Hidden behind a muraled door near the Bowery Hotel is Wise Men, a new lounge that’s become the style set’s latest zen hangout in the post-fashion-month, pre-spring doldrum days. The red-bathed, deco-inspired speakeasy is owned jointly by Caroleyn Ng (who brings hospitality knowledge), Christina Chin (the creator director of S magazine), and Danielle Levitt, a photographer who has been bouncing around with fashion people since the nineties, shooting campaigns for Warby Parker and Puma along with portraits of Jessica Chastain, Lena Dunham, and the rest of the new vanguard for recent editorial projects.
Given her experience, the Cut asked Levitt to capture the growing scene at her homegrown-yet-still-hidden spot. On a typical night, Designers from APC, Kenzo or Duckie Brown mingle with editors and stylists from T, GQ and Numero, while directors and artists including Barnaby Roeper and Curtis Kulig get to know the Man Repeller, Sophia Lamar, and, of course, Tali Lennox. Click ahead for a bird’s-eye-view at the lowkey nightlife scene.
Wise Men is located 355 Bowery, nr. E. 4th St., no phone.