Random Fashion Cafe Was Planet Hollywood For The Modeling World (14 items)

• 

  (#12) Tommaso Buti Wasn't As Well-Off As He Pretended

  Individuals who knew Tommaso Buti before his Fashion Cafe days indicated he "didn't have two pennies to rub together" when he arrived in the United States. And his family life was not as affluent as he wanted others to believe. Buti himself claimed he had $8,000 when he got to the states.

  Buti was reportedly the youngest son of working-class parents - his mother owned a clothing store, and his father made bottle caps - and a poor student who described himself, according to New York magazine and Vogue Italia, as both "a two-plus-two kind of guy" and a "playboy-King Midas." 
• 

  (#7) Fashion Cafe Sold More T-Shirts Than Anything Else

  The Fashion Cafe made most of its money on, well, fashion. According to reports, the cafe sold almost 30,000 t-shirts within the first four months of opening in New York City. Shirts cost $16 and hats were $18, but there were higher end items as well.

  A varsity jacket sold for $225 and a motorcycle jacket was too much for reviewer Phil Rosenthal to mention when he wrote about the business in 1995. Even today, a vintage Fashion Cafe jacket will cost you around $100. 
• 

  (#6) The Dining Room Featured A Catwalk And Fashion Behind Glass

  Fashion items of all kinds added to the ambiance and surrounded diners. A catwalk wound down the middle of the dining room, and images from fashion magazines hung on the walls. Designer Bob Mackie donated clothing to go on display, and Victoria's Secret underwear worn by former models was placed behind glass for the world to see. 

  The restaurant also featured famous garments worn by performers like Jodie Foster and Madonna. The former's pantsuit from Silence of the Lambs wasn't too far away from the latter's Jean-Paul Gaultier bustier worn during her 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour.

  Despite the high fashion featured at the restaurant, servers wore modest black shirts and vests. 
• 

  (#11) Infighting Among The Models Didn't Make Things Any Easier

  In addition to financial woes, the Fashion Cafe also had to contend with issues involving the models themselves. Christy Turlington was initially resistant to join the venture. After being convinced by Claudia Schiffer, Elle Macpherson, and Naomi Campbell, however, she agreed to participate in mid-1995. She didn't make nearly as many appearances as her colleagues, perhaps because she saw it as a "tacky theme restaurant for tourists," according to New York magazine, and pulled out of the project in 1997.

  When Schiffer bowed out of the cafe, she said it was due to "old problems" with Naomi Campbell, according to Brand Failures: The Truth about the 100 Biggest Branding Mistakes of All Time. The Independent quoted her as saying, "instead of promoting our cafes, Naomi only thinks about collecting lovers." 
• 

  (#10) The Models Probably Never Put Their Own Money Into The Venture

  Tommaso Buti described Claudia Schiffer, Elle Macpherson, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington as "part owners" in the Fashion Cafe, but they were often simply considered the faces of the brand. While it may have started as a spokesperson relationship, it's unclear if the women ever invested their own money into the restaurant.

  When the London location went bankrupt in 1998, accountant John Alexander insisted the models were merely consultants and their appearance fees were never threatened. In 2000, however, Campbell and Macpherson accused Buti of pocketing $25 million. He supposedly asked them to invest further into the venture, but they declined.

  The lack of financial support from the models may have worked against the restaurant chain, especially after the public realized the women were being paid to appear. Regardless of the sources, the Buti brothers were said to have convinced investors to put about $30 million into Fashion Cafe. 
• 

  (#8) A London Branch Was Opened In 1996

  With the New York opening of the Fashion Cafe in 1995 a success, the Buti brothers sought to franchise. In London, they purchased the former Rialto theater in Leicester Square, across the street from a Planet Hollywood.

  New York and London were the primary locations for Fashion Cafes, but as many as seven additional restaurants opened up in cities like New Orleans, Jakarta, and Barcelona. The Butis planned to open even more international locations, but expenses quickly outweighed profits.

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking