Thursday, November 04, 1999

The Main [in]gredients.com

With my peppermint candle burning and the scent of vanilla body lotion wafting up from my hands, I luxuriated (even at the late hour I wrote this) in the comforts of some of the products I received from ingredients.com's launch party on Thursday night, November 4th.

Whenever I see a thick Dempsey & Carroll correspondence card in my mailbox I think, "Oh goodie!" Usually some social nicety ensues. And this time it was a personal invitation from Nancy Evans, editor-in-chief and co-founder of iVillage to celebrate the launch of the new website and product line for three women who started at her company. She welcomed the intimate gathering of close friends and business associates into her sumptuously comfortable and stylish home. The interior of her brownstone might have been the setting of an "Architectural Digest" spread, but it was warm and inviting. The classic Atmosphere Blue ceiling followed throughout the differently pastel-colored walls and pretty decorations, in true Southern tradition.

In her toast, Nancy reminisced back to the days when she and Amy Ryberg, co-founder and co-ceo, plugged in the first computer in her then basement (now another living space complete with kitchen and bath, leading out to a lovely garden). We all laughed when she told us she sat on a box, only to be informed that it was the server. Amy chimed in, "that's when we called it a Mo-Dem!" She introduced Katherine Legatos, co-founder and co-ceo, and Maura Curtin, dir. marcom, who initially had dreams of going into TV until her fateful interview with Ms. Evans who said "get real! This is where's it's at!"

Turning more serious, Nancy explained she was incredibly proud of these women, that they've been a part of iVillage since the very beginning and they are the first company to be incubated from iVillage, which has serious intentions of incubating women-owned companies.

After resounding cheers the party resumed with light chatter, Bellinis and congratulations all around. I met Randi Gelfand of TalentGal Productions, who did all the community and celebrity chats on Prodigy, and now has her own consulting practice. One man stood out from this mostly classically dressed set in his black leather pants and silk shirt unbuttoned to reveal a silver cross pendant peaking out from a quite masculine chest. I thought he was a rock star--definitely someone important. He was mysterious and only introduced himself and his guest, a striking slender model in a long black A-line skirt with a zebra-print stripe on the sides, by their first names. "John." I inquired a bit more so I could properly include him my newsletter. "Sahag." "Oh!" I exclaimed, "you're famous!" He's only one of the most established celebrity hair stylists around. And his guest? His fiancee and Ford Model Trisha Caswell. Meanwhile, next to us was Robin Carter of Fox News talking with Maura and some friends. Just before leaving Nancy took Robin, myself and a few others upstairs to fawn over her new Versace evening mules. Ooh! Is right! Her closet is the size of my office!

So with dreams of fancy shoes for the holidays, a bag full of sumptuous goodies from ingredients.com, and thoughts of many refreshing conversations I left to head on to the next evening's event.