Rodeo Drive EastIf it looks a bit...

Rodeo Drive East

If it looks a bit like Rodeo Drive’s Sonia Rykiel boutique, it could be Leon Max’s new downtown fashion showroom. He tells Listen the Morphosis architects, Michael Rotundi and Thom Mayne, who earlier styled the Rykiel shop as well as the 72 Market Street restaurant, put their creative hands to his new space in the 127 building on East 9th Street. “It’s the same architectural vocabulary,” says Max, comparing his concrete, glass and metal space to the others. But only he can boast a fashion runway, a set of metal carts on wheels to hold his collections, Max Studio, Max Studio Sport products and Max Studio Basics. (He closed his menswear division recently, but not these others.) Max is the lastest in a group of cutting-edge designers who have relocated to what is shaping up to be be a very stylish address.

Best-Dressed Band

Paul Anka’s 25-member orchestra may be the best-dressed in the business. During a recent trip to Italy, the singer known for such hits as “Diana” and “Having My Baby,” made arrangements with fashion maestro Gianni Versace to design tuxedos for his musicians. Results are in and the orchestra’s currently wearing black pin-striped tuxes--with high, Chinese-style collars and ornamented cuffs--on their American tour. No date has been set yet for a Los Angeles appearance, but Versace fans can check out the group in Las Vegas Thursday.

Win, Place and No-Show

Once again Jesse Jackson lost to Ronald Reagan. But that didn’t stop him from showing up at New York’s Plaza Hotel celebration of Prince Matchabelli’s new Hero cologne for men Wednesday night. In the Hero award program, Jackson was a nominee in the leaders category, while Reagan, a no-show, was the winner. Other winners honored at the event, which raised more than $170,000 for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organizations, were: diver Greg Louganis, composer Marvin Hamlisch, Trevor Ferrell (founder of Trevor’s Place, a Philadelphia organization for the homeless), Ed Rensi (co-founder of the Ronald McDonald House), Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Michael Gottlieb (recognized as the first person to diagnose the HIV virus) and Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets). Winners were selected through a poll of 10,000 Americans.

Colorful Roles

To properly play a newscaster in the film “Skin Deep,” Alyson Reed became “anchorwoman blond.” Gary Lacy of the Michaeljohn salon in Beverly Hills explains that’s a soft shade of blond and the same color his client, former newscaster Sandy Hill, has. Altogether, Lacy gave character color to eight actresses, including Raye Hollit whose body-builder image was reinforced with platinum locks, and Julianne Phillips whose “nice-girl” appearance called for “very soft highlights.” But leading-man John Ritter must have been typecast as a womanizer; his hair color remained untouched.

An Optical Illusion?

From Bausch & Lomb, the optical people, comes word that “Almost no eyes are perfect. But they can look perfect. It just takes practice, playing up the good points, playing down the bad points.” Then come tips on how to apply makeup to all varieties of eyes: almond-shaped, deep-set, protruding and the close set. All this concern with having the most beautiful lashes and such on the block is for a reason. The company now has a line of eye cosmetics, claimed to be fragrance-free and non-irritating, available in a number of locations, including drugstore chains.

Last Tango Impaired

Oscar-winner Kevin Kline swooped into the Moonlight Tango Cafe in Sherman Oaks recently, but it was his new bride, actress Phoebe Cates, who captured the most attention. Listen observed that the short- and shiny-haired Cates swayed a bit to the melodies of Xavier Cugat, but failed to break out into a full tango, perhaps restrained by her tight, bright, red mini. Other fashion news from about-the-ears of the Hollywood crowd; actress Martha Plimpton, on the arm of River Phoenix, peeked out at the crowd from under a broad-brim straw hat. And Marlee Matlin--often seen around town in stern eyeglasses and librarian-style buns or ponytails--had let her hair down a bit. But her specs, alas, were no-nonsense tortoise-shell.

Star-Quality Clothing

If you’ve always wanted to dress like Joan Collins, here’s your chance. Joyce Brock, owner of the Place & Co. near LAX, tells us she just bought 20 garments from the actress. The gowns, dresses and other pieces are hanging on resale racks, waiting for customers who often don’t ask the names of former owners. “They’re more interested in the designers than who wore the clothes,” says Brock, adding Collins’ castoff labels include Valentino, Gianfranco Ferre and Nolan Miller. For inquiring minds such as ours, Brock guesstimates the star wore each garment “only a couple times. I don’t think Joan can be seen in her things more than that. She’s photographed so often.”