Andre Balazs

For some, fashion week ended not with a bang, but a pop. Over at Tasting Table, the private dining room and kitchen in West Soho, André Saraiva and Andre Balazs launched a champagne--a collaborative effort with sparkling wine authority Fabien Gay--named Artéis & Co.

The coolest of the cool crowd are abandoning the South Fork for this quieter spot.

With nearly 300 runway shows and presentations taking place next week, not every designer on the New York Fashion Week schedule gets a spot at Lincoln Center, or even Milk Studios. Nor do some of them want one. Alterna venues reign amongst the cool kids—Proenza Schouler, Band of Outsiders and Rag & Bone, to name a few—and the stalwarts (Oscar de Renta, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren always show off-site). Under-the-radar spaces are also the best bet for emerging designers who many not be able to afford the high costs of the Tents. (Milk Studios is better for young designers, but spots are limited.) Here are a few off-the-map venues generating heat this season:

The Clothes: With sexy clothes in black and white, Diesel Black Gold riffed on its own signature style. Models trotted out in micro-minis with dangli

When a source emailed me this weekend to ask if I knew what shows Pippa Middleton would be attending New York fashion week my reaction was something