No one ever questioned Santiago Barberi Gonzalez’s love of art–the accessories maven jetted into Los Angeles less than a day before the Museum of Contemporary Art gala–and, judging by his reaction to the City of Angels, it’s clear the feeling is mutual. So in lieu of a splashy New York launch party, Santi, as he’s known to his friends, was the guest of honor at an intimate dinner hosted by China Chow, Lisa Eisner and Cameron Silver at Mr. Chow Beverly Hills on Tuesday night. A fabulous mix of art and fashion impresarios–Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff, Rosetta and Balthazar Getty and James Caan–gathered to toast Santi, known to the ladies-who-lunch set as the outgoing son of luxury handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez (he serves as president).
But this occasion was all about men–specifically, the debut of Santi’s first men’s accessories collection, the Santiago Gonzalez collection, in the U.S. Available at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, those gushing over and proudly sporting their Gonzalez goods included Shiva Rose, Jennifer Morrison and Rosson Crow, who were the envy of art world heavies Jeffrey Deitch, Ed Ruscha, Doug Aitken, and LACMA’s Michael Govan. The croc pieces in the collection are currently limited to large travel bags that ooze the luxe of private jets but with all the practicality packed in. I don’t know about you, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a line of chic day bags!
