At Papa San in Hudson Yards last night, the question on everyone’s lips was, “Do you like my coat?” More often than not, the response was, “It’s Marfa Stance.”
The Nikkei izayaka restaurant from partners Juan Correa and chef Erik Ramirez of Llama San and Llama Inn—opening next month on the ground floor of Tishman Speyer's Spiral building, designed by Bjarke Ingels—was flooded with guests toasting the recent collaboration between the fashion brand and artist Mickalene Thomas, one of the brand’s founders “Marfa muses.”
With guidance from Thomas, the line’s signature rain coat and hood has been given a limited-run reimagining, becoming a veritable tapestry of color and texture, not unlike the artist’s compositions. (A portion of proceeds, she announced last night, will be going to the LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, aiding artists impacted by the LA wildfires.) Thomas joined CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson and Marfa Stance founder Georgia Dant, as well as CULTURED’s European Contributor Georgina Cohen, in hosting the soirée.
Also circling the floor were artists Sheree Hovsepian, Rashid Johnson, Joel Mesler, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, and Derrick Adams; photographer Tyler Mitchell; Gagosian’s Antwaun Sargent; curator Isolde Brielmaier; advisor Jessica Chestman; filmmaker Donna Augustin-Quinn; entrepreneur Dee Poku-Spalding; broadcast journalist Cari Champion; and documentarian Debi Wisch. After sparkling sake and palomas with a twist, guests sat down for a meal at the soon-to-be-open spot.
The restaurant (whose name is derived from the Clash’s “Straight to Hell” lyrics) offers Peruvian ingredients assembled with a Japanese sensibility. The menu last night opened with light, raw bites followed by a selection of zensai such as cucumber, wood ear mushrooms and white sesame and crispy pork belly with tonkatsu sauce, followed by warming donabes of Nikkei chowder and winter vegetable seco with confit tomatoes. Dessert included lucuma and vanilla soy milk soft serve topped with matcha and sesame oil.
By the time that course was served, New York’s coldest winter day thus far had been thoroughly counteracted, the warmth in the room leading to Marfa Stance coats being shed as conversation flowed well into the night. At least when the party finally dwindled, guests knew they had a Thomas original waiting on the rack.
