Last night, French shoe wizard Jean-Michel Cazabat celebrated the opening of his new flagship boutique on Bleecker Street with a glittery cocktail party. The Shophound stopped by for a glass of Champagne and some hors d'oeuvres (served exclusively by a crew of gorgeous, willowy black women. Make of that what you will).
What used to be the gloomy home of the Pure Dark chocolate store (seriously, it might have survived if they added a few light bulbs to that place) has now been transformed into a luxe salon with tufted walls, a "virtual" fireplace at the center, and a gilded grid on the back wall to display M. Cazabat's wares.
We have to admit that we used to think of Cazabat as a pricey label along the lines of Brian Atwood or Giuseppe Zanotti, but somehow (probably through the marvels of Chinese manufacturing) he has brought his prices down to the $250 to $350 range for his women's line, which now looks a lot more expensive that it is. Oddly, his Italian-made men's shoes still run in the $500 to $600 range for a small but smart selection.
There was only so much room in that place, so we didn't hang around too long. We missed R&B singer Maxwell, Naeem Khan and Bergdorf's Linda Fargo, but we did manage to glimpse current fashion icon Shala Monroque in a furry sleeved dress, and designer Ralph Rucci with muscle-y former Project Runway castoff Jack Mackenroth tagging along. Make of that what you will.
Jean-Michel Cazabat now open at 350 Bleecker Street at West 10th Street, West Village
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