It felt like a change of seasons at the Museum of the City of New York's Winter Ball last night, as dolled-up guests dusted off social graces and eveningwear that hadn't, in many cases, been brought out since the holidays, and rain, not snow, made the town cars late.

Some celebrants, of course, were also transitioning out of fashion week—like designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka, who've lately been doing their socializing in Palm Beach (where they have a new store) and their slaving away in New York. "When they invited us to the party we were like, well, it's exactly a week after our show—we should be recuperated by then," Mischka recounted. Gilles Mendel—whose label, J. Mendel, was one of the evening's sponsors—also looked to be in fine form, having dressed Melissa George and Eugenia Gonzalez Ruiz-Olloqui, in addition to a cadre of young beauties who weren't at his table. And he was thrilled about all the fur on this season's runways—"it just goes to show how relevant fur is in the realm of design," Mendel said.

The dinner was spread across the downstairs galleries and the corridor atop the museum's winding staircase—a sight to behold, although Elise Øverland was hoping she might find a bed. (Hard-partying neighbors at her new home, the Chelsea Hotel, had kept her up all night.) In her fatigue, Øverland had thrown together an outfit as only a seasoned fashion pro could: "Leftover Alejandro Ingelmo shoes from my show, stockings I had to borrow from my office girl, and then the dress was just kind of on a hanger," she explained. Never did straight-from-the-office sound so easy.

— Darrell Hartman