Daily Front Row

2010 August 18

Waiting for Karl

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Francisco Costa
NICK HUNT / PatrickMcMullan.com View Gallery

(NEW YORK) For four years, the Museum at FIT’s well-dressed Couture Council has helped jump start preparations for the fall fashion calendar with their annual Summer Party. Hosted by Liz Peek, Yaz Hernandez, Alexandra Lebenthal and Charlotte Moss, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy on the Upper East Side seemed a fitting location to celebrate next month’s benefit luncheon honoring Karl Lagerfeld, who will receive the Council’s special Fashion Visionary Award at Avery Fisher Hall on September 10th.

“We’re all floating on double C’s to have Karl as the honoree,” Lebenthal said. “No one is more iconic and legendary.” Hernandez agreed. “We’re very happy that he accepted our invitation.” She said tickets, which started at $1,000, have been completely sold out in anticipation of the Kaiser’s arrival on the first day of fashion week.

“He deserves it more than anyone in the world,” said Bergdorf Goodman's Linda Fargo. “I’ve never met someone with so much pure talent,” Francisco Costa added. “He’s really the king. He’s amazing. He’s a genius.” “He’s a great inspiration,” chimed in Christian Cota, who recently spent three days in Mexico with his family. The CFDA Fashion Fund finalist has been busy working on a lower-price point line for his brand. “He stays so relevant. I look up to that.” Nicole Miller, who went to school in Paris, remembered Karl early in his career. “I even had some of his things from his first collection,” she said. “I seriously regret not keeping them.”   

Summer isn’t quite over yet, but for the seasoned fashion individuals that were in town last night, tan and well rested from their retreats to summer homes in the Hamptons and trips to Spain and Greece, it felt like the first day back to school. The usual suspects were there: Patrick McDonald, dressed in Paul Smith, was promoting Jim Howard’s new paperdoll book which includes him alongside Oscar Wilde and other dandies. Lynn Yeager was scratching away on her pad while wearing her signature coif and shiny shoes. And Bill Cunningham, camera in hand, wove in and out of the tight crowd capturing all the vintage Chanel worn by guests. “I went shopping,” said Fargo, who purchased her first pair of knee-length leopard-print boots for fashion week. “From here on in, there will be no sleep, no food, no bath, nothing," delcared Cota. "Just work!"
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