Mr. Punctuality

(NEW YORK) As notoriously unpredictable as the man himself, Marc Jacobs's parties are certainly interesting to say the least. Friday night's bash celebrating the designer's fall collection was no exception.

With the actual show starting a record 20 minutes after its 7 p.m. call time, Jacobs threw his guests for a loop, arriving at the party early with friends in tow. "I didn't even want to have a fashion show this season," Jacobs admitted. "It's very exhausting and part of the cycle, but in the end I decided to do something a little different. I thought this was fun and glamorous at the same time."

Within a few minutes, 24 Fifth Avenue was swarming with Lil' Kim, Karen Elson, Sarah Sophie Flicker, Josh Harnett, Padma Lakshmi, Dr. Lisa Airan, Kim Gordon, Sophia Bush, Debbie Harry, Justin Theroux, and Terry Richardson. Outside, meanwhile, stood a lone fan holding a sign that read "Marc Jacobs is a God."

Selma Blair arrived in a freshly cut Louise Brooks-inspired bob and a black Marc Jacobs dress festooned with rhinestones. "I'm trying to look festive and it's so hard!" she laughed. "I'm proud to call Marc someone I adore." Also in party mode was Allison Sarofim, whose Alexander McQueen high-waisted pants drew a fair share of attention. "They have a detachable suspender," she said. "And they were only $34!"

But not everyone was in a celebratory mood. When asked what she thought of the show, Rachel Zoe replied, "I don't want to talk about it; they wouldn't let me in! I was stuck in gridlock for 45 minutes so I missed it!"

While Jacobs' current muse, Victoria Beckham, was noticeably absent, the designers other new obsession, and Marc by Marc Jacobs model, M.I.A, was enlisted to spin tunes. Along with DJ Mano, she mixed her typical hip-hop and dance combo. "Last year I wasn't let into the Marc Jacobs party and this year I own it!" she boasted, declaring "Party's over! Go home!" at the stroke of midnight.

However, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, who paired her Alaïa with her mom's Perfecto bomber, was content to dance by the bar with boyfriend Magnus Berger. "I almost missed the show, too, but thankfully someone told me to be careful this year," she said. "It's nice to be close with the people from KCD!" While the clothes were a hit, the fashion ingénue admitted she paid more attention to Gordon on stage.

"Sonic Youth was so great that it was kind of hard to focus on the clothes," she admitted. "It was like clothes...concert...clothes...concert."
RANDI BERGMAN