A Gramercy Park Friendsgiving with an English Accent
Where fashion designers, founders, and Southern hospitality collided over oysters, diamonds, and London dry gin.
How are you, friend? I’m in recovery mode. Not in a negative way, but my body demanded some hardcore rest after the last few weeks. We’ve had a lot of visitors. My in-laws (to-be) visited at the beginning of the month, which was a fun excuse to kick off the holidays a teeny bit early. We decorated the tree together, and my MIL and I went to Bergdorf’s to shop, wedding plan, and have tea service in the cafe, which gave us a perfect view of the New York Marathon runners.
After that, one of my best girlfriends, Abby, came into town from Atlanta, and after she had her bridesmaid dress fitting at Heirlome, we had a big silly girl’s night at San Vicente. Then, just a few days later, my Mom flew in to help out with a Friendsgiving we were doing at my apartment.
Friendsgiving was thrown with my friend Lucy Delius, who was in town from London taking appointments for her eponymous jewelry line. We conspired to do a little England meets the American South vibe with the menu, and Lucy brought gin and spirits from her neighbor’s shop.
My Mom rolled up her sleeves and taught my friends — many of them European — about Southern food. Watching girlfriends from places like Scotland, France, Mexico, Mumbai, and Sweden have their first-ever bites of pimento cheese, boiled peanuts, and stone crab claws was a total joy (and funny as hell). Lucy draped diamond jewelry all around the food, making an even more decadent buffet.
My friend Olivia from Chava Studio also happened to be in town, and she brought me the centerpiece of my outfit for the night: an oversized white tux shirt (back story on that here) with a tiny red torso monogram of my new married last name.
I wore it with The Row’s Mimi bottoms, which are like thick leggings but with footies and meant to be worn as pants (you might remember these runway photos). I finished it with Phoebe Philo Soft 90 pumps and cluster earrings. A quick blow dry, one quarter of a Xanax (let’s be real), and a quick swipe of Baby Cheeks in Petal, and I was ready to co-host.
We loaded our party guests down with treats to take home. Brie from Maison d’Etto brought everyone my favorite Verdades candle and bottles of her newest fragrance, I-Dream, a sophisticated vanilla dreamt up with perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, which launched that day.
On top of that, Annie Kreighbaum sent over a stack of her new launch, Kraum, which is an elegantly-executed eyeliner kit fit for even the most novice of makeup wearers, which had also launched that day. I got so many delighted texts from my friends cooing over how original and beautiful it was.
Alice and Jennifer from Kindred Black came by the party on the tail end, along with Ashley from Don’t Let Disco, and they brought with them my favorite purchase as of late: a showstopper glass Mancala board which they collaborated on. They all first met at my house! And now, a year or so later, this genius collab is born! I had to have one, and now it’s proudly displayed on my coffee table. (I also have to say, Ashley’s work has always been really good, but lately its ascension has been illuminating. Her pieces are better than ever.)
I almost jumped on a plane to Vegas to join Carole at Bravocon (I mean talk about rich soil for writers) but I’m glad I chose rest, even though peering through the social media window (and Eric’s TikTok updates) has been giving me fomo.
Carole is deeply chic and full of lore, and exactly the kind of person I’d want to do that kind of thing with, because it isn’t her whole personality. She is detached enough from it all to have a sense of humor about it, roll with the chaos, and have a chuckle. I have no idea how Bravo convinced a Peabody award-winning journalist who was BFF with CBK to come on reality TV, but they’re lucky she’s down for the hang.
I’ve been doing a ton of IRL market work the past few weeks, as well. Lots of showroom appointments and launches to tell you about in upcoming gift guides, which are thoroughly researched this year.
I’m writing from my Mom’s very nice hotel suite at The Twenty Two (their team is wonderful and upgraded her), dogs snoozing at my feet, fresh cup of hot coffee on my bedside table in Ginori china (pretty sure it’s the Antico Doccia) that is going to be added to my wedding registry, because I really like it.
I hope you have a wonderful, restful weekend full of things like clean sheets, Bravo binges, room service, holiday cheer, and hot, cozy beverages. I just wanted to say hi and tell you what I’ve been up to. Back to our regularly scheduled programming Monday. Stay warm!
P.S., It’s gift guide season:
Holy shit, Jess - the photos, the lore, the looks, the flowers, the food, the jewels. 🤤
Best Friendsgiving there ever was!!