"When Richard Mortimer throws a party, there is no choice—you just have to come, don't you?" said Erdem Moralioglu. Most of his London designer comrades—and a generous helping of club kids of all persuasions—certainly think so. Mortimer is something of a legend in the local club scene for his dearly departed Boombox party, of course. Those days have come and gone, but Mortimer's second act, as editor of the online fashion mag Ponystep, fortuitously comes with ample opportunities for revelry. Ponystep's parties tend to take place in Paris, but for one night, Mortimer repatriated them—to the Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen in East London, the old stomping grounds of Boombox, no less—for a very special event: his 30th birthday.

Holly Fulton, Louise Gray, Kinder Aggugini, and Sophia Kokosalaki were among the designers who stopped by to wish the birthday boy well (and to blow off a little steam before London fashion week). Gareth Pugh and Jefferson Hack alternated sets on the decks, and the winsome Florrie Arnold—face of Nina Ricci's relaunched L'Elixir—performed a few songs, too.

Mortimer's mates were toting masks with his face on them, and as you'd expect from London's party set, the maquillage on some of the guests was a sight to behold in itself. "In Paris, they are just so happy to have a party to go to," Mortimer said appreciatively when we tracked him down (we're pretty sure it was him and not a masked impostor). "Here, they really expect something nuts and out of control each time. They are the professional kind of party people, this lot, so I constantly have to raise the bar to keep them happy." As if on cue, the proof of a great party appeared: the cops at the door, trying to bring the noise and crowds under control. As if.

The 62nd annual Primetime Emmy Awards opened with a Glee-inspired performance of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" starring host Jimmy Fallon as the Boss and a who's who of the evening's nominees, including Tina Fey, Lea Michele, Jane Lynch, and the dirty-dancing duo of Jon Hamm and Betty White (the year's by-now ubiquitous mascot). As Fallon—who soon swapped his blue-collar Springsteen drag for Tom Ford—put it, "It's been a phenomenal year in TV." The ceremony itself moved along fairly snappily—we especially appreciated the slug at the bottom of the screen announcing "George Clooney in 17 minutes."

But if the relatively brisk pace was refreshing, the evening's fashions stuck to the contemporary awards-show script. One-shoulder gowns, as usual, were popular choices. Edie Falco's was Bottega Veneta and Joan Allen's was Michael Kors. Asymmetrical necklines weren't quite as prevalent as strapless ones, though, which turned up on Heidi Klum (seriously short Marchesa) and Claire Danes (sparkling Armani Privé). And so what if bared shoulders are predictable? We're betting any audience appreciation award would've gone to Sofia Vergara's buttercup yellow Carolina Herrera bustier dress (though Christina Hendricks' décolleté-baring Zac Posen might have been a close second).

Still, there were some risk takers. January Jones chose an electric blue Atelier Versace with cone-shaped bra cups; Tina Fey opted for jet embroidered Oscar de la Renta; Rita Wilson went with a Prada runway dress dripping in clear crystals; and Anna Paquin wore an Alexander McQueen black gown from Resort with bold gold shoulder embellishments. It had NBC’s commentators comparing her unfavorably to a matador—but really, what do they know? It brought some welcome edge to the red carpet.

Less edgy but indisputably chic was Julianna Margulies in a navy sequined L'Wren Scott tank dress. The Good Wife star also had the good fortune to receive a peck on the cheek from Clooney as she presented him with his Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, so we're calling it: She may have lost out to Kyra Sedgwick for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but Margulies had the best night overall.