We Had Lunch with Chloë Sevigny—And It Was Awesome
"This reminds me of my college cafeteria—in a good way," said a woman seated at a table in the Highline Hotel's Refectory, a neo-gothic hall with sky-high ceilings and brass chandeliers. If Chloë Sevigny heard this, she would have been delighted: Her new clothing line, designed in partnership with Opening Ceremony, was schoolgirl-themed: think short pleated skirts, knee-length socks, and plaid. (Lots of plaid.) And so was the show to debut it. This wasn't like the other shows at Fashion Week, though. Because this was a Bon Appétit Feast or Fashion event, there was actual food—a spectacular four-course menu from Carlo Mirarchi, the chef of Roberta's and Blanca, and Brooks Headley, the pastry chef at Del Posto. And there was no runway. Instead, young ladies dressed in Sevigny's pieces performed throughout the afternoon, modeling the clothes in a manner much more engaging than strutting in a straight line. The vibe was a little grunge, a little Wes Anderson, and a whole lot of fun. Here's how it all went down.
Alex Lau1/18Outfitted entirely in pieces from her new line with Opening Ceremony, Chloë Sevigny herself greeted guests as they walked up the stairs into the Highline Hotel's Refectory (a fancy word that means "dining room"), a space reminiscent of Hogwarts. And that's kind of the point.
Keeping with the theme of the day, Sevigny told us about her go-to school lunch growing up. “Ice cream sandwich with chips. Always together,” she proudly admitted. “I was really skinny as a kid, so I could eat whatever the hell I wanted for lunch.”
Matteo Prandoni/BFAnyc.com2/18See? Told you it looked like Hogwarts.
Alex Lau3/18Just outside the doors, some young ladies demo'd their double-dutch skills.
Matteo Prandoni/BFAnyc.com4/18The show was unlike any other at Fashion Week: Young, talented ladies modeled the clothes throughout the lunch—all while playing guitar, twirling batons, reading poetry, and singing.
Matteo Prandoni/BFAnyc.com5/18Here's Sevigny with Opening Ceremony designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon. Oh yeah, and also Sonic Youth frontwoman Kim Gordon! Of all the school-lunch memories, Lim's was probably our favorite. "I grew up Korean-American, so my mom would do these fusion-type meals," she said. "She would make me this amazing bulgogi sandwich: Marinated Korean beef with a slice of cheese on bread."
Matteo Prandoni/BFAnyc.com6/18Del Posto's Brooks Headley chats with Bon Appétit publisher Pam Drucker-Mann and editor in chief Adam Rapoport. Headley was super excited about the dessert he'd be making: "It’s the end of the season for stone fruit," he said, "so we're making a slow-roasted nectarine half. It’s a very limited dessert that we have on the menu—only at the end of August, beginning of September. We can get these beautiful nectarines from a farmer upstate that delivers them directly to us. It’s very romantic." Even more romantic? The grilled lemon cake and basil gelato served alongside the precious fruit.
Matteo Prandoni/BFAnyc.com7/18There were plenty of impeccably dressed human beings to remind us that this, indeed, was a fashion show. We were really digging on WSJ. magazine style director David Thielebeule's leather pants.
Alex Lau8/18Sevigny sits down with Gordon for the start of the meal. Gordon's school lunch was perhaps the most punk rock of all: "Sometimes I’d have a peanut butter and lettuce sandwich, weirdly. Or peanut butter and pickles," she admits. Does she still dig on PB&P? "When I was pregnant, I tried eating peanut butter and pickles, and it gave me the worst indigestion."
Alex Lau9/18It seemed that both Carlo Mirarchi and Headley were inspired by the last breath of summer. Here's Mirarchi's first course: tomatoes, burrata, pounded oregano vinaigrette, and torn-bread croutons. Tables were set with jump ropes and chalk, driving home the schoolgirl vibe.
Alex Lau10/18Guests rolled their eyes in delight while eating Mirarchi's white-and-green lasagna with ricotta, spinach, and pecorino. The crunchy breadcrumbs sprinkled on top made this dish a big winner.
Matteo Prandoni/BFAnyc.com11/18Did we mention that the young ladies modeling Sevigny's line were super talented?
Alex Lau12/18The show-stopping main of the four-course lunch was a medium-rare country-cut heritage pork chop, served with tangy roasted peaches, vincotto, and coriander.
Alex Lau13/18Some hard-hitting slam poetry during lunch left diners in silence.
Alex Lau14/18The party proved that having a photo booth is the key to success for any bash. Here's Bon Appétit creative director Alex Grossman and executive editor Christine Muhlke posing in Opening Ceremony duds and the silliest of props.
Alex Lau15/18Some of us at BA even got to model Sevigny's stuff. Here's special projects director Colu Henry sporting a pair of frilly, colorful sandals.
Matteo Prandoni/BFAnyc.com16/18Legendary French photographer Olivier Zahm was there to support Sevigny, snapping photos throughout the lunch.
Alex Lau17/18Um, we're not sure where these ladies learned to play violin, but we're pretty sure we'll be seeing them at Lincoln Center one day.
Matteo Prandoni/BFAnyc.com18/18Mirarchi and Headley pose for one last picture after a super busy—and super successful—service.
