Garden Party

(NEW YORK) It was a convergence of art and architecture Thursday night on the 5th floor garden terrace of Elie Tahari's offices, where the designer unveiled his Spring 2009 accessories collection.  Guests Carson Kressley, Dennis Basso, Meredith Melling Burke and Filipa Fino sipped Veuve Clicquot champagne and cocktails and snacked on salmon gâteau while browsing through the museum-worthy space.

"When Gordon Bunshaft designed the 510 Fifth Avenue building in 1953, which I purchased in 2002, he called it to be more jewelry than architecture," Tahari explained. "His philosophy was my starting point when designing the Spring 2009 accessories collection and why I chose to throw the party on the terrace."

Outside in the garden, Tahari's shoes and bags were perched on Plexiglas bases that rested on top of the hedges--a gorgeous juxtaposition of the natural and modern elements in Tahari's pieces.

The collection, triple in size compared with previous seasons, was inspired by the architecture of the building itself. Bags and clutches were structured, while shoes were heavy on the platform. Neutral taupes and blush hues abounded, but Tahari added more than a dash of luxury with metallics and exotic skins like stingray and python. One standout? A stunning textured leather platform with a towering wooden heel that Reina Meucci already got her hands on--she wore them at the party!
EMILY GYBEN