A few weeks ago a square envelope arrived at my home. I took it out of the mailbox and knew from the quality of the envelope and thickness of the card inside that this is an invitation to a cool fashion event. When I opened up the envelope, the first thing that caught my eye was the colorful paisley print. Without thinking twice, I knew that this could only be the invitation to the fabulous opening party of the Etro store. Indeed I was right. This unique Etro corporate identity cannot be mistaken with any other brands, and a designer eye can see the details right away. Since I live in the neighborhood, I have been scooping the store since it arrived in our little city with a big attitude.
I met the girls a bit earlier for a drink on the Fressgass and then we walked together to the opening. As we arrived, we were greeted by the smiling Frank Kuhlmann, of the Kuhlmann-Consulting-Group, which was in charge of organized this event. The girls grabbed a glass of champagne and I reached out for the boring sparkling water. That’s what you get when doing detox. Water, water and more “delicious” water. Not. But at least my liver, kidneys and skin love me for it. We managed to slip into a tiny niche, because the store was so full! It was incredible because it felt like the entire European fashion society was there! Of course the who’s who of Frankfurt was definitely there. Along with some new and very attractive faces. I believe that twice as many people came than were actually invited to this event – which is always a sign of a good party!
My friends were pleased to see what even though Etro was popping at the seam with people, the champagne was flowing quite quickly and there was no shortage of it for the next hours. I loved the matching Etro-colored macaroons that were served with the drinks. What a fabulous little detail! I greeted my friends and people that I knew at the party and couldn’t wait to make my way to the lower lever of the 210 square meter store. I was there for the fashion and new collection! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new styles and fabrics. I set my girls on a mission to show me their favorite outfits. My favorite “ETRO LOOK” for the evening was a colorful wool knee-length coat – mainly made of khaki, brown and purple shades – topped off with a matching big Russian-shapka-style furry hat. Since I was deeply inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier’s collection at the Dominicana Moda a few weeks ago, I had to wear something with stripes, so I put on my crazy Gaultier pantyhose. Of course they totally clashed with the coat and hat, but in a strange, circus-Buckingham-Palace-guard kind of way, the entire outfit worked! At least I thought so – some would beg to differ of course. I fell madly in love with this wild outfit! In my opinion, perfect for almost any occasion! (See photo below).
Speaking of playful, I bought a shiny bag in a shape of a robot a few days ago. I named the bag Robotica, and of course, brought her to the opening with me. Let me tell you, Robotica was the star of the show, together with the beautiful wool Etro paisley-printed scarves. Everyone wanted to touch her and make a photo with her. Who would have thought that a bag could have so many lovers? After trying on half of the store, the girls persuaded me to go upstairs and dance for a bit. There was a gorgeous woman DJane rocking behind the decks. She played a nice combination of light and deep house. Not only did Etro bring us beautiful designs that evening, but made everyone sway to the magical sound and flirt over a nice chilled drink. There were a few guys making eye contact with us, but that evening I was only interested in fashion-love!
Watching my friends run around the store with their champagne flutes and lipsticks in hand, I realized how boring detox can be. It was time to bid everyone farewell. I definitely got my hard fashion fix for the night. My eyes, heart and soul were very happy – of course my credit card was not! I kissed the girls, told them to flirt and have fun, said goodbye to the beautiful Etro staff and made my way to the door. I was given a cute goodie bag on my way out – which happened to have a very chic leather tassel keychain inside. I turned around to look at the store form the outside and sighed to myself. Frankfurt was definitely changing for the better. My city was becoming more chic and trendy with each passing year. I walked home with a proud and satisfied smile on my face.
