Fendi O’

Even what felt like NY-hurricane part deux couldn’t keep throngs of partygoers from crowding down West 13th Street, waiting to fete the re-launch of the Boom Boom Room (formerly the Top of the Standard, formerly the Boom Boom Room…again). Though, patience did wear thin. “This is Chanel!” screeched one particularly statuesque blonde when a bystander accidentally directed a stream of water from his umbrella at her boucle blazer. “This is a Fendi party,” he retorted…correctly.

Inside, a neon “Fendi O’” sign announced the event—the 13th installment of the fashion house’s music series which, in previous years, brought performances by Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, and Duran Duran. It was every bit as packed as you’d expect from the crowd outside, though decidedly less hostile. Even the bathroom stalls (with their exhibitionist floor-to-ceiling windows) occasionally housed two or three occupants. Some guests were still soaked from the rain (and much to the chagrin of every other female attendee, the throngs of models managed to look even more chic in their impromptu slicked-back buns), some were soaked from carelessly wielded Marie Antoinette-style glasses filled to the brim with Moet, and some completely surrendered and went for a dip in the pool.

The crowd, peppered with the likes of Alexander Skarsgard, Amanda and Lydia Hearst, Russell Simmons and Terry Richardson in his signature plaid, only came to a more muted din when Lykke Li—dressed in Fendi, of course—took to the stage for a short set. There wasn’t much room for dancing, but the crowd did part, if only momentarily, to avoid the shattering glass as Lykke Li drummed away on a champagne flute held up by an enthusiastic audience member. The beer bottle that was offered up as a replacement held up a bit better. The crowd started to thin in the very wee hours, as a few started to file back into the night, though nobody seemed to mind the rain anymore. Perhaps the storm was actually an auspicious start to the busy week ahead.

Photo: BFA