Despite the reported literacy crisis sweeping the States, the celebrity book club has never felt more central to a fashionable night out. Belletrist co-founders Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss proved the point with their first monthly meeting, convened at the Fifth Avenue Hotel last week during fashion’s busiest month (with more along the way each month this year). For the night’s festive programming, the hotel brought in Fashion Fiction—a style-centric reading series from journalist and Substacker Mikaela Dery—for a packed evening spent revisiting preppy modern classics.
The Location: As they arrived at the New York landmark, guests gathered behind the gilded French doors of the hotel’s palazzo-inspired conservatory. The space’s sumptuous furnishings and moody bar served as the stage for the night’s entertainment.
The Dress Code: The event offered an exploration of preppiness—not only through the literary club’s selections, but with its guests’ inspired ensembles as well. Pleated skirts with matching blazers, accent neckties, and rugby jumpers were notable highlights.
The Guest List: A host of literary and fashion heavyweights were in attendance, including writers Adam Eli, Jalil Johnson, and Rob Franklin; cultural commentator Aminatou Sow; fashion consultant Bonnie Morrison; podcast host and producer Avery Trufelman; musician Leslie Mendelson; and actor Madeline Wise.
The Entertainment: The gathered roster read aloud—breathing life into a cast of preppy characters and staging a few satirical retellings of prep history—from The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, Janet Malcolm’s review of Cecily von Ziegesar’s Gossip Girl, and Lisa Birnbach’s The Essential Preppy Handbook.
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