invitation only

>> In honor of Lanvin's first London store, Alber Elbaz — who is apparently on a post-show, protein-only diet — flew in to give a guided tour of his Spring 2009 collection.  During the day, there was a "girls only" policy, but at night, the ladies — Alexandra Shulman, Yasmin Le Bon, Anouck Lepere — were joined by the menfolk — Jefferson Hack, Juergen Teller, Jonathan Newhouse.  Microphone in hand, Elbaz had the audience "in stitches," according to WWD, as he cracked jokes while presenting: “I dress women. I don’t undress them — unfortunately. My mother would be happy if I did.”

As for his denim collaboration with Acne: “It’s so nice when Acne tells me, ‘No problem, we can do that.’ I live in Paris, where you ask a cab driver to take you somewhere and he says ‘No.’”  When he introduced Anna de Rijk, hot off the runway, as his bride, he joked on his decision to carry wedding dress in the store: “I have friends — Liz Taylor types — who are on their third and fourth weddings. They tell me they need a different dress for each one.”  And to wrap it up, a little comment on what women want: “Next to chocolate or a rose, I think the only thing that can make a woman happy is maybe a pink dress.”
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>> One of Valentino Garavani's favorite models, Natalia Vodianova, missed the big premiere of his documentary; she was in London for the launch of the 2009 Fashion Fringe search for emerging British design talent — the UK's version of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award — instead.  In celebration of this year's honorary chairperson, Donatella Versace, who flew in from Milan for the event, guests like Claudia Schiffer, Roland Mouret, Jonathan Saunders, and Jacquetta Wheeler were served "Donatella Delight" cocktails.  Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet is also on the judging panel this year, as is Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon, who is overseeing the introduction of Fashion Fringe's first accessories prize.  The four as yet unnamed finalists will show capsule collections during Spring 2010 London Fashion Week, and the winner — who in the past has been Basso & Brooke and Erdem — receive upwards of £100,000 for a follow-up show.
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>> Last night, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti were in New York to fete the opening of Valentino: The Last Emperor — arguably their biggest Manhattan party ever, between the screening and the dinner for 200 of fashion's finest (including Anna Wintour, Anja Rubik, Jason Wu, and Chanel Iman) at the Plaza's Oak Room.  The designer's six pugs Molly, Milton, Monty, Margot, Maude, and Maggie, who director Matt Tyrnauer has dubbed "the costars of the film," weren't present — according to Valentino, "they're getting some time away from me in Italy" — but maybe that's a good thing: Karolina Kurkova admitted, “they’re really not nice to everybody” and Gwyneth Paltrow agreed, calling the pugs "kind of mean."

When Giancarlo Giammetti was asked about his comment on film that the designer looked too tan, he was quick to explain, "We'd come from the beach, and we were about to show summer suits, and he just . . . it just seemed like too much. But it was one time, and one time only."  And as for those rumors that he was back to helping out at Valentino for Fall 2009, Garavani denied having any hand in it, "No, not at all.  Very far from the truth. I don’t think about it. I wish my assistants to do the best. It’s a big job, though, and to know my name goes on the designs, I want them to do the best.”

Meanwhile, the film seems to have already inspired at least one person — Zac Posen. "I wouldn't mind being followed around too for two years.  It's all about having the right collaborators."
*image: source, source, filmmagic

>> Paris Fashion Week starts tomorrow, but fashion folk couldn't leave Milan without hitting up the Palazzo della Ragione last night for one last Milanese shindig, courtesy of Anna Wintour, Domenico Dolce, and Stefano Gabbana.  The launch for the "Extreme Beauty in Vogue" exhibition — which Anna selected 89 images for — the party was likened to the Milanese equivalent of the Costume Institute Gala; in other words, the week's hottest ticket.  Karl Lagerfeld made a beeline for the photos after mugging for a few cameras, while Anna was trailed by 60 Minutes's Morley Safer and Carine Roitfeld by CNN: “I am being followed round all the shows, and they are doing lots of interviews.  But you won’t be seeing me naked.”  Miuccia Prada sported one of her new Fall 2009 gladiatorial dresses, and rounding out the fashion wattage a troika of supermodels: two we see quite a bit of (Claudia Schiffer, Eva Herzigova) and one we do not (Nadja Auermann).
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>> Last night marked the opening of Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld's Louis Vuitton-sponsored, curated exhibit of three photographers and close friends of his — PC Valmorbida (boyfriend of Theodora Richards), David Mushegain and Salim Langatta.  Both the party and after-party at Indochine (a Roitfeld favorite) were super crowded — the latter hit capacity and saw Carine Roitfeld dancing on the restaurant's banquettes.  Sister Julia, girlfriend Lily Donaldson, and godfather Mario Testino were all in attendance, as were a number of other fashion folk — Lara Stone, Erin Wasson, Gisele Bundchen.  And Carine was proud of her son's current career choice — according to Vladimir, it was his parents who pushed him to move to the US — "I don't know if he will do more shows or film, but when you try to produce things, it's a hard hard job, and I'm very proud of him.  I'll be very happy if he becomes successful."
*image: source, source, filmmagic

>> Last night, editors and models alike gathered at Cipriani to simultaneously launch Fashion Week — officially — and benefit one of fashion's favorite causes: AIDS research foundation amfAR. Anna Wintour presented and Donna Karan received an award for her contribution to amfAR's mission; Lara Stone, Caroline Winberg, Jessica Stam, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Lily Donaldson, and Anja Rubik (with boyfriend Sasha Knezevic) all got gussied up and came along for the ride. Afterward, there was a mass migration to Rose Bar, where they were joined by Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld and Giovanna Battaglia for a little enjoyment of the calm before the storm.
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>> Although sources are saying that Puig already has a new designer lined up to take Oliver Theyskens's spot at Nina Ricci, he looked right at home at the Ricci table last night during the annual Sidaction AIDS benefit gala, right down the way from Nina Ricci president Manuel Puig.  Maybe he's going to ride out his contract until October, after all?  But it another fashion fixture who was on everyone's minds last night — Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, making her first appearance at a fashion event and breaking her usual ties with Dior by wearing Yves Saint Laurent as the guest of Pierre Berge.
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>> Stella McCartney marked the end of couture last night by debuting two things — her new Paris flagship (which actually opened in November) and a Cartier sapphire and diamond pendant that her dad gave her mom in the '70s and just passed onto her.  Joining her in celebration were Lara Stone, who recently moved to London, Stefano Pilati, Heidi Mount, Daphne Guinness, Lily Donaldson, and the ever-goofy Sasha Pivovarova, who in addition to her book for Prada, has now been invited to illustrate a children's book for Karl Lagerfeld.  There was fun to be had by all, including Francois-Henri Pinault, who joined in the game of "Who am I?," and ran around with Suzy Menkes and the rest of the bunch, cigarette rolling paper stuck to their foreheads.
*image: source