Last week's haute couture shows supplied a treasure trove of gowns for Oscar contenders. Cate Blanchett would look regal in Masai-influenced Jean Paul Gaultier, and Natalie Portman would make a perfect Madame de Pompadour in one of Karl Lagerfeld's confections for Chanel. That said, the front rows at the presentations were conspicuously devoid of celebrity A-listers. New York City's inclement weather was partly to blame, as was the Sundance Film Festival and its gonzo goodie bags. But the parties sparkled without them, thanks to plenty of local color. Elie Saab was heralded at an event Monday hosted by Baccarat and Maybach that drew the likes of Marisa Berenson and Ivana Trump (in Paris perhaps to escape the blizzard of press her ex-husband's new wedding was receiving). The following day, Andrée Putman fêted her collaboration with Cristofle, a new collection of solid-silver jewelry, with shoe man Christian Louboutin. Later that evening, life-long YSL muse-turned-designer and shop keeper Loulou de la Falaise sipped Champagne at her brand-new boutique with Pierre Bergé, Betty Catroux, and Daphne Guinness, not to mention the legend himself.

—Sarah Cristobal