J.J. Abrams and Coach host benefit for kids
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Leave it to Hollywood multi-hyphenate J.J. Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath, to bring out the big stars in Santa Monica on a Wednesday night.
Abrams opened the roof deck of his Bad Robot studio to an impressive crowd, including Jennifer Garner, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Joy Bryant, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Monaghan and others. The occasion? A cocktail party and Coach shopping event, with all proceeds going to the Children’s Defense Fund, a nonprofit child advocacy organization.
For the Coach folks in from New York, it may have felt like spring, but in L.A., it was an unseasonably cool night. Garner accessorized her black Oscar de la Renta sheath with a camel Jenni Kayne coat and Coach’s python Kristin clutch, while choreographer Fatima Robinson wore black leggings with over-the-knee Tommy Hilfiger duck boots.
Guests lounged on pillows with Coach logos, while sipping vodka lemonades and eating comfort-food appetizers, such as miniature chicken-and-waffles.
In between bites Jennifer Rade, stylist and co-host of ‘TV Guide Fashion Wrap,’ was monitoring the last minutes of an EBay auction on her iPhone. The item she had her eye on was an ostrich-feather cropped jacket for a music-industry client. Speaking of music, Joy Bryant said she was still recovering from the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, while others were already looking ahead to Easter weekend. Stylist and E! ‘Fashion Police’ co-host George Kotsiopoulos was headed to ‘Sting and Trudie’s house,’ while Rade was planning to hop over the hill to Lisa Rinna’s annual Easter egg hunt in the Valley. (Who knew Easter Sunday was such a glam holiday?)
Other partygoers skipped the small talk and got straight to shopping. The bags on the shelves were going almost as fast as the chicken and waffles, particularly the Madison collection Sophia satchel ($498), in laser-cut white leather resembling eyelet.
Guests were also able to shop a handful of turn-lock styles from the Coach Classics collection (at right), originally introduced in the 1970s by designer Bonnie Cashin. Sadly, the iconic bucket bag (if only I had held onto my mother’s!!) was not up for grabs at the party. But that style and others will be available for $298 to $498 at Net-a-porter.com beginning June 15.
-- Booth Moore
Top photo left to right, Michelle Monaghan, Amy Adams, J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Garner and Scarlett Johansson at ‘An Evening of Cocktails and Shopping to Benefit the Children’s Defense Fund,’ hosted by Coach at Bad Robot on April 20, 2011, in Santa Monica. Middle photo: handbags for sale at the party. Credit: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Coach. Bottom photo: Coach Classics collection. Credit: Net-a-porter
