At the Neverworns and Plum Sykes Panel, Uptown Met Downtown for an Evening of Laughter and Fashion
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It was a high-spirited evening at Nine Orchard on Thursday. With a mix of uptown’s most stylish ladies and downtown’s coolest fashion writers, it was a group that only two Vogue alumni like Plum Sykes and Liana Satenstein of Neverworns could bring together.
Sykes, who has returned to New York City after a five-year hiatus, was in town to promote her latest novel Wives Like Us. As she told the crowd, her first stop upon arriving was going to her hairdresser, Ashley Javier, for a cut and color that would prepare her to face the Big Apple. “I think New York is quite good at making women feel insecure about themselves,” she said. “Although it’s amazing to see how gorgeous everyone looks.” After her hair appointment, Sykes was ready to hit the town. First up was a visit to Marina Rust’s Upper East Side apartment to host a group of fashion folks earlier in the week for an intimate book event, before making her way downtown for last night’s panel.
Produced by Starkman Associates and Conti Communications, the event brought together Satenstein and Sykes’s signature styles. As Satenstein explained, “We were trying to recreate the ’90s era of Vogue. The fabulous lettering that we sat under was designed by Vogue alum, David Vo, and the typeface was inspired by the font from the ’90s issues Plum worked on.”
Both wore head-to-toe from Banana Republic, an American favorite mall brand (except for Satenstein’s kitten heels, which came from Chinatown), and a Breda watch (beloved by Gen Z). As one of the best-dressed women in fashion, Sykes also had to accessorize her outfit with a vintage Yves Saint Laurent scarf, of course. During the panel, the two discussed Sykes’s new book, which is all about the elite yet disorderly lives of the “country princesses” of the Cotswolds villages she now calls home—as well as one very chic butler (with a vintage Gucci obsession) who’s trying to restore peace in the village. They also recalled some of their favorite fashion memories from their time at Vogue. Heckling was encouraged throughout the evening, with Lucy Sykes (Plum’s twin sister) jumping in to provide any additional context.
Next, the panel opened up to a Q&A session where guests got to ask Sykes all of their burning questions—from the best writing advice she’s received, to what the most glamorous part of her job at American Vogue was. She mentioned it included receiving so many parcels of It bags to her apartment that she didn’t have time to open half of them, so they were instead given to her friends, family, and doormen. The evening ended with guests having the opportunity to interact with both Satenstein and Sykes, a book signing, as well as time for a smoke break if so desired thanks to the Capris that ornamented the bar.
For Satenstein, the evening was a dream come true. She called Sykes up two years ago while still working as a senior fashion writer for Vogue. “I wanted to film a Neverworns episode with her,” she said. “I have always adored Plum’s writing. She gives fashion a fantastical edge; when she writes, we all know what it feels like to wear a Manolo, drink a Kamikaze, and ride in a black car... even if we are just marinating in our beds.” After staying in touch, the two eventually met for a drink in London and decided to move ahead with the idea. “This was originally going to be just a video, but then I thought, why not make it an event?” Satenstein said. “Plum is approachable and hilarious, so let’s share it IRL and have people meet her. It will be a success.”
This is just the beginning of a new chapter for Satenstein, who is expanding her Neverworns series into something more ambitious. “We are developing the show with amazing guests and making it a combination of research, shopping, and fun,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to create the sort of fashion experiences I dreamt of as a kid.” For now, you can keep your eyes peeled for the Neverworns episode with Plum Sykes, which will be available on YouTube on Tuesday, May 21.
Photo: Bre Johnson/ brejohnson.co / Courtesy of Neverworns1/14Inside the event.
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