Oscar swag to fill your designer bag. And is that Brad Pitt??

In two mezzanine suites just above the lobby of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel – yes, the one from “Pretty Woman” – about 200 people are jostling each other with “what-can-possibly-impress-me-here?" looks on their faces.

Table after table of high-end goods are laid out, trying to attract the eye of Oscar and other celebrities such as actor Christian Bale, nominated this year for “The Fighter,” composer Hans Zimmer (“Rain Man,” “Dark Knight”), and Michelle Williams (“Blue Valentine,” “Brokeback Mountain.”)

Five pages of other names include Jamie Foxx, and TV celebrities from “Saturday Night Live” to “Glee” – all looking at handbags, Mongolian jewelry, vitamins, hand-made chocolates, aluminum art apples, cosmetics, exotic lodging deals and more.

Oscar weekend is when Southern California – already the nation’s most star-gazing and name dropping city – switches into overdrive.

Lists of Oscar parties are printed in the L.A. Times.

Friday night was 1) Women in Film, tapping Halle Berry to toast female nominees from Melissa Leo to Amy Adams, 2) Vanity Fair DJ Night with Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Dane Cook.

Saturday also included 1) an HBO salute to the movie academy’s documentary nominees, 2) a luncheon for Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, hosted by Barry Diller (“Mr. Diane von Furstenberg,” as the L.A. Times calls him). There’s also 3) a soiree with Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers saluting his favorite films – an event that in the past has attracted A-listers George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie (what a concept!).

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