On a Thursday night in New York, a dolled-up crowd descended into the depths of SoHo—via freight elevator, no less—for a party built on bricks, mortar, and exclusivity. Beneath The Mercer Hotel, the subterranean lounge known as (Sub)Mercer played host to Violet Grey’s latest milestone: the launch of its new fragrance line, Madame Grey, and the brand’s arrival in New York.
The back entrance buzzed with anticipation. The occasion? A takeover of Close Friends—the monthly party series hosted by Samantha Ronson and Chrissie Miller on the last Thursday of every month. “I think this is maybe the sixth one they’ve done,” said Cassandra Grey, founder of Violet Grey. “They call it Close Friends and invite people from their Instagram Close Friends list. It’s a really fun party—I actually hosted something at this venue when it first opened, like 22 years ago. And I feel like I look even better now than I did then,” she laughed.
“We wanted to celebrate Violet Grey’s New York opening on 78th Street, and the launch of Madame Grey. The idea really stemmed from this party—our most loyal Violet Grey members are called Close Friends of Violet, so it felt poetic.”
Naturally, Violet Grey’s “close friends” are not your average circle. The guest list included a swirl of A-listers, fashion fixtures, and New York notables: Jon Hamm danced with Ronson at her DJ booth; Shaun White chatted with Zanna Roberts Rassi; Jeremy Strong and Lily Allen mingled with Jenna Lyons and Elizabeth Sulcer.
“It’s really about celebrating our friends,” Grey added. “A good party, in my book, is measured by how many people are dancing. And this crowd—it’s multigenerational, like a wedding. You’ve got grown-ups and the young, cool kids. It’s just great energy.”
And dance they did—well into the night, surrounded by their closest of friends.