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Red Dresses and Aura Scrubs

Around 8 p.m. last night, Cipriani 42nd Street was flooded with a sea of ladies in red dresses who had turned out for El Museo del Barrio's annual spring gala. "It's a Latin event; everybody wears red," explained one partygoer as he watched the likes of Carolina Herrera and Yaz Hernández parade through the entryway. Hernández was wearing a custom Carolina gown—in scarlet, naturally—and before dinner, Herrera presented her with the evening's trustee leadership award. She wasn't the only honoree at the fête; Julianna Margulies had already taken the stage to introduce Narciso Rodriguez. "He is the only designer I have ever known who knows how to cut for a woman's body," she told the crowd. "He really loves women."

Over on the west side, the look was L.E.D., not red, at the Museum of Arts and Design's annual gala. Each year, the museum selects a material as its theme, both for the dress code and to guide the contributions that artists make to its fundraising silent auctions. This year's L.E.D. Ball brought incandescent items from Surface to Air, Jen Kao, and industrial design studios like Rich Brilliant Willing. Light-up fashion was less in evidence on guests like Nate Berkus, Sean Avery, Shenae Grimes, and Patricia Field. No matter. Those who wanted brightening up could step into the on-site "carma wash," courtesy of performance art collective FCKNLZ, offering "aura scrubs" as DJ Chelsea Leyland's tunes blasted in the background.

—Kristin Studeman

Lucite Dreams

—Brittany Adams

Rochas Fall 2012

—Brittany Adams

"More Than War and Sports"

The Whitney American Art Award gala attracted collectors, artists, and admirers alike to a lofty far west Chelsea venue last night. "I'm not artistic. Well, you could say my art is on the tennis court," John McEnroe told Style.com. The tennis ace chatted with Peter M. Brant, who was one of the honorees of the evening, before he did a quick browse of the work up for sale. One memorable digital print of a dollhouse landscape by James Casebere was tagged at $25,000. "I do love and collect art," McEnroe said more seriously. "There's this one guy that I think is pretty good. You might have heard of him: Vincent van Gogh?"

The casual atmosphere carried through dinner and a performance by McEnroe's wife, Patty Smyth. The strong turnout, which included Diane von Furstenberg, Julian Schnabel, and Anh Duong, brought in more than $1.5 million. With teenage sons in tow, Stephanie Seymour Brant discussed modern art—one of her favorite periods. "That's such a tough question," she said when asked about her favorite artists. Although when pushed, she conceded, "I do love Urs Fischer's work." The artist was seated just nearby.

Brant, her husband, was perhaps more decisive. He has been an avid supporter of Jeff Koons' oversize sculptures for some time. When he took the stage to accept his award alongside the Henry Luce Foundation and Ogilvy & Mather, he said, "I'm deeply honored. This fills me with great emotion I can't express. Thanks to my mother and father, who taught me that this world had more to offer than war and sports."

—Bee-Shyuan Chang

Cannes

—Alison Baenen

A-List Extras

—Marina Larroude

Tutus and Bling

At last night's American Ballet Theatre gala, some guests went for the dancing, others for the outfits. "I wish we could make ballerina gear everyday gear," said the TV host Wendy Williams, who was clad in a custom red gown with a bustier top by the House of Execution. "Everything good starts with crinoline." Rachel Roy, walking the red carpet in a tea-length skirt with tulle underlining, was of a like mind. "My daughter Tallulah picked it out; it was her birthday today," said the designer, holding the hand of her 4-year-old date-cum-stylist. "I gave her a choice of what to do and she picked the gala, which was great because it was my ideal pick."

Honorary chair Michelle Obama was a no-show, but there was still ogling to be done. Taking the stage, Caroline Kennedy was joined by her son, who drew gasps for his fledgling resemblance to JFK Jr. "I know you share my pride and admiration of the ballet dancers," said his mother, a longtime supporter of ABT.

Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs had dressed several of the ballerinas for the gala dinner. "We know some of them and we don't know how they do it—the discipline!" said Cushnie. Ochs, herself, was having nothing to do with self-restraint. She had just returned from a trip home to Maryland for Mother's Day. "We went to Chesapeake Bay and ate crab until we were comatose," she said. "I have cuts all over my hands." Amy Sacco had other cuts in mind. There was the plunging neckline on her black Theia gown and also the cocktail ring and statement earrings swaying from her lobes. As ever, the nightclub doyenne was ready to party. She said, "I brought BYO bling."

—Bee-Shyuan Chang

Cause Célèbre

Actor, writer, director, student, and sometime model James Franco has added another line to his curriculum vitae: museum curator. His new show, Rebel, for which he enlisted Paul McCarthy, Ed Ruscha, Harmony Korine, Aaron Young, and Terry Richardson, among others, to riff on the complexities and legends surrounding the iconic James Dean film Rebel Without a Cause, opened at L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art on Saturday night.

Franco described the exhibition as a "collage of mediums, approaches, and different kinds of introspections." But it's no fan-boy project for the multitasking star. "It was more about finding a piece that could inspire many different kinds of exploration and projects," Franco said. "Within the movie itself, there are so many interesting dynamics and portrayals and all the legends and iconography. It can inspire a show with many different facets."

Lily Donaldson, Val Kilmer, Gia Coppola, and André Balazs wandered through the JF Chen contemporary space, designed so that each piece was rendered in its very own bungalow. The Chateau Marmont's Bungalow 2 plays a central theme to the Rebel Without a Cause story. MOCA's Jeffrey Deitch was pleased with the "fresh remix" of the 1955 film. "It's one of our great Hollywood myths and it's part of our shared culture. It was the perfect subject matter because everyone has seen the film."

For Aaron Young, who created a digital short, Life's a Drag, as well as an elaborate re-creation of a motorbike submerged in a pool for the project, the intriguing backstories and large legends of the film—and Los Angeles—continue to linger. "It's not really about the movie, it's about the people's lives. It's what that iconic film did to their lives and how it shaped them."

Rebel (presented by Gucci) is open through June 23 at JF Chen, 941 North Highland Ave., Hollywood.

—Alexis Brunswick

Well Heeled

—Celia Ellenberg

Pictures and Memories

—Celia Ellenberg

"There's Definitely Some Mom Dancing Going on Here"

If Gilles Mendel, who created the costumes for the new Peter Martins' number at the New York City Ballet's Spring Gala last night, had a case of nerves, he sure wasn't showing them. "This is like a total vacation for me," he said as he arrived at Lincoln Center. "But, uh, I did just lose the button to my jacket and if I'm supposed to go on stage and take a bow, I'm not sure what I'll do."

He wasn't the only one in need of a last-minute costume change. Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy and choreographer Benjamin Millepied altered one of the lead ballerina's tutus during a final dress rehearsal for the premiere of his piece Two Hearts earlier in the afternoon. "The truth is," Millepied said after the show, "you go from watching everything in the studio and then bring it all together with costumes and lights, and then you have to have the liberty to do what's best."

Despite their affection for the ballet—the Mulleavys also collaborated with Millepied on Black Swan—Laura admitted, "I've never even put on a pointe shoe." Finishing the thought, Kate added, "When we were little, we'd go see all of the Degas pieces at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena." Later in the night, guests trained in ballet and not took to the dance floor. Watching the crowd shimmying to Christina Aguilera's "Lady Marmalade," one of the waiters said, "Yes, there's definitely some mom dancing going on here."

—Kristin Studeman

Built-In Bling

—Brittany Adams

Techno Beach

—Marina Larroude

Done Talking

Last night's Costume Institute Gala offered plenty to marvel at, but it wasn't the red-carpet fashion or the Schiaparelli and Prada dresses encased in glass that had Karolina Kurkova buzzing at the Crown after-party: "I loved the cookies!" the model told Style.com as she made her entrance with Rachel Zoe. "There were a lot of amazing things—Bruno Mars!—but those cookies were really good."

The crooner's performance back at the Met's Temple of Dendur had everyone on their feet. "People were grooving out pretty hard," said Jonathan Tisch, who added that his personal highlight was "saying hi to Tom Brady, and that's a lot coming from me." (Tisch, for the fashion types reading this, is a co-owner of the New York Giants.) There was no sign of Brady at Crown, but there were other sports stars in the mix, including Alex Rodriguez and basketball player Tyson Chandler—both of whom gave the model set a run for its money in the height department. "Wow, I bet she could make a few slam dunks," said a cocktail waiter when Chanel Iman strolled in.

By 1 a.m., the party was winding down, with some in the crowd moving on to the Prada-sponsored bashes at the Fletcher-Sinclair mansion and at the Top of the Standard. "I am going to the Prada after-party at Boom Boom after I change," said Kurkova, whose sparkling Rachel Zoe column gown and matching headpiece was one of the more opulent looks of the night. "I'm wearing all black. The turban is coming off, hair is coming down, everything is coming off."

—Kristin Studeman