Paris Vogue's Carine Roitfeld, in Marc Jacobs. Joy Bryant, in Ralph Lauren

When it comes to its fundraising campaigns, amfAR, the nonprofit AIDS research foundation, means business. Thursday night's Cipriani gala, attended by the likes of Ashley Olsen, Natalia Vodianova, Lauren Bush, and David Lauren, generated $900,000 for the cause—$102,000 from the live auction alone, which featured a trip to Art Basel Miami and a walk-on part in the next Terminator movie. "Come on," cajoled Jamie Niven. "This is your chance to get terminated!" Later, easy-listening patron saint Barry Manilow took the stage to belt out a few of his hits, some of them a cappella. Erin Wasson used the opportunity to sneak outside for a smoke break, but Becca Cason Thrash sat riveted in her seat. "Who can sing like that without backup?" gushed the Houston socialite. "No one. Not even Streisand."

Rachel Zoe

After presenting Paris Vogue's Carine Roitfeld with an award for her amfAR contributions, Marc Jacobs, whose hair is blue again, headed down to the Tribeca Grand, where the Cinema Society and W magazine were hosting a screening of the Sundance Channel documentary Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton. "Some designers can make you look beautiful," said Anne Hathaway, one of the celebs in a crowd that included Heidi Klum, Joy Bryant, Maggie Rizer, and Josh Hartnett. "But Marc makes you feel it, too, in a way you wouldn't expect."

Loïc Prigent and Marc Jacobs, at the Cinema Society and W magazine screening of the Sundance Channel's Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton.

Don't expect to see First Daughter Barbara Bush at too many shows this week—much to her disappointment. "I do love a fashion show," Bush, who's showed up at New York events in Chanel, Bill Blass, and Oscar de la Renta in recent months, said at Sari Gueron. "But I'm working during the day and I don't think my office would like it much if I kept popping out for fashion week." Her 9 to 5 didn't apply to Saturday, though, when she popped up in the front row at Sari Gueron and Ruffian. Her favorite looks from the shows: the tops and lace cardigans at Sari Gueron.

Shalom's Got Soul

Chris Benz, Kristen North, and Chaz Abarno.

Milan fashion week may be a few weeks away yet, but partygoers heeded Italy's siren call Friday night at Vogue Italia and Peroni's fête for 50 Years of Italian Style, a photo exhibit of fashion's bella gente on view in Chelsea through February 4. On hand to support hostess Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann was Shalom Harlow, still coming off her high from working the catwalk for Thursday's Earth Pledge FutureFashion show. Harlow not only looks like the definition of a fashion icon, she can apparently articulate it too: "A woman who knows her own self and isn't afraid to portray the good, the bad, and the ugly of who she is, and bare her soul to the camera as a witness."

Friends in High Places

Erin Fetherston at the Gramercy Park Hotel for her post-show party.

"There are so many good-looking girls here," said hairstylist Michael Angelo as he surveyed the crowd that had gathered on the rooftop of the Gramercy Park Hotel Friday night for fashion designer Erin Fetherston's after-show party. Indeed, the room was packed with PYTs like Olivia Palermo, Gossip Girl’s Taylor Momsen, and Mamie Gummer. Asked why she thinks all the cool girls in town love her feminine creations, Fetherston demurred, "I think it's the fact that I don't think I'm cool at all." Right. Up next for the designer? "Oh, I'm flying to L.A. on Sunday to shoot a short film for my collection. The last one starred Kirsten Dunst. This time, we're using Zooey Deschanel."


Burnin' Down the House

Vogue's Valerie Boster with Pearl Lee.

David Neville, co-designer with Marcus Wainwright of Rag & Bone, was ready for a cocktail at the label's after-show party, co-hosted by men.style.com, at the Box on Friday night. "For the last few weeks it's been blood, sweat, and tears," he said. "So I think I'm ready for a different fluid: beer." Neville and his makeup-artist wife, Gucci Westman, had the forethought to warn their babysitter that it might be a late night. And that it was. Even a brief evacuation when the fire alarm went off (apparently a candle in one of the bathrooms had burned too low) didn't put a damper on the evening's up-for-anything party spirit. Said Ally Hilfiger as the curtain went up for the X-rated cabaret show, "A real fire would have been the least weird thing to go down in this place."

Low Blow

Erin and Chris Wasson

"It's the perfect venue for me," Alexander Wang said during his smoky, sweaty, music-pumping after-show party on Saturday night at the Lower East Side club the Annex. "Sure, it's a little hot, but this could not be more fun. Besides, who doesn't want to bump against these hot bods?" Indeed, all three levels of the venue had dance floors a-bumping with the likes of Noot Seear, Byrdie Bell, Eleanor Ylvisaker, Margherita Missoni, and Nate Lowman. Erin Wasson, Alex's stylist-muse-neighbor-friend, played hostess in one of the more progressive comfort-couture looks we've seen lately: a tank top under an Alexander Wang bustier with baggy paint-splattered sweatpants and killer heels. "This is my version of high-low," she said. "But this is real low: This isn't fashion paint—this is from when I did the walls in my bathroom."

Volume Business

Christian Slater and Tamara Mellon, at the Halston after-show party.

Whoever deejayed the Halston post-show bash at Don Hill's treated partygoers to a decibel level usually reserved for ambulance sirens. We were eager to find out how designer Marco Zanini felt about his debut, but the doo-wop beats of "He's So Fine" drowned out any attempt at communication. Then one of Zanini's backers made herself heard above the din. "Marco was able to keep the Halston DNA and bring it back in a really modern way," said Tamara Mellon. Meanwhile, her actor beau, Christian Slater, surveyed the indestructible downtown nightclub. "I don't remember ever being here," the reformed bad boy said with his crooked grin. "But that doesn't mean I never came."

Joie de Vivre

In a bid to give the Joie aesthetic a shot of youth serum, the label recruited a quartet of PYTs— Julia Restoin-Roitfeld; her brother, Vladimir; his girlfriend, Lily Donaldson; and all of the above's mutual pal Theodora Richards—to host a little fashion week shindig at the Gramercy Park Hotel. Spotted in the thicket of models and cigarette smoke were Olivier Zahm, Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, Craig McDean, Anouck Lepère, Victoria Traina, and, of course, the Roitfeld kids' Givenchy-clad mom, Carine.

Double Date

Chloë Sevigny, at the launch party for the Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony collection.

Officially, Chloë Sevigny's bash at Webster Hall was in celebration of the actress' new line for Opening Ceremony. Unofficially, it was the Proenza Schouler after-show party. "I don't blame them for tagging on to Chloë's party," said Vanity Fair's Elizabeth Saltzman Walker of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. "She's supercool, and their ideal customer." So supercool, in fact, that with a little help from seminal all-girl punk band the Slits, she made this pre-millennium concert hall seem almost hip again.

With Vanity Fair's annual Oscar bash a no-go this year, Hollywood's A-list has to get its glamour elsewhere. Enter Madonna. On Wednesday night in New York, Gucci and the queen of pop commandeered the North Lawn of the United Nations for a blockbuster fundraiser (a year in the making) to benefit UNICEF and Raising Malawi. At her Madgesty's request, the better part of Tinseltown showed up—Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Gywneth Paltrow, Orlando Bloom, and Drew Barrymore, to name just a few. "When Madonna asks you to do something, you do it. Full stop," Matthew Williamson said.

Katie Holmes, in an Alexander McQueen dress and Roger Vivier shoes, with Tom Cruise.

In her opening remarks, the pop star insisted, "I've never been so nervous in my whole life." She quickly got over that, though. With daughter Lourdes in tow, she worked the star-studded room, at one point joining good friend Paltrow near the front of the stage for an impromptu dance party. Cruise, meanwhile, took the opportunity to engage in a seemingly cozy tête-à-tête with former sparring partner Brooke Shields. Not one for such civilized chitchat, Purple magazine's cigar-chomping Olivier Zahm spent a portion of the evening on the floor, snapping pictures of people's footwear. No word as to whether the photos were for his magazine or a, um, personal project.

Rihanna, in Gucci

Dinner was followed by a live auction emceed by Chris Rock and performances by Rihanna, Timbaland, and Alicia Keys. "That song was perfect," Kate Hudson gushed to Keys as she left the stage, adding, "I wouldn't have changed a single thing about this night." After tallying up the evening's earnings ($5.1 million, all for charity), the party's hosts would no doubt agree.

Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, both in Gucci.

liv, kate, and co. toast calvin klein's francisco costa

Francisco Costa with Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson, both in Calvin Klein, at the designer's post-show dinner.

A succession of big-screen beauties, including Julianne Moore and Kate Hudson, filed into the Waverly Inn on Thursday night for the ever popular Calvin Klein post-show dinner. But the bread baskets were already on the tables by the time the evening's hostess, Liv Tyler, arrived. "I had to put my son to bed," she explained. "We had a nice quiet dinner and took a bubble bath together." Tyler wasn't the only mom in the room with the "kids before cocktails" ethos. "My son is feeling a little sick," said Hudson. "So I might have to duck out of here soon." Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa, on the other hand, was having way too much fun to call it an early night. The designer nicked desserts off friends' plates, playfully bit a fashion director on the back, and competed in a walk-off with model Irina Lazareanu—after the two had switched shoes. "It was a great show, and I'm here with great people," he said. "I couldn't be happier."


Laura Brown of Harper's Bazaar with Calvin Klein's Malcolm Carfrae.

Charitable action
(auction) red and fendi make an art of giving back



Bono with Vogue's Anna Wintour, at the (Auction) RED cocktail party.


The Gagosian Gallery in West Chelsea capped off its (Auction) RED exhibition Wednesday night with a cocktail party hosted by Larry Gagosian, Vogue's Anna Wintour, and Sotheby's Lisa Dennison. With art by Takashi Murakami, Jeff Koons, and Richard Prince among the works wrangled by the event's organizer, Damien Hirst, there was no shortage of A-listers— Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Stipe, and Charlie Rose, included—angling for one last look. (All 83 lots were scheduled to hit the block at Sotheby's on Thursday, with proceeds going to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.) How did the bad-boy artist come to spearhead one of the year's most anticipated charity events? "Well, I went down to the South of France to hang out with Bono and we'd had a lot to drink, and I guess it was about five in the morning when Bono suggested I go ahead and make this thing happen," Hirst explained. "Suggest" may be the wrong verb. Hirst vaguely remembered being threatened with a punch in the face if he shirked his philanthropic duties.

Jon Bon Jovi and Bono.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Fendi celebrated the redesign of its Rodeo Drive flagship with a "Ten Baguettes for Ten Years" silent auction benefiting LACMA's Arts for NexGen. Lindsay Lohan, Rose McGowan, and Kelly Lynch were among the VIPs perusing bags custom-designed by artists such as Rachel Feinstein Currin, Terence Koh, and Jorge Pardo. Mandy Moore arrived sporting a demure black and aqua version, but given the chance to design her own baguette, the actress said she'd opt for something with a little more va-va-voom. "If you're gonna go there, you have to go there," she explained. "So I would do a leopard print

Rose McGowan, in Fendi.

Bloom town
a hollywood screening of prada's trembled blossoms


Minnie Driver.



Jessica Capshaw and Rashida Jones.

Prada fans including Rosario Dawson, China Chow, Brooke Shields, Liz Goldwyn, Rashida Jones, Taye Diggs, and Ginnifer Goodwin turned up at the label's North Rodeo Drive epicenter in Beverly Hills on Wednesday night to catch the West Coast premiere of Trembled Blossoms—the animated short commissioned by Miuccia Prada. "Miuccia is just a genius," said Shiva Rose of the forward-thinking designer, who didn't make the trip from Milan. "She's always ahead of the curve and making things modern."

Juliette Lewis.

Indeed, Prada replaced CocoRosie, who sang at the movie's New York screening, with DJ Frederic Sanchez. As he spun Goldfrapp and Bloc Party, guests sipped on fruity vodka cocktails. Everyone, that is, except Minnie Driver, who, having recently confirmed her pregnancy, stuck to water. "At least you never have a hangover," she said, flaunting her new curves in a black Prada frock. Nearby, Nicole Richie, who gave birth to daughter Harlow in January, looked as tiny as ever. How did she bounce back so quickly? "Breastfeeding!" she exclaimed.

— Victoria Namkung

Private Ryan
A cinema society screening of phillippe's new war drama

Ryan Phillippe at the Cinema Society screening of Stop-Loss, sponsored by GQ at the IFC Center and the Gramercy Park Hotel.

Socialites aren't a common sight on that swath of lower Sixth Avenue that's occupied by tattoo parlors, sex shops, and fast-food joints. But on Thursday night, that's exactly where well-heeled cinephiles like Irina Pantaeva, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Tatum O'Neal could be found. The occasion? A Cinema Society screening at the IFC Center of the new military drama Stop-Loss, which stars Ryan Phillippe as an Iraq war hero ordered back to duty against his will. The soft-spoken actor arrived in a Dolce & Gabbana suit—a natty counterpoint to the army fatigues he dons for most of the movie. "It's transformative," he said of the months he spent filming in uniform. "The outfit and the gear are designed to make you look and feel imposing, like a killing machine." Following the screening, guests made their way to more familiar terrain, the Gramercy Park Hotel rooftop, for cocktails and a dinner buffet courtesy of GQ.
Beth Ostrosky and Howard Stern.May Andersen, in Preen.


—Evelyn Crowley

Julia, George and Katie head international stars on New York's big night

Aside from the Oscars no other showbiz gathering draws big name guests quite like New York's glittering Costume Institute gala. Rock icons, the movie elite and fashion gods and goddesses all step into the limelight for the annual Metropolitan Museum event.

This year the ball, which is a barometer of all that's happening on the celebrity scene, was celebrating the museum's latest exhibition, 'Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy'.

And the evening's hero was undoubtedly Giorgio Armani, the co-chair and the designer behind much of the VIP guests' splendid attire.



The Italian maestro shared a laughter-filled conversation with fellow organisers, screen heart-throb George Clooney and Julia Roberts, who dazzled in a platinum Armani Prive lame sheath. "It takes extra powers to stay up this late," joked the mother of three, flashing her famous megawatt smile.

Also stepping out in Armani were the Beckhams, who reinforced their Hollywood status by sharing the red carpet with Tinseltown pals the Cruises and Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria.

Posh spiced up the proceedings in an unusual vintage, beaded coat dress in cream lace, while her pal Katie Holmes was just as eye-catching in an orange affair accessorised with bright blue pumps.


Scarlett Johansson

Another big name getting the flashbulbs going was newly engaged Scarlett Johansson, who happily showed off her diamond sparkler - though Canadian actor fiancé Ryan Reynolds wasn't in attendance.

Fashion was represented by supermodels Iman - with husband David Bowie - and Kate Moss, who attended with her designer buddy Stella McCartney. Meanwhile, Jimmy Choo boss Tamara Mellon was escorted by handsome boyfriend Christian Slater.


Tamara Mellon