Sartiano’s Opens in The Mercer Hotel
Taking over the space vacated by The Mercer Kitchen, Scott Sartiano has opened his swanky new take on Italian American cuisine.
The Mercer Kitchen's closing in December, after nearly 25 years inside the downtown staple The Mercer hotel, left a big hole in the SoHo dining space. The Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant had been a celebrity magnet, known both for its food and for its cool, downtown energy that kept it buzzing for more than two decades.
Now, the iconic space has a new resident. Opening Thursday is Sartiano's, an Italian American joint that aims to fill the shoes it occupies.
The project is the most personal one yet for proprietor Scott Sartiano, who is behind members-only social club Zero Bond as well as clubs 1Oak and Up & Down and the restaurant Butter. Walking through the restaurant, Sartiano explains that he and his team wanted to respect the existing space while bringing their own spin to it.
“It's such an iconic space, right — it worked and people liked it. So you want to try and figure out and extract the part of the DNA that made it successful and makes it comfortable for people to come back to,” he says. “They feel like they're still coming back to a familiar place, while also making enough changes to tell the story that I want to tell. And something for the next 25 years as opposed to you come from the last 25 and build something new for the next 25."
The story he is telling is one of his family and his Italian heritage: both of their roots in Italy and the more present day ones in Brooklyn and the Carolinas, where Sartiano grew up.
“The truth of it is that this is a concept I've wanted to do for 10 years,” he says. “I don't have the desire to open 20 restaurants, to be the next huge restaurant. I wanted to open this restaurant and I just waited for the right space and opportunity for a long time.”
He says taking over The Mercer hotel space was about as ideal as it could get.
“Basement spaces are hard. As a restaurateur, you never want to really take a basement space. But obviously at The Mercer, this space is different,” Sartiano said. “It's like the epicenter of downtown New York, Prince and Mercer. It's kind of survived time. I mean, it's the iconic crown jewel hotel of downtown New York in my opinion, and it's been that for 25 years and has never stopped. And you've seen New York change and SoHo change…this corner has remained the center of gravity of SoHo and really, downtown.”
He's opened up some of the original space, added roughly 10 to 15 more seats, and has brought in some of the upstairs light via skylights and light textures. The menu is his take on modern Italian.
“It has some classic red sauce dishes, but I want it to be lighter. I want you to feel like you can come here for lunch or come here for dinner and not go home to bed. I want it to be fine dining. We're on Prince and Mercer, right? So I want something for the most elevated foodie in New York to come and feel like it's an amazing experience. I want to keep it democratic enough for the tourists from Paris walking by saying ‘What is this place?' And walking in and feeling comfortable,” he says. That means while upscale, “I'm not trying to bang people over the head with price.”
The staff will also be dressed in custom uniforms by Michael Andrews, a tailor located in the alley of Zero Bond, who does all of Mr. Sartiano's clothing. The sommeliers have unique jackets, and the bartenders have their own look as do the servers.
While Sartiano is known for hot spots and buzz, he's hoping that Sartiano's is around in The Mercer hotel for as long as its previous tenant.
“Obviously the people that were here before did an incredible job, so it's kind of like passing the torch. I've got to make sure that I do as good of a job as they did which it's big shoes to fill, right?” he says. “So I just hope I can do as good a job as they did.”
Fashion editors and other professionals in
Paris on July 2 might find themselves wishing they could be in two places at the same time: Alaïa and Celine have scheduled off- calendar runway shows only 30 minutes apart.
It seems logistically impossible to attend both: Normally shows are scheduled at least one hour apart during official fashion weeks to allow sufficient time for participants to attend all events.
As reported, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode published its provisional couture-week calendar on June 5, with 32 houses scheduling fall 2023 runway shows between July 3 and 6.
In concert with that, the federation noted that two houses would show spring 2024 ready-to-wear collections on July 2, with Patou taking a 6 p. m. spot and Alaïa following with an 8 p. m. show time.
The federation does not manage off- calendar shows, but it had noted the Alaïa event as that house is, like Celine, a member.
The federation declined to comment on Wednesday.
On Monday, Celine sent out a save-the- date for its summer 2024 Celine Homme show, scheduled for July 2 at 8: 30 p. m.
The brand has yet to communicate the venue and declined further comment.
Contacted on Wednesday, a spokesman for Alaïa said that it is not able to move the time or location of its July 2 show.
It is understood the fashion house, controlled by luxury group Compagnie Financière Richemont, required special permissions for its show venue, which cannot be altered.
Celine, part of larger luxury rival LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, often presents its collections outside regular fashion weeks.
Paris Fashion Week for the spring 2024 menswear collections is scheduled for June 20 to 25 in the French capital.
Last season Celine presented its menswear collection at Paris nightclub Le Palace almost three weeks after the European men's shows wound up. By contrast, Celine creative and image director Hedi Slimane had unveiled his fall 2023 women's collection for Celine on Dec. 8 in Los Angeles, months before official fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris.
Alaïa also has a penchant for operating on its own schedule — and with unusual seasonal nomenclature. The house, helmed by Belgian designer Pieter Mulier, paraded its "summer-fall 2023" collection on Jan. 27 in Antwerp, right after the spring 2023 haute couture collections in Paris.
The collection to be presented on July 2 is dubbed "winter- spring 2024."
Christie's broke records on Tuesday with sales of several rare handbags. Results from the auction totaled $ 4.1 million, making it the highest-valued handbag sale ever staged in the Americas.
"The results show the strength and resilience of the handbags and accessories market," Rachel Koffsky, Christie's International head of handbags, told WWD. "We saw robust participation from over 30 countries, proving the international appeal of collectible handbags and the growing demand for these precious rarities."
The Handbags Online: The New York Edit sales, curated in part by consignment retailer Rebag, occurred from May 30 to June 12. The highest-selling item was a rare Hermès Kellywood 22 crafted with beechwood and barenia leather. Featuring a geometric design based on an Hermès scarf pattern, the bag fetched $176,400 at auction.
Other highlights included the sale of three crocodile Himalaya bags: a Lady
Dior, an Hermès Birkin and an Hermès Kelly. The unique leather pattern is distinguished by its gradient color scheme.
Produced in limited qualities, the Himalaya
Kelly and the Himalaya Birkin are considered two of the rarest handbags in the world. The former sold for $ 119,700, while the latter went for $ 151,200. Meanwhile, the Lady Dior, which includes crystalencrusted hardware, went for $ 21,420.
Christie's also auctioned off a Louis Vuitton valise designed by Takashi Murakami. Crafted in 2004, the limited- edition suitcase fetched $ 21,420. The white Alzer 65 model features Murakami's trademark Multicolore monogram. Popularized by celebrities like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, the now- discontinued pattern was emblematic of 2000s logomania. ' Tis the season for resort capsule collections.
Valentino Escape 2023 made its U. S. debut in L. A. with Saks Fifth Avenue on Tuesday night with a cocktail soiree at a private home in Beverly Hills.
The monogrammed collection was displayed on mannequins around the infinity pool, where
"The Flash" actress Sasha Calle, "Yellowjackets" star Courtney Eaton, "Prey" star Amber Midthunder and more tip-toed in the house's platform heels and minidresses while sipping Champagne.
The event was the first
U.S. stop on Valentino's world tour of activations to celebrate the collection of summer-ready wardrobe staples that reinterpret the archival prints of the fashion house. This year the brand focused on its Animalier, Panther and Loop patterns to elevate vacation looks, such as billowing caftans, flowy dresses, swimwear, scarves, sunglasses and V Logo heels.
The brand partnered with Saks on the U. S. release; Valentino Escape is available at Saks.com and at Saks Fifth Avenue stores in New York; Greenwich, Connecticut; Atlanta; Boca Raton, Florida; and Beverly Hills, where the collection has taken over the windows and a pop- up space on the main floor.
At the party, Valentino x Saks branded pool loungers, umbrellas and a lemonade cart set the resort scene. Valentino logo straw fans were also on offer but not needed, since L. A. has yet to hit peak summer weather.
Cocktail chatter was all about the Hollywood Writers Guild of America strike and the looming SAGAFTRA actors strike, which could snag press tour red carpet dressing plans for several major summer releases, including "Barbie."
Stylist Erica Cloud was still unsure if she'd be traveling with Robert Downey Jr. to promote "Oppenheimer," the Chris Nolan- directed film about the Manhattan Project.
If the June 30 SAGAFTRA contract deadline comes and goes without a new deal, and a strike begins, actors are not expected to be able to promote their new films.
Tracy Anderson, the fitness guru, has a new deal for women's activewear with Bloch, a provider of technical dance footwear and apparel.
The Tracy Anderson x Bloch collaboration traces its roots back to the days when Anderson would wear Bloch as a competitive and then professional dancer. The two combined their shared love of dance and movement to create a line of unitards and leotards for workouts.
The eight- piece collection features a custom line of unitards, leotards and two- piece sets designed to enhance performance across all ranges of motion. Retail prices range from
$ 50 to $ 125.
"The collaboration with Bloch is true full- circle moment because dance has always been at the heart of my method," said Anderson, founder of the Tracy Anderson Method.
"It has been such a wonderful opportunity to work with Tracy Anderson to interpret their unique understanding of body movement into functional and flattering garments," said David Wilkenfeld, chief executive officer of Bloch, a 90-year- old family business, whose dance shoes have been worn by ballerinas at the Royal Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, the Bolshoi Ballet and the Australian Ballet, among others.
The line is available at tracyanderson.com,
Tracy Anderson studios worldwide, blochworld.com and Bloch locations in New York and London.
In honor of Pride Month, the Finnish design house Marimekko has called upon three LGBTQIA+ visual artists in New York, Helsinki and Bangkok to create work for a Marimekko store window.
Brooklyn- based art director and illustrator Shanée Benjamin, Bangkokbased illustrator Juli Baker and Summer and the Helsinki- based visual and textile artist Anna- Karolina Vainio were recruited for commissions. Baker, who earned a fashion degree at Chulalongkorn University, started her artist career under the nom de plume Juli Baker and Summer in 2015. As a point of reference to help get the three artists' ideas circulating, they were given a quote by Marimekko founder Armi Ratia, who wrote in her diary at the age of 14, “There is only one strength — Love.”
As an official partner of Helsinki Pride since 2018 and a supporter of the Finnish LGBTQIA+ artist community, Marimekko has had similar art window collaborations in Helsinki for the past three years. In addition, the company has a tradition of inviting artists and creatives from all walks of life to create bold and colorful prints in order to brighten the lives of people.
This year is the first that the store window concept was unveiled in New York and Bangkok. Earlier this month the Brooklyn- based art director and illustrator Benjamin could be seen working on her creation outside of the brand's Wooster Street store, while shoppers browsed indoors. To give them another taste of her artistry, some of Benjamin's personal paintings are on display in the store this month.
Although Pride Month winds down in the U. S. at the end of this month, Helsinki's Pride celebration runs through July 2. Finland's President Tarja Halonen, an advocate for the human rights of sexual and gender minorities, will serve as this year's event patron. Vainio's artistry will be on view in the Helsinki store until July 3.
It won't be long before Marimekko has other reasons to celebrate. The Finnish brand will take part in Copenhagen Fashion Week in August, and more plans are in the works for next year in honor of the 60th anniversary of the brand's Unikko ( poppy) print.
It's Huishan Zhang's world, but it wouldn't be nothing without his women.
The designer has launched his third portfolio initiative, raising money for the Trussell Trust to support the cost- of- living crisis in the U. K.
For any purchases made during the month of
June, Zhang will donate 20 percent of the sales to the charity.
To help him raise awareness, he enlisted 12 women for the campaign, including actor, poet and filmmaker Greta Bellamacina; artist and poet Karimah Hassan; actors Anna Brewster and Anna Shaffer, as well as model and writer Nassia Matsa.
On Zhang's website, each woman has been interviewed about their upcoming projects, mentors in their careers and why they chose their selected pieces to wear in the shoot.
“This year I have two films out. A film
I shot in Rome with the renowned Italian theater director Riccardo Vannuniccini, which is called ' Commedia.' I play a girl who thinks she is a filmmaker, but other people think she is mad and it's about her friendship with a man she meets in a mental hospital,” said Bellamacina.
“The second film is called ' Tell That to the Winter Sea,' which I cowrote, and is directed by the Emmy award-winning director Jaclyn Bethany. I play a woman who is reunited with her childhood first love on the eve of her marriage to someone else, and it's their story. It is sort of a coming of age film, twice over,” she added.
Bellamacina will also be releasing her poetry book, “Who Will Make the Fire,” later this year.
Schaffer revealed that she's rehearsing for “School Girls, or, the African Mean Girls Play,” which opens next week at the The Lyric theater in Hammersmith, as well as starring in season three of Netflix's “The Witcher,” later this month.
Zhang is a film buff, often musing after the women of the silver screen.
His fall 2023 show referenced film noir and Alfred Hitchcock.
The hip- hop landscape is alive and well in Canada.
Moose Knuckles and Prism Prize, administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, have revealed the three recipients of the Moose Knuckles Heatmakers x Prism Prize Music Video Production Grant. They are Sean Leon, iaamSaam and Skiifall.
Introduced earlier this year, the production initiative supports the creation of high- quality music video content from the Canadian rap and hip- hop community and offers recording artists the opportunity to receive up to 35,000 Canadian dollars in funding.
Leon is a prolific creator with experience in the music industry spanning over a decade who will be the "Ambassador" for this round of funding; iaamSaam is a selftaught creative and multidisciplinary audiovisual artist, and Skiifall is a burgeoning force on the global hip- hop scene.
All three recipients, who are awarded the grant as part of a creative team along with a producer and director, will receive 20,000 Canadian dollars with the Ambassador receiving an additional 15,000 Canadian dollars toward their music video project.
The recipients were chosen by a group of top music and fashion industry professionals.
"Supporting emerging creatives has been a priority for Moose Knuckles since the start and we are stoked to be a part of the journey for each of these incredible artists at such an important time in their careers," said Carlos Nazario, global artistic director of Moose Knuckles. "It's especially meaningful to be able to support artists in our home market and we hope it is only the beginning of continuing to uplift home- grown talent."
Furthering its string of collaborations, Brunch, a lifestyle brand developing footwear with a hotel slipper aesthetic, has teamed with Hirshleifers, the family-run luxury retailer on Long Island, on its latest styles.
Lori Hirshleifer, owner and buyer, along with Marci Hirshleifer Penn, women's buyer, worked with Brunch to redesign the Brunch "l'Essentiel" silhouette with distinct knit uppers, and a matching blanket in the same knit fabric. While the Hirshleifers handled the design, Brunch managed the production. Lori and Marci styled both a dress-down look and a dress-up look.
"The Hirshleifers have been family friends of ours as well as an inspiration for myself growing up. My mother has been shopping there consistently for years," said Brunch founder Daniel Sitt. "When we were kicking off the partnership, we immediately thought to look through archival images of the Hirshleifers family to get a better understanding of their heritage. We saw an old picture of Lillian Hirshleifer [ mother of Lori] with a big smile, sporting a patterned knit top. From that photo, we were instantly inspired to test what it means to design knitted footwear."
According to Joshua
Sitt, Daniel's brother and a partner in Brunch, the co- branded l'Essentiel slipper is designed for comfort, has a footbed made with EVA foam that molds to the foot, and an outsole made from partially recycled EVA often used in running sneakers for support and traction. The upper knit pattern was spun in Mexico and made from recycled cotton yarn for softness and durability. The slipper is stain resistant, machine washable, priced $ 122, and sold on Brunch. us, at the Brunch store on Bond Street in Manhattan, and at Hirshleifers in the Americana Manhasset shopping center.
While Brunch has a range of products in its portfolio, it's focused on footwear, specifically slippers, where the agenda is growing. Previously, Brunch has collaborated with Coca-Cola, Jack's Wife Freda, Setai
Hotel Miami and Conca Del Sogno on the Amalfi Coast.
The business model for slippers stems from Daniel's hotel stays. He would take home the slippers in the room, only to see the product fall apart after a few days' use. So he came up with the idea of creating durable slippers that can be worn outdoors and still maintain that hotel aesthetic.