La Perla Does Miami

Summer in Miami is hot hot hot! And last weekend’s Swim Week festivities were certainly no exception. Kate and I traveled down to South Beach to help high-end lingerie brand La Perla launch the 2009 collection from their upscale Mare collection. The event took place at the pool plaza of the trendy new Gansevoort South Hotel, overlooking the ocean.

(Actress Gabrielle Union)

Guests sipped cocktails and checked out the New York City-inspired swimsuits, which appeared mannequins that stood on the surface of the water (thanks to some clever production tricks!). Gabrielle Union, the gorgeous actress and “Bring It On” alum, dropped by the party with a few friends and gushed over the sexy suits.

(Suzy Biszantz, CEO of La Perla North America, and Gabrielle Union check out the styles)

Click here to check out all of the chic La Perla collections!
-Lyle

Battle in Seattle

Victory for Battle at Malibu Film Fest

(Writer/Director Stuart Townsend with Producer/Honey Charlize Theron)

On Sunday, June 29, W Magazine sponsored an intimate & exclusive screening of Battle in Seattle at the Malibu Country Mart. Stuart Townsend wrote and directed the intense political drama. Townsend’s girlfriend for life Charlize Theron (who plays a lead role in the film) and Jennifer Carpenter of Dexter (one of the leads) came out to support the first time filmmaker!

Said Townsend: “This film was six years in the making and Charlize was with me every step of the way!” Other big stars showed up to support, including, Matthew McConaughey (with fiancé and mother-to-be Camilla Alves), Michael C. Hall, Amanda Anka & Jason Bateman, Peter Berg (director of Hancock), Dita Von Teese (in Catherine Maladrino), Alexis Bledel, Gabrielle Reece (and her adorable new baby girl), Steve Tisch, stylist Estee Stanley (looking radiant and pregnant), etc.

(Jason Bateman with wife Amanda Anka, Steve Tisch, and Charlize)

E!’s Ben Lyons moderated an informal Q & A following the film with Stuart Townsend and Jennifer Carpenter, while Charlize affectionately harassed the director from her seat. The film was many years in the making for Townsend who assembled an impressive cast in under a week (Ray Liotta, Andre Benjamin, Woody Harrelson, Channing Tatum). The film focuses on five days in 1999 as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest the WTO talks.

(McConaughey with a final look at pregnant fiancé Camilla Alves. The baby is now born!)

Following the screening guests took over locale fav, Tony’s Taverna for dinner. CIROC provided the cocktails and co-sponsor Tommy Hilfiger strategically placed surfboards against the wall to keep the paparazzi out.

(Gabrielle Reece with new baby girl, Charlize)

Back in September last year, Jauretsi reviewed the film at the Toronto Film Festival (Read here). The film also acts as an informative bookmark for American history in relation to news and events happening in the world today regarding protests and “people power” in the making (Read here). The film finally opens September 19 in NYC, and September 26th in LA.

GO SEE IT! WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

For more info, go to BattleinSeattleMovie.com.

Wedding Joy!

Last Saturday afternoon in Amagansett, NY, the lovely and talented Joy Bryant exchanged vows with her long-time boyfriend, stuntman Dave Pope. Attendees of the intimate 60 person garden party style ceremony (notables included supermodel Karolina Kurkova and super producer Harvey Weinstein) lounged on over-sized pillows and plush white couches, while munching on cupcakes, instead of a standard wedding cake. Joy looked radiant, alternating between laughter and heart-felt tears throughout the nuptials. Perhaps the most amazing detail of all is that this gorgeous affair was planned in just four short weeks. And not a moment too soon, as the groom left the following Monday for Morocco to begin work on the new Jake Gyllenhaal film Prince of Persia.

In lieu of gifts, Joy and Dave asked that all guests make donations to Pope’s Kid’s Place, a children’s charity started by Dave’s father. Click here to check out the Pope’s Kid’s Place website. And look for the wedding exclusive (including pics of the bride in her beautiful custom Missoni gown!) in the September issue of Harper’s Baazar.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Louboutin & Darphin

Last Tuesday night in LA, Elizabeth Stewart and C Magazine’s Editor at Large George Kotsiopoulos hosted a small soiree to celebrate two amazing French brands, Christian Louboutin and Darphin skincare products. The ladies in attendance, including Becki Newton, Felicity Huffman, C’s Jennifer Smith Hale and Samantha Traina, Mila Kunis, Casey Johnson and super chic Shawna Rose (in a floor-length DvF frock), went wild for the shoes and products. But this shopping was guilt free, as a portion all of the evening’s sales were donated to P.S. ARTS, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring arts programs in public schools. Word apparently traveled quickly about the intimate event, which was intended for 40-50 attendees, but actually saw a crowd closer to 150.

(Ugly Betty’s Becki Newton)

Following the event, host George Kotsiopoulos made a quick exit to catch a redeye to style Meg Ryan for an upcoming C Mag cover. No word on whether he stashed a pair of Louboutins in his carry-on for her to wear for the shoot!

Bandage Bondage

(co-chair Meredith Melling Burke from Vogue with Max Azria)

The worlds of fashion and art collided last night at the Whitney Art Party, a downtown fundraiser to benefit the Whitney Museum and it’s independent study programs. The event was sponsored by BCBG Max Azria Group and positioned as the relaunch of the Herve Leger line. You couldn’t spit without hitting a gorgeous girl in a sexy, skin tight bandage dress, the signature of Herve Leger.

(Lubov Azria with co-chair Rachel Bilson)

Tara, Sharon and I were at the event to help coordinate VIP arrivals and the turnout was amazing! Co-chair Rachel Bilson, wearing a gorgeous cream-colored halter bandage dress (she looked STUNNING), arrived fresh faced even though her flight from LA was delayed for five hours and arrived just an hour or so before the event. Good friends Joy Bryant and Monet Mazur, both in Herve, walked the red carpet together, followed by James Franco, Gossip Girl’s Michelle Trachtenberg, Australian beauty Rose Byrne and a slew of models and NYC socials.

(Lou Doillon with Byrdie Bell)

Inside the party, artist EV Day’s custom bondage pieces were on display, as were a number of silent auction items. Across the room, under a giant mirrored disco ball, Max Azria himself held court on a black velvet couch surrounded by an eclectic group, including NY Rangers forward Sean Avery, French beauty Lou Doillon and first daughter Barbara Bush.

The event was a huge success!