The Headband Gave It Away

If she looks like Hillary Clinton, she could be Teri Garr. For a guest appearance on “Dream On,” HBO’s Saturday night series, Garr plays the blond, blue-eyed wife of a politician. Her favorite accessory is a headband and her favorite shade of lipstick is blood red. “Garr does look an awful lot like Clinton,” admits Kevin Bright, the show’s executive producer. Just in case anyone misses the point, the real Gennifer Flowers appears in a cameo.

HAIR RAZING: The signature high-top fade worn by Kid of the rap duo Kid ‘N Play might be towering over Sunset Boulevard on a billboard, but his hairstyle is about to, as they say, fade into the sunset. In the film “Class Act,” which opens today, Kid (Chris Reid) and Play (Chris Martin) switch personas and hairstyles. According to a spokesperson, Kid liked Play’s dreadlocks so much, that he’s adopted the hairstyle in real life, giving up his tall, nuclear-power stack hairdo. (Movie review, F6.)

TOUR OF DUTY: Secretary of Commerce Barbara Franklin must have liked the positive atmosphere inside the new YES Clothing building. She was scheduled to spend 45 minutes last Friday with chief executive officer, George Randall, but stayed more than two hours, he says. YES was moving from Central to downtown L.A. when the riots hit and looters caused an estimated $1.5-million damage. The destruction and Randall’s determination to stay in L.A. made headlines in USA Today, prompting President Bush to send his commerce secretary in for a chat. Randall and Franklin talked about drugs, unemployment, government spending and Randall’s recommendation for more schools that teach job skills. As for exchanging gifts, Franklin didn’t get so much as a T-shirt, but Randall got “a hug and a kiss goodby.”

MAKE-ME-GAG GOWNS: There’s an unusual fashion contest under way at the Des Moines Register. Iowans have been asked to submit photos of the worst bridesmaids dresses they have ever worn. The owner of the ugliest wins a $25 gift certificate. Leader, so far, of the tacky pack is a dress with a black lace bodice, pink satin skirt, black feather trim and a band of black fringe around the waist. Can you beat that?

THE BROWN PALETTE: Makeup artist Bobbi Brown has done the faces of models, actresses and newswomen (including Diane Sawyer, Jane Pauley and Katie Couric, all in one recent month) for magazine covers. She sums up her technique in one short sentence: “The secret is not using bright colors.” She also avoids foundation, opting instead for tinted powder. Last week she introduced the Bobbi Brown Essentials makeup line ($12.50 to $22.50) at Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills, and dropped yet another beauty tip: everything from face powder to matte lipstick, has a touch of brown in it to complement the skin’s natural tones.

SWATCH MARCHES ON: Just because you’re not invited to this month’s Earth Summit in Brazil doesn’t mean you can’t participate. Swatch has designed a watch for the occasion. And Sting was among the first to wear it at his rain forest concert at Carnegie Hall in March. Dubbed “Time to move” the timepiece has the summit motto and logo on the face, is automatic (no batteries to pollute the environment) and a portion of each $72.50 sale goes to the United Nations, which is sponsoring the summit. Los Angeles collectors can get their hands on the watch--at the rate of one per customer--starting June ll, at selected Bullock’s stores.