Rock the Boat

(NEW YORK) While the fashion set seems to fancy the latest and greatest--both in runway trends and party venues--Kai Kühne opted for a classic on Wednesday night, hosting an intimate alfresco dinner for friends at the Central Park Boathouse. "It's a place I go when I want to be around something beautiful," Kühne mused. "I often take a boat out while my dog, Powder, swims, and sometimes we row over to the Dakota to say hi to Yoko Ono."

The slightly muggy climate did little to deter the likes of Horacio Silva, Patrick Li, Genevieve Jones, Haidee Findlay-Levine, Victoria Bartlett, Lee Swillingham and Christina Kruse, many of whom had never been to the restaurant. "Skinny bitches, time to eat!" Kühne roared as certain guests substituted the cocktail portions for a prolonged cigarette break. Keegan Singh made a cameo. He was fresh from the set, where he styled two stories for The Last, the new oversized Steidl-printed magazine out in September. It's being overseen by Magnus Berger, beau of Julia Restoin Roitfeld.

The get-together served as an outlet for Kühne to unwind after a busy few weeks. He returned to New York at 6 a.m. that morning from shooting his fall campaign with models Jana Broughton and Nina Heimlich at a quarry mine in Graniteville, Vermont. On July 20, IMG Berlin has invited him to present his namesake line--pieces from his fall collection and his "Emblematic" line of classics-at the IMG tents at the Bebelplatz. He follows in the footsteps of last year's guest, Zac Posen. Kühne is also entertaining the possibility of showing his spring collection at the Bryant Park Tents in September.

"I have an organic background but I design very geometric now," he summed up of his new, more mature outlook--a far cry from the looser days when he was one member of the design team As Four. But that doesn't mean Kühne's completely abandoned his naughty, playful side. Following the first course, he wrangled a few tablemates for an unscheduled gondola ride around the lake. "Hey," he laughed. "It's cheaper than Venice!"
JIM SHI