USA: Nominees, beauty, environmental causes and David Beckham are popular topics as Hollywood prepares for Golden Globes Awards

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presents the annual Golden Globe Awards on Monday (January 15), announced that it had reached an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service to satisfy past tax obligations on the plush gift packages given to awards-show presenters. The end result: No such swag will be handed out at this year's show. That didn't stop nominees and celebrities from indulging at celebrity suites held at hotels and private mansions before the big event. A "gifting suite" is rooms stocked with designer purses, clothing, jewellery, sunglasses and other freebies for celebs to snap up. Suites also have staff beauty pros on hand to primp, powder or pedicure famous folks, free of charge, of course. Golden Globes nominees who visit the L'Oreal Paris Beauty Suite at The HBO Golden Globes Luxury Lounge while be pampered with beauty makeovers and with an exclusive, luxury compact designed by Kwiat. The L'Oréal Paris 2007 Red Carpet Compact will be presented to all the Golden Globes' female nominees in all categories. "Of course we have Beyonce and if you saw "DreamGirls" it is incredible and of course Scarlet Johanson, but Beyonce is nominated as well as Penelope Cruz and they will get these beautiful things, " said Taylor Babaian a Loreal make up artist. The male nominees can get in on the action as well with high end clothing like men's wear designer, Arnold Brant. Brant will gift the nominees with one of his jackets, which was worn by nominee Forest Whitaker to the GQ Awards. "There is a lot of luxury in women's but there is not necessarily a lot of luxury in mens wear, a lot of modern, but not a lot of modern luxury. We are using one hundred percent bamboo. We are using cashmere mink fabrics. We are using super 180's and super 200's in wool which make it a much more luxurious high end unique product," said Traci Young, VP of Marketing and Public Relations for Arnold Brandt. The concept of the rich and famous receiving more free goods may be hard to swallow for some but retailers see it is a opportunity to get their goods into the hands of those that are the most sought after. "We have Hillary Swank on our February cover in she kind of opening up this gorgeous month that we are enjoying the Golden globes. We started the weekend here with In Style suites and its a luxury treatment weekend for our VIP's and celebrities to unwind before they wind up and gear up for the big party celebration on Monday," said Amy E. Goodman an Contributing Editor at the In Style Luxury Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel. Fashion trends on the red carpet will probably be sparked by the backless dress worn by Hilary Swank from Guy Laroche to the 77th annual Academy Awards. "This year there is a lot of open back and open fronts and a lot of big pieces as opposed to the dainty little things that you might have seen," said Jody Vialy, a couture vintage and estate jewellery collector. Gifting suites are popular throughout the year at various events. It was at a gifting suite at Cannes Film Festival in France where Nathalie Dubious got her inspiration for the 2007 "World Experience" DPA Golden Globes Gifting Lounge At The Beverly Hilton Hotel. "I was with Annie during the time off we were walking around looking at the French suite, like the Dior suite and everything and I am like oh that's a great concept. I didn't know at that time that people were doping that in L.A., I live here. So I said you know I should so something like this and that is how it happened basically," Dubois told Reuters. While power couples and celebrities are nothing to new to Hollywood something that is new is the impending arrival of LA Galaxy's new footballer David Beckham and his glamorous wife Victoria. "Actually on the way over here I asked David in the car on the way over here if Max our son should should start playing soccer and he said why and I said well Beckham just signed a 250 million (USD) five year contract and I said what do you think. He said 'I don't know soccer is not that popular here," said Annie Bierman, wife of actor David Carradine. With all the rich getting richer there are some that could actually use the help and do indeed actually benefit from all of this 'swag' giving. "We have a very good friend who let us do the house because of the charity we are working with RxArt and that's a charity that puts incredible pieces of art like Jeffery Koontz into children's hospitals around the world so the kids can see the art. Then they sell the art and the full donation proceeds go to that charity or that hospital," said Melissa Lemer, co-owner of Silver Spoon Hollywood Buffet celebrity gifting and Entertainment Marketing. While Globe double nominee Leonardo DiCaprio, a devoted environmentalist, stocked up on goodies of his own he will be happy to know that a cause close to his heart is being taken care of as well. "The Style Lounge for the Golden Globes which is benefiting the Environmental Media Association," said Kari Feinstein, creator of the premiere celebrity 'swag' 'Style Lounge' held at a private Beverly Hills mansion. All the free trends, hybrids, glamour, jewels, purses, sunglasses, dresses, and make overs can be spotted when the stars hit the red carpet on Monday for at 64th Annual Golden Globe awards.

ITN Source | January 17, 2007

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