Weak Suites week with canceled events, meager pickings and fewer celebs wanting to be seen taking luxury goods after the devastating strike

By Karen Loftus

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 2/23/08 — The lag in the swag started two years ago when the IRS came to town with the threat of taxing the luxury gifts given to stars in gift bags that were sometimes touted to be worth $100,000. Celebrities, who would end up not using or re-gifting most of the over-valued contents anyway, and hardly wanted to owe the taxman $30,000 for the one watch,iPod and bottle of shampoo they decided to keep.

Oddly, the IRS threat inflated the gifting suite cottage industry last year as celebs, fearing the end of an era, showed up in droves.

Tax is no longer the issue. It’s the missed income that has caused a noticeable sag in the swag and a lag in suites week activity. Oscars, the king of all awards shows, typically produces the mother lode of swag suites. Not so this year.

The hangover from the strike that saw Vanity Fair and People magazines as well as some studios cancel their parties carried over into the suites, as Hollywood-oriented companies had tightened their belts. Meanwhile, some stars didn’t want to be seen accepting luxury swag while others nearly lost their homes during the 100-day work stoppage or fans lost homes to subprime mortgage woes.

(See sweet HT Video on Gifting Suites 2008)

Previous years, one could expect to hit a dozen or so top drawer celeb suites from sprawling estates hidden in the Hollywood Hills to salon style homes where beauty (Fredrik Fakai, Anastasia) and style celebs opened up their pocketbooks, homes and salons (Sonya Dakar) to cater to the elite for the week, providing the best in beauty treatments, eats, sweets, spirits and of course the enviable batch of tech, lifestyle and fashion freebies.

The Writer’s Strike is over, but the repercussions live on. Is it a recession, a change in values, a new political and social climate or just a bump in the red carpet? Only time will tell.

Until then, we can tell you what we saw this weak suites week. In Hollywood, the land of wretched excess, perhaps less may be better. There were fewer, more scaled down suites than in previous years and much harder to get in to. Yet, the few we swept through still had the film festive vibe in the air.

If you closed your eyes for a minute and clicked your well-heeled Hollywood heels, you could still hear your own inner whisper, “There’s no place like Hollywood. There’s no place like Hollywood. There’s no place…”

Sunset People

Gavin Kelly of GBK, a fundraising and special event firm has become a swag suite mainstay for all major festivals and award shows in LA and elsewhere. GBK along with PR powerhouse, Howard Bragman’s Fifteen Minutes typically takes over The Roosevelt Hotel or the more recent sister property, The Thompson Hotel, but this go around they set up shop at the Sunset Blvd’s club, Boulevard 3.

Gavin champions many causes with celebrity support, interest and celeb backing with their names attached. There’s always philanthropic beneficiaries attached to his events.

Today’s suite was no different as Leeza Gibbon’s was on site with her Leeza Gibbon’s Memory Foundation, a support organization she created for Alzheimer’s caregivers. This was inspired by her own experience caring for her mother. This struck a personal chord. Leeza was incredibly warm, informative and impassioned. Lovely!

Hollywood royalty and writer, UK’s own Jackie Collins hit 3 Lab skincare, where she was raving about hot hearsay on the line. Spencer of 3 Lab said that Farrah Fawcett and Dyan Cannon were fans as was Oprah’s make up artist Reggie who gave Spencer his home address to get to Oprah direct.

Other skin things, Kiwi based Electric Body, Israeli Nava scrub and Revitalash, which convinces others you’re wearing false eyelashes, it’s that good. For your inner beauty Via Vente, the liquid fruit and veggie fest is your best bet. If you need to get your chew on, take a bite out of and Chez Robert’s Catering. He has delivered organic, vegan meals to Madonna, Demi, Leo, Gisele and the best bods in the biz. First he checks your blood, determines deficiencies, then gets busy getting your bod ready for the perfect shot.

Foodies fear not. Vidala was grilling meats, sausage and salmon for the festive folks while Appetite Down slipped us natural suppressants, candy to keep we grill girls in check and red carpet ready.

Style Network’s Hollywood Celebrity LASIK Eye Surgeon Dr. Paul Dougherty, THE Lasik surgeon in Hollywood was dishing out the charm and his 5 K lasik certificates. Cinzia provided super stylish readers for the visually impaired, J & Company, Eva’s favorite denim was on deck slipping celebs in to this season’s best, while Patooties wrapped unique Israeli designer’s (Hely & Sea) rings and bracelets on the charmed.

GBK always gets the celeb set on deck with Oscar winner Helen Mirren at last year’s suite. Today, Chris McDonald, CSI’s Hil Harper and Fed Ex Shar Jackson were representing.

Hollywood Spooning

The Goddesses of Given Goodies, Silver Spoon’s Melissa Lemer and Lorena Bendinkas were the first to host an event at The Kress in Hollywood. The newly remodeled venue, formerly Frederick’s of Hollywood on The Boulevard upped their ante and their sex appeal, as the space was decadent. The Kress will be open for food, beverage ad business soon.

Ben Russo of Entertainment Fusion Group provided the PR punch for the two-day event. Reed thin, Tara Reid scooped up a new BF and bright pink, German made, Titan luggage. Scott Baio with the Mrs. got luggage and Single dresses for the lady.

The fashion savvy grabbed internationally known, LA based Charlie Lapson bags, Desert Blue denim and sleek Jawbone Bluetooth headset, which rids your ear of extraneous outside noise and prevents others from hearing what’s coming in on the other end.

For the dermis diva, there was the French Adorage, which I adored. It promises to plump like Juvaderm. Once lines were diminished, Cosminiology provided mineral makeovers and Altoids threw in Double chocolate dipped mints.

For those likely to imbibe Fish Eye was spot on with their boxed wine, both environmental and recreational. Marani vodka was showing off their new sleek bottle while Lotus was debuting their vitamin and caffeine infused vodka, the true breakfast of champions.

Loser Gets All

Hollywood based company; Distinctive Assets (DA) created a winning situation. Those Oscar noms that don’t win the award do manage to score some serious goodies. The Best and Supporting Actor, Actress and Director noms that don’t win the golden guy are sent a basket of love, delivered to their very door the next day. It’s sure to soften the previous night’s blow.

In step with ever changing climate in Tinseltown, DA in light of the recent writer’s strike chose a select array of goodies that were fun, functional and relaxing.

Celebs will wake up right on time and in fashion with Ritmo’s Palazzo watch complete with 6 interchangeable bands and a $20,000 gift certificate for them to come to the store to pick a watch of their choosing. Other goodies included Unite sent hairspray (my fave), Nutrifit, Revaleskin, ToeMates, a home mini keg, Heineken’s own Beertender and tons of other goodies.

If that doesn’t take away the pain, they can getaway with a Caribbean Escape or pop over to La Costa Resort and Spa.

In LA it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. Just get in the game. Then it’s truly win win.