living:
the scene
A more real Oscar week
continued
The feature presentations and the winners
Savvy event and publicity veteran Doris Bergman and entertainment
reporter extraordinaire Anita Talbert joined forced to get a jump
on events leading up to the big day. Their feat was executing a
most civilized suite at West Hollywood restaurant La Bohème,
where they showed just how much they loved the Hollywood community
and the press keeping them in the spotlight. And show their love
many bona fide talent did, including Melanie Griffith, William Shatner,
Kathy Najimy, Eric Roberts, Sofia Milos, Hector Elizondo, Greg Grunberg
(Heroes), Neal McDonough (Desperate Housewives), Casper
and Catherine Oxenberg van Dien, Corey Feldman, Elizabeth Rohm and
Rumer Willis (this year’s Miss Golden Globe, picking up goodies
for Demi and Ashton).
The discerning Talbert and Bergman were as selective
about the products on hand as they were the people (yes, no reality
television denizens to be found), as they were determined to keep
every aspect of their event top-drawer. The people behind the products
(many of them things we’ve loved over the years) were true stars
in every sense of the word. They took great time and care to answer
questions about the wares and be sure everything worked and fit
as they should. We—and every woman in the place—adored the chic
Capelta Couture boot collection. Also there to make the ladies feel
all the more special were vintage-y handbags from Clara Kasavina
and stylish jewellery from Liz Alpert and Colette. We were also
were thrilled to see Kama Sutra’s sensuous staples, Seacret Skin
Care from Israel, Hai hair appliances and Laurie Coleman’s Blo-and-Go
to provide an extra hand when getting dressed and dolled up. Our
fitness needs were met, thanks to ingenious athletic shoes by Ryn
and eco-active wear by Green Apple. Men had Tom James to thank for
making them feel special, via custom tailored pieces offered for
the big night. Chocolates from Mignon, meanwhile, were A-list in
our book.
Based on the buzz going back and forth in the La Bohème
parking lot, with everybody raving about the suite and everything
in it, Berg and Talbert take top honours for their creative achievement.
GBK, however, was not
to be ignored. Adhering to their annual tradition of being one of
the most important pre-Oscar stops around Hollywood, they took over
this year’s hip hotel du jour (the SLS,
naturally). However, Gavin Keilly, publicist Lisa Jammal and boutique
design company Freshwata took the production under the Big Top for
a Circus of the Senses that lived up to its theme. Each room
and the various sponsors were organized based on themes dictated
by the Best Picture nominees. There were many acts in the beauty
arena that dazzled us, including Metropolis hair tools, Rolling
Razors, Nordic Naturals, Mistura Beauty pressed powder, Pur-Lisse,
Eminence Organics’ yummy skin care and RevitaLash. If you were a
nominee or a presenter, you would get the the complete package—spa
escapes from Indulgent Escapes and Six Senses Destination properties.
Fabulous timepieces from Croton and Milus were available to help
celebs (or their assistants) keep track of their busy schedule,
while timely wardrobe additions were offered by Barbara Conner Jewelry,
Emre New York Handbags, Dara Ettinger and StyleShop USA.
We also were particularly impressed with the clever
Thinker Clothing line, which has gotten onto the fast track of cool
via the popular American sitcom Big Bang Theory. Leyla, meanwhile,
was so inspired by Amazon Thunder’s delicious, nutritious Acai powder
and puree that she spun it into cookies that in their own right
generated a big buzz theory on how something so tasty could be so
good for you. Our A-list recipe can be found below! Charities benefiting
from the event included Hollywood
Dreamz, Fuqua Films,
Homeless Not Toothless
and the World Team
Foundation.
Debbie Durkin joined forces with trendy 944
magazine for a suite that proved less is more. Though the suite
was more intimate than her past Oscar outings, it was filled with
great people and their equally great ideas. It was nice to have
the opportunity to spend quality time with the artists from the
Loft at Liz’s Gallery, Pol’ Atteu (the colourful fave designer of
the late Anna Nicole Smith), Me to We Responsible Style, My Charmed
Pet, Shel Rae Jewelry Designs, Carrie Wiatt's delicious Diet Designs
cuisine, wonderful customized organic make-up from KROMA
and Mariah Nicole, Shoes by Cecelia Bythewood, Unite’s superb hair
essentials, Elimis Spa skin care and the Green Garmento (which we
think will change the future of dry cleaning and clothing storage—seriously!).
This gathering was particularly pet-friendly, as awareness was raised
for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (spcaLA).
Those dialled in at 944’s lobby included Steph Green, producer
of Oscar-nominated The Wrestler Scott Franklin, Sterling
Beaumon (Lost), Rachelle Carson Begley (Living with Ed),
Monica Ford (Obsessed), Kathy Joosten (Desperate Housewives),
Rex Lee (Entourage), Gretchen Ross (The Real Housewives
of Orange County), Cedric Sanders (American Gangster),
Slade Smiley (Date My Ex: Jo & Slade), Amber Stevens
(Fired Up), Isabella Thorne (My Own Worst Enemy),
Shaun Toub (Iron Man) and Robert Townsend.
Stacy Broff, Kim Shimmel and their annual Alive Suite,
headlined by celebrity hair stylist Jonathan Antin, basically focused
on everything that was good for celebrities and the rest of the
planet. It was a garden of earthly delights, including UniversalStone
Sweetie’s Sugar Scrubs, NettieScrub, balms and scrubs, Zrii nutritional
drink, Explorer’s Bounty coffees and snacks, Zico cocoanut water,
Rainforest Native, North American Herb and Spice, GotWheatGrass.com
and Lipstick Bailbonds (as the world can be a scary place, even
in our backyard). Non-guests—children at risk—also benefited thanks
to special appearances by Dreams Can Come True (www.dcct.org).
And finally, what would Academy Awards week be without
shoe artiste Stewart Weitzman stopping by to wish his fans
the best of luck? Though the times dictated that he hold off on
the annual traditions of his lavish pre-Oscar dinner and the unveiling
of million dollar shoes, Weitzman brought his newest collection
of instant-classic, red carpet ready stilettos and pumps. He also
commissioned plenty of chocolate and treats to cap off pre-Oscar
festivities on a sweet note. •
Elyse Glickman is US West Coast Editor of Lucire.
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Main photograph: Melanie Griffith and Hector Elizondo. Above,
from top: Rumer Willis. Eric Roberts and Tia Carrere. Marissa
Lefton and Michael Welch. Corey Feldman. Glynn Turman. Elizabeth
and William Shatner. Sofia Milos.
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