Like Helmut Lang (see item on facing page), Mr. Lagerfeld was a no-show at the event, which he was scheduled to host (“Sometimes he doesn’t even show up to his own shows,” whispered a publicist to the Transom), though he contributed a book of photographs, with an essay quoting philosopher Georg Hegel, to the exhibit.

Fashion consultant and socialte Kate Schelter had the good fortune to meet the enigmatic designer recently in Paris, through a client. “He’s exactly like the icon you expect to see,” she said, standing near a black Grecian urn. “His hair is like—he’s perfectly coiffed. I wouldn’t say windswept. I would say sculpted. Perfectly. He never stops and that’s totally inspiring. It’s very New York, like no time for anything. He’s just completely a public figure who’s creating, he’s like external, external, external.”

The Texan supermodel Erin Wasson, wearing a long white dress, short black fur coat and black leather gloves, was similarly eager to testify on Mr. Lagerfeld’s behalf. “His aesthetic is insane,” she said, intending this as high praise. “Everything is meticulous with him. He put it together really well. This is awesome!”

Also circulating among the bric-a-brac was the fashion designer Zaldy, who worked most recently on pop star Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. line. He has also styled the Scissor Sisters, whom he described as “crazy fun” and Britney Spears—just plain crazy, right? “Depending on how you look at it,” Zaldy said with a laugh. But his favorite client so far has been the legendary rock star Mick Jagger. “He’s amazing. You know, tea and cookies, picked out the fabric. I was sort of led into his hotel room, he was in the gym, and I was just sitting there and he walked in and just saw me and had no idea who I was, why I was there. And then we did his fitting, and I was like, ‘Wow, I’m on my knees, in this hotel room, fixing his crotch, I can’t believe this is happening to me.’”