For their first foray into hosting beyond the typical fashion show, STAUD threw a cocktail party celebrating the intersections of art and fashion just in time for Frieze LA. Co-founders Sarah Staudinger and George Augusto invited friends of the brand to an open house at their creative offices, a historic 1920’s estate overlooking Sunset Plaza, including a dedicated exhibition space highlighting their latest collaboration: five custom versions of Staud’s Super Moon bag, created in collaboration with artists selected by co-host Jeffrey Deitch. The oversized lunette bags were installed on pedestals in a room of their own, where guests could examine them up close.

Cheyenne Julien’s enigmatic portrait, You’ll Never Know, renders a young Black woman’s face in mixed profile, the light glimmering on her glossed lips, wide eyes, and hoop earrings. Titania by Ariana Papademetropoulos features a vibrant snail, a frequent motif the painter has used to explore vulnerability, protection, and exposure. Emma Webster’s Untitled pairs a watchful fox on one side with an innocent leaping lamb on the reverse, hinting at a foreboding sense of tension. Isabelle Albuquerque’s Redheaded Moon incorporates crimped human hair, metal chains and a protruding foot, evoking uncanny sexuality. And Karon Davis plastered the bag to create a portrait in relief for Goddess of the Moon, alluding to a longtime interest in Egyptian mummification practices and wrapping as a means to memorialize bodies. All five were later offered for auction, with proceeds benefiting an organization of the artist’s choice.

The white cube look and feel of the display was befitting the blue chip gallerist behind the lineup, but the surrounding office space struck the ideal balance of homey and chic. Flickering hurricanes lined the steps to the entrance, where guests were invited to sign a guest book and snap a photo in front of a curved staircase. To the right, a candlelit salon with design-driven seating and a curated selection of artbooks gave way to an adjacent parlor, outfitted by Sophie Dalah of the eponymous Sophie’s Table with an abundant and colorful spread of conservas and crudites. The little fish, both in tins and a platter of woven boquerones, were a nod to Staud’s signature sardine motif. A door behind the impromptu photo booth led to a lush patio, where guests enjoyed cocktails and a live demonstration of hugging pottery. Friends new and old suited up in Staud’s finest smocks to memorialize a pre-Frieze embrace, with some help from Venice-based ceramicist Patrick Johnston.