Having grown up in NYC and now being a parent here, I've attended more than a few birthday parties for kids that cost more than many weddings I've attended. I've seen parties for 3-year-olds that must have cost thousands. I've even seen sweet sixteens whose expense must have been in the high 6-figure range. However, as jaded of a New Yorker as I am, I don't think I've ever seen anything that makes me as nauseated as this!
Starting at a minimum of $25,000, your pre-teen daughter and nine of her friends can work with real fashion designers in the private party room at FAO's flagship store to create their own original apparel and handbag designs which will later be professionally manufactured. According to Luxist, "just when the buzz dies down at school about how chic and exclusive the party was, eight weeks later, they return to the store for a fashion show and apres ice-cream party. The young designers work the runway as models for their original creations, for a packed house of fifty guests!"
Look, I don't disparage anyone for having a lot of money. Want to burn $100 bills on a stripper's ass? Be my guest. But does anyone else think that spending that kind of money for a little girl's party sends the wrong message? Because it seems that this type of extravagant materialism is becoming more prevalent than ever in New York City. It almost makes me want to grab my family and go live out by Walden Pond!
About MetroDad
I'm a French-named, speed-reading, former public policy analyst now trapped in the body of a Asian-American fashion executive. I've ridden elephants in Sri Lanka, imbibed snake venom in China, skiied the Italian Dolomites, eaten barbecue in Pakistan, travelled to every state except North Dakota, visited 28 out of 32 major league ballparks, worshipped at the altar of Graceland 5 times and have shut down most of the nightclubs in Paris. That being said, I still get lost every time I go through the Lincoln Tunnel.
It's safe to say that we'd probably get along if you can truly appreciate the real beauty in...a good Peking duck, Sunday's NYT crossword, nice manners, Scrabble, Law & Order, spontaneous travel, Otoro, Jim Jarmusch, Tabasco sauce, Morrissey, Haruki Murakami, Peets coffee, Radiohead, listening to baseball games on the radio, Thievery Corporation, X-Men comics, fresh powder, Southern BBQ, Christopher Hitchens, bloomin' onions, mid-century design, the warmth of a good scotch, a great day spent fishing where you didn't catch a damn thing...
On a related note, I'd like to believe that I probably have absolutely nothing in common with another human being who really loves any of the following: pro bass fishing on tv, NASCAR, low carb Cabernet, Kathey Griffin, Microsoft, the Olsens, Applebees, Jessica Simpson, romance novels, tofu bacon, Pamela Anderson, ballet, "Survivor" or HUMMERs. Similarly, I could also never be friends with someone who mixes up "they're", "there", and "their". I will give you a smidge of credit if you know the difference between "if" and "whether". But if you leave any participles dangling, we're breaking up.
In conclusion, let me just say...
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
(The Designater Hitter Rule has got to go)
