SF: Celebrating Sparkle Glamour With Libertine

If I ever decide to belong to a cult, I want it to be Libertine.

“A Libertine is one devoid of most moral restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially one who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behaviour sanctified by the larger society.” — Wikipedia.

Obeying the rules was never my thing, but I find balancing on the edges to be incredibly seductive.

My love affair with sequins and beads started from my teenage years when, as a project, I embellished the T-shirt I bought at the local store and wore it to a dance that same night. “Dare-to-wear” is the rule I live by. That’s is why Libertine was always a big part of my life.

Rotunda was a mysterious place the night Neiman Marcus was hosting California-based designer Johnson Hartig of Libertine. Unusual neon lights made the elegant restaurant look surreal. With the holidays approaching, the view of Union Square was spectacular. Anxiously, I entered the Wonderland of Libertine.

Sparkly glamour was everywhere: on the coats, on the jackets, on the dresses and even in the air. There was also beaded fur-trimming coats, which had a gorgeous balance between old and new: A touch of ’60s-nostalgia-meets-cutting edge.

Vintage pieces transformed to new: items decorated with humorous patchwork abounded. A red,one-of-the-kind embellished cape was a most noticeable runway stunner of Libertine ready-to-wear Fall 2015 show. And of course, a lovely black-sequined dress found a very welcoming home in my closet.

One of the highlights of the night was a celebration of Johnson Hartig book, Libertine: The Creative Beauty, Humor, and Inspiration Behind the Cult Label,

As I looked around the room, I was more than pleased to see my fellow lovers-of-fashion wearing unique Libertine creations. Yes, we all want those happy sparkles in our lives.

Life could be so much more fun if we wore more sequins!

Here are some of the hautest looks from the event:

Johnson Harig and Mayor Willie Brown
Johnson Harig and Mayor Willie Brown
Farah Makras in Libertine
Farah Makras in Libertine
Mary Beth Shimmon in Libertine
Mary Beth Shimmon in Libertine
Brenda Zarate and Rada Katz, both wearing Libertine
Brenda Zarate and Rada Katz, both wearing Libertine
Stacy Miller Azcarate in Libertine
Stacy Miller Azcarate in Libertine
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Alan Morrell, Jennifer Walske (in Libertine) and David Reposar
Libertine collection
Libertine collection
Libertine collection
Libertine collection