Friday Gucci opens its biggest store in the world in New York's Trump Tower. Thursday, at 5, the old shop which had been on the corner of 5th Avenue and 54th Street closed its doors forever. Mark Lee, the C.E.O. of Gucci was in town to host a fund raising party with Madonna at the United Nations, cut the ribbon on the new store and do interviews. Lots and lots of interviews. I hooked up with him at the store Thursday and traveled with him to the Waldorf Astoria so that he could appear live on Fox Business Channel's Happy Hour in the Bull and Bear bar.

Q: It's kind of crazy in here.
A: I don't know where they brought me. It's like a nightclub.

Q: So this is your first time on live TV?
A: Yes, next I am going to dance on Broadway for my next act.

Q: So you're throwing parties with Madonna, you have a chauffeur-driven SUV and an entourage dressed all in black and you're doing interviews in a bar. Do you think that luxury goods executives are the rock stars of the business world?
A: I am going to go back to my real life tomorrow at noon. I think I had better check and see what is going on in the rest of the company and the rest of the world. I need to know what is happening beyond this one store.

Q: What's the oddest question you've been asked all week?
A: What's my favorite color?

Q: And what did you say? What is your favorite color?
A: I dodged the answer.

Q: One of our commentors, Lo, said that this store was just a magnet for tourists and that to New Yorkers Trump means cheap. Do you think the strength of the Gucci brand name trumps Trump?
A: It was a big decision to move. It's a fantastic space. We owned the corner of 54th street, and we had been there 28 years. Our American business is growing faster than that in the rest of the world. We needed more space and the only way to go was up. And we were already five floors. Here we get 30 percent more selling space, all on 3 levels. Our first focus is always on the locals. We have a huge space for ready to wear and that gets a local customer, not a tourist customer. We are always focused on maintaining the highest level possible of local business because that's who you can count on through thick and thin.

Q: You're one of the few remaining Gucci executives who worked with Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole. Do you feel bad shuttering the store concept that Tom designed?
A: I I hadn't thought of it like that. I did a lot of study on the history of Gucci in New York since 1953. We've been on many different corners. In the 70s there were three Gucci stores, all with doors onto 5th Avenue. This is now our biggest store, but it is also part of the incredible heritage and relationship the brand has with the city.

Q: Another commentor, Adam, wants to know if you plan to expand e-commerce to more countries like Canada.
A:We've opened a lot in the last 20 months, we're now at 10 countries. In the last 20 months, we opened 8 European countries. We will continue to build it step by step. It will be a global business, but it's a question of priorities and time.

Q: Back to the party. You invited a lot of bloggers. But you didn't invite me. What gives?
A: You're here anyway! You got in your own way. We were doing a little experiment with the bloggers and they seem to be having a good time. Freida came up with this Gucci Loves New York thing, which I think is such a good idea. It's not serious, it's more tongue-in-cheek fun. Once she showed me the Gucci hearts NY bag, I said we can build more things on it. So we built a special website and invited the bloggers.

Q: Do you think they drive traffic to the stores?
A: I think it is building buzz. And they are the next generation, so we need to pay attention and get their attention, too.

Q: Adam also is worried about the Made In Italy scandal where illegal immigrants were found working in Italian sweatshops.
A: In August we achieved {An ethical certification} for leather and jewelry. We are in the process of getting it for shoes. Going through the process to get a 3rd party certification means that all suppliers and the sub-suppliers have also signed on. I think we've been a leader in the sector to have taken that position. We started it years ago.

Q: So what was in the goody bag at the party?
A: The Gucci hearts New York bag.

Q: Oh good. Then I can probably find one on eBay.
A: You probably can.

Photos by Brent Murray, who was wearing patch pocket coat by Maison Martin Margiela and cap-toe brogues by Gucci.