Those of us longtime Hollywood fashion-watchers are not often dazzled. We’ve seen it all, we’ve done it all, we’ve worn it all, and we look at every fashion show from all over the world. That’s right: the word is “jaded.” But we still hope to be dazzled – we want to be dazzled. And we were not disappointed by the second annual Gucci presented LACMA Art + Film Gala, a tribute to filmmaker Stanley Kubrick and artist Ed Ruscha. The co-chairs – Leo DiCaprio and Eva Chow – guaranteed an amazing turnout – but it was Gucci who guaranteed amazing looks. We knew the spring 2013 was one of the best spring shows of all – but seeing it and many other pieces in the flesh was a total feast for the eyes.
Our first moment of amazement was the sight of CAA super agent Hylda Queally in black vintage Gucci – a woman who always does it her own way. The second was the sight of Vogue editrix Anna Wintour (in a great red and black drop-waist floral cocktail dress that wasn’t Gucci) and her daughter Bee Schaffer. Wintour was in town for the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund event, but to have her show up at a Hollywood event was like a major New York sign of approval that L.A.’s on the fashion map. She hosted a dinner at Bouchon this week, and turned up at the West Hollywood Rag and Bone store opening. She’s getting to be a bit of a regular – but then, her daughter does live here now.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wore one of our favorite dresses from Gucci spring 2013, a kelly green column dress with a long side ruffle – it looked great on such a tall specimen. Supermodel Karlie Kloss, in from NYC, wore a Gucci velvet off the shoulder gown that’s in the current ad campaign. Amy Adams, who is a girl who loves color, wore one we’ve never seen her in: a milky cafe mocha strapless Gucci gown with a jeweled waist. “I picked it out from a lot of dresses that were sent to me,” she said, and she had the help of her longtime stylist Cristina Ehrlich. “I never ever wear this color – I’ve been a little afraid of it – but I decided to take a chance. And I absolutely love it. I’m glad I decided to break out of my norm!”
Cameron Diaz stunned in an equally pale camel crepe-tulle short dress with exaggerated sleeves – a totally figure flattering and fun choice for her, showing off her killer legs. “I’m feelin’ pretty good in this, I have to say!” she said, entering the LACMA outdoor cocktail event with Gucci’s Greg Nice. “It’s all about the sleeve!” We couldn’t find this dress in any collection, but the sleeve detail was very reminiscent of spring 2013’s bell and poet sleeve action. Get in on the coming sleeve action now – it’s going to hit like Hurricane Sandy come spring.
One of the great spots of the evening was Chris Evans seemingly on a date with Minka Kelly – both in black Gucci. They were trying to play it coy, but it definitely looked like these two are a very beautiful item.
Salma Hayek-Pinault‘s black and metallic shine clingy gown had one shoulder, and with her hair in a top knot, she looked very stately as The First Lady of Gucci should. She seemed particularly excited to see Jennifer Aniston with Justin Theroux – Aniston in a black slip gown with a very deep V-neck – Gucci-esque, but not Gucci. She couldn’t find a Gucci gown very similar to it?
Evan Rachel Wood did a short retro-crooner set in the midst of the cocktail party, looking – and singing – fantastically, to no one’s surprise. Her gold Gucci pailette strapless sheath had the perfect golden look-at-me-but-I’m-not-trying-too-hard touch. She was all shimmer and golden light.
One of the evening’s true fashion stand outs – adding to our favorites of Cameron Diaz, Kerry Washington and Bella Heathcote, for the record – was Ginnifer Goodwin. This girl is just drop-dead chic – she never fails to dress like a Parisian with great taste down to the waif hair. Her sheer black Gucci high necked illusion blouse was tucked into a black- and green-flecked all-feather pencil skirt – we truly were tempted to rip it right off her body, but it wouldn’t likely fit. Then we discovered it’s look 42 from Gucci fall 2012 on Style.com – a smorgasbord of amazing textures. This is how you wear black and really snap, crackle and pop. “I love mixing textures,” she told THR. “I don’t know if I can ever take this outfit off! I walked into a room at Gucci – spotted this – took if off the rack – and that was, as they say, That.” We can see why. To our friends at Gucci – give her the damned outfit! No one will rock it like she did.
Bella Heathcote – who’s had a stunner of a week between her stylist Penny Lovell and Gucci obviously looking out for her – was simply bedazzling in a short white Gucci dress with sleeves and a bead-encrusted bib across the top of the sleeve and the neck. Its texture was that of an art piece – it belonged in a museum. She had a real sixties vibe going with a smokey eye and light lip – and we’re pretty sure this was a Gucci Premiere piece, it was so special. Kerry Washington had on a similar look in a lovely soft tangerine color, unbelievably flattering on her. These sixties mod looks are also about to take over the red carpet, but only for very young women.
Interesting to see that in a room that included Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston and a couple of supermodels that Ginnifer, Bella and Kerry were the fashion superstars. And even though Tom Hanks, Sean Penn and Jack Nicholson were in the house – the A list of the A list – of the guys, it was Robert Pattinson in his all-Gucci all-the-time look who was the guy every eye was on.
The following attended the event wearing Gucci:
Amy Adams, Jamie Bell, Asia Chow, Eva Chow, Josh Dallas, Cameron Diaz, Andrew Dominik, Chris Evans, Jane Fonda, Ginnifer Goodwin, Michael Govan, Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers, Salma Hayek-Pinault, Amber Heard, Bella Heathcote, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Karlie Kloss, Minka Kelly, Elvis Mitchell, Robert Pattinson, Ed and Danna Ruscha, KO Soo, KO So-Young, Sebastian Stan, Amber Valletta, Kerry Washington, Florence Welch, Evan Rachel Wood.
Other guests who attended included:
Francois-Henri Pinault, PPR Chairman and CEO, Patrizio di Marco, Gucci President and CEO, Doug Aitken, Jennifer Aniston & Justin Theroux, Rosanna Arquette, John Baldessari, Drew Barrymore & Will Kopelman, Warren Beatty & Annette Bening, Colleen & Bradley Bell, Jerry & Linda Bruckheimer, Ty & Holly Burrell, Si Won Choi, China Chow, Michael Chow, Bob Colacello, Stan Douglas, Will Ferrell & Vivenca Paulin-Ferrell, Sandy Gallin, Larry Gagosian, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Josh Groban, Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson, Kevin Huvane, Bob Iger & Willow Bay, Robert Irwin, Diane Keaton, John Krasinski, Barbara Kruger, Norman Lear, Boojin Lee, Miky Lee, Bryan Lourd, Crystal Lourd, T.Kelly Mason, Gwen & John McCaw, Kelly Meyer, Matthew Modine, Les Moonves & Julie Chen, Steve & Heather Mnuchin, Jennifer Morrison, Wendi Murdoch, Jack Nicholson, Catherine Opie & Julie Burleigh, Ryan O’Neal, Vivi Nevo, Sean Penn, PSY, Wolfgang Puck, Howard & Cindy Rachofsky, Jeremy Renner, Terry & Jane Semel, Bee Shaffer, Molly Shannon, Joel Silver, Steven Spielberg, Darren Star, Alana Stewart, Steve Tisch, Stefano Tonchi, Bill Viola & Kira Perov, Anna Wintour and Jung Woo Ha.
