Uptown-Downtown in Paris
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
PARIS — It was easy to feel at home here over the weekend. Two New Yorkers threw overlapping parties that transposed the Upper East Side and the Lower East Side onto the streets of Paris.
At the Hotel Crillon, just off the Place de la Concorde, author and personal shopper Susan Tabak threw a cocktail party to celebrate the publication of her book “Chic in Paris: Style Secrets & Best Addresses.” In a gilt-edged salon with mirrors and stunning views of Paris at night, elegant guests sipped Champagne and slipped through the ornate rooms. Paris-based designer Julien Desselle, whose collection Requiem has become a hit, greeted Ms. Tabak, who held sway. Guests were treated to hors d’oeuvres of lobster in aspic topped with caviar. They also received a copy of Ms. Tabak’s book, a guide to shopping in Paris by way of interviews with well-known boutique owners.
Not too far away, on a cobbled side street off the Rue du Louvre, the boutique L’Eclaireur hosted the launch of the latest edition of Fly, a DVD magazine with 30 short films that feature fashion in an artistic setting. In a dark, crowded room, guests watched the art films projected onto the walls, a large screen television, and a computer. In an even more crowded, darker room, other guests eyed each other’s outfits as they sipped Veuve Clicquot (which sponsored this issue of Fly). But these outfits were edgier, with an urban sense of style; the men sported much facial hair.
The new issue of Fly features an interview with Karl Lagerfeld, work by visual artist Liam Gillick, and clothing by Marc Jacobs, in addition to much more. The co-founder of Fly, Nima Abbasi, who is half of the fashion DJ team Labtonic, said this project grew out of a desire to treat fashion with a serious, artistic sensibility: “People are tired of seeing fashion only in a commercial way, on such-and-such a star or in magazines with editorial driven by ad pages.”
This is the second issue of Fly, and only 7,500 copies have been made. They are available in New York at Moss, MoMA, and the Mercer Hotel ($45).
