Eckhaus Latta Falls In Love at The Russian Tea Room

A larger-than-life, translucent bear stood guard over Eckhaus Latta’s FW25 "Fall In Love" afterparty at the Russian Tea Room, its watery frame housing live fish which swam lazily within. The surreal spectacle set the tone for an evening that blended the brand’s artful persuasion of whimsy with indulgent revelry.

Blinis with caviar floated by on silver trays, comedian Cat Cohen cooed a series of songs, and customized shirts were offered to guests featuring the phrases Available, Unavailable, or It’s Complicated.

“Being uptown and being chic feels fab. It’s pre-Valentine’s Day; maybe somebody will find love tonight!” co-designer Mike Eckhaus shared as the event began to unfold.

In fact, a series of playful elements were available to encourage just that. Chocolate and fresh roses were splayed across tables and sweeping banquettes. Tinder lent an apt sponsorship to the romance-forward evening, supporting the event’s mood and providing a donation to the ACLU. Stacks of survey cards invited guests to note their romantic preferences before depositing them into a communal jar, where Cohen later plucked unsuspecting names for impromptu pairings.

“Love is in the air! Let’s get some magic going, because people are going to fall in love here...” Cohen exclaimed to raucous cheers, calling various respondents to meet their matches on-stage.

Guests including Paloma Elsesser, Amanda Lepore, Ella Emhoff, Antwaun Sargent, and Jaboukie Young-White enjoyed mini potato knishes and shots of Borscht while the evening stretched on, as Cohen sang between her tracks “EVENTS!” and “Send Me That”, and DJ Flirty800 played from a balcony overlooking the vaunted room.

Outside in the night air, flurries of snow coated the city in a cool blanket of white. Inside the hazy, red interior of the uptown institution, the mood was decidedly warm, festive, and steeped in cheeky romance.