Call It Pretend Wear

You’d think Michael Kors would look to the French capital when designing his first spring collection for the Paris-based label Celine, wouldn’t you?

Mais, non.

“The whole collection to me couldn’t be more Los Angeles,” the designer said by phone from his New York home, “because we based the whole idea on a blustery day at the beach. Half the people I know in Los Angeles never go to the beach, but now you can at least pretend.”

And you know how naturally that comes to us Angelenos. Celine rolled out the white carpet this week at a fashion show fund-raiser at Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw’s Pacific Palisades home, or should we say, compound. Might we suggest, Camp Steven?

The elegant Capshaw, who already has mastered the roles of actress, mom and benefit host, now adds the job of muse to her portfolio. Indeed, Kors, who was grounded in New York by bronchitis, said he surrounded himself with photos of Capshaw as well as Gwyneth Paltrow, Mia Farrow in her Frank Sinatra years, and the late Jackie Kennedy when he was designing for spring.

Capshaw co-hosted the lunch with Rita Wilson, Sally Field and the absent Goldie Hawn to benefit the Westside Children’s Center and Children’s Action Network, which is feeding hungry children at Kids’ Cafes in Venice and West L.A. Vogue magazine co-sponsored the lunch with Neiman Marcus.

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HBO’s premiere bash for “Winchell” was a celebration for star Stanley Tucci, director Paul Mazursky and executive producer Robert Fried, but for Herman Klurfeld, it was a coming-out party. Klurfeld was the chief ghostwriter for New York gossip columnist Walter Winchell for 30 years.

Now you know.

You would have known if you’d read Klurfeld’s biography of his former boss when it was published 20 years ago by Prager, but the company went out of business after printing 25 copies.

“I had the damnedest time trying to sell the book,” Klurfeld said. “After Winchell was dead, they were still afraid of him.”

Klurfeld wasn’t, but he was in the minority. The brutally powerful Winchell came by his scariness naturally.

“He knew I was getting offers from other people. He always said to me, ‘Herman, as long as I have it, you’ll have it. You’ll never have to worry about money. Don’t forget, Winchell starts with win.’

“I said, ‘Yes, but it ends with hell.’ ”

Irene Lacher’s Out & About column runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Page 2.