FASHION Magazine

By Amy Burstyn

Photography by Natasha Penzo

The Sexy and the City party, to celebrate the teaming of Ford Models and the L’Oreal brands Redken 5th Avenue and Maybelline New York, was set to be one of the year’s most star-studded, and I was asked, for the first time, to conduct the red carpet interviews. As a reporter next to me termed it, I was about to “lose my red carpet virginity.” 

While a snow storm raged outside, guests managed to arrive dressed to the nines. While most stars, like Sarah Slean and Eva Avila wore designer duds such as Chanel and Tevrow + Chase, Db Clifford threw on “whatever I could find. I just got back from six weeks of touring and one thing that people don’t realize when your touring is that you don’t have time to do laundry – ever.” His apparel consisted of his wedding shoes and a tie that his wife used to wear when she worked in room service at a hotel in Victoria. He believed it all to be good luck, and who can argue with that?

As I stood along the stationed divide between the red carpet and the throngs of reporters, there was one star in particular that everyone was waiting for. Often referred to by his screen name, “Mr. Big,” Chris Noth’s entrance was confirmed by the PR reps every 20 minutes until his arrival, two hours later. Even Divine Brown commented how eager she was to “watch some beautiful people…one beautiful person in particular,” as she entered the party to find her pre-ordered apple martini.  Everyone was in high spirits as they noshed on Chinese food in mini take-out boxes and treated themselves to the self-serve candy bar.

Tara Spencer-Nairn, of Corner Gas, was in a particularly fantastic mood as she discussed her triumph over quitting smoking (over a year now), and her upcoming nuptials. She was a good sport for our camera, flashing her gorgeous rock, while her fiancé watched from behind the scenes. "He doesn’t do the red carpet,” Tara remarked,  but he was happy to join in the festivities afterwards. 

When Chris Noth finally emerged, I was taken aback by how much taller he looked in person, and how good he looked, all decked out in a stunning Hugo Boss suit.  My turn came to interview him, and I was practically shaking, when he suddenly grabbed my microphone and let out a rocker-like “whooooa” into the mouth-piece. 

I jumped up to retrieve it, and he playfully handed it back, as I tried to compose myself enough to ask him some form of intelligent question. But alas, amid talk of his plans for Christmas, and his personal actions in the fight against global warming, all I could focus on were his staggeringly large feet that seemed to dominate the red carpet, a topic we reporters had been discussing since he arrived. When I finally gave in and asked the burning question, to my surprise Chris actually removed his shoe to correctly identify his proper dimensions (size 13), while flash bulbs went off ecstatically beside my head. When asked if he would be game to party later that night, Chris replied, in a most Mr. Big sort of fashion, “What do you got? I’ll try anything twice.”

When all was said and done, and the stars had all gone inside, I realized that my own shoes, after standing in one spot for two hours, were doing me a painful injustice. I spent the rest of the party hobbling around, hoping for a vacant seat, seriously contemplating indulging in the free wash and blow-dry treatment offered at the Redken hair station, but opting instead to fix my problem with a couple of delicious apple martinis. When I finally gave way to my burning soles and left the party, I immediately removed my shoes, and spent the next week at the office in the most fashionable flats I could find, still basking in my moment with the stars.

Shown: Tara Spencer-Nairn of Corner Gas.

Read Michelle Bilodeau's account of inside the party!

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