“Hi, I’m Derek Blasberg. You’re at my ‘Wreath It and Weep’ holiday party—get it?”
Deep in the Banana Republic’s Soho outpost, a festive fête hosted by Blasberg took place in the new speakeasy—The Banana—tucked into the back of the store. A curated collection of designers, models, actors, and industry notables donned the brand’s iconic American styles. Creative director of Gap Inc. Zac Posen chatted with model Carolyn Murphy near the bar, which was serving rosemary spritzes, among other seasonal cocktails. Martha Hunt, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, and Ella Emhoff were engaged in animated conversations, dining on local chef Jonah Reider’s gourmet bites. Other VIPs—Ruby Aldridge, Sarah Hoover, Tinx, Charlotte Groeneveld, and more—ebbed from the wreath-making workshop and flowed into The Banana.
The Banana itself was as impressive as the guests it housed. Fringed chandeliers made from agave plants hung from the ceiling, golden bananas framed the bar, a velvet maroon tone coated the room, and glamorous merriment filled the air. “I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and as a kid in Missouri, there were not as many outlets for my combustible creativity apart from the holidays,” Blasberg tells Vogue. “So my self-appointed role was to do the lights, the tree, the ornaments, the garlands, the exterior lights—all of it. I guess I’ve always been a holiday guy.”
Another friend of the brand, Murphy, tells us, “My love for the brand goes way back. I remember getting the catalogs for Banana Republic when I was younger, and when I moved to New York, they had a store on 6th Avenue and Greenwich. It’s where I would go shop to get the basics at that time. It’s incredible to have the resurgence of this American brand and to work with Zac who’s a longtime friend from when I first moved to New York in the early ’90s. There’s all this nostalgia wrapped around him, my shopping at Banana Republic, and coming full circle working on the last campaign together.”
Leaving the event, guests received their custom wreaths as well as monogrammed cashmere sweaters. Murphy adds, “Tonight, I’m meeting new friends, seeing old friends, and it’s just the spirit of New York.”
