TIMELESS WRAPS: From the hors d’oeuvres to the pretty young things’ favored choice of dress, wraps were everywhere at Bergdorf Goodman on Wednesday night. That comes as little surprise: Bergdorf’s threw a bash to celebrate Diane von Furstenberg’s book, “The Wrap,” and many of the designer’s nears and dears dropped by, including husband Barry Diller, Anh Duong, Candy Pratts Price, Anne McNally, Kalliope Karella and André Leon Talley.
The book proves that the wrap is timeless — just ask von Furstenberg, who chose to wear the same dress that’s also on the book’s Andy Warhol cover, and made it look not a second too old. Still, she quipped, “I feel a bit retarded wearing a dress I wore 30 years ago.”
PROPERTY OF ARMANI: Talk in Milan that Giorgio Armani is about to lease a space for an Armani Jeans store in the up-and-coming Porta Ticinese area is increasing speculation that he will eventually turn his Via Manzoni megastore into one of his new luxury hotels. In addition to Armani Jeans, the Manzoni space boasts a Nobu restaurant and carries Emporio Armani and Armani Casa, among other lines. A source said Armani himself checked out the space and that talks are progressing. Armani recently inked a $1 billion plan with Emaar Properties to develop 14 Armani-designed sites in seven years, with a hotel slated for Milan. When Armani opened the Manzoni store in 2000, he voiced the idea of possibly turning its upper levels into a hotel. Lately, however, Armani has balked at that option. An Armani spokeswoman had no comment.
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STRIKE A POSE: New mom Christy Turlington said her five-month-old daughter, Grace, is a yoga natural. “She can teach me a few things,” the model-turned-entrepreneur quipped at a party Wednesday night to introduce her new Mahanuala yoga collection. “She is so flexible.” Turlington, who is so devoted to yoga that she did headstands when she was in her eighth month of pregnancy, is selling her new Puma-produced collection exclusively on amazon.com for the next six months.
Puma, meanwhile, has certainly been in a partying mood. Besides the Mahanuala event, the company feted its fall lifestyle apparel at a party in New York last week at the Milk Studios, where Shaolin monks and stunt cyclists performed a series of acrobatics and bike tricks while wearing Puma’s new apparel. Jay Piccola, president of Puma North America, mingled with the hipsters. “We are branching out,” he said. “Puma is now about lifestyle.”
RANKIN FILE: Dazed & Confused co-owner and photographer Rankin is the latest member of fashion’s elite who’s eyeing Los Angeles as a second home. The lensman revealed he’s house hunting Wednesday night at the opening reception for “Celebration,” an exhibition of 46 Rankin portraits at L.A.’s Armani Casa boutique. The week-long exhibit, part of the Armani/Arte program, brings art to select boutiques — in this case, in Milan, New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Boston, where it concludes on April 14. But Rankin isn’t just looking to shoot more celebrities — his portfolio already includes Madonna, Marianne Faithfull, David Bowie, Hugh Grant, Cate Blanchett and Jude Law — he’s shopping for an agent and hopes to direct films (are you listening, CAA?). And he’s not necessarily looking to book Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts. “I’m not a big-headed photographer, I’m not a diva,” he said. “I’ll shoot a famous guy or the guy next door if they’re interesting.”
OPPORTUNIST ALERT: It looks like L.A. Fashion Week has a new terrible twosome: actress Dominique Swain and stylist-boutique owner Oren Shepher. The pair were spotted at five shows on Monday — not unheard of for media-hungry starlets and their “best friends” (his words) — but what did turn heads were Swain’s five costume changes. The “Lolita” star sported head-to-toe looks from Rachel Pally, 2 B Free, Maria Bianca Nero, Petro Zillia and Coco Kliks at each of their respective shows. “We’re just trying to show how versatile she is,” Shepher said. With the pair planning on hitting still more shows this week, we think they’re gunning for the dubious distinction of Miss Congeniality instead.