Partyhopper

Here’s wishing a fabulous 35th birthday to my favorite burlesque artist, Ms. Dita Von Teese. (This is a picture of me, Dita and famed choreographer Fatima Robinson at a M.A.C party.) As you can see, Dita already has an amazing gift that money can’t buy—the body of a woman ten years younger. So wherever she is, I hope that she indulges in a big piece of birthday cake! Or else jumps out of one.

-- James Patrick Herman

James, Dita Von Teese and Fatima Robinson
Photo by Melissa Dishell

Fragrance launch parties are the new album release parties! First, Gwen Stefani kicked off Fashion Week with an In Style-sponsored bash for her scent, L. Then Sean Combs brought sexy back to the Upper East Side by hosting a hot house party to celebrate his women's fragrance, Unforgivable. And this week Usher--the newlywed and costar of a Martha Stewart commercial for Macy's--unveiled his men's and women's fragrances with a fabulous fete that drew everyone from Beyonce to, well, his mom. Back in the day (i.e., before everyone downloaded music off the Internet), the goal used to be to sell a million records. Now it's all about smelling like a million bucks, because you can make more money at the fragrance counter than at Virgin Megastore!

           
Usher: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

Which MTV star do you think should do a fragrance next? Myself, I'd vote for 50 Cent, just because he could call it 50's Scent.

-- James Patrick Herman

What did you think of the hour-long episode of The Office last night? I had so many favorite moments: The race to raise rabies awareness, Pam and Jim strolling hand-in-hand, the murdered kitty (R.I.P., Sprinkles!) but, most of all, Steve Carell's intimate scenes of domestic bliss shared with Jan, aka my multi-talented pal Melora Hardin, who has kindly contributed to this blog in the past. She's also a writer, a director, a dancer and a singer and she is very excited about her brand new revue. "James, Oh, I would love for you to come see it," Melora emailed me. "I'm so excited about this show. My director, Richard Jay-Alexander (Google him) just came back from directing Barbra Streisand's European Tour. He's amazing and I'm so fortunate to have him in my corner! It's going to be a great show, sexy, fun, touching, funny!"

Count me in, Melora! I can't think of a better excuse to arrive in L.A. a few days early before the Golden Globes mania gets underway.

James and Melora

Melora and InStyle's Martha McCully

What was your favorite scene from the season premiere of The Office?

-- James Patrick Herman

Speaking of Heroes, Ali Larter also plays one on the big screen, kicking zombie butt alongside Milla Jovovich and Ashanti in Resident Evil: Extinction. Congratulations to all of these gals on their surprise box office hit, especially to Ashanti, who costars as Nurse Betty but is nothing like the character that Renee Zellweger made famous. She sure has a lot to celebrate these days: Her infectious new single “Hey Baby” has just been released and she will be dropping her latest album, The Declaration, on December 4th. No wonder Ashanti and her “momager,” Tina Douglas, were in such a good mood when I caught up with them at Lorraine Schwartz’s party!

-- James Patrick Herman

What do you think of Ashanti’s new song?

Photo: Mark A. Neston

The season premiere of Heroes airs tonight and I guess we’ll find out which characters survived last season’s climactic cliffhanger. Like Lost, this is not a show that is afraid to kill off major characters—just ask Tawny Cypress, who had the brief good fortune to hook up with Milo Ventimiglia before she was shot to death. At least Hayden Panettiere can rest easy, since she plays an indestructible cheerleader. I wonder if she’s going to pick up the pom-poms again now that she and the rest of the world has been saved. Or has it?

-- James Patrick Herman

Who do you think is going to get offed this season?

Tawny Cypress, James and Hayden Panettiere
Photo by Gail Horwood

As regular readers of my blog know, I’m a big fan of living la dolce vita. So I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to party in Little Italy with handsome crooners Michael Buble and Peter Cincotti, not to mention their legendary Warner Bros. publicist Liz Rosenberg, who also works with some singer named Madonna—whoever that is.

Michael Buble, James and Peter Cincotti
Photo: Liz Rosenberg

The feast of San Gennaro was in full swing, so the streets were decorated with red and green lights, lined with carnival-style game booths and filled with people who looked like extras from The Sopranos. I somehow forgot my wallet at home, which meant no funnel cakes for me! Fortunately, there was a massive spread of food awaiting inside La Mela restaurant, and the vino was flowing freely. I saw Peter perform at a Bulgari bash inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art a few months ago but I haven’t seen Michael since Liz first introduced him with a series of showcases at the Blue Note jazz club several years ago (Kevin Spacey was also in the audience). I remember Liz telling me that Michael was going to be a huge star and in my experience Liz Rosenberg is always right. Just ask Madonna!

“Excuse me, boys. Would you flank me?” I asked Peter and Michael, requesting a photo-op. “I don’t want to pose with this guy—he’s way too good looking,” Michael said in reference to Peter (he sure wasn’t talking about me). “Let’s go outside and have a catfight instead!” he joked. This is a typical example of his wacky sense of humor, which you would never expect from a guy who belts out such heartfelt love songs.

Frankie Cee and friends

On my way out, I met the owner of La Mela, Frankie Cee, who is also a part-time actor, as it turns out. He appears in the new movie from Abel Ferrara, charmingly titled Go Go Tales, which costars full-time actors like Willem Dafoe, Bob Hoskins, Matthew Modine and the notoriously extroverted Asia Argento (she’s an even bigger fan of la dolce vita than I am). Frankie was telling all about the film’s premiere in Cannes, where Argento—surprise!—made a big scene on the red carpet, much to the delight of the thousand or so paparazzi. I can hardly wait for the U.S. Premiere of Go Go Tales at the New York Film Festival. I’m not at all surprised that it’s already sold out.

Antonique Smith

I also met an up-and-coming singer named Antonique Smith, who just signed a deal with Warner Bros. and is currently recording her debut album with one of Usher’s producers. Check out her awesome cover of “Let it Be” on YouTube. I think that Antonique is definitely bound for stardom (she has a cameo in the new movie musical Across the Universe). What do you think?

-- James Patrick Herman

I never miss one of Puffy’s parties because you never know what to expect. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, he’ll surprise me with something like the innovative dessert he served at his “Fabulous 50” dinner in Miami—a chocolate-and-strawberry-covered model who was carried out by a fleet of waiters, much to the amazement of guests like Will Smith and Bruce Willis. When Sean hosted a launch party for his Unforgivable women’s fragrance the other night, he wasn’t going to settle for some newly christened hotspot: Instead, he rented out a massive brownstone on the Upper East Side. I thought for sure that the neighbors would complain about the noise from the DJ, but he solved that problem—he sent them all invites.

How hot was the scene? Very, very steamy—the bathroom doors were wide open and inside two underwear-clad models were taking a shower together, as guests just gawked and tried to cool off by sipping chilled champagne. I was surprised when I walked out and saw Sean’s mother, Janice, in the living room—I don’t know about you, but my mom would never let my friends carry on like this. No wonder that nobody seemed to notice when Beyonce arrived. She came with Jay-Z and they followed Sean up four steep flights of stairs to the floor that was designated as the V.I.P. Room. That’s how legendary Puffy’s parties are—celebrities who are accustomed to taking chauffeured SUVs everywhere they go are willing to run up four flights of stairs just for an opportunity to hang with the host. In heels, no less.

You can read much more about this party in In Style’s December issue, thanks to Suzanne Zuckerman’s exclusive coverage of the super-sexy bash. She talked to guests like Aretha Franklin and a Demi-free Ashton Kutcher, who was enjoying a boy’s night out on the town with his brother. I wonder if he told his wife about the evening’s “entertainment”?

-- James Patrick Herman

So what did you think of Gossip Girl last night? I don’t know about you, but it’s definitely my new guilty pleasure. (And it’s on right after America’s Next Top Model—how convenient!) In fact, I was late for Sean Combs’ fragrance launch party because I just couldn’t tear myself away from the TV. How gorgeous is Blake Lively?

Blake Lively in D&G at the Gossip Girl premiere
Photo: WireImage

I met Blake at In Style’s upfronts party a few months ago and the minute I saw her, I knew that she was destined to be a big star—and perhaps a style icon for young girls. Blake has been really busy shooting Gossip Girl as well as the sequel to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but fortunately she made time to talk to In Style for the “Back to Cool” story in our September issue: "I wore a $12,000 Galliano jacket and a $10,000 Chanel coat for my first day of school," she said of her TV character’s super-chic wardrobe.

Now here’s a question for you: If Gossip Girl is the new O.C., does that make Blake the new Mischa? Discuss.

-- James Patrick Herman

I arrived in Toronto at the height of New York Fashion Week, and as my luck would have it, the first party I attended was a high-style spectacle worthy of the Bryant Park Tents. The hosts were the co-designers of the new Twenty8Twelve clothing line, sisters Sienna and Savannah Miller, the location was the Holt Renfrew department store and the theme was—get this!—the circus. So it was a real wild night, what with all the stilt walkers and fire-eaters flanking the red carpet, while in the VIP room, Sienna got into the act by sporting a top hat and carrying on to the delight of friends like Sean Penn and Emile Hirsch. I’m sure that Sienna’s fashion line will be a hit, but she is probably the only woman who could get away with working the ringmaster look. “Sienna comes up with some crazy ideas that I would never think of,” her sister Savannah told me. “She doesn’t understand limitations—she exceeds limiations.”

Savannah and Sienna Miller
Photo: WireImage

Well, the same could be said of me when it comes to the party scene! After hitting Holt Renfrew, I hitched a ride with my friend Tony Cohen (the owner of Toronto’s chic Le Germain hotel) to a bash for the cast of Reese Witherspoon’s new movie, Rendition, which was taking place on the top floor of a restaurant and nightclub called The Fifth. (InStyle once hosted a dinner for Nicole Kidman in this same private dining area, which can only be reached via an old-school freight elevator.) Reese isn’t exactly the party girl type, so the dinner was winding down by the time that we arrived, but I was one of the last guests to leave.

Kate Bosworth, director David Auburn and Sigourney Weaver
Photo: Todd Williamson/WireImage

Some of my other nightlife highlights were similarly low-key and intimate get-togethers: InStyle’s fetes for David Auburn’s The Girl in the Park and Craig Gillespie’s Lars and the Real Girl. At the former—which was held at the new five-star Hazelton Hotel—I had the pleasure of meeting super-cool costars Kate Bosworth and Sigourney Weaver as well as their director, Pulitzer Prize-winner Auburn. (I must admit that I was a little starstruck on this occasion, as it’s not every day that I get to dine with a Pulitzer Prize winner.) At the latter bash, which was held at the loft-like Brassaii eatery, I spent much of time doing a Google search on my BlackBerry for the date of the Lanvin fashion show in Paris, so that my pal, the Hollywood uber-manager, Jason Weinberg, could email it to Demi Moore. I also met one of his other stylish clients, Kelli Garner (Thumbsucker), who confessed that she tends to shop at her friend’s vintage store in downtown L.A. rather than at the shows in Paris.

Kelli Garner

I also swung by Motorola’s weekend-only hotspot, Club V, which attracted the likes of Mena Suvari and Maggie Grace. There was an awesome DJ in the house who apparently inspired Drew Barrymore’s latest canoodling partner, Justin Long—he imitated a lapdancing stripper for the amusement of Scott Speedman and Keir O’Donnell, who is best known as the creepy brother with eyes for Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers. Watching the Mac Guy get his groove on? Priceless!

Scott Speedman, Keir O'Donnell and Justin Long

So, what’s my take on this year’s film fest? Actually, Laura Linney—a Toronto vet who looks more beautiful every time I see her—put it best when I chatted with her at Fox Searchlight’s celebration at the Boiler House for three of the studio’s offerings: Under the Same Moon, Juno and The Savages, in which Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman costars with Linney. “I have to say that I’m having the best time I’ve ever had here—there’s a real breeziness to the festival this year,” she said. Especially compared to New York Fashion Week! My vote for the second best soundbite goes to Juno’s breakout star, Ellen Page, who talked to me as her costar, Michael Cera from Superbad, made the rounds with his parents in tow (how supercute). “Dude, I’m from Nova Scotia. I’m full-on Canadian,” Page enthused. “I think Toronto is so underrated—I’m crazy about this city!”

-- James Patrick Herman

Juno's Jason Bateman and The Savages' Laura Linney
Photo: Todd Williamson/WireImage

Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody

Everyone in L.A. may have been talking TV this weekend, but up in Toronto, people were still buzzing about the potential Oscar-winning pictures screened at the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival. David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises scored the Cadillac People’s Choice Award, and having attended the gala premiere of that movie, I’m not surprised. You should have heard the fans screaming their heads off for “VEEE-go!” as Mr. Mortensen and his costar Naomi Watts arrived on the red carpet—and that was before they had a chance to glimpse his already famous fight scene in the buff.

Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts in Eastern Promises
Photo by: Peter Mountain

Ellen Page and Michael Cera in Juno
Photo courtesy Twentieth Century Fox

Second place went to Jason Reitman’s Juno, which I initially thought was a movie about Alaska but is actually a super-smart and very sweet comedy about a pregnant precocious teen—it’s sort of like Knocked Up for the MySpace set. I have to see this movie again when it comes out because I was laughing so hard that I missed some of the best lines. At InStyle's party with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, I had a chance to congratulate Jason on his impossibly awesome follow-up to Thank You for Smoking, which costars Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, Michael Cera and breakout star Ellen Page as the high school senior with something much bigger than prom on her mind. “I can’t believe I cried at the end—it’s so embarrassing to bawl in front of every film critic I know,” I complained to Jason. “Dude, I cry every time I watch it,” the young director confessed.

Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There

Aren’t you impressed that I actually managed to squeeze in some movie screenings in between all the parties? I also saw surefire Oscar contenders like Joe Wright’s Atonement with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy as well as Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Todd Haynes’ postmodern ode to Dylan, I’m Not There. The latter two films star that brilliant chameleon Cate Blanchett as polar opposite characters—the virgin Queen of England and the promiscuous rock icon. (She’s typically amazing in both roles but I preferred her inspired take on music royalty to her return as the monarch; however, she’s bound to score nominations for both brave performances come Oscar time).

But, of course, all the parties I hit proved to be blockbusters in their own right!

-- James Patrick Herman

After spending a week watching Oscar-worthy movies at the Toronto International Film Festival, it was cool to see so many stars in person—instead of up there on the big screen—at In Style’s annual blowout with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The night seemed to go by in a flash, which is always the sign of a fun party. Before I knew it, the time was well past 2 A.M. and I had greeted the A-list likes of Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Jessica Alba, not to mention that acclaimed actress Paris Hilton. You know I went right up to her and said, “I love your work!”

George Pimentel/WireImage

Okay, I’m kidding, but honestly, I am always happy to see Paris at a party. People can say whatever they want, but she has always been nice—and armed with a witty sound bite—when I’ve approached her for quotes over the years. I actually just came across a photo of Paris and me from Sean Combs’ legendary “Fabulous 50” pre-VMA dinner at his Miami mansion a few years ago. It was an atypically small crowd (i.e., only 50 people, get it?) for one of Puffy’s parties and I can’t tell you how thrilled I was that my coworker Suzanne Zuckerman and I were both on the guest list.

Evan Agostini/Getty

We both missed the VMAs this year because of Toronto, but I think I speak for both of us when I say that our party was more entertaining than Britney’s comeback performance. (I know, I know: “Leave Britney alone!”) And anyway, Ms. Hilton brought a little Vegas-style excitement to the movie star crowd at our bash: She told Suzanne that she was rocking a flashy little number from French Connection, but the way that she was working it for the swarm of photographers that quickly surrounded her, you’d have thought it was priceless haute couture! Proving that Paris has mastered the art of mixing high and low, she accessorized her ensemble with a Chanel necklace and matching earrings. Tres chic!

What do you think of Paris’s outfit?

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Imagine showing up at the Toronto International Film Festival and seeing someone else wearing the same dress! My eagle-eyed photo editor Kassidy Gala noticed that Kate Bosworth and Thandie Newton—two of the most stunning actresses in Hollywood, who happen to recall Audrey Hepburn's gamine quality—are both fans of the supercool London label Preen. And who can blame them? I saw this dress up close on Kate and it's gorgeous! This isn't so big a deal as everyone knows that it's really all about the accessories, anyway.

    
Thandie: Jason Gemnich/WireImage
Kate: WireImage

I'm a huge fan of Thandie and Kate and I think they both wear it well, so I can't possibly choose a favorite. Who do you think rocked it best?

-- James Patrick Herman

Quelle surprise: I’ve been party-hopping like crazy at the Toronto International Film Festival, attending fabulous bashes for the likes of Sienna Miller, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Bosworth, Laura Linney and Ryan Gosling. But tonight is the hottest party of all: The InStyle/Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s annual blowout at the Windsor Arms hotel. Last year, I met the festival’s It-Boy, James McAvoy, who appeared in no less than three films (special thanks to James’ friend Anna-Lea Boeki for the photo). “Myself, I’ve never really liked people who were called It,” James joked to me. “I don’t know if I’ve had any success yet. Buzz is just buzz,” he added.

James McAvoy and James at last year's Toronto Film Fest
Photo by Anna-Lea Boeki

But it’s impossible not to adore Mr. McAvoy—just ask his Atonement co-star Keira Knightley, who has bragged about James’ smooching skills. Last night I saw their gorgeous, romantic and ultimately tragic literary tear-jerker and I think it’s going to make a huge dent during award show season—this movie has Oscar written all over it. I actually walked right past Keira on the red carpet at the gala premiere; she was rocking a stunning plum-colored Chanel couture gown with what looked like a million tiny buttons down the back. I’m guessing that it must’ve taken her hours to get dressed, but it was worth it because she looked like a million bucks—a dollar for every button. And later I bumped into James at the after-party, where I congratulated him on his moving performance. “Thanks, Dude,” he said, sounding a bit more Hollywood than his native Glasgow, Scotland. But he’s just as sweet, down-to-earth and handsome as I remember—clearly the success has not gone to his head.

-- James Patrick Herman

Everyone knows that Toronto is the place to be to see Oscar-worthy movies, but did you also know that there’s some pretty great shopping in this town as well? I’m used to doing major credit card damage at Holt Renfrew—the Barneys of Toronto—but I really topped myself the other night at third annual One X One Foundation benefit.

Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage

Host Matt Damon and his longtime BFF Ben Affleck were on the stage of the brand spanking new Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts co-hosting a live auction while I was seated at my dinner table trying to take a photo of them for my blog. Ben somehow misunderstood my raised arm as a bid for a deluxe golf package that was going for (gulp!) $20,000. Fortunately, someone else who clearly makes a hell of a lot more money than I do quickly outbid me, because I’m not a big golfer. And, as you can imagine, I was relieved that I didn’t have to call my boss and ask if I could expense this. (Hey, at least it’s for a really good cause—this gala raises proceeds for children’s charities and recognizes Difference Award recipients such as Richard Gere, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and Petra Nemcova for their contributions in the fight against child poverty and suffering).

After the fabulous feast and auction, you’ll never believe who served as the after-dinner entertainment: the African Children’s Choir along with Wyclef Jean and Shakira! No kidding—my hips don’t lie! The One X One benefit was quite the star-studded affair, even by the impressive standards of the Toronto International Film Festival. “I’m a little flummoxed,” confessed Damon. “We actually have royalty here tonight. And I just bumped into Richard Gere!”

-- James Patrick Herman

I was only in town for one day of New York Fashion Week but it was definitely my kind of day (or rather, night). My boss, InStyle’s managing editor Charla Lawhon, threw what is bound to be one of the week’s hottest parties for our September issue’s super-cool cover girl, Gwen Stefani, to celebrate her latest L.A.M.B. collection as well as her sweet pea-infused first fragrance for Coty, L. (This yummy scent smells like a winner to me; I have a feeling that Gwen’s going to clean up at next year’s Fifis, the Oscars of the fragrance industry.)

I rode up to the roof of the Gramercy Park Hotel with Gwen’s record label honcho, Jimmy Iovine, and as soon as I got off the elevator I nearly walked right into Shirley Manson, the chic lead singer of Garbage. “Don’t you look all grown up tonight!” Shirley teased me. I told her that when I was in Italy, Garbage’s edgy new video for “Tell Me Where It Hurts” was in heavy rotation on the Italian equivalent of MTV. “They love me in Italy,” said Shirley. “That’s because they have such good taste!” I responded.

Shirley Manson and Gavin Rossdale
Photos by Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Then I saw Gwen’s mom, who I instantly recognized because I had met her at Jimmy’s L.A. manse when his wife, bestselling author Vicki Iovine, hosted a pampering party for her Hollywood girlfriends like Gwen. I offered to get her a drink from the bar but she politely declined: “We just had some champagne,” she said, and then introduced me to Gwen’s adorable dad. No doubt these proud parents had a lot to celebrate on this night!

Nearby I spotted Jimmy chilling with Mary J. Blige on a couch and Gwen chatting with my boss, though I wondered where her hubby Gavin Rossdale was. As it turns out, the tennis fanatic was in another room watching Andy Roddick take on Roger Federe at the U.S. Open. I have to say that some celebrities don’t look as flawless as they do in pictures (and as an admitted Photoshop addict, I can relate), but in person, radiant Gwen and Gavin are even better looking, if you can believe it. “They want to have more kids,” Gwen’s mom told me, which means that some photogenic playmates are on the way for cute little Kingston.

In the bathroom line I bumped into my favorite heiress, Amanda Hearst, who I haven’t seen since our photo appeared in the party pages of a recent issue of Vanity Fair. Amanda is fond of wearing fabulous Carolina Herrera frocks from her mother’s closet but on this night she was rocking an up-and-coming designer named Mooka Kinney. Amanda loves to support young designers; she attended the Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion show and next she’ll be in the front row at her friend Nicky Hilton’s collection. Other glam guests included Gwen’s longtime hair guru, Danilo; her stylist, Andrea Lieberman; her agent from UTA, Lisa Jacobson and Coty’s Belinda Arnold.

Even though I really should have been at home packing for my trip to the Toronto Film Festival the next day, I didn’t leave until nearly 1 A.M. When I finally walked outside to hail a taxi (after sharing an elevator with celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe), I was surprised to see Gwen’s parents chatting on the sidewalk since they told me that they too had planned to make it an early night. But I don’t blame them for partying like rock stars—like I said, it was an awesome party!

-- James Patrick Herman

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September always feels like back-to-school time to me, maybe because instead of new classes I’m trying to do a quick study of the fall’s new movies, TV shows, albums, and of course clothes. If you’re like me and you love film, fashion, music and TV, then you’re going to enjoy reading the “Back to Cool” story in our new September issue—it’s a four-page cheat sheet of sorts that highlights the best of the season’s style and entertainment trends.

I collaborated on “Back to Cool” with my coworker Suzanne Zuckerman. We’re both huge fans of Project Runway’s Tim Gunn, so we were excited to ask him about his new Bravo makeover show, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style. As it turns out, though, we couldn’t fit a Q&A with Tim into our story because this is such an overly action-packed fall. But I’m thrilled to share Suzanne’s exclusive interview with you on InStyle.com—and we’re grateful to Tim for taking time out of his super-busy schedule to chat.

Veronica Webb and Tim Gunn
Photo courtesy of NBC Universal

Let me know what you think of Tim’s new show, which airs tonight on Bravo!

InStyle: We’ve noticed that the fall TV lineup features several shows starring sharp-dressed men.  Why are men embracing luxury right now more than ever before? 

Tim Gunn: In my view, America has just about bottomed out as a nation of slobs: sweats and flip-flops proliferate and our national girth widens.  Furthermore, the advent of casual Friday work-wear enabled new levels of inappropriate dressing.  I believe that the trend towards caring about one’s appearance and dressing better and more appropriately is a reaction to this slob-fest.  Indeed, I do see more men using more care in their appearance: clothes that fit, silhouettes that represent today’s fashion and good grooming.  I’ll add that I don’t believe that men need to don designer labels and spend a fortune on their wardrobe, but I do believe in being occasion appropriate.  Step up and step out, America!

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Here’s a first look at Jennifer Lopez’s new music video for “Do It Well,” the lead single from her forthcoming pop album, Brave. You’ve gotta hand it to J.Lo: Brave is her second release this year, following the Spanish album Como Ama Una Mujer. And when not in the recording studio, she somehow finds time to run an empire that includes a movie career, a fashion line and a beauty business. She’s the Queen of Multi-tasking!

In this scene from her video, Jennifer is rocking a lime silk satin frock by Donatella Versace, one of her favorite designers. What do you think?

-- James Patrick Herman

    
Photos courtesy of Versace

Giorgio Armani makes a typically stylish entrance

A funny thing happened to me on the way to Dolce & Gabbana’s home on the volcanic Italian island of Stromboli: I ran into Giorgio Armani. What’s next, I wondered? Maybe I’ll see Donatella Versace sunbathing on the beach!

Armani's magnificent yacht

My fabulous friend Ali Wise, who works for Dolce & Gabbana (they must be the most fun bosses ever), informed me that the boys were actually on holiday in St. Tropez. And here I was hoping that I might be able to swing by their place for a cappuccino. I still took a stroll past their home en route to one of Stromboli’s famed black sand beaches. (All of the beaches here are black—how chic is that?) I wasn’t sure where their house was located, but all of the locals I asked were more than happy to point me in the right direction. It reminded me of the time that I went to Dublin and wanted to see Bono’s crib; everyone knew where it was. But then fashion designers are like rock stars in Italy.

Armani en route to Panarea's dock

When I returned to the hip Hotel Raya on the nearby island of Panarea, I couldn’t help noticing what looked like a glamorous battleship in the harbor. “That’s Armani’s boat,” one of the islanders said, adding: “Valentino was here last week.” And, sure enough, the iconic Italian designer soon pulled up to the dock with an entourage of photogenic guys who looked like they just walked off a runway. Despite the fact that super-tan Giorgio clearly loves the sun, he looks great for his age—I wonder if he’s been using his new Crema Nera moisturizer, which contains obsidian (it was inspired by obsidian-rich Pantelleria, another island off the coast of Sicily where Armani owns a home). He gave me a friendly nod, perhaps because I was wearing the exact same outfit: Black shorts and a matching tee. I love that the fashion designers who craft some of the world’s most lavish and luxurious clothes tend to dress down when it comes to their own personal style—a T-shirt and jeans seem to be the wardrobe staple favored by all of the designers I’ve ever met. I nodded back and smiled—and then I quickly ran back to my hotel to slip into something more fabulous.

James on a beach near Dolce & Gabbana's house

Later, at dinner, I asked the Hotel Raya’s owner, Myriam Beltrami, if she had seen Arrmani. Myriam is quite the local celebrity herself—after all, the Raya has become an internationally renowned haven for jet-setters like Rupert Murdoch, who recently dined at Raya’s restaurant—so she wasn’t as impressed as I was: “Oh, him? He’s always here,” she said with a laugh.

-- James Patrick Herman

The volcanic Italian island of Stromboli

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