Dôen Celebrated its New Upper East Side Address with a Dreamy House Party

Lily Rabe, Bessie Phillips, Coco PaudellePhoto: Sophie Sahara

“This was my wildest dream, but it was always my plan,” said Dôen co-founder Margaret Kleveland Fashion Thursday night at Chez Fifi, talking about the new boutique on Madison Avenue that is my brainchild. To celebrate, the Los Angeles-based brand hosted a bash at the popular restaurant, located in a historic Upper East Side townhouse, complete with a multi-tiered caviar station, astrology readings and late-night dancing.

It’s a belated christening for the Nicky Kehoe-designed store, which officially opened in February. But better late than never. At Chez Fifi, champagne flows, chicory spears appear, and the jasmine, musk and orange blossom scent of Dôen and Bernard Indra candles engulfs the room, prompting everyone to take notice and ask what this divine aroma is.

Kleveland cruised with her co-founder and sister, Katherine Kleveland, to greet glamorous guests decked out in head-to-toe clothing from the brand. Dozens of fans of the brand — among them Lila Moss, Busy Philipps, Lily Rabe and Iris Apatow — stopped by to hang out.

“Tonight I realized, ‘Oh my God — I’m a Dôen girl!’ I know everyone at this party, right down to the woman who secretly injected me with Botox in my face.” saturday night live Chloe Fineman. She was wearing a buttery black jacket and cropped trousers and it certainly looked the part. “A great party is when you’re really excited to meet people,” she added. “There are wonderful, well-rounded, interesting women here. Women that I love, and women who are happy.”

At 9:30pm, the upstairs comes alive as DJ Justin Lucas plays timeless classics from Fleetwood Mac to Madonna, dominating the room. Making sure no one wants to leave, dips, lobster risotto and New York steak with peppercorn sauce keep popping up.

fashion magazine In-house astrologer Lisa Stardust is also busy providing personalized astrological readings for the crowd, tying the relationship between mysticism and fashion by linking colors with emotions; such as red for passion, pink for confidence and blue for tranquility – hues that fit perfectly with Dôen’s color palette. (As the Super New Moon enters Taurus on May 16, I was also told to wear something equally beautiful for this whimsical time.) Elsewhere, illustrator Rob Wilson was painting custom swan-themed artwork inspired by each attendee’s personality.

As the night comes to an end, the lively spirit floating around the townhouse certainly doesn’t. In fact, by 11 p.m., it felt like the party had just begun. Holding a French $75 in one hand and a silk sequined beaded pouch in the other, guests headed to the makeshift dance floor to keep the energy going.

As Margaret says, the brand’s mission is to design pieces full of emotion, creating a pause in time. So it’s a safe bet that most people will fondly remember their outfits from the last dance of the night Twisting and shouting With their Dôen girls.