THIS & THAT...CELEBRITIES IN THE SPOTLIGHT (c) By Polly Guerin

The David H. Koch Plaza at the Metropolitan Museum  

New York seems to be forever reinventing itself and nothing matches the new completely redesigned David H. Koch Plaza at the Metropolitan Museum of Art recently opened to the fanfare of a water show worthy of Las Vegas. Then there's Karl Lagerfeld talking media and his cat Choupette who is writing a book. Only in New York, my pets, the best of New York. Here's the scoop!!!
   A place to sit, a place to dream, a place to find respite in the cacophony of the city. The David H. Koch Plaza, a massive outdoor space, a two-year renovation project runs along Fifth Avenue for four city blocks, the entire length of the Museum's landmark facade. Taking a cue from the grand entrances on museums in Paris the plaza is a welcome mat to New Yorkers and tourists with new paving, lighting, allees and bosques of trees leading to the Museum's entrances from north and south, and generous seating areas.
   "This project is a great demonstration of philanthropic spirit and we are tremendously grateful to David Koch, for what we have been able to accomplish as the result of his generosity," said Emily K. Rafferty, President of the Museum.
   "Although the met is best known for its magnificent art collection, inspiring architecture, the Olin-designed plaza will also make the exterior of the met a masterpiece," said David H. Koch.
KARL LAGERFELD'S Newspaper: "If publishing companies don't want paper to disappear, they have to make an effort to be good...and well written." says the Parisian designer. Lagerfeld. An unabashed fan of print, the Parisian fashion designer now adds newspaper publishing to his list of media accomplishments with "The Karl Daily," which debuts in Paris.with a distribution of 150,000 copies. Lagerfeld is unstoppable, a sketchbook always under his arm and a desk stacked with magazines and books all over the floor, the mogul of style is now a publisher. The latest satorical broadsheet showcases the designer's multi-faceted talents for sketching, photography with old-fashioned humor along with the latest product news from his signature brand. So my dears, if you want a copy of The Karl Daily hop over the pond to Paris or get your copy from the fashion police.
COUPETTE The Kitty Who Won Over Lagerfeld's Heart. It isn't every day that a kitty takes a meteoric ride right into stardom, but Coupette was one of the lucky ones. One day she was left with Lagerfeld when the desginer accepted to cat-sit for model Baptiste Giabiconi's young kitten over the Christmas holidays in 2011. Well you know what happened, Lagerfeld fell in love and when Giabiconi returned to Paris weeks later, the iconic designer could not bear to part with his new companion....who, incidentally has become the designer's favorite accessory and muse. The 7-pound, 11 ounce Birman feline is subject of a forthcoming book: "Choupette: The Private Life of a High-Flying Fashion Cat," and has been the inspiration for clothing lines, perfume, makeup and even dolls. I often think of the dear cat who used to patrol the Algonquin hotel. Her fate at this writing is undetermined, but one thing I know for sure, the new owners of the hotel banned her forever into exile.Alas, some cats like Choupette have all the luck.
CHRISTIAN LOUBUTIN has his day in a documentary film. His long-time friend and model Farida Khelfa made the 52-minute film, after followiing in theParisian shoe designer's footsteps for two years. Don't fret if you miss the movie, if you want to see some of the designer's shoes in person just go to the Brooklyn Museum and check out the Killer Heels exhibit which I reported about last week.  In the film Louboutin talks about his family background and how it influenced his work. Really!!!! David Lynch, Blake Lively and Alicia Keys are among others featured in the film.
Ta Ta darlings!!! The new plaza at the Metropolitan is a visual delight with a welcome mat of open vistas to tempt any visitor to take a respite and enjoy the dancing waters and views. Fan mail welcome as usual at pollytalknyc@gmail.com. Visit Polly's Blogs at www.pollytalk.com and click on the Blog of interest located in the left hand column. .