Sarah Palin has said Escada is her favorite label. So could the opening of the new in-store Escada shop in Saks, where Palin spent $50,000 on clothes, be more ironically timed? At the party celebrating the new shop last night, Escada Creative Director Damiano Biella admitted he'd heard Palin was wearing his designs. But was that a good thing for the label? “That is a politically incorrect question that I cannot answer,” Biella said, laughing. “I don’t know. I mean, she’s a public person … you know, after the election we’ll talk about it.” He said Escada is not trying to distance itself from Palin. "If she does wear Escada because she likes it, I mean, I’m honored actually. It’s not politics; it’s clothing, after all. No? She’s an attractive woman, so why not?"

Biella did not want to comment on whether the $150,000 shopping spree was a smart political move. The topic also unsettled Saks' articulate CEO, Stephen Sadove, who stammered when we brought it up. “Oh, I’m not," he began. "Sarah Palin obviously shopped here. I don’t really have anything to say beyond that. We have a lot of customers, we have a lot of great products, we’re happy that she chose to shop at Saks.” Raise your hand if you agree!