My friend and fabulous frock fabricator Melissa Bell and I decided to try our luck at the Henri Bendel Open See this morning. Essentially the designer’s version of a cattle call, it attracts scores of attendees from far and wide (I mean, dude, Melissa and I schlepped to the Upper East Side all the way from Carroll Gardens!) . Knowing this, we decided to splurge on an Arecibo car service and arrived at 5:30. There was already a line, but not a ghastly one. We took our spots behind Beetle who took pity on my shivering and lent me her leg warmers. The lovely Canadians of Tenielle showed up right after us and graciously shared their chairs.
Definitely the biggest surprise was just how nice the other designers were.
At nine-ish, they brought us into the basement from out of the cold. (I think everyone who was in line by noon got to go in, but I imagine their wait was way longer.) They numbered us, (I was “10,” which was flattering) lined us up, and then we signed in under our category.
After signing in, we got to wait in the break room for the runners to wrestle with the lists of our hard-to-say and illegibly written names and lead us into a third line.
It was at this point in the proceedings that a began to feel I flutter of nervousness: Once in the third line, I stood at the threshold of the buyer-filled room, able to watch as the young lasses (for I saw no buyer who was visibly male) patiently and - for the most part - politely interacted with the designers.
The jewelry buyers were swift and merciful, enthusiastic about my creativity and products, but apparently the typical Henri Bendel shopper is not in the market for decoupage earrings on dimes. Even if they’re on sterling silver!
Anyway, I knew going in that the best case scenario for jewelry is to be invited to do a trunk show, and I wasn’t even expecting that. The most salient feeling I experienced in the immediate aftermath of the rebuff was…relief.
And exhaustion. For some reason I awoke at 2 this morning.
And now, it is time for the traditional post-Henri Bendel Open See nap.
Click here to see more pics on flickr.
