What are thou looking for, Miss Nicky? photo by Yuan-Kwan Chan

The Scene at the Tents
Thursday, February 9, 2006

By Yuan-Kwan Chan

Seen and overheard at the We Entertainment sponsor booth: A magazine writer looking at a friend’s invitation to the Pamella Roland show, then whipping out a pen and writing in a seating assignment for her.  “Just walk in,” he advised her, to which she said, “Hey – that’s a good seat!”

Same booth, same writer to same friend: “We don’t cover Prada,” he said.  “They won’t speak to us, so we won’t cover them.”

Spotted before and after the Zac Posen show: Some of the usual suspects, including Nicky Hilton, Patricia Field and Andre Leon Talley, as well as some new faces like Milla Jovovich.  Although I didn’t see her, a number of people – photographers included – were very excited to be in the presence of Uma Thurman, who also attended the show.

While in the standing room line for the Jason Wu show…: …one photography editor, who had managed to avoid the tents all week until this very moment, inquired whether cutting the line was the norm.  In a word, yes.  Even better is when people pretend that they are looking for a friend up ahead, or have the “man on a mission” facial expression to forge ahead…only to get stopped by a small mob, a security guard, the rope, or all of those things.  Usually everyone will get to see the show, and everyone will get Aquafina, right?  Maybe not: no one in the standing room line at the Anna Sui show the night before got in because the room was filled to capacity.  Attempts by some to sneak in through a side entrance were foiled when a newspaper reporter blew their cover.

Guerrilla marketing at its worst: Special events have more than their share of unofficial sponsors and/or shady businesspeople looking to make an extra buck.  But earlier in the week, my friends and I had identical, “Oh my gawd!” reactions when one man – who has frequented the sidewalk just in front of the tents, including on this very day – passed us this business card: