Buzz in the air as Hollywood awards season debuts

By Alexandria Sage

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood is full of extra buzz these days as growing excitement, frayed nerves and lavish parties signal the start of the all-important awards season.

In the next six weeks leading up to the February 25 Oscars, the movie and television industries will be doing all they can to be beautiful, fashionable and fabulous -- with little expense spared as they attend award events sponsored by the guilds for producers, directors and actors, among other events.

Extravagant gift baskets are showered on celebrities, who flock to self-congratulatory party after party. And companies eager to have stars hawk their products on the red carpet lavish A-listers with luxury hotel suites, jewellery, sexy underwear and massages.

With the Golden Globes kicking off the major awards on Monday, stars and their entourages of designers, stylists, make-up artists and hangers-on are flooding Los Angeles.

"If you ever want to see a celebrity, now would be the time to come," said Rob Silverstein, executive producer of "Access Hollywood," a television show of celebrity gossip. "There’s just an energy and vibe in the air that you rarely get."

The celebrity-chasing media have their work cut out to keep track of the latest fashions, hairstyles, plastic surgery and diet fads of the rich and famous.

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This season’s surprise trend? A "foot facelift" in which fillers, such as silicone, are pumped into the balls of the feet to give more padding for standing on high heels until dawn, said Ryan Patterson, Access Hollywood’s supervising producer.

But good luck getting a manicure or hair appointment at a top salon or a room at one of the swankier hotels -- they’ve been booked for months.

The cocktail parties, lunches and dinners are not all fun and games. The social events are big business for the likes of sponsors, fashion houses and beverage makers hoping to woo the who’s-who of entertainment and grab a share of the hype.

"They’re timed to capture all the celebrities who are in town and other noteworthy people in the industry," said Charla Lawhon, managing editor of In Style magazine, which hosts a red carpet fashion show and other parties.

The Golden Globes -- which have a more casual feel than the Oscars, the season’s most prestigious award gala on February 25 -- have a special appeal because they award achievement in both film and television.

Plus, noted Silverstein, because alcohol is served during the show, stars tend to get frisky.

At last year’s Golden Globes, he said, his show had a karaoke machine backstage and "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher "went crazy singing ’I Will Survive.’"

That less formal feel can translate into fashion choices for women. Golden Globe attendees often eschew long gowns in favour of more flirty styles cut just below the knee.

Celebrity hairstylist Frederic Fekkai, who will be adorning the tresses of some as-yet-unnamed stars, said his Golden Globes look is loose and light, more playful than the upswept hairstyles ubiquitous at the Academy Awards.