Gossip Girl's Tika Sumpter shopping at the new Rebecca Taylor store Wednesday night
Belated winter weather was not on the guest list last night at Rebecca Taylor’s new Meatpacking District store. While freezing rain lingered outside on the silver carpet, spring was in full bloom inside the pristine flagship. The dainty designer played host to a packed house, all out to celebrate the opening of Taylor’s second NYC outpost.
When planning the 34 Gansevoort Street location, Taylor kept the neighborhood in mind. “The awning, the wood floors, the tin ceilings—we’ve even got the fridge downstairs. The big meat hanger!” Taylor told Videofashion. “I wanted to keep as much of what is essential to the Meatpacking District as possible, while also putting our own feminine touches on it,” she explained.
Those girlish accents include fresh flowers, comfy chairs, and candy from Taylor’s native New Zealand.
“It’s really welcoming,” Taylor added. “I want you to feel like you can walk in here and you’re getting the designer experience, but you’re going to be able to afford to buy something!”
Guests including Michelle Trachtenberg, Katrina Bowden, Tika Sumpter and Selita Ebanks sipped Kim Crawford wine and SVEDKA cocktails, nibbled decadent Jacques Torres chocolates and undeniable Baked by Melissa cupcakes (we dare you to “just have one” …), and shopped the new collection, while Taylor’s Spring/Summer 2011 runway show played. In addition to the python-print trench we’ve been eyeing since New York Fashion Week, the Porselli for Rebecca Taylor ballet flats we spotted last night were particularly covetable, and the sweet swimwear displays triggered dreams of sunning on the nearby High Line this summer.
30 Rock's Katrina Bowden with Rebecca Taylor at the new Meatpacking District flagship store
In addition to her retail expansion, Taylor was also celebrating a major milestone—her label’s 15th anniversary.
“The recession hit a lot of our peers very hard, and I feel so grateful that we weathered that,” Taylor told Videofashion. As her flagship officially opens for business today, the designer predicts sunshine for the seasons ahead. “I have amazing people who work with me, and we have a really great time. I think that’s a successful life—going to work every day and enjoying what you do.”
Watch Rebecca Taylor’s latest runway show below on Videofashion!
Videofashion Daily 