The opening of Stella McCarthy's Greene Street store was a small, glamourous event

Last night Stella McCartney launched her pre-fall collection as well as a new New York store in SoHo at 112 Greene street — a bigger, more glamourous version of her former 14th street store — with a small, glamourous event: 50 or so people for dinner in the store at a long table with giant ice sculptures of the Empire State building on an island in the centre, surrounded by a river around which little vegetarian dishes floated. They had been “curated” by chef Mario Batali, which I guess means chosen, although it wasn’t entirely clear.

Gallery-owner Tony Shafrazi gave a toast extolling the store’s address as the home of various artists and musicians, and Ms McCartney laughingly apologised for turning the storied space into a “mere store” filled with shoes and bags and dresses. It was all very chic. Read more