The Post DIVAS Wrap-Up with Dame Lori

June 1, 2010, 12:51 PM

By Dame Lori Sutherland

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Hello City Opera Shopping Divas!

So glad to be back, recovered from—and reporting about—our fabulous DIVAS Shop for Opera Event last Thursday. What an intensive shopping and beauty scene. Each time I turned around, I was hugging, styling, searching, and sipping with the best dandies, darlings, designers, and dealers around. Dare I drop a few, ahem, names? There were soooo sooo many . . .

E.V. Day, the installation artist who created 3 hanging DIVAS, wearing a Madama Butterfly-esque open kimono and black lace leggings…the most fun writer ever, Cator Sparks, with Rod Keenan, the legendary hat designer to superstars…Amy Fine Collins, who delightfully hard-bargained with me and the powers that be to buy a gorgeous green Ralph Rucci hammered silk ball gown…Co-chair Michael Bruno, who really enjoyed that I took pleasure in selling all the clothes off my back and is brainstorming an event for us with 1stDibs.com…my inspiration and genius, Robert Verdi, with a friend who bought the hottest full-length mink—perfect condition, of course…Hamish Bowles, seeing, touching, and buying only the best collectibles…the visionary designers threeasFOUR interested in creating costumes…our darling Lorry Newhouse, snatching up Prada and other divine ditties along with her husband Mark Newhouse, who is on my best-dressed list for finding designer duds that fit perfectly (I LOVE when men have their soul-stylin' eye on. LOVE THAT!)…and, of course, our George Steel, Artistic Director of New York City Opera who, after I told him he reminds me of my best friend's brother who went to Choate, admitted his prepster-style secret—J. Press. So cool to know that, right?

DIVAS Shoppers Judy Rabinowitz, The Dame, E.V. Day, and Christina De Limur

Cator Sparks & Rod Keenan stop to chat.

Can you tell that I have a crush on Michael Bruno?

The whole evening--a shopper's dream of retail ecstasy--was assisted by the best volunteer crew imaginable from NYCO and my amazing team of DIVAS Stylists—five fab stylin' beauties who selected and carried frocks and finds, and trudged their tired tootsies all evening long in service to the highest purpose of fashion. And when we were all tuckered out and the lights went down, I took us all out for dinner so that we could chatter and gossip and regale each other with DIVAS stories and our conquests of chicness for our customers. The only people missing from that dinner were Patricia Field and the SATC2 crew!

DIVAS Soul Stylists: Susanne, The Dame, Cathy, Chica, Linda & Ilene!

As great as this party was, I can even top it off for you because . . .the Divine DIVAS shopping scene continues at City Opera Thrift Shop! Yes, indeed . . . it is all available and more (and they do have secret stockpiles at the store) right now. No admission price --the only requirement is a desire to find amazing pieces for barely a breath. I am here to confirm that I was down there yesterday and found the best uptown cocktail frock in hot pink silk from Ildiko New York for $50 plus a brand-new pair of natural leather Kork-Ease (since 1953) sandals for $25—which inspired my new muse, jewelry designer Michele Lerner (specializing in silver and skins), to come back for a second pair after finding hers at Bloomingdale's the day before for $165. She was bedazzled by the high platform to customize and adorn with her designs. That is what I call a classic example of thrift shop collaboration!

Every day is DIVAS down at the shop, attracting the best creative minds from New York City . . . our very own in-house thrift shop style-maker and eyeglass designer extraordinaire, Ashley Blake, found Japanese jeans for $25 (originally $300); Jeffrey Gladstone, who attended DIVAS and then came back, was toting his new huge Roberta Freymann pony-skin satchel while flashing me his new Bruno Magli orange leather sandals—already on his feet. And then, to top it off, I bumped into a very snappy dresser called Tristan, an advertising man who knows luxury, has a website, and was dashing off with his new well-fitted Zegna suit to show off at his next client meeting with—who else? THE Ermenegildo Zegna, of course!

The retail empire has many levels of fine quality to pursue and, as you may not be aware, our dear friend Vogue Magazine knows that we at City Opera are where it’s at for thrift, calling us “the highest quality thrift shop in NYC."

WARNING: City Opera Thrift Shop is filled with DIVAS selections while supplies last so please take advantage of this special time and find yourself a sweet something-something. Who knows? You may even break out into an aria—our balcony has been known to hold a few singing divas turned on by a great purchase.

So, on that high note, here's to more dropping to shopping, more tongue-in-cheekiness and chicness, andwith a huge wink from the Dame, here’s wishing you find the best finds that will catapult your dreams and desires into reality . . . at least for this season, anyway!

Yours in Style & Pleasure,

The Dame