It's hard to have much sympathy for Hollywood celebrities when every detail of their gilded lives—the jets, the personal attendants, the $5,000 haircuts—is constantly dished on TV and in magazines. But one particular June night, the Socialist actually found himself feeling sorry for Ashley Judd.

There she was, at a prescreening appearance at Armani to give a publicity boost to De-Lovely, a period film set to Cole Porter songs with costumes provided by Armani. After making a grand entrance (flash! flash! went the paparazzi bulbs) with her two cockapoos and friends Leigh Matthes and Vanessa Getty, all stepping out of a black limo, the actress was immediately swept along on a tide of glad-handing and forced smiles.

And then, Judd landed before me, after an introduction from Getty and Matthes. Radiant in a simple white tank top and a shimmering silver skirt with paillettes, Judd talked about the film and her back-to-back five-city tour promoting it. "You just come into contact with all these strangers and germs from all these handshakes," Judd told the Socialist drily.

I had never thought about it from that perspective. Perhaps that explains her apprehension diving into a sea of unfamiliar faces. Or why, three years ago, at an after party in New York, she had been downright defensive (read: rude) the first time I saw her in action.

Within minutes, the swell of people moved her along into the crowd, which ranged from Armani's client list to social folks like Maura and Robert Morey and Mayor Gavin Newsom. Then came the surreal moment: Judd surrounded by mannequins and ensconced on a throne set on a platform, as the throng formed around her. Little girls came over and sat on the floor, asking for autographs. Adults huddled around the actress to get their photos taken with her, as if she were a Santa Claus for grown-ups in a department store.

Such is the price of fame—something this city's First Lady, Kimberly Guilfoyle-Newsom, has been either assiduously or unwittingly attracting. Apart from the talk of a Vogue shoot and an eight-page spread in September's Harper's Bazaar styled by Jacqui Getty (wife of Billy's brother Peter), Guilfoyle-Newsom was feted at a party in her current hometown, New York City, in the Park Avenue apartment of Jeanne Lawrence (who cohosted the party with friend Kimberly Bakker). There to meet the legal commentator and exchange bons mots over Dom Perignon were Bobby Kennedy, Tara Rockefeller, and Tory Burch. It being a Park Avenue party, there was no shortage of dubious royalty, and Prince Michel of Yugoslavia was on hand to oblige. "Do you want to have your picture taken with a royal?" the prince coyly and shamelessly asked Guilfoyle-Newsom. What next—a curtsy? Thankfully, our First Lady had the good sense to politely decline.

Making the reverse trek from New York in June was author Christopher Mason, in town to promote his book The Art of the Steal: Inside the Sotheby's-Christie's Auction House Scandal. At a lunch hosted by Denise Hale—whose guests

included a coterie of press and social types ranging from Elisa Stephens and Trevor Traina to Sofia Tsakopoulos, who drove down from Sacramento—Mason told the Socialist how his reading at New York's Knickerbocker Club had so many RSVPs, they had to turn people away. Not surprising, given that the gossipy and investigative tome was the result of more than 2,400 interviews with the elite of the art and social worlds.

Over dessert, Mason read an excerpt, which told an oft-recounted tale of Judy Taubman, the wife of Sotheby's owner and former chairman, Al. The passage recalled a dinner party where the former Miss Israel wowed guests with a party trick in which she managed to skin a peach with some sensual sleight of hand. The overt sexual overtones captivated the luncheon guests, who seemed inspired if sheepish. "Who has a peach?" asked Jo Schuman Silver. "I'd like to give it a try," Hale chimed in. "Tatiana [Sorokko, one of the guests] should start first and then the rest of you."

Silver had been the focus of attention herself only days before, at Beach Blanket Babylon's 30th-anniversary celebration. Over four nights, the producer staged performances uniquely tailored to the special guest stars appearing each night. The social crowd was mostly split between the first two performances, which featured Frederica von Stade and Michael Tilson Thomas, respectively.

Making appearances were Clive Davis, Armistead Maupin, Gordon and Ann Getty, Stanlee Gatti, and Summer Tompkins Walker, who came with her mother, Susie Buell. Charlotte Shultz reprised her role as a flying Wonder Woman (from the 25th-anniversary show), but this time, hubby George, dressed in a Superman outfit, came to the rescue, unhooking her from the wires that had allowed her to catapult through the air.

But if BBB's Snow White eventually finds true love in San Francisco, the haute boho fashionistas Nicoló and Kimberly Bini were celebrating it in Italy, where they threw a wedding party. The pair, along with a group of 90 that included Paul Price and Shannon Bavaro, celebrated the nuptials over three days. The final reception took place at Nicoló's family's villa in Arezzo, where guests seated in midcentury modern furniture on the lawns enjoyed sweeping views of the Tuscan countryside. Of course, as it is with the Binis, it was the outfits that stole the show. "Each night was like a fashion show," said one guest in attendance. "People were just waiting to see what they would end up wearing."