A White Shirt Affair

(NEW YORK) A chic crowd more than familiar with the term "hi-low" gathered at 630 Fifth Avenue on Monday night to toast the arrival of Gap's newest Design Editions--a collection of limited-edition white shirts and jewelry created in partnership with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. "They're one size fits all, but you can heat them to make them smaller," quipped Amy Sedaris about her plastic Design Edition bracelet, which was designed by her date Philip Crangi. "Like at the optometrist's."

The stars of the night were the Design Edition designers, including Crangi, Philip Lim, Michael Bastian, Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders, and Threeasfour's Gabi, Adi, and Ange--all of which put their own unique spin on the white shirt. "We whipped this together right after the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund gala," said Gap's executive vice president of design Patrick Robinson, who sported a simple Gap logo tee and Fall 2008 Pierre Hardy for Gap distressed leather boots. The talented executive--who admitted he sent a few white shirts to his former Puig stable mate, Carolina Herrera-was also on display, both on the story boards featuring his Norman Jean Roy-photographed May Vogue spread, as well as a preview of his new summer designs.

Along with designers Richard Chai, Loeffler Randall's Jesse Randall, Marcia Patmos and Tina Lutz of Lutz & Patmos, Ashleigh Verrier, Jason Wu, and Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, a slew of celebs traipsed about in the limited-edition white shirts and designer duds. Lake Bell and Keisha Whitaker sported Doo.Ri and 3.1 Phillip Lim from their namesake labels while Lily Aldridge showed up in Threeasfour for Gap, Chanel Iman in Band of Outsiders, and Elettra Wiedemann Rossellini arrived with Lim in a mix of his designs and a newly-blonde 'do. "My staples are my black Stella McCartney pencil skirts and my Chanel pumps," Bell noted. "In black and navy suede." And although Jill Kargman wasn't sporting a Gap design, she garnered some buzz in the Chanel dress Madonna wears on the cover of this month's Elle. "The one party dress I get post-baby, Madonna wears before me," she laughed.

Anna Wintour, Aerin Lauder, Jennifer Creel, Byrdie Bell, Ria and Youri Augousti, Jessica Joffe, Steven Kolb, Richard Lambertson, Virginia Madsen, and Gap Adult president Gary Muto all mingled as deejay Ben Cho spun. Tory Burch marveled at the chic white shirts displayed on mannequins. "You can almost tell who made what," she pointed out. "Threeasfour always cut on a bias." Bastian was also thrilled with the results. "I can't wait to see someone on the street in my babies!" he exclaimed.

Thakoon Panichgul, who was the only designer from last year's freshman crop on hand and who came with dates Toni Garrn and Tina Chai, was amazed at how quickly time had flown. "I like probably the men's design, but that's because I can wear it now," he smiled. "For some reason, it feels a lot bigger this year." That's not to say he feels disconnected from the brand. "I just said hi to the Gap patternmaker," he added.

For his part, Lim relished the arrival of the Gap's new collection. "Yesterday, the cashier at my deli pointed to the New York Times ad featuring the shirts and said, 'Real life!'" he recalled with a chuckle. "But fashion is such a brutal schedule. I wish it would just pause for a second."
JIM SHI