The world's most stylish fashionistas, singers, actors and hangers-on made their way to The Metropolitan Museum of Art last night for the Costume Institute's Gala. This year the institute honored the late, great French designer Paul Poiret. Poiret's stunning designs drew on both Oriental and art deco aesthetic, but constantly revolved around his favorite flower: the rose.

Our invitation must have gotten lost in the mail, so we had to live vicariously through press images. Shame, because we would have loved to pick Tom Ford and French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld's respective brains. Oh well, there's always next year.

Take a look at some more shots, after the jump...

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• Marc Jacobs has apparently headed back to rehab. The designer flew to Arizona after presenting his latest collection in Paris. This is his second stint - he successfully combated a heroin addiction back in 1999. Let's hope this one sticks. [FWD]

• Charles Spencer calls Tennessee Williams' lost play an "unexpected pleasure and a genuinely enlightening glimpse into Williams' art and heart". [Telegraph]

• Italian conservative and anti-homo politician Paola Binetti lives Christ's pain through a spiked metal garter. [Observer]

• The benefits of a gay nudist cruise? No dry-cleaning bill. [Globorati]

• Is gay blogger Ben Nicholas a big, big, BIG liar? It sure looks that way. [M4M forum]

• Rest assured that if you write a note to designer Helmut Lang, it will end up in Purple. [New York]

• Meanwhile, Karl Lagerfeld says, "I don’t think I’m too good for what I’m doing." Well, that's a relief. [New Yorker]

• Ryan Seacrest's big date? His mommy. If that ain't gay, we don't know what is... [TMZ]

• Andrew Christian + scantily clad underwear models forced to restrain themselves lest they frighten the newscaster = one remarkably entertaining clip. [Google Video]

• Two foolish 21-year old Colorado college students have been arrested for allegedly attacking two homos. Luckily, it seems like it was a pretty even fight. [Rocky Mountain News]

• LSU's lady basketball coach Pokey Chatman has resigned after poking one of her ladies. [AfterEllen]

Big news in Gayville! How big? Well, so big that HX Magazine apparently had to stop their presses to include the story in Friday's issue. (Although, we were under the impression that Next Magazine - which actually owns the printer - went to press first and that HX typically didn't finish printing until mid-morning Friday, but whatever...)

Those of you who live in New York, have been to New York or know that New York exists have probably heard of a place called Roxy: a legendary, legendarily sweaty club where homos dance shirtless, snort openly and snog like maniacs.

If you know that, you may also know that the former warehouse space has been on the chopping block for the past few weeks. Due to "forces behind our control" (read: tax evasion), the boys were packing their poppers and glitter in preparation for what would no doubt be a tearful, farewell.

According to HX, however, some mysterious - and appropriately rollerskate clad - angels have come to the rescue:

Roxy manager Jason McCarthy phoned to inform us that the day had in fact - at least at press time - been saved, thanks to a group of wealthy investors who love Roxy’s rollerskating (including one famous designer who rarely misses the Wednesday night party).

We haven't been to Roxy in years, so we've got no clue as to who this disco loving designer may be - if anyone out there wants to venture a guess, we're all ears. We're assuming it's not Karl Lagerfeld.

• AfterElton interview with Sir Ian McKellan. We bet former stalker Rupert Everett read it already. Twice. [AfterElton]

• Historic British Sex? Yes, please! [Reuters]

• NY Governor Debate Turns Ugly Over Gays. What, you expected it to be pleasant? [365 Gay]

• Machester U Footballer Under Gay Fire. What? We call people faggotpoofs daily. Oh, right... [Life Style Extra]

• Gay Entertainer Murdered in England. Why?? [Pink News UK]

• Excerpt from The Beautiful Fall. Nothing's more intriguing than Lagerfeld and Saint Laurent in the 70s. Nothing. [Out]

• Horatio Alger Festival Name Change? Who didn't know about the molestation accusations? [Yahoo!]

• Long walk to marriage in South Africa: State Law Advisory says law not up to code. [365 Gay]

• Marine Recruiting Center closes shop after Soulforce activists try to enlist. [The Shreveport Times]

• It's been a while since we checked on Becks and Posh, but are they fading? [The Daily Mail]

• In a fight between Karl and Yves, who'd win? A new book says Karl. [International Herald Tribune]

• Trannie teacher justice: kids denied transfer. [365 Gay]

• Survivor's race-based competition begins to attract its share of detractors. [AP]

• Queer comic strip Mr. Gisby matches celebrities with their pet versions. (Click image for larger version.) [Mr. Gisby]

• Jesse McCartney lets slip a little something about Jennifer Lopez being pregnant. [A J-C]

• Of all people, it's Matt Lauer who's coming to Tom Cruise's defense. [Us]

• Karl Lagerfeld on Project Runway: "Trash that is funny for five minutes if you're with other people." [Gatecrasher]

A famous fashion designer made a mess in the backroom, and we can only imagine what expensive threads he ruined with his absent-minded antics.

The blind item from Popbitch:

Which sharp-tongued fashion designer made a spectacle of himself at a brothel in Rio this year? At brothel 202, the fashionista asked for the three biggest black guys to shag him, but had forgotten to douche so sprayed the room with poo.

Those pictured above are just some ideas, but we suspect one more than the other two, purely based on his diet.

• We prefer Tom Ford photoshoots where the fashion guru is frolicking with barely dressed triplets and not naked starlets. [Just Jared]

• Tip to Karl Lagerfeld: stick to fashion. [NY Daily News]

• Don't expect The Gays' two favorite music divas, Madonna and Mariah, to get all friendly at tomorrow night's Grammy's. They're being kept apart. [NY Daily News]

• Apple has cut the price of the Shuffle and added a Nano that we might actually be able to afford. [Reuters via Yahoo]

• Foreign HIV/AIDS infected sporty types get the OK to travel to the Gay Games. [Chicago Tribune]

• The San Francisco Library is giving homophobes in the Bible Belt something new to protest: a traveling exhibition on gay history is coming to the Midwest and the South. [San Jose Mercury News]

Nick Verreos is Project Runway’s sassy front-runner. The funny Californian recently told Bradford Shellhammer how he really feels about Santino, why he dislikes celebrity designers, and why Kark Lagerfeld looked better chunky.

We both worked for FIDM. What was your experience like at the school?
Several years ago, they asked me to come in and speak to the students , as an alumnus of the school who had "succeeded" in the industry. The response was so positive, that consequently, they asked me if I had time to teach some classes part time. I did, and I discovered that I enjoyed teaching the students and "giving back" all the knowledge I've acquired so far working 12+ years in this industry.

No surprise that I sort of enjoyed being "on stage." The feedback I get from the students is that they find my methods and instruction to be refreshing and rewarding at the same time. Overall, I love teaching, it just takes up a lot of time(outside of class) and sometimes it can be really annoying to deal with students that are there for the wrong reasons: rich kids who have been told my their mommy or daddy that they have “great style” or they can “put outfits very well together,” etc. As well as the current phenomenon of “celebrity designers,” which leads kids to think that it really doesn't require hard work and struggle to do well in the gritty Fashion Industry and that it can happen overnight. I sometimes wish the school would do more of a selective /weeding out process BEFORE they got to us.

Do you read blogs? If so which?
When I have time I do. I am humbled by the support and positive feedback and comments that most of them say about me. Some of my faves are Queerty of course, Blogging Project Runway, Television Without Pity, and Four Four is pretty funny! The whole "whickety whack" and "Uncle Nick" threads are slaying me!!!!!!! Wish I would have made a T-shirt with that written on it!

Also, my friends are always sending me stuff that is being thrown out there in the electronic atmosphere. Good and bad stuff. Fashion and designing/creating fashion is very emotional for me, so to read people's critiques of what we do, which for me comes from my heart---can affect me emotionally. It's especially difficult when I read or hear comments from people that have really no knowledge of what we go through, and the time constraints, etc. My sister, a former Miss Venezuela and a model, used to say the following to people: "If you are not a Make-up Artist, don't talk about my make-up; if you are not a Hair Stylist, don't talk about my hair; and if you are NOT my brother, don't comment on the clothes that I am wearing." But I know that people feel compelled to put in their two cents, heck I used to do it as well, after watching America's Next Top Model or other shows like that. Needless to say, I don't do it anymore, my outlook and views have changed: I have become the commented-on, not the commentator!

After the jump Nick tells us about his relationship with Santino.

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