Getting off my plane at JFK was someone I thought was a host on the Food Network – you know, one of those Bobby Flay-alikes – because they were decked out in such a schleppy way. So imagine my shock when it turned out to be Project Runway supremo Michael Kors. I snapped a discreet shot of the unfashionable carry-on that he wheeled behind him – an ugly misshapen thing that kept keeling over (above). Truth be told, he seemed embarrassed by the dreadful accessory, and complained until his cute young companion took the reins and stuffed a Louis Vuitton Carry on Luggage bag on top, presumably to cover up the dreadful faux pas (below left).

Checked baggage is reasonably safe, though certainly not delicately handled by white-gloved folks with a soft touch. I’d be more trusting of sending my valuables well-packed via UPS or FedEx with my own luggage tags to my destination than in checked luggage, however.

But wait, there’s more! Let me tell you, deplaning at JFK’s international terminal is very much like walking an (endless) runway, made all the more fashionable thanks to Diller and Scofidio‘s installation of terrorist surveillance chic (above right). Michael was so not ready for a runway of any description; he wore a pair of grungy black slacks that needed hemming or turning up, and a ratty old pair of sneakers. And on red-carpet day of all days!

– Fenton Bailey