The scene at the tents before the Diane Von Furstenberg show was a mash up of New York City boldfaced names — with the emphasis on “mash.” Toes were stepped on, ribs were elbowed and shoving matches nearly ensued as Tatum O’Neal, Eva Longoria Parker, Rosario Dawson and Carla Gugino took their seats in the front row near Lee Radziwill and Fran Lebowitz. Pride of place went to Jennifer Lopez and Uma Thurman, who were seated on either side of Barry Diller. The A-list duo hid backstage until the last minute, emerging to a blizzard of flashes.

The mayhem was too much for some: After one photographer practically fell in his lap, Graydon Carter was overheard fuming, “Who cares? They are just actresses.”

There were plenty of non-Hollywood friends of Furstenberg who showed to support her: Anderson Cooper, fresh off the convention, chatted with Google co-founder Sergey Brin. “I’m almost a fashion virgin,” Brin proclaimed. “I did go to one show a long time ago.”

“We tried to dress him in DVF,” joked his wife, Anne Wojcicki. “But they didn’t have his size.”

Down the runway, Venus Williams and her mother, Oracene Price, chatted with Anna Wintour. “I’m a big fan,” said the editor as she introduced herself. Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was observing the proceedings with amusement. “I’ve been here several times,” he said. “I enjoy it — the good-looking women — and just generally the excitement of it all.”

Before the show started, a staffer emerged from backstage to give André Leon Talley a tote von Furstenberg designed with the Barack Obama campaign — which Talley happily showed off.


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