The Metropolitan Pavilion is the place to be today and tomorrow for what is always one of the best places to find anything your heart desires (in the vintage world, that is). The line was forming well before the opening hour (1pm) and the crowd descended on the booths like locusts.
I spotted hot young designer Behnaz Sarafpour combing the aisles hoping to get some inspiration (I assume), and Barneys New York’s Simon Doonan showed up bright and early in order to hand deliver an enlarged cover of his new book, ‘Wacky Chicks’ to the booth of one of his wacky chicks – vintage dealer Sunny Chapman, who rated a mention, and whose collection is always worth checking out. What was she selling in the first hour? “Small mod vinyl bags, 60’s coat and dress sets, several Geoffrey Beenes, some B.H.Wragges from the 60’s, floaty chiffon dresses both long and short, and not much jewelry”.
Amid the colorful, eclectic mix of clothing, bags, accessories, the dealers who stood out were Vicki Haberman, who had a Versace black leather motorcycle jacket decorated with gold buckles (a perfect example of the tough chic look that has inundated the runways) in addition to several Chanel cardigan coats; Eevalinna, the Floridian who always has some of the most colorful clothes and best straw bags; Foley & Corinna, whose assortment is always right on; What Comes Around Goes Around, who had among other items, a rare Pucci terry cloth ‘poncho’ from the 60’s in beautiful shades of browns and orange; the fabulous assortment of bags – including some great ladylike crocodile and alligator purses, well priced, at Equator Studios; Joe Sundlie, who was selling several very mod looking items (including a pair of darling black and white Mary Janes); Barbara Kennedy, who had already sold a silver lame maillot from the 40’s’; Metropolis- whose varied assortment always grabs my eye; and Ina Davidson’s Buy-Gone Days, who was displaying a very chic and rare Erte black and white suit tfrom the 30’s that was being sold with an Erte book illustrating the very same design.
By the way, an acquaintance of mine who happens to be a vintage dealer, told me that he attended the Andre Leon Talley book launch at Bergdorf Goodman this past week, and apparently, everyone who ate something there got sick! Surprising for such a tony store!
