Bulgari Opening in Vienna: "Italian Glamour" and a glittering party at Palais Ferstel
Coco König - also known as The Body - took over the ribbon cutting and in a vintage Gucci pantsuit (vintage!) and of course with diamond-studded precious stones by Bulgari, immediately made the right statement for the evening: because sustainable consumption is now celebrated just as much as the Cocktail get-together, which actually united the whole city with an intimate embrace.
Because socialites know: Nothing is more difficult than getting ringing names to join you for a store cocktail, where you're tightly huddled around a champagne glass and skillfully busy looking away before heading to dinner. Since it was not a simple store cocktail, but the season-opening with a subsequent afterparty in the cordoned-off passage of the Palais Ferstel, Bulgari managed to lure even the shyest socialites of this city into the store luxuriously designed by Peter Murino.
The 100 invited guests in the store didn't know whether this was the much anticipated nationwide Black Out or the Austrian version of Ocean Eleven. After what felt like a quarter of an hour, they stood again in front of the flashing camera of celebrity photographer Andreas Tischler. Or not.
For the afterparty, the location was changed and so the illustrious round was immediately extended by some fashion-conscious ladies and gentlemen since also the place offer turned out much more generously. Champagne (Freeflow by Moët & Chandon) made the mood very boisterous. The incredibly well-staged party in the cordoned-off Palais Ferstel Passage, which virtually formed an Italian Terrazza around the fountain, and the stunning playlist by DJ Wolfram Amadeus (just now he was partying with Naomi Campbell) made it clear that Bulgari is not only beautiful and expensive but can also translate the zeitgeist.
The dress code "Italian Glamour" let some ladies reach for the ball gown, some for a sequined or leather dress, and 4 ladies for the same pink pantsuit with feathers from Zara. The original by Valentino was represented in dress form, but - all Vienna - only once.
L'Officiel Austria's "Best dressed" were certainly Coco König (Bulgari Brand Ambassador and actress), Michaela Strachowitz (deputy editor-in-chief of WOMAN), Claire Hoyos (also in a pantsuit, but with lots of bling from Bulgari), actress Mavie Hörbiger, Sylvie Utudjian and Angelika Rosam (in a great silk suit from Valentino).
What else we learned that evening is that high-carat jewelry also suits men very well. So Wolfram has refined the DJ desk with a diamond necklace from Bulgari and looked very authentic with it. Christoph Steiner from PR International cut a fine figure with gold bangles and ring from Bulgari, and Christoph Kircher wowed with in-house creations from Oliver Heemeyer. Gernot Renner came head to toe in Chanel. Also sparkling.
Sighted were (the list would be actually infinitely long because of the weighty names) among others Princess Hohenzollern, artists like Anouk Lamm Anouk with wife Marlene, art networker Nicole Adler, artist Martin Grandits and Grande Dame Agnes Husslein, some Influencer and Über-Influencer as well as Bulgari Brand Ambassador Xenia Adonts (with 2 million Insta Followers - as many fans as our beautiful Danube metropolis has inhabitants). Or are they now called TikToker?
After midnight and after plenty of champagne, mind you, a gentleman was carried out by securities (background information is known to the editor). With him also Austria's version of Anna Sorokin (name known to the editor) left the floor and Hubertus, the party crasher.
The season is open and Bulgari is now officially the hottest brand in town. Well done.
Photos: Andreas Tischler & Katharina Schiffl
