Time travel isn’t possible (yet), but Valentino Beauty managed to transport guests straight back to Studio 54’s heyday—right in the middle of New York Fashion Week. The occasion? The brand’s latest launch, the Rendez-Vous Ivory Collection. The limited-edition drop takes Valentino’s bestselling fragrance and lipstick, reimagining the signature studded packaging in striking white. And yes, the campaign nods to the legendary hot spot.
Stepping through the doors of the iconic club, guests were met with a soundtrack of disco anthems—Donna Summer’s “Bad Girls” and Diana Ross’s “Upside Down” among them. Through velvet curtains, orange and magenta neon glowed while bottles of Born in Roma stood ready for on-the-go spritzes. Notes of orange blossom and white musk drifted through the air as the city’s cool kids swaggered by.
In the main room, partygoers lived out their wildest Bianca Jagger dreams. At the center of the dance floor, Colman Domingo set the tone—his sharp Valentino blazer proving no impediment to smooth moves. Dim lighting, muted leopard-print carpeting, and sultry suede seating provided the backdrop, but outfits sealed the 1970s fantasy. Paillette-sequined frocks? Naturally. Faux Mongolian-fur coats? A few, of course. Big, bouncy blowouts that might make even Farrah Fawcett fawn? Absolutely. Meanwhile, Valentino Beauty’s take on cigarette girls swanned about in sleke one-shoulder bodysuits, offering trays of the new launch (and candy cigarettes, naturally—no smokes required).
Then, at the stroke of midnight, jaws dropped: Cher herself swept in. Because really, what’s a Studio 54 fantasy without Cher? “As I was walking in, it was as if I had never left. It felt fucking fabulous,” she told Vogue of her grand return back to the iconic discotheque.
Next up, The Dare took to the DJ booth for the main set—and yes, Cher danced to it. Other boldface names spotted at the soirée included Evan Ross, Benito Skinner, Adut Akech, Alton Mason, and Louisa Jacobson. Outside, the frenzy to get in rivaled the original club’s notorious velvet-rope drama. But by 2 a.m., reality beckoned—reminding guests it was, in fact, 2025, not 1975—and Fashion Week still had five more days to go.
