Derek Blasberg and Lauren Santo Domingo
“What’s really fun is getting stuff first, and having the best!”
Who could disagree with that? That’s how Lauren Santo Domingo recently described the experience of shopping on her new site, ModaOperandi.com, a site poised to radically disrupt the luxury retail business.
Lauren has taken the concept of the trunk show – a decades old practice of previewing and selling a collection to regular customers months before the clothing is scheduled to arrive in stores – and brought it up-to-date by letting customers shop from a collection mere minutes after it appears on the runway!
Alexis Traina, Lauren Santo Domingo, Derek Blasberg, Vanessa Getty
The Vogue contributing editor and entrepreneur was in San Francisco recently to co-host a party with Alexis Traina and Vanessa Getty for her friend Derek Blasberg’s new book “Very Classy.” She spoke a little about the site.
“I’ve been at Vogue for 10 years, and one thing that I have is a lot of access. And that’s what I wanted to share with Moda Operandi members,” she said.
After becoming a member of the site (which is free, but by invitation only), you’re able to pre-order your favorite looks from the collections being featured that day.
“You put a deposit down, and then it’s shipped to you later. It’s an online trunk show,” she explained. “It’s a ‘very classy’ way of shopping.”
At the “Very Classy” party, there were already a few women wearing pieces from the site, including the always fashionable Sobia Shaikh in a look we saw on the runway just a few months ago. It was an incredibly chic group of women, as Derek noted when he spoke — with classy brevity — about his book.
Derek Blasberg signing “Very Classy”
“I feel kind of ridiculous telling all of you women about it, because obviously none of you need it!” he said, keeping his remarks to the minimum.
Guests were eager to get a signed copy of the book. Alexis Traina had already read it and was full of praise.
“It has delicious commentary, hilarious photos, and you actually will recognize a lot of different types of people throughout the book,” she joked. “‘I know her! I’ve seen that girl at the airport! I’ve seen her at the bathroom!’”
But you couldn’t see an un-classy girl at the event that night, in a room which included elegant women like Katie Traina, Sloan Barnett, Jennifer Raiser, Allison Speer, Ghislaine Maxwell, Christine Suppes, Karen Caldwell, Carol Bonnie, Paula Carano, Stephanie Ejabat, Anne Waterman and others.
But the biggest compliment was given by Lauren herself, speaking of Alexis and Vanessa – “Our hosts are the classiest ladies I know!”
Suzanne Levit and Vandy Boudreau
Todd Traina and Katie Traina – Afsaneh Akhtari and Deepa Pakianathan
Stephanie Milligan, Jesscia Moment, Kim Gilbert, Pam Baer
Carol Bonnie, Vandy Boudreau, Jenna Hunt, Suzanne Levit
Nadia Anderson, Max Boyer Glynn, Vanessa Getty
Karen Caldwell and Christine Suppes – Ghislaine Maxwell and Sloan Barnett
Paula Carano and Vanessa Getty
Maca Huneeus and Anne Waterman – Lyle Maltz and Derek Blasberg
Lauren Santo Domingo and Kate Harbin
Jennifer Dietz and Alison Sonsini Turner – Alyssa Warnock and Federika Longinotti Buitoni
Stephanie O’Brien and Merriman Mathewson
Maca Huneeus and Leigh Matthes – Kim Gilbert, Ricky Serbin, Vanessa Getty
Tags: Afsaneh Akhtari, Alexis Traina, alison sonsini, alison sonsini turner, Allison Speer, Alyssa Warnock, Anne Waterman, Carol Bonnie, Christine Suppes, Deepa Pakianathan, Derek Blasberg, Federika Longinotti Buitoni, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jenna Hunt, Jennifer Dietz, Jennifer Raiser, Jesscia Moment, Karen Caldwell, Kate Harbin, Katie Traina, Kim Gilbert, Kim Glibert, Leigh Matthes, Lyle Maltz, Maca Huneeus, Max Boyer Glynn, Merriman Mathewson, Nadia Anderson, Pam Baer, Paula Carano, Ricky Serbin, Sloan Barnett, Sobia Shaikh, Stephanie Ejabat, Stephanie Milligan, Suzanne Levit, Todd Traina, Vandy Boudreau, Vanessa Getty
We’re delighted to see that the Alex Chases Salon, run by the renowned hairstylist Alex Chases, has recently moved into a larger space at Rosewood Sand Hill’s Sense spa.
Designer Cedric Charlier recently visited San Francisco from Paris, to present his Spring 2013 collection at Barneys.
With Sloan and Roger Barnett, Sabrina Buell and Yves Behar, Jean-Pierre Conte, and Alison and Mark Pincus, Gucci recently hosted a private cocktail party at the San Francisco store to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the loafer, and the new 1953 collection for men and women.
Catherine Kwong’s living room, inspired by Mick Jagger and Bianca Jagger, is one of the highlights of the 2013 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, taking place at 2800 Pacific Avenue.
Saks Fifth Avenue and San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary are presenting Zac Posen as this year’s guest designer at the 32nd San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary Fashion Show, benefiting San Francisco Ballet.
Michael S. Smith was recently honored at Hedge Gallery in San Francisco at a party hosted by Alison Pincus, Vanessa Getty and Allison Speer. His design work for a Palladian Villa in Malibu is being put up for auction at Christie’s in New York. Nicolas Berggruen, Princess Tatiana Galitzine, Dede Wilsey, and Sabrina Buell were among the guests.
Deepa Pakianathan and Phil Pemberton recently hosted a reception for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in anticipation of its upcoming Gala on April 20, 2013, which pays tribute to legendary opera baritone and Conservatory Advisory Board member Thomas Hampson.
Conservatory mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook directs and stars in a program featuring special performances by Hampson with Conservatory students, faculty and guest artists. Teresa Medearis and Barbara Walkowski co-chair the event, with catering by McCall’s Catering and Events and decor by Blueprint Studios.
Tickets for this very special occasion can be purchased at www.sfcm.edu
UCSF Partners in Care recently held its 2013 kick-off membership event at Reed & Greenough. Membership co-Chairs Schuyler Hudak and Libby Leffler hosted the launch party and kicked off the well-attended evening with brief remarks, followed by UCSF Partners in Care President Katie Budge, who spoke about the services that the auxiliary organization provides to the hospital.
UCSF Partners in Care works with UCSF hospital staff to fund programs that provide comfort and well-being to patients and their families while visiting the UCSF medical center.
Guests enjoyed spirited greyhounds nicknamed “Doctor’s Orders,” and a “Members Only” wine special while noshing on sweet treats from Kara’s Cupakes, and savory sliders and arancini from Cedar Hill Kitchen and Smokehouse.
Please visit www.ucsfpartnersincare.org for more information about this important organization.
Renowned European designer Ms. Madeline Pauw recently made an appearance at a delightful luncheon at Saks Fifth Avenue in San Francisco, where her Spring 2013 collection was presented.
The Pauw collection is designed by Madeleine Pauw, daughter of the original founders. Pauw is known for its luxurious fabrics and soft touches of femininity while integrating just a splash of masculine undertones, but always keeping the fit and style in mind for the female physique. The company has been in business for over 50 years, and originally was created in the Netherlands where it currently has 29 stores.
You can purchase pieces from Pauw at Saks Fifth Avenue at 384 Post Street, San Francisco, or online at Saks Fifth Avenue
ModeWalk recently unveiled its newest service for their clients, a first-of-its-kind, by-appointment showroom in San Francisco called Boudoir, located on the 7th Floor of 391 Sutter Street in Union Square.
Betty Lin, the chic Presidio Heights boutique, recently celebrated the launch of the new Maiyet collection with a party hosted by Alexis Traina, Alison Pincus, Nina Stanford, and Seth Miller.
The Mid Winter Gala for 2013 honored the exhibit, “Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis” with a chic winter wonderland that raised over $400k. Marissa Mayer, Jonathan Ive, Alison Pincus, Vanessa Getty, Dick Costolo, Stephan Jenkins, Connie Nielsen, Lori Levine, Evgenia Peretz, Jeremy Stoppelman, Trevor Traina, Allison Speer and Kathryn Lasater were among the 380 who attended.
Stephanie Phair, the managing director of Outnet.com, recently visited from London to host a luncheon previewing Oscar de la Renta’s new limited edition collection designed exclusively for The Outnet.
The Italian artist, Paolo Troilo, recently debuted his first U.S. exhibit at Coup d’Etat, the most exceptional designer space in San Francisco.
Sponsored by Testa Vineyards, the event brought together San Francisco tastemakers such as Jack Calhoun, Stephen Brady, Gary Friedman, Joy Bianchi, Anna Weinberg, Ken Fulk, and Jamie Finegold, among others.
The exhibit will run at Coup d’Etat until May 2013.
Visit Coup d’Etat at 111 Rhode Island, or online at coupdetatsf.com
The International Museum of Women (IMOW) hosted its annual Celebrating Change Benefit on March 6th, 2013, and the associated Vanguard Group hosted its Art Live Lounge benefit.
This year’s benefit featured IMOW’s second annual Innovator Award for Women in Technology, presented to Padmasree Warrior, Chief Technology and Strategy Officer of Cisco Systems.
The International Museum of Women is an innovative online museum that showcases art, stories and ideas to celebrate, inspire and advance the lives of women around the world. With the support of over 500 guests, IMOW raised over $200,000 to benefit its mission and exhibitions. Guests enjoyed a night of art and inspiration from the museum’s virtual collection, music, networking and dancing, while watching notable female artists create original artwork.
Learn more about the International Museum of Women at www.imow.org
Jay Jeffers recently designed three of the 23 penthouses of the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Lake Tahoe. The homes range from $1,250,000 to $4,500,000 in price.
Vaunte has selected five chic San Francisco women to feature on their site: Allison Speer, Sabrina Buell, Lauren Goodman, Jane Gruber, and Tienlyn Jacobson.
