On April 21, HealthCorps hosted its 4th Annual Gala titled The Garden of Good & Evil at Pier 60, where event hosts and HealthCorps founders, Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife Lisa recognized the contributions of four individuals to the health and well being of American youth. Honorees included Tara Guber, Founder of YogaEd; Gary Hirschberg, President and CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm; George Naddaff, CEO of U Food Grill; and Kerry Rhodes, Safety with the Arizona Cardinals and Founder of Rhodes Foundation.

The star-studded guest list included R & B sensation Trey Songz; Actor and Model Adam Senn; Chef and Author Rocco DiSpirito; Actress and Author Carol Alt; ESPN Anchor Jesse Palmer; Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton; Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela; Mayor of Sacramento and former NBA Star Kevin Johnson, and four-time Olympian and author Joetta Clark Diggs.

Guests enjoyed an elegant evening filled with dining, dancing, and entertainment as they were treated to thrilling performances by Caron Wheeler two-time Grammy winner and former lead singer of Soul II Soul; as well as producer and choreographer Stepp Stewart who appeared with his dance troupe for an original performance. The Eturnity Band provided live music for attendees wanting to hit the dance floor.

Check the Haute Living events page for more scenes for this evening.

Rasputin Vodka Bar at CityScape will ooze with Old World Russian style, featuring dark wood counters, gilded mirrors and sconces, and plush, antique sofas and chairs that look as though they were lifted straight from an imperial palace. Recline in these while noshing on Russian caviar and crepes, or any of the bar’s plates, platters, or sandwiches, such as the smoked salmon plate with rye bread and cream cheese, or the cold cuts plate with tomatoes, olives, cucumber, and rye bread.

But let’s not pretend we aren’t mostly excited about the vodkas here. If the Phoenix location is anything like the Rasputin in Toronto, it will offer more than two dozen varieties of both standard and premium libations from all over the world, including vodkas from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and the Netherlands, however, the Reyka Vodka from Iceland should be at the top of your list. Look forward to indulging yourself in Rasputin’s royal setting with this four-times distilled vodka, made with naturally dematerialized glacial water from the Grabrok Spring, located in a 4,000-year-old lava field. Another must-order will be the Russian Troika, a vodka testing that allows you to sample three vodkas, accompanied by Russian rye bread and pickles. And if vodka is your date’s thing, but not exactly yours, fret not, as the place will have a full bar, including wines, beers, and mixed drinks, as well as champagnes Cristal, Dom Perignon, and Veuve Clicquot.

While we may have a hard time deciding among all the vodkas, one thing’s for sure: we’re looking forward to receiving Rasputin’s royal treatment.

You’ve checked out for the day. You’re iPhone ’s going straight to voicemail if the call is business related, and you are already dreaming of that martini they serve at Stephan Pyle’s that’s the size of your face. However, if that’s as far as you’ve thought out your weekend, here’s a couple tips on the best bets in town. Cheers to that.

The Old Sing and Dance

Saturday’s the last day to enjoy Michael Kalish’s Licence to Steel exhibit at Samuel Lynn Galleries. His work features iconic figures and classic Americana made from car parts like tailgates. Think Andy Warhol meets auto mechanic.

Michael Kalish’s License to Steel

When: Friday through Saturday, May 1st

Where: Samuel Lynn Galleries, 1105 Dragon Street in Dallas

Call 214-965-9027 for more information

Too Much Celluloid

If you didn’t get enough movie madness  from the International Film Festival, not to worry. From April 28th through May 2nd, the Angelika is hosting the USA Film Fest, showcasing the best in new fiction (Collin Farrel in fantasy romance flick?) and documentaries (His Name is Bob, an account of East Dallas keyboard player’s uber fun style.)

USA Film Fest

When; April 28 through May 2

Where: The Angelika Theatre at Mockingbird Station in Dallas

Call 214-821-FILM

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Estee Lauder hosted a wondrous celebration in honor of their new global 2010 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign on Wednesday evening with Mrs. Evelyn H. Lauder and special guest Elizabeth Hurley. The 2010 campaign is titled “Connect. Communicate. Conquer. Prevent Breast Cancer One Woman as a Time. The Pink Ribbon. Wear it. Share it.”

Mrs. Lauder’s format in raising awareness is similar to the one used by Mrs. Estee Lauder in 1946; when she reached out to consumers with her own campaign “Telephone, Telegraph, Tell-A-Woman.”

Guests enjoyed cocktails, appetizers, and even an intimate acoustic guitar performance, as well as a look into Estee Lauder’s newest cosmetic line. Linda Wells, Anna Deluca, Emily Dougherty, Cristina Greeven Cuomo, Aerin Lauder, and William Lauder all arrived in support of this charitable cause.

Check the Haute Living events page for more scenes for this evening.

Alexander McQueen accessories are synonymous with the skull detail. First appearing as a scarf print in the Spring/Summer 2003 “Irere” runway show, the skull has grown up to become an iconic print showcased in many of Alexander McQueen’s iconic designs—silk scarves are emblazoned with the morbid character, women’s clutches use the skull as a closure, and shoes have even seen their share of the skull print.

Now, the skull is making its debut in the Alexander McQueen eyewear collection on a pair of classic Aviator style frames. The sleek and lightweight frames feature a three-dimensional skull on both the left and right arms, and the eye sockets of the skull are filled with two sparkling crystals. Available in four color palettes—gold with grey shaded lenses; brown with brown shaded lenses; matte black with grey shaded lenses; and ruthenium with grey shaded lenses—these lusty-worth shades are part of the Fall/Winter 2010 eyewear collection and were released this month. At just $360 we think they are the must-have accessory of the season. And, ladies, with their cool unisex look, you can share them with your man.

With Mother’s Day just more than a week away, there is no time like the present to start brainstorming on how to show your gratitude to dear ol’ mom. London Jewelers thought so too, and to help make things a wee bit easier, they have put together a week’s worth of events that will make finding that something special the joyous occasion that it should be.

Calling on some of our favorite names like Judith Leiber, David Yurman, Judith Ripka, and Jay Strongwater, is there really any better way to show mom how much you really care?

Get out your planners for a week’s worth of retail fun.

Designer Jewelry Trunk Shows
Featuring Ippolita, KC Designs, Kimberly McDonald, Pomellato, Shamballa Jewels and Temple St. Clair
Saturday, May 1, Noon to 5 p.m., Americana Manhasset
Saturday, May 8, Noon to 5 p.m., Wheatley Plaza

David Yurman Customer Appreciation Day
Receive complimentary cleaning of your David Yurman jewelry while you relax with Champagne and truffles!
Saturday, May 1, Noon to 5 p.m., Wheatley Plaza

Judith Ripka Trunk Show
Enter to win “The Ultimate Pampering Package” at the renowned Phoenician Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona
Saturday, May 1 – Sunday, May 9, Noon to 5 p.m., Americana Manhasset

Penny Preville Personal Appearance
Friday, May 7, 2 to 5 p.m., Americana Manhasset

Gift Gallery Trunk Show
View an exceptional, international collection of unique gifts by Baccarat, Herend, Jay Strongwater, Judith Leiber, LaClaire Limoge, William Yeoward, and many more.
Saturday, May 8, Noon to 5 p.m., Americana Manhasset

Imagine the dusty back roads and historic highways of Northern California, then picture over 70 vintage cars constructed before 1958 zooming past trees, rivers, and pasture as they kick up dirt and gravel along the way. This is the California Mille, a four-day trek from Nob Hill to Sausalito, where participants arrive in classic cars ready to grip steering wheel as wind blows through their hair and sun beats down on their faces.

The race celebrated its 20th year and draws its inspiration from the Mille Miglia, the original Italian event would take drivers from Rome to Bescia and back, and did so from 1927 till 1957.

The event always attracts large crowds excited to see magnificent machines and this year was no different, as drivers presented their rides in a free car show, where guests could enjoy the day marveling at the authentic paint, interior, and frames of participating cars.

From April 26 to the 29, drivers enjoyed the picturesque views of wine country, while making occasional pit stops to dine in world-renowned restaurants and rest in luxury hotels.

Chopard served as the Presenting Sponsor, the brand truly embodies the tradition of this race. They have continued their partnership with the Mille Miglia since 1988 and developed the Mille Miglia chronograph collection in its honor. To commemorate the California Mille event, Chopard decided to stamp the back of the Mille Miglia Chrono Classic with the logo of the California Mille 2010 race, making them exclusively for participants, while five watches were presented to five extraordinary entrants selected by the Milles mechanics and crew.

Check the Haute Living events page for more scenes for this evening.

Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the designing duo behind of-the-moment label Rodarte, are no stranger to collaborations. Who wasn’t clamoring to get their hands on anything—and we mean anything—from the Rodarte for Target capsule collection? Now the California-bred designers are collaborating with Knoll Luxe, the luxury textile division of the furniture company Knoll Inc., on a range of exquisitely conceived textile fabrics.

The collection, which will be available in the beginning of May, includes eight fabrics—three for drapery and five for upholstery. “Fabrics always take on a life of their own for us,” says Kate. “We’re constantly reworking our fabrics and are very open to how things are created. When Dorothy [Cosonas, Knoll Textile’s creative director] asked us to collaborate, we were really excited to focus so intensely on the design of the textiles themselves.” Rodarte has been heralded for its unorthodox techniques for creating fabrics seen in their runway shows, so this collaboration is a welcome surprise. Inspired by key pieces from past fashion collections, each fabric in the collection is named after a favorite poet. Auden is a drapery textile that incorporates unusual hues digitally printed up the roll of woven ramie. Another drapery textile, Parker, uses fine metallic and cotton threads, and strands of wool that appear suspended in the fabrics sheer body.  Cummings, a cotton and silk upholstery fabric resembles water stains, or the mottled surface of cowhide.

The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum obtained one of the drapery fabrics, called Emerson, for a recent exhibition Quicktake: Rodarte, where the fabric was burned, reworked, and transformed into something else entirely. Matilda McQuaid, the museum’s deputy curatorial director and head of textiles, liked Rodarte’s Knoll fabrics so much that she acquired seven of them for the museum’s collection.

For anyone looking to update furniture or window-dressings, the Rodarte Knoll Collection is an unexpected collection of beautiful textiles.

Via T

Some inclement weather threatened the sartorial choices of these Red Carpet regulars. But even with the recent chill, these fine ladies ditched their tights and brought out this season’s chicest looks to some of the weeks hottest parties. We spotted the top ensembles everywhere from the Art Ruby Dinner to celebrate Richard Phillips—which was held at the trendiest new restaurant in NYC, The Lion—to the 5^th Annual Tribeca Film Festival Dinner hosted by Chanel, and the 2^nd Annual Bent on Learning Benefit. Check them out here.