Karen Elson Performs at a Dinner Celebrating Vacheron Constantin’s New Manhattan Store

It’s rare that Vacheron Constantin throws a celebration. The last time was in 2015, to mark the Swiss watchmaker’s 260th anniversary and the creation of “the most complicated watch in existence,” and before that, in 2011, when they opened the doors to their first boutique on Madison Avenue. Each occasion has elicited a no holds barred extravagance—and Wednesday night’s two-part bacchanal, debuting a new Vacheron Constantin retail outpost on 57th Street and the 100th anniversary of the America 1921 timepiece, brought with it a level of roaring twenties excess that could make Daisy Buchanan blush. 

The evening began simply enough, at the glimmering new boutique where wagyu beef and caviar canapés made the rounds. Chanel Iman, sporting a ruffled leather minidress, became engulfed in flashbulbs, and Karen Elson swanned through the room, clutching her acoustic guitar. Elson later regaled partygoers with a first-ever live performance of her new single, Lightning Strikes, which debuted just a day earlier with a music video directed by Jeremy Scott. “This is already a magical evening, but we are going to transport you to another time,” Elson told us, and seemingly out of thin air, a caravan of vintage Rolls Royce automobiles materialized outside, ready to ferry guests to an undisclosed location for dinner. 

The destination was eventually revealed to be the gilded penthouse of Steinway Tower, in a jewel box private residence with sweeping views of Central Park. As coupe glasses of Champagne circulated, Katie Holmes could be found admiring her timepiece alongside Vacheron Constantin’s Alexander Schmiedt. “I think watchmaking is this beautiful subculture of creativity,” Holmes mused, holding up her wrist to admire the intricate details and healthy dose of diamonds encircling the bezel—one of just fifty in the world. “It represents something that can really only be done by skilled hands, and you can’t produce that much when you’re doing it that way, and that’s very inspiring. I feel like I’m wearing an heirloom, which unfortunately I have to give back at the end of the night.” 

Dinner and a show followed; candlelit tablescapes speckled light across the room’s soaring dome ceiling, and talented multi-hyphenate Alan Cumming took to the stage—but not before removing his shirt under his three-piece cream suit, for a bit of added artistic flair. He went on to delight revelers with his raucous show tunes and witty anecdotes. “The first night I slept in New York City was a magical night,” he said. “It was the premiere of a movie I was in, and the party was at the boathouse in Central Park. I was surrounded by people I loved, and I saw fireflies for the first time, which we don’t have in Scotland. My friend Cameron took me home on her motorbike, all the way down to the East Village. I was high as a kite.”