house party

Several hundred guests decked out in twenties- and thirties-inspired cocktailwear received an exclusive peek into designer Sue Wong's famed estate, The Cedars (formerly known as the Norma Talmadge estate, for the silent-screen star who originally owned it), on Friday night. Rather than doing a traditional runway show, Wong staged her flapper-style Fall 2008 presentation, "Opulent Restraint," at the masquerade party. "I think you can tell that there's a connection between this collection and my home," she said. The Los Feliz house and grounds, among the most storied in Los Angeles, have hosted everyone from Howard Hughes and Marilyn Monroe to Jimi Hendrix, the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Depp. After falling in love with the place in 2004, Wong spent three years meticulously restoring it. The result? Soaring bas-relief ceilings, gilded columns, period ironwork, frescoed archways, and stunning antiques. "Isn't it just to die for?" asked "Project Runway" vet Nick Verreos.

—Victoria Namkung

Photo: Marsaili McGrath/Elevation Photos