Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

The path from socialite to reality TV star isn't an easy one. A pilot rarely leads to a full series. And even if it does, there's no telling what may be required to stir up the necessary amount of drama. (See here and here for a recent example of the lengths some will go.) That certainly hasn't stopped every other member of the social set from seeking out a TV deal, of course. To get a little perspective on the socialite-reality TV madness, Douglas Marshall took a few minutes to chat with power publicist Alison Brod and socialite Emma Snowdon-Jones at last night's Solerno-sponsored screening of Robin Baker Leacock's new documentary, A Passion for Giving, at the Four Seasons. More

Erin Lucas didn't return to The City for a second season, sadly. But just because she isn't playing Whitney Port's best bud on MTV on Tuesday nights doesn't mean she's been sitting around twiddling her thumbs. Louis Vuitton debuted its new ready-to-wear boutique and 2010 cruise collection at Saks Fifth Avenue on Tuesday, an event that turned the store's third floor into a lush indoor garden. It was amid the flora and fauna that party correspondent Douglas Marshall caught up with the TV starlet to chat about what she's up to now, what she's got coming up, and her former castmates from The City.More

Last week, the home accessories company Rosenthal USA teamed up with the salon Warren-Tricomi to open a "pop-up concept store" at the Plaza Hotel. To celebrate the occasion, last Wednesday designers Geoffrey Bradfield, Campion Platt and Antony Todd hosted a party in the hotel's Terrace Foyer. Party correspondent Douglas Marshall took a few minutes to chat with style maven Patrick McDonald, one of the most recognizable figures on the fashion scene (and someone you'll be seeing a lot more of when Bravo's new fashion-centric reality show, Launch My Line, debuts in December). On tap for discussion: men's fashion, shopping during a recession, and Barack Obama's wardrobe.  More

If you've ever wanted to dress like Don Draper from Mad Men, you'll soon get your chance. Brooks Brothers will be introducing a limited-edition suit inspired by the AMC show beginning next week, a narrow, gray number designed by the men's clothier in collaboration with Janie Bryant, the show's costume designer. On Tuesday night, Brooks Brothers celebrated the new Mad Men suit with a party at the store's Midtown flagship. Douglas Marshall caught up with Vincent Kartheiser, the actor who plays Pete Campbell on the hit show, to chat about how the American workplace has changed since the wild and crazy '60s, the nature of the human condition, and David Letterman vs. Bill Clinton.More

Bravo revealed today that it's giving Christian Siriano his own reality show which will feature the season 4 winner of Project Runway as "he sets up a new shop and markets his clothing line." Last night, however, Siriano was at Juliet, Todd English's new supper club in Chelsea, where he attended Moskova Affair, a party to celebrate the launch of Stoli's newest flavor of vodka, Gala Applik. As Jessica Szohr, Chace Crawford, Kelly Bensimon, and Richie Rich took in a performance by The Vau de Vire Society, an "acrobatic and aerial avant cabaret troupe," nightlife reporter Douglas Marshall took a moment to chat with the designer/realty TV personality (pictured here with his boyfriend, Brad Walsh) about New York's nightlife scene and how many gays it takes to make a venue too gay.More

The CW is moving ahead with its reality show about Tinsley Mortimer, The Hollywood Reporter reports today. (The network has ordered eight half-hour episodes of the show that will "explore the lives of the young and wealthy.") When Douglas Marshall caught up with The Tinz earlier this week, she didn't want to talk about the production crew following her every move. In fact, she really didn't want to talk to us at all, since our coverage of her in the past hasn't always been entirely flattering. Once we assured her that we wouldn't ask her any personal questions, she graciously agreed to give us thirty seconds of her time. We made the most of it. More

Moammar Khadafy may be completely crazy. And he may be one of the world's worst dictators as far as Washington is concerned. But just because you're a vicious dictator and an international pariah doesn't mean you can't be stylish, too. (And, really: If everyone is going to despise you no matter what, you might as well feel good about yourself when you look in the mirror, right?) Fortunately, we're here to help. Since Khadafy is spending the week in New York—the fashion capital of the universe—it seemed like an opportune time to give the Libyan leader a few style pointers. At last night's reception to celebrate the opening of the Spider Silk exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, reporter Douglas Marshall took celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch aside to get a few tips on how Khadafy could reinvent himself. And because Moammar has always been known to love the ladies—he's protected at all times by a contingent of attractive, female bodyguards, for example—we asked one of the most beautiful women around, actress Heather Graham, to weigh in as well. Some honest advice to Moammar is below.More

Douglas Hannant previewed his spring collection in the Terrace Room of the Plaza on Monday night, which is located just upstairs from the designer's brand new, Geoffrey Bradfield-designed boutique. Given Hannant's popularity with the Upper East Side moneyed set, a long list of society fixtures turned up to pay tribute to Hannant, including Tinsley Mortimer, Cece Cord, Bettina Zilkha, Jennifer Creel, Annie Churchill, Alexandra Lebenthal, Gillian Hearst, and Valesca Guerrand-Hermès. Roving party reporter Douglas Marshall caught up with Beverly Johnson, legendary model and the first African-African woman to appear on the cover of Vogue, to ask her about the modeling biz today and Tyra Banks. More

Dani Stahl Will Take the Stairs, Thank You | Stacey Bendet showed off her Alice + Olivia collection for Spring 2010 on Saturday evening in a raw gallery space in the meatpacking district. (How raw? So raw that wooden boards had to be placed over the metal grates on the floors so that a socialite or celeb in 7-inch heels wouldn't be maimed at the show.) The all-female French rock band Plastiscines performed; the crowd included the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Jared Leto, Nicky Hilton, Mena Suvari, Shenae Grimes, Kristin Cavallari, AnnaLynne McCord, and Tinsley Mortimer. Party-hopping reporter Douglas Marshall struck up a conversation with Nylon style director and girl-about-town Dani Stahl, Nylon publisher Jaclynn Jarrett, and Eleanor Ylvisaker, a co-founder of Earnest Sewn and the denim brand's former PR queen.  More

Just when you thought another person couldn't get in on all the Gossip Girl action, designer Anna Sui unveiled a line for Target inspired by none other than Gossip Girl. On Wednesday evening, Target previewed the collection at a Soho townhouse-turned-pop-up shop for a group of Anna's friends, GG cast members like Blake Lively, Taylor Momsen, Michelle Trachtenberg, Penn Badgley and Jessica Szohr, members of the press, and assorted boldfaced names. Cityfile correspondent Douglas Marshall caught up with Real Housewives of New York City star Kelly Killoren Bensimon to chat about Gossip Girl and other important stuff like preparing for Fashion Week and achieving the perfect tan.More

On Tuesday evening, the Sundance Channel hosted a screening and cocktail party at the private club Norwood for Loic Prigent's new documentary series, The Day Before. Hosting the event were Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez and Nathalie Rykiel of Sonia Rykiel, who are featured in Full Frontal Fashion-branded series. On hand for the occasion: Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester, Vogue's Lauren Santo Domingo, fashion darling Julia Restoin Roitfeld, and stylist/Bravo star Rachel Zoe, who was accompanied by her husband (Rodger) and right-hand man (Brad Goreski). Cityfile correspondent Douglas Marshall caught up with Lorenzo Martone, advertising exec and fiancé of Marc Jacobs, and his date for the evening, model Julie Henderson, to talk Fashion Week strategy.More

Artwalk NY's Junior Committee held its summer benefit on Saturday night in support of Coalition For the Homeless. Hosted by Bettina Prentice at her home in Sagaponack, attendees at the event included Minnie Mortimer and Stephen Gaghan, Michael Musto, Liam McMullan, Dalia Oberlander, Alan Rish, Kipton Cronkite, and Lisa Salzer—each of whom chipped in $25 at the door to benefit the organization. (The $25 allows the Coalition to feed 12 homeless New Yorkers people for a day.) Cityfile correspondent Douglas Marshall caught up with writer and dapper man-about-town Peter Davis to ask him about two very unlikely things: homelessness and his brother and sister-in law, Topper and Tinsley Mortimer.More

The rain on Wednesday evening didn't keep the crowds away from the launch party for BlackBerry's new Tour smartphone at the Thompson LES. (The bait—a complimentary Tour along with three months of free Sprint Service—probably helped.) Turning out for the occasion, despite the weather: Brooke Shields, Chloë Sevigny, Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford, Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz and Mark Indelicato, Erin Lucas and Olivia Palermo from The City, designer Nicole Miller, and IMG senior veep and reality TV judge, Fern Mallis. Not everyone was planning to use their new phone to tweet away, though, as Cityfile correspondent Douglas Marshall found out when he chatted with Shields ("No, I'm not a Twitterer"), and Sevigny ("I'm not really into any of that. No Twitter. No Facebook. No MySpace. None of it"). Mark Indelicato was an exception. After the jump, the Ugly Betty star on his obsession with texting and tweeting. More

Fashion photographer Steven Klein opened up his Bridgehampton estate on Saturday evening to host the summer benefit for the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (Acria), which funds HIV and AIDS-related research, treatment, and education. Sponsored by Calvin Klein Collection and Vanity Fair, the benefit attracted Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Francisco Costa, Italo Zucchelli, Rachel Zoe, Daphne Guinness, Lauren Santo Domingo, Euan Rellie and Lucy Sykes Rellie, Nacho Figueras, Olivia Chantecaille, Stefano Tonchi, Jane Holzer, and Royal Pains cast members Mark Feuerstein, Jill Flint, Paulo Costanzo and Reshma Shetty, among others. Cityfile correspondent Douglas Marshall took a few mintues to chat with famed artist—and longtime Acria supporter—Ross Bleckner about art, life, and Dash Snow.More

Over the past couple of weeks, Cityfile correspondent Douglas Marshall has asked a few figures in fashion about their plans for the summer. What Chanel Iman, Fern Mallis, Thom Browne, Minnie Mortimer Gaghan, and Bonnie Morrison had to say below.

Chanel Iman
Model and co-host of MTV's House of Style
Q: What are you doing this summer, Chanel?
A: I'm still trying to decide what I want to do. I just had an amazing vacation in La Jolla, California and it was crazy. It was me and my best friend—I brought her along with me. We went paragliding in the sky and it was so much fun. So I want to do something crazy and wild. Like jump out of a plane or something.
Q: Are you an adrenaline junkie?
A: I guess you could say I'm an adventurist.More