Gigi Hadid Cut the Ribbon on Her Fourth Guest in Residence Store with Cashmere, Caviar, and Caricatures

The best house party in New York City on Thursday evening wasn’t at a home at all, but inside a Madison Avenue boutique where Guest in Residence has officially taken up, well, residence. The hostess? Model and founder Gigi Hadid, clad in a shrunken top and tartan skirt, who was celebrating the debut of her label’s fourth U.S. store—and its very first uptown address. Friends, family, and VICs came out for the occasion, filling the two-story space with all manner of colorful knits.

The first surprise was a trio of pretzels twisted into the letters G, I, and R at the entrance. Inside, florists busied themselves preparing custom arrangements, a three-piece band played beneath a sloped skylight, and a caricature artist stationed near the bar had guests voguing for their portraits and later comparing their likenesses.

Martini glasses were filled with one of two things: martinis, of course, but also cigarettes. Meanwhile, caviar in every conceivable configuration made the rounds: atop passed blinis, with potato chips and crème fraîche at a help-yourself station, and even crowning freshly baked potatoes.

As with pulling off any great party, this one took a village. The flowers were courtesy of Kelsie Hayes of Pop Up Florist, a personal friend whom Hadid has called on for birthdays and gifts over the years. The Nines supplied the aforementioned boujee spuds—a signature of the NoHo haunt’s menu. “We started downtown—Bond Street is the heart of our company,” Hadid told Vogue. “So this night was about bringing downtown uptown.” Even the Guest in Residence team had been assembled through a web of friendships and former colleagues, some dating back to Hadid’s earliest days in the industry. “It’s like parts of my life and people and friendships that I’ve accumulated over time have all come together,” she said. “When I look around, I see that journey.”

A similar sentimentality extends to the interiors. Each Guest in Residence outpost borrows something from places Hadid holds dear, from the street-level stonework of SoHo to the brickwork of Los Angeles. For Madison Avenue, the idea was to recreate something supremely homey. “We wanted this store to feel like our little residence in New York.” Manhattan by way of the Alps, that is: pale wood paneling lends the space the feel of a chic chalet, prompting one guest to tell Hadid she detected a certain French sensibility in the interiors. “Merci beaucoup,” a delighted Hadid replied.

On the second floor—where a living room, bedroom, and dining area offer space for private styling appointments and future workshops—guests enjoyed the books and board games on display and made themselves at home. The only thing missing was the crackle of a fireplace, though with so many people gathered in their cashmere, additional heat hardly seemed necessary. “I always want the stores to feel like somewhere that people can walk in and sit on a couch and have a yap,” Hadid said.

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