Andy Cohen (Getty Images)

El Museo del Barrio is New York’s leading Latino museum and cultural institution. Its yearly gala is a who’s who of Spanish-speaking society figures, thanks to gala chairs like Valentin Hernández, Fe Fendi, Marie Unanue and Valentino D. Carlotti. This year’s black-tie 20th-anniversary bash honors Raúl Esparza, the Cuban-American stage actor, singer and Broadway star, with the Excellence in the Arts Award. Dinner music is by the staid Bob Hardwick Sound, and then DJ Honey Redmond pumps up the volume so guests can cha cha cha.

Bravo’s funnyman Andy Cohen and fashion plate Allison Sarofim, along with the Hetrick-Martin Institute, present the Hero Fund, a scholarship founded by Hunter Hill in honor of the late author and filmmaker Perry Moore (who wrote the book Hero). The host committee includes many of Mr. Moore’s friends, like Paper’s Mickey Boardman and Kim Hastreiter, Maura Egan, Julianne Moore, Oberon Sinclair and Mary Alice Stephenson. There will also be a special performance by Angela McClusky.

El Museo del Barrio gala, Cipriani 42nd Street, 110 East 42nd Street, (212) 557-5088, cocktails 7pm, dinner 8pm, tickets from $1,250. Hero Fund fund-raiser, 60 Thompson Hotel, 60 Thompson Street, (212) 431-0400, 8-10pm, $100.

Ms. Sarofim, who relocated to New York seven years ago from Houston, is the daughter of Egyptian-born financier Fayez Sarofim, known on Wall Street as “the Sphinx.” Having worked as a restaurateur, an actress and a writer, Ms. Sarofim is probably best known for the parties she orchestrates each year the weekend before Halloween at her West Village townhouse. 

 Ascending the stairs about an hour into her party--a professional makeup artist was on the clock upstairs--Ms. Sarofim was dressed in a skintight gray catsuit that stretched from her ankles to her neck. There was body armor around the shoulders and chest, green streaks in her hair and an elaborate laser gun in her left hand.

 “I am DNA, a Japanese comic-book hero!” Ms. Sarofim told the Transom. “I was recently in Russia and met [Takashi] Murakami at an art opening that Larry Gagosian threw, and I also lived in Japan at one point and fell in love with Japanese pop culture. So I guess the combination of those two things really inspired the theme tonight.” (A Ronald McDonald character passed out Happy Meals to guests, which Ms. Sarofim explained she consumed a lot of while residing in Japan.)

Marie Claire fashion director and Project Runway judge Nina Garcia was fluttering about as a naughty Japanese schoolgirl, with tall (yet tasteful) hooker boots, a pleated gray minidress and heavy eye makeup.

 “Oh, this was just the easiest thing because I had no time to think about it; it took me like five minutes to get ready,” said Ms. Garcia. “I got it at Ricky's, which was absolutely packed today.”

Other party guests arrived eager to impress Ms. Sarofim with their creativity. Mustachioed photographer Douglas Friedman wore nothing but a dark green cylinder around his waist filled with packing peanuts and plastic veggies; he was dressed as a California roll. There were Sailor Moons and Speed Racers and a gentleman in a white jumpsuit covered in light bulbs that lit up every room as he entered it.

 “This is some strange Japanese fetish thing that I actually got mailed to me from Japan,” said designer Chris Benz, showing off what was essentially a fuchsia body stocking. Mr. Benz wore a matching pink vest and shorts from his spring collection over the bodysuit, and platform boots purchased online.

We wondered whether Mr. Benz's elaborate costume made it difficult for him to use the restroom.

 “I basically would have to take the whole thing off,” he replied, showing off the zipper that ran along his back. “But you can actually breathe and see through it and it's not hot at all.”

It wasn't until it began to rain outdoors and the ceiling of the back room began to leak, prompting the hired help to lay down towels and buckets, that the Transom realized that the room was in fact a backyard converted into an indoor space with a tent not unlike those used at Fashion Week. “Isn't it amazing? The way she turns the whole backyard into this big party space with smooth floors, you'd never know it was actually her garden!” said socialite Marjorie Gubelmann, who was dressed as a geisha.

The Transom wondered if other guests would have the budgets to match the hostess' costume. “My parties have never been about how much money it costs or how much people spend on their costumes. It's about how clever the costumes are,” Ms. Sarofim said.

Interior decorator Miles Redd, who is a five-year veteran of her parties (and decorated her father's home), admitted that he kept things modest this year.

“Japanime, baby!” exclaimed Mr. Redd showing off his outfit of a colorful skirt, a leopard-printed fur overcoat and a bandana tied across his forehead, samurai-style. “To tell you the truth, I just invaded my sister's closet and didn't spend a penny. It's all a product of my imagination. Hey, we're in a recession, after all!”

Author and former Interview magazine editor Bob Colacello opted for jeans and a Murakami T-shirt, but insisted his casual garb had more to do with being on deadline at Vanity Fair than belt-tightening. And in any case, “People started with the costumes way before the Depression!” he said.

ialeksander@observer.com

Ms. Sarofim, who grew up in Houston, moved to New York seven years ago. Her father is the famous Egyptian-born financier, Fayez Sarofim, a.k.a. “the Sphinx.” Her mother, Louisa, sits on the board at the Menil Collection (art). Ms. Sarofim has acted, attended culinary school and worked at Le Bernardin. In recent years, she’s become known for her Halloween parties, which last year included a troupe of dancing midgets.

On Friday, April 25, her first produced film, Lake City, premiered at the Tribeca PAC theater. Ms. Sarofim also has a cameo playing the role of a hardscrabble hooker who gets beat up by the film’s drug-dealing villain played by … Dave Matthews!

After the screening, Ms. Sarofim hosted a bash at her West Village townhouse, of course. Among her guests: hotelier André Balazs, art dealer Larry Gagosian, director Brett Ratner, actress Marisa Tomei, designer Cynthia Rowley, Vogue editor Hamish Bowles, musician Bryan Ferry and pricelessly named Princess Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis.

“Typically, I host private parties, and this had a different business element to it,” Ms. Sarofim told the Transom later on the phone. “But I can honestly say I was very comfortable. I think people from all those different worlds really liked socializing together.”

Ms. Sarofim took it as a good sign that the film’s stars, Sissy Spacek and Troy Garity, stayed till 2:30 a.m. “Larry Gagosian was so excited to meet Sissy Spacek because he’s a big fan,” she said.

She and the film’s writer-director team Hunter Hill and Perry Moore have started a production company, Sixty-Six, with three more projects in the pipeline.

But all you ghouls out there lucky enough to be in Ms. Sarofim’s Rolodex can breathe easy: Her legendary Halloween bashes will go on! “Those are productions,” she said. “And I really feel that this is a continuation of that.”

For your Halloween pleasure, we offer socialites in ridiculous outfits, via Park Avenue Peerage. Allison Sarofim’s famed annual Halloween party last weekend brought droves of familiar names to her West Village townhouse. The hostess, who strutted her stuff around her velvet-draped first-floor in a peacock costume, was joined by guests like Fabiola Beracasa (dressed as autumn), Alexis Bryan (a bumblebee) and Jennifer Creel (an angel). Apparently not one to pinch pennies when it comes to entertaining, Ms. Sarofim had actress Ayesha Adamo welcome guests dressed as an elaborate, crystal-laden chandelier.

Pictures of a few of the costumed partygoers can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

Samhain [Park Ave. Peerage]

“It’s not like people care about decorating or they care about fashion,” editor-in-chief Deborah Needleman said, explaining the theme. “People care about the whole thing if they care about it,” she said, lowering her voice to add: “And it seemed like it would be a good idea for the advertisers.”

A tent had been erected in the garden above a black reflecting pool full of floating candles. “It’s a hazard!” Ms. Sarofim told the Transom. Speaking of which, her large black canine, Baboo, was loafing in the entry-way, tripping unsuspecting women in stilettos.

Guests included erstwhile Observer columnist Candace Bushnell, tucking herself into a corner in the garden to smoke with friends; actress Amanda Peet, giggly and girlish in a short black dress; and actor Aaron Eckhart, looking cozy with his lanky ladyfriend, Ashley Wick.

Rashida Jones of NBC's The Office told us that Domino will feature her New York apartment in their February issue. “It always looks like life is perfect and cute in these magazines,” she said. “But now being a subject and a reader, let me tell you, my life will look perfect and cute, but it’s not!” Of Fashion Week, she said: “It’s not my bag, necessarily.” But the Transom had spotted her earlier at Charlotte Ronson! “Charlotte’s a good friend of mine,” Ms. Jones said. “I’ll do like a day of it, or a day and a half…” Then she told us about her upcoming sitcom, Rules for Starting Over: “I love any pilot that can have somebody get raped in the ass by a monkey in the first five minutes,” she said. Well, O.K., then!