Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit got a little Hollywoodish on us Thursday night in a party thrown by John Varvatos for the recent opening of his upscale clothing store on Woodward.
Gary Graff of The Oakland Press writes that John Varvatos, the the Detroit-born, Allen Park-raised fashion designer and philanthropist lit up the town with a Chrysler-sponsored, invitation-only grand opening party, closing down the block of Woodward Avenue between Grand Circus Park and Grand River Boulevard and decking out the area with black carpeting and large walls for VIP pictures.
A pair of guys with the initials J.V. flank Kate Upton. (John Varvatos photo via Twitter)
Alice Cooper, the Detroit-born Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and one of Varvatos’ first endorsers during the early 00s, played a special concert, and the local celebrity turnout -- many sporting Varvatos attire -- included Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and his girlfriend, model Kate Upton, Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron, graduated University of Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, Detroit real estate developer Dan Gilbert, musicians such as Michael Bolton, Dwele, Scott Morgan and Eddie Baranek of the Sights, WCSX radio personality Doug Podell, former Motown publicist Al Abrams and Oakland County commercial real estate developer David Schostack.
“This is great,” Cooper said before his performance, “because Varvatos is pure Detroit, and this is the beginning of building this downtown area the right way. The restaurants are all here. People are coming into these old buildings and they’re opening these really cool restaurants, which is going to draw people and they’re gonna start drawing in the boutiques and everything, and pretty soon it’s going to be a very hip city.”
