Funny Business
“My skinny jeans are at the cleaners,” said Mayor Bloomberg.
They say the best accessory is a smile, but try telling that to the poker-faced fashion players at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards in June. Not even industry jester Simon Doonan, who presented the International award to Dries Van Noten, could get a laugh. MC Fran Lebowitz’s wit was so dry it didn’t register—though there were chuckles when she skewered the industry’s “obsession with the middle-aged.... If you see a young, beautiful person, be nice to them,” she pleaded—and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn’t fare any better while presenting Tory Burch with the Accessory Designer of the Year trophy. Of all people, the Board of Directors’ Special Tribute recipient, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, was the one to finally elicit a few grins when he apologized for his tux: “My skinny jeans are at the cleaners, and my gladiator sandals are being resoled,” he explained.
The designers may have left their sense of humor at home, but they did bring celebrity arm candy. Michael Kors came with Hilary Duff, Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez escorted Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marc Jacobs arrived with Victoria Beckham, and Womenswear Designer of the Year Francisco Costa brought Eva Mendes for the second year in a row. “It’s quite romantic,” Mendes said. “He always picks me up, and we have a cigarette on the way.”
Designers including Jacobs, Zac Posen and Donna Karan had congregated a few weeks earlier at a surprise birthday party for Valentino at Allison Sarofim’s town house. Princess Firyal of Jordan, Eva Herzigova, Elle Macpherson and Daphne Guinness helped the designer celebrate turning 76 (or 32, as he preferred to call it). After dinner, guests were treated to a performance by New York City Ballet’s Tom Gold, who choreographed a piece especially for the designer, set to music by French composer Erik Satie.
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