Backstage at Alexandra Lind Rose’s line for Alfred Fiandaca.

Yesterday felt like the first day of school for some New Yorkers back from the summer in the Hamptons, Nantucket, Europe, Aspen, etc. A beautiful late summer day again; the beginning of fashion week. There was a taxi strike. Sort of. The taxi drivers are protesting the Taxi Commission’s requirement for a GPS screen in each new taxi. The drivers’ objection is that they will be taxed for it. Whenever there’s money involved with cabs, the drivers pay. In New York, everyone blames the cabbies. People (often talking on their cells) walk (not even run!?) against lights ... all the time ... constantly ... walk into oncoming traffic ... all the time ...(it’s the fashion) ... and when threatened by the possibility of getting hit by a car (usually a taxi since there are more (obvious) of them, they blame ... well, why not? ... the taxi drivers. But don’t get me started. Anyway there was a sorta strike. Meaning: those who wished to protest stayed home. Those who simply needed to work, came in. Then there were the livery drivers. Some joined in the protest but others were there waiting for us. For be it turned out to be No Problem. I had a nice ride with a man who spoke a language I did not know or understand at all although he was very pleasant and disinterested. I realized “getting there” was all he thinks.  He drove fast, which was a little scary at first, but he was agile. And I was at Bryant Park in two shakes of a lamb’s tail (you never heard that one?). I was going to the Alexandra Lind Rose (for Alfred Fiandaca)’s Show in the Bryant Park Grill. Of course, they cleared out the tables and put in a white runway. I was seated in a front row between the beautiful Meredith Melling Burke of Vogue and that witty yet still wondering scribe of W and  WWD, Bobbi Queen. In this kind of company I tend to think I don’t know what the hell I’m looking at. So I sat there with my Digital poised upon my left knee to catch each number as the models entered onto the runway. Some readers may know that I was once in the schmatte business, somewhat serendipitously, on my way to writerdom. Before I took the big leap into the latter, I had a shop (and once two) in Westchester and Fairfield Counties. Selling the stuff (designer sportswear for women) off-price. So yesterday I decided to look at Alexandra’s Resort and Spring as if I were buying it for the customers. What provoked the idea was that I could see my customers (in the 1970s) buying this beautiful, makes sense, classic, even conservative stuff. I was also reminded of my foray on the day and night before, looking at the Bergdorf windows. (See Tuesday’s Diary). Fashion, in my opinion, portends. Which is why it intrigues me. It is entirely cultural and political. You can see it in those Bergdorf’s windows that are tributing Charlie Scheips’ book for the CFDA “American Fashion.” You could see it yesterday on the runway of Alexandra Lind Rose’s line for Alfred Fiandaca. Mrs. Rose, incidentally, is a very nice young woman, gracious and lovely, just as you can see. Mr. Fiandaca, whom I’ve never met (or even seen) before, came out with Mrs. Rose for the applause. You could see similarities on his face too.

Front and center at Alexandra Lind Rose’s line for Alfred Fiandaca (Clockwise from top left): Alexandra Kotur, Louis Rose, and Julia Kay; Mark Gilbertson and Alison Aston; Chris Spitzmiller and Julia Kay; Grace Meigher and Hilary Ross; Bobbi Queen.

A look backstage ....

Let the show begin ...

The show was over at 11:45. I made a quick walk eight blocks up Fifth Avenue to Rockefeller Center and the Rainbow Room where the Couture Council of the Fashion Institute of Technology was holding its 2nd annual Artistry of Fashion luncheon. Night or Day, the Rainbow Room is a great way to see the city. The view of New York was spectacular yesterday. Clear and sunny, cloudless skies as far as the eye could see (north to the George Washington Bridge and the distant hills of New Jersey beyond; the hills of Westchester, and west to Connecticut, Long Island Sound, Long Island: a thrill. Glenda Bailey and Demi Moore I can’t remember if I attended the First Annual luncheon gala of this group last year. Maybe. The Couture Council raises funds for the FIT Museum. They were honoring Alber Elbaz with their Artistry of Fashion Award. Mr. Elbaz is artistic director of the women’s Pret-a-Porter collection of Lanvin. Between Mr Albaz and the Council, they brought out quite the crowd. The fashion faces, the NYSD faces, the supermodel faces, and even the Hollywood faces. You walk in on all that as, well as some familiar faces, and there’s the back-to-school operating. Big crowd. About 360. Demi Moore (nice, demure Demi, looking really great), Linda Evangelista, cute and beautiful, jolly (wrong word but right idea) in a kind of rustic contemporary Little Bo Peep(ed) way. The beautiful Iman whom I’ve never met but seen and observed at these galas. Sweetness, a modesty, laughs at herself quietly, but sweetly: probably a cut-up among friends, one of those people you like just from seeing. Simon Doonan, the designer of Barney’s windows, the columnist for the New York Observer, the observer, acerbic but more lactic than acid; a funny, talented man with a bright but shrewd view of things. He introduced the designer to the room. Liz Peek, the president of the Council introduced him, and then Joyce Brown, president of FIT spoke She pointed out that FIT has academic associations with schools in Europe as well as Asia, including the school tht Alber Elbaz attended – Shenkar College, the Tel Aviv School of Fashion and Textiles.

The view from the Rainbow Room.

Liz Peek and her husband Jeff, who’s CEO of CIT Financial, are two of the most philanthropically active people in New York when it comes to culture (and by way of it, education). They contribute in two ways: time and money. It’s the perfection of community, and you can see that they too get a lot out of it in terms of satisfaction. This luncheon, Liz told me, was such a success the first time out, they decided to see what a second time would do: greater success. You could see why. Great venue, beautiful day, big crowd, boldface, social, familiar. Blaine Trump, making what’s become a rare appearance was in red and from a distance I thought I saw Nicole Kidman in red. Blaine, as the world knows, has gone through a dissolution of a long marriage. Never a breeze. But she’s back in town now, working as she has for years at God’s Love, and ready to begin again; you could see she loved being there.

Simon Doonan addresses the crowd.

Lotsa of names, lotsa fashion: Susan Gutfreund, Glenda Bailey, Lynn Hirschberg, Connie Spahn, Richard Turley, Howard and Sharon Socol, Tiffany Dubin, Byrdie Bell, Chloe Sevigny, Peter Davis, Kristian Laliberte, Zani Gugelman, Michey Boardman, Tennesse Hamilton, Kimball Hastings, Amalia Dayan (who hosted a table with Danielle Luxembourg), Hope Atherton, Jon Marder, Renee Rockefeller, Pat Kerr, in from Tennessee;  Patricia Duff, Lynne White, Amy Fine Collins, Neal Fox and Martha Kramer, Bonnie Evans, Mai Hallingby, Caroline Hirsch; the brilliant Iris Apfel, Michele Herbert, Dayssi Kanavos, Sheila Stephenson, Pamela Ferrari (who just open a Greenwich branch to her East Hampton shop – see today’s Shopping Diary), Lauren London,  Catherine Saxton, Dawn Mello, Ann LeConey, Caroline Millbank, Elizabeth Stribling, Gillian Miniter, Alexandra Lebenthal, Susan Baker (this list isn’t a marathon in case it’s beginning to feel like one); Arnold Scaasi, Susan Lyne, Denise Saul, Gretchen and Gene Grissanti, Suzanne Cochran, Parker Ladd, John Demsey, Fabiola Beracasa, Charlotte Moss, Ralph Rucci (who was the first recipient of the Artistry of Fashion Award); Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT; Pamela Fiori, Joanne De Guardiola, Linda Fargo, Marylou Luther, Ruth LaFerla, Lisa Perry, Hilary Geary Ross, Mish, Margaret Russell, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn,  Robert Janjigian, Micky Ateyeh, Becca Cason Thrash, Frederic Fekkai and Shirin Von Wulffen, Bettina Zilkha, Lucy Sykes, Cece Cord, Whitney and Sarah Wolfe (daughter/mother), Michele Gerber-Klein, Susan Magrino. Just a few more than I’ll fold: Celia Tompkins-Hegyi,  Lynn Yaeger, Asia Baker, Susan Shin, Leslie Stevens, Roy Kean, Mark Langrish, Eleanora Kennedy, Isabel Toledo, Barry and Sheryl Schwartz, John Pomerantz, Jamee Gregory, Dalia Leeds, Valerie Salembier. And lots more just like ‘em. A good time was had by all. The Museum at FIT is a specialized fashion museum with a permanent collection encompassing more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present, as well as 30,000 textiles. Every six months, a new selection is put on display. Twice a year there is a major Exhibition (upcoming next February  through April is Madame Gres: Sphinx of Fashion).

Genevieve Jones, PJ Pascual, Anya Assante, and Byrdie Bell

Rachel Zoe and Eve

Iris Apfel

Guests en route to the Rainbow Room for lunch

Eve and Coralie Charriol

Liz Peek, Glenda Bailey, Dr. Valerie Steele, Alber Elbaz, Joyce Brown, and Jeff Peek

Patricia Duff and Amy FIne Collins

Iman and Bonnie Pfeifler

Linda Fargo and Tatiana Sorokko

Kristian Laliberte and Anisha Lakhani

Arnold Scaasi and Chloe Sevigny

Charlotte Moss and Ralph Rucci

Frederic Fekkai and Becca Thrash

Lyn Yaeger and Ingrid Sischy

Jon Marder and Susan Gutfreund

Alexandra Lebenthal

Linda Evangelista and Alber Elbaz

Alber Elbaz' golden shoes

Richard Turley and Amy Fine Collins

Fabiola Beracasa

Mai Harrison and Zibby Tozer

Parker Ladd and Mai Harrison

Susan Magrino and Tiffany Dubin

L. to r.: Pat Kerr; Connie Spahn, Denise Saul, and Jamee Gregory; Mariana Kaufman.

Back of Lisa Perry (in a Lisa Perry)

Dahlia Leeds

Liz Peek

Eleanora Kennedy

Judith Agisim, Postcard from Shanghai Dear DPC,   Well here we are in Shanghai for the week's Shanghai Contemporary Art  Exhibition.   Hong Kong was non-stop. OVERWHELMING presence of every possible luxury brand on this planet, at least a half dozen free standing mega stores per brand, Wow. Top of that, the Mandarin Oriental, to the Peninsula, to the Four Seasons, plus plus, all had stores such as Hermes, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Bulgari, Lane Crawford, etc. in the hotel. Amazing. We did not miss the Midnight Garden, an outdoor market which is open daily from 7pm until midnight. Forget about the bargains, I could have had my fortune told by 50 psychics sitting in open-sided stalls, side by side, reading palms of tourists and locals alike. Meanwhile, Shanghai: It's been art galleries and parties non-stop since Joanna (Cappo)’s driver picked me up at the Pudong Airport. First stop Monday evening was to Yue Sai Kan's fabulous 10,000 square foot apartment in Shanghai's very exclusive "The House". It was a night of celebration for Yue Sai, who is launching a home furnishing company, aptly named House of Yue Sai. Being the most famous and successful (translate wealthiest) businesswoman in all of China, and knowing her taste level, this is certain to be major success! Her apartment ... absolutely exquisite. Talked with sculptor, Guang Ci, whose work will be in Sotheby's September 20th auction in New York City. His agent, Richard Loh, who once lived and owned stores in NYC, told us his primary focus is to help the poor artists in Beijing, to garner exposure for them.   We went to all the gallery openings in M-50 (Shanghai's Chelsea), met Ji Wenyu. Then to T8 in Xintiendi. Tomorrow is another busy day, with the Gala opening for Shanghai Contemporary Art Exhibition in the evening. XX Judy

Top row: Yue-Sai Kan at home with friends. Middle row, l. to r.: Judy with Sam Shaffer and Simon Lock at IMG-Master Card Peter Som fashion show in Chater Gardens; Judy with artist Ji Wenyu at the Shang Art Gallery, sitting in front of his installation. Bottom row: Helen Zha (Art consultant to BUND 798), Angela Li (ArtNow Gallery manager), Wang Yihan (Director, China International Gallery Exposition 2008), Mr. Huang Liao Yuan (owner of ArtnNow Gallery), Judy Agisim, Evelyn Lin (Deputy Director, Sotheby's Asia), and Joanna Cappo (Partner, BUND 798)

Photos by Lauren Peltzman & DPC.

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