party report

Patti Smith Rocks Fashion Week After-Party

At last night’s LNA after-party at Milk Studios, Alexander McQueen wasn’t just on everyone’s minds — he was raucously remembered by punk great Patti Smith. We first encountered the songstress in a rather-less-serious context, however — the men’s room. After some fashionista made a scene about not wanting to wait in line for the ladies’ room but was turned away by the men’s bathroom attendant, Smith exited a stall giving a look that was all, “Yeah, and … ?” (The guys in line murmured their admiration).

Smith took the stage circa midnight to play her tribute to McQueen, promising to honor him by “celebrating life”; she called the designer a personal “life-changer” and a “remarkable individual,” dedicating her final song, “Because the Night” to him (lyrics: “Take my hand / As the sun descends / They can’t hurt you now / They can’t touch you now.” She ended the song by ripping the strings out of the guitar she grabbed from Lenny Kaye). As the drunken crowd stared up at her, Smith remarked (not inaccurately), “It looks like hell down there.” The art-gallery-cum-fashion-space was dark and crowded, so fashion folks took the liberty of smoking cigarettes inside and spilling their Belvedere-sponsored mixed drinks. Let’s hope the place gets cleaned up before today’s shows!

Additional reporting: Antwan Duncan.

Patti Smith Rocks Fashion Week After-Party