The fund-raiser, held at the temporary party den Esquire Downtown at Astor Place, culminated in a cutthroat game of Trivial Pursuit, in which 14 paying teams vied for a trip to Tangier. "I knew all the fashion questions," boasted Michael Kors. "But we don't have a chance." Vogue's Hamish Bowles confessed he didn't have much hope for his team either: "It was the definition of 'dreadful.'" Ultimately, the brainiacs from Oscar de la Renta claimed victory.

The following night, Manolo Blahnik and Eric Boman were the hardest-working men in shoe business at a fête in honor of their new book hosted by Style.com's own Candy Pratts Price. "I signed 750 last week, so this is nothing," said Boman, the tome's photographer, as he and Blahnik graciously accommodated the line of autograph-seekers that snaked through Barneys' fourth-floor shoe department. In the crowd of well-wishers were Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang, Naomi Campbell, and Isabel Toledo. "We've known Manolo for such a long time, even before we were designers," said the latter. "I have many, many pairs."

Taking a break from signing not only copies of Blahnik by Boman but even a few newly purchased shoes, the man of the hour sauntered toward the store's back wall, where he admired the contents of a glass case. "Oh, I love Alaïa," he said, laughing: "I'm so sick of my shoes."

—Sarah Cristobal