Reynolds is a long-time ambassador for BOSS. In his witty conversation with Barney’s Simon Doonan, he discussed his workout regime, which is typically three hours per day. He also confided to AVENUEinsider that, growing up, he used to borrow colognes from his older brothers, but he was never sure how successfully the scents fared with the girls. Well, he need not worry about that anymore. Among the friends and editors who toasted Reynolds and the final fragrance in the BOSS BOTTLED. trilogy were Whitney Spaner, Peter Davis, Flo Fulton, Joseph DeAcetis, Korin DeAcetis, Aja Silvas, Jim Shi, and Wael Davis.

– Melissa Berkelhammer

The evening was hosted by Tod’s, who displayed their handbags amongst the books, and Vogue.  Claiborne previously served as an assistant for Wintour and currently works as a contributing photographer at the iconic mag.

Held uptown at a Park Aveunue event space decorated with large white flowers and populated with men and women dressed to the nines, it was an incredibly pretty affair. DJ Solange Knowles provided the tunes as guests mingled, nibbled on hors d’oeuvres, and kept an eye out in case her sister Beyonce happened to stop by.  It didn’t happen, but no matter. Guests were given plenty to gawk at flipping through the gorgeous photographs,  many of the evenings attendees and all epitomes of American beauty.

– Mara Siegler

But one invite stuck out. A live set at Hiro Ballroom. Guns ‘N Roses in all their one man band (Axl Rose) glory. Having caught their intimate set at Rose Bar two years ago, and having greatly enjoyed it, I figured this would be one worth the trek. Quick footnote on the set two years ago: I went to the after-party which proved to be one of the more surreal experiences of my life. It was like a reenactment of the 1980’s party years. Women, young and old raged after Axl.

“Axl do you remember the Norway tour way back when?” He’d shrug his shoulders, and she’d lean in and whisper something in his ear, giggling softly. When she pulled away, he’d look at her and say, “Cool baby.” Sebastian Bach showed up and tried getting some of the metal head fairy dust that was fallin’ off Rose, but he slipped and broke a bottle of Jack instead. Rose was clearly older, but he still had a devilish twinkle in his blue eyes. When he smiled you saw who he once was. After the after party, we late nighted it at Dark Room on the Lower East Side, where I kissed a tall PYT goodnight as the sun rose up.

Hiro Ballroom proved to be a much less “intimate” set, and much more a slamming party. Walking in I caught Jamie Bell and Evan Rachel Wood small talking by the door. The lights were low, and the crowd was heavy. Bodies everywhere. Upstairs balcony. Full. Downstairs dance floor. Full. Everywhere you looked, beautiful people in black sucked in their cheeks and asked when Guns ‘N Roses were coming on. The Deleon tequila bar had closed by the time I got there, so I sucked on an 8$ Corona and found some friends in the VIP area up top. We were seated a few people over from Matt Damon, his wife, Chelsea Clinton, her husband, Justin Timberlake, and his best friend.

I eavesdropped on the convo two dudes were having next to me, “Yo, I’d totally hook up with Clinton,” one whispered.

“Oh for sure,” the other whispered back. “But I’d straight up bang Damon.”

The other pulled his face away, as if struck by a bad smell. “Obviously.” A twitchy nosed girl plopped herself down on the seat head behind me. She introduced herself with a firm handshake and asked if I had a light, holding up a splif. I did. She did. We did. Good things.

At 12:30 Guns ‘N Roses came on. Axl Rose lookin’ all the paunchy 50 years he is. He started off with a little Chinese Democracy. The sound was no good, but the energy was there. The shrill screams intact. And the slithering snake moves that worked along with “Live and Let Die,” hailed back to the days of legend. Highlight of the show came when an audience member threw a glass at the guitarist, who then dropped his axe, and jumped into the crowd to kick the shit out of the assailant. The music stopped for a second and Axl narrated the happenings saying, “Awww he’s fuckin’ gettin’ it!”

After the set, word struck of an after party at Electric Room, but a three hour party is all my weary head can take these days.  I hopped in a cab and headed home. Maybe I’ll hit up a few more parties next year…

The night began with Nick Zinner, guitarist for The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and honorary DJ for the evening, whose set got everyone in the room moving. Harry made it on stage a bit after midnight and performed a total of two songs, neither of which were her own, leaving before her adoring audience felt they had heard enough. Disappointing? Yes, not to mention confusing—but we savored the remainder of the evening just the same.

By Veronica Hoglund

When, in your opinion, did Downtown Manhattan really become a “scene”?

It was all about the 1980s. All the nightclubs were downtown and there were a whole bunch of people who only lived downtown. It was cheaper, like what Brooklyn is today. There were a lot of artists, loft spaces and cheap walkups. And the gallery scene was in Soho. Because you had a lot of restaurants, people from uptown would come downtown. Downtown was always more relaxed. You could wear jeans and a collared shirt, but uptown you wore a suit.

When you started shooting your first party pictures for Details Magazine in the 1980s, what was the Downtown scene like?

Nightclubs were a whole way of life. People would go out to the Mud Club and Area. There was the Limelight. Studio 54 was big during the late ’70s and early ’80s.

Most people considered 23rd Street down to Tribeca to be Downtown.

But these sections of New York were also kind of dangerous back then, right?

No one wanted to go past streets that didn’t have numbers. The Bowery was really bad. The East Village was way more funky and dangerous. It really was a different scene. At night you could get cabs, though. In those days, you really didn’t take the subway—definitely not at night. No one was going to Brooklyn then.

Who were some of your favorite people to shoot downtown in the 1980s?

Definitely [Andy] Warhol, Steve Rubell—he started Palladium—Tama Janowitz, Jay McInerney, Keith Haring, Billy Idol, Peri Lister—she was Idol’s wife and did all the choreography for his music videos. Madonna was all over town then, Anita Sarko, Steven Meisel, Pat Field—she moved to The Bowery before The Bowery was what it is now—Betsey Johnson.

There were other uptown people, too. Matt Dillon was running all over the place. Rob Lowe and Demi Moore. They would come without handlers.

Downtown was a true melting pot. You had people in art, fashion and the literary scene. Even the club owners, bartenders and people who worked at the nightclubs were some of the true celebrities.

How has the Downtown scene and area changed since then?

Things are more posh. You have the Gansevoort market area, which is like a designated nightclub district. A lot of people are dressed up now. You have to have money to go to these places. That whole Soho scene has moved to Williamsburg and Brooklyn. In Chelsea, all of the art galleries are there. I am older now, so I don’t really mind it.