"Every day is
a surprise. I wake up and I can't believe this
is my job and I get to do this."
— Hilary Duff |
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News |
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March
27, 2005 |
from
suntimes |
Miss Lizzie, sis achieve
Icon status
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'Refine the Paradigm," a
2,000-person fund-raiser
hosted by Hilary and Haylie
Duff last Saturday, was the
biggest party that almost
didn't happen.
It was a fitting debut for
Icon Liquors, Chicago's
first "understated"
nightclub management
company.
"Clubs in Manhattan and L.A.
don't make a big deal about
themselves," says Chris
Dexter, founder of Icon
Liquors and co-owner of
Spoon, Goodbar and Elm
Street Liquors. "Chicago is
an urbane city, but the
night life hasn't reflected
that. Our intent was to have
an underground party that
everybody finds out about
three days out."
The strategy worked. "I
heard about this yesterday
from Rocco DiSpirito," says
Bill Rancic. Other
celebrities were flown in
with the help of party
co-host Matt Stoen, owner of
Los Angeles nightclub Xes
Hollywood, including DJ AM
(a k a Adam Goldstein,
Nicole Richie's fiance) and
Corey Feldman.
The event raised $15,000 for
the American Red Cross and
Kids with a Cause, Hilary
Duff's charity.
"I'm just having fun because
I'm with all my friends,"
Duff says. The event is
estimated to have cost more
than $100,000.
The night before, the party
was almost canceled due to
city permit problems. The
party wound up being moved
from the River East Art
Center at North Pier to the
W Hotel City Center, 172 W.
Adams.
Other logistics went
haywire. "There was a
4,000-man anti-war protest
marching right through our
original red carpet line,"
says event producer Brook
Jay from All Terrain
Productions, whose company
was hired to produce the
event. "Then we lost our
hotel rooms.
"We had to reroute the
celebrities' jets from
O'Hare to Midway. At one
point we were like, 'Forget
it, there are too many
obstacles.' "
In the end, the event went
off without a hitch. |
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