Bed of Roses

(NEW YORK) A hedge overflowing with roses greeted guests who arrived on the third floor of Barneys Tuesday afternoon to honor Anne Klein creative director Isabel Toledo. Lauren duPont and Sally Singer hosted the intimate luncheon to celebrate the designer. "I am so overwhelmed; they created a real living garden for Isabel," said Ruben, whose hand-painted versions of Anne Klein's spring shirtdress will be sold exclusively at Barneys. "Those designs were a magical accident." Singer wore the bouquet wedge dress from the designer while duPont wore Thread Social. Ruben, however, promised he would make Dupont a dress. "Lauren had a great idea--I should just paint right on to what everyone is wearing," he laughed after toasting his wife.

Singer was particularly impressed with the recent Anne Klein collection. "If you look back, Isabel sort of kicked off the international fashion season," she said. "She nailed it--she had the flowers, she had the gold, she had the paint--she always goes her own way but when fashion moves to Isabel I am very happy." Barneys' Julie Gilhart agreed. "In her second season, she was able to make a mark and reinvent where the brand is going in such a beautiful way," she said. "In this day and age it's the designer behind the house that carries the brand." The Toledos have long been a part of the Barneys family. Isabel's eponymous collection greets shoppers on the second floor as they ascend on the escalators, and now her collection for Anne Klein will have a place in the department store. Isabel is proud to be a part of the fashion community. "All artists have their antennae up and feel the vibes; it's great to be a part of this milieu," she said.  "For 23 years and counting Barneys has allowed me to be an artist and a part of their culture."

"I'm in my favorite shopping room and the roses are making me want to run out and shop," said Liz Lange, who took the red eye from Las Vegas, where she was keynote speaker at a retail conference, to make it in time. But her trip did not go without a glitch. When she arrived at the Bellagio the computer systems were out and thousands of people were milling about the lobby waiting for their rooms.

Though Dr. Lisa Airan recently celebrated her one-year anniversary, all of the fragrant roses reminded her of an ideal wedding setting. "It makes me want to get married again," she laughed. Guests were gifted an Anne Klein scarf designed by the Toledos to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. But for Isabel, Barneys support has been a treasure. "We used to go to the 17th Street store at midnight and paint murals; Ruben and I would have the store to ourselves so it became a part of us," she said. "The creative spirit has always been there."
NOLA WEINSTEIN