Rhodes on the Road

Get a look at Zandra Rhodes. The always eye-catching, avant-garde British designer will be at the Design Center on April 26 as part of the UK/LA Art of Communications lecture series. There’s no word yet on what she will wear, what she will say or what color her hair will be. A spokesperson for the event says she is sure Rhodes will wear Rhodes. And she thinks a clue to lecture content can be found in the designer’s book, “The Art of Zandra Rhodes,” where she refers to pinning down the creative process in order to share it with others. She probably won’t bring any pins, but we bet there will be slides. For ticket information, call (213) 282-8918.

Look but Don’t Buy

We’ve got some good news and some bad news for Elizabeth Taylor. She’s on a list of 700 “best customers” invited to a shopping party where everything’s from Van Cleef & Arpels, Revillon, Yves Saint Laurent and others of their high-fashion ilk. But the bad news is, nobody can buy a thing. It’s an idea whose time (May 25 to 27) has come from 20-odd French fashion retailers, who will set up temporary shop in the Beverly Hills Hotel for their three-day event. What exactly they have in mind, these retailers who will not sell, came clear once Listen called spokeswoman Elaine Shapiro to explain. She says the exhibit is really a way for the exhibitors to check out the local market, with an eye toward expanding business.

A Tall Order

Bullock’s has been busy helping Max, an L.A. modeling agency, to find the cover girls and boys of tomorrow. And together they’ve come up with four, ages 13 to 22. That was after testing 100 kids, whittling the list to 12, calling Jose Eber and company (yes, the same guy who styled Cher’s hair for the Oscars) and sending ‘em all down a runway wearing outfits from the store’s new co-ed (whoa boy!) shopping department for teens. The four big winners have a few things in common, not the least of them being long legs. To win, boys had to be more than 6 feet tall, girls more than 5 feet, 8 inches. And the winners are: Trigg Thorstenson, Bernard Plett, Yvette Lozano and Holly Kimsey.

Oscar Outfit

We’re not sure if he lost his shirt or never had one to start with. But actor Kevin Costner made a quick stop at Fred Segal on Melrose Avenue recently for a shirt to wear to the Academy Awards. Menswear manager George Grimball tells us that in addition to a cotton wing-collar design by Haberdashery, he tried to ply the “Untouchables” star with other items, such as a tux, shoes, cuff links, even socks. “But he said he had everything.” We would agree, except now we know the truth. He went back on Oscar day for black cotton tuxedo hosiery.

Heavy Cat

That Cartier Cat--the one Cartier made for the Duchess of Windsor and recently bought at the Geneva auction of her gems--is certainly getting a workout. It’s latest appearance was at the special screening of the CBS television movie “The Woman He Loved.” Jane Seymour, who starred as Wallis Simpson, had the panther brooch pinned to an Ungaro silk faille suit. The suit, it seems, was purchased at the last minute and had to fit one requirement (in addition to Seymour’s petite figure): The material had to be heavy enough to support the 152-carat cabochon sapphire.

A Little Gets a Lot

It was a lot for Carole Little. “There were six awards,” marveled the designer after being honored Sunday night by the state of California. More than 500 people attended the black-tie charity event, which proclaimed Little the California Designer of the Year and featured her fall collection. Tributes included a trophy (“It looks a lot like an Oscar”) from the California Department of Commerce, several civic proclamations and a plaque from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center “in gratitude for Carole’s philanthropic efforts over the years,” according to husband and business partner, Leonard Rabinowitz. He wore a traditional tuxedo, while Little was anything but traditional in tights, top and a lace, sequin skirt “that started out as a dress,” she tells Listen. “I cut the neck hole bigger, tied the sleeves around my waist and put a bright red-and-gold, handmade scarf around my hips. I was being creative with my closet.”