Although unsuspecting tourists outside the Victoria & Albert Museum confused the fashion designer Alexander McQueen with “that Egyptian bloke” (we think they meant Alexander the Great…), his clothes – and the prime shops which sell them – were centre stage at CBRE Retail’s annual bash.
Attracted by a hot-ticket exhibition dedicated to the late designer, alongside the chance to network in grand style, retail property gurus and retailers gathered in the Kensington landmark’s vast entrance hall to trade the latest gossip.
Ostrich feathers and diamond corsets might not be best-sellers on the high street, but they were the stars of this show. As was a sly appearance by Kate Moss – or at least a miniature hologram of the supermodel – at the exhibition’s finale.
And if McQueen’s distinctive vision seemed a little dark for such an upbeat crowd, CBRE’s dazzling light show for the event reflected a bright start to 2015 and the promise of more glitz and glamour to come.
And perhaps it was in expectation of future gains that some of the partygoers carried on networking into the night – in a less glamorous, but still convivial, nearby pub.
