Holts, Holts, Holts!

Thanks to the careful tactical maneuvering of our friend Leni, Steffie and I were able to slip past the velvet ropes and red carpet and into the Holt Renfrew gala at their new Vancouver location last night.

The venue looked absolutely stunning, with a construction-type theme in white and pink, set in lots of colored lights. Models milled around in fashionably paint-splatterd white coveralls and white hardhats, while servers passed us gratis champagne and scrumptious tidbits (tiny mousse cakes and small chocolates, among many others) to nosh on as the extremely wealthy (and highly botox-ed) crowd milled about chatting and racking up purchases.

Holts was able to wrangle a few celebrities to the scene: Dave Navarro did some DJ-ing (shorter in person), Marcia Cross hammed for the cameras (skinnier in person), Rumer Willis (prettier in person), Patti LaBelle (who had better legs than any of us) and some local celebs, such as NHL-er Trevor Linden (scoping every girl that came up the escalator from his prime spot on the top floor), his teammate Willie Mitchell (keeping his hand on the back of his very thin girlfriend or wife), Vitamin V editor Sarah Bancroft (wearing a gorgeous dress), Bacardi marketing man-about-town Tyson Villeneuve (wearing a dapper Miami Vice-ish white suit), fashion photographer Gary Fitzpatrick and his fiancee trend consultant Renee Labbe (ok, she also happens to be my awesome boss) and TV anchorman Tony Parsons (also on the diminutive side).

Patti LaBelle's performance was off the hook and amazing -- Steffie and I happened to be nearby as she took the stage, so we were literally in touching distance. First of all, she looks pretty much flawless for a woman over fifty. Second, the lady can SING, hence her dazzling music career. Third, she had better legs than any one of us girls. Fourth, Patti wore the most bling-ed out Christian Louboutin pumps I've ever laid eyes on: sky-high -- she was gripping the piano to hold herself up at times, that's how high they were -- with crystal studded heels.

Many of the women -- who were in very stunning dresses -- were probably super rich clients who drop oodles of cash at Holts per annum. I predict more than three-quarters of these ladies were at least ten years older than they looked, thanks to cosmetic surgery, expensive makeup and a few shots of botox here and there. Handsome, distinguished men abounded -- no doubt, they funded the said clothing purchases and surgery enhancements. The latter also preferrred the younger female set, judging by the numerous once overs we received throughout the evening. A little creepy, in a May-December kind of way. My favorite pair of the evening had to be Leni's friends from the Holts shoe department, both of whom were from New York -- via England -- and both of whom wore the best circle, tortoise-shell rimmed glasses and Duckie Brown short-hem pants. With yellow socks. Now that's bold.

The store itself is massively big, with couture and accesssories everywhere. I took a peek at the Marni section, where my friend A-Lice is the specialist and where some of my next paychecks may very well be spent. It'll be easier to get a feel for the layout once I go back and see it without the stage and other decorative accoutrements the event planners installed for the evening. A certain white Chloe dress (oh yes, you know who you are) beckoned me to return soon, as I glided down to the ground level and into the dancefloor last night.

I happened to be one of a few not wearing a dress. After dinner and drinks with a friend at Section 3 yesterday, I only had time to hoof it back to my apartment, throw on skinny black pants and black blazer for -- voila! -- a fairly chic paintsuit paired with my favorite green and white Gucci-esque vintage sheer shirt, gold clutch and matching jewelry. I kind of liked being NOT one of the crowd. I also liked that my skinny pants didn't actually feel skinny on me around the waist! Mon dieu!

Upon our departure, we were bestowed with giftbags containing a gorgeous silver pen from Links Of London, who coincidentally happened to be a PR client when I worked at the L.A. office of Tracy Paul & Company. Okay, Steffie and I would've loved a gift certificate or some makeup, but beggars can't be choosers...or is it bloggers can't be choosers? Anyhoo...

All in all, it was a fantastically fun way to spend a Tuesday night in a normally sleepy Vancouver city. I'm hoping this Holt Renfrew gala -- which gave us a taste of the kind of events big, bad department stores like Bergdorfs and Saks do on a weekly basis in NYC -- will kickstart a slew of exciting, glamourous soirees that the fashion crowd, social set, tastemakers and movers and shakers in this town have been begging to see for the past few years.

Vancouver, it's your time to socially shine.

And thanks for last night's good times, Holt Renfrew.






I'm Lovin' it: Summer equals hot, especially when living in a downtown apartment without AC, constant sunlight and windows that crack open only a few inches for safety measure purposes. That's why I'm seriously contemplating getting one of these super-duper adorable and colored deco table fans from The Company Store. There's no way to look cute and sweaty at the same time, believe me I've tried.






I'm Over it: Slooooooooow days at work.







Art of the Day: Wooster Collective always puts up new mastheads done by artists who send in their own creative versions. I particularly like this one by Fetch, which mimicks a subway grid-slash-map with its pinpoints indicating the name of a well-known street artist. Pure awesome-ness.







* Photos property of thecompanystore.com, woostercollective.com, Google Images