Columnist Kate Maddox: Flash: Fred’s fee fits Pitt fine

Kate Maddox

Friday, Jan. 25, 2002 | 8:47 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach her at (702) 259-2309 or kmaddox@lasvegassun.com

You'd think at X-million bucks a picture, Brad Pitt would spring for his wife's red-carpet jewels. But why buy the cow when you can get the diamonds for free? In one of life's crueler ironies, it's only when one becomes an overpaid megastar, who can easily afford such things as haute couture duds and Gucci togs, that one can land them gratis.

Enter Jennifer Aniston and Fred. Fred, the upscale Parisian jewelry company with an outpost at the Forum Shops, was more than happy to "loan" the "Friends" star and Golden Globe nominee a $68,900 necklace for last Sunday's awards. (You're off the hook, Brad.)

Aniston's necklace, called "Neige" (what, you didn't know fancy jewels have their own names?), is on display, and for sale, at the Forum. Fred General Manager Farid Matraki said that curious peeps are already circling Aniston's diamond loaner. "We did one story on the news about it" earlier this week, Matraki explained. "And by Thursday morning there were people coming into the store to specifically see (the Aniston piece)."

Other Golden Globes jewelry resting comfortably at the Vegas boutique include Leelee Sobieski's $200,000 ensemble ($70,000 earrings, $84,000 bracelet and two rings totaling $50,000).

People are buzzing about this year's dismal attendance at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) trade show, which closed Thursday. NATPE 2001 was a veritable schmooze-fest of Hollywood types and celebrities, featured oodles of glamorous parties at pricey clubs and lots of expensive, elbow-rubbing cocktail hours.

This year NATPE attendees were lucky if they got more than a poster of their favorite TV personality. "It definitely lacked the glitz," said one diehard NATPE fan. "And without the opportunity to glad-hand at big parties, putting deals together was much more difficult."

"I spent a day there," another visitor said. "And the only celebrity I saw was Gallagher."

Emcee/host Clint Holmes stole the show for the third year in a row at Wednesday's Las Vegas Life Epicurean Awards. Kicking off the festivities, a spiffy-looking Holmes sang an original restaurant-inspired song to the tune of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." Holmes' take: "We Didn't Start the Diet."

The Epicurean Awards' big honoree was celeb chef Wolfgang Puck. Puck walked away with the Vanguard Award, which was presented by his friend, Robin Leach. Puck's Mandalay Bay eatery, Lupo, snagged the Best Italian award and his Chinois, at the Forum Shops, won Best Chinese.

In my book, Puck should also get a nod for inviting the folks. Josef and Maria Puck, Austrians on their second trip to Las Vegas (the first was for Steve Wynn's 50th birthday bash), attended the awards ceremony at Turnberry Place's posh Stirling Club. In his acceptance speech, the multimillionaire chef thanked his mother for inspiring his lifelong love of food. As for his dad, Puck said there was a time when his old man thought cooking was strictly a woman's job. He's since changed his tune.

Casting directors for MTV's "The Real World: Season 12" are making a last-minute, last-ditch effort to get just the right mix of youthful wannabes into the Palms digs. On Saturday, if you're between the ages of 18 and 24, bring a recent photo and rush over to Insomnia (formerly the Blue Note Las Vegas) between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Just be sure you've got bags packed -- if you do get picked, you'll be moving in in just a couple of weeks.