With the Standard and now the latest hotspot SL Lounge, it looks like the Meatpacking district is regaining much of its scenester cred. The former Lotus club has been fully revamped (complete with chic eatery Abe & Arthur's upstairs)and last Thursday, played host to Interview Magazine's annual Masquerade Ball.

But first, a pre-party was to be had. Hostess Fabiola Bercasa, dressed in a full length black and red gown that she deemed "Russian princess by way of Tim Burton," welcomed Sophia Lamar, Genevieve Jones, Eugene Remm, Scott Buccheit, and Interview's Susan Kilkenny to Milk Studios(450 W 15th St NYC 10011 (212) 645-2797) for the proper preparation. The VIPs glammed up for the main event with the help of MAC makeup artists and Alex and Ani jewelry, whilst sipping specialty concoctions created exclusively for the event by Stoli.

Once sufficiently adorned for a night on the town, guests proceeded one block south to ...

October has been a busy month for designer Naeem Khan. He spent the first two weeks in India, designing a wedding dress for the December San Francisco nuptials of Google Vice President Marissa Mayer. His return stateside has found him no less busy. On October 13th, he played host to a bevy of his favorite women to kickoff the Alzheimer's Association Rita Hayworth Gala at his new boutique in Saks Fifth Avenue.

Muffie Potter Aston, Andrea Stark, Hilary and Bryant Gumbel, Somers Farkas, Gala Chair Alexandra Lebenthal, and Gala founder Yasmin Aga Khan were among the ladies who toasted the designer and the charity. "I love these women," gushed Khan, who has been involved with the Gala for over 5 years and counts Aga Khan as one of his "best friends." The event, themed "So Near & Yet So Far," will take place this Tuesday in the Waldorf=Astoria Grand Ballroom.

As ...

James Dyson, vacuum aficionado for the last thirty-odd years, has shifted his focus from the wonderful world of vacuums to the exciting world of fans.  For your cooling enjoyment, the engineers at Dyson have created the sleek and innovative Dyson Air Multiplier™ fan. The bladeless fan transforms the experience of sitting in front of a fan, usually burdened by turbulent air buffeting, into a serene and relaxing alternative.

James Dyson

James Dyson, Nasir Kassamali

Vanity Fair and T-mobile celebrated the launch of “Vanity Fair’s” Proust Questionnaire: 101Luminaries Ponder Love, Death, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life. The reception, held at Clic Bookstore & Gallery featured the book’s illustrator and “Vanity Fair” contributing artist, Robert Risko.

Robert Risko

Flavia Masson, Robert Risko, Christiane Celle, Antoine Verglas

The Casita Maria Center for the Arts and Education hosted Fiesta 2009. The black tie dinner/dance at the Mandarin Hotel honored Adrienne Arsht, Lorenza Dipp de Torres-Lample and Nancy Gonzalez for their continued involvement in the organization and their dedication to strengthening Hispanic communities in New York.

Nancy Gonzalez, Jacqueline Weld Drake
Lorenza Dipp de Torres Lample, Adrienne Arsht

Lorenza Dipp de Torres Lample, Nancy Gonzalez, Adrienne Arsht

Movies were the most popular form of escapism during the Great Depression. So, it was only appropriate in these oft-discussed challenging economic times, that three of our most celebrated interior designers have found inspiration in the world of cinema.

Last Tuesday, Gilt Groupe partnered with the Hearst Corporation to host the third annual Designer Visions program at the brand new Soho Mews townhouses. Hundreds of guests, the likes of Jonathan Adler, Sela Ward, Pamela Fiori, Lloyd Boston, Douglas Hannant, Frederick Anderson, and Christian Leone, held court in the central garden whilst perusing and admiring each of the three cinema-inspired townhouses.

They were all quite different, really. Thom Filicia collaborated with House Beautiful to create a modern, warm, and, ultimately, inviting home that was inspired by the 80s classic "The Big Chill." The closet was filled with Gilt clothing and accessories and, as in all of the townhouse models, a large flatscreen projected ...

Rodolfo Valentin, Founder of Sophia’s Hair for Health Foundation, welcomed guests to the annual Pink Ribbon Fundraising Event at Rodolfo Valentin Salon and Spa.

Rodolfo Valentin

MiJa, Valerie Bauer, Maria Aronova, Rodolfo Valentin, Franka Cappella, Serene Aabahl, Katy Scrinavko

Valerie Bauer, Rodolfo Valentin, Serene Aanbahl, MiJa

PLUS: “Quest” Toasts "The Trump Card"

"I went through 98 years of L.L. Bean history, archives, and catalogues and cherry-picked references that were relevant for today's girl and today's guy," said Bean Signature Creative Director Alex Carleton at the preview party for his Spring '10 collection last Tuesday.

The Cape Cod and Boston native, who has lived in Maine for the past 11 years, "grew up wearing L.L. Bean and it is a brand that is close to my heart and has always been part of my vocabulary." It is only natural, then, that the Rogues Gallery founder was chosen to oversee creative direction on the iconic brand's new Signature Collection. At 98 years, L.L. Bean is on the eve of its centennial. Nonetheless, Carleton "did not want this to be a vintage brand. I needed [the collection] to work for today."

To that end, there are plenty of great new classics, ...

The fusion of art and fashion is always a HOT one and last night Moschino & Vogue previewed their Spring 2010 collection in conjunction with the Whitney Young Contemporaries.

The event meant a mixed crowd of art denizens, fashion aficionados and, of course, “Vogue” girls.  Hosted by Allison Aston, Maggie Betts, Coco Brandolini, Melissa Gellman Weiss, Adam Lippes, and Hanley Newton. attendees enjoyed a little art world folly, with the help of white wine and glimpses of Moschino., before the upcoming Whitney Fall Gala.

Executive Board Member Melissa Weiss was enthusiastic about it all:  "We're really all excited to be here. It’s an amazing affiliation for the Whitney and it's a natural partnership for the Whitney and Moschino because there is an emphasis on supporting young artists. We're all just really excited, of course, to meet the artists."

Artist Ryan Humphrey's large colorful installation graces the Moschino Boutique for the month of October; a perfect ...

I thought the Teen Vogue Handbook launch party at Rose Bar would sadly be missing its target audience - primarily young teenage girls. It was a Tuesday-night party at a bar, after all. But there they were, teens and tweens, sucking down glasses of soda and flipping through the stacks of handbooks that the publisher had so graciously donated. The budding fashionistas were all decked out in their best outfits in hopes of impressing the equally well-dressed Teen Vogue staff, especially Amy Astley, the founding editor in chief of Teen Vogue.

Read More at Sundance Channel…

"The only thing I am wearing tonight that is manufactured in the USA is my underwear," declared "Schmatta" producer Sheila Nevins to an audience of fashion designers and insiders, including Anna Sui, Nanette Lepore, and Mickey Boardman. Bold a statement though that may be, it set the tone perfectly for Emmy Award winner Marc Levin's documentary, that premieres Monday, October 19th at 9pm. The eye-opening documentary depicts a bygone era (perfectly captured by George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"), where the garment industry was not only the largest single employer in New York City, but also provided an opportunity for immigrants (mostly of Jewish and Italian descent) to hone their craft and create their own middle class. To quote former CFDA president Stan Herman, "the garment district was a community and felt like a small town" and the Garment Unions helped foster this feeling of camaraderie.

However, with each succeeding decade, cheaper ...