The after-party that billed itself as the most exclusive on Saturday night was the Vanity Fair/Bloomberg soiree at the French Ambassador’s residence, which had cut its guest list by more than half, compared to years past. “No riff raff, please,” Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter told the keepers of the guest list as he arrived. “And that includes Vanity Fair staff.” Ouch.
So who else showed up? Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Luke Russert, Richard Belzer of “Law & Order: SVU,” Kerry Washington, Jon Bon Jovi, Carole King, Amy Poehler of “Saturday Night Live,” OMB Director Peter Orzsag, Glenn Close, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, Katie Couric, B.J. Novak from “The Office,” Denis Leary, Bradley Cooper, Jon Hamm of “Mad Men” and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss.
The place to be as the night wore on was the back terrace, which overlooks the gardens and swimming pool. But it wasn’t enough to keep Carter there for long. He and his wife Anna left with Bloomberg to return to New York on the mayor’s private jet.
Meanwhile, downtown at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Capitol File’s party was underway with a few hundred revelers.
Valerie Jarrett and Desiree Rogers, the magazine’s summer issue cover girls, passed on heading to the VIP area when they arrived, and instead preferred to be in the thick of things. They made a beeline for the dance floor, where they caught up with Owen Wilson. Jarrett and Rogers were asked several times on the red carpet who they were wearing, and each time politely declined to reveal what designer duds they were donning.
Eva Longoria Parker’s handlers tried to whisk her off the red carpet, but upon seeing Jason Wu, Eva giddily bolted back to the red carpet to embrace Michelle Obama’s favorite designer.
Also spotted: Rahm Emanuel, Ludacris, Christian Slater, Forest Whitaker, Clinton Portis, Rachel Leigh Cook, CNBC’s Jim Cramer, Kara DioGuardi of “American Idol” fame, Belzer’s “SVU” co-star Mariska Hargitay, Padma Lakshmi of “Top Chef,” Todd Palin, Meghan McCain, dinner entertainer Wanda Sykes, Chris Tucker and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
