And like any Loehmann's shopper, she was more than willing to offer her opinion about other shoppers' finds. Shopper Jody Black asked the designer's approval for every item she had squirreled away in her shopping bag. A $25,000 Dolce & Gabbana fur coat passed inspection, provided Black wore it inside out. "It looks much better that way," Karan declared, as onlookers nodded. She was less enthusiastic about a bold multistriped Isaac Mizrahi dress. "It ain't my seven easy pieces..."

Another customer was even more brazen with Karan. "Is your necklace for sale?" she asked.

"No, it's from Nibia. It's one-of-a-kind," the designer replied.

There were plenty of fashion insiders. In addition to Karan, Wintour and Patrick Robinson, Nicole Miller, Doo-Ri Chung and John Bartlett were helping customers. Von Furstenberg was also doing her shopping part. Before heading for the door, she said, "I bought two Fendi fur coats. I'll have to change the buttons — they say Fendi."