Variety On the Town

Smile Woody You're On Camera

Talk about an odd trio. Designer Donatella Versace, Woody Allen and Soon-Yi couldn't even pretend to be remotely interested in posing together at the Versace menswear launch at Barneys in N.Y. on Tuesday. Read about Allen's dabble in the fashion world in this W Mag article. 

                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  (photo credit: WireImage)

Fashion Week's Front Row

Photos: WireImage

Bling for Baby Spelling

Baby bling is still the thing as evidenced over the weekend at the 4th Annual Silver Spoon Dog & Baby Buffet held at the Wattles Mansion in Hollywood. Tori Spelling picked up two jewel-encrusted pacifiers for son Liam at the Aristabrat table. These fancy pacis retail for $120 and have names like Elitist and Dynasty. However they come with a disclaimer: Aristabrat products are novelty items for display only and are not intended for use by infants, toddlers or children of any age. Mind you a normal paci can be gotten at Target for $3 and can actually be used by your fussy infant. Dogs in attendance had their tarot cards read, picked up their own jewel encrusted bling and lounged on luxury custom-made chaises. IzzyBitzy merged the doggy and baby worlds by offering onsies and bibs emblazoned with “Drool Barrymore” and “Harry Colic Jr.” as well as canine bandanas reading “Sarah Jessica Barker” and “Hilary Ruff.” (K. Wilder)

Garner steps out for Oscar

Oscar de la Renta may have been home sick with the flu but that didn't stop several of Hollywood's leading ladies from throwing on an Oscar frock and heading to the opening of the designer's first West Coast boutique on Thursday night. The evening’s host, Jennifer Garner, wore a black embroidered silk faille trapeze dress from the designer's Pre Fall 2007 collection, while mingling with guests such as Angie Harmon and Cindy Crawford. Besides desigining for the stars, Oscar's gowns have been worn by women who can claim the White House as their address. Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, and Laura Bush have all cast their vote for the designer. The first lady even wore his red design on the front of her Christmas card and the same gown caused quite a stir at the Kennedy Center Honors dinner in December when four women, including Laura Bush, arrived wearing it!

- posted by Mia Sulpor

Ford's Foot in Mouth

     "I think this whole celebrity thing is part of the problem. It should  be about the clothes. It’s so formulaic, the fashion world today. You get a celebrity, stick them in front of some wallpaper, you dress them in a dress, they get photographed, and the pictures run all around the world. I’m just really tired of it."

Well, we'll just forget designer Tom Ford said this a few years back and let him and his fashionable famous faces smile pretty for the cameras at his new flagship opening in Gotham, which took place on Wednesday night. Ford's three level store carries men's suits, shirts, shoes, ties, eyewear and fragrances. And while everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow to Sean 'Diddy' Combs came out for the soiree, for Tom's sake, we will just focus on the attire not the attendees. For more details about the store click here.

- posted by Mia Sulpor

The Fashionable Flock

Thesp and designer Tara Subkoff celebrated the debut of her Fall 2007 collection, Imitation of Christ, at Teddy’s at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood on Monday night. Fashionable film stars like Kirsten Dunst and Marisa Tomei were among the guests munching on spanakopita and chicken skewers while alternative tunes played loudly  over the speakers. The dark nightclub got a bit of light thanks to the night’s sponsor,  Samsung BlackJack, which were brightly displayed throughout the room. Fresh off her ShoWest win for Female Star of the Year, Dunst spent the evening chatting with guests such as Mary- Kate and Ashley Olsen while Subkoff received praise from friends for her line, which had a showing earlier in the night at Smashbox Studios as part of L.A. Fashion Week. (M. Sulpor)

Italy Trumps Paris!

Helen Mirren has nothing on Donatella Versace when it comes to playing a queen.

Thursday night at the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style party, held inside a tented City Hall, the perpetually blond and bronzed designer sat on a long, white bench and received Hollywood’s finest like a royal. “Hello darling!” she purred left and right, as fans like Demi Moore, Drew Barrymore, Penelope Cruz and Jennifer Lopez swept in.

“Welcome to my event, where I smoke and I look good,” she later announced.

Versace and her late brother Gianni were feted with the award this year for their contributions to fashion. Anyone recall the metal mesh dress from his 1982 collection? 

The video tribute to the designer, who was fatally shot ten years ago, was really the only somber moment during a night fueled by a fantastic live performance by Elton John (Red hair! Red glasses! Red pants!) and gallons of Champagne.

Sharon Stone, known for her antics as an auctioneer, managed to eke $500,000 out of a seemingly sober guest for a Lamborghini when she announced: “Get this car and young women will want to %$#@ you all the time.”

When Guns N’ Roses took the stage at 10:00, it was even wackier to watch Bev Hills matrons sway and belt out “Oh! Sweet Child of Mine.”

While the guest of honor held court, another platinum blonde who’s prone to parody pouted in the bathroom. Paris Hilton spent almost fifteen minutes in front of the mirror, fiddling with her gold head band. One couldn’t help but wonder if she resented ceding the spotlight to a diva twice her age. Nary a paparazzi lurked outside the loo. (M. Corcoran)