Partyhopper

Ok, so nobody did the Mexican hat dance, but several guests got into the Cinco De Mayo spirit by donning sombreros at a going away party for Sienna Miller at producer Holly Weirsma’s Spanish style hacienda. Weirsma, who has been friends with the beautiful Brit-- and even co-produced Factory Girl with her--for years, hosted the Mexican-themed fete with Tara Summers as a way to say "adios" to Sienna, who is heading back to the UK after having lived in the US while shooting the action flick, G.I. Joe, due out in 2009. 

Tara Summers and guest of honor Sienna Miller

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Hipster denim companies seem to pop up faster than paparazzi shots of Britney Spears. But labels like Levi Strauss--who count Chace Crawford and Jessica Alba among their celebrity fans-- and Rock and Republic just keep coming up with fresh ways to do denim. During L.A. Fashion Week's Collection Preview, I stopped by several showrooms to check out the latest denim must-haves. My first stop was Levi's, where I scouted their latest line called Levi's Capital E. My next stop was the Rock and Republic showroom on trendy Robertson Blvd. Their maternity jeans are a huge hit with pregnant stars like Halle Berry and Christina Aguilera and they also have a great selection of belts, bags and shoes.



In addition to the fashion finds, I also learned about Rock and Republic's Rock The Cure program, which earmarks 100% of the profits from one stand-out item in each R&R collection to benefit City of Hope, a research and treatment center dedicated to fight cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Look for the Rock the Cure tags the next time you're shopping for jeans!

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I wish more L.A. designers would take their cue from Gregory Parkinson. I'm not even talking about his romantic designs--although some could learn a thing or two from him in that department--I'm talking about the very civilized way in which he showed his new fall collection. There was no waiting for a show to start, no worrying about tripping over someone's Manolos on the way to your seat, and no waiting in long lines for your car after it was all over. Instead, Parkinson dispensed with the whole catwalk-and-models idea and went for a garden party.

L.A. Bureau Chief Glynis Costin and designer Gregory Parkinson

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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     

From In Style's Ali Forman in Los Angeles: “Coming back here is like coming home for me,”  NY based designer Phillip Lim told me the other day at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. “I am a hometown boy.”  Lim, who grew up in “The OC” was back in  Southern California during LA Fashion Week for an informal showing of his spring ’07 collection—3.1-- at the famed department store. 

It was the first LA showing for the line, a hit with stars such as Kate Hudson, Emmy Rossum, Jacinda Barrett and Jamie King, and I was lucky enough to get some one-on-one time with the ultra cool, laid-back 33-year old designer.

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From In Style's Karen Levy and Ali Forman in Los Angeles: Getting into a shuttle at UCLA the other night was like a flashback to our college days. Only this time—thank God!—the shuttle was not dropping us off at a history class.

Instead, it was Music 101 all the way as we headed up the hills to a Bel-Air estate—this year's home to the annual William Morris Agency Grammys party. We had no idea who to expect but instantly felt at ease when we walked in the door and immediately ran into three friends—Melissa Holloway from Fox Searchlight, Untitled manager Evan Hainey and William Morris talent agent Nicole David, who represents lots of musicians, including Whitney Houston and 50 Cent. Melissa, just back from the Writers Guild Awards (where the Fox Searchlight film Little Miss Sunshine had won yet another statuette) was thrilled but also admitted to being relieved that awards season will soon be over. She has been working like a maniac.

Common and P. Diddy
Photos by Alex Berliner

Speaking of maniacs, there was some major dance mania going on in the library, where Prince was holding court with about 20 friends, who took turns hitting the dance floor while DJ Adam 12 turned the tables. Prince must have liked the music, because he ended up cutting a rug with P. Diddy and Terrence Howard, who also seemed to have caught dance fever. Tearing ourselves away from the dance action, we took a lap around the party to see if the rumors of hot dogs were true.

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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: Forest Whitaker is well loved. And not just by those who hand out awards. At an intimate dinner our West Coast bureau threw for the Oscar-nominated actor the other night, both longtime pals and new friends could not stop talking about what a great guy Forest is.

Forest Whitaker and John Travolta
Photo by John Sciulli/Wireimage

When John Travolta (who met Whitaker when the two filmed Phenomenon together) walked into the private back room we had reserved at the Beverly Hills Hotel's famed Polo Lounge, he made a beeline for Whitaker and gave him a giant bear hug that seemed to last a full minute. Everyone else also seemed to want a piece of Whitaker, who exudes a down-to-earth vibe and still seems in a bit of a shock that he is getting all this attention.

After winning over the Screen Actors Guild, the Golden Globes judges, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and many others (for his brilliant performance in The Last King of Scotland, in case you've been on Mars), Whitaker admitted that the last few months have been quite a ride. “I’m just taking it all in,” he said with his characteristic big smile.

Keisha Whitaker, Glynis and Forest Whitaker
Photo by Karen Levy

His adorable wife, Keisha, who wore a sparking minidress that showed off her mile-long legs, agreed. "This is the first chance we’ve even had to catch our breath,” she confessed.

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From In Style's Angela Salazar and Marsha McGregor in Los Angeles: Jessica Alba loves her Rickard Shah shoes—so much, in fact, that the label renamed its classic peep-toe style the Jessica after her.

Jessica Alba

"It's probably because I wore it to death, but it's very flattering," the starlet said with a laugh at the launch of Rickard Shah's limited-edition Icon Collection at the hip Los Angeles boutique Iconology the other night. The event brought out other stylish young stars, such as Eva Longoria, Kate Mara and Milla Jovovich. "You know, we all love fashion, so it's nice to actually have a part in the evolution of a line, especially shoes," Longoria said as she made her way over to hug her pal Alba.

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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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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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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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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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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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From In Style's Marsha McGregor and Angela Salazar in Los Angeles: If supermodel Gisele Bündchen has any flaws, we certainly couldn’t find them when we spoke with her backstage at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show the other night. Not only is she beautiful, she’s also incredibly nice, down-to-earth and—news flash!—she even eats!   

Gisele Bündchen

During the whirlwind day of the show, we hung out backstage where the models (including Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio) were getting their hair and makeup done by expert stylist Italo Gregorio and makeup artist Linda Hay. While Bündchen was getting her signature waves perfected (she admitted to having extensions put in to add more volume for the show), we chatted with her about her favorite VS Beauty products (she loves the Very Sexy lip balm and insisted that we try some) and about getting prepared for the runway.

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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: For some reason, Brittany Murphy (our current In Style Home cover girl) reminds me of one of those cute and kooky stars from the '50s. Like a Doris Day, maybe, only cooler. I can’t explain it, but every time I see her I feel like I’m looking at and talking to someone from another era—in a good way.

I saw her Monday night at the opening of fashion designer Carolina Herrera’s new shop on Melrose Place. (With stores like Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg and Marni, Melrose Place has become quite the glam new shopping destination for stylish Angelenos.)

Brittany Murphy and photographer Art Streiber,
who shot her for the current cover of In Style Home

Wearing a sexy orange Herrera dress, Murphy was happily checking out the shop’s racks and racks of colorful clothes. “Hey, I wore that one to the premiere of Happy Feet last night!” she said almost giddily, showing me a jeweled turquoise frock. “Wow, I wish I'd known about this little jacket that goes with it,” she added, fingering a Jackie O-esque cropped bolero.

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From In Style's Angela Salazar in Los Angeles: When the current It Denim Line hosts a party at the newest It Club, and a host of It Stars are set to be there—how can one not attend?

Sold in hip boutiques across the country (like Kitson in L.A), and with a stylish fan base that includes Penélope Cruz, Mischa Barton and Mary-Kate Olsen, Genetic Denim was celebrating its one-year anniversary—and the launch of a new collection—the other night at Area.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Genetic Denim's Scott Sartiano
Photo by John Shearer/WireImage

So of course I went to check it out, along with such guests such as Jamie-Lynn Sigler (who is dating Genetic owner Scott Sartiano), Ali Larter, Bonnie Somerville, Kristin Cavallari and Michelle Trachtenberg. As the cameras clicked, they cruised the red carpet outside and signed the Genetic Wall of Fame (a pair of jeans that will continue to travel with the Genetic team through the seasons).

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From In Style's Kwala Mandel in Los Angeles: The Environmental Media Awards, which recognize the eco-friendly contributions of films like An Inconvenient Truth, is a great charity event for a great cause. But I have to admit, one of the best parts of attending the other night was catching the presenters cutting loose when the stage lights dimmed at the Ebell Club theater in order to show the nominee clips.

Kwala and Kristin Davis

David Spade stopped razzing his co-presenter, Kristin Davis, long enough to pull out the contents of his pockets and throw them at a friend in the audience (followed by a little dance and the flash of a peace sign before the lights came back up). Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, pretended to rush the stage from his front-row seat, and Wilmer Valderrama took advantage of the darkness to plant two kisses on the cheek of his co-presenter, Bahar Soomekh, before running across the stage to plant another one on E! News anchor Giuliana DePandi. Blame it on those organic cocktails.

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From In Style's Angela Salazar in Los Angeles: Makeup was definitely the star at the MAC Cosmetics "Chinese Dress" event the other night. Held in a tent outside the beauty firm's Robertson Blvd. store, the fete featured a live exhibition of nude models.

OK, so they weren't exactly nude. The models, part of a traveling installation first launched in Shanghai, were painted by MAC makeup artists in classic Chinese dress designs by Sue Wong, Juicy Couture, Vivienne Tam and others. (They might have had on thongs, too.)

Sue Wong with a model wearing a painted version of one of her dress designs.
Photos by Donato Sardella/WireImage

"I chose the dragon motif because the dragon is a very powerful Chinese symbol," Wong, an L.A.-based designer, told me. "My model looks like Anna May Wong, circa 1930, so it's very Hollywood glamour and very apropos for the town we live in." (Anna May Wong, by the way, was a Chinese-American film actress famous in the '20s and '30s and probably best known for her role in Shanghai Express with Marlene Dietrich.)

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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: Zooey Deschanel can sing.

And by "sing" I don’t mean that she can get by crooning on a karaoke stage. I mean she can really belt 'em out.

Zooey Deschanel
Photos by Donato Sardella/WireImage

Some of you already know that, of course. If you saw Elf, you heard her sweet rendition of “Baby, It's Cold Outside” (sung with Will Ferrell, no less). Others may have seen her cabaret act with pal Samantha Shelton (Marley’s sister), called “If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies.”

So this isn’t exactly a news flash. But I finally witnessed it firsthand the other night at a chic little dinner party hosted by Gucci at the Hotel Bel-Air.

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From In Style's Ali Forman in Los Angeles: I’m the kind of person who freaks out whenever anyone wants to read my palm or—God forbid—send me to a psychic. So it’s kind if amazing that I made it to the supernatural soirée held to celebrate the season premiere of Medium.

Patricia Arquette and Molly Madden

Hosted by NBC; the show’s star, Patricia Arquette; and Arquette's tireless manager, Molly Madden, the party was held at the Stephen Cohen Gallery, which was (very fittingly) featuring a photo exhibition titled “Immaterial World.” (Thankfully, there were lots of living people in the gallery, so I didn’t get too spooked.)

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From In Style's Glynis Costin, Ali Forman and Marsha McGregor in Los Angeles: Tuesday night was one of those evenings when our West Coast staff fanned out across the city to attend a variety of fêtes.

First there was the Dior Cruise 2007 runway show at Dior's Beverly Hills store, hosted by Amber Valletta, stylist Elizabeth Stewart and gal about town Jamie Tisch, among others. Guests such as Angie Harmon, Shiva Rose (Dylan McDermott’s super-fashionable wife) and Camilla Belle sipped champagne and oohed and aahed at all the sexy metallic dresses, chic glittery skirts and one particular coral pleated gown that floated down the catwalk.

After the show, Angie, Amber and Shiva stood in a group and chatted about motherhood as several well-coifed ladies made their way upstairs for the trunk-show sale. Amber and Angie (whom Glynis first met in Milan when they were modeling and she was an editor stationed there) were apparently inspired by the show to relive their past. They kept cracking each other up by reenacting their old runway poses. “You put your mouth like this," Angie said, and then demonstrated by sticking out her lower lip, striking a pose and making us all laugh.

Oh, those former models! And by the way, those two still look pretty much the way they did 12 years ago. Sigh.

Jaime Pressly at Sonya Dakar
Photo by Michael Bezjian/WireImage

Then Glynis and fellow staffer Angela Salazar headed to Sonya Dakar’s Beverly Hills Spa, where Jaime Pressly (low-key in a ponytail and jeans) was hosting a party to help introduce a new Dakar skin-care line called UltraLuxe. As a DJ spun tunes and bartenders served up vodka drinks, guests wandered around the multilevel spa trying to figure out what to do. One woman in a pink dress sported a matching pink fur bag and even a pink-dyed dog. “This is kind of random,” one partygoer was overheard remarking as she scanned the room.

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From In Style's Ali Forman in Los Angeles: I know most people think awards season in Hollywood begins in January, but it actually gets off to an early start with the Hollywood Film Festival's annual Hollywood Awards. Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel (which is also the venue for the Golden Globes), it’s become quite a star-filled extravaganza.

I couldn’t believe how many actors came out to support their films on Monday night in hopes of generating some of that much sought-after Oscar buzz.

Sandra Bullock
Getty Images

When I arrived, the cameras were already flashing like crazy as Robin Williams and Joy Bryant (who is in the upcoming film Bobby) were walking the red carpet. Joy looked amazing (as always) in a white Ralph Lauren dress. She told me that she needed to make sure she posed very carefully, though, because ruched fabric can be tricky to photograph. She needn't have worried: That girl could make a potato sack look great.

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From In Style's Karen Levy in Los Angeles: Given all the buzz surrounding the singer’s fashion show and concert during L.A. Fashion Week, you could easily be forgiven for thinking it was actually Justin Timberlake Week.

Like Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Sean Combs, Jessica Simpson, Beyoncé and countless other musicians before him, Timberlake has entered the cool yet fickle world of fashion. Along with his pal Trace Ayala, Timberlake created William Rast, a sporty line (primarily in denim) for both men and women. Named after the two friends' grandfathers, the collection is almost a year old. However, the recent show was the line's first—and its big L.A. splash.

Joanna Garcia and Cameron Diaz at the William Rast show
Photos by Matthew D. Simmons/WireImage

Earlier, Timberlake had told our fellow In Style reporter Kwala Mandel that, so far, the line has kept a fairly low profile. “I meet people on the street who come up to me and say, ‘I’m loving your song "SexyBack," and I’ll say, ‘Really? You’re wearing my jeans.’ And they’ll say, ‘What?’ They have no idea.”

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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: As my fellow In Style editor Cortney Pellettieri and I descended the stairs at the Beverly Hills Hotel to attend the Children's Defense Fund’s annual Beat the Odds benefit, I wondered why several people were looking our way.

Had I ripped my skirt? Was my bra showing? Did Cortney have something on her shoe or a lipstick stain on her face from someone’s kiss?

Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspoon
Photos by Jeff Vespa/Wireimage

But then I noticed the reason for all the stares: A tall and dashing Ben Affleck and his lovely bride, Jennifer Garner (looking chic and adorable at the same time in a black Chanel dress and Christian Louboutin shoes), were at our heels. Garner’s manager, Nicole King (who looks like a star herself), and I commented on how loud the buzz of the crowd was as we entered the room, and we joked with Garner about needing earplugs.

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From In Style's Kwala Mandel in Los Angeles: The calendar may say it’s fall, but Samaire Armstrong was still in vacation mode at the Design a Cure garden party the other night. (It didn't hurt that the gardenia-scented candles made it smell like August, even if there was a chill in the air.)

“It is summertime,” insisted Armstrong, who told me she’s living it up by taking jazz and tumbling classes (she’s already mastered a round-off back handspring). “I’m in the class with one other girl—she’s nine,” said the actress, who’ll have to pack up her leotard soon to work on an episode of CSI: Miami.

Kwala and Ginnifer Goodwin

Meanwhile, Ginnifer Goodwin—who had come straight from the Big Love set—was settling into the change of seasons (and the amazing Brentwood estate where the owners of Fred Segal Fun were hosting the event) in her Moschino dress paired with a Wyeth coat. “I wouldn’t mind living here,” she said, looking around at the outdoor fireplace and a lawn lined with white couches. Around the orchid-topped tables sat guests such as Mandy Moore, Sarah Chalke, Elizabeth Rohm, Stacy Keibler and Tracee Ellis Ross.

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From In Style's Angela Salazar in Los Angeles: The opening of the L.A. outpost of chic boutique Some Odd Rubies the other night was a veritable six degrees of Hollywood. Owners Summer Phoenix, Odessa Whitmire and Ruby Canner (Summer, Odessa, Ruby—Some Odd Rubies, get it?) have close connections to some of Tinseltown’s most famous names. They also have impeccable taste and style.

One easily identifiable chain at the party linked Phoenix, Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck, Whitmire and director Kevin Smith: Summer is married to Casey, brother of Ben, whose former assistant is Odessa and who worked with Smith on Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma, to name just a few. (OK, so maybe that’s not quite six degrees—but who’s counting?)

Angela and Jenna Elfman

Other famous faces in attendance included the gorgeous Eva Mendes, Jenna Elfman (in Stella McCartney for H&M), Patricia Arquette, Giovanni Ribisi, Clea DuVall (who is Phoenix’s best friend), Rashida Jones, Scott Caan, Marisol Nichols (of ABC’s In Justice), Charlie Hunnam and Jon Abrahams (the hot new DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show). 

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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: I’ve been to many of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style awards ceremonies, and they’ve all been great in their own way—from Giorgio Armani’s chic styles and glam crowd to Tom Ford’s hipster looks and cool after-party on the rooftop deck of the Gucci shop. But this year's event, which honored the late Salvatore Ferragamo, really rocked the house—er, street—when Kanye West kicked off a rowdy set with “Diamonds Are Forever.”

Kanye West

Molly Sims, Michelle Trachtenberg, Ginnifer Goodwin (all in sparking Ferragamo dresses) and Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (in gold Ferragamo shoes) were among those gyrating their hips and moving their arms to West’s rhythms, as some of the well-coifed Beverly Hills locals nodded along.

Sizing up his audience, Kanye remarked that some were probably surprised they could understand the lyrics to a rap song. But many guests were actually singing along. A blond girl standing next to me in a leopard-print top, for example, shouted along with the rapper as he belted out “Gold Digger”: “If you ain’t no punk, holla, ‘We want prenup! We want prenup, yeah!' It's something that you need to have.”

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From In Style's Karen Levy and Ali Forman in Los Angeles: It’s kind of cool to be looking at a photo of a famous person and then to see that person appear in real life! And that’s just what happened to us the other night at Entertainment Weekly’s party for its annual photo issue.

There we were, gazing at a giant blowup of their Kirsten Dunst cover for Marie Antoinette, when in walked Kirsten herself (through the back door, to avoid paparazzi), looking rather low-key save for her va-va-va-voom red lipstick!

Kirsten Dunst

For the fête, the weekly mag had transformed Quixote Studios into a cool gallery with enlargements of some their best pics. Our faves were those of Natalie Portman, Kanye West, the Killers, Charlize Theron and, of course, our two favorite TV doctors, House and McDreamy (Hugh Laurie and Patrick Dempsey).

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From In Style's Angela Salazar and Marsha McGregor in Los Angeles: If Brent Bolthouse were ever to take over a McDonald's, it would probably turn into the hippest hot spot in town. That’s why when we heard that the nightlife guru behind Hyde, Privilege and other cool L.A. clubs was opening a place called Area on Thursday, we decided to meet up at the La Cienega locale.

Along with Sam Nazarian and Reza Roohi of SBE Restaurant Group, Bolthouse transformed the former Prey space into a lounge with what he calls “midcentury-modern” style—white and brown terrazzo floors, wood columns, low upholstered seating and glass walls.

“If I didn’t design this and help build it, I would be, like, ‘I’m so jealous,’” Bolthouse told us. “Which is always good when you come up with something you really love.”

Marsha, Kristin Cavallari and Angela at Area

Although the official guest list was rather low-key, we had a feeling we might see the likes of Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie—and sure enough, two of those three blond tabloid favorites  were there.

Simpson (in Superfine jeans, Gucci boots and a Dolce & Gabbana top) spent much of the evening talking to celebrity stylist Jessica Paster and keeping a low profile on an outdoor banquette, while  Richie arrived with current beau Brody Jenner. Not far behind them was yet another towhead: Sharon Stone, who turned a few heads in a sleek black dress.

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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: Getting an invitation that says “Jeans Required” is so great. It eliminates half the wardrobe battle. And it's comfy. Of course, the invite to the Pink Party, held to benefit Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Research Institute, also specified “Pink Attire.”

Try finding a pink top in the fall! And leave it to me to wait until the last minute. On Saturday afternoon, I went to the newly redone Brentwood Country Mart, strolled into the shop Holiday and saw the perfect pink blouse. But the salesgirl told me someone had just bought it to wear to some kind of pink-themed party that very night. Darn. So I went to Calypso, where I found a hot-pink wraparound top. Done. But when I got home and tried it on, well, it just didn’t work. You’ve been there, haven’t you?

Melina Kanakaredes in her Collette top and Glynis

So I wore my standby Rebecca Moses pink chiffon tank top with silver beading, my True Religion jeans and a gray Elie Tahari blazer. (It helped me feel better that I had borrowed an Alan Friedman heart necklace encrusted with real pink diamonds!)

As it turns out, I wasn't the only procrastinator. Cute Sarah Chalke, from Scrubs, told me that she too had run out and bought a pink top that day—which she also paired with True Religion jeans. And  I couldn’t help but notice that she was sporting the dangly diamond earrings she'd won at our In Style  Golden Globes party last year. “I still can’t believe I won these,” she said. “I never win anything.”

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From In Style's Kwala Mandel in Los Angeles: I have to hand it to her—Mandy Moore has already accomplished more than most of us (she’s got the whole actress-singer-model-designer spectrum covered). But at the launch party for the cute and cozy knit dresses from her fashion line, Mblem, she mentioned that she keeps a “life list” of even more things she wants to do.

Among them? “I want to take flying lessons,” said Moore, who was dressed in a vintage-inspired Mblem dress with gold bangles and snakeskin Christian Louboutin heels. "I've been skydiving, so that will be the next step. I need to get on that."

Mandy Moore

For the stylish soirée, she and her friends took over the second floor of the hip new restaurant and club Social Hollywood. Several rooms were stocked with flickering candles, glasses of champagne, mojitos, crabcakes, chicken and steak satay, and smoked salmon.

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From In Style's Glynis Costin and Karen Levy in Los Angeles: Marie Antoinette might have been distraught at the Chanel-sponsored party Tuesday night for Sofia Coppola’s film about the storied French queen. Well, at least she would have been thirsty at some point. Things were so hopping at the post-première fête that, late into the evening, the Perrier Jouët champagne ran out. Quel dommage! The young queen, portrayed by Kirsten Dunst, drank the stuff as if it were water.

And indeed, the film, screened earlier at Arclight Cinemas, seemed to have inspired revelers to sip the night away. Along with gorgeous costumes, decadent desserts, fabulous shoes and towering hairdos, champagne was practically another character in the film.

Maria Bello, Glynis, Karen and Ali

It definitely inspired us, our fellow In Style-er Ali Forman and our pal the talented actress Maria Bello, with whom we hung out at a back table. It also made us walk around the Chateau Marmont proclaiming (what else?) “Let them eat cake!” And, of course, we did—along with marshmallows, lemon tarts, brownies and mini-cupcakes from Joan’s on Third. (Hey, we didn’t have any dinner!)

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From In Style's Kwala Mandel in Los Angeles: I wasn’t the only one who felt a little like Alice in Wonderland at Quincy Jones’s Bel-Air estate the other night, at a party he hosted for rapper-producer Jermaine Dupri’s 34th birthday.

Everyone seemed a little awestruck, from Serena Williams to Penélope Cruz, who showed up at midnight in Chanel with her Volver director, Pedro Almodóvar, after attending an earlier screening of the film. In fact, even Quincy's daughter Rashida looked blown away by the sprawling grounds and by a white-carpeted tennis court that had been transformed into an outdoor living room and tented dining area. "I can’t believe these are the same tennis courts I used to make out on when I was younger!" she said.

Kwala and Sanaa Lathan

In my initial navigation of the maze of cobblestone pathways and hedges, I somehow managed to miss the tennis court altogether (how do you miss a tennis court?) and found myself standing before Quincy’s looming front door.

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From In Style's Glynis Costin in Los Angeles: The highlight of a ladies' luncheon held by Aerin Lauder in honor of Gwyneth Paltrow and Sheryl Crow was undeniably when Paltrow brought out baby Moses. At least, that was the highlight for me.

Gwyneth just looks so beautiful as a young mom. I don't want to sound corny, but she was glowing in her silver Prada dress as she held her son, just over five months old. Everyone oohed and aahed over both of them, and Crow even jumped out of her seat, saying, “I’ve got to see this little guy.”

Gwyneth Paltrow
Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

The luncheon—a beautiful, intimate affair held on the terrace of the Greystone Mansion in L.A.—was to celebrate Paltrow's limited-edition Pleasures collection for Estée Lauder and to honor Crow for her work in the fight against breast cancer. To mark the occasion, Estée Lauder made a donation to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).

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From In Style's Mark Morrison in Los Angeles: What do the initials of the new CW Television Network—the long-anticipated merger of UPN and the WB—stand for? Well, after attending the fledgling network’s launch party at Warner Bros. Studios on Monday night, I'd have to say the letters stand for crazy and wild.

Kristen Bell and Tom Welling
Michael Caulfield/WireImage

Waiting to get in, I bumped into hard-working CAA agent Tracy Brennan, there to catch up with her client Kristen Bell, the petite blonde better known to TV fans as savvy high-school sleuth Veronica Mars. Tracy barely looked up from her BlackBerry as a Warner Bros. shuttle dropped us off on the green carpet—that’s right: green, not red.

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From In Style's Ali Forman in Los Angeles: A happy birthday it was last Saturday night for Jessica Meisels, who celebrated her 30th with about 250 hipsters at L.A.'s Stone Rose (that's the hot spot—run by Rande Gerber, Cindy Crawford’s handsome husband—where our bureau chief recently spotted George Clooney).

Alas, George wasn’t there on Saturday, but there were plenty of other recognizable faces. Meisels is a partner at Fingerprint Communications (a PR firm that puts together events such as the Polaroid Beach House in Malibu), and her fêtes are usually pretty fun, not to mention star-sprinkled. So I was psyched to stop by, even though I was exhausted from a week at the Toronto Film Festival.

Paris Hilton, Jessica Meisels and Nicky Hilton
Photo by Chris Weeks/WireImage

The evening had started at 9:00 p.m. with a sit-down dinner at the adjacent Simon L.A. restaurant for a much smaller group that included Paris Hilton (who had only two in her entourage: manager Jason and publicist Eliot) and sister Nicky. (The two heiresses presented the birthday girl with a large  Yves Saint Laurent shopping bag.)

Each course was paired with a different Veuve Clicquot champagne, and next to every floral arrangement was a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rosé. There were Polaroid cameras on the tables so guests could capture every fun moment—or faux pas!

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From In Style's Karen Levy in Los Angeles: Calling all paparazzi! Sure, you all stalk Robertson Blvd. with your long lenses, hoping to catch glimpses of Paris, Lindsay or Nicole stepping out of Kitson or dining at the Ivy. But try heading over to La Brea Ave. and you might see Eva Longoria and Rachel Bilson. Where? Shopping at one of this street’s newest and hippest boutiques, Iconology.

Formerly a mecca for antique-furniture shoppers, La Brea is now home to trendy clothing shops like Sugar (which was recently featured in In Style) and vintage vendor The Way We Wore. Of course, American Rag, which has been here for a while, is an L.A. classic, and Yellow is a personal favorite.  My point is that more and more of these cool clothing shops are turning this street into a real fashion destination.

Iconology

The other night, I stopped by Iconology’s trunk show and fête for L.A. designer Rory Edelman, creator of the Rory Beca line. Edelman was there along with Iconology owners Michelle Dalton Tyree (a former fashion-magazine editor) and Jacqueline Dalton, her sister, who is herself a designer. An L.A. native, Edelman was adorable, as were her feminine clothes, modeled by her own sister.

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From In Style's Angela Salazar in Los Angeles: “What band’s hits include ‘Losing My Religion’ and ‘Man on the Moon’?” reality-TV genius Mark Burnett asked me, pulling the question from those printed  on his stack of gold-embossed napkins. Luckily, I know my pop culture and answered confidently, “R.E.M.!” I didn’t win $2 million, but I did earn an approving smile and a “Very good!” from Midas himself.

Angela and Mark Burnett

I was standing in the VIP area of Hollywood hot spot Les Deux, sandwiched between Burnett and Tori Spelling during this little bit of trivia. We were there to celebrate the launch of Gold Rush, an online reality-TV-style competition in which the contestants can win more than $2 million in gold. Burnett’s latest venture with AOL lured such stars as Wilmer Valderrama, Felicity Huffman, Kristin Cavallari, Sofia Milos and Clifton Collins Jr. to Les Deux’s jam-packed patio.

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From In Style's Karen Levy in Los Angeles: Working at In Style, I’ve been to my share of movie premières. But every once in a while, one comes along that really brings back the glamour of Old Hollywood—even if just for a little while. Well, last night was one of those evenings.

Ben Affleck, Adrien Brody, Diane Lane and a smattering of other stars, in fact, seemed almost in retro character for the opening of their latest film, Hollywoodland, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Diane Lane

The invitation had called for "glamorous attire," and most of the guests obliged. The usual L.A. sprinklings of jeans and sandals were nowhere to be found, replaced by sexy cocktail dresses and suits—some guys even wore top hats! Brody accessorized his own look with a black cane.

Watch and jewelry maker Chopard, which sponsored the event, had lent diamonds to some of the stars, including Lane, who paired her earrings with a chic new short haircut, a silver Roberto Cavalli dress, Jimmy Choo shoes and a Sonal Adhikari crystal handbag. (Brody and Affleck sported Chopard watches.)

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From In Style's Mark Morrison in Los Angeles: Flashbulbs were popping outside the historic Pasadena Playhouse last Friday on the opening night of August Wilson's classic play Fences, starring Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, Kadeem Hardison and Orlando Jones. Anticipation outside the theater was running high because of the Fishburne-Bassett pairing.

I mean, we saw them do Ike and Tina Turner together in What's Love Got to Do with It, not to mention their stellar teamwork in Boyz n the Hood and the recent Akeelah and the Bee, so this seemed like a not-to-be-missed performance.

Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett
Photo by Craig Schwartz

I craned my neck to see who was on the red carpet, half expecting Oprah, Halle or Keanu. No such luck—but I did spot Dennis Hopper, Eriq LaSalle, JoBeth Williams, Dawnn Lewis, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Michael T. Weiss and  Harold Perrineau (on a break from TV's Lost).

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From In Style's Angela Salazar in Los Angeles: Aussie designers Sarah-Jane Clarke (“sass”) and Heidi Middleton ("bide") are perfect models for their clothing line, sass & bide. Both arrived at the screening party for their short film tuesday’s child the other night looking svelte in pieces from their Seeds of Babylon Resort 2006 collection. Worn over black leggings and with ultra-high heels, their cool outfits reminded me why savvy celebrities like Scarlett Johansson, Mischa Barton, Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker are all sass & bide devotees.

January Jones, Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke
Photo by Donald Norris

As guests starting filling the back patio of Siren Studios on Sunset Blvd., Sarah-Jane told me that she'd had her second child (a boy) just 10 weeks ago and that Heidi is currently pregnant with her second baby. Sarah-Jane attributed her trim appearance to her loose-fitting top—though I suspect good genes may run in her family. Still, I started seriously considering maxing out my credit card to attain such figure flattery.

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From In Style's Karen Levy in Los Angeles: One of the best parts of my job is checking out new stores. So when I got invited to the opening of the newly relocated Lisa Kline Men, I happily headed over to Robertson Blvd. to check it out.

Karen Levy and Lisa Kline

Just three stores down from Kline's original men’s store (she turned that one into a kid’s emporium, which means she now has three shops on Robertson), the new location is three times bigger but still retains the elements that made Lisa Kline so popular among locals and celebrities. (Her regulars include Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher, Ryan Phillippe, 50 Cent and Jeremy Piven).

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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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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.

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