Members Only: Inside the Semi-Private Elsinore
I think it’s going to be very different from what’s going in New York right now.
New York Fashion Week means more than just designers and clothing and models. It’s also a whirlwind of the best parties happening in the city all year. With an International crowd of elites in town and looking to get down, it’s prime time for some of the biggest new nightlife venues to open their doors: enter Noel Ashman’s latest club, the Elsinore.
Still under construction and not due to open for another two weeks, the LES venue was not about to let a little dust get in the way of a glitzy NYFW debut. Last night they held the after party for Andrew Buckler and will be hosting a series of Construction Parties, giving guests a sneak peek of what’s to come from this semi-private venue.
Designed by Steve Lewis, navy blue banquettes line the walls under an oversized clock, immovable at 1:38, and blue glowing columns brighten the main room. A specialty cocktail list is still in the works and gourmet pizza will be available, all served up by a staff outfitted in a uniform designed by downtown club kid and designer Richie Rich.
“I think it’s going to be very different from what’s going in New York right now,” says Ashman. “It will be a modernized version of the way things were. Bottle service clubs have gotten ultra-commercialized; the activity isn’t so important, just who will buy those bottles. Here, you can buy bottles, but you still have to get past the door.”
Ashman, a veteran to the scene whose past club’s include former celeb-friendly spots The Plumm and NA, teamed up with hip-hop impresario Damon Dash, The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus, Jesse Bradford, Simon Rex, and Ethan Browne for this latest venture that is set to cater to a membership hand-picked by Ashman and given a members-only keychain.
Don’t give up hope just yet, you may have a chance, albeit a small one. The public will be let in, though it will be tough. Along with being ultra-choosy, the space holds just 150-250. “We want it to be relaxed,” says Ashman. “It’s kind of the place where when people get in it’s like family. It’ll be a place where they can come any day of the week and they’ll always get a similar product. It will always be a place that is very comfortable.”
A number of art events are scheduled in the near future — if you do manage to make it past the velvet ropes.
