We claimed our spot by the catwalk for Boston University’s “Art Nouveau” Fashion Show and Art Exhibit, where we scoped out local student designers’ collections that could totally be rocked on the runways of Heidi Klum and company.

Surrounded by the Fuller Art Gallery’s abstract works and thudding music, Bostonista spotted Stil designer and Boston University graduate Sam Mendoza, who was reliving the scene that kicked off his career. (more…)

Outside of low-budget school plays and small-town versions of the Nutcracker, it had been some time since we’d taken in a real production, so we were eager to attend Carrie Fisher‘s Wishful Drinking.

For those Bostonistas old enough to remember, Fisher, the offspring of actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher, was the sultry/cranky Princess Leia before she got into drugs, was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, and dropped off the face of the planet.

Now, she’s back, touring America with her one-woman show and offering up a few laughs about her whole ordeal. (Sounds a lot like a certain someone else we know—we’re looking at you, Britney.)

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Tuesday night, we primped and preened for the opening party for the new Mizu salon at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The local elite squad was out in full force, dressed to kill, and showing off their most fabulous fall numbers with the chic coifs to match.

Once through Mizu’s entrance, we tunneled into a bright white cavernous space that made us think of an Arctic igloo. Evocative of the Swedish Ice Hotel, the futuristic aesthetic and minimalist decor is like no other salon we’ve ever seen in town.

Mizu is the first of two new salons by Elan Sassoon—one here, and one in New York—and yes, he’s the son of Vidal Sassoon. He takes after dad, for sure. Reknowned architect Niall McLaughlin designed the place, which is equipped with incredible technology like eyewear that allows guests to watch TV while getting revamped in the stylist’s chair. As for the services, they offer cuts, color, and makeup application—all of which promise to compliment each customer’s bone structure and individual style. (more…)

At last week’s Best of Boston Style party, magazine staffers, winners, and guests swigged scrumptious gin martinis as they indulged in topnotch shopping and pampering. Inside the Back Bay Events Center, beauty pros from Mario Russo Salon, Emerge, Moore Massage, and Ardan provided complimentary services including mini-facials, hairstyling, and chair rubdowns.

Though models showed off fall styles from award-winning boutiques like GrettaLuxe, Stil, and LuxCouture, which offered a selection of their wares for sale, they weren’t the only ones strutting their stuff:

Click here to check out the fashionable crowd, sporting looks from rocker chic to country club cool.

—STEFANIE TUDER & EMILY A. BROWN

Set in New York but filmed right here in Boston, The Women made its local debut on Monday night at AMC Loews Boston Common theater. The remake of the 1930s film stars Dove, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Lexus. (Secondary players include Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing, Cloris Leachman, Carrie Fisher, Debi Mazar, Candice Bergen, Bette Midler, and Eva Mendes.)

Even more surprising was the number of scenesters that actually showed up on a Monday, during Gossip Girl—thank you Comcast gods for DVR!—for the screening and afterparty, which was held on the Liberty Hotel’s fifth floor balcony. (more…)

Last night, we were this close to having a one night stand. It was at the Achilles Project’s Shopping Under the Influence Party. And it wasn’t with a dude. It was with a dress.

The Fort Point Channel boutique-and-restaurant-in-one threw one impressive soiree, combining four of our favorite things: shopping, sipping, eating, and sales. Everything in the store was already slashed 50 percent (and will still be marked down all next week, and until the fall merch hits the racks). But party guests got an additional 10 percent off just for showing up last night. Add to that the complimentary cocktails from Stoli Blackberi and Bacardi, and tasty bites from Persephone’s menu, and my how the credit cards came out to play. (more…)

Yes, we made it to work today. And, considering last night was the annual Best of Boston party, that’s no small feat.

Creatively held at the Conley Container Terminal in South Boston, the summer’s most talked about bash (and most exclusive guest list) hosted 1,500 partiers and celebrated 350 award winners. For security reasons, guests were shuttled from drop-off points via trolleys (which gave the evening a bit of sorority formal flair) and school buses (which lent a dose of summer camp nostalgia) to the event entrance. As PR riot Chris Haynes spun it, “The school buses are hilarious! What fun!”

With such a vast crowd of winners, socialites, and publicists, it was impossible to get face time with everyone, but Bostonista—and our silk Alexander Wang romper suit, which was not a Fashion Masochist test drive, thank you very much—stole moments with some of our favorites: Mario Russo (whose Louis Boston locale won Best Salon), Ben and Tonya Mezrich (both were fresh of a plane from Paris, the latter wearing a spangled Paillette dress and Louboutins she bought there), an old man who says he does something in politics called Tony Nunziante, Jeffrey Lyle (Best Hair Colorist, Blonde), Bryan Rafanelli (who masterminded the party along with Boston’s crackerjack marketing team), and Debi Greenberg of Louis Boston (winner of multiple awards), among others.

And though we were too busy schmoozing and sipping on Moet , our cube neighbor just told us the Celtics’ NBA trophy also made an appearance. Victory all around! (more…)

The next time Bostonista accepts an invitation from Chowder for an evening on the town, you can bet your bile duct it won’t be a weeknight. Especially if said evening involves the bar at Eastern Standard. More specifically, an evening at Eastern Standard that entails a flight of cocktails numbering in the double digits.

(To review: Chowder, weeknight, Eastern Standard, double-digit cocktail flight, not happening again. Any. Time. Soon. Or at least not until August.)

Here’s how it happened. (more…)

Every so often Bostonista has a hankering for a road trip. Last week’s tropical weather—sunshine one minute, thunder and lightening the next—put us in the mood to skip town for a night, Boys on the Side-style. (Minus the men, natch; oh, and Drew Barrymore.) Lucky for us, earlier in the month we’d been invited to posh Kennebunkport for the opening party of Hidden Pond, that town’s newest luxury resort.

Created by power developers Tim Harrington and Juan Urtubey, Hidden Pond is like the Ritz Carlton of summer camps. Fourteen “cottages”—and these are cottages the way the homes along Newport’s Cliff Walk are cottages—dot a compound landscaped with towering birch trees and thick ferns. A paved walkway connects the two-bedroom houses, each of which was decorated by a different interior designer.

By the time we arrived, very fashionably late, the 400-person casual gala was in full swing. We were greeted by Boston realtor extraordinaire Ricardo Rodriguez, our host for the evening, and his partner, Menino right-hand man Michael Kelley. We sipped champagne-infused lemonade and cottage hopped, meeting local and national designers and the who’s-who of Kennebunkport.

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With party season in full swing, last night provided no shortage of social options. Gaslight threw a soiree on its patio. And Esquire held an event for media and subscribers at Eastern Standard.

But the biggest, most see-and-be-seen bash of the evening was not so easily accessible, requiring a trip to the ‘burbs, believe it or not. Six hundred guests endured heinous off-Pike traffic to celebrate the opening of Hotel Indigo in Newton. (more…)