Whether they`re buzzing down Melrose Avenue in a vintage Metropolitan convertible or parachuting out of a plane, Hollywood`s young stars have a new style. Forget about glitz: Their way of doing things is understated, eclectic and sometimes downright eccentric, but no less glamorous than their predecessors.
Young Hollywood yearns to be appropriate, to be economically and environmentally correct.
They congregate in downscale splendor in nouveau cafe-societies like The Livingroom. At night they might just as easily slip off to The Olive or Small`s (hip unmarked Hollywood hideaways) as take in the scene at Spago. Everyone is in search of the new-best-kept secret and ”alternative”-in the figurative sense-in music, in entertainment, even in the car one drives.
The era of the New Hippie is being ushered in by bands like Indigo Girls and movies like Oliver Stone`s upcoming opus on The Doors` Jim Morrison. New Surrealism was introduced by David Lynch`s ”Twin Peaks,” and even the most jaded Young Hollywood observers are star-struck by Twin Peak`s Log Lady.
And yet, for all their newfound propriety, Young Hollywood has a sense of humor. They are honestly individualistic in a way that old Hollywood never dared to be. And Young Hollywood is never boring. Here`s how they live now.
What they wear
During the day, Young Hollywood goes incognito as Celebrity Slobs. Messy hair, granny glasses, cut-off jeans, clunky Doc Martens shoes, black cowboy boots and big coats project the ”I vant to be alone” aura Young Hollywood loves to cultivate. Hats are favorite accessories. Rosanna Arquette and Meg Ryan don vintage chapeaux, and Joan Chen wears a beaded baseball cap. At night, the girls get serious in sexy little dresses and chunky gold rings.
Walkin` the dog
After work, between 5 and 6 p.m., the ”dog parks” in the hills above Hollywood are filled with Young Hollywoodites walking their canine companions. (This year`s must-have pooch: A golden retriever.)
Shopping
The Rose Bowl Swapmeet takes place on the second Sunday of the month in the famous stadium. Young Hollywood doesn`t go inside; they prefer the antiques stalls in the parking lot outside. Patrick Kelly used to go, now Lisa Bonet, Lenny Kravitz and Michelle Pfeiffer do. Belinda Carlisle was seen there in classic Rose Bowl attire: Antique dress and cut-off cowboy boots.
L.A. Eyeworks is a hangout for Rob Lowe, Nick Cage, Uma Thurman and David Byrne. Kyle MacLachlan of ”Twin Peaks” gets his specs there but goes to Na Na in Santa Monica to buy his Doc Martens. Melrose Avenue, where L.A. Eyeworks and other cool stores like Ecru and Maxfield are located, is where Young Hollywood likes to strut its stuff. Crispin Glover gets around by bicycle and Dana Ashbrook roars up and down on a big yellow motorcycle.
In Young Hollywood, status comes more from the reverse satisfaction of getting around on a socially conscious bicycle rather than riding in a limo. In fact, it`s not status but anti-status they dig.
For Young Hollywood, a diamond isn`t forever, but a tattoo just might be, like the ”Winona Forever” Johnny Depp had carved on his arm in honor of Winona Ryder. ”I was thrilled,” said Ryder. ”Wouldn`t any woman be?”
Breakfast
Hugo`s in West Hollywood is a must for making deals and seeing the hip crowd on Tuesday mornings. Kokomo in the Farmer`s Market is a favorite brunch spot for the ”Twin Peaks” gang.
Lunch
Young Hollywood is too busy to go out much for this meal. If push comes to shove, they`ll meet their agent at The Ivy or City.
Dinner
The Olive is the new hot spot. On Fairfax, it`s exclusive-there`s no sign outside. Madonna and her new beau, Tony Ward, have been in, as have Malcolm McClaren, Rachel Williams and David Bowie, who usually shows up late.
Other main meals include those at Louis XIV where George Michael and Michelle Pfeiffer frequent the nouveau-provincial bar and order the great salads. Spago is where Le Tout Hollywood goes when it wants to be seen, and Young Hollywood is no exception. Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, David Lynch, Isabella Rossellini, Marlee Matlin and Cecilia Peck all go.
Hot bars
At Small`s there`s no sign, but it`s where Madonna shot her Vanity Fair photo session with Helmut Newton, and Keifer Sutherland was recently seen cavorting with girls who were not Julia Roberts (his steady). Sean Penn (who once left with a girl Keifer had left with just nights before) and Timothy Hutton came in together. So did Charlie Sheen and Nicholas Cage, who arrived in a big black limo wearing long curly black wigs and sunglasses. The Dresden Room is another hot spot. But the new discovery is a seedy Hollywood strip joint called The Jumbo Clown Room, where everyone watches a beautiful dancer named Lou Lou.
Clubs
Roxbury is the one now. Keifer and and Julia, Balthazar Getty and Drew Barrymore, Christian Slater, Laura Dern, Jon Bon Jovi all go there. The VIP room upstairs is the only place in the three-story building on Sunset that has air conditioning, and that`s where Young Hollywood hangs. Arena is best for theme nights. Madonna and Tony Ward were there recently, surrounded by bodyguards.
What they go in
No one wants to drive a gas-guzzling car now. Even Range Rovers are now out. What`s ”in” is a sensible Volvo like Meryl Streep`s. So are cars from the `50s and `60s. A convertible Metropolitan is perfect, so is Kevin Costner`s vintage Shelby Mustang, Patrick Dempsey`s 1963 Porsche hot rod and Mark Harmon`s old Ford pickup. But the ultimate ”in” is a bicycle.
Coffee houses
They worry about caffeine ruining their skin, but nevertheless Young Hollywood loves to espresso themselves. Current faves are Java and The Livingroom, where Drew Barrymore sometimes tends the cappuccino machine.
Art galleries
For Young Hollywood, the seedier and more radical, the better. The hottest space is the Dennis Anderson Gallery. The new find in Santa Monica is the Christopher John Gallery, where an exhibit of Alexandra Dalbeck`s celebrity portraits brought out Liz Taylor`s son, Michael Wilding, and his wife, Brooke Palance, and screenwriter Michael Bershad.
Where they live
Hollywood Hills: Madonna, Cassian Elwes, Anthony Edwards, Axl Rose, Carrie Fisher. Fairfax: Kelly Lynch, Marlee Matlin, Madchen Amic. West Hollywood: Sherilyn Fenn. Santa Monica: Laura Dern. Los Feliz: Adam Ant, Diane Keaton.
Hair
The messy look is ”in” so most of the youngest stars rarely seek professional help off the set. For those who use a regular stylist, Lori Davis is the name to know. She cuts and colors for the likes of Tom Cruise, Holly Hunter, Carrie Fisher, Maria Shriver and Sean Penn. She rents a room in the Brentwood Continental salon, and it`s nothing fancy.
Nails
The hot place is Jessica`s Nail Clinic in West Hollywood. Madonna goes there and so does Nancy Reagan. Owner Jessica Vartoughian, a Russian emigre, doesn`t believe in using synthetic materials. So she and her staff save their own nail clippings in a special drawer. For $25 they`ll glue them on special clients.
