Reading Rodriguez

(NEW YORK) It's not often that Bergdorf Goodman turns itself into a boîte de nuit. But for Narciso Rodriguez, anything's possible. The designer and sundry pals gathered to celebrate the release of his eponymously named coffee-table book, published by Rizzoli. Beyond the velvet ropes on the famed retailer's third floor, Jessica Alba and Jaime King showered the designer in praise before posing for photographers.

"After the hundreds of things that we've seen, after all the fashion weeks, if you can recall a specific look, that means the designer is doing a great job. That's Narciso," said Bergdorf's Linda Fargo who made an appearance alongside BG colleagues Jim Gold and Roopal Patel. Other guests, including Vogue's Virginia Smith and Coach's Reed Krakoff, sipped champagne and nibbled mini burgers in front of the in-store Rodriguez boutique, the walls of which had been adorned with several of the designer's alien-like sketches.

"I love the fact that he's Cuban," said designer Ruben Toledo, standing with his wife, Isabel. "He's also a genius." Toledo scrounged around for a pen in order to get a book signed for Barneys creative director Simon Doonan. "It's his birthday and I want Linda to sign it." 

The Daily asked guests what they would write about if tasked with a work of fiction. "I'd love to write a fairy tale," said Patel, glowing in a red Rodriguez. "I love stories of princes and princesses."  Toledo was less ethereal: "It would be all about me."

ADAM P. SCHNEIDER