Alexander McQueen’s partnership with Puma is unleashing a wild (and wildly priced) shoe slated for sale in late August. The Puma AMQ line has most recently created a chocolate-brown crocodile leather kick that manages to combine urban style (note the high-top build) with high fashion -- plus a little bit of a jungle vibe mixed in. "There is a part of me that is very couture, and a part of me that is very street," the designer explains. A street sneaker that doubles as a dress shoe made from gator hide. Why didn't I think of that? Although the three-grand price tag may seem hard to swallow, the shoes come in a handmade wooden shoebox with a complimentary pair of crocodile leather flip-flops. If you plan on getting your claws on a pair of these, act fast, as only 28 pairs will be distributed in the United States.

"Well, well, well. You must be Mr. Julian Schnabel." It's a confident statement, made by a taxi driver in Boston. And it belies the fact that I'm, say, 100 pounds and 30 years short of the pajama man. "I'm Mr. Julian Schnabel," bellows an assertive larynx from behind me. And he's right. Schnabel is with one of his daughters and rock legend Lou Reed, and it's slightly odd to see this slice of New York royalty clamoring for a cab in Massachusetts. In a way, though, it sets the tone for the weekend I went sailing with Salma Hayek.