“That couch over there is quite long, and a long couch always leads to long conversations,” Alex Consani whispered, gesturing to the banquette lining Oriana’s amber walls. The supermodel was correct, as guests gathered there en masse to chat all night long. The topic on everyone’s lips? GucciCore, which debuted in Times Square earlier this year, has landed on Moda Operandi.
To celebrate the Cruise collection’s launch and upcoming trunk show on the luxury e-tailer, the occasion called for a glitzy bash at the newish Nolita haunt. It was an evening for close friends of each brand, including runway regular Consani, who arrived promptly at the 7 p.m. start time. “It’s going to be such a fabulous event—Anok Yai might even walk in the building,” she anticipated, adjusting the strap of her vermilion one-shoulder Gucci gown. Her friend Memphis chimed in, “I’m just excited to see what tonight has in store. To be honest, the invite was kind of a mystery.”
Gucci’s creative director Demna has a fondness for mystery and enigma—and guests exuded that elusive after-dark glamour as they began to populate the room. Yai did indeed show up, cloaked in a voluminous shearling Gucci coat. Nicky Hilton slinked past her, donning a sharply cut bomber jacket from the new drop. Lauren Santo Domingo, the mastermind behind Moda, posed with poise in the collection’s cinched blazer. And the likes of Tina Leung and Sabine Getty, who had walked the runway in Milan several weeks ago for Demna’s Spring 2027 outing, also stopped by.
“Demna’s Gucci gives you permission to be every kind of woman. One night you’re the countess, the next you’re the bad girl, and by Friday, you’re the downtown party girl—all in the same week,” Santo Domingo told Vogue. “Being here tonight almost makes me believe I could wear the same dress as Alex Consani. Bringing everyone together at Oriana felt like the perfect New York way to celebrate the GucciCore collection. Fashion should be fun, and so should the parties.”
Moda has found success in curating wearable staples offset by an unexpected twist—and GucciCore is emblematic of that. From softly structured peacoats to tailored suits and the standout new Gucci Starlet crossbody bag, the core capsule wardrobe is downtown-meets-uptown cool.
By the end of the night, “iconic” had become the word of the hour, and Consani, naturally, had the last word on it: “The most iconic thing that you can do is have a good time.”
