The 61st Academy Awards had ended, and Daenerys Entertainment's "Gucci Night" after-party became the grandest celebration of the evening.
In terms of sheer number of statuettes, Daenerys's haul might not have looked overwhelming. Yet taking three of the four crown jewels, Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor guaranteed the studio would dominate headlines for weeks.
To those who understood the hidden battle that had played out, Daenerys had won decisively.
In Hollywood's arena of fame and fortune, those were the only prizes that mattered.
Over the past year and more, no other studio had come close to Daenerys's box-office dominance or awards success. To many, the fast-rising company was the surest ladder to the top.
Just the publicly announced projects in active prep numbered at least ten, each brimming with career-making opportunities no one doubted.
Stars scrambled for direct access to Daenerys brass. Beyond the invited guests, many A-listers angled for entry. Daenerys wasn't an open house, however; crashing and being turned away would make perfect tabloid fodder. Only a handful secured last-minute passes through back channels.
...
Beverly Hills Hilton.
Famke Janssen stepped from her car in a deep-red, broad-shouldered Gucci gown. Her agent guided her straight to the step-and-repeat outside the "Gucci Night" ballroom.
Everything, dress, clutch, shoes was Gucci. More accurately, she was the brand's walking billboard tonight.
Famke had no objection. The exposure helped her too.
All three Wonder Woman finalists had been dressed the same way. Still low-profile enough that brand conflicts weren't an issue, none had major endorsements yet and perfect clothes hangers from modeling backgrounds.
Over recent months, Famke had realized she was likely the frontrunner. As long as she didn't screw up, Diana Prince would be hers.
She dutifully posed for over two minutes against the Daenerys and Gucci backdrops before being allowed inside. The moment she entered, ICM president Marvin Josephson approached with warm familiarity and personally escorted her through the crowd.
To close the gap with CAA and WMA, ICM had forged ties with several top modeling agencies years earlier. Names like Cindy Crawford, Paulina Porizkova, and Elle Macpherson all had acting contracts with ICM.
Famke had been a minor player among them.
Now she was a priority. Daenerys would open doors; ICM was pouring resources into her. Treatment even Helena Christensen also ICM and another Wonder Woman contender couldn't match.
The third, Erika Anderson, was with WMA.
Despite the clear lean toward Famke, ICM stayed wary. Simon's ties to WMA made complacency dangerous.
Across the room, as Marvin shepherded Famke, Jonathan Friedman was discussing the same three candidates with Amy.
Erika wasn't Jonathan's personal client, but her agent like Valerie Golino's Elian Bollman and Adam Baldwin's Matthew Steadman, fell within his camp. After last year's events, Jonathan no longer believed in WMA solidarity. He'd spent the past two years building alliances for his own future.
When he probed, Amy was direct. "Joe, you've seen Simon's preference. Still, he chose these three for a reason. Even if they don't land Wonder Woman, they'll have solid careers here."
"In that case," Jonathan said, "how about letting Erika try for April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?"
April was the female lead in the TMNT comics. In the original timeline, Michael Bay's version cast Megan Fox, a flashy vase role with plenty of room to shine.
The suggestion amounted to Erika gracefully withdrawing from the Wonder Woman race.
Given the low odds, it was actually her smartest move.
Since the fainting incident, Simon had delegated more authority to Amy.
Aside from core titles, projects like TMNT slated to shoot later this year for a summer '90 release, were now hers to run. Casting was about to begin.
Amy considered briefly. "All right, Joe. I'll put Erika on the shortlist, but it'll come down to her audition."
Knowing Amy had others to greet, Jonathan chatted idly a moment longer, then moved on. Bruce Willis and Demi Moore promptly filled the gap, eager to talk.
Post-Die Hard, the former TV actor had vaulted to A-list. The couple's recent overtures were driven by Demi's hunger for the Ghost lead.
Jonathan circulated, catching sight of Nicole Kidman.
In an elaborate Dior gown, she was deep in conversation with Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford.
He hesitated, then passed by.
After wrapping George Miller's Over the Horizon, Nicole had noticed none of Daenerys's upcoming projects included her. Restless, she'd tested the waters about buying out her remaining two-picture option deal, especially after Daenerys reconciled with Meg Ryan.
Then the gown incident.
Too impatient, can't read the room, too many schemes, Jonathan thought, shaking his head. He had no shortage of leading ladies, and Nicole had only brushed the A-list. If she had her own ideas, fine. He lacked the bandwidth to school non-priority clients, especially ones unlikely to listen.
Nicole spotted Jonathan passing. She paused, then looked away.
Lately she'd begun to regret her choices.
Staying with CAA might not have been bad. She suspected Pulp Fiction would have been hers.
Now the two remaining Daenerys options gnawed at her. They might not matter much on their own, but Ghost felt perfect for her. Her discreet inquiries had yielded nothing definite, deepening the regret.
She also felt Daenerys's habit of locking actors into multi-picture deals benefited the studio far more than the talent. CAA, by contrast, fought for its clients, small wonder the two sides had clashed so bitterly.
As an actress, she decided she shouldn't pin hopes on any one studio.
If only I could jump ship.
Returning to CAA would infuriate Daenerys, she wasn't that reckless. But ICM might work.
Both Gere and Crawford were ICM clients. After a few minutes, Gere enthusiastically offered to introduce her to Marvin Josephson.
She'd already spotted Marvin across the room. Approaching now would be premature.
Crawford sensed Gere's warmth toward Nicole and bristled. She didn't snap, but when Helena Christensen appeared nearby, she recalled something, made an excuse, and slipped away.
Even a supermodel couldn't match Hollywood-star clout long-term.
Crawford had hooked the fading leading man partly to solidify her own fame. She held no illusions about their future.
Helena's mood was low.
Among the three Wonder Woman hopefuls, ICM's Famke was the clear favorite; WMA-backed Erika had strong support. Helena was the odd one out.
She'd already passed on modeling opportunities for the role. At twenty-one, the youngest of the trio, she still had years before the usual supermodel pivot. Maybe she should refocus on the runway.
Seeing Crawford approach, she raised her glass. "Hey, Cindy."
"Alone?" Cindy asked.
Helena forced a joke. "Thought I'd try landing a sugar daddy. Too bad the biggest fish isn't here."
Crawford laughed. "Speaking of, remember last year?"
Helena frowned. "What?"
"Westeros's birthday. He gave each of us a promise."
Helena rolled her eyes lightly. "You actually believed that?"
"No harm in trying."
"What would you ask for?"
"Haven't decided. But I'm not letting that guy off easy. You?"
"Nothing. I forgot."
Nearby, Angela Ahrendts moved through the crowd with ease.
Perhaps prompted by the "Gucci Night" branding or simple Hollywood directness, many stars had voluntarily added Gucci touches: gowns, clutches, shoes.
The room radiated Gucci.
Daenerys had invited over twenty major domestic and international outlets to the red carpet.
The abundance of Gucci elements promised a publicity surge in coming days.
Even the most elite luxury brands needed advertising.
Mass TV blitzes, however, cheapened prestige. Sponsoring an exclusive high-society event achieved the opposite—elevating the name.
Angela didn't wait for the party to end. She left early to meet pre-arranged media contacts.
Everything had gone better than planned. Botching the press follow-up would be criminal.
The careful orchestration paid off. Next morning, alongside Oscar coverage, Gucci appeared across mainstream outlets.
Some snarky pieces mocked the Daenerys-Gucci link, but media and Hollywood were symbiotic. Most coverage leaned positive to preserve access.
Magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue began planning "Gucci Night" features.
The exposure boost was immediate.
Stars set trends.
Gucci gowns, bags, and shoes splashed across print drove sales. Within a week, U.S. Gucci stores saw a 13% jump; even European locations rose.
Inspired, Sophia Fache in Europe after talks with Angela and Daenerys quickly green-lit a European "Gucci Night" at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in May.
On the awards front, the Oscars curtain fell. Rain Man met expectations and sparked another box-office rebound, yet controversy predictably followed.
Dead Poets Society's lone win for Best Director and Simon's Best Original Score became lightning rods for debate.
[GodOfReader: Fuck, i thought there would be a BIG DRAMA coming in!]