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The Valentino Opening Through an SF PR Maven's Eyes

By Esther Hahn

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  • All photos via Allison Speer/Instagram
  • The day before the party, Speer's Instagram hinted at a Valentino studded affair.
  • If the shoes weren't enough of a hint, the appearance of Carlos Souza—Valentino's worldwide brand ambassador—at Tosca really let the cat out of the bag.
  • Speer's footwear choices for the Valentino opening event.
  • Speer and Souza, ready to launch the night.
  • The luxe interiors of the new store on Grant Avenue.
  • DJ Chelsey Leyland flew in from NYC to spin the tunes.
  • Willie Brown's longtime girlfriend Sonya Molodetskaya rocked bright colors, prints, and sneakers.
  • While Ali Pincus, co-founder and chief strategy officer of One Kings Lane, came out in her hot pink Valentino shoes.
  • Souza pictured with fabulously chic guest Madame Hale...
  • And Kate Harbin...
  • And Komal Shah.
  • The after-party continued with a dinner at the Battery.
  • SF socialite Vanessa Getty, pictured with Damion Smith, was in attendance.
  • Speer captioned this photo: "The room that can never be photographed, First private dinner in the Living Room at The Battery for #valentinosf opening."
  • The late night crew from the Valentino opening party.
  • A parting shot from the Battery at the end of the night.


The SF social crowd was out in force on Wednesday night to fête the new Valentino store. Local PR maven Allison Speer partnered with the brand's in-house PR team to host an extravagant evening that began with the likes of Vanessa Getty, Sonya Molodetskaya, and Marissa Mayer christening the floors, dressed in head-to-toe Valentino, and ended with a celebratory dinner at the ultra-private social club, The Battery (Speer snapped a few photos of the space—totally against the rules—to give us all a peek). Click through to the gallery for all the Valentino-studded glory.

· Feast Your Eyes on the Gorgeous New San Francisco Valentino [Racked SF]
· Get Excited for Valentino SF's Big Reveal [Racked SF]