PAPER kicked off New York Fashion Week at PUBLIC Hotel with a party that everyone's still talking about.
POP MART was there to celebrate with us, bringing SKULLPANDA's latest collaboration with My Little Pony to life in a night that mixed K-pop royalty with the kind of chaos that only happens when fashion week goes full tilt — surprise performances included. For those unfamiliar with SKULLPANDAs, they are POP MART’s second most popular character, only eclipsed by LABUBU.
The newly minted SKULLPANDA x My Little Pony pieces lined the skyline space, turning the venue into a candy-colored dreamscape. But the real scene-stealer? The custom wig wall where guests eagerly congregated, matching their hair to their SKULLPANDAs before hitting the dance floor. Phones were out, wigs were on and the vibe was unhinged. How very PAPER.
The drink pours of the night at the bar, you ask? “Break the Internet,” “Coolest Person,” and “Cover Worthy.” As guests walked down the huge mirrored corridors of the space, they passed stars like KJ Apa, Rickey Thompson, Anna Delvey and Selah Marley, all there chatting and dancing amongst friends.
Dennis Free opened up the dancefloor for the night with his Twilight Sparkle SKULLPANDA seated firmly on the DJ booth. Then PAPER President Jason Ve set it off with a short dancefloor toast, before dropping the night's first surprise: Yuqi from K-pop powerhouse i-dle. He gifted her a SKULLPANDA MLP on the spot as the room lost it. Back on the floor, she vibed and danced with the crowd to i-dle’s newest single "MONO" featuring Skaiwater. Pure PAPER.
Just past midnight, as the energy peaked, Alicia Creti took over with a special performance of "Nobody's Business.”. Models, designers, influencers and K-pop fans mixed freely. But it wouldn’t be a PAPER function without also noting the attendance of some of our favorite content creators and creatives: such as Griffin Maxwell Brooks, Jack Powers, Tiny Jewish Girl and the iconic Grant Gibbs and Ashley Gill.
After Creti, DJ No Promises spun Zara Larsson’s” Midnight Sun.” The whole of PUBLIC Hotel was sparkling. Other PAPER favs in attendance included Jackie Aina, Emma Brooks,Snow Wife, Casimere Jollette, Marta Pozzan and DC The Don.
By the time the crowd spilled into the downtown streets, ready for the next fashion week function, one thing was clear: this would be the cutest (and best accessorized) NYFW party all week.
Photography: Troy Hallahan and Anneliese Horowitz
