Mischa Barton Looked Fabulous at the Met Opera Last Night

Last night’s opening performance at the Metropolitan Opera drew local celebrities like Kelly Rutherford, Brooke Shields, and Coco Rocha, as well as more random folks like Heather Graham and … Mischa Barton! She actually looked great, dressed in an elegant black gown and carrying a dramatic clump of ostrich feathers that doubled as a purse.* We don’t need to hammer home Barton’s various sartorial missteps of late, so let’s just say this outfit is a welcome change.

The performance itself — Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin — involved a plot-twisting love letter, so we asked attendees about their own romantic correspondence. “My love letters are poems,” said Amar’e Stoudemire. “I handwrite them.” His wife, Alexis Welch, confirmed: “I keep ’em. I have them stacked up.” Heather Graham, on the other hand, said, “My love letters are more like text messages, but they’re really good text messages.” Selfies, too? “Yeah,” she said, laughing. What’s the trick to a nice romantic selfie? “Good lighting is important.”

Click through our slideshow to see Patti Smith, Patricia Clarkson, and the rest of last night’s attendees in their opera-night finest.

* Update: this feathery bag is the creation of accessories designer Lena Erziak, should you be curious.