Tori Launches Maven in Miami
"I'm obsessed with the novelty of having money and lounging by the pool."
MIAMI: Monday, June 13, 2005
To celebrate the Miami launch of Tori Spelling’s jewelry line, Maven, and the opening of the fabulous new hotel Le Meridien in Sunny Isles, a flock of fashionable folks from New York and Los Angeles flew into Florida. Edgardo Defortuna of Fortune International realty, whose beautiful wife Ana Cristina was stunning in YSL, sponsored the party. The crowd was dressed to the nines. “They don’t hesitate to throw a look on,” observed Mickey Boardman (in a Marni shirt and tote bag). “They’re Academy Awards-like looks here tonight.” Working red-carpet ready outfits were South Beach socialites like Andrea Greenberg, handsome real estate mogul Casey Koslowski, Saks Fifth Avenue’s Sonia Gibson, Tara Salomon, Elena A. Baronoff (in tons of jewels by Rosalina), Amy Zakarin, and artist Michael Tronn. Liz Lind went casual in jeans and a gold Marni top. She drove in for the event from Palm Beach. “I had to get out of PB this weekend,” Lind reported. “I just adore Miami and this hotel is amazing.”
Spelling, the belle of the ball in a tropical green gown by Milly, arrived with a posse of PYTs, including husband Charlie Shanian, Maven co-founder and designer Mehran Farhat, superstar publicist Brian Long, talent manager Geordi Frye, and model Rob Williams, who was the runner-up in the beefcake reality contest Manhunt. To combat the cloudy weather blues, Spelling scoured the city’s hot boutiques in a different Mercedes Benz every day. She scored “the most coveted bag of the season,” the Chloe Paddington, at Intermix. At Chroma, on Lincoln Road (where Maven is sold) she bought a pair of Jane Mayle shoes. In Bal Harbour, she got her hair and makeup done at JMD salon. Spelling also hit Tomas Maier’s fashion/lifestyle store and gallery, leaving with two Slim Aarons photographs, one of Robert Evans’ Beverly Hills pool and the other of Babe Paley in the Bahamas. “I’m obsessed with the novelty of having money and lounging by the pool,” Spelling explained. “I gravitated towards the picture of Babe Paley because she’s just so fabulous. That’s how I see myself: in big sunglasses and high heels with a martini by the pool.” Spelling also told us that she has Intermix hunting for the Chloe Silverado bag. “It’s the best bag of the season. I want one in every color—in python of course.”
Speaking of color and beauty and money, we can’t wait for “Inherited Beauty,” photographer Roger Moenks’ book of top socialites at home around the globe. Moenks is shooting the best of the international chic-ette set, like Emilia Fanjul, Celerie Kemble, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Marisa Noel Brown, Olivia Chantecaille, Tinsley Mortimer, Allegra Hicks, Bettina Zilkha and Liz Lind. Moenks and partner Laurent Alfieri are scheduled to visit social beauties in New York, Paris, London, Madrid and even India, to name just a few locales. Roger darling, The Daily is ready for our closeup.
Working the room, we got up close and personal with guests like Ronnie Cutrone, Rima Suqi, and Joyce Bautista, who is an editor at Fairchild’s new hip parenting magazine, Cookie. Stephen Dorff turned heads with his newly dyed jet-black locks. Just before midnight, the party’s VIPs retired to Spelling’s duplex penthouse suite, replete with a roof deck and gurgling hot tub. As Perrier Jouet was poured and platters of food from Bice were gobbled up, the conversation turned to what makes someone a true style maven. “It’s someone who is original and not afraid to take chances. It’s not following trends,” Spelling opined. We wondered if Spelling had eye-spied any good style while in Miami. “There are a lot of enormous boobs here,” she cracked. Mickey Boardman cited Anna Piaggi and Isabella Blow as worthy of the title Fashion Maven. “They take their fashion seriously,” he explained.“They are people who have a look and work it. And you’re always excited to see them.” And Mr. Mickey, we’re always excited to see you.
PETER DAVIS Photo by Getty Images
