Lots of Hopping...But Any Shopping?

Rain may have forced the suspension of play during last night's U.S. Open, but magically, the inclement weather mostly steered clear of Manhattan, a meteorological turn of events that seemed to bode well for Fashion's Night Out. And what a night for fashion it was. New Yorkers of every stripe donned their most stylish ensembles and took to the streets to mix and mingle at their favorite shops. Never have we seen such crowds—around the block at Bergdorf, dutifully waiting to get into Dior (where Vogue covergirl Charlize Theron was in residence) and jammed into Jeffrey. Among our favorite stops included Chanel (where we caught up with old friend and Chanel's executive director of fashion public relations Gretchen Fenton); Barneys, where Isabel and Ruben Toledo made an appearance, along with Manolo Blahnik; Cole Haan, which created an homage to the U.S. Open, complete with a high-chair-sitting line judge outside and a massive hollow tennis ball in-store containing lollipops from Dylan's Candy Bar; Miu Miu; the Prada store in SoHo, where The Rapture were playing to a rapturous mob and the many wonderful stores of the Meatpacking District, including Moschino, Tory Burch, Theory and Hugo Boss.

It was a fun night...one of the finest evenings for finery we can remember in a very long time. Not so much due to what was on the racks, but what was on backs. New Yorkers proved they can still wow when it comes to dressing. Sadly, with so much gorgeous garb already in the revelers' possession, few seemed to be in the market for new clothes. The ratio of pedestrians to shopping bags was incredibly high. Too high, it appeared, to have made a dent in the overtime the retailers had to pay keeping their staffs in stores until 11:00.

All that said, for one night only, Big Apple residents forgot about the Great Recession and did what they do best....looked absolutely amazing. Here's to another FNO next year. when purse strings just might be a little looser.

Don't Forget the Daisies

At last night's Headdress Affair, daisies were about the only flower not in sight, as exotic flora—and some might say, fauna—took to the runway atop the heads of models channeling Carmen Miranda. Dubbed "Tulips & Pansies," the fashion show was the eighth annual outing for the popular event, which benefits Village Care of New York, a charity that provides healthcare services to individuals with HIV/AIDS.

A panel of local celebrities sat in judgment as statuesque women, along with a few men in drag, strutted by wearing headpieces positively bursting with blooms. Each hat was the creation of a noted design company, with Chado Ralph Rucci, Zang Toi, Thierry Mugler, Lily Pulitzer and Tory Burch among those collaborating with clever florists to fabricate the enormous—and enormously colorful chapeaux.

Hosted by James Aguiar of Full Frontal Fashion and the Style Network, the event more than demonstrated that flowers can be that much more delightful when worn on one's head instead of stashed in a vase.

For more photos, click here.

Memorial Sloan Makes Memories

Memorial Sloan Kettering's second annual spring ball took up residence in the Plaza Hotel tonight and New York's social set came out to show its support. Even during this busy season, the event is undisputedly one of the city's biggest remaining galas before Memorial Day. Boldface names from the peacock network were out in force, not surprising given that Caryn Zucker, wife of NBC president Jeff Zucker, was one of the event's co-chairs. In addition to the Zuckers, other NBC Universal personalities in attendance included Natalie Morales, Hoda Kotb, Melissa Francis and Tiki Barber. But you did not have to be on the NBC payroll to enjoy the highlight of the night, a performance by R&B singer Macy Gray.

For more photos, click here.

Paws... for a Cause

The fur was flying at Arena last night, at the ninth annual Paws for Style fashion show, held to benefit the Humane Society of New York. Gotham celebrities and dog-lovers alike gathered on the (ahem) catwalk to showcase an array of matching fashions for canines and humans. Among the designers unleashed for the event were Nanette Lepore, Rebecca Taylor, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Badgley Mischka and Maggie Norris. Assorted canine-loving celebrities included the evening's emcee, the never without his sunglasses style guru Robert Verdi, Hairspray star Nikki Blonsky, actress Alison Becker, Miss Teen USA Hilary Cruz, journalist Jo Piazza, Social Life magazine editor Devorah Rose, WABC reporter Lauren Glassberg, Law & Order SVU's Richard Belzer, animal activist and philanthropist Frances Hayward and socialite and author Cornelia Guest. Lauren Conrad, star of The Hills, made an appearance, but vexingly for many in attendance, bolted before taking her turn on the runway. Not that any of the purebreeds and mutts in attendance took any notice. In fact, they seemed okay with the fact that the starlet had headed for, well, the hills. After all, it was the dogs themselves were the true stars of the night.