“My favorite colors are sparkle and shine,” said Giovanna Battaglia, shimmering in a Saint Laurent party frock at the celebration for her new book, Gio_Graphy: Fun in the Wild World of Fashion, held last night at Bergdorf Goodman. “And a sequin dress is always a good idea.” The fashion editor and creative director chose the high-wattage ensemble to pay homage to one of the department store window displays, which now coincides with the portraits of Battaglia in the book. “The windows here are the ultimate merging of fashion, lifestyle, and fantasy,” Battaglia said. “I always say, ‘If I could live in a fantasy world, I would live in a Bergdorf Goodman window all my life,’ and now it’s a dream come true to be able to do that with my book.”
To celebrate the momentous occasion, Linda Fargo, Bergdorf Goodman’s senior vice president, hosted the little party for Battaglia, with DJ Mia Moretti on the turntables.
“It was a highly unusual decision for us to turn over our Fifth Avenue windows, create product together, and develop a pop-up during New York Fashion Week,” said Fargo.“But we felt strongly about Giovanna’s essence as a happy antidote to the physical-store, retail malaise.” Not that there was any question as to who inspired the party decor, as the lower level floor had been given the full Battaglia treatment—most notably seen in the mannequin heads that had been fashioned from her headshot and in the printed T-shirts she designed in collaboration with Bergdorf to mark the book’s release.
The sentiment was underscored by the cherubic party theme, as the store had been transformed into a carnival as colorful as Battaglia’s personal style. There were circus jugglers, stilt walkers, cotton-candy machines, fresh popcorn stands, and, of course, cocktails. The room was filled with Battaglia’s fashion-forward friends, with Jenna Lyons, Suzy Menkes, Tommy Hilfiger, Caroline de Maigret, and Hamish Bowles among them. “I have long admired Giovanna for not only her extraordinary style, which I view as the perfect embodiment of the Bergdorf spirit, but also for her joy in fashion. Fashion is her playpen,” Fargo said. “The collaboration itself was born from simply waiting to seize the right moment to harness a long-held admiration of Giovanna’s style and essence.” Consider that moment now: The windows will be on display from Stepember 2 to September 18 before the book makes its official release this fall.