Last night's party celebrating Rootstein's launch of the new Agyness Deyn mannequin was probably one of the best I've been to in some time. Alas, I couldn't stick around long enough to see Aggy in the flesh as she was apparently stuck in a shoot and scheduled to drop in towards the end of the bash. But talking to self proclaimed Alpha Kitty Andre J and seeing Michael Musto somewhere other than on my tv screen as a commentator on Keith Olbermann...oh, and how could I forget glimpsing the subject of my previous blog, Arlenis Pena?...almost made up for it.
The really big highlight though? Finally getting to meet Kevin, who owns the gallery...and Rootstein really is more gallery than mannequin maker. I say finally because there's a bit of a back story here. I used to live in Chelsea, literally across the street from Rootstein, and our apartment window looked out onto the gallery. I passed the storefront every day, and have been a big admirer of their work for years. Whenever Rootstein held one of its launch parties, I'd always look out from my window and gaze at the crowd of people overflowing into the street.
"That's looks like some party," I'd comment to my then boyfriend. "Wouldn't it be great to go?"
Recounting that story to Kevin in the flesh, we both got a chuckle. And then he proceeded to tell me about the work, answering all the questions I was aiming at him in quickfire succession. Kevin took over the business from founder Adel Rootstein when she retired some years back. He is a visual display artist and stylist by vocation, but a designer at heart, making all the clothes adorning the PVC beauties himself.
Rootstein has collaborated with some of the most legendary faces: Twiggy, Pat Cleveland, Veruschka, Suzy Parker, Diane Brill, Karen Mulder, Elaine Paige, Joan Collins, Erin O'Connor, Maggie London and the list goes on and on.
I nearly had to push my tongue back into my mouth when Kevin told me about his archive of photos, dating back since the company started, and numbering thousands upon thousands of shots.
And hopefully, I"ll be able to own some of these priceless images sometime in the near future. His next project is to compile a book about the company, which sounds like a great reason for another party to me.
2 comments:
Lucky you! Agyness Deyn is totally the new twiggy. I can't believe Burberry dropped her....stupid oversensitive photographers need to CHILL(just going off the rumors)!Whatever its there loss, and they'll see it in the profits...i think.
Well, as it turns out Agyness didn't make it to the party at all I hear. Held up in Long Island City with her film shoot....can't wait for it to come out!
Post a Comment