Jen Egan, Gen Art’s ubiquitous It Girl and Project Runway’s eagle eye, on being perpetually “out,” decoding Japanese door lists, and why Beverly Hills fashion still sucks.

Where do you hang out? I love the Tower Bar at the Sunset Tower Hotel. Jeff Klein is a good friend, and Dimitry, who does not need a last name just like Madonna and Cher need no other name, is bar none the best host in the city. He will greet you with his adorable Italian accent, “Ciao bella,” and kiss you, always both cheeks, and never an air kiss. Tower Bar is dark enough to take 10 years off me, swank enough that there are always celebrity sightings, and intimate enough that you feel cozy munching on the amazing thin crust pizza and drinking champagne, a.k.a. “champers dahhhling.”

It's time to break out the funny glasses, (Note: This will be the last year you'll be able to sport those super cool glasses with the double zeros in them, next year 2010 won't work so well) the poppers, the kazoos, and the champagne. Wear something sparkly and check out this NYE packages from around the country (and London):

New York
Jumeirah Essex House is hosting a dinner/dancing/brunching extravaganza that includes a fancy 5-course dinner, champagne and dancing when the ball drops, luxury digs, and brunch served in bed on January 1. Rates start at $659 a night, 2-night minimum (212) 247-0300.

Michael Smith, private beat architect for Katsuya, Ferragamo, SBE, and The Standard, on drunken David Hasselhoff, the ambience of teeth brushing, Mark McGrath’s desperation, and MILFs in the White House

How did you get your start in Los Angeles? I started off DJing back in 2000, where, unlike today, LA didn’t have more DJs than housepets. Most DJs want to rock clubs and be the hero. I never cared if people knew who I was. I was in love with downtempo music because I could work, sleep, chill, and basically live to it. I looked to do completely different types of events: cocktail parties, art spaces, boats in the South of France, you know ... and found a niche outside of the club that allowed me to take more chances and meet more people. Eight years later, I’m doing global music marketing projects for many of the world’s top brands (Diesel, Vanity Fair, Jaguar, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Cavelli, 20th Century Fox). Crazy!

While every other hotel group has been scrambling to launch twee eco sub-brands, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, in conjunction with L.A. nightlife hotshots SBE, has been plotting in the direction of megaluxe. And so, this winter, Beverly Hills will see the launch of the SLS Hotel -- the first of a new lineup of ultra-chic lairs. With interiors by Philippe Starck, the SLS will be awash in boutique-y hotel trappings (sleek furnishings, designer minibars and a futuristic gym), but with 297 distinctly posh sleeping quarters, it will more likely be luring guests away from the Peninsula than from hipster magnets like the Standard.

Philippe Starck fans, get ready, 'cause Sam Nazarian has your number. The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills is opening this fall -- it's the first of a series of collaborations between the modern designer and nightlife guru. The hotel promises luxury, whimsy, and plenty of shopping. We bet it'll be swarmed with the paparazzi as well.