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Rock and Republic's L.A. Fashion Week Bash

It was in keeping with the rest of L.A. Fashion week so far, the slightly tepid Rock and Republic bash at current hotspot Area on Wednesday night. Slow to fill up, a roped-off VIP area without many flashbulbs popping (but restricted to "Access Hollywood" press coverage nonetheless), and super-loud DJ-spun tunes that made talking almost impossible, it was a pretty tame affair.

"Remember last year's party?" one bored-looking fashionista shouted above the din. "When Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders played? That was cool. There's no live music this year? That's terrible!"

It's never a good sign when partygoers are waxing emotional about better parties from previous years, nor when guests are overheard wondering when the runway show is supposed to start. But as in past years, Rock and Republic eschewed a catwalk, opting instead for doing private meetings with buyers and media earlier in the week at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

So the Area party was all about watching the R&R New York runway show play over and over again on the plasma screens scattered all over the sleek modern space, and checking out which sort-of famous name was wandering by, wearing R&R logo jeans on their behinds.

Like Eric Benet, Brittany Snow, Dominique Swain, Jonathan Silverman, and Elisha Cuthbert, for instance. Or Blu Cantrell, Efren Ramirez, Cindy Margolis, Hayden Panettiere, Kim Kardashian - it's never a good sign in Hollywood when people say, "Who is that again?" as you walk by, but Wednesday night's party was chockablock with that question.

The really recognizable faces were Frankie Muniz, Kelly Hu, Nick Cannon, and Jeremy Piven - and Stacey Keibler's legs, too.

But there was no sign of promised "A" list socialites Paris or Nicky Hilton, or the rest of the real "A" list crowd (Justin Timberlake, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, for example), that had packed Social Hollywood to the rafters the night before at the William Rast fashion show and afterparty. That's where Justin, his *NYSNC pals JC Chasez and Lance Bass, Maroon 5's Adam Levine, will.i.am of the Black-Eyed Peas, and Timbaland brought down the house with a private concert.

One party closed down by the fire marshals, the other struggling to maintain revelers' interest: it's a two-night contrast that proves that free cocktails and crab cakes do not a Hollywood happening make.

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