Bags ... Bel-Air ... and big stars
By Joel Stratte-McClure

How do you get 300 of L.A.'s best-known bag ladies to punctually show up for a free lunch? Not just by offering a choice of grilled vegetables, Greek salad and roasted turkey in brown paper bags. The true lure is a private and intimate charity event featuring chic designer handbags going for up to 60 percent less than retail.

"What woman can resist being first in line to indulge in guilt-free shopping when the proceeds help children become more artistic?" asked Joely Fisher as she ignored a $15,760 Dolce & Gabbana crocodile purse in favor of a tote bag large enough to carry her kids' toys.

The fourth annual P.S. Arts Bag Lunch at Colleen Bell's Bel-Air home on Tuesday raised $180,000 for programs that restore arts education in local public schools. It also illustrated that bag-lady trends include lots of white patent leather and alligator/crocodile creations from Fendi, Tory Burch, Chanel and Jimmy Choo.

Serious shoppers/donors made "Buy It Now" bids to bag purses stuffed with cosmetics donated by Lancome Paris. Not that all guests -- including Reese Witherspoon, Kristin Davis, Zooey Deschanel and Kerry Washington -- were on a shopping spree.

"I have my eye on a Ferragamo clutch but want to give everyone else a chance to buy it first," said Davis, who's building a house nearby.

"I just gave all my old handbags to another charity and am going to write a check to P.S. Arts without taking anything home," said Deschanel, who also donated a silver Tod's purse to the sale and ate the brown bag lunch in her car.