SHAKEDOWN STREET: West Chelsea had two very different parties going on Wednesday night within a one block radius. In Barry Diller’s IAC headquarters, Vacheron Constantin feted its new Quai de I’lle watch collection. Taking in a performance by Ne-Yo were Susan Sarandon, Kim Raver and Kate Bosworth, who also came out the previous night for Chanel’s Mobile Art party. “It’s so great to see how fashion and art merge together like that,” said Bosworth. “In Europe I had dinner with Miuccia Prada and it was so interesting to hear how art influences everything she does.” Bosworth was quite supportive of the designer, clad head-to-toe in Miu Miu. Also on hand were the evening’s honorees Charlie Rose, Richard Meier and Salman Rushdie. “I am a huge watch collector and have this vintage Omega that I absolutely love, but this one is nice too,” Rushdie said of the Vacheron timepiece on his wrist. Meier, though, wasn’t quite in the party mood given the economy’s current state. “They asked me to come out six or nine months ago, so of course I’m going to say yes,” Meier said. “Perhaps if they asked me today, I’d say that we shouldn’t be doing things like this, but then again it gives me an opportunity to come out and talk to nice people.”
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One block over, Sean “Diddy” Combs celebrated his L’Uomo Vogue cover at hot spot 1 Oak with friends Tracy Morgan, Eve and Jay-Z, who sauntered through the crowd repeating “I’m fresh, I’m fresh” until he retreated to the VIP room.
NOT PASSING ‘GO’: Not even Park Avenue appears to be immune from these tougher times. Word has it that the asking price for the late New York social doyenne Brooke Astor’s apartment on the famed street has been cut to $35 million from $46 million. But that apparently hasn’t deterred Courtney Sale Ross: she’s said to have put her Park Avenue apartment on the market for $75 million.
ALAN TOWN: Hipsters of a certain ilk already consider Steven Alan’s preppy-chic clothing an unofficial uniform, but for the first time the designer and store owner is doing the real thing. Alan was tapped to design the staff’s attire at the just-opened Gild Hall hotel near Wall Street. He riffed on the financiers who populate the neighborhood in creating a men’s ensemble of a worsted wool blazer, button-down vest and slacks with a reverse seam. The woman’s look is the so-called “Banker’s Dress,” and everyone dons a silk skinny tie. “There has to be a great attention to performance of the item as they will stand a lot of daily abuse,” pointed out Alan. “My goal was to create items that were…very functional.”
Meanwhile, at brand new West Village restaurant Braeburn, the chef-owner Brian Bistrong surely kicked things off well with his waitstaff by giving them vouchers to shop at Steven Alan’s Upper West Side location. Each picked two shirts of their choosing to pair with their own jeans during service.