Doing NYFW in Style
Okay, so you’re going to NYFW. Yay! Maybe you were invited, or bought a ticket. But — now that that’s out of the way — maybe the rest has you a bit stumped. (We don’t blame you: there’s a heckuva lot to know.) Now what?
Fortunately, if you want to max out the scene with minimal fuss during New York Fashion Week, you can eat, drink and shop your way through the city with LUXE New York City Guide.
Here are a few hot tips compiled by LUXE’s editorial staff, ‘specially for FWO.
Bars
The Polo Bar
Upscale Americana is the name of the game at this NYFW fave and polo-inspired clubhouse, paying tribute to Ralph Lauren’s equestrian, East Coast-chic fashion brand. Expect VIPs rubbing shoulders and nibbling crab cakes, but order the burger.
1 E 55th St, Midtown East, +1 212 207 8562. ralphlauren.com
The Bar Room
Sip with the scene queens at this dapper 76-seat lounge situ’d under a sky-high Victorian atrium in Gotham’s more-than-a-century old Beekman Hotel. With plush, vintage-inspired velvet furny and hand-crafted tails, it’s the perfect perch for people-watching, Insta snapping and pre- or post-prandials. Enter via a separate entrance at 10 West 28th Street, just east of Broadway.
123 Nassau St, Lower Manhattan, +1 212 233 2300. thompsonhotels.com
Restaurants
Le CouCou
This Gallic all-day diner has effortlessly snagged a top spot in NY’s coveted dining lineup with its impeccable approach to no-fuss French cuisine. Chef Daniel Rose – of Parisian Spring fame – sticks to his seasonal MO in trad renditions of rabbit, lobster and foie gras, all sautéed, stuffed and sauced to perfection, and served up in a chic, Roman and Williams-designed monochrome salon.
138 Lafayette St, SoHo, +1 212 271 4252. lecoucou.com
Cafe Clover
Handsome haunt where the gussied Lululemon crowd nibble on farm-to-nutritionist-to-table fare. Far more sophisty than your average kale n’ quinoa bowl… Cauliflower steak, Kate?
10 Downing St, West Village, +1 212 675 4350. cafeclovernyc.com
Santina
This tropical Renzo Piano-designed glass box lodged under the High Line is another hit for the Carbone/Torrisi team, this time channelling the flaves and ambi of the Italian coast. Colourful Murano glass chandeliers hover over dishes of fritto misto, chickpea crepes, and blue crab spaghetti. It’s beach chic… As long as you don’t look outside.
820 Washington St, Meatpacking District, +1 212 254 3000. santinanyc.com
Shops
The Apartment by the Line
Float inside this dreamy NYC loft for an array of covetable goodies spanning furny and boudoir objets by local artisans and est. names such as Tenfold New York. Plus The Line’s own collection and minimalist, modish women’s garb. Book ahead by private appointment to be navigated through it all.
76 Greene St, SoHo, +1 917 460 7196. theline.com
What Goes Around Comes Around
It for vintage vixens with more than 100,000 pre-loved pieces. A discerning cache of Chanel, Pucci, Hermès and YSL, plus a strong selection of rock tees, denim duds + army everything. Prepare for retail onslaught. Shopping trips to the Tribeca showroom are by appt only.
351 W Broadway, SoHo, +1 212 343 1225. whatgoesaroundnyc.com
Twisted Lily
The motherlode of boutique and small-batch scents, with nary a mass-market bottle in sight. The bijou selection of scents are sourced from far and wide, and there’s a handy backup line of candles, diffusers, and organic skincare prods too.
360 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, +1 347 529 4681. twistedlily.com
Activities
Whitney Museum of American Art
Bunker of C.20th works, host of loved/hated Biennial and home to works by heavy hitters like O’Keeffe, Warhol and Pollock. Over 18,000 pieces are housed here, so there’s bound to be something to please even the most discerning eye – you’re sure to hear ‘I don’t know much about art, but I do know what I like’. Sup at onsite Untitled—from the Gramercy Tavern team—plating up seasonal spoils as masterful and thought-provoking as the works upstairs.
99 Gansevoort St, Meatpacking District, +1 212 570 3600. whitney.org
A Context Tour
Got a few hours to kill in-between shows? Get intimate with the Big Apple via one of Context Travel’s excellent, expert-led jaunts. The range of tours spans culture to cocktails; take a MoMA masterclass, have an insider peek of Wall St, or explore the history underpinning smash-hit Hamilton. Small group or bespoke avail; hands down best in town.
Neue Galerie
Magnificent Beaux Arts UES manse housing cosmetics tycoon Ronald Lauder’s enviable stash of Mitteleuropan art and antiques. Neue’s focus is early C.20th German and Austrian greats incl. Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Paul Klee, plus Gustav Klimt’s glittering portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. There’s an array of decorative objets and bijoux, excellent temporary exhibits and ace lil’ design shop. Bonus points for all the fab art and none of the tourist throngs – arrive early or nab premium tix online beforehand.
Entry is free the first Friday of the month from 6pm to 8pm. Stop by the Viennese-style Café Sabarsky for brekkie or an apfelstrudel.
1048 5th Ave, +1 212 994 9493. Neuegalerie.org
Where to stay
Ace Hotel
Whether bunk or party loft, the pared back mix n’ match, lo-fi West Coast-cool quotient is always high. Rooms come equipped with turntable and guitar “essentials” for when inspiration strikes; the lobby buzzes with artists and creatives; plus John Dory Oyster Bar, Stumptown Coffee, Breslin resto, and ace retail. Room 414 has a spacious bathroom and charming vintage furniture.
20 W 29th St, Flatiron, +1 212 679 2222. acehotel.com
The Refinery
Once a millinery, now the top hat of the fashion district: think 12 ft ceilings, desks modelled after sewing machines, Frette linens and Le Labo bath prods, and the glam-packed rooftop bar for glittery Empire State Building vistas.
63 W 38th, Midtown West, +1 646 664 0310. refineryhotelnewyork.com
The Beekman
This handsome restored bower was one of the city’s first skyscrapers when it first opened in 1881 and though today it’s dwarfed by its steel n’ granite neighbours, inside is an ode to old-world opulence. Martin Brudnizki’s gorgeous chambers are a restrained mash-up of antique furnishings, bespoke decor and lush Carrara marble ensuites with vibrant lashings of colour. Sample classic NYC fare at Tom Colicchio’s chandeliered Fowler & Wells; hearty Gallic portions at Augustine brasserie, and take decadent sips at the plush lobby-lounger The Bar Room under the show-stopping Victorian atrium.
123 Nassau St, Financial District, +1 212 233 2300. thebeekman.com
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