The rose is back in bloom at Lord & Taylor. On Thursday evening, the department store welcomed shoppers — and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo — onto the main floor of its Fifth Avenue flagship for the opening of their spring Birdcage, a seasonal concept shop. The Birdcage is set to the theme of a “free spirit rose,” a twist on the retailer’s iconic symbol.
Guests were customizing sweatshirts and browsing a selection of rose-themed curated goods, ranging from rose gold jewelry and paper goods to floral beauty products and T-shirts printed with on-the-nose slogans like “rosé all day” and “every rose has its thorn.”
After posing in front of a rose-filled step-and-repeat, which seems to be the party move du jour — we blame Kim and Kanye — Culpo made her way through the mini-boutique, as shoppers craned their phones in hopes of a semi-focused Snapchat.
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“Well, obviously, this is Lord & Taylor bringing back the Free Spirit rose, so I do see a lot of roses, which are very exciting,” Culpo said, surveying the space. “It’s spring-feeling all around. Everybody kind of has that breath of fresh air feeling around them, which is common in April.”
Culpo had only arrived in New York earlier in the week, just in time for some rather unthematic weather. “I’m telling you, two weeks, and that’s it,” she said of the dwindling winter. The damp skies were also making her adjust her plans while in town. “The weather has been a little rainy so that’s never good, but I’m looking forward to walking around the park actually,” she said. “I miss that. The blossoms are almost making their way out.”
Her favorite rose blossom? “I think the red rose is so romantic,” she said. “I also like a white rose. And a pink — I just named three. But yeah. And I actually love Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, it’s one of the most beautiful, sexy scents out there. And it’s done so well. It’s one of my absolute favorites.”
When it comes to spring fashion, Culpo skews traditional. “I think spring is the time to be very ethereal and to be kind of born again, and light feeling,” she said. “I really love to embrace the pale pinks, the pale yellows, the pale blues, the creams, the whites, everything in that palette.”