Few do a launch quite like Stacey Bendet. To celebrate alice + olivia’s return to handbags after a six year hiatus, the designer opened the doors to her home to friends like Nicky Hilton, Emily Rockefeller, Jessica Wang Francesco and Alba Clemente, Rickie De Sole, Dani Stahl, Priya Shukla, Carolyn Angel, Elisa Lipsky-Karasz, Gillian Hearst, CFDA CEO Steven Kolb, and more – all while sprinkling her own special brand of magic throughout her abode.

The stars of the evening were four bold handbag silhouettes informed by the CFDA member’s “Hotel Imagination” Spring 2025 collection: the Alicia Shoulder Bag, the Kayla Embellished Clutch, the Semira Bow Clutch, and the Blaire Reversible Tote.

The Mise en Scène was a study in detail. The handbags were elegantly displayed among Bendet’s personal art collection, while interactive elements around the styles – ie. lip gloss charms on U Beauty’s coveted glosses, handkerchief embroidery, custom-bedazzled Touchland hand sanitizers – added to the personal charm, as did a a cake in the shape of the Semira, mini reproductions of each bag as cookies, and Stacey’s personal favorite ginger margarita with Lalo Tequila.

The Art of the Bag, indeed.