"Welcome to Paris in New York," declared National Arts Club president Aldon James, as he addressed a chic crowd of young patrons who gathered at the fabled Gramercy landmark last Monday night.

L'occasion pour l'amour de la France?: A "Welcome Back to New York" cocktail fete for the Young Patrons Circle of the American Friends of the Louvre. Hosts Genevieve Bahrenberg, Eleanor Banco, David Chines, Genevieve Jones and Arden Wohl welcomed their friends and fellow French enthusiasts to the club's second floor salon for a mini-reunion, some classic cocktails and conversation.

While I have always adored the NAC, as well as the Gramercy neighborhood for its Edith Wharton-esque environs, it turns out that the club has some pretty strong ties to France, as well. "A number of our board members are Parisian," James offers. In fact, he continues, it was here where Jackie Onassis was awarded the French Legion of Honor back ... Read More

Photo retrospectives were seemingly the order of the week, as Thursday evening saw the celebration of yet another photographic book, Fashion Etcetera, the first joint publishing project from photographer Sam Haskins and his longtime friend, designer and fellow art enthusiast Tommy Hilfiger. Artists, models, actors and designers came en masse to Milk Studios to toast the photographer's body of work and to take in the exhibition of over a hundred of the artist's prints.

"I have been a fan of Sam's since the 70s," the disarmingly soft-spoken Hilfiger told me. Indeed, he referenced Haskins' work in both his spring and fall 2008 collections, using famous shots from the artist's 1962 book Five Girls as inspiration for his collections' underlying style. But it is this retrospective, which takes the reader through five decades of Haskins' photography, that Mr. Hilfiger hopes will finally cement Haskins' iconic status. "Until now, I do not think ... Read More

As any PR will tell you, a plus one is not good form for fashion shows given the chess-like precision of a seating chart. But designer Chadwick Bell graciously made room in his front row for modeling great Veronica Webb’s adorable little daughter when he debuted his Spring 2010 collection on September 11th. Between her mother’s genes and experiences like this, she is sure to be one fashion-savvy beauty when she grows up.

Chad’s circle of friends and fans hail from the worlds of both fashion and art, including Lydia Fenet of Christie’s, ArtNet’s Nazy Naland, art PR maven Bettina Prentice – all kitted out in Chadwick Bell, natch. Discriminating buyers, such as Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo and Vivre ‘s Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti looked on as dreamy looks, inspired by Miro’s studio on Majorca, drifted down the runway. The winners were a light-as-air ivory silk caftan that floated out like a summer ... Read More

PLUS… A Special Sneak Preview of Todd English's Picture Perfect Juliet

In the wake of the demise of home decor stalwarts like “Domino” and “House and Garden”, a celebration of the 20th anniversary of “Elle Décor” seemed appropriately timely. To that end, Editor-in-Chief Margaret Russell honored the magazine's milestone with the retrospective Style and Substance: The Best of “Elle Décor”. On September 22nd, over 600 fashion and interior design luminaries, the likes of Richard Mishaan, Catherine Malandrino, Antony Todd, Bronson Van Wyck, Andrew Fry, Lisa Jackson, Cynthia Rowley, Mario Buatta, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, and India Hicks, braved the UN gridlock in order to access Bergdorf Goodman's 3rd floor to toast the tome along with Russell and Bergdorf President/CEO Jim Gold. They sipped champagne and nibbled on pulled pork sliders while touring the gallery of framed prints that featured many of the timeless interiors that have graced the pages of ... Read More

While much of the fashion flock - those who deem The Tents "uptown" - closed out the week safely below 14th Street, the above 59th Street crowd held court at Doubles to toast “Quest's” annual "400 issue." To be sure, fashion devotees were well represented. Alexandra Lebenthal, in a black satin ChoCheng pantsuit, arrived directly from said designer's show, and a J. Mendel clad Elizabeth Meigher closed out her fashion week with the Ralph Lauren show. But the event, hosted by “Quest” editor Christopher Meigher and New York Social Diary's David Patrick Columbia, was a decidedly uptown affair. It was also a family one. "I can't get over how many parents are here with their children, it's pretty amazing," one guest enthused. Among the family members who played together were Anne and Elizabeth Pyne, Katherine and Jack Bryan, Marcia and Georgina Schaeffer, Allie and Nicole Hanley, and, ... Read More

Today marks the beginning of Fashion Week: the tents are open for business and this evening's much anticipated Fashion Night Out - with upwards of 700 stores participating in what has now become a global celebration of fashion - could prove daunting for even the most seasoned of party-goers. Yet that did not seem to deter the usual crop of celebrities, editors, buyers, and social fixtures from hitting the town yesterday evening - and indeed there was a lot to choose from.

I briefly stopped by the Soho House rooftop and pool deck - to which I should have brought a jacket - for the launch of Cindy Crawford's new home line, exclusive for JC Penney. Looking as gorgeous as ever in a curve hugging leopard print dress, Miss Crawford will be making a personal appearance tonight at Penney's Herald Square store, starting at 6pm. You can even have your photo ... Read More

"The most sexy thing you can do is help other people," declares Robin Baker Leacock in her new documentary “A Passion for Giving”. Guests at the Ross School special screening held Thursday night, which includied Donna Karan, Lady Lilliana Cavendish, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Debbie Bancroft, Jeff Slonim and his wife, Fiona Moore, may want to adopt that mantra, come Fall, when charities beckon, fashion fetes call, and no one seems to have enough time to do anything. "Sometimes it is easier to shut down in this city because we are so busy and we can't help everyone," the film’s editor, Jeff Oppenheim, told me at the cocktail pre-gathering. But rather than feel overwhelmed, Oppenheim suggests that one "finds a niche that speaks to you."

Mrs. Baker Leacock echoes this sentiment. "It's not about writing a check," she says emphatically. We chatted outside the School, savoring the last moments of summer (which, ... Read More