A few years ago I had an appointment on the south side of West 38th Street and 5th Avenue. The showroom was on a high floor, so I wandered over to admire the view. Someone pointed out the roof of Lord & Taylor, just across the way, which featured an expansive open-air courtyard. “What a wonderful space...is it a restaurant or something?” No, I was told, “it's basically the employee cafeteria...”

On a sparkling late summer's night last week, GQ magazine feted Lord & Taylor’s new Black Brown 1826 collection in that “cafeteria” space, and I have to say it was one of the nicest events I’ve been to all season. We were greeted by a row of models swathed in the collection of rich, earthy classic menswear.

“Black…”

“…and Brown!”

Of course Black Brown 1826’s designer Joseph Abboud and Lord & Taylor executives and vendors were all present, as was the evening’s celebrity host, Jeremy Piven (always well-dressed in his role as HBO’s “Entourage” uber-agent, Ari Gold). All-in-all, a very stylish welcome for a collection that raises the bar on “private label.”

Jeremy Piven with Richard and Lisa Baker.

Joseph Abboud and Lord & Taylor’s Tom Eckrich.

Mary Beth Sheridan, L&T, Bud Blank of J.S. Blank and Alyssa Drago, also of J.S. Blank.

Richard Gualtieri, L&T, and Karen Alberg Grossman, MR.