Posted by Harry
Shows | 21 May 07 | Comments (1) | Stumble
Part of the puzzle that is New York Design Week is figuring out what party to go to after the shows. There's a lot to choose from. They're generally sedate affairs in design showrooms, sometimes a dj, an open bar, and if lucky, some food to nibble on. This year I attended my first ever designed party. Yes it featured design, in fact it was impeccably curated with several objects, but in addition the party itself was cleverly designed. The Wrong Store is a storefront on 10th Avenue near 29th with a large window featuring the aforementioned curated objects and a door... with no door handle. A welcoming sign in the window that says "Come in! We're... CLOSED". And this night, party night, a large line-up of guests outside who would never get in... because in was out. Designed by Tobias Wong and Josee Lepage, this party was held outside on the sidewalk where smoke-free New York usually congregates to smoke (this time helped along with generous smokes proffered by the hosts; an invitation to do the wrong thing at the wrong store). Taxi after taxi dropped unsuspecting guests at the door, guests who gradually realized the party was being held precisely where they were dropped off right there on the curb. For many, including myself, the best party they never got into.
The front door with no handle.
Good god! But how, you may ask, do these people make money? Maybe they're still in college...