Archive: January 25th, 2007

Swag suites tend to be frenzied and noisy, with publicists breathlessly offering their goods while photographers record the stars deciding what they want (for free). Luckily, the hectic vibe at Sundance was tempered by some stars taking the time to actually give back. At the Gibson/Getty/ET Lounge, Mandy Moore, Josh Hartnett and more autographed a Gibson guitar which will be part of an April 2007 live auction off to benefit Gulf Coast musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. Starting Feb. 6, you can bid at charityfolks.com for thousands of dollars worth of Rebecca Beeson items (from the Premiere Lounge) donated by Sienna Miller and Robin Wright Penn to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Neutrogena (at the Luxury Lounge) had more than 75 stars — including Justin Timberlake, Laura Linney and Rainn Wilson — make original drawings for an eBay auction to benefit the American Cancer Society. And celebs took matters into their own hands as well: Kevin Bacon has organized an eBay auction of not only his own loot from the Marquee Suite, but also donated swag from stars including wife Kyra Sedgwick, Diddy and Keri Russell. Proceeds will benefit the Network for Good through the actor’s new foundation Six Degrees.

Photo: Marsaili McGrath/Getty

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Oh, if only we could have been a fly on the clothing racks when one of our favorite stars hit one of our favorite stores. While some celebrities demand that stores be closed just for their private shopping pleasure, Drew Barrymore simply arrived at the flagship Oxford Street Topshop store in London with a small group of pals towards the end of the day on Tuesday. With other customers milling about, Drew enjoyed a style advisor session, which is a personal shopping service that Topshop offers free of charge for all customers (what, no stylist in tow?). We don’t know exactly what the Music & Lyrics star made off with, but we do know one perk she enjoyed — Drew got to keep shopping past the store’s usual 9 pm closing time. Lucky girl!

Read more about Drew’s style in our archives.

Photo: LIMELIGHT

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At this week’s NYC premiere of hubby Liam Neeson’s new film Seraphim Falls, Natasha Richardson looked beautiful and elegant — and more than a little bit familiar. Not only had she worn her J. Mendel fur-trimmed frock to the premiere of her mother’s film Venus back in December, but she even accesorized it the same way with strappy heels and a soft updo. At the Venus premiere, Richardson told PEOPLE of her dress, “[Designer Gilles Mendel] came up with this fabulous dress for The White Countess premiere, and he sent me a great dress for the Dreamgirls premiere, so I went and bought this.” We think Natasha looked great both times, and why not wear a dress to events twice — especially if you paid for it? So, tell us: What do you think? Should more stars wear their dresses again to events?

See our weekly I Really Love My… gallery for pieces that the stars love to wear again, and again.

Photo: Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic; Marion Curtis/Startraks

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Have you ever looked at those clingy gowns on the red carpet and cursed the women wearing them for being so preternaturally smooth? Not so fast — from Sienna Miller to Meryl Streep, this season’s award shows are packed with stars who rely on body-slimming Spanx. Sienna recently admitted that her Spanx keep everything wobbly “hidden and squashed!” And Globe winner Helen Mirren had her stylist call in enough of the size-reducing undergarments to “to last her all awards season.” Other fans of Spanx at the Golden Globes included winners Emily Blunt and America Ferrera — women after our own hearts (and Spanx-clad hips!). You can bet on seeing the effects of Spanx on more than a few women at Sunday’s SAG awards, too.

For all the award show gossip, check in with our Red Carpet Confidential blog.

Photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Photo: PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Pizzello/AP

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