Is it any surprise that the French luxury-goods conglomerate LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has now conquered Manhattan? In celebration of the new LVMH Tower on 57th Street and its architect, Christian de Portzam-parc, LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault and the Municipal Art Society hosted 650 guests for a night of unabashed extravagance. Indeed, from the endless supply of Chateau Cheval Blanc and champagne to the table linen shipped in from France, Arnault proved himself a master of overstatement. Mais pourquoi pas? After all, everyone from the fashion world showed—from the ones who make it (John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors) to the ones who make it look good (Iman, Elle Macpherson, and Gisele) to those who keep LVMH in business, such as Anne Bass, Cecile Zilkha, and Mouna Ayoub. Even Gwyneth Paltrow managed to mingle without causing a collective frenzy. Given such a confident New York arrival, one can only imagine that special guest Hillary Clinton was taking notes.

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