Like many peeps who weren’t able to make it to The Strokes hometown return at the ultra-exclusive Tommy Hilfiger 25th Anniversary party at the Metropolitan Opera House night, I had a super-intense dream I was seeing the Strokes (in some dingy LA club for some reason).

But alas, the dream wasn’t true…but what did happen was that 1,200 invited guests (including folks like Neil Patrick Harris, the cast of Gossip Girl, and J. Lo, Mad Men‘s Christina Hendricks, according to NYMag.com and NYLON) were treated to an 8-song set on the terrace level of the venerable opera house.

I’ve scoured the internet, and these are the top things I think you’ll want to know that went down at the gig:

1. Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas, always a snazzy dresser, was wearing a black leather jacket, a (yellow?) baseball cap, and white sunglasses.

Cory Kennedy’s Twitter

2. They performed their first US single, “Last Nite,” and someone did a video:

3. The giant Swarovski crystal chandelier at the Met was hanging directly in front of the stage the band performed on:

Mercedes Funes’s Twitpic

4. NPH tweeted from the balcony, “After party at the frigging metropolitan opera! Watching the Strokes perform. In the lobby! Unreal.” Here was his view:

NPH’s Twitter

5. The band played 8 songs: “New York City Cops,” “Hard to Explain,” “You Only Live Once,” “Reptilia,” “Last Nite,” “Someday,” and two more (?) UPDATE: “Juicebox” and “12:51″ were also played.

6. Wireimage shots of the gig.

UPDATE:

7. More video and photos posted on Esquire.com, Elle.com, and NYTimes.com:

Another video of “Last Nite”:

Please always wear your hair like you had it in the W magazine photo shoot with Rebecca Hall. It’s simply the decent thing to do for the benefit of the world.

Loving the photo series of these two in the most recent issue of the mag. So casual, yet glamorous. Beautiful clothes and styling.

I saw this in front of me waiting on line at Trader Joe’s.

Tragic, no?

I’m a little sad after seeing a preview for the new season of the Rachel Zoe Project — it seems as though her delightfully frosty-haired abrasive assistant Taylor Jacobson has left not only the show, but the Zoe and Co.

Interweb searches reveal that La Taylor is still kicking it on Twitter @taylorjacobsonn, blogging the “Love Taylor” blog for Everyday Minerals, and working for Kasil.

As for why Tay separated from employment at Rachel Zoe, gossip columns can only speculate. Was she fired for stealing clothes, or did she simply leave? Guess we’ll just have to wait for the bombshell to drop on an upcoming episode of the Bravo show…

Acid wash denim cat jacket. Need I say more?

Photo from Nothingisneutral.com.

Last week I got to attend an event to promote the 50th year anniversary of the iconic Dr. Martens boots and get the word out about the 10 cover songs covered by various artists they are releasing in honor of the big 5-0 b-day.

The British label asked ten artists to cover some of their favorite songs, all of which will be available for free download on the Dr. Martens site and which will be released with a companion video shot by some big name directors.

The first three offerings are:

Noisettes, “Ever Fallen In Love With Someone You Shouldn’t've” by the Buzzcocks

The Duke Spirit, “If The Kids Are United” by Sham 69

D?M-FunK, “Things That Dreams Are Made Of” by The Human League

The tunes go up on April 1, 50 years to the day that the first Dr. Marten shoe, the 1460, was produced. On top of that, the line is issuing a limited edition pebbled leather version of the original shoes the 1460 and 1461 models (1460 and 1461 respectively in both black and cherry red) which will be available at limited locations (Opening Ceremony and Trash & Vaudeville here in NYC)

Check out the video for the Noisettes, shot by Rankin & Chris:

More shots from the event…

The other musical releases (through November) are…

Release date: 17 May
Buraka Som Sistema
“Buffalo Stance”
Neneh Cherry

Release date: 21 Jun
The Cinematic Orchestra
“Lilac Wine”
Jeff Buckley

Release date: 1 Sep
N.A.S.A.
“Chase The Devil”
Max Romeo

Release date: 1 Sep
VERBAL + YOON
“Cherry Bomb”
The Runaways

Release date: 1 Sep
The Raveonettes
“I Wanna Be Adored”
The Stone Roses

Release date: 4 Oct
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
“Dirty Old Town”
The Pogues

Release date: 1 Nov
Michael Davis of MC5 & D.O.A.
“Something Is Not Right With Me”
Cold War Kids

Don’t forget to wear your Dr. Martens with style, and the appropriate soundtrack.

Whoops! Poor thing took a tumble during the British Fashion Awards gala!

Writes The Telegraph UK:

She walked straight into an ill-concealed “orchestra pit” and promptly disappeared from sight.

All the audience of fashion luminaries, including Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham, saw was a flash of Elson’s red velvet, Alexander McQueen fishtail gown, as she tumbled four feet downwards into the darkness.

…

She appeared, back on stage, within minutes, declaring:”I am the clumsiest person on this earth. I cannot believe I just did that.

“That is the worst fall I have ever had. I might have broken a rib, but I’m fine.”

Kate Moss writhing around in ecstasy + Depeche Mode‘s “I Feel You” = a smoking hot commercial for YSL’s new perfume, “Parisienne”:

The work of sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s fashion label Rodarte will be featured in “Quicktake: Rodarte” at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum from Jan. 29, 2010 through March 14, 2010.

This collaboration with Kate and Laura Mulleavy will feature a selection of pieces from the Rodarte collections, as well as a special installation in the Billiard Room of the Carnegie Mansion.

Rodarte, Fall/Winter 2008 collection. Photo: Dan Lecca

According to the press release:

Founded in 2005 by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, Rodarte is widely acclaimed for its daring and conceptual collections. “Quicktake: Rodarte” offers a glimpse into the Mulleavys’ unique process and inspiration at an important point in their career; recently Rodarte was awarded the 2009 Womenswear Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and was named a 2009 fashion design finalist for Cooper-Hewitt’s National Design Awards.

“Rodarte” is the second in a series of “Quicktake” installations aimed at showing the public vital up-and-coming design from around the world. In summer 2007, Cooper-Hewitt launched the “Quicktake” series with Doshi Levien’s Charpoy collection for Moroso, which debuted to critical acclaim at the 2007 Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the annual furniture fair in Milan, Italy.

Some scenes from my trip home after work today…

This cat was nose-deep in a novel:

A design firm or fancy apartment dweller ditched some graphic design and architectural magazines and books. Some fashionable passersby did some elegant dumpster diving:

Stopped by Opening Ceremony on Howard Street to check out the Fashion’s Night Out festivities:


The line to get in wrapped around the block:

The convertible housed Rodarte goodies, like a canvas bag with Kurt Cobain’s photo:

An American flag attached to the convertible: