Cannes dispatch: Wear flats or perish

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The Rage arrived in Cannes on Wednesday night, just in time to hit a panoply of opening night parties. At the Chopard/Alberta Ferretti bash -- imagine a beach decorated with chic white leather Chesterfield chairs -- Juliette Lewis deejayed old school rock and roll like the Stones’ ’ Miss You’ and James Brown’s ‘Sex Machine.’ Cate Blanchett, wearing earrings by Chopard that could finance a year at Yale, sipped Champagne alongside the designer hosts. Meanwhile, just a few steps away, the after-party for ‘Blindness’ raged on a pier with three bars and a deserted VIP area. Danny Glover and director Michel Gondry--along with Gael Garcia Bernal (who is as compact as a Citroen) -- opted to circulate with the masses. Here in Cannes, sequestering yourself with other celebrities is considered bad form. The attitude is very laissez-faire, with many guests arriving late with the excuse, ‘So sorry! I got stuck on this yacht...’ Margherita Missoni co-hosted an intimate soiree aboard the boat, Pegasus, on Friday night. Guests had to check their shoes on the dock and one party goer hesitated before saying: ‘I just know someone is going to steal my Pradas.’ (In the end, she tucked them into the crook of her arm and cradled the pink platforms like an infant.) FYI: The Rage has seen many a bandaided heel and crimson toes here in the South of France. The smart set carry their flats and only don killer heels just before making an entrance. Luckily, she picked up these Lanvin sandals with a practical chunky heel just before leaving and can attest that they are perfect for hobbling along cobblestone streets at midnight.

Tonight, the premiere of Woody Allen’s ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ screens at the Palais. Afterward, there’s a party on the plage -- again, Cannes is no place for high heels.

photos: Wire Image; Barneys.com.