LA FASHION WEEK: DOLLING IT UP The Pussycat Dolls bring some much - needed energy to the Smashbox stage at the close of Spring 2008 LA Fashion Week; Sean Combs was in the house A pretty passel of gowns brightens up the runway at Julia Clancy’s show, which also featured a symphony of black. TAR foresees the Brit’s creations getting a lot of red carpet exposure. My name is moustache: Giovanni Ribisi and Jason Lee take in the sights at Whitley Kros Chalk it up to the writers strike, the high price of gas or the subprime mortgage crisis, but LA Fashion Week this time around was, sadly, just a shadow of its former self. The number of participants and sponsors was way down from last fall’s outings, and on opening night, there wasn’t even a step and repeat up for poseurs. Shame, Mercedes Benz. (The situation was rectified later in the week.) A couple of high-profile events saved the day. As the grand finale at Smashbox, Robin Antin premiered her Pussycat Dolls lingerie line on the catwalk. Perhaps never before has so much ass been seen on the runway, with a striptease/chair dance making the show even more burlesque. And then the shaking their booty Dolls came out on stage performed a full set, including “Don’tcha Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me?” Fun fun! The hallmark of Sue Wong: (partially obscured by microphone at left) stunning ultra-feminine beaded dresses But the most coveted invite of the week was a fete for designer Sue Wong at her magnificently restored turn of the 20th century Los Feliz home. The queen of beaded gowns—normally a cornerstone of LA Fashion Week—opted not for a runway show but for a glitzy 20s/30s era cocktail party with a requisite dress code, complete with a jazz band and old time-y announcer. As guests juggled martinis and mini-cheeseburgers from Patina, live models and mannequins showcased Ms. Wong’s exquisite work throughout the equally exquisite hilltop aerie, which has been the abode of Johnny Depp, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and Dennis Hopper.

STK: MAKING STEAK SEXY Sneaking in a smooch at STK’s Bistro Bar Sometimes things do live up to the hype. For STK, it started with Entertainment Weekly’s pre-Oscar party and has continued with hotspot write-ups in numerous publications. And now, another (little) one, with this caveat: haven’t eaten there yet, just drank—and thoroughly enjoyed. Great crowd, bangin’ music, fun atmosphere, just a little lacking on the service side. This space has gone through innumerable restaurants and owners, but the folks at the One Group may have something enduring here. More after the first meal there…. STK, 755 N. La Cienega Blvd, 310.659-3535, www.stkhouse.com

FANCIFUL FRUIT A delicious arrangement from Fruits to Remember, (866) 4FRUITS We’ve all seen them recently, those fruit arrangements that look good enough to eat, but once you take a bite, you realize it was all looks and no substance. Not the case with the products from Beverly Hills-based Fruits to Remember. Every strawberry, the most fragile fruit in an arrangement which included cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple and grapes, was Grade A+ quality. The chocolate-covered ones, even better. A great concept for many occasions, and the arrangements come in a reusable and very attractive container—perfect for planting some herb, oops, herbs.

LAST DAYS OF AUGUST

It’s the calm before the storm when after Labor Day, in quick succession, boom boom boom: its Fashion Week in New York, the VMAs in Las Vegas and Emmy Week in LA.
One man is aiming to break new ground at Bryant Park, and he’s not in the schmatta business. Executive chef Andy Pastore wants to feed the fashion masses with his take on Asian-fusion cuisine.  What, you say? Food at Fashion Week? That would be a first. You could drink yourself silly, partake of any one of a number of controlled and uncontrolled substances but not run across a morsel for days and nights on end, save for a couple of chocolate-covered strawberries backstage at the shows.  (At least in LA, you can buy snackies at Smashbox to soak up some of the alcohol.) 
Maybe the California sunshine got to the native Brooklynite, who at press time, was searching for an NYC venue in which to temporarily hang his toque and serve up his delicacies like an heirloom tomato and mozzarella Napoleon, Thai bouillabaisse with Maine lobster tail or grilled Szechuan pepper-crusted filet mignon. Normally you can find him turning these dishes out from the kitchen at Ritual, on the site of the old White Lotus in Hollywood, with its sultry, candle-lit patio and adjacent nightclub. Pastore began his career in New York under some of the greatest names in the business, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten,  before moving West for stints at Wolfgang Puck’s fondly-remembered Granita, Michael’s, the Sunset Room, Sterling Steakhouse and Cabana Club. 
 Chef Andy Pastore wants to cook for the catwalk crowd who normally forego food for fashion at New York’s upcoming Fashion Week
Ritual, 1743 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood 323.463-0060 
 

FASHIONISTAS WHO ACTUALLY EAT FOOD, IN SMALL BITES
 

Teri Hatcher and daughter Emerson party at One Sunset with Mark Badgley + James Mischka

Countless St-Germain liqueur artisanale cocktails were downed and  truffle pizza, mini-crab cakes, tuna tartar and beef tenderloin were snatched up by a tres- fashionable crowd Monday night at One Sunset to honor Teri Hatcher as the new face of Badgley Mischka’s fall campaign.  DH castmates Felicity Huffman, James Denton, Andrea Bowen and Dana Delaney turned out to show their support along with Sama Eyewear’s Sheila Vance and jewelry designer Michelle Roy. One Sunset, 8730 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 310.657-0111

BARON DAVIS + LA STARS = MAGIC

Angie Stone rocks the crowd at the LA Stars “Rodeo Drive Experience” earlier this month, raising money for the charity overseen by NBA All-Stars Baron Davis and Paul Pierce to benefit at-risk youth in Southern California, and furthering work done by Magic Johnson and his eponymous foundation. Always a pleasure to see his smiling face.

MARTINI MADNESS ON RODEO
With the price of a few rounds of “designer” martinis requiring a C-note these days, it’s hard to imagine five for less than $20. But that’s exactly the deal at the Luxe Hotel’s Bar 360 Monday-Friday, 5:30-7:30 pm: $3.60 drink specials include a fresh watermelon martini, or, shades of Sex and the City, a cool Cosmopolitan, both giving deeper meaning to “happy hour.” Small plates like fried green tomatoes and fresh burrata, lobster rolls and lamb lollipops add a little more joy to an after-work respite.
Luxe Hotel Bar 360, 360 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.273-0300

FROM 818 TO 310: ARCONA ARRIVES IN SANTA MONICA
Long known to Vals as THE place for a results-driven facial, Arcona is now primping and priming Westside punims. Chanel Jenae and Kevin Anderson oversee the legacy of Arcona, who was ahead of her time as a pioneer of holistic skin care. The fab product line uses only all-natural ingredients with high concentrations of antioxidants, plant and extracts, sea vegetables, essential oils, vitamins and minerals and includes the popular Magic White Ice hydration serum and refreshing cranberry toner. Chanel or one of the salon’s estheticians will advise you on a five-product regimen best for your skin type. Trust them. 
The Arcona Studio, 425 Broadway, Santa Monica, 310.458-3800 

YOU WON’T BELIEVE YOUR EYES
It sounds illogical that slapping on a clear eyeliner at night can make lashes grow longer and thicker, but TAR has it on good authority that these potions actually work, with a little patience and a lot of persistence. The best: RevitaLash, which is making some long-lashed believers out of those who use it regularly for 3-4 weeks, when results kick in. Try it yourself, and save the time spent on often over-hyped lash extensions. And there’s a great backstory: ophthalmologist Michael Brinkenhoff originally developed the product for his wife Gayle, who was losing her eyelashes during chemotherapy for breast cancer. A portion of the proceeds of each tube sold ($150) goes to breast cancer research.
www.revitalash.com,  877.909-5274

RIP OF THE WEEK
Don’t fall into this trap: valet parking at the Grove will cost you $20 unless you spend $250 at the plasticine mall. Puh-leeze. One savvy moviegoer gamed the system by purchasing a $300 necklace at Nordstrom and then returned it the next day…at Westside Pavilion.

THERE IS SOME CONSIDERATION FOR GUESTS HERE
Patrons of the Writers Bar and Jaan restaurant at Raffles L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills get free valet parking and customers of the spa at the InterContinental in Century City also park gratis via valet, which TAR awards the best chill-while waiting-for-your-car spot at a hotel in LA, complete with couches, coffee tables, heat lamps and ashtrays. But don’t get too comfortable: they always seem to deliver the cars pronto. Jiminy!

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