LA FW/AF adventures

Hi!
well it's LA fashion week time and things are crazy as usual. while
consolidating most things at Smashbox, there is still stuff being done other
places (GenArt at hanger 39 near Barker Hanger in Santa Monica.. Fashiondish
would you care to share your experiences there?) and also Culver Studios
plus the Mondrian Hotel and another hotel relatively next door for the
"can't afford to show, but want to participate" lines so there are suites.
Denim and Diamonds came up on Tues. Co–sponsored by Allure along with Judith
Ripka and 15 brands of denims (the big names!, this was definitely a party I
wanted to go to and since I got 3 invites for it, I rsvp'd for 3 knowing
that in case any of the locals could make it, they would.. DawnSE wound up
coming with me and it was just starting to rain lightly as we snaked our
way up the fwy!
By the time we got to Smashbox it was sprinkling but not worth the hassle of
doing the shuttle so we valet parked.
We wound up doing a run around on the press check–in and got sent to 3
different people. The editor's bags weren't available and someone forgot to
give us our wristbands .
So we head over to the party which started at 6 pm and it was about 6:20 by
this time. It was SRO line to get in and guess what! It was closed by the
fire marshall due to overcrowding and hit the people limit! There we were
standing in line with about 40 other people (celebs included) trying to get
in. The people in the back were pushing forward and for a moment or two it
looked like we were going to get in but nope! Called Fashiondish on the cell
and she was inside but it turns out they didn't use the check in system for
guests and non invited people and maxed out the party limit in literally 15
minutes! Press was trying to get in; the event people had to create photo op
space for celebs .. though they weren't getting in yet.. and we were pushed
and shoved like crazy.
One blonde celeb ahead of us raised her pink wristbanded hand and said
"excuse me, let me in. I am a celebrity. You don't need the press in there"
(huh? ) anyway, it was starting to rain more and after 30+ minutes Dawn and
I gave up!
We found a friend who is pr for the line Single and Honeydew and others....
and he told us that even ALLURE magazine people couldn't get in despite
being co–sponsors. Paula Abdul was waiting to get in too .. go figure that
one! (we even tried the back way but nope.. busted!)
So we grabbed the pr guy (Omar!!) and went in to get a drink and took his
friends along with us. Getting a drink was no picnic because it was 10 deep
at the bar.. finally got to the front, thankfully Dawn ordered (free
drinks!.. no free food though) and they were pouring like 3:1 drinks. 3
parts alcohol, 1 part juice ––even for cosmos and her cosmos tasted horrific
(paint thinner in a glass) and my whatever with coke and lime was not much
better. Omar drank the cosmo in about 10 mins!
We ran into Fashiondish at Kate O'Connor line but we were hungry and decided
to skip the show and just go home..... ran into other people I knew from
Oscar week (we all do this sort of like lemmings) while waiting under
umbrellas for the valeted cars... it was POURING by now. (glad we didn't
wait to get in that party. it was to end at 8 pm!)
We carefully and quickly got out of "Dodge" and headed back down the fwy
with nothing but The Daily in our hands and our press pass badges.
But we stopped at a coffee shop for dinner because it was 8 and hadn't had
food since early afternoon. Got home at just after nine and Dawn still had
further to drive... it was coming down pretty hard by then so we were glad
we weren't on the fwy!
talked to PR people yesterday from some of the denim lines and they were
appalled and apologetic.. No biggie. There weren't goody bags for the press
anyway though celebs were given 15 pairs of jeans (one from each company)
and some expensive Judith Ripka jewelry . c'est la guerre.
More on Thursday's Paul Hardy fashion show (Canadian designer) Today is the
Mondrian suites for me!
Stevie