Weekend report …
It’s been a slow couple weeks with lots of people on va-ca but went to Kevin Parker (Rain Management Group) and Billy Park’s bash on the Palihouse rooftop last week – where I was late in discovering Walter (who was the host at the Chateau for 12 years) has now taken up residency at the Palihouse. He tells me he is still performing every now and then on a music night he runs in the courtyard on Tuesdays. I also saw Chris Huvane (Management 360 new hire / former GQ Senior West Coast Editor), Marc Mitchell (Harvard Westlake ’95 and founder of Urban Daddy) and Matt Waldstein (Crossroad ’95, Attorney at Law - Abrams & Waldstein LLP).
Willem Broad (Buckley, Mont Clare, Hollywood High) and his band mates Nick Biddle (Buckley) and Brandon Rauch of FIM has an “Almost Famous” party that I almost went to – which he told me involved lots of pool toys.
I hate to mention the wedding of a certain former first daughter but DJ Mia Moretti and violinist Caitlin Moe were the entertainment which is pretty cool since that is who plays about half the good parties in L.A. – including the recent Carrera party at the Chateau – so it makes me wonder if Chelsea Clinton knows what shes doing or if they somehow found themselves a very cool event planner – I need to contact BMF Media about that.
This week …
We got an invite from to a private preview of the new mall in SM called Santa Monica Place. The preview will benefit PS Arts and features the new restaurant Xino located on the “dining deck” with an after-event at the new Bloomingdale’s.
Louis Vuitton also told me a NEW LOUIS VUTTION store is also opening Friday in Santa Monica Place!!
Also got an email from Carrie Wick over at Greg Link’s new company Brand Link telling me there will be two new restaurants in the mall opening Friday as well – Richard Sandoval’s Zengo and La Sandia – Zengo is Chinese-Mexican (think duck tacos) and La Sandia is ”homespun Meixcan cooking” with a “tequilla library.”
RJ Williams’ (Crossroads) Young Hollywood studios located in side the Four Seasons hotel, which is still so amazing/cool/weird to me, has been getting a lot of heat lately – in a good way! That Bachelor girl who laughs too much went in yesterday – which was a good day to get her because of the finale last night. Also in the studio yesterday were Chris Angel and Giovanni Ribisi promoting his new film Middle Men - premiere is thursday at the Archlight, movie comes out Friday.
Kiehl’s is sponsoring a motorcycle ride with Fred Durst & Alain de Cadenet up the coast in the different Kielhs locations with well know biker names from around L.A. See separate post for more.
Looks like Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills is about to become cool – Ashlee Margolis is hosting a night there – co-hosts include jeweler Anita Ko, Jimmy Choo publicist Sara Riff, Ian Edelman Writer (“How to Make It in America”), and director/photographer Patrick Hoelck (who directed Scott Caan’s last film). UPDATE FROM THE EVENT: Cabanas, rustic pizzas, Prosecco surround the cute pool with an easy exit valet pick up in the back. I saw LA NATIVES Cliff Cantor (Beverly, former pro poker player / aspiring recluse), Jesse Erhman (Crossroads, Warner Bros), Laura and brother David Katzenberg (Harvard-Westlake, “Hard Times of RJ Berger”), and Louise Roe (from The City who now has a reality show called “Plain Jane” on the CW at 9pm where she helps blah girls get not so blah guys).
Carly Steel invited me to a party for Coco Cola heir Alex Hitz – he is hosting a soiree for his friend Susan Fales-Hills to celebrate her new book “One Flight Up”. UPDATE FROM THE EVENT: Guests included Rochelle Gores Fredston (daughter of Alec Gores and owner of Arcade boutique), Wendy Stark (former editor of Vanity Fair, daughter of Ray Stark), Nikki Haskell, Barbara Davis, Marilyn Heston, Degen Pener, Pauletta Washington (Mrs. Denzel), Dale Mason Cochran (Mrs. Johnnie), Alfre Woodard, Bravo director of development Christy Dees, and Cory & Colet from ITV … Alex, who caters all his own events, has a gift for world class southern comfort cooking, had tea sandwiches & champagne; the hit hors d’oeuvre of the evening was his signature bacon wrappd dates. Alex’s family friend and guest of honor, Susan Fales-Hills, a beautiful author, Harvard grad and contributer for Vogue, Travel and Leisure and Town& Country, was on hand at the base of Alex’s outdoor infinity staircase to greet guests, graciously signing and giving away copies of her book “One Flight Up” about “a pack of feisty thirty-somethings, all friends since grade school at Sibley Academy, an Upper East Side institution for sophisticated ladies-in-training”. http://susanfales-hill.com/one-flight-up.html
Tamsin Lonsdale is having a Super Club at the Hollywood Tower – a historic landmark and residential building on Frankin and Gower. UPDATE FROM THE EVENT: Overheard among cute 1930′s striped bathing suit models, news that Richard Branson’s new production company is about to open offices in Santa Monica in his deal with Relativity Media’s Rogue Pictures. Marika Krissman tells me she has done a board over-haul as the recently inducted MOCA Contemporaries board President. Attendees include Adam Divello (creator of The Hills and The City), Sarah Weidman, VP of Development at Style Network, Tatiana Kelly & Jim Young – producers around town.
Also on for this week, Angeleno Magazine is hosting a beauty day at the new JW Marriot pool I have yet to see – but is really cool because it looks over the Staples Center downtown at the which is sort of nestled next to the towering new Ritz Carlton where Wolfgang’s new restaurant WP360 is located.
Film Fashion is having a walk-in for a new designer they rep named Gustavo Cadile this week – which is cool because you get to go in showroom which is in the bottom floor of the Pacific Design Center and they have racks and racks of samples and all the celebrities come in there to be fit. I think Film Fashion had more updates of celebs in their client’s gowns during the Oscars than any other single fashion PR.
In news from Prada, T.I. wore Prada to his wedding to Tameka this past weekend in Miami. And then again at the premiere of “Takers” held at the Arclight Cinerama Dome thursday this week (Aug 04).
Rachel Krupa sent over an invite for her movie night at The London this Friday … “Love Actually” is the film.
Jessica Meisels is overseeing the opening 25 Park in the Malibu Lumber Yard this weekend. Jessica tells me the new boutique will carry cool brands like – Antik Batik, by Malene Birger, Elizabeth and James, Haute Hippie, Gryphon, Vanessa Bruno, Hanii Y, Megan Park, Sachin and Babi, Rick Owens Lillies and Duarte. They also carry baby/childrens clothes like Cacharel, Stella Cove and Eberjay. Right is Brooke Burke shopping with her little one there this week.
The Malibu Lumber Yard – owned by Richard Weintraub and Richard Sperber – are seeking an additional partner to support their investment in the mall according to the Malibu Times.
Coming up …
And Michael Rosenberg (aka Rosie) my former boss while at Maverick Films (now no longer) and producer of”Hung” has a birthday coming up … Emmy’s, Emmy’s, Emmy’s, but not before Teen Choice monday. The Resnick Pavillion at LACMA will be complete soon with lots of parties coming in September to open the new wing.
*Every week at The Daily Truffle we highlight the invitations we receive in order to include our plans, plans of our friends and plans we wish had time for! Invitations are for editorial purposes and are not meant as announcements or open parties.
Famed eccentric fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood, is opening a store on Melrose, near Sweet Lady Jane tea house. This was interesting to me because more than half of the stores on Melrose, east of La Cinega are closing, empty, or under construction. It is very brave of Westwood to open an expensive store in this economy, and on Melrose. Mrs. Westwood has won the British Fashion Council Award for best designer three times! I absolutely LOVE Vivienne Westwood, and all that she stands for, so I am looking very forward for this store to open.
My secret new hideaway, shhh dont tell, is Church Boutique at 7277 Santa Monica Boulevard. The front door (not-in-service) is shrouded by a dead end sign meant for the cul de sac cross street of Greenacre Avenue.
