Markarian and Larroudé Threw an ABBA-Filled Dinner Party to Keep Spirits High During NYFW

It’s day…. ? of NYFW (we’re genuinely not sure anymore), so what the girls needed was a girls’ night out. And who better to provide than their go-to purveyors of pretty frocks and party heels? New York City-based brands Markarian and Larroudé, who spent the last six months cooking up a collaboration, were the perfect pair to host an evening where guests could kick back and gossip over fries and wine in style.

Markarian’s Alexandra O’Neill, who had teamed the collection’s embroidered velvet mules with a very au courant bubble hem mini for the evening, said she can’t even remember where and when she met Marina Larroudé for the first time: but one thing she knows is that she’s always been obsessed with her.

“She’s so beautiful, sweet, kind and has the best style,” O’Neill said of Larroudé, the former Teen Vogue editor and Barney’s fashion director who launched her eponymous brand in 2020. “I’ve always wanted to work with her, because her shoes are gorgeous and comfortable. It’s so meaningful for female-founded brands to come together like this and support each other. And it’s so nice to find someone you can connect with, not only on a professional level, but as friends too.”

The duo had just intended on just doing one shoe for a bridal collaboration, but after enjoying the process so much, things quickly snowballed and an entire Fall collection came to fruition. “I don’t even know how many pieces there are,” O’Neill laughed. “We’ve got everything, and I’m so proud of how it turned out.”

The evening gave attendees the chance to take the just-dropped offering of pumps, mules, sandals, and boots out for a test drive, with guests including actresses Elizabeth Gillies, Erinn Westbrook, and Anna Van Patten all resplendent in corseted, ruffled, and sequined Markarian gowns too.

Hosted at The Orangery in Tribeca’s recently-opened five-star Warren Street Hotel (a sister property of the Crosby Street and The Whitby Hotels, in case you were thinking the décor and vibe feel familiar). A long table had been decked out with wildflowers and large grazing boards, and a plentiful family-style meal of burrata, salads, roast chicken, and grilled fish was served.

“This doesn’t even feel like a fashion week dinner, because it doesn’t feel like work,” Larroudé said. Copy that! With ABBA blasting all night, glasses of Whispering Angel that never seemed to empty, and a bartender in the room mixing up spicy margaritas and palomas, it was a far cry from the subpar ‘girl dinners’ everyone had been relying on during busy days of shows since last Friday.  “I couldn’t be happier in this room—thank you for supporting us since day one, it does not go unnoticed for our two small brands,” Larroudé added.

Another known party-starter? The tray of LALO tequila shots passed around—a Markarian event signature. Those who weren’t scheduled to attend a 9 a.m. show on Wednesday morning threw caution to the wind and obliged by knocking them back.

As Glamour editor in chief Samantha Barry slipped out before the panna cotta to make sure she was home in time for the debate, others decided they could push through and headed off to the Luar after party—maybe Madonna would be there?!—because why not show their new dancing shoes a little more fun?