Inauguration fashion

Laura Bush has chosen her designers for the inaugural ceremonies: Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera and Peggy Jennings.

The gowns, dresses and suits are mostly pastels. The first lady will wear a light green wool coat and dress by Peggy Jennings for Jan. 19’s opening ceremonies and a pink lace and satin gown by Jennings that evening. For the next day’s swearing-in, she’ll wear a white cashmere coat and dress by de la Renta. And for that evening’s balls, it’ll be a blue satin coat and evening gown, also by de la Renta.

The first daughters, Jenna and Barbara Bush, will wear Badgley Mischka to the inaugural balls.

Time check

After an eight-month hiatus, Fox’s roller-coaster thrill ride “24” returned in fine form Sunday night, TV Guide Online reports. The two-hour, fourth-season premiere starring Kiefer Sutherland averaged nearly 15 million viewers, finishing a strong No. 2 to ABC’s potent “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and “Desperate Housewives” combo.

Kim Raver joins the cast of “24” this season as Sutherland’s love interest.

Elektra unstoppable

Las Vegas — Call her a real-life superhero.

Battling a painful injury that had sidelined her for more than a week, Jennifer Garner helped electrify Las Vegas at Saturday’s world premiere of her new action movie, “Elektra.”

Walking the red carpet at The Palms Hotel and Casino, Garner told reporters: “I wasn’t feeling well over Christmas. I didn’t know why. I thought I had some kind of infection. It turned out that I had messed up my back a little bit.”

Garner first brought the comic-book character Elektra to the big screen in 2003’s “Daredevil,” which also starred Ben Affleck.

Affleck, who has been dating Garner, wasn’t spotted on the red carpet.

Where was he?

The actress smiled and replied, “I don’t know. That’s a good question.”

“Elektra” will play in Lawrence theaters starting Friday.

Tsunami aid I

New York — Teen actress-singer Hilary Duff is donating a portion of all ticket sales from her sold-out “Most Wanted” tour to aid tsunami relief efforts.

“I, just like everyone else, have watched this terrible tragedy and feel so sorry for the children and the families who have lost so much,” Duff said in a statement Monday. “I want to do everything I can to help those that have survived.”

Duff, 17, will give the money to Kids With a Cause, which helps children who suffer from poverty, hunger, sickness, lack of education, abandonment, neglect and abuse. The “So Yesterday” singer and “A Cinderella Story” star will present the check to officials at the United Nations in March.

Tsunami aid II

Bangkok, Thailand — Pop star Ricky Martin will visit tsunami-battered areas during a visit to Thailand this week.

Martin, chairman of the Ricky Martin Foundation, will focus on orphans and “families broken by the disaster,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Monday.

The People for Children project, under the San Juan, Puerto Rico-based foundation, helps to monitor and combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

“Out of his personal concern, he’s coming over to Thailand to mobilize international support,” Sihasak said by phone.

A Philadelphia story

Philadelphia — The Fresh Prince has given up on plans to develop a hotel in his hometown.

Philadelphia-born actor and rapper Will Smith, who starred in the ’90s TV series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” had won preliminary city approval several years ago to build a hotel and retail complex on a derelict property in the city’s centuries-old Society Hill section.

The luxury hotel would have had views of the Delaware River and been within walking distance of tourist attractions like South Street and Independence Hall. The city had pledged $9 million in tax incentives to help the development take place.

But the project stalled in recent years as the hotel market softened, and Smith and his brother have now sold the vacant lot where the complex was to have been built. The sale price was $10.5 million, about three times what the family paid for the parcel five years ago.

SGA breaks off talks

Los Angeles — Unions for television and film actors and representatives for producers broke off contract negotiations Sunday, according to a joint statement.

The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have been immersed in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over a new three-year contract since Dec. 6.

The current contract expires June 30.

“The parties have concluded they cannot reach an agreement at this time. There are no scheduled dates for the resumption of talks,” the statement said.