Last night, the international fashion elite showed how cool they really are. Despite hair-frizzing humidity and makeup-muddying heat, guests at the CFDA’s annual “Fashion Oscars” barely broke a sweat as they gamely navigated the 18 treacherously slick marble steps to the Public Library.

Linda Evangelista, wearing skintight Notify jeans and a black leather Lanvin jacket, insisted the soupy weather wasn’t a problem.

“I’m used to wearing fall clothes in summer heat,” explained the former supermodel, who sauntered in on the arm of Lanvin’s artistic director and red-carpet favorite, Alber Elbaz, winner of an “international” award – the equivalent of best foreign film.

Other honorees included Vera Wang (womenswear), Marc Jacobs (accessories), Derek Lam (emerging talent, womenswear) and Diane Von Furstenberg (lifetime achievement).

Wonder-waif Kate Moss, honored for her influence on fashion, looked positively curvy in a Christian Dior corset dress.

Ironically, Ralph Lauren who lost out to John Varvatos for the menswear crown, may have enjoyed the night’s smuggest victory.

Last night, his longtime protégé Emmy Rossum defected to the younger, edgier design house of Peter Som.

Unfortunately for the striving “Phantom of the Opera,” star, her baby-blue Little Bo Peep confection was better suited to a sweet-16 party than the most achingly sophisticated red carpet in the world.

Rossum’s faux pas will, no doubt, serve as a lesson in caution to red-carpet rookies: If you are lucky enough to be taken in hand by one of the world’s savviest fashion houses, resist the urge to bite.