the location: The Standard London, King’s Cross.
the occasion: i-D’s London relaunch party.
the guests: FKA twigs, A$AP Nast, Gabriel Moses, and a fab crowd that looked exactly how you’d expect.
We asked designer Conner Ives, writer Bertie Brandes, photo editor Jackson Bowley, and Josh, a waiter from The Standard London’s Decimo Bar, to recount the night as they saw it. What follows includes group winks, euphoric dance floors, and at least one dangerously named cocktail.
Conner Ives, designer
I want to report live from the source, rather than waking up and writing a hazy, rose-tinted, filtered depiction of the evening. With that said, here are my hazy and rose-tinted depictions of last night:
BEST DRINK
The Don Julio Paloma, hands down. Gone is the era of sweet drinks at fashion parties. This isn’t a caloric intake critique, but you’ll feel a lot better the morning after. The Cosmopolitan tastes like gummy bears, which is arguably what I wanted a Cosmo to taste like when I first had one, so I’ll give them that. Also, whoever wrote the names of these cocktails deserves a raise. Could not shake the image of a bunch of guys standing in a circle, winking at each other. (Notes on the Group Wink margarita.)
BEST LOOK
The girl who was in bootleg Conner Ives. I love that.
NOTES ON DECIMO AT THE STANDARD LONDON
Ok, location is giving budget. Independent magazine be damned. I really want to speak to the architect who designed that space. I feel that every time I’m invited to a party at the Standard London, I’m brought up a new secret elevator, down a new hallway. It also always reminds me of the movie Inception. I’m waiting to go into the wrong room and see a bunch of my friends all hooked up to that weird IV briefcase they would all get hooked up to. Or I’m waiting for the hallways to start to spin. After a few of those Palomas, it starts to spin in the exact same way. Honestly, whoever is trying to plant an idea in my dreams, I would like to have a word with them.
BEST MOMENT
Had a dance with Tess McMillan, Gray, and my boyfriend Max. There was a certain flavor of good music mixed with euphoric rage to that dance. Love a euphoric rage dance. Also, love walking around a party for a few hours, getting drunker and hotter, and then going crazy in the last 15 minutes you’re there, then going home. That’s how I party. Highly recommend!
Bertie Brandes, writer
I’m tired and there’s no real reason for me to go out, but I decide it’s important to introduce Sean Price Williams to Jameela Jamil, and yes, I have to be the one to do it. (This doesn’t happen.) After work, I watch slime videos for 2 hours. In DBT, I learn that adrenaline takes 90 minutes to break down and dissolve in the body. I wonder if this will be triggered at the i-D party later. (It’s not.) At 9:30 p.m., I put on a Lucila Safdie hairband and convince my friends to come out—who do, but ultimately wish they hadn’t. We talk about photos from the i-D party in Paris, which we all feel a certain way about but can’t quite explain what the feeling is. Certain words are thrown around.
On the bus, I pick up a Metro and read that Israel is bombing Gaza again. I think Katie Price is finally debt-free, though the picture is so heavily filtered I can’t be sure it’s her. When I show up to The Standard London, there are two lines, and it’s mobbed. The concept of a VIP line at an invite-only party is interesting—photos from Paris in the back of my mind. But then again, it’s whatever, it’s a party. We join it because no one standing in it is a VIP and walk in immediately.
Eventually, we go up, detour through a stairwell, then by the bar. A glass breaks, the DJ remixes Kylie Minogue, and almost immediately there’s a series of altercations imperceptible to the human eye, which result in sober phone calls after midnight. I pick up a card from a table that encourages me to send i-D a message. It’s an American number, which is of course significant.
After a while, I leave with some difficulty and am spat out on a street corner in King’s Cross. Much like the two lines, I bounce between two types of Uber—X and Lux—one which promises to find me a driver but never does, the other which arrives in less than 3 minutes for double the price. I dunno. I don’t think I like the whole two parties, two lines, two Ubers thing, but I can’t quite explain why. Do things need to be this complicated? Blonde women with wide mouths and earpieces rushing around in front of revolving doors. Is that fun? I think I like parties, but I dunno, maybe I don’t. Maybe it doesn’t matter. I hope everyone had a nice time. I think I’m probably the happiest I’ve been in a decade, if I’m honest.
Jackson Bowley, i-D’s photo editor
We’re having a party at The Standard London. It’s a hotel in London, right by Kings Cross where I went to uni. It’s kinda cool but very serious. They have a lift called The Pill. Like a pill, it’s fun to do but rarely happens.
I got here way too early for my own sanity, but I didn’t know what to do. Regardless, security still wouldn’t let me up, they must’ve thought I was eager. No! I’ve been coerced into working, but it’s fine—I get 5 Chicken Selects and slam several Marlboro Golds.
They asked me to take photos this evening, but I need a break. I booked two photographers to do my dirty work. A few more ended up attending. But here I am, taking pictures. I never get my way.
I’ve been told very sternly to not be too cheeky. I like it here. It’s pretty chic, and every time I come I get free drinks—all bar the queue. But that’s a sign of a successful party, I think.
The Standard spelt backwards is dradnatS…
I took one of the 28 photos of the evening and someone jumps up.
“WARN ME NEXT TIME”.
I’m confused. I take another photo.
“I WASNT READY”.
I’m facing the opposite direction. The paranoia is rife.
I fear my bosses are going to shout at me. I have little to write and minimal photos. But maybe that’s a good sign. I was in the moment—having fun with my friends, drinking free drinks, and talking shit about whoever. Maybe that’s the real party photo. Words paint a thousand pictures, etc. And the i-D party encapsulated that. Good times with friends, drinking silly cocktails, and being stupid?
I’m not sure… I have so much work to do tomorrow and am already anticipating the hangover. Standard.
Josh, waiter
Regardless of the desperation to get drinks to start everyone’s evening, once the drinks had arrived, the satisfaction went through the roof. The whole evening was absolutely fantastic. Vibes were flying. Energy was 10/10, and the DJs absolutely did their thing.
It was absolutely phenomenal to see the whole ocean of people move—all throughout this—and it was fantastic, an experience for us behind the bar as well.
We always have a blast, but the DJs really gave us a good experience last night.
