Interview

We've seen all kinds of transgressive dress codes, but in both its confusion of daytime/ nighttime-appropriate apparel and the permissive comfort level, this one takes the cake. Tonight Creative Time hosts its benefit Slumber Party, with performances by New York-based musician Patrick Cleandenim and tarot card reading by Jacob Ireland. It's not exactly a slumber party, unless your teenage sleepovers ended at midnight. But it does feature this limited-edition unisex pajama set, designed by artist Will Cotton and featuring his favorite subjects, various dessert items. Sweet!


The Creative Time Slumber Party is tonight, 8 PM–12 AM. The Ace Hotel is located at 20 West 29 St, New York.

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Last night's third annual Art Rocks! benefit for the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center featured a silent auction of young artists' works based more on mutual support than big dollar signs.

Trovata's John Whitledge hopped on the red-eye from California to host, but he was more than happy to do so: "I love the idea behind [the event]. They're trying to promote young upcoming artists and spread awareness [about diabetes] to a younger generation," he said from behind tiny eyeglasses. (LEFT: HARLEY VIERA-NEWTON AND KATYA STARETSKI. PHOTO BY ANTWAN DUNCAN)

Taking a break from her heavy senior thesis, "Religion in the Text and How It's Evolved Throughout History," Harley Viera-Newton happily let loose in a printed Luella dress. Perhpas seduced by the silent aspect of the evening, models turned out in droves, from Lily Cole to Victoria's secret's Selita Ebaks, who revealed her desperate desire to wear "really big wings," during this year's runway romp.

Curated by LOLA New York's Emmett Shine and James Cruickshank, the works for auction, by emerging talents like Leo Fitzpatrick, Patrick McElnea and Lucien Smith, stemmed from the evening's theme: youth. Shine explained that, "Because the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center is for kids, so a lot of the artists' work is inspired by their youth, or growing up." Berrie added that the evening's goal was not only to raise money for her charity, but to "democratize art," by giving the artists a platform Brendan Lynch's tie-dyed canvases were a crowd favorite, along with Tim Barber's eerie black-and-white photograph and Thomas McDonnell's trash bag filled with a million dollar's worth of shredded bills. In a bit of mischief, the minimum bid was $1,500.

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Live competition equals drama and excitement, two qualities that, to MJ Diehl, make great fashion. To open Style Wars, the event producer and her business partner, Roman Milisic, created an impromptu armored bodice composed entirely of "We Heart Our Customers" hangers and packing tape, on stage, live. The result, though definitely not durable, looked a bit like something Gareth Pugh might create, were he homeless and living perched beneath a dry-cleaner.

The fashion world doesn't take to cheek and enthusiastic camaraderie easily, which is the crux of House of Diehl's now-traveling, two-year old competition: a fashion show that has hit three continents and most American cities, taking the winners from each locale and pitting them against each other for what Diehl calls a "ready-to-wear rumble." She hosts every city, and its Diehl's spark, plus a team of witty local, ever-changing judges (this time included Isabella's model daughter Elettra Rossellini and Jenny Shimizu, of Angelina Jolie fame) that preserves a sense of authenticity that flirts with the gimmicky. From New York, Diehl and Co. head to Atlanta, LA and then San Francisco. The winners from each city will face off for a final battle and a chance at larger exposure.

"Some call it the 8 Mile of style," Diehl says. "We ask stylists to transform Hefty bags into Herve Leger." Like a rapper herself, Diehl speaks in over-the-top metaphors ("In the real world, you have a budget tighter than Shrek in a speedo" or "It's like WWD meets WWE") and fuels the competitive aspect of the show. "It's like an emcee battle in the sense that designers go head-to-head on stage, and they have four-and-a-half minutes to do serious style or serious damage." With industrial tubing, tin foil and phone cords as fodder, this may be the only fashion show where judge Rebecca Weinberg (of Sex and the City) reprimanded a contestant for "stapling a paper towel to a bustle."

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For Halloween, Elijah Wood and his merry band of art tourists ventured to Marfa, Texas, to attend a masquerade hosted by non-profit space Ballroom Marfa and charity Art of Elysium and co-hosted by Gilt Groupe and Interview. One of the many highlights was a midnight appearance by Heloise and the Savoir Faire, a performance that was, with its interest in inhuman energy and saturation, literally scary. The band is signed to Wood's own Simian Records. Here are his photographs of the performance, among other hijinks.

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