Last Night in London, Brandon Maxwell Opened a One-Night-Only Club With Moda Operandi

London art week follows fast on fashion month, and with the colorful worlds colliding, it was perfect timing for Brandon Maxwell to breeze into town and put on his dancing shoes as he celebrated with “Brandon’s”—a pink neon-fronted nightclub, like a Frieze-style apparition on Bruton Lane. Guests including Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis, Devon Radziwill, and Martina Mondadori were checked in and given black velvet wristbands to the bijou nightclub. Inside, the scene was straight out of a ’80s music video. Charlotte Dellal, dressed in a svelte gold satin dress, was chatting at the bar with Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece over French 75s.

It was a rare treat to have the Texan designer in London, due to his acute fear of flying. “I just hate flying over water! I told Lauren [Santo Domingo] she had to sedate me to get me here,” joked Maxwell, but the savvy style maven was determined to get Maxwell to London to celebrate his latest collection—from which Santo Domingo has ordered the foil lamé dress and a white cotton shirtdress. “I threw that in last-minute,” said Maxwell, gleaming from behind his signature frames.

“Brandon just understands women, and he has this huge client base in London, so I thought he must meet his London women,” said Santo Domingo. The Moda Operandi–founder also urged Maxwell to visit the treasure-laden tents of Frieze—“you’ll be so inspired”—which she had managed to see that day.

Brandon’s may have been for one night only, but the great and the good certainly joined the party. There was Tatiana Santo Domingo, Natalie Massenet, Erik Torstensson, Jacquetta Wheeler, and Hayley Bloomingdale. With the same pulsating energy he brings to his runway shows, there was also surprise entertainment from Crystal and Vinegar Strokes from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, ensuring a raucous dance-off denouement. Grilled-cheese sandwiches were passed around before carriages were called. Vive la nightlife!