http://www.gossipcheck.com Want to know what is going on in the world of the Rich and Famous? Join our Celebrity News Community and find out NOW! en Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:05:24 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.gossipcheck.com/images/blue/misc/rss.jpg http://www.gossipcheck.com http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10027&goto=newpost Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:46:42 GMT For the first time in more than 50 years, the world's largest traveling fashion show, the Ebony Fashion Fair, isn't coming to Mississippi, or anywhere else.

"The shows are suspended," said Wendy Parks, spokeswoman for Johnson Publishing Co., which publishes Ebony magazine.

The entire 2010 spring season has been canceled because of the Jan. 3 death of Eunice Johnson, widow of Ebony magazine founder John Johnson and director and producer of the fashion show since 1961.

Eunice Johnson staged the runway shows aimed at black audiences in nearly 200 cities each year, including Jackson, Biloxi, Tunica, Tupelo, Vicksburg, Columbus and Greenwood.

"Of course, there is probably no one who can step in and do that on the spur of the moment," said Barbara Hilliard of Jackson, who coordinates the Jackson shows. This year's event had been scheduled for March 12.

Each year, runway models flaunt creations from the world's best-known designers, including Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, Carolina Herrera and Bill Blass.

The show, which has raised more than $55 million for charities across the country, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008.

In Jackson, the event has raised more than $400,000 over the years for scholarships to Tougaloo and Rust colleges and for the United Negro College Fund.

The show drew more than 600 people last year and raised more than $4,000, Hilliard said.

In place of the runway shows this year, Johnson Publishing Co. will donate two designer garments to each venue to help organizations raise funds for local charities or institutions.

"We'll probably do either a raffle or a silent auction here," Hilliard said. "That will help fill the void."

No date or site for the Jackson event has been set, she said.

"I'm very disappointed about the cancelation," said Norweida Roberts of Jackson, who has attended nearly every show since the early '60s when she was a student at Tougaloo College.

"The clothes are fabulous. And I love the thought that Mrs. Johnson selected the clothes made by designers I've only heard of. I can't afford couture.

"But I looked forward to it every year. If I missed it in Jackson, I followed it on the road to Vicksburg," she said.

Johnson Publishing Co. has not released information about future Ebony Fashion Fair dates, Parks said.

In her statement, company Chairman and CEO Linda Johnson Rice said, "We are currently evaluating how we can best assure this continuing legacy. Johnson Publishing Co. is committed to the iconic Ebony Fashion Fair brand and its importance to the community and fashion industry." ]]> Latest Gossip phoenix06007 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10027 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10026&goto=newpost Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:45:22 GMT In a glimmer of good news for the luxury goods industry, Pradayesterday said its operating profit for 2009 would be better than the previous year and... In a glimmer of good news for the luxury goods industry, Pradayesterday said its operating profit for 2009 would be better than the previous year and better than forecast in its own budget, writes Vincent Boland in Milan .

The Milan-based label, owned by designer Miuccia Prada and her businessman husband Patrizio Bertelli, and which fashionistas regard as being at the cutting edge of the industry, did not give more details. Prada made ebitda earnings of €282m ($386m) in 2008, and at the time of that announcement Mr Bertelli sounded an optimistic note about Prada's business environment.

An improved performance for 2009 would be in contrast to labels such as Versace, which have seen sales and profits decline during the past year, one of the toughest for the fashion industry in two decades. Prada said the driver of its projected higher earnings for last year was its retail business, where sales rose by more than 14 per cent. ]]> Latest Gossip phoenix06007 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10026 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10025&goto=newpost Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:43:45 GMT Dannii Minogue, V V Brown and Ana Beatriz Barros join Twiggy to create the spring 2010 fashion image for Marks & Spencer.

The Australian-born singer, X Factor judge and sister of Kylie, Dannii Minogue, who is expecting her first child, heads the roll-call of new celebrities who will create the spring 2010 fashion image for Marks & Spencer.

Dannii will be joined by the singer-songwriter V V Brown, renowned or her 21st century spin on vintage; Lisa Snowdon, the co-host of Capital Radio’s breakfast show and ex-Strictly Come Dancing finalist; and the 'Brazilian Bombshell', the model, Ana Beatriz Barros, a star of the 2009 Victoria's Secret fashion show.

Ensuring style continuity for the high street chain will be the legendary Twiggy, the nation’s favourite 60-year-old, who became the ‘face’ of M&S in 2005 and has been credited with reviving its fortunes. In December, a pink coat she modelled became an instant sell-out.

The Marks & Spencer spring advertising campaign will be launched in newspapers, magazines and on television in March. ]]> Latest Gossip phoenix06007 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10025 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10024&goto=newpost Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:40:47 GMT NEW YORK – Model Brooklyn Decker landed the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover this year. The 22-year-old wife of tennis star Andy Roddick... NEW YORK – Model Brooklyn Decker landed the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover this year.

The 22-year-old wife of tennis star Andy Roddick said being chosen for the front is "the news of a lifetime."

The cover photo of Decker smiling in a yellow bikini is a departure from the more sultry look that SI had gone for the past few years, she said. She compared it to covers from the 1980s or '90s, when Elle Macpherson won her covers with a friendly, sun-loving look.

SI keeps the cover photo a secret — even from the models — until less than 24 hours before it's revealed. Decker said now the mad dash was on to find outfits for TV appearances that will come with the gig. (Her closet of swimsuits wasn't right for winter, she joked.)

As for Roddick? He's relieved the five-time SI Swimsuit model can check the cover-girl box and won't be as nervous next February when the next edition comes out.

Decker says she is an avid sports fan, and, as a teenager in North Carolina, ran hurdles for the track team, played soccer and participated in competitive cheerleading. She has no great diet or exercise secret, she said, other than to be active and eat sensibly.

"I still don't know the formula for the cover," she added. "It's luck, the perfect suit and perfect storm to get it."

Decker said, though, that because Sports Illustrated encourages a natural look — less makeup, toned muscles, curvy shape — it's easier to get a great photograph. "This celebrates the girls and their personalities. I think it's why they get such beautiful pictures." ]]> Latest Gossip phoenix06007 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10024 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10023&goto=newpost Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:52:47 GMT Kim Kardashian really needs to get a life. Or at least a baby.

Granted, she'll parade that poor child to every publicity op she can found, just like sister Kourtney, but at least she'll be doing something with her life.

The alternative - while one sister is off profiting from her marriage and the other from her child - appears to be for Kim to sit back and Tweet pictures of herself in a bikini. Or critique fellow celebrities on the red carpet.

That's what Kardashian has taken to her blog to do, as she posted the following Grammy Award opinions yesterday:

Beyonce: 100 percent my pick for best dressed of the night. This Stephane Rolland dress is so gorgeous and her eye makeup works perfectly with the Egyptian feel. I also love the side part in her hair and the subtle glitter highlights. She always looks flawless and I love that she flaunts her curves!

Miley: Miley's Herve Leger dress was totally cute and age-appropriate. Some teens try to take themselves too seriously, and I love that Miley just has fun with her fashion and always stays true to her individual style.

Taylor Swift: Love this Kaufman Franco dress on Taylor! This is a hard dress to pull off because the sparkly fabric accentuates every curve, but she is tall and has a really slender frame so it works. Plus she wouldn't be Taylor Swift without her glitter, right? Doesn't she always look so classy!? ]]> Latest Gossip phoenix06007 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10023 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10022&goto=newpost Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:50:35 GMT RAPPING mogul Jay-Z says British singer Susan Boyle has what it takes to be a fashion icon. When Boyle first found fame a year ago on Britain’s... RAPPING mogul Jay-Z says British singer Susan Boyle has what it takes to be a fashion icon.

When Boyle first found fame a year ago on Britain’s Got Talent she was was dubbed the Hairy Angel with her grey curls and dowdy dresses. But after her American success and makeovers king of cool Jay Z believes the 48-year-old Scottish spinster has enough global appeal to be a STYLE queen.

He said: “What Susan’s achieved is unbelievable. Everybody wants a piece of her and the market for her is huge. I could see her with her own clothing range. Sure, why not?”

“She’ll appeal to women of a certain age. They’ll see an ordinary person who made the best of herself. It’ll give them hope.” ]]> Latest Gossip phoenix06007 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10022 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10021&goto=newpost Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:46:34 GMT New York – Donna Karan may have dropped out of Parsons School of Design when she was a sophomore - Anne Klein herself offered the fledgling designer... New York – Donna Karan may have dropped out of Parsons School of Design when she was a sophomore - Anne Klein herself offered the fledgling designer a job that she couldn't refuse - but that doesn't mean she doesn't put a high premium on fashion education.

"I was so in awe of 7th Avenue, that I really didn't know what a gift it is to be in school, that opportunity of knowledge and time to really find your own essence and to explore your own abilities," said Karan.

Karan, who spoke at a Parsons School of Design event about her career on Thursday, Feb. 4, in New York, helped initiate a new MFA program at the school, called "Fashion Design and Society," a studio-based program fostering experimentation that will be led by Shelley Fox, the Donna Karan professor of fashion at Parsons.

The school also announced the creation of an MA in Fashion Studies, a theory-based program. Both programs will launch this fall.

For Karan, she felt there was a void in the U.S. for a graduate program in fashion that pushed students further creatively and conceptually than a B.A. program is able to, delving even deeper into their roles as designers in the context of the larger society for whom they are designing.

Karan herself is one such designer whose collections have addressed particular societal concerns - from working women with her most famous, and revolutionary, collection, "Seven Easy Pieces," to her philanthropic work with HIV/AIDS.

On Monday, Feb. 8, Karan will launch her latest philanthropic initiative, "Tent Today, Home Tomorrow," addressing the recent earthquake disaster in Haiti.

"For $1,000, you can buy a tent for someone in Haiti," said Karan. "My golden dream is to build a community in Haiti, to help build a sustainable model, where we can help the creativity, support the creativity and involve ourselves with people who need our hand."

Karan also mentioned helping set up an educational system and a manufacturing system.

"I really think conscious consumerism is where it's at," Karan told Dr. Valerie Steele, chief curator at The Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology, who moderated the Thursday evening conversation.

"We're going through a feminine period right now," continued Karan. "I think we've been living in a masculine world, and what has just happened to our masculine world, it's crashed. And now it's the birth of the feminine. It's the birth of the mothering and the caring and all those aspects. And I think that's what compels me as a designer today. It's not just looking at wearing what's on the outside, but truly the essence of what life is all about. Our social responsibility as fashion designers is probably bigger than ever before."

Karan also voiced some strong words about the current fashion cycle that shows collections six months in advance, complaining that consumers were being given too much information.

"When I launched my company, the shows were in April and May," said Karan. "Now they're in February. My question to this industry - and I say it to myself and my own company, is, why am I showing clothes in February? I don't want the consumer to see, next week, what is going to be in the stores in fall! It's confusing."

Asked Dr. Steele, "How are we going to turn around this huge machine?"

"It's very simple. We just stop," emphasized Karan. "We go to the stores and say, 'Okay, no more getting fall clothes in July or June so that they go on sale in September when the weather hasn't changed! We have to go with a system where we're talking in seasons. What we've conditioned the consumers to do is buy on sale. Unless we change the system, it's not going to happen."

Would Karan do away with fashion shows altogether?

"I would shift the fashion shows," Karan said. "We need fashion shows, we need delivery times, yes. That's industry. It is not for the general public. So the world of communication has to stop. It doesn't go out on the wire, it doesn't go out on the Internet so that the manufacturers can copy our designs. I mean, we're killing our own industry! There's too much information going out there. We have to learn the word 'restriction.'"

And for those wondering what the 2010 version of Donna Karan's top easy pieces are, her current favorites include her necklace of black carved beads from Senegal, a cozy scarf and a belt bag - otherwise known as a "fanny pack."

Joking that no one else in fashion seemed to share in this vision of hers, Karan insisted: "I think belt bags are where it's at, guys!"

Accessories designers, take note. ]]> Latest Gossip phoenix06007 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10021 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10020&goto=newpost Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:45:26 GMT PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Hair gel and hair extensions, tanning and True Religion jeans, Ed Hardy T-shirts and eyebrow threading. It's fashion, "Jersey Shore"-style.

MTV's hit reality show put the spotlight on the style of a group of 20-something Italian-Americans, self-professed "guidos" and "guidettes," as they partied and fist-pumped their way through a Seaside Heights, N.J., summer. And now their style — heavy on gravity-defying hair and deeply revealing tops — is catching on among a non-"guido" audience that's tuned in not just for the drama, but to study the cast's particular, and sometimes peculiar, fashion choices.

"They're fist-pumping. They're doing their hair like us now, dressing like us," Pauly Delvecchio, who goes by Pauly D on the show, told NBC's "Today" show on Monday. "We obviously did something right."

Pauly D's blowout hairdo helps define the style, along with Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi's white hair-clipped pouf, which has several fan pages on Facebook. Jenni "JWOWW" Farley has announced her own clothing line and Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino walked the red carpet at the Grammys displaying his famous abs.

Zach Vujic, 15, has learned lately just what kind of dedication it takes to get Pauly D's hair. The 10th grader from Stoney Creek, Ontario, got his own version of the cut, with short hair on bottom, topped by hair a couple inches long sticking straight up in spikes seemingly shellacked into place.

Pauly D, a DJ from Johnston, R.I., has called the cut windproof, waterproof, soccer-proof and motorcycle-proof. Zach, whose ethnic background is Serbian, says he's watched every episode of the show four times and got the Pauly D cut in late January. Since then, he's been getting up 25 minutes early for school, at 6:25 a.m., so he has time to perfect the style.

It's worth it, Zach said.

"I've noticed now when I go places with the haircut, people just stop and look at me. No one else has it," he said.

Another plus, according to Zach: girls like it.

Other hallmarks of the "Jersey Shore" look are Jenni "JWOWW" Farley's blonde extensions and boob-revealing tops, T-shirts and trucker hats bearing classic Ed Hardy tattoo designs, and designer sunglasses and bags — sometimes knockoffs.

Most striking perhaps is that the men of "Jersey Shore" appear to be more dedicated to their looks than the women. Pauly D says he spends 25 minutes on his hair every day and gets it cut weekly. He and Sorrentino, dedicate themselves to a daily "GTL" routine: "Gym. Tan. Laundry." so they look their best when they go out.

Lauren Lewis, 19, a nursing student at Laguardia College in Queens, N.Y., who is Jamaican, Italian and Irish, with a little Lithuanian and British thrown in, says she doesn't consider herself a guidette but looks to Snooki and JWOWW for tips when she goes out clubbing.

"I want to be Snooki or JWOWW. Outgoing. I'm not really that outgoing," she said. "I look at them for inspiration."

Lewis has tried several times to reproduce Snooki's hairstyle, which is achieved through teasing, hairspray and a big white hair clip that pushes up the hair into a pouf. But Lewis has curly hair and has only been able to do it once, with a lot of help from her friends.

"I would probably do it every day if I had straight hair," she said.

Lewis said she doesn't think she could pull off many of JWOWW's style choices, although few could. Take JWOWW's signature fashion statement — the infamous draping yellow shirt she wore in one episode that revealed everything between her breasts.

Still, JWOWW sold the shirts on her own Web site for a time and last month announced those sales were suspended because she's coming out with her own clothing line in late spring or early summer.

JWOWW tweeted this week that her blonde extensions — worn under dark hair — will not be making a comeback in the show's second season. Alicia Carmody, a hairstylist who works in Providence, said several clients have asked about those extensions, although no one has told her they want to look like JWOWW yet.

She said several other clients, mostly college students, have gotten the Pauly D cut.

The "Pauly D" has become so popular that even little kids want the look. Anthony Gianfrancesco, the North Providence barber who's cut Pauly's hair for a decade, says he's been inundated with appointments from people as far away as New Bedford, Mass., a 40-minute drive, to get the $12 cut.

He says it attracts people "going for that guido look" but from all backgrounds.

"It's not necessarily Italians who are getting it, but Portuguese and Irish," he said. "You go to the mall, you see tons of people with the hairdo now. You go to the club, there's a million Pauly Ds in the crowd." ]]> Latest Gossip phoenix06007 http://www.gossipcheck.com/showthread.php?t=10020