Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

We knew Michael Gross's exposé of the Metropolitan Museum of Art would ruffle feathers. It's juicy stuff, clearly. But we didn't expect it would be banned. But that's what seems to be happening. The Independent reports that Amazon's British arm has stopped selling Gross's Rogues' Gallery "for fear of action from a libel tourist," namely Annette de la Renta, the museum vice chair and wife of designer Oscar de la Renta, who has threatened Gross with a libel suit. The ban isn't limited to foreign retail outlets, however.More

Michael Gross' hotly anticipated tome about the Metropolitan Museum, Rogues' Gallery, arrived in bookstores last week. An account of the museum's "history of curatorial excellence, social climbing, and skullduggery," the book is full of salacious detail about some of the most prominent members of the New York society. But you won't hear much about the book's juiciest bits in the mainstream media coverage. Could it have something to do with the fact that Gross delves into the murky past of Oscar and Annette de la Renta, a couple at the very top of the social pyramid? More

Fashion's biggest event of the year, the Met's annual Costume Institute Gala, took place last night. The evening wasn't without some drama: Designer Azzedine Alaïa, who felt his work was underrepresented in the "Model as Muse" exhibit, asked several of the models who he had dressed for the party to skip it, and both Naomi Campbell and Stephanie Seymour complied. But 650 other celebrities, designers, and models—including co-chairs Marc Jacobs, Kate Moss, and Justin Timberlake—braved the controversy (and rain) and walked the red carpet anyway. A few photos of the hits and misses after the jump. More

Met Board Steamed | Michael Gross's book about the Metropolitan Museum doesn't come out for a few weeks, but it looks like some members of the museum's board—including Henry Kravis, Henry Kissinger, and Annette de la Renta—are already unhappy with the tome. Although the Met refused to cooperate with Gross on Rogues' Gallery, a Met official conceeded recently that "some staff and alumni have answered questions." This probably means you won't be able to pick up a copy at the museum's official gift shop, although considering many of them are now closing, that may not matter all that much. [NYM]

Met Museum Plans Major Layoffs [NYT]
The Met Drops a Cool Million for an Old Master [NYM]

The Met Downsizes | You won't be able to pick up Metropolitan Museum posters and placemats for much longer, at least in places like Costa Mesa and Houston. The Met has announced that it plans to close 15 of its satellite shops around the country. [NYT/ArtsBeat]

♦  Kate Moss is joining honorary chair Marc Jacobs as co-chair of the next Costume Institute Gala Benefit at the Met, along with Anna Wintour and Justin Timberlake. [Telegraph]
♦  Jacobs will also be hosting Housing Works Fashion for Action auction on November 13th. And it's not just his karma bank that's overflowing: He just signed a five year deal with Staff International SpA to produce a men's collection. [Fashionista, WWD]
♦  Mark your calendars: On November 25th, Sarah Jessica Parker's familiar voice will be the one you hear when you take the audio tour of the "Costume: The Art of Dress" exhibit at the Costume Institute. [The Pipeline]More

♦  Armani has signed Victoria Beckham to appear in the new campaign for Emporio Armani underwear. You'll have to wait until spring '09 to see the Mert and Marcus-shot ads. [WWD]
♦  He's not crazy, he's just, uh, spiritual: Elton John apparently only eats off Versace crockery because he believes "the designer's spirit lives in every plate." [NYP via Racked]
♦  Narciso Rodriguez doesn't talk about his recent split with Liz Claiborne, but he does share a bit about his forthcoming book which will be published by Rizzoli later this month. [stylefile]
♦  Finally! Nicole Richie's jewelry line is now on sale. [The Cut] More

Shades of Palin? | The decision to name a relative unknown, Thomas P. Campbell, to succeed Philippe de Montebello as director of the Metropolitan Museum has led some of his frenemies to make comparisons to Sarah Palin. Campbell's response at a press conference today? "I don't hunt and, to the best of my knowledge, I don't have a 17-year-old who is pregnant." [NYM/Vulture]

The Met's New Boss | Thomas P. Campbell has been selected to replace Philippe de Montebello as the Metropolitan Museum's new director. [Met Museum via Unbeige]

Michael's Met Exposé | The Metropolitan Museum wasn't especially pleased when it was revealed to be the subject of Michael Gross's latest juicy tome, Rogues Gallery: The Secret History of The Moguls and the Money That Made the Metropolitan Gallery. A dispute over cover photo rights was settled several months ago; now GalleyCat reports that the book, which promises to unveil "the secrets behind the upper class's cultural and philanthropic ambitions," is scheduled for an April release. [GalleyCat]

Scandal on Fifth! | Sitting on the steps of the Met has been banned through April 2009 due to construction. Sorry, Constance-Billiard students, you'll just have to suck it up and have lunch in the cafeteria. [City Room]