With the 76th annual Academy Awards coming in what passes for winter in Southern California, designer Stanlee Gatti decided to evoke "a tropical day" for Elton John's annual Oscar night gala.

Gatti transformed a West Hollywood parking lot into a lime-green tent with some 14,500 yards of Bengalian file silk. He used 4 1/2 miles of bamboo to line the tent. Greeting guests were two very large balls of anthurium plants.

Speaking of green, it cost $2,500 a ticket to attend the 12th annual Elton John/In Style benefit, with proceeds going to the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Elton himself began his evening by walking the carpet with partner David Furnish and Arthur, his beloved spaniel, who lapped up the paparazzi's attention.

Donald Trump and his girlfriend, model Melania Knauss, were escorted to their table and seated between Tony Bennett and "Las Vegas" siren Molly Sims and her actor boyfriend, Enrique Murciano.

The group dined on puree of tomato and roasted fennel soup and a salad of mache arugula and field of greens for starters, followed by grilled New York steak with roasted scallopini squash filled with potato and celery root puree.

Attendees dined under a blue sky canopy of silk and watched the awards on flat-screen televisions.

Elton worked the room in a black suit with a vibrant red shirt and tie.

Seated at his table were the Osbournes — Ozzy, Sharon and the kids; 16-year-old soul singer Joss Stone, who was invited to perform with Elton later in the evening; Nia Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"; and husband-and-wife country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

Also attending were singers Michelle Branch and JC Chasez and actors Allison Janney, Katie Holmes and John Stamos and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. Mingling during an intermission were Carson Kressley from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and newlyweds Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra.

To add to the benefit's take, guests could bid on a Bentley Continental GT, a hard-to-get $150,000 car considered the fastest four-door coupe in the world. It sold for $400,000.

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