Priyanka Chopra, Kathy Hilton, Kendall Conrad, NJ Falk, Victoria Brynner and more came out Thursday night to celebrate Sabyasachi at the shiny new Saks Beverly Hills store, which opened in the old Barneys New York just last month.
The Indian designer, who has dressed all of Bollywood and much of Hollywood, brought his Cinématique collection to Los Angeles exclusively at Saks’ new luxury-focused store through Oscars weekend.
The event took place at Saks’ VIP entertaining and shopping space The Fifth Avenue Club, where a gorgeous tablescape of fruits, cheeses and pastries welcomed guests, who mingled throughout styling suites set up with the lavish gowns, embellished clutches and high jewelry (with security guard in tow).
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Women were in and out of the dressing rooms trying on gold thread work blouses, silk jacquard jackets with Bengal tiger buttons and multi-stone chandelier earrings in between sipping Champagne and tasting caviar by Haute Caviar Company.
“We have a karma connection,” said Saks fashion director Roopal Patel of Sabyasachi, whom she’s known for at least two decades. After an 18-hour flight, the designer was disguising his jet lag well in tinted sunglasses. “It’s exciting to be here this time of year,” he said, adding that unfortunately, he leaves before Sunday’s Oscars ceremony.
With any luck though, some of the eager shoppers will be wearing his finery around town before then.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee launched his line in India in 1999 and pioneered the use of luxury Indian textiles fashioned into modern looks.
The Cinématique presentation at the store until March 16 includes couture, women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, accessories, and jewelry, including a selection of one-of-a-kind high jewelry pieces. The collection is inspired by Bollywood, the private clubs of Kolkata and the Nizam of Hyderabad.
Sabyasachi has stores in India and Dubai and a flagship with 31 chandeliers in New York City, and has collaborated with several major international brands including Christian Louboutin, H&M, Estée Lauder and Morgenthal Frederics.
The designer was relatively unknown in the U.S. until Fern Mallis brought him to New York Fashion Week in 2006. Mukherjee said he couldn’t land distribution in a single U.S. store until then. Now he is famous around the world.