There Were Bows, Gold, and Sequins Galore at Saloni’s Holiday Party

“No Art Basel for you?” one guest asked last night, as a set of well-heeled, Saloni-clad women gathered in the dining room of the Waverly Inn in Manhattan’s West Village. “Nope!” the other said cheerfully. Their glasses clinked, a laugh was had, the open fireplace blazed on. It was indeed a festive evening that felt many, many miles away from Art Basel’s art obsessives, who were busy snapping up priceless works and celebrating on the beach.

“Our clothes are usually associated with daytime, print dresses, but I wanted the girls to have something comfortable to wear in the evening,” Saloni’s eponymous creator, Saloni Lodha—in town from Hong Kong for the occasion—told Vogue. “So I just thought, Let’s do a festive, cozy dinner in New York.”

Between sitar-playing duo Polash Gomes and Anjana Roy, and a tablescape piled high with flower garlands, an ideal scene was set to usher in the holiday season and the latest Saloni holiday collection worn by just about every guest in attendance. “I just need some red wine, Mariah Carey, a good glitter eye, some ribbon in a bow, and some sequins,” actress Molly Gordon joked. “Even though I’m a Jew, I love Christmas.”

New Years Eve–ready sequined gowns in varied lengths were indeed the choice for many, including Gordon, along with Indre Rockefeller, Jane Keltner de Valle, and Elizabeth Lail. “When I saw this dress, I thought disco ball, ’70s era, amazing,” Lail told us. “So, I wanted to go full disco, but my hair and makeup team didn’t want me to be too character-y. They told me to keep in chic, so hopefully, I’m a little bit of both.”

She was chic indeed, and everyone else followed suit. Nicky Hilton Rothschild arrived in a minidress adorned with bejeweled bows. Hilary Rhoda opted for a pantsuit covered in a layer of polka-dotted chiffon. As for Huma Abedin, a navy blue ruffle front silk dress decorated with shimmering gold print. “Being with family and friends always gets me in the holiday spirit, so this, tonight, is the perfect setup,” Abedin told Vogue. “If you told me to describe the perfect holiday dinner, this is it!”