LA Times Magazine - Purple Skirt

Concept: Launch party for purpleskirt.com, a fashion Web site co-founded by Tracey Ullman, at Culver City's SmashBox Studios. Virtual Reality : "We're now in the shmatteh business," crows Ullman, decked out in a Katayone Adeli top, William B skirt and FAL cashmere sweater, her South London-ese still undiluted after all these years. The actress/comedian has partnered with her former "Tracey Takes On" producer, Stephanie Cone (who once lost a purple skirt in a dry-cleaning fire and thus ... ) and Flair owner Jeannine Braden to market the East and West coasts' trendiest de-signer threads to the Fred Segal-less masses in between. Internet hype notwithstanding, insert-celebrity-here dot-com parties usually fail to ignite, and this proves no exception, although Ullman's charm keeps things above a total bust. "We didn't want any real models because they're expensive, they're stupid and they don't represent what people look like in real life," she announces. "So tonight, we have the girls that run the Web page and pack the stuff up and everything else." In fact, practically everyone in the room is wearing something from the newly minted e-tallor's inventory. This is the first Web site launch party. I've been to," says designer William B, who is also Braden's Sig-O. "And it's the first one where there are about 15 girls wearing my clothing."

Just Browsing: "We're like an hour late because we were drinking margaritas at Shutters," says Jennifer Tilly. "This is obviously a groovier environment." Certainly against such feeble competition, the ambience-stylishly attired guests bathed in purple light, sipping tasty purpleskirt martinis (with lavender sugar around the rim) and the obligatory mouse-and-terminal setup--contrasts favorably. There's little to do but wish the partners well, grab your goody bag and go (security bars people from returning once they take possession of the cache of purple-hued beauty products, peach vodka drink and grape Fizzles). As the party dwindles, Tracey takes on, off and on again, now wrapped in a suede skirt with big dot patches and three-quarter-length sweater. "You'll be able to get this on purpleskirt in August," she says, "I gotta change into something- else now."  -Mark Ehrman