A Political Do

Rosalynn Carter may have given Kitty Dukakis a Butane-powered curling iron for her campaign travels, as disclosed in the New York Times this week. But Listen has the real scoop on how Kitty cares for her hair when in Los Angeles: The wife of the Democratic presidential front-runner had her hair done twice in the last two weeks by Martin Fassnidge, co-owner of the Josephmartin salon on Rodeo Drive. Fassnidge was recommended for the job by Rose Sanders, a longtime Josephmartin client and a close friend of Dukakis. Both appointments were made for 7:30 a.m. in her Los Angeles hotel room. “She starts her day so incredibly early. She’s dressed, ready, has her hair washed. It took me all of 12 minutes to do her hair. That’s exactly the amount of time she had,” Fassnidge told Listen. “Dukakis’ soft, brown hair is lightly permed so it doesn’t need much work. She’s a very no-fuss lady,” he added. “That’s what impressed me most. She’s not at all consumed by her looks, and she’s a stunning woman.”

Courting Romance

Chris Evert, soon to be Mrs. Andy Mill, will wear a French gown at her July 30 wedding in Boca Raton, Fla. In fact, Evert’s over there right now, playing the French Open and shopping for the dress in her off-court time, says spokesperson Heather Hellman. Although this won’t be Evert’s first time around (her marriage to John Lloyd ended in divorce), Hellman tells us the tennis ace is searching for a gown that’s “traditional, probably white and long.” The honeymoon won’t be very long, though. Evert will be back at work here in Los Angeles, in the Virginia Slims tournament Aug. 8 through 14.

Cooking Up a New Shop

Mario Tamayo, owner of L.A.’s trendy Cafe Mambo and Cha Cha Cha restaurant, couldn’t resist. The dapper Colombian entrepreneur is opening a menswear shop in collaboration with Jef Huereque, who’s been his friend and personal designer for eight years. The shop, at Melrose Avenue and Heliotrope Drive (around the corner from Cafe Mambo), will carry men’s custom clothes and ready-to-wear by Huereque, who says his private clientele includes David Bowie, composer Ry Cooder, the group Chicago, Madonna and Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. Off-the-rack men’s suits will cost $350 to $500, custom suits from $450. Now all Tamayo needs is a furniture and art shop and he’ll have all aspects of style covered.

Stars Design Star

The movie’s called “Worth Winning,” and you might say the same about Mark Harmon’s formal-wear wardrobe for the film. He’ll be outfitted in tuxedos and dark suits by Nino Cerruti, who will collect a Cutty Sark award June 8 in Rye, N.Y. It’s for Cerruti’s contributions to film and television, especially his clothes for dressing Corbin Bernsen for “L.A. Law.” Mary Hall Ross, spokesperson for the Italian designer, says he’ll be presented the award by Kathleen Turner, another regular wearer of Cerruti designs.

Nailing Down the Role

To play a wicked witch in a new movie, Barbara Carrera had her fingernails dressed for the part. She and Rando Celli, a manicurist at the Tovar salon, concocted a new polish from plum and red shades that looks like frosted blood, Celli says. He painted it on Carrera’s acrylic fingernails, shaped to wicked proportions. “They’re a little too long, a little too pointed and a little too red,” Celli explains.

Mama’s New Mate

Michelle Phillips looked very leggy in her rhinestone-flecked dark stockings on a recent Thursday night, when we spotted her at the Earl McGrath art gallery. She also looked very happy, introducing us to fiance Geoffrey Tozer, the stockbroker-turned-rock ‘n’ roll recording studio exec she’ll soon wed. For those who keep count, Tozer will be her fourth husband, following John Phillips (of the Mamas and the Papas), Dennis Hopper (to whom she was wed for eight days) and radio exec Robert Burch. Phillips, who dressed for artist Marina Karella’s opening-night party in a simple white blouse and dark skirt, says she still plans to produce the film of her autobiography, “California Dreamin,” in association with Winmill Entertainment.

Student Exchange

It’s Round 2 of a detente-design program, Design for Peace, when three Otis/Parsons fashion students--Christopher Ma, Mitra Rajabi and Magali Juelle--team up with seven others from U.S. schools to co-create a collection with 10 Moscow-based designers. They’ll get started Saturday in Dallas, and on June 9 they’ll show off their work at the Dallas City Hall. It is hoped, says Michael Breslin of Owen, Breslin Associates--the company that coordinated this event and a similar one staged in Moscow last fall--that the clothes will be commercial enough to manufacture and sell both here and there.

Greening of the U.S.

Green Water is not a new kind of mineral water. It’s a cologne, created in Paris in 1954 by Jacques Fath and eventually discontinued in the United States. However, Beverly Hills retailer Guy Greengard, owner of Mr. Guy, insisting that Green Water is “far superior” to any other men’s fragrance and “can’t be knocked off,” negotiated with L’Oreal to obtain exclusive distribution rights in the United States. And he won. Greengard also succeeded in bringing back the original bottle. The eau de toilette sells for $45 and $75, after-shave for $35.

Credit for Creativity

There’s still time to say you knew them when. But after June 27 it’ll be too late. By then everybody’s gonna know that one of the stores on this list is the pace setter in town. That’s when the California Mart announces the winner of the Marty Retailer award for creativity, leadership, presentation and retail growth--a polite way to say making lots of money. But like they say about the Oscar, it’s an honor just to be asked. So here’s to you, Paul Heussenstamm of Newport Surf & Sport, Michael Terzian of Politix, Jerry Magnin of Polo/Ralph Lauren, Richard Maloney of Robinson’s, Larry Ober and Douglas Burnett of Alex Sebastian, Bill Isaacs of G.H.Q. and Ron Herman of Fred Segal.