Swathed in swag

Everyone is asking me about the Sundance swag scene. Here's the scoop:

Everywhere you go there are movie stars. We saw David Arquette and Dennis Quaid outside the Fred Segal Town Lift Center, where both drew crowds of bundled-up fans. It's almost impossible to tell who is famous hiding under a big furry hood (Quaid) and who is not (the pretty young fans) but once you see the stars, they usually stop and nod or wave and smile and pictures are taken by all.

I had heard that celebs like Jessica Alba, Paris Hilton and others had gotten the star treatment up and down Main Street, and of course I was curious to see what the famed "swag" scene was all about. Promoters were eager to tell us SELF editors all about what they had on display and occasionally even give us samples (!!!) of the things they are about to bring to market, in the hopes that they will find their way into the pages of SELF in the future.

Of course, at SELF, we cover all up-and-coming products that are new and noteworthy, shoppable and skippable. Our beauty, style and fitness editors try everything and occasionally also enlist readers to try things before they get into print. But for now, it was my turn to feel and touch and try and sample, and honestly, I loved it. Being told what is coming by the very people who are bringing it out is like seeing a film preview: You get to play critic for a day and let others know what you think. Here is a photo of me getting the pitch from some of the latest designers of the coolest new T-shirts, jeans and other items to bring their creations to market.

First we got word that a star (I saw it was Quaid) was in the Fred Segal boutique, and we had to wait for about 20 minutes, so we got the chance to poke around inside the Fred Segal beauty salon where we got little hair and makeup treatments. (I was looking a little worn out from the party, truth be told, so some highlighter under the eyes and some smoothing of the frizz was highly appreciated.) At this stop we were treated to news about the latest beauty products. I was reminded of trick-or-treat as the lovely ladies handed me a bag and kept dropping creams and hair products in it, extolling the virtues of each. If everything they tell me turns out to be true, I will positively glow, have no wrinkles, never a frizz or curl out of place, and my lips will look gorgeous and conditioned, not chapped, no matter how cold the weather. I can't wait! I will happily share my impressions with you, as I try each of these new enhancers. Stay tuned.

Next (after Quaid and his wife were finished walking through in private, which I understand, since I wouldn't want him hovering around me when I had to tell someone my shoe or jeans size, thank you very much!), we were ushered into the boutique and shown all sorts of amazing new lines by designers eager to get press for their products. Leather wristband-style bracelets from Dillon Rogers that have inspiring words written on them (I received a little green strap with a peace symbol, very retro and modern at once) from the acoustical engineer turned jewelry designer Geoffrey Dillon. I could see these becoming the hot item this spring and summer. They are totally Zen and message-oriented, and I felt that the look was right out of the '60s.

Next we saw vintage T-shirts from Disney with things like Mickey Mouse driving a cartoon car and "Save gas...carpool!" on it. A little... Goofy...but cute. Perfect for a hot summer day and way more fun than just a plain white shirt. Another new T-shirt company: an earth-friendly one called yudu, with a call to action, albeit a subtle one. On each shirt is printed a large flower, with seven petals plus space for an eighth, which appears to have fallen off. The missing petal is you...because "you DO make a difference," said Eric the designer (yudu is phonetic for you do). The hangtag has seeds in it, which you're supposed to plant. So even the tag improves the planet. Very cool.

Still more newcomers showed us their boots. There was Love from Australia, a sort of high-fashion take on the classic Ugg, in brighter colors, like purple, and more mod silhouettes. The woman who looked and sounded like Natasha Beddingfield explained that the word ugg is kind of like Kleenex down under, not a brand so much as a name. So these are uggs, but little "u," and the Love From Australia brand elevates it to a fashion sensibility. The designs are very movie star, and I can just imagine Jessica Alba in a pair.

And there were organic cotton jeans in gray and purple from 4 Stroke, with Theodora Richards as the poster girl for the cut, which was slim and flattering. I thought: These are for very small butts, the movie star kind. Necessitees is a nice brand and had lots of pretty cotton tees built for a real woman, not too little and not too baggy, either. We also saw the newest ski jackets and vests from Spyder, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Here is a company that is enjoying a huge revival and it's 30! Very inspiring given that 2009 is the 30th anniversary of SELF. You can grow, be hip and evolve and be an exciting, new-seeming company, at 30. Love that. I ski in Spyder, so now I feel especially (or perhaps luckily) in the know!