Presented by Elisabetta Franchi
For over 25 years, Elisabetta Franchi has been a go-to for fashion enthusiasts seeking tailored pieces imbued with sultry sophistication and eveningwear that sidesteps stuffiness. With boutiques dotting the Italian coast and beyond in Europe and Asia, the Italian fashion house, which was founded in the late ’90s, has finally landed stateside. As of this week, Miami’s ritzy Bal Harbour Shops has welcomed an Elisabetta Franchi boutique—a milestone perfectly timed to coincide with the excitement of Art Basel Miami Beach. Naturally, a properly chic store opening bash was in order and last night, Elisabetta Franchi herself and Marco Bizzarri did the honors.
If Elisabeth Franchi is her own best model (and she is), the same could be said of her party; every detail of the evening was infused with the brand’s glamourous DNA. Picture a bevy of glamorously dressed fashion and art devotees enjoying a private sky-view penthouse at the city’s 1 Hotel, which is rarely used for events. As a preview of the brand’s recently debuted spring/summer 2025 collection was projected on a side wall of the massive penthouse, a red carpet welcomed the likes of Alessandra Ambrosio (wearing an Elisabetta Franchi black satin bra top and high waist pants), Taylor Hill (in a slinky striped-and-see-through Elisabetta Franchi maxi dress), and Devon Windsor (in the brand’s sheer blouse top and oxblood pleated pants), and more. As for the designer herself, she opted for a strapless black dress that encapsulated the Miami-in-December vibes.
“I am truly honored to bring Elisabetta Franchi to the Americas, beginning with the prestigious Bal Harbour Shops, a destination that perfectly reflects our brand values and aesthetic,” Franchi said. “This opening marks an important milestone in our journey, and we are excited to share our vision and passion with a new international clientele in Miami.”
Though it was windy atop the fashionable hotel’s rooftop, the party’s crowd only grew as the night did. A full bar sat perfectly in front of an ocean backdrop, popular DJ BLOND:ISH ensured a dance-inspiring playlist, and light bites served included tuna tacos and more. Some stationed themselves on cozy sofas lining the space’s glass-railed perimeter, others shimmied to the space’s indoor-outdoor living room, and at some point, a crowd gathered at the DJ booth—phones out!—to capture Franchi and friends behind the turntables with BLOND:ISH.
Just as attentively curated as the party is the brand’s new Bal Harbour location, which opened with support from Gucci’s former president and CEO, Marco Bizzarri. Adorned with vases of white calla lilies, marble, and wood-grain touches, the airy, all-white space is currently centered on the brand’s spring/summer 2025 lineup, dubbed “The Femme Paradox,” of Victorian-esque lace, drop-waist corsets, sheer inserts, and bodycon silhouettes spruced up with contrast piping, largely centered around subdued nudes, with an unexpected pop of golden yellow.
Clearly no stranger to hosting a great party, Franchi giddily hopped from one enthused party guest to another, none eager to escape the panoramic views and sophisticated atmosphere of the evening. One by one, however, as the event’s end time inched near, attendees headed back down to the posh hotel’s lobby—those clad in the brand’s new garb surely among the best dressed in the establishment.
