Who would have imagined that Malan Breton, a former contestant on season 3 of Project Runway, would come so far as a distinguished designer? Perhaps not even Malan himself. The 36-year-old fashion aficionado has taken his theatrical roots and tied (or shall we say, sewn) them into his collections, bringing a wistful and exquisite approach to his designs. A Malan Breton show exhibits live orchestra and ballet performances, a welcome change from the DJ-pumping, techno-blasting, glitter-flying shows-on-steroids of today. By stitching classiness and weaving sophistication into his designs, Malan makes couture that fits real women (and now men too)!

Not long ago (just a few days ago actually), the place to be in the city was a speakeasy, a dark and dank basement bar. The kids stayed far away from "the man" -- in nightlife's case, bottle-servicing mega clubs, huge corporate-type hangs, slick bistros, or slick anything. With the recent opening of the now beloved Standard Hotel, we seem to be getting back to the well-rounded Manhattanites we once were. These days you'll find us venturing out from the West Village; some are even crossing over from the Lower East Side to experience the multifaceted Standard properties: the Boom Boom Room, The Standard Grill, and The Standard Beer Garden. Like a family caravan-ing to a Six Flags, we make the pilgrimage and usually end up staying all day at this adult playground. It works to our benefit, since we get the advantage of changing scenery without paying cab fare. As Steve Lewis asked, will most or all new nightlife construction be in the hotels? With that question in mind, it was time to revisit another of the city's package deals: the all-inclusive 60 Thompson, the understated, elegant, and trendy Soho hotel which houses the undeniably chic Kittichai, Thom Bar, and A60. Can other hotels stand up to the new Standard?

The opulence of this morning's Ralph Lauren show sounded the long-awaited death knell to New York Fashion Week, signaling an opportunity for the downtrodden to give their livers a rest and catch up on sleep. A week of triple-booked shows, bloody blisters and stolen front row seats has yielded hundreds of new collections, and though the first issues of '10 will be volcanoes of spring fashion, we tapped into one of the city's brightest know-it-alls for the cream of the culture crop, Gio Metodiev, to give us his Loves it! Hates it! and everything in between.

Crystal Renn used to be starving. When she came to New York City for the first time, she didn't head to Serendipity or grab a slice from Grimaldi's like most bright eyed newbies do; she had lettuce, plain, from a nameless salad bar in the theater district. She lived in the greatest city in the world, too weak and obsessed with being thin to enjoy it. In her new book, Hungry, Renn describes her world before and after she decided to let go of oppressive dieting to become one of the most successful plus-sized models in the world. She pours over her struggles with body image, her industry, and the stigma of labels within the modeling world, but she still won't talk about that first slice of New York City pizza. Today, Renn walks the same city streets, but she lives in a totally different universe: one where she can have a beer in Williamsburg and buy Size-12 leggings without feeling as though her waist or food is "sacrificing chicness or quality." Here are the places around town Crystal Renn enjoys, now that she's truly living life.

Just heard a very realistic rumor that East Village hipster standby The Annex has been sold and will become, of all things, a sports bar. In honor of the decline of yet another club kid landmark, the infamous electro-nu-rave Ruff Club party will be throwing a final hurrah for the sweat den it made popular on September 11, bringing out some underground all-stars: the Misshapes, Spencer Product, and the Ruff Kids. Another fond farewell to a Friday night hotspot that many called home.

After only a few years spent navigating the social waters if Manhattan, Rachelle Hruska left her cushy job at a mutual fund company to work on her hobby: social media. Her website, Guest of a Guest, not only deciphers New York's social hierarchies, but, as Hruska puts it, provides "a guide for what is going on among the young and influential tastemakers shaping the collective culture." Hruska's pluck and insight keep her focused. "After identifying an open niche in social media that I thought I could fill, it was necessary for me to venture into the unknown"-- a leap that propelled Hruska into hosting her own events, sussing out the newest hotspots and basically showing face on a nightly basis. "I see us taking Guest of a Guest to other cities around the world," she says. "I have met a lifetime's worth of interesting people in the past two years."

● The Mott (Nolita) - The Mott. As if there were any other.
● The Standard Grill (Meatpacking District) - Buzzy hotel restaurant certain to raise your standards.
● Gus & Gabriel Gastropub (Upper West Side) - Gastropub sterling enough to make the WVill feel a twinge of envy.
● Superdive (East Village) - Kegs at tables. Inspired innovation or recipe for disaster? Time will tell.