Marc Jacobs may have canceled his rock 'n' roll circus-themed masquerade ball, but on Thursday night another fashion house held a carnival-like party of its own. The event was the launch of Juicy Couture's Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street flagship store and it featured a cavalcade of ballerinas, stilt walkers, violinists, and choir singers entertaining approximately 500 guests amid balloons, multicolored lighting, and animal props. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Candy Spelling, Glenda Bailey, and Fern Mallis were among the mix of actors, magazine editors, and other fashion types that joined founders Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy at the late-night bash.
Looking to mix its eclectic and colorful aesthetic with iconic New York elements, the contemporary clothing company tapped Los Angeles-based David Rodgers to produce the party with Philip Johnson, Juicy's vice president of store design and display services. Rodgers sought out dancers from the American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey, and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet to perform in the store windows and the Boys and Girls Choir of Harlem Alumni Association to sing renditions of "California Dreamin'," "Bohemian Rhapsody," and "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
Adding to the ostentatious show of performers, Rodgers created vignettes for the scads of dessert items he sourced from local bakeries and specialty companies including Magnolia Bakery, Balthazar, Dean & DeLuca, and Li-Lac Chocolates. Towers and trays of cakes, petit fours, macaroons, and chocolates sat atop an antique mirrored table on the second floor, while projections of Juicy catch phrases like "Eat Candy" and "Califreakinfornia" flashed across the ceiling.
