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Grammy Award-winning Singer Ladybug Mecca and Hareth Tayem, Director and CEO of MaleOrderOnly.com

Peroni's Next Top Models

David Garibaldi's live art show featuring Peroni

Fashion in a Peroni Bottle
High Class Italian Style

It was pure “Italian style in a Bottle” and a Peroni bottle to be exact. Over 500 media, VIP’s and celebrities enjoyed the official launch of Peroni Nastro Azzurro as bustling Union Square was transformed into a private party with savvy onlookers in downtown San Francisco. ”Peroni actually is an Italian brand and as you all know, fashion is from Italy and that’s the source. We’ve brought it to the U.S. and have been here for the last year and a half promoting Nastro Azzurro. It’s basically about fashion and style. This is a beer that if you want to differentiate yourself from the regular person, you’ll drink it,” says Sonji Blount, Sr. Associate Brand Manager of Peroni.

The good life theme definitely flowed through each and every aspect of the party, kicking off with an exciting red carpet where style makers included Erika Gessin, founder of San Francisco’s Fashion Week and Lluvy from season 4 of America’s Next Top Model, where the cross between San Francisco style was just as evident here as in any other fashion capitol around the world. "It should be an awesome show, they (Niki Flynn and FashionAssassin) have never shown in the United States, so it’s a big deal and for Peroni to be here too,” says Lluvy, from America’s Next Top Model. “What I love about San Francisco is the very urban feel. You could walk down the street and see a businessman, emo kid or a high class socialite. This city has a great mix of everybody,” she adds.

While guests nibbled on a colorful array of appetizers from Emporio Rulli, including savories like the assorted pizzette with capers, olives & anchovies, Bigne salata, a savory cream puff dough with bell peppers and for the dolce lover, Zabaglione alla bierra (made with Peroni beer), while no doubt enjoying the fashionable beer du jour, San Franciscans enjoyed a live and intense performance by artist and live painter David Garibaldi – who ended his painting whirlwind with an oversized image of a beautiful bottle of Peroni.

The fashion show was another big hit as labels who have never showed in the U.S. were sported on the runway, including Niki Flynn and FashionAssassin, where fashion lovers worldwide can buy the brands at MaleOrderOnly.com, an online shopping site for guys based out of Australia. "San Francisco has this open and accepting attitude in introducing clothing from other parts of the world. It’s a community that seems self sufficient and rich in style and flavor. For a city that seems capable of running its own fashion trends, they are keen to expand and grow, making themselves quite leaders in the Fashion World. This seems to be San Francisco's dirty little secret," says Hareth Tayem, Director and CEO of MaleOrderOnly.com.

Niki Flynn’s cool catalog of jeans for men and women (and mini skirts for the ladies) were a smash on the runway and included the Drive By style that feature six chamber signature chrome bullet tip rivets that were actually hand shot and individually peppered with a 9mm automatic/357 magnum with vintage fabric that dates all the way back to the '40s as pocket lining. The Freedom line of jeans for guys and gals is all about supporting the troops, not the war, using original desert camouflage that comes out of combat and training in Iraq and Afghanistan within the design of the jeans and the best part being that 10% of profits are donated to I.V.A.W (Iraq Veterans Against the War).

Not leaving out symbols that have a deeper meaning, FashionAssassin was also all about bringing out long forgotten family and religious emblems for their collection mixed with prints and military influenced island fabrics that were all and out true native including handscrolled emblemata, lace, feather weight cotten tees, filigree and hand block prints.

The evening concluded with a performance by Ladybug Mecca, a Grammy Award-winning lead from Digable Planets as she promoted her debut solo album, leaving party goers awed by an event high on style, Italian style no doubt.

For more information about the recent luxe Peroni events, please visit their blog. For more info on Peroni Nastro Azzurro, please visit www.peroniitaly.com.

- by Melissa Maynard