Au Bord de la Seine!
(PARIS) 'Twas a hot and humid one last night, so where to go but l'eau? First stop: A raucous boat off the Pont d'Iéna, where Lacoste celebrated 75 years of chic-y prep in the wildest of styles. Good thing the boat was docked. Between the water pistols, inflatable pool toys, hot tubs, and free-flowing booze, catastrophe was never terribly distant. Lacoste hosted the party with Visionaire, who collaborated with the venerable French brand on a line of polo shirts called Visionaire 54 Sport. And where V goes, the scene follows. Several established members of the American press (who shall remain nameless to protect the innocent) declined the offer to come in beach attire, but looked on disbelievingly as guests headed to the sweltering hot tubs, wearing little more than a plastic inner tube. "A lot of the time anniversaries are about looking back," said Cecilia Dean. "But here we are looking forward to the future. It's very youthful!"
Indeed. The likes of Brigitte Romanek and Patricia Arquette ensconced themselves in the VIP section, while Karl Lagerfeld lounged momentarily on the top deck before heading home. Given that his Chanel couture show ended only twelve hours earlier, it's pretty clear that Karl has stamina to spare.
A fabulous DJ set by none other than Lady Bunny had the gorgeous youth quivering. Luckily, several crepe and panini stands kept the chronic dancers fortified. Good times were had by most, but industry chicettes like Julie Gilhart headed home early. "It's been a long day," she admitted. "But everything was so gorgeous that it's worth it."
For diehards, the party went on. A few blocks down the Seine, Giuseppe Zanotti hosted an A-list only bash at the Mini Palais. Thank heavens for the fruit skewers! By 1:00 am, Janet Jackson was just arriving. "I really should be rehearsing for my tour," she said, "But I just had to come to couture." Another fashion trooper: Eva Mendes. "I just flew in for the Dior show yesterday," she said. "I'm not really thinking about anything else but shopping and eating. Now go home and get some rest!" Oh no! Do we really look that tired?
ASHLEY BAKER
