On one of the many cold days of the winter season, we ventured out decked out in my finest sweater dress and high boots to view the collection from Naveda Couture at Amuse restaurant in the elegant Le Meridien Hotel. I brought my gal pal date, Alana Jones, to enjoy the fine food and drink while listening to the DJ spin hyper hits. Against the soft periwinkle glow, the restaurant created an energetic yet calm vibe that served to be a perfect way to wind down on a chilly Friday. We nestled in a small dining room off of the main area where the show would be for an exciting evening of fashion and fine dining at Amuse!
The view from our table.
The DJ doing his thing with body guards nearby.
This French Bistro styled menu featured creatively mixed cocktails inspired by favorite Hollywood muses throughout history, such as Tippi Hedren, who was Alfred Hitchcok‘s film muse and Frida Kahlo, who was Diego Rivera‘s wife and muse. Alana settled on Brigitte Bardot (continuing her adoration of the French), which mixed Patron Citronge Orange with lime juice, agave and cilantro while I chose my favorite drink from my trip to France, a perfectly chilled rose while waiting for the show to start.
The menu
A small sample of the French inspired menu.
Rose and cocktails!
I became very inspired by the interior of this restaurant and bar that caused me to leave my seat often to wander off looking for perfect shots of the fireplaces, chandeliers, and strongly lit walls that glowed the calming blue violet hue. We ordered our food and told stories of our weeks while bopping to the upbeat music spun by the event’s DJ .
Black and white inspiration.
We chose to split small bites from the menu to ease our evening cravings. First came the Crispy Point Judith Calamari that featured rice noodles topped with roasted cashews, julienne vegetables and a sweet Vietnamese chili sauce followed by Goat Cheese Tastes Flambees (Pizza) topped with pistachios, red onion and a favorite of mine, truffle honey. These creative dishes were the perfect complement to our small Cesar salads. These bites were a perfect blend of simple fare with a hint of gourmet French accoutrement. This experience was only exacerbated by the cool combination of our French inspired cocktail sipping.
Yummy!Perfectly crispy calamari.The pizza with goat cheese, mmmm so good!Caesar salad is a good way to stay “healthy”.
We moved on to coffee and split the Chocolate Warm Molten Cake, which was flourless and topped with vanilla bean gelato and paired with chocolate Rice Krispies. The sweet rich dessert went down nice and smooth, just in time for the show to start! We were ready to see beautiful fabrics twirled around to the steady techno rhythms.
The Naveda Couture collection show began by featuring models who walked onto three different stands, one in the bar area, one in a separate room against a wall with an intricate light projection displayed and the other in the lounge area in front of the fireplace. The models were escorted up and down each platform while they turned a full 360 degrees in order to take full advantage of the elegant chiffon flow which was a part of many of the dresses.
The crowd for the fashion show.
The models and the Naveda collection begins.
The collection, in short, could be described as elegant yet attainable for the every day career woman with an interest in flair and femininity. The color palette was simple and muted with sparkle, perfect for the winter season and the holidays. This was not designed for the plain Jane but for the woman who is not afraid to shimmer and shine.
My favorite design by far was saved for last, a floor length, A-line dress without a waist line in a very flowy chiffon that began the color gradient from white to bright orange then on to its perfect Pantone complement, a cobalt blue. The colors played soft, yet this vibrant resort wear styled dress dress mimicked the glowing sunset at a beach destination with a hint of a cool breeze on your walk to dinner along the water. This by far was my favorite. To this day I think about it and wish I owned it and was wearing it. *see imaginary scenario above.
My favorite look of the night.
One thing that impressed me greatly was how the models all appeared very happy. They engaged by smiling at the audience members while they showed off the creations. I appreciated this aspect. It helped aid in making the clothing approachable an something you would want to wear. It was as if your friend was wearing it and you felt comfortable enough to speak with her about where she found the garment.
Happy, real smiles from models was refreshing.
There was a pop up “shop” in one of the rooms where the patrons of the show could browse more of the garments and purchase what they wish.
Pop-up shop from the Naveda collection.
We were so inspired by these adorable friends taking selfies waiting for the models to come out, we took a friend date selfie!
Friends enjoying themselves.
Amuse was a great host to this creative and lively event for a chill Friday evening. The hotel itself is marvelous so I would expect nothing less from its featured restaurant. I ventured home in the cold but not before I took some fun selfies with the hotel’s amazing decor as my muse. The event was well attended, even given the chilly temperature, that showcased an enjoyable evening.
