Wednesday night this week L.A. natives and friends turned out for a 3-way birthdays at Oliverio at Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills for Ashlee Margolis (The A List), Max Winkler (filmmaker) & Nico Mizrahi (hedge fund manager) who all went to Oakwood, Oakwood and Crossroads high schools in L.A., respectively. Friends, natives and borthday well-wishers include: Kidada Jones (Buckely), Jenni Kayne (Crossroads), Anita Ko, Irene Neuwirth (Harvard Westlake), Darren Romanelli (Brentwood, FYI – he also has a cool new collaboration in stores in London and Japan), Erin Foster (Malibu High), Matt Waldstein (Crossroads), Nicky Hilton, Monet Mazur, Bianca White (Harvard-Westlake) and Kevin Parker (Harvard-Westlake) who was coming from the Step Up party over at the Mondrian.

Inside Max Winkler (Oakwood) was celebrating his birthday with sister Zoe Winkler (Oakwood) and her husband Rob Reinis, Jonah Hill (Crossroads) and Sasha Spielberg (Harvard-Westlake).

More friends in attendance: Adrian Muzinich, Cojo, Tatiana Litvin, stylist Estee Stanley, Jerome C. Rousseau (named last month as winner of Vogue Italia’s annual “Who Is On Next” awards for accessories), Blake Wassenaar (The A List), Angie Banicki, Chanel’s Annie Meyers-Shyer, Anya Terrese (designer for Winter Kate), Jose Martinez (Branklink Communications), producer Ben Duhl, screenwriter Peter Kline and lots of producers, mangers, agents from ICM and CAA and other guests who came from Alex Hitz summer dinner party in Hollywood.

Max  Winkler is in post production on “Ceremony“ a film starring Uma Thurman and Michael Angarano and Jake Johnson (the latter two were both at the party at the Avalon hotel). Before that Max produced and directed a short mockumentary about Hollywood TV producers with Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and Jake Johnson called “Clark and Michael” (2006) and another short with Jeffrey Tambor and his dad Henry Winkler called “The King of Central Park” (2006).

Jonah Hill is rumored to be attached to the new Zoolander movie with Ben Stiller “Zoolander 2“.

Jonah Hill and Max Winkler also have a project with Universal, and stars fellow L.A. native Jason Schwartzman, called The Adventurer’s Handbook.

Max’s dad, Henry Winkler has an amazing guest role right now on one of my favorite shows Royal Pains where he plays the super seedy dad to Hank and Evan Lawson of Hank Med, the concierge doctor service to the Hamptons elite. His character is always druming up business via his kids connections and next week aparently gets in over his head with Hank’s benefactor – a shady but powerful billionaire named Boris. Watch it Thursday at 10pm on USA and see old shows here http://www.usanetwork.com/series/royalpains/!!

Jerome C. Rousseau

http://www.vogue.it/en/talents/who-is-on-next/2010/06/who-is-on-next-2010—the-finalists

Darren Romanelli
http://blog.drromanelli.com/?p=1562

Alex Hitz summer dinner party in Hollywood
http://www.patrickmcmullan.com/site/event_detail.aspx?eid=33881&home=1

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.

So what did happen in the notorious Penthouse 64 you ask?

Last night The A List and LFB Media Group hosted the sunglass brand Carrera’s Escape party up at the Chateau to promote their shades. We saw a lot of friends, celebs, beautiful skyline and got some pretty cool t-shirts made. Went down stairs for dinner around 9pm where we were waited upon by a Chateau waiter who was fully obsessive compulsive and actually came by to “straighten” my silver wear at one point and bullied us into all ordering the same beverage. Then when the bill came he asked us if we wanted him to put it on three different checks. We said it was fine and we would just split it – he then brought 3 checks with the entire meal including gratuity split three ways. The bill literally read 1/3 shrimp cocktail – $5.44, 1/3 salad chicken added – $4.83, 1/3 gratuity included 15% – $11.87. Weird! I have never seen anything like that! Have you??

Then the MOST interesting thing happened! Ladies exiting the ladies room were slipping a bit more than usually on that one patch where the wood meets the foyer tiles …  after about the 5th girl ate it in front of our table, we investigated the situation ourselves and found the spot to be particularly slippery and suggested to one of the staff that they throw a towel or some flour on the spot. He laughed and said “no no we keep it that way on purpose hoping to get a show!!” Huh? Is it possible the Chateau would risk the hundreds of potential lawsuits out of boredom at their jobs? If there was a hotel who dare (and who could probably get away with it) its the Chateau!

Upstairs at the party, tight quarters were packed with Carrera gift bags, Alternative apparel silk screening, Cover Girl touch up rooms, the tattooed chef working away in the service sized kitchen of the penthouse – locally known as room 64 – and lots of party goers.

Elsewhere in LA Saturday night – Julian Schnabel talked about Dennis Hopper (RIP) at MOCA downtown and Becca Midwood unveiled new art for The Daily Truffle at her gallery opening in Bergamont Station.

What we drank: sangria, grapefruit spritzer, champagne and Pellegrino

What we ate: Mini hamburgers, fish sticks, chocolate truffles etc!

Mix masters: Mia Moretti and Caitlyn Moe + Ana Calderon

Gift Bags: Covergirl makeup, Cafe Bustelo coffee, Carrera towel, sunblock and more sunblock !

Thanks to the sponsors ~ Carrera Sunglasses Escape, Lancaster, Covergirl, Alternative Apparel, Café Bustelo!

Gift bags

Who we saw: Friends, lovers and colleagues included: Lots of LA natives from Beverly, Crossroads, Harvard-Westlake, Brentwood and Oakwood including Nicole Richie, Monet Mazur, John Stalberg (Crossroads) & Linnea Gibson Stalberg, Yosi Sergant, Ashlee Margolis (The A List) & Dan Fishman, Nola Singer, Lauren Brokaw (The Daily Truffle), Kari Feinstein (FMPR), Caroline Roman, Kevin Parker (Harvard Westlake), RJ Williams (Crossroads), Jack Osbourne, jewelry designer Anita Ko, Mcnair Zimbalist (Brentwood), Sarah Warda (Marymount High School) and Luke Hartzog (Le Rosay Rolle + Pepperdine).

More  friends art consultant Will Koppleman, Adrian Muzinich, Brent Bolthouse, actress Eva Amurri (daughter of Susan Sarandon and Italian director Franco Amurri), Erin Lucas (daughter of AC/DC bass guitarist Cliff Williams, cast member on The Hills and host for Current TV),  Tamsin Lonsdale (Supper Club founder), Carly Steel, Jeanie Lim, Carlos Lopez (Neverwood High), DJ Ana Calderon, publicist turned manager Ami Zvi, Jessie Rubin, Blake Wassenaar (The A List), Samaire Armstong, Louise Roe (Olivia’s competition at ELLE.com on The City), Bachelor girl Vienna Girardi, Shanae Grimes (90210), actor Xavier Samuel (New Moon), Karla Braun, Cory Kennedy, actress Sara Paxton, Kelli McKee, Rory Will, Lady Victoria Hervey, Lara shiftman with her little baby early on in the evening, Levin Rambin, Angie Banacki, Rachel Krupa, Markus Molanari (Katy Perry’s BBF), Blaine Zuckerman (was at Teen vogue now People), Daniel Landver, Cojo, producer Alex Avant, Brett Ruttenberg, hair stylist Byron Williams, Cade Hudson, agent Cameron Mitchell, Cary Levine, Jenn Betts, manager Michael Baum (clients include Nicole Richie), publicist Nicole Perna, Slate Pr’s Robin Baum, Jimmy Choo publicist Sara Riff, stylist George Kotsiopoulos, actor Hunter Parrish (Weeds), Lawrence Longo, Michael Baruch, BJ Panda Bear, manager Sean Fay, Amber Lancaster, Ben Lyons, Bobby Campo, former NBA player Jalen Rose, Jarred Harris (Mad Men), Lynn Collins (Wolverine) and Taryn Manning.

*Oh yeah – and that guy who walks around Sunset dressed like Jesus (beard, gladiators, tassels and all) who is semi-violent … he was walking around on Sunset in front of the hotel – not actually at the party lol. He’s becoming more famous than the Beverly hills roller skater or Harry Perry - the turban wearing guitar skater in venice.

Nicole Richie & Monet Mazur (Both L.A. natives) came to the CARRERA Sunglasses Escape in Hollywood on Saturday while fiancé Joel Madden continued his European tour – they got Alternative Apparel t-shirts with Carrera-themed images silk screened on the front. Vienna Girardi showed with friends and got COVERGIRL makeovers in a side room. 90210 star Shanae Grimes also got a shirt done. New Moon’s Xavier Samuel and Weeds star Hunter Parrish had guests doing double takes when the blonde lookalikes showed up to the CARRERA Sunglasses Escape in Hollywood on Saturday. Jack Osbourne showed up for a mellow evening and spent the night in the private Lancaster lounge drinking soda water.

Caitlyn Moe and Mia Moretti, Nicole Richie & Monet Mazur, and Samaire Armstong

Kari Feinstein & Caroline Roman | Nola Singer & Lauren Brokaw | Jack Osbourne | Monet Mazur & Nicole Richie

Alternative Ts spun in a side room

Cover Girl side room in the Chateau

You are lost…now go be found! Last Tuesday night, March 29th, 2010, Found By’s owners, Mike McGuiness, Arianna Schioldager, and Nate Newell held such a DT (Daily Truffle) style soiree in their adorable new vintage boutique on Doheny Drive.

Before walking fully inside Found By, you can tell that they are on top of things based off of the design of the walls.  In general, the paint scheme is very chic, but at the same time it has a Nautical touch, which is a big trend for Spring/Summer.

This store has it all, ab fab owners, quiet but chic location, vintage pieces in pristine condition from the 60′s -80′s, great visual/prop merchandising, and on site tailoring !

Note to N, A, and M, I especially appreciate that the racks are easy to navigate and not cluttered + I would LOVE to see the Found By team design a line of vintage inspired jewelry and or a few ready to wear key items per season !

♥ The best part of this article for you dear reader, is that Found By boasts amazing price points for vintage clothing, $50- 200$ for most everything, except a few pricier furs ♥

2 key things you will need that Found BY has in all different silhouettes:

Lace

Floral prints

Love styles from Spring/Summer 2010 and vintage? Then check these out !

Crop tops (made with all different fabrics) *There will be a big post on this soon*

Bright colored mini’s

Lingerie inspired

Retro styled frocks

Rompers

Jump Suits

Cropped high waisted pants

Pastel plaids

Photogs: Rony Alwin’s Rony’s Photobooth, WireImage, and Cobrasnake

El Ay Dj’s included Kelly Cole, Chris Masterson, Marshall Barnes, and Danny Masterson

Guests drank Red Bull and vodka sponsored cocktails as well as Champagne and various juices.

Friends, relatives, colleagues, lovers, natives, etc included: Host, stylist extraordinaire, Johnny Wujek with Kata Mara, Topher Chin, Anand Gandhi avec Moi, Ivana Milicevic, Ashlee Margolis, Aaron Harvey, Jordan Kramer, Kari Feinstein, Caroline Roman, Carly Hoffman, Lily and Serge, Carlos Lopez, Alex Levin Monkarsh, Nikki Tavidi, Oliver Trevena, Haley Bennett, Amanda Reno, Taryn Manning, Ethan Embry, Julie Benz, Ronny Alwin, Josie Maran, Erika Christensen, Derek Young and Daniel Chancy, Andrew Brin, Maria Menenous, Danny, Chris, and Jordy Masterson, Justin Peroff, Sasha Filsi, Jennifer Akerman, Taylor Friedman, Addy Tesfai, Noah Sloan, Carmen Electra with Rob Patterson, and Tyler Parker.

CHK out the auction at FOUNDBY.com

Addy Tesfai, Marshall Barnes, Danny Masterson, Anand Gandhi, Justin Peroff

Nate Newell and Tyler Parker

Serge and Lily

Haley and Di

Photog + DJ: Rony Alwin and Marshall Barnes

Jordy and Justin

Johnny, Kate, and Kelly

Wildfox Skeleton Oversized Sweatshirt

One of the many things I have been noticing lately are designers looking to the human body for style tips.

Carly Margolis (L.A. native), designed a collection for Keds recently with the toes on the outside!! I spotted the second boot, designer unknown, on the party pages of Mark Hunter (L.A. native) aka The Cobrasnake. The Gucci spring season featured skeletal rib cages strapped to the outside of dresses – as seen on Jennifer Lopez in February’s Elle mag. In the same layout she also rocked the cut-out Alexander Wang dress modeled by Frankie Rayder on his runway last fall. The x-ray looking dress reminded me of the Cobra Kai Halloween costumes from the Karate Kid – but nearly so much as do the new (not so new) Doc Marten’s that have actual *Glow-in-the-Dark* foot bones painted on the outside – and these cool bone gloves (designer unknown) rocked by celebrity DJ Sam Ronson!! xoxo

Darren Romanelli, Ahmet Zappa with fiance designer Shana Muldoon - Congratulations to Ahmet & Shana who got engaged after this was posted in mid-December!

It was an L.A. native Smörgåsbord at Kitson Wednesday night. My longtime friend from growing up in L.A., Ashlee Margolis, hosted a fabulous party for our two fellow L.A. Natives Darren Romanelli and Anita Ko who just came out with collaboration lines for the upcoming Jim Henson film “Fraggle Rock”, produced by none other than one of my uber favorite L.A. Natives, Ahmet Zappa. I brought along a couple more natives Lauren Brokaw and Tyson Park to see Darren’s new line of Fraggle Rock Ts and sweatshirts and Anita’s new line of Fraggle Rock jewelry. You can see all Darren’s t-shirts on his new Dr Doozer website.

Darren Romanelli, designer Shanna Muldoon, Ahmet Zappa

And just when you thought there couldn’t be room for one more L.A. Native to be involved – there are two! Jason Segel (Harvard Westlake ’96, “Forgetting Sara Marshall”, “I Love You, Man”) is attached to writer and/or act in the “Untitled Muppets Movie” slated for 2012 release. It also turns out L.A. Native Trevor McFedries (Beverly ’01) better known as DJ Skeet Skeet did a fraggle rock remix for Dr Romanelli and Jim Henson studios – you can hear it on the Dr Doozer site.

Jim Henson Company  presented The Dr. Romanelli Fraggle Rock Clothing Collaboration & The Anita Ko Fraggle Rock Costume Jewelry Collection with special presentation of the Fraggle Rock Volkswagen Routan

WHO:                 Melissa Joan Hart & son, Paris & Nicky Hilton, Debi Mazar, Monet Mazur & son, Samantha Harris, Stephanie Pratt, Vanessa Marcil & family, Joey Lawrence & wife, Kevin Sorbo & family, Gilles Marini,  Karina Smirnoff, Annie Duke & Joe Reitman,  Ziggy Marley & family, Allison Janney, Kellie Martin,  Meaghan Martin, Molly Quinn, Britanny Curran, Katie Gill, Chloe Bridges, Ashley Argota, Jordan Pruitt, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Red Fraggle and more.

WHAT:                The Jim Henson Company presents The Dr. Romanelli Fraggle Rock Collaboration & The Anita Ko Fraggle Rock Costume Jewelry Collection!  A Toy Drive to benefit the L.A. Mission.

WHEN:               Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at KITSON

Jennifer Love Hewitt snuck in the back entrance of KITSON.  Both Jennifer Love and Jamie Kennedy are huge Fraggle Rock fans and loved the Red Fraggle Volkswagen Routan. Jennifer Love even after shooting an 18 hour day with her debut to direct the 100^th episode of Ghost Whisper she still came out to Rally and hang out with Red Fraggle.

Nicky and Paris were excited to have a girl’s shopping night out and were buying outfits for their family holiday party coming up…When asked what Paris thought of the Tiger scandal she said boys will be boys…..Also, Paris loved the Fraggle Rock Routan she wants to find a way to drive it….

Gilles wishing he brought his family but his kids go to sleep before 7 p.m. and it was way past their bedtime.  Gilles also chating  to Karina telling her he wished that he could have had two dancing partners cause he is a huge fan of hers…

Samantha Harris was so excited to run into her DWTS friends but she was bummed  that her kids  to finally meet Gilles and Karina.

Shar Jackson was asked what she thought of Tiger Woods and her response “ I don’t think about Tiger.”  Also, she was really excited that Kevin Federline was finally looking good… like the old Kevin that she remembers…

Dr Romanelli Fraggle Rock t-shirts and sweatshirts

Dr Romanelli and Anita Ko

Monet Mazur arrives at Kitson Fraggle Rock party with her son Marlon

Me and Darren

Me and Ahmet

Ahmet and his girlfriend Shanna

Me and Howard Normand

Stephanie Chao

Marlon

Squeeze, eat it, live it, love it

• Wednesday, December 9th L.A. Native Darren Romanelli will debut his latest collaboration line with Fraggle Rock at Kitson on Robertson. Anita Ko, jewelry designer and L.A. Native will also reveal her jewelry collaboration with Fraggle Rock which is becoming a movie – produced by L.A. Native Ahmet Zappa (school of life ’92).
  
• And more Muppets Mania: The Muppets will appear Tuesday, November 24, 2009 0n ‘Dancing with the Stars‘ – L.A. Native Ashley Hamilton will be back tonight for a season finale dance – followed by an after party at MI-6.
• New club Saint to soft open Wednesday 

• James Blunt, Chris Masterson, Jack Osbourne, Cisco Adler and Dave Navarrowill host a food drive at Wonderland on Wednesday night
• Kiss live in concert from Hyde Lounge at Staples Center Wednesday – Buckcherry to open at 7:30pm 

L.A. Native and friend Ashlee Margolis killed it last with a huge celebrity turn out at the new Judith Leiber store opening on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. She threw the party along with Judith Leiber’s PR team and their New York PR agency, Company Agenda. Fellow LA Natives in attendance: jewelry designer Anita Ko, Daniel Landver, CEO for Lucas Design, actress Paula Patton (Harvard Westlake), Jessica Capshaw (Harvard Westlake ’94), Desiree Kohan (Beverly Hills High), owner of chic boutique Des Kohan, and The A Lists’ Candice Tab who grew up in Malibu. Other Angelenos we love included Cameron Silver (Decades on Melrose), Ashley Paige (bikini designer), Negar Ali (stylist) and Chris Huvane. Other celebrities included Ginnifer Goodwin, Amber Valletta, Katie Cassidy, Gabrielle Union, Jenna Dewan, Anne Heche and Sanaa Lathan. Also in attendance were uber-stylists to the stars Jessica Pastor, Penny Lovell, Tanya Gill, Wendi Ferreira, Tara Sweenen and Vincent Boucher. I also saw Brooke Davenporte, Kathy + Rick Hilton, designer Magda Berliner, celebrity hair stylist Anthony Francis, and shoe designers Jerome C. Rousseau and Taryn Rose. 

I was ecstatic to get an invite as Judith Leiber was something I grew up being taught was a life necessity!! My mother use to buy me the mini JL coin purses every time she would walk through Neiman Marcus in search of a new bag. I am always excited to find myself growing into my mother’s Maude Frisson shoes and in this case – her Judith Leiber accessories.

Following store openings in New Dehli, India and Dubai, UAE, last week, long time bag and belt maker Judith Leiber joined the ranks of Rodeo Drive storefronts opening their first ever Beverly Hills boutique across from the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on via Rodeo.

Judith Leiber’s crystal minaudières are a well-recognized hit on red carpets and white table clothes at parties. The fall bags are now out and are inspired by the 70′s and Art Deco. The new designs feature square silhouettes for the “Wrap Clutch” and “Rectangle,” held by Paula Patton (above). To show off the bags this fashion week, Judith Leiber collaborated with designer Cho Cheng who featured the handbags on the runway at Bryant Park this month with his SS10 line. Cho Cheng is a secret treasure of the couture set - Cheng inherited his love of fashion from his grandmother, Betty Char-Nuis Yan, the acclaimed couturier who founded the famed Betty Couture at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong in 1960. The Cho Cheng show was opened by socialite & model Lydia Hearst and closed by fav-model-of-the-moment Coca Rocha.

Lydia Hearst (left) opened the Cho Cheng’s SS10 show in Bryant Park this month. Coca Rocha closed the show (left, with designer). Judith Leiber ”Rectangle” bags were featured in the show (center).

Special services at the Beverly Hills store will include personal shopping and as always – complimentary repairs. My mother made it a point to tell me when I started writing this post that she still brings her belts and bags in to have the jewels replaced and leather polished up and they are always happy to do so at no cost! Judith Leiber President, Mary Gleason, says “Judith Leiber is the bag of choice for style setters, First Ladies, and royalty.”I’d like to think so – the collectible handbags are part of the permanent design collections in my mother’s wardrobe as well as The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Smithsonian Institute.

Inside the new Judith Leiber store in Rodeo Drive

220 North Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Telephone: 310-888-8852
Email: info@judithleiberla.com
Website: www.judithleiber.com

Hours of Operation:
Monday – Saturday 10:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Store Manager: Thomas Joyce

*Other U.S. stores include South Coast Plaza, Las Vegas and flagship store in Manhattan.

pic from Style.com

My friend from Putney (boarding school in Vermont) is playing at Sunset Junction tomorrow. Her band is the well known “The Submarines“. Blake’s blonde braids caught the attention of Conde Nast’s Style.com, who call Blake a “saucy little folk singing hottie“. You can also read more about Blake on RollingStone.com.

HERE ARE ALL BLAKES LINKS:

http://www.myspace.com/thesubmarinesmusic

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Submarines/10103451255

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Submarines

http://www.thesubmarines.com/

Sunset Junction schedule and more info can be found here: http://www.sunsetjunction.org/streetfair_schedule.html

Half-price tickets ($10) can be found here, while they last http://www.goldstar.com/events/29898.html

Me & Blake at a Coach luncheon at The Chamberlain Hotel this week.

Megan Fox with comic book creator Stan Lee (left), Brandon Routh “Superman Returns” (right) at the Myspace/IGN/Jennifer’s Body party at Comic-Con 2009.


DJ StoneRock (left), Twilight and New Moon stars Ashley Greene (Alice) and Noot Seear (Heidi) (right) at the Myspace/IGN/Jennifer’s Body party at Comic-Con 2009.


Ambiance at the Myspace/IGN/Jennifer’s Body party at Comic-Con 2009.



Ambiance at the Myspace/IGN/Jennifer’s Body party at Comic-Con 2009.The A List, was also involved with the Myspace/IGN party for “Jennifer’s Body” starring Megan Fox. This “Heathers”-esque film, directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diable Cody, I am proud to say was produced by two of my buddies, Jason Reitman (Harvard-Westlake ’95, LA native and son of Ivan) and Mason Novick (“Red Eye”, “Juno”, “(500) Days of Summer”).
Jennifer’s Body director Karyn Kusama, writer Diablo Cody, and producers Jason Reitman and Mason Novick at the Myspace/IGN/Jennifer’s Body party at Comic-Con 2009.If these names sound familiar, that is because this is the same team that brought you indi break-out “Juno”, a film that won them an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and an Independent Spirit award in the same category.
Photo: “Juno” producer Mason Novick, screenwriter Diablo Cody, director Jason Reitman at the premiere of Fox Searchlight’s ‘Juno’ at the Village Theater on December 3, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. Photo from Wireimage.I met Mason when a mutual friend, Jeremy Steckler (Harvard-Westlake class of ’92), a producer at Fox Searchlight, brought him along to my 27th birthday party at “the bar” on Sunset in Hollywood. We hit it off in an instant. I was very touched by Mason’s stories of growing up in the John Hughes suburb of Hyland Park just outside Chicago. In the 80s his neighborhood was often used as a set for John Hughes coming-of-age hits like “The Breakfast Club,” Weird Science,” “Sixteen Candles” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” With all the productions going on around him, he made good use of the opportunity and became a PA on the sets near his house. The positions grew into real jobs and by the time he was 16, he was being paid.Watch an interview with Mason Novick here.

In addition to the Wired Cafe at this year’s Comic Con, Ashlee Margolis‘ company,

The team joined forces again for “Jennifer’s Body” – a film about an irresistible high school “mean girl” who teethes on her male victims. The film also stars “Mean Girl” veteran Amanda Seyfreid who has grown up a bit since her last foray with queen bees like Rachel McAdams and Lindsay Lohan.

Mason Novick and Diablo Cody attend the 2008 Oscars in Hollywood (left). Producers Mason Novick and Russell Smith accept the award for Best Feature for “Juno” onstage during the 2008 Film Independent Spirit Awards held at Santa Monica Beach on February 23, 2008 in Santa Monica, California (right). (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America)

I bumped into Mason again when we found ourselves working on the same floor on Fairfax & Wilshire while he was a producer and manager at Bender Spink and I was doing PR for Quintessentially Concierge Service. Mason had been reading Diablo Cody’s Minneapolis-based blog for years before calling her up and seeing if she might want to try her hand at a screenplay.

One of the many reason’s for Juno’s success was the viral cartoons produced by viral web master David Brooks and his team – including a cameraman/comedian named Luther and an intern named Arbi. Peter Rice, head of Fox Searchlight, had grown up with Brooks in the business and knew he had a good formula. In 2008, Rice brought Brooks into the studio full time to continue the viral phenomenas that propelled the Fox title “Juno” to stardom and an Independent Spirit Award.

In a sheer shocking coincidence, Brooks somehow got in touch with me and I joined their team at Fox for the first three months, helping with PR and viral video story development. “Jennifer’s Body” was among the films to cross my desk and I was hardly surprised to see Mason, Jason and Diablo team up again. You can read more about my Fox job here.

As Senior Vice President of Production at Fox Searchlight, Jeremy Steckler, was helpful in bringing in his friend and colleague’s film “Juno”. Before coming to Fox, Jeremy’s eye for talent landed him a senior studio producing gig at Paramount, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura where he produced “1408″, “Derailed” with Jennifer Aniston, and “Doom,” like the video game. Every time Jeremy has a movie come out, my mother sends him cookies at the studio to congratulate him. Jeremy was in my brother’s class at Harvard-Westlake and also went to grade school with us at John Thomas Dye, and is a close friend whom I often call a surrogate big brother. In his early career, Jeremy also worked at Polygram Filmed Entertainment in the Acquisitions Department and Spyglass Entertainment.Photo: David Brooks and Arbi Petrossian, Fox Marketing. Photo from Arbi.
Mason Novick also produced “(500) Days of Summer”, currently in theaters, which “is not a love story” according to the opening line of the movies, and stars Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt..





Other movies from Mason Novick “Juno” director and “Jennifer’s Body” producer Reitman is currently in post production on his latest film, which he adapted, directed and produced, “Up in the Air,” starring George Clooney. Jason recently parted ways with his longtime producer, Dan Dubiecki, and shut down their production company together, Hard C.Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and more …

Trailer for (500) Days of Summer, currently in theatres, starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

His new company will be called Right of Way Films and is intended to develop films as directing vehicles for him, but some could become producing projects. Helen Estabrook, who started with Reitman as an assistant, has grown to become his creative partner and will run development for Right of Way, which is backed by development partner Indian Paintbrush, a finance and production company headed by billionaire Steven Rales. Indian Paintbrush backed Wes Anderson’s “The Darjeeling Limited.”

Jason was born in Canada but grew up in L.A. and went to Harvard-Westlake. His father is Ivan Reitman, the writer and producer of Ghostbuster I & 2 as well as other popular 80s films like Casual Sex , Twins and Kindegarten Cop. Ivan recently announced a third installation to the Ghostbuster franchise, expected 2012. Jason went to USC for film and was first noticed in the industry for his film Thank you for Smoking, a documentary about the tobacco industry starring Arron Eckhart.

Sci-fi / fantasy is hot in demand – even Google is catching the fever. More popular than romantic comedies or gangster flicks ever were, there is absolutely no sign of this genre slowing down. After Star Trek, Terminator, and Twilight came and went in 2009, studios have continued to stock their slates with nothing but. Comic Con, the world’s largest comic book convention in San Diego this weekend, has become the Sundance of graphic novel, sc-fi, horror and fantasy film promotion.

And where there be celebrities, there be an A-List party … Ashlee Margolis’ (Oakwood ’94) entertainment branding company “The A List” was recruited to host the Wired Cafe this weekend at Comic-Con; already seen at the cafe are Olivia Wilde, Nikki Reed, Kristen Bell, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jamie Kennedy, Anna Paquin and Zachary Quinto.

Kristen Bell (Heroes), Olivia Wilde (Tron Legacy) and Nikki Reed attend the Wired Cafe, hosted by The A-List.


A-List owner Ashlee Margolis shows Olivia Wilde around the Wired Cafe at Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego

Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy with WIRED publisher Howard Mittman, Anna Paquin and Zachary Quinto.

Jennifer Connelly promotes animated movie “9″, Cameron Diaz promotes “The Box”

Actress Sigourney Weaver and producer James Cameron speaks at the “Avatar” Q&A during Comic-Con 2009 held at San Diego Convention Center on July 23, 2009


Robert Pattinson promotes “New Moon” at this years Comic-Con in San Diego.

Johnny Depp promotes “Alice in Wonderland”, Seth Rogen promotes “The Green Hornet”, and

Rachel McAdams and Robert Downey, Jr. promotes “Sherlock Holmes” at this years Comic-Con in San Diego, Scarlett Johansson joined Downey later in the weekend to promote “Iron Man 2″

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A-List owner Ashlee Margolis shows Olivia Wilde around the Wired Cafe at Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego

Where the celebrities at? Just ask A-List party hostess Ashlee Margolis whose entertainment branding company is called, well, “The A List!” She is regularly recruited to enlist celebrity attendance at events.

Miss Ashlee Margolis (Oakwood ’94), founder of The A List, has been hosting weekly dinner parties at Nobu in West Hollywood on Wednesday nights. Each week, she picks a couple friends to host the night with her …

Companies have long since been trying to penetrate the L.A. nightlife with members-only clubs, parties and concierge services … and L.A. has chronically been too snotty to notice. Poor Social Club (leasing the old Hollywood Athletic Club); they were meant to be the SOHO House of the West, but flop. No one wanted to buy the memberships. SOHO House itself has made two attempts West and stopped short with their annual Oscar Week pop-up party at rented mansions until finding a permanent location last year at the 9200 building on Sunset Blvd in the Penthouse. Even Quintessentially Concierge Service has a harder time with membership sales in L.A. than in any of their 40+ offices around the world. Face it. L.A. is too clique-y for clubs.

Sure there is the Jonathan Club downtown and the Los Angeles Country club for golf, and maybe you’re on J-Date or have a Costco card … but that’s where it ends. For social purposes in Los Angeles, PR Firms, “hosts” and private companies like Ashlee’s act as the “members club.” So if Ashlee invites you somewhere, regardless of the venue or purpose, you go. And just like a members-club, anywhere you go via Ashlee, there are tons of perks, people you know and you are always made to feel welcome. You never have to fear ill-treatment, getting lost in a crowd, or being around random people who aren’t exactly your cup of tea.

Craig & Shell Cardon with Natasha Bulgakova and fiance (left)

Cezhan (Harvard-Westlake ’92) & Manori Ambrose (right)

Frederic Golshan & Jeanie Lim (left)

Carly Steel & friends (right)

Leaving Nobu

Scott Caan and his father at Scott’s first book party last night in L.A.

I first met Scott at Century City (not Westfield, Century City) where I use to hang out with my Westlake friends and other various groups of friends from other schools. Beverly (not West Beverly, Beverly) was right around the corner from CC, and there was always a bunch of cool guys who would come by. Oddly most of them are famous now – besides Scott, they included the likes of infamous beat artist Alan Maman better known as ”The Alchemist”, Neil Maman, Alan’s brother and a rather heavy-hitting manager, Seth Binzer or “Shifty” from Crazytown, Kairi Scott, who owns and designs for Kingsbury on 3rd street, and so on … It wasn’t just Beverly though – kids would come from all over town … actor Balthazar Getty, singer Jenny Lewis, actresses Mila Jovevich, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jessica Capshaw, celebrity publicist Kari Feinstein & Ashlee Margolis, designer Desanka Fasiska, filmmaker Liz Goldwyn, reggae front-man for The Wailers Elan Atias , and so on … They were as infamous in our small circles then as they are in these big circles now. Something was definitely a buzz in 1976 when our parents were having babies.

Scott’s book thanks his father twice, once at the beginning and once at the end – the man who gave him his first camera, AND an additional camera each year. His father, much like my mom who bought my brother a drum set and a Harley Davidson when he expressed interest, is receptive to Scott’s passions – whatever they may be – and supports his son unconditionally, with a passion all his own.

Scott also loves his friends, acting, making movies, growing up in L.A., and taking photos. You don’t have to know him to know that – all you have to do is look at his work. You will also finds tons of women, children, celebrities, foreign lands both better and worse than here … and lots of cigarettes, skaters and L.A. figures you’d see around if you, too, lived here.

The book’s product description says it best when they describe Scott as “passionate and gutsy”. Who else can push through deals to sell scripts at 23, take on the task of being a Hollywood renaissance man with multiple talents and pursuits and still make it to Cannes to stand on the red carpet with his heavy-weight cast of Ocean’s 11 and manage to shine just as bright.

 
The invitation to Scott’s party featuring one of his famous photos from Cannes.
  

See all these photos on Scott’s website

Women:




Celebrities:

Lindsay Lohan at Jared Leto’s

The cast of Ocean’s 11 at the Cannes Film Festival


Brad Pitt

L.A. Friends:

Seth Binzer (“Shifty Shellshock”) from Crazytown

 Book party pictures from last night

Scott Caan with his friend and actress Erika Christensen

Scott Patterson and Me

Howard Nourmand is a friend of Scott’s who said to me last night … “Anything can be something” but followed it up quickly saying “but it’s all about the execution!” Howard runs a graphic design company called Grand Jeté in Los Angeles and designed & edited Scott’s book. The book’s cover is good-looking and handsome in that same elegant way a man should be. He also wrote the foreword for the book in which he likened Scott to the Robert Frost quote: “Freedom lies in being bold.” Howard add then adds: “Scott Caan embodies that Robert Frost quote more than anyone I have ever met.”

By Audrey Davidow, Special to The Times
April 02, 2005

As Hollywood party pros, Joshua Richman, Shane Powers and Hartwell (just Hartwell), founders of the Alliance, have picked up a few insights into poseur behavior. They know, for example, that crashers talk too much. “They start dropping names, which is a surefire way to get us to stop listening,” says Richman, the eccentric of the group who never leaves home without his black fedora and 8-ball-capped cane. “Herbs” he calls them. As in, ” ‘Are you really going to let that ‘Herb’ in?’ “

But running some of the most ironclad events and parties in town isn’t just about knowing whom to let in and whom to keep out. It’s about getting the right people there in the first place. The self-described trio of “event strategists” are the type who have the pull to BlackBerry Keanu — and get a rapid-fire response. In Hollywood’s oversaturated social scene, where the competition for best bash, awards or charity event is fierce, they’re in high demand.

Longtime club promoters, Richman, Powers and Hartwell formed the Alliance five years ago. Though they don’t have an office and they keep the numbers unlisted, the Alliance is part of a growing niche industry in Hollywood: event coordinators who guarantee clients a cool affair for upward of $10,000 per event. This new breed of soiree specialist exists in a gray area somewhere between entertainment marketing executive and hands-on event planner.

They don’t dream up wild centerpieces or construct catwalks or even mastermind strategic seating arrangements. Instead, they’re purveyors of cool, hip-makers called on by clients such as Heineken, Sony and Dennis Publishing to secure over-the-top venues, groovy DJs and tailored guest lists.

For corporate clients looking to up the hip quotient of their brands, attaching companies such as the Alliance to a party is sort of like attaching Julia Roberts to a movie. They know how to draw a crowd — and even more important, the right crowd — by whatever means necessary, whether it’s personal persuasion, a cellphone call list to die for or even lucrative appearance fees to corral rising stars.

Inside the GM “Ten” fashion show on a recent Tuesday night in Hollywood, more than 1,500 mover-shaker-tastemakers were knocking back Stoli tonics. Outside it was pouring pellets, but the Alliance trio was too distracted to notice. “A&D are 30 seconds away,” chirped a perky young publicist, microphone in ear, clipboard in hand. Richman darted through the puddles in his Louis Vuitton Air Jordans to meet them. Ashton Kutcher hugged him, Demi Moore kissed him, and like some kind of covert-ops event specialist, he fast-tracked the power couple through the crowd and into the SkyBar-styled lounge for the cars and stars fashion show.

“They know how to have a great time,” said Kutcher from his front-row seat. “Their parties have the more substantive people — people you can actually have a conversation with, as opposed to just the eye candy.” He paused to take in the view, then added with a grin, “but they have plenty of eye candy too.”

Tom Freydl, director of Ketchum Entertainment Marketing, tapped into the trend last fall when he was faced with the challenge of promoting a Minneapolis-based computer service called the Geek Squad. Freydl hired the Alliance to make the geek-fest chic. Together with party planner Jeffrey Best, the team delivered a blowout bash at the ArcLight Cinemas with a guest list that included David Arquette, Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and a brigade of long-legged babes.

“Honestly, I had never been to a party with that level of coolness,” says Freydl. “People stayed until the very end. That never happens at a corporate event.”

Jessica Meisels knows all about coolness — and the power of celebrity. Meisels, a self-described “talent coordinator,” and her partner Greg Link are the co-owners of the publicity and events firm Fingerprint Communications. They are regularly called on by clients such as W Magazine and the Indy Racing League to utilize a Rolodex that includes everyone from philanthropist Barbara Davis (Meisels is friends with Davis’ grandson Brandon) to Paris Hilton (they’ve known each other since Meisels’ New York days).

Corporate can be hip

Pumping up corporate fetes with star power is nothing new; it’s long been an unpaid part of the PR package. But with the recent boom of weekly celeb rags and “Entertainment Tonight” rip-offs, and the free publicity they provide, it’s become a big business, one that commands up to $50,000 if you include budget for celebrity bait — gifts, transportation and charity donations in the stars’ name. Top publicity houses such as BNC (Bragman Nyman Cafarelli) regularly hire well-connected independent operators such as Fingerprint and the Alliance to jump-start their clients’ events with some trophy guests.

But those in the field bristle at the label of “celebrity wranglers” (try celebrity recruiter, liaison or even guest list manager) and fill out their job descriptions with other duties including marketing, event consulting and production.

“It just sounds so tacky,” says Ashlee Margolis, who left her PR gig two years ago to start her own wrangling business. Still, Margolis, an L.A. scenester who grew up palling around with Quincy Jones’ daughter, Rashida, and is now a go-to wrangler for the charity luncheon set, accepts that the title comes with the territory. She works out of her house and doesn’t even have a business card, but if she did, she says it would have to have a lasso on it.

“When I tell people outside of the industry what I do, they have no idea what I’m talking about. I should be working on a ranch,” she jokes. “That would make more sense.”

Semantics aside, they’re all linked by their ability to deliver the in-crowd and help their clients’ fetes stand out in an increasingly glutted market filled with ubiquitous award shows, the charity dinner du jour and competing blowout parties.

“There’s so much more competition now,” says David Pinsky, director of entertainment marketing at Motorola. “It’s no longer ‘let’s just throw a party.’ You have to make it the party that everyone’s talking about, the event of the season.”

In other words, a $300 gift bag isn’t going to cut it anymore. To attract the cranky, partied-out corps of Hollywood celebs, you need to guarantee an event’s “it” factor.

To do so, they all agree, you’ve got to ensure the right mix of people. Celebs may get you the press, but they don’t necessarily guarantee a good time. Giving good guest list is a strategic balancing act that requires just the right mix of stars, industry-ites and beautiful people, explains Meisels.

A big part of the promoting game, then, is mastering the degrees-of-separation strategy. “It’s who knows who, who can put in the personal call, who has the relationship,” says Jose Martinez, who heads up celebrity recruiting at Harrison & Shriftman, one of the few big publicity firms where all of the celeb outreach is done in-house.

If there’s no direct relationship, you work your way down. You want Nicole Kidman? Start with her pal Naomi Watts. If it’s Watts you want, invite her stylist, her trainer, her homeopath. Keeping tabs on their love lives is also key. Margolis managed to lure Charlize Theron to a charity benefit for the Aaliyah Memorial Fund last year wh
en Theron’s boyfriend, Stuart Townsend, agreed to be on the host committee. Once the connections are exhausted, it’s a matter of basic street-team tactics. Going out every night, partying like it’s their job, and spreading the word.

Yeah, but will they show?

Of course, any party thrower’s worst nightmare is that the talent won’t show. Shara Koplowitz, a former vice president at Harrison & Shriftman, narrowly averted that disaster a few years back at a party for hip-hop artist and producer Pharrell Williams at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. “We thought it was a no-brainer,” says Koplowitz, who figured Williams’ clients — among them Snoop, Puffy and Justin Timberlake — would be sure to show. But half an hour into the event, the red carpet was still as empty as a bottle of Cristal on Sunday morning, and everyone, including the Hard Rock CEO, was freaking out. Koplowitz had no choice but to start begging.

A few years earlier, she’d worked with ‘N Sync’s charity, Challenge for the Children, and hit it off with Timberlake’s bodyguard. Over the years she sent him free stuff — a bottle of Tanqueray here, a cellphone there. So when she put out the pager-plea, Big Mike responded right away. Within 15 minutes, Timberlake was at the back door. “Next thing we know, the place was packed and Justin and Busta Rhymes are on stage singing together,” recalls Koplowitz. “It was my biggest save.”

Snagging the premium A-listers — the Toms, Brads and Halles — requires a little more maneuvering. There’s always the gifting game. Come to our party and we’ll give you a PlayStation, a Cartier necklace or VW Bug. Paying them to party is another strategy. But the price tags can be steep. According to Martinez, stars of the moment, such as Eva Longoria and Teri Hatcher, have been known to command $50,000 appearance fees. Attaching a charity or creating an award in their honor, he says, is a safer, cheaper bet. Better yet? Give an award to one of their pals.

Take, for example, the time he landed Tom Cruise for Movieline’s Young Hollywood Awards

. The hook? They were honoring “Jerry Maguire” director Cameron Crowe with a role model award, and Cruise agreed to present. Was the award just a ploy to get the A-lister to commit? Martinez won’t say. “But it was the Young Hollywood awards, and let’s face it, Cruise and Crowe aren’t exactly fresh faces anymore.”

Of course, things don’t always go so smoothly. Even if a celeb says yes to the invite, there’s never any guarantee they’ll actually show. “You work and work to confirm them, and you always know that 60-70% of them aren’t even going to make it,” says Koplowitz, who retired from wrangling last year.

As frustrating as it is, the flake factor is an inevitable — and necessary — part of the game. If A-listers were actually easy to pin down, celeb recruiters would be out of a job. No one understands that better than Koplowitz, who now works on the other side of the fence as a personal publicist, playing gatekeeper for the celebs she once courted. “Now I know just how many of those invites go straight into the trash.”

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