Richie Akiva Produced One Of His Best The After’s During The Met Gala Festivities
Hosted by Kate Moss and Teyana Taylor, the smaller venue and scaled down guest list made for an iconic night that will be talked about for quite a while…
Photo Credit: Matt Borkowski/BFA.comNew York City was abuzz on Monday night for fashion’s biggest night. While there has been strong feedback in the city and within the fashion industry on who sponsored what, and who wore it best, or didn’t, there was only good vibes at Richie Akiva’s The After, his 12th annual bash. Spotted were musicians Anderson Paak, Shaboozey, Ty Dolla Sign and Carlita, while Lila Moss, Lisa, Jennie, Edward Enninful, Central Cee, Ty Dolla Sign, Evan Ross, Selah Marley, Stefon Diggs, Maxwell Osborne and Dao Yi were all in attendance.
Those who have frequented a Richie Akiva produced party in NYC or anywhere in the world know there’s a certain cadence, energy, and breadth to his events. But Richie switched things up and didn’t do The After at Casa Cipriani, his usual spot. Throwing a curveball, a cohort of models, actors, fashion insiders, industry gurus, ladies, gents, the young, and the mature were impatiently waiting to get into the switched-up venue: The Box. Nestled in NYC’s Nolita, the space is small yet intimate, quaint yet inviting.
Shortly after 1am, the bouncers and doormen took their positions while partygoers clamored to enter. Once through the first door another speakeasy sort of door led to the bar entryway that further led to the stage and dance floor. The party didn’t really pick up until around 2:30am, as DJ Cruz got the party started. Leon Thomas took to the stage to sing his hit “Mutt,” that set the mood in the room to somehow suave and relaxed.
Busta Rhymes and Shyne | Photo Credit: Matt Borkowski/BFA.com
As DJ Cruz rounded out his set, Kaytranada took to the turntables. Busta Rhymes walked into the party with a presence the size of NYC and sitting in at a semicircular banquette was rapper and Belize politician Shyne, rocking a tailored tuxedo. He too has a presence though a quieter one. He sat at a table chatting with those around him. Real influence makes itself accessible and this describes Busta Rhymes and Shyne. They welcomed conversation with whoever approached them and it was warming to see. No arrogance, no pomp, no ego which really sums up the whole party. Because it was scaled down and at a smaller venue, the crowd seemed more real.
Throughout the night Akiva was back and forth delegating, taking to the mic, texting, observing, taking photos, greeting his guests, and feeding the flow of the party and managing it all accordingly. Part of his party hosting genius is being able to multitask an event. Though you may not think it, Richie is well aware of most everything going on at his soirées and last night was no different. One minute he was on the mic telling someone to “prepare a table for Teyana” (Taylor that is), and the next minute he’s pushing through the crowd to take care of some issue at the back of the party or greet a VIP, then 10 minutes later he’s back on stage with a mic working simultaneously with the DJ getting the crowd hyped- and/or scanning the room from behind his tanned glasses making sure all is well. It’s a skill he’s mastered since his teen club days in the city.
The highlight of the night came shortly after 3am when Busta Rhymes took to the stage. Giving a poignant speech and speaking his peace about integrity and a code of ethics. “I come from a time where respect and a code of ethics was important.” Clearly speaking to some situation, the iconic rapper had the room’s attention. It became clear real fast that he was serious and was speaking candidly about the flaws of human nature.
And then, Diplo came on the stage with Kaytrunda, and DJ Cruz joined the cast of respected DJs, while Busta Rhymes rapped his 2002 hit “I know What You Want.” The room went wild and phones went up, yet at the same time, people were soaking in every line every verse, every beat, every note.
The energy of the party remained strong throughout the night | | Photo Credit: Matt Borkowski/BFA.com
Throughout the night, Akiva kept telling the crowd that the party was going to go on until 6/7am. At 4am energy and life were still flowing through the veins of the party as more VIPS from Zach Bia, Kim Shui, Ellen Von Unwerth, Zeke Thomas, Quincy Brown, stylist Sam Woolf, Myles Chamley Watson, Tomas Hayo, Kim Shui, Destin Conrad, Jimmy Butler, Hannah Sider, Cjay Syre, Badius and Fai Khadra were arriving.
Richie Akiva & Gianni Harrell | Photo Credit: Matt Borkowski/BFA.com
There were other parties happening around the city from Ray Ban, to YSL, to Beyonce’s private afterparty. One thing about Richie Akiva is that despite his ups and downs, his name still holds weight. People still show up at his parties, some get in easy and some clamor to get in. But, he’s someone that people want to be associated with and if he has done one smart thing this year, its scale down and make his event more exclusive.
When I interviewed him in May 2024 after his The After Cannes party, he spoke on how he had been wanting to scale down his parties and get them back to the essence of what they used to be.
“The party used to be very, very, very tight and very exclusive. You used to have Kate Hudson dancing on the couch and it was real close friends, celebrities, and models- people we were close with. We knew every single person. People would talk, and we had this big beautiful deck and people would dance until all hours of the morning. Virgil (Abloh) would get on and DJ and sometimes Kanye would get on. It started very organic and small and it grew, and grew, and grew until other friends got involved and it turned into something else. Over the years too many chefs have gotten in the kitchen.
It’s the same tone that Akiva had for The After Met Gala. The day before the party, he posted on his Instagram account that people had been asking about party’s location but that he was guiding it towards what it used to be, more exclusive, not in a snobby way, but in a way that change has to happen to get the desired outcome he’s looking for.
This exclusivity changed the mood of the party and created an atmosphere that I have never seen at an Akiva party. People talked, danced, laughed, were engaged when artists were on stage and this is how the good parties are supposed to be: exclusive and engaging.
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