Inside NYC's gonzo shopping parties

Liana Satenstein divulges her secrets.

They’re all part of a five-in-one show hosted by the inimitable Liana Satenstein!

Last Wednesday I went to “The Performance ‘Skincare Sweepstakes”’ at skincare guru Sofie Pavitt’s Centre Street studio, the kind of balls-to-the-walls event that could only come from the Lauren Ezersky-Lethal Weapon-loving mind of Liana Satenstein. Aside from being a hell of a time, with guests walking away with Sofie Pavitt products, Free People bonnets, and endless new skincare knowledge, the night turned surprisingly tender when a middle schooler asked Sofie about how to take care of her adolescent skin. The event was a human approach to beauty and fashion, one that Satenstein has worked hard to hone.

During COVID, riding on a successful side hustle cleaning out closets of fellow Voguettes and at the encouragement of her boss at Vogue former Creative Director Sally Singer, Satenstein launched #NEVERWORNS: an Instagram live extravaganza where the headseated up Satenstein excavated the depths of people’s closet and psyches. Since then she’s just kept pushing it, building out the complete Satensteiniverse: her Substack forecasts, her webseries, her closet sales (the Chloë Sevigny sale of the century kicked off an avalanche of closet sales, celebrity and otherwise) and, as of last month, a glacial shirt designed in collaboration with Cleo Camp, one of her favorite independent designers.

For the past year Satenstein has started hosting live shopping events-turned parties, taking over stores across NYC (everyone from Susan Alexandra to DVF), even using her own apartment as a stage. The guests are treated to a spectacle—food, music, cocktails, demos–and can shop the product in real time. Not in New York? The entire thing is live streamed on Satenstein’s Instagram where viewers can call in, ask questions, and use a special discount code if they want to place an order. These events reference the good campy parts of QVC, updated to accommodate how we actually shop (mostly online, based on recommendation) while still providing a healthy dose of aspiration (the intoxicating glamour of having a glass of wine in a room full of chic women and learning about the product from the creator themself).

At Pavitt’s, Satentein was flanked by a devoted army of little Lianas, frequently putting guests on the spot, whether it’s for an impromptu facial, a pop quiz (which Belgian designer did Liana just interview? Answer: Diane von Furstenberg), or an Oprah style giveaway (though I don’t remember Oprah ever chucking an omega-rich moisturiser at someone’s head). Through it all Liana is devoted to making IRL shopping sexy, funny, educational and FUN. I called her the next day to debrief the night.

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I know you put the event, which was RSVP only, up on Eventbrite, so there were some women who came who didn’t know you and just wanted to learn about skincare. It was so sweet how many different people came.

I couldn’t have been happier.

What’s your process like for dreaming up this kind of event?

It’s kind of a mix. It all comes from doing videos, talking to people about their clothes, and also writing articles. You want to have the other person talk about the clothes, or the product, and really give people a demonstration. How does it feel? What does it look like? I realized this when I was doing in-person sales like my big, #NEVERWORNS sale with Chloë, and Sally, and the Vogue editors. People really want to hear from the person selling. Why did you like this? Why does it work? I love highlighting that. We did a live shopping event with my Cleo shirt, where Cleo spoke about the shirt. You have to make it entertaining. So I try to make it entertaining and obviously—I’m a Jewish girl!—I love to feed people.

It feels like, with designing your own Cleo shirt and the skincare event, you’re moving into new territory.

Cleo’s silhouette kind of just is the perfect silhouette for a shirt. I wrote about it organically. She offered to send me one. I bought them instead, and I wrote about it because I just wanted to write an honest piece about it when I received it. Honestly, it was like the best silhouette ever. It’s so sensual and yet so elegant. Then I was like, “You know what? I want to work with her on something, because I like her so much.” I wanted to do this, like, insane, searing, Bahamas blue color. We both felt very passionate about this one item, which I think is how a lot of women feel these days. You have that one item that you swear by. Like I swear by the omega-rich moisturizer by Sophie and the Mandela clearing serum—and I swear by this shirt. It’s not like we’re all out there buying full collections, you know? Women are obsessed with one thing. You don’t need 1,000 things.

In your Substuck and for Vogue, you’ve been a prophet for various revivals: the Balenciaga City bag, the recent Marc Jacobs moment. Can you tell me about your prophetic abilities?

There’s this aspirational, sensual world that I want to be a part of, so I just get obsessed. I really do. It’s all about obsession for me. And if I’m obsessed with something, I go full on. I‘ve literally written about a V-neck on Michael Douglas, I swear to God, like fucking 20 times. I love a woman’s waist, that’s where I’m at in my life, so I’ll write about that until the end of time. In terms of items, love the Balenciaga, love the [Yves Saint Laurent] Mombasa—they’re a product, but they’re sensual and full of life for me. There’s a certain type of woman who I aspire to be that loves these pieces.

Have you ever done something in skincare before?

I’m actually a notoriously bad skincare person, like, pathetic cutting-the-bottle-open, expired Ukrainian apricot scrub, pre-war vibes. I needed to be more responsible with my skincare. Sofie is like the gateway into the brand itself. I think you see that a lot with skincare or makeup people. I love Sofie.

It’s so like crazy that you started #NEVERWORNS during the pandemic because you really excel at community building. That’s hard. Do you feel like starting out virtually has helped transition into real life?

#NEVERWORNS has gone through a zillion iterations. It was that weird virtual interview show, which I created completely enraged at four in the morning in my heinous old apartment. It’s gone into filming in-person. There’s the live shopping component now, and in-person shopping components. It’s really constantly developing. I think being able to just completely forget yourself and put yourself out there online has definitely helped take out a lot of fear that I might have previously had. I am not naturally outgoing but I’ve trained myself to be.

How?

Just going on Instagram Live. It was so horrifying to me and cringe but… I just had this moment of “Wow, I need to put myself out there.” It can’t just be stills online, it can’t just be writing on Vogue.com. There has to be a different component.

I’m sure you get this too where people will take your articles and essentially regurgitate your vision, your concept, on TikTok and then they get the credit. That has really bothered me. At Vogue, it’s easier to point out when someone else copies and pastes your work, but in this weird universe, on TikTok, it’s not so easy anymore.

There’s an idea that fashion is really exclusive, and you’re supposed to be mean to the people coming up below you. I think of you as one of the most uplifting to the girls. You keep the girls employed.

I always have fab girls who are offering to help. I really like them. I’m also just a girl. I think they bring so much to it, and they believe in it. I need people who believe in it.

*PLUS TUNE IN MONDAY DECEMBER 1 AT NOON E.T. FOR A SUBSTACK LIVE WITH LIANA! *

Plane, bus, club, martinis, holiday party, weird family dinner, another bus. The holiday season is just starting and we have a lot to be grateful for, number one being skincare deity Sofie Pavitt (she does everyone from Lorde’s to your chicest friend’s skin) has graced us with her tricks for staying on top of the indulgent holiday season.

What are your holiday skincare essentials?

Listen. I know it’s a weird thing to give for the holidays—skincare is deeply personal! However, I always try to give the gift of glow to nearests and dearest: I love the Omega-rich moisturizer, Mandelic clearing serum, and cleanser system set. A three-step easy to use—I’ve given to my friends, my husband, even my dad.

One thing you would never do to your skin?

I would never tattoo makeup on my face whether it be eyebrows, lip liner, eyeliner, or even, gasp, freckles. Love it for you if that’s your jam—I’ve done the laser tattoo removal thing and you just couldn’t pay me to do anything to my face after that. HIDEOUS PAIN.

Best hangover hack?

Light blue gatorade zero ice cold, large drip coffee with whole milk, one cold seltzer, couple Advil, beans on toast. Nice Ice from my line to depuff my face and then a big old blob of omega-rich to hydrate me.

Do you wear makeup everyday? What makeup do you wear?

I don’t wear it everyday but when I do it’s either Dr. Jart light BB cream or Ciele tint and some sheer coverage to make me look alive. I love tanning drops for the face. I love tan-luxe. Ciele blush or KJH brand. I love a lined lip. I use Saie, or Fara Homidi lip pencil or KJH brand precision sculpture. Love le houchou lip from Eadem.

Favorite beauty treatments in the city?

• Obviously a deep clean/aerolase or peel from someone at my studio.

• Joseph Carrillo (@sculptedbyjoseph) for facial massage.

• Botox from Lynn Wojton at Centre Aesthetic.

• IMD beauty for lymphatic massage.

• Unique shape brows and threading on Bedford Ave for a brow thread and tint.

I NEED to know what’s in your supplement pantry.

I’m old, so a bunch. Omega 3 supplement (Nordic Naturals), vitamin D, Seed probiotics, Metamucil sugar free and biomecult fiber supplements, Create creatine powder. I flirt with greens powders but they taste so bad... I love to live my life deliciously so I find it upsetting when I have to eat something gross. I love Rose LA edibles which I eat a lot of, and the Sakara Serene State gummies. I also just started on HERS hair supplement because I want to grow my hair as long as I can.

I know you’re also a wellness and nutrition-based coach. What’s on your holiday wellness wish list?

Holidays are a time of excess. I try to keep on top of my supplements and workouts when in holiday mode—I try to work out 4 times a week and this can get lost when schedules are off. Sticking to the same breakfast and light lunch each day (I’M A SOUP ADDICT) to get as many greens and bone broth in can mitigate any damage from late nights, alcohol, and decadent dinners. At the same time…live a little, it’s not that deep. Enjoy yourself!

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I donated some coats I had laying around this weekend. It took five minutes and you can drop them off at basically any firehouse near you. Here is a map.