Seven brand events in 48 hours. 🍸
Paula Cooper x NYRB, Lukas Gage at Burger King, Liana Satenstein’s shirt party, Boy Smells, i-D x Substack, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson’s birthday party, and a New York Review of Architecture party.
Hello everyone. Free letter today because it reads like candy.
I’m back in New York after two days in Nashville with the Hermès team. I had one of the best meals of my year at a restaurant called Locust, and we spent the evening in an Hermès-draped room watching Jack White perform with Hermès artisans, who also happened to be musicians. I ran into my incredibly talented college friend Vincent Tullo who was shooting the event, and sat next to Gwen Graves (wife of my business idol Todd Graves) at dinner. I woke up this morning and felt sad that I was leaving the city. The Hermès team produced such a wonderful weekend and it was so exciting to see how they engaged craftspeople from their world as well as Tennessee locals.
Today’s letter includes: the hotel providing their guests with Eckhaus Latta robes,
told me how it feels to already be sold out of her new tomato sauce, tested what happens when you say yes to every brand event in your inbox, and what the hell is a24’s software team building?“Is Feed Me the heir to Gawker? The insidery tone / name drops feels like vintage 2008-12 era Denton.” - Pat, a guy on Twitter.
Political Parties is a nightlife column by . It offers readers a glimpse into the unspoken politics of party culture, in rooms that they didn’t even know existed. This week, she writes about brand event RSVP fatigue.
The Feed Me team got together for an in-person lunch meeting last Friday to plan an upcoming project that you guys are going to lose your minds over. And while we did get a lot of work done, we also discussed our busy social calendars and all of the events that we’re looking forward to attending, as well as the ones we aren’t. One thing we did agree on is that New Yorkers seem to be going to a lot of sponsored parties, and it’s starting to feel like social calendars are dominated by brand events. An East Coast magazine launches a West Coast issue? There will be at least one party in Hollywood, and one in Greenwich Village. A seasonal store pop-up? Default party, even if they’re only open for a weekend. New perfume launch? Party. Literally anyone writes a book? Time to party in the same restaurant you ate at last month for a newsletter launch party.
Of course, being invited to drink pre-batched martinis on a company’s dime isn’t the worst problem to have. But it’s also, fundamentally, work – and like all work, it gets exhausting. Most of these events aren’t really about having fun; they’re a way to sell stuff, for brands to get free advertising by inviting people who will post about whatever they’re selling, and for writers (and publications) to stay on the radar of marketing teams. Ultimately, if you live in New York and have a job in fashion or beauty or media or PR or marketing or write a Substack, it’s basically impossible to go to all the parties, popups and brand events you get invited to in the name of professional networking.
But…. What if I could?
Would I have fun, or, at very least, develop some new brand loyalties and acquire some interesting business cards? I decided to try. I RSVPd to everything that came into my (and Emily and Anna’s) inbox over a two-day period starting Wednesday night (and even so, I still missed an AGOLDE party at People’s, a VF issue launch at Le Dive, a party by the design firm AvroKO, and Jon Caramanica’s birthday party). Here’s what I saw:
Wednesday, October 15, 6:20pm, Paula Cooper Gallery in Chelsea
“The New York Review of Books + Paula Cooper Gallery Fall Mixer”
My marathon begins on Wednesday after work, hyping myself up while getting ready, because it’s motherfucking game time: I have seven parties to go to in the next 48 hours. I chug a bottle of 5-Hour Energy (retro) and get ChatGPT to map out a schedule telling me what time I need to leave for each venue.
My first stop is Paula Cooper Gallery in Chelsea, where The New York Review of Books is celebrating the opening of an exhibition of the artist Sophie Calle’s work. Everything these days is a collab – between artists and magazines, between magazines and brands, between brands and other brands. A beautiful, thin gallery girl in head-to-toe black holds the door for me, while another smiling girl behind the desk offers me a neon sticker that’s meant to signify that you’re single and searching. I politely decline.
“Shoutout to the Kushner family for this party,” he joked.
It’s 6:20 p.m. (I’m twenty minutes late, standard New York City timing) and I’m surprised to find a full crowd already assembled and listening patiently to an introductory speaker. Are all art people so punctual?
The reason for this particular collab is that NYRB has a famous Classifieds section, where people once turned to find love. Sophie Calle’s new work is also about personal ads: some are drawn from a French magazine with a popular matrimonial ad section and others are drawn from Tinder bios. The collaboration is a match made in heaven, according to rules of Public Relations and according to Alexandra Mills, the sales assistant at Paula Cooper who dreamed up the event. She initially thought of getting Hinge or Tinder to sponsor it, but couldn’t pass up the offer from the NYRB.
Editor in chief Emily Greenhouse thanks Ghia for sponsoring the beverages and fashion designer Rachel Comey for designing a collection of clothing inspired by the NYRB’s personal ads, which I notice many in the room are wearing tonight. I admittedly don’t like readings (I read in my own time) and I particularly hate it when the people doing the readings decide to let their inner theater kid out. But this one is endearing, because the readings are just actual classified ads. I’m astounded that someone once paid a magazine to say that they’re seeking someone to “replace my late mother.”
I’m paying less attention to the reading than I am to what everyone is wearing, because they’re art-y and stylish without trying hard: a girl in the crowd has on two Agnes B snap cardigans, there are lots of oddly shaped shoes like the sexyish Martiniano flats that show the outline of your toes, and I don’t notice any makeup apart from Joana Avillez’s red lipstick.
I want to stay and people-watch some more, but I’m already running late to my next event (another reading…) so I grab a can of Ghia for the road and head down to FiDi.
8pm, Burger King at 106 Liberty Street
“Dream Baby Press Present a Reading With + + at Burger King”
My next stop: a reading at a literal Burger King. The writer Matt Starr organizes these readings via his literary press and events company Dream Baby Press, at places like the Sbarro in Penn Station, a donut shop, and this Burger King in FiDi. To be clear: these are events with guests who actually show up of their own volition, because tickets are made publicly available on Instagram, so Burger King fits the high-low vibe.
Carole Radziwill (Real Housewife of New York and writer) is reading, and so is the actor Lukas Gage (he’s on a book tour). I walk into a crowd of about a hundred people cheering — the readings have just ended — and a woman in a Burger King uniform smiling wide and filming. I can’t help but smile, too, and I curse myself for not arriving earlier. A Feed Me reader named Danielle tells me how funny the reading was, and others are raving about Carole (“icon”). Gage’s publicist is handing out free books, and I overhear a few girls in thick makeup asking what the next move is. I half-recognize a bunch of people from Instagram and a few minor celebrities who I can’t identify. It’s a vibe shift after being around barefaced, restrained art people: a girl is filming a TikTok in line for the bathroom and tells me “maybe go in… it’s gonna be a while.” When I pull out my phone to reapply my lip liner in my front-facing camera, a guy tells me “Get that content babe.”
“No mirrors at Burger King… it’s literally CRIMINAL,” he says to his friend standing next to him. “Criminal…” the friend responds, followed by “Where are we going after this?”
For me, the answer is to get food and go to bed, because I have to go home and get ready for the five parties I’ve RSVPd for the next day.
Thursday, October 16, 6:30PM, David Mallet Salon at WSA
“WE MADE A SAUCY SHIRT” / Cleo Camp x Liana x NEVERWORNS
Day two begins at
’s party at David Mallett Salon in WSA, which is conveniently where Feed Me’s office is (the building is kind of like the World Trade Center for sponsored events and people who make zines). I do my makeup in the office and then take the elevator up two flights. The reason for the event is that Satenstein (who hosts live shopping events, normally closet sales) has collabbed with a brand called Cleo Camp on a new shirt (neon blue, scoop neck, slinky). She is hosting a live sale of the shirt and David Mallett is presumably letting her host it in exchange for getting cool girls (like Interview’s Taylore Scarabelli and writer-editor Alyssa Vingan) into their new salon. And everyone really is cool: almost everyone inside is wearing oversized, vintage denim and a leather jacket. Did I miss the outfit memo?I ask one girl where her suede jacket is from, to which she responds “Lara Koleji,” in monotone. “I love Lara,” says her friend. “Lara” isn’t a real person, but rather the name of a vintage store on Orchard Street, and thank goodness I know what it is. I nod, and say “Same.”
The sale is starting, but I have to run, so I slip out as Liana gets on the mic to kick things off.
7:10 pm, Boy Smells store in Nolita
“YOU’RE INVITED TO THE CELEBRATION OF BOY SMELLS (FIRST-EVER) NYC POP-UP. DRINKS + LIGHT BIGHTS + SURPRISES.”
I uber to Elizabeth Street, where Boy Smells is celebrating their new pop-up store. The shop is painted lavender, there are ugly-cool flower arrangements everywhere, and people sip cocktails out of glasses made to look like Boy Smells candles. Impressive event production. Still, I’m getting a headache from all of the smells. I recognize a fashion blogger (@thatadult), but no one else. Everyone is wearing black — it looks like we could be backstage at a Margiela show. Someone offers me the choice of two free perfumes in a gift bag, and one of them is poppers scented. I decline and start walking to my next destination: Monsieur, Baz Luhrmann’s bar in the East Village.
7:30 pm, Monsieur, East 4th Street
i-D X SUBSTACK: CONFESSIONAL ZINE READING
When I arrive at Monsieur, the girl manning the door tells me to enter quietly because “the reading has started.” Ugh. The main difference between the crowd here and the group at Boy Smells is that everyone here seems to know each other. The reason for celebration this time is a limited-edition print zine from i-D Magazine and Substack. I recognize Benton McClintock from Instagram (he’s being held by his British hubby) and
. squeezes past me at the bar, and I miraculously am able to recognize her just by the back of her head, which I’ve only ever seen online. Everyone else either works at i-D, PR Consulting, or Substack, and I exchange friendly “Long time no see!” jokes with some of the Substack employees who were at Matt Starr’s reading the night before.One of them tells me that Karlie Kloss (who owns i-D) was there at the beginning of the night to meet-and-greet and take pictures. “Shoutout to the Kushner family for this party,” he joked.
“I’m grateful to the bartender at Raoul’s who brought me a full flight of seared tuna, a serving of hot french fries, and an espresso martini, all to myself. And to whoever introduced beer to the menu at Burger King.”
8:47 pm, Raoul’s in Soho
Gabriella Karefa-Johnson x Belvedere at Raoul’s
I have a $75 Uber voucher sent to me for my next stop, so I know it’s going to be a good (expensive) one. It’s hosted by stylist and fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, and I don’t know much else. The first thing I see when I arrive is a guy hammered, laughing mouth-open while leaning on his friend. He says he’s “dyingggg” (in a good way). Derek Blasberg is already here holding the i-D zine, so I’m comforted to know there’s other people on my schedule. Loud electronic music is blaring, and cocktail waiters are roaming with trays of caviar and individual slices of seared tuna. Delicious. I’m chatting with some guys who look like male models at the bar, but it turns out that one of them is a DJ, the other is a fashion editor, and another worked for LaQuan Smith for ten years. The party is sponsored by Belvedere: Belvedere martinis, Belvedere gift bags given out by a PR lady (I decline again), and a huge Belvedere bottle-shaped cake that people have taken pieces out of.
Everyone starts singing happy birthday, and it dawns on me that this brand event is also birthday party. Genius, I think to myself.
Gabriella and her friends are clearly having the time of their lives, and pile into Escalades to go to a club. Two hot guys strike poses in front of one of the cars while another snaps pics on a digital camera. I’m left alone with the Belvedere PR team waiting for my Uber.
11:00pm, Honey’s in Bushwick
NEW YORK LAUNCH: Los Angeles Review of Architecture #2
I use the rest of my Uber credit on the way to the New York Review of Architecture party in celebration of their new Los Angeles Review of Architecture, which is happening at a bar in Bushwick. I don’t think it’s sponsored by anyone, so I’m expecting low-budget fun. By now, I’m spoiled. I arrive at a sparsely decorated bar that could have been a garage, where there’s around fifteen people in jeans mingling. Two of their editors come and introduce themselves to me, instead of the other way around. I exhale. One immediately gets me a mezcal sour and thanks me for coming all the way out from Manhattan. He takes out his card to pay for it. I’m startled, because I realize I haven’t seen a credit card in two days. I chat with the architecture boys for a while, guzzle back the mezcal sour, and then excitedly hail an Uber home (paid for by me).
12:30am, Bed, Cami’s apartment
Finally home, I collapse onto my mattress to reflect on the past 48 hours. Did I have fun? Yes. I’ll probably start organizing my schedule with ChatGPT more often. I got a lot done. I also have new respect for the hustlers of this city: the PR professionals who put this whole show on. I’m grateful to the bartender at Raoul’s who brought me a full flight of seared tuna, a serving of hot french fries, and an espresso martini, all to myself. And to whoever introduced beer to the menu at Burger King.
Did it make me want to buy any of the products being sold or to give my money to any new publications? Not really. I already pay for NYRA and i-D, but that’s a work expense. I still haven’t opened the Zine. I’ll probably never buy a bottle of Belvedere myself, but that’s what their PR team is for.
i-D mag and Substack’s “limited edition zine,” on the theme of ‘Confessions,’ dropped this morning and is apparently already out of stock. “Substack is a parasocial wonderland,” reads the description. “It’s like having access to the journal of a person you find fascinating. To take that a step further, we asked 10 of Substack’s most interesting writers to share something they’d never written about before.” The zine includes confessional essays from Derek Blasberg, Gabrielle Karefa-Johnson and Emma Emhoff.
Monica Lewinsky released an anti-bullying candle with Flamingo estate. Come on, man. In other Flamingo Estate news, the Los Angeles lifestyle brand is expanding their literal estate.
reported that founder Richard Christiansen bought the spot immediately adjacent to his namesake property.Turkish shooting legend Olympian Yusuf Dikeç, Elijah Wood, and Mia Khalifa all DJ’d for NTS Radio today as part of a project to raise funds for the UN World Food Programme. Sick.
a24 is building a software team. To me this means one of two things: More games and interactive platforms, or they’re investing in making films with AI.
Manhattan’s sparkly party dress economy is booming. Annie’s Ibiza, the high end going-out-dress retailer which sells “one-of-a-kind pieces perfect for a hedonistic night” is already beloved by party girls on the London-Ibiza circuit. In a week, they’re opening their first New York store, at 110 Mercer Street. Some of the commenters on their Instagram are noting that the announcement looks a lot like an ad for Annie’s mac and cheese, which is honestly a collab we could get behind.
Zohran’s wife skipped the mayoral debate to teach a ceramic tile workshop at Huda in Williamsburg. The NY Post obviously meant this writeup as shade, but Feed Me has always been pro skipping your husband’s boring work events to pursue hobbies.
Not that boring, though: In other mayoral debate news, conservative cat guy Curtis Sliwa is coming for Eric Adams’ crown as most quotable NYC politician.
“I don’t have a credit card. I have a debit card.”
“Every parade has the right to exist.”
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I was listening to Puck’s ‘The Grill Room’ this morning, and Julia mentioned a new social media editor named Ramy. Looking forward to what Ramy Zabarah does with the place.
- and Ramp hosted a dinner at Nobu Malibu last night. I like the branded chopsticks.
Salesforce and Marc Benioff are getting a ton of backlash for their proposed collaboration with ICE. Last night, The Times published a story revealing that Salesforce pitched Immigration and Customs Enforcement on using the company’s AI to help ICE increase their workforce. This morning, the paper’s Dealbook newsletter chronicled the “growing blowback” against Benioff, who has come out loudly in support of Trump, while comedians Kumail Nanjiani and Ilana Glazer cancelled performances at Salesforce’s annual tech conference. Any Salesforce employee readers here who can tell us what the mood in the company is like?
I asked Alison Roman this morning how it feels that her newly-launched sauce (her first foray into CPG) sold out within hours of launching. “We underestimated the enthusiasm for this sauce and sold out way quicker than expected. This is obviously WONDERFUL, but also frustrating to launch a product and then immediately have to tell people they can’t buy it. Learning curve! But, we’re already working on it and everything should be restocked within a few weeks,” she said. “The coolest part, to me, is that we nearly sold out before I even posted a single story to Instagram— the power of newsletters!” I want to talk about this more but…… she’s our Guest Lecture next week, so I’ll wait.
I’ve been hearing so much buzz about Pocketbook, a new luxury (or at least, luxurious) hotel in Hudson. It officially opens at the end of October, but T Magazine reported this week a few additional details I hadn’t heard yet: the bathrobes are by Eckhaus Latta, there’s a basement nightclub that will host a rotating calendar of DJs, and their restaurant will feature open-fire cooking. I want to go.
Mammoth Brands, the parent company of Harry’s razors, acquired baby care line Coterie. According to an accompanying release, Coterie generated “$200mm in net revenue in the last 12 months, an increase of almost 60% year-on-year.”
Simon Rich is doing another Broadway show, featuring Jon Stewart, Eric Andre, Ray Romano, Cecily Strong, Sarah Silverman and Nicholas Braun.You guys seemed to like the theater news yesterday, so here’s more: All Out: Comedy About Ambition, a sequel to last season’s Broadway comedy hit All In: Comedy About Love – in which a rotating cast of celebrities read Rich’s comedic stories aloud onstage – opens December 12th. This one is about “ego, envy, greed, and basically just New Yorkers in general.” Glad to see Nic Braun is back to work.
“Feed Me has always been pro skipping your husband’s boring work events to pursue hobbies.” 😂🎯
Bless Cami for partying so hard ❤️🔥 I’ve been wondering about Annie’s bridal line and how it looks in person, def going to visit when they open. 👀
100% agree art scene outfits are top notch - I think someone should do a Street Style IG account or Substack report specifically about art scene attendees! Last year I went to gallery openings every Thurs in the fall and it's such a fun diverse mix of ages and styles. So much good inspo, and so much less pretentious / more real than fashion week street style, which is so boring now that it's just influencers wearing sponsored outfits. I would do this myself if I had the time!!
Also love the party report Cami - I was at Sophie's around the same time! Need to start using ChatGPT to plan party routes, genius. Will save me from being an insane person who does this: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Eom-0NYCT-5qUb3FAQuVPKX37xHff2M_E4E7FpKLo-U/edit?usp=sharing