High Heeled Heaven

(NEW YORK) Recession be damned! Thursday night, a slew of stylish ladies descended upon Madison Avenue's Roger Vivier boutique for an evening of champagne and serious shoe shopping benefiting the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Clown Care Program. "When I left Paris, it was nice and warm," said brand ambassador Ines de la Fressange, her Roger Vivier petit bijoux bag tucked under her arm. "I ran out to Barneys earlier, but it was freezing out so I went back to the Lowell and went to bed."

Dreaming of warmer weather, de la Fressange revealed that the company, which has made its first children's shoe for Suri Cruise, has another baby in the works: A new Miami store that will open next spring at the Bal Harbour Shops. This marks the company's second U.S. store.

Anne Grauso, Melanie Seymour Holland, Leslie Stevens, Courtney Moss, and Helen Schifter were among the organization's senior associates who wrangled friends Shoshanna Gruss, Gretchen Fenton, Veronica Beard, Jennifer Creel and Liz Lange to shop before a quaint dinner next door at La Goulue. "These are sick," declared Schifter of her skyscraper "Rose 'n' Roll" heels, before laughing, "And after tonight's weather, disgusting."

Blair Husain came prepared with an oversized tote bag, which housed patent leather Ralph Lauren heels she promptly changed into. "The ugly shoes are in the bag!" she quipped. Jamee Gregory made a quick cameo before heading off to Le Grenouille with her husband Peter to celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary. No stranger to the Vivier brand (daughter Samantha once ran the U.S. press office), she said, her kidded, "The bag's Vuitton and the shoes are Prada."

Up on the third floor, Moss eyed the Flora flats de la Fressange was wearing while Alex Lind Rose swooned over a pair of bejeweled Pilgrim pumps. "I remember once telling someone that Roger Vivier used to design shoes for John Lennon, and that person asked me, 'Who is John Lennon?'" de la Fressange laughed. Eyeing a pair of Vivier flats sporting a new gold buckle, she mused, "Hmm, a 24-karat pair would be nice. I'll ask Bruno Frisoni."
JIM SHI