Berluti Al Dente

After a garden show at Paris' École des Mines on Friday, Berluti took advantage of the warm Paris evening to stage a cooking showdown of sorts featuring pasta in all shapes and sizes whipped up by friends of the brand, including Benn Northover , Jefferson Hack , Jean-Baptiste Mondino , Alexandre de Betak , and Joseph Dirand .



"I love gardens, and after the show it's time to be with friends—relaxed and nice," Berluti's Alessandro Sartori told Style.com. After table tennis and mini croquet, an eager crowd formed in front of each chef's station. Yorgo Tloupas , art director of Vanity Fair's French edition, served a version of kritharaki pasta with feta and herbs from his Greek childhood. "I made up the recipe, but it's based on a memory," said Tloupas. "I thought you could only find this kind of pasta in Greece, but Paris has everything." Hack and Northover teamed with chef Michele Farnese for aglio e olio, a simple dish with garlic, olive oil, and parsley. "We had the sweetest chilis flown in from Morocco and we added bread crumbs," Hack reported. "Michele also taught me a trick: Add salty cooking water to the sauce when you mix it with the pasta."



Mondino, for his part, dished out Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi's celebrated recipe for fresh tomato pasta alla checca, while architect Dirand put together a penne all'amatriciana based on a recipe belonging to his wife. As the dinner drew to a close, De Betak, who served kale pesto fusilli, summed up the logistics of a great party: "It's a question of family. We all know them, they all know us. There are five hundred guests and we're five guys cooking. That's one hundred for each of us."



On Saturday, Barneys New York and Marcelo Burlon got showgoers together to celebrate Oklahoma City Thunder point guard and budding designer Russell Westbrook 's limited-edition collection for the store. There was no pasta, but there was plenty of foie gras and filet de bar roti.

—Rebecca Voight

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Jeff’s World

"It's just epic," spake Larry Gagosian . And it was so. The gallery titan was referring to client Jeff Koons ' Split-Rocker, a mammoth floral sculpture lately debuted at Rockefeller Center. Part Pop Art, part playground, the artwork stands nearly 40 feet tall, covered in more than 50,000 flowers for an effect that's both wondrous and faintly terrifying. An art-establishment-heavy cadre including Richard Prince, Jeffrey Deitch , Bill Cunningham, Leelee Sobieski , Brice Marden , Whitney director Adam Weinberg, and Gloria von Thurn und Taxis turned out this afternoon to The Sea Grill to fete the work. Split-Rocker's unveiling coincides with the massive Koons retrospective bowing this week at the Whitney (the last exhibition ever at its soon-to-shutter Madison Avenue location), whose opening reception last night had a heavyweight guest list of its own: Cindy Sherman , Alek Wek , Arianna Huffington, John Currin , and Rachel Feinstein all raised a glass or two. At least a couple of younger members of the Koons clan were spotted racing between tables at lunch, as just a few feet away on the patio, Gagosian admired the installation amid friends, offering up his take on the populist piece. "I think Jeff's work kind of straddles two things: It's very sophisticated, extremely well-executed, but it also has universal appeal. If you know a lot about his work and the history of sculpture, you can understand how it fits in there, and if you're just somebody passing by, you've gotta smile when you look at it."

—Kristin Anderson

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Forte Bravo

Did you know Ermanno Scervino convinced Kanye West to wed Kim K. at Florence's Forte Belvedere? "It's the most beautiful place in Florence," said the designer, whose own fete at the medieval fortress drew West back to the Italian city yesterday evening. "When I was a kid I used to come here, and the fact that I managed to do something at Forte Belvedere is like a dream come true." Indeed, his party was something out of a New Age fairy tale, but more on that later.



The festivities began with Equilibrium, an enlightening exhibition at the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, launched in honor of Firenze: Hometown of Fashion and the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana's sixtieth anniversary. The show featured some of Mr. Ferragamo's archived (and very ahead of their time) shoes from the thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties, but it also explored the designer's expansive anatomical studies of the foot. "Equilibrium is the most important part of the Ferragamo story, but it's not easy to tell because it's so technical," offered the museum's director, Stefania Ricci. To help guests such as Pitti Immagine CEO Raffaello Napoleone grasp the idea, Ricci lined the walls with Ferragamo's detailed drawings. Also included was a giant metal shank, an exaggerated version of the one Ferragamo used to create arch support. This, Ferragamo wrote in his autobiography, guides "the equilibrium of the body as it walks, instead of fighting against it." In addition to the shoes, Ricci brought in artworks—such as ancient Roman sculptures, a Brancusi, a Rodin, and two films by Bruce Nauman—that highlighted the feet and the beauty of balance. "I hope that after this exhibition, people will think about walking in another way," said Ricci.



At 8:30 it was time to cross the Arno River and head to Scervino's extravaganza. A lot of equilibrium was required to navigate the seemingly endless flights of stone stairs, but once guests reached the top, the trek seemed worth it. The likes of Francesco Vezzoli and Franca Sozzani sipped champagne while enjoying breathtaking views of Florence and Il Duomo. And Scervino took advantage of the scenery, using it as the backdrop for a presentation of his capsule collection, dubbed The White Renaissance. The silver, gray, and white menswear range was an ode to Salle Bianca, the birthplace of Italian fashion. There were a few womenswear looks, too. A pair of models donned gowns in dusty rose and icy blue, and the hues blended with a sky painted by the setting sun. It was like the calm before the storm, the storm being the arrival of West, who befriended Scervino after visiting his boutique in Florence. According to designer Virgil Abloh, who accompanied the rapper, the pair had just flown in from Cannes.



Following a prolonged, frenzied photo op, attendees headed down (more) stairs to dinner and enjoyed a three-course meal while listening to a live string quartet. And as if the insane views, historic location, fashion show, and Kanye cameo weren't enough, Boy George hit the decks after dessert, playing to a riotous, albeit very well dressed, crowd. Even Suzy Menkes broke it down on the dance floor. "Firenze: Hometown of Fashion is a celebration of the last sixty years," mused Scervino. "Hopefully this is the start of the next sixty."

—Katharine K. Zarrella

The Most Stylish Couples of All Time

NT

24-Hour Pitti People

When your evening kicks off with a nude man splayed across a bed of money in a Florentine street, you know you're in for a wild one. Last night, Pitti Uomo-goers skipped between parties and exhibitions scattered across Florence, none of which were to be missed. It all began with the 5 p.m. opening of Francesco Vezzoli 's Vezzoli Primavera-Estate, a three-museum installation of the Italian artist's irreverent work. Playing a game of sorts, editors, buyers, and designers explored the ornate rooms of Museo di Casa Martelli, Museo Bellini, and Museo Bardini, trying to spot Vezzoli's paintings and sculptures, which were inserted among those of Renaissance masters. Placed among images of saints and old-world aristocrats, renderings of Nicki Minaj provoked chuckles from more than a few guests, and a shrine surrounding an illuminated self-portrait of the artist seemed the ultimate comment on (and display of) egoismo.



Outside Casa Martelli, painter and performance artist Vaclav Pisvejc produced a very different kind of shrine: He disrobed, lay down atop a heap of (faux) dollar bills, and held out an abstracted portrait of Vezzoli. Regardless of the fashion set's opinions on the stunt, Pisvejc's statement against excess and "The Fabulously Wealthy" (hopefully) gave them something to think about between champagne-fueled fetes.



But it wasn't all bare bums and anticapitalist demonstrations. This season's fair marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana. Pitti has used the occasion to celebrate Florence and five fashion houses with Florentine origins: Emilio Pucci, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermanno Scervino, and Roberto Cavalli. At Palazzo Vecchio—a medieval fortress that serves as the city's town hall—Vogue Italia's Franca Sozzani opened Florence & Fashion, a photography show honoring the abovementioned brands. "Italian fashion was born in Florence with the Sala Bianca, and it's important that people know that," said Sozzani. "Of course, today it's about Milan, but it all started here."



Meanwhile, down the road at Palazzo Pucci, Peter Dundas and CEO Laudomia Pucci toasted the brand's impressive installation at—or rather, on—the Baptistery of Piazza San Giovanni. "It's the first time in Florence's history that anyone has done anything like this," offered Pucci of the project. And it's unlikely anyone will do it again—the house covered the Baptistery in more than 20,000 square meters of canvas printed with Pucci's 1957 Battistero motif. Fittingly, the pattern was inspired by the religious landmark. "So many important fashion houses have their roots in Florence," said Dundas at the party, which also featured an exhibition of archived Pucci wares. "It was the capital of Europe, and it has this intense saturation of history. For me and for Emilio Pucci himself, Florence was a source of inspiration."



Just before Giotto's Bell Tower struck 9, it was Gucci time. The house opened its Gucci Museo to the public free of charge yesterday and, at night, hosted a lavish festa. Gucci, too, had a present for Florence: an enchanting light show designed by Mario Nann. The artist projected a poem, "Da Sempre per Sempre," on the museum's exterior. Tourists, locals, and fashion insiders alike gathered in Piazza Della Signoria to ooh, ahh, and, of course, Instagram the display. In fact, Gucci's lights drew almost as many onlookers as our naked artist friend—not quite, but almost.

—Katharine K. Zarrella

Let's Get Hitched!

Little House, Big House

"We love London, its energy and excitement," said Tommy Hilfiger at a dinner last night that he cohosted with Jonathan Newhouse , chairman of Condé Nast International. The elegant affair, held at Mayfair's Little House, was ostensibly in honor of LC:M, but in fact it's become a seasonal event to celebrate Hilfiger's affection for all things British, especially the U.K.'s preparatory school aesthetic, which of course has been the anchor of his brand.



Jefferson Hack , his girlfriend Tati Cotliar , Philip Green (who at dinner's end rolled out a cake for birthday girl Elizabeth Saltzman), and more discussed the day's LC:M events and how, miraculously, the sched rolled on time. Others were buzzing about the Christopher Kane coat the Duchess of Cambridge wore that day, while new designer David Gandy , ever the gentleman, politely deflected questions about that video with J.Lo.



Also in attendance were Hilfiger's wife, Dee Ocleppo , and daughter Elizabeth, both of whom are in the beginning stages of launching their own fashion empires: Ocleppo has a new line of "3-in-1" premium handbags, which are available at Harrods, while the young Hilfiger whipped out her iPhone to show us pics of her evolving line of ethical clothes: "It's so different from anything my dad does," she said, "but still, I hope this does him proud."

—Afsun Qureshi

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—By Alex Catarinella

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Raising Funds, Having Fun

It's been a busy week on the fashion circuit, with galas, store openings, and designer dinners. Last night it was the Young Friends of ACRIA's turn to get its party on. The soiree, hosted in the cavernous hall of the Highline Stages, has always been "the fun young peoples' event," explained event chair Jason Wu from his seat between Adriana Lima and Jaime King . But it's also something more. "You really stop to think: What does it mean to do something for somebody else?" Wu noted. "This is where the conversation starts."



Since getting involved with the HIV and AIDS research and care nonprofit ("The first event I did with them was on a rooftop where we didn't have any heat: We only served cold foods and I thought it was a chic thing!" remembered Wu), the designer has taken his commitment to the next level. He curated this year's fashion photography auction, which kept guests sneaking out of the dinner to bid on images by Steven Meisel, Herb Ritts, and more. "I'm on my fourth glass of wine and I'm still running in and out to kind of bid on the Rick Owens, so we'll see!" Bryan Grey Yambao told Style.com from his seat at the central table. "Maybe I'll get something—but it's so hard to compete! For example, Jaime King—Jaime is, like, really on it. She keeps on going out…"



"The people who are sitting here, they're going to be the next influences in the world," mused Wu as the auction came to a close. "And I feel very honored to be able to get everybody together. And on a selfish level, it is a fun party! You know? Who doesn't love that."

—Ashley Simpson

The Unstoppable Suzy Menkes

—By Dirk Standen

Soccer and Fashion Play Ball

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Posh at the Mic

Net-a-Porter celebrated Victoria Beckham with a Bowery Hotel dinner last night. Tennessee Thomas deejayed the cocktail hour (make that hours—Beckham arrived very fashionably late) and recalled early memories of VB: "Well, Victoria had all the best lines in Spice World. She was all about sophistication, which was hugely influential on me. A young girl has got to learn it from somewhere, so why not the Spice Girls?" NAP founder Natalie Massenet shared a story from her days at Tatler, when she styled a couture shoot at the Ritz with a young Victoria Adams. The pop star had never been shot without her fellow bandmates. (She had also just gone on a date with some footballer by the name of David Beckham.) "I don't think in that room at the Ritz, Victoria ever knew that one day she would be honored as one of the best designers in the U.K., but she is very, very driven. There are so many people here tonight whose careers have grown and changed over the years—hopefully everyone realizes how far their dreams have taken them." When Beckham finally made her toast to the room, servers passed out shots of tequila with lime wedges. "We have to not behave ourselves," she said. "We have to drink a lot and dance a lot this evening—and maybe I'll get back on the microphone."



Meanwhile, guests including Leandra Medine , Dree Hemingway, and Chloe Norgaard joined Clare Waight Keller and architect Joseph Dirand in raising a glass to Chloé's divine new digs on Madison Avenue. The renovation earned a rave from Maggie Gyllenhaal , too, earlier spotted test-driving a pair of the line's oversize summer shades. "I've been wearing a lot of Chloé lately. I've been very drawn to it because it's both very easygoing and refined at the same time—which I can't always achieve, but which is what I'm always going for!"



Style was a talking point of Alber Elbaz 's speech at the FIT Gala. The Lanvin designer introduced one of the evening's three award winners, Bergdorf Goodman's Linda Fargo . "We're living in a world all about machinery and high tech, but fashion remains a human industry, because all we are is a bunch of seamstresses—dreams, a yard of fabric, a needle, and a thread. And in this world, you, Linda, remain different, unique, and very loyal. How rare is that?"

—Todd Plummer, Kristin Anderson, and Nicole Phelps

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Stella McCartney Just Wants to Have Fun

There's a sculpture garden on Elizabeth Street that New Yorkers pass every day, nearly an acre in size yet relatively sleepy compared with the bustling streets of its surrounding neighborhood. The doors are usually locked, but not last night. Stella McCartney brought the space to life with her annual garden party. In addition to models wearing her new Resort collection (more on that here), there were statue performers, a live band, and a food truck dispensing root beer floats, lavender margaritas, and Veuve Clicquot.



A range of McCartney's high-profile pals attended— Maggie Gyllenhaal , Amber Heard , Lorne Michaels , and Peter Beard included. "Stella just has the best taste," Liv Tyler said. "The good thing about these parties is that she lets me bring home some of the decor. I go home with piñatas, balloons, whatever…my son, Milo, loves it."



Models were scattered throughout the garden, some on a giant chessboard, others dancing and blowing bubbles. It was all in the spirit of McCartney's new collection. "Fashion is supposed to be about having a good time," the designer told Style.com. "So often fashion constrains women and makes them feel like rubbish. For me, the Stella woman is about celebration, feeling alive and free and colorful. I want the girls to have fun, the boys to have fun—in fact, I want to have fun. Don't you?"

—Todd Plummer

“Effortlessly Effortless”

—By Katharine K. Zarrella

Making Eyes at Charlotte Casiraghi

"Passion project" is how Gucci's creative director, Frida Giannini , referred to the Italian fashion powerhouse's much-anticipated makeup collection launching in September—an enterprise three years in the making. The Carlyle Hotel served as the backdrop for the big reveal last night, with one room wrapped in LCD screens playing the Charlotte Casiraghi -fronted ad campaign. Post-video, a brief blackout preceded the main attraction: a brightly lit glass case filled with logo-covered lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes.



Solange Knowles , Anja Rubik , and Pat McGrath came out to celebrate the launch, which included a performance by the Aussie sister act Say Lou Lou . "I'm a mascara freak, so I'm excited to try theirs," said actress Kate Mara , also in the crowd. Giannini also qualifies: "From your eyes you can really exude your confidence and sexuality—you can be very provocative, you can be very feminine, you can be very tough," she said. Asked if there was one beauty move a Gucci girl would never make, she added, "I don't think so. The Gucci woman always takes a risk."



Meanwhile, in the Waverly Inn's back garden, friends, editors, and fans gathered to celebrate Giuseppe Zanotti 's twenty years in the biz. "I'm not a young designer anymore," laughed Zanotti while passing out baci to his guests. "I felt like a student for a long time. Now I feel like the professor." But after the designer reminisced about presenting his early collections at the Plaza Hotel two decades ago, the maestro of saucy footwear insisted he's not settling down. "I love a new challenge. Shoes are an enormous universe, and with energy and passion, you can always discover new things," he said. As for the next twenty years? "I want to do shoes that have emotion," he told us. "And I want to do something new for the foot that feels even more sexy!"

—Amber Kallor and Katharine K. Zarrella

Jason Wu for Lancôme Pre-Fall 2014 Cosmetics Collection

NT

Chiming In

"It's rainy outside, but it's sunny in here," Frida Giannini said at the Gucci Fifth Avenue boutique last night. The party crowd braved humid summer rain to toast the one-year anniversary of the Sound of Change, a concert fundraiser that kick-started Chime for Change, a charity founded by Giannini, Beyoncé Knowles , and Salma Hayek Pinault. Although Hayek Pinault couldn't attend (she's filming a movie), Gucci faces Blake Lively and James Franco stopped by in support. And the mood at the party was just as Giannini said: sunny. In its first year, the organization has sponsored more than three hundred philanthropic projects aimed at empowering women in more than eighty countries.



Although it's not every day Gucci's creative director is stateside, Giannini told Style.com that she always finds inspiration on the streets of New York: "I love it here. I love to walk around in the Village and also Central Park. Watching the people is great here because there is such a mix you don't see anywhere else."



Speaking of people-watching, all eyes were on Beyoncé when she arrived wearing a white Gucci jumpsuit and, as CFDA-nominated jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher pointed out, not a single piece of jewelry. Said Fisher: "Sometimes not accessorizing is just as good as accessorizing. The hair, that skin…she looks flawless." The party reached its peak when Beyoncé announced a personal donation of $500,000 to the organization, and her sister, Solange Knowles , who hasn't been seen publicly with Bey since the Met Gala, took to the deejay booth.

—Todd Plummer

Beauty on a Budget

Summer Swimwear

Après the CFDAs, More Parties

The celebrating didn't stop for International Award winner Raf Simons when the CFDAs wrapped last night. Dior CEO Sidney Toledano hosted a party in the designer's honor at the Ladurée shop on West Broadway, and the sprawling Parisian-style café had Simons and co. experiencing some French joie de vivre. We spied Keri Russell and Karlie Kloss ogling the macaron case, Russell telling Kloss, "I mean, they are just so good, how can you not?"



A host of CFDA winners, nominees, and past honorees turned out, including Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow of Public School, who told us that despite their Menswear Designer of the Year win tonight there will be no day off. "School will not be canceled tomorrow," Chow said. "Public School is definitely in session. Winning just makes us want to work that much harder." Swarovski Menswear Award winner Tim Coppens , for his part, was almost awestruck. "It's huge for me to even be nominated, but when you win—I mean, whoa, I won a prize—it's really something special. And to be here tonight with all the other winners, it's like I'm really part of something; it's so vindicating."



After midnight, many guests bid adieu to Ladurée and headed to the Top of the Standard for a party that was busy until well after 3 a.m. Prabal Gurung , Joan Smalls , and Olivier Theyskens were in the crowd. Pamela Love told Style.com she was actually happy not to be nominated, to have no crazy nerves. "I'm just happy to get dressed up." She spent the evening dancing with her friend, Swarovski Accessories Designer of the Year Irene Neuwirth.

—Todd Plummer

Enter Smiling

Open House

The 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards

Our complete coverage of the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards will be posted shortly. In the meantime, please enjoy this slideshow, and don't miss our features on Tom Ford, Raf Simons, and the evening's other honorees.

Diversity and Inclusion

It takes a lot to get a fashion crowd together on a Sunday evening in June, the night before the CFDA Awards no less, but the second annual Fashion Centered dinner supporting The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center did the trick. Not that cocktails alfresco in the garden of the Center's West 13th Street headquarters was twisting anybody's arm. Sofia Sanchez Barrenechea and Joseph Altuzarra took the opportunity to compare plans for their upcoming nuptials. Altuzarra's mother, Karen, was also in attendance, as were Alexander Wang ; Ryan Korban; Kering's Laurent Claquin ; and Narciso Rodriguez and his husband, Thomas Tolan .



Over dinner, Isaac Mizrahi surprised guests with an impromptu song performance, but it was Barneys' Mark Lee who stole the show, sharing a touching personal anecdote about growing up gay in 1970s San Francisco—"I marched in our Pride parade against Anita Bryant!"—and personally donating $20,000 to support The Center's programming.



In the end, the evening raised more than $150,000. So naturally, the Center's executive director, Glennda Testone, hopes to keep nurturing the relationship between fashion and her organization. "There's such a natural marriage between fashion and the LGBT community," she told Style.com. "The fashion industry celebrates people expressing themselves and being who they are. A lot of LGBT kids find solace in fashion, and a lot of fashion folks look to our community and our icons for inspiration."



Earlier, some of the same faces were in the mix at Marquee, where Naomi Campbell and Iman were throwing a 1970s-style Sunday tea dance party for Bethann Hardison , who'll pick up the Founder's Award at the CFDA Awards tonight for her diversity advocacy. Introducing the woman of the hour, Tyson Beckford said, "Tonight is about my manager, my heart, Mama B, Bethann Hardison. Bethann has led us in this fight to make sure that each and every one of you young colored people can have a life like Tyson Beckford, like Naomi Campbell, like Iman…You the stylists, the photographers, the bookers, you can control this. The models will show up. Fuck racism. Up with diversity."

—Todd Plummer and Nicole Phelps

Ponying Up

If you've been wondering how Nacho Figueras ' pelvis is doing, rest assured. "It's back in business," he told Style.com on Saturday. Fashion's favorite polo player had to sit out last year's Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic because of a broken tailbone, but this time around he returned to Liberty State Park with every intention of winning, even if he was playing it cool wardrobe-wise. Figueras skipped his signature haberdashery (he's been the face of Ralph Lauren Black Label since 2005) and instead opted for a blazer, jeans, and Rolling Stones tee. Why so casual?



"Well, I woke up like this, I felt like the Rolling Stones." Everyone else, on the other hand, seemed to take dressing up rather seriously. "Fashion loves a polo match," said Steven Kolb . "It's all about showing off your linen, your khaki, your sunglasses." Not to mention a sensible pair of shoes. At halftime, guests took to the pitch for the obligatory round of divot stomping. Actress Dakota Johnson was wearing Tabitha Simmons flats. "I'm excited because it's a saying I use in real life—one should always fix one's divots," she said. "That's why I wore these!"



"I enjoy dressing up. But I do also enjoy dressing down," Lupita Nyong'o remarked as she took in the match alongside friend Olivia Munn and their mutual stylist, Micaela Erlanger. Carly Cushnie of Cushnie et Ochs went as far as to wonder if the crowd, which also included Julianne Moore and Busy Philipps , was actually paying attention. "It's about dressing up, the colors, the champagne, watching beautiful men on beautiful horses. Is anyone really watching the sport?" If they were, they would have noticed that Figueras led his Black Watch team to a 12-10 victory over the Veuve Clicquot opposition.

—Todd Plummer

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Mijia Zhang

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LOTW