New York’s design luminaries and fans crammed into Bobo for ASMALLMAGAZINE and Volkswagen’s dinner in honour of four timeless design talents—Alice Temperley, Andy Spade, Antony Todd and Maria Cornejo. Cynthia Rowley, Poppy Delevigne, Vogue’s Meredith Melling Burke and Valerie Boster, Ann Dexter Jones, Veronica Webb, Kiera Chaplin, T’s Horacio Silva plus, of course, ASMALLMAGAZINE editor-in-chief Sabine Heller and ASMALLWORLD CEO Joe Robinson made up the super-sceney crowd who gathered for cocktails and dinner in the name of timeless design.

“They are all such classics in their own way,” declared stylist and Vanity Fair scribe Rebecca Wallis Guinness about the evening’s honourees. “Alice especially makes the kind of dresses that make you cute, the ones you’d always want to wear no matter what the trend or season.” The purveyor of West London chic was rather more modest about her impact. “I’ve always tried for longevity and not to be fly by night,” said Temperley, who wore a trend-appropriate one-shoulder gown in deep violet. “Still, it’s amazing to be honoured because I am in my own world designing and it’s good to come out and see that the work is being appreciated.”

Indeed, toasts to the honourees were clinked all around. And in this economy, the best kind of guest any party can have is a doctor who actually prescribes boozing. The dinner had that in the form of Malcolm Lloyd, the MD behind the Double Cross brand, which provided the night’s tipple, a lemon-infused vodka cocktail. Dr. Lloyd, who’s done the media rounds with his theories, happily pontificated to guests (who we suspect might be in the choir on this one) like Kimberly and Eric Villency.

Elsewhere, threeASFOUR’s Gabi filled us in on a little known fact: he’d designed for Andy Spade from 1997 to 2001. We thought it was a rather curious alliance between the designer, who’s oh-so-avant garde (he brought his good friend Bjork to dinner!) and Spade, who’s about as Americana as it gets. “Oh no, I am really into that American classic styles – stripes, gingham, denim and all of that,” said Gabi. “Besides, I am about working with good people, who are truthful to themselves and have good hearts. And that’s Andy.”

Speaking of back in the day, we—and quite a few of the burgeoning Euro/Brit pack present—reminisced about how many of our first post-college cars were VWs of various models. “It’s true. That’s still the case,” said Laura Soave, VW’s general manager of marketing. “But you can grow with us. Our new CC model follows you into the most stylist phase of your life. You can keep that or go on to our mini vans for when you have a family.” The design-conscious former Golf and Rabbit owners seem to agree – the sleek CC has been a best-seller since its autumn launch.

As guests sat down to dinner, we finally caught up with Maria Cornejo, who broke bread with the threeASFOUR crew, style.com’s Nicole Phelps, stylist Natasha Royt and jewellery designer Waris Ahluwalia. “It’s only my second ever honour,” said Cornejo, who’s just opened her new Bleecker Street store this month. “It’s so humbling.” The best thing about being lauded like this? “I get to learn about other honourees work,” said the Chilean-born designer, who’s a favourite of First Lady Michelle Obama. “Even though our work is different and sometimes totally opposite, it’s so inspiring.”