Whoopi has legs, Lil Wayne has loot, and Tyra has the CW on lockdown!- June 20th, 2008

On my mind THIS week:
"THE 5,000" DANCE IS ABOUT 5,000 YEARS OLD (!), R. Kelly should pray 5,000 times a day, Hermes and Yohji want a little more than $5,000 for their bag, and Lil Wayne sells, ummm, a little more than 5,000 copies of Tha Carter III...


In Case You Missed It...

Looks like The Grim Reaper reared his ugly head this week. Death, and the avoidance of it, appeared to be the theme, as actress/dancer Cyd Charisse ("Singing in the Rain") is "eighty-sixed" at age 86 (as was "Meet The Press" heavyweight politico Tim Russert- at age 58), as British Columbia is rocked by the news of five severed human feet (all RIGHT feet, mind you!) having been found along the Canadian province's Pacific coast in the past 11 months, as confirmed bachelor Mario Lopez is trying to prevent the inevitable death of his career by "dropping trou " and recreating photo shoots of past sex symbol icons Burt Reynolds (in his 1972 Cosmopolitan magazine shoot), Christopher Atkins (in his 80's "Blue Lagoon" effect), and Marky Mark (in his 90's Calvin Klein underwear ad) in this week's PEOPLE magazine, which is naming him their "Sexiest Bachelor", and hot tranny mess Duanna Johnson narrowly escaped death after being brutalized by a Memphis police officer while waiting to be booked for suspected prostitution- no doubt Ms. Johnson will get her LIFE when she collects the $1.3 million dollars she's suing the Memphis police department for...
You can see a report and the entire disgusting video here...

So, if you are still alive even after having to contend with a nationwide "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" scare, here is what is going on in the solipsistic bubble above my head THIS week...



1- The "new" dance out of Harlem seems to be "the 5,000", which is done by, among other things, falling on your back to the ground while extending one leg, like so...




When will the "general population" come to realize that this, like so many other dances and trends, was started (and perfected) in the underground gay ballroom scene YEARS ago?








2- Is it even possible for Tyson Beckford to ever take a bad picture?

3- According to various news sources, at least five jurors in the R. Kelly child pornography case were convinced that it was indeed him on "The Tape", but felt that "there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute". What more did you need, for him to re-enact the "money shot"??






4- Who knew that Whoopi Goldberg had legs? (Shown here hosting last week's Tony Awards in a dress by Project Runway winner Christian Siriano).





5- After being busted trying to "cop" crack cocaine on New York's Lower East Side , Oscar winner Tatum O'Neal told the arresting cops she was researching a role. Exactly which movie is she slated to star in where she plays an ailing, Oscar-winning child star who, after developing a FIERCE heroin habit, loses her kids to her tennis-star husband and writes a bestseller chronicling her (supposed) various orgies with other Hollywood starlets, her dealings with an abusive father, and other shocking allegations before becoming a certified crackhead?

6- Who else is feeling Solange's new song (and video!), 'I Decided'?


7- Sorry T.I., but...Isn't Lil Wayne (who gagged the entertainment world this week by moving 1,005,500 copies of his newest CD, Tha Carter III, thus becoming the first CD of 2008 to go platinum in its first week), the NEW King of Hip Hop?





THE FASHIONISTA FILES

1-Are you a Lanvin-lover in need of some dungarees? If you can wait until November, get thee to Barney's New York and Bergdorf Goodman! Alber Elbaz does Lanvin denim with Swede label Acne jeans. The line (a dress, a tuxedo jacket, a belted trench, blouson, and of course JEANS) will range from $550 to $650, while coats will run $1,200 to $1,500. Of particular note is a chic jean jacket that Elbaz has retailored for the Lanvin proportion. Jewelry and handbags are expected to be priced north of $1,500- My question is this: Isn't this supposed to be a "diffusion" line? Aren't these price points a little too close to ACTUAL Lanvin?


2- Good Girl Gone RAD?
Gucci and (Elle creative director) Joe Zee recently hosted an extraordinary summer soiree and private dinner honoring Rihanna (who appeared on the magazine's June cover). She's establishing herself as a fashion plate (did anyone catch her opening the Dsquared fashion show last season?), she's well on her way to becoming a gay icon (ask any same-gender-loving individual), and her latest single is entitled "Take A Bow". Isn't this Bajan-born "It girl" making good on her goal to become "the black Madonna"?



3-Need more Valentino?
For my best friend, Phoenix b., (who is currently in Paris through the remainder of the month), something else to check out...For those of us who were heartbroken at Mr. Garavani's retirement this year, a little respite:


Valentino: Themes and Variations opens in Paris today and runs until September 21 at Les Arts Décoratifs. The exhibit features 225 high-fashion creations by the Roman couturier curated by Pamela Golbin. Will Alessandra Facchinetti , who took over for Mr. Valentino (and who, rumor has it, was NOT Valentino's first choice to succeed him), go to the exhibit with her sketchpad?


5- How SMART was it for former cocktail waitress Sarah Larson to parlay her "relationship" with George Clooney into being the new face of Christian Audigier (of "Ed Hardy" fame)?








6- How HOT was Project Runway season 3 alum Michael Knight's dress (modelled by 'Dancing With the Stars alum Karrina Smirnoff) on Bravo's A-List Awards last week?


7- "It's yellow, it's ugly, it doesn't go with anything but it could save your life." Karl Lagerfeld promotes road safety in France with this public service announcement. Will this vest (albeit with interlocking 'C's) show up on his runway in the spring?


Maybe its the SHOE(s)...

6- With her shoes flying off the shelves at retailers like Marshall's, is Jessica Simpson smarter (and more STYLISH) than we give her credit for?

7- Speaking of shoes, how HOT is the new Jimmy Choo Fall/Winter campaign featuring Angela Lindvall?







FnFYI (Fashion news For Your Information)...


1- Blahnik honored...An entire city will recognize the British cobbler's contribution to fashion. The Rodeo Drive Committee and the City of Beverly Hills will bestow the 12th-annual Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award to Manolo Blahnik at an awards ceremony on September 25th for his contributions to fashion and entertainment. (Past honorees include James Galanos, Gianni and Donatella Versace (2007), Salvatore Ferragamo, Edith Head, James Acheson and Milena Canonero (2006), Herb Ritts and Mario Testino (2005), Tom Ford and Giorgio Armani).


2- Still on the waitlist for your Birkin? For a casual alternative, consider The "Yohji" bag, designed by Yohji Yamamoto and created by Hermes.The bag is available made-to-order in select Hermes stores, starting at $6,200 for 35 centimeters and up to $7,100 USD for 41 centimeters...

3-Thanks to Cartier, now you can satisfy your fashion appetite while helping to make sure that other people eat. The French jeweller has launched its 'How far would you go for Love?' campaign. My pick from The "Love" collection is the "Love Charity" bracelet, a set of intertwined 18 carat white and pink gold rings on a silk cord. Stylish and somewhat understated, a portion of each sale of the bracelet will be donated to Action Against Hunger, an international, non-governmental, non-religious, non-profit organization that tackles hunger in 43 countries worldwide and seeks to alleviate malnutrition amongst children. Now, THAT'S Love! (currently sold for $995.00 with$200.00 from each purchase going to charity)




COVER WARS


1- Who missed Tyra on the cover of last week's New York Times magazine?

1a- Speaking of the "Bankable" one, aren't we ALL going to be sucked in for an extra hour on the CW Network on Wednesdays, when 'America's Next Top Model' is followed by 'Stylista'?



2- How predictable (and uninspiring!) was it for Vogue to put Sarah Jessica Parker on their cover to coincide with the 'Sex and The City' fanaticism?

2a- How INSPIRING was the "wedding dress" segment in the "Sex and The City" movie?

3- Its the second week in June...Aren't we ALL waiting with bated breath for the Vogue Italia July issue (which is to feature all-black models cover to cover) to come out on next Thursday?


3a- The cover (which features Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Naomi Campbell), is BEAUTIFUL, but...has anyone seen the pictures Steven Meisel (who photographed the entire 100 pages) took of plus-sized diva Toccara Jones?


FLASHBACK...
Before she had dreams of becoming "the black material girl", this Bermudan chick was begging the DJ to turn the music up...Remember...Rihanna's "Pon de Replay"?