>> The Venice Biennale contemporary arts exhibition attracted plenty of familiar fashion faces by last Thursday, but it wouldn't have been complete without an appearance by contemporary art patron Miuccia Prada, who obliged on Friday with a party courtesy of the Fondazione Prada.  The opening was temporarily put off by torrential rains, but still managed to attract the likes of Marc Jacobs, Lorenzo Martone, Franca Sozzani, Carine Roitfeld, Carla Sozzani, and Dasha Zhukova.

Many of the guests then carried on to Francois Pinault's Palazzo Grassi, where Gucci Group was sponsoring a party in honor of L'Uomo Vogue's art issue.  Naomi Campbell — who one observer noted was keeping a lower profile than at the Biennale in 2007 — joined the crowd, apparently making quite the entrance with boyfriend Vladislav Doronin and his bodyguards and causing one guest to joke, "Does he need them to protect himself from Naomi?"

>> Where art goes, fashion is soon to follow, and with the contemporary arts Biennale going on in Venice right now, there are plenty of designers, editors, and even models in town.  On Wednesday, Olympia Scarry’s installation brought out Patrick Demarchelier, Vogue Russia's Aliona Doletskaya, and POP's Dasha Zhukova, as well as Justin Portman and Natalia Vodianova, the latter whose face was reflected in a luminated, aged sketch on display called Dorian Gray, by artist Dasha Fursey.

Naomi Campbell and boyfriend Vladislav Doronin stopped by a lunch for the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, and popped up again yesterday at the opening of Francois Pinault's new museum, the Punta della Dogana. Stella McCartney was there with husband Alasdhair Willis to support her financier in his new endeavor, as were Franca Sozzani and Marc Jacobs, always the fan of contemporary art, who apparently kept exclaiming, "This place rocks."

Meanwhile, down the river, Angela Missoni held her annual party on boyfriend Bruno Ragazzi's yacht.  It was quite the family and friends affair: Angela's daughters Margherita and Teresa, plus son Francesco were all mingling, Franca Sozzani brought son Francesco Carrozzini, and Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld arrived with Carine Roitfeld, who neglected to follow the rest in taking her lace-up shoes off: "It would just take too long to undo them." Bee Shaffer was sans Anna Wintour, but Jefferson Hack brought fiancee Anouck Lepere.

Even those who aren't in Venice in person are there in spirit — Mario Testino sent one of his art consultants to scout the exhibition.

>> After missing out on the Chanel Mobile Art opening and the Versace-hosted Whitney gala earlier this week, Anna Wintour was back in fine form — with Karl Lagerfeld at her side and Chanel on her person — at the Fashion Group International's Night of Stars last night.  It was a night of family — Donatella Versace picked up the Superstar Award as Allegra Beck Versace looked on, Franca Sozzani was honored with her son Francesco Carrozzini in attendance — and friends — honorees Christopher Bailey and Francisco Costa brought Kate Bosworth and Ashley Olsen, respectively.  Host Simon Doonan kept it light, at one point joking that Carla Sozzani had to make it back to the Marriott Marquis in time for a speed-dating session.
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