Gabriela Hearst celebrated her return to Paris Fashion Week in an unconventional manner, hosting a pre-show party two days before the event. The New York-based designer collaborated with Michael Kliger, CEO of the e-commerce platform Mytheresa, to organize what they termed a “supper club evening” at the Bristol Hotel, her favorite spot in the French capital.
Reflecting on the decision to hold the party ahead of her runway show, Hearst joked, “Michael said to me, ‘It’s brave of you to accept to do a party before the show.’ I’m like, ‘Brave or smart? Because I’m upstairs.’” Kliger remarked on Hearst’s confidence, noting, “She’s very proud of the collection that is coming.”
To maintain the vibrant energy of the evening following a day filled with fittings at her temporary studio, Hearst enlisted her childhood friend, concert producer Danilo A. Sueiro, to DJ the event. “He knows what makes me dance since I’m a kid,” she shared, adorned in a white cashmere lace dress of her own creation.
Notable attendees included models and influencers such as Helena Christensen, Kelly Rutherford, Suzi de Givenchy, Caroline Vreeland, and Ella Richards, who mingled over drinks and appetizers. Kliger also highlighted the creative connection between Hearst and the Bristol’s head barman, Thierry Fernandez, who once crafted a cocktail inspired by her for Mytheresa’s print publication, The Album. Mytheresa, a long-time partner of Hearst’s brand, plans to offer an exclusive selection from her upcoming spring collection.
Proud of her selective partnerships, Kliger remarked, “I’m proud to say she’s picky, so she decides with whom she partners.”
Hearst had previously showcased her spring 2021 collection in Paris during the coronavirus pandemic. Following her appointment as creative director at Chloé, she shifted her focus back to her namesake label in New York. After leaving Chloé last year, Hearst is intent on expanding her retail presence, with plans to open a boutique in Tokyo later this year and another in Paris by 2025, following a successful pop-up shop at Le Bristol in 2022.
“We knew we had to show here in Paris,” Hearst acknowledged, admitting the current challenges surpass those of the pandemic, when the fashion calendar was less crowded. “This one’s been a real challenge.”
Ultimately, Hearst aims to exert greater control over her retail operations. “Our business goal is to become all retail with a small percentage of wholesale partners, which are going to be the same ones that we started with,” she stated. Praising Mytheresa’s commitment to quality, she added, “If you see the consistency of Mytheresa and the growth, good quality is very admirable.”
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