Barneys and Padma Lakshmi’s Dinner for Byredo

Stone’s throw away on Crosby Street at BDDW, the first thing one noticed upon walking in was not the furniture boutique’s American minimalist wares, gorgeously handmade though they were. Nor was it the archery range in the back of the shop, where twenty-foot-tall arched doorways had been outfitted with hanging gardens of wisteria and hydrangea. Nor was it even the devilishly handsome Ben Gorham, the former pro basketball player and Byredo founder who, at 6’5”, is hard to miss. No, the most striking thing about the scene last night was its scent, a woody fragrance just barely redolent of patchouli that turned out to be 1996, the fragrance collaboration between Byredo and photographers Inez and Vinoodh, wafting off the wicks of dozens of maroon candles scattered around the room.

Perhaps the second thing one noticed was the crowd, an eclectic mix of Fashion Week regulars (Freja Beha Erichsen, Princess Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz), art world habitués (Lucy Chadwick, Sophie Oakley), and a variety of actresses be they ingenues (Selma’s Tessa Thompson), icons (Susan Sarandon), or something in between (Natasha Lyonne).

The thing that they all had in common was a respect for and, in most cases, friendship with Gorham, the evening’s humble host. Gorham, however, laughed at the idea of “curating” a dinner party. “This is a bunch of people that have been instrumental to me and to building this brand,” Gorham said. “Every now and then, it’s nice to show some gratitude.” (Last night, gratitude came in the form of Indians dishes prepared at the behest of Padma Lakshmi and served in traditional handi bowls.)

A mid-meal toast from Barneys’ Daniella Vitale reminded everyone that there was more reason for the gathering than to be a reprieve from NYFW (a subject that was, thankfully, almost unuttered throughout the evening). Byredo has launched a line of leather goods; satchels, wallets, clutches, and backpacks rendered in rich natural colors and the sort of restrained Scandinavian design one now expects from the expanding brand. Gorham first came to Barneys with the idea about two years ago, but “he scrapped it,” Vitale remembered. “He said, ‘No, it’s not good enough yet.’” A room of raised glasses agreed: It’s more than good enough now.