Was Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld's recent appearance in Beverly Hills designed (sorry) to boost the house’s sagging image in the aftermath of the 2006 award season dress debacle?

C’mon, you remember that style scandal: Chanel gave Reese Witherspoon a so-called vintage frock to wear to the 2006 Golden Globes that had been previously worn by Kirsten Dunst to a 2005 Globes party? Ouch.

But apparently Herr Karl is above all that mundane mortal stuff. He was here Friday night strictly to unveil and celebrate (er, publicize) a champagne, Dom Perignon Rose Vintage 1996, with ads photographed by Lagerfeld. And you thought all he could do was design dresses! He also shot the ads for 1998 vintage uncorked last year. Yeah, I know. I don’t much care either.

Anyway, the party was held high in the hills in a private home and yes, A-list stars came out dressed in Chanel attire: Eva Herzigova, Jessica Simpson, Maria Bello, Thora Birch, Kelly Lynch and Pierce Brosnan. Suffice to say that Lindsay Lohan looked none too pleased about being forced to pose with Lagerfeld and her nemesis Paris Hilton who giggled throughout pal Brandon Davis's recent video rant about Lohan's genitalia. (I'll show you Fire Crotch, you little -------!)

Non A-listers Brittany Murphy, Courtney Love and Mickey Rourke were also there, no doubt invited for the unpredictable edgy frisson of self destruction they bring that every good party needs.

Both Love and Rourke have taken self-improvement too much to heart. Or rather, face.

Rourke’s distorted kisser – a seriously surgical work in progress -  is starting to look even more cartoony than that of his “Sin City” prosthestic palooka.

Love, meanwhile, appeared to be staying on the straight and narrow. She didn’t even bare her breasts once!

But judging from her painfully immobilized kisser, she may have seriously ODed on Botox in the past few weeks.

LA designer Jennifer Nicholson, Jack’s daughter also showed up to see Karl. And is it just me or does she not look just like her dad in drag?

Hey, if her fashion career flops, she could always get a job starring in a traveling tranny production of "The Shining" or "Five Easy Pieces."

Finally, can we talk about the incredibly shrinking Lagerfeld?

A vaporous mist of his former self, we suspect the designer has been receiving text messaged diet tips from Nicole Richie, who was noticeably not at the party but was probably not home eating dinner either.

Photo Credits: A sullen Lindsay Lohan poses with Karl Lagerfeld and Paris Hilton. Man, I'd hate to be in Karl's place, sandwiched between those two hissing kittens. Pfft, pfft!
WireImage/Eric Charbonneau

Photo Credits: Mickey Rourke looks so surgically altered, he could star in a Witness Protection Program.
WireImage/Lester Cohen

Photo Credits: Heeeere's Jack's designing daughter, Jennifer Nicholson, arriving at the Lagerfeld/Dom Perignon party.
WireImage/Lester Cohen