Attention, Heavenly Shoppers

Gold cards in one hand, champagne flutes in the other, 800 shoppers kept cash registers working double time at the kickoff of Divine Design’s eighth annual four-day fashion fund-raiser, which continues today.

A gala $250-ticket dinner Thursday opened the event at the Pacific Design Center, which was transformed into a shopping wonderland of apparel and home-furnishing boutiques. For the evening, the Blue Whale’s interior design showrooms were named after famous L.A. shopping streets, such as Rodeo Drive, Montana Avenue and Beverly Boulevard.

Guests (including China Chow, Donna Summer, Sharon Lawrence and Alan Cumming) hunted for holiday gifts and designer duds, which were donated by Ralph Lauren, Richard Tyler, Kenneth Cole and others, and sold at 50% below retail. It was shopping without guilt: All proceeds--the first night alone raised $600,000--go to Project Angel Food, a nonprofit that works to cook and deliver meals to clients living with HIV and AIDS. The goal is to raise a total of $1.2 million when the Divine Design closes tonight.

At the Frederick’s of Hollywood boutique, G-strings that jingled, Santa Claus-face pasties and marabou-trimmed red-velvet bras were a quick sell. “My parents are impossible. No matter what I buy them, they hate it,” said TV producer Kim Devore, who scooped up some sweet nothings for her father. “At least I’m going to get a laugh with these,” she said.

Actress Kathy Najimy looked fab in a burgundy velvet coat, designed by Norwegian Steven Gundersen. Her shopping bags were full of clothes for her children, she said, including a snowsuit for her 4-year-old, because Najimy is moving to New York to star in the Broadway production of “Dirty Blonde.”

“Frasier’s” Kelsey Grammer and his wife, Camille, were also at the party. “We try to do things like this around this time every year,” said Grammer, referring to Divine Design. “I always read ‘Christmas Carol’ and try to get in the spirit.”

Party-goers shopped until they nearly dropped, then adjourned to a tent, where dinner was served and awards were given to Jami Heidegger, president of cosmetics firm Kiehl’s, for corporate humanitarianism; the Beverly Center for community commitment; and Darren Star, creator of “Sex and the City,” for media style.

After a few bites of mini-quiche, I noticed there was a Chihuahua at my table. Claire the dog, whose beaded Christmas sweater put my party dress to shame, was accompanied by Penelope Francis, who owns high-end canine clothing and accessories company Fifi & Romeo. She--the pooch, not Penelope--was well-behaved, spending most of the meal lounging inside her houndstooth carrier.

Shortly after the appetizer, plates were cleared, and Whoopi Goldberg started the show with the first of several of the evening’s election jokes. “I’ve been down in Florida counting ballots, and it has not been pretty,” she said. “We still do not have a president. . . . Thank God!”

Event photographers didn’t seem to recognize artist Robert Rauschenberg, who was seated front and center with his collaborator Darryl Pottrof. The two, who live in Florida, are big supporters of Project Angel Food, having donated artworks to raise funds for the charity. Rauschenberg did manage to take the spotlight during the live auction, when he bid $12,000 for the chance to pay for and help cook Christmas Eve dinner for the project. The only trouble? He won’t be in town for kitchen duty. The dinner was sold to Rauschenberg anyway (he will underwrite the cost, and volunteers will cook) for $12,000. Art collector and Mexico’s Jumex juice company heir Eugenio Lopez added $10,000.

“City of Angels” director Paris Barclay outbid several interested parties, paying $7,000 for a walk-on part in Star’s “Sex and the City.” Actress Kristin Davis later joked, “Darren told him he can only come on if he directs.”.

It wasn’t until 10:30 p.m. that Davis introduced her boss with a short film commemorating his life and work, high school photos and all. Although Star may have created some of the most stylish shows on TV (“Sex and the City,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Melrose Place”), he was one goofy teen.

Taking the stage to claim his award, he said, “I’m going to kill my parents for releasing those photos.”

Divine Design, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., ends today. Tickets $20. Information: (310) 358-8000.