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The World’s Most Stunning Fur Closet?

Hot New Highland Park Village Store Throws a Crazy Good Grand Opening Party

BY // 03.10.17

If there was one question to file under most-frequently-asked during Thursday night’s grand opening of the new Fendi boutique in Highland Park Village, it was this: Have you seen the fur closet?!

It may have been a balmy early-spring eve last night — fur weather is short-lived in our fair city — but that didn’t stop hundreds from swooning over the incredible collection of fur on display, in, yes, the most extravagant, well-appointed fur closet we’ve ever seen.

Fendi’s new boutique is massive in size, with areas dedicated to men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, plus accessories, handbags, and shoes, and the aforementioned fur closet. But despite all the room for revelry, partygoers came in such flocks that the party spilled outside, with waiters being forced to pass glasses of Veuve and Aperol spritzes (Fendi dare not have a party without an Italian libation) outside the store, in what became a very chic makeshift patio.

The event’s beneficiary was the Dallas Museum of Art, so naturally the crowd was filled with the museum’s patrons, most notably Ann Hobson, who is set to chair next month’s Art Ball benefit. Later that evening, she hosted the out-of-town Fendi contingent (Gaetano Sciuto, president Fendi Americas; Janet Walzer, West Coast and Canada VP, Courtney Smith, VP private client relations, and Gabriella Moncada de Paterno, worldwide private client relations director), plus a few VIPs (Brian Bolke, Todd Fiscus and Ceron, HP Village co-owners Elisa and Stephen Summers, Billy Fong, and Capera Ryan with mom Deborah Ryan) for a private dinner at her and husband, Lee Hobson’s, Highland Park manse.

Also in attendance were a mix of Dallas’ most scene-stealing fashion types, all wearing Fendi. Krystal Schlegel spiced up the black-and-white style she’s become famous for with a copper floral dress. Amy Havins was a vision in red — a color she rarely wears but can certainly pull off. (“I told her she looks great!” said her husband Wade Havins. “She should wear red more often!”) Tina Craig was true to her Bag Snob brand, carrying one of Fendi’s devilish little monster clutches. And Sea of Shoes blog star Jane Aldridge was the unofficial Fendi queen for the day, as she commandeered the brand’s Snapchat, taking its international audience on a tour of Dallas from morning till night.

Bell’Invito owner Heather Wiese-Alexander, just back in town from Colorado, had a double-dose of Italy on the brain. After stopping by the opening of the luxury Italian fashion house, she and husband Scott Alexander had plans at The Prophet Bar, where their Italian friends who make up the rock band Nothing for Breakfast were stateside for a one-night show in Dallas before heading to SXSW in Austin this weekend. Heather gets our props for best dressed of the evening, with a look that was perfectly suited for the Fendi party, but surely made a splash in Deep Ellum later that night.

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For those obsessed with Fendi handbags (we’re talking to you, dearest Bag Snob), there was plenty to feast the eye on in-store. An enormous Fendi Peekaboo bag was installed on one end of the boutique; our social media bubbles nearly burst with Instagrams of party people posing in front of it. And throughout the store, in pretty acrylic cases, were dozens of normal-sized Peekaboos.

These beauties were not for sale — with the exception of one orange crocodile stunner — but were rather one-of-a-kind works of art designed by the likes of Adele, Anna Dello Russo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cara Delevingne, and the late Zaha Hadid. “This is the first time they’ve all been displayed in the same place,” Fendi PR director Christina McDonald told me. A coup for the Dallas store to be sure.

Post party, we made our way across the Village to Mi Cocina for a late-night taco and margarita. One passerby was overhead saying, “The Village is alive tonight! Just look at Fendi! They must have something going on. There are so many people they are spilling out of the store.”

If opening night was any indication of what the spring social season has in store, we’re excited for late nights, fashionable friends, and parties so well attended they outgrow their venues.

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