PIANO MAN: Most executives know the value of a little marketing, and it seems the Archbishop of New York is no exception. On Thursday afternoon, Cardinal Edward Egan presented the Catholic Charities Christmas Angel Award to Josie Natori at a lunch at the Waldorf-Astoria before an audience of 600 that included former governors Mario Cuomo and George Pataki, as well as police commissioner Ray Kelly. Before the presentation, Natori introduced Egan to some of her guests, one of whom, he was told, works for this paper. "In that case," he said, "I hope you're doing full-page stories on Natori and Cruz."

Apparently, the event helped to forge a friendship and, just possibly, a duet made in heaven. In his remarks, Egan told the crowd that he and Natori have made tentative plans to tinkle the ivories together in a concert at her New York apartment sometime soon. "We'll knock the ball out of the park when we sit down with 'Schumann's Concerto in A minor,'" he said. "She's my fellow piano player. Except," he corrected himself, "she's a pianist. I'm a piano player."

ST. JOHN ROCKS HOLLYWOOD: What a difference a year makes. A new chief executive officer, the return of Kelly and Marie Gray to the design team and a positive response to new product appear to have St. John in upswing mode. The streak continued Tuesday morning when the company sponsored The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Power 100 Breakfast (previously supported by Ellen Tracy). Among the fashion plate guests were actresses Monet Mazur and Kelly Lynch, both of whom usually turn heads in vintage and European designers, but this time wore St. John resort, as well as Andrea Wong and Susanne Daniels, chief executive officer and president of Lifetime Entertainment. Of course, honorees Jodie Foster and Sherry Lansing opted for their usual Giorgio Armani, but it was a big day for the Irvine, Calif.-based St. John, which also dressed Jaime Pressly for her Emmy-winning night in September.

YSL HONOR: Yves Saint Laurent was made a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor by French president Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday. The ceremony took place in the intimacy of Saint Laurent's home with few guests, among them business partner Pierre Bergé and actress Catherine Deneuve.