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As an impending snowstorm loomed over New York City late Monday night, the bouncers at the Box filtered through a steady stream of musicians, models and internet personalities in fur coats (or no coat at all) for the designer LaQuan Smith’s after-party.
The blowout, known for shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, fabulous looks and spectacle at every turn, is a coveted invite. It followed Mr. Smith’s fall 2024 show at Cipriani earlier in the evening, which featured fur bags, flowing sheer and satin silhouettes. (To close out the presentation, the musician Babyface left his front-row seat and performed on a grand piano in the middle of the room.)
Hundreds of guests, like the rappers Busta Rhymes and Joey Badass and the actors Meagan Good and Serayah McNeill, arrived at the main entrance, hidden behind a door labeled with an active driveway sign.
Inside the venue, an acrobat, sandwiched between a chandelier and a disco ball, hovered over bartenders gracefully fulfilling a steady frenzy of drink requests. “Are you getting a sidecar because it’s a snow day tomorrow?” said one guest calling across the room to a friend.
The models Jasmine Sanders, Alton Mason and Yvesmark Chery made their way to the dance floor, along with the internet personalities Aliyah Bah and Isan Elba, whose father is the actor, Idris Elba.
People shouted the words to a lineup of Usher songs, the D.J. making a clear reference to the recent Super Bowl halftime show. One of the performers, Ann-Archy Artist, wore a vibrant Wild West look in honor of Beyoncé’s recent announcement of her upcoming country-themed album.
“My philosophy is sort of a nod to the rah-rah ’90s,” Mr. Smith said when explaining the concept behind his fashion week parties. Achieving this, he said, means having a “good, crazy door,” a “great” playlist and an endless flow of drinks. The evening’s guests were also given Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars — one of many sponsored freebies that were gone by the end of the night.
Although he’s lost count of how many fashion week parties he’s hosted, he said that nightlife, specifically the style of the women in SoHo and the downtown scene in general, was a point of inspiration for him as a designer.
“I would sneak into some of the clubs or the fashion week parties in the meatpacking district back in the day,” Mr. Smith said.
Those who stayed into the early morning hours remained energetic, dancing and joining singalongs as a light hail fell.
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