I'm sitting on the plane waiting to take off for Los Angeles. There's a 25-plane traffic jam and a one hour delay on the runway at JFK. My mind wandered to last night. It was one of the most exciting evenings I have ever experienced in New York. Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine, sponsored "Fashion's Night Out". The event was a huge shopping party that covered the streets of New York from Fifth Avenue to Madison Avenue to the West Village and SoHo. It was a giant stimulus package to encourage people back to the store to shop. It would be an understatement to say the evening was a success. The streets were teeming with people all holding shopping bags. The night felt like a huge block party for fashionistas. The shoppers were dressed in various looks from cute to glamorous to edgy. There was a "Fashion's Night Out" T-shirt that sold like hot cakes throughout the city. Most people used the tees to obtain autographs from their favorite designers and celebrities that were stationed at various stores. Profits from the T-shirt went to benefit the National September 11 Memorial Museum and the New York City Aids Fund. This was New York at its best.

My New York salon is located smack in the middle of the festivities. Saks Fifth Avenue is to the left. Bergdorf's and Dior are to the right with Prada across the street. Walking out the front door of the building I could not help but smile. I could have just stood there and stared at the crowds all night. I literally didn't know where or who to look at first. My head was almost spinning in circles not to miss one new trend in dress, hair, or make-up. I started my stroll up the Avenue. My first stop was Prada to pay homage to Grace Coddington, the Creative Director of vogue was the star attraction. Grace was recently featured in the movie "September Issue". At the end of the movie Anna Wintour declares Grace a genius. This is an understatement. Grace probably has the best eye in the business. I have had the privilege to work with Grace from time to time. Grace's pictures and my conversations with her have been one of my biggest inspirations. She has often told me to always keep my eyes wide open. She said that when she is in a car she always is looking at everything that passes by. "You never know what your next source of inspiration will be Louis." I will never forget this piece of advice.

My next stop was Bergdorf's. Phyllis Posnick the Executive Fashion Editor of Vogue was autographing her book "Extreme Beauty". Phyllis often works with Irving Penn creating some of the most beautiful and unique beauty pictures I have ever seen. Her vision and insight is above reproach. The source of her inspiration is her research, her vision, and her constant ability to observe the world around her. Bergdorf's was a zoo. There was a line around the block to get through the store's doors. The Olsen twins, barely visible because of there small size, were tending bar. The store looked a bit like a night club where people could shop.

I went to a few more stores. Charlize Theron was at Dior. Looking at this woman is the ultimate lesson in glamour. She wore an elegant Dior gown. Her movements were graceful. Her movie star aura filled the room.

My last stop was Oscar De La Renta. Sara Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Barbara Walters were the stars of the night. They sang "There's no business like clothes business". The mood was festive. Watching each of these dynamic women reminded me that people with real style wear clothes, hair, and make-up that are right for them. Truly stylish people don't always follow trends.

I went to dinner with friends at the end of the evening. At dinner we were all talking about what inspired us to be constantly evolving and moving forward. I had to admit it was my friends and the people I have worked with over the years. I was lucky enough to be neighbors with Marc Jacobs, the fashion designer, when he lived in New York before he moved to Paris. We often went shopping, combed the thrift stores, and endlessly walked the streets of New York. There wasn't a new exhibition at any museum that we missed. It would not be unusual for him to make a 180 degree turn to look at a fashion trend setter or an eccentric character of the streets. He found inspiration in everything around him. He often insisted we meet for dinner. I don't think he cared as much about dinner as the food for thought he might gather going to and from the restaurants. We walked everywhere. We took subways. He never missed a beat.

Over the years I have been programmed to keep my eyes wide open. I know that being a good colorist means that you never stop evolving. A colorist must constantly be developing his color eye. I often tell my friends that you don't have to be a genius to have a good color eye. You only have to watch the world around you.