September 20 - Cries of "Stella!" rang out on a steamy night near the waterfront. It was the opening soiree for fashion designer Stella McCartney's boutique in Manhattan's chic Meatpacking District. Sweaty longshoremen were nowhere to be seen in the A-list crowd that included Gwyneth Paltrow, R & B heartthrob Usher, indie film star Liv Tyler with rocker boyfriend Royston Langdon, Alicia Silverstone, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, Marianne Faithful, Chili from TLC, designer Tommy Hilfiger and other notables. Limo gridlock, street musicians entertaining gawking passersby and a group of cow-suited demonstrators protesting sweatshop conditions at an LVMH-owned factory where McCartney and Gucci garments are produced added excitement to the highly anticipated event.