Plaza
The Bowery Mission held a Valentine Gala at the Plaza Hotel last Thursday, where the honoree was Alain Bernard, the president of Richemont North America, the luxury jewelry and watch conglomerate.
A keen marathon runner, Mr. Bernard seems to be drawn entirely in vertical lines. Dashing between tables in his tailored tuxedo, he looked like a Pixar animation of a secret agent. “In France, ‘honoree’ means you are honored,” Mr. Bernard said from the podium. “‘Honoree’ in this part of world means, ‘go get some money.’”
In that regard, the event was a success, raising $1.3 million for programs to serve homeless New Yorkers. Among the 425 guests who paid upward of $1,000 for a meal of beef or baked fish were Eileen Guggenheim, the philanthropist, and Lucia Hwong-Gordon, the composer. Benefit committee members included Marigay McKee and Bill Ford; Eric McGovern; Veronica Bulgari and Stephan Haimo, and Jessica and Bryan Cho; Marie de Foucaud; and Hanna Struever.
Adding to the night’s Gallic glamour were Daniel Boulud, the chef and restaurateur; Frédéric Fekkai, the coif mogul; Charlotte Gainsbourg, the actress; and Anne-Laure Bernard, the wife of the honoree.
After dinner, several of the well-heeled guests took to the dance floor, enthusiastically singing along to contemporary hits played by a live band.
“Uptown funk you up!” they yelled, throwing their hands in the air — many of which were adorned with bling from the Richemont portfolio of luxury brands that includes Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Veronica Kelly, a longtime supporter of the Bowery Mission, attended with her husband, Raymond W. Kelly, the former New York Police Department commissioner. In notes given to journalists by the event organizers, he was described as “might be running for mayor.”
Was this, in fact, the scoop?
Mr. Kelly laughed at the suggestion. But he added: “Never say never.”
