Black CoffeeNina Fernandez/BFA.com
It’s true that the country’s serious skiers have been disappointed by the already too-hot temperatures on the mountains out west as of late—but for those who are more riled up by the idea of what comes after the slopes, the appeal of après ski culture, Aspen-style, continues to reach new heights, thanks largely to the Snow Lodge.
What started as an experiment to breathe much-needed new life into the storied St. Regis hotel in-and-around Covid times has grown to rival the winter bucket-list allure of Europe’s infamously gung-ho destinations. Each weekend, the hotel’s once-sleepy courtyard is transformed into an al fresco club, ready to welcome bold-face name DJs to the stage. With no shortage of international headliners and Grammy winners on the bill, hundreds of rosy-cheeked revelers routinely flock to hang out in faux fur-lined cabanas, keeping toasty with magnums of Veuve Clicquot and caviar service. Regardless of age, gender, background, or profession: they all seem to come dressed to the nines too.
In fact, founder and creative director Jayma Cardoso—the brains behind Montauk’s Surf Lodge—realized pretty early on that this suspiciously dolled-up crowd are treating the post-piste party as the actual sport. And so for the Snow Lodge’s 2026 season closing parties that took place over the last few days in March, the audience once again looked like a western-inspired magazine editorial come to life.
Influencer and actress Lily Chee went for low-slung vintage Dior leather pants complete with horse bit-detailing. Several models who had flown in from Cardoso’s native Brazil and their adopted home of Los Angeles were kitted out in supersized suede jackets, fringe-adorned tops, and over-the-knee cowboy boots. Designer Natalie De’Banco made a case for bordeaux-hued mock-croc mini shorts over opaque tights. Upper East Siders including Melissa Wood-Tepperberg and LoveShackFancy’s Rebecca Hessel Cohen opted for cool-and-casual bodysuits and vintage dusters as they threw shapes in the VIP section. Even the finance bros had dutifully donned customized $600+ Kemo Sabe hats picked up in town. As South African chart-topper Black Coffee took his place at the decks around 4.30 p.m., a clique of girls in their early-20s gathered behind him in prairie skirts and lace bralet tops, with chunky Ralph Lauren belts slung loosely around their hips.