Parties You Will Never Get Into

Celebrities from the nation’s capital recently gathered to honor the funniest members of the community.

The Hill reports that staffers and government officials gathered recently for the 17th annual “Funniest Celebrity in D.C.” contest, which handed out awards to the most laugh-inducing people around. Taking home the top prize was Jonathan Lovett, a West Wing speechwriter, who was encouraged by Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton and senior speechwriter Jon Favreau.

Performing in front of the crowd, Lovett took some jabs at a major airline, much to the delight of those in attendance.

“Virgin America (Airlines) had to change their name to, ‘Technically, Still A Virgin America,’” Lovett said.

Among the other celebrities in attendance was musician Jonathan Edwards, who performed on both guitar and piano to the cheering crowd. The runner-up for the prize was Representative Rick Larsen, a Democrat from Washington State, the website reported.

No matter what the event, when those in government gather it can be a great time for all involved. It is important for those in high-ranking positions to prove they have a softer, less serious side.

Model par excellence Natalia Vodianova has a heart — a Naked Heart Foundation, that is. Each year, she mounts the Love Ball, a glamorous fundraising rendezvous for her nonprofit organization.

This year’s fundraising was held at Camden’s Roundhouse in London on Feb. 23. Sponsored in part by De Beers, the ball fetched £1.2 million for the foundation, which erects children’s playgrounds in Vodianova’s native Russia.

While guest Elizabeth Hurley diverted some with her see-through sari, hostess Natalia Vodianova certainly got the most attention at the bash. She arrived wearing a shimmery diamond necklace called Magic Moment, which she designed with De Beers. By night’s end, the necklace had a new owner, who shelled out £180,000 for it.

Others made similar costly bids for artists’ opuses. Peter Blake’s artwork, “I Love You,” was auctioned for £160,000 while a sculpture by Jake and Dinos Chapman earned £135,000. Tracey Emin, in a speech, pronounced the latter’s auction “an absolute bargain.” She herself drew some generous bids, for her piece “With You I Breathe.”

Works by artists Jeff Koons, Keith Tyson, Pavel Pepperstein, Francesco Vezzoli, Gosha Ostretsov, Anselm Reyle and Marc Quinn were also featured.

In between biddings, guests were entertained with musical performances, beginning with Yusuf Islam’s incredible rendition of Natalia Vodianova’s personal favorite, “Where Do the Children Play?” Another highlight was a number by British songstress Leona Lewis. The music of Kristof Barati, Paloma Faith, Sharleen Spiteri and Ruby Wax also wafted through the Roundhouse.

Having a ball that evening were such belles as Kate Moss, Donna Karan, Rachel Zoe and Carolina Herrera. Diane von Furstenberg, fresh off the show of her House’s outgoing creative director Nathan Jenden, was also present. Other guests included Mario Testino, Stella McCartney, Jacquetta Wheeler, David Gandy, Amber Le Bon, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Paloma Faith and Matthew Williamson. Harper’s Bazaar Editor Lucy Yeomans co-hosted the affair.

Love Ball 2010 was also sponsored by Louis Vuitton, Gagosian, and Christie’s.

Life is a cabaret. This goes for all the tastemakers in Germany. No slump in the economy is stopping these people from reveling at the Mercedes-Benz Berlin Fashion Week. This year’s Berlin Fashion Week was kicked off by Hugo Boss’ Boss Black runway presentation, which was followed by a post-show soiree at the Hamburger Bahnhof museum.

The likes of Matt Dillon and Hillary Swank gathered inside a massive tent behind the stage. The excitement of the event was mirrored by the ambience of the party. All sorts of beautiful people were impossible to miss as they roamed the L.E.D.-lit dance floors. Apart from that, the place was also filled with high tech digital projections and magnums of champagnes.

Berlin’s merrymaking throng had continued to party their way to Friday at the historic Friedrichstadt Palast Theater, where the second-annual Style Nite was held. The event showcased three of Berlin’s most talked about labels: Kaviar Gauche, Michalsky, and Lala Berlin. The event had taken the conventional flashy display of fashion up a notch. The event, which went on for about four hours, kindled the love for musical theater among these Berlin fashionistas. The event welcomed all 2,000 martini-swigging guests with a presentation of Lala Berlin’s collection for the season.

Right after Lala Berlin presented his final fashion masterpiece, a dancer clad in a Kaviar Gauche mirrored bodysuit took the crowd’s attention as she swiveled under laser beams. What came next was Bella Berlin the Dancer followed by Michalsky’s Heinrich Zille-inspired couture collection. The event, which was far from disappointing, was sealed with a timeless performance from Spandau Ballet.

After showcasing all the creations of Berlin’s biggest names in Fashion, the crowd of revelers moved to a more sedated party scene at the Bebelplatz, where they partied on with pyrotechnics, booze and gossip aplenty.

Bacardi is good at keeping promises. The popular spirits brand promised to bring a never-heard-before musical experience to India by reviving the country’s largest and wildest music festival known as the Bacardi Blast. The musical festivities took place on December 19 and 20 at the Panjim Gymkhana at Panjim Goa.

The Blast was not just a concert, but an eight-hour musical experience. Senses were stimulated by a mix of music, visual graphics, sound effects, and a hi-definition LED display on-stage. The entertainment was expounded upon by the availability of several Bacardi beverages being churned out at bars, pool tables, face painters and tattoo artists.

The event was distinguished by a large illuminated balloon that rested 100 feet in the sky, enabling Blast-goers to locate the venue easily. The Blast brought in about 8,000 partiers who were set to enjoy acts from Chicane, Faithless All Star’s Sister Bliss with Sudha on percussion, DJs from the Ministry of Sound, London including DJ Ivan, and many others. There were also live musical performances from B.L.O.T. (Basic Love of Things) and Lost Stories, to name a few.

Arvind Krishnan of Bacardi Martini India Limited boasts that the festival was back and better than ever. The Blast was positioned as the perfect way to kick start the New Year by bringing together the best international acts in the dance and music space as a celebration.

Salvatore Ferragamo celebrated its 80th anniversary on March 28, 2008 in a perfect venue – Shanghai, China. Salvatore Ferragamo Italia is an Italian fashion house that was founded by Salvatore Ferragamo in 1928. Aside from selling footwear, the company presently sells a wide range of fashion line from ready-to-wear clothing, leather goods, handbags, watches, and fragrances to jewelry, eyewear, scarves and ties. Ferragamo’s family led by Wanda Ferragamo, the company’s honorary president and wife of the late shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo, chose Shanghai, China as the ideal place since the country and the city itself are both rich in history and tradition. She further stressed that they presented for the first time an exhibit on the business, its identity, innovations and values, instead of focusing on Salvatore as the man.

The grand celebration was commenced with a retrospective, Salvatore Ferragamo: Evolving Legend 1928-2008, held at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) which featured the shoe designer’s 300 special creations that came with original sketches and patents. Guests at the MOCA included celebrities who flew in just for the event including Christina Ricci, Ginnifer Goodwin, Melissa George, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and January Jones. Other celebrities spotted were Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang, Hong Kong actors Karen Mok and Tony Leung, and several Asian personalities.

In addition to its celebration, a fashion show and an after party were then held in two large halls at the Shanghai International Ferry Terminal in the Hongkou District. The company designed the place to bear a resemblance to Ferragamo’s label headquarters, the Palazzo Spini Feroni in Florence. The venue was a terrific spot as it stood on the banks of the beautiful Huangpu River. The fashion show featured Ferragamo’s 2008 Fall/Winter Collections and it also began its launch for the new Tuscan Soul fragrance along with watches for men and women. The show was opened and closed by outstanding performances from Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle, who also presently endorses the company’s watch collection. Adding more style to the party were some fireworks from across the river and a cruising barge that has a huge LCD screen flashing the brand’s advertisements including its Spring 2008 campaign.

More on Salvatore Ferragamo’s 80th anniversary.