Partyhopper

Ever since I edited an In Style cover story about Jennifer Aniston’s holiday in Cabo—a getaway long popular among L.A.-listers like her—I was eager to get some sunshine south of the border and check out the place for myself.

Jennifer stayed at Las Ventanas. Another resort that draws a Hollywood crowd is the One&Only Palmilla, where John Travolta celebrated the big five-O with close personal friends like Tom Cruise and Oprah. As much as I love a good fiesta, I opted for the comparatively low-key Twin Dolphin, a stylish hotel that’s a favorite of fashionable Kate Spade.

The pool at the Twin Dolphin
Photos by Mark A. Neston

I was literally checking in at the reception desk and sipping my welcome margarita when I bumped into legendary power player Nicole David, an agent at William Morris. “You’ll love this place—it’s completely unpretentious,” said Nicole. “Because if I wanted to be pretentious, I could’ve stayed in L.A.!”

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From In Style's Karen Levy in Los Angeles: Katsuya, a restaurant in the San Fernando Valley, has long been a hot spot for stars who not only groove on the fresh sushi and sashimi but also dig the low-key atmosphere. Very low-key (think: strip mall).

It was even sometimes worth the drive for us non-valley dwellers, who don't exactly relish the idea of  braving the 405 and the 101 freeways for some crab or spicy tuna rolls.

Photos courtesy of Katsuya

Well, now we don't have to. The owners smartly decided to open a branch in Brentwood, right near the In Style West Coast offices. Lucky us!

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People always ask me, "What celebrities are fake?"

And the answer is ...

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Miami may have a stylish and sexy reputation, but the seedy side of SoBe is revealed in Reno 911!: Miami. Think: no-tell motels, alligator-infested swimming pools, prostitutes roller-skating down Ocean Drive, dead whales on a topless beach, and a “domestic disturbance” on board Brad and Angelina’s boat. OK, so that last one turns out to be a Brangelina joke—but I'd swear the dead whale is for real. And the scene involving it is almost as gross as Borat's naked wrestling match. Sound like fun? I laughed nearly all the way through an advance screening, and you can see for yourself on Feb. 23.

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Spoiler alert... Besides the bumbling cops from the hilarious Comedy Central TV show (including Niecy Nash, who is also the host of the Style Network's Clean House), the movie features surprise cameos from the Rock (he blows himself up), a Scarface-inspired Paul Rudd (he gets shot down) and Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman lives)!

-- James Patrick Herman

From In Style's Angela Salazar in Los Angeles: Fresh from a round of styling gigs with her famous client Gwen Stefani (whose album The Sweet Escape was recently released), Andrea Lieberman felt almost lucky she was able to make it to her own jewelry trunk show in Beverly Hills the other day. “I got on an airplane at 6:30 this morning from New York,” the stylist-to-the-stars told me. “I’ve been hitting it hard, and now I’m, like, 'Let me change my hats.'"

Estee Stanley, Nicole Richie and Andrea Lieberman
Photos by Mark Mainz/Getty

This day’s “hat,” of course, was her designer one—for the jewelry line Mouawad, which she started collaborating on a little over a year ago. Guests who showed up to admire the gold bangles, chain-link necklaces and earrings peppered with diamonds included a brunet Nicole Richie (with her new power-stylists Cristina Ehrlich and Estee Stanley, which explained the army of paparazzi outside) and pretty blonde actress Leslie Bibb (Will Ferrell’s wife in Talladega Nights).

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When Hennessy Paradis hosted a party for Nas at the intimate eatery Gin Lane, it felt like a real family affair. Guests included the dapper rapper’s Alexander McQueen-clad wife, Kelis, daughter Destiny and his father, Olu. “You must be so proud of your son,” I said to his dad. “I think he’s more proud of me!” Olu replied. I would be, too!

Kelis and James
Photos by Mark A. Neston

I have to say, good taste clearly runs in the family—and in the the extended family, as well (Kelis’s mom, Yve, and younger sister Faryka were in the house, too). I was eager to ask the always edgy Kelis how she chose her typically dramatic dress (the other candidate for the evening was a vintage Bill Blass number). “I was feeling Old Hollywood, and I love McQueen. But this train is going to be the death of me!” Fortunately Kelis is always willing to suffer for fashion—that’s part of what I love about her.

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Like many fashion-conscious actresses, Rose McGowan has an extensive collection of handbags. What’s unexpected, however, is her stylish solution for keeping them looking good over time. After all, when you splurge on a pricey purse with a high-fashion logo (or even if you opt for a convincing knockoff from Canal Street), you want to minimize the wear-and-tear.

Rose McGowan

“These were really popular in the '30s, and I love the '30s,” Rose says of her bag caddies, which she designs with her galpal Natasha Andres. They’re art deco-inspired, chic and surprisingly sturdy little hangers that easily attach to a restaurant table; as an added bonus, they’re decorated with semi-precious stones and come inside a totally cute canister. They strike me as the perfect stocking stuffers for the hip girls on your holiday shopping list—especially if they live in New York. At the space-challenged hot spots in this city, there’s rarely room for a bag on the banquette.

“You can’t stick your bag on the floor—it’s disgusting. And if you try putting it behind your back, it can fall off your chair,” Rose says, explaining some the potential perils (not to mention the possibility that someone might try to steal it).

The caddies come in five different varieties, with names like Pink Savannah, Mint Julep and Scarlett O—apparently, Rose and Natasha have a soft spot for Southern belles. How to choose which style is right for you? Fortunately their Web site, Pinken Mint (so named because the arm of the caddy is encircled with pink- and mint-colored rings), features a witty personality quiz to help you decide, as well as these words of wisdom: “A purse is a symbol of who you are. Your identity, health, beauty, fortune—all have a place in your purse, and it should therefore never be put at risk or sat upon.”

-- James Patrick Herman

It’s not easy keeping up with Beyoncé. Sure, her record sales are astounding (think: around 50 million worldwide), but that’s probably nothing compared with all of her frequent-flier miles. Just when I was about to messenger flowers to congratulate her on the New York premiere of Dreamgirls, her long-time publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure from Sony Urban Music, informed me that she had already left the country. Not to marry Jay-Z, as much of the media speculated, but rather to celebrate his 37th birthday and sneak in a bit of R&R—by Beyoncé's jet-set standards, this reportedly resulted in a 270-foot yacht in St. Martin—before her next trip down the red carpet at the L.A. premiere last Tuesday.

Beyoncé
Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty

Much bigger red carpets await: Yesterday she received not one but two Golden Globes nominations, helping to boost Dreamgirls' tally to five. She’s up for both Best Actress and Best Original Song (for “Listen,” her classy contribution to the movie musical’s soundtrack). But Beyoncé faces some stiff competition in the acting category: Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger, for instance, not to mention past Oscar nominees Annette Bening and Toni Collette.

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File this blog post under: It's a Tough Job, but Someone's Gotta Do It.

Just as In Style staffers like to meet talented up-and-comers before they hit the big time, we also dutifully scout out the fabulous hot spots that are likely to attract the celebrity set. When In Style recommends a place to go for cocktails, you can rest assured that it's been thoroughly researched. It's our version of investigative journalism. And at Time Inc., we take stuff like that pretty seriously.

Linda, Ciara, James and Suzanne
Photo by Johnny Nunez

I was psyched when some of my VIPR connections from Alison Brod Public Relations invited me to a sneak preview of a new restaurant called Kobe Club, since they're the same gals who gave me the tip about Tenjune.

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From In Style's Ali Forman in Los Angeles: These days, the launch of another celebrity product line is not exactly big news. Jennifer Lopez has a perfume, Jessica Simpson's got shoes, Gwen Stefani has bags, Justin Timberlake's got jeans. The list goes on and on.

But it's always fun when a new one of these "star lines" comes along—fun, for example, to see if it's something I'd actually wear. So when our actress pal Michelle Trachtenberg came into our office the other day to show us her new line of jewelry, I was happy it turned out to be a line from which I would eagerly buy!

Ali and Michelle Trachtenberg

Michelle (whose latest flick, Black Christmas, hits theaters on December 25th) is super-excited about the line, which she calls Bella Veritas (Latin for "beautiful truth"). It seems the 21-year-old actress has been busily handcrafting beaded bracelets and necklaces for the past few months, and not just for pals. Yes, many of her friends—including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mila Kunis and Lydia Hearst—own various pieces. But Michelle's jewelry is also being sold at two of L.A.'s hippest boutiques: Intuition (a west-side fave of Jessica Simpson and Lindsay Lohan) and Milk (where Rachel Bilson and Kirsten Dunst are customers).

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Imagine a blind date with a celebrity. OK, not necessarily a household name but rather a talented newcomer who is on the path to fame. One of the best parts of working at In Style is getting to hobnob with huge Hollywood stars. But I also love getting to know young actors and musicians—"meet and greets," as we like to call them. And not just because they provide welcome relief from my carpal-tunnel syndrome. I inevitably find myself falling into romance mode—innocently flirting, sprinkling compliments into the conversation, and then, of course, there's the always awkward goodbye: air kiss, hug or handshake?

Ayo
Photos by Jean Marc Lubrano

Recently we welcomed—and fell in love with—a singer-songwriter whose name will be new to you but is worth remembering: Ayo. Our fashion editors probably assumed she was a model. Stunning? Check. Statuesque? Check. Stylish? Big check! Her debut album, Joyful, is already a hit throughout France and Italy, which is somewhat surprising given the fact that she sings in English. She was in town to play a showcase for influential critics and tastemakers; then she was off to L.A. for a West Coast performance and after that back home to Paris, where her upcoming gig is already sold out. As we all know, the Parisians have great taste.

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I looked forward to saying hi to Ben Affleck at a cocktail party he hosted before a screening of Hollywoodland, because I had a really good opening line. Granted, “I’m from In Style” usually does the trick when it comes to getting the attention of celebrities, but this one was a bit more personal. “Hey, Ben,” I said after his publicist, Ken Sunshine, introduced us. “I went to school with your wife.”

Ben Affleck
Photos by Getty Images

“Really?” he said, shaking my hand. “Yes, I was the drama critic for our school newspaper, and she was the star of the theater department,” I explained—referring, of course, to Jennifer Garner, who has done pretty well for herself since our college days at Denison University. (The last time I saw Jen, I told her, "You're now the most famous person in the history of the state of West Virginia." I also hail from the Mountain Mama, but I never used to admit this—until, that is, Jen became a huge star. Before her success, W.Va.'s biggest claims to showbiz fame were Don Knotts and, um, Janet from Three's Company.)

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From In Style's Ali Forman and Karen Levy: Entering Tom Rothman's house the other night—with the fireplace glowing, the piano playing and family photos decorating the walls—felt like going home to Mom and Dad's for the holidays. Only in his living room, Meryl Streep was hanging out by the piano, and Tom Cruise was getting a bear hug from Forrest Whitaker in the doorway. Hmm—guess we weren’t in Kansas anymore!

Rothman, who heads up Fox Filmed Entertainment (which owns Twentieth Century Fox), was hosting the intimate soiree to celebrate some of the studio's awards-season hopefuls before the announcement of nominees. (Not a bad idea, judging by the still happy faces everywhere in the room!)

Ali, Virginia Madsen and Karen

Outside near the bar, we bumped into former Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Virginia Madsen. (Remember Sideways?) With her long, curly blond mane cascading down her back, she looked pretty amazing. So of course we had to ask who does her hair (she loves Byron Williams, on Robertson). Then we talked about dogs (she has three, and she hired Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan to help with them), about kids (her son, who has a cool Mohawk, wants to act) and, of course, about the reason we were all there: films.

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Talk about the jet-set lifestyle: When Erica Reid (the wife of Island Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid) opened her Park Avenue home to friends for a benefit co-hosted by model Liya Kebede, Sergio Rossi shoe designer Edmundo Castillo flew in for the party. Just for the day. All the way from Milan!

Edmundo Castillo and James
Photos by Johnny Nunez

Sadly, Edmundo couldn't make it a late night, as he had to catch a flight back to Italy, but his appearance was a huge hit. Perhaps because he brought along dozens of chic Sergio Rossi shoes, boots and handbags. For this well-heeled crowd, it was better than a visit from Santa Claus. And so for just a few hours, the Reids' spacious apartment was transformed into a Sergio Rossi boutique, with Edmundo serving as a handsome personal shopper. I tried to get Erica to admit how many pairs she already has in her collection. "Who's counting?" she joked.

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Usually, the Hard Rock Cafe would not factor into my idea of a fun Saturday night. But who could resist the offer of an intimate evening with Nick Lachey? It even proved to be worth the hour or so my cab spent crawling incrementally through midtown traffic (tourists in town for the holiday season are great for New York’s economy, but it’s hard to appreciate them when you’re running late to meet Mr. Lachey).

David Wright and James
Photos by Michele Billig

Nick has a reputation for being professional, down-to-earth and an all-around good guy. But on this night he did something shocking—he actually arrived early, which is not the kind of behavior I’ve come to expect from famous singers. Clearly he was excited to attend the second annual Do the Wright Thing gala, which was hosted by Mets third baseman David Wright and benefited his foundation, which supports various children's causes. After all, if there’s anything that rivals Nick’s passion for music (or for girlfriend Vanessa Minnillo, who was home sick—get well soon, Vanessa!), it’s sports.

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"I can’t decide between the champagne and the pomegranate martini," I said to the handsome waiters holding trays of refreshments at Colin Cowie’s holiday party. "I’d take them both, darling," suggested Colin. He's my kind of host! And after all, it had been a long day at the office.

Colin Cowie, James and Stuart Brownstein
Photos by Mark A. Neston

Colin and his partner, Stuart Brownstein, invited some of their close friends—including Oprah’s BFF Gayle King, musician Chris Botti and Time Inc.’s Martha Nelson (the founder of In Style, who kindly helped to art-direct my photos of the party)—to their Greenwich Village apartment for cocktails, caviar and an array of tasty appetizers, including Colin's famed chocolate pots du creme.

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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, House ... no this is not my must-TiVo list (though it is, in fact, part of it). Actually these are just a few of the hot shows whose stars turned out at a fete we threw the other night for our managing editor, Charla Lawhon.

Charla Lawhon,  Kristen Bell and stylist Nicole Chavez

Charla loves television. She can—and will—happily tell you intricate plot twists from Veronica Mars  and who is likely to have an affair with whom on say, Bones. So on Wednesday night, our bureau threw what we call Charla’s TV Dinner to celebrate her being in L.A. for a few days.

It’s the second time we’ve done it, and it’s one of our favorite evenings. Basically, we invite a smattering of TV stars from shows that we know and love, as well as some folks we want to meet from the newer ones, for a intimate dinner at Mastro's Steakhouse. And the food is anything but TV dinner-ish. (We’re talking rib-eye steaks, mashed potatoes, mac 'n' cheese, asparagus, shrimp, oysters and, of course, plenty of red wine.) 

Here are some tidbits from our fun-filled evening:

Kyle MacLachlan, Glynis, James Denton and Sara Ramirez

• Sexy Sara Ramirez from Grey’s Anatomy came fresh from doing The Ellen DeGeneres Show, looking very hot in a black dress and some glam glittery gold pumps. “It’s all about the shoes,” she said, twisting them for me to admire. (By the way, the Tony-winning actress is super-tall!)

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The men of In Style—including my fellow staffers Lavinel Savu, Patrick Moffitt and Tim Wright—shared a table Wednesday night when Margaret Cho hosted the Hetrick-Martin Institute's annual Emery Awards at Cipriani on Wall Street.

Margaret Cho and HMI executive director David K. Mensah
Photos by Mark A. Neston

Cho was typically hilarious, but I can't quote any of her bawdy jokes on this blog. Sadly, she didn't do any impressions of her grandmother, but she did perfectly channel Heidi Klum, and she also threw in some priceless quips about one of Project Runway's "orange"-colored hosts. Of course, in the fashion world, tan is always "in"—it's a close third, right behind thin and gorgeous.

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