peter pilotto make it rain and eat ropa vieja
The night ends with Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, designers of
, and Matieu a lifelong friend of Christopher's ordering a table full of vaca frita, croquetas, and the ever appropriate fashion dish,
.
When visitors hint that the previous night's dinner recommendation was an overwhelming night of bandage dresses and jeans in bright colors - it's clear that there's no where nice to take them but to
for some fried, home-style food (especially when you have two Ecuadorian raised hungry men in tow) and first-class people watching. Not to mention mojitos. At the table behind us sat a family in fancy black clothes with a framed black and white portrait of a woman propped up and a wooden box, presumably holding her ashes, in the middle of their table full of food.
.
Peter and Christopher are two bright young talents working out of London but making waves on the international fashion scene. Their graphic prints, cut in flattering and feminine silhouettes but with a very forward and modern edge, are carried locally in the best of boutiques like
and The Alchemist and, of course, at Neiman Marcus, where I was invited to a lunch and fashion show by their very, very lovely and accommodating staff. If you think that the Neiman stock is for a conservative, old-school set, the Coral Gables branch (especially their selection of Peter Pilotto) will prove you wrong. Nestled between names like
, Etro and
, Peter Pilotto fits right into a (pricey) wardrobe for the well-heeled Caribbean American - something about the prints, colors and fits of these designers feels oh, so Miami.
Peter and Christopher admitted that they'd brought the rain with them from London. On a rainy day in
as the bands of Hurrican Sandy blew through the city, Neiman Marcus' best shoppers gathered with their Chanels for a meeting and lunch of crab and avocado and steak. White wine and champagne was passed - at noon - and the group of sparkly women took their seats at tables dressed in orchids and acrylic chairs for an abbreviated runway presentation with narration by the charming designers about their inspirations, materials, and favorite pieces.
After the show the miami nice team chatted with the designers about the impending Halloween (they don't usually dress up, they got it out of their systems in fashion school), the weather again, and a recommendation for a historic neighborhood to explore (Coral Gables) - then, we offered to take them for authentic Cuban food, as what can only be described as a Cuban diner, the epi-center of the Cuban-American culture and the heart of Little Havana. They gave an enthusiastic yes, and we met at ten on Calle Ocho.
Luckily, they weren't vegans and were thrilled with the mirrored ballroom setting and eclectic crowd at Versailles. Peter, Christopher and Matieu, we think it's so, so nice that you thought Miami was nice.
on style.com