Elie Tahari & Vogue Throw An Elegantly Understated Store Opening Party @ Tysons Galleria…

MCLEAN, Va. -- He sits at the helm of a billion dollar (approximated) fashion empire, with retail outlets spanning five continents and more than 5,000 locations in the United States alone. And on Wednesday night, luxury designer Elie Tahari -- yes, the man himself – invited a handful of his most loyal D.C. friends and customers to Tysons Galleria to celebrate the opening of his latest standalone boutique.

Now open for just a few short weeks, the gleaming 2,500-squarefoot store on the mall’s second floor played double duty yesterday as both luxury boutique and party space, with event hosts Jean-Marie Fernandez, Nancy Koide, and Amy Baier graciously greeting guests at the door.

Jean-Marie Fernandez, Nancy Koide, and Amy Baier served as the event’s hosts, along with Vogue magazine.
Copies of the latest issue of Vogue magazine, Elie Tahari’s media partner for the night, were tastefully scattered throughout the store and representatives from the iconic New York-based publication deftly mingled about the crowd, answering questions and hugging longtime friends/readers.

Elie Tahari warmly greets THE Artist Agency’s Lynda Erkiletian.
Attendees sipped on mojitos and tall glasses of wine, as an army of servers brought out plates of complimentary hors d’oeuvres, including cones of tuna tartar and plenty of almonds (a Tahari favorite).

While facetime (and photo ops) with the elegantly understated fashion icon might have been the evening’s biggest draw, the biggest beneficiary by far was the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) who received a generous 10% slice of the night’s sales.

Since it first opened its doors in 2005, THEARC has become the home to ten of Washington’s best nonprofit agencies, all of which are committed to improving the quality of life of residents in the city’s eighth ward.

Of course, for those shoppers interested in literally taking Elie Tahari’s Spring 2011 Women’s Collection inspiration (the “romantic jet-set”) to heart, complimentary $100 gift cards were handed-out as parting gifts. Redeemable at thousands of stores the world-over…