Mr. Mickey Turns 10

If New York had a prom king, it'd be Boardman
Wednesday, August 03, 2005

(NEW YORK) There are many ways to describe Mickey Boardman: Famous Paper columnist. Effusive champion of out-there fashion. Sweet-as-pie guy. And also, commando.

"Isaac Mizrahi said I wasn't wearing any underwear!" laughed Mr. Mickey as he greeted guests at his 10th anniversary party last night at The Garden of Ono. "But he's wrong. I am! I swear!" 

Besides admittedly small underwear, Mickey sported short-shorts from American Apparel, a bedazzled Marni blouse, and rainbow sequined ballet flats that could click three times and fly home. "You know the secret?" cried Mickey, in the least secret voice ever. "They're from Forever 21!" Then he skipped away to kiss Johnny Knoxville underneath a small tent.

Elsewhere, Mickey's friends and fans reminisced about his decade at Paper. "I remember when I was Mickey's intern," sighed Scissor Sister Jake Shears, "and Mickey would pound his fist on the desk and scream, 'I just want fun kids doing interesting things! Fun kids doing interesting things!' I guess that was a real inspiration to me."

There was no shortage of fun kids doing interesting things at the party: Paper boys Jake Brown and Drew Elliott cruised the

banquettes in huge aviator sunglasses and clingy T-shirts, while soon-to-be author Thomas Onorato steered his Misshapes misfits, Geordan, Greg K., and Leigh Lezark, to Boy George, and then to the bar. Aimee Phillips and Richie Rich distributed huge, glittery invites to Heatherette's debut in Henri Bendel next week, exclaiming "Omigosh, we're so excited!" before revealing that Richie and Traver Rains are leaving for an Italian vacation with David LaChapelle this week.  Minnie Mortimer talked about her small birthday dinner tonight at Butter, organized by brother Topper. Ruffian's Brian Wolk and Claude Morais proudly said their Spring '06 collection is almost done. Meanwhile, Cynthia Rowley's cute husband Bill Powers dished on his latest project, "a book about entitlement, you know, what it means in American culture to feel like you deserve the same things that other people, people with privilege, have...I think it's tied closely into this celebrity-obsessed culture we have."

But enough about other people; let's talk more about Mickey!

"I remember the time he came to the Azzedine Alaïa show, and I was naked," said Amanda Lepore, who was almost naked last night in her bustier-and-tap-pant ensemble, "and he said to me, 'Amanda, why are you naked?' I told him it was because I was celebrating the female body, but really, it's because I couldn't decide on a dress." 

According to Ms. Rowley, "Last weekend, we were in the Hamptons, at Peter Beard's house, and there was this giant trampoline. Mickey started jumping, and he did this perfect split in mid-air-wait, I have a picture!" She whipped out her cell phone and showed Mr. Boardman in all his glory, mid-air in a totally perfect split. Amazing. As for Mickey's boss, Paper co-founder Kim Hastreiter, she merely gushed, "There are too many favorite moments with Mickey!" Dandy Man Patrick McDonald nodded in agreement, and so did party hostess Tinsley Mortimer, clutching a Kate Spade clutch with one hand and her friend Brian Long with the other: "I love Mickey all the time!" she grinned.

So do we, Tinsley. So does everybody!
FARAN KRENTCIL