Getting from Australia to New York is an exhausting trip. And we're not just talking about the 23-hour flight with requisite West Coast layover. For Aussies seeking employment in the fashion industry, setting up shop in this fine city often means starting from scratch, with nothing but a funny accent and a fading tan to your name. That's why several prominent expat fashion players—stylist Brana Wolf, Calvin Klein PR exec Malcolm Carfrae, and film producer Julie Anne Quay, included—founded the Australians in New York Fashion Foundation, which creates scholarships and introductions for those with career aspirations from Down Under. They hosted their first major fundraiser on Wednesday night in Midtown, with cocktails at the showroom of their countryman, interior decorator Antony Todd, and then dinner in the atelier of Naeem Khan (not Australian but conveniently located two floors above).

The major topic of conversation was, obviously, that giant island in the southern hemisphere. Robert Burke called it "San Diego, but with better food"—a compliment, we think. When the techno hits started blaring, Australian catwalker Nicole Trunfio said, "Back home everyone takes their clothes off and goes dancing in the bush after dinner." This being New York, the closest she could find were a few potted plants sprouting giant foliage. "Eh, these will do!"

— Derek Blasberg