Models and Celebs Take to the Catwalk for UK Food Relief

Naomi Campbell is planning to give fashion-faithfuls some bang for their buck when she presents Fashion for Relief, a benefit fashion show to be held in London later this week.

Clothing from world renowned fashion houses, including Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana will be paraded by celebrities and legendary models alike, including Elle Macpherson, Leah Wood, Daphne Guinness, David Furnish, Jodie Kidd, Lily Cole, Elizabeth Jagger, Yasmin Le Bon, Rosario Dawson and others.

And with tickets available to the public at prices ranging from 100 pounds to 750 pounds (for front row VVIP tickets), attendees can be sure their money is supporting more than just their passion for fashion. One hundred per cent of the proceeds from the show will go towards the Rotary Flood Disaster Appeal, which assists communities in the affected flood districts of the UK where flood damage is currently estimated at 3 billion pounds.

As if that weren’t reason enough to secure your seat at this fashion extravaganza, VVIP ticket holders will also walk away with goodie bags featuring such covetable items as a Garrard pendant, a Mulberry wallet and a Missoni and Naomi Campbell fragrance.

The show will take place at the Natural History Museum in London on September 20, at the end of London Fashion Week. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or by calling +44 08702434455.

— Laura Jakobovits

de Grisogono's Cannes Party

Fawaz Gruosi and Eva Mendes

Where were all the fabulous people who descended on Cannes for the 60th Annual Film Festival Tuesday night? Not in town as you might have expected. The select group of entertainment, business and social figures spent the evening at de Grisogono’s renowned, star-studded Cannes party at Hôtel du Cap, Eden Roc, in Cap d’Antibes.

With three reasons for this year’s bash – de Grisogono’s line of ‘Haute Joaillerie’, Kimora Lee Simmons’ couture collection and, of course, the film festival itself – the party was three times as lavish. The evening’s surprises included an after-dinner fireworks display and a rendition of Happy Birthday for Naomi Campbell, who wore a sheer black dress by Azzedine Alaïa.

Gemma Ward, Carlos Lopez and Mischa Barton	Petra Nemcova	Giorgio Veroni & Tamara Beckwith

Naomi Campbell and Fawaz Gruosi

Rumored couple Kimora Lee Simmons and Blood Diamond star Djimon Hounsou kept photographers busy all evening, while on the outdoor deck, Simmons’ models, dripping in de Grisogono jewels, paraded her new KLS line. Notable guests of the charming host and ASW member Fawaz Gruosi included Mischa Barton, Quincy Jones, Petra Nemcova, Eva Mendes (in Versace) and Kerry Washington (in Doo.Ri).

Other ASW members present included Marcus Schenkenberg, Tamara Beckwith, Giorgio Veroni, Ulf Ekberg, Nicolas Rachline and Erik and Louise Wachtmeister. “Many of the guests were ASW members and it really felt like an intimate gathering despite the grand setting,” said Erik Wachtmeister. “Extraordinary crowd, organization and atmosphere!”

A performance from Kelly Rowland had Beyoncé and Jay-Z on the dance floor and Kid Rock’s DJ set kept the party going ‘til morning. Many, including Erik Wachtmeister, dubbed the de Grisogono party the party of this year’s festival. And with many big parties still to follow before the festival ends on Sunday (May 27), the bar has certainly been set high.

— Laura Jakobovits

'King of Fashion' Poiret Reigns at NY's Met Ball

Naomi Campbell

New York’s social set never wants for an excuse to get dressed up. But of all the city’s spring balls and parties, there is no event more decadent or debonair than the Costume Institute Ball, which is the event of the social season. This year’s ball, held on Monday, May 7 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, provided an additional opportunity for a bit of fancy-dress since the evening celebrated the flamboyant exoticism of the early 1900s French couturier Paul Poiret, who is the subject of a special summer exhibition at the Met.

At the Costume Institute Ball, Poiret’s spirit was alive and well in dresses chosen by guests from the worlds of fashion, entertainment and media. Miuccia Prada paid homage to Poiret’s feather fetish by wearing a skirt she designed using plastic orange feathers. Vogue’s American editor-at-large, Hamish Bowles wore a custom-made absinthe-colored Tom Ford robe, which would not have looked out of place at the fabulous Oriental-themed parties that Poiret used to throw in his time.

Poiret’s great contributions to fashion included the suspender belt, his free-flowing pantaloons and dresses and the brassiere, which liberated women from the constraints of corsets. He famously said, “Yes, I freed the bust, but I shackled the legs.”

Among the ASW members who received highly-prized invites to the ball were Naomi Campbell, who wore a short black Azzedine Alaïa dress adorned with black feathers and Lauren Davis, who shone in a strapless lemon gown by Nina Ricci. Julia Restoin-Roitfeld (in Phi), Fabiola Beracasa (in Givenchy Couture) and Olivia Chantecaille (in Valentino Couture) were also amongst the lucky members present. Chantecaille said of the evening, “The party was incredibly glamorous; everywhere you looked there was something and someone more beautiful than the next. The Met Ball is like the Oscars of New York.”

Lauren Davis	Kate Bosworth	Olivia Chantecaille

Anna Wintour, Cate Blanchett, and Nicolas Ghesquiere

Poiret’s penchant for brightly-hued colors received a nod from Rosario Dawson, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu who chose rich maroon gowns for the occasion. Others – including actress Elizabeth Banks – wore dresses that featured Poiret’s favorite motif, the rose. Dr. Lisa Airan and Vanity Fair’s Alexis Bryan sashayed up the Met’s grand entrance staircase in vintage pieces created by the man himself.

While several guests opted for Poiret-inspired headbands, there were few signs of another Poiret staple, the turban, which was most recently seen on the catwalk at Prada’s Spring/Summer 2007 show. “I don’t understand why more people are not wearing it,” said designer Rachel Roy, who left her turban at home for evening. “They are the best party pieces since they really get people talking.”

Even without the presence of turbaned guests, there was plenty to talk about during cocktail hour and dinner afterwards. The lavish deco, caged peacocks and Jennifer Hudson’s performance provided enough fodder to last the entire evening and perhaps, the days that followed as well.

The Poiret: King of Fashion exhibition is on at the Met from May 9, 2007–August 5, 2007

www.metmuseum.org