FRENCH CLASS: Anyone who wandered into the lobby of 7 World Trade on Friday night might be forgiven for wondering if they had mistakenly landed in the Left Bank. Inside, a gaggle of exquisitely dressed women and their dapper dates kept up a steady stream of French as they arrived for the 10th annual Lycée Français de New York, cochaired by Beatrice Del Favero, Ginevra Caltagirone Guarducci and Charlotte and Olivier Sarkozy. The latter graciously gave up any credit for the swank bash, which harkened back to a pre-crash era. “I didn’t do anything other than show up,” said Sarkozy, the younger half-brother of the French president who works in New York as a managing director for the Carlyle Group.

This year’s gala, attended by French tennis star Yannick Noah and Lycée parents such as Catherine Malandrino and Eric Ripert, honored Dior president and chief executive officer Sidney Toledano with the Charles de Ferry de Fontnouvelle award for his contributions to French-American culture. “I think my company has done great things,” demurred Toledano, pointing out how many French nationals have come to New York on behalf of Dior and LVMH, including M. Christian Dior himself in 1947.