Socol's Send-Off Soiree

(NEW YORK) Howard Socol received a sendoff worthy of a man of his caliber and charisma on Thursday night, when the outgoing Barneys New York president chief executive officer, whose last official day is Monday, was saluted with a surprise bash by his supportive staff. "It was just like the Christmas party, but in June--and for Howard," said one attendee.

About 150 guests gathered at Fred's at Barneys for the cocktail party, where Socol, who was led there under the premise that he was having a farewell drink with some colleagues, was joined by his wife, Sharon, daughter, Carey Socol-Kregsman, and members of his senior executive staff, including Julie Gilhart, Dawn Brown, Simon Doonan, Karl Hermann, and Terrence Bogan, the vice president of women's Co-op, who spoke. Socol himself delivered a few heartfelt words, thanking Barneys for the magic carpet ride he rode for the last seven and a half years and for accepting "this non-fashion guy."

In between sets courtesy of DJ Coleman, Doonan presented Socol with a "transformed" bowling trophy as a Barneys "Lifetime Achievement Award," while the entire company presented him with a memorabilia scrapbook they had assembled.

Halfway into the party, Barneys public relations director Timothy Elliott rolled a life-size cake into the room--"We have one more surprise," he winked--and out popped Paper Magazine's Mickey Boardman, clad in a vintage Solange Couture black kimono with silver stars, to the soundtrack of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Madonna's "Lucky Stars" ensued. "Boy, I'll do anything for a $50 dollar gift card!" Boardman laughed.