Styles & Scenes

Stars get waisted at Prada party

With the Emmy awards and Emmy parties on the horizon, it’s no surprise so many stars turned out for Miuccia Prada’s “Waist Down” exhibit of her artistic skirts at her Beverly Hills boutique.

Ben Kingsley, Dustin Hoffman, and Joaquin Phoenix  gave a heavy-weight acting awards feel to the super-chic skirt-loving crowd that included Angie Harmon, Heather Graham, Molly Sims, Eva Mendes, Michelle Trachtenberg, Patricia Arquette, Michelle Rodriquez, Paris and Nicky Hilton along with skinny-mini Mary Kate Olsen, looking tres goth, smothered up in black with ruby red lips.

Also at the party: Hilton's main social antagonists Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie. Perhaps their angry rifts are cooling due to some kind of Hollywood nuclear weapons disarmament treaty. Or maybe it was the free frocks.

Richie arrived before Lohan and was seen briefly eyeing the huge seafood buffet before deciding against sustenance and heading upstairs to the VIP area with melted green plastic walls that looked like they were stolen from the set of “Aliens.”

But even though she resisted a jumbo shrimp, Richie is not, I repeat, not anorexic. She probably wasn't hungry because she'd just eaten dinner the night before.

Other stars simply couldn't resist the  sea-faring temptation. Surprise-surprise, Courtney Love made a lengthy pit stop at the seafood bar to refuel with handfuls of jumbo shrimp, lobster claws and giant crab legs. TV fashion pundit Steven Cojocaru was also eating high on the hog and looking eerily more like his idol Joan Rivers every minute.

Longtime Prada lover Lyle Lovett came with a young girl who looked she could be his daughter but was probably his fiancé, April Kimble. “I love Prada, especially the techno pants. I wear them on stage when I perform,” he revealed.

Former supermodel-still-turning-actress Amber Valletta gleamed in a gold Prada lace top and gold satin short-shorts. "I think her hot pants-wearing days are done," whispered one onlooker.

The big question of the night was: will we see mucho Miuccia Prada at the Emmys?

“I really don’t know,” answered Prada prone supe- stylist Rachel Zoe, who arrived at the same time as some of her Prada-clad clones, er girls, including Joy Bryant, Richie and Lohan.

“Miuccia is very specific about who she dresses so we’ll just have to see. But it would be very fun!”

The Rem Koolhaus-designed boutique is a perfect party pad with skyhigh ceilings, low white sofas, and a wide sweeping staircase up to the second floor where you can peek down and check out which guy is a potential Hair Club for Men client.

The Prada skirts exhibited - full skirts splattered on walls and spinning suspended from the ceiling - sure made for fun festive décor. Not to mention all the plasma screens showing past fashion shows. By night's end, none of the small Prada skirt souvenir pins scattered around the store were left. Guests, stars and even stylists were lining their Prada purses with handfuls of the party souvenirs.

One source thought that there just might be an Emmy party in the works for the special store.  But another insider made mock of that idea, “Miuccia would not allow a party to be held here that she was not totally in charge of.”

So we’ll just have to see. But, like Zoe said, It would be very fun. And the marvelous "Waist Down" exhibit will be on display until, fittingly, August 27, the night of the Emmys.

Photo Credits: Angie Harmon fixes Lindsay Lohan's hair when she arrives late at the Prada party. What are friends for? Limos can be so  hard on the hairdo.

Photo Credits: Molly Simms and Eva Mendes get cozy for the cameras in fabulous free Prada dresses.

Photo Credits: Rebecca Romjin and Courtney Love share  - hopefully - some diet tips. Bottom's up, girls. Let's also hope that's just sparkling water in Love's champagne flute.

All from WireImage/Michael Caulfield

Vera Wang curries fashion favor at the Oscars

Now that the Oscar dust has settled, which designer was the most popular on the red carpet?

You could call it a tie. Dior dressed two big names: presenter Charlize Theron and the adorable first lady of the evening, best actress Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon.

Theron’s forest green silk gown with a benign tumor-sized shoulder bow didn’t win over most style seers. But Witherspoon’s honestly vintage 1955 beaded Dior frock was a major thumbs-up, despite criticism that the gown was "too much dress" for the petite actress.

But Vera Wang also dressed two important ladies — both best actress nominees — and both of her creations were wildly hailed. "Brokeback Mountain" nominee Michelle Williams wore a Wang curry-hued '30s-inspired chiffon gown. And "Pride & Prejudice" nominee Keira Knightley looked to-the-manor-born in Wang’s fishtail hem burgundy gown.

And here's a surprise: Versace, usually deemed a bit too racy for the Oscars, came in third, designing for three presenters: Jessica Alba's gold gown, Salma Hayek's blue wrapped gown and Hilary Swank's strapless black number.

Other fashion forces at the 2006 Oscars:

Photo: Michelle Williams won fashion favor at the Oscars for her curry-colored Vera Wang chiffon gown.
(Steve Granitz / WireImage)

Star Wears: winning awards garb

The 2006 award season may be officially over. But red carpet couture will live on.

C'mon, admit it. You're just dying to slide into Heidi Klum’s Vanity Fair Oscars party frock. How about Pamela Anderson's vintage Bill Blass Golden Globes gown? Or maybe you'd like to unbutton Oscars host Jon Stewart’s Ralph Lauren tuxedo?

Now’s your chance.

Clothes Off Our Back is doing another one of their inexplicably successful online auctions in which stars donate their ABW (already been worn) award show clothing and people actually bid good, hard-earned money for the celebrities' used duds, money that goes to marvelous causes supported by the various celebs. Just check out clothesoffourback.org.

Other award show-worn garments on the block: Peter Jackson's Kenneth Cole dress shoes worn to the Globes, Ellen DeGeneres' Grammys sneakers, Joss Stone’s Grammys gown worn onstage to perform (hopefully dry-cleaned); Joaquin Phoenix’s Globes tux, Jessica Alba’s Golden Globes dress and last — but most certainly not least — Scarlett Johansson’s red Jimmy Choo heels worn to the Globes.

Too bad the offer isn't Johansson's spectacular red Globes gown. In case you don’t remember, that particular couture creation got foppish fashionista Isaac Mizrahi, E!'s current red carpet critic, into deep doodie.

Mr. Miz got scathing reviews for his impertinent questions to Ms. Scarlett about her strapless dress and a verbal hand slap from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for daring to reach out and touch her treasure chest during their carpet chat. As a result, he was noticeably reined in — at least in manners — for the Oscar carpet.

In Style magazine and Clothes Off Our Back children’s charity founders “Malcolm in the Middle” star Jane Kaczmarek and her “West Wing” husband Bradley Whitford, showed off all the to-be-auctioned awardsware last week at Republic restaurant in Los Angeles. And to sweeten the pot, Saturn tossed in a 2007 Sky roadster customized by fashion designer Richard Tyler.

But just because you weren’t invited to their show off party, do not despair. You can still bid on all this stuff — including the car — until March 31.

Just one word of caution when buying celebrity cast-offs: These people are very, very small. Klum's gown, for instance, is a size 2-4. Anderson is also a size 4. Most women may have better luck fitting into Camryn Manheim's size 18-20 Mon Atelier Globes gown.

Photo: For a good cause, you could look just as "smokin'" as Heidi Klum does in this Michael Kors gown at the Vanity Fair Oscars bash.
(Eric Charbonneau / WireImage)

All the post-Oscar party poop

Ah, the Oscars post parties. More like ugh.

It's been a veeeery long awards season and you'd think everyone would just go straight home after the Academy Awards, right? I mean, aren't these people a little sick of each other after all these months of award shows?

Apparently not.

Immediately after the ceremony, everyone who held — or had hoped to hold — a little gold naked man headed straight for the Governors Ball, an elegant Art Deco decorated affair in the Kodak Ballroom.

Ever-gracious George Clooney was still acting like he was campaigning, talking to every single press person about his final win, followed around by his still-intrepid pub Stan Rosenfield and CAA head dude Bryan Lourd. Clooney even posed with rival hunk Matt Dillon, whom he beat out for the best supporting actor honors. Wow, guys. Talk about playing well with others.

You’d think he might relax, take a week off, get away from it all at his Lake Como retreat. But he had no time to chill. Clooney was getting on a plane Monday to go back to the New York set of “Michael Clayton,” the dramatic thriller in which he plays a slick attorney whose defense of high profile creeps comes back to haunt him big time.

“Brokeback” couple Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams sat at one high-level table together, looking like they couldn’t wait to get out of their formal duds and get home to Matilda. Williams was even on the cell phone, perhaps talking with the baby sitter? Then she disappeared for a few minutes, leaving an exhausted Heath to sit back and chill by himself.

When Reese Witherspoon finally walked into the ball, dozens of cameras started madly flashing, as her hubby Ryan Phillippe walked behind her, carrying her train. Talk about a supportive husband. She ended up at the “Walk the Line” table, along with her parents, Joaquin Phoenixand his mom, and was happily dancing in her seat to the piped-in big band tunes and bopping her glass of bubbly up and down.

Lauren Bacall was having as much trouble finding her table as she did with the TelePrompTer lines on the show.

“Tsotsi” Oscar winner Gavin Hood was chatting with his boyhood idol Steven Spielberg about having won an early filmmaking award or kudo that was apparently partly sponsored by Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. Hood said that honor inspired him to take his film director career path. “And now you’ve got an Oscar,” Spielberg said, congratulating the South African winner of the best foreign language film.

After an hour, some great Wolfgang Puck food and celebratory bubbly, everyone started asking where everyone else was going next. “Are you going to Prince’s party?” “No, I’m going with the 'Crash' folks,” said Ludacris who actually ended up at the crowded Elton John AIDS fundraiser and the exclusive Vanity Fair bash in West Hollywood, Calif.

Don't these people ever sleep?

Photo (top): Reese Witherspoon celebrates with her mom at the Governors Ball.
(Jeff Vespa/WireImage)

Photo (bottom): Heath Ledger doesn't seem to notice that Michelle has left the table at the Governors Ball.
(Jeff Vespa / WireImage)

Rating the hottest Globe bashes

Who cares about the awards show. Let's talk about the post parties!

Film studios and TV networks spend beaucoup bucks on the food, décor, booze and service staff for their official Globe after-parties. But that’s just smoke, black velvet and mirrors. The true test of a party’s hotness is the star power. The after-bash with the hottest gals, coolest dudes, cutest couples and award-clutching stars wins.

Here’s a quick rundown of who-got-who-and-where.

Host: In Style/Warner Bros.

Where: The Oasis, formerly Palm Court. Think a cavernous blue-lit disco space with spiky Giger-esque red glass tumor-lights over an enormous bar, big dance floor and outdoor smoking area.

Difficulty factor: Piece of cake. The best arrival viewing party and a chance for fans to scream at stars, ask for autographs and take photos. Stars DO stop to sign when they come and go. But once inside, good luck getting through the throng of tuxes and gowns to find them. Tip: head for the small outdoor smoking areas. Or try the dance floor, where Bill Macy and his Globe-winner wife Felicity Huffman were rocking out like teenagers at their high school prom.

Star count: George Clooney and Charlize Theron. Need we say more? OK, George was with his publicist, she was with her boyfriend, Stuart Townsend. Other hot couples: Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, "OC" cuties Rachel Bilson and Mischa Barton, hardly desperate Nicollette Sheridan with Michael Bolton (creepy), Seal with Heidi Klum (creepier).

This was definitely THE hot babe bash: Jessica Biel, Jenna Elfman, Natasha Henstridge, Natalie Portman, Mandy Moore, Paris Hilton, Virginia Madsen and Rose McGowan, Melanie Griffiths’ daughter, Dakota Johnson. And Adrien Brody.

Host: Universal/Focus Features/NBC

Where: An elevator ride up to the hotel’s garage rooftop.

Difficulty factor: From a 10 minute to half hour wait to get in. No one wanted nasty fire marshals to shut it down, which they’d do if the body count went over 800. Linger outside the big tent to catch red carpet action: Keira Knightley, Ang Lee and Rachel Weisz clutching their awards and talking about how surprised/nervous/happy they are.

Star count: Second place for celeb sizzle. Major points for “King Kong” director Peter Jackson.

Hot couples: Former Hobbit Dominic Monaghan and his "Lost" costar-squeeze Evangeline Lily, Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, Zach Braff with Mandy Moore.

Hot dudes: Eric Bana, Cillian Murphy and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Hugh Laurie, Matt Dillon, Luke Wilson, Patrick Dempsey. Oh, and Adrien Brody.

Memorable moment: Keira Knightley dancing up a storm, spinning around and giggling, while holding a glass of champagne. That’s what we call multitasking.

More parties…

Photo: Hot couple Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend definitely add some sizzle to the Warner Bros./In Style official Golden Globes after-party.
(Kevin Mazur / WireImage)

HBO is the host with the most

What makes a great party? High hopes and high spirits.

HBO had that and more at their star-strewn pre-Golden Globe bash Saturday at that terminally hip and historic Hollywood hotel, the Chateau Marmont. They also had 17 Globe nominations, more than any other network.

“We actually have some shows competing against each other,” marveled HBO honcho Colin Callender. “It’s like having your kids up for the same award.”

But he was still looking forward to the competition. "It’s the most fun of all the award shows. You can drink and eat and even go to the bathroom.” Yeah, but don’t stay too long. Remember Christine Lahti’s name was called when she loitered in the Beverly Hilton's ballroom bathroom.

HBO stars and execs were scattered throughout the living room-style lobby. Assorted famous folks mixed with cast members of HBO’s hit shows: Ian McShane, Kevin Connolly, Ben Kingsley Jeremy Piven, Bill Paxton, Rachel Zoe, Frederic Fekkai, Aann Magnusson, Cillian Murphy, Powers Booth, Jeff Daniels, Kiera Knightley, Edie Falco,  Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Rosario Dawson, Ludacris, Bill Maher, Matt Dillon, Troy Garity, Donald Sutherland, Cynthia Nixon, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mira Sorvino, Taylor Hackford, even the Zappa family!.

The only MIA's were Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, who opted to skip the Saturday bash and won't be at the Monday night show.

Notoriously press-shy “Walk the Line” star Joaquin Phoenix, wearing a black jacket and orange hoodie, took one look at the crowded lobby and immediately headed outside. Later he was spotted chatting under the heat lamps with hottie Kirsten Dunst, who was standing near a still-shorn Natalie Portman.

When a wandering HBO party photog asked for a quick shot, Phoenix waved him away. “No man, I’d rather not. No seriously, I’d rather not!”

“Courtney Love is over by the bar,” whispered Nadine Johnson, the Chateau’s New York-based PR pusher. After a search, the shockingly sane and svelte Love was spotted outside, along with every other smoker at the party.

Harvey Weinstein came late with a very pretty, slender brunette and introduced her as “my girlfriend” to photographer Patrick DeMarchelier. “The Wedding Crashers” actress Rebecca De Mornay arrived with New Line Cinema head Bob Shaye. Globes presenter Catherine Deneuve turned up with MAC cosmetic magnate John Dempsey who was being tailed by Chloë Sevigny.

Later that evening, “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier asked for an Advil from a helpful gal who dug an old pill from the bottom of her purse. But Grenier is no dummy. He checked it out carefully before swallowing to be sure the small white pill was a headache antidote and not something that would turn the HBO bash into an "Are We Not Men?" scene from the classic horror film, "The Island of Dr. Moreau."

The party went on so loud and so late that they really should have handed out Advil as a party favor.

Photo: No pictures, please, for Joaquin Phoenix, who even looks camera-shy at GQ's Men of the Year awards.
(Lester Cohn / WireImage)

Phoenix heads to Folsom

It was probably inevitable. Joaquin Phoenix is going to jail. Sort of.

Reprising Johnny Cash's historic appearance at Folsom State Prison, the Golden Globe-nominated actor will appear at a special screening of "Walk the Line" at the Represa, Calif., penitentiary on Jan. 3.

The appearance is being promoted as being reminiscent of Cash's concert there on Jan. 13, 1968. Despite strong resistance from his record label, Cash performed at the prison after getting thousands of letters from inmates around the U.S. about how his music put them on the path to redemption.

This time, Folsom's prison fellowship and the Folsom Chaplain Larry West extended the invitation to the studio to screen the Cash biopic for their inmates. As Joe Avila, California executive director of the prison fellowship explains, “The lesson of Johnny Cash is that it's never too late for a man to turn his life around, and that's a story these men need to hear.”

Not to sound too cynical, but from an Oscar campaign perspective, it certainly wouldn't hurt if the story of this historically well-timed Folsom screening — and Phoenix's Cash-like appearance — is also heard in Hollywood and inspires more academy members to, um, walk the line.

Remember, those Oscar ballots aren't due until Jan. 21, 2006.

Photo: Joaquin Phoenix portrays Johnny Cash performing at Folsom Prison in "Walk The Line."
(Universal Studios / Suzanne Tenner)