As I mentioned to the Chronicle’s Leah Garchik before she stepped inside the glittery evening gown gallery of the de Young’s Yves Saint Laurent exhibit — take a deep breath! The glamour of it all with take your breath away.

As a lifelong fan of the late designer’s work, I was thrilled to see some of the classics of his career all in one place: the Mondrian-inspired dresses, the Tuxedo he made for Francoise Hardy in 1966, the homages to Picasso, Braques, Matisse and Proust.

My heart skipped a beat when I …

In the world of fashion, Betty Catroux is a legendary figure. As one of Yves Saint Laurent’s closest friends, and strongest inspirations, she has had an indirect influence on the way women all over the world have dressed since the 1960s, continuing to this very day.

At a pre-opening preview of the new Yves Saint Laurent exhibit at the de Young, we had the opportunity to chat with Betty, who arrived on Tuesday and will visit the City through Sunday. This is her first extended trip to San Francisco, and she …

We are told that while in San Francisco a few days ago,  Julia Roberts celebrated her 41st birthday at Jardiniere.
A reader of Socialitelife.com confirmed it, saying she saw “Julia Roberts and her friends including Danny Moder, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Bruce Willis, Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn, Billy Crystal, Janice Crystal, Danny DeVito, Bonnie Raitt and Marsha Williams. Julia was celebrating her birthday and diners inside heard the group sing, ‘Happy Birthday’ to Julia and Rita.’”

Photo: Julia Roberts and Rita Wilson [see more at socialitelife.com]

As many of you know, SFLuxe.com’s Damion Matthews is a supporter of the Bay Area Allergy Advisory Board (allergysf.com), which was founded by local parent Mireille Schwartz, who is featured ocassionally on this site.
We have seen how difficult it can be for parents during the holidays who have children with food allergies (over 3 million nationally, according to Centers for Disease Control), which is why we were delighted that the San Francisco Chronicle’s Karola Saekel wrote an article this week featuring Mireille’s special list of candies that are safe for …

Andre Leon Talley may have come to San Francisco recently for a Halston retrospective at Neiman Marcus, but what he got was a surprise birthday party organized by the store’s European couture specialist, Vicki Winston, who presented him with a birthday cake featuring October’s Vogue cover in frosting.
Partygoers, who included major Neiman patrons, were then led by John Capizi through a rousing rendition of the birthday song. Surprisingly, however, Danielle Steel was not among them, even though, as Andre later told me, “She’s my best friend in San Francisco.”
Andre spent …

Amber Marie Bently launched her newest jewelry collection, Oro, at a private dinner party hosted by friend Mireille Schwartz last week.

Writing for SF Unzipped, Carolyne Zinko said that the “ecologically sound” pieces, featuring recycled gold and cords made from recycled tires, looked “dazzling.”

Dorka Keehn, Joel Goodrich, Elisabeth Laurence, Loretta Clarke and CR Lipton were among the guests who got the exclusive preview of the collection.

Amber Marie Bently (right) with client and friend Loretta Clarke

All of the jewelry in the collection is one-of-a-kind and made by hand. Carolyne Zinko …

Kendall Wilkinson Debuts Home Collection and Design Studio

About 200 people recently joined Kendall Wilkinson, one of San Francisco’s leading interior designers, at a launch party for her debut home collection at her newly remodeled Presidio Heights store and design studio.

Interior of the new store
The party benefited the charity Rebuilding Together, which provides free home repair and renovations to low income, elderly, and disabled San Franciscans.

Wilkinson, shown here with Norah Stone, greeted a stylish crowd dressed in a stunning Etro blue iridescent taffeta blouse and Thule lace skirt.

Wilkinson giggling with interior …

Let’s face it, sweeties, SFLuxe doesn’t do rap or hip-hop, parties past 10:00, or anything involving DJ’s and kids born before “Private Dancer” hit the airwaves (we still remember 8-tracks, okay!)
But we’re definitely making an exception this one time for an upcoming Halloween party called “Rock The Belle.”  It supports a cause we believe in (the Breast Cancer Fund) and, well, it looks like a lot of fun!

On October 31, 2008, brothers Trevor Jamison Johnston and Justin Blaine Johnston (shown above) will be throwing the largest Halloween Concert Bash in …

We’ve been enjoying Landrin Chocolates at parties throughout San Francisco lately — at a penthouse fundraiser for Joe Alioto, Jr., a luncheon for supporters of Raphael House, at a fashion show for the Arthritis Foundation, and at the Fleet Week party at Pier 39 — and it’s now to the point where we actively seek them out because we love them so!
Well what a small world. It turns out that one of the Russian chocolatiers top executives in the United States, Stan Kisselev, is the son of one of our …

Robert Mailer Anderson with wife Nicola Miner at the 2008 Mid-Winter Gala
In anticipation of the October 23rd premiere of “Pig Hunt,” the eclectic horror movie co-written by Robert Mailer Anderson and his cousin Zack Anderson, comes this amusing article, which we recommend you take a look at.
The film is going to be great fun. Apparently it is centered around a 3,000-pound boar named the Ripper which terrorizes the folks of Boonville, up in Mendocino county.
Anderson, who now lives on one of the best blocks of Pacific Heights, spent his childhood …