Da Fashionista.com

The Scene
In addition to being wildly brilliant and hilarious and pretty and successful and fashionable and artistic, Sable Crow is a also a big philanthropist. Not a PHILANDERER, a philanthropist :) His charity of choice is The Trevor Project, the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.



The cornerstone of The Trevor Project is the 18-minute film Trevor, a comedy/drama about a gay 13-year old boy named Trevor who, when rejected by friends and peers because of his sexuality, makes an attempt to take his life. Heartfelt and moving, this bittersweet tale won the 1994 Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short Film. Here's Sable Crow with his good friends Peggy Rajski and James Lecesne, two of the creators of the film. Hearts aflutter.




The Trevor Project has many fab events throughout the year. Remember my blog post about this year's Oscar party? But the big gala fundraiser of the year is called Cracked X-mas. This year the event honored Lifetime Television and Sigourney Weaver for the upcoming movie Prayers for Bobby about a religious mom turned activist when her gay son commits suicide.




Every year, Sable Crow gets a big table for the event and invites his nearest and dearest. This year that included his pretty brother and his even prettier wife.




His loverly "boss" and her husband.








His newest hot-like-fire (ahem) friend



And two of his oldest, most embarrassing friends.







Tonight we enjoyed the comedy of Wanda Sykes, giggled as the Spring Awakening cast belted out "You're Fucked" and were inspired by teenage honorees speaking out against discrimination.



We heard heartbreaking stories of gay teens whose lives have been saved by The Trevor Project and at one point, I randomly ran into the gorg friend I made at my Boston conference! He and Sable Crow know each other. It's a small small gay gay world ;)







We witnessed Anne Hathaway raffle herself off for $12K (she vowed to get the winner really, reeeally drunk!) and Fantasia Barrino kick off her shoes and bring the house down with that stunning voice.






Mr. D must have been jealous of all the attention Fantasia, Sable Crow and his Diabolina were getting. During the live auction, he raised his big baller paw and bid on one of the big prizes - a hoitty toitty trip to Hawaii!




Though a loyal supporter of various charities, this is the first time he's done anything so, um, public! As evidenced by his uncomf face in this pic. Look at the Trevor Project person grinning from ear to ear. I had just mouthed to him, "Did he just really bid?" "Yes" he mouthed back. And not only did Mr. D bid...he won!!! WE WON!!!!




From the stage, the auctioneers - Brad and Rachel from The Rachel Zoe Project!!! - complimented the winner's purple tie (Armani, natch!) and encouraged me to give him a little kiss if I expected to go to Hawaii with him. Aaaaaaaamazing!




As the event was wrapping up, with Sable Crow egging me on, I saddled up to Brad. He is a quite possibly one of the prettiest boys I have ever seen up close. And he was a total delight. Very bubbly and chatty. I asked him if the situation has gotten any better with Taylor and he said they are best friends now. We also discussed his incessant crying. He told me he gets teased mercilessly now but I whispered in his ear to keep right on balling. As a fellow crier, I condone inappropriate emotional outbursts. It's the only way to stay sane in an insane world. Needless to say, he ate me up.



After chatting for about five minutes he ever so graciously and formally introduced me to Rachel Zoe. Um, I FUCKING DIE! I don't think I've ever had an out of body experience before but I think our exchange was precisely that. I was super nervous but trying to act nonchalant. Alas, I am no actress.

So I twittered on and on about what a gift to be able to do what she does and the show getting picked up and how I've been with my mister for a decade and how lucky she is to have a supportive husband and how much I love fashion. She was very lovely and thanked me and called me sweet and said her husband is 95 percent angel. But it had been a long night for all of us and she was clearly ready to go. I thanked her for coming to the event and we parted with her saying, "I am kinda OBSESSED with the Trevor Project." I am kinda gonna hold her to that.

But my best star encounter of the night (and possibly ever) was with Mr. Michael Patrick King, head writer for Sex and the City!!!!! Again at Sable Crow's insistence, I mustered up the courage to go over and sheepishly ask for a picture. Not only did he agree, he fully chatted me up. He was engaging and genuine and a dream for what felt like an hour but must have only been 10 minutes.

I blathered on and on about how much Sex and the City meant to me as woman and fashionista. How inspiring it was to see droves of women come out for the movie. How proud he must be of what he's created with his writing.

He told me that the secret to the success of Sex and the City was simply "love." He said so many writers wanted to make the show about women being bitchy and jaded and ugly to men and to each other. But he said he was vigilant about storylines staying true to "love." He said that after the huge success of the movie, the big boys at the studios are finally starting to come around, starting to see that women aren't as one dimensional as they've been portrayed in Hollywood.


At one point, Sable Crow blurted out that I am a writer. Mr. King didn't miss a beat and asked what I write - TV, movies? Uncomf, I said I don't actually write for a living. Like a little devil/angel on my shoulder, Sable Crow again interjected that I have a blog. Ack - I could have strangled and french kissed him :)

Mr. King excitedly asked the name of my blog and I sheepishly told him. Then I did what I always do - what too many women do - I dismissed an accomplishment as trite. I said the blog is JUST about fashion and my life. F. Isn't that JUST what Sex and the City was about?

Mr. King said something to that effect. He also gave me the surefire way to break in to the business: kill someone and blog about it. Hilarious. AND brilliant ;)

Magical, emotional, wonderful night. The company, the stars, the cause. My family has been touched by suicide and as Sigourney Weaver said in her speech tonight, there is no more devasting way to lose someone. So enourmously proud of the important work Sable Crow is doing.

This Christmas, if you want to get me something, for the endless hours of entertainment I've provided you in 2008, donate to the Trevor Project. Your gift will help save a young life.

Oh and comment more often, dammit. I mean danke.



The Outfit
BCBG Max Azaria dress
Gucci coat

The Accessories
Fashion District earrings, bracelets and snake ring
YSL Tribute heels

The Grade
A



The Commentary
It is physically impossible for me to have a bad night in this dress. Every woman needs to be able to say that about at least one outfit in her closet. She needs to have an outfit that makes her feel beautiful and invincible and playful.



I got this mini as a hand me down from a friend of my mom's. Love the unapoligetic sparkle and how flattering it is around the holidays when I've been scarfing too many yams. It's been my formal go-to evening dress for about four years and I'm still not tired of it. Have worn it mostly to holiday work events. Once wore it to a tribute to Sean Connery where I sat at the same table as Bai Ling. Tonight's star gazing was much better.



Nearly pooped when I saw a similar Michael Kors dress on JLo and Jessica Simpson a few years ago.


When Sable Crow and I started plotting our outfits weeks ago, I knew this would be the perfect dress. Knew he would love it.



His fashion inspiration for the evening was a more recent development. When he sent me the invitation and I saw Rachel Zoe was scheduled to appear, I freaked. Being the intellectual he is, Sable Crow had no idea who she was. So I edumacated him. Sent him to the Bravo website, where he promptly fell in love with Brad's whole natty, foppish style.



With visions of Brad and a magazine Jean Bean sent him, Sable Crow rocked his amazing Persol glasses and a bow tie for the first time tonight! Adore.



My only beef was that he kept opening his eyes up like a deer caught in headlights all night for a very Woody Allen effect!





Oh and when he was mingling early in the night, he beelined for Brad and declared "You are my inspiration!" While totally ignoring Rachel Zoe. Classic naughty gay.



But maybe that's why Brad later complimented Mr. D's tie in front of god and everyone from the stage.


And why he was all over me at the end of the night - complimenting my dress and my "jewels."






Jewels! Ha! I think he'd DIE if he knew I picked up all my cheapie bling bling today in the fashion district for a grand total of $35.



With my mama







And Rachel would probably have used her husband as a human shield if she knew this week I stalked her most recent party outfits on style.com.



Wanted to see what she was feeling this holiday season in terms of colors palettes, shoes, hair, makeup, even nail color.







This recent picture caused quite the fashion conundrum this afternoon. I've never worn today's dress with tights. Always done it bare legged with a silver shoe. But tonight I debated doing it with black tights and the YSL tribute heels. Much more severe with the pink and black contrast. Also much more high fashion. Like Rachel's friend.

My mom voted for tights and black shoes. I voted for the bare legs and silver Gucci sandals. We compromised with no tights and the YSL heels.


Wasn't sure it was the right call until I was talking to Michael Patrick King. At one point I was so nervous and shifting my weight that I stepped on his foot. Um, maybe I stepped on his foot a couple of times!!!! Ugh.

The last time he jokingly said, "You better not step on my foot one more time..." and looked down at my shoes. He said they were fabulous, especially the front tip. This coming from a man who knows designer shoes! He asked me who they were by and I sniffed, "Yves Saint Laurent."

Then he asked me who the beautiful dress was by and I said "Oh this? This is trash. This is just BCBG. But everyone always loves it." So - to recap - not only did I step on the feet of the creator of Sex in the City in hooker YSL heels but I also insulted his taste in evening wear. Classic bad Diabolina!



p.s. Anne Hathaway was my favorite tonight - the hair, the ruffles, the belt, the deliciously hobbling heels.






Sarah Chalke was Sable Crow's fave. Very Coco.








Rumor Willis got the sparkle memo though the crowd wasn't too clear on why exactly she's considered a star.






And I'd be remiss in not commenting on the hullabaloo that this photo of Rachel at the event has caused on the internet. Now that I've met her and been around her energy (I know how New Age that sounds) I can't and I won't say a bad word about Rachel. In our brief encounter, she seemed frail and tired and like, every one of us, just plain human.


The last two years of my own life have been about shedding quite a bit of my judgmental tendencies. And the unattractive insecurity and immaturity that breeds judgment. I have a long long way to go but I am not interested in labeling people anymore - only clothes ;)

I don't want to judge lest I be judged. I want to understand other people in all their nuances, be kind to them in all their brokenness. Especially other women. I want only - as Michael Patrick King said - to love.

Professional pics from the event here.

BTW, I've reached my limit on images that I can upload to blogger hence the new photo hosting. No me gusta cuz the images are smaller so I will find a new solution soooooooon.