We’d hate to have to take back what we’ve always said about P. Diddy being a such a gracious party host, but the launch of his new Sean Jean outpost on Fifth Avenue and the subsequent party at Ruby Falls (overseen by the brand’s vice president of retail Charles Suriano) left some things to be desired.
When the store opened its doors at 9 PM for an hour-long champagne reception, it was chaos on the red carpet. We understand that an extra throng of celebrities and fashion royals was in town for Fashion Week, but the number of guests on the list was so vastly greater than the capacity of the store that many who showed up with their cool crocodile-look invitations by Creative Intelligence were turned away at the door (the likes of Lil' Kim, Calvin Klein, Naomi Campbell, and the Black Eyed Peas excepted, of course).
Inside, event producer and designer Matthew David Events created white flower arrangements accented with greenery in vases from the Sean John home collection, and Urban Events passed hors d’oeuvres. Roving clarinet player Ryan Bromv was an unexpected complement to the hip-hop DJ.
At Ruby Falls for the after-party, it was more madness. As early-autumn rain fell, non-V.I.P. guests waited outside in a half-hour-long line that hardly moved (we regret there was no separate, more hospitable press line) only to find that the atmosphere inside was hardly different from any other non-Diddy-related night at the club. The few exceptions included Sean John and Bad Boy gobo projections on the walls and mostly naked dancing girls on platforms. Diddy didn’t even include top shelf liquor in the open bar offerings—so much for all that Cristal and Hypnotiq he raps about.
—Alesandra Dubin
When the store opened its doors at 9 PM for an hour-long champagne reception, it was chaos on the red carpet. We understand that an extra throng of celebrities and fashion royals was in town for Fashion Week, but the number of guests on the list was so vastly greater than the capacity of the store that many who showed up with their cool crocodile-look invitations by Creative Intelligence were turned away at the door (the likes of Lil' Kim, Calvin Klein, Naomi Campbell, and the Black Eyed Peas excepted, of course).
Inside, event producer and designer Matthew David Events created white flower arrangements accented with greenery in vases from the Sean John home collection, and Urban Events passed hors d’oeuvres. Roving clarinet player Ryan Bromv was an unexpected complement to the hip-hop DJ.
At Ruby Falls for the after-party, it was more madness. As early-autumn rain fell, non-V.I.P. guests waited outside in a half-hour-long line that hardly moved (we regret there was no separate, more hospitable press line) only to find that the atmosphere inside was hardly different from any other non-Diddy-related night at the club. The few exceptions included Sean John and Bad Boy gobo projections on the walls and mostly naked dancing girls on platforms. Diddy didn’t even include top shelf liquor in the open bar offerings—so much for all that Cristal and Hypnotiq he raps about.
—Alesandra Dubin
At the opening party for P. Diddy’s new Fifth Avenue Sean John store, the host mingled with the crowd of mostly celebs, like Tommy Hilfiger.
The packed house mingled amid white flowers and greenery by Matthew David Events.
Scantily clad dancers added sex appeal to the after-party at Ruby Falls.
Bad Boy and Sean John gobos bedecked the club’s walls.
