Big week for the fashion crowd!
On the eighth floor of Saks on Oct. 20, CFDA president Steven Kolb hosted a party for his organization’s American Fashion Cookbook, now in its second printing, though Mr. Kolb admitted: “If we were to do a recipe quiz with all the designers in the cookbook and asked them to make it, I don’t think they would pass.” And himself? “I’m good at opening a tub of hummus and a package of flatbread,”
Servers walked around with samplings of the food in the cookbook: Victor Costa’s Vidalia Onion Crustless Tart; Lilly Pulitzer’s Key Lime Mojito; Jeffrey Banks’ Eleanor Banks’ Meatloaf.
“That’s my recipe!” Ms. Banks, Mr. Banks’ mother, said, taking a big bite of the meatloaf.
“My favorite since I was a little kid,” Mr. Banks said proudly.
Diane von Furstenberg, host of the event, showed up later than the other designers. Her recipe for Saturday Night Chicken is included in the book. “I have it every Saturday night,” she told the Transom. It was hard to tell if she was kidding.
“Two minutes on each side and you’re done,” Elie Tahari said of his grilled lamb chop. “That’s the only thing I know how to do.” A server rushed over with a platter of Mr. Tahari’s lamb. He gave a cautious laugh and a thumbs-up, then waved his hands at the food.
“No thanks,” he said. “I ate at home.”
Two nights later, at Cipriani Wall Street, Barneys creative director and Observer columnist Simon Doonan emceed the Fashion Group International’s 26th annual Night of Stars, whose main drama was actress Eva Mendes’ bumping into a waiter, causing him to drop a tray of Champagne to the floor.
“It’s a fun night,” said designer and honoree Michael Kors, on his way to get a drink. “To have a fun night and get an award—that’s just the cherry on top.”
Actress Emmy Rossum—at the ceremony to support her friend Paula Wallace, who received the Sustainability Award—was waiting at the bar, wearing gold Donna Karan. “Fashion events are a lot of pomp and circumstance,” she said. “But this one has some substance.”
She received a Bellini. “Tell me that’s not frickin’ awesome!” she exclaimed, sipping it.
After a loooong cocktail hour, singer Gwen Stefani presented the Beauty Award to Catherine Walsh; R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe mumbled his way through a Corporate Leadership Award presentation to his friend Renzo Ross; and pop rocker Jon Bon Jovi presented the Humanitarian Award to shoe king Kenneth Cole.
