A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via beaute-noir)

In: Tyra Banks. Tyra Banks, the brand, has come, at last, of age. In the unofficial post-supermodeling race, Cindy Crawford and Elle MacPherson -- both fabulously wealthy from selling endorsed tchotchkes -- were expected to build the largest empires and surpass the also-rans. Who would have thought Tyra Banks would rule the roost as the talkshow most watched by women ages 18 to 39. Oprah comparisons are inevitable. From Fortune Magazine (link via iwantmedia):

"Fortune: So Tyra, what's your show all about?

"Tyra: It's not really a talk show. It's a woman's guide to life. It's topical, connected to the news, but we do fashion and fun stuff. It's like different pages or sections in a women's magazine. They're unique, but they all fit together under one cover.

"Fortune: Do you pay attention to the ads?

"Tyra: Of course. I watch the show with friends and get so excited when a big new ad comes on, and my friends look at me like I'm crazy. Success on the business side is such a validation. We have makeup, toothpaste, but also Toyota and Johnson & Johnson and cereal commercials.

"Fortune: I hear that a General Mills deal is in the works too.

Tyra: I'm not going to comment on something that may or may not be happening.

"Fortune: ... Are you consciously looking to brand yourself, like Oprah or Martha Stewart?

"Tyra: Those are the two women I admire the most. They are two brands. Their vision is clear and cohesive. Who can say? Maybe one day I can be like that. You have to keep that level of authenticity and not do anything that would cheapen your image from a product standpoint. "



(image via usaweekend)

Out: Jude Law. Although he does not have a tiny dick, Sienna Miller's protracted media "Fuck you very much" to Jude Law must confoundingly rankle. Then again, liberty after having been shackled in a sour relationship with a man who made you turn "puce" is enough to make anyone gloat profusely within range of a tape recorder. Law, actually, strikes me as just the sort of icy Eurotrash that goes in for sophisticated head games with naive waifs. The magnificent melancholy of Sadie Frost is testament to that brutal fact. (Averted Gaze) According to the 3AM Girls:

"NOW she's a fully paidup member of the Singleton club, Sienna Miller was happy to have a giggle and a girlie chat over a few cocktails...

Having finally ditched her ex Jude Law, the 24-year-old actress opened her heart to 3am's Kiki at the London premiere of her new film Casanova on Monday night.

"After downing cocktails at the premiere party in Mayfair restaurant Luciano, a happy-looking Sienna told Kiki: 'I'm definitely not with Jude.'

"'I know Jude isn't ready for marriage - and I'm so glad I'm not with him any more,' she added."

Also: Did Jessica Simpson really fuck Jude Law, or is Star Magazine just a low grade piece of unfactchecked magazine ass (as I suspect)?



(image via wzly.net)

In: In the Studio. It is a particularly fruitful time for recording artists --if not for their elected industry. According to Ultragrrrl, "I just got word from a very good friend that the Killers have GONE INTO THE STUDIO TODAY! They've gone in with Flood and Moulder to start recording their second album. I think it's expected to come out later this year."

And, from the 3AM Girls, Gwyneth Paltrow's earnest husband Chris Martin and Kanye West recorded a track:

"Coldplay's public-school-boy frontman, 28, was at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London recording an exclusive Radio 2 gig. US star Kanye was in a studio next door, laying down the soundtrack for Mission Impossible 3.

"That work was interrupted by the indie kings' gig. But the Brit-nominated rapper didn't throw a hissy fit and was quickly convinced a duet between he and Chris could be great.

"Says our mole at the mixing desk: 'Kanye didn't mind being interrupted and after Coldplay's show Chris joined him in the recording booth for a jamming session.

"They did a track together which sounded amazing. Fingers crossed it will get to see the light of day."



Gimme the loot, gimme the loot, gimme the loot! (image via camcycle)

Out: Swag Hags. Entertainment Weekly infmaously likened the lusty Swag Hags at Sundance as not unlike "pigs hunting truffles." (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment) In anticipation of Oscar gift-whoring season, we are naming names. You know who you are: Evangeline Lilly and Terrence Howard. (Averted Gaze) Anthony Kaufman, the unofficial conscience of the indie film scene, fixes his laser-gaze upon the fertile topic of Swag and its abuses:

"The practice of giving rich actors free stuff is one more sign of the decline of American culture. At the last couple Sundance Film Festivals, I saw the marketing tactic firsthand and blogged about it here. While companies enjoy the extra publicity of seeing their $20,000 watch on the wrist of Terrence Howard, it seems utterly inappropriate to give handouts to the wealthy. As I've suggested before, why not get some extra publicity instead by donating $3,000 guitars to underprivileged kids or free trips to Bora, Bora to Iraq war veterans?

"In the New York Times, Sharon Waxman sheds light on the celebrity kiss-ass extravaganza and it isn't pretty. Gwyneth Paltrow, according to the story, expressed surprise at the Golden Globes when she received a cruise to Antarctica and Tasmania in her gift basket. (Estimated value: $22,000.)

"That actors agree to this sort of thing is what's really surprising. The article says that few such trips are actually redeemed, but the story leaves little doubt that hard gifts are pocketed. If Hollywood is so socially conscious these days, I would think they'd donate their gifts to charity. Where is that story?"

The Anthony Kaufman blog here.



Countess Crespi. (image via NYSocialdiary)

In: Fashion Hurts. (The Corsair pours himself a glass of 1982 Domaine de Malartic Armagnac, neat) Who says a little fashion doesn't hurt? (for further reference: see our filthy post on the elvin Amy Fine Collins and "broken doll" fetishes), Mark Holgate's busted wing is one instance in which fashion hurts. According to Fashionweekdaily:

"By all accounts, Olympus Fashion Week was free of any dramatic accidents this season�just don�t tell that to Mark Holgate. Following the Behnaz Sarafpour show last Wednesday, the Vogue senior fashion writer took a nasty stumble when he tripped on a rug located in the 42nd Street entrance to the Cond� Nast building. Holgate hit his head against a hard surface and fell on his arm, and was later seen sporting a sling at subsequent shows."

And, from those intrepid Page Sixxies:

"THAT fashion legend Countess Consuelo Crespi took a tumble at a downtown runway show she attended with Grace Mirabella and is undergoing hip surgery at St. Vincent's