AKA our Manhattan correspondents party with Mrs Prada in Hotel Chelsea!
The scenography of Prada Mode for Satellite II was defined by a metallic lustre. Bartenders and servers wore silver jumpsuits with shoes to match, gleaming vending machines were scattered throughout the space, and neon Prada Mode signs anchored each activation. A shimmering curtain framed the stage for TikTok star Precious Renee Tucker’s keyboard performance. The experimental synths streamed through the room, sounding more like a score for a science-fiction film.
We walked into a lounge that had four televisions and a vending machine. The television sets had the rounded, almost improbable bulk of an iMac G3. They were metallic, interrupted only by a narrow red strip on the back, a detail that felt distinctly Prada. Their scale divided the room into smaller territories, creating pockets of intimacy within the seating areas. On the two-channel screens, the animated faces of Nicolas Winding Refn and Hideo Kojima watched us as we ordered more fries and champagne. These animated surfaces stood in sharp contrast to the Hotel Chelsea’s Victorian Gothic interior, resulting in a glamorous encounter between old-world grandeur and a space-age fantasy.
We caught a glimpse of Miuccia herself, twice. The first was after we got our drinks, when she walked by to get her own. The bartenders made her wait briefly, and in that pause, we admired her beautiful turquoise monochrome look. The second was after we had sat down. She came to view the televisions, and as she was squeezing through the furniture, we briefly made eye contact.
Because my friends are Italian, we went to the courtyard so they could have a smoke. The courtyard was small and cosy, allowing my friend Gregorio and I to admire the back of Hunter Schafer’s head, who sat nearby. At 7:30, the servers began collecting people, and we slowly made our way to the afterparty.
At Katz’s Delicatessen, the familiar rhythm of the space had shifted. Neon light washed across worn surfaces in shifting reds and blues. Behind the counter, bartenders prepared cocktails instead of pastrami sandwiches. On the celebrity photo wall, portraits of Nicolas Winding Refn and Hideo Kojima appeared among the regulars, as if they had always been there. We danced to Hollaback Girl while checking the Knicks score throughout the night, and cheered when the team made their historic win.
Prada Mode New York space is open to the public this weekend, 6-7th of June.
Words by Amy Suzuki
Images by Ibrahim Kombarji and courtesy of Prada Mode
