"When I started Foster Associates in 1967 with my late wife, Wendy, there were two problems: There was no work — and there were no associates," he told the crowd.

Times have certainly changed. Most recently, the private equity firm 3i took a stake in his company, which is now known as Foster and Partners. Foster also has high hopes for the future. "I think 40 is still quite a youthful age," he said.

POWER LUNCH: His gowns might be red-carpet favorites, but Zac Posen's latest effort is more appropriate for the playground. Posen, along with names such as Sir Elton John, Gwyneth Paltrow and Yoko Ono, has designed a lunch box for The Lunchbox Auction. The auction — which will benefit Food Bank for New York City and The Lunchbox Fund of South Africa — goes live Friday. Michael Stipe will host a party to kick off the bidding at the headquarters of Saatchi & Saatchi. Like the team of celebrities who designed them, each of the lunch boxes is distinct. John covered his creation with stickers of gnomes, a nod to his upcoming film project, "Gnomeo and Juliet." Posen, meanwhile, borrowed from the world of rock 'n' roll. "It's something [punk rocker] Exene Cervenka would have carried in the early Eighties," the designer said of his studded metal design.

THE V&A'S NEW JEWELS: London's Victoria & Albert Museum will unveil its new jewelry gallery on May 24 after a four-year renovation. The new gallery has been designed by the London-based Czech architect Eva Jiricna, whose past clients include Hugo Boss, Joseph, jeweler Boodles and Selfridges. The space, which will be known as the William and Judith Bollinger Gallery, will showcase 3,500 jewels spanning more than 3,000 years. The focus, however, will be on the last 800 years of European history, and there also will be a strong contemporary jewelry element.