How do MTV stars entertain themselves in the days (and long nights) leading up to the Video Music Awards? Sex, drugs and rock and roll are all so last decade! What's hot now? Apparently roller skating, styling and—natch—shopping.
Seth Browarnik/Red Eye Productions
Jessica Simpson (above) celebrated the release of A Public Affair, her new CD, with an old-school skating party at the Roxy that was sponsored by Yahoo. Sadly for that rare MTV vixen who can actually sing, she was suffering from laryngitis (hey, at least it wasn't acid reflux). Red-carpet reporters still got answers to their tough questions, though—Jess held up a variety of signs, including ASK MY PUBLICIST and I WANT TO KEEP MY PRIVATE LIFE PRIVATE. Did I mention that she was working a Heather Graham-as-Rollergirl-in-Boogie Nights look?
Meanwhile, glam music-industry stylist June Ambrose (watch your chicly attired back, Rachel Zoe!) celebrated the launch of Effortless Style, her first book, with close friends, clients (like Puffy, the party's host) and a few MTV power couples (Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Janet and Jermaine). The party was at Tenjune, the latest hot spot in the Mardis Gras District, my own nickname for MePa, where every weekend is like Sex and the City meets Girls Gone Wild. What a relief—this neighborhood really needed another noisy club.
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From In Style's Karen Levy in Los Angeles: Going out to an event straight from work can be a fashion challenge, especially when you show up at the office in your, uh, not-best jeans and not expecting to go out for the evening. Solution: borrow clothes from a co-worker who lives near the office. (Thanks, Ali!)
Brian Atwood and Rachel Zoe
Photos by Donato Sardella
After changing into one of her cute miniskirts and a T, I touched up my makeup and headed over to the new hot spot Simon LA for dinner and drinks with Michael Burr (an editor at The Hollywood Reporter) and Christian Muirhead, the publicist for William Morris. We munched on truffle, tomato and basil pizza, drank vodka tonics, and gabbed. But I had cut out of the meal early to stop by an intimate dinner hosted by shoe designer Brian Atwood and stylist-to-the-stars Rachel Zoe at a hip West Hollywood Hotel.
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From In Style's Mark Morrison and Ali Forman in Los Angeles: You'd have thought we wouldn’t have any trouble getting to the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday. The limo arrived at 3 p.m., giving us two hours to drive the few miles to the fabled Shrine Auditorium in downtown L.A. But no one counted on the bumper-to-bumper traffic that clogged the surrounding streets.
There we were, in a sea of limos as the clock was ticking, when we noticed that the Shrine itself was only a block away (though the circuitous car route would force us to take a long loop around to get there). Not wanting to miss the action on the red carpet, we thought we’d hoof it the rest of the way, despite the 90-degree heat. And we weren’t alone: Women in gowns, men in tuxedoes, even Fox president Peter Liguori—all of them abandoned their cars and took to the the street.
Josh Cooke, Stacy Shea and Ali Forman.
Photos by Josh Cooke.
However, the L.A.P.D., which didn’t approve of our desperate shortcut, blocked our way and sent us back to our gridlocked car. But then we couldn’t figure out which of the many sleek black limos was ours. Suddenly we heard a voice asking, "You guys need a ride?" It was our friends Leslie Siebert and David DeCamillo, of the Gersh Agency, and manager Steven Siebert, who invited us to share their car for the three blocks left of the urban maze we were stuck in.
At this point, we knew we’d miss all the gowns and glamor on the red carpet—which is, let’s face it, the real fun of the night. But poor Leslie! She had two clients—Megan Mullally and Elizabeth Perkins—nominated for the first award of the evening (Megan won). However, there was nothing we could do. When we finally got to the Shrine, it was 5:10 and the red carpet was deserted except for Joan and Melissa Rivers, who were still talking, and a handful of publicists waiting for their clients to emerge from the traffic.
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New York Fashion Week is just around the corner, so I can't blame designers like Matthew Williamson, who cared more about getting some R and R on Mykonos than dressing TV actresses for the Emmys in L.A. To be honest, though, Matthew wasn't exactly relaxing when I saw him at around 1 a.m. at the Belvedere Hotel's White Party this weekend. Actually, he was shaking what his mother gave him on top of an outdoor bed by the pool.
The White Party from on high.
Photos by Mark A. Neston
So what's going to be one of his big looks for spring 2007, I asked between songs spun by imported DJ Donna D'Cruz (who played everything from Kanye West and Madonna to the theme from, yes, Zorba the Greek). "To be honest, I can't remember right now," Williamson joked. "I've had a lot to drink."
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From In Style's Ali Forman in Los Angeles: The other night, I got to be a total rock star. Well, not really, but I did get to party with total rock stars—those on the hit CBS show Rock Star: Supernova. Instead of enjoying the reality show as I usually do (from the comfort of my own couch), I got to go to a live taping at which the final seven rockers all put on an amazing show.
OK, I admit it: I'm a reality-show addict, and this is one of my favorites. That's partly because of the cool tunes from bands like Radiohead, the Who and Eric Clapton. And there is always a fight to see who gets to perform the songs they want. Last week Toby and Dilana both wanted the same song, and Dilana made Toby run around the pool naked before she'd agree to let him use it. This week Dilana gets her payback.
Supernova guitarist Gilby Clarke, flanked by contestants Toby Rand
and Magni Asgeirsson. Photo by Monty Brinton/CBS.
But back to the other night. It's not easy to dress for a rock-star party. I was torn between a plum Marc Jacobs mini with a white tank and jeans with a black silk tank. I decided to be safe and went with the jeans, but I did have on a lot of necklaces—which is about as rock as I can really get.
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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: It was an accidental meeting of Emmy nominees at the Buffalo Club last night when Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) bumped smack into Kiefer Sutherland (24).
Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick with, from left, In Style's Kwala Mandel,
Ali Forman, Mark Morrison, Glynis Costin and Cortney Pellettieri
She and her cute hubby, Kevin Bacon, chatted for a while with Kiefer (who was dining with some old friends) before making their way to the cozy back patio, where we were holding an intimate dinner in Kyra’s honor. “You look like an Emmy!” said one of her old pals, commenting on how slim and chic the actress looked in a fitted white dress.
Kyra and Kevin have got to be one of the cutest—and coolest—couples in Hollywood (or New York). Rather than sitting together, they split up and then took turns spending time at all three tables so they could talk to every one of the guests, including an array of nieces and nephews, long-time friends and producers from the show, along with Kyra’s manager, Jill Littman; her publicist, Cari Ross; and her Gersh agents, Leslie Siebert, Lorrie Bartlett and David DeCamillo.
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From In Style's Karen Levy in Los Angeles: I have to admit that I’m not really a follower of country music. But when I was invited to see Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s sold-out Soul 2 Soul show at the Staples Center during the last leg of their American tour, I couldn’t say no. Plus, part of the invite included a VIP reception at which they were going to play for an intimate group before the show.
Faith Hill in concert
Photo by Danny Clinch
I had a feeling it was going to be good—and I wasn’t disappointed. Upon arrival my mom (whom I took as my date) and I were escorted to the underground reception, where a small group was enjoying a buffet of cheese, hummus and other spreads, along with beer and wine, courtesy of tour sponsor Hershey Co.
But the best part was when Tim and Faith came out of their dressing rooms and performed two acoustic songs for the small VIP crowd before taking the big stage. It was so cool to see them close up, bantering back and forth as husbands and wives do. She looked stunning, her blond mane flowing down her back. And he couldn’t be hotter, in his black leather cowboy hat and fitted jeans.
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Sure, Sean "Diddy" Combs recently hosted a little soirée in St. Tropez, but that's nothing compared with the White Party that the Belvedere here on Mykonos—the Greek island's "It Hotel"—has planned for this weekend.
Mykonos is once again rising on the jet set's radar: Last year PartyHopper bumped into one of his blog muses, Paris Hilton, and also spotted Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas (well, actually, their yacht). This summer's tourists from Hollywood have included Liam Neeson, Oliver Stone and Denzel Washington, who rented a villa and dined at the Belvedere's Matsuhisa eatery.
As for fashion-world cred: Jean Paul Gaultier just checked out of the Belvedere a few days ago; the charming design masterminds behind the hip DSquared2 line, Dan and Dean Caten, recently checked in; and according to my friend Miguel, the fabulous Milan-based stylist, Dolce and Gabbana plan on docking their boat here soon—hopefully in time for Saturday night's blowout.
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From In Style's Mark Morrison in Los Angeles: Last week I stopped by Dolce—the clubby Melrose Ave. eatery co-owned by Ashton Kutcher, Wilmer Valderrama and others—for a lunch with interior-design guru Dodd Mitchell (below), who designed the place. He’s also responsible for the chic look of Hollywood hot spots Katana, the Lodge Steakhouse, Cinch, Sushi Roku, and the Crescent and Roosevelt hotels.
Having just flown in from his home base in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Dodd told me he can't believe he's gone from creating such star-worthy hangs for Madonna, Prince, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Paris Hilton and Salma Hayek to actually becoming a star brand himself.
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The heroic quest for exclusive news has taken PartyHopper to a faraway Greek isle—not unlike, say, Angelina Jolie in the sequel to Tomb Raider. After reconnecting with distant relatives (and the pet donkey) on remote Karpathos, which I jokingly refer to as Land of the Lost, I'm treating myself to a holiday on Mykonos, which is about as glam as it gets in Greece.
Dean and Dan Caten during Fashion Week in Milan
Biasion Studio/WireImage
Before I left the country, my boss hosted our monthly editor's lunch with special guest John Huey, Time Inc.'s editorial honcho, who recalled his own visit to Mykonos back in 1972, when no one seemed to speak English and the island was overrun with "naked hippies." These days the crowd that flocks here takes dressing very seriously; at times, in fact, it seems more like Fashion Week in Milan than summer vacation to me: Aside from all of the gorgeous and innately stylish Italian tourists buzzing around the narrow streets on mopeds, famous faces include designers Dan and Dean Caten (the cute Canadian brothers behind the ultra-hip DSquared2 line) and, rumor has it, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, though I have yet to spot the latter design duo myself.
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From In Style's Kwala Mandel in Los Angeles: Actress Amy Smart may not have a stylist, but she sure has style.
At a cocktail party for the grand opening of Aura, a chic new boutique on Montana Ave. in Santa Monica, Smart (who plays a smooth criminal on CBS’s upcoming Smith) set me straight about my mistaken notion that every actress has a fabulous stylist. It turns out that assumption ranks right up there with believing in the tooth fairy.
Kwala Mandel, Amy Smart and Aura owner Kristin T. Eberts
Yes, Smart occasionally gets to borrow great gear, like the sexy black Zac Posen cocktail gown she had on loan for the evening. But the rest of her wardrobe is all her own, and like some of us she drools at the thought of having her own style guru scanning the fashion houses of the world with her in mind. "I will have a stylist one day," she says. Until then, she’ll be playing her own personal shopper. (Her best advice? Skip bargain impulse buys and save up for one good investment piece that you’ll wear forever.)
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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: It’s kind of a miracle that nobody fell into the infinity pool at the swinging party we held last night at a groovy house in the Hollywood Hills.
When we in the L.A. bureau of In Style launched the Stuck in L.A. Summer Soirée six years ago, as a fun little party to beat the summer heat, little did we know what a hot ticket it was going to become. Jennifer Morrison, of the hit show House, came late after shooting, and even though the valet-parking lot was full she hiked for 10 minutes up the hill. “I wasn’t going to miss this party!” she said.
Joanne Wiles, Molly Sims and Glynis Costin
And Michelle Trachtenberg, who got into a fender bender on the way, told us, “I didn’t care—I still had to come."
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From In Style's Kwala Mandel in Los Angeles: When I showed up at the Comedy Store for the Kinerase-sponsored bingo benefit for the EB Medical Research Foundation, I had no idea what I was in for—even though bingo alum Jacinda Barrett tried to warn me before I found my seat (in a vinyl booth stocked with bowls of popcorn and cocktail nuts) that the rounds could get heated.
Rosanna Arquette, Zoe Sidel, David Arquette, Courteney Cox and Alexis Arquette
Photo by Jeff Vespa/WireImage
That understatement was delivered very delicately by the Aussie actress, just back from a few weeks of vacation in her homeland. (You may know her from Poseidon, and she can be seen next working it out with Zach Braff in Last Kiss).
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What do Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton have in common? A.) A belief that gentlemen prefer a certain hair color. B.) New albums that prove they both know what's hot. C.) Good taste in Manhattan party venues.
The answer: All of the above!
Christina Aguilera at Marquee
Photo by Bon Pic
These blond bombshells celebrated their smokin' CDs (granted, not on the same night) at Marquee, the club of choice for Hollywood stars visiting N.Y.C. And tonight the club's owner, Noah Tepperberg, one of the town's only attitude-free nightlife impressarios, is throwing a party of his own party to celebrate his birthday, at which there will no doubt be many more stars in attendance.
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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: Nightlife guru Rande Gerber has another hit on his hands.
The man behind such hipster bars as Cherry and the Whiskey in Las Vegas, the Whiskey Blue in L.A., the Stone Rose in New York, and many others, Rande has just opened the Stone Rose Lounge at the newly revamped (to the tune of $40 million) Sofitel Hotel in West Hollywood.
On a recent night, I met up with a group of fellow Leos to celebrate our respective birthdays at this hot spot, where Rachel Bilson, Adam Brody, Vin Diesel and Dane Cook have already been spotted. Halfway into our first margaritas, in walked Rande and his wife, Cindy Crawford (in jeans and a sexy silk print halter top—gorgeous as always). I know them (long story), so I didn’t feel funny going over to say hi.
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What do you do when your boss calls—but your hands are full with a massive albino Burmese python?
Photo by Jay Eaton
Somehow I never thought I'd ever be asking myself that question. But yesterday I spent my lunch hour meeting some of the talent from the mega-hyped new movie Snakes on a Plane at midtown Manhattan's Hard Rock Cafe—you might say it was Snakes on a Chain (Restaurant)! On hand were veteran snake charmer Jules Sylvester (who regaled me with tales of working with current Shakespeare in the Park sensation Meryl Streep on the sets of both Out of Africa and Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events) and charismatic Aussie actor Nathan Phillips.
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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: Where can you find Katie Holmes (below) buying a cute outfit by Jigsaw Junior for her niece, Debra Messing looking at jewelry, Kristen Bell getting a massage, Marcia Cross perusing a rack of dresses, Rebecca Romijn trying on bracelets, and Kyra Sedgwick eating a cupcake—all in one place?
Photo by Amanda Marsalis
At producer Jennifer Klein’s fabulous annual girls-only party. I tell you, it’s one of the fetes I most look forward to every summer. Not only are there great “pamper stations” set up all around her home—where you can get everything from a manicure to an eyebrow waxing—there’s also plenty of great girl talk among all the actresses, agents, managers, studio execs and other movie-industry movers and shakers mingling at what Klein calls “A Day of Indulgence.”
There are also rooms full of merch that you can buy at a discount—from lingerie to pajamas to fine jewelry. Radcliffe Denim even had a booth where the company was giving away skinny and trouser-style jeans.
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Sadly, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders did not make the cut for our September issue's annual "What's Sexy Now" poll. But PartyHopper wants to give her an honorable mention after driving all the way to Atlantic City to see her tape an upcoming VH1 Classics special called Decades Rock Live!
Photo by Eddie Malluk
Sporting skinny jeans, a fitted vest, a tie, hoop earrings and, of course, a seriously rocking guitar, Hynde proved that she's still got it: Those flirty bangs—an ageless hairstyle! And such super-buff arms—even Madonna would be envious. (Maybe instead of all those wacky exercise classes in L.A. like strip aerobics and cardio barre, fitness-crazed Angelenos should try good old-fashioned guitar playing to stay toned.)
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From In Style's Cortney Pellettieri in Los Angeles: I love cheese, I love wine, and I love girls' night out. So I jumped at the chance to grab my girlfriend Catherine Culbert, who works at Fox, and head to the opening night of Cube—a new cheese bar/charcuterie on trendy La Brea Avenue. There we elbowed our way through a sea of foodies to sip Prosecco sweetened with rose syrup and raspberries, while the owner, Alexander Palermo, fed us an eight-year-old Cheddar from Canada. “I wanted artisan-crafted foods to have a home,” he explained.
From left: Catherine Culbert, Cortney Pellettieri, and Elizabeth Banks
I was so enraptured by Palermo's romantic food talk that I ate three pieces of the tray-passed Gorgonzola-and-fig pizza without even realizing it. Next time, I’m going to try chef Erin Eastland’s antipasto of heirloom tomatoes, fresh peaches and buffalo mozzarella (the secret, I’m told, is mixing salty with sweet). Selma Blair, Ellen DeGeneres and the Wilson brothers (that’s Owen and Luke) have already discovered this little gem. Owen orders the eggplant ravioli, while actress Busy Philipps buys fresh fare for her own fetes. Given Cube's selection of more than 40 cheeses and 900 gourmet produce items, I’m definitely stocking up before my next dinner party (which may be as early as tomorrow night, since the gift bag was filled with a gourmet meal for two).
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No matter what you thought of The Next Best Thing, that movie Rupert Everett made with Madonna, you've got to adore the title of his 1992 debut novel: Hello, Darling, Are You Working? It's a line that I still love to repeat to my friends. And the first sentence of that book is equally adorable: "By the time he was eight he knew he would never be a Great Actress."
Tim Whitby/WireImage
So imagine my excitement when I heard that Everett—who made the biggest splash on the big screen opposite Julia Roberts in My Best Friend's Wedding—has written Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins, a juicy memoir about his experiences in Hollywood. Everett talked up the book at a cocktail party held in the Henry Luce Room at Time Inc. headquarters.
"So what stars do you trash?" I wanted to know. "It's not dishy," the actor insisted in between bites of a spring roll. (Everett then charmingly added that he's a big fan of In Style: "I love it when you do those stories about actresses who wear the same shoes!" Unfortunately, PartyHopper can't take credit for those.)
Later, Everett's publicist at the Hachette Book Group offered a different spin on the tome, which is due out in January: "It's dishy enough!" she promised. "Wait till you read the story about Sharon Stone." We can't wait!
-- James Patrick Herman
From In Style's Ali Forman and Marsha McGregor in Los Angeles: Last Thursday night, we headed to one of our favorite Hollywood spots, the oh-so-fabulous Chateau Marmont, for the fifth-anniversary party of Rabin Rodgers Inc., which is run by two of the hippest event planners around. The duo—Bryan Rabin and David Rodgers—have designed splashy events for Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Gwen Stefani for L.A.M.B., Citizens of Humanity and many more.
We made a quick stop by the lobby to say hi to our friend Will (he’s the hotel's guest-relations expert). Though he's known around town as "Chateau Will," we like to call him "Factory Girl Will"—because he has a small, amorous scene with Sienna Miller in that upcoming film.
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From In Style's Marsha McGregor in Las Vegas: About to celebrate its one-year anniversary, Tao at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas is still one of the hottest restaurants in Sin City. I had heard that stars who frequent Vegas—such as Molly Sims (who, not surprisingly, shoots her TV show Las Vegas here), Paris Hilton (a regular visitor), Britney Spears (remember her first wedding?), Jessica Simpson (before they split, she and hubby Nick Lachey hit the town for his birthday last year) and Wilmer Valderrama (another regular) have all been spotted at Tao. So on a recent weekend birthday trip with some friends, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
With its rich red walls, waterfalls and dark woods, this Asian bistro makes you feel as if you’re worlds away from the flashing neon lights of the Strip. I was especially blown away by the 20-foot-tall Buddha statue floating above a pool in the middle of the room.
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What's the best escape when it's too hot to party in the city? An air-conditioned movie house.
Conveniently, the IFC Center in New York is currently screening The Beales of Grey Gardens, a new film by the Maysles Brothers pieced together from never-before-seen footage from their vaults. In case you haven't ever seen one of the most hilarious documentaries of all time, Grey Gardens, the Beales of the title are Big Edie and Little Edie—extremely eccentric mother-daughter housemates (and distant relatives of Jackie O.) who shared a run-down dump in the Hamptons with about a hundred stray cats. (This is a far cry from how my fellow blogger Martha McCully lives it up in the Hamptons!)
Edith "Big Edie" Bouvier Beale, left, and Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale.
Photo courtesy of Maysles Films.
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From In Style's Mark Morrison in Los Angeles: Back in the day, Culver City played home to "more stars than there are in heaven," as the MGM bosses liked to brag. Liz Taylor, Judy Garland, Rita Hayworth, Kate Hepburn, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart—you name 'em—all worked and played in this L.A. community (think: Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz).
But the legends (and the studio) left town long ago, and Culver City became, well, a Hollywood has-been—until now. And that’s not just because NBC’s Deal or No Deal currently shoots there. No, Culver City is L.A’s hot new foodie mecca, the place to go for new American comfort cuisine and chic eats.
There’s the much buzzed-about Ford’s Filling Station, a friendly neighborhood joint where chef-owner Ben Ford (who looks much like his famous father, Harrison, only burlier and younger) can be seen in the kitchen firing up tasty pizzetas and hearty hanger steak. Fans line the sidewalk waiting for tables—or maybe a glimpse of Harrison dining on the covered patio with Calista Flockhart.
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Just when it seemed as if summer in the city couldn't get any slower, I heard the news that L.A. loverboy Wilmer Valderrama was in town taping the new season of his MTV show, Yo Momma—in Queens, of all places. So naturally I made plans to visit that outer borough and watch heavily accented trash talkers compete to win a prize of, as Wilmer puts it, "cash money." But then I got a last-minute text message from one of my favorite music-industry contacts, Chris Chambers, who invited me to dinner at the new-ish Mr. Chow in Tribeca.
Chris has guided the careers of everyone from Usher to Outkast, and now he's working with Monica. (Remember her inescapable hit "The Boy Is Mine," a duet with presumed R&B rival Brandy? Well, the only boy on Monica's mind these days is her one-year-old son, Rodney.)
The occasion was a party to celebrate her forthcoming album, The Makings of Me, which features collaborations with Jermaine Dupri and Missy Elliott. Monica—who, adorably, ordered a Shirley Temple cocktail while Chris and I were knocking back lychee martinis—has really stepped up her style: She was rocking a chic dress that looked like it cost a small fortune. "It only set me back 40 bucks," Monica admitted of the vintage number, which is a good thing since her accessories—a Gucci handbag and Jimmy Choo sandals—don't come cheap.
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I have to give a shout-out to Solange Knowles-Smith, a.k.a. Beyoncé's kid sister (that's Solange on the right). I've been thinking about both of them lately because I keep seeing those scary trailers for World Trade Center—they really freak me out!
Shortly after the real 9/11, my boss, Charla Lawhon (did I mention how cool she is?), kindly allowed me to take a couple of months off so that I could help Destiny's Child write their autobiography. (I now interrupt this blog for a bit of shameless self-promotion: For all you D.C. fans out there, the book is called Soul Survivors.) I appreciated the opportunity to get away—far away—from N.Y.C. and hang out with the gals in Houston. We dropped by the hair salon owned by Beyoncé's mom, Tina; we went to church (luckily, PartyHopper did not get struck down by lightning); and, of course, we spent lots of time at the family home, where Tina would spoil me with her amazing cooking.
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From In Style's Ali Forman in Los Angeles: Every year, I look forward to the birthday party that my friend Holly Wiersma throws for her husband, Cassian Elwes. (Holly is a film producer whose upcoming titles include Bobby, Bug, Factory Girl and Come Early Morning; Cassian is co-head of William Morris Independent. That's them below, in a photo taken in May at the Cannes Film Festival.)
John Shearer/WireImage
This year the party was a Mexican-themed fiesta, held at the couple's Mediterranean-style home in the hills off Mulholland Drive. As we arrived (to the sounds of a three-piece mariachi band), valets offered us sombreros, and I gamely put mine on. But when I realized I couldn't see anything—and nearly fell down the stairs—I decided it was better not to be a party hazard.
It turns out, however, that the real party hazards were my Michael Kors heels. At the bottom of the stairs, I was so excited to see Tom Arnold (we worked together on the film Happy Endings, which I co-produced) that I gave him a big hug without realizing I was stepping on the toes of actor Cary Elwes, the birthday boy's brother. (Fortunately, he didn't suffer any major injuries.)
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PartyHopper felt more like PartyHipster last night at the Bowery Ballroom on the oh-so-edgy Lower East Side for a concert featuring Phoenix (pictured below) and The French Kicks. The only bad thing about seeing hot bands in New York is that the crowd is usually too cool to dance—but this was not the case last night, as even the most jaded locals couldn't resist the urge to get their groove on.
Greg Williams/Art + Commerce
Though the place was packed to capacity, I managed to spot some groupie trying to make her way backstage. (Just kidding—it was actually pregnant Oscar-winning auteur Sofia Coppola!) And I'm pretty sure I saw Keir O'Donnell, the spiky-haired actor who wanted to play "tummy sticks" with Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers. Coppola, a resolutely stylish mom-to-be (Phoenix's French lead singer, Thomas Mars, is her paramour), sported a striped shirtdress and platform wedges (Marc Jacobs, perhaps?) and looked on lovingly from the upstairs VIP section during the show.
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As Oprah will no doubt say someday: 80 is the new 30! Or so it seemed when legendary vocalist and dapper dresser Tony Bennett celebrated his birthday at a Target-sponsored blowout on Manhattan's Upper West Side at the Rose Center for Earth and Space—not exactly a happening hotspot, but every once in a while it's fun for PartyHopper to bounce above 14th Street. And hey, at least it wasn't in San Francisco!
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
My own musical taste leans more toward experimental hip-hop, indie rock and obscure electronica, but you've gotta love Tony Bennett. Not just for surviving for so many decades in the music biz (perhaps only the modeling industry is more youth-obsessed) but also for rocking a suit and tie on a night when the temperature seemed to be hovering around 100 degrees. He must have been one hot senior citizen in the city!
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How does PartyHopper spend the weekend? Well, it’s pretty glamorous compared with the way my coworker and fellow blogger Martha McCully hobnobs around the Hamptons. Though I have to give her props: Does she have the best hair on TV or what?
But enough about her. I plan to spend the next 48 hours catching up on my sleep and watching reruns of The Hills. And I’m ashamed to admit that I'm a sucker for those marathons of MTV’s depressing yet riveting serial dating show, Next. You know the premise, right? One hottie gets her pick of five different studs and/or losers, and often it’s hate at first sight. If only life were this simple! Occasionally I’ve been introduced to a humor-challenged Hollywood type at a party, and I've thought of just saying, "Next!"
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
But that wasn’t the case when I interviewed the fabulously funny Eva Longoria. She's going to be a busy girl this weekend, while I’m lounging on my couch and cranking the a.c. Meanwhile, in L.A., Eva will be celebrating with her castmates at a party for the DVD release of the second season of Desperate Housewives. And next week in N.Y.C., she’ll be here in the spirit of a digital Gabrielle for the debut of Desperate Housewives: The Game, coming soon to a PC near you. Does that sound creepy or what?
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The Dixie Chicks looked more like Chelsea Girls at a party thrown for the Texas trio by In Style and MSN at the new Koi Lounge at Chinatown Brasserie. And as it turns out, singer Natalie Maines and fiddler Martie Maguire (left and right below, with yours truly) are actually neighbors in that cool N.Y.C. hood. (Bicoastal Natalie, who also keeps a home in L.A. with her husband, actor Adrian Pasdar, told me that she used to live in the same West Village building as Sarah Jessica Parker, but that she moved out in time to miss the paparazzi who camp out to snap SJP as she—shocking as this might seem—sweeps her own stoop!)
Currently, as part of their 47-date Accidents and Accusations Tour of the U.S., Canada and Australia, the Chicks reside on wheels—three tricked-out tour buses that Natalie, Martie and Emily Robison helped to design. Natalie joked that before they pimped their rides, the buses had a distinctly "Home Depot" look. Now, the decor is more reminiscent of the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, Natalie said as she kicked back with a glass of bubbly in celebration of her band's Madison Square Garden appearance. (Unlike Madonna's disco inferno at MSG—which I loved despite the high temperature, because it reminded me of my favorite sweaty N.Y.C. clubs—the Chicks plan to keep the a.c. on for their lucky fans.)
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One of PartyHopper's new favorite actresses? Julia Stiles. I've always been a fan of the cool (but never chilly) intelligence she brings to her roles—even in that remake of The Omen! And now I have yet another reason to adore her: The girl arrives on time for her interviews. But wait, there's more. Often entertainment journalists whine about actors' letting them down, not just because they're rarely punctual but because they're inevitably somewhat disappointing (i.e., shorter) in person. Julia, however, really blew me away—she is not only semi-statuesque but also stunning, which is impressive considering the intense humidity of this cruel, cruel summer. Plus, she agreed to answer all of my questions, which of course had nothing to do with her latest movie.
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One of my favorite people at In Style is our resident beauty guru, Polly Blitzer—and not just because she's constantly plying me with scented candles. As you can imagine, Polly has the best-smelling office on our floor, but her talents transcend the cosmetics beat. For instance, she willingly subjects herself to covering the exhausting 24/7 style marathon known as New York Olympus Fashion Week for me. And most recently, this gregarious gal-about-town hit the Hamptons for what was undoubtedly July's splashiest party weekend.
Hot tickets included a VH1 Save the Music fundraiser at which Ciara performed and a Mercedes Benz-sponsored polo match emceed by Heather Graham. But the most fashion-forward event of all proved to be Super Saturday 9, the annual In Style-sponsored designer garage sale where the clothes on display had labels like Jimmy Choo and Fendi and the bargain hunters included red-carpet regulars like Molly Sims. (The Las Vegas star is all about chic cheap thrills—Sims once told me that her favorite store is Forever 21!) Polly hung out with event cohost Kelly Ripa (above, right), whose duties didn't keep her from shopping.
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