Daily Front Row

2008 September 12

Women's World

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Meg Ryan in L'Wren Scott with Mick Jagger and the designer
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(NEW YORK) The 1939 original The Women might have had the MGM backing, studio goddesses that completed the cast, and art direction budget galore, but it didn’t have Mick Jagger at its premiere. The living legend stopped by with his girlfriend L'Wren Scott at The Cinema Society and Nars-hosted screening of the updated version of the film. He didn’t have the patience to sit through full few hours of female driven melodrama, but he did entertain stunned guests at the after party. The film’s star Meg Ryan even wore Scott for the occasion. “I had no idea L'Wren was even showing earlier today,” she said. “I guess my outfit tonight is an inadvertent tribute to her.”

And Fashion Week was a big theme at last night’s premiere. Jada Pinkett Smith and Bette Midler went to Zac Posen's show in between the red carpet and the party, while Eva Mendes graced Calvin Klein’s front row earlier in the day. “My daughter and I have a tradition of watching The Women together every year,” smiled Midler. “This year we broke our streak and attended the Zac Posen show.” Meanwhile, Mendes couldn’t stop raving about her fashion enabler. “I’ve had a wonderful day today,” she gushed. “I went from being in a total runway heaven at Francisco’s show to being  here with my gals.”

Before watching the screening, Valentino Garavani admitted that he wasn’t too familiar with the new cast. “I came because I’m such a big fan of 1930’s original,” offered the designer. “Those women walked around in their outfits and they had a lot of spunk! So much fashion… so much passion. But truthfully, I don’t even know who is in the new film. Who is in it?” By the time he finished the film and joined the after-party on the roof of the Gramercy Park Hotel, he discovered new things to admire about the updated version.

Joining the fashion immortal at the bash were Julia Stiles, Ana Gasteyer, Lauren Bush, Barbara Walters, Jill Hennessy, Clive Davis, Bettina Zilkha, Maggie Rizer, Ryan Lochte, Karen Duffy, Ghislaine Maxwell, Valesca Guerrand-Hermes and Andrew Saffir. “I went from Testosterone central on Etourage to estrogen overload on the set of this movie,” laughed Debi Mazar in between the intakes of desserts, kobe beef burgers and risotto. “And somewhere in the middle is a happy medium.”

Smith was just delighted about seeing the equilibrium of sexes at the event. “We’ve had some men on the set but not too many,” she pointed out. “Usually when you’re a woman, you’re basically the only girl on the lot--which has its perks as well I guess! But tonight and beyond I want women, girls, boys, and men to enjoy our labor of love.”
VALENTINE UHOVSKI and NOLA WEINSTEIN