Monday night brought New York’s heavy hitting editors and publishers out in force to toast David Yurman’s launch of The Classic, the next generation of the brand’s men’s watch line. I hit the press only affair with WWD‘s Men’s Editor David Lipke, who is one of the few people that can rouse me out of my unfashionable circa 98 Abercrombie sweats and my midtown west apartment in the middle of a Wellbutrin coma.
I pulled up solo in my cab to the New York Public Library to a scene right out of The Devil Wears Prada (the book, not the movie). Candles lit the miles of stairs from curbside to columns, a theme that was repeated in the marble escaliers inside.
It was a magical setting, comfortingly chasing away all thoughts of the recession while still making us marvel at Yurman’s definitely positive cash flow. The candles were real, the champagne was quality, and the wait staff had all been featured in the pages of V Man at least once.
Society scribes, stylists, and media moguls like Tom Florio, Bruce Pask, Tamara Rappa, and Eugene Tong mingled with David Yurman top brass amid glittering columns of the company’s latest offering.
What makes The Classic line, in non horological speak, so special, is that while it still features the David Yurman signature twisted helix cable, it also has a round case with an edgy look in automatic three hand, moon phase, and chronograph movements. Another bonus- the range was co-designed by Evan Yurman, hottie scion of the family business, whose boho credentials will certainly give the watches downtown society cred. Three models- the Three Hand, the Moon Phase, and the Chronograph, will be available exclusively at David Yurman boutiques in May 2009.
I tried to ask Yurman Jr., who was ensconced in concentrated conversation with the enigmatic sculptor Dustin Yellin, for much of the night, some questions about his involvement, but the watch wunderkind was late for a dinner.
Set your watches (pun definitely and dorkily intended) for a StyleCaster video with Yurman at their HQ, orchestrated by marketing maven Shauna Brook, in the very near future.
David Lipke
Dustin Yellin
New York Public Library
Eye Candy
Eye Candy