WOOF-WOOF: Lord & Taylor had the exclusive on puppy love on Thursday, introducing five puppies and two adult dogs up for adoption to 300 animal lovers who came to the Fifth Avenue flagship to support the North Shore Animal League America.
Amid the yelping and barking, with many guests toting their dogs under their arms, Brendan Hoffman, Lord & Taylor’s chief executive officer, displayed some animal instincts. “Look how small and adorable they are. They’re perfect for companionship and for kids,” he said as Olga Zubashko cuddled a three-month-old puppy, a mix of Labrador and German shepherd. She and her parents couldn’t resist and ended up taking the puppy home. Overall, six of the seven dogs at the store were adopted during the event, which raised more than $3,200 for the league. On hand was Jeff Mahshie, creative director of Lord & Taylor’s Kate Hill collection, who gave out free coordinating dog coats with a purchase of a Kate Hill coat. Ten percent of the Kate Hill sales from the evening were donated to the league.
“In light of the recession, we are up with our adoptions,” said league president Beth Ostrosky Stern. “People are family oriented and want to add more love to their homes.”
CHLOE CELEBRATES: Lately Los Angeles has seen more store closings than openings, but a set of back-to-back fetes for Chloé’s long-awaited Melrose Place digs should make up for the dearth of parties. On Wednesday, creative director Hannah MacGibbon will welcome stylists and VIP clients to the store, and on Thursday, Kate Bosworth and Chloë Sevigny will host a party at Milk Studios for celebs like Emma Roberts, Leighton Meester, Maria Sharapova, Jewel, Kate Mara and Lake Bell. Crystal Castles and Janelle Monae will perform along with Perry Farrell on the turntables. And when it rains, it pours: Ralph Lauren, Badgley Mischka and local boutiques Des Kohan, They Way We Wore and Kitson are also throwing events this week.
DJ SQUARED: One of the things that makes a Dsquared2 show enjoyable is the always-infectious music, handpicked by the twin designers, Dan and Dean Caten. Now the Catens will broadcast their taste in music to a larger audience, potentially numbering in the millions. On May 5, they will kick off a show on Sirius satellite radio’s BPM channel, which plays dance hits from clubs, pop-dance remixes and selections of major DJs. The program, called “Dean and Dan on Air: Style in Stereo,” will spin music from the past and present, including the soundtracks from their runway shows, spanning genres including urban, dance, hip-hop and rock ’n’ roll. The program will also feature interviews with celebrities to discuss the latest in fashion, music, politics and more.
EARTHLY DELIGHTS: Wednesday is Earth Day, and to mark the occasion, Louis Vuitton decided to donate 15 percent of all sales from its U.S. Web site that day to The Climate Project, the nonprofit organization founded by Al Gore. The one-day initiative continues the leather goods house’s commitment to the environment and the organization. It first partnered with The Climate Project in 2007, when it started making donations on behalf of some of the personalities, in Vuitton’s Core Values advertising campaign. The campaign has featured the likes of Catherine Deneuve, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, Sean Connery, Keith Richards and Francis Ford and Sofia Coppola. “Over the past few years, Louis Vuitton has voluntarily made efforts to reduce the impact of its activities on the environment,” Daniel Lalonde, president and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton North America, said. “In addition, we are proud to be able to support The Climate Project.”
THAT LOVIN’ FEELING: In keeping with Thursday night’s balmy spring temps, Lucky magazine threw a party to celebrate the launch of Shoshanna Made With Love Charlotte Ronson, a new swimwear collaboration from designers Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss and Ronson. A black-clad crowd packed the seventh-floor lounge of The Thompson LES to sip Cava and nibble on crab salad hors d’oeuvres. And many looked forward to sporting the colorful two pieces — sometimes no beach required. “I’m going to wear one to the gym,” joked Ann Dexter-Jones. “I’m a big surfer,” said Orange County native Lindsay Price. But no one seemed brave enough to test-drive one of the looks that evening. “Maybe after a few more of these,” said one guest, nodding toward her glass.
NEW CHARITY: Ralph Destino Sr., former chairman of Cartier, is teaming up with Sara Delano Roosevelt, great-granddaughter of Franklin D. Roosevelt; Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, eighth generation descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Kick Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to form Legacy Group to support different causes. Destino called Legacy Group a “for-profit charity,” meaning about half the profits will go to three charities: Boys and Girls Club of America, Waterkeeper Alliance and the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Remaining profits will be reinvested in Legacy Group to expand the business to support future charity endeavors. Lauren Santo Domingo and Patrick Demarchelier are supporting the cause. A press conference to unveil Legacy Group will be held 10:30 a.m. today at 583 Park Avenue by 63rd Street.