Christopher John Rogers didn’t slow down after his show stopping Met Gala moment with Sarah Jessica Parker. Four days after the first Monday in May, fashion’s wunderkind headed to New Orleans to celebrate his collectsion launching in ByGeorge, an Austin-based luxury fashion and lifestyle store with one location inside NOLA’s Hotel Saint Vincent. ByGeorge is the first retailer in Texas and Louisiana to carry CJR, a monumental moment for both the brand and the retailer. Rogers was joined by his brand director Christina Ripley for a jam-packed and rewarding two-day work trip.
To commemorate this milestone, ByGeorge hosted a conversation about Rogers’s career and inspirations—moderated by yours truly—in their guest-only bar, Chapel Club. The room was filled with VIP invitees, students, and professors from the Material Institute: a progressive New Orleans-based arts foundation that offers a one year full-scholarship to their design foundation program.
As expected from a Christopher John Rogers event, the room was filled with impeccable and eclectic style. One student wore cobweb-esque knitwear, while the ByGeorge staff were decked out in bright and colorful CJR. It was inspiring to look out into the crowd and see so many future industry professionals eager to hear from Rogers. One young girl, maybe six or seven-years-old, built up the courage to ask Christopher, “how did you make your business so famous?” A question we truly all would like to know the answer to! He humbly explained, “time and luck have been on my side. I’ve been blessed that my work resonates with so many people.”
Following the talk, ByGeorge hosted an intimate dinner party where we all got to unwind and enjoy the warm, humid New Orleans weather. In Christopher John Rogers fashion, guests were gifted Glitter Paste from LemonHead L.A. ahead of their night out on the town. There wasn’t a bare eyelid in sight!
Here, a behind-the-scenes peek of my magical weekend in New Orleans with Christopher John Rogers.
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée1/16My look for night one in NOLA! I vowed I would wear CJR all weekend so I brought out my Swarovski crystal “boob” button-up and paired it with a summery neon green Pleats Please skirt and my favorite red extra mini Fendi Baguette bag.
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée2/16Very blurry but I love this picture of Christopher, Christina, and me! This is right before we went to dinner and decided to eat almost everything off the menu.
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée3/16Christopher John Rogers. Need I say more?
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée4/16We decided to roam the hotel after dinner with drinks in hand! The weather in NOLA was perfect. Not too hot, not too humid.
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée5/16The next morning I took a walk around to see more of the neighborhood we were in. Loved that this street name was Camp. I instantly thought of 2019’s Met Gala theme.
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée6/16After our 11 a.m. meeting with the ByGeorge team, we went into the small boutique they have in the hotel to discover some of the brands and styles they carry. I personally fell in love with the purple Loewe Puzzle Hobo Bag.
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée7/16Quick pool break before the talk. We had to take advantage of the good weather!
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée8/16Lots of Christopher John Rogers outfit options for the talk. One thing I knew for sure: I was going to wear pink!
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée9/16Loved how this was set up! The Strawberry dress is one of my favorite silhouettes of Christopher’s.
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée10/16Immediately after the talk, the photographer said to do a power pose!
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée11/16This was the young girl who asked Christopher, “How did you make your business so famous?” She was so incredibly bright and full of energy!
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée12/16Guests changed for the dinner! From left: Molly Nutter, Mary John and Marianne Santiago Ortega, all in CJR.
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée13/16The decor and setting of the table was so beautiful. Mary C, John of Merry Floral did an amazing job on the floral arrangements.
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée14/16Christopher and guests chatting before dinner. Everyone looked so good so I had to snap a pic!
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée15/16Ended the night with a glitter eye moment with ByGeorge beauty director, Erin Lee Smith. Here she is helping Christina with her glitter makeup!
Courtesy of Naomi Elizée16/16The next morning we only had about two hours before my flight. We got breakfast and then rushed to Cafe Du Monde to grab a beignet before we left NOLA for good.
