For those not lucky enough to score an invitation to the Met ball, there are always the more democratic after-parties. Well, they're not that democratic, but we digress. Two of the biggest draws this year were Margherita Missoni and Modelinia's fête for OrphanAid Africa at 1 Oak in Chelsea and Rodarte's shindig at the SubMercer.

Missoni's party started before Kanye West's Costume Institute performance even ended, which is why Eugenie Niarchos, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, and Tatiana Santo Domingo were ready and waiting when their pals Arlenis Sosa and Joy Bryant finally made it the 60-something blocks south. Only Missoni took the time to change out of her dress—in her car—and those who went home to refresh or swap outfits ended up missing it altogether. "I'm jealous of your shoes," Coco Rocha said to a young man in loafers. "Do you want to trade?"

Further downtown, at Laura and Kate Mulleavy's bash at the SubMercer, it was post-Met debauchery as usual: Shala Monroque swinging on a stripper pole; Jessica Stam sneaking smokes with Gossip Girl's Jessica Szohr; both Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen grinding on DJ Alex Hawgood behind the turntables. "Are we in a basement?" asked Dasha Zhukova, who brought Francesco Vezzoli and MoMA's Klaus Beisenbach. "Because this is the chicest underground party I've been to. Literally, underground."

— Derek Blasberg