The Tamesis
During fashion month, the industry gathers at familiar brand dinners, after-parties and late-night events. From the rooftop of The Standard to the restaurant of Caviar Kaspia, there are several venues that keep popping up – season after season, city after city.
Repetition is rarely accidental. A venue’s proximity to fashion often depends on a combination of cultural credibility, operational reliability and strong relationships. Some venues inherit their status through decades of relationships with designers and tastemakers; others create it intentionally through community building and cultural programming.
How this manifests varies greatly depending on the city and venue’s history. New York tends to be more “scenario-driven,” said Gia Kuan, founder of the New York-based public relations agency, which allows new spaces such as lower Manhattan “clubstraunts” People’s and Jean’s to gain traction through mystique and word-of-mouth. Paris and Milan have more historical connections. Caviar Kaspia, for example, known for its signature caviar-roasted potatoes, opened in Paris in 1927 and has long attracted the likes of fashion, art and culture figures from Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino Garavani to Karl Lagerfeld and Tom Ford. Sant Ambroeus opened in Milan in 1936 and has since become the unofficial meeting point for the city’s fashion scene, including Miuccia Prada, Giorgio Armani and Donatella Versace, and has hosted events over the past year with Saint Laurent, Ferragamo, Zegna, Chanel, Balenciaga and more. Between these two poles sit global lifestyle brands like The Standard (which has hotels in major fashion capitals such as London and New York) that blend institutional scale with cultural programming.
Caviar Caspia.Photo: Courtesy of Caviar Caspia
“The hospitality industry has shifted from a business perspective and margins have become very thin, so you have to be very proactive,” said Frankie Carattini, head of events and creative director at People’s, which opened in late 2024 and has hosted events ranging from Met Gala after-parties to Anna Sui, Thom Browne and Maison Margiela. “People feel like they’re in an environment that’s crazy and out of control. But in reality, it’s highly controlled and highly orchestrated.”
For brands, ensuring a buzzing event venue is as much about marketing as it is about relationship management. The right environment can enhance a brand’s cultural positioning by aligning it with a specific demographic, community or aesthetic, while exclusive dinners and parties are also VIC customer moments, which is increasingly important for luxury brands focused on top consumers.
Industry observers say the difference between a lasting fashion spot and a fleeting hotspot is cultural literacy. “Fashion’s favorite venue understands that it is part of the brand narrative, not just a backdrop,” Kwan said. “They know how to accommodate a room of editors, designers and artists without breaking a sweat. It’s about vibe, discretion and design integrity, but also understanding how fashion actually works.”
Why Fashion Proximity Matters
For hotel brands, a sense of stylish belonging brings cultural legitimacy and global visibility. “When people with influential tastes and perspectives have a great experience, that energy spreads quickly and creates lasting credibility for the venue,” said Kathryn Florada, events director at Jean’s Restaurant and Club in New York. QNew York Fashion Week event, Willy Chavarria’s CFDA awards show, etc.
