Over 400 people gathered at Quo a few Wednesday evenings ago for a night of conservation and fashion. Spearheaded by Alvin Valley, Marc Biron and Melissa Berkelhammer, Wild Safari 2004 benefited the World Wildlife Fund’s Young Partners in Conservation (YPC). The highlight of the evening came mid-fête, with a fabulous fashion show by Mr. Valley himself.

Valley also dressed several of the committee members, among them: Laura Wells, in not-so-basic black, Melissa Berkelhammer, looking très hippie chic in jewelry designed by Elizabeth Wells, Stephanie Field Harris, whose sister Jamee Field, founded the YPC some four years ago, R. Couri Hay’s Shawna Enright, and Esquire’s Jessica Zaganczyk.

Also spotted in the crowd were: Josiah Hornblower, Elizabeth Saint-Amand, Sara McClure, Lara Glazier, Blakely Griggs, Anthony Coppers, Phoebe Donham, Kim Hicks, The Bachelor’s Alex Michael, Elizabeth Belfer, Sara Selbert, Carrie Rocco, John Harris, Cornelia Erklentz, Abby Field, Olivia Pirovano, Francie Leidy, Katie Eckert, Alexandra Wilkis and Scott Zenko.

Art world icons Rosamond Bernier and John Russell were honored in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at the American Associates of the Royal Academy Trust 17th annual gala dinner dance at the Rainbow Room.

Glen Nielsen and Mildred Brinn

Just back from the Bahamas was gala cochair Frances Hayward, looking glamorous in a black and white Oscar de la Renta. The gala benefited the Royal Academy in London.

William Finneran, Tom Quick, and Frederick Whittemore were the Reynolds cochairmen. Marife Hernandez and Joel Bell, Mr. and Mrs. John Gore, Frances Hayward, Mr. and Mrs. William Rayner, and Dr. and Mrs. Robert Wickham were the Turner cochairmen. Christopher Forbes, Roderick Gow, OBE, and Martin Sullivan were the corporate cochairmen.

Among the many guests were Janice Abbott, Tom Quick, Pauline Pitt, Dru Heinz (in from London), Hilary and Wilbur Ross, Liz Fondaras, Frances Scaife, Tom McCarter, Ann Nitze, Elizabeth de Cuevas, and Audrey and Enriquillo del Rosario.

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House’s 17th Annual Holiday Bazaar at Sotheby’s, which opens with a posh Preview Party Wednesday night (that's tomorrow everybody), kicked off at a cocktail reception hosted by Mark and Wiggie Bitter in their Scalamandré show room, amongst the colorful fabric and trimmings that decorate their elegant tri-level East 59th Street showroom.

John Rosselli and Dr. Natalie Geary

It was a cheerful gathering, where Eva Dillon, who is co-chairing the event with Mireya D’Angelo, chatted up team members, including Blakely Griggs, Alexandra Landegger, Lara Glazier, Valerie Urry, and Lisa Gorrivan. Nadine Dub told anecdotes about the bazaar’s legendary Flea Market that she has lovingly shepherded forever.

Did you know that the 4-day sale is possibly the best place in town to search for vintage clothes from the likes of Adolfo, Halston, Galanos, Ungaro, Scaasi, Oscar de la Renta, Armani, Herrera, Beene, Blass and Chanel? And it is not just clothing; for weeks, there have been SUVs, filled to the brim with jewelry, furniture, art, silver, china and brick a brac, rolling in from Fairfield County, the North Shore, Old Westbury, the Hamptons, Beekman Place and unloading at Nadine’s storage facility.

The stars of the Scalamandré evening were the designers who used the superb materials donated by the fabric house to create unique “Travel In Style” items for the silent auction: camp chairs in an elephant print by Roric Tobin for Geoffrey Bradford; a travel “Gondola” by Albert Capraro; a hat box covered in buttercup bejeweled damask by Helena Lehane and containing a signed straw hat by Eric Javits; a picnic basket and blanket by Jennifer Garrigues; bags by Jackson Siegel Aaron’ Philip Gorrivan, Sheila Camera Kotur, Charlotte Barnes and Carol Davis, Harry Heissmann for Albert Hadley, Cece Cord and Travels with Tiger; items by Alison Spear, Miles Redd, Gael De Brousse, John Gachot for David Easton, Marcy Masterson and on and on.

Among those oohing, aahing and eating the delicious hors d’oeuvres by Susan Simon were Mario Buatta, Michèle Gerber Klein, Lisa Jackson, Stephen Siegel, Harriet and Ronald Weintraub, Dr. Natalie Geary, Mark Gilbertson, Melissa Berkelhammer, Marilyn White, Susan Branch, Maggie Scott, Lindsey Harper, Caterina Hausmann, Paulette Smyth, Adrianne Fauci, Jonathan Preece, Eileen Ekstract and The House’s Director Warren Scharf with Lucia DeRespinis, Virginia Pitman and Lauren Melang.

Hat Box by Helena Lehane with Hat by Eric Javits

Board President Diana Quasha gave a pep talk thanking everyone, especially Scalamandré for over a decade of support, and a committee that includes Nancy Baker, Kathy and William Rayner, Tobie Roosevelt, Bunny Williams, Renée Landegger, Judith Zabar, Andrea Donahue, Audrey Gruss, Victoria Lindgren, Felix and Elizabeth, Rohatyn, CBS’S Margery Baker-Riker, Margot Slater and Mary Van Pelt. “Now, rustle up some business,” she said.

The Bazaar is a little longer this year and it is FREE on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (November 18th, 19th & 20th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) with a Boulevard of Shops like J. Milano, Quadrille, Balu Designs by Jane Veronis, Bookhampton, Valentina & Co. (children’s clothes), David Goodman Furs, Ruzzetti & Gow, Walker Antiques, and jewelers: Valentin Magro and Empress, Duchess & Tart.

The silent auction also includes a diamond, ruby and sapphire brooch from Harry Winston once worn by Kevin Spacey, Ben Affleck and Robert Altman; a Frank Gehry Cross Check Chair from Knoll; a Lamberston Truex alligator bag; a Burberry wool and cashmere poncho; NY Jets tickets and more.

There will be cocktails, food by Swifty’s and music by Alex Donner at the Preview and tickets are still available; call 212-744-5022, ext. 1355. The money all goes to children’s programs at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, celebrating 110 years of helping those who live, work or go to school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, thanks to the generous Honorary Chairs Julia Wallace, John Rosselli and Nancy Wekselbaum. And there are less than 35 days until Christmas ... Let the countdown begin.

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