Daily Style Phile: Doorman Extraordinaire, Matt Oliver

[Matt Oliver manning the door this weekend at Merkato 55. Photos by STEVEN EKEROVICH]

Things are getting so crazy at the Saturday Brunch at Merkato 55, that the Koch brothers have called in an expert to run the door.  Welcome Matt Oliver. Matt is perhaps best known for the days of Bed, when it was the toughest door elevator to gain access to in the city.  He has more recently, been at the entrance to Mansion.  Derek and Daniel admire Matt's low key, confident, assertive, and most of all, polite demeanor that he brings to a door.  Their 6 hour brunch can see as many as 1100 people pass through the front door.  Steven said down with Matt and had this to report:

More photos and story below....

Matt's Biggest Challenge in the Doorman Business :

Bed NY .. Hottest , busiest club in NY .  NY's toughest door with the largest collection of celebs and A list along with club regulars .  The "catch" .. Bed had the tiniest elevator possible and making it a long wait for everyone .. "The Elevator at Bed was the 'Great Equalizer' .. Celebs and A list had to wait the same as everyone else and protecting their egos was important but getting in quickly was impossible" .

Matt understands what getting into the Club of the Moment can mean to someone's ego .  Perhaps somebody has just proclaimed let's go to --- cause Matt Oliver is at the door and I know Matt .  Well maybe it's too crowded that day or the potential patron is just dressed wrong for the event and while Matt tries to please the customer he knows who he answers to and that's the promoters and owners of the club and their policies must always be protected .  So it's an ongoing challenge to turn someone away and not offend them but yet at times it must be done .

Matt is deeply involved with Charity Water .  A group that raise awareness and money for the distribution of potable water in Third World Nations .  Matt has traveled to Liberia , Ethiopia , and Bangladesh photographing and helping in water distribution .  Seeing Children and families wearing the only piece of clothes they have and only wanting a chance to have clean water helps Matt keep his attitude real to what he is doing and helps him stay calm as he let's people that it's not the end of the World if they don't get into the Club of their choice today and next time they'll probably get in anyway .. SBE