Matthew McConaughey (leading man of the year), Will Ferrell (funnyman of the year), Pharrell Williams, Andy Samberg and Julie Delpy were among the honorees who turned out to GQ magazine’s West Coast Men of the Year bash Tuesday night.

Now in its 18th year, the event can always be counted on for an impressive celebrity turnout, and this year was no exception. What was different was the venue -- the Wilshire Ebell instead of the Chateau Marmont, where it had been held for the last several years.

GQ Photo Gallery: Inside the Men of the Year Party

The shift in locale made for a roomier, free-flowing affair with guests circulating through two large rooms, one of which contained three pool tables (which were getting enthusiastic use), and spilling out into a courtyard on one side and smokers’ patio on the other.


On our way in, we ran into the Elder Statesman’s Greg Chait, clad in one of his label’s super-soft cashmere suit jackets, who had just arrived back in town from Monday’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards in New York.

We caught up with Darren Criss (“Glee”), who was kitted out in a striking red and black plaid jacket by Neal Barrett, and chatted briefly with Aziz Ansari. And though we forgot to ask him the specifics of what he was wearing last night, he confirmed our suspicion that the suit he was wearing for the “Buried Alive” promotional shot (the one where he’s posing with a fawn) was by Band of Outsiders.

Thanks to the presence of a stunning strapless, backless, ankle-length Giorgio Armani gown, we found it necessary to introduce ourselves to the wearer who turned out to be a delightful young lady by the name of Willa Holland, who, when not turning heads at other people’s parties, is an actress who plays Thea Queen on the CW series “The Arrow.”

Others we spotted over the course of the evening included NBA fashion plate Russell Westbrook (we’re told Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka were in the house too), Rich Sommer (“Mad Men”), “Glee’s” Matthew Morrison and Chord OVerstreet (the latter sporting what appeared to be a tiny blond ponytail), newlyweds Justin Mikita and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (“Modern Family”) and Amy Poehler.


But two of our favorite folks at the party turned out to be a very, very not-famous couple from Pittsburgh by the name of Joseph and Claire Faulk whom we met by sheer happenstance. The Faulks were there, it turns out, because they’d won a GQ- and Olympus-sponsored all-expenses-paid “men of influence” contest. Their excitement and wonderment at the celebrity swirl was truly something to behold.

We ended up crossing paths with the Faulks several times over the course of the evening, and as we made our last sweep through the Ebell for any last celebrity sightings, we noticed them chatting amiably on the patio with “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner and actor Clark Duke (“Hot Tub Time Machine”).

A deliciously memorable “only in Hollywood” moment if ever there was one.

GQ’s “Men of the Year” issue, on L.A. newstands now, will be available nationwide Nov. 19.


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adam.tschorn@latimes.com