Patricia Clarkson at ‘The Bang Bang Club’ Premiere

While her friends snuggled into the reserved red leather booths and snacked on pancetta squares, Patricia Clarkson stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her friend Danny Iron, one of the three producers of “The Bang Bang Club.” Clarkson attended the premiere earlier in the evening along with Robert De Niro, Scott Glenn and Christopher McDonald.

“It’s just fabulous,” Clarkson said of the film, adding, “Danny can get $7 million for a movie out of nothing. He’s incredible.”

Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon and John Taylor on Their New Album

Sometimes, it pays to be guilty by association. Attending a party in honor of “Beautiful People,” say, adds a certain luster to your reputation.

Paper magazine and vodka brand Absolut Wild Tea threw a boisterous dance party at Good Units on Wednesday evening. The party, in honor of the annual “Beautiful People” issue, drew out models, fashion designers and social magpies — and a performance by Duran Duran.

Read our interview with Simon Le Bon and John Taylor after the jump.

R and B Singer Miguel Treks Path to Stardom

There is no clear road map to pop stardom anymore, but emerging R&B star Miguel is trying to hit all the influential pit stops towards name recognition.

Since debuting a single, “All I Want Is You,” last year, he’s toured with Mary J. Blige and Usher. He followed up with a small tour of his own, and is fresh from playing South by Southwest. He recently garnered some music blog mentions with his cover of the new Britney Spears’s single “Hold It Against Me.”

Will George Clooney Testify in Italian Prime Minister’s Sex Trial?

When George Clooney bought his villa on the shores of Lake Como a few years ago, he declared his love for the Italian 1960s Dolce Vita. The sweet life can have its sour moments.

Lawyers defending Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have called Mr. Clooney to testify in a trial in which the billionaire media mogul is charged with paying an underage woman for sexual relations and abusing his powers to cover up the alleged relationship.

Johnny Cash: The Unseen Photos

Four days before he died, legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall agreed to publish his formerly unseen photographs of Johnny Cash, including ones taken at his iconic concerts at Folsom Prison in 1968 and San Quentin Prison in 1969.

Marshall approved the black and grey ink or duotone of each of the 110 photographs and argued over price – Marshall wanted an affordable scaled down version of a coffee table book. The result is “Pocket Cash,” a glossy photo book the height and width of an average novel and priced at $20.

Patrick McMullan’s Tips for Throwing Parties, Posing For Photos

It was no surprise then to find a cross-section of New York’s nightlife at his annual St. Patrick’s Day party, which McMullan has been throwing for around 30 years. The scene at nightclub Pacha on Thursday evening was worthy of SNL’s nightlife character Stefon. Read more after the jump.

‘The King’s Speech,’ Other British Oscar Nominees Feted

With the large number of English nominees this year, the Academy Awards are experiencing a British invasion. Leading the pack is “The King’s Speech,” which is nominated for 12 awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. But there’s also Mike Leigh, whose screenplay for “Another Year” is nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category, Roger Deakins, nominated for Best Cinematography for “True Grit,” and many others.

Even the weather in Los Angeles – cold and rainy — has a British feel.

The Creators Project 2011: Spiritualized, Animal Collective, Interpol and The Studio

There are press conferences… And there’s a Vice press conference.

The demi-subversive lifestyle publication threw a four- hour party with DJs and an open bar in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday  in honor of the sequel to last year’s Creators Project.

The Creators Project, an art collective-cum-festival bankrolled by Intel and Vice led to global art happenings in Beijing, Sao Paolo, London, Seoul and New York and featured, among others, cool kid darlings Sleigh Bells, Mark Ronson, Die Antwoord, and M.I.A. Thousands attended the concerts, and over 55 million people watched the content online.

Grammy Hopefuls Fete David Geffen

Sunday night’s Grammy awards may be billed as “music’s biggest night.” But the annual dinner-slash-concert hosted by veteran record executive Clive Davis proves that smaller can sometimes be bigger.

In the house this year was the usual gaggle of music stars past and present–Earth Wind & Fire’s Verdine White is a perennial fixture.

This year, the event doubled as a fete for David Geffen, one of the few impresarios who can legitimately be called as least as iconic, if not more so, than the event’s host. The rare public appearance by Geffen drew a higher wattage crowd than usual, including Neil Young and David Crosby–management clients of Geffen’s in the 70s–plus Jane Fonda, Warren Beatty and even Jackie Collins, who spent the evening seated to Geffen’s right.

Michelle Obama’s State Dinner Style

What does one wear to a highly-watched State Dinner thrown in honor of Chinese President Hu Jintao? If you’re Michelle Obama, it’s a sumptuous crimson and black Alexander McQueen gown.