The former Opus-22 space has recently been re-vamped and has re-emerged as the swank lounge, Mr. West. Aptly named given its way west location, Clubplanet chatted with one of Mr. West’s owners, Danny Divine, to get the scoop on Chelsea’s newest hot ticket.
Divine, whose roots are in promoting and PR, teamed-up longtime friend DJ Jus Ske for a no-gimmicks alternative to 27th street’s Club Row. With a DJ as a part-owner, Mr. West features a state-of-the-art booth and a sound system constructed by Dan Agnee, (of Cielo and 1 Oak’s audio soundscapes). “To be honest, I view up to 23rd Street as a completely different area," says Divine. "Given the fact that we’re five blocks away, I don’t think that people view us as falling into the same stereotypes as the 27th Street spots. I’ve lived in this neighborhood for about 5 years and I thought it was an ideal location for what we were coming up with. There is nothing like us in close proximity, which makes Mr. West even more new and exciting." In addition to opening Mr. West and heading all its attendant events, Divine and DJ Jus Ske opened with Zac Posen’s after party during Fashion Week. They've discussed globalizing the brand of entertainment, starting with cosmopolitan cities like Paris, Tokyo, and an outpost in Miami.
You can bet that a lounge worthy of globe-trotting and Zac Posen is spot-on when it comes to the décor. A granite bar stretches out beneath an overhanging six-hundred strand crystal chandelier, while the main area features clusters of handmade, oversized lampshades dripping with LED-lit cascades of crystals. Black velvet banquets wrap around the dance floor, while a bronze mirrored wall running the length of the space adds much-needed depth. A paneled overlay sports a three-dimensional alligator cutout, along with wall-sized photography from an array of rotating celebrity photographers.
As wish most diminutive West Chelsea oases, Mr. West exacts a tough door policy. Manning the entrance is model/actor/stand-out star of the mockumentary The Doorman Fabrizio Brienza. What’s the key to making it passed the always dapperly dressed doorkeeper? According to Divine it’s simple –“If Fabrizio likes you, you’re in. We put total and complete trust in him. It also helps if you have a table booked for the night.”
Keeping in theme with neighboring boutiques Commes des Garçons and Balenciaga, Mr. West opens caters to “a trendy crowd looking for a new place to hang-out and relax after a long day." Bottle service takes center-stage at Mr. West, which opens at 11pm, but for those unfortunate patrons who can’t afford a $25,000 bottle of limited edition, white-gold plated jeroboams of 1995 Dom Pérignon, there are well-trained bartenders who will concoct basil grapefruit martinis and cucumber cosmos.
Despite the looming cool nights ahead, Mr. West is one spot worth braving the chills to visit. Just don’t forget your Manolos and your Sugar Daddy so you can feel at ease as you wait for your turn to get in amidst the tall, skinny, high-heel-clad chain-smocking gals and the slicked-back Euros who inevitably surround them. With the success of Mr. West we’ve already heard that there have been talks about neighboring nightspots opening up.
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