The Clothes Whisperer: the fashion blog with wit that sparkles: THE CHANEL SOHO OPENING: The Best Party Ever

Apologies in the delay in getting out this mega-post, but the good things in blog are worth waiting for and I didn't feel like spewing out the most star-studded night of my life in a half-assed post, Uncle Karl and his sensational soiree deserve better than that. So here goes: after the first day of shows, I managed to score an invite to the re-opening of the Chateau Chanel in Soho. Well, me and Sarah Jessica Parker, Liv Tyler, Claire Danes, Diane Kruger, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Alexa Chung, Chanel Iman, Rachel Bilson, Grace Coddington, Erin Wasson, Crystal Renn, Karolina Kurkova, Julia Resoin Roitfeld, Molly Sims and Helena Christiensen, that is. You know, just another fashion week party. Stars turned out in full force to help Uncle Karl christen his new Spring Street store. Upon arrival (nevermind the ultra-glamorous Crocs that store sits just opposite), guests were greeted by an enormous LED canvas ten feet high by 150 feet long which wrapped the building featuring an animated video series of abstracted projections of Uncle Karl's own personal photography of Soho. Alexa Chung DJ'd (as she does) and Chanel Iman and Diane Kruger left their digi-tags on the digital graffiti installation walls, their perfectly manicured fingers virtually spraying their autographs with virtual Chanel graffiti paint cans.

Upon arriving at the store for the cocktail portion of the evening (Uncle Karl did not, sadly, allocate yours truly a space at the VIP dinner post-partay), Mamma Whisperer, Baby Whisperer, Charlotte and I parked ourselves near the entrance and watched the celebs roll in, each better than the next. Mother even had a close face to face encounter with her style icon, SJP, who was so blinded by the barrage of paparazzi that she stumbled off the black carpet towards a dead end instead of the front door. Baby Whisperer, in top whispering form, slipped in amongst the paps (all dressed in black) and managed to snap the sensation snaps you see before you here. Yours truly was too busy gagging over the Gossip Girls and guzzling the champagne to even contemplate packing up the star-struckness and pick up the camera.

After the man himself arrived (and Baby Whisperer managed to capture a rare ear-to-ear Julia Roberts-esque smile cracked across his infamously pursed lips), we at last relinquished our master spot at the top of the carpet and finally ducked inside for a look around and to rub shoulders with the A-ist of the A-list. Rachel Bilson chatted away happily on the couch and Diane Kruger smiled at me more than once. A very apologetic Alexa Chung picked her way to the toilet before her DJ set, bypassing all of us commoners but seeming truly sorry for doing so. I overheard Chanel Iman whispering to her friend that she wanted to just get in and then out as soon as possible. It was glamour overload and the goody bag featured a gorgeous silk scarf with a giant polar bear face from the AW show (thank you, Uncle Karl!!).

In the words of another one of my most-anticipated guests, the ever fabulous Rachel Zoe (at whom I tweeted post-party), I DIED.

The artistic, downtown spirit of SoHo was the inspiration behind the redesigned CHANEL SoHo Boutique, interpreted by longtime CHANEL collaborator, architect Peter Marino. Works of art by Peter Belyi, Alan Rath, Gregor Hildebrandt and Robert Greene were specially commissioned to highlight the space. A highlight towards the far end of the store, in the Ready-to-Wear area, is a specially commissioned work of art by Gregor Hildebrandt titled “Record Wall,” composed of vintage molded records in a metal structure. Signature CHANEL black and white woven fabric upholsters a custom sofa and club chairs, creating a warm, residential environment to view new collections. Two commissioned works of art by Robert Greene, in black and white oil paint on vellum, line the fitting room doors.

Photos by Saskia Verhagen aka the Baby Whisperer