Naomi Watts, Chanel Iman and Elin Nordegren were among the major names who came out for Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig‘s intimate dinner on Monday evening to toast Marchesa‘s new shoe collection.
The footwear line, produced in partnership with newly launched accessory-services firm AKH Group, launches for spring ’16.
AKH Group’s Annelie Hofstrom, a veteran of Manolo Blahnik and Oscar de la Renta, and partner Ashley Kennedy were also on hand at the dinner, held in a private room at Palma restaurant. Guests at the fete had the opportunity to preview Marchesa’s handbag and shoe collections.
At New York Fashion Week in September, Chapman and Craig sent models down the runway in shoes of their own making for the first time since the brand’s inception in 2004. “We’ve dreamt about this for such a long time. Seeing ourselves as a lifestyle brand, shoes were something we’ve always wanted to do, but we needed to find the right people to do it with,” said Chapman backstage at The St. Regis Hotel.
No strangers to the upper echelons of the shoe world, Marchesa collaborated for 10 years with Christian Louboutin on Marchesa’s catwalk styles in the vein of their ornate eveningwear for the main line and Notte collections.
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To make the shoe line a reality, Craig and Chapman enlisted AKH Group, which handles the manufacturing and sale of luxury-licensed accessories. “They understood our vision, which is the most important thing going into a new endeavor,” said Craig.
To see the other big names at Monday’s event, click through the gallery.
