It was a crisp July evening in Paris during the haute-couture shows, and a small assortment of celebrities and fashion people were milling around the basement of the Frank Gehry–designed Louis Vuitton Foundation. The occasion was the Love Ball, hosted by Natalia Vodianova, a top model who is the partner of Antoine Arnault, the son of the chairman and CEO of LVMH. Tuna tartare and Champagne were being served. Kanye West was standing alone in a corner.
Suddenly, a sweet-faced man in a tuxedo arrived, and the room’s energy became palpably less stiff.
“Hiiii, Derek,” said Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci.
“Hiiii, Derek,” said Tisci’s date, the Italian model Mariacarla Boscono.
“Hiiii, Derek,” said Marc Jacobs.
This is how people tend to greet Derek Blasberg, a man who’s become the…
