NEW YORK, NEW YORK: Anna Delvey, you will always be famous.
The convicted scammer—who was found guilty in 2019 for attempted grand larceny, larceny in the second degree, and theft of services—cemented her rightful place in pop culture overnight in New York Fashion Week by hosting a pop-up runway show on the rooftop of her East Village apartment. A location determined by the fact that the SoHo grifter is still under house arrest following her release from prison in late 2022.
The terms of her emancipation stipulated Delvey remain in 24-hour home confinement with electronic monitoring and no access to social media, nevertheless, the faux heiress welcomed approximately 100 members of New York’s social scene into her home to stage the first runway show for Taiwanese-born, NYC-based designer Shao Yang.
Irrespective of how you slice it, the optics of being associated with Delvey is arguably the best PR, with the (reformed? rehabilitated?) con-artist still our idée fixe. Not that she needed any assistance to garner organic press coverage for her client, Delvey teamed up with legendary PR maven Kelly Cutrone for the renegade NYFW runway show.
The result was intrigue and theatrics served on a silver platter, with the downtown-style set gobbling it up in spades. Naturally, this show made us oscillate between curiosity and obsession, with the main question on everyone’s lips: What in fresh hell happened on that rooftop?
Here, we peel back the emerald curtain to reveal what exactly went down, including if Delvey is just a lever-pulling, ankle-bracket-welding wizard who fooled us all.
DuexMoi Sold Soft-Serve Ice Cream And Merchandise Outside Of The Show
With anonymous gossipmonger DuexMoi as prevalent as Delvey herself, it felt fitting that the self proclaimed “curators of pop culture” would activate for the show. Dazed reported that Cutrone accepted a DuexMoi shirt upon her arrival at Delvey’s apartment.
The Models Were Bused From An Off-Site Location Before The Show
Because of the square meterage of Delvey’s East Village apartment, the models were dressed and prepared at a nearby offsite location. As Dazed wrote: “The result was something of a guerrilla street fashion exhibit on First Avenue, as attendees, passersby, and neighbors clamored against each other in the rain to get their first glimpse of the models.”
Fans Reportedly “Flooded The Streets”
Echoing Dazed, Forbes reported that fans “flooded the streets” (to get a glimpse at…?) with security asking to clear a line for models. WWD added that “dozens” of people (though it’s not clear if these were invited guests or party crashers) “waited outside in a zigzag line on the sidewalk, giving the gathering a decidedly ’90s feel”.
Only 75 People Made It Up To The Rooftop
Those in attendance speculate that only 75 guests made it up the five flights to the rooftop. This included Diesel’s Nicola Formichetti, Real Housewives Of New York alumni Leah McSweeney and the New York Times’ Vanessa Friedman. It’s worth noting that Jessica Pressler, The Cut journalist who broke Delvey’s indiscretions in her viral article, was not in attendance. WWD also noted that those who made it up to the rooftop—which had views of the Empire State Building—were concerned about seating arrangements.
The Runway Was Five Storeys
Putting the real in New York real estate, models walked the five flights up to Delvey’s rooftop. Unconventional yes, but that’s what we get from a makeshift show hosted by someone on house arrest!
The Sopranos Theme Song Soundtracked The Collection
“Woke up this morning…”
The Party Continued At A Nearby Italian Restaurant
Dazed reported that drinks and pizzas “flowed freely”, which was allegedly a parting gift from Cutrone. Delvey did not attend the after-party, for obvious reasons. We wonder if she retreated to her abode to clip coverage and generate post-show reports like any good fashion publicist would do. Anna, just asking for a friend here, What are those figures like?
