"I'm so glad the Golden Globes were cancelled because it draws more attention to this," said
Patricia Arquette, clad in a red disco sari and just back from a trip to India, on Saturday night. "This" was a black-tie gala and fashion show sponsored by
Vogue, Cartier, and Ford celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Art of Elysium, a nonprofit organization that encourages actors, artists, and musicians to donate their time to children with serious medical conditions. In the crowd at St. Vibiana's, a former cathedral in downtown L.A., were
Harrison Ford and
Calista Flockhart (who, along with the rest of the
Brothers & Sisters cast, came in support of co-star and co-host
Balthazar Getty), Casey Affleck,
Ellen DeGeneres and
Portia de Rossi,
Ashley Olsen,
Rachel Bilson,
Camilla Belle, and Lenny Kravitz.
Joy Bryant pulled out all the stops in a stunning Zac Posen gown. "I need a little swagger in this dress," she said, as she practiced her walk. "It takes confidence, a little hip pivot, and a slow and easy stride." Others worked looks more low-key.
Ali Larter took only seven minutes to get into her white J. Mendel sheath"You know when it feels right," she said.
Lake Bell borrowed a vintage skirt and Chanel bustier from her mother. "I don't work with a stylist," she said. "I work with my mom." Even
Rumer Willis, this year's intended Miss Golden Globe, took the cancellation in stride. "I can always wear a pretty dress," she said of her black J. Mendel frock. "But it's not so often you get to support your fellow actors." (Willis will appear in her second movie this summer.)
The previous evening,
Tamara Mellon and her co-hosts
Angie Harmon and
Jamie Tisch celebrated the opening of the new Jimmy Choo flagship on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The 3,000-square-foot space was so packed with the likes of
Debra Messing, Lisa Kudrow,
Alexandra von Furstenberg,
Lauren Conrad, and Rachel Zoe (who brought along her Bravo TV crew) that the fire marshal would only allow new guests in as others came out. "I love shoes," said Harmon, amidst the throng. "And what I love about Jimmy Choos is that any womanwhether she's 25, 55, or 75can wear them. At least I'll be wearing them when I'm 75."
Earlier in the day, Sanaa Lathan, Nicollette Sheridan,
Mandy Moore, and
Sophia Bush, among others, showed up at the West Hollywood restaurant Ago to eat pasta in honor of Estee Stanley and Cristina Ehrlich, the celebrity stylists behind the fashion label Miss Davenporte. Collaborating with Coach's Reed Krakoff, the pair designed two limited-edition handbags that will be sold exclusively at Ron Herman. Were they excited?
"Coach is a billion-dollar company," said Stanley. "It's like the highest-grossing company on the planet," agreed Ehrlich. "Yes," added the former, "it's incredible."