It might have been a balmy, laid-back Cinco de Mayo last night, but for music tastemakers "The FADER" it was business as usual -- that business being curating another stellar party in the city.
Given full run on the uber-hip Adidas Originals store on Wooster Street, the "FADER" folks had the garage-like space buzzing with DJ sets by renowned crate-diggers Kon & Amir, free booze thanks to 42Below Vodka and enough discounted vintage kicks to assure that party-goers looked like they'd just stepped off a 1970s soccer pitch.
Guests packed the place to the gills, cueing up along the cobbled street outside and craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the action within. But it just wasn't all free vodka and marked down price tags: red-hot electro-meringue artist Maluca (the latest protégé of talent-plucker Diplo) also performed a short set.
"Having Maluca perform is such a great match with Adidas and with us," said Chioma Nnadi, London transplant and Style Director at "The FADER."
"She's an awesome talent and she's been building momentum since last year and doing a lot more shows in New York. You know she's a New York girl. She's a fly girl."
As a magazine obsessed with both music and fashion, lining up the ideal act for such "FADER" events ain't too hard, as Nnadi was quick to recognize.
"It usually happens quite organically, because when we're in the process of finding artists we want to cover in the magazine, we find artists that will be great to perform at events,” Nnadi said. “Maluca was a part of a bigger feature in the Summer Music issue."
Beyond the NYC-based MC, Nnadi's other favorites these days include Brooklyn indie rockers Yeasayer, swaggering dancehall star Movado, and the always envelope-pushing M.I.A. The list of most stylish artists peaks, however, with Beach House singer Victoria Legrand.
"I love Victoria La Grande from Beach House. I think she has awesome style. I'm going to see her tomorrow night -- she's mesmerizing. If I was a guy that would be my girl," Nnadi said with a giggle.