>> Valentino made headlines earlier this week for his reaction to the fashion on the Costume Institute Gala red carpet — he shook his head, muttered "no, no, no," and wiggled his finger, adding: "I think now all the girls look very ugly.  I saw the pictures of the Metropolitan gala evening [in New York] last week and I never saw something more ugly, all the girls have their legs out with the most terrible proportions."

He also told the Guardian that he has "so many ideas I could design a collection in two days but don't miss it at all" — now that he's retired he "tr[ies] to have a good time."  Although he hasn't made any red carpet appearances, his yacht has been spotted docked in Cannes — wonder what he has to say about all the Cannes fashion?

Or maybe instead of joining the parties in Cannes, his idea of fun now is staying in his yacht and having a meal cooked by partner Giancarlo Giammetti's chef, Pablo — in her GOOP newsletter this week, Gwyneth Paltrow raves over "GG, as he is affectionately known" and his chef's "rustic Italian food to die for . . . that can get me over there on the darkest and rainiest of London nights."

>> INSIDER WIRE —Jack McCollough has finally spoken on the whole Kiefer Sutherland-headbutting incident — via spokesperson: "Anyone who knows Jack McCollough knows that he would not hurt a fly.  All we can say at this point is that he was the victim of a vicious, violent, unprovoked assault and that the matter is in the hands of the authorities."  Further details remain nebulous — some say McCollough interrupted Brooke Shields and Sutherland as they were speaking, causing the two men to exchange words; some say McCollough accidentally knocked Shields over and Sutherland demanded an apology; and some say Jack tried to order a drink and was headbutted for no reason. [People]

UPDATE: Apparently TMZ called Kate and Laura Mulleavy's house trying to suss out information (the incident occurred at the Costume Institute Gala after-party they were hosting). [Supreme Being Twitter]

UPDATE: Jezebel has a picture of Jack, damage in view, out in New York. [Jezebel]
*image: source

>> This morning, a rumor went around that Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough was in the hospital after a nose-breaking run-in with Kiefer Sutherland at a Costume Institute Gala after-party, and now more details have emerged. 

McCollough allegedly knocked Brooke Shields over and Kiefer, who saw it happen, went over and told him to apologize.  Witnesses say that McCollough pushed Kiefer, and the actor responded by headbutting the designer.  Police are investigating the incident, and cite visible lacerations to McCollough's nose — nothing about it being broken.

Meanwhile, Brooke Shields reps are already on damage control — they say "nothing happened to her. Jack did nothing inappropriate. It's not clear what caused Kiefer to do what he did."

UPDATE: Apparently McCollough filed a complaint with the police last night and told investigators that Sutherland "was drunk and obnoxious and wouldn't back down or be logical."  Furthermore, he said the incident "wasn't even over anything . . . he was just roiling drunk and looking for something to smack. It didn't matter what."  A rep for the designer declined comment.
*image: source

>> After a manicure yesterday and another round of rumors about his future placement, Olivier Theyskens turned up on the Costume Institute gala red carpet with Lou Doillon in Nina Ricci on his arm.  So what does he have to say about the possibility of an Anna Wintour-orchestrated takeover at Halston? “Oh God. These are rumors.”  When further prodded, he started laughing: "These rumors — I have to live with that.”  But there's no outright denial, it just sounds like he's still weighing his options. “Oh, this I don’t know. Really. It’s really something I don’t know.”

Down the way, Andre Leon Talley — who is usually outspoken about who he wants to work with for the red carpet (this time around he was in pursuit of Marisa Tomei), but after a very public misstep or two, he seems to have reconsidered on stamping his name on specific looks: "I gave a lot of advice to a lot of people, but they shall remain nameless because they don’t want me to say who I’m giving advice to."  Does that mean Anna Wintour doesn't want him connected as a stylist to certain looks?  Or that the people he dressed didn't want to be connected with him?

>> INSIDER WIRE —There were a lot of designers missing from last night's festivities — Karl Lagerfeld, Stefano Gabbana, Domenico Dolce, Christopher Bailey among them — but even more notable was the lack of certain designers on the red carpet: Balenciaga, Prada and Miu Miu weren't represented at all (though Dasha Zhukova wore vintage Prada), and typical heavyweight Giorgio Armani had one sole wearer — Claire Danes.  Meanwhile, Phi emerged as a dark horse — watch out Proenza Schouler, Andreas Melbostad is taking over your crowd — Erin Wasson, Natasha Poly, Lauren Santo Domingo, and Vanessa Traina all chose the label last night. [Style File]

>> Despite all the drama before and after, the Costume Institute Gala itself furnished plenty of notable and quotable moments; for those who were wondering, Carine Roitfeld did attend, even though it was reported that Julia Restoin-Roitfeld would not.

Gisele Bundchen pulled out of John Galliano's table at the last minute, choosing to ride in with the Versace camp instead; it sounds like she might be returning as the label's Fall 2009 face — the New York Times reports that her custom Versace dress "was conceived while she was modeling for [Donatella’s] next ad campaign." Helena Christensen, meanwhile, joked of her Zac Posen dress, which read "Vogue," the V formed by a plunging neckline: “It’s so I can remember whose party I’m at."

And while Kate Moss was on hostess duty (and presumably her best behavior) for Anna Wintour, she still managed to be herself, pulling a big wad of gum out of her mouth when asked about being a muse: “I’m amused.  I think it’s quite interesting for somebody to go outside of the box and think that a model actually has had some input into fashion. A lot of the time, the models don’t really get a say.”

But they do have a bathroom fascination »

>> INSIDER WIRE —After all the Alaia-related Costume Institute Gala drama yesterday, we wondered if anything would top it all at the actual event.  Well, a drunken reveler managed to step on and ruin Natalia Vodianova's vintage Fortuny dress (a gift from husband Justin Portman seven years ago) at one after-party, and at another, it's rumored that Keifer Sutherland headbutted Proenza Schouler designer Jack McCullough, breaking his nose.  Apparently, the actor was upset over Brooke Shields?  It's all very hazy . . . [Guest of a Guest]

>> While we wait for the Costume Institute Gala pictures to start rolling in — a few more tidbits: Iris Strubegger is wearing Givenchy couture and Heidi Mount is skipping out for a trip to Utah — Anna Wintour gives us the down low on what it's going to take to get more models on the cover of Vogue:

The public interest in models these last few years has not been as it was during the early ’90s when Naomi [Campbell] and Linda [Evangelista] caused so much excitement.  And until models become celebrities again in their own right, I can’t see them selling as well on magazine covers as actresses.  "The generation that followed the supermodels shied away from that sort of fabulosity and scrutiny.

So what's it going to take to turn it all around?

>> THE MODELIZER —After Azzedine Alaia asked her not to wear the dress he made for the occasion, Stephanie Seymour is joining Naomi Campbell in sitting out the Costume Institute Gala tonight. “Azzedine has made my dress for every single ball.  I had a fitting in Paris. But then he called me over the weekend and asked me not to wear the dress. I will still make my donation to the Met, but I won’t be going.” [On the Runway]

*image: source