Cause celebre in NYC

The pop icon Melissa Etheridge bought a cadillac, David Bowie a fistful of loose diamonds. The actress Molly Ringwald stocked up on DKNY stockings, and Kelly Klein, wife of Calvin, bought photographs, writes Christa Worthington.

They were all shopping at Wednesday night's gala for Seventh on Sale, the charity fashion sale benefiting Aids causes now on at New York's vast 26th Street Armory building. More than 100 designer booths are selling top-of-the-line clothes at far less than wholesale prices at the sale, which runs until 21 May. Sales "assistants" might include Calvin Klein and the doyennes of American Vogue. Last time the sale was held in New York, in 1990, $4.6m (pounds 3m)was raised.

Wednesday night's shoppers included Bianca Jagger, Naomi Campbell, Peter Gallagher (of sex, lies and videotape fame) the socialite Pat Buckley, the model and actress Iman and the comedian Rosie O'Donnell, as well as the designers John Galliano, Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld and Gianni Versace - all of whom had paid $1,200 for a swift one-course dinner, a chance to see and be seen and, most important, a chance to shop at this upmarket jumble sale in black tie.

Members of the public have been queueing up to hand over their $20 entrance fees, entitling them to two-and-a-half hours' shopping, after which the Armoury is cleared and restocked. Best deals are the Calvin Klein cashmere sweaters, Manolo Blahnik shoes and Donna Karan jackets (these last are priced at $100).