South O’ the Highway (and the North too)

Designer Tory Birch is set to open a new boutique at 47 Newtown Lane in East Hampton this May. Tory’s clothes have been added to the closets of celebrities like Catherine Zeta Jones and Hilary Duff and her new collection promises to be stunning and just in time to stock up her new boutique.

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Hamptons philanthropist and music executive Russell Simmons celebrated hotelier Jason Pomeranc’s 36th birthday last Saturday. Also attending was actress Kate Hudson, fashion designer Francisco Costa, Dolce & Gabbana executive Ali Wise and Rachel Zoe.

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Bridgehampton resident Isobel Robins Konecky and Page Morton Black are working on the 50th anniversary gala of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation set to be held on May 16 at the Pierre. The next day, Isobel is hosting a Spring luncheon tribute honoring Edward Albee at the Marriott Marquis.

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Amagansett resident Sarah Jessica Parker has just debuted her second fragrance, Covet. Covet is meant to embody the opposite side of the same woman who wears Sarah Jessica’s first fragrance, Lovely.

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Animal advocate and BeKind Organization founder Frances Hayward of East Hampton joined forces with the Humane Society of the United States’s President Wayne Pacelle to honor four of the nation’s top law firms, including Latham &Watkins, Faegre & Benson, O’Melveny & Myers and Frost Brown Todd for their outstanding pro bono litigation on behalf of animals in 2006 at NYU’s Torch Club on April 19.

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Renowned Broadway producer and three-time Tony Award winner Stewart Lane has just published a book, Let’s Put On a Show!, which explains how to put on a Broadway-style production on any budget.

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Montauk resident and Dan’s Papers Associate Editor David Lion Rattiner has recently forayed into the on-line dating world with his website www.datehampton.com. Since it’s launch, one happy couple, Genevieve Salamone and John Horsburgh, has already gotten together as a result of the site.

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Southampton resident Donna Karan will be honored with the Fragrance Foundation’s Hall of Fame Award at their FiFi celebration in May.

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The great ladies of media, including Hamptons fixtures Arianna Huffington and Martha Stewart, gathered at the Waldorf Astoria last Monday to celebrate New York women in communications. Hamptonite Judith Giuliani was there to celebrate, along with all the greats of the media community — Barbara Walters, Nora Ephron, Rosie O’ Donnell Rupert Murdoch, Donna Hanover, Brandon Holley, Robert Zimmerman, Cathie Black, Judge Judy Scheindlin, Cindy Adams, Meredith Viera, Joan Didion, Susan Lyne, Lisa Caputo, Senator Hillary Clinton, Helen Gurley Brown and Geri Laybourne.

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The Riverhead Foundation staff and volunteers released another healthy, happy seal under the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays last Saturday in front of an enthusiastic crowd. For information on future releases, call the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation at (631) 369-9840 or visit www.riverheadfoundation.org

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The family of Nan Kempner has donated three rolling racks of clothing filled with Chanel suits, Valentino blouses, belts, hats and jewelry for Lighthouse International’s Spring 2007 POSH Sale of over 30,000 garments for men, women and children chaired by Helen O’Hagan.

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On Saturday, April 28, Windswept Hair Salon of Water Mill will sponsor a benefit at The Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett to raise funds to help the Zingarelli family of Bridgehampton, who are facing exorbitant medical expenses as they fight to save their beautiful daughter, Mia Bella Zingarelli, born seven weeks ago with a rare life-threatening metabolic syndrome. The Miracle for Mia benefit will feature hors d’oeuvres and the rocking sounds of Nancy Atlas, Easy Chief, former members of the Water Street Band, The JamBandits and Leslie Mendelson.

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East Hampton resident Renee Zellweger has her eye on a part in Harvey Weinstein’s newest musical movie, Nine, set to be directed by Rob Marshall, the mastermind behind Renee’s last musical performance in Chicago.

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Nine-year-old Ross School student Sabrina A. McMenamin of East Hampton placed 10th in the nation for the Giant Slalom and 12th in the nation for Slalom at the United States of America Snowboard Association Championships, which were held at Northstar in Tahoe from March 31 to April 7.

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Amagansett resident Chris Foster was one of six winners in the Long Island Museum’s first juried photography competition, Long Island Through a Lens, for his black and white entry, “Beach Chair.” All winning photos will be displayed in the Art Museum from May second through May 28. Other winners in the competition include Holly Gordon of Bay Shore, best color photo for her entry, “Autumn Palette” and Patricia Colombraro of South Nesconset, best digital manipulated/other for her color infrared photo, “Tree of Dreams.” The best in show award went to Craig Robins for his color photo, “Montauk Train Station.” Two photos won honorable mention awards. They were “Grandpa’s Tackle Box,” a three dimensional photo by Carol Bergh of Center Moriches and “Horton Point Lighthouse,” a digitally manipulated photo by Sandra Kahn of St. James.

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Frequent Hamptons visitor Jennifer Lopez, a.k.a J. Lo, received $1.2 million, plus $800,000 in perks, including airfare and hotel rooms for her entourage, to sing at the joint birthday party of Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko and his wife, former model Aleksandra Nikolic Milnichenko, in Surrey, England last Saturday night. The Milnichenkos have become famous for importing American pop stars to sing at their parties — in 2005, Christina Aguilera received $4 million to sing at the couple’s wedding in France.

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Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein is currently penning a biography of frequent Hamptons visitor Hillary Rodham Clinton titled A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

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Southampton resident Paris Hilton received some unexpected phone calls last week after model Shanna Moakler posted the socialite’s cell phone number on her MySpace page.