Partyhopper

A piazzale in Lipari

There’s an Italy-themed feature in InStyle’s upcoming October issue, and it’s so fabulous that I was actually inspired to fly there immediately after the issue went to print. My holiday began in Taormina but after a few days in “the St. Tropez of Sicily,” I decided to switch from party-hopping to island-hopping and caught a hydrofoil to the Aeolians, which have attracted Italian-American stars such as Madonna and Robert DeNiro. On the largest of the seven Aeolian islands, Lipari, I stayed at the romantic Villa Meligunis, a beautifully restyled 18-century villa. Somehow I wasn’t exactly missing my apartment in Queens.

The view from the rooftop terrace of the Villa Meligunis in Lipari

The next day I caught a ferry to Salina, which may be Italian for salt water but is pronounced just like the name of Jennifer Lopez’s best film. (At the port, my style magnet drew me to a hip handbag designer from London named Melissa Del Bono, who sells her Meli Melo line at Fred Segal in L.A.—maybe she’ll be the next Anya Hindmarch?) On lush Salina I checked into what is now on my list of favorite hotels in the world: Hotel Signum, a series of artfully linked Aeolian-style houses overlooking the sea. This is where the cast of the Oscar-nominated Italian movie Il Postino stayed while filming, and memorable scenes were shot on the nearby Pollara beach. The allure of seeing a sunset on Pollara was the only thing that could pull me out of Signum’s infinity pool, which is surrounded by vineyards as well as fragrant lime, lemon and caper trees. In a word: Bellisimo!

James reading his favorite magazine poolside at the Hotel Signum in Salina

In Salina, the locals love any excuse for a party—there are festivals to celebrate everything from capers to cookies and next month the town will host its first-ever film festival. When I met the Hotel Signum’s owners, Clara and Michele, I was surprised to learn that they have their own personal Hollywood connection: Clara went to college with Extra correspondent Jerry Penacoli, who is also a big fan of her hotel.

The bellisimo Hotel Signum
Photos: Mark A. Neston

Aside from the Hotel Signum, my favorite discovery on Salina was the granita, an impossibly yummy frozen concoction that tastes every bit as rich as gelato but is actually made from crushed ice. If this blogging thing doesn’t pan out, then I plan to open up a granita shop on Robertson Boulevard in L.A.—it could be the new Pinkberry!

-- James Patrick Herman

Where in the world is James? On vacation! Specifically? Taormina, Sicily, which is having a moment, as they say. According to legend, this is where Old Hollywood types like Liz Taylor and Richard Burton used to drink the locals under the table while Italian celebs like Dolce & Gabbana still come here to enjoy some summertime R&R before they start planning their fashion show in Milan. I know from experience that these guys know the meaning of la dolce vita and likewise, those Tinseltown icons could teach today's rock stars what it means to party. Myself, I've been enjoying one of my favorite pastimes: driving a scooter recklessly through the narrow streets of a Mediterranean town. (Today I unwittingly drove up the on-ramp for the highway and it was just like that scene in Clueless when Cher and Dionne take a wrong turn onto the 405 and hilarity--and high-pitched screaming--ensues.) And of course I've been indulging in plenty of gelato, vino...and other good things that end with the letter O.

Ciao for now!

-- James Patrick Herman

Photos: Mark A. Neston

Who else is a big Bee Gees fan? Chris Evans, who seems to be in just about every movie this summer. I keep seeing those ubiquitous trailers for The Nanny Diaries in which he stars opposite Scarlett Johansson as the "Harvard Hottie." He was also in the Fantastic Four sequel (Rise of the Silver Surfer), Sunshine and Fierce People, not to mention the voice of Casey Jones in TMNT, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

"What's not to love about disco? Honestly, it's the best music to dance to," Chris told me when I interviewed him at the same party in the Bahamas where I met Travolta. And Chris wasn't even born until 1981! "It must have been a beautiful era--I'm jealous of my parents," he said of the seventies. Later, I ran into Chris at my hotel and I'm happy to report that success couldn't have happened to a nicer actor: He's the kind of guy who will reach out and hold the elevator for people trying to squeeze their way in just as the doors are closing. It's good to know that his action-hero experience extends to his everyday life: He's truly leading man material.

-- James Patrick Herman

Every night is a party at the Helen Hayes Theatre (except for Mondays, which as we all know are no fun): That’s where Xanadu is currently playing. The phrase “musical theater” usually sends chills down my spine, but I got a huge kick out of this hilarious reimagining of the camp classic movie. So did Sarah Jessica Parker, Whoopi Goldberg, and original Xanadu star Olivia Newton-John, who have all seen the show. I’ve never watched the film, but in a nutshell, it’s about the tenacity of the human spirit, the meaning of art and, um, roller disco. For our September issue’s Entertaining feature, I interviewed Whitney Houston at a disco-themed party and asked her what she loved about the seventies. Her response? “I loved the music,” she said. “And roller skating!”

Xanadu's Kerry Butler
Photo courtesy of Xanadu

She’s not the only one. I just heard that Gloria Estefan will be throwing a ‘70s-themed 50th birthday bash in Miami. Other signs that mirror balls are back? In celebration of Saturday Night Fever’s 30th anniversary, a special collector’s edition DVD will be out next month. And so will the Bee Gees Greatest Hits, a remastered two-disc compilation that features a pair of previously unreleased tracks and new remixes of four hits from SNF. Somewhere, Travolta is smiling.

When I asked Mr. Disco what that dance craze was all about, he told me: “It was the ultimate celebration of freeing oneself on the dance floor.” As for his favorite thing about the decade? “Well, my movie career got started in the seventies, so that’s my personal favorite thing.”

-- James Patrick Herman

John Travolta and James at Colin Cowie's 70's-theme party

Justin Timberlake brought sexy back to Madison Square Garden—actually, it’s such a sexy-challenged venue that I’m not sure it was ever there to begin with. So that’s really saying something. Good Charlotte brought rock ‘n’ roll back as J.T.’s opening act; it’s no small feat to rock a place the size of MSG and my only complaint is that their set was too short. Because Joel Madden is in the band, the crowd included his chic pregnant girlfriend, Nicole Richie (as well as L.C. from The Hills, who was raving to everyone about how much she loves Heidi’s hot new single...just kidding).

Joel at Village Pourhouse
Photo by Eric M. Townsend/ loudPIX.com

Later that night, Joel partied more like a papa-to-be than a rock star: He sipped a Bud Light during his DJ set at Michael Sinensky’s one-year anniversary party for the Village Pourhouse (his set included Guns N' Roses, Madonna and, of course, J.T.—he’s my kind of D.J.). But Joel did allow himself one shot before heading back to meet Nicole at the Bowery Hotel, N.Y.C.’s answer to the Chateau Marmont.

As for Justin’s set, it was “awesome” according to In Style’s Liz Carmona and “very entertaining” according to my other coworker, Jenni Radosevich, who were both at MSG. Special thanks to Jenni for the exclusive video and performance pics!

-- James Patrick Herman

Justin with producer Timbaland

Watch Justin_in_Concert.AVI

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OMG, I’m, like, totally addicted to The Hills. The great thing about this show is that it offers all of the perks of L.A. nightlife (“Almost every time I go to Les Deux I meet a cute guy!” says L.C.) without any of the hassles (lost valet tickets, for instance). It’s a Sugar-Free Red Bull-fueled blur of cuties and clubs and cocktails. And, last night, catfights: Finally we got to see the long-awaited showdown between Heidi (“What did I do?”) and Lauren (“You know what you did!”). Are you on Team L.C. or Team Heidi? Myself, I’m on Team Justin-Bobby (his name is Justin but, you know, all of his friends call him Bobby). Whatever!

Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage.com

Fortunately, L.C.’s night had a happy ending thanks to an “adorable boy with an accent” who was leaving the country the very next day. In other words: “Jackpot!” as Lauren said of her new friend. She has something even better to smile about, as it turns out: The budding designer’s new fashion line is launching on September 15th. The Lauren Conrad Collection will officially debut in national retailers and boutiques next February, but she did a 10-piece capsule collection for Fall that will be sold exclusively on www.shoplaurenconrad.com.

-- James Patrick Herman

Here are two of L.C.’s L.A. looks. What do you think?

Photos by Andrew MacPherson

What if instead of the Beverly Hilton, the Golden Globes were held in somebody's back yard? And what if instead of awards, the guests were given massages, mani/pedis and a massive goody bag that would outweigh your typical starlet? This is how I always imagine film producer Jennifer Klein's "Day of Indulgence" party, which is by far the hottest ticket in L.A. this weekend. But her guests can cool off with Pinkberry froyo, Hollywood’s guilty pleasure du jour: “I’m addicted to Pinkberry,” Jennifer told me.

Tyra Banks and Jennifer Klein at last year's "Day of Indulgence"
Photos by Amanda Marsalis

I say "imagine" because I have never personally attended—no boys are allowed and that goes for PartyHopper, too. But I always see the fabulous photos from this annual Sunday afternoon event and, of course, we share them with you on both InStyle.com and in our November issue's party pages. Who's coming this year? The A-List crowd will include Jessica Biel, Hilary Swank and our May issue's cover gal, Jen Garner, who kindly rolled up her sleeves and helped out with stuffing those legendary goody bags. (Among the many goodies this year are “FitFlops,” which allegedly make your butt and legs firmer.)

Last year's attendee Katie Holmes

I asked the hostess what the highlight of the party is for her. “Seeing the broads lifting the gift bags into their cars!” she joked.

-- James Patrick Herman

Congratulations to one of my favorite celebrity bloggers, Pete Wentz, and the rest of his band Fall Out Boy on their multiple VMA noms. Pete has a lot to celebrate these days—in fact, he’s got so much going on that I don’t know where he finds the time to blog. He was recently in Uganda to shoot a video (he’s a supporter of the charity invisiblechildren.com, which aids those in northern Uganda with educational and employment opportunities). He also owns a record label, a production company, an East Village bar and the Clandestine clothing line. Rock stars are not usually known for their multitasking skills, but Pete’s clearly talented at many other things besides playing bass and writing song lyrics.

Panic! At the Disco, Pete Wentz and James
Photo by Mark A. Neston

I was thrilled when I heard that Pete’s next project would be a fashion line for DKNY Jeans that is scheduled to hit stores next month. Then I realized that it’s a women’s line, but hey, it’s still exciting—Pete will surely breathe some life into L.A. Fashion Week when he styles a fashion show and hosts an after-party on September 18th. Here’s one of the “rocker chic” looks that he co-designed and this would definitely look cute on someone like, oh, I don’t know...Ashlee Simpson, perhaps? And many other stylish young gals I know.

-- James Patrick Herman

What do you think of this outfit? For a sneak peek at some of the other looks from Pete's new line, click below.

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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles:  Instead of lounging on the beach this weekend, Emily Deschanel had bigger things on her mind. The actress teamed up with Jacinda Barrett and hosted a Michelle Jonas private trunk show to raise money to rebuild the lives of Congo women, after becoming involved with Women For Women during her Bones hiatus. LA’s City Review opened its doors for Barrett and Deschanel and friends of the organization—including Heather Graham, Amy Adams, Melanie Lynskey and Michaela Conlin—and offered rack upon rack of summery dresses (at wholesale prices).

“It’s hard not to just shop,” Heather Graham said, eyeing the designs, while Deschanel seemed more committed to playing stylist to friends who couldn’t decide on a dress. “I can’t help stating my opinion. I tend to give practical advice,” she laughed, noting selling points of the dresses like the expandable cotton waistlines—also good for maternity wear! (Barrett, who is expecting soon, has already discovered that feature). In between shopping, everyone nibbled on fresh blueberries and strawberries and mini cupcakes, and caught up on the latest summer news. Deschanel and her Bones co-star, Conlin, swapped stories about their new homes--and lack of furniture. But even if they have bare floors and nary a couch or dining room table in sight, their closets will be well-stocked with summer dresses. Barrett, meanwhile, was keeping a few secrets— even from herself. She and her husband, Gabrielle Macht, aren’t going to find out ahead of time if they’re having a boy or a girl. Time to break out the old wives tales… crave sweets and it’s a girl, cheese and meats and it’s a boy? Let us know your favorite predictors!

-- James Patrick Herman     

David Duchovny turns 47 today but he looks at least ten years younger—and he really does look like this in person because unlike me, he is not a big fan of Photoshop. And even though it’s his birthday, he has a gift for all of his fans—he’s returning to TV on Monday night in the sexy new Showtime comedy Californication.

David cracked me up when I interviewed him for our August issue’s “Guilty Pleasures” back page. While the New York Post’s “Page Six” got a kick out of David’s iPod confession (Barry Manilow’s “Mandy”), this unguarded actor admitted to several other amusing indulgences, including Caddyshack, bowling and the occasional margarita. “I’m not a real big drinker so I don’t have sophisticated tastes,” he joked of his cocktail of choice. The only question he didn’t want to answer was the one about his favorite karaoke song: “Well, that’s a science fiction question because it’ll never happen—I would say my biggest social fear would be having to sing in public. But I think I’d like to sing a real romantic ballad like “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)” by Stevie Wonder...and completely wouldn’t be able to show my face again.” Meanwhile, he apparently isn’t shy about doing nude scenes for his cable TV show—The XXX-Files, anyone?

Californication is a great title too, of course (it’s also the name of one of my favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers songs), and David was kind enough to call me on what was his first day of shooting. “It’s ultimately a comedy but it’s very edgy and dramatic and at times dark,” he said of the series. Like his Hank Moody character, David is a dry-witted New York transplant to L.A., but that’s where the similarities end; Hank is a best-selling novelist who has gotten caught up in the kind of wild Angeleno lifestyle that can result in a 28-day stay at Promises in Malibu. “It’s about a guy who is living in the most sinful city in the world—and he’s partaking in all those sins—but actually he’s going to end up being the most moral person underneath all of his seeming excesses,” David added. “So it’s like he is the true anti-hero.”

-- James Patrick Herman

Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage

Did you do anything fun this weekend? Usher did—he got hitched to Tameka Foster in his hometown of Atlanta on Friday. I had the pleasure of hanging with the happy couple at the grand opening of the Cove Atlantis in the Bahamas a few months ago. I remember eating a croissant in the restaurant and realizing that Usher was having breakfast at the table in front of me; then on my way back to my room, I walked past Tyra Banks and her manager Benny Medina on their way to the gym; and later in the afternoon, I had a chance to watch Janet Jackson swimming with dolphins and Whitney Houston falling out of her inner tube in the ocean. Yeah, it was that kind of weekend.

There were so many highlights (Whitney in an inner tube! I mean, c’mon, how do you top that?) but the most amazing part of the weekend was the disco-theme party that Colin Cowie hosted. You can read all about this “blast from the past”—to quote Usher—and see an exclusive photo of him and Tameka celebrating what turned out to be a pre-Honeymoon in our new September issue. That is, if you can find it—it’s a massive issue. But the fashion is a dead-giveaway...just look for John Travolta’s white suit.

-- James Patrick Herman

Guess what Usher’s all-time favorite disco song is? Hint: It rhymes with chic.

Photo by Michael Caulfield/WireImage

Last night I went to a Vanessa Carlton concert—in her living room. Yes, she’s that rare New Yorker who has an apartment big enough to accommodate a grand piano. Lucky girl. She played four songs from her forthcoming album, Heroes and Thieves, for a small crowd of industry insiders that included her new record company honcho, Irv Gotti, and her adorable daschund, Victor. She also teased us with a few memorable chords from “A Thousand Miles,” a.k.a. the unofficial theme song from White Chicks. And she served up a lavish spread that featured my two favorite food groups: Sushi and cupcakes (from Billy’s, not Magnolia). Vanessa really knows how to entertain!

One of the singer-songwriter’s new tracks is called “NoLita Fairytale,” and it’s a typically beautiful ode to her ultra-hip neighborhood. During the chorus of another number, Vanessa forgot the words, but she didn’t freak out—she just laughed. “I had a Red Bull and vodka,” she explained of her memory lapse. Of course, this only made me like her more. After the performance, Vanessa’s place in my heart was solidified when I asked her if she’s ever seen White Chicks. How could I resist? “Not the whole thing but I’ve seen the scene in the car,” she said of the moment when her hit song comes on the radio and the characters gleefully sing along. “You’ve gotta have a sense of humor because otherwise you don’t seem very smart.”

-- James Patrick Herman

I got a sneak peak at the newest celebrity hotspot, Cain, when the Cove Atlantis in the Bahamas had its grand opening blowout a few months ago, but the outdoor club recently had its own launch party. Stars who made the scene included Desperate Housewives stud-turned-singer-songwriter Jesse Metcalfe (who gave an unplugged performance), Channing Tatum and typically pale New York scenester Chloe Sevigny (who looks downright tan standing next to Jamie King). Despite the fact that the vibe at Cain—a sprawling spin-off of the popular N.Y.C. location—is like a pool party (think: Pina Coladas and conga lines), I love that these two glamour girls opted for some serious shoes instead of flip-flops. No Havaianas for them!

I remember talking to worldly supermodel Cindy Crawford about how impressed she was by her own visit to Cain: “It’s so cool,” she told me. “I mean, there was a DJ at the pool! I felt like I was at Nikki Beach in St. Tropez!”

-- James Patrick Herman

Chloe Sevigny and Jamie King

Andy Gelb, James, Desiree Gruber and Brendan Chapman at Cain's sneak preview
Photo by Mark A. Neston