Eton of Sweden Opens on Mad Avenue; J.McLaughlin Fetes Jamee Gregory; Hello to Lampe Berger

Santa Lucia Bride and singers at Eton of Sweden's Madison Avenue Boutique opening.

Eton of Sweden brought the beauty and magic of the traditional Swedish Santa Lucia festival to its brand new Madison Avenue home, the company’s first ever US flagship store. The sounds of angelic, Sweidish age-old carols, led by the traditional Santa Lucia Bride in her crown of lingonberry leaves and candles, rang out on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue. Social and entertainment influencers from Sweden and New York packed the new boutique, mingling and keeping warm during the season’s first snowfall. Dashing New York Rangers Swedish goaltender and three-time MVP, Henrik Lundqvist, joined Eton in welcoming guests to the Grand Opening holiday celebration.

Traveling from Sweden for the celebration were Eton President – and grandson of the founders – Hans Davidson along with Eton Creative Manager Sebastian Dollinger and Senior Advisor, Jan Borghardt. Children’s charity “Garden of Dreams” was given a percentage of proceeds from all sales made the opening week of the shop. Garden of Dreams is a non-profit charity that works closely with all affiliates of Madison Square Garden, including the New York Rangers, to help make dreams come true for children in crisis.

Eton of Sweden's Madison Avenue Store.

Guests included members of Eton of Sweden’s US team, Erik Wilkinson and Sara Olmeback, as well as Swedish Consulate of New York’s Consul General David E. R. Dangoor. Authors Jay McInerney and Candace Bushnell stopped in with their respective spouses, Anne Hearst McInerney and Charles Askegard. Elle Décor Editor in Chief Michael Boodro came to celebrate the opening along with the Wall Street Journal’s Marshall Heyman and Beauty Fashion’s George Ledes. Estée Lauder Group President, John Demsey mingled with friends and notable New Yorkers Sharon Bush, Liliana Cavendish, George Farias, Somers Farkas, Lisa Anastos, Cornelia Bregman, Couri Hay, Sharon Patrick, and CNN’s Robert Zimmerman. Home fragrance King Harry Slatkin enjoyed browsing Eton’s fabulous inventory along with artist Hunt Slonem and Jay Snyder. Renowned New York Interior Designer Alex Papachristidis also toasted to Santa Lucia with Scott Nelson.

A warm and festive time was had among those gathered to raise a glass and say “skål” to great shirts for a great cause. “God Jul!”

Candace Bushnell, Alison Mazzola, and Anne Hearst McInerney.

John Demsey.

Janna Bullock and R. Couri Hay.

Cindi Cook.

George Farias and Liliana Cavendish.

Hunt Slonem.

Robert Zimmerman.

Sharon Patrick and Nora Tjonbalaj.

Alex Papachristidis.

Harry Slatkin.

Lisa Anastos.

Henrik Lundqvist, Sebastian Dollinger, and Erik Wilkinson.

Erik Wilkinson, Kajsa Unenge, and Henrik Lundqvist.

Jay McInerney and Jay Snyder.

Jay Mcnerney, Jan Borghardt, and Charles Askegard.

Michael Boodro.

Derrill Osborn.

Late last month, the “mommies” of the Upper East Side dropped the kids at drop off and descended upon J.McLaughlin’s Madison Avenue boutique to share in a book signing breakfast in honor of Jamee Gregory’s New York Parties Private Views.

Gregory has been known to throw lavish celebrations and her new book highlights other notable entertainers across the country. Guests mingled and browsed the new J.McLaughlin Holiday Collection while they sipped peppermint hot chocolate and pastries from Swifty’s catering. And everyone had good reason to shop as 15 percent of all holiday purchases were give towards the Yorkville Common Panty!

Attendees included Jay McLaughlin and Joan McLaughlin, Barbara McLaughlin, Doug Larson, Melissa Morris, Sharon Bush, Bettina Zilkha, Cornelia Bregman, Amy Mazzola Flynn, Liliana Cavendish, Lib Goss, Tasha Green, Chele Chiavacci, Alison McCall, Jill Lloyd, Bobbi Boller, Carrie Coolidge, Laurel Altherr, Peter Piel, Alison McCall, Kathryn Beal, Gail Hilson, Joanna Delson, Gail Hilson, Polly Sheehan, Michelle Dewey, Christine Weaver, Elizabeth Fuller.

Peter Pliel and Alison McCall.

Joan and Jay McLaughlin.

Michelle Dewey, Christine Weaver, and Elizabeth Fuller.

Melissa Morris.

Joan McLaughlin and Jamee Gregory.

Doug Larson, Barbara McLaughlin, and Jay McLaughlin.

Sharon Bush and Cornelia Bregman.

Jamee Gregory and Lilianna Cavendish.

Bettina Zilkha, Jay McLaughlin, and Carrie Coolidge.

Lampe Berger’s beautiful Madison Avenue Pop Up Store was aglow with much more than the French home fragrance leader’s signature scented lamps. On December 14th at 6pm, Lampe Berger hosted a glittering holiday cocktail reception honoring the new feature documentary, Love Etc., winner of the Hamptons International Film Festival Audience Award.

Following the reception, guests were whisked off to a screening of the film, which is a witty and poignant exploration of the stages of love as depicted through five real New York stories over the course of a year. The Love Etc. screening was held at the Sony Screening Room on Madison Avenue.

Patrick Szraga, Deputy Managing Director Lampe Berger, was fresh off a flight from Paris and ready to celebrate the launch of the first-ever U.S. Pop Up store with Cherry Robinson, Vice President of Marketing and Sales.

Other guests included the Love Etc. producers Jeffrey Stewart and Chiemi Karasawa, Hamptons International Film Festival Programming Director David Nugent and President of Silvercup Studios Stuart Suna. Notable Upper East Side neighbors also ventured out into the cold December night to toast to the new shop on Madison, guests included Scott Nelson, George Farias, Bobette Cohn, George Ledes, Fruzsina Keehn, Swifty’s Robert and Blaine Caravaggi, members of the Rudin clan Bill and his children Samantha and Michael Rudin and Shopafrolic bloggers Liz Lange and her sister Jane Wagman.

The Lampe Berger Pop Up Store is located at 941 Madison Avenue at 74th Street. It opened on December 10th, 2010 and will remain until January 16th, 2011.