Festive Fashion: Party Looks Take Center Stage

SCENE STEALERS: Standout textures, colors, and embellishments put holiday-party fashions at center stage
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Carmen Marc Valvo gown, $980, and Neiman Marcus gloves, $325, at Neiman Marcus, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-643-3300. Sweet Romance necklace, $79, at The Peacock Room (in The  Park Shelton), Midtown Detroit; 313-559-5500.


Prabal Gurung pantsuit, $3,395, at Tender, Birmingham; 248-258-0212. Giuseppe Zanotti Design shoes, $850, at Saks Fifth Avenue, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-643-9000. Alexis Bittar earrings, $295, at Neiman Marcus, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-643-3300.


Oscar de la Renta gown, $5,790, Stephen Dweck necklace, $1,250, and Alexis Bittar bracelet, $450, all at Neiman Marcus, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-643-3300.


St. John Couture blouse, $995, at Neiman Marcus, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-643-3300. Aiko leggings, $195, at Saks Fifth Avenue, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-643-9000. Aldo shoes, $150, at aldoshoes.com.


Emporio Armani dress and headpiece, price upon request, at Emporio Armani; 877-361-1176. Lanvin shoes, $1,790, at Tender, Birmingham; 248-258-0212. Sequin Badgley Mischka ring, $95, at Neiman Marcus, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-643-3300.


Celine top, $2,400, at Linda Dresner, Birmingham; 248-642-4999. St. John Couture skirt, $595, Barrera earrings, $375, and Sequin Badgley Mischka ring, $95, at Neiman Marcus, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-643-3300. Tory Burch fox bracelet, price upon request, at Tory Burch, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-458-1307. Clara Kasavina bracelet, $250, at Marguerite Boutique, West Bloomfield Township; 248-932-5253. Marni mink collar, $780, at Saks Fifth Avenue, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-643-9000.


Donna Karan gown, price upon request, at Donna Karan; 877-316-0975. Lanvin necklace, $950, at Tender, Birmingham; 248-258-0212. Tory Burch earrings, $195, at Tory Burch, Somerset Collection South, Troy; 248-458-1307.


Behind the Scenes

Members call it “The Beautiful Lady,” and with good reason. The Florentine Renaissance structure at 3321 E. Jefferson in Detroit, just east of downtown, is lovely inside and out. Home to the nonprofit Players Club of Detroit, a male group of amateur actors, stage technicians, and theater enthusiasts, the 1925-26 edifice includes a four-story-high stage, on which productions (or “frolics,” as Players call them) are mounted. In Shakespearean tradition, all actors are men.

The auditorium’s décor is marked by appropriately dramatic flourishes, including six murals of troubadours by Paul Honoré and eight banners designating theatrical trades. Above the proscenium arch is a mural by Thomas DiLorenzo of Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man. A nude female painting by John S. Coppin hangs over the bar.

The club dates to 1910, but this is its first permanent home. It was designed by architect William E. Kapp (1891-1969), whose other Detroit buildings include The University Club and the old Ross Roy ad agency, both on East Jefferson; the Music Hall downtown; Temple Israel near Palmer Park; and the Detroit Historical Museum. Kapp also designed Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester.

Sculptor Corrado Parducci crafted the club’s exterior adornments. Parducci, Kapp, Honoré, and Coppin were all club members.

Automotive titans Henry Joy, Roy Chapin, and Lawrence Fisher, and politicians Truman Newberry and James Couzens were early members. Today, there are about 150 active members and about 20 non-resident members, says Business Manager Joyce Greco. “Our members come from all over the metro area, and are young, old, and in between,” she says.

The building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Michigan State Historic Site, sits on the spot of the Battle of Bloody Run, in which Chief Pontiac trounced British forces in 1763.

The building is available for receptions and other events; 313-259-3385, playersdetroit.org.

 — George Bulanda


DETAILS: Hookahs, $20-$90, from Wild Bill’s Tobacco, Sylvan Lake; 248-499-9777, wildbillstobacco.com. // Taxidermy provided by Arizona Saddlery, Birmingham; 248-646-6615; Lost and Found Vintage, Royal Oak; 248-548-6154, lostandfoundvintage.com; Paris Antiques, Royal Oak; 248-542-9594; Hugh (in The Auburn), Midtown Detroit; thankhugh.com; Royal Oak Flea Market at the Farmers Market, Royal Oak; 248-246-3276; The Heritage Company, Royal Oak; 248-376-5050, heritageco2.com. // fabrics provided by Haberman Fabrics, Royal Oak; 248-541-0010, habermanfabrics.com. // Leopard head rug, The Display Group, Detroit; 313-965-3344, displaygroup.com.


Credits

Location: The Players Club of Detroit
Hair and Makeup by Gjysta Nuculaj of Mijo-a’ beauty
Hair by Leza Nuculaj from Salon Duo (inside Phoenix Salon Suites, Canton); 248-413-9005
Makeup by Kelly Mitre from Avatal Salon, Rochester; 248-652-0488