BLAST FROM THE PAST: Harvey Weinstein had a surprise up his sleeve for Halston's relaunch on Monday. The part owner of the brand arrived on the arm of Liza Minnelli, the original Halston muse, who wore a vintage red-and-black ensemble from the label.

"I was in a car with her, and she is everything you imagine her to be," said Georgina Chapman, whose front-row seat was reserved for a certain Georgina Weinstein (she married the movie mogul in December). "I didn't change my name, they did it for me," she said. "I am still a Chapman — or maybe a Chapstein."

She certainly seems to share the same interests with her hubby — the two were overheard discussing Sunday's Giants win. "Did you all watch the game?" Weinstein shouted to the front row across from him, prompting Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour to roll her eyes.

Tamara Mellon, meanwhile, brought along Christian Slater, her beau for the past five months. Slater wasn't opposed to the idea of playing Halston in a feature film. "Sure, why not?" he said. He'd certainly have Mellon's vote. "You'd be perfect," she said.

As for Minnelli, she seemed to like creative director Marco Zanini's first Halston outing. "It was wonderful," she said after the show. "He really honored the memory."

IN ABSENTIA: But while Halston's front row was filled with the famous, there was one noticeable absentee: Rachel Zoe. The stylist, who was much-touted as a member of Halston's creative advisory team, was nowhere to be found, leading some to speculate her involvement was less than initially thought — or that she'd been fired. Not so, according to Halston. "Rachel Zoe has not been fired," a company spokesman said. "The only reason she wasn't at the Halston show was a scheduling conflict."

TIMING IS EVERYTHING: Regrets, Laura Bush has had more than a few. That is, in relation to the Feb. 11 White House reception she will host for designers involved with the Heart Truth Red Dress initiative. If designers are trying to make a political statement, they're not saying. Nicole Miller already has an out-of-town commitment, Donna Karan is due for some down time, Carmen Marc Valvo will be meeting with buyers and Tracy Reese has a trade show for which to prepare. Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig also will be missing the D.C. festivities. The CFDA's Steven Kolb and IMG's Fern Mallis plan to make the trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, though. Right off the bat, Mallis clued in organizers to the anticipated light designer turnout: "I let organizers know that next week would not be the best time. Many will be out of town or meeting with buyers."