KIDS STUFF
It was a fab day out with the family as John Varvatos hosted his annual Stuart House bash in West Hollywood. Supermodel mom Cindy Crawford looked kickback cool in her boho chic peasant blouse and oversized hoop earrings while the host went hip in his black button down vest, skinny tie and JV shades. Cindy co-chaired the event with hubby Rande Gerber and got an entourage of Malibu pals like Jeremy Piven to stop by and show their support.
A slew of scenesters and their tony tots packed the flagship store and surrounding streets for an afternoon of fun and fundraising. There was plenty of action at the silent auction area. If you were in the market for a pricy purse or tasteful tote this was handbag heaven. The goodies up for grabs included an Oscar de la Renta beaded clutch, a Dolce and Gabanna carryall, an Armani rhinestone stunner worthy of any red carpet, and of course lots of glorious Gucci with the classic logo design.
There were great weekend getaways and wicker baskets piled high with designer scents, lotions and potions. In addition to dining packages at LA’s top eateries, food fans put down bids on classy cookware. Lovers of celeb chef Mario Battali found everything but the kitchen sink in his charity bag, which was packed with his cheery tangerine-colored line. In addition to measuring spoons, grinders, pizza slicers, he even threw in an autographed pair of his signature orange crocs.
Inside shoppers were snapping up John’s casual and stylish clothing-buttery leather jackets, crisp linen trousers, cool cargo shorts, Italian booties, classic cable knit sweaters, zip up hoodies and raw silk scarves as well as Converse tennies, all at a special Stuart House price.
But the most popular spot of all was the kids’ corner, which was turned into a playful romper room filled with hundreds of colorful helium balloons. Red carpet moms like Angie Harmon read to an audience of pint-sized pals, while others showed off their artistic skills and munched on kid-friendly fare like pizza, peanut butter and jelly, and burgers.
What would a day out with the kids be without a little music to liven things up and for that, John lined up the classic rock band Cheap Trick. The gang grooved to hits like “Surrender” and “I Want You to Want Me.” ’70s icon Alice Cooper even got in on the act, joining Robin Zander on vocals.
The live auction featured hot must haves like two tickets to the “Dancing With the Stars” finale and a personal patrol flight on a Los Angeles County patrol helicopter. Cindy and Rande walked away with the top bid on a holiday party for the kids and their families.
The event raised nearly half a million dollars for Stuart House, an internationally recognized model program that serves the needs of sexually abused children at the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center’s Rape Treatment Center.