Partyhopper

Imagine Gossip Girl for grown-ups: That's what the super-chic and sexy scene at the New Museum felt like to me. When I arrived, I saw Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa greeting Julianne Moore and her husband Bart Freundlich. Then I watched little Ashley Olsen make a very big entrance: She wafted into the room clad in a black leather jacket and trailed by a burly bodyguard and a bored-looking entourage—very rock ‘n’ roll.

Maggie Gyllenhaal and friends make the scene.

Ashley quickly blended into the effortlessly sophisticated, inevitably black-clad crowd that wound their way past several floors filled with edgy art and settled on the seventh floor, which offered a wraparound balcony for the smokers and a stunning view of the New York City skyline for all. Stars like Maggie Gyllenhaal and Thandie Newton were all smiles, clearly enjoying their cocktail conversation, while nearby model Jamie Burke looked typically sullen (but as a Calvin Klein poster boy, it’s a look that totally works for him).

James and Ali Wise flank Charlotte Ronson
Photo: Rochelle Rose

Turns out that Jamie’s a really friendly—and very articulate—guy. When my friend Rochelle Rose asked him what brought him to the party, he drily quipped: "An invitation" and then flashed a disarming smile. But Jamie was quite serious when he discussed his love of art: "It's been awhile since I've had a chance to see contemporary art," he said. "And I’m hoping to see some pieces that blow me away tonight." Okay, this guy gets my vote as America's Most Smartest Model, and I don't even care that he's actually British. In fact, I’m awarding him extra IQ points just for the accent.

Charlotte takes off—and shows off—a shoe from her line.

I said hi to Patrick McMullan—the author of Glamour Girls and a favorite photographer of the fashion world—as he buzzed around the room with his camera in hand, and considering how photogenic everyone was, he must have had a busy night. It made perfect sense that Calvin Klein was the sponsor of this stylish affair: The New Museum is a minimalist shrine dedicated to finding new talent in the art world—it’s the only museum in New York City that is devoted solely to contemporary art. Likewise, the forever cool label has always looked to youth culture for inspiration. As bare-chested performance artist Raven O put it before belting out a cover of Blur’s "Girls & Boys," this night was as "a celebration of urban flavor!"

James and DJ Donna D'Cruz at the Dior party
Photo: Rochelle Rose

What were the highlights for me? Aside from the amazing art on display, it was tie between an impromptu photo shoot with designer Charlotte Ronson—in the bathroom line, no less—and later running into my friend Ali Wise from Dolce & Gabbana, who was having a champagne nightcap at The Bowery Hotel with another Ali—Heroes star Ali Larter. In person, the actress is a lot more fun—and glamorous—than the lethal character she plays on TV: She was raising a glass of bubbly and smacking one of her friends on the butt when we were introduced. I was almost tempted to suggest that the Heroes producers consider adding yet another new character to the cast: A super-powered PartyHopper with the miraculous ability to go out on the town every night of the week. (Did I mention that I hit a Dior party before arriving at the New Museum?) But the truth is that I would be powerless without my not-so-secret weapon: Sugar-Free Red Bull. -- James Patrick Herman

Click below to see more pics from my night at the New Museum.

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How does Roberto Cavalli do it? He's like the Energizer Bunny of the Fashion World! Aside from designing a line for H&M that sold out faster than you can say "bellisimo" and making J.Lo’s maternity wear for her recent tour, Cavalli is now working on costumes for the long-awaited reunion of the Spice Girls. (According to the designer, this was all Victoria "Posh" Beckham's brilliant idea.) So what can we expect from Cavalli's take on "girl power" dressing? Think: Flashy silver uniforms, Swarovski-encrusted minidresses and, of course, leather corsets. "They are an irresistible mix of energy, pure joy, humor and a spicy dash of glamour," Cavalli said of the Spice Girls--but the same could be said of him.

-- James Patrick Herman

Cavalli's sketch for the reunion tour of the Spice Girls

Which one of the above costumes would you like to rock?

Considering the musical choices I heard DJ-turned-daddy-to-be Joel Madden make at The Plumm's one-year anniversary party last week, I have to wonder what kind of lullabies he intends to sing for the baby that he's expecting with Nicole Richie. After his late-night stint spinning everything from the anthemic "O.P.P." to the ironic "Enjoy the Silence" that inspired my friends to dance on couches, Joel later caught a plane back to L.A. for Nicole's co-ed baby shower at the Beverly Hills Hotel, which drew the likes of her Simple Life costar, Paris Hilton, and L.C. from The Hills. It seemed like the hottest ticket in town since, well, Christina Aguilera's recent baby shower. The message is clear to me: Motherhood rocks! Granted, PartyHopper doesn't usually wake up early enough to make it to afternoon events like baby showers, but fortunately you can still read all about that glamorous bash elsewhere on InStyle.com—exclusively, of course!

-- James Patrick Herman

Joel Madden at Plumm
Photo: Mark A. Neston

My beloved blog readers seemed to love the opportunity to vote when I ran pics of Kate Bosworth and Thandie Newton wearing the same super-cool dress and I asked: Who Rocked It Best? Since we don't have a Beauty Blogger on InStyle.com, I'd like to share the below celebrity snapshot and ask: Who Has the Best Hair? The fresh-faced young Hollywood candidates include three costars from High School Musical 2—and these Disney channel icons kindly attended a gala screening to benefit the Teen Impact program at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Aside from aiding a good cause, I must say that their hair made quite an impact as well. Don't you agree? Personally, I'd have to vote for Zac and his impressively flawless locks, but I want you to be the judge. Whose hair made you stop and stare?

HSM's Corbin Bleu, Ashley Tisdale and Zac Efron

And for all of you HSM fanatics out there, you might want to add the sequel's Extended Edition DVD and Blu-ray High-Def to your parent's holiday shopping list. It hits stores on December 11th from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment—and hey, it can't hurt to point out how much cheaper it is than a pair of Hannah Montana tickets, right?

-- James Patrick Herman

Roberto Cavalli turns 67 today, but he’s very young at heart. Just check out this photo of us at his Halloween party—that’s the famed Italian designer dressed as Karl Lagerfeld. And that’s me dressed as, well, I was too lazy to find a costume so I just tied a mask around my face and called it a night. (I think this is a good look for me because you can’t see the dark circles under my eyes from too much party-hopping!) To celebrate, I suggest that we all down a shot of Cavalli Vodka tonight. Cheers, Roberto!

-- James Patrick Herman

James and the bewigged Birthday Boy
Photo: Laura Begley

If party-hopping were an Olympic sport, then I would surely win a gold medal. I kicked off the other night with an early dinner at Mr. Chow. My guest? American Idol Jordin Sparks, who really is just as adorable as she seems on TV. "I’ll have a Shirley Temple—with extra cherries," Jordin told the waiter. How sweet is that? Even sweeter: Jordin gave me a ride down to the Tribeca eatery from In Style’s midtown offices, and on the way she showed me photos on her laptop, like one of her and her bespectacled duet partner, Chris Brown. "He’s fine!" Jordin noted of the "Kiss Kiss" singer. When fellow Arizona native Stevie Nicks came on the radio, Jordin couldn’t resist singing along to "Landslide." Eating dinner at Mr. Chow? Pricey! Getting a private concert (and a lift) from an American Idol? Priceless!

James & Jordin Sparks
Photo: Ticeman Merriweather

Unfortunately, my cab ride back to midtown for the Duran Duran concert wasn’t nearly as fun, but the show was a blast. The eternal "Wild Boys" rocked Roseland with their classic hits like "Rio" and surprise covers like "Warm Leatherette"—and, as you can imagine, they made more than a few costume changes. Still-hot front man Simon LeBon introduced one of the band’s new songs from their Red Carpet Massacre CD by asking: "Are there any dads out there?" And from the looks of this sweater-clad crowd, I’d guess that there were many—moms, too.

Duran Duran rock out at Roseland

As Duran Duran launched into "Girls on Film," I headed downtown (again!) to my next appointment: The Cinema Society’s Hogan-sponsored party for the Bob Dylan meta-biopic I’m Not There at the Bowery Hotel. Cue in hand, edgy It-Model Agyness Deyn proved that she’s as talented at the pool table as she is on the runway. "The models in New York are so much better than the ones in L.A.," remarked an Angeleno I know when I mentioned that this is Manhattan’s answer to the Chateau Marmont. When we eventually decided to call it a night, we saw Heath Ledger and his huge entourage walk out the door and pile into a sleek black SUV—it was such a rock star exit! Dylan would’ve been proud.

-- James Patrick Herman

His name is Simon and he dances on the stage

It’s hard to believe that Chris Brown is only 18! In fact, I might not believe it myself if I hadn’t attended his birthday party at Mr. Chow (here’s a pic from that night). Granted, Chris didn’t score last week’s top debut with his new Exclusive CD, but he cracked the top 5, which I think is very impressive considering how young he is compared to the competition: Jay-Z, Garth Brooks and some band by the name of the Eagles.

Chris takes the cake at his birthday party

"My look is sort of inspired by the '80s," Chris told me at his party. "But I was born in 1989, so I don’t really remember how people dressed back then." Well, that may be for the best. This triple-threat of a talent will be seen on the big screen in the upcoming film This Christmas; he’ll also be taking his act on the road and performing hits like "Kiss, Kiss" next month. Fortunately, he’ll have his dog Diamond to keep him company on the tour bus. Groupies, beware: Diamond is a pit bull!

-- James Patrick Herman

Chris and his best friend, Diamond
Photos: Mark A. Neston

"I'm young, raw talent and I’m kind of a big deal," says Christian, one of the aspiring designers on Project Runway, which premieres tonight. Can you imagine having so much self-confidence at age 21? All I can say is: You go, Christian! I’ve already seen the premiere thanks to my friends at Bravo and Full Picture and if this episode is any indication, we are in for a drama-filled season—it has the potential to make A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila look like a tea party by comparison.


Hollywood Boulevard: Touched by an Angel
Photo: Victoria's Secret/Marion Curtis

Project Runway has been nominated for 3 Emmys so far and I wish they would give host Heidi Klum an award already. Hey, someone read my mind: Heidi and her fellow Victoria’s Secret Angels received an “award of excellence” star on Hollywood Boulevard. Let’s just hope that the Angels never go on strike!

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show takes place tomorrow at the Kodak Theatre in L.A.--this will mark’s Heidi’s tenth turn on the V.S. catwalk--and lingerie lovers everywhere can tune into the broadcast December 4th on CBS.

-- James Patrick Herman

Click below to see a pic of me with some other angels.

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Eve turned 29 over the weekend, and I think she looks hotter--and more stylish--than ever. I had the pleasure of watching her rock the house at Roberto Cavalli's Halloween party and to my ears, she sounds like she's at the top of her game. I hope that she really enjoyed herself on Saturday night--her long-awaited new CD will finally be out early next year, so she has a lot to celebrate, especially now that her ankle bracelet is history.

Photo: Lisa Martin

So what does Eve want for her birthday? I know that this hardcore Galliano fan wouldn't mind seeing a new Dior dress in her closet. But from the looks  of our November issue, she seems to have love rather than fashion on her mind: "Who's the ideal man for Scorpio?" Eve asked In Style's astrologer, Susan Miller, who noted that Scorpios like her are "intense and romantic...undoubtedly sexy." Susan's pick of the Zodiac for Eve is a Pisces: "Both of you are willing to jump right in and take risks for love--and enjoy every moment of the experience!"

-- James Patrick Herman

"This is a fantastic party," said Naomi Campbell, who flew to L.A. especially for the Louis Vuitton-hosted gala at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA to celebrate Japanese artist Takashi Murakami’s mid-career retrospective. Me, too—and wow, was it ever worth the trip (especially since Ralph, my travel guru, booked my flight on fabulous Virgin America airlines)! There were veteran Hollywood stars like Anjelica Huston and young actors like Casey Affleck, hip-hop hotshots such as Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, supermodels Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford and, of course, iconic fashion designers like Tom Ford and LV’s artistic director, Marc Jacobs. But the only time that I truly got starstruck was when I met Louis Vuitton’s suave and charming chairman, Yves Carcelle, who seems like the world’s sweetest CEO.

James, Pharrell Williams and MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel
Photos: Peter Wintersteller

Though Marc’s hair may have been blue, his mood was anything but, considering that Murakami was honoring him on this night: "I’ve always wanted to dye my hair blue and I thought that Takashi’s retrospective was the perfect occasion," Marc told me when I asked about his extreme makeover. The designer was also thrilled that Kanye got the party started with a high-energy performance of hits like "Gold Digger" and "Stronger." "It was cool to be that close to Kanye," said actress Telisha Shaw, who danced on top of a couch during his set. "I loved Kanye’s performance—it’s great to see someone give 100 percent," added the divine Dita Von Teese, and that means a lot coming from a perfectionist like her. "It was so intimate that I felt like he was performing in my living room," Kerry Washington told me. (She must have a big living room.) As for the review of my tablemate Serena Williams, who was sitting nearby Louis Vuitton’s glamorous P.R. and marketing maven, Heather Vandenberghe? "I was shocked," Serena told me. "I didn’t realize Kanye was so amazing."

James and Pharell

I was similarly amazed by Murakami’s array of Post-Pop art and the sleek mini-Louis Vuitton boutique that had been installed especially for this exhibit. (Personally, I would spend more time in museums if I could also shop for luxury goods in them.) "No other fashion house is doing it to this level," noted Pharrell. "This is Vuitton—the most prestigious fashion house in the world." Kerry Washington called the chic alternative to MOCA’s gift shop "genius." How many L.V. bags does she own, anyway? "I don’t know," Kerry said, "but I’m definitely planning to increase my collection in the Louis Vuitton boutique tonight!" And much to my surprise, Cindy Crawford told me that she could also stand to add to her L.V. collection. "I don’t own a single bag. Isn’t that funny?" she told me. "I think my daughter actually has a little pink one that someone gave her but I don’t have any!" Note to Yves...

Be sure to check out the January issue of In Style for exclusive party photos from Peter Wintersteller, one of my favorite photographers in L.A.

-- James Patrick Herman
 

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Did you know that Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey were born on the same day? He’s 34 today and she turns 27.

The birthday boy and girl

I guess that these sexy Scorpios were celebrating their birthdays early when I bumped into them this past weekend in San Juan (where I was doing the exact same thing—Puerto Rico is a fun place to party.) "I love it here," Nick told me. "The beaches are beautiful and the people are great. They really love life." And, of course, they love the nightlife!

-- James Patrick Herman

The closest that I usually get to seeing modern dance is the TV set in my living room when MTV runs those So You Think You Can Dance weekend marathons. (I have dancer-turned-actress Keri Russell to thank for this addiction.) So what a treat it was when my coworker and fellow party-hopper Suzanne Zuckerman invited me to check out her boyfriend Mike Schulster’s show, Revolution, at the famed Joyce theater in Chelsea.

Katharine McPhee (in the sweater) and the dancers from Revolution

Mike aims to do for tap-dancing and rock ‘n’ roll what Savion Glover did for tap-dancing and hip-hop. Aside from showing off some seriously fancy footwork, this photogenic young dancer rocks out on a Gibson guitar—he’s like a hip GAP ad come to life. Revolution also featured So You Think You Can Dance vet Allison Holker (you may recognize her as a cheerleader from High School Musical), so I have a feeling that Keri Russell would’ve enjoyed this innovative show, too. Katharine McPhee certainly did—after the performance, she even went backstage to greet (and kindly pose with) the dancers.

-- James Patrick Herman

Click below for pics of the Revolution dancers in action.

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Because great parties are so much fun, people often forget that they involve an awful lot of hard work. So I was thrilled to see that my friend Colin Cowie—the lifestyle guru and party planner extraordinaire—was honored by the American Friends of the Phelophepa Train charity at Gotham Hall last week. (The Phelophepa Train is a mobile medical unit that annually travels through South Africa and provides health care to disadvantaged people.)

James & Holly Robinson Peete (in Naeem Khan)

"He is truly a man of style and substance," said my former boss, Time Inc.'s Martha Nelson, who presented Colin with the 2007 Phelophepa Award for Excellence. "If God is in the details, then Colin has assured himself a place in heaven," Martha added. "Moderation is not in this man’s vocabulary." Thank God for that! -- James Patrick Herman

Colin takes the stage at Gotham Hall

Click below to see a pic of Grammy-winning gospel singer BeBe Winans, who performed at the event along with R&B chanteuse Chrisette Michele.

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Am I in San Juan or St. Tropez? That's the question I asked myself after spending a weekend soaking up the sun and partying in Puerto Rico: There’s a distinct Nikki Beach vibe at The Beach House, a chic new boutique hotel with Indonesian beds on the beach and a super-sexy nightclub called La Folie (that’s French for "crazy"), where Buddha Bar’s DJ Timka spun until 5 A.M. on Saturday night.

James and Nick Lachey at El San Juan.

Earlier that night, I chatted with Nick Lachey at the nearby El San Juan Hotel & Casino, which was celebrating its $125 million renovation into a South Beach-style hotspot. The ESJ has its own popular club, Brava—which has drawn the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey—but on this night everyone was kicking back poolside, dining at an al fresco sushi bar and dancing to 50 Cent (even though I had been looking forward to hearing some reggaeton).

Nick and girlfriend Vanessa Minnillo

Nick told me he was eager to do some gambling at the hotel’s casino. "I like a little blackjack,” he admitted. "This place reminds me a bit of Las Vegas but it’s much cooler," he added. "It actually reminds me more of Miami and those two years when the MTV Awards were held there. I had a great time today: There was a DJ by the pool and everyone was enjoying themselves. I spent the afternoon watching college football in a cabana. Navy beat Notre Dame for the first time in like 40 years—it was historic day for college football!"

-- James Patrick Herman

DJ Timka spinning at La Folie

Click below to see more pics from my weekend getaway in San Juan.

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What did you go as for Halloween? I was planning to dress up like Amy Winehouse but the beehive wig was just too heavy! So instead I slipped into a YSL suit and a black mask and presto—I was an extra from Eyes Wide Shut. Or so that’s what I told my coworkers Suzanne Zuckerman and Bronwyn Barnes and my friend Laura Begley. Laura snapped these fun pics during breaks from sipping champagne and dancing in the VIP room with Tinsley Mortimer, Petra Nemcova and the host, who had a cigar in one hand and a bottle of Roberto Cavalli vodka in the other (he’s my kind of guy). Eve summed up the wild scene at Cipriani 42 Street best when she said: "I've gotta bunch of party people in the house!"

-- James Patrick Herman

James & Tinsley Mortimer (as an angel)

Petra Nemcova (as Cleopatra)

James & Roberto Cavalli (as Karl Lagerfeld)

Click below for more party pics!

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