Today we were exposed to some excellent literature—literature in the form of Muffie Potter Aston's diary. Tres chic! While we learned all about the various Birkin bags dear Muffykins owns, we were not told what the good lady keeps inside her leather year-of-tuition-at-a-good-college-with-straps. One commenter has the scoop!
The snowstorm didn't stop art and society scenesters from stopping off at the New York Academy of Art on Monday night. Guests at the Tribeca Ball included Liev Schreiber, Justin Timberlake, and event co-chair Eileen Guggenheim (left), along with Bill Clinton, Andre Balazs, Andy and Kate Spade, Adam Weinberg, Jason Wu, Nicole Miller and Kim Taipale, Monet Mazur, Alek Wek, Bettina Zilkha, Poppy de Villeneuve, Jennifer Creel, Jean-Pierre Roy, Ludwig Kuttner and Beatrix Ost, stylist Ric Pipino, Heather Mnuchin, Liam McMullan, Antoine and Maureen Chiquet, and artist Will Cotton. [PMc, Wireimage, VF, FWD, Style.com]
• There were bound to be a few dramatic moments at the inaugural parties last night: Sheryl Crow had an awkward run in with her ex, Kid Rock, in the lobby of Donovan House. John Legend was forced to make a last-minute stop at Bloomingdale's because his girlfriend didn't have a gown. Susan Sarandon got a reporter kicked out an event for daring to ask a question. And Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony showed up so late to the Neighborhood Ball, they almost didn't get in. [P6, WP, Politico]
• One possible explanation for Lopez's late arrival: She was spotted at the Scientology Center in LA yesterday morning, trying to sneak out of the building without being noticed. [NYDN]
• Another headache for John Travolta and Kelly Preston: A politician in the Bahamas may have been part of a plot to extort money from the couple following the death of Jett Travolta. [OK!]
You think the people who have lost their jobs and watched their 401(k) accounts disappear have it rough? Tell that to Muffie Potter Aston and Debbie Bancroft. They're lucky to be alive! At the New Yorkers For Children Benefit last night, reports David Patrick Columbia, a passerby stumbled and "a glass of champagne suddenly flipped over and splashed all over Bancroft and Aston." And, DPC points out, they were wearing brand-new designer dresses, too. But just so you know, Columbia is very concerned about the crisis on Wall Street: "For those of us who have been intense students of the unfolding financials for several years now, it is something to behold." [NYSD]
Last week, Quest magazine, coddler of heiresses, financiers, and other layabouts, published its annual "Quest 400," the exhaustive yet unexplained list of the society fixtures it deems worthy. Originally the "400" represented the number of guests Mrs. Astor could fit into her ballroom. Mrs. Astor is long gone, so how can one land a spot on the list today? We looked through all 20 pages to find out how to make the cut.
Angelina Jolie might think her new twins are pretty special now that she's earned a cool $14 million for the photo rights. But there are plenty of New York socialite moms who think their kids are pretty important, too. Will any of these kids turn into the Tinsley Mortimer or Peter Davis of 2025? Take you best guess at who these little youngsters are related to, then click through for the answers.
Muffie Potter Aston
New York society chronicler David Patrick Columbia is a little blue! He went out to lunch with Erica Jong the other day, and they talked about the YouTube videos about Henry Kravis and the tax-dodging mogul set. But lunch with Erica put him in a maudlin frame of mind, even though they went on to talk about Hillary Clinton. But how can one feel down when one receives such an amazing Christmas card from Dr. Sherrell and Muffie Potter Aston?
