MET BALL REDUX

The Metropolitan Museum's annual gala benefit for The Costume Institute was held last night. I was reading for weeks the drama and intrigue behind who would attend, who wouldn't, and who would wear what. Even as I sat on the set of the new USA Networks series "Royal Pains", in my cashmere sweatshirt, jeans and wellies, I was reading notices on Twitter and Facebook as the day unfolded.

Many thanks to the folks at Women's Wear Daily for posting photos practically has the event unfolded. I came home from a 14-hour work day and curled up on the sofa with my laptop to see what glamour the fashion world had to offer the world in these most difficult times. I have to admit, my reactions were mixed - there were some real hits, and some rather startling misses. I may only be a vintage-loving costumer having a bad hair day, but here's what I think...

The Hits:

Kate Moss (pictured above) was truly awesome in shimmery gold, back-baring Marc Jacobs. Along with Anne Hathaway's plum silk concoction, the king of 90's grunge proved that he has made a complete 180 into early 21st century glamour. Other stand-outs include Marion Cotillard in Dior, Natalia Vodianova in vintage Fortuny, Rihanna's shoulder statement, Lou Doillon (at left), Jessica Biel, and Claudia Schiffer (we'll forgive her for the bad hair - it was raining).

The Misses:

I've always admired Madonna's ability to transform herself, but the Playboy Bunny look from Loius Vuitton is a direction we didn't need to see. And, the lovely Kate Beckinsale in the human feather-duster look was faintly reminiscent of a character in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast". The Olsen twins proved that, while they can rock street looks, they don't know glamour and they don't know how to dress to suit the proportions of their petite bodies. And, speaking of bodies, I'm glad to see that Donatella Versace and Cindy Crawford have still got great ones, but the blue bombshells were anything but glamorous.

MANHATTAN VINTAGE SHOW ROCKS NYC!

This Friday and Saturday, April 24th and 25th, Chelsea's Metropolitan Pavilion will be overrun with 80 of the hottest vintage clothing and textile designers around. Poppet will be amongst the fray, with new pieces from YSL, Sant'Angelo, Cashin and others. Make a bee line for booth 36 to get piece of the action.

The event runs Friday from 1 pm to 8 pm, and Saturdy from 11 am to 6 pm. The Metropolitan Pavilion is located at 125 W. 18th Street, between 6th nd 7th Aves., in NYC. Admission is $20, but you can get a $5 discount by going to http://www.manhattanvintage.com/. Woo hoo! Don't miss it!

Resurrection

Yesterday was Easter and, I have to admit, I feel a bit like I'm rising from the dead. They say, after a caterpillar spins its cocoon, it's body becomes a sort of DNA soup. It sort of dies to being a caterpillar, in order to become a butterfly. Well, the past few months, I've been "in the soup".

Poppet closed it's doors in the East Village in early March. The time leading up to that, and the month since then, have certainly been eventful.

First, Poppet and I appeared on Italian TV at the beginning of February.

Then, the day after I closed the store in March, I got a message from a friend on Facebook asking if I could do some freelance costuming work on "Did You Hear About the Morgans? , a film starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker. My work on that has consisted primarily of fluffing the background and stunt actors as we spent nights outside with rain towers, but I must say that costume designer Chris Peterson , has got SJP looking fine in Dior, Prada, et al. and Hugh sports custom-made Tom Ford.

Other than that, I've been arranging my private atelier, which I will open for private appointments soon, listing new goodies online, and preparing for the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show (April 24th and 25th) and the Sturbridge Antique Textiles and Vintage Fashions Show & Sale (May 11). More on those soon.

Happy Spring! Time to rise above the madding crowd and soar...