The night before the Oscars, a short drive from the Chanel party at the Beverly Hills Hotel, was an altogether different scene, one for those who prefer rhinestones to tweed and have more than embraced the presence of plastic surgery in their lives. Philipp Plein had once again opened the doors of his Bel Air home to throw an eveningwear runway show, called his Oscars Celebration night.
As was the case last year, the main mansion — called Chateau Falcon View — is still under construction, so the party was hosted at the lot’s guest house.
“It’s a little bit small, but it’s OK,” said Plein of the guest house, a stunning structure itself, complete with chandeliers and a fountain in the foyer.
In addition to the runway show, the evening was attended by the likes of Jonathan Cheban, Ellen von Unwerth and Bonnie Tyler, who concluded the show with “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Much of the night seemed a content-gathering opportunity for the attendees, most of whom were Philipp Plein clients who lined up to greet the designer after the show.
“It’s a very special moment for L.A.,” Plein said of Oscars weekend. “The West Coast in terms of fashion is really far away from the rest of what’s going on. You have Paris and you have Milan, then you have London, then you have New York, so it is not a fashion hotspot in general. I think there is a great opportunity during the Oscars to do such events because the whole world is here. You have media attention from all over the world, and it’s a great opportunity to do something.”