Still, The Oak Bar, one of the most fabled drinking places in New York, captures the imagination of restaurateurs. Robert K. Futterman, chairman of the real estate firm that bears his name, declined to comment. RKF is leasing the Plaza's retail space. A source said RKF is marketing The Oak Room to top players such as Jean-George Vongerichten, Alain Ducasse and Cipriani. — Sharon Edelson and Irin Carmon

BURBERRY'S NEW BLACK: Gone are the silvery, Sixties-inspired images of seasons past. For fall, Burberry is channeling its darker side. The brand still has Mario Testino on board, and the images have been shot in the usual black-and-white. However, the models — Agyness Dean, Lily Donaldson, Georgia Frost, and Kiera Gormley — are wearing black coats and sporting some serious stares from a set made to resemble an English townhouse. Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey said it was time for a change. "The campaign is focused on the medieval mood of the show, using the Prorsum knight as a reference point for the attitude of the cast, the handmade wallpaper and the spirit and mood of the image," he said. "We included our iconic umbrellas into the shoot to give the ever-present sense of wit and whimsy inspired by armor, function and protection."

Ever the music lover, Bailey also tapped the English singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf; Pete Reilly and Kieren Webster from The View and Tom Atkin from The Paddingtons to pose for some of the shots. In the fall, he got Tom Meighan, Chris Karloff, Sergio Pizzorno and Ian Matthews — the four members of Kasabian — to be in the ads.

The campaign will break in August and September issues of major fashion publications worldwide. — Samantha Conti