FASHION Magazine

As the buzz surrounding tonight’s Met Gala reaches a fever pitch, many websites have done a good job of reflecting on the event’s storied past—the dresses, the glamour, the history-making moments! And while dishing on the red carpet has become a full on spectator sport, what happens beyond the velvet rope is something many of us plebes will really never experience. In the context of high society’s glittering history, the Met Gala is just one of many cool parties the crème de le crème mingle at. In 2011, Assouline published a retrospective on the greatest balls of the last century (the book has been on my must-own list since) and here we count down five that have made us green with past life regression envy.

Silver screen beauties at Dries Van Noten
First, we saw them at Rodarte Spring 2013. Then they returned at Thakoon this season, and here they are again at Dries Van Noten. Ear jewelry! Makeup artist Peter Philips is all about appliques (he’s behind those the crystal brows at Chanel and the glued on neoprene under eyeliner seen at Fendi Spring 2013) so it didn’t surprise us that he was the one to adhere rock crystal formations on nine Dries Van Noten models’ ears. His make up was kept simple—black liner, matte skin and filled in brows—so as not to compete with the many twinkling elements in the collection. Hairstylist Paul Hanlon did marcel waves, with Old Hollywood as a reference. Think: A magical dance scene featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, aka what Channing and Charlize were trying to achieve at the Oscars.

With a thriving ready-to-wear brand, several collaboration projects on the go, four kids, a dashing hubby (publisher Alasdhair Willis) and an icon for a Dad (Sir Paul!) it’s little wonder we bow down to Stella McCartney. Who doesn’t want to be a Stella girl? She’s effortlessly chic but not perfectly turned out; she is a minimalist but has a playful side; she is confident and a great confidante. In the modeling world a Stella girl looks like Miranda Kerr, Natasha Poly, Natalia Vodianova, or Anja Rubik, fitting given that they all walked in McCartney’s Spring 2012 show. And what a show it was: crisp white jackets with mesh inserts, Baroque-inspired embellishment, a shockwave of royal blue, tunics with side slits (a big theme this week), casual pieces in a graphic wave motif reminiscent of silk pajamas, paisley (welcome back!), one-shouldered dresses, onyx-white clutches, sporty flatforms, and quilted shoulder bags tied in a bow.