Yahoo Lifestyle Hayley Atwell, Georgia May Jagger, Jimmy Akingbola Get in the Mood for Christmas at Fendi
LONDON — Cocktails, canapes and a burst of cold London wind can only mean the start of the festive season.
On Wednesday evening Fendi hosted the first of many cocktail parties to come at its New Bond Street store.
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All floors of the store were filled — some with celebrities, members of the press, influencers and high-spending clients, who were multitasking by enjoying the party and starting their Christmas shopping early.
The party was attended by Hayley Atwell, Georgia May Jagger, Reece Clarke, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Gene and Lennon Gallagher, Carmen Jordá, Yasmin Finney and more.
Before entering the Fendi store, the stars posed outside with a line of London black cabs dressed in Fendi yellow.
British-American actor Atwell, who will be starring in “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” next year, was already in a festive spirit.
“My father is American, so I start off with a Thanksgiving dinner, where we go around the table talking about reflecting on the year, what we’re grateful for, and what we wish for each other in the coming year. Then the next day, we put up the Christmas tree,” she said cheerfully, wearing a black head-to-toe Fendi ensemble that she described as “androgynous [with a] masculine feel.”
To distract herself from the gray clouds of London during the Christmas season, she puts up as many festive decorations as she can and over the last 20 years she has started her own Christmas tradition.
“Every time I’ve traveled with a job, I will find a bauble at some market — sometimes it’s incredibly camp, at other times it’s really traditional and old — it’s basically become a family heirloom of ornaments. It’s the American side of me [coming out],” said Atwell.
At the end of the year, she will begin rehearsals for Jamie Lloyd “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane with Tom Hiddleston.
It’s a special moment for Atwell, who studied Williams Shakespeare at drama school. “This goes back to the foundation of my training as a classical actor,” she said.
Another actor with a busy schedule at the event was Jimmy Akingbola, the star of the series “Bel-Air” and host of the ITV show “Sorry, I Didn’t Know,” about Black history and has become the network’s longest-running show from a production company led by Black creatives.
The actor said he will be spending Christmas between London and Los Angeles. The first couple of weeks in December will be reserved for family time and dinner parties followed by catching some much needed sun in California.
“I do like to see the last sunset and the first sunrise on a beach somewhere,” said Akingbola, who was wearing a pair of checked trousers and a black sweater from the Italian brand.
“’I’ve been wearing a lot of suits lately, especially as the character of Geoffrey Thompson in ‘Bel-Air.’ As I’m back in London, I wanted to try something smart-casual — for me it’s all about elegance and elevation, and Fendi does that for me,” he added.
The night was also a celebratory one for some.
Jagger, who gave birth six weeks ago, said this was her first public outing. She wore a matching checked skirt with a coat that she described as “quite ‘60s retro.”
The founder of the skin care label May Botanicals was in high spirits that matched the twinkling lights of the Fendi store.
She will usher in the Christmas festivities by going to a ballet or pantomime with her mother, Jerry Hall, which has become a tradition.
“We always go Christmas shopping together. She’s very Christmassy and has been obsessed with it for years — she has her Christmas shopping done and the house decorated by the first of December,” Jagger joked.
As most use the festive period to wind down, Clarke, the principal dancer at the Royal Ballet and Opera‘s schedule is about to get jam-packed.
“I’m heading over to Zurich this weekend for some performances and then I’ll be getting back into my London routine again,” he said.
“I have six performances as the Prince in ‘Cinderella’ in London throughout December, so I’ll only have two days to enjoy the Christmas festivities this year. After that, I’ll be performing the title role of ‘Onegin’ in the opening performance at the Royal Opera House in January. It’s one of my favourite roles and I can’t wait to start preparing this shortly too,” Clarke added.
The Scottish dancer wore a black Fendi suit with subtle sparkles to the cocktail party. “It feels like it’s something I could wear for one of my performances and shine under the stage lights,” he said, explaining that it was the first look he tried on for the evening.
As everyone called it a night by indulging on a couple of cocktails and heading home, ballet dancer Clarke was heading to the Royal Ballet and Opera for rehearsals.
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