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

Chanel fuss is just a frock says Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore was in very fine form at the Hollywood premiere of the new animated kiddy flick, “Curious George," wearing a cap-sleeved, portrait neckline black dress and a tiny gold heart bracelet and necklace.

Uncharacteristically, she even talked about fashion and how silly she thought everyone was acting over Globe-winner Reese Witherspoon’s Chanel frock that was previously worn by Kirsten Dunst at a Globes post party back in 2003.

“You gotta be able to laugh at yourself,” said Barrymore.

The actress, who sent up the brouhaha about her being braless at the Globes by wearing fake droopy breasts on “Saturday Night Live” the weekend after the awards show, seemed happy that people at the “George” premiere at Hollywood's ArcLight Cinemas were more interested in her voice role. She’s the perky voice of a schoolteacher romantically interested in the Man in the Yellow Hat (Will Ferrell) who owns George the monkey.

But for the record, “I’m wearing Celine,” boasted Barrymore. “And a bra!” she added with a giggle, as she ran over to hug Ferrell at the after-party.

OK, you gotta love this girl.

Photo: Drew Barrymore's ratings get a serious boost at the "Curious George" premiere.
(Lester Cohen / WireImage)

Can a Sk8er Girl wear Chanel?

The House of Chanel has officially moved on after last week’s très embarrassing Reese Witherspoon/Kirsten Dunst Golden Globes dress debacle.

And who cares about zee upcoming Oscars? Chanel has fresh flesh to fry.

Punk princess Avril Lavigne, now 21, attended her first Paris couture show Tuesday, showing up at Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel couture collection held at the Grand Palais in the Louvre.

I know she's all grown up but gosh, it's kinda sad to see the end of our little grungster’s carefree Sk8er Girl wardrobe: self-ripped jeans, plaid minis, baggy cargos, safety-pinned Ts, suspenders, vests and that vast collection of men’s neckties, some swiped from her dad.

Seated in the prestigious front row, Lavigne was all chic and polite in a black Chanel couture dress (from the Fall collection, dahling) and carried a signature Chanel purse from the “Luxury by Chanel” collection.

Does this couture appearance mean Ms. Lavigne may sport Chanel if she attends the upcoming Grammy Awards? Hey, anything’s possible. Or maybe she’ll wear some Chanel stuff when she performs during the closing ceremony of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy on Feb. 26.

She has already worn Chanel…

Photo Credit: Avril Lavigne wears Chanel couture (like, duh) to the Chanel couture show in Paris.
(Tony Barson / WireImage)

Witherspoon's pub forgives Chanel

Nanci Ryder, Reese Witherspoon’s personal publicist, has issued a statement, published in today’s Women’s Wear Daily, the bible of the fashion world, that she still loves Chanel.

"I’m a big fan of Chanel and so is Reese. I have no issues with Chanel,” Ryder says. “It was an unfortunate incident but people make mistakes.”

She goes on to add that Reese and all her other clients will continue to work with Karl Lagerfeld’s fashion house. And she's sad that this has overshadowed Reese’s winning a best actress Globe.

I’ll second that emotion.

As for that look-alike Natalie Portman/Debra Messing black lace strapless Chanel dress? Chanel says it’s a case of mistaken identity.

“Debra’s dress was a ready-to-wear piece from the ’95 collection and Natalie’s was a vintage ‘50s couture dress,” says Chanel PR gal Gretchen Gunlocke-Fenton. ”If you examine the dresses closely, it was a totally different black lace and a different belt.”

So there.

Chanel's double dressing disaster, continued

The fashion world is positively reeling, darling, over the Golden Globes' double dress debacle.

Can you imagine? Reese Witherspoon accepting her best actress Golden Globe in a Chanel dress worn by Kirsten Dunst to a Globe party in 2003?

Poor Reese. Instead of being featured as a Globe winner on the cover of People and Women’s Wear Daily, looking happy in her exquisite frock, her photo is butted against a shot of Dunst in the same dress, like one of those horrid “Who Wore It Best” tabloid-style spreads.

Dear Lord, the dress duplication was even reported on Access Hollywood! The horror, the horror....

Then came word that Globes presenter Natalie Portman was indeed wearing a Chanel dress that was worn by a then-skinny Debra Messing at a Glamour Women of the Year affair in 2001.

Calls to Messing’s publicist, Portman’s publicist, and Chanel’s New York office and to Portman's stylist Kate Young have still not been returned. Hmmm. But confirmation about Portman/Messing's mirror mode comes from a highly placed source in a fashion agency that works with Young, who also styles Hilary Swank.

After the Globes show, Young told New York Times fashion writer Cathy Horyn why Natalie went with a black Chanel rather than one of the two Rochas (say "row-cha") dresses (blue and pale green) made just for her by Olivier Theyskens.

Quel Scandale! Reese's used gown, Mariah's scary couture — Chanel's major fashion faux pas

Move over. Armani. Chanel made the bigger splash on the red carpet at Monday’s Golden Globe awards. Chanel dresses were spotted on hot young actresses Reese Witherspoon, Emily Mortimer, Natalie Portman and Vanessa Paradis as they strolled the red carpet.

But the House of Coco also made a couple of serious fashion faux pas.

Mariah Carey wore a gown especially designed for her by Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld — a skintight plunging neckline crystal-splattered gown that looked more Mae West than Maison Chanel.

So why was Carey’s name was left off of Chanel’s press release? "Was it left off?," asked Gretchen Gunlocke-Fenton in Chanel's New York fashion public relations office. "That could have been because we're never sure what the actresses will wear until the last minute. And she had several fittings in Los Angeles after she met personally with Karl in Paris."

Oh-kay.

And many in the fashion world are wondering why Witherspoon ended up in a Chanel gown previously worn (horrors!) by Kirsten Dunst. Reportedly, Witherspoon was excited to wear a "vintage" gown by her favorite designer, thinking that “vintage” meant a classic frock worn in some bygone era. She had no idea it was a Dunst redux.

It was only after the Globes that Witherspoon’s camp learned the dress was worn by Dunst to a 2003 Golden Globe Awards party, with her hair done just like Witherspoon's. Yikes.

Chanel issued this statement: "Chanel apologizes for the oversight that Reese Witherspoon's dress was previously worn to a Golden Globes after party three years ago. We are honored that Reese chose to wear Chanel and thought she looked beautiful. We congratulate her on her well-deserved win."

Witherspoon's publicist, Nancy Ryder, has told reporters that she and her other clients will boycott Chanel. And other star's stylists are horrified that this duplication occurred.

“A star in the best actress category should never be seen in a dress that’s been seen before anywhere, even on the runway,” sniffed a top L.A. fashion PR gal. “Most actresses today insist on a couture gown especially made for them."

But considering Carey's cheesy couture creation, maybe Witherspoon was lucky.

Photo (left): Mariah Carey, veddy scary in bespoke Chanel couture made specially for her by creative director Karl Lagerfeld.
(George Pimentel / WireImage)

Photo (right): Kirsten Dunst at a 2003 Golden Globes bash (left, with Sigourney Weaver) — wearing the same Chanel dress loaned to Reese Witherspoon for the 2006 Globes (right, with Ryan Phillippe).
(Weaver & Dunst: Steve Granitz / WireImage; Witherspoon & Phillippe: George Pimentel / WireImage)

Here — for all you fashion hounds who care deeply about such things (and I know you’re out there) — is a list of the 2006 Globes "Who Wore Who."

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)

Hollywood plays dress-up for the Globes

This weekend, while most of Hollywood is pre-Globe partyin’, crack teams of stylists are racing all over town, making last minute decisions, decisions, decisions on gowns, shoes and jewelry for their star clients to wear to the increasingly important 63rd annual Golden Globe Awards.

Come Monday, we will enjoy the fashion fruits of their frantic labors when nominees like Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Keira Knightley, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Williams,  Maria Bello, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow, Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria, Mira Sorvino, Teri Hatcher, Halle Berry and Marcia Cross walk the long red carpet outside the Beverly Hilton.

But until then, no one worth their steam machine dares breathe a designer name for fear an actress — even a contracted spokesmodel actress — may change her mind.  But most stylists are happy to talk general trends, color, shape, and mood.

According to several L.A. style seers, the carpet will be awash with silver, black and white. With maybe shot of green, red, some soft pinks.

“Last year, everything was nude and gold. Now it’s silver with black and white,” revealed fashion flack Marilyn Heston, during a pit stop at the Vanity Fair-sponsored MAC cosmetics party at the Chateau Marmont Friday night.

“It’s still three days out (meaning until the Globes show) but those are the colors of the pieces (gowns) that people (stars’ stylists and PR reps) are calling in (asking to have sent over for the star to look at).” Man, this fashion speak takes time to learn.

But Heston should know.

Photo: Eva Longoria and Maria Bello do Black & White at the GQ party for Globe nominees at the Regent Beverly Wilshire on Friday night. But will they wear it to the Golden Globe Awards on Monday?(Jeff Vespa / WireImage)

No losers at the Peeps Choice

Why are there are no sore losers at the People’s Choice Awards?

Because every nominee who attends knows they’re not leaving without a big shiny crystal trophy.  So everyone who won (or presented) anything was happily milling around backstage during Tuesday night’s show, waiting to be congratulated, photographed and/or interviewed. Or, in some cases, trying not to be interviewed.

Jessica Simpson was one of several stars – including Reese Witherspoon, Ellen DeGeneres and Harrison Ford -  who skipped the backstage print press room. Most stars preferred to chat with the kinder, softer TV entertainment shows like "Access Hollywood," "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," all of which had decorated booths set up for brief, intimate tete-a-tetes with the stars.

Degeneres, wearing a white  Neil Barrett suit and gal pal Portia de Rossi, in a sexy bright blue Vera Wang gown, killed some time between TV talks by chatting with Ray Romano.

“Listen, If  you’re bored, why not come on the show?,” asked Degeneres, who won Fave Funny Female Star and Fave Daytime Talk Show Host. “I don’t care if you’re in your underwear. Or mine.”

“I love your underwear,” responded Romano, “I have two pairs and they’re really comfortable.”

Okay, way too much information.

Then the El-word couple ran over to do an a deux sit-down with “The Insider,” submitting to questions posed by Pat O’Brien’s sidekick, Lara Spencer.  “So I understand that you are now wearing tap shoes to dance on your show,” Spencer announced, clearly proud of her "Insider" scoop.

“No, I’m not wearing tap shoes on the show,” said DeGeneres. “Who told you that?”

“Pat told me to ask you about wearing tap shoes,” whined a red-faced Spencer. “Gee, thanks O’Brien, great question!,” she said, smiling through gritted teeth at the camera.

Rather than hang in the unprotected hallways, many stars preferred to chill in the relatively press-free zone – the Silver Spoon freebie fest/talent lounge - decorated in seductive black velvet, funereal lily arrangements, with a small bar serving beer and bubbly.

Spotted checking out the free 'n' cheesy products to be stuffed into their suitcase-size goodie bags:  the winning Green Day dudes, “Lost” cutie Dominic Monaghan, “Star Wars” winner George Lucas and his needs-be-digitalized daughter, best male action star (just ask him) Matthew McConaughey, Jason Lee and his “Something About Earl” co-star Jaime Pressley, truly, madly, deeply “Desperate” Nicolette Sheridan, “Commander in Chief” Lady Prez Geena (“I finally have a  hit show”) Davis, “CSI” star Marg (“I can’t believe this show is still going on”) Helgenberger, L.A. nightclub empressario Amanda Demme, once-upon-a-time model-turned- reality TV star Rachel Hunter and celeb stylist Philip Bloch, actually seen in public without his omnipresent cap.

Not exactly a hot interview anymore, Kelsey Grammer, there with his still-lovely wife Camille, had time to tickle the ivories on one of Liberace’s old pianos in the lounge, patiently waiting for someone, anyone, to ask him about his upcoming projects, of which I'm sure there are many.

Photo Credit: Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres kill time hanging backstage after the Peeps Choice Awards
Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Let the party-planning begin!

The big Golden Globes after-parties, all to be held in the newly renovated Beverly Hilton, are now locked and loaded. Some 6,000 guests are expected to make the rounds of five bashes, right after the televised awards show wraps on Jan. 16, 2006. And here's where everyone's headed.

Universal, Focus Features and NBC will celebrate in high style with a party on the hotel's parking garage roof. And with 22 nominations — including "Pride & Prejudice," "King Kong," "Munich," "The Constant Gardener," "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Producers" — well, you do the star count. This see-and-be scene, held in a large but lavish outdoor tent, will definitely be a hot ticket. So plan your party-going carefully. As with most things in life, timing is everything.

"Last year the body count for that space was 800 and we'll stick close to that number this year," says Brian O'Connor, the Bev Hilton's PR director. When that roof gets full, fire marshals won't let anyone else up there. The same is true of all the parties, natch. And better bring a wrap too. There will be lots of heat lamps in the outdoor spaces but they don't really warm shivering shoulders. They just sizzle brainpans.

InStyle and Warner Bros. will celebrate in the newly renovated space called The Oasis, formerly the Palm Court, with a multilevel entertainment and seating area including tented outside space. This is officially the largest party of the night with 1,000 guests expected. Look out for George Clooney and Charlize Theron, neither of whom are very hard on the eyes.

HBO, with 17 nominations, will have their usual packed pool party at the newly renovated Aqua Star Pool. And, as in years past, the network bash will also take over Merv Griffin's restaurant. The night will also be a farewell party for the restaurant, which will be gutted immediately afterward to create an as-yet-unnamed new "fine dining experience" in the hotel.

Expect those adorable "Entourage" boys, "Curb Your Enthusiam" curmudgeon-creator-star Larry David, maybe "Warm Springs" stars Kenneth Branagh and Cynthia Nixon, "The Girl in the Café" cast, some "Rome" names and maybe even Paul Newman, who is nominated for "Empire Falls."

The Weinstein Co., as reported on "Styles and Scenes" on Nov. 2, are officially back in Harvey and Bob's former Miramax party spot, Trader Vic's. They will also have a tented outside space with seating, bars and plenty of room to mix and mingle, suck up and eat crow. Expect "Transamerica" switch-hitter Felicity Huffman, "Matador" leading man Pierce Brosnan and "Mrs. Henderson Presents" costars Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins.

Rumor was Showtime was going to take over the Stardust Room for their first very big Globes party. But at the last minute, Fox jumped in and made the eighth floor suite their den of festivities to celebrate potential wins (or mourn losses) for "Walk the Line" and "24." Keep an eye peeled for Kiefer Sutherland, Reese Witherspoon, and maybe even that toad-sprouting sweetie, Joaquin Phoenix.