We had heard that getting into the Marc Jacobs afterparty without a pass is like trying to waltz into the Super Bowl sans ticket. It just doesn't happen. So, Monday night, we showed up early. Begged. Cajoled. Pleaded. Ok -- we just told the bouncer we lost our ticket and he lifted the red rope.

It was packed inside Eugene, even though Marc's show at Bryant Park hadn't yet begun. We caught Helena Christensen out of the corner of our eye, but she disappeared before we could approach her. Only at a Fashion Week party can you lose a model in the crowd.

After battling our way to the bar for a few more free Belvedere and tonics, we decided we'd had enough. On the way out, we spotted Cuba Gooding Jr. lounging on a couch in the VIP section. He was a more stationary target than Christensen but, despite that trademark winning smile, his neverending turn as Jerry Maguire's "Rod Tidwell" depressed us, so we kept walking.