DEDON LOVES NEW YORK. NEW YORK LOVES DEDON!

Text by Felicity Fiber Photos by Patrick McMullan

DEDON LOVES NEW YORK. NEW YORK LOVES DEDON!

Once again the stars were aligned last night for an unforgettable evening with DEDON. The weather? Gorgeous. The location? Unbeatable. The guests? An endless stream of family and friends, many of them bold-faced names from the worlds of fashion, design and cinema, all gathering to join DEDON founder Bobby Dekeyser and his co-host for the evening, renowned fashion photographer Bruce Weber, in celebrating DEDON's remarkable new collections and much-anticipated direct entry into the US market.

Weber cut a dashing figure in black suit and white silk scarf, but remained instantly recognizable to friends, fans and a slew of party photographers in his trademark navy bandana. As they stood together greeting guests and making us all feel right at home, one could definitely discern a special bond between these two free-spirited, open-minded fellows. Just last week, Weber shot his second campaign for DEDON, this time near his home on Montauk, and those fortunate enough to be on the set claim that the new work is even more over-the-top than the groundbreaking tree house shoot that preceded it.

In addition to Weber's partner, Nan Bush, and Dekeyser's wife, Ann-Kathrin, and children, Yannick and Carolin, the circle of people surrounding the evening's hosts included celebrities ranging from rocker Courtney Love to Gossip Girl Kelly Rutherford  to supermodel Iris Strubegger to Greek shipping heir and man-about-town Stavros Niarchos III. Also in the mix were Monaco royal Pierre Casiraghi and his companion Beatrice Borromeo; socialites Cornelia Guest and Olympia Scarry; DJ Julio Santo Domingo;  model Elisa Sednaoui; celebrated filmmaker Brett Rattner (Rush Hour, X-Men: Last Stand, etc.); art dealer Andy Valmorbida; financier Nat Rothschild; Jimmy Choo CEO and creative chief Tamara Mellon; actress Tiffany Limos; fashion PR guru Karla Otto; top photographer Craig McDean; i-D Magazine publisher Terry Jones and his photographer son, Matt; star creative directors Fabien Baron and Doug Lloyd; "It" girl Rachel Chandler; Burberry model Tom Guinness; Glamour fashion director Anne Christensen, and so many other notables that I soon ran out of note paper!

Jean Nouvel's freshly-completed New York masterpiece, 100 11th Street, is something of a celebrity itself, having fascinated press and public alike with its strikingly original curved window mosaic consisting of 1650 unique panes. The building's magnificent 23rd-story penthouse certainly set the mood for the evening's festivities, its double-height wall-to-ceiling patchwork curtain of windows and sprawling, gardened roof terrace providing unmatched views of lower Manattan, the Hudson river, the twinkling lights of New Jersey and, from certain vantage points, the entirety of Midtown as well. One couldn't help but notice how at home DEDON's new MU collection, by designer Toan Nguyen, looked in the surroundings — both indoors and out!

In typical DEDON spirit, last night's event was as much an evening of family and close friends as it was fodder for party photographers. To all involved, it was clear not only that DEDON loves New York, but that New York loves DEDON. We all look forward to lots more fun with this incredible tribe as they open their first US showroom in SoHo this November...