Philipp Plein’s mammoth carnival set had at all: a swing ride as the centerpiece of a Willy Wonka village populated with a giant garden gnome, balloon dog and pink flamingo — not to mention the hunky milkmen and shirtless muscle men soaping down a two-tone Chevy.
As hundreds of guests filed in, it was one giant technicolor selfie station with endless backdrops: dotted mushrooms, outsize flowers, ice cream van and candy-hut-turned-vodka bar.
Finally, a giant boombox lording over Plein-land released its cargo: Fergie, hair pointing up in a ponytail, crooning in a low-slung car. Now the fashion-tainment could begin.
The clothes, as subtle as an ambulance, were sometimes little more than a handful of gold chains swinging over a bare torso and a loincloth of lapping metal mesh. Chains were the big motif — on slinky gowns and skin-tight denim — and got those lugs in a lather. There were trucker hats and sneakers laden with hardware and logos for tomboy types, and some gleaming animal print jackets and decent bombers that will find their way into magazine editorials.
By the time Paris Hilton made her way round to the Chevy, the foam and flexing reached a fever pitch.
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But wait, there’s more! All the models mounted the chairs for a swinging finale as Fat Joe rapped, “All the Way Up,” circling the village in a vintage Corvette. And then Plein took to the mic to reveal that this was his last show in Milan and that he would be moving the spectacle to New York Fashion Week next season. Many in the crowd, dressed to the nines for the after party, let out a moan.
Oh, well. At least the memory of the night will live on in advertising. Word has it Fergie is to appear in Plein’s spring campaign, lensed earlier this week by Steven Klein.