Now that Valentino has retired from the fashion house he founded, he's spending more and more time in New York. The city that never sleeps seems to be agreeing with the legendary designer, who is exhibiting a stamina that much younger party boys would envy. In the past ten days we're seen him at the New York City Ballet gala; at designer Adam Lippes' apartment for writer Bob Colacello's 61st birthday party; and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Insitute gala with Claudia Schiffer on his arm. Tonight, socialite-turned-actress Alison Sarofim will host a fete celebrating Valentino's 76th birthday party at her West Village townhouse.

Aside from the social scene, it may be the designer's new Jacques Grange-designed apartment that has made the Big Apple so alluring to Val. Unlike his more over-the-top residences in Capri, Rome, Gstaad and London (not to mention his Louis XIII-era chateau outside Paris) his Manhattan apartment is much more understated, according to Grange.  "He wanted it to be more modern and light. He wanted a change," Grange told me recently. One
impetus for the shift is Valentino's extensive collection of contemporary and modern art, for which he wanted a more neutral background. 

Last week, I ran into Liz Goldwyn at the opening night gala of the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Donizetti's "La Fille du Regiment." The Los Angeles heiress and filmmaker, who owns a near-legendary collection of vintage clothing—that night she was wearing a pale blue couture Yves Saint Laurent gown from 1979—has been designing fine jewelry over the past several years. (Her pieces go for prices up to $6,500). Goldwyn told me about her newest fashion world venture, a gently-priced accessories collection that is being sold at Opening Ceremony. The line, called Springtime Romance, consists of vintage headpieces and sweater guards (the bejeweled clips that girls used to wear to hold their cardigans in place) from the 1940s and 1950s that Goldwyn found at estate sales and flea markets. (Because the items, priced between $150 and $350, aren't actually reworked in any way, she served as more of the line's curator than designer.)

"I'm so excited because Kylie Minogue bought one of the headband hats," she told me giddily. "I'm going to look for photos of her to see if she wears it!"

Photo of Goldwyn by Steve Eichner

I've recently returned from my first visit to Harbour Island in the Bahamas, and I have the tan—and, more importantly, the caftan—to prove it. Famous for its white sand beaches and billionaire homeowners (think Ron Perelman, Barry Diller, Arki Busson and Robert Miller), the island is also home to The Sugar Mill, the cultishly revered store owned by model-turned-designer India Hicks.  In fact, one of the first things my friends and I did upon arrival was get on a golf cart (the preferred mode of transportation of the Brilanders, as the locals are called) and zip over to the shop.

The irony was not lost on us that we were coming from New York, a city with thousands of boutiques, and we were spending hours shopping at one store on a tiny island. But we couldn't resist the floaty caftans and cute bikinis—not to mention the decent exchange rate.

Unfortunately India herself was in Los Angeles filming Top Design—she's the show's new host—but we still had fun perusing the clothes from Allegra Hicks (India's sister-in-law), Anya Hindmarch Beach, Taka and the Danish line Day (my favorite). I ended up walking away with a pink-and-white scarf from Kenya, Spider Lily body polish (part of a bath collection India created with Crabtree & Evelyn) and a gorgeous cotton tunic that India had made, well, in India. I wore mine the very next day to Sip Sip, the restaurant where all the Brilanders, it seems, stop for lunch.

The Sugar Mill
(242) 333-3558
thesugarmill@coralwave.com

With so many charity benefits, store openings and brand-sponsored evenings clogging up the New York social calendar, it's rare to celebrate an actual person for doing nothing more than existing. But such was the case this past Thursday night when man-about-town Euan Rellie celebrated his 40th birthday at Bar Milano, the soon-to-be opened restaurant from Lupa owner Jason Denton and his brother Joe. (For more on the Denton brothers, check out the upcoming May issue of W). The event, of course, did have a host: The Supper Club New York, a dinner and social club run by Brit transplant Tamsin Lonsdale.

After downing cocktails in the bar (where the windows were still covered with brown paper), the crowd, including Rellie's wife, designer Lucy Sykes, Thom Browne, Rufus Albemarle, Luigi Tadini and Kelly Bensimon, moved into the dining room. According to etiquette, couples had been seated separately, which led to a fair amount of surreptitious place-card swapping and table hopping. "Please, Euan asks that everyone being seated," chirped the ubiquitous 17-year-old actress Leven Rambin, jumping up and down on the banquette and giggling at her garbled grammar.

Soon after, the exuberant birthday boy stood up on the banquette himself. "Listen, I could have invited my closest friends," Rellie announced. "But instead, I chose to invite all you fashion journalists." The crowd, which did include a fair number of industry types, took the ribbing well, perhaps because they were feasting on the restaurant's Northern Italian fare, including seared scallops with celery root and caviar, trout with potatoes and chard, pork chops with escarole and borsetti alla pizzocheri (whole wheat raviolis shaped liked little sacks). For dessert, the waiters wheeled out a giant cake, out of which popped a girl who warbled "Happy Birthday" before Rellie covered her with kisses. "Lucy, don't look," he shouted.

Can't find time for a Buddhist monastery retreat? No worries—the monastery is coming to you. Starting February 21, New York City's Milk Gallery will be the first U.S. stop for an exhibit celebrating the work of the late Shinjo Ito who, with his wife, founded a strain of Buddhism in 1936 called Shinnyo-en ("garden of truth") that now claims nearly one million followers. Milk will also offer workshops on meditation and yoga to the public during the show's run.

Featuring Ito's sculpture, calligraphy, and photography, the exhibit drew hundreds of thousands of visitors when it was on view in Japan. The February 20 opening party is expected to draw a Zen-fabulous crowd, including Robert Thurman (Uma's dad), Duncan Sheik, Zoe Kravitz, Karim Rashid and Donna Karan, who will host a post-preview dinner at Stephen Weiss Studio.