Proenza Schouler Feted New Perfume Launch with SZA
Last night, Proenza Schouler invited friends of the brand to skip a night of New York Fashion Week madness and transported them to Arizona in honor of the launch of its first fragrance, an homage to the state. Instead of dragging New York's elite thousands of miles across the country, the brand brought slices of Arizona to the Skylight Modern in Chelsea — well placed sand and sunset LED lights made for incredibly Instagrammable moments.
Attendees made their way down stairs (where the real party happened) set against a wall of bright light much like standing in awe of a James Turrell installation. Bar stations in every corner allowed for easy access to Arizona-themed drinks such as "Sedona" and "Oasis," which could be set down on mirrored tables so reflective they almost seemed to disappear. This was a feat of planning—in the state itself, it's common to find pools of water with the same reflective quality, enabling you to see the sky in the ground. However, the iconography couldn't compete with the real Arizona, which was brought to attendees in virtual reality form and placed them in the middle of the grand canyon. Across the room, videos of the landscape were played in the back of a concrete tunnel, providing the perfect Instagram station to anyone who wanted to use it. Sand dunes were abundant, on one side running against the beautifully designed stage; the other, providing a display for the perfume itself.
It's no surprise that this wonderland was the only fashion week event Chloe Sevigny attended, as she's been long tied in with Proenza Schouler. Other stars, such as Dakota Fanning, Alexa Chung, and Sienna Miller all arrived to both pay their respects to the brand's founders and show support for the launch. They were treated with a surprise performance by breakout artist SZA, one that won't soon be forgotten by anyone in attendance. All in all, the party managed to take on the intended vibe of fragrance itself—serene wonder. "Arizona" the fragrance isn't meant to smell like the state, rather evoke the feeling one experiences while taking in the desert's beauty. Last night was surely beautiful.
