Where the shallow is taken seriously

The hot read in Dallas is Papercity, which covers the party scene.

By MARY EVERTZ, Times Staff Writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 7, 2000

One of the hottest tickets in the "Big D" is a lifestyle magazine called Papercity.

The monthly publication features fashion, home and garden design, and trends around the world as well as lots of coverage of Dallas' glitzy party scene.

The newspaper-size publication has been circulating in and around Dallas for a year and a half, and a sister edition has been wowing them in Houston for six years, according to St. Petersburg native Margaret Christian Stafford. Stafford, a Florida State graduate, is one of two account executives for the sleek paper's Dallas edition.

"We take being shallow very seriously," quips Stafford. Sounds like a good motto. At first glance, the paper looks a lot like Women's Wear Daily's W but is more trendy in its features.

Papercity has been described by the Dallas Morning News' Alan Peppard as a "must-read social sheet." The two publications were founded by Houston social arbiter Holly Moore, who serves as editor, and her husband, Papercity publisher Jim Kastleman.

Recently Papercity and Dallas have been abuzz about the upcoming Robert Altman film Dr. T & the Women. The movie, starring Richard Gere, Farrah Fawcett, Shelley Long, Helen Hunt, Janine Turner, Kate Hudson, Liv Tyler, Tara Reid and Laura Dern, is about a plastic surgeon and his female patients. It reportedly takes a poke at Dallas' "high society."

According to Stafford, "Dallas went Hollywood" during the filming. She admits she, too, was caught up in the excitement. When a call for extras went out, she signed up. Stafford was among the 100 who showed up for the shoot at the NorthPark Mall last December. The extras endured extensive hair and make-up sessions before the crew started filming, well after midnight.

One scene, which Stafford may or not be in, took place around the mall's fountain. That's where the doctor's wife (played by Fawcett) goes haywire, jumps into the fountain and disrobes. The first shot was made at 3:30 a.m., with someone else filling in for Fawcett. At 4:30 Fawcett arrived, big hair and all, then jumped in. After one take with the superstar, Altman gave the nod that it was "a go," according to Stafford.

Dallas had barely recovered from the filming when Altman, Fawcett and Long came back into town in March for a charity benefit. The party was for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas and was held in the Escada salon in Highland Park Village. Escada outfitted most of the women in the cast, so Altman brought his stars back for an encore.

Altman -- the mastermind of such films as MASH, The Player, Health (which caused near hysteria when he brought James Garner and Carol Burnett to St. Pete Beach for a shoot at the Don CeSar) -- looked at the party crowd and commented, "This is just like a scene from the movie."

Fawcett arrived two hours late but found time to visit with the children from the foundation. Long and Altman mingled but Fawcett retreated. "In the film, I suffer from a disease called Hestia, which is when you get too much attention and you withdraw," Fawcett explained. Most of the party-goers didn't mind her absences and the Make-a-Wish Foundation was happy with the $10,000 the party netted.

The movie is expected to be released later this year.

They show real promise

For 19 years, Tampa's Athena Society -- 150 female business and professional leaders -- has sponsored "The Young Women of Promise."

The honor goes to 11 young women who are high school juniors. They are nominated by the guidance or counseling departments of their schools. Wednesday night, the group gathered for a dessert reception at Tampa Centre Club. Former Athena member and Channel 8 anchor Gayle Sierens narrated the video presentation of the girls. The video was done by Athena member Linda Goldstein of Linda Goldstein Productions. Linda Fries is Athena's president.

Nicole Miller's universal appeal

New York fashion designer Nicole Miller will make a rare Florida appearance when she comes to Orlando on Thursday for a charity do. "Make Noise in Turquoise -- An Evening With Nicole Miller" will be held at the Universal Studios Escape. The $65-a-person-party goes from 7 to 9 p.m. After a preview of Miller's fall fashions, guests who want them will be given party passes to all the clubs around City Walk. This is an event of the Miracle Makers, a fund of the Robert McCormick Tribune Foundation, which supports PACE Center for Girls. (For more information, call FACE Center for Girls, (407) 649-6789).

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