Duncan Celebrated Its Goth-y New Collection With a Candlelit Dinner at the Waverly Inn

“Be careful, it’s a full moon tonight!” joked Ellen von Unwerth, the German-born fashion photographer and retired model. She was playing cohost with Michelle Duncan, the New York–based designer (and, by day, an Estée Lauder exec) who launched her eponymous label just last year. On Sunday evening, there were two items on the agenda: celebrate the brand’s first birthday and toast its enchanting fall 2020 collection, titled The Witching Hour. And this was done so in the most fitting of ways—with a full-moon dinner at the Waverly Inn, in the presence of friends and fans.

In the midst of New York Fashion Week, Duncan and Von Unwerth called guests to the 175-year-old bordello-turned-eatery, where the ivy-stretched patio would serve as the backdrop for the dinner. It’s located a stone’s throw from the shows taking place in Tribeca, and Duncan opted for a much less formulaic version of Fashion Week (and delightfully so). Leaving the runway behind, the designer dressed dinner guests in garments from the collection as a means of giving new life to the designs. In one corner, Noor Tagouri donned a double-flap cranberry dress that put a chic spin on a school uniform. In another, Charlotte Groeneveld frolicked in a rust-colored evening gown epitomizing the “after-dark glamour” that the brand is known for. “It’s actually crazy how good it fits!” she shrieked. Von Unwerth, in a shadowy gown punctuated by a crystal brooch, agreed: “I [am wearing a] dress! And I hardly ever wear dresses. It has a really beautiful fit; really feminine and chic. And I like the kind of goth, little dark side of it.”

The preview’s unique format continued with the creation of a zine, which was placed at each seat. While grazing on steak tartare, local burrata, and pickled figs, guests flipped through some dozen black and white shots of the garments in situ, all shot by Von Unwerth. “As you know, Ellen’s amazing. She’s been one of the most legendary photographers ever,” shared Duncan. “[Since] this is the most important collection that I’ve done so far, and the one that I’m most proud of, I asked her if she wanted to collaborate and do a project together. So now we have our little book.”

Von Unwerth echoed the same sentiment. “Some people you meet, and you just connect, straightaway. Like, became friends. And she told me about the collection, and I saw it, and I loved the tailoring and her enthusiasm about it. And I said, ‘Oh! Let’s shoot some pictures!’ It was a very spontaneous thing, very natural.”