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Lionel Richie and friends toast the arrival of his home collection at Gearys

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Lionel Richie almost missed his own party at Beverly Hills store Gearys, courtesy of last week’s presidential debate on TV. “I was just about to leave home. And the debate started, and it sucked me in in the first 20 minutes,” he said during his Oct. 19 event. “Someone had to come upstairs and say, “Lionel, you gotta go.’”

The final Clinton-Trump showdown wasn’t enough to keep away the 150 guests who were invited to Gearys’ launch of Richie’s home collection. The 87-year-old luxury homeware and jewelry store is the only venue in Los Angeles carrying Richie’s elegant offering of barware, dishes, photo frames, candles and other goods, which the Grammy Award-winning singer unveiled earlier this year.

There to celebrate were Jerry Bruckheimer, David Foster and John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of the Paul Mitchell haircare line. Also in attendance were Ronald LaPread, who played bass for the Commodores; BET founder Bob Johnson; and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, with his security detail in tow.

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“I had so much fun. It was like a reunion,” said Richie, clad all in black, at the tail end of the cocktail party, as DJ Michelle Pesce spun tunes and hors d’oeuvres from the Farm of Beverly Hills were passed around. “It’s a room full of creative people. You can [fool] a room full of civilians, but when you put on a stage show and ask your creative friends to stop by and see you … that’s the toughest show to play.”

For Richie, having his eponymous line at Gearys is somewhat serendipitous: He remembers his early days in Los Angeles, looking in through the store windows, knowing he wouldn’t be able to afford anything. His pieces are now arrayed in the two-level store, alongside prestige names like Lalique and Christofle.

“Lots of celebrities put their name on a product, but Lionel is intensely involved,” said Thomas J. Blumenthal, president and CEO of Gearys. “We want to keep things current in here, and Lionel is a perfect fit.”

Later the superstar singer, who’s scheduled to perform shows in Las Vegas in December, was headed home to watch the recorded debate — or maybe not.

“All you need are the highlights,” he said. “I just want to know when they dive at each other, and the fight breaks out. That’s what everyone is waiting for anyway.”

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image@latimes.com

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